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TIGHT
LINES
September 2006 Newsletter of
the Rabun Chapter
(522) of Trout Unlimited Editor –
Doug Adams edadams1@alltel.net Visit the
Rabun TU website: http://www.rabuntu.com/ "Caution
is a most valuable asset in fishing, especially if you are the fish."
Unknown |
THE CHAPTER MEETING PLACE
Clayton Presbyterian Church
(Located behind the Post Office) - Clayton, GA
3rd 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.
"Why
does Sea World have a seafood restaurant?? I'm half way through my FISH burger
and I realize,
Oh my God .
. . I could be eating a slow learner."
Either by Lynda
Montgomery (comedian) or Lyndon
B. Johnson (36th President of
the United States)
Sept 16 (Sat) Waters Creek
Work Day (USFS / GA WRD / NGTO / TU)
Sept 19 (Tues) Chapter
Meeting, 6:30 pm, Clayton Presbyterian Church Program – Sheila & Dave Humphrey: Youth
Environmental Education Program & How to Catch Those Dukes Creek Trout
Sept 23 (Sat) Outdoor
Adventure Day at Unicoi S.P./Smith Creek
Sept. 26 (Tues) Board
of Directors meeting, 6:30 pm at the Church
Sept 27-Oct 1 (Wed – Sun)
Fishing & Camping West Fork, Holcomb & Overflow Creeks with
Camping at the Blackwell Place
Oct 14 (Sat) Chili Cook-off Coosa Valley TU, Rome, GA
Oct 17 (Tues) Chapter
Meeting, 6:30 pm, Clayton Presbyterian Church Program – Anthony Rabern: How to catch those BIG Lake
Burton brown trout.
Oct 24 (Tues) Board of
Directors meeting, 6:30 pm at the Church
FLY OF THE
MONTH
by Terry Rivers

As far as
what this pattern looks like? Some
think it suggests two mating midges.
Whatever. It has peacock herl, a
material with trout catching ability that should never be underestimated. When and where should it be used? During midge hatches (size 14-18) or anytime
you feel like casting a dry fly and there is no hatch in progress. Also in calm water, but use a long leader
with at least 7X tippet with a great presentation and it should get results.
HOOK: TMC 100,
SIZES 10-18
THREAD: BLACK 8/0
RIB: FINE GOLD
WIRE
TAG: GOLD MYLAR
TINSEL
REAR
HACKLE: BROWN
BODY: PEACOCK
HERL
FRONT
HACKLE: WHITE/ CREAM/ OR GRIZZLY
"The
great advantage one will have in creating his own patterns is in being able to
match more closely the size and form and hues and colors of the insects trout
feed on in one's favorite water."
Sylvester
Nemes
SEPTEMBER
HATCHES
Small Dun Caddis All Month Mid AM to Late PM 18
Brown Elk or Deer Hair Caddis 18 Grey Caddis Pupa
Speckled Grey-Brown Caddis Late Late PM 14–16 Dark Elk Hair Caddis
w/Yellow-Brown
14–16
Dun & Yellow Caddis Pupa
Large October Caddis Late
Early AM and Late PM 8-10
Ginger Elk Hair
8-10
Ginger Caddis Pupa
Trico Mayfly Early AM 20
Parachute Trico
Trico Spinner Fall PM 20–22 Poly Wing Black Spinner
Midges
All Month
All
Day 18-22 Griffith's Gnat 18-22 Midge Pupa
Terrestrials – Ants, Beatles,
Crickets, Inch-Worms, Hoppers, Various
Times & Sizes
Yellow Jackets, Etc
TU
Chapter ‘Website-of-the-Month’: http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/5696/
Check
Their Main Project: http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/5696/class.htm

Stekoa Creek enters the W&S
Chattooga River.
Lets Work
Together. Volunteer just one morning
per month (2 to 3 hours) to take water samples.
Contact Jenny Sanders – Project Manager at 706-782-6097 info@chattoogariver.org
For more info on the project: http://www.chattoogariver.org/index.php?req=stekoa
Rabunites,
we have talked about this for years, now lets do it!
Expert Panel Criteria and Nomination Form Nominations
Due September 1, 2006
For
details, visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/forest/projects/panel.shtml
If you are familiar with the Upper Chattooga backcountry, if you are an experienced high water wader, if you can fly and spin fish, if you are available on short notice then please consider submitting your nomination.
The selection of the expert panelists will include about 16 members per panel, with the target of 6 to 8 panel members participating in the site reconnaissance trips, depending on the availability of the individual panel members. Selection of panelists will be based on the following qualifications: years of experience, skill level, previous experience participating in flow studies, level of availability, and knowledge of the area and/or river. Safety will be a key consideration. Members of the boater panel must have Class V whitewater boating experience. Members of the angler panel should have experience in a full range of angling techniques (fly fishing, spin fishing, etc.). Due to the nature of the flow variability, panel members must be able to participate on short notice. Ideally, all members will have experience in similar collaborative flow studies, have both angling and whitewater boating experience, and have utilized the Chattooga River for a variety of recreational activities.
Members of the public may nominate themselves or other qualified individuals through September 1, 2006.
Applications can be obtained on the Forest Service website: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/forest/projects/epform1.pdf
The applications should be
sent to Email: lyaukey@louisberger.com
AW is
seeking immediate and unregulated access
A boater wrote, “Also, boating in the Headwaters will only
occur when the Chattooga is at high flow, so it will be when fishing and
swimming will be out of the question due to swift, high, brown water.”
