Dalton in Alaksa - Silvers are running

Volunteers Needed...

This fishing event has been CANCELLED - will be rescheduled for next spring
 

Looking for TU volunteers to help host an event for the Atlanta School of Deaf. The event at Lake Russell during the first week of October (10/5 or 10/6). It's being coordinated with the school in order to come up with a date. They are really pushing for a Wednesday or Thursday. They are estimating having 15-20 students accompanied by adults for each of the students. So around 30-40 people all together. They are looking for Trout Unlimited volunteers and fishing material for the kids to use. A good majority of these children have never gone fishing or had the chance to be expose to our national forests recreation. This event will be extremely beneficial to the children and the U.S. Forest Service

Let Ron Thomas know if you can help....

Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery - 2017 fishing events

For those who like to plan ahead, mark you calendars for next year....

Hope you are doing well! Just wanted to let you know that dates have been set for 2017 fishing events to be held at Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery –

·        Veterans Appreciation Fishing Rodeo – Friday, May 5^th
·        Special Kids Fishing Rodeo – Wednesday, May 10^th
·        Seniors Fishing Rodeo – Friday, June 2^nd
·        Family Fishing Festival – Saturday, June 3^rd

September Foothills Meeting - Thusday 9/8

Had to share this now... Jimmy Harris is on the ball and has already arranged our program for next month.   This is particular interest to me and I hope many of you....
 
Ken Riddleberger, Game Management Supervisor for Region 2 Georgia DNR, is going to be our guest speaker at the September Georgia Foothills Chapter of Trout Unlimited meeting. He'll be talking about the management plan for Buck Shoals.

Cooper Creek Stream Project - August 20

Here are the details on the upcoming project on Cooper Creek.  We will plan to meet on site at 9AM (directions are below) and do some much needed maintenance work on a number of existing stream structures.  This will primarily involve the  refilling the log cribs with rock and removing branches and other debris that are impacting the structures.  We won’t be doing any placement of new logs for this workday so it should be a relatively easy morning.  Jim Wentworth, wildlife biologist with the Forest Service, will bring a fish shocker and do a sampling demonstration at the end (11:30) so the scouts can see some of the fish species in Cooper Creek and learn how we sample streams.  We will wrap up around 12-12:30 for lunch. 

We will meet at a large roadside pull-off on Cooper Creek Road (FS 33).  To reach the site, turn on Cooper Creek Road across from the entrance to Lake Winfield Scott on GA Highway 180 and go 5.5 miles to the meeting site.  It is approximately ½ mile past a large camping area along the creek. 

Please RSVP to Bill Egeland begeland@mastest.com  if you plan on attending!

Unicoi Outdoor Adventure Day (Saturday, Sept 24, 2016)

http://gastateparks.org/Unicoi

It's that time of the year again!  Interested volunteers should reply to my secretary, William Goldman (William.Goldman@dnr.ga.gov ).  He will draft the roster for me to edit as appropriate.   William’s phone: 770-535-5498, and fax 5953.

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Call for Volunteers

Please consider volunteering to help us at Unicoi State Park's Outdoor Adventure Day to celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day on Saturday, 9/24/16.  You don't have to be an expert outdoorsman or  woman to play a vital role in the day's success.  Can you help at  registration or direct parking?  There's a niche for everyone.

Unicoi State Park’s management company, Coral Hospitality, hosts us, Game Management  Supervisor Ken handles the budget, and I handle event staffing.  We (DNR) need a hundred or so volunteers to make this event happen.  Many of you are OAD veterans, but the following info may help prospective volunteers to understand the roles they could play and to make the  decision to join our ranks.  To fill out my roster and to ensure good  communications with all of you volunteers, I would like the following info from each volunteer:

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PLEASE COMPLETE THIS FORM

1) Your name : _______________

2) Your affiliation (if you'd like me to credit your group or club) :_________________

3) email address:  ______________

4) phone number : ________________

5) first choice of venue : ______________

6) second choice of venue: ____________

7) are you willing to work anywhere I need somebody (y/n)? ____

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First come, first served.  The majority of the 10AM to 4 PM event is held along the creek downstream from  Unicoi Dam (map: http://gastateparks.org/net/go/parks.aspx?locid=98&show=map).   Below is the narrative from previous years' volunteer instructions to help you understand the duties at each venue.  Thanks for your consideration.  We can't pull off this event without an army of vols!

