“FORWARD CASTING” Important Dates - See you there!

May 7 Kids Fishing Event; Black Rock Mtn State Park Lake at 9 AM

May 11-15 Fishing & Camping (Wed-Sun) Chattooga Backcountry with

Camping at Cherry Hill C.G. (with flush toilets, showers & tables).

Location: Off SC Hwy 107, 1.5 mile south of Burrell’s Ford Rd intersection.

Contact Charlie Breithaupt (706) 782-6954 knc615@direcway.com or Terry Rivers

(706) 782- 7419 tlr1121@alltel.net as they are planning the cooking!

May 17 Family Cookout 5 PM at Indian Lake. Fishing Mentoring of

The Clayton Girl Scout Troop (our guests). Maria is bringing the scouts.

Rabunites, be prepared to loan your fishing equipment (spinning rod & reels

and bait) and help the girls catch some fish in Indian Lake.

May 24 Board of Directors meeting,

Location on a stream for the Green Drake Hatch

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

June 4 Kids Fishing Event; Tallulah River

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

REMEMBER TROUT CAMP! June 12-17th! We need you to mentor our campers – put it on your calendar!

“My father was very sure about certain matters pertaining to the universe. To him, all good things – trout as well as eternal salvation – come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy.” Norman Maclean in A River Runs Through It (1976)

FLY OF THE MONTH

by TERRY RIVERS

THE ADAMS OR PARACHUTE ADAMS (shown above)

The Adams or Parachute Adams represents mayflies. If I had my choice, of any fly to fish with, it would be this one. It has been a proven fly on the rivers of the Southern Appalachians.

Hook: Standard Dry Fly – Sizes 10 – 20

Thread: Tan, Brown, Black 8/0 or 6/0

Wings: Grizzly Hackle (Adams)

Tail: Grizzly & Brown Hackle ackle Fibers Body: Grey Rabbit Dubbing

Hackle: Grizzly & Brown (and for parachute version) Antron Parachute Post

Angler’s Dictionary: Yard – A unit of length measurement. In angling, about 17 inches.

May Hatches

The Bugs Time of Month Time of Day Suggested Flies .

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

12-14 Dark Cream Caddis Pupa

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

16-18 Gray Caddis Pupa

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

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

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

12-14 Dun & Yel/Brn Caddis Pupa

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

L pm to dark 14-16 Yellow Stone Nymph

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

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

(Very Important) 12-14 Light Cahill Nymph

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

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

Golden Stonefly Late E am 4-8 Golden Stonefly Nymph

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

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

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

(Important) 8-10 Green Drake Nymph

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

(Awesome)

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

18-22 Midge Pupa

FOR WILD TROUT - IT PAYS TO HAVE THE RIGHT APPROACH!

When fishing for wild trout, an angler needs some skills and a lot of luck to be successful. But an angler can increase his chances by not underestimating the wariness of wild trout.

Wild trout rely heavily on their eyes, and to a lesser extent their senses of smell and hearing and their ability to pick up vibrations in the water. A trout holding in the bottom of a deep clear pool can easily see a tiny mayfly land on the surface. The same trout also can spot a small nymph being carried by the current towards it. With such keen eyesight, there’s no question that same trout also will see the shadow of an osprey hovering overhead, or the profile of an angler who has ventured too close.

Many anglers put themselves at a huge disadvantage before they even make their first cast. It’s critical that wild trout anglers exercise extreme caution when approaching the water they wish to fish. The water where trout are found is often clear and shallow. The fish regularly hold just off the bank. These conditions make wild trout especially wary, because they know they’re susceptible to predators. Simply by walking up to the water, most anglers spook the trout they are seeking and send them off to more secure locations.

There are several things you can do to improve your chances of catching wild trout:

1. Wear dull-colored clothing, including your hat! The hat is the first thing that comes into a trout’s window of vision. Try to blend in with the background vegetation. Camouflage or dark/dull earth-tone apparel is best, including the fishing vest. A dull finish rod might not look as good in the parking lot but the flash of the sun from a bright shiny rod can send a wild trout to cover. To take a page from the wild turkey hunter’s manual, always use maximum stealth.

2. Invest in a good pair of polarized sunglasses. One of the keys to successful wild trout fishing is seeing the fish before they see you. They will allow you to see through the surface glare into the trout’s underwater world. They will also help you to see the bottom for quieter wading.

