Call for Volunteers!

Please come join the Rabun Chapter on Thursday, April 27 for a stream conservation project. We will be working under the supervision of the US Forest Service and GA Department of Natural Resources to construct new stream structures and perform maintenance on existing stream structures in Reed and Heddon Creeks. We will meet at 8:30 am at the “Double Bit” dispersed camping area, located alongside Reed Creek just off the Burrells Ford Road.

Directions to the work project:

From Clayton, GA take Warwoman Road (next to Ingles) approximately 13 miles to the intersection with GA Hwy 28.

Turn right onto GA Hwy 28 and go approximately 1.7 to Burrells Ford Road (FS Road 646) on your left.

Turn left onto Burrells Ford Road. This road is a fairly well-maintained gravel road. Go approximately 5 miles to a woods road on your left. This road will be marked with a TU sign.

Turn left onto this woods road and go 100 yards to the parking area. This woods road is rough and there is a shallow ford in the road. You may also park on the Burrells Ford Road and walk to the work project along the woods road.

Contact Tammy Hopton, Rabun Chapter Prez, at teajatee@gmail.com if you need more information.

February Meeting - 2/9/2023

Jeff Durniak to give a presentation at tonight’s meeting on  Spring Drys and Droppers.  So come on out, we’ll still be discussing and planning for the Hoot.  Please bring along the items you have procured for our silent auction and bucket raffles. Remember we are at the Clarkesville library starting about 6p.  We can also learn which dry / dropper setup to use this spring.  Which seems to be springing early this year 😊

Date: 02/09/2023

Time: 6:30 PM

Location: Clarkesville Library

178 E. Green Street, Clarkesville, GA 30523

Program: Hoot on the Hooch Planning

Foothills October Monthly Meeting

 Our guest speaker for the October Foothills Trout Unlimited meeting 

will be Ben Smith.  Ben has been guiding in northeast Georgia for a few years and now works with Unicoi Outfitters.  One of Ben's specialties is Euro Nymphing so this is your opportunity to hone your own skills in this technique.  This meeting will take place on the water at Nacoochee Bend on October 13th beginning at 5:30 PM.  It is recommended you park in the gravel parking lot in front of Habersham Winery, across the highway from Nora Mill.  There was an expressed interest in having more "How To" programs for our chapter members.  We intend for this to be the first of many.

Foothills March Monthly Meeting - 9/8/22

We will resume our monthly meetings again beginning the 2nd Thursday in September in the community room at the United Community Bank in Clarkesville, Ga.

I look forward to seeing everyone again on September 8th and returning to some semblance of normal.

Foothills May Monthly Meeting 5/12

 

Our guest speaker for the meeting this Thursday (5/12) will be the infamous Landon Williams.  As those of us who have known Landon for a long time are aware, he fishing more than most of the rest of us combined.  Landon's passion in the coming months will be the Georgia Bass Slam (https://georgiawildlife.com/fishing/angler-resources/GeorgiaBassSlam).  We hope you will join us (& bring a friend!) for this entertaining event.

April Monthly Meeting

 Date: 04/14/2022

Time: 6:00

Location: United Community Bank

468 W Louise Street, Clarkesville, GA 30523

Program: Israel Patterson Introduction

Back to back meetings. It's a little beyond April Fools, so hopefully you don't think this is a joke. No really, meetings are a thing again. Not COVID, Putin or Pollen will stop us from keeping our traditions going.

This month, we are joined by the newest member of the Unicoi Outfitters family: Israel Patterson. Israel previously lived in northern Colorado with his wife and daughter where he was a professional fly fishing guide in and around Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. In addition to his skills as an angler, Israel is also an accomplished photographer.

You can find some of his photos on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/israelpatterson

Jimmy says he thinks he's a perfect fit, so he must me alright. We hope you can join us to show Israel a warm welcome to our area and chapter.

As usual, general chat starts at 6:00, business at 6:30 and then our program at 7:00. We hope to see you there.

