Volunteerism is alive and well in the Upper Chattahoochee Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Why do I say this? I've seen participation in all of our activities grow with new and renewed enthusiasm along with increased numbers of chapter members making each and every chapter-sponsored event a success.
Take our
Trout in the Classroom program for example. Jim Byrd, TIC Chair has taken this very special conservation program under his wing and is making fantastic improvements to it each and every day. He's grown this youth classroom program of raising trout in four Atlanta Area schools and may be adding a fifth next fall. To celebrate the success of our TIC program, you are invited to our May meeting to learn more...and meet some of the teachers and others who are making our local community greater every day.
Also, a big 'thank you' to all of you who participated in this year's
Sweep the Hooch earlier this month. We had members at several locations along the river and our team leaders took responsibility for signing folks in and out. Best of all, tons of trash were once again removed from the Hooch. Thanks to Bill Lott, our Conservation & Advocacy Chair who was our liaison with the Riverkeeper and organized those who were leaders from UCCTU.
Another example of leadership at its finest goes to all of our TU'ers who gave their time and energy to ensure another successful
Rizzio Clinic for our area young people. A special 'thanks' goes to our Executive VP and Education Chairman Tom Hayes who once again filled all 36 openings with eager learners and future fly fishers.
Maybe next month your name will appear here. There is still a lot left to do this year. Can you help Denny Desmond, our Fundraising Chair, with the annual fall fundraiser? Would you have some time to help Denny and Cullen McClure take vets out for a day of local fishing? How about donating some new gear or flies to our monthly chapter raffle?
As you can see our chapter is driven by many great people, and you are invited to join them!
Mark down April 25 to attend our April chapter meeting. Jeff Durniak, Fisheries Supervisor of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources will be our guest speaker.
|
Tight Lines,
Ken Mock,
President
Upper Chattahoochee Chapter #436
Trout Unlimited
|
|
Blue Ridge Trout Festival -- This Coming Weekend!
|
|
Don't forget that the annual Blue Ridge Trout Fest is coming up this weekend!
Everything sta
rts April 28th with the High Country Boil dinner
from
5:30 pm-9:00 pm
. There is over $7,000 worth of merchandise that has been donated to the Silent Auction. Bid on custom rods, ½ day and full day guided trips, two nights in the Blue Ridge Tree House, a quilted wall hanging, cherry wood fly boxes with flies, a collapsible rolling cooler, a Sweetwater Grizzly Cooler, Chota waders, gift certificates to local restaurants, a Fish Pond vest, a dome tent and many more great items. T
his event is available with pre-sale tickets only (available
HERE
).
April 29th is the Breakout Market Place located at
Downtown City Park Blue Ridge, Georgia
. Over 5,000 people are expected for Saturday's Trout Fest. For a $5 entry fee at the gate there will be over 90 vendors on site to make sure you find what you need to make the most of the outdoors. The event will also feature food trucks, a beer garden, and live music. Gates open at 10 am and event ends at 7 pm.
Be sure not to miss...
Live Radio a "Hometown Hero Award" will be presented by 106.1FM & 107.1FM who will also be broadcasting live from 10 am - 2 pm in the octagon pavilion.
Live Trout Cooking Demos from 1 pm - 3 pm presented by "GA Grown" in Booth 74 in the Food Court. Also, food trucks from Cousins Maine Lobster, Rods Rockin Rolls, Williamson Bros. Barbecue and Gotta Have It.
Live Music - Wyatt Espalin from 4 pm - 5 PM and Hunter Morris from 5:30 pm - 7 pm in the Beer Garden.
Trout Art Trail will be introduced and a 5' tall trout will be displayed throughout town. These have been hand painted by talented local artists.
Atlanta Fly Fishing School will have seminars all day.
Visit Blueridgetroutfest.com to see the full schedule. All seminars are free and on a first come basis.
Eagle Rock is the featured beer distributor this year and they will have Budweiser products in the Food Court and a second location next to Depot Street. Smoking Loon Wine will also be available.
For More Info Click
Here!
|
April Speaker -- Jeff Durniak
|
Our April speaker is good friend and avid fly fisher Jeff Durniak. He's also oversees two state hatcheries and other waters throughout the state. He'll be giving out secrets on success fall fly fishing on the Chattooga River and other mountain streams.
Jeff began his career in
 1986 as a fisheries biologist at the Lake Burton Trout Hatchery near Clarkesville. He has a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Virginia Tech and a master's degree in Fisheries Management from the University of Tennessee. Durniak was promoted to Region Supervisor in 1995 and oversees a 16-county area, which includes two trout hatcheries (Burton and Buford), many major reservoirs and much of the trout waters in Georgia.