Another boater wrote, “I fish, hunt, hike, ect. And I also like to boat on whitewater. These activities do not all coincide
with each other. Mother Nature does not
see fit to give us enough rain anymore to do much boating during the better of
the three seasons.”
A boater wrote, “Kayakers and fishermen must
work together to address the real threats to the Chattooga head
waters. The threats are 1) Overuse by all groups 2) Poor Forest Service
management and 3) Encroaching development.
Fighting over use rights while the river dies is pointless.”
Another boater wrote,
“Other growing threats are encroaching development and weak and
poorly enforces erosion control regulations on nearby private lands.
There are these and other real threats to the headwaters area that already
exist.”
And a 3rd boater wrote, “We should agree to disagree
in non-personal ways and carry our issues in a professional manner to maintain
working relationships that foster joint efforts to protect the resources
threatened everyday.”
And a 4th boater wrote, “The power of two groups working together have more
political power than splitting the groups into one that ‘has what they want’
and another that ‘wants want the other has.’ “
And a 5th boater wrote, “We
should refocus the direction of protecting the Chattooga by investigating the
building and development of the surrounding areas to determine the impact of
those things on the river rather than spending so much of our resources on
resolving a solution between user groups.”
And a 6th boater wrote, "I continue to be amazed that everywhere in
the country, except Rabun and Oconee county, TU and AW works together
cooperatively." “I have no doubt that TU and AW could work together
successfully on the Stekoa creek project. “
And a 7th boater wrote, “Thought you would like to see
AW's level of support and partnership in other regions of the country.”
And a 8th boater wrote, "I would hate to see the resources of TU or AW
continue to be wasted for years to come on this debate- there are more
important conservation issues (such as the extremely polluted Stekoa Creek)
that need to be addressed by both organizations."
A boater wrote, "It is discriminatory for one group (i.e. Boaters) to be excluded
from the use of a natural resource and public site while other groups are
allowed free reign."
Another boater wrote,
“Why do fishermen think they can own the river?”
And a 3rd boater wrote, “We all pay taxes too. Why is your
use to be given preference over other uses?”
Editor’s note: The
Chattooga is zoned with approximately two-thirds available for floating and
one-third for “foot travel only.” Zoning of
conflicting uses is good stewardship, not discrimination. Stewardship encompasses far more than
picking up litter; it includes the protection of the
aesthetic values of natural resources such as remoteness and wildness, the
proper regard for the rights of others to solitude, and the responsibility
of preserving those values intact for future generations.
Whitewater boaters try end-run around Upper Chattooga
analysis By Joe Gatins
(Excerpts from GA ForestWatch Summer 2006 newsletter article reprinted
here with permission of the writer)
American Whitewater and several other whitewater enthusiasts have filed
suit in U.S. District court in Gainesville to try to force immediate opening of
the upper 21 miles of the Wild and Scenic Chattooga River to so-called
“primitive floaters.” Butch Clay,
of Mountain Rest, S.C., an advisor to the Georgia ForestWatch board, and real
“poet of the Chattooga,” perhaps best defined what is at stake here: “… the headwater
reach has remained to a large extent unsung, surviving as an improbably intact
and almost unbelievably wild vestige of primitive America, a last resort of
peace and quiet for humans, and a small but blessedly untrammeled haven for
flora and fauna widely (and increasingly) supplanted in this region by the
sprawling expanse of un-abating urban growth.”
The question for the Forest Service and all Americans is whether it is
better to maintain this virtually unique treasure, or open it up to increasing
pressures, including the commercial rafting and kayaking companies that
inevitably would seek access to the Upper Chattooga if the whitewater industry
managed to crack the headwaters’ door open. To read the complete article, visit
http://www.gafw.org/06SummerNewsletter.pdf
Q & A (“Q” from
the public & “A” from the USFS)
Q. Will
all user groups be treated equally in this study?
A. Yes,
all user groups will be treated equally.
(From Frequently Asked Questions – Take 2, Formulated
following October 13, 2005, Public Meeting
As posted
on the Sumter NF website: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/forest/projects/faq.shtml )
Editor’s note: However, some stakeholders
feel they are not being treated equally.
The idea of selecting panels of expert boaters and anglers to serve as
focus groups didn’t sit well with most people attending the USFS public meeting
in Highlands (NC) on 7/27. (The following
are excerpts from the 8/2/06 Smoky Mountain News (SMN) article about the
meeting, to read the complete article, visit
http://www.smokymountainnews.com/issues/08_06/08_02_06/out_my_chattooga.html )
“There’s hikers,
photographers, birders, swimmers. There should be a panel of those kind of
people, too,” said Doug Odell who lives on Lake Glenville near
Cashiers.
Following the
presentation, a crowd gathered around Doug Whitaker, a consultant hired by the
forest service to oversee the data collection, to complain about the study
format.
“You guys are
framing this as boaters against anglers,” said Buzz Williams,
director of the Chattooga Conservancy. “All these other user groups are
legitimate uses, but they’re being treated like red-headed stepchildren.”
“You’re acting
like there’s no interest other than from anglers and boaters,” said
Patrick Sanders, a second-home owners in Highlands who likes to hike.
“By not having a
panel you aren’t going to have the same caliber of information from others
users as you do boaters and anglers,” said Bill Rethorst, a
resident of Highlands and avid hiker with the Over the Hill Gang.
Amy Chase, who
lives in Cashiers, said input should be sought from more than just the avid
outdoorsmen, but should also include those in the local area who may never even
venture to the river. “It is a community resource in Cashiers and a
community issue,” Chase said, suggesting mailing surveys to homeowners.
