“FORWARD CASTING” Important Dates - See you there!

April 29 (Sat) Kids Fishing Event (KFE); 8 am, Black Rock Mountain State Park Lake

(Rabun TU is supporting this KFE with a donation of $200)

May 6 (Sat) Betty Creek In-Stream Clean-up: 9 am, Driving north on US441, turn left into the first driveway past the Betty Creek Bridge as you enter Dillard. Bring loppers, saws, pole pruners, work gloves, waders, water bottle, etc. We will be in the creek clearing low limbs and preparing for the 2006 GA Trout Camp.

May 16 (Tues) Family Cookout 6 PM at Indian Lake on RGNS campus; Bring a side dish (Directions – go north on US 441, turn left at the Rabun Gap Post Office, go ¼ mile & turn left, go ¼ mile & turn right, go to end of road)

Fishing Mentoring of Clayton Boy Scout Troop (our guests) starts at 4 pm.

May 17-21 (Wed - Sun) Fishing & Camping Chattooga Backcountry with Camping at Cherry Hill C.G. (with hot shower, flush toilets & tables) Nice place, great fishing & fellowship. Location: Off SC Hwy 107, 1.5 mile south of Burrell’s Ford Rd intersection. Contact Charlie Breithaupt, he plans the menu and buys the grub: Ph 706 782 6954

E-mail knc615@direcway.com

May 23 (Tues) Board of Directors meeting, Location on a stream for the Green Drake Hatch

June 3 (Sat) Kids Fishing Event; 8 am, Tallulah River – Sponsors: USFS, GA WRD, & TU

(Rabun TU is supporting this KFE with a donation of $300)

June 7 (Wed) GA TU Council Meeting, 6:30 PM, Bass Pro Shop, I-85 North of Atlanta

June 11 – 16 (Sun – Fri) GA Trout Camp; RGNS; All Day & All Night; Need all the help we can get!

June 20 (Tues) Chapter Meeting, 6:30 PM, Clayton Presbyterian Church

Program: Mack Martin “Alaska Fishing Trips to the Dog Salmon River”

June 29 (Tues) Board of Directors meeting, Location TBD

FLY OF THE MONTH

by Terry Rivers

QUILL GORDON

What a great fly to have in the month of May. If the caddis aren’t hatching and the light cahills seem to be of a darker color; if the fish are rising and you are not getting the action you want, tie one of these on and see if it does the trick. I have experienced this and the results were great. Get ready - the best months are here. Let’s go fishing!

HOOK: Dry fly, size 12 - 16

TAIL: Wood duck flank feathers

BODY: Stripped grizzly feather quill

WING: Wood duck flank feathers

HACKLE: Dun or grizzly

"Advanced fly tying techniques aren't about knowing the obscure, they're about understanding the simple."
Neil Patterson

May Hatches

The Bugs Time of Month Time of Day Suggested Flies .

Cream Caddis Early M day to L pm 12-14 Elk Hair Caddis

12-14 Dark Cream Caddis Pupa

Small Dun Caddis Early L am to M pm 16-18 Gray Elk Hair or Deer Hair Caddis

16-18 Gray Caddis Pupa

March Brown Mayfly Early L am to M pm 12-14 Adams or March Brown Parachutes

(Important) 10-14 March Brown Nymph, Dark Hare's Ear, or Pheasant Tail

Speckled Gray Caddis All Month M to L pm 12-14 Dark Elk Hair or Deer Hair Caddis

12-14 Dun & Yel/Brn Caddis Pupa

Yellow Stonefly All Month E to L am 14-16 Yellow Stimulator or Elk Hair Caddis (Yellow)

L pm to dark 14-16 Yellow Stone Nymph

Giant Black Stonefly All Month E am 4–8 Black Stonefly Nymph

Light Cahill Mayfly All Month E to L pm 12-14 Light Cahill

(Very Important) 12-14 Light Cahill Nymph

Sulphur Mayfly All Month L pm to Dark 14–18 Sulphur Comparadun; Light Cahill; Cream Variant

(Important) 14-16 Sulphur Nymph or Emerger, Pheasant Tail

Golden Stonefly Late E am 4-8 Golden Stonefly Nymph

Brown & Slate Drakes Late L am to L pm 10-14 Adams, Blue Dun, or March Brown Parachutes

10-14 March Brown Nymph, Dark Hare's Ear, or Pheasant Tail

Green Drake Mayfly Late L am to L pm 8-10 Green Drake

(Important) 8-10 Green Drake Nymph

Coffin Fly (Green Drake Spinner) L pm to an hour after dark 8-10 Spent Wing or Parachute Coffin Fly

(Awesome)

Midges All Month All Day 18-22 Griffith's Gnat

18-22 Midge Pupa

The USDA Forest Service has decided to open the narrow and shallow upper reaches of the Wild and Scenic Chattooga River to test boating trials – a signal development boding ill for the wilderness and special sensitive values of this very wild stretch of river corridor.

The self-styled “creeker” community – those who push the extreme sport of running small, fast waterways at times of heavy rain – is beside itself with anticipation and glee. Birders, photographers, hikers, fishermen, even some longtime river people and many others interested in the continued protection of this area, which had been closed to boating since Congress established the Chattooga as a Wild and Scenic River, are uneasy, to say the least.

The Forest Service decision announced in a news release of February 3, will permit “restricted public boater trials” on the stretch of river beginning at the Old Iron Bridge at Bull Pen Road and running past Burrell’s Ford to the Russell Bridge at Route 28. This stretch of road above Burrell’s Ford essentially bisects the Ellicott Rock Wilderness Area. Below, the river includes the primitive Big Bend Falls area as well as the near mythic wilds on both sides of Rock Gorge (an inventoried roadless area under current forest plans.)