During his career with WRD, Jeff has achieved an impressive list of accomplishments; including initiating and coordinating an annual Outdoor Adventure Day that provides over 1,000 participants an opportunity to begin or improve hunting, fishing and other outdoor activity skills; working with the U.S. Forest Service on a management plan to assure good watershed restoration and protection; implementing the first "delayed harvest" program for the State, through which portions of certain streams are managed as "catch and release" during part of the year in order to ensure high catch rates; and his tireless efforts of encouraging those he comes in contact with, whether they be conservation organizations like TU or just individuals, to introduce someone new to fishing.
Come hear Jeff on Tuesday. Jeff is always entertaining and one of our favorite speakers.
|
|
Fishing Stories -- Jim Harvey Early 2017
|
Below is a recent Fishing Story from Jim Harvey, past president of our chapter. If you would like to have a fishing story featured in the Newsline, email it and any pictures you have to Editor.
"The first week of April, my wife Mimi and I were fortunate to spend a week in Wyoming and Montana fly fishing a couple of lakes and the Bighorn River. The first day was a beautiful one on Monster Lake, a private lake near Cody with large trout and plenty of food for them. The ice had just melted, so the trout were cruising the banks where the water warms first and insect life begins. We found the right location with trout visible from the bank all day long. It was an epic day of fishing. Mimi caught 17 rainbow trout between three and seven pounds on callibaetis nymphs and sow bugs.... "
To read the rest of the story Click Here
|
| HB-208 Hunting and Fishing Bill Passes |
By design, it is very difficult to implement new
 laws in our form of government. Recently, outdoor enthusiasts all over our great state played an integral part of pushing House Bill 208 through our state legislature. This bill call for a minimal increase on hunting and fishing licenses which will result in millions of dollars to benefit Georgia's land, water, wildlife, and every outdoor recreational opportunity that depends on the high standard of natural environment.
On April 7th, the bill was passed to the Governor's office and currently awaits his signature.
Once signed, the next step will be to monitor the General Assembly and DNR to ensure that these new contributions will be spent in a way that will ensure the integrity of Georgia Wildlife.
To read the bill itself click HERE
|
|
Support a Cause & Win a Big Green Egg!
|
Casting for Recovery Georgia is going to raffle
a Big Green Egg at the Blueridge Trout Fest this year. They're hoping to sell 200+ tickets and will have the drawing on April 29th.
To view the flyer click HERE
Ticket prices:
$10 for 1 ticket; $40 for 5 tickets.
Tickets may be purchased online or at their tent at Trout Fest. To purchase tickets now, Click HERE.
What is CfR?
Casting for Recovery® (CfR) wants to enhance the quality of life of women with breast cancer through a unique retreat program that combines breast cancer education and peer support with the therapeutic sport of fly fishing. The program offers opportunities for women to find inspiration, discover renewed energy for life and experience healing connections with other women and nature. CfR serves breast cancer survivors of all ages, in all stages of treatment and recovery, at no cost to participants.
TU works and supports CfR across the country on many levels.
|
|
April Fishing Dayz Recap... sort of
|
Fern Valley - The Bad and The Good
This month's Fishing Dayz held at beautiful Fern Valley on the Soque was both "Bad" and "Good" for those who signed up and headed north to fish this trophy river earlier this month.
The Bad...fishing on Friday, March 31 was cancelled due to the heavy rains that hit north Georgia after weeks of dry weather. The Soque was completely blown out with heavy flow and muddy water. For those who got the early morning 'cancellation email' from Marty Simmons, owner of FV, it saved a 2-hour drive; for those not so lucky (or unlucky) the arrival at FV proved a big disappointment. But, the good news for this group is that we managed to reschedule the cancelled Fishing Dayz to Monday, May 1. If you're scheduled to go, PLEASE show up or call FV ahead of time so someone can take your reservation if you must cancel.
The Good...for everyone who fished on Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2 was that the fishing was great. Lot's of eager and hungry fish were taken to net and some trophy memories were made. See the pictures of a few of these biggins' in the Backcasts section.
Next year we'll be back at Fern Valley around the same time of year. A new scheduling system will be used and everyone must pre-pay for a reservation. This change is due to the fact that several people did not call or show up and FV lost valuable income.
|
Sweep the Hooch
|
|
The 2017 Sweep The Hooch project was
a major success. Tons and tons of trash were collected over 45 miles of river.