“When I want a
wilderness experience, the only place left is the upper portion of the river,” Rethorst
said.
“Every other
river in the entire National Forest Service Wild and Scenic River system is
open to boating,” Colburn said. (Kevin Colburn with American
Whitewater)
“That’s exactly
the point,” said Pam Simion of Highlands. “Do you have to use every
resource?’
A fisherman told
Colburn that boating infringes on the ability to fish. “When a boat goes
through, the fish are down for an hour,” said John Benbow, president of
the N.C. Wildlife Federation.
“That’s an
inherent situation on any river,” Colburn said.
"For the rich, there is
therapy. For the rest of us, there is
BACKCOUNTRY solitude for hiking, birding,
and angling!"
Q
& A
Q. Are
there any restrictions or zoning on anglers like...equipment, lure or bait,
type of hook, time of day, time of year, size or creel limits on any sections
of the Upper Chattooga?
A. Yes, there surely are. The trout fishery in the North
Fork of the Upper Chattooga (a “foot travel only” area) is managed by the WRC /
DNRs of 3 states (NC, GA, & SC) and is "zoned" based on what is
biologically suitable for the steam conditions and also so that anglers with
different objectives, different social desires, and differing ways of
experiencing trout fishing and the environment can seek the area that best
suits their needs.
Headwaters (above Bull
Pen Road – 3 miles on FS land with an access trail setback from the river)
– ‘Wild trout/natural bait‘ management.
Upper Ellicott Rock Wilderness (NC portion from Bull Pen Road to Ellicott Rock - 2 miles without
an access trail along side) ‘Wild trout/natural bait‘ management.
For both above areas, NC WRC
stopped all stocking about 15 years ago. May be fished with artificial
lures or natural bait, except live fish. Lures and natural baits are restricted
to one single hook. The minimum length limit is 7 inches, and the daily creel
limit is 4 trout. NC fishing license
with trout permit required. The
solitude is excellent. The wild brown
trout fishery is in very good condition and stable. (see article that follows
this Q&A)
Lower Ellicott Rock Wilderness (below the NC line – 3 miles, easy access trails alongside
the river, overused by casual visitors) - ‘Wild Trout’ management. Any
bait or lure. Open 24-h / 365-d. Creel limit 8 trout. No size
restriction. Floating is not allowed. SC license or GA license with trout
permit required. The wild brown trout fishery is in good condition and
improving. The solitude has been
compromised by the high visitation rate attracted by the Wilderness label and
easy trails. The catch rate is lower
due to the elimination of the annual helicopter stocking and increased fishing
pressure facilitated by easy access trails.
The signage encouraging "catch & release" helps. It informs the casual anglers that the area
does not have the ‘easy’ stock trout.
It applies peer pressure to release the wild trout.
Burrell’s Ford Area (3/4 mile) – ‘Put and Take’ management w/truck stocking paid for by
fishing license fees. Overused and abused area. Any bait or lure. Open 24-h / 365-d. Creel limit 8
trout. No size restriction. Floating is not allowed. SC license or GA license with trout permit
required. The ‘put and take’ fishery has improved since SC took over
the Wahalla hatchery. The stocking rate
is higher, more frequent, and has a higher percentage of larger than average
rainbow and brown trout.
Backcountry (Burrell’s Ford Area to Reed Creek Confluence – 9 miles, good trail access
with 2 long reaches where trail is away from the river) – ‘Put and Grow’
management w/helicopter stocking of sub-adult trout every fall. Fishing license and trout stamp fees pay for
the trout and GA & Rabun TU contribute $1500 annually towards the helicopter
costs. Any bait or lure. Open
24-h / 365-d. Creel limit 8 trout. No size restriction.
Floating is not allowed. SC license or
GA license with trout permit required. The results are Excellent! The “Put & Grow” trout provides an
excellent catch rate. The fall stocking
provides the opportunity for the trout to disperse, grow, and become
stream-wise by springtime. The
backcountry solitude is outstanding, far better than in the Lower Wilderness
area. The trail access is excellent for
those that backpack in to camp, or for those that walk in or out in the dark
with a flashlight. The Chattooga
Coalition is responsible for the restoration of this backcountry fishery to
better quality than it was 35 years ago.
Nicholson
Fields Area (Reed Creek to Highway 28
Bridge – 2 ˝ miles, easy trail access both sides of the river) – ‘Delayed
Harvest’ management (with 6 ˝ months of ‘Catch & Release’ w/artificial
only, single hook & 5 1/2 months open for harvest w/any bait or lure,
creel limit 8 trout, no size restriction) w/helicopter and truck stocking of
trout paid for by fishing license fees. Open 24-h / 365-d.
Floating is not allowed. SC license or GA license with trout permit
required. The results are
outstanding! This beautiful section of
river now has a fishery that far exceeds anything it ever had in the past: high
catch rate, larger than average trout, and the opportunity to catch trophy size
rainbow, brown & brook.
Long
Bottom (below Highway 28 Bridge – 2 ˝
miles, easy access) - ‘Put and
Take’ management w/truck stocking paid for by fishing license fees. Any bait or lure. Open 24-h /
365-d. Creel limit 8 trout. No size restriction. Floating is
allowed year around. SC license or GA license with trout permit
required. The fishery is better for the same reason described under the
Burrell’s Ford Area.