Venue Info:

•             Registration  tent.  These workers will greet visitors and  get signed liability release forms and pens back from them in exchange for raffle tickets.  Detailed instructions will be provided to you on Saturday (9/24), as Kim trains you.  Visitors will be given an arm band as proof of signing the release form (so they can shoot). 

•             Raffle tent: .  Visitors will put one copy of the  raffle ticket into the raffle bucket of their choice and keep the other copy. The raffle will start at 1 PM for free prizes.  I have a small, separate work force assigned to the raffle.    Volunteers on my roster are eligible for  prizes, also!

•             Parking.  Park staff will guide visitor vehicles to orderly parking in the big field.  Parks staff also have a plan for overflow parking, if needed.  They may need a few helpers to direct traffic and explain the venue layout to guests departing their vehicles.

•             Archery.  Hands-on.  One-on-one instruction by WRD and hopefully the Traditional Bowhunters Association, once again.  Note that this venue is on far side of Smith Creek, next to the laundry building.  It can be reached by the road crossing up near the dam or by the footbridge over the creek to the group camp.   Some of you may be asked to provide security.  Just stand at edge of venue and prevent visitors from straying into the line of fire.

•             Airgun.  Hands on by WRD, 4-H Club, and other volunteers.  Same as #4, and located next to it.   Again, a few of you may secure the perimeter.

•             Skeet.  Handled mainly by well-trained DNR and USFS Rangers and Game Management Technicians.  It's 500 yards downstream from the main event (safety, safety).  A few of you may simply help at the sign-in tent and keep waiting guests away from the shooting area (no experience needed).

•             Fishing tent.  This is where visitors can exchange a driver's  license for a loaner fishing pole and bait.  Biologists, fishing guides, TU'ers, and other fibbers can answer questions and give fishing tips.  Fisheries staff will need at least 6 helpers to stay at the tent to handle loaner rod untangling, knot-tying, bait distribution, and rod checkout.  This is a busy, yet fun tent.

•             Fly casting.  Part of the field will be set aside for casting instruction.  I suggest that volunteers bring a rod that they don't mind visitors tinkering with (DON'T BRING YOUR GOOD SAGE OR  WINSTON!!!).  I am venue leader for casting and tying.  If you tie, bring your tying stuff with you, too.

•             Fly tying instruction.  Bring your supplies and an extra vise if you have one. Let visitors sit down at the table and tie his/her own fly to take home. Variations of the woolly worm (W. bugger, Anytime/Anywhere, etc.) or San Juan worm have worked well for me in the past.  Kids love a gold bead and a big, gaudy fly.  Girls love pink flies.  Beads from craft store, yarn from Wal Mart.  Cheap, easy, and fun for visitor.  Many visitors are shy, so you may have to speak up and encourage youngsters to come over and tie their own fly. 

•             Fishing -stream helpers.  Grab a pocket fishing kit (hooks and split shot) and some bait (corn) that WRD will supply and go help people fishing on stream.  Search them out - look at stringers, tackle used,  and forlorn faces.  Find a kid and work with him/her for an hour or so

 on reading water, casting, setting hook, etc.  Mentoring!  Fishing is NOT restricted to kids only (parent has the driver's license, so they must be hooked, too).  Feel free to bring some of your favorite baits to help your reputation as an awesome fishing guide.  We will have about 100 loaner poles available, but feel free to bring an extra Zebco outfit if you have one to loan to your "student," since we made more than 300 loans at our last event.   Some of you can help WRD staff stock creek around 9:45AM.  Get some kids to help too - we're bringing buckets to get them involved.

•             Wildlife and Camping venues.  The experts pretty much run their own shows.  Volunteers here will mainly help WRD staff with logistics needed by the demonstrators (tables, chairs, PR, food and water, etc).

Thanks for considering the donation of your Saturday to preserve the  future of your sport!  Please provide your information to William (William.Goldman@dnr.ga.gov) if you are interested in helping DNR to promote outdoor recreation and plant some seeds of conservation.

Sincerely,

Jeff

Jeff Durniak

Regional Fisheries Supervisor

Georgia Wildlife Resources Division

2150 Dawsonville Highway

Gainesville, GA 30501

Phone: 770.535.5498

Fax: 770.535.5953

email: Jeff.Durniak@dnr.ga.gov