Newsline. Lines from the Leader. UCCTU Newsline June, 2011 Volume 28 Issue 05

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1 Newsline UCCTU Newsline June, 2011 Volume 28 Issue 05 Lines from the Leader June 4: Fishing Dayz South Eastern Fly Fishing Festival June 11: Chattahoochee River Race & Festival June 18: Bryant Creek Brook Trout Stream Project June 28: Chapter Meeting July 2: Fishing Dayz July 9: Martin s Branch Brook Trout Stream Project July 26: Chapter Meeting Note: For more information on these events visit our calendar. Often members inquire and wonder what they can do, as individuals, for our home water and namesake the Chattahoochee River. It is difficult for one organization, let alone one person, to have a positive impact on such a large stream. Going forward, though, you can through UCCTU s Adopt-the-Hooch stream monitoring program. UCCTU is partnering with GA EPD Adopt-a- Stream, Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and the National Park Service to begin a program monitoring physical, chemical, bacterial and macroinvertebrate factors along the Chattahoochee River Tailwater corridor. UCCTU will focus on feeder streams to provide an early alert while the Riverkeeper and National Park Service monitor the larger river along with established EPD and USGS testing. I encourage you to sign-up today and participate. UCCTU has three conservation goals in its strategic plan: the Chattahoochee Tailwater, native trout and other coldwater fisheries. In June and July you have the opportunity to help improve native brook trout habitat on Bryant Creek, a Cooper Creek headwater stream, and Martin Branch, a Chattahoochee River tributary. These two workdays are your chance to improve Georgia s native trout fishery. Events like this are personally rewarding and a chance to make new friends. As for fishing during the summer, remember the Chattahoochee Tailwater stays cold all summer long. I still think summer is the pleasantest time to go fishing perhaps more now than ever that I am getting a little creaky in the joints and more sensitive to the chill of spring and winter. Roderick Haig-Brown, Fisherman s Summer See you on the stream! Kevin McGrath 1

2 Forward Cast June Meeting A big Upper Chattahoochee TU welcome to the following new members: Peter Dvornek Tom Hayes Taylor Howard John Killorin Chris Scalley, River through Atlanta, will be the speaker at UCCTU's June 27th monthly meeting. Come learn from an expert about the difference in insects from Buford Dam to Whitewater, what flies typically match them and angling tips that work. Join us for social hour and dinner starting at 6 pm. Meeting begins 7 pm. Ippolito's is located 2 miles east of GA 400 on Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell, GA. (Ippolito's Family Style Italian Restaurant.) David Lucius Russ McDaniel David Perne Fishing Dayz Mike Rose Brad Rowe Rob Steers Sean Shannon Welcome aboard! We look forward to seeing you at a meeting, at Fishing Dayz, or at one of UCCTU s events. Fishing Dayz June 4 th 21st Annual Southeastern Fly Fishing Festival UCCTU will travel to Unicoi State Stark in Helen, GA for the 21 st Annual Southeastern Fly Fishing Festival. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about fishing, casting and fly tying. Fishing, fly tying, casting workshops. Banquet and auction on Saturday evening. UCCTU Fishing Dayz on Saturday. Meet Ed Jaworowski. Register for festival and workshops. For details contact Mark Mac Donald (770) or flyguidemac@gmail.com.. UCCTU Events Back to the Chattahoochee River Race and Festival UCCTU is a River Conservator Sponsor of Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper s 9th Annual back to the 2

