ALPINE HELEN-WHITE COUNTY, GEORGIA—FEBRUARY 2021–The Helen Chamber of Commerce proudly presents the 32nd Annual Helen Trout Tournament, 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, March 27, at the Helen Chamber of Commerce Festhalle, 1074 Edelweiss Strasse, Helen, Georgia 30545. COVID PROTOCOLS: Masks, hand sanitizing and six-foot distancing are required inside the Festhalle. No spectators are allowed inside the Festhalle. There will note be an Awards Ceremony this year.
The Helen Chamber of Commerce will stock the Chattahoochee River with over 400 pounds of trout. This beautiful stretch of the Chattahoochee that flows leisurely through the City of Helen, only 20 miles from the headwaters, is teeming with trout and has been known to produce Trophy Native Trout. In addition, DNR will be stocking the river with Trout during the tournament. (A Georgia fishing license and trout stamp is required by the State of Georgia; all tournament participants are to follow the Georgia DNR rules of fishing in the Chattahoochee River in Helen.) The crystal clear shimmering water of the Chattahoochee flows from springs, tiny streams and tributaries in the National Forests and the Appalachian Watershed surrounding Helen. When you are not fishing, there are a multitude of shops, restaurants and hotels for the entire family to enjoy in Georgia’s Alpine Village of Helen.
Anglers of ALL ages will test their skill–trying to hook *tagged trout in the river boundaries, from the river access area on Escowee Street (just upstream from Hofbrauhaus Restaurant) downstream through Helen to the first Brucken Strasse bridge at Cool River Tubing. There will be $4,000 in available prizes swimming in Helen’s Chattahoochee River. To win prizes, anglers must catch a tagged trout and present it at the Festhalle for weigh-in, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Be sure to be in the Festhalle by 2 p.m. when the Prize Awards Ceremony and Bucket Raffle Drawing begin.
This year the top three prizes are by individual weight for tagged trout and include:
1st place $1,000 fish sponsored by Craig’s Remodeling and Repair
2nd place $500 “Milton Davis” fish sponsored by the Helen Chamber
3rd place $300 sponsored by “Tim’s Wooden Toys” (www.TimsWoodenToys.com)
$50 for each of the next 25 tagged trout
$25 for the remainder of the tagged trout
Registered participants receive an Official Tournament T-shirt (while supplies last). T-shirts sponsored by: Craig’s Remodeling and Repair, Tim’s Wooden Toys, Betty’s Country Store, Habersham Winery, Heidelberg Restaurant, Helendorf River Inn, Hofbrauhaus Restaurant, LaCabana Mexican Restaurant, Paul’s Steakhouse and Savannah River Chapter Trout Unlimited.
*Only this year’s tagged trout qualify for prizes.
Compete for cash prize awards and a raffle drawing at 2 p.m. Fishing regulations are governed by the Georgia DNR. All anglers must have a valid Georgia Fishing License and Trout stamp. Cost is $20.
Event Registration: Online or mail-in registration form. In person registration is from 4-7 p.m., Friday, March 26 and 6-9 a.m., Saturday, March 27, at the Helen Festhalle, 1074 Edelweiss Strasse, Helen, Georgia. For information and registration forms, visit HelenChamber.com or call 706-878-1908. For lodging, dining and visitor information call 1-800-858-8027. For more details, visit www.HelenChamber.com and LIKE the Helen Trout Tournament page on Facebook