“FORWARD CASTING” Important Dates - See you there!

June 1 GA TU Council Meeting, 6:30 PM, Bass Pro Shop, I-85 North of Atlanta

June 4 Kids Fishing Event; USFS at First Tallulah River C G, 8 AM

June 12 thru 17 GA Trout Camp at RGNS; All Day & All Night; We need All the help we can get!

June 21 Chapter Meeting, 6:30 PM, Clayton Presbyterian Church

Program – Jimmy Harris: ‘Put The Fly Where The Fish Are’

June 28 Board of Directors meeting, Location TBD

July 12 & 13 Electro-Shock Sampling of Chattooga River (USFS, SC DNR & GA DNR), 9 AM Meeting, Camping Tuesday night at Cherry Hill C.G.

July 19 Electro-Shock Sampling of Lower Reed Creek (USFS & GA DNR), 9 AM, Meeting location to be determined

July 19 Chapter Meeting, 6:30 PM, Clayton Presbyterian Church

Program – Monte Seehorn: ‘The Chattooga Coalition, Objectives for the Next 20 Years’

July 22 & 23 Campout Friday Night & Work Project (with USFS) Saturday Morning, Wildcat Creek

July 26 Board of Directors meeting, Location TBD

"He told us about Christ's disciples being fisherman, and we were left to assume...that all great fishermen on the Sea of Galilee were fly fisherman and that John, the favorite, was a dry-fly fisherman." Norman Maclean -“A River Runs Through It”

FLY OF THE MONTH by Doug Adams

Elk Hair Caddis

Nothing excites or disappoints a dry fly angler more than a caddis hatch. This is especially true if the angler is using an Elk Hair Caddis and the hatch isn’t in the right stage for that fly (emergence). However, if the hatch is in the right stage (adults returning to lay eggs), the Elk Hair Caddis is a very productive caddis imitation. It can be tied in a variety of body-hackle-wing color combinations to match what is currently hatching.

Hook: Standard Dry Fly – Sizes 12 – 18

Thread: Black (or body color) 8/0 or 6/0

Wings: Elk Hair

Tail: none

ackle Fibers Body: Olive Dry Fly Dubbing

Hackle: Brown Saddle ‘Palmer Style’

Very Simple & Effective!

JUNE HATCHES

The Bugs Time of Month Time of Day Suggested Flies Grey-Brown & Green Caddis Early Late PM 14–16 Dark Elk Hair Caddis w/Green 14–16 Dun & Green Caddis Pupa

Speckled Grey-Brown Caddis Early Late PM 14–16 Dark Elk Hair Caddis w/Yellow-Brown 14–16 Dun & Yellow Caddis Pupa

Small Dun Caddis All Month Mid AM 18 Brown Elk or Deer Hair Caddis 18 Grey Caddis Pupa

Giant Black Stonefly All Month Dawn to early AM 4–6 Black Stonefly Nymph

Brown Stonefly All Month Early to Mid AM 10–12 Brown Stonefly Nymph

Golden Stonefly All Month Early AM 6–10 Golden Stonefly Nymph

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

Trico Mayfly Mid to Late Mid AM 20 Parachute Trico Trico Spinner Fall Late 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, Etc Various Times & Sizes

"The one great ingredient in successful fly-fishing is patience. The man whose fly is always on the water has the best chance. There is always a chance of a fish or two, no matter how hopeless it looks. You never know what may happen in fly-fishing." Francis Francis

The Story of the Chattooga Coalition - Founded: 1985 (cont. from May issue) told by Doug Adams – a Chattooga angler since 1955

Goal: The goal or purpose of this Coalition is to give special emphasis to protection and enhancement of the fishery resources, water quality, and overall health of the Chattooga River and its tributaries.

The fishery and the fishing experience (solitude and catch rate) in the upper river (above Highway 28) had bottomed out by the early 1980’s. In 1985, GA and SC TU Councils called on the Forest Service and the DNRs to restore the Upper Chattooga trout fishery. The Chattooga Coalition was formed with Monte Seehorn (USFS SE Region Fisheries Biologist) as Chairman and the following actions were taken:

· Annual quantitative fish sampling was implemented.

