Special Needs Kids Event at Rock Creek Hatchery

What an awesome time with these challenged kids. The staff and Friends group at the hatchery in Suches do an awesome job with community projects. Some of our TU members assisted with this event.

Passing of Sherman Head

All,
It is with immense sadness that I report to you the passing of Sherman Head. As a past president and natural leader, Sherman was beloved by all in our Chapter. Sherman was a giant of a man in both stature and character, always finding time to help others and better our Chapter. He was the best fisherman I ever saw, and was kind enough to help me improve my skills.

As a dear friend, I will sorely miss him. Our hearts and prayers go out to Benny Gayle, Charles, and the rest of the family as they go through these troubling times.
May God Bless.
Mike
Gold Rush Chapter
--
Contact Dahlonega Funeral Home for details

Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery Events

Next Foothills Monthly Meeting - May 12th

Foothills Meeting

WHERE: United Community Bank, 468 W Louise St, Clarkesville, GA 30523
WHEN: Thursday, May 12th 6-6:30 social time 7-8 Program

Our guest speaker will be Sarah Kelehear, the new Naturalist at Smithgall Woods.  Sarah will be giving Foothillers an overview of the activities she has planned for the coming year.  She'll also be giving us a heads up as to when she will be needing some volunteers to help with certain events.  Finally, at my encouragement, I hope she will give us a list of needs at Smithgall Woods that Foothills TU may consider helping fund.  We have a long history of providing financial support for the Youth Education Program at Smithgall and we currently have the funds to make a difference there.  

 

Fly Tying Event - May 2nd CANCELLED

CANCELLED

Please join us for the 2nd monthly fly-tying event at Creekwood's event room. Sodas and Waters available and Ron will be bringing his famous Chili. You may also bring your own drink. My contribution, I will be supplying ingredients and menu for Light Cahill Dun. If you would like to bring someone, let me know. Look forward to seeing you.

When

Monday May 2, 2016 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT

Where

Creekwood Resort Event
5730 Hwy 356
Sautee, GA 30571

Contact

Robert Sullivan
Creekwood Resort
706-878-5512
creekwoodresort@windstream.net

Volunteers needed for kids fishing outing

A group of middle schoolers are coming from the Warner Robins area to spend the weekend of May 13-15 in Helen. They are staying at Unicoi State Park. They are planning to get started Saturday morning no later than 9:00 am

If your chapter has members who might be able to assist for a few hours of fishing at Smith Creek or the Hooch in Helen please ask them to contact me by email.
These with be beginners and future Trout Campers

Regards

Carl Riggs
7turns@tds.net


Hello friends, there is a fishing club from Bonaire Ga Middle School coming up on Saturday May to fish either Smith Creek or the Chattahoochee for their first time for trout. Twelve students and we need some mentors to help for a few hours. Not all will want to fly fish but I would like to see us get a rod in their hands.
Could you please see if any of your members would be willing to go help. We have the council meeting that morning in Dahlonega and I plan to go over to help during the afternoon.

Carl

 

Fishing on the Tuckasegee River today

Our group went to the Tuckasegee River today.... fishing was good until the water started rising and the current pricked up....

Brookie












Rainbow

 John with his friend watching











John putting them back

The stories we tell....

Ga Foothills monthly meeting Thursday, April 14th.

Date: 04/14/16

Time: 6:00 P.M.

Location: United Community Bank, 468 W Louise Street, Clarkesville, GA 30523

Program: small stream fly fishing for trout

Jimmy Harris will be giving the program he presented at the Orvis store in Buckhead this past Saturday on small stream fly fishing for trout.

Meet and greet at 6pm with meeting starting at 6:30 and program at 7pm. Meeting at the

Hunting & Fishing license fee increase bill (HB872)

The following is from Mack Martin, our TU National Leadership Council Rep.

I had a brief discussion regarding the plight of the hunting & fishing license fee increase bill (HB872) at the last chapter meeting.