3 Chattahoochee River Race & Festival. The event is scheduled for June 11 th. UCCTU members are needed as paddlers in the race and for the UCCTU booth at the festival. THE RACE begins at 9 a.m. and includes open and recreational categories, various age divisions, solo and tandem canoe divisions, as well as kayak and sea kayak divisions. Paddlers wanting a competitive race will traverse the ten-mile course, while recreational paddlers will take the eight-mile course. Both include exciting Class I-II rapids and conclude at Riverside Park. Timing officials will be provided by Georgia Canoeing Association. THE FESTIVAL at Riverside Park, 10am to 2pm, is free and family-friendly. Racers and others will enjoy live music plus Riverside Park s spray ground, face painting, balloon artists and other family-friendly activities, as well as vendors and an array of environmental exhibits. For more information go here. To volunteer at UCCTU s booth contact Ken Mock at (404) or ken.mock@earthlink.net. Conservation Corner Adopt-the-Hootch UCCTU is excited about kicking off a water quality monitoring program we are calling Adopt-the-Hooch as part of GA EPD's Adopt-a-Stream outreach program. Allison Hughes, State Adopt-a-Stream Coordinator, and Jason Ulseth, Upper Chattahoochee Watershed Trainer, will roll out the program to UCCTU at the May 24th chapter meeting. Adopt-a-Stream is a volunteer program that tests physical, chemical, bacteria and macrroinvertebrate factors. Allison and Jason will discuss the types of monitoring conducted in the program, training available, plans for testing sites and how the data is used for managing the watershed. It is important to coordinate testing already conducted by EPD, CRNRA, UCR, USGS or other Adopt-a-Stream groups. EPD, CRNRA and UCR are excited about working with TU on this initiative. Initial discussions lead us to monitoring on the tributaries rather than the main stem of the river. CRNRA, UCR, EPD and USGS monitor the main stem at several locations and CRNRA has plans to expand their monitoring. The tributaries are currently under monitored and monitoring them would allow for the identification of point source problems and the early warning before problems are found in the river. We hope to recruit several monitoring teams after this presentation. GA EPD Adopt-a-Stream has committed to a Saturday training session for chemical and biological testing certification for the volunteers. We are planning to focus on sites upstream from Island Ford to Medlock Bridge. We hope the Tailwater and Cohutta chapters will provide volunteers to include Buford Dam downstream to Vinings to further the study. Contact Howard Gleiter (flyfishor@comcast.net or ) or Brad Cruickshank (Brad@cruickshankremodeling.com or ). 3

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6 Chattooga River Anglers E-Diary The Rabun Chapter of TU is now hosting an electronic Chattooga River Angler's E-diary on their site We encourage you to fill out the diary after each fishing trip to the Chattooga River. The password for accessing the diary is anglersdiary. Information collected from these E-diaries will be used by the agencies managing the resources of the Chattooga River. This information will become especially important if the agencies adopt an adaptive management strategy in their management of the river as a result of the upcoming decision regarding boating on the Chattooga North Fork. Chattahoochee River Tailwater Wild Brown Trout Study GA DNR, TU, National Park Service-Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA), Chattahoochee Cold Water Fishery Foundation (CCWFF) and Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (UCR) are partnering on a fourteen month Chattahoochee River Tailwater Wild Brown Trout Growth, Migration and Population Study funded financially by a TU Embrace-A- Stream Grant, local TU chapter and UCR contributions as well as in-kind support by WRD, TU, CRNRA, CCWFF and UCR. A number of volunteers from various TU Chapters have been on the river assisting Patrick O Rouke, GA DNR Fisheries Biologist, in his efforts to capture, weigh, measure, tag, and release brown trout in support of the study. Photographs from some outings: Paul Valvo, Cohutta TU, with a 3.06 pound brown trout On the measuring board inches 6

7 Mike Morgan, Cohutta TU, is ready with the net. Russ Fraze, Tailwater TU, with a 20 inch brown. Russ Fraze and Patrick O Rouke showing the 9 inch brown trout taken from the gullet of the 20 inch brown trout. Fred Wammock, Upper Chattahoochee TU, with a 16 inch brown trout. Mike Morgan with a inch brown trout. A pair of nice browns 7

8 Results. Measuring Hootch Brown. In the net. Tagging Tagged brown trout - just behind the eye. Release these fish. They are in the study. The Wild Brown Trout Growth, Migration and Population Study will: Tag, release and recapture wild brown trout to estimate an annual growth rate. Learn more about available forage and diet preferences. Explore whether interspecific competition occurs with stocked rainbow trout. Explore site fidelity and migration patterns. Initiate examination of management practices - i.e. fishing regulations and stocking. 8

9 Other News Follow UCCTU on Facebook The Newsline is published monthly, but you can keep up with daily updates about the chapter, conservation, fishing, events, and advocacy on Facebook. You can network with your fellow UCCTU members. See pictures of chapter events and fishing trips. Fishing Dayz updates and changes are posted to Facebook. You do not have to be a Facebook member to follow UCCTU on Facebook but it helps. Logon to the UCCTU Facebook page here. If you are a Facebook member, Like our page to get posts from UCCTU on your Newsfeed. Our Chapter Mission: To Conserve, Protect and Restore Georgia s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds within our geographic influence Events around Georgia June 3-4: 21 st Annual Southeastern Fly Fishing Festival. Details can be found here. 9