Wild Trout & Natural Bait In North Carolina This special regulation provides
unique opportunities for Tar Heel trout fishermen on some of the most
intriguing streams in the western part of the state. By Jeff Samsel
(Excerpts reprinted here from the NC
Game&Fish Magazine website, visit
http://www.ncgameandfish.com/fishing/trout-fishing/NC_0505_02/index.html
)
|
Photo by Ron Sinfelt |
Reaching among the submerged branches of a tree that stretches across a
remote mountain stream, an angler breaks off the deepest branch he can reach
and lifts it for examination. To his delight, the branch contains a gold-mine
of "stickbait" -- all he'll need for at least a couple of hours. So
he pulls a small container from his fishing vest and begins carefully
collecting treasures.
Stickbait, in
traditional Southern Appalachian lingo, refers to caddis fly nymphs, complete
with the little stick-like cases they build and inhabit. Old-time flyfishermen
often tipped nymphs with stickbait or fished the same baits alone on tiny
hooks, but still with the use of a fly rod to deliver the offering.
Not many
mountain anglers drift stickbait anymore, and regulations probably have played
some part in that change. Most tumbling high-country creeks, where stickbait
fishing once was popular, are now managed under wild trout regulations, which
do not allow the use of natural offerings. Several western North Carolina
streams, however -- 19 to be exact -- fall under a special designation of
"wild trout/natural bait," allowing anglers to probe wild trout
waters with natural offerings.
The streams were given this designation about a decade ago, as part of a
broad-based reclassification of trout streams by the North Carolina Wildlife
Resources Commission. The NCWRC did not want to completely upend the way
anglers were accustomed to fishing on
many streams, according to Scott Loftis,
the fisheries biologist over District 9, where all 19 streams under this
designation are located.
The designation
blends wild trout regulations, which include a four-fish limit, a 7-inch
minimum size and an allowance of only a single hook, with hatchery-supported
regulations that permit the use of natural bait. It allows anglers who favor
bait, to fish backcountry streams for wild trout.
Wild
trout/natural bait waters tend to get overlooked by anglers, but they include
several outstanding streams. Brown, rainbow and brook trout are all part of the
mix in the streams, which are spread over eight western North Carolina
counties. The streams also vary dramatically in size and character.
Following the
special designation of these streams and other changes in the 1990s, the NCWRC
conducted electrofishing and creel surveys in several watersheds for five years
to measure impact. They found that angler pressure and harvest had virtually no
effect on stream populations in remote wild trout streams, even with the use of
live bait, Loftis said.
Because the wild
trout/natural bait streams vary so much in character and in the makeup of trout
populations, the best stream depends largely on an angler's specific
preferences. Loftis pointed toward the Chattooga River, the North Fork of the
French Broad River, Big Creek, Kimsey Creek and Buck Creek as some of the
streams that offer the best opportunities for fishermen.
The Chattooga
River, a National Wild & Scenic River beginning in the lower end of its
North Carolina run, is best known for its world-class whitewater offerings
along the Georgia/ South Carolina border and to a lesser extent for its trout
fishing farther up the same border. Through North Carolina, an outstanding
population of wild brown trout, including some large fish, gets minimal
attention from anglers because of the stream's remoteness and ruggedness.
Shocking surveys
on the Chattooga, conducted from 1992 to 1996, consistently showed high numbers
of first-year fish, which indicated that good conditions for natural
reproduction exist here. The surveys also turned up plenty of adult fish in the
stream. Most adult fish were in the 6- to 12-inch range, but stream surveyors
would sometimes bring up fish up to 16 inches.
Bull Pen Bridge
crosses the Chattooga a couple miles upstream of the North Carolina/South
Carolina/ Georgia border. Upstream or downstream, all access is by wading
(sometimes difficult wading) or by hiking one of a couple of trails, each three
miles or more in length that lead to the river near the border.
The most effective way to fish the Chattooga is to backpack into the
Ellicott Rock Wilderness by one of the trails and spend a couple of days
fishing, ideally with a Georgia or South Carolina license in addition to a
North Carolina license. Live crawfish dropped to the bottoms of big
boulder-strewn pools on gray days offer the best prospects for enticing hefty
brown trout.
Loftis noted
that two of the Chattooga's main tributaries, Scotsman and Fowler creeks, also
support good wild brown trout populations. These are much smaller and tighter
but lower in gradient overall and easier to access. They also get even less
fishing pressure than the main river.
Overflow Creek
in Macon County is also in the Chattooga River watershed; however, its flow
feeds the West Fork of the Chattooga River in Georgia, which joins the main
river more than 10 miles south of the North Carolina border. Small and fairly
remote, the North Carolina section of the Overflow supports mostly brown trout,
but has brook trout in its upper end. The topography the stream flows through
is unusual and a cause for caution by anglers: The stream will be strangely
flat for a long stretch and then plummet over a major waterfall.
BEFORE YOU GO:
For complete regulations regarding wild trout/natural bait waters and a
complete list of stream sections under this designation, visit the North
Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Web site at www.ncwildlife.org. The site
also offers downloadable maps of trout waters. http://www.ncwildlife.org/pg02_Regs/pg2b3.pdf
“ I early learned that from almost any stream in a trout country
the true angler could take trout, and that the great secret was this, that
whatever bait you used—worm, grasshopper, grub, or fly—there was one thing you
must always put upon your hook, namely, your heart; when you bait your hook
with your heart the fish always bite; they will jump clean from the water after
it; they will dispute with each other over it; it is a morsel they love above
everything else.”
“Speckled
Trout” from the book "In The Catskills" (1910) by John Burroughs
What’s
New Elsewhere?
