A white, or chartreuse beetle-spin seems to be a great fish catcher in small ponds for some reason, based on my experience.
If you throw it 100 times with no bites, don't bother going back!
Consider calling Unicoi Outfitters in Helen and booking a wild trout trip.
Most folks are only interested in paying for trophy stream fishing, but you will learn more from the guides about how to catch public stream trout on a fly in one day than you could learn in a year of trying to figure it...
Got a kindred spirit here...
Off the beach:
1. A Big Reel - Senator 12/0 or 14/0, even a 16/0 (but they are collector's items now). Lever drag reels of the same size if you have the $$$
2. Big Line - #130 Mono or at least #80. Braid can't handle the abrasion of sand bars.
3. A Big Rod - a...