The decision, it turns out, also permits such trials by “expert panels of researchers, boaters, anglers and other users” in the far reach of the river stretching from Bull Pen to Grimshawes on Whiteside Cove Road, according to John Cleeves, the principal planner for the Forest Service project. About half of that stretch runs through private property on both sides of the river.

The Forest Service was forced into conducting such trials after the kayak lobby group, the American Whitewater Association, headquartered in Cullowhee, N.C., successfully appealed the new Sumter National Forest plan, which had continued the current prohibition on boating these 17 miles of the Chattooga. As a result, the chief of the Forest Service ordered that further study be made.

For background on this legal issue, details of the Feb. 3 decision, and a lot of pro-and-con discussion of the topic from the public see: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/forest.projects/chatt.shtml.

It is the position of Georgia ForestWatch that the current ban has served this part of the national forests in three states well and that no good reason exists for opening this part of the Wild and Scenic River to further degradation and overuse.

ForestWatch also is concerned that any successful move to open the Upper Chattooga to private kayaking inevitably would lead to permitting for-profit classes and “creeking” by commercial outfitters. Anyone who has experienced the zoo atmosphere of the outfitter-friendly river downriver of Route 28 knows what that would do to one of the few remaining stretches of territory that provides a true experience of wilderness and solitude. Not to mention degradation to wildlife habitat, trails and put-in and put-out locations that would occur with a vast influx of new users.

Allowing “creekers” unfettered use of the Upper Chattooga would lead to direct user conflicts, would exacerbate damage to the outstanding resource values of the Wild and Scenic river corridor and the Ellicott Rock Wilderness Area, and make it inevitably more difficult for the Forest Service to properly manage this area in the future.

So, what’s next?

The Forest Service will spend the next few months developing a “work program” leading to the “detailed design” of the data collection and boater trials, after which the public will get another chance to comment on the Forest Service efforts. This effort will entail “gathering biological, physical and social information” about the river above Russell Bridge, and include use of focus groups, a “comprehensive, statistically valid user survey,” and review of existing studies and reports about similar rivers.

The boating trials will require special use permits, Cleeves said.

What can one do about this? For starters, file comments about the plan and the study (most easily done via the special website) and file copies of your comments with the three forest supervisors who are dealing with this issue, as well as your local, state and federal elected officials. Their names and addresses appear on page 3 and page 16 of this newsletter. http://www.gafw.org/

Be ready to attend the next public meeting on this issue, likely to be held in the Highlands-Cashiers area of North Carolina later in the spring. That is when the Forest Service is expected to disclose its plans for permitting boating trials on the river. ◆

Friends of the Upper Chattooga

Urge Review of Downstream Impacts

     The U.S. Forest Service should heed the lessons it learned downstream years ago as it considers opening the Chattooga River’s headwaters to boating, Friends of the Upper Chattooga urged today.
     That experience reveals an 800-fold increase in boating along the lower Chattooga from 1968 to the 1990s, a 500 percent increase in the 20 years after 1976, and a host of accompanying problems, according to the Friends, a new umbrella group recently organized to protect the river’s headwaters.
     “This kind of usage suggests the outstandingly remarkable values of the river will be at stake if the federal government opens the river above the Route 28 bridge,” said Buzz Williams, spokesman for the group.
     Members of the Friends of the Upper Chattooga recently filed a detailed three-page letter to Forest Service officials, along with accompanying affidavits from former Forest Service rangers Max Gates and Jim Barrett, which supports the original decision to allow boating only downstream.
     The group urged the Forest Service “to consider the mountain of evidence that lies just on the other side of the bridge,” in a plea to get officials to preserve the “unique nature of the Upper Chattooga, protected outstanding resource values, and the solitude experience that users so cherish,” the letter concluded.
     The Forest Service has initiated a multi-year study of the Upper Chattooga, in response to a legal appeal filed by a kayak lobby group and its Washington-based lawyers. The outcome of that study could lead to lifting of the current ban on boating on the upper portions of the river above Route 28. The Forest Service enacted that zoning measure decades ago in efforts to balance the use of the river by competing interests, as well as to protect the unique wilderness values of the river’s headwaters.
     The Friends of the Upper Chattooga include the Chattooga Conservancy, Georgia ForestWatch, various councils of Trout Unlimited, the Whiteside Cove Association and several private landowners along the upper corridor of the Chattooga, a Congressionally designated Wild and Scenic River. Members of the group, individually and collectively, possess decades of experience on this river.
     The primary goals of the group are to help protect the Chattooga’s wild and scenic values, to educate the public to threats to these values and assist the Forest Service in arriving at a reasonable decision that, above all, protects this river’s resources. The stretch of river at issue is a haven for hikers, hunters, naturalists, bird watchers, swimmers and trout fishermen. It includes the Ellicott Rock Wilderness area and Rock Gorge, among the few remaining wild places in the tri-state area that still provide high-quality solitude and wilderness experience.