USFS - Washington Office Officials Uphold Forest Plans for
Five Southern Appalachian National Forest (7/31/06) Columbia, SC - The Forest
Service’s Washington Office on July 24 issued its decisions on several appeals
of revised Land and Resource Management Plans in the Southern Region. The
decisions affirmed the Regional Forester’s approval of management direction for
the Chattahoochee-Oconee in Georgia, Cherokee in Tennessee, Daniel Boone in
Kentucky, Sumter in South Carolina, and Jefferson in Virginia, as well as the National
Forests in Alabama. “We are pleased the
plans were affirmed, and we are excited about implementing the natural resource
management direction these documents provide,” said Regional Forester Chuck
Myers. Appellants raised similar
issues in each set of appeals, covering issues such as forest management,
terrestrial wildlife and aquatic species, wilderness, wild and scenic rivers,
oil and gas development and mineral leasing, roads, and social and economic
considerations, as well as procedural and planning requirements. A separate
appeal of the Sumter National Forest plan, regarding the potential of opening
the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River above Highway 28 to floating, is still
being addressed with a Visitor Use Capacity Analysis. These appeal decisions make the end of lengthy and complex
planning process that started in 1996 and included many public meetings and
other forms of citizen involvement. To read the complete news release, visit: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/forest/news/2006/SumterPlanAppealsNR.pdf
Green groups looking for
other ways to fight forest plans
http://www.topix.net/content/ap/4083342374141212452407156305193549802654
USFS – LWD dynamited in a Wilderness to facilitate boating Dynamiting of Idaho logjam prompts question: What is
wilderness? (8/1/06) BOISE, Idaho (AP) - The US
Forest Service is being criticized by some wilderness advocates for dynamiting
a logjam on the Salmon River in central Idaho's Frank Church-River of No Return
Wilderness last week. The group
Wilderness Watch says such federal wilderness reserves are no place for high-explosive
intrusions on nature. The logjam forced 250 whitewater rafters
on guided trips to camp above the impasse for three days. Agency officials analyzed several options,
including waiting for spring floods to wash out the logs jammed into the tight
Pistol Creek Rapids. They also considered evacuating boaters. Guides and outfitters who earn millions from
rafting trips annually say blasting was a "common sense"
solution. But George Nickas of
Wilderness Watch says it goes against the idea behind wilderness: protecting an
area where man is only a visitor..
To read the complete story, visit: http://www.king5.com/localnews/environment/stories/NW_080106ENKwildernessKC.5b0478a.html
Editor’s note: A
hemlock log (a.k.a. LWD) is laying from GA to SC across the Entrance Pool
to the Rocky Gorge in a backcountry "wild" section of the Upper
Chattooga.

Forest Service streams are managed in a manner that
emphasizes and recruits LWD. The desired condition is approximately 200 pieces
of LWD per stream mile (Sumter NF RLRMP, page 3-41). In the Ellicott Rock Wilderness
and “Wild” sections of the Chattooga management is focused on
protecting the Outstandingly Remarkable Values of the river and preserving the
natural environment and natural processes from human influences. By law, the landscape character in these
areas is naturally evolving.
Disturbance is primarily caused by natural process (floods, wind storms,
insects, diseases, ice, and fires) or prescribed fire. The hemlock woolly adelgid and the southern
pine beetle will provide increased natural LWD recruitment for the foreseeable
future. To read more about the importance
of LWD to stream ecology, visit the Feb 2006 issue of TIGHT LINES. http://www.rabuntu.com/Rabun%20TU%20-%20TIGHT%20LINES%20February%202006.htm
USFS in Chatsworth, GA is announcing big changes for the
overused Cohutta Wilderness. (5/12/06) The Cohutta Wilderness is a wilderness loved
to death. The largest National Forest wilderness in the southeast is also one
of the most heavily visited ones in the nation. "Overuse from visitors is
causing resource impacts that are threatening the very qualities that made this
area worthy of wilderness designation," said Larry Thomas, Wilderness
Manager for the Armuchee-Cohutta Ranger District. "Changes in the management of the Cohutta are necessary to
reverse this trend to preserve the wilderness environment and provide future
generations with the enjoyment of a true wilderness experience." A new wilderness management plan was
developed using a process called the "Limits of Acceptable Change" (LAC).
"Through this process we have first determined what are desired natural
and social conditions and then have identified actions to correct unacceptable
conditions," stated Thomas. A
citizen-led task force was formed from a diverse group of wilderness users representing
a range of values and opinions from hunters and fishers to backpackers and
equestrians. "These volunteers
worked through the year-long LAC planning process. Based on their
recommendations, actions to limit use are being applied to reduce human impacts
on the natural resources and restore the wilderness environment," added
Thomas. An example of limitations on
use would be the number of people allowed in a group. Sometime in the near
future, there will be a regulation that groups can be no larger than 12 hikers
or 8 equestrians. Also, camping only in
designated campsites along the Jacks and Conasauga rivers will become part of
the new wilderness management plan. Other limitations will include how close
campsites can be to streams, size of campsites, and only allowing one fire ring
per campsite. In the most pristine
areas of the wilderness away from any trails, limitations on use are even more
restrictive. In the future, permits may be required for individuals and groups,
not to regulate numbers but to educate visitors and keep track of them.
"These are just a few of the changes planned for the way we take care of
the Cohutta Wilderness," stated Thomas.