3. Approach like a heron! When you get a chance, watch a great blue heron stalk a fish, it is sneaky. The angler’s actual approach to the bank calls for a high level of sneakiness. Be on full alert. Stop several times to observe what is happening on or under the water.

4. Camouflage, cover and concealment! Take advantage of hiding places behind natural cover, such a laurel bush, a rock, or a tree trunk. If you see a trout (or a promising-looking holding spot) in the water in front of you, circle downstream staying well away from the water. In water that is extremely small (a shallow and narrow stream), you might have to kneel well back from the water and dapple your lure over the bank, or flip out a cast at a trout you’ve spotted. As you get closer to the water, move slowly with measured steps, carefully placing each foot down softly and avoiding kicking rocks, sticks or anything else in the water. Then you can start to cast. Make your first cast count, it could be the only one get before the trout spook.

5. Fish Up Stream. Trout generally hold facing upstream, watching for insects and other food floating downstream toward them. Anglers approaching from downstream, or behind the trout, are virtually hidden from view, making the downstream approach the best one under almost all conditions. If you plan to hike downstream before beginning to fish your way back up, it’s important to walk well away from the edge of the stream, to avoid being seen by any fish. Even allowing your body to cast a shadow over a pool or shallow run will spook wild trout. These trout might be impossible to catch for a period of time ranging anywhere from several minutes to several hours.

Therefore, when you see fresh or wet tracks of another angler in front of you on a wild trout stream, you might as well find another section of stream or wait for another day.

Background and Situation: The entire watershed was heavily logged around the turn of the century until about 1920, followed by uncontrolled fires and erosion. The Forest Service started purchasing land soon after the logging and began reforestation, erosion and fire control. In the 1920s and 30s, the Georgia Power Company purchased most of the remaining private land along the main stream up to 14 miles above Highway 28 with plans to construct several hydroelectric impoundments. In the 1930s the CCC worked to restore and protect the watershed, making many improvements including constructing the Wahalla Fish Hatchery that produces the Wahalla browns. Some of the GA Power and other Upper Chattooga private holdings were leased for private fishing clubs. About that same time the American chestnut trees were lost. During WWII, the fishery was under-utilized. After the war, a few trout enthusiasts rediscovered the Chattooga fishery. The Atlanta group (most were members of Atlanta’s Chapter of the Izaak Walton League) kept their source of huge brown trout a guarded secret, referring to it only as “Mystery River”. The GA DNR and SC DNR managed the Chattooga River as a trout fishery from Ellicott Rock to the Highway 76 Bridge. The fishery was outstanding as long as the water stayed cool: high catch rates; large trout; ideal for fly, spin or bait fishing; beautiful scenery; large size stream; and all in backcountry solitude. The stockings took place at numerous road access points between Highway 76 and the East Fork. In 1966, the Regional Forester set aside the Ellicott Rock Scenic Area. That year GA DNR alone stocked 93,800 catchable trout and stocked 98,000 trout in 1967.

By 1970, the trout fishery was in decline due to a political change in GA trout fishery management policies. Also in 1970, a public meeting was held in Clayton concerning the proposal of the Wild & Scenic River designation. Anglers were aware that this would mean closing of roads and some of the stocking access points, but protection of the river was more important. Boating activity was less than 200 trips per year, mostly in the lower river during the summer. Of over 1,000 comments, only 4 were opposed to the proposal. In 1971, Congress designated the Ellicott Rock Scenic Area and the remaining road accesses were closed. New easy trails were constructed and helicopter stocking was begun with one drop of adult brown trout per year in the middle of the Scenic Area. As a Scenic Area, use was light, consisting mostly of fishing with limited camping. Also in 1971, the movie “Deliverance” was being filmed on the Chattooga and boating use increased to roughly 800 trips.

