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TIGHT
LINES
November 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/ “My rod
and my reel, they comfort me.” |
CHAPTER’S NEW
MEETING PLACE
Community Bank & Trust, On US 441 next to Ingles, Clayton, GA
We meet in the Community Room (Outside Entrance on
South Side)
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.
"There are two distinct kinds of
visits to tackle-shops, the visit to buy tackle and the visit which may be
described as Platonic when, being for some reason unable to fish, we look for
an excuse to go in, and waste the tackle dealer's time."
From On Tackle Shops by Arthur
Ransome (1929)
Nov 1 (Wed) Start Date of
GA’s Delayed Harvest Season
Happy
Second Season!
Nov 8 – 12 (Wed – Sun)
Campout and Fishing with Camping in Long Bottom and with Fishing
in the Chattooga DH, backcountry, and front-country.
Contact Terry Rivers: Ph 706 782 7419 E-mail tlr1121@alltel.net
Nov 21 (Tues) Chapter
Meeting, 6:30 pm, Community Bank & Trust Community Room Program – Jeff Fields, President of
NGTO: Who Are We and How We Can Work Together (i.e. Trout Camp)
Nov 28 (Tues) BOD Meeting
and Rod Building Workshop at Terry River’s shop. BOD at 6:30 PM & Rod Building at 7 PM.
Dec 2 (Sat) GA TU Council
Annual Planning Meeting with USFS, GA WRD, and NPS. 9 AM at USFS office.
FLY OF THE
MONTH
by Terry Rivers

THIS FLY IS
VERY EFFECIVE WHEN YOU SEE BIG SWARMS OF MIDGES, TIE THIS IN OLIVE COLOR AND
DROP BEHIND A BLUE WING OLIVE WHEN YOU SEE THEM HATCHING AND THIS COULD LAND
YOU A BIG SURPRIZE OR MAYBE A ‘GOODUN.’
HOOK: TIEMCO 2487; SIZE 14-20
HEAD: BLACK
GLASS BEAD OR TUNGSTON
BODY: BLACK
THREAD AND PALMER WITH SILVER WIRE
“John
Harder (of Orvis) tells me that though Orvis gets frequent requests for hackle
necks with size 20 to 28 hackles on them, the company receives so few orders
for hooks in those sizes that it’s hardly worth keeping them in stock. His opinion is that precious few people
actually get around to tying up many size 24s compared to the attention those
small flies get in the magazines. “
From American
Fly Fishing by Paul Schullery
NOVEMBER HATCHES
The Bugs Time of Month Time of Day Suggested
Flies
Small Dun Caddis Early Mid AM to Late PM 18
Brown Elk or Deer Hair Caddis 18 Grey Caddis Pupa
Blue Winged Olive & All
Month
Late AM to Mid PM 16-18 BWO, Blue Quill or Adams
Parachute
Blue Quill 16-18
BWO nymph or Pheasant Tail
Midges
All Month
All
Day 18-22 Griffith's Gnat 18-22 Midge Pupa
TU
Chapter ‘Website-of-the-Month’: http://www.saludatu.org/
Read
about Safety Concerns on Tailwaters: http://saludatu.org/news/www/articles.cfm?fo=Articles&method=story&RecordID=402

Stekoa Creek enters the W&S
Chattooga River.
Lets Work
Together. Volunteer just one morning
per month (1 to 2 hours) to take water samples.
Contact
Jenny Sanders – Project Manager at 706-782-6097
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!
Ask your Representatives for help to
clean-up Stekoa Creek. It only takes a
few minutes. Click on: http://www.chattoogariver.org/index.php?req=stekoa
"Rivers and the inhabitants of the watery elements are made for
wise men to contemplate."
Izaak Walton
National
Trout Unlimited honors WRD's Jeff Durniak
Jeff Durniak Recognized for Conservation and Education Efforts

Steve
Moyer-VP, Jeff Durniak & Charlie Breithaupt
Durniak is the Fisheries Management Region Supervisor for Northeast Georgia. Trout Unlimited honors individuals for outstanding achievement in the professional fields that influence the success of TU's mission. This organization recognizes award winners for their passion for conserving, protecting and restoring coldwater fisheries and their watersheds.
"We should
consider ourselves fortunate to have someone of Jeff Durniak's caliber
protecting the water resources in the northeast part of this state," said
Georgia Wildlife Resources Division Director Dan Forster. "I am sure it is
rewarding for Durniak to receive this award from Trout Unlimited, but it also
is rewarding to those of us with this agency, who know how worthy he is of that
recognition."
Durniak began his career with WRD in 1986 as a fisheries biologist at the Lake Burton Trout Hatchery in Rabun County.
He has a
Bachelor's degree in Biology from Virginia Tech and a master's degree in Fisheries
Management from the University of Tennessee.
Durniak was
promoted to Region Supervisor in 1995 and oversees a 16-county area, which
includes two state trout hatcheries (Burton and Buford), many major reservoirs
and much of the trout waters in Georgia.
