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You're invited to our Annual
Upper Chattahoochee Chapter Trout Unlimited Summer Trip to the South Holston River
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"One of the South's True Fishing Treasures"
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Make Your Reservation ASAP
First Come -- First Booked
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PLEASE NOTE:
The groups in each home will be responsible for cooking their own meals. We'll let you know who is staying in each house well in advance of the trip. You can swap out your room or bed with another if you wish in your house or another house if agreed upon. Meal planning and cooking is, however, up to those in each house. There are restaurants 20 minutes away too.
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No Camping on Site
If you wish to set up your tent and rough it, you'll have to go to one of several area campgrounds. Try Cherokee Trails at 423-391-0118.
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First Come -- First Booked!!!
The three houses are described below. Your TOTAL fee is ONLY $75 for the trip -- that includes up to three nights and a special Saturday night feast.
This year, if you'd like to participate in the raffles after dinner, we ask that you add an extra $10 to cover the cost of the prizes.
NOTE: Rather than collecting checks or cash for reservations during the trip, please mail your check
ASAP to Ken Mock, 1200 Bristol Oaks Drive, Roswell, GA 30075. OR, bring your check to the Feb, March, or April chapter meeting. We'll give The Castaways one check to cover all reservations upon our arrival.
EMAIL
Ken Mock, Chapter President
with your reservation request and let him know which of the three homes is your first choice and second choice.
Rooms/Beds will be assigned as reservations are received.
If all rooms/beds are booked, you can still make a reservation, however, you'll have to bring your own air mattress or cot and sleep in the common areas. The rate, however, will still be $75. The rooms/beds are described on the Holston Castaway website
Holston Castaways.
NOTE: if you plan to come up early, please indicate when. The Red Brick House will be used for any nights prior to Thursday. But, if you'd like to stay in another house beginning on Thursday, you can, but will have to pack up and move over to that house. There is an extra charge of $95 per night for any night booked before Thursday. This amount will be shared by those staying for that night. Since the number of people staying over early will not be known until just before the trip, please bring cash to cover your portion of the nightly expense.
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Holston Castaways
Rental Houses
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Once family homes, now completely modern vacation rentals with fishing access to the South Holston River.
Fish on one of the premier tailwater trout fisheries in the Southeast, while enjoying all the comforts of home. As a guest you'll enjoy limited use of 2,000 feet of river frontage. It's an easy walk right to the river's edge, and great fishing. Each rental comes fully equipped with bed and bath linens, and each has a full kitchen with cookware and utensils.
Where are the Homes?
Holston Castaways is just up the river from Bluff City, TN.
Click
here for a great map and satellite view. They are an easy 15 minute drive from either interstate 81 or interstate 26.
The Properties
Castaway Farmhouse is a completely renovated, two bedroom farmhouse. It's cozy and country, but updated with all modern appliances and conveniences. Click
here for complete details and pictures of Castaway Farmhouse.
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Redbrick Castaway is a four bedroom ranch home. Click
here for complete details and pictures of Redbrick Castaway.
Third Castaway is located across the road from the other homes. Click
here for complete details and pictures of the Third Castaway.
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You won't want to miss this trip. Make your RESERVATION to go TODAY.
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Fishing the South Holston
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This great trip is designed to take advantage of the famous "sulfur hatch" that the South Holston is known for. The river offers some of the best dry fly fishing in the East.
The South Holston is also a tailwater river. This means that the flow is regulated by South Holston Dam (about 10 miles upstream). The water comes from the bottom of South Holston lake, and is nice and cold. It makes a great environment for trout. The topography of the river is also widely varied. From the river access near the rentals, you are within easy walking/wading distance of calm pools, riffles, and shoals. There are several wooded islands in the river, providing not only interesting fishing options, but beautiful scenery as well. Being a regulated river, it is important to remember that water levels will vary as TVA generates power. During the Spring and Summer months, TVA usually follows a generation schedule designed to not interfere with fishing (they usually generate power in the evenings and at night). However, they reserve the right to generate at any time. TVA provides a toll free number to check the generation schedule for the next 24 hours, and you can also check this at the
TVA website.
When TVA is generating power at South Holston Dam, the water is too deep and fast for wading. But this doesn't mean that you can't fish. This is the perfect time for floating the river and fishing from a canoe, kayak, or drift boat. There are several public areas where drift boats and canoes can be launched within a 10 minute drive of the rentals. If you float a canoe or kayak, you can easily take out at The Castaways river access. If you choose a drift boat, your best bet is to take out at Bluff City, a couple of miles downstream, where there is a public boat launch.
With The Castaways, we will have our own private stretch of river to fish, as well as the TVA property closer to the dam (30 minute drive). If you fish near the houses, please do not cross the river and fish in front of homes on the opposite side of the river.
If you need to stock up on fishing supplies, or if you'd like to have an expert show you around the river, by all means check out the local shops and guides. You will also need a valid
Tennessee fishing license. Additionally, if you are fishing for trout, or plan on taking trout, you must possess a trout license too. However, it's not necessary to get a license before you come. There are several places within a 10-15 minute drive of the cabins where you can purchase a license.
Lastly, there are plenty of other fishing opportunities in the immediate area. Between tailwater rivers, headwater rivers, mountain streams, and TVA lakes, you're bound to find just about anything you want.
Headwaters of the South Fork of the Holston
Above South Holston Dam, the South Fork of the Holston River is an unregulated stream. It originates in Southwest Virginia from creeks and springs. The South Fork provides nice cool water stream fishing in the Summer months.
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Watauga River
The Watauga tailwater (below Watauga and Wilber dams) provides much of the same type of year-round trout fishing as does the Holston. The Watauga is very close by, and there are public access areas within a 20-minute drive. Just like the Holston, it is a TVA regulated river, and is subject to power generation.
Nearby Mountain streams in Eastern Tennessee and Southwestern Virginia
If you want to match wits against some small-stream trout, then you're in luck. There are several great mountain stream fisheries within an hours drive. In Southwest Virginia, there's
Whitetop Laurel Creek that is rated among Virginia's best trout streams. The Laurel begins in the Mt. Rogers NRA. Further downstream, the Virginia Creeper trail parallels the creek for several miles, giving you many choices for access.
In Tennessee, the Laurel Fork and BeaverDam Creek both provide beautiful scenery and great fishing. The Laurel Fork has some popular waterfalls, provides parking just off US 321, and has footpaths that parallel the stream most of the way. Beaverdam Creek is nearby and flows from Shady Vally, TN towards Damascus, VA. It supports a good population of native and stocked trout.
Lake fishing on South Holston, Boone, Watauga, and Wilber Lake
If you'd like to try your luck with something other than trout, then you almost have too many choices. There are 4 TVA lakes within a half-hour drive. The closest lake is formed as the South Holston river is empounded to form
Boone Lake. The lake empoundment begins at Bluff City, and there is a public boat launch there.
Upriver (still on the South Fork of the Holston) is South Holston Lake, with public launches and marinas within half hour's drive.The Watauga River is empounded to form Watauga lake and Wilber Lake, both near Elizabethton, Tennessee. As these lakes are empounded between two mountain ridges, they are both deep and quite cool, even in Summer.
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Don't delay! Reservations for the Holston Castaways homes are now being taken.
As we near the date of the trip, we'll send out an email listing those who've reserved a spot and which home they've been assigned to. If you want a guide for one or more days you are encouraged to book early since June is a prime month on the South Holston and other nearby rivers and streams.
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Got a question?
If you have a question please email Ken Mock, Chapter President at the link below or call Ken at 404.725.3979.
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