· Electrophoresis analysis was performed on wild and stock browns.

· Brown trout stomach content analysis was performed.

· New strains of rainbows were introduced on trial basis.

· Helicopter ‘put and grow’ stocking at 11 sites was begun in the Upper Chattooga backcountry.

· All helicopter-stocked fish were adipose fin clipped.

· Brown trout stocking was suspended for 3 years.

· Signage was installed in the Wilderness area to advising “Non-Stocked Area – Catch and Release Encouraged”.

· Implemented a 3-year macro-invertebrate study at numerous sites.

· Trial planting of ‘eyed eggs’ of rainbow trout in selected gravel beds.

· Continuing monitoring of water quality data is implemented.

· Annual thermograph monitoring in numerous locations is implemented.

· Annual meetings of all Coalition members conducted every January to review the monitoring data and fine-tune the fishery management program.

· Backcountry angler interviews were conducted for 7 months using a roving creel clerk.

· Voluntary backcountry angler surveys were conducted for several years at 10 sites.

· 10 to 12 anglers keep annual Chattooga River Fishing Diaries; data complied annually by fisheries biologists.

· Numerous in-stream habitat improvement structures installed in several tributary streams.

· Erosion prevention and sedimentation trapping was implemented on numerous Forest Service and county roads.

· Study of transient and resident trout in a tributary stream.

· Watershed sedimentation sources were identified through an extensive study.

· Studying the movements of wild brown trout for a year using implanted radio transmitters.

Results of the Coalition efforts towards reaching its goal and the Current Fishery Management Strategy for the Upper Chattooga River:

· The Upper Chattooga is the cleanest (least sedimentation) than any time in my 50 years of fishing it. Most of this was accomplished by closing roads in the Wild and Scenic River corridor and by improving maintenance on other roads in the watershed. Also, the aggressive acquisition program of private lands in the upper watershed by the USFS has reduced sedimentation caused by soil disturbing activities associated with land development activities.

· Headwaters (above Bull Pen Road – 4 miles on FS land) – ‘Wild Trout’ management - artificial lures only. NC stopped the truck stocking of this area, reduced the creel limit, imposed artificial only regulations, and imposed a minimum size. The wild fishery is in good condition and stable.

· Wilderness (Ellicott Rock Wilderness Area – 5 miles) - ‘Wild Trout’ management. The fishery is stable but well below the quality it was before Wilderness designation. The solitude has been compromised by the high visitation rate attracted by the Wilderness Area label. The catch rate is lower due to the elimination of the annual helicopter stocking and the increased fishing pressure facilitated by easy access trails. The signage 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. The fishery is better. Since SC took over the Wahalla hatchery, the ‘put and take’ fishery has improved. Not only are the trout heartier but also the stocking rate is higher, more frequent, and has a higher percentage of larger than average rainbow and brook trout.

· Backcountry (Burrell’s Ford Area to Reed Creek Confluence – 8 miles) – ‘Put and Grow’ management w/helicopter stocking of 40,000 sub-adult trout in 22 drops every fall. The results are Excellent! The increased numbers of trout provide an excellent catch rate. The rainbows provide a good daytime fishery. The browns provide more ‘hold over’ potential. 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 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 Coalition is responsible for the restoration of this backcountry fishery resulting in better quality than it was in 1970 (35 years ago).

· Nicholson Fields (Reed Creek to Highway 28 Bridge – 2½ miles) – ‘Delayed Harvest’ management (6½ months of ‘Catch & Release’) w/helicopter and truck stocking. The results are Outstanding! A 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.

· Long Bottom (below Highway 28 – 2 ½ miles) - ‘Put and Take’ management w/truck stocking. The fishery is better for the same reasons described under the Burrell’s Ford Area.