To read the complete news release, visit http://www.fs.fed.us/conf/press/20060512-jrf-closure.htm
Stop I-3 Coalition Monthly Newsletter August 2006
T read the newsletter, visit http://www.stopi3.org/newsletter.htm
Georgia Council of Trout
Unlimited and the Rabun TU Chapter
are members of the Stop I-3 Coalition.
The TU position:
"Trout Unlimited is America's leading trout conservation organization
dedicated to conserving, protecting, and restoring coldwater fisheries and
their watersheds. Trout need clean, cold water to survive and
reproduce. The greatest threats to trout streams are sedimentation and
elevated water temperature, which result from land use practices that disturb
natural conditions. We have witnessed first hand the loss of trout
habitat that occurs around interstate construction corridors. The best
mitigation efforts are unable to adequately stem the silt, petroleum runoffs,
and thermal pollution that are integral to the construction and use of
interstates. There is no corridor through the Chattahoochee National
Forest capable of avoiding the destruction of some of Georgia's precious trout
habitat."
USFS - USDA Accepts First 3 State Petitions for Conserving
Roadless Areas in National Forests (SC/NC/VA)
(6/21/06)
Washington, DC - Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today approved
petitions from North Carolina Governor Mike Easley, South Carolina Governor
Mark Sanford and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine to develop state-specific rules
for managing roadless areas in the three states. "We are committed to working closely with the nation's
governors to meet the needs of our local communities while protecting and
restoring the health and natural beauty of our national forests," said
Johanns. "I look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with
Governors Easley, Sanford, Kaine and others in the conservation and management
of these important areas." The
three petitions were recently reviewed by the 13-member Roadless Area
Conservation National Advisory Committee, established by Johanns to provide
advice and recommendations on implementing the State Petitions for Inventoried
Roadless Area Management Rule. The
Forest Service will now work with NC, SC and VA to develop and publish proposed
state-specific rules that address the management requirements set forth in the
petitions. The state-specific rulemaking process will include any required
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis and invite public input
during a notice and comment period. For
the complete new release, visit: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/forest/news/2006/roadless.pdf
For more information, visit http://www.roadless.fs.fed.us/
USFS - Administration backs off land sale plan (8/8/2006)
By JEFF BARNARD - AP environmental writer.
GRANTS PASS, Ore. -- The Bush administration has agreed to hold off
selling some national forest lands and will support one more year of payments
to rural counties hurt by cutbacks in federal logging, lawmakers said
Monday. Western lawmakers have been
seeking up to $401 million to maintain payments next year to 700 rural counties
in 41 states, primarily in the West, which lost revenues from the sale of
federal timber when logging was cut back to protect the northern spotted owl,
salmon and other fish and wildlife. The
administration had proposed selling 300,000 acres of national forest lands
around the country to raise $800 million toward continuing the payments over
five years, but it had run into tough bipartisan opposition. For complete story, visit http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2006/08/08/news/regional/d1af9bed37453009872571c4000260b6.txt
Georgia
Back-the-Brookie (BtB) Update: (Summer 2006) From BTB Chair – Kevin McGrath
Advocacy Alerts. GA TU is in talks with
the Georgia Wildlife Federation (GWF) about partnering with the GWF Camouflage
Coalition www.camocoalition.com.
GWF Camouflage Coalition is an advocacy email alert network with
thousands of members statewide. This is a way to reach non-TUer’s on
issues important to TU and support GWF in its mission.
Conservation
Interns. GA BtB in partnership with GA DNR, USFS, North Georgia
Tech, Soque River Watershed Association, and Georgia Power
Foundation has employed three summer interns pursuing fisheries
studies and careers to work on brook trout projects in Georgia.
Their work will include water sampling, fish sampling, stream habitat mapping,
and stream enhancement work on brook trout streams in conjunction with TU
volunteers, GA DNR and USFS personnel, and N. GA Tech instructors.
Funding for the intern came from two GA Chapters – Rabun and Upper
Chattahoochee, TU’s Embrace a Stream Program, and the Georgia Power Foundation. Stream Projects. Rabun TU conducted a
BtB workday on a local, wild brookie stream.
Development
Fund Raising. GA TU has received a rod and reel outfit from Cabala’s to
raffle off. GA BtB will match proceeds from the raffle for purchase of
thermographs to monitor stream temperatures in brookie stream across North
Georgia. The thermographs will be gifted to GA DNR.
Education
GA TU Trout Camp. One day of trout camp was devoted to brookies.
Twenty four campers worked with the USFS and GA DNR on a local brook trout
stream. All campers saw a wild brookie during an electro-shocking survey
and learned about a brookie’s habitat and life cycle. For more, visit:
http://www.brookie.org/site/pp.asp?c=liKVL3POLvF&b=1506247
USFS - Portion of Panther Creek Trail Closed for
Safety Reasons (6/23/06) U.S. Forest
Service personnel have closed a portion of the Panther Creek Trail off of
Historic Highway 441 in Habersham County. The closed section of the trail has
been deemed unsafe for public use. The Closure Order is in effect
immediately and will prohibit access to the trail from the trailhead
at Highway 441 to the Panther Creek Falls.
To read the complete news release, visit http://www.fs.fed.us/conf/conditions/index.shtml#panthercreek
"Fly-fishing for wild trout on
quiet waters must be one of the toughest and craziest ways to catch fish ever
invented by man, as well as among the most frustrating and humiliating."