In 1972, “Deliverance” was released. In 1973, “Sports Afield” has a feature article about excellent boating and fishing the Chattooga, attracting even more out of state river users. In 1974, the river was designated a National Wild & Scenic River and boating-use suddenly jumped to roughly 21,000 float trips per year. The backcountry anglers’ remote solitude experience was lost and conflicts broke out between anglers and boaters at numerous locations, mostly below Highway 28 near stocking points such as Earl’s Ford, Sandy Ford, and Lick Log. Conflicts included shouting, rock throwing, snagging of boats with treble hooks, fist fights, gun play, slashing of rafts, etc. GA and SC discontinued stocking below the Long Bottom Ford (Highway 28). At the time, anglers thought it was because some of the access roads were being scheduled for closure and because some of the anglers had already gone elsewhere. Most anglers left because of the loss of solitude and to avoid getting involved in the conflicts along the lower river between the locals (anglers) and the outsiders (boaters). Actually, anglers learned years later, the Forest Service had asked SC DNR and GA DNR to discontinued the stocking of trout below Long Bottom Ford to discourage use of the area by anglers.

In 1975, Ellicott Rock Scenic Area was re-designated as the Ellicott Rock Wilderness Area (ERWA). Like a magnet, the new Wilderness label soon made ERWA the most visited Wilderness in the entire Forest Service system (measured as visitors/acre/year). However, only 13% of those visitors were anglers. Between Burrell’s Ford and Highway 28, the Forest Service was closing roads, constructing trails, and issuing new trail maps. Above Highway 28, the number of boaters was increasing, as was the number of hikers and backpackers. The Wilderness designation required the termination of the helicopter-stocking program above Burrell’s Ford. With the closing of the roads, all truck stocking was discontinued between Burrell’s Ford and the lower Nicholson Fields. The GA DNR trout stocking had dropped to only 25,000 fingerlings in 1975. This was the beginning of a steep decline in the quality of the angling experience (solitude and catch rate) in the upper river (above Highway 28), especially in the Ellicott Rock Wilderness Area.

In 1976, the Development Plan for the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River was published in the Federal Register. This document tied it all together: increase in boating / detrimental effect on the fishing experience / conflicts /’zoning’ by no stocking below Long Bottom & no boating above 28. This was the formal step taken by the Forest Service to reach a compromise. Boating is permitted below Highway 28, whereas, the values to be emphasized along the upper stretches of the river are solitude, fishing, hiking, and nature viewing. In 1978, “Sports Afield” had another article that grossly exaggerated the Upper Chattooga fishery. Unauthorized horse trails parallel the river above and below Highway 28.

By the 1980s, the anglers were relegated to the headwaters to avoid conflicts with boaters. Boating below Highway 28 was ramping up to over 80,000 floats per year. Again anglers had seen their solitude compromised by the new and easy trails in the Ellicott Rock Wilderness Area. An area where “use was light, consisting mostly of fishing” had gone to “most visited Wilderness in the Forest Service” in only 5 years! The Forest Service reacted by assigning a Wilderness Ranger to the Burrell’s Ford area to enforce the boating ban and to cope with the overuse and abuse of the ERWA, and he was very effective. The backcountry fishery management program was almost non-existent. The fishery and the fishing experienced bottomed out by the early 1980’s.

(The Chattooga Coalition Story: to be continued in next issue)

For the Chattooga River Water Level, click on: Chattooga

Q & A: Several folks have asked: What are the reasonable levels for fishing?

2.0 & below: Easy to wade & fish; Can get to everything (Even ‘Little Tommy’ Landreth fishes at this level)

2.5: Difficult to wade but still fishable; Too swift to wade everywhere (OK for old farts with extra ballast, i.e. Adams, Kelly, Breithaupt, & Nixon)

3.0 & up: Extremely difficult to wade; Mostly pecking around the edges (OK for younger bucks, i.e. Burrell, Rivers, Kidd, Tolbert, & Durniak)

But Just In Case - The Rabunite Method for Scoring of Falls

To add to your enjoyment of a day on the stream with a fishing companion, you can ‘score’ each other’s falls (note: a lone angler is neither capable nor qualified to score his own falls). Falls are scored on a scale of 1 to 10 points. The angler with the lowest total score at the end of the day wins. So even if you are ahead in points towards the end of a day, don’t give up hope. Some of the highest scores are earned when an angler attempts to exit the stream after dark. Durniak & Kidd have both scored Adams’ falls as Perfect 10’s as he attempted to exit the stream after dark.

SCORE DESCRIPTION .