For further information, contact any of the below signers;

Buzz Williams, Executive Director, Chattooga Conservancy

Alan R. Jenkins, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, Attorneys for the Whiteside Cove Association and Rust Family

Wayne Jenkins, Executive Director, Georgia ForestWatch

Joe Gatins, Tallulah District Leader, Georgia ForestWatch

Butch Clay, Advisor, Georgia ForestWatch, Author of Guide to the Chattooga 1995

Charlie Breithaupt, Chairman, GA Council of Trout Unlimited

Tom McInnis, Chairman, SC Council of Trout Unlimited

Art Shick, National Leadership Council Representative, TU

Doug Adams, Newsletter Editor for Rabun Chapter of TU & Forest Service Liaisons for GA Council of Trout Unlimited

***************************************************************************************************************************************************

Comments From Another Backcountry Angler, not a member of Rabun TU (10/27/2005) As a regular visitor to the Chattooga river up above the "Iron Bridge" I was horrified to learn that the USFS was considering opening it to boaters. My principle use of the river is fishing, and I have had several fishing trips spoiled by kayakers "poaching" a run though that section. Anyone familiar with that stretch of river knows that it is rather small and that there is not enough room to "share the water". The bottom line is trout fishing does not screw up kayaking, but a group of boaters will "put down" the trout for an extended length of time, turning a productive day of fishing into a bust. It has happened to me on several occasions. There is plenty of water downstream of Hwy. 28 that is marginal trout water at best where the boaters have access. Lets not spoil this pristine and beautiful fishery with a procession of kayakers every weekend. From: Belfield Carter III – Atlanta, GA (reprinted with permission)

Take a few minutes, tell the Forest Service what the Upper Chattooga means to you by sending your comments to: Project Coordinator - John Cleeves, E-mail jcleeves@fs.fed.us USDA Forest Service, 4931 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29212

For info on the User Analysis, click on: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/forest/projects/chatt.shtml

"There comes a time in a day's trout fishing when, standing in the ever-pushing water, you become aware of how tired you are. The dull ache at the back of your neck, your belt leaning heavy on your hipbones, toes cold and numb in the end of your brogues, fingers cramped, and eyes tired. Climb out, with your legs and feet as weighted as in a nightmare escape, and walk into the woods until the sound of the stream becomes background. There you will find a round carpet of pine needles, deep and sun-warmed, and a good broad trunk to ease between your shoulder blades. Now tobacco smoke pulled deep into your lungs, warmth coming through on your stretched-out calves, and quiet. If you wait long enough the quiet will pass and all the woods noises, stilled by your lumbering passage, will begin again. A chickadee will surely come close and stand upside down on a twig for you, and you will hear delicate foot rustlings like the fast sliver of a needle through dark cloth with the pause for slow-drawn thread. "

Sparse Grey Hackle (Alfred Waterbury Miller)

Dear Editor,

You are to be commended for your splendid newsletter which is both informative and pleasant reading for a chap such as yourself. Being from the UK one rarely experiences such hilarious jargon. Also being a staff writer for the Wessex Chronicle I am able to recognize and probably better appreciate your creative writing qualities.

I must say that my brief stay in the States has been most enjoyable, especially the jaunt I experienced at the “Delayed Harvest” section of your Chattooga River, thus I feel compelled to share with you my encounter with two of your local yokels, who seemed to be very nice… Well, at least the lady seemed to be nice! This is what happened……

I was making my way upriver along the trail enjoying the melodious sounds of the birds accompanied by the rushing of the clear water over the beautiful rocks, when this scene of serenity was rudely interrupted by the sounds of shouting, the breaking of tree limbs and the intermittent sounds of splashing water and a person gargling. As I nervously approached the scene of the apparent beginnings of the apocalypse, cautiously peering through the bushes, I beheld a most gruesome scene of what I first thought must be one of your American “backwoods baptism ceremonies”. However, the procedure the lady minister employed seemed quite unorthodox as she had the convert locked in a half nelson wrestling hold with one arm, and holding his head underwater, while soundly thrashing his backside with a large stick with her free hand.

I immediately found out the names of these two individuals as the former sinner gasped each time she would let him come up for a brief moment of air…”I’m sorry Weezie!!!!” Then she would reply… “It’s too late for that now … Yurhatte” (That is pronounced …YOU RAT!) This is a common Middle Eastern name; therefore I assumed that this man was a former Muslim who was unfortunately being indoctrinated into the ways of Western culture. I couldn’t be sure though, because there were too many bruises on his pointed head to be able to make out any distinctive characteristics.

I further surveyed the scene and quickly realized this was something more than your common evangelical outreach to redeem those hairy legged souls lost out in sin, as evidenced by the swath of destruction which began at a sandbar just upriver, and continued forty yards up through the laurel bushes and then culminated back down into the river with pieces of torn clothing and handfuls of white hair and beard all along the way to the point of the apparent exorcism of sins I was now witnessing.

With all the skill I could muster to craft a southern mountain accent, I announced my presence to the degenerates…Howdy Yallllll ~ Whatts goin on? The lady kept saying the same thing over and over, “He made me put it back!” However the varlet whom she had in her grip, (by the way I believe she could have dispatched with him at any moment, but seemed intent to prolong his agony)….seemed to have a story to tell, so I will relay that to you here,…in his own words:

I guess it sort of began back in ’66 when I was with Doug in Colorado. We were about halfway from (I.D.B.I.S.*) Park to (I.D.B.I.S.*) Lake when I talked Doug into putting a fourteen in cutthroat trout back into the creek. I waited a little while and went back and caught it myself, and I kept it!!! Just then I looked up and saw that Doug had seen me do this despicable act, and I could faintly hear the words “You Bleep of a Bleep” all the way back down the trail. I say “faintly” because the flopping sound in my creel seemed to drown out his comments. A few years later on (I.D.B.I.S.*) Creek he was trying to land a sixteen-inch brown trout (a cricket taker, by the way) and I offered my services to help him by netting the fish for him. GET OUT OF THE WAY YOU BLEEP OF A BLEEP! IF YOU MAKE ME LOSE THIS FISH……I”LL KILL YOU!!!….he replied.

Many years later Louise landed a beautiful fifteen-inch brook trout at the Nantahala DH section and I convinced her to release the trout in spite of her tears! As we walked back to the truck in the moonlight with the soothing sounds of the nice creatures blending with the sounds of water over rocks I spoke…”You know, there ain’t no way I would have put that fish back, iffin I had caught him! She replied…..WHAT!!!!!!