From "Trout
Magic" by Robert Traver
Fishing Reports
Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 4:41 PM
Subject: Toccoa Report (aka The Tale of the Snack-Wranglin'
Texan.....aka The Sunflower Seed Story)
Admittedly, I'm not the world's greatest
conversationalist. If we were all characters in different movies, my dialogue
would be written by George Lucas, a la Star Wars, while the average person's
discourse is probably more in line with a James Cameron flick. Because of this,
I have always been forced to rely on stories in order to seem even the least
bit interesting in a social situation. Needless to say, most of my friends have
heard some of the same stories repeated quite a few times.
But, this weekend,
I acquired a new one.
After waking at
5:45 and heading north with three friends, Matt Anderson, Kelly Davis and Mark
Musselwhite, and of course, grabbing some chicken biscuits and sweet tea at
Chik-fil-A, we arrived at Curtis Switch on the Toccoa River. The weather was
great and it wasn't yet scorching hot, especially on the naturally air
conditioned river. And if we weren't yet awake when we got there, that changed
after getting about waste-deep in the cold water that comes from the bottom of Lake
Blue Ridge.
The fishing that
day was pretty good, especially considering that it was August in Georgia. A
tiny zebra midge, pheasant tail nymph or an olive hare's ear dropped below a
big, fluffy hopper pattern helped me bring a few dozen to hand with half of
those being fingerlings and the other half being rainbows and browns in the
8-15" range. The 15-inch rainbow that pounced on my large hopper pattern
and the 13-inch brown that rolled over to take in my pheasant tail were enough
to satisfy me. And, the steady stream of "WHHAAA-WHHOOOO!'s" coming
from our group of "Rabunites-In-Training" let me know that I wasn't
the only one in our fly-flinging-foursome having a good time.
But you know,
even if I had gotten skunked for the day, something happened that was worth the
$3 a gallon in gasoline to get there. It was something that defies all odds. It
was something that would have made Wyatt Earp or Evil Knievel stop and say,
"Well dang."
As anyone knows
who has fished the Toccoa tailwater before, it's a wide river. In most places,
two or three anglers can stand side-by-side across the river and not be the
least bit concerned with hooking one another.
My buddy, Mark,
who was casting into a deep run near the east bank, got his dropper snagged on
some underwater obstruction and leaned over to free the fly so he could
continue. As he leaned over, a fresh pack of sunflower seeds Mark was carrying
slid out of his pocket and into the current. I was about 50 feet downstream and
50 feet to the side of where Mark was fishing, so he pointed at the runaway
snack and yelled down to me, "Hey David! Can you grab those?!"
I responded with
a grin and a thumbs-up and said, "Oh yeah, I got that!" I knew full
well that I wouldn't be able to get across the current in time to reach the
seeds. So, I did what anyone would do who grew up in the 80s watching movies
like Indiana Jones; I pretended my fly rod was Indy's whip, made one big haul
and shot my line the 45-50 feet in the direction of the seeds with no other
thought running through my head except, "Save that food!"
Now, in all
honesty, if I would have actually taken the time to think about what I was
trying to do, I would have probably been ten feet off. But, it was kind of like
shooting a three-pointer in a high-pressure situation; if you catch and shoot,
you'll have a pretty good chance of draining it. But, if you stand there and
think about it, you don't have a prayer.
The large hopper
pattern that would later fool the 15-inch rainbow slowly settled as my fly line
and leader unrolled towards the moving target. The timing, which I chalk up to
either luck, or maybe skill that I normally don't allow myself to display in
public, was perfect. The hopper landed ON TOP OF the sunflower seeds. I smiled,
set the hook, and stripped in my line along with Mark's seeds. It's amazing
what can happen when a Texan gets a fly rod in his hand.
I looked
upstream to see Mark standing there with his jaw hanging down. I looked
downstream and heard Matt saying to Kelly, "Did you just see that?"
And I said to myself, "Wow. That was legendary."
Moral of the
story: The trophy catch isn't always a fish!
David Cannon
Editor’s note: A true Rabunite story. By golly, you don’t have to
believe It - - if you don’t want to.
A Wild and
Scenic River. Not a white-water park.
Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2006 6:33 AM
Subject: Protection of experience
Mr. Cleeves, and anyone else who cares, VIA SATCOM SARDINIA ITALY July 20, 2006
My name is George
Custer, I am writing to you from a ship in the Mediterranean Sea where I am
stationed as Captain. My home and my
family are on the headwaters of the Tallulah River, the reason that I chose to
live there of all places on the planet is our wonderful natural and cultural
resources of the magical mountains, streams, coves and ridges of this fantastic
region "south of the park" and especially the Chattooga corridor. Now
part of that reason is that I am a white-water paddler, I have guided rafts
professionally and paddled canoes and kayaks on most of the rivers and streams
in the southeast. I am also an outdoorsman and a fly-fisherman as well as a
backpacker I love wilderness tripping and while I love riding mountain bikes
for exercise I have always respected the non-mechanical designation of
Wilderness. What I am trying to say is that while there are many trails that
might make my mouth water to ride on if they are inside a Wilderness area I
respect the need for separation of uses for different tracts of land so
that all people of different usage groups might experience the natural
environment without disruption from human or mechanical impact to the general
atmosphere of that given tract of land.
I would like to
attempt one more perspective: I with my
occupation could live anywhere on the planet.
But one of the main reasons I chose to live where I have is the
Chattooga corridor; it is ideal if you think of it:
> I may fish the headwaters alone and camp overnight
in a wilderness setting.
> I can run out to the 28 bridge and fish in a delayed
harvest well managed section of stream just for a few hours early or late in
the day
> I might take one of my nephews on an easy canoeing
float trip on section two.