As a result of these accomplishments in water quality, improvements in fishery quality, and the unique backcountry solitude, in 1999 the Upper Chattooga was named one of the 100 best trout steams in the nation. (The Chattooga Coalition Story: to be continued in next issue)

"There is certainly something in angling that tends to produce a serenity of the mind." Washington Irving

Q & A Section Q: How do you know where to find trout holding in a stream? A: Knowing where to put the lure is the single most important skill in trout fishing. It’s called ‘reading the water’. Doing it well often means the difference between an exercise in casting and actually catching trout. An angler who can ‘read the water’ but can't cast very well will consistently catch more trout than a skilled caster who cannot ‘read the water’. Just about anywhere you fish there are some general principles that apply to reading trout streams. To learn how to read water, an angler must consider the habitat from the trout's perspective. After satisfying the basic needs of clean cold water and oxygen, a trout has three major requirements in finding a place to hold: Cover - to protect a trout from kingfishers, great blue herons, ospreys, otters, and other predators — including anglers: Trout don't need much structure for cover. Trout will use ledges, boulders, root wads, logs, limbs, undercut banks, overhanging bushes, and especially shade for cover. Depressions in the streambed make for great cover because the trout's back markings and the depth of the water make it difficult to spot. Naturally trout will hold in a plunge pool at the base of a waterfall. Where trout hold in a river or stream can dramatically change depending on sunny or cloudy conditions, time of day, and other factors. Often trout will move into shallow water riffles during low-light conditions (dusk or dawn) and when feeding on surface insects. Check out slow-sections or pool tail-outs in low light or on overcast days. Be careful, spooking just one trout in the tail of a pool can make all the trout in the pool stop feeding and move to cover. Anglers who are willing to approach each trout fishing adventure with eyes wide open will soon figure out where trout can be found under varying conditions.
Energy - a place to hold that doesn't require a trout to expend any more energy than it will take in: Trout will rarely hold in fast water for very long. During hatches, trout will move out into the riffles to feed, but will typically return to a less demanding holding spot when the hatch is over. If a trout were to hold in the faster water for too long, it would quickly use up more energy than it could consume in insects or other food. A trout expends less energy when holding in the pocket in front of a boulder or behind a boulder or at the bottom of a pool than when fighting heavy current in a set of rapids. Just ask yourself where you would rather be if you were a big trout. Food - a trout’s holding spot must provide it with opportunities to feed frequently: Trout look for food all day long, usually insects, and search out the places where those insects live and collect. Granted, their eating habits do vary a little, depending on water temperature and clarity, what insect species is hatching, or what other edible creatures happen to be in or on the water (a.k.a. menu) at any particular time. Ever notice those patches of foam on the surface of a river? Those are floating cafeterias full of trapped insects, both dead and alive, and hungry trout often hide in the shade under them and sip off the insects.

Q: Do trout always face upstream? A: Trout certainly hold facing upstream a great deal of the time — but not always. If a trout holds in an eddy, since the water swirls around, it might be facing downstream instead. Boulders where trout might hide can make trout face across stream. Trout will hold around rocks, but since the biggest fish get the best lies (the lie with most cover, the least resistance, and the most food), other fish will hold in several places around the rock, and not always facing upstream. Water running downstream takes circuitous routes and trout will face into whatever direction the water happens to be flowing.

Fish The Edges! A simple and effective method to read water is to think "edges" or "seams." These occur where the faster water meets the slower water. Edges occur where the water is broken by a rock (sometimes by a completely submerged rock). Check the edges of a log, a different current, or a tributary stream entering. Look for edges where there is any change in the water, such as where a chute of water dumps through a constriction, leaving the fast water churning in the middle. The edges of the fast water are where the trout will be holding. In a pool, the smaller trout will hold at the edges of the head of the pool while the larger trout will hold at the edges of the tail of the pool. The current through the pool will bring the fish a continuous supply of food while they sit on the edges, rising or cutting out into the food line only when they spot something tasty. Also think edges of day and night (dawn and dusk) and edges of weather changes (just before a storm of just after a shower). And remember the edge under fast water where it passes over a drop-off!

Sometimes anglers accustomed to small waters have trouble making the transition to large rivers. The key is to look at the river as a compilation of smaller, fishable sections, rather than one large, powerful mass of water. Identify the pockets, riffles, logs, seams, pools and flats just as you would on smaller waters. River trout are creatures of habit. As author Arnold Gingrich has written, “Trout are not looking for something new and different to eat or do.” Study the water before you start casting! Your first cast to a ‘holding’ spot is your best chance for fooling a given trout. Now you are ready for Jimmy Harris’ program at the June 21^st Chapter meeting. The program is ‘Put The Fly Where The Fish Are’.