The rest of the way to the truck the night creatures were strangely silent, and the only discernable sounds to my ears were the soft rippling waters and the roar of her grinding teeth.

Late last fall I landed a fifteen inch brook trout just up river in this DH section. The sounds of the nearby waterfalls were supplemented by the sounds of the drool dripping from my gaping mouth as my head swiveled around several times to see if anybody had seen my good fortune. The thoughts of how this trout’s spawning colors would be greatly enhanced by the pine paneling walls of my living room were so loud that it made my head hurt. However, I released him and watched his beautiful colors fade through my tears as he slowly swam away.

Today, as we began to catch fish left and right, I was gripped by fear, and realized that I was totally unprepared for the situation that I was probably going to face. It was as bad as when the algebra teacher came in and said, “Close your books, take out a pencil and about a dozen sheets of paper. I knew then, and I knew now that I was totally unprepared! My mind began to wander, and I thought about… ”If I had only become more proficient with the martial arts training,” concentrating on the defensive moves and …

It was at this point that I interrupted his babbling creature and asked him “What the bleep are you talking about… Unprepared for what!” He replied, …unprepared for the bloody fight that I knew would take place if I tried to convince her to release one of these big fish when she caught it.

I had heard enough, so I decided to leave this mongrel to wallow in his misery, and as I walked away he asked me “did you see those cougar tracks down the river?” You know, I just remembered. I’ve seen this grisly character before. It was in upstate Michigan several years ago on a salmon run in the PM River. He was the smart aleck ”bleep of a bleep” that kept trying to bite the heads off those twenty-pound salmon. He also kept warning me to watch out for the wolverines!

I really enjoyed your beautiful Chattooga River. Maybe someday I’ll come back there again, then maybe I won’t. How many cougars do you think there are along THE RIVER? Hawthorne Rigsby

*(I.D.B.I.S.) = I Don’t Believe I Said

From: Duane Stalnaker

Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 10:02 PM

Subject: one of those days you live for!

Today Terry (Rivers) and I went to the Upper Chattooga backcountry. From the time we got in around 10:00 am until we quit about 5:00, bugs were coming off and the fish were rising EVERYWHERE! The action never stopped. Twice during the day Terry had 2 fish on at one time. We had so many doubles I lost count. We ended up with about 70 to 80 fish a piece with a fat 14” brookie being my best. This wasn’t Nov. 1, but since a lot of the fish were caught on drys, I`ll rate it right up there with it! ◆

Brookie photo courtesy of David Armstrong – MBTU (SC)

From: “Jeff Durniak”

Sent: Monday, March 27, 2006 6:15 PM

Subject: Chattooga’s cold, but fishin’s hot! Fyi. You don’t have to believe it if you don’t want to, but there are witnesses....
     I spent Saturday with two folks in charge of Georgia TU’s Back the Brookie campaign (http://www.brookie.org/). Kevin and Alec took time off of “specks” issues to chase the river’s rainbows and browns with me on the Opening Day of Georgia’s trout season. Fleece-attired, we had a great day on an unnamed section of upper river, despite a cool 45F water temperature at the outset. Most fish were caught deep on woolly buggers, princes, and soft hackles.
     A nice hatch of mahogany mayflies happened at midday and fish rose all around us. Alas, I did not have a good match and we only fooled a couple fish on top. In my scorebook, it was Risers One, Dredger Zero. Man, that hurt.
     Still, despite the picky risers and cool air temps, it was a great day on the river. Both anglers caught a nice number of rainbows and a few browns, and enjoyed a streamside lunch on a sun-warmed sandbar. After returning home, I checked with local expert John Cross of Unicoi Outfitters, and he thought the flies were a #16 Quill Gordon.   I said to myself. “Self, if youda paid attention to that hatch chart in the Rabun TU newsletter, you woulda had lotsa surface action!”

Two of the reasons Back the Brookie (BtB) is doing so well in GA: Alex Watson - BtB Conservation Chairman