 I asked the members of the chapter to contact the DNR commissioner (Mark Williams) and express their concern for the fact that the bill was pulled from consideration following the House committee meeting on February 9, 2016. Moreover, after months of meetings and discussions with hunters and fishermen throughout Georgia and the overwhelming support for the increase in license fees, no explanation has been given for this action on the part of DNR. A number of chapter members asked for the details of the timeline for the bill and contact information for Mark Williams, DNR Commissioner.  

So here they are:

HB 872 (Game and fish; boat registration fees and allow additional methods for reporting the sale of boats) was introduced on Jan. 28, 2016 by the following sponsors:

Chad Nimmer (R) Dist 178 - Originator

David Knight(R)  Dist 130

Terry England (R)  Dist 116

Jason Shaw (R)  Dist 176

Al Williams  (D)  Dist 168

Terry Rhodes (R)  Dist 120

After the bill was introduced there were two meetings of the House Game, Fish and Parks committee where various organizations testified favorably for the passage of this bill (Trout Unlimited included). The last individual to testify in the second meeting was Mike Worley, Georgia Wildlife Federation CEO, and he stressed that income from this bill would result in approximately 10 million dollars in increased revenue and the sportsmen in Georgia would like to know where this money will be spent. The following day the bill was withdrawn by DNR with no explanation.

Prior to the introduction of HB 872, the House GP&P passed a bill, HB 483 introduced by Rep. Debbie Buckner (D-137), making the Shoal Bass the "Official Native Riverine Sportfish" and it passed the full House, this bill was a carryover from the 2015 legislative session.  HB 483 was assigned to the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee (NR&E).  Approximately a week after HB 872 was withdrawn, Rep. Buckner's bill was called for a hearing in the Senate committee.  This was a very unusual occurrence for a House Bill, sponsored by a Democrat, to be called for a hearing before crossover day.  Prior to the hearing, Rep. Buckner was approached to see if she objected to having a "fishing license fee" amendment attached to HB 483.  A hearing was held and the bill was discussed, but no vote was taken.

 Ultimately the plan was to pass HB 483 in the Senate and ask the House to "agree" to the Senate version and if they did so the bill would be sent to the Governor for his signature.  If the House insisted on their position (the original bill) there would likely be a conference committee appointed to try and work out the differences. On March 15, 2016 the SNR&E committee voted the HB 483 out of committee with no amendments.  This essentially ended the possibility of securing additional funding for wildlife and fisheries management for this legislative session.

There are opinions as to what happened to this bill (HB872) but no official explanation has been given by anyone from DNR regarding what happened to the bill. Mark Williams  told some members of the Georgia Water Coalition team: "That the DNR did not want to push fees because it's an election year." This group believes that there were fears over any maneuver to require of how fees were to be actually allocated and used.

You can draw your own conclusion as to what went on internally in the DNR management, but in the meantime I think sportsmen in Georgia are due an explanation of why was a major funding bill pulled from consideration after so much discussion took place between conservation groups, Georgia Wildlife Federation, and sportsman all over Georgia.

You are urged to contact the DRN commissioner as a concerned sportsman and ask for a LOGICAL explanation. ("It's an election year is not a reason").

The contact information for Mark Williams is as follows:

2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.

Suite 152- East tower

Atlanta, GA  30334

Phone 404-656-3500

E-mail: mark.williams@dnr.ga.gov

Fly Tying at Creekwood Resort

Join us from 6 pm to 9 or 10 pm for the first monthly fly-tying meeting. We will have Hot Dogs, Potato Salad, Chips, Sodas available. Yes, you can bring your own drink of preference. We are asking for a small contribution I may have forgotten to put someone on the list, in that case please just let me know so I will add.  Click Here to Register

Monday April 4, 2016 from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Add to Calendar

Where

Creekwood Resort, 5730 Hwy 356, Sautee, GA
5730 Hwy 356
Sautee, GA 30571 

Contact

Robert Sullivan
Creekwood Resort
706-878-5512
creekwoodresort@windstream.net