"There is another important kind of water that you should learn to recognize: water empty of trout. This is the largest percentage of any stream. Anybody who casts at random will employ his flies uselessly in this kind of water most of the time." Dave Hughes "Reading the Water" 1988

“BACKCASTING” April 29, 30 & May 1 TU Southeast Rally: The SE Region Rally for TU met in Abingdon, VA with anglers from the Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and West Virginia gathering to share ideas. Kathy and Charlie along with Bob Parker and Pete Holland were there. Also, the Georgia Back the Brookie (BtB) Committee was well represented by Kevin McGrath (chair), Garland Stewart, Paul Diprima and Alex Watson. Sessions were held for BtB folks, Council Chairs and Chapter Officers. The greatest benefit came from talking with counterparts and learning about their challenges and successes and, also, putting a face with a name or email address. The Rally has become an annual event and will be held the last weekend in April again next year. Everyone is invited and it's a good way to learn more about TU. May 7 Kids Fishing Event: Black Rock Mountain State Park Lake (photos by Mike Fuller)

May 11-15 (Wed-Sun) Fishing in the Upper Chattooga Backcountry & Camping at Cherry Hill C.G.: About 13 Rabunites (and Sophie the camp bear dog) participated in the good times. The menu was superb (thanks Charlie), the food preparation was excellent (thanks Tom, Ray, Charlie, Doug, Kelly, Frank, Terry, & Jimmy), and the dish washing wasn’t bad either. The fishing (as usual) was always good and the catching (as usual) was variable. Fishing activities took place from Long Bottom to the East Fork in the Ellicott’s Rock Wilderness Area with many spots in-between. The best catching was in the backcountry; the further in the better it was. We all admired and liked Tom’s new pop-up camper (complete with an ice box drain) which he has had for 22 months but is just now showing to us. June has decided she likes it too, she said “it’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind”. We finally had a campsite table that was sized for Kathy, she could sit on the bench and her feet were flat on the ground. The Camp Host (‘New-Knee’ Kelly) was graciously and constantly quality checking the coffee. Kelly’s ‘homemade’ coconut cream pie was the absolutely the best we have ever tasted (hey Kyle - take note). Jimmy made sure all the logs were placed straight on the campfires. On Sunday morning, we all shared in the memorable and group bonding experience of breaking camp in the pouring rain! Waaaah Whoooo!! May 17 Annual Family Cookout & Fishing Mentoring of the Clayton Girl Scout Troop (could call it ‘catching’ mentoring): Sandy brought the red worms (good planning, Ralph) and she also brought the spin-casting outfits (already completely rigged) loaned by the Burton Fish Hatchery (thanks Perry, Jeff and Lee), Kelly brought the ‘Georgia nymphs’ (crickets), Doug had the extra #10 Aberdeen hooks (his favorites), and Maria arranged for the girl scouts to meet with the Rabunites and the bream of Indian Lake. Five young ladies and two of their brothers had a fun time catching a big mess of large bream (really gooduns) while their leaders and parents took the pictures. The girls caught and released bream for 2 hours straight without stopping. For most it was their first time fishing and every one of the kids caught several fish. They had a blast, - - - and so did the mentoring Rabunites (Kelly, Sandy, Tom, Charlie, Doug, John, Roy and Lea). The girls even learned some of the Rabunite terms such as ‘hipolum’, ‘goodun’ and ‘uncapped’. Ray did the cooking for about 40 people and we had a great variety of covered dishes and desserts (it certainly was not ‘Kathy’s Chip-a-Rama’ this year). After a wonderful meal we enjoyed the warmth of a lakeside campfire. Just at dusk, a flock of Canada geese circled and landed on the lake for their evening rest stop. May 24 Board of Directors Meeting was held on the banks of a trout stream alleged to have an excellent green drake hatch. Where? “I don’t believe I said.” However, the green drakes failed to show. They were about a week late this year, probably because of cooler than normal water temperatures this spring. Seven angling BOD members discussed such issues as kids fishing day on the Tallulah River, duty assignments for the GA Trout Camp, nomination of chapter officers for F/Y 06, the program for the 2006 Rabun Rendezvous, camping location for the July electro-sampling of the Upper Chattooga, the next GA TU Council meeting, and the program for the July chapter meeting. After a dinner of grilled hotdogs, everyone donned their wading attire (except Tom and Terry who were ‘showing off0’ – they waded wet) and fished until dark. There was a good hatch of light cahills, several trout were rising and some were caught and released (some even earned their wings – see below). The campfire felt real good because the air temperature dropped into the low 50s. The BOD meeting was a ‘goodun’.