& Kevin McGrath – GA BtB Chairman

     That night, out of guilt and defeat, I tied up a half dozen #16 dark Hendrickson’s (with a dark wing instead of all those light ones in my Saturday fly box) in anticipation of a rematch that I hoped for, one day, some day, in the future.
     Early Sunday my friend called to cancel our planned firewood hauling session for that afternoon. Hmmm, what am I gonna do on this nice, bright afternoon that’s gonna be warmer than yesterday?
     The future is NOW. Yep, grab flies and make haste to said river.   Despite a full SC DH parking lot, only a few folks were fishing lazily. Once nice young SC dude on his way out said he caught only a few and showed me his “secret weapon” for the morning (if I told you, it wouldn’t be his secret any more, would it?). I walked up the trail and looked for action. Not much seen. Is the river dead today? The Chattooga’s switch is one of the greatest mysteries of the angling world. Where it is and who controls it, nobody knows.
     I went upstream a quarter mile to a favorite pool and, despite the lack of anglers, bugs and rising fish, I tied on the Hendrickson. No dropper, no split shot, just a lonely dry on the end of a 5X leader.
     Casting without winter’s spit shot was a small joy of its own. I aimed for the slower, shallow pockets along the edge of the main current at the head of the pool. Bugs often get trapped in the eddies here and give the fish a better chance to catch them. Let’s try it right...about.... there.
     First cast: sip. Third cast: Slurp. Seventh cast: Ka-Boom! Hooked rainbows leaping skyward –what a sight. Hmm, mighta matched yesterday’s bug!
     And so it went. And as the afternoon warmed, the bugs came out: those mayflies and some tiny gray caddis. When you look upstream through a pool and see a dozen rising fish, you know that spring has truly arrived!
     Several hours, a big bunch of rainbows, and two browns later, it was time to think about heading home. Problem was that the fish wouldn’t let me go. It was one of those magical afternoons when the river’s switch was in the full ON position and was stuck there. Biggest fish was a 14-inch rainbow, but the best was a 13 incher that took a #18 gray caddis to fool, and then tried out for the Olympic pole vault team with six leaps skyward.
     Finally, as the sun began its fall toward the western ridgeline, I hiked out the 1.5 miles, seeing nobody, and began to ford the river toward the SC lot. A hundred yards below me was a stoic figure, casting gracefully to some unseen target across the river, along the GA bank. He was immersed in his challenge and unaware of the angler crossing above him.   Once across, I walked thru the wildlife opening and then slowly crept down thru the briars to the river’s edge.
     Yes, indeed, it was the ole Rabunite. Those critters are rarely seen on weekends, you know. They hibernate, and only come out when all of us working people retreat to the flatlands for our WORK week. It’s sorta like seeing a bear or a big buck: you hear about ‘em but just don’t see ‘em. I return the favor he’s provided me several times in the past, I gently hinted at my presence in a fashion familiar to Rabunites:                                           Waaah- HOOOO!!!!!!!!!
     My public service was done. It was nice to know that his cardiovascular system was in fine working order, undoubtedly benefiting from the exercise of that midstream vertical leap. We laughed and walked out together while comparing notes on a fine afternoon astream. We returned to the lot to find our cars the only ones left. We agreed that an afternoon like that was truly special and that its memory could last long, helping us thru many days of life’s challenges and chores, away from angling.    We were, simply, thankful. ◆
     Today I received this note from Eunice, a Georgia Woman Flyfisher, http://www.georgiaflyfishing.com/index.htm who also was fortunate enough to enjoy the Chattooga’s riches on that day. We had met earlier and shared a few flies between us.
   “The flies did work. About 30 minutes after you left us, the water was almost boiling with top-water action. Susan did catch one small bow on the nymph you gave her and Robert had numerous hits on the dry fly. They have only been fly fishing a few months but I can tell they are going to be die-hards for it. I think I probably brought in about a dozen. At one point I saw a large brown rolling and feeding in the middle of the rocks and believe it or not he took the little dry on the next cast. He was probably about 20”. All in all we had a great time and I have got to get back up there. That’s the first time I’ve crossed over and gone up the river.” Eunice
     Many folks that I run into tell me that they can’t “find” time to go fishing. I think that’s very true in today’s bustling, busy society. I can’t “find” much time to go myself; it’s just not lying there, waiting for me to stumble across it. But I can “make” time..... and I can hopefully get my grass cut tonight. Gotta go!
     Good luck. There’s enough hints in here to get you going. If you’re a newbie, guy or gal, there are folks in these bass and trout and striper fishing clubs that will help you to get started, have fun, and be successful. Take advantage of their expertise! It is absolutely the right time of the year to wet a line! Either find that time or make that time; you’ll be glad you did. www.gofishgeorgia.com

From: “Monte Seehorn”

Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 10:40 PM

Subject: Chattooga DH

Caught a beautiful 16-18 inch brown today. Monte

From: Jim Nixon

Sent: Friday, April 14,2006

Subject: Chattooga DH

Caught a beautiful 23-inch brown there late last evening on a “Nugget” dry fly!

Waaaah WHOoooo!!

This time of year I get real antsy if there is too much going on and I can’t find time to fish. College reunions, yard work, TU meetings…just about anything…seem to keep me out of the streams. Even going to Nashville to see Merle Haggard came at a bad time but it was worth it. I’d be proud to be an Okie from Muscogee.

Well, today I said I’m going, even if the temperature has dropped 23 degrees since yesterday. I arrived at a familiar hole about mid-afternoon only to see some angler trying to get his fly out of a tree. He finally got it or broke it and went stomping off right through the run I planned to fish. His blue waders matched his blue shirt and blue cap. I wonder where he got that outfit; bet it wasn’t Reeves Hardware in Dillard.

I sat on a rock to study the water and let things settle down. I had tied on a Caddis, not too dark, probably a # 14, with a Prince nymph dropped about 18” below. I eased into the water and made a cast to the near side of the run. A couple of casts later a rainbow took the nymph so I knew I wouldn’t be skunked today. Several more drifts through and around the run raised a number of fish but all rejected the dry. I thought about the advice of the old Rabunite…”if they reject the fly, try the same pattern, one size smaller.”

About that time a young angler came along. He turned out to be a senior at Wofford College, enjoying his spring break on the streams. I invited him to fish the lower end of the run and suggested he lower his dropper about a foot or more. Right away he caught a couple on the dropper so it looked like I knew what I was talking about. As I thought about tying on a smaller fly I drifted the same old Caddis through the run another time or two. Suddenly, the “commode flushed.” The youngster exclaimed “that’s a nice fish” and I replied “yeah, that’s a good‘un.”

Somewhere in the back of my mind I could hear a voice yelling “churnin’ butter” and, in a much quieter tone, that same voice saying “sure hope your knots are tied right.” The knots

Charlie B. as “The Man in the Spotlight”

held and, four or five minutes later, the big brown slid into my net. My rod measurement indicated the fish to be a 19-incher, not as pretty as a wild fish but plenty good for me. As I released the fish I told him I hoped we’d meet again, perhaps on May 15^th.

Except for a great Blue Heron that flew right over my head as he headed up river and a couple of rainbows on the dropper, the rest of the afternoon was uneventful. I tried a number of different flies, including a black Caddis, which is really hard to see.

I wonder if they make that fly in another color……….. ◆

“O, sir, doubt not that Angling is an art; is it not an art to deceive a trout with an artificial fly?”

