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July 2018 : Chapter #436
Memories Are Made in Tennessee

In just one word I’ll summarize the chapter’s recent fishing trip to The South Holston River in eastern Tennessee – WOW…make that a double WOW.

If you talk to any of the 18 participants who went on the trip you’ll most likely hear:

“I can’t wait to go back to the SOHO and Wautagua Rivers next year.”
“I’d like to stay and extra night and hit the river early.”
“The fishing was really fantastic and the sulfur hatches were outstanding.”
“The party and BBQ on Saturday was a blast.”

So, here’s the plan for 2019. We’ve already made reservations at The South Holston Castaways for mid-April. Yep, we’re going to try a different season based on what the guides mentioned. There will be blue wing olives, sulfurs and an array of other bugs to toss out to eager rainbows and browns. Make plans now and watch for the official announcement and registration early next year.

In the meantime, plan on fishing at Ron Cheslock’s private lake in early October and up in Brevard in early November. And, we’re planning to return to the lakes of Callaway Gardens in early December. Watch for announcements.

Lastly, don’t forget to clean your waders/boots and other gear if you were on the SOHO trip – possible Didymo and Whirling Disease can be transferred to our local rivers and streams.

I hope you’ll join us at our July 24th chapter meeting where chapter member Bob Wirtz will speak to us about his many Alaskan float trips and how he arranges them on a tight budget.
Ken Mock
Chapter President

" Take care of the fish, and the fishing will take care of itself."
~ Art Neuman
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.
July Guest Speaker: Bob Wirtz
Alaskan Float Trips on a Budget
On Tuesday, July 24 th , our special guest speaker will be chapter member Bob Wirtz.

Bob is a veteran of fishing in Alaska—especially organizing his float trips on a tight budget. Come hear how he sets up these trips and where he goes. He’s sure to share some ‘giant fish’ pictures too.
Meetings are held on the 4th Tuesday of every month (except Nov and Dec) at 6pm at I ppolitos Italian Restauran t , 2270 Holcomb Bridge Road, in Roswell (east of GA 400).
Upcoming Speakers Schedule
August: Bill Cox, Superintendent, National Parks Service, Facts and Future of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
September: Chris Scalley and Guides, River Through Atlanta Guide Service, Bugs on the Hooch and Special Fishing Tactics
October: Autumn on the River Annual Chapter Fundraiser
We’re Headed Up to Wilkes Creek…Are You Coming?

If you have never been to a stream restoration project in North Georgia you’re missing out. It’s a lot of work and sweat, but also a lot of fun and very rewarding.

We have a project coming up on Saturday, July 28, at Wilkes Creek located in North Georgia. A caravan of cars will be leaving from the Waffle House located at the intersection of Holcomb Bridge and Old Alabama Road around 7am. Mark Romzick, a veteran of many stream rebuilding projects will be leading the way. Please let Mark know that you are coming: treasurer@ucctu.org .

The event will run till about noon and will be followed by lunch provided by the Foothills Chapter – the lead chapter on this project.

If you’d like to drop a line after lunch, bring your equipment.
Chattahoochee Paddle—Campout—Cleanup Event
Chattahoochee Paddle—Campout—Cleanup Event
Join sporting retailer REI and the Chattahoochee Parks Conservancy (CPC) for the 3rd Annual Chattahoochee River Paddle, Campout, and Cleanup at the Abbotts Bridge Unit. The National Park Service opens up the Abbotts Bridge Unit for camping once a year exclusively for this event! Spend the weekend paddling down the river, enjoying the fall weather, and helping beautify one of Georgia's iconic natural resources. Kayaks, paddleboards, and canoes will be available for anyone who does not own one. Dinner and breakfast are also provided! Just bring your basic camping gear, lunch, snacks, and weather-appropriate clothing to enjoy this night under the stars. 

Click Here for all the details.
Come to Paces Mill on August 4 for “Back to the Chatt”
#WATERISLIFE It connects us. Join us August 4 as we join the Riverkeeper in celebrating our community and the liquid lifeline that flows through our cities. Paddlers and floaters will take to the river at two locations, ending at Paces Mill for the free, family-friendly festival. See you on the river, as we bring it BACK TO THE CHATT! If you go, stop by the UCCTU booth and lend a hand.