THE River Supper (a fish story) by Jeff Durniak

Some Rabunites were kind enough to share bits and pieces of this recipe with me thru time. I tried it out last Thursday and it was grand. Thought I'd compile and share it with you, thinking that you could try it out on a new fishing friend that you are recruiting as our next generation of conservationist. Here it is.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ingredients:
1 can beanie-weenies
1 package Saltines
1 can sliced peaches
2 granola bars
1 beverage of your choice
Half dozen rainbow trout
Half dozen brown trout (wild if you can find 'em)
2 bears
1 lawnmower
And....
1 local thunderstorm
1,000 mountain laurel bushes
1 winding road
1 vehicle that likes winding roads
1 CD - "Bluegrass Favorites"
1 clear river
1 black leech, size 8
1 yellow stimulator, size 16
1 starlit sky
1 folding chair

Arrive home slightly early from afternoon dentist appointment to find local thunderstorm pounding the lawn. Exclaim, "Oh darn, what am I gonna do now?" Push lawnmower aside to get to fishing stuff and throw into car. Make haste up interstate.

Mix clearing skies with winding road and blooming mountain laurels. Roll down windows and insert CD. Wonder what the "successful" folks in urban traffic are thinking about right now.

Arrive at THE River to find you're the only one there. As you wet-wade in the gin-clear waters, mix the black leech with the rainbows in the shadows and bring to a "boil" of multiple leaps.

At 8 PM, mix the stimulator with the yellow "sally" stonefly hatch and the wild browns that have finally come out of their groundhog holes. Pay tribute to the 14 incher, smarter than you, who made it back into his hole before you could turn him.

At 9:15 PM, admit that you can't see a darn thing and can't even hear a "slurp" of your fly; the evening hatch is over. With flashlight in hand, stroll triumphantly back down the trail to your car and break out the vittles. From your chair, enjoy the "supper of Rabunites" underneath the stars. Wish that you had brought one good friend to enjoy Mother Nature's gifts, courtesy of the Forest Service.

Remix the car, the CD, and the winding Forest Service road. Add a "dash" of bear, as momma and her cub sprint down the road, 15 yards in front of your headlights.

Drag into bed, entirely too late for a "working man." Slip off to sleep, thnking: grass needs cutting..... darn brown trout..... I wanna rematch...... grass ain't that long yet.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

What are doing for supper this weekend? Try this recipe out some time and you may find it very satisfying as well. Don't forget that missing ingredient - a fishing buddy. In fact, I fixed my recipe over the weekend. And the river was, - - well, - - I just don't believe I said.

On this holiday weekend (Memorial Day), may we all pause to be thoughtful of these fishing opportunities we enjoy, thanks to our fellow Americans.

Take a kid fishing. (www.gofishgeorgia.com)

Clayton Presbyterian Church - Clayton, GA 3^rd Tuesday of the Month 6:30 pm - Fellowship 7:00 pm – Meeting & Program

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

Elk Hair Caddis

THE River Supper (a fish story) by Jeff Durniak

FISHING REPORTS

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Clayton Presbyterian Church - Clayton, GA 3rd Tuesday of the Month 6:30 pm - Fellowship 7:00 pm – Meeting & Program

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

Elk Hair Caddis

THE River Supper (a fish story) by Jeff Durniak

FISHING REPORTS

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Clayton Presbyterian Church - Clayton, GA 3^rd Tuesday of the Month 6:30 pm - Fellowship 7:00 pm – Meeting & Program