10 Your 2011 UCCTU Voluntary Dues or Donate Online - NOW! With your help, UCCTU makes a difference conserving, protecting and restoring Georgia's trout waters. From the Chattahoochee River Tailwater to the Georgia mountains, whether giving a voice to conservation in the General Assembly or teaching the next generation about the importance of clean water, UCCTU represents you. Help protect Georgia's cold water fisheries today by paying your 2011 local, voluntary dues or make a donation to UCCTU online. Together, we make a difference. Voluntary Dues $20 Friend $50 Conservator $100 Protector $250 Restorer $500 Guardian $1000 Payment can also be made at our next meeting or by mail with the enclosed form. USE THIS COUPON TO SEND WITH YOUR VOLUNTARY DUES OR DONATION UCCTU 2011 Voluntary Dues and Donations Name: Street Address: City, State Zip: $20 Voluntary Local Dues $50 Friend $100 Conservator $250 Protector $500 Restorer $1,000 Guardian Other $ Date: Amount Sent: Check Number: Make check payable to: UCCTU. To pay by credit card, please provide the following information: Credit Card Number Expiration date Authorization Code from back of credit card Name as it appears on the card Phone Number Zip Code Amount paid $ Signature Mail to: Jim Williams, UCCTU Treasurer, 3009 Gateland Square, Marietta, Georgia UCCTU will not sell, trade, or share any personal information with any third party, nor send donor mailings on behalf of another organization. UCCTU has security measures in place and takes reasonable precautions to protect against the loss, misuse, and unauthorized access of your personal information under our control. 10

11 UCCTU recognizes our members who have made voluntary contributions for 2011 at the following levels: Friend: Annual: Gordon Fowler Robert Martin Greg Megan Russ Bledsoe Jim Morgens Tom Hayes 11

12 Back Cast April Meeting Jim Wentworth, Chattahoochee National Forest Wildlife Biologist, gave a presentation Home Sweet Home: Brook Trout Structures about restoration work in the Forest to Upper Chattahoochee TU at the April meeting. Jim Wentworth Steve Johnson receives a gift basket of Stonefly Vineyard wine and a box of stoneflies as the bid raffle winner from UCCTU President Kevin McGrath 12

13 Talkin about Fishin Tip of the Month It is caddis season and here is a tip that might pay off for you while fishing the adult caddis dry fly. The adult caddis sometimes lays her eggs by diving in the water, swimming down and depositing her eggs on the bottom of the stream, instead of dropping to the surface of the water and fluttering up and down to lay eggs. Therefore, it is often productive to sink the caddis dry fly (just a quick tug will do it) and emulate the swimming female. Tip of the Month provided by the Atlanta Fly Fishing School. AFFS provides beginning and advanced classes and private instruction. Contact Mack Martin, Owner, at , info@atlantaflyfishingschool.com. Fly of the Month Red Fox Squirrel-Hair Nymph (RFSHN) With the caddis season nearing an end I thought it is time to once again address some of the most productive flies ever developed. Like the Hair's Ear, Adams and Woolley Bugger Dave Whitlock's RFSHN ranks as one of the best. It has been several years since we have featured this fly in the FOTM and I suggest tying up several sizes. What makes this fly so special is the more it is fished, buggier it becomes. Recipe: Hook: Tiemco 5262 or 5263 sizes #2 - #18 Thread: 6/0 color black or orange Weight: Lead wire (diameter of hook wire) or optional gold or black bead of proper hook size Tail: Small tuft of red fox squirrel back hair including underfur and guard hairs Rib: Oval gold tinsel or orange Flashabou Abdomen: Red fox squirrel belly hair with 50/50 blend of sparkle dubbing or Dave Whitlock Plus SLF- #1 Thorax: Red Fox Squirrel back hair blended 50/50 with sparkle dubbing or Dave Whitlock s 13

14 Plus SLF - #2 Legs: On hook sizes #12 and larger, one turn of Metz dark ginger hen saddle Tying Instructions: 1. Crush down hook barb, attach thread behind hook eye and advance rearward to hook bend. 2. At mid-shank add wraps of lead wire. 3. Tie in tail at hook bend allowing just the tan white and black tips to show. Length should be 1/3 to 1/2 hook shank length. 4. Tie in rib. 5. Dub tapered abdomen forward to 2/3 hook shank length and tie off. 6. Wrap rib forward in 4 or 5 open spirals and tie off. 7. Dub a robust thorax to one hook eye length behind eye and tie off. Thorax should be thicker than the tapered abdomen. 8. Build a small neat head and whip finish - cement head from bottom. 9. On hook sizes #12 -#18 pick out guard hairs to represent legs. 10. On hook sizes #12 and larger strip fibers from one side of the hackle stem and tie in by the tip. Make one turn of hackle, build a small neat head and whip finish - cement. Go fishing The Fly of the Month is provided by Bob Foster. Bob can be contacted at bpfoster2@att.net. North Georgia Foothills The unseasonable heat of the past couple of weeks has seemed to put the fish on alert for big meaty morsels bobbing down our rivers and creeks. Just a couple of days ago we spotted some splashy rises tucked up under an overhanging mountain laurel branch which was bursting with blooms. Having seen this many times before on other streams, I rifled through my fly vest which is embarrassingly fat with fly boxes and under a moldy pack of peanut butter crackers I located a small box of terrestrials. Cracking open the box that hadn't seen the light of day since at least last September I spotted some little black hard body ants. After a few minutes of stripping off a nymph rig and fashioning a fine tapered leader of 5x mono we were in business. Way too early I thought to myself as Steve made the ant take flight and made a darn good cast and mend. Three feet of drift and the rainbow tilted up and confidently crushed the ant and after a brief skirmish slid in the net. He caught 3 more fish on the ant and 4 more on a Tan Turks Tarantula size

