Smithgall Woods volunteers needed - 10/15

.Robinson Elementary has just scheduled 4 rotations (pond ecosystems, how many bears, animal adaptations, dress-a-beaver) for 10/15/2015, from 9:30-1:30pm. If you are available to help on this date, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you & have a great day!

Kathy Church
Interpretive Ranger
Smithgall Woods Conservation Area
(706) 878-3087
http://gastateparks.org/SmithgallWoods
https://www.facebook.com/SmithgallWoodsStatePark

TIE-1-ON FLY TYING EVENT 2015

GEORGIA COUNCIL OF TROUT UNLIMITED
TIE-1-ON FLY TYING EVENT 2015
FUNDRAISER for YOUTH EDUCATION

TU members mark your calendars for the GA TU sponsored "Tie-1-On" event

When: Sept 19, 2015 - 9am to 5pm
Where: Lawrenceville Bass Pro Shop (Discover Mills off I-85)

Help promote Trout Unlimited by providing a public display of the art of Tying Flies. Bass Pro Shop will be providing all the supplies for the flies. Each Georgia Chapter of TU can provide members to help with the demonstration of the art of tying flies. Multiple table will be set up and also additional space for youth to try their hands at tying. Lots of fun and fellowship amongst members while promoting our sport. Materials should be provided to each chapter for event promotion

Brad Cruickshank – brad@cruickshankremodeling.com, cell: 404.309.1368

Unicoi Outfitters Fall Kick-Off - Sept 5th

I hope to see a lot of our friends at Unicoi Outfitters on Spetember 5th. We're giving away an $1,100.00 Orvis Helios 2 outfit! Is that cool or what! Click the Pic so you can easily read it.

Volunteers Needed at Smithgall

Good morning all!  It's me, your friendly, neighborhood beggar.  I have a group coming from Mossy Creek Elementary on Friday, September 18th from 9am - 1pm. They will be participating in 4 rotations of approximately an hour each.  The topics are: stream ecology, archery, orienteering, and a hike of the wetland loop trail. I can cover stream ecology & I can find someone from DNR for archery, but I need volunteers to help with orienteering & the wetland loop trail. If you are interested/available, please let me know.  Thank you & have a great day!

Kathy Church

Interpretive Ranger

Smithgall Woods Conservation Area

(706) 878-3087

http://gastateparks.org/SmithgallWoods

https://www.facebook.com/SmithgallWoodsStatePark

NLC Climate Change committee

Gentlemen:

A survey for input from Georgia TU members will be coming out before the Council meeting in September. Because the NLC Climate Change committee has limited their surveys to ONLY leaders outside of Georgia, this survey will reach all TU Georgia members. I encourage you to urge your chapter members to respond to the survey so we can get a good and accurate response from our members.

You received a link to a family of climate change papers during the December 2014 Council meeting and those papers are still available on Dropbox. (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zqz7ln0edvdi630/AADZIMGCi9_tDBw7YYWRIcy5a?dl=0)         

I have attached another link to a very interesting paper on global temperatures and you might find that interesting as well. The paper has a good bit of technical data and graphs that you may not have time to wade through and if so, read the abstract and skip down to the conclusions. http://www.nature.com/articles/srep12971?WT.ec_id=SREP-20150818&spMailingID=49344375&spUserID=MTUwOTgyMjg4NzY0S0&spJobID=742810690&spReportId=NzQyODEwNjkwS0

Regards,

M. A. (Mack) Martin

National Leadership Council Rep 

Georgia Council Trout Unlimited
www.georgiaTU.org

4116 Brookview Dr. SE
Atlanta, GA  30339

mack@mackmartin.com
Cell & voice mail-(404) 683-0070

IN GOD WE TRUST

USA Youth Fly Fishing National Championships

June 23, 2015

This past weekend was an exciting one here in Cherokee, North Carolina!  29 competitors from around the country gathered here for the 2nd time in the last few years for the Youth National Fly Fishing Championships.  The lower Nantahala, upper Nantahala, Cherokee trophy water and the Cherokee general water were the venues used for the event.  All the venues fished great! A lot  of the competitors worried about the general water section of Raven Fork in Cherokee, but it put up some of the highest numbers of  fish during the whole competition.  The lower and the upper Nantahala fished great as usual, as well as the trophy section, although it did get tough in the later sessions.  This was a competitor controlled event, which means each angler fishes two 2 hour sessions per day and judges another 2 anglers for their 2 hour session.  This format allows competitors to watch other anglers work their beat and how they fish it, which is key when wanting to learn new things. Every angler is different when it comes to working and reading water.  Over two days of competition, with 4 sessions per day, over 1,200 fish were caught!  That’s an extremely high number of fish for 2 days! Also, six out of the top 10 competitors were River’s Edge Outfitters guides!  We know what we are doing here at River’s Edge Outfitters and the fish are cooperating!
Here are the top 3 finishers and some stats from the competition

1. Hunter Hoffler
2. Andrew Brown
3. Ricky Ozmar

Over 1,200 fish caught by 29 anglers in 2 days
Big Fish: 58 cm. (23 in.) caught by Hunter Enloe

Unicoi Outdoor Adventure Day - 9/26

Saturday, September 26, 2015

 

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.

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, 9/26/15.  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:

 

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)? ____

 

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 (9/26), 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

 

 

Smithgall Woods Conservation Area Volunteers Needed

Hello all!  I am in need of some extra hands on 10/1 & 2.  I will have a group of 90 third graders, from 9:30am - 1:30pm, each day. They will work through 5 stations of approximately 40 minutes each.  The stations are: Animal Adaptations, Snakes, Build-a-Beaver, Rocks & Minerals, & How Many Bears. I have reached out to Shelia for the Snakes & Bob for the Rocks & minerals, but, if you are interested in helping, I could use assistance with the other stations. If you are interested/available, e-mail me back or call me at the office (706-878-3087).  Thank you for all that you do to support Smithgall!

Kathy Church
Interpretive Ranger
Smithgall Woods Conservation Area
(706) 878-3087

Monthly Meeting this Thursday

This month, the presenter at our next meeting is legend in North Georgia. There are rumors that he may have gills and actually swims into those deep holes to find those giant trout. It is none other than Jake Darling of Unicoi Outfitters. From mastering the wary trout of Dukes Creek to absolutely owning the shoal bass in the Chattahoochee River, there isn't much that Jake can't do with a fly rod. Jake will sit down with us and give us some instruction on fly tying along with some of his techniques when fishing in North Georgia and beyond.

Join us this Thursday, we look forward to seeing you there.

   

Date: 08/13/15

Time: 6:00 P.M. (Social Time), 7:00 P.M. (Program)

Location: United Community Bank on Historic Old Hwy 441 in Clarkesville 

Program: Jake Darling's Secrets to Catching Fish

2015 Trout Camp Essay Contest

2015 Trout Camp Essay Contest