1 Down on one knee; or one hand; or stepping off a ledge to bellybutton deep

2 Down on both knees; or one knee plus one hand

3 Down on both knees plus one hand; or 2 hands and 1 knee

4 Down on all fours; or down on one side up to the shoulder, or slipping off a ledge to neck deep

5 Down on one side to neck deep

6 Down on the butt to neck deep

7 Down to neck deep with a roll of 90 degree or more

8 Face Down and comes up spitting water

9 Top of head goes under

Perfect 10 Top of head goes under with the loss of hat &/or glasses

When to Award Extra Points:

1 point if Angler has a wading staff

1 point on extra duration, double dipping, or washing downstream 5 or more yards

1 point on style if Angler displays fancy break dancing steps and the hand motions of a high-wire walker before going down

1 point each if water &/or air temperature under 50*F

1 point if THE FALL is witness by one or more total strangers

1 point if Angler has a ‘trout-on’

1 point if Angler has to stop and empty his waders before continuing to fish or walk back to the vehicle

1 point if Angler loses his fishing rod

1 point if Angler does not see the humor in it all

When to Deduct Points:

1 point each if water &/or air temperature over 60*F

2 points if the Angler shouts an expletive when he slips (but BEFORE going down) so his partner can enjoy the entire event

2 points if the Angler eventually lands the ‘trout-on’

1 point if Angler ‘laughs it off’

"Everyone ought to believe in something; I believe I'll go fishing." Unknown

FISHING REPORTS

Obviously, springtime in Georgia is THE BEST time for fishing for just about any species. For trout, it just doesn't get any better than this. Every place we could report to you is fishing well and some of them are excellent. You can actually (& frequently must) match the hatch rather than fish attractors or junk food flies. Early mornings and late evenings are typically best for bug activity on most streams but it truly depends upon a variety of factors so don't assume mid-day is going to be slow. 4/22/2005 - Jimmy Harris, Unicoi Newsletter

Toccoa River Tailwater Fishing Report

On a recent trip to the Toccoa River tailwater, mid-day was prime time. Around 2:00 a black midge hatch began covering the river. Up until that time, almost no fish were rising and we getting most of our takes on nymphs dropped off behind a cream caddis. When the midges hit the water, fish began popping out of the stream like popcorn in a microwave. And the only thing they would take was a size 20 or 22 Griffith's Gnat. For the next couple of hours, if you saw a fish feeding off the surface and could get a good drift over them, you stood a good chance of a take. It was a blast on a 3 wt.! As evening came on, the midge hatch quit. A few caddis were coming off but not really enough to keep the fish looking up so it was back to the dry/dropper rig where we caught more fish. TVA has not been angler friendly at all for the past couple of weeks so check the generating schedule (http://www.tva.gov) before heading that way. FYI, it looks as if the generating schedule for Blue Ridge Dam on Sunday, April 24th will allow some time for fishing. The exact schedule isn't published until 5:00 PM the prior day but TVA gives you an idea of how much water they'll be generating about 3 days in advance. Remember, it ain't always what they say it's going to be so be aware of your surroundings any time you step into any tailwater. We've said this before but it bears repeating for all our new subscribers: if you're in the river and notice the water changing (sounds different or you see it rising) get out right then! Don't make another cast, don't even try to get the fish in you're fighting at that moment - get out! The power of moving water is frequently misunderstood by anglers and it results in someone getting in trouble or even dying each year. Just remember, when you're in trouble no one is going up to the powerhouse and turn the water off so you can get out. Even if you have to get out on the wrong side of the river, do it. The Toccoa looks innocuous enough because there are few rapids on it. Don't be fooled; you can't walk across it when they're generating. It's just a big sheet of water leaving Fannin County in a hurry. Think Safety! 4/22/2005 - Jimmy Harris, Unicoi Outfitters - (706) 632-1880 in Blue Ridge

A Chattooga DH Fishing Report

The Chattooga switch is on! With the wife away on business, I donned winter clothes on Sunday afternoon (4/24) and hoped that the mountains would shield the river from the wind. They did! What a beautiful afternoon, with 2 miles of river all to myself, since the fair-weather anglers all stayed home. And the fish rose all afternoon to hatching flies, mainly small cream mayflies. Hot flies were a #16 light cahill and a #16 tan elk hair caddis. I could watch many red-cheeked rainbows coming up to the fly in the crystal clear water. One brook trout, four browns to 14 inches, and a bunch of rainbows to 14 inches later, the bugs quit and so did the action (around 8 PM).

