TUCKASEIGEE RIVER CHAPTER # 373 OF TROUT UNLIMITED October 2014

Transcription

1 Tuck Tales TUCKASEIGEE RIVER CHAPTER # 373 OF TROUT UNLIMITED October 2014 A TU Urges Caution as Energy Companies Pursue Pipeline Project! recent sultry summer! day found Philip Smith, TU s West Virginia Council chair, in one of his favorite places, a tiny trout stream deep in West Virginia s mountains. Gingerly, with his homemade split bamboo rod, he cast a tiny stimulator fly to fishylooking spots, hoping to tangle with a native brook trout. Fishing Appalachian brook trout streams in the summer requires a careful, delicate, conscientious approach. And that s also the kind of approach Trout Unlimited and its West Virginia and Virginia councils are insisting that energy companies take when it comes to the task of constructing a proposed natural gas pipeline that, if built, could cross dozens of Appalachian trout streams as it winds from West Virginia to southern North Carolina. Dubbed the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, the project would be a joint effort between Dominion Resources, Duke Energy and other partners. The 550-mile pipeline would originate in Harrison County, W. Va., and terminate in Robeson County, N.C., near the South Carolina border. Smith specifically mentioned the Shavers Fork watershed as an area where the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Trout Unlimited and others have made incredible gains in helping improve what is becoming one of the top interconnected native brook trout watersheds in the state. And Trout Unlimited and the U.S. Forest Service have transformed the upper Continued on page -2-

2 Continued from page -1- Greenbrier into one of the most effective stream restoration collaborations in the country, Smith noted. The pipeline is projected to cut through these and other coldwater streams as it makes an indirect path toward North Carolina. Native brook trout not only are a valuable recreational resource, but also are a critical indicator species that can help portend threats to the overall health of cold water resources. According to a Status and Threats report from the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, Virginia already has lost all brook trout populations in 38 percent of the species' historical range due to poor land management, outdated grazing practice, roads and other humanrelated impacts. Of West Virginia's current brook trout-inhabited subwatersheds, only 1 percent remain fully intact while brookies are completely absent from nearly 60 percent of waters that theoretically should be able to support the species. Trout Unlimited has made enormous investments in protection, restoration, and recovery of trout waters in both states, for example through projects focusing on the Potomac, Shenandoah and James river headwaters. Yet the proposed pipeline's path -- intersecting three national forests -- would cut through some of the best remaining brook trout habitat in central Appalachia. According to the U.S. Forest Service, the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia features more than 600 miles of coldwater streams inhabited by native brook trout. And the George Washington and Jefferson national forests alone feature more than 1,000 miles of trout streams. While the proposed pipeline has generated some outright protests, if it moves forward, Trout Unlimited plans to work closely with federal and state agencies and the pipeline companies to ensure that the pipeline and its associated infrastructure do not negatively affect fragile mountain streams or reverse the progress that Trout Unlimited and our partners have made in restoring brookie habitat across these mountain ranges. The pipeline s proposed route cuts through three of the East s national forests and some of the most rugged and pristine habitat in the region, said Elizabeth Maclin, Trout Unlimited s Vice President for Eastern Conservation. Our top priority is to ensure that these backcountry trout waters are not impacted by this pipeline development. l October 2014!!!!!!!!!!! Page 2

3 T Delayed-Harvest Trout Waters Open Oct. 1 he N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will implement delayed-harvest regulations on 33! trout waters in 18 western North Carolina counties on Oct. 1. Before Oct. 1, hatchery-supported regulations apply to these waters. Under delayed-harvest regulations, no trout can be harvested or possessed from these waters between Oct. 1 and one half-hour after sunset on June 5, No natural bait is allowed, and anglers can fish only with single-hook, artificial lures. An artificial lure is defined as a fishing lure that neither contains nor has been treated with any substance that attracts fish by the sense of taste or smell. The Commission stocks delayed-harvest trout waters from fall through spring with high densities of trout to increase anglers chances of catching fish. Delayed-harvest trout waters, posted with diamondshaped, black-and-white signs, are popular fishing destinations for anglers who enjoy catch-andrelease trout fishing. For a complete list of delayed-harvest trout waters, stocking dates, information on delayed-harvest regulations and trout fishing maps, visit the Commission s trout fishing page. l Photo - NCWRC October 2014!!!!!!!!!!! Page 3