Izaak Walton

GA – House Bill 1211 (3/31/06) On the last night of the 2006 session, HB 1211 was adopted naming the Southern Appalachian Brook Trout (SABT) the State Cold Water Game Fish. This designation recognizes the SABT’s legacy as Georgia’s native cold-water fish and important place in our heritage. SABT are genetically different from other brook trout. As the only native salmonid in the southern Appalachians, they have both ecological and recreational importance. Because they are a unique component of the region’s wild trout resources, maintaining and enhancing SABT populations are primary management concerns. Thank you for contacting your legislators in support of the bill. http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2005_06/search/hb1211.htm

GA – Senate Bill 510 (3/31/06) threatening stream buffers and water quality in Georgia, failed on the last night of the session. Rabun’s Rep Charles Jenkins voted “Yea”. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported: The so-called “stream buffer” bill failed that would have allowed landowners to build on 2 acre home sites with septic tanks within 25 to 50 feet of a lake or stream used to supply drinking water. Rep. Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta) tried to help the floundering bill with amendments that he said could resolve most objections. But the House killed his amendments, which Minority Leader DuBose Porter (D-Dublin) said were like putting “perfume on the pig.” “It still smells,” Porter said. http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2005_06/sum/sb510.htm

Chattooga River Chapter of TU was awarded a $6,250 Embrace-A-Stream (EAS) grant (3/12/06) by TU’s national office. The Greenville News (SC) reported: The grant will fund a project to restore Southern Appalachian Brook Trout (SABT) in a small stream in the Sumter NF. “This EAS grant will provide yet another example of the successful reintroduction of SABT,” said Dave Van Lear, longtime member and past president of the Chattooga River Chapter. “We hope to build upon these successes to educate the public and build a constituency in support of brook trout restoration.” Over the past several decades, brook trout populations have declined in the mountains of SC, with numbers declining by 70 percent in the Sumter NF. Competition from non-native trout is the primary cause of the decline. The EAS grant will support the removal of non-native trout and the reintroduction of brook trout in selected streams. TU chapters in SC hope to eventually restore brook trout populations to their native range throughout the Upstate mountains. The grant will support this goal in partnership with the SC DNR, the USFS and the SC Wildlife Federation, among others. http://www.tu.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=7dJEKTNuFmG&b=346361&ct=2071853

Sheila Humphrey was recognized with two awards. (3/24/06) The GA DNR WRD announced Sheila, the wildlife interpretive specialist at Smithgall Woods Regional Education Center (SWREC), received the “Outstanding Service in Environmental Education Award” for her work at Smithgall Woods and the education program at the recent Environmental Education Alliance of GA Conference. She also was recognized by the Foothills Chapter of TU for work done with the Soque River Outdoor Classroom in Habersham County. SWREC offers a diverse assortment of innovative, environmental education programming for students of all ages. This center was established in 1997 as an outdoor classroom from which students and teachers alike have learned to evaluate environmental impacts and to make sound ecological decisions. Since its inception, SWREC has reached over 34,000 students (including 48 young GA Trout Campers). The education program at Smithgall is funded through the support of the WRD Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Section (Wildlife Conservation Fund), the Smithgall Foundation, Pioneer RESA, Trout Unlimited (including $1500 from Rabun TU again this year) and program fees. During the fall and spring semesters of the last fiscal year, 12,901 students participated in over 550 separate SWREC educational programs. For more information on the programs available at SWREC, visit www.georgiawildlife.com , select “General Information,” “Wildlife Education Centers,” then “Smithgall” or call (706) 878-3087.

Sheila with her Environmental Education Award

Rep. Norwood Calls on Administration to Drop Sale of North Georgia Forestlands from Budget (4/6/2006) National Forest lands in North Georgia should not be sold to help balance the federal budget, according to U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-GA9). The Administration Budget Proposal includes the proposed sale of National Forest lands in Georgia and other states. “There is plenty of room to look for savings elsewhere in the budget rather than permanently eliminating National Park or National Forest lands,” says Norwood. “These are natural resources that can never be replaced once they are gone, and my constituents are overwhelmingly opposed to any sale.” http://www.house.gov/norwood/

USFS – Increases Efforts to Curtail Hemlock Decline (3/24/2006) In early March, the USDA Forest Service began releasing predatory beetles in several locations on the Chattahoochee National Forest in Towns and Union Counties. This is part of an ongoing effort to save some of Georgia’s hemlocks from the hemlock woolly adelgid, an alien pest native to Japan that was accidentally introduced into the US in the 1920’s. “The adelgid has no known natural enemies in this country, and if left unchecked, has the potential to kill off most of the native hemlocks in the Southern Appalachians,” said Alan Polk, District Ranger for the Brasstown Ranger District. “It was first detected in Georgia in 2002 in Rabun County and is quickly spreading west and south across the Chattahoochee National Forest.” http://www.fs.fed.us/conf/press/20060327-bt-hwa-trtmnt.htm

GA DNR – More Predatory Beetles to Combat Spread of Hemlock Pests (4/17/2006) North Georgia’s majestic hemlock trees are under attack from a tiny insect with a voracious appetite, and their best defense could prove to be a predatory beetle that feeds on the pests. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is helping to fund the development of a beetle lab at the University of Georgia as part of a long-term effort to stop the spread of the hemlock woolly adelgid. Other partners in the project include the U.S. Forest Service, Georgia Forestry Commission, U.S. Department of Agriculture – Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Georgia Forest Watch, Georgia Wildlife Federation, Georgia Power Company and the Lumpkin Coalition. http://www.georgiawildlife.com/

Historic Sale of Southeastern Forestland (3/28/2006) – International Paper, The Nature Conservancy and The Conservation Fund have reached an agreement to protect 218,000 acres of forestlands across 10 states in the single largest private land conservation sale in the history of the South, and one of the largest in the nation. In Georgia, the agreement will span three counties and encompass 24,120 acres in the Altamaha River watershed, making this project the largest land conservation agreement ever completed in Georgia. Recognizing that maintaining healthy and productive forests in the South provides shared conservation, economic and recreational benefits, The Nature Conservancy will work with public and private partners who have common interests in the Altamaha River watershed to protect these forested lands. “Particularly in Georgia, the agreement follows in The Nature Conservancy’s hallmark approach to conservation – innovative, partner-oriented, science-based conservation,” said Tavia McCuean, vice president and state director for The Nature Conservancy in Georgia.