Taking advantage of the Monday state holiday (4/25), I convinced two friends to play hooky for a half day and return to the river. With one morning angler leaving the SC parking lot (grinning due to his success) as we arrived, that left only our vehicle. Again, two miles of river all to us! Sunday afternoon's action repeated itself. NGTO's "Trout Tackler" perfected his fly-casting skills on about a dozen trout, with browns of 14 and 15 inches making his day truly memorable. Hot flies were again the cahill and caddis. Our other friend enjoyed fooling the Stillwater trout at the ends of pools with midges. We also dredged up some larger rainbows from the large pools with a black leech behind some "dreaded" spilt shot.

Tip: try the seams of slow water right next to the shallow, fast water at the heads of shallower pools. Fish in those pockets "look up" early and often as the fast food line of hatching bugs comes at them. Just ask Trout Tackler, who perfected his drag-free drift on those hungry rainbows. Take a little time to study the water, locate the insects, and look for rising fish in these slow pockets along the bank and at the heads of each pool. Also, look beyond the water to enjoy nature's setting that she's sharing with you at that moment. Pause to enjoy that streamside sandwich in a special place with a special fishing buddy.

Now is the time to show a new fishing buddy what dry fly fishing is all about. And if you can take a half-day off of work, you may have the whole river to yourself. Don't have regrets rather than memories in July, when it's ninety degrees and you're fishing tiny headwater streams at dawn, or tossing a plastic worm at night for bass, after the water skiers have retired.

Speaking of "retired" ... For those of you retired folks who fish every day (I know a few), just tell us working people "thanks" for your Social Security checks that pay for your gas and fishing line. Take a young friend fishing so those checks will keep coming!

Good luck to all of you! 4/27/2005 - Jeff Durniak

"The best time to go fishing is when you can get away" Robert Traver

High Falls State Park Fishing Report

In case you ever get stuck in the middle GA area and need a fly-fishing fix, drive to I-75, exit 198, and hang an eastward turn toward High Falls State Park. Turn right to the campground access at High Falls Restaurant, and proceed to the fishing area just outside the campground gate. Find a collection box and pay the $2 fee , but don't park there. Go inside the campground gate and park somewhere near the old slab foundation on the right, which may have a big pile of dirt near it. Take the well-worn path down to the river and head left toward the small falls.

The southernmost (left) pool is full of spotted bass and bream, which believe themselves to be voracious trout. They really like small (10-14) Clouser Minnows, and just about anything that looks like a mosquito or stone fly. On some days, in fact, they attack the junction of my fly line and leader, probably believing it to be one LONG worm. The fish are sizeable, with some of the spotted bass nearing a foot in length. There is a resident beaver family nearby, so watch downstream for them at dusk. If you think a Canada goose gets your heart going, a tail-slap by a large beaver usually requires a change of underwear and a defibrillator.

Good fishing! 4/21/2005 - Leonard Hillers, a fellow angler

"Three-fourths of the Earth's surface is water, and one-fourth is land. It is quite clear that the good Lord intended us to spend triple the amount of time fishing as taking care of the lawn." Chuck Clark

IN MEMORY

Phil Klein, a charter member of Rabun TU who passed away in 1997, wrote the following poem. As he had requested, we sprinkled his ashes in the Chattooga River during our annual trout fishing campout in May of 1998, several of you were there. In his memory, we established the Phil Klein Memorial Fund to pay the Rabun TU share of annual fall helicopter trout stocking of the Chattooga River. Donations totaled enough to pay through the year 2002. This poem is presented in memory of Phil and Ray Mortenson, another friend of the Chattooga, who passed away in 1998.

LIFE’S TREASURES

Written in 1978 by Phil Klein

There are moments in life that are pleasure

And there are moments in life that are fun

But the best are those that we treasure

When we finally realize what we’ve won.

Like marriage, children and profession

Which are shared with a wonderful wife,

Or when the kids reach their own graduation

And each leaves to start his own life.

When the challenge of job is accepted

And the results are hard won and of worth

We can ease back on the throttle of living

And seek out our own place on this earth.

A few of us share the same treasure

Returning to a place we have known

Protected by mountains and forest

In a gorge over which trees have grown.

There a river runs clear as the crystal

With waterfalls chased by the sun

And pools are marked only by ripples

Left by the trout’s roll on the dun.

It’s quiet in this world that we enter

And there’s music when water flows fast

And the whisper of line that is running

Through the eyes of a rod when it’s cast.

