“FORWARD CASTING” Important Dates - See you there!

Sept 9 (Sat) GA TU Council Meeting 9 am at Atlanta Fly Fishing School

Sept 13-16 (Wed-Sat) TU National Annual Meeting – Minneapolis, MN

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

Plus - Rod Raffle Drawing & Election of Officers for F/Y 2007

And Ordering of Rod Building Kits for November Building Sessions

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

Rabun Rendezvous: Saturday - January 20, 2007

Program Presenter – Jeff Durniak

FLY OF THE MONTH

by Terry Rivers

THE RENEGADE

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

The Bugs Time of Month Time of Day Suggested

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

The Seventh of a Series:

Traditional Southern Appalachian Trout Fly Patterns

Yallarhammer Dry Yallarhammer Dry (Variation #1) Yallarhammer Dry (Variation #2)

A set of 3 Different Yallarhammer Dry Flies

“There use to be a lot more water in THE RIVER and the trout were a lot bigger - - back when they burned the woods”

A Kellyism

Would you like to have the original recipe for any of these Traditional Southern Appalachian Trout Flies?

Do you have a favorite Traditional Southern Appalachian Trout Fly Patterns you would like to see featured here?

Just send an E-mail request to: edadams1@alltel.net

Rabunite Clay Hudgins has spent about 10 years researching, information collecting, and compiling a wealth of pictures and data on the Traditional Southern Appalachian Trout Fly Patterns.

Clay has given us permission to share the results of his hobby with the readers of TIGHT LINES.

The Chattooga Conservancy is working to clean-up Stekoa Creek

" A standard saying among fly fishermen is that trout spend anywhere from 80 to 90 percent of their time feeding below the water's surface on the immature forms of aquatic insects." Ed Engle

By Golly - - So That’s What The Trout Are Really Feeding On!

Editor’s note: The above are copies of Identification Cards used by the Ohio DNR Scenic Rivers Program.

Visitor Use Capacity Analysis, Upper Chattooga River

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

The Forest Service will select the panelists by October 1, 2006. The selected panelists will be notified by the Forest Service and the list of selected panelists will be posted on the Sumter N.F. website. Visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/

Letters to the Editor - - From Boaters

Editor’s note: Some boaters are routinely reading TIGHT LINES on the Rabun TU website. And a number of them send us E-mails. A few have given us permission to reprint their E-mails here, but many have not. We have extracted some excerpts with common themes and share them here with our readers along with Editorial responses.

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.”

Editor’s note: AW is seeking immediate and unregulated access (any number of boats, anytime, any water level) for rafting, canoeing, and kayaking on the last few miles of the Upper Chattooga. While fishing I’ve encounter boaters "poaching-a-run" several times in the last 30 years. I have wade fished there in water levels up to 3.0 and I have encountered boaters there at levels down below 2.0 on the US76 gauge.

# # # #

There are important conservation issues to be addressed

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."

Editor’s note: We agree completely with these boaters. Since 1986, members of the local TU Chapters have volunteered on over 50 workdays in the Chattooga watershed under the direct supervision of Forest Service professionals. We just volunteered on 2 more workdays in July. In 20 years we have seen only two boaters on these volunteer crews, Eric Esche (a private boater, rafting guide, and TU member) and Claude Terry (owner of Southeastern Expeditions). Presently the GA TU Council and 3 TU Chapters (Upper Chattahoochee, GA Foothills & Rabun) are providing financial support and volunteer labor to address the Stekoa Creek problem. For details, visit http://www.chattoogariver.org/index.php?req=stekoa As you can see, the Chattooga Guided Outfitters are also donating. We invite the private boaters, their clubs and organizations to join us in the restoration of Stekoa Creek.

# # # #

Zoning of conflicting uses is good stewardship

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.

“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.

“We need a place of solitude in the wilderness,” said Mary Kay Moore, a wilderness photographer who lives in Highlands.

To view the Atlanta WSB-TV coverage of the meeting, click here: http://www.wsbtv.com/video/9594902/index.html

To read a letter to SMN about the meeting, visit: http://www.smokymountainnews.com/issues/08_06/08_09_06/op_edlet_forest.html

Editor’s notes: Other quotes I heard after the Highlands meeting: “What a crock that was.” “It appears fishing is the only issue on USFS radar.” “… this was your standard Forest Service ‘divide and conquer’ style meeting.” “The meeting was a complete farce.” ”The USFS have ignored our pleas to include all users as they were ordered to do in the appeal decision.” “… the meeting last Thursday…the smoke and mirrors…”

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 ½ miles, easy trail access both sides of the river) – ‘Delayed Harvest’ management (with 6 ½ 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 ½ 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.

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

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

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

Smoky Mountain Blackbirds

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 every species of fish I've angled for, it is the ones that have got away that thrill me the most, the ones that keep fresh in my memory. So I say it is good to lose fish. If we didn't, much of the thrill of angling would be gone."
From "The Armchair Angler" by Ray Bergman

“BACKCASTING”

Aug 15 (Tues) Chapter Meeting About 30 folks attended to hear an excellent update presentation by Rusty Rhea, USDA Forest Health Specialist & James Johnson, GA Forestry Commission on the hemlock woolly adelgid infestation. We learned of actions underway by agencies to arrest the outbreak and how homeowners can treat individual trees. The prospects for saving the hemlocks in the forests are not good. At this time we don’t know what species will replace the hemlocks in the riparian areas or how long it will take for other species to fill the niches created by the loss of the hemlock. The success of the predator beetles to date has been minimal. Work on different species of beetles continues and the beetle production labs capacity has been increased (and the cost of raising beetles has decreased from approximately $2 each to about 35 cents each). The Forest Service is protecting scattered pockets of hemlocks with chemical soil injection. Hemlocks mature in 250 years and live to 800 years. However, most hemlocks in Rabun County forests will be dead or near death within 5 years. For more info, visit http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/coweeta/highlights/hemlockwoollyadelgid/

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.”

Contact John D. Wilkins, Ph.D.; NGCSU – Department of Sociology; TEL (cell): 706-973-9003; TEL (h): 706-864-9857

“Losing Georgia’s hemlocks could have serious impacts on wildlife. The deep shade of hemlock forests helps keep stream temperatures cool enough to support trout, and hemlock dominated watersheds have been found to support more aquatic insect species than streams draining hardwood forests. Bird species heavily dependent on the hemlock include the black-throated green warbler, Blackburnian warbler, Swainson’s warbler, red-breasted nuthatch, and red crossbill. The water shrew is a rare mammal common in hemlock forests, as are rare amphibians including the green salamander, hellbender, and shovelnose salamander.”

Editor’s note: Excerpt reprinted here from Southeastern Outdoors: http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=501&sid=a4b0746bd94827b403674b4d51ae80d0

The meeting bucket raffle raised $110 and there were 8 buckets, including 3 fly selections. There were 3 double bucket winners. A BIG “thank you” goes to all the Rabunites that donated the items.

Aug 22 (Tues) Board of Directors meeting. The Items discussed included: Replacement Needed for Doug Watson; Fall Helicopter Stocking; Chattooga River and West Fork "Count Cards"; Checking acct = $5903.70; Christmas Dinner; September Meeting; Rod Raffle Drawing; October & November Programs; Election of Officers for F/Y 2007; Rod Building Kits for November Rod Building Sessions; GA TU Council Meeting; Outdoor Adventure Day at Unicoi S.P; and Making a new Mailing List for Letters asking for Rendezvous Donations

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,

Terry

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

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