To date in Georgia, The Nature Conservancy has helped to protect more than 241,000 acres across the state.

http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/georgia/press/press2341.html

Back the Brookie (BtB) Update for GA (4/23/2006) The BTB leaders met with the USFS on 4/19. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss potential project work in the Chattahoochee NF. GA TU/Back-the-Brookie representatives stressed the amount of brook trout work there is to do and that TU wants to partner with the Forest Service as a contributor of both labor and other resources from the grants TU has received. http://www.brookie.org/

Rabun TU Sponsors 2 Summer Interns with GA WRD (4/25/2006) The Chapter BOD voted to fund 2 summer interns to work 160 hours this summer on trout streams in NE GA under the supervision of GA WRD Cold Water Fisheries Biologist Lee Keefer. The interns will be college students that will work the rest of their time on brook trout streams with funding from Back the Brookie (BtB) grants.

“BACKCASTING”

April 1 (Sat) Oconee River TU Chapter Banquet was attended by Prez Terry and Past Prez Ray. Bar-B-Que, bluegrass, silent auction, bucket raffles, good fellowship and fun! Rabun TU donated a framed brown trout print by Tom Landreth.

April 7 (Fri) Mentoring: Charlie B submitted the following report, “A group of eleven students, along with two faculty instructors, from The Westminster Schools in Atlanta hiked and camped for three days near the Chattooga River. Through previous arrangements four Rabunites, Doug, Terry, Kathy and Charlie met the group to add a unique experience to their wilderness outing (a requirement for all ninth grade students). After hearing from Doug about the history of the river and its early people, the kids got a very brief verbal lesson in fly-fishing. Following that a little time was spent finding bugs in the river and then a chance to fish. As always the fishing was good but the catching wasn't. However, the kids (four girls and seven boys) were enthusiastic and seemed to enjoy an activity most had never experienced. Who knows...the next Lefty Kreh or Wanda Taylor may have been in that group.”

April 8 (Sat) Trout Day – Reeves Hardware, Dillard with 13 Rabunites participating. Fly tying demos, fishing videos, fishing stories (“By Golly, - - you don’t have to believe ‘em - - if you don’t want to!”), hamburger & hotdog grilling. A fun time and some new members joined to boot.

April 11 (Tues) USFS Meeting – 5-year Planning for Forest Health Projects Five TU folks attended. Our concern is to see that none of the planned projects will impact water quality (raising water temperature &/or cause siltation). The FS officials present assured us that water quality will always be a top priority and no projects will adversely impact water quality.

April 18 (Tues) Chapter Meeting was attended by 32 folks (maybe the most ever for a “regular” Chapter meeting). Roy Lovell, County Marshall, and his 4 deputy marshals presented the program titled Erosion Control & Sedimentation Laws and Enforcement. With the use of a PowerPoint presentation they explained the laws and the jurisdiction of the County Marshall’s office. They explained the buffer requirements for “trout” waters (50’) and “state” waters (25‘ on lakes and non-trout streams). They discussed what activities could and could not be performed in a buffer. They explained who and what activities require an approved erosion and sedimentation plan and who is exempt. They were able to answer the questions and show slides of “good” and “bad” examples of erosion control. They said they need us, the concerned citizens, to report water pollution problems to their office (and anonymous reports are fine). If they determine the problem is not within their jurisdiction, they will see to it that the proper authorities are notified (GA EPD, GA Forestry, Rabun Co Health Dept, USFS, Municipal Government, GA Power Co, etc). When in doubt – report it to the Marshall’s Office: 706 782 7579 Emergency situation: 911

The meeting raffle raised $70 and there were 11 buckets with some really neat items, including a Patsy Lewis print titled Chattahoochee Trout Flies, 3 fly selections, strike indicators, and a fishing cap with a tether (won by Travis – who just may need a tether). A BIG “thank you” goes to all the Rabunites that donated the items.

April 20 – 22 (Thurs – Sat) Camping, Fishing & In-Stream Work Day (Sat Morn) Charlie reported: “Nine Rabunites and one Cohuttarite (Boones Farm Vigil) camped in the rain, wind, thunder and lightning but enjoyed a fire under the tarp and some decent food. Most will be dried out in a week or two. There was some fishing on the DH and in the "local streams"...all caught a few. Kidd and Hudgins went around the bend and slayed 'em. On Saturday the USFS guys showed up right on time. Mike Brod, the "new guy", jumped right in as we pinned four big logs against the bank to create cover and slow erosion. A good section of trout habitat was created using trees that were already down and either in the stream or close by. A good day's work!! Rabunites...Nixon, Terry R, Ray K, Jimmy W, Jim K, Clay H, Kathy, Charlie, Frank (Where's Frank) and Larry (B.F.) Vigil. USFS...Mike Brod, David Vinson and Wes (I think...don't know last name) They all worked hard! Kelly and Greg also made cameo visits to the camp.”