Visit Back to the Chatt for more details.
A Bamboo Rod for Only $10 – AND, Fish it With a Guide from River Through Atlanta
We’re in the home stretch of our bamboo fly rod raffle and tickets still are available for purchase.

This is not some run of the mill rod. It’s a $2,500 custom-made bamboo fly rod. This beautifully flamed honey-colored rod can be yours for the price of a $10 raffle ticket. And, we’ve added a ½ day fishing trip on the Hooch with Chris Scalley’s River Through Atlanta to break in your new rod. Now that’s a prize package worth investing in.

Click H ERE for more details and photos of the rod. Click HERE to purchase Raffle Tickets. Click HERE to read more.
Call for Chapter Leaders
If you have interest in serving our chapter in a leadership role, please contact Ken Mock, chapter president. Board positions including Officer and Director roles will be voted on during the Annual Chapter Meeting to be held in September. At that meeting all positions will be presented along with those chapter members who have volunteered to serve those roles. Names will also be accepted from the floor during the meeting...before the vote.
It's Time to fish! Don't Forget to Turn Trash into Prizes!
As described in last month’s President’s Message, we’re rapidly moving along with our new #cleanmywater @ucctu campaign and the trash-collecting all around the country is impressive (check out the interactive map on ucctu.tu.org and all of the great photographs that have been posted. You are encouraged to use your smartphone camera and enter photos of collected trash tagged with #cleanmywater found in the Instagram app. You can upload photos on either Instagram or Facebook since these sites are sharing the entries.
Remember to collect trash while out fishing and hiking back to your car. Take a photo or two and post them with the #cleanmywater hashtag. You’ll be joining fishers from all over our local area and some as far as Colorado and North Carolina. And what makes our campaign even better, after uploading pictures of collected trash, you’ll be in the running to win prizes such as a new Walter’s Fly Rod or other great gear donated by our growing list of partners including The Fish Pond. See below for full details.

Take It With You When You Go

Check out this great article from our friends over at Gink and Gasoline. They're big supporters of clean rivers and our new CleanMyWater campaign. Check it out:
Another #cleanmywater winner!

Anne Murray is Our Latest CMW Prize Winner
Congratulations to Anne Murray for winning June’s #Cleanmywater prize pack donated by Fish Pond USA.

Also, we added our 9 th state to the clean rivers impact map displayed on the UCCTU website.

Check out the trash Anne hauled out of the Hootch
Fishing Dayz Schedule Changed for This Year
Fishing Dayz Logo II
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.

New Mini Contest Announced
Our #cleanmywater mini contests continue with a prize pack donated by Smith Optics. The most unique #cleanmywater post will win polarized Smith sunglasses and a Smith hat.

Entry is easy: do some trash cleanup and post the pictures to Instagram or Facebook with the #CLEANMYWATER tag. Be sure to like @UCCTU to follow along and see if you qualify for the prize pack at the end of the August. Finalists will be announced for the public to vote on Aug 28th.
Have You Made Your 2018 Voluntary Donation?
big-bills-money.jpg
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.
Nice St. Croix Rod For Sale
Past chapter president Jim Harvey is letting one of his heavyweight rods go for a fantastic price. This is a St. Croix 9 wt. and it’s only been fished a few times. He’s selling the rod for only $150. First-come first-served will get this great rod at the June chapter meeting. Find Jim and seal the deal.

NOTE: if you have fishing equipment for sale, let Ken Mock, chapter president know the details and price. Include a picture too. Send to President@ucctu.org .
UCCTU Donates to Chattahoochee Parks Conservancy

Ken Mock, chapter president presents Sally Bethea, president of the Chattahoochee Parks Conservancy a check for $1,000 in support of CPC programs to help clean, maintain and improve miles of trails in the national parks lining the Chattahoochee River.


Get Out and Fish: Hire a River Guide
Our good friends, and sponsors, at River Through Atlanta and Alpharetta Outfitters remind everyone to consider hiring a guide especially if you do not know the Chattahoochee River well or are concerned about rapidly changing conditions on the river. Same holds true for other area streams and rivers. Check out their websites and give them a call to book your next float trip. Who knows…you just might hook into a monster brown lurking in the depths of the Hooch.

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