Trout Unlimited led volunteer waders at five sites:
Island Ford by Jeffrey Hammond
Jones Bridge by Bob Schmitt
Settles Bridge East by Ron Shook
Whitewater Creek by Steve Westmoreland
Bowman Island by Bill Egeland
If anyone has any pictures from their respective cleanup sites please pick your top 5 and upload them
HERE:
|
 |
|
|
EarthShare of Georgia is a means to donate, through payroll deduction, to Trout Unlimited or over 60 participating environmental and conservation groups that are participants. Employee giving campaigns for EarthShare of Georgia have grown steadily each year, from 8 in 1993 to more than 50 in 2014 representing more than 400,000 employees in both public and private sector. EarthShare has raised more than $6 million to help support environmental causes.
Is your company a member of EarthShare?
EarthShare of Georgia has over 50 Company Partners, and many provide a matching contribution on behalf of employees who participate through payroll deduction. This is an excellent means to support Trout Unlimited on an on-going basis. To learn more, go to the website,
EarthShareGA.org and/or ask your employer if they are a Company Partner. If not, encourage them to do so. EarthShare of Georgia is part of a nationwide network of EarthShare affiliates dedicated to raising funds for environmental organizations through employee giving campaigns.
|
|
Our Georgia Hemlocks Need YOU!
|
Hemlock Trees are a keystone species and play a unique role in providing food and habitat for about 120 species of vertebrates and more than 90 species of birds, shade for native plants, cool temperatures for trout streams, and protection for watersheds and water quality. How many environmental "dominos" might fall if the hemlocks fall?
Hemlock training is being offered by Save Georgia's Hemlocks and is designed to equip volunteers (called Facilitators) with the knowledge and skills they need not only to save their own hemlock trees but also to help others do the same.
WHEN & WHERE
*
May 6, 2017 in Blue Ridge
10 am to 3 pm
*
May 6, 2017 in Blairsville
10 am to 3 pm
*
May 20, 2017 in Chatsworth
10 am to 3 pm
CONTENT
Class begins with an introduction to what is killing our hemlocks, why they're vitally important, and what can be done to save them. Then you'll receive practical how-to instruction on the trees and how they work, the insect pests attacking them, assessing infestations, three approaches to controlling the pests (cultural, chemical, and biological), costs associated with each approach, safety, volunteer training for assisting local property owners and working on public lands, and hands-on skills practice.
REGISTRATION
For more details and registration, please contact Kim Wood at
[email protected] or 706-455-2313 with the date and location of the class you'd like to attend. And be sure to include both your phone number and email address.
We hope you'll consider this opportunity to make a meaningful difference in our world now and for future generations. The hemlocks need all the help they can get? THEY NEED YOU!
|
|
|
Select for Calendar view
April
25 - Chapter Meeting
28 & 29
- Blue Ridge Trout Fest and outdoor adventures
May
1 - Fern Valley make up date
6 - Roswell High Fly Fishing Club fishing trip
7 - Fishing Dayz at Amicolola
23 - Chapter Meeting
|
|
Be Safe and Check the FLOW Before You GO!
|
Call
770-945-1466
, or toll free at
1-855-DAM-FLOW (1-855-326-3569)
, for the Buford Dam water release schedule. Or visit their
Hydropower Generating Schedule
website for release times and amounts for the current day.
|
New members since our last Newsline went out are:
| Seth Hardee |
| Corey Kane |
| Jonathan Molski |
| Connor Reynolds |
| Kramer Shiflett |
| Jason Wilson |
New members, be sure to join us at our meeting Tuesday, April 25 and you will receive a free raffle ticket for a great prize!
Meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of every month at
Ippolitos Roswell. Dinner/happy hour starts at 6 pm and "business" starts at 7 pm! Be sure to bring some cash if you want to buy additional raffle tickets for other great prizes. All proceeds go to UCCTU activities and conservation efforts!
|
We're heading up to the Amicolola River just north of Roswell for some late spring fishing on
Sunday, May 7. Look for more details to be sent out after the Chapter Meeting next Tuesday!
|
|
Fly Tying with Dutch Earle
|
The next UCCTU fly tying event is tenatively scheduled for Wednesday May 3rd. Please contact
Dutch Earle for more details.
|
If you have a new or gently used piece of fishing equipment or a boat, float tube, or other related item and would like to sell it to another chapter member, here's your opportunity. Just send a short description of the item(s) to:
President
with a photo (if possible).