With spirits as free as the river

And with friends that share the same feeling

Fly-fishing is one of those treasures

That makes life really worth living.

“Unless one can enjoy himself fishing with the fly, even when his efforts are unrewarded, he loses much real pleasure. More than half the intense enjoyment of fly-fishing is derived from the beautiful surroundings, the satisfaction felt from being in the open air, the new lease of life secured thereby, and the many, many pleasant recollections of all one has seen, heard

and done."

Charles F. Orvis

Rabun Chapter to Sponsor Two Kids to the GA TU Trout Camp 2005

Trout Camp 2004 was a howling success or hollerin' - if you are in the Rabun Chapter. Twenty boys and four girls spend five days learning how to fly cast, catch and release trout and all about stream conservation with the help of the GA DNR, USFS, and TU volunteers from 9 Chapters across the state.

Time is fast approaching for Trout Camp 2005 at the RGNS. We already have both youngsters selected for Rabun TU and are starting a ‘standby list’. This promises to be another great event for boys and girls, 12-15 years of age. If you have a child or grandchild or know of someone that might be interested, please act quickly.

For details and application forms:

Contact Charlie Breithaupt, Camp Director, at (706) 782-6954 or E-mail knc615@direcway.com

News from GA TU Council about the Chattahoochee River Tailwater

From Chairman Charlie Breithaupt:
The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area folks discussed the new plan for the area. They have proposed making the entire stretch of river, 48 miles, into one zone. Fishing and boating (with motors) is allowed throughout the zone. I don't know how we can ask for more.

From Co-Vice Chairman Mack Martin:

Reports at the March 2005, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Board meeting highlighted the continued studies for the development of the temperature standards for the Chattahoochee River. This work was prompted by an effort to reclassify the tailwater from secondary trout waters to a primary trout water fishery. Such re-classification would

require water quality too stringent for a tailwater with numerous warm water tributaries. Therefore a decision was made to develop water quality standards specific to the Chattahoochee River were trout are reproducing. This ongoing study will not be completed until the end of 2006 and at that time recommendations will be made to adopt unique standards for the river. In the meantime, the withdrawal of cold water from the river continues to increase and is projected to be approximately 400 million gallons per day with only 100 million gallons returned to the river by the year 2030. The effect of this growth and impact on the river may have

serious impacts to the cold water regime on the river and to the trout that must survive in that environment. We must stay up to date on this work and be prepared to voice our opinion when the time comes. To help keep you informed on this study and the projected possible consequences of the impact of population growth and use of the river, John Biaggi,

Assistant Chief of Fisheries Management for the DNR, will be at the June chapter meeting of the Upper Chattahoochee Chapter of TU to give an update on this work and where problems may arise in the future.

TESTAMENT OF A FISHERMAN

“I FISH BECAUSE I LOVE TO; BECAUSE I LOVE THE ENVIRONS WHERE TROUT ARE FOUND, WHICH ARE INVARIABLY BEAUTIFUL, AND HATE THE ENVIRONS WHERE CROWDS OF PEOPLE ARE FOUND, WHICH ARE INVARIABLY UGLY; BECAUSE OF ALL THE TELEVISION COMMERCIALS, COCKTAIL PARTIES, AND ASSORTED SOCIAL POSTURING I THUS ESCAPE; BECAUSE, IN A WORLD WHERE MOST PEOPLE SEEM TO SPEND THEIR LIVES DOING THINGS THEY HATE, MY FISHING IS AT ONCE AN ENDLESS SOURCE OF DELIGHT AND AN ACT OF SMALL REBELLION; BECAUSE TROUT DO NOT LIE OR CHEAT AND CANNOT BE BOUGHT OR BRIBED OR IMPRESSED BY POWER, BUT RESPOND ONLY TO QUIETUDE AND HUMILITY AND ENDLESS PATIENCE; BECAUSE I SUSPECT THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING ALONG THIS WAY FOR THE LAST TIME, AND I FOR ONE DON’T WANT TO WASTE THE TRIP; BECAUSE MERCIFULLY THERE ARE NO TELEPHONES ON TROUT WATERS; BECAUSE ONLY IN THE WOODS CAN I FIND SOLITUDE WITHOUT LONELINESS; BECAUSE BOURBON OUT OF AN OLD TIN CUP ALWAYS TASTES BETTER OUT THERE; BECAUSE MAYBE ONE DAY I WILL CATCH A MERMAID; AND, FINALLY, NOT BECAUSE I REGARD FISHING AS BEING SO TERRIBLY IMPORTANT BUT BECAUSE I SUSPECT THAT SO MANY OF THE OTHER CONCERNS OF PEOPLE ARE EQUALLY UNIMPORTANT - - AND NOT NEARLY SO MUCH FUN.” From the book: Trout Magic; 1974; by John D. Voelker; a.k.a. Robert Traver

Angler’s Dictionary: Advice – Two or more pieces of contradictory angling information contained in a single phrase or sentence.