Foothills March Monthly Meeting - 3/10/22

With the warmer temperatures we’ve had this week it feels like spring out there. I hope everyone is doing well and getting out and enjoying themselves. Thankfully, Covid seems to be abating and restrictions are being curtailed. We will resume our monthly meetings again beginning the 2nd Thursday in March in the community room at the United Community Bank in Clarkesville, Ga. on Louise St. It is my understanding that a speaker has been booked so we will return to our regular schedule, 6 – 6:30 social time, 6:30 – 7 business, 7-8 presentation. I hope everyone will attend.

We continue to mourn the loss of our friend and foothills member Warren Adams. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers through this difficult time.

I look forward to seeing everyone again on March 10th and returning to some semblance of normal.

Bruce

Georgia Trout Camp

 

·    Georgia Trout Camp

·    We are returning to Tallulah Falls School for GA Trout Camp. Dates – June 5 – 10^th. Bruce is updating our website with more information - in the meantime the application is attached in both word and pdf. We are accepting 12 campers for the 2022 camp, one from each Chapter. We will have our usual wait-list for additional campers, or those who inquire from the web. There is a fee increase of $100 – to $700. Of course we will make adjustments as needed for any COVID issues that we must deal with. But in the meantime, it is Full Steam Ahead!

PROPOSED 2022 VOLUNTEER CONSERVATION OPPOTUNITIES

 

PROPOSED 2022 VOLUNTEER CONSERVATION OPPOTUNITIES Georgia Trout Unlimited   Contact Steve Westmoreland with questions: stevewestmoreland1@gmail.com. Cell-770-403-0609   February 4th and 5th: Fly Fishing Show- GA TU Booth help needed.   March 5th: Raccoon Creek Workday- Cohutta Chapter and NPHS 5Rivers Club   March 26th: Sweep the Hooch- Chattahoochee River Keeper and NPS   April 14th: Hedden Creek- Rabun County: Rabun Chapter and Friends   April 16th: Rock Creek- Murray County: Coosa Valley lead   April 16th: Long Creek- Fannin County: BRMTU   April 30th: TroutFest-Blue Ridge: BRMTU   May 7th: Fly Fishing with Mom- GA DNR; Unicoi State Park   May 14th: Kids Fishing Rodeo- Murray County: TBD   June 4th: Lake Winfield Scott- Kids Fishing Day   June 5th: 10th- TROUT CAMP-Tallulah Falls School   June 8th: Trout Camp Workday- Walnut Fork   June 11th: Tallulah River- Kids Fishing Day   July 9th: Jasus Creek- White County- TBD   September 17th: Johns Creek- Floyd County: Cohutta and Coosa Valley   November 4th- 5th: Becoming an Outdoors Woman- BOW- Location TBD- GA DNR

Message from the president....

 Over the past years Georgia Foothills TU has made a huge impact in our local community supporting programs and organizations that align with our Trout Unlimited values and principals. Some examples are Smithgall Woods Education Outreach Program, Casting for Recovery, Trout in the Classroom, Project Healing Waters, 4H Youth Kayak Fishing, Trout Camp, and others. We have been very fortunate to have been able to continue our support during this pandemic even though we have had our main fund raiser the Hoot on the Hooch canceled twice because of it. If we wish to continue to support these programs and organizations into the future, we must start planning for it now. The direction things are going now makes it reasonable to think that we should be able to host the ‘Hoot in March of 2022.

Putting on the ‘Hoot is a big job typically accomplished by a handful of club members. It also provides us our funding for the year. We need to decide if we want to host it again or find a new source for obtaining our funding. This is a decision that needs to be reached by the membership.

After last month’s forced postponement due to the gas situation. We will hold June’s meeting on Thursday the 10th at Fish Camp in Smithgall Woods. It is still of great importance that you come and share your thoughts and ideas on how best to move Georgia Foothills TU forward as we transition beyond Covid. In the years prior to the pandemic, club participation had been declining. Now, after being shutdown for a year we need to get things going again. This is OUR club, and it needs to move forward with everyone together. The only way that can happen is with YOUR Input. The CDC and the State have relaxed the social distancing rules for outdoor meetings. We will continue to take a common sense approach to avoiding spreading the virus. I look forward to seeing everyone again.

Bruce