Ads received before the 15
th
of the month will be placed in that month's issue of Newsline. Clean out your cave or garage and get some cash for items you no longer want.
|
|
Our Annual Chapter Fundraiser Needs YOU!
|
If you haven't volunteered for any of our many activities -- fishing or conservation -- how about applying your sales skills to help out with our annual chapter fundraiser?
Held in October, we need volunteers NOW to step up and lend a hand soliciting vendors, suppliers, and local merchants (fishing, hunting, outdoors, restaurants, liquor stores, whatever) for prize donations. EVERYONE -- this event is our biggest fundraiser and where we collect the monies to fund the many activities and events we hold throughout the year. Won't you help? If you'd like to lend your skills to this event, please contact Denny Desmond, Fundraising Chair at
[email protected] or call him at (c) 678-620-4262 (h)770-992-9242.
|
It's Reading Time at UCCTU
|
|
Last month, we announced that a new 'free magazine and book library' would be introduced. Simply put, this means if you have fishing magazines and books that you no longer need or want, bring them to the chapter meeting and put them on the bar for someone else to take home and enjoy.
|
|
Fly Line Has a Second Life
|
|
Also last month, we announced a program of collecting used fly line. We've been contacted by a small business that uses the line to make lanyards, bracelets and other gift items. This organization will send us a few of these items for use as future raffle items but we need to send them a respectable quantity of line. So, if you're planning to re-spool your reel this spring, keep the line and bring it to the next chapter meeting.
|
|
Do you have an Amazon.com account? Did you know that simply by shopping on Amazon.com a portion of your purchase could be donated to Trout Unlimited?
Amazon Smile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at
smile.amazon.com, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization.
So far Amazon Smile has donated over $46 million to charities all over the globe. So if you have an amazon account go to smile.amazon.com and let every purchase you make help support TU!
|
|
SOHO Summer Fishing Trip!
|
UCCTU's summer fishing trip will be to the South Holston River! Join us Thursday, July 13 to Sunday, July 16. Although beds are all reserved, you can still come. Bring your cot or air mattress. Cost is $75 for the accommodations, Saturday night dinner and raffle prizes after the meal. Contact Ken Mock if you'd like to go: Click Here
President.
|
|
Embrace-A-Stream (EAS) is a matching grant program administered by TU that awards funds to TU chapters and councils for coldwater fisheries conservation. Since its inception in 1975, EAS has funded more than 1,000 individual projects for a total of $4.4 million in direct cash grants. Local TU chapters and councils contributed an additional $13 million in cash and in-kind services to EAS funded projects, for a total investment of more than $17 million.
To donate to the Embrace a Stream Program click
HERE
|
|
Be a Trout Unlimited Ambassador
|
|
Next time you are out on the river, in the parking lot at Jones Bridge, or in a business meeting and the subject of Trout Fishing comes up -- hand the interested party one of your new UCCTU Chapter Cards.
Pick up your cards at the Monthly meeting!
|
|
Roswell High Fishing Club
|
The Roswell High School Fly Fishing Club under the leadership of Jackson Dalby has over 20 members now! Their next event will be a fishing trip on Saturday, May 6
to the pond at Roswell Park
. Roughly 8 to 12 club members are expected to attend.
We are seeking volunteers to help with the fly fishing. We will be fishing from shore; rods and reels with lines and leaders will be provided. Anyone interested in helping the next generation of fly fishers should contact Jim Harvey at 404-933-5976.
|
On May 15 at 10 am, the National Park Service is hosting a lunch symposium with a recognition of Sen. Johnny Isakson. This Symposium will discuss our National River Park and is being organized by the Chattahoochee Parks Conservancy. Space at Island Ford Visitor Center is limited so be sure to email Debra Blanchard and RSVP!
|
|
Bring Equipment to the Meeting
|
Don't forget to bring new or gently used fishing gear to the March meeting for our ongoing "Donate Gear to the Vets" program. So far we've received some great items including rods, reels, boots, fly tying materials, a rod building kit and much more.
|
When you buy a new car or renew your tags, consider getting a Georgia TU plate and help support this important wildlife effort. Go
here for more details.
|
Don't forget to pay your 2017 UCCTU Voluntary Dues
Here
.
President and CEO of Trout Unlimited, delivers the 2016
State of TU speech at the TU Annual Meeting in Bozeman, MT.
Contact Fulton County's DNR Officer Mark Puig if you see any poaching or violations while you are out fishing.
Hotline: 800-241-4113
Check out our Chapter Website at
UCCTU.org and leave comments in the Shout Out box.
Social Media:
|
|
|
|