4 For its first 30 years, the Clean Water Act was one of the best tools for protecting trout and salmon habitat and provided better fishing opportunities for millions of anglers. In the last decade, however, this bedrock conservation law has been weakened by a series of Supreme Court cases. Waters threatened by these decisions include millions of acres of wetlands and some of the most important trout and salmon habitat across the country - headwater streams. These small, and often seasonal streams are the places trout and salmon go to spawn, and they are the essential building blocks that, when protected, provide higher water quality for downstream rivers. The EPA and Army Corps of Engineers have released a draft rule that will restore protections to these essential headwaters and protect angling opportunity for future generations. Please take time today to support this rule and the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers' efforts. Act here: October 2014!!!!!!!!!!! Page 4

5 SHARE WITH YOUR CHAPTER be an active member Do you have something you d like to share with the chapter? An announcement, news, or topic that you feel would be of interest to fellow members? We are always seeking submissions to Tuck Tales for our future editions. Please let your editor know by sending your information to: T Craig Forrest craigforrest@sleepyhollowstudio.com Backcast! uckaseigee Chapter held its September 2 nd meeting at! United Community bank in Sylva. Grub was provided by president Echelman with the program provided by Rick Queen. Rick s presentation dealt with Project Healing Waters and the NC Stream Watch program. l TCTU has a number of committees that need members like you to participate. Please consider contacting a committee chairperson to volunteer to serve on the committee that most interests you. Send your requests to President Richard Echelman at richardalan1@frontier.com to let him know which committee you are interested in, and he will forward your name to the chairperson. Help TCTU by getting involved with one of the committees listed below. Communications Fund raising membership programs publicity fishing trips Think about supporting TU with a Back The Brookie TU license plate! Tuckaseigee Chapter of Trout Unlimited serves Jackson, Macon, and Swain Counties. We meet the first Tuesday of every month in the Community Room at the rear of the United Community Bank of Highway 107 South in Sylva at 6:30 PM. A meal is provided by the Grub Committee at a cost of $5 per person. Guests are invited to join us at no charge. October 2014 Page 5

6 FLY OF THE MONTH Do you have a pattern that you'd like to submit for our Tuck Tales Fly Of The Month article? If you can take a few digital photos of your fly tying effort, please do so and provide a short description of how to tie your pattern. Most point-and-shoot digital cameras have a flash and macro photography capability. Come on. Give it a try. Share that secret pattern with your fellow members! We'll include your fly in an up-coming issue of Tuck Tales! Please send an to Craig Forrest craigforrest@sleepyhollowstudio.com UPCOMING EVENTS Next TCTU Meeting: United Community Bank Meeting Room, October 7 Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians Inaugural Fundraising Banquet Saturday, November 1, 2014 Harrah s Cherokee Casino & Resort The Fall issue of Trout Magazine is now available on-line at: trout-magazine October 2014 Page 6

7 Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians Inaugural Fundraising Banquet Saturday, November 1, :00 PM, At The Oak Room, Harrah s Cherokee Casino & Resort Please Join Us for Dinner, Silent & Live Auc8ons, Raffles & Prizes $55/Person, $100/Couple $1000/Table $800/Table for Founding Members RSVP by October 24 to: info@cherokeesmokies.com October 2014 Page 7

