UCCTU Newsline
March 2018
: Chapter #436
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“
Anticipation
”
This one simple word sums up my thinking as I look over at my wall calendar and notice the First Day of Spring—March 20. It means something big has happened! Once upon a time it meant get ready for “Opening Day of Trout Season.” Now it means a whole lot more. It means the Rizzio Clinic for Youth is coming up in late April. It means our #CleanMyWater campaign is in full swing. It means Sweep the Hooch and UCCTU Clean-Up Days are on the horizon. But, what “anticipation” also means to me is that fishing season is about to ramp up. You see, I’m planning on more visits to our beautiful local Chattahoochee River and numerous Georgia mountain streams. I’m excited about our Fishing Dayz trip to Fern Valley and our big summer adventure to the South Holston River. AND, I’ll be headed out west in early September to fish the Arkansas, Gunnison, Taylor and Rio Grande rivers. Scratch those off my “bucket list.” Anticipation, you see, is now over…it’s here!
I hope you’ll join us at our March 27th chapter meeting where Chris Nelson, Executive Director of the Chattahoochee Nature Center will tell us about some big changes coming to the center—and one that may greatly involve our chapter.
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Ken Mock
Chapter President
"
Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man To Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime"
~ Ancient Chinese Proverb
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Here are the latest news items and updates to stories and
events
happening now or in the near future. Get out-get involved-get the most out of UCCTU.
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March Guest Speaker: Chris Nelson
Director: Chattahoochee Nature Center
“42 Years of Connecting People with Nature”
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On Tuesday, March 27th, our special guest speaker will be Chris Nelson, Executive Director of the Chattahoochee Nature Center.
Chris joined the CNC in 2014 and is responsible for all operations and development of the Center. Prior to his appointment, he was the EVP and Chief of Operations of the Piedmont Park Conservancy!
Come out next month on April 24 for speaker Pat Hopton – Past President and Founding Member of the Rabun Chapter – “Dark Thirty Fishing”
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March Fly of the Month:
It is Caddis time again! March, April and May is the time we begin to see the first real activity of the season. After the summer slow down, this volume of will return in September and October.
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Rizzio Clinic for Youth - Sold Out
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Registration for this year’s Rizzio Fly Fishing Clinic for Youth is now closed. If you’d like to lend a hand at the event, contact Cullen McClure at
education@ucctu.org
. The event will be held at the Chattahoochee Nature Center on Saturday, April 28th starting with registration at 8:30 am. Plan to stay until 1:30 pm or until all of the kids are picked up.
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Speaking of Youth... How About Our Very Own Myles Hartley!
UCCTU youth member Myles Hartley, son of Scott and
Connie
Hartley, and yes, younger brother of Ryan, has been chosen to participate in this year’s TU Teen Summit. Like his brother did previously, Myles will be headed to Trout Unlimited’s 5-day Teen Summit in June. The summit is a leadership conference for young anglers and conservationists. This year’s summit will be held in Syria, Virginia in the Shenandoah National Park.
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Sweep the Hooch April 7
You can sign-up now for this year’s Sweep the Hooch river clean-up on the Riverkeeper’s website:
www.chattahoochee.org
. The event will be held from Buford Dam to points south of Morgan Falls Dam. Join in for a fun morning of helping to keep the Chattahoochee River pristine. Jones Bridge Park is UCCTU’s designated clean-up area. But, you can sign up for any of the many clean-up locations. For those of us cleaning up at Jones Bridge, bring a bag lunch and your fishing gear. We’ll eat after the clean-up and then hit the Hooch (depending on conditions).
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A Custom Heirloom Bamboo Fly Rod Can Be Yours!
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There’s something very special about holding a $2,500 custom bamboo fly rod in your hands. This feeling of holding and now owning such a rod can be yours for the price of a $10 raffle ticket.
This
J.D. Wagner
rod was donated to the chapter by chapter member Bob Bagurski.
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Click
HERE
for more details and photos of the rod.
Click
HERE
to purchase Raffle Tickets.
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We’re one month into our brand new
#cleanmywater
@ucctu
campaign and boy has it gained momentum! Fishers from all over our local area and some as far as Colorado and North Carolina have joined in the frenzy of picking up trash from their local rivers and streams. Even better, after uploading their pictures of collected trash, these folks hope to win a new Walter’s Fly Rod or other great prizes donated by our growing list of partners. You too can be a winner.
Click
here
to read more
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South Holston Trip: Only two spots left!
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Our annual chapter summer trip has been announced for June 28 – July 1.
Reservations are now being taken for lodging at The Castaway’s three homes. Please click on the link below for all the details. Don't delay --
first come...first served.
Click
HERE
for more info on this years trip.
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We Couldn't Wait Until Sweep the Hooch…
A group of eager chapter members met at Jones (no bridge) Park on Saturday, March 10 for a morning of good old fashion fun – picking up trash from the trails and along the river banks. This was the first of several UCCTU clean-up events that we'll be holding throughout the year. Make it a point to join us.
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Fishing Dayz Schedule Changed for This Year
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As a reminder, our Fishing Dayz events will now be scheduled on both Saturdays and Sundays to accommodate a wider range of participants. And, we’ll be holding the events every other month—not monthly.
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Have You Made Your 2018 Voluntary Donation?
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If you have---THANKS!
If not, you can do it now via several avenues:
- On our chapter website at www.ucctu.tu.org
- On our Facebook page – just search for Upper Chattahoochee Chapter Trout Unlimited
- At any of our monthly chapter meetings. See Mark Romzick, Chapter Treasurer at the treasurer’s table.
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Our Growing PHWFF Veterans Program
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UCCTU members now make up nearly half of the volunteers involved with our local Project Healing Waters chapter!
Tom and Paula Wright, Cullen McClure, Donnie and Andrew Brown, Denny Desmond, Greg Kirchenbaum and others helped recently at at outing with seven vets fishing at Nacoochee Bend. PHWFF hopes to conduct several overnight trips in addition to three weekly meetings.
Another outing of vets travelled up to Raven Fork and the Nantahala over the weekend of March 16-18. Some really big fish were netted.
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TroutFest 2018 Coming in April
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Celebrate trout fishing in the trout capital of Georgia at the 3rd Annual Blue Ridge Trout Festival & Outdoor Adventures Day on Saturday, April 28 from 10 am to 5 pm. The event will be held in the downtown city park in Blue Ridge. $5 admission at the gate (12 and under free).
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Is It Your Turn at the Plate?
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Last month we mentioned that a volunteer was needed to assume the role of Events Chair…to organize and attend our Fishing Dayz and to oversee our two annual chapter trips. This role remains unfilled.
Contact Ken Mock, Chapter President at
president@ucctu.org
or call him at 404-725-3979 if you'd like to tackle this role for the chapter.
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For quick links visit our
Website
.
Have pictures or a story you want featured in the UCCTU Newsline? Email the
Editor
.
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