15 Normally it's June before we really get cranking on the terrestrial fishing up here. Everything seems to be just a little early this year. For sure you can still use nymphs and streamers and catch the lion s share of the fish but sometimes Mother Nature needs a little prodding. Green Weenies are producing a bunch of fish for good reason. The little green inch worms are hanging all over the creeks up here. I've yet to see a hopper or beetle this spring but to be sure the moment you spot the first one you can believe the trout already know they're there! Hopper imitations run the board from being delicate little Letort hoppers to fat layers of foam and unidentifiable stuff that some alien left behind all wrapped on the hook, and of course both extremes will catch fish. Here in North Georgia and the rest of the Southern Mountains as far as I'm concerned the Tan or Brown Turks Tarantula with the flat Brown legs in a size 10 may be perfection. It's big enough to get the attention of the largest brown in the river yet small enough not to cull out the standard fare. For Hopper/Dropper combos swinging a small weighted nymph such as a pheasant tail or prince nymph under the Turks is a killer combo. Some sort of Parachute or Quick Sight Beetle in about a size 10 or 12 should also be tucked away in your boxes for the occasional times when nothing seems to be working. It has saved many a day for me here in the east and also the west. I believe they crunch like popcorn or something not that I've tried them by the way, but I've seen large trout swim 10 feet just to munch one. With any terrestrial that you're fishing don't be shy about really slapping the fly down on the water. A grasshopper looks like a 747 being ditched when it hits and this is just another way that a big old mossy backed trout locates an easy meal. Sometimes a little action imparted to the fly will also get more attention than a perfectly drifted item. When the bug has the oh crap moment and gets blown in or tumbles in he's usually not going to just surrender he's going to kick and scream and try to get out of that cold water just like we do. Many streams here in Georgia that I've had good terrestrial fishing on are Dukes Creek, Chattooga River, Tallulah River, Chattahoochee River, Jones Creek, Coopers Creek, Noontootla Creek and the Toccoa River. If I see grass I chunk a Tarantula or on a stream with very little grass or sun light penetration an ant seems to be the ticket. Enough already with trying to see those blasted number 20 B.W.O.'s! Let s all tie on a big 'ole hopper and go have some fun! North Georgia Foothills provided by Unicoi Outfitters. Unicoi Outfitters offers a full service fly fishing shop, guide services, regional fishing information, and fly fishing for trophy rainbow trout and brown trout. For the Helen locations, contact John Cross, , flyfish@unicoioutfitters.com. For the Blue Ridge location, contact David Hulsey, , unicoioutfitters@tds.net. 15

16 The Guide s Angle Want to catch more fish, have fewer tangles, fly cast better and lose fewer flies? Here is a simple solution which works well for me and my clients. While fishing the crystal clear waters of the Cumberland River tailwater in south central Kentucky, we needed to find a way to successfully hook and land extremely large trout on super small flies. First we compared flourocarbon tippet material to regular monofilament both for dries and nymphs. We were able to get away with 4X tippet on say a #20 Zebra Midge nymph rather than a 5X or sometimes even 6X mono tippet! This 4X Flouro not only fooled these trout it also held these powerful fish! In fact many of our #18 and #20 hooks were straightened when we tried to hastily rush the fish to the net rather than snapping like thread with our lighter mono. Flouro was certainly better camouflaged then mono allowing us to catch more fish and lose fewer flies. Flouro tippet for dry flies was the same result allowing us to get away with one or two diameter tippet sizes larger but we needed to dress the leader with floatant dressing as Flouro does tend to sink on its own. Some years later I found myself on the Chattahoochee River tailwater near Buford Dam where the water is truly "gin clear" but when we ran out of Flouro tippet material. We were fishing dries with small dropper nymphs. We ran out of Flouro 5X material which was deadly with #22 Zebra nymph as a dropper. All we had was 3X Flouro so I decided to try an open loop knot or what most anglers call a Duncan Loop. Spin fishermen call it a "Rapala Knot". The open knot does not fully cinch to the hook eye like a clinch knot so the fly can move freely and unhindered. We began catching wild stream bred brown trout on our 3X tippet on size #22 dropper nymphs! Since this happened, I use the better camouflaged Flouro and I try to get away with as heavy a tippet possible. The open loop knot does NOT work when directly tied to dry flies and will be prone to catastrophic "bird's nest" tangles! By using heavier tippet you will find that your leader will unfurl more consistently in windy conditions. When checking and ducking cumbersome and heavy flies like a #4 Kauffmans Stonefly nymph with a dropper and strike indicator or large streamers you will have fewer tailing loops. This tip should help you catch and land more fish, have fewer tangles, lose fewer flies and ultimately help you catch more fish! See how to tie a Duncan Loop Knot at v-f8em8iwpzo Tight lines. The Guide s Angle provided by River through Atlanta. River trough Atlanta offers full service guide trips, instruction and wing shooting. Contact Chris Scalley, , 16

17 Gear Heads NuCanoes!!!We are excited to be a dealer for a very cool boat that you need to check out! It s not a canoe or a kayak, but it has the positive qualities of both. Unlike a canoe or kayak the NuCanoe can be used to go fishing, hunting, rowing, or just having fun paddling around. NuCanoe can be used out on the lake, stream, river, or even in saltwater. Anywhere there is water the NuCanoe can go, but it s more than just going. The NuCanoe with its versatile seating and accessories can change to enable you to do whatever you want from fishing, hunting, rowing, diving, or just paddling. Try doing that in your canoe or kayak. The NuCanoe ( comes in either a 10 foot or 12 foot model. Come by the shop to check out the NuCanoe. Gear Heads provided by the Fish Hawk. The Fish Hawk, located in Buckhead, is a full service fly shop. Contact the staff at , staff@thefishhawk.com, Every Excuse to Cook..What You Catch This recipe is from one of our favorite cookbooks, Bon Appetite, Y all, by local chef and now cookbook author Virginia Willis. Her second cookbook, Basic to Brilliant, Y all, will debut at The Cook s Warehouse this summer! Valdosta Grilled Trout with Olive Oil 4 (6-8oz) whole trout, gutted Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 2 lemons, very thinly sliced, plus 2 lemons wedged for garnish 8 sprigs fresh thyme 8 sprigs fresh flat leaf Italian parsley 4 bay leaves, preferably fresh Best quality extra virgin olive oil (don t skimp!) Prepare a charcoal grill with about 6 pounds of charcoal and burn until the coals are completely covered in a thin layer of white ash (natural lump charcoal gives the cleanest flavor, briquettes contain a lot of fillers ). Spread the coals out evenly, position the grill rack above and heat until medium hot (your hand held 5 inches above won t stay there more than 3-4 seconds) Meanwhile, place the trout on a clean work surface and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Equally divide the lemon slices, thyme, parsley and bay leaves amongst the cavities. Place the stuffed trout on the grill, heads facing one direction, and grill, covered, until cooked on one side, about 5 minutes. 17

18 Uncover the grill and flip the trout to the other side, or simply roll them over, cover the grill again and continue cooking until done on the second side, an additional 3-5 minutes. To serve, remove the trout to a warm platter and drizzle with your best olive oil. Garnish with the lemon wedges and serve immediately. David Every Excuse to Cook provided by The Cook's Warehouse - Brookhaven. The Cook s Warehouse Offers professional cookware, cooking classes taught by area chefs, fine wines, and other cooking-related products. Contact David DiCorpo, , David@cookswarehouse.com, 18

19 UCC TU Contacts UCCTU Board of Directors: President: Kevin McGrath Secretary: Bill Malloy Treasurer: Jim Williams Advocacy and Conservation Chair: Brad Cruickshank Do you know of information that would be interesting to all of our chapter members? Have you heard of an upcoming event? Would you like to write an article on a recent fishing trip, share a fishing tip or conservation issue? If so, send an to Fred Wammock (newsline@ucctu.org) for possible inclusion in our Newsline. Input is due by the 15 th of the month. Membership Chair: Bill Hatherley membership@ucctu.org Fundraising Chair: Kevin McGrath president@ucctu.org Communications Chair: Charlie Bennett communications@ucctu.org Education Chair: Ed Chamberlain education@ucctu.org Member At Large: Bob Foster at_large@ucctu.org Member At Large: Mack Martin at_large@ucctu.org Past President: Dutch Earle expresident@ucctu.org 19