8 Editor s Cast T! he September meeting of! the Tuckaseigee Chapter was well attended and enjoyed an outstanding program from Rick Queen on the North Carolina Stream Watch Program and Project Healing Waters. Rick is actively involved with these programs and wanted to speak to Tuck Chapter about their importance. Stream Watch is a NC Dept. of Natural Resources program for local citizens to adopt and monitor a waterway. Minimum requirements are for there to be two litter cleanups and visual monitorings per year. There s much more - Macroinvertebrate sampling Water quality assessments Stream diagnosis Educational opportunities NC Big Sweep 1 st October weekend of each year Participants share findings with NC DENR and our local WATR group. NC DENR feels that those in the best position to notice the signs of a stream s distress are its neighbors, the people who live along its banks or use its waters. That s us folks. Currently, Greens Creek in Jackson County has been adopted. Proposed waters are: Savannah Creek, Scotts Creek, and Caney Fork in Jackson County. In Swain County proposed waters are: Alarka Creek and Deep Creek. To learn more about the Stream Watch program check out the website at or contact Holly Denham ( ), holly.denham@ncdenr.gov. You can also Google NC and StreamWatch for more information. Additionally Rick spoke to the chapter about the Project Healing Waters program. Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. (PHWFF) is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings. From their brochure; Since its inception, PHWFF has been helping disabled active duty personnel and veterans overcome the obstacles associated with their disabilities. The relearning of the fine motor skills required in fly fishing and fly tying may be particularly effective in the overall rehabilitation of the disabled.. PHWFF partners directly with fly fishing oriented organizations such as the Federation of Fly Fishers and Trout Unlimited. Within local clubs and chapters, volunteers, working with hospital staff, donate their time to teach the various skills involved in the sport of fly fishing to project participants. Rick mentioned that PHWFF is having a special event next month in Cherokee and was asked how Tuck TU might could help. He indicated that it costs about $300 to Rick Queen accepting a check from chapter Treasurer Craig Green Forward Cast Tuck Chapter will meet October 2 nd at United Community bank of Sylva. The program will be provided by Blue Ridge Fly Fishing of Blue Ridge Georgia. sponsor a veteran at the event. A motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously that the Tuck Chapter provide a check in the amount of $300 to sponsor a veteran. President-elect Larry Tucker represented Tuck Chapter at the TU State Council meeting in Brevard last month as President Echelman was unable to attend. At the meeting he was approached by James Berrier about an inquiry that had been received from Jeff Vamvakias, a middle school science teacher at Cullowhee Valley School regarding sponsorship of a Trout in the Classroom project. James indicated Tuck Chapter could receive assistance with funding. Larry invited Jeff to our September meeting and after a short presentation a motion was made, seconded, and unanimously passed to provide $400 from Tuck Chapter toward this TIC project with Larry to head up this project and co-ordinate with the folks at State Council regarding the necessary additional funding required. Jeff Vamvakias made a brief statement thanking Tuck Chapter for its help in getting his Trout in the Classroom project under way at Cullowhee Valley School. l October 2014 Page 8

9 SEND IN A FISHING REPORT! Tuck Tales would like to feature your fishing report. This could be from a recent or past fishing trip. We don t care where you went or what you fished for. Maybe you fished the Tuck, or some other water outof-state or maybe another country! Just send in your report including who went, where, when, what water was fished, the tackle used, photos if you have them, and what were the results. Send to: Craig Forrest craigforrest@sleepyhollowstudio.com Tuck Tales is published 12 times per year by Tuckaseigee Chapter of Trout Unlimited, a non-profit organization, for its members and supporters. Edited by Craig Forrest. Please address comments to: Tuck Tales P.O. Box 3196 Cullowhee, NC craigforrest@sleepyhollwstudio.com The Tuckaseigee Chapter has a web presence at: Don t Miss Your Chance! Tuckaseigee Chapter is offering a chance to win a new fly rod at each meeting! This fine 4-piece, 7.5 foot, IM-12, 3-4 weight rod was built by fellow chapter member Jim Mills and would make a great addition to your collection. The quality of the rod is very impressive. The rod will come with an aluminum case