Hamp Cross (left) with client Jimmy George

Hamp Cross

I guess I never really had a chance. My mother had to send a friend to get my father off a trout stream to take her to the hospital so I could be born. From there I caught my first trout at 3 on a Snoopy rod using corn for bait. By age 10, I was following my father up North Georgia trout streams with a flyrod in hand. At the age of 12 I recieved my first flyrod (a Sage 3 weight that has served me well until this day catching a little over 30 different kinds of fish in 6 states). It is especially good on North Georgia's brook trout streams which I enjoy fishing and guiding on. I fished hard throughout my teen years, tagging along with my brother-in-law all over North Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. We also made a trip each summer to fish the Mecca that is the Rocky Mountain West. That is the story of a mountain boy that was destined to guide trout fishermen for a living.

At the age of 18, I started guiding for Unicoi Outfitters after spending some time working in the flyshop and following my father along on guided trips. My first couple of trips were eventful. My first trip I had two ladies who at never fished, matched up with a guide who had never guided. The first 10 minutes we landed two trout a piece at Dukes Creek/Smithgall Woods on dry flies. Nothing to this I thought. My second trip, my client fell off the bank before ever actually fishing and broke his arm severely. I had to rethink this whole guiding stuff, but ten years later I am glad I stuck with it. I have been able to guide in Wyoming and Alaska's world renowned Bristol Bay area. Life has been good.

Every guide that spends anytime in this business, has to find a niche where they excel and offer something other guides do not. For me, I believe that my niche is the ability to offer a relaxing, educational day on the water, where there is no pressure except to enjoy the outdoors and the fishing. My saying is that whether or not you catch, land, or hook that trout you see or want, the sun will still come up tomorrow. Nothing about trout fishing is life or death, and as a guide I always try to remember that. You will never catch me yelling at a client for a bad cast. After ten years in the business I truly enjoy my repeat customers, many of whom have become good friends. It's always enjoyable fishing with someone who you can laugh with about past occurrences or the time they fell in during December. As I get older though, I have come to love teaching new flyfishermen what I can about the sport that has been so good to me. There are few things that thrill me more than getting that first fish in the net for a new fisherman. Second to that is seeing someone come back on their second or third trip and them being able to make the cast or mend needed to fish without me having to say a word. It makes me happy to watch people become better fishermen.

On a personal note, I have a wonderful wife Deleah and a son, Jake, that was born in July of 2009. I am proud to say that he already owns a Hardy flyrod and reel. I attended college at Gainesville State and UGA, and after many years came away with a Criminal Justice Degree; to go along with that I am also a Georgia Certified Peace Officer. I'm doing my best to keep guiding and not get one of those dreaded "real jobs."

I have won a few awards over the years, including the One Fly Contest held at Dukes Creek and the Gold Rush Cup Challenge held at Frog Hollow. One of my proudest fly fishing accomplishments is catching the four sub-species of cutthroats in Wyoming to recieve the Cutt-Slam Certificate from their Game and Fish department. All total I have caught 6 subspecies of Cutthroat. I also hold a Coast Guard Merchant Mariner license. On a final personal note my other passion in life is bowhunting for Whitetail deer, so all you hunters come on up and we can talk deer hunting while we catch monster fish.

I hope you enjoyed learning a little more about Hamp Cross. Whether you have fished for years, or are just getting started, I'd be happy to take you on a low-pressure, relaxed fishing trip in the beautiful countryside of the North Georgia Mountains.

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Contact Unicoi Outfitters:

P.O. Box 419
7280 S. Main Street
Helen, Georgia 30545
(706) 878-3083
or by email.


Unicoi Outfitters is a permittee of the Chattahoochee-Oconee, Sumter, and Nantahala National Forests. See contact page for more information.