April 22 (Sat) High Country Boil – Thanks from the Blue Ridge TU Gang John Pool sez: “When the Blue Ridge TU Chapter held our High Country Boil in April, we were pleased when Kathy & Charlie Breithaupt pulled up. And we were surprised when Charlie presented us with a gift from the Rabun TU Chapter to include in our fundraiser -- a print by our favorite artist Tom Landreth. The print was successfully auctioned and the proceeds will help us greatly with a project we have in the works. We really appreciate the Rabunites thinking of their TU brethren from the poor side of the mountain.” And Charlie sez: “The "Boil" was superb and plenty of it. The "Tom Landreth painting" netted $200 in a live auction” http://blueridgemountaintuonline.com/

April 25 (Tues) Board of Directors meeting was held in the Chattooga DH parking lot. We discussed the following: Selection of a program speaker for the 2007 Rabun Rendezvous; Black Rock S.P. Kids Fishing Event on 4/29; Betty Creek clean up on 5/6 for Trout Camp; Family cookout at Indian Lake on 5/16; Chapter camping & fishing outing on 5/17 – 5/21; Program meeting by Mack Martin on 6/20; The fly rod raffle ticket sales; Rabun TU sponsoring interns to work with GA WRD biologist Lee Keefer on NE GA trout streams; Greeting new members & visitors at Chapter meetings; “Thank You” gifts for program presenters, and Having a future Chapter meeting program presented by GA EPD about their “Adopt-A-Stream” program.

"Of all the liars among mankind, the fisherman is the most trustworthy." William Sherwood Fox

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

A Big Rabunite welcome to 5 new members this month: Hal Howard, 68 Rabbit Run Lane, Rabun Gap, GA 30568; Terrell Dodgins, 921 S. Tryphosa Road, Otto, NC 28763-9467; and Billy Cook, (transfer) 25 Fuller Road, Locust Grove, GA 30248; Edwin W. Clark, 65 Ocmulgee Way, Rabun Gap, GA 30568; and Cecil Greene, 7313 Laketree Drive, Raleigh, NC 27615

Thanks for re-upping: Lewis Reeves III, Greg Roane, Eugene Roberts, Perry Thompson, Russell Johnson, and Dave Schmidt,

It is time to renew your membership: Hal Northrop, M. Pierce, Andy Gaston, and David Bentley

We extend our best wishes for a speedy recovery to Charter Member & Rabunite Director Tom Landreth who is undergoing radiation treatment. We want to see you back in THE RIVER real soon.

Rabun TU Officers & Directors

President - Terry Rivers, PO Box 371, Clayton, GA 30525 Ph 706 782 7419 E-mail tlr1121@alltel.net

Vice President - Jimmy Whiten Ph 706 886 6546 E-mail jimmywhiten@alltel.net

Treasurer (w/Newsletter & Meeting Raffles) - Doug Adams Ph 706 746 2158 E-mail edadams1@alltel.net

Secretary - Tom Matthews Ph 706 782 0369 E-mail tmatt@hemc.net

Past President (w/Membership) - Ray Kearns Ph 706 782 9913 E-mail raykearns@alltel.net

Director (w/Programs) - Bill Kelly Ph 706 746 2104 E-mail bkjk1@alltel.net

Director (w/Website) - Kathy Breithaupt Ph 706 782 6954 E-mail knc615@direcway.com

Director (w/Campouts & USFS Work-outings) - Charlie Breithaupt Ph 706 782 6954 E-mail knc615@direcway.com

Director (w/Publicity, Letters, & Hospitality) - Tom Landreth Ph 706 746 2295 E-mail landreth@alltel.net

Director – Larry Walker Ph 706 244 4345 E-mail amosndixie@alltel.net

Director – Lea Richmond Ph 706 782 6898 E-mail learichmond@alltel.net

News from the President...... Terry Rivers

Hi Folks,

Well some of the best fishing has been happening this month with the low water and high temperatures.

Was hoping for rain and it came at the campout at Double Bit. But beside the wet times we had a great turnout and the fishing was good. We had a great work project, pining several logs along the banks that were washing. We had 12 to show from our Chapter and 3 from the USFS including Mike Brod who replaced Andy Gaston. During the workday he mentioned several times that he was amazed at the work that was done that day.

I want to personally thank the Rabun County Marshall’s personnel for a great program they put on for us. Also the local groups that attended and their input.

For the month of May we have another campout with no workday - just fishing and socializing. So, I would love to see a great turnout for this event. It will be at Cherry Hill Campground with all the facilities so come and join.

Again I want to thank everybody that showed up for the workday and the new friends that were made. Hope to see ya’ll on THE RIVER.

Terry

Have a great day - Hope you catch a lot of fish!

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For more pictures, info, and back issues of TIGHT LINES, visit the Rabun TU website: http://www.rabuntu.com/ Georgia TU Council website: http://georgiatu.org/ & National TU Website: http://www.tu.org/index.asp We would love getting your “Letters to the Editor”, suggestions, stories, articles, and questions for our panel of experts in the Q & A section, or your comments about our Website and Newsletter.

Send them to: edadams1@alltel.net Or to: Rabun TU, PO Box 65, Rabun Gap, GA 30568

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Please tell us if you have E-mail, it will save the chapter $1.23 per newsletter mailed: E-Mail edadams1@alltel.net

RABUN CHAPTER of TROUT UNLIMITED PO BOX 371 CLAYTON, GA 30525

Clayton Presbyterian Church (Located behind the Post Office) - Clayton, GA 3^rd Tuesday of the Month 6:30 pm – Social & Yarn Spinning 7:00 pm – Program & Meeting (you don’t have to believe the yarns - - if you don’t want to)

At every regular chapter meeting there will be a raffle for fishing or camping items to help pay the cost of mailing the newsletter to members without E-mail. Bring an item to donate and a dollar or two for raffle tickets - you might win something.