Meet Tad Murdock | Fly Fishing Guide

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tad Murdock and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tad, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Fishing has always been a passion of mine, whether it be bass fishing or trout fishing on the fly or with conventional tackle. I truly enjoy teaching people not only about fly fishing, but the geology, ecology, and what makes Georgia such a special place for trout.

When I first began guiding through other outfitters I saw areas that could be improved within the industry. Fly fishing as a hobby/sport has historically been kept behind a pay wall and I wanted to provide an educational resource to new comers either on the water or through the extensive amount of information on our website

What should our readers know about your business?
Our goal at Georgia Wild Trout isn’t for our clients to be dependent on us for their fly fishing experience, but to put them in a position to succeed on their own and grow as anglers. While we love are returning clientele who return to learn new tactics or different areas, if our beginning clients don’t feel like they can adventure out for themselves and find success after a trip with us, we have failed them. I think this mentality separates us from many of our competitors.

Business wise, I wouldn’t necessarily say our growth was easy. The process of building our website and brand took time and plenty of patience. With that said, our growth seemed fluid and natural as our efforts to help beginning anglers and those looking to improve on the current knowledge has lead more and more visitors who are eager to learn to us.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Depending on what they may be trying to learn there are many different opportunities across the state. My favorite trips are those where we can target wild trout. They will live in the most pristine waters across the state. Starting toward Blue Ridge, the uppermost tributaries of the Toccoa River have incredibly scenic streams where tumbling white water cascades and waterfalls hold countless colorful wild trout. Moving toward Dahlonega and Helen, we target the trout slam which consists of brown, rainbow, brook trout. Many of these adventures will put us in close proximity of many of the larger waterfalls in the state which are a great place to stop and eat a snack or quick lunch.

There are no shortage of good restaurants around downtown Ellijay, Blue Ridge, Dahlonega, and Helen to visit. The wineries around Dahlonega such as Wolf Mountain, Montaluce, and Kaya are great stops where I’ve taken family and friends on many occasions.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
As a kid my Mom would take my brother and me to explore every corner of Georgia and much of the Eastern US. While fishing wasn’t necessarily the goal of every trip, it became a more prominent theme during our trips when I was in my teens. These adventures fueled the fire that drives my passion to discover new waters which is likely the most rewarding aspect of fly fishing.

Website: www.georgiawildtrout.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgiawildtrout?igsh=MW5iZHYxYzBvOTRqdA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079619418134&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/georgia-wild-trout-cumming-3

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@northgeorgiaflyfishing?si=oryx7Pmw4ZEk_wzF

Other: www.americanflyfishermen.com