> When family and/or friends arrive for a weekend visit I
can inflate a raft and take them on a section three wilderness white-water
trip.
> My God son might come to visit (who I taught to paddle
on section two and three) and he and I could paddle section four in part or
whole as time and energy might allow.
> If my God son and his buddies wanted to come to my
house and then because of the conditions have a weekend "creeking"
run I could help them set shuttle on Overflow Creek and then go off to fish
above the 28 bridge or take a hike to Ellicotts rock.
What I am trying to point out here is that
the Chattooga corridor offers many different environs and levels of access
in a near perfect balance of experience gauged for many different age and
/ or interest groups all with room to spare for individuals within each of
these groups.
I would like to
point out that AWA has not only had no respect for the "process" but
they have in no way shape or form approached this corridor with any respect for
local sentiment nor the management and safety concerns of federal and local
emergency management. It is pretty
obvious that if the Forest service is to open this area up for boaters then
there will not only be additional resources needed for law enforcement and
physical infrastructure but there will also be huge environmental impact if any
kind of rescue or body recovery / search operations must take place.
The Chattooga is
a Wild and Scenic River. Not a
white-water park. Everyone has a rite
to enjoy the different sections with regard to their personal pursuits and need
for solitude and or lack of impact from non-compatible user groups.
If the AWA
succeeds in opening up this section of the river, then I suggest you go ahead
and have Congress change the Chattooga to a recreation area, provide adequate
parking, designate mountain bike trails, white-water take out and launch sites,
maybe even sell permits to helicopter operators for scenic flights, oh yes and
lets be fair there are many roads and trails that the off-road vehicle crowd
should have their access to. Meanwhile
if you know any of those suburbanites who seem to think that we don't need
wilderness solitude who want to buy a great cabin on the Tallulah River
please let me know, because I am leaving!
Stewardship is
not a popularity contest! Sincerely,
George George W. Custer,
Capt.
Editor’s note: Reprinted here with permission of
the letter writer. As we said before, zoning of conflicting uses is good
stewardship. Stewardship includes
the protection of the aesthetic values of natural resources such as
remoteness and wildness, the proper regard for the rights of others to
solitude, and the responsibility of preserving
those values intact for future generations.
Visit http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/sustain/draft/socio6/socio6-09.htm
From: Pastor
Mike & Robin Thorpe
Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Subject: fly patterns
I was writing to see if you have the patterns for the
various Smoky Mountain Blackbirds listed on the Rabun TU site? If so could I
obtain them from you?
Thanks & God Bless, Mike
Editor’s note: Pastor Mike got ‘em by E-mail.
Izaak’s Birthday
From: Lea Richmond
Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Subject: Birthday
This date. 1593 Izaak Walton.
Editor’s note: Happy 413th Birthday, Izaak!
In attendance
was a professor at North Georgia College and State University in
Dahlonega. He has a study project
underway and asked the we advise you of the following: “I am identifying
hemlock stands and potential adelgid infestations in at-risk counties and
townships in the North Georgia Mountains. Myself and a group of student
assistants will be applying several different methodologies to measure the
economic impact of forest decline on a single, representative township whose
primary income is from recreational activities, tourism, real estate, and
associated businesses. Initially, I will be conducting qualitative
interviews with individuals and/or groups of people to ascertain values and
economic impacts pertaining to these interviewees. I expect a preliminary
report of results from the initial case study to be presented at the
Appalachian Teaching Project in Fall 2006.”
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
A Big Rabunite welcome to 2 new members this month: Charles
Jenkins, PO Box 909, Blairsville, GA 30514 and Doug Mansfield, 3333
Rooster Lane, Hiawassee, GA 30546
Thanks for
re-upping: Arnold Deitz, Doug Adams, Russ Burken, and Paul Hanson
It is time
to renew your membership: Tony Wheeler, Pat Hopton, Jeremy Strauss,
Eugene Nolte, Daniel Rabern, Patrick Gorman, and Andy Gaston.
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@hughes.net
Director (w/Campouts & USFS Work-outings) - Charlie
Breithaupt Ph 706 782 6954 E-mail knc615@hughes.net
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
The Officers and Directors are up for re-election at the September Chapter meeting. Tom Landreth has accepted nomination as Secretary since he handles publicity and writes the Chapter letters, anyway. Ray Gentry has accepted nomination as a Director. Nominations from the floor may be made at the September meeting.

News from the President...... Terry
Rivers
Hi Folks,
I sure hope this finds everybody
and their family are doing fine. I trust everybody has his or her family doing
a rain dance. We surely need the water
and so do the fish.
I want to thank Rusty Rhea and
James Johnson for the very informative hemlock woolly adelgid program they
provided for our August meeting.
To those that attended the work
project on Ramey Creek, I want to personally thank you for a job well done. It
also was another great campout and fellowship with people that have the same
goals - to preserve and protect our cold water resources.
Let me remind every one that the
September meeting is the raffle drawing for the custom built rod. The tickets sales have really gone well and
just a few tickets remain. So if
anybody would like to purchase one, better contact Ray Kearns real soon: Ph 706 782
9913 E-mail raykearns@alltel.net
Well,
hopefully “dog days” will soon be over and the trout begin to play with us
again. I’m really looking forward to
cooler weather and colder water. Don’t forget, the delayed harvest season will
soon be upon us and some really good fishing is just ahead. So get your gear ready and those fall hatch
flies tied up - - and maybe I’ll - -
See Ya’ll On the Stream,
Have a great day - Hope you catch a lot of fish!
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
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