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

A Big Rabunite welcome to 4 new members this month: Gary Deal, P.O. Box 210, Clayton, GA 30525; Daniel Rabern, 1275 Deer Trail Lakes Dr., Clarkesville, GA 30523; Greg Roane, P.O. Box 182, Wiley, GA 30581; & Eugene Nolte, 405 Bullfrog Lane, Clayton, GA 30525

Thanks for re-upping: Don Kinser, Pat Gorman, David Bentley, Andy Gaston, Charles Cawthorn, Lea Richmond, Fritz Vinson, John Martin, Brooks & Amanda Adams, Bill Thompson, & Gary Breece

It is time to renew your membership: Andrew Wylie, Chuck Breithaupt, Bill Talbolt, Randall Corbin,

Joan Crawford, Lewis Reeves III, & Dave Schmidt

Hey Rabunite, your membership has expired: Terry Seehorn, Jimmy Whiten, Frank Tolbert, Bill (Clem) Defino, Tommy James, Dave Jensen, Alan Roberts, John Duncan, Sharon Wilson, Kincaid Patterson,

Paul Eden, Joan Sauer, & Larry Brooks

"The Fishing was good, it was the catching that was bad." A. K. Best

Rabun TU Officers & Directors

President Ray Kearns Phone 706 782 9913 E-Mail pndmilck@alltel.net

Vice President Tom Matthews Phone 706 782 0369 E-Mail tmatt@hemc.net

Treasurer Russell Johnson Phone 706 783 2424 E-Mail rwjrabun@alltel.net

Secretary Russell Burken Phone 706 779 5597 E-Mail mkopchic@alltel.net

Past President Charlie Breithaupt Phone 706 782 9913 E-Mail knc615@direcway.com

Directors: Kathy Breithaupt, Tom Landreth, Doug Adams, Terry Rivers, Terry Seehorn, Ralph Morgan, Bill Kelly, & Travis Barnes

“The traveler fancies he has seen the country. So he has, the outside of it at least; but the angler only sees the inside. The angler only is brought close, face to face with the flower and bird and insect life of the rich riverbanks, the only part of the landscape where the hand of man has never interfered.” Charles Kingsley

News from the President...... Ray Kearns

Hi Folks,

I just received the June issue of Fly Rod and Reel magazine which has two new items advertised that are interesting. One is a new pair of waders by Hodgman that has a full waterproof zipper. I believe it’s a first. No price was quoted so it must be mega bucks. The other item is a new line to leader connector that snaps together by Scientific Angler. It has a 10 lb. break strength and doubles as an indicator, also floats. Sounds interesting. I will have to check it out next visit to the fly shop.

My fishing trip to the Gulf with my sons and grandsons was wonderful. Did not catch as many fish as in years past but we caught enough for our family fish fry this fall. I was really impressed by my 11-year-old grandson, Tyler, who fished all day taking only time out to eat and potty breaks. He caught several nice snappers and was able to get them in the boat by himself. More memories! The captain told us the catch was light because he could not locate the old wrecks on the bottom. The storms of last fall destroyed or covered them up with sand. A lot of damage was done in that area.

I think I told you last year about my fishing buddy, Bob Turner, who lives in Pensacola. He is the grandson of Rabun County’s Dr. Dover. Bob is 77 years old, so it has been a few years since Dr. Dover was probably the only physician here. Anyway, Bob still runs every morning and does water aerobics three times a week. This year on April 22 he won the 5K race for the people over 70. His time was 26 minutes. It takes me that long to walk one mile. He can be an inspiration for all of us, young or old.

Hey!!!!!! The fishing is good on the D.H. It’s time to get out there and catch your share.

See you there,

Ray

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Georgia TU Council website: http://georgiatu.org/ or National TU Website: http://www.tu.org/index.asp

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