During his
career with WRD, Durniak has achieved an impressive list of accomplishments
including: Initiating and coordinating an annual Outdoor Adventure Day that
provides over 1,000 participants an opportunity to begin or improve hunting, fishing
and other outdoor activity skills, working with the U.S. Forest Service on a
management plan to assure good watershed restoration and protection,
implementing the first "delayed harvest" program for the State,
through which portions of certain streams are managed as "catch and
release" through part of the year in order to ensure high catch rates, and
his tireless efforts of encouraging those he comes in contact with, whether
they be conservation organizations like TU or just individuals, to introduce
someone new to fishing.
Visit, http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/index.shtml
Editor’s notes: Congratulations, Jeff ! Jeff was the Charter Director of Rabun TU in
charge of arranging meeting programs.
Coleman Awarded AW Steward
of the Year Award
Charlene
Coleman Recognized for River Access, Conservation, and/or Safety Contributions
Annual Gauley Festival in SUMMERSVILLE, WV (9/27/06)
[The following are excerpts from the American Whitewater (AW) website] American
Whitewater and Wave Sport presented the AW Steward of the Year Award to
Charlene Coleman of Columbia, South Carolina, at the
annual American Whitewater Gauley Festival in Summersville, WV this past
weekend. Coleman is the first recipient of the annual river
stewardship achievement award, which recognizes individuals who make
outstanding contributions to river access, conservation, and/or safety on
behalf of American Whitewater. Along with the recognition Coleman was
awarded the Wave Sport boat of her choice. When
speaking about her work, Charlene states “The Chattooga River raises such soul
wrenching emotion in so many people, it makes it hard for many to understand
what we are doing is pointing out a wrong, that if not corrected could effect
all natural resource users in the future. It’s not just about boating, it’s
about the law.”
To see the complete article, visit
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Article/view/articleid/10191/display/full/
Editor’s notes: Congratulations,
Charlene ! Charlene is an active and valued member of Saluda (SC) Chapter of
TU and a SE Regional Coordinator for American Whitewater (AW). She
has been an integral part of the AW "Chattooga
Defense Team”, along with AW Vice President Don Kinser (a member of Rabun TU – see
Don’s Letter to the Editor elsewhere in this newsletter). Charlene was a signer
of the April 2004 Appeal Document that AW submitted to the USFS for
opening the North Fork of the Upper Chattooga to unrestricted year-around
private boating.
Dream Trip
Raffle
For A Fly
Fishing Vacation!
The winner and their partner will each receive:
• 5 days
fishing and 6 nights lodging and meals at the Green River Guest Ranch in Cora,
WY http://www.grguestranch.com/
Dates July
21-27, 2007
• 9 ft 5
wt Winston Boron II X custom made fly rod
• An Orvis
Battenkill barstock reel with line
• A fly
box and flies for the trip.
(Approx.
5-7 dozen per box)
• $650 in travel expenses (this is total, not per person)
For
complete rules and details visit www.georgiatu.org

Ticket
price is $10 and proceeds will go to the Georgia Council of Trout Unlimited to
help fund the annual Georgia Trout Camp and the Back the Brookie campaign which
helps brook trout restoration and educational projects.
Contact
Prez Terry Rivers for your raffle tickets: Ph 706 782 7419
E-mail tlr1121@alltel.net
"The
best fishermen I know try not to make the same mistakes over and over again;
instead
they strive to make new and interesting mistakes and to remember what they
learned from them."
From "Fly Fishing the High Country" by
John Gierach
The future of Fishing & Hunting in Georgia is up for a
vote. A Constitutional Amendment to protect our Outdoor Traditions will
be on our ballot in November.
While most folks in Rabun County would probably assume that
our right to pass along our heritage would be an easy choice, there is reason
to be concerned.
There are now about 4 million people in the greater Atlanta
area. Many have little or no roots in the rural South where hunting
and fishing are mainstays of our lifestyle.
Passage of Amendment 2 in November will provide the highest
legal protection for the preservation of these outdoor traditions. It
will ensure our grandchildren can enjoy the real outdoors and not have to
experience it on some hand held computer toy.
Many people know that hunters and fishers have provided the
overwhelming majority of funding for forest and stream habitat conservation for
generations. License sales and special taxes on fishing and
hunting related gear have provided hundreds of millions of dollars for
conservation projects. We need to support the continuance of this funding
for our wildlife by voting for Amendment 2.
Remember, there are millions of people in Georgia who do
not fish or hunt. They are likely to be badgered by radicals who
would oppose protecting our outdoor traditions under the guise of animal rights.
Their misdirected advertising won't mention how members of the hunting and
fishing community are the true conservationists.
Please plan to vote for the "Right to Fish and Hunt"
by voting for Amendment 2 in November.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, talk with your friends who do not fish or
hunt, and make sure they understand how important this issue is. Help
them understand that it is those who fish and hunt that are the true defenders
of wildlife, and they can provide their support by voting "Yes"
on Amendment 2.
For more information, go to the Georgians for Outdoor
Traditions" web site at http://GaOutdoorTraditions.org.

The backcountry
of the Upper Chattooga’s North Fork is unique in the Southeast in
terms of the high-quality trout fishing experience on a large
stream in a wild and remote setting that is boating-free, In 1999, the Chattooga’s North Fork
(upstream of the Highway 28 Bridge) was named one of the 100 best trout streams
in America. The area has always
been a haven for hikers, hunters, naturalists, photographers, bird watchers,
and swimmers as well as anglers. Since 1976 it has been
zoned for foot travel only (no horses, no bicycles, no boats) to protect and
preserve the outstanding remarkable values (ORVs) of recreation that
include backcountry wildness, remoteness, and solitude.
The following
excerpts are from the Sumter NF website: “In 1974, the 57-mile Chattooga
River was designated Wild and Scenic for its “outstandingly remarkable” fish,
wildlife, recreation, scenic, and historic values. A 2004 revision of the
Sumter National Forest Land and
Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) addressed several recreation
issues in the corridor; among the management actions, the Forest Plan retained
a 1976 ban on boating use upstream of Highway 28 (about 21 miles). This ban was
later appealed by American Whitewater (AW), and the Forest Service (FS) agreed
to reassess that decision as part of broader examination of visitor capacity
issues on the Upper Chattooga River.
The Forest
Service is employing a modified “Limits of
Acceptable Change” (LAC) planning framework for evaluating visitor use and
potential impacts on the environment. This document describes data collection
and analysis to be used as part of the LAC effort. The Forest Service response
to the AW appeal (Forest Service, April 28, 2005) and the LAC framework provide
specific objectives of the data collection and analysis:”

For the
Appeal Response and Data Collection
Process details, visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/forest/projects/chattimpplan.shtml
The
current division of the river into boating and non-boating activities is a
perfect example of the wisdom of earlier planners, something for everyone, but
not everything for everyone on the same acres.
POINT> and
<COUNTERPOINT The First
of a Series:
Editor’s note: A boater recently posted a link on
the Sumter National Forest Bulletin Board to “ Frequently Asked Questions.”
To read the all 17
boater questions and answers, visit http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Wiki/aw:chattooga_faq We believe readers also should have the
“counterpoint” answers provided by the “foot travel only” stakeholders. Here are the first 2.
Do
kayaks, canoes and rafts belong in Wilderness areas?
Boater’s Point: Yes. The Wilderness Act explicitly states that
non-motorized boats are wilderness compliant uses. The Wilderness Act is clear
that Wilderness areas are to be managed to allow and encourage backcountry
recreation on foot, in boats, and on horseback. As Aldo Leopold wrote in
“Wilderness” from A Sand County Almanac in 1949, “Wilderness Areas are first of
all a series of sanctuaries for the primitive arts of wilderness travel,
especially canoeing and packing.” The right to paddle down Wilderness rivers is
at the very core of the Wilderness Act and the concept of Wilderness.
Counterpoint: We agree that the Wilderness Act of 1964 recognizes that
non-motorized boating is a wilderness compliant use. However, each Wilderness area is managed differently to protect
its unique wilderness character. There
is nothing in the Wilderness Act that says all compliant uses must be
permitted in all Wilderness areas.
To allow otherwise would set a precedent that would open all
Wilderness lands to all activities and thus destroy everything embedded in the
concept of Wilderness and the Act that led to its establishment. The Wilderness Act speaks to administration for "future
generations the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness ", "unimpaired for future use as wilderness", "preservation
of wilderness character", and "solitude",
- it does NOT say “unlimited use” for recreation.
The Ellicott Rock Area provides an
example of the importance of balancing competing uses. In 1975, Ellicott Rock Scenic Area was
re-designated as the Ellicott Rock Wilderness (ERW). Like a magnet, the new Wilderness label soon made ERW the most
visited Wilderness in the entire Forest Service system (measured as
visitors/acre/year). However, only 13%
of those visitors were anglers (from page 29, “Ellicott Rock Wilderness
Management Plan”, prepared 1982).
The Management Emphasis for ERW: “The emphasis is to allow
ecological and biological processes to progress naturally with little to no
human influence or intervention, except the minimum impacts made by
those who seek the wilderness as a special place that offers opportunities to
experience solitude.” (Quote from page 3-1 of the Sumter NF
RL&RMP) Obviously, LWD (large
woody debris) in the river should not be manipulated, especially to facilitate
visitor recreation.
And trout have never been stocked in the ERW. The management must not in any way degrade the wilderness
character of the ERW, including its biophysical or social / experiential values.
The ERW management plan does not allow recreational gold panning,
horses, or floating (all are Wilderness compliant uses). With the ERW already experiencing
impaired wildness and solitude, the Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) must be
established before there is any consideration for adding another user group.
For more on LAC, http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/forest/projects/steps.shtml
To review the Wilderness Act, visit: http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=legisAct&error=404
Is
the boating ban illegal?
Boater’s Point: Yes, the US Forest Service is breaking the law. The
office of the Chief of the USFS determined that the ban was totally unjustified
and thus violated the Wilderness Act and the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. We
agree. The Chief’s office then decided to allow the illegal ban to be continued
for 2-5 years. This decision to allow an admittedly illegal action to continue
is what paddlers are challenging in court because it is arbitrary and
capricious. The greater legal issues remain: primarily that the USFS has been
breaking the law for thirty years by banning a use they are mandated to protect
and enhance under both the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and the Wilderness Act.
Counterpoint: No, the USFS is not breaking the law.
Rather the USFS is complying with the decision of the Reviewing Officer
of the Office of the Chief of the USFS.
Although the Reviewing Officer reversed the Regional Forester’s decision
to continue the no-boating zone above Highway 28, the appeal decision confirmed
that the zoning should remain in place while additional studies are performed,
which, in the end, could continue to support the present zoning. AW has raised this issue with the Chief of
the USFS and he responded to AW, consistent with the decision of the Reviewing
Office, in a letter dated 5/12/06, “Associate
Deputy Chief Manning provided interim management direction instructing the
Regional Forester to manage boating above Highway 28 by applying the management
direction from the 1985 Forest Plan, which includes direction maintaining the
boating closure that had been established previously. In your letter, you state your belief that it is wrong for the
Regional Forester to “interpret and implement [the appeal] Decision in a way
that maintains the pre-Decision status quo”.
However, the Regional Forester is required to follow the interim
management direction provided in the appeal decision until such time as a new
decision can be reached. The interim
management direction is fully consistent with the National Forest Management
Act and the regulations governing appeals of land and resource management
plans.” Six days later the
boaters filed a lawsuit in federal court demanding immediate and unrestricted
access to the foot travel only zone.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the Judge threw out their
lawsuit.
Further, the Chief’s position is supported fully by the Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act (W&SRA), which directs the Agency (in this case
the USFS) to protect and enhance the Outstandingly Remarkable Values (ORVs)
that caused the river to be included in the W&SRA in the first place.
For the Chattooga, the ORVs include geology, biology, scenery, recreation, and
history. "The recreational values
of the river and corridor are outstanding along its 57-mile course. The river
offers a wide variety of activities in a high-quality setting. Activities range from swimming to hiking and
horseback riding with spectacular scenery, to excellent trout fishing and
nationally recognized white-water rafting opportunities. Other activities include backpacking,
photography, and nature study. Most of
these activities take place in largely unmodified natural surroundings, with
many opportunities for remoteness and solitude." (Quote from page 3-52
of the Sumter NF RL&RMP.)
Protecting the aesthetic, scenic, historic, archaeologic, and scientific
features is to be done in the context of administering the ORVs. [Definition: aesthetic - Features or
qualities that are pleasurable (as contrasted with the utilitarian features of
a resource) such as opportunities for remoteness and solitude.] There
is absolutely nothing in the Wilderness Act and/or the
W&SRA that says all compliant uses must be permitted in all
sections of the river.
To review the
Wild & Scenic River Act, visit http://www.nps.gov/rivers/wsract.html
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.
The Forest
Service should heed the lessons learned in the Lower Chattooga where the growth
of whitewater boating activities has impacted all visitors, has displaced
most non-boaters, has resulted in recreational conflicts (anglers vs. boaters, private boaters vs. commercial
boaters, and boaters vs. horseback riders) in addition to decreased opportunities
for remoteness and solitude.
For the benefit of present and future generations (and to avoid more recreational conflicts) the North Fork of the Upper Chattooga must continue to be managed with lower degrees of intensity to protect and enhance the ORVs of backcountry solitude, wildness, and remoteness.
SECTION 1. (b)
“…shall be protected for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future
generations.”
What’s
New in the Chattooga Zoning Issue?
Oct 5 (Thur)
USFS posted on their website the names of the Expert Panel Members and
information about how they were selected.
Visit, http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/forest/projects/expertpanels.shtml
Oct 5 (Thur)
USFS posted on their website the Public Comments received from July 20 through
October 5.
Visit, http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/forest/projects/CommentsJuly_Oct.pdf
Oct 6 (Fri) Court dismisses the boater’s lawsuit. Senior U.S. District Judge William
C. O’Kelley issued a 20-page opinion to throw out the lawsuit that sought to
immediately open the North Fork of the Wild and Scenic Chattooga River (above
the Highway 28 Bridge) to unregulated boating access.
In part, the decision said, "The court can think of no greater waste of
time and effort than to proceed to consider the merits of this action, -
-" "Simply having to litigate this action diverts personnel
away from the study, and the court’s opening the Headwaters to unanticipated
users would certainly substantially interfere with the agency’s ability to conduct
its visitor use capacity analysis."
The Judge
concluded, “Judicial resources should not be wasted on such fleeting
relief, especially where, as here, the court has found that judicial
intervention would inappropriately interfere with ongoing agency efforts, that
the court would benefit from further factual development, and that plaintiffs
would suffer little, if any, hardship from the delay.
Frankly, no
party, including those not before the court, would be served by a “temporary”
decision from this court. A floater
should be able to easily determine whether he can float on a given part of the
Chattooga River without worry of fine.
Likewise, a fisherman should know whether he will have to cast around
floaters while enjoying the quiet solitude of the Headwaters. The possibility that this court could reach
a decision opening the Headwaters, thereby overriding thirty years of agency
policy, only to have that decision superseded by a valid amended revised
management plan less than a year later counsels in favor of judicial
restraint. The law ought not be seen as
so whimsical, and although there are circumstances where justice demands that a
court intervene despite the real possibility of its decision being immediately
overridden, those circumstances are not present here."
The boaters react to the dismissal: The AW
website stated the plaintiffs (boaters) “will promptly appeal this
decision.”
Editor’s notes: To do so will be a further
waste of taxpayer’s money. And the
Judge agrees as he stated, “The court thus agrees with defendants (USFS)
that judicial intervention at this time would inappropriately interfere with
ongoing agency efforts to amend its revised management plan, causing the
agency, but ultimately United States taxpayers, substantial harm.”
If you want
an E-copy of Judge O’Kelley’s complete decision to dismiss the boater’s
lawsuit, E-mail edadams1@alltel.net
Oct 12 (Fri) USFS
posted on their website the Implementation Plan with the Protocols for
the Data Collection Process.
Visit, http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/forest/projects/chattimpplan.shtml
Obviously,
however this issue is resolved it will be precedent setting with far reaching
consequences into the future and across all federal agencies that manage and
zone recreational waters. You need to
share your views NOW.
Have you
experience user conflict or interference from whitewater boating on a mountain
trout stream? Is it worse now than it
was 20 years ago? What’s it going to be like in another 20 years? Do we need more stream sections zoned like
the North Fork of the Upper Chattooga, for “foot travel only”? If you have an opinion, please take a few minutes and tell the Forest Service.
Send your
comments to: Project Coordinator - John Cleeves, E-mail jcleeves@fs.fed.us ;
US Forest
Service, 4931 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29212.
For more
info on the User Analysis, click on: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/forest/projects/chatt.shtml
Happy 20th
Anniversary to the Rabun TU Chapter!
On
September 30th we concluded our 20th Complete Fiscal
Year. We were chartered in July 1986
with 28 members.
At that
time, Rabun was the only TU Chapter North of Metro Atlanta and East of
Dalton.
Now Rabun TU has 150 members and there are 5
additional TU Chapters in NE Georgia.
“I’LL MEET YOU IN MONTANA”
by Donna Claridad (a Rabunite) - Clayton, GA
Most vacations
are anticipated with excitement and pleasure.
The trip to Montana had that, along with the potential for failure and
embarrassment. I was to hook up with a
couple of world savvy anglers; men who had experience on rivers from Scotland
to South America and places in between.
I’ve been
enchanted (but not devoted) with the fly rod for about 10 years, which included
two seminars, a few private casting lessons, about six days with various
professional river guides on some pretty good water, plus approximately twenty
fishing days of low intensity. The fact
that I recently married a great fly fisherman has not particularly improved my
abilities. It did escalate my stress
factor, as it was his dearest friend we met in Montana. The latent agenda in my
mind was to show whether he had or had not married a woman worthy of
world-class water.
The plan was
three days reserved private spring creek and one day on the Yellowstone. Sure enough, my waders leaked. I slipped in the mud, stepped in cow pies,
forgot my sunscreen and failed to pack drinking water. Awkward rod management
the first day resulted in the premature loss of a nice trout and the resolve to
pay proper attention. The nonchalant
quasi-accidental capture of a Yellowstone white fish served to focus on the
real deal, i.e. a rainbow, to be caught in the proper manner and on my
terms. The next day would be
different.
Thus, reading
the local hatch report was a good idea.
Careful analysis of local flies, flies brought from Georgia,
determination and pure heart resulted in my own “Zen” on the water.
Montana spring
creeks have stretches that are crystal clear.
In August, tall slippery waterweeds grow abundantly, hiding holes in the
creek bed and providing cover for elusive trout. Having succeeded in gaining a good standing place mid-stream and
up from a clear pocket containing a targeted rainbow of exceptional size, I
presented a #22 last-chance crippled yellow PMD. The target stayed low, foregoing three perfect drifts. I moved away, attached a #18 serendipity to a 7x dropper and provided
my lazy guy a feast directed dead-on the nose.
(Inexperience yields unconventional combinations.) AHA! Luck combines
with skill! I set the strike and he’s
a’ running. Two beautiful jumps! The splashes of my devoted spouse and his
hulking buddy place me as the center of a whirlpool of fly-fishing splendor.
My darling takes
notice, “Oh! It’s a big one. Where’s
the camera?” Naturally, it’s in the dry
pocket inside my vest. This fish is strong and there is plenty of
time between runs to fumble for a killer Kodak moment featuring one disappointed
trout and the usual goofy smiles.
Having entered
the realm of people-who-actually-land-trout was good; but, I wanted more. Now, there remained the joy of the sport in
solitude. I would land trout, release
without harm and without group participation.
Some folks make
great fun of anglers who insist on taking only with a dry even when nymphs and
woolly buggers are going like gangbusters.
I like to watch a dry fly, if it’s mine. I would give the sublime elitist method a go on the spring creek.
Ankle-sucking
four-inch deep mucky mud and a slip-slide total emersion baptismal necessitated
a temporary retreat to the bushes. I
discreetly stripped and dumped a gallon of water from the leg of my wader,
which did not leak while making a
mental note to get a better wader belt.
I gladly found my duds really were quick dry and the trail mix had
survived. Soon revived, I sallied forth
again.
The lure de jour
appeared to be something yellow. A nice
#20 white-dot parachute PMD was visually easy to track. I stationed myself at another hopeful spot,
casting above any sign of ring or roll.
Neither does, fawns, pintail ducks, swallows nor any other living thing
noticed the next trout slurp the fly.
How good it felt to sing out, “I’m good. Stay your place!”
Standing where
all fly-fishers long to be, I lifted the rod high, brought the rainbow close,
slipped left hand gently underneath its belly and released my totem back to
home water. Even better, as I watched
the fish move away I glanced up to read Rick’s eyes, “My wife can fish!”

Oh, why did
I ever doubt myself?
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Subject: Fishing Report
Getting limbered up for the Chattooga DH season, Ray Kearns and I went up to the Nantahala DH yesterday, the 10th. Beautiful fall day up there and the water was clear, not too low and full of trout. We only fished about 2 1/2 hours, from 11 AM to 1:45 PM. No hatches to speak of....just an occasional small May fly.
I started with a
Yellow Stimulator as an indicator with a weighted Mohair Leech beneath. I
immediately started picking up strikes on the ML, bringing most to net, but
also uncapping quite a few. My largest was an 18" Rainbow. Lots of
Brookies....and every single one on the leech. The trout finally tore the fly
up so that I changed to a fresh one, this time with no indicator and an added
split shot. The action continued and I picked up another nice Rainbow about
16".
I would make a
quarter cast upstream, let it drift and swing at the end of the drift, then in
short strips, bring it back. Most strikes came on the strip backs and on the
swing.. Watching the fly in that clear water, it definitely takes on a minnow
like look. Great fly and I will be tying more.
From: Rabunite Tom Landreth – Rabun Gap, GA
Editor’s notes: Bill Kelly reports that he and
Gene Roberts were up there fishing on that same day. Bill told me he caught , measured, and released a 22-inch brook
trout, “one of the biggest brookies I’ve ever caught.” BUT AS ALWAYS;
“By Golly, you don’t have to believe it - - if you don’t
want to.”
"They don't feel the fascination
of a stream, but then, neither, did I before I began fishing.
Oh, I was dazzled by the flow and
sparkle, but that can be taken in at first glanced, and unless you're in the
mood to be hypnotized, it's not enough to hole one's attention for long."
From "Fly Fishing Stories by Women" by Le Anne Schreiber
Letters
to the Editor
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Subject: Re: TIGHT LINES October 2006 Newsletter
From: Joe Gatins
(a Rabunite) – Clayton, GA
Editor’s notes: Thanks.
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Subject: Helicopter stocking
If you guys get
in a tight and need some monetary help with the helicopter stocking of the
Chattooga, let me know. I will be happy
to run it by the Board of the AFFC and see what happens. Appreciate the
newsletter.
From: Mike Williams – Atlanta, GA
Editor’s notes: We would be more than pleased to
be partners with the Atlanta Fly Fishing Club.
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Subject: Stekoa Creek fecal coliform
I saw a brief
write up about cleaning up Stekoa Creek in the Oct 06 Tight Lines newsletter.
I applaud your individual and joint efforts toward this goal. You may
note that an interim recommendation to the fecal coliform issue was included in
the Sumter National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. It
recommended that outfitters and information bulletins warn boaters about
swimming in the Chattooga below Stekoa Creek, especially after storms or when
the water is turbid. These recommendations are based on the attached
report (see Editor’s note below) and the past and ongoing trends for fecal
contamination from storm water, sewage system leaks and other sources. If
nothing else, water contact users of Stekoa Creek and the lower Chattooga River
should be informed so they can make their own decisions about their activities
and precautions. As you know, Stekoa Creek has been the scourge of the
lower Chattooga for many years due to fecal and sediment loading. The
severity of this fecal contamination problem is not obvious to the casual user
or visitor to the river. Some have said "the solution for pollution
is dilution". However, the concentrations of fecal coliform from
Stekoa Creek, even though diluted by the Chattooga River, periodically far
exceed the water quality standards that have been set for swimming and
associated water contact sports.
From: William F. Hansen - Forest Hydrologist, Francis
Marion and Sumter National Forest, Columbia, SC
Editor’s notes: If you would like an E-copy of the
report, E-mail your request to edadams1@alltel.net
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Continue to
enjoy "tite" lines. Don't feel guilty getting the news since I
"joined." You are doing a great job! Still looking back and thinking about how much we enjoyed the
time in North Georgia. Haven't been
doing much fishing since Maine. We
really enjoyed Bar Harbor and hope to make frequent trips back to that area and
with a boat. The lakes in Acadia Nat'l Park contain Brookies, Browns and Lake
Trout. Appears to be no major fishing pressure. Is there a chance any of the
Rabun Co. TU members know anything about fishing this area? While in Maine had one short but very
enjoyable day on a stream in Baxter State Park. Beautiful Brooks up to 10 - 11".
Currently we are in Kilgore, TX -
on our way to Utah. Will be home some time in November. Take care and keep um
tite.
From: “CC” Barrett (a Rabunite) – Rockport, TX
Editor’s notes: Thanks for
the fishing report.
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2006
Subject: Creeking!
Here’s an
expanded and broader usage of that word, gleaned from a Radio interview of a
youthful "celebrity" of some influence.......when asked for a
favorite thing to do: "Creeking!", she replied with
enthusiasm.........paraphrasing her: " we like to take our 4- wheelers
(jeeps, ATV’s, jacked up P.U,’s) into the woods and run the creeks and shallow
rivers!" She was even proud of the
getting-away with the practice with doing such, and recognized the illegality
of the "sport!" It seems to
me that the stated vehicle access, by AW to put-in-take-out’s, necessary for
paddlers......is only an opportunity away from such events happening on some
headwater stream, if given access, by vehicles! Not to paint a picture of accusation to this following
generation, as irresponsible youth (so called adults are guilty also}, but
their access and use of our forests, by the numerous ATV’s has been damagingly
evident, and impossible to control, when allowed! Thanks for your level headed
and fair minded reporting of this controversy,
Regards, Rocketroy Lowe (Long time board
member and supporter of Foothills TU, and the Soque River Watershed Assn.} Why,
this Trouter’s involvement even goes WAAAAAY back to the Izaak Walton League of
GA......Atlanta chapter, Ca.1950!
From: Roy Lowe – Clarkesville, GA
Editor’s notes: Thanks for
kind comments and for sharing your thoughts.
Sent: Friday,
September 29, 2006
Subject: Tightlines
Letter to the Editor
You have
misrepresented our interests, actions, and proposals here in Tightlines and in
other related advocacy efforts. Tightlines’ policy prevents us from responding
fully to all the misinformation so we urge your reader to see the entire text
of our letter at: http://www.americanwhitewater.org/wiki/_media/aw:tightlines_letter.pdf?id=aw%3Achattooga_groups&cache=cache
AW asks only for
responsible, legal, and nationally consistent river management. This is good for anglers, paddlers, and all
river lovers. When anglers and boaters
collaborate the river wins, when we conflict the river loses. This is certainly
the case on the Chattooga.
Sincerely,
From: Donald E. Kinser - Marietta, GA - Vice President
American Whitewater & Member Rabun County TU Chapter
Editor’s notes: TU and AW will often agree
and sometimes disagree about objectives on different
streams. In Connecticut, for example, TU opposed AW on the
Housatonic River. In that FERC relicensing, TU prevailed when CT DEP made
a water quality decision that restored "natural flows",
essential to the health of the Housatonic River and its entire ecosystem
(including the trout fishery) instead of the higher flows AW wanted for
boating and for rafting company revenues.
But you are right Don. There are many
examples where AW and TU can join forces. Stekoa Creek could be one of
them.
Don asked,” Which
rivers will you give up, which months on the headwaters?” We have already given up on the Lower
Chattooga and 4 miles of the West Fork due to user conflicts. We advocate maintaining a foot travel only
zoning for the North Fork of the Upper Chattooga. We also urge everyone to read Potential
Conflicts Between Different Forms of Recreation, visit , http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/sustain/draft/socio6/socio6-09.htm
Sent: Friday, September 29, 2006
Subject: Re: TIGHT LINES October 2006 Newsletter
As you know,
Travis and my son, Edward is in the JAG Corps and he served ten months in Iraq
last year, leaving his pregnant wife and two-year-old behind at Fort
Stewart. Those were difficult months for them.
And his wife and I co-wrote a book.
I have a
request. My two children’s' books for military families and their friends
are coming out in three weeks! I wonder
if you could send a notice about them to Trout Unlimited members. So many people are affected by the war and I
am trying to get news of these books out to as many people as possible.
Networking is a good way.
You can go to my
website: www.barnesgood-byebooks.com to
see more about them.
I really appreciate you doing this and perhaps sending this
information to people on your personal e-mail lists also.
Looking forward
to the Rendez Vous.
From: Kathy Barnes (a Rabunite) – Clayton, GA
Editor’s notes: Glad to help those providing
service to our country.
Sent: Friday, September 29, 2006
Subject: Love it!
I just read
Rabunite Ramble in the Georgia Outdoor News, and loved it. I would love to
include this or something like it in Rabun's Laurel on a regular basis. I am
not sure who The Ole Rabunite is but would love to talk to him. Rabun's Laurel
would be a great place to encourage membership in Trout Unlimited. Thank you so much for all you do!
From: Tracy McCoy - Publisher - Rabun's Laurel Magazine, Clayton, GA
Editor’s notes: Tracy, I’m sure The Ole Rabunite
will be in touch with you.
Sent: Friday, September 29, 2006
Subject: New email address for Jeremy Strauss
Thank you for
the note to update my email. We moved a few months ago and
things have been chaotic since. I haven’t even been down to the
Chattooga or the Chauga since last fall. Since I am still a newbie to the
area, what are some other rivers in that area that you recommend to a
novice??? I have an 8-year-old son who was there with me last fall and
loves fishing. I want to try other places with him too. And by the
way, the email address is (XXXX@XXX.XXX). Thank you,
From: Jeremy Strauss (a Rabunite) – Chattanooga, TN
Editor’s notes: Try the Tallulah River. It is a beautiful stream, readily accessible,
and open year around. Visit, http://www.gon.com/page.php?id=94&cid=124 Thanks for the new E-mail address.
Sent: Monday, October 02, 2006
Subject: Handcrafted Winston Rod
Hope everyone in
the chapter will forgive me when on campouts and fishing trips, I slip up and
say, "That's my rod...the Winston!" I am very excited about winning
and can hardly wait to try it out this fall!
PS: Terry, don't get too accustomed to it. When can I pick it
up? Whoooohaaa!
From: Tom Landreth (a lucky Rabunite) – Rabun Gap,
GA
Editor’s notes: A most deserving winner. I wonder if he will give June his old Orvis
rod or this new Winston rod?
Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006
Subject: "The Rod"
To say "the rod" is beautiful is an understatement!! Do you have Mack's E-mail address... I would
just like to thank him for the donation to the Chapter and tell him how excited
and pleased that I was the lucky winner.
It is truly a work of art....but, it ain't gonna just hang on the
wall! Tight Lines
From: Tom Landreth (a lucky Rabunite) – Rabun Gap, GA
Editor’s notes: Tom is certainly qualified to
recognize “a work of art.” We sent him
Mack’s E-mail address.
Visit, http://www.mackmartin.com/CustomRods.htm
If you have a comment or an opinion to share with the
readers of TIGHT LINES, please submit it in 250 words or less to edadams1@alltel.net
Trout
Stream Habitat Enhancements on Dukes Creek
Stop I-3 Coalition Update
Oct 17 (Tues) Chapter
Meeting, Attendance - 21 Anthony Rabern (GA WRD Lake Fisheries
Biologist) presented an excellent PowerPoint program about the brown
trout in Lake Burton. He told us why
they are there, how fast they are growing (2 pounds per year), and the “how
& where” for catching them in each season of the year. Afterwards, Tom Landreth said he was going
shopping for a boat! The Meeting
Raffle had 8 buckets. Bill Kelly
and Ray Gentry were both double winners.
Yep, Lea Richmond won the flies, - - again. We raised $125 to be used toward the cost of mailing newsletters
to members without E-mail and for the meeting hospitality expenses. A BIG “thank you” goes to all the Rabunites
who donated the items and to those who purchased raffle tickets.
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
A Big Rabunite welcome to 2 new member this month: Ray
Hannah (transfer), 95 Valleybrook Drive, Fairburn, GA 30213 and Broughton
Cochran (transfer), 631 Park
Street Place, Gainesville, GA 30501 .
Thanks for re-upping: Johnny Cannon, Warren
Stiles, Jeff Durniak, Jack Bates, Jim Nixon, Tommy James,
Jim Kidd, Pat Hopton, and Jeremy Strauss
It is time
to renew your membership: Terry Seehorn, Anthony Welch, Lonnie English, Tony
Wheeler, Eugene Nolte, Daniel Rabern, and Patrick Gorman.
TroutTackler
Lands a Beauty! Species: Soul
mate Length: 66 inches Weight: I don't believe I said!
Lure: #4
lightning bug (about 2 carats) Technique:
Charm, charisma, patience, and love
Rabun TU Officers & Directors for F/Y2007
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@nctv.com
Treasurer (w/Newsletter & Meeting Raffles) - Doug Adams Ph 706 746 2158 E-mail edadams1@alltel.net
Secretary (w/Publicity &
Letters) - Tom Landreth Ph 706 746
2295 E-mail
landreth@alltel.net
Past President (w/Membership
& Hospitality) - 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 – Larry Walker Ph 706 244
4345 E-mail
amosndixie@alltel.net
Director – Lea Richmond Ph 706 782
6898 E-mail
learichmond@alltel.net

News from
the President...... Terry Rivers
Hi Folks,
Well, things up
here "In Them Thar Hills” have
seen a change for the better as far as the fishing goes. Rain and lower temperatures have brought us
some relief and there are good reports coming from the D.H. rivers that have
already opened in NC. I have
experienced some of them myself and the fishing (and catching) has been super.
For those that
have not heard, Rabun Chapter has a new meeting place. We now meet at the Community Bank and Trust;
located on the corner of Highway 441 and Warwoman Road next to the Ingles
parking lot. The community room entrance is located on the south side of the
bank. Please, come and join us; we
would love to see and meet you. I want
to thank Mark Smith and Melody Henderson, employees with the bank, who have
welcomed us with open arms. It was such
a joy to meet them both.
I want to
personally thank Anthony Rabern for a informative program he presented at our
October meeting. For those that could
not attend, you missed a great presentation on how and where to fish Lake
Burton for those BIG brown trout.
For those that
would love to learn some of the Rabunites’ secret places to fish, you have a
good chance by joining us for camping, fishing, bluegrass and socializing. This will be coming up Nov.8th -
12th at Long Bottom. If you
are planning to attend, call me 706-782-7419 or e-mail me at tlr1121@alltel.net . I’m buying the groceries; so if your name is
not in the pot, you just might go hungry.
I will also give directions if you have no clue to where Long Bottom is
located. For those that are not Rabun
TU members and are interested in our goals (or want some help in fly-fishing)
we would love for you to join us. I
will have some membership forms at the campout for those that are interested in
joining the Chapter. I don’t think you
will be disappointed.
We have
some good meeting programs lined up for the next several months. So if you’re
interested in protecting our coldwater resources and learning a few catching
tips, join us for the monthly Chapter meetings.
I want to thank
everybody for the support you have given me; you’re a great bunch of
people.
Hope you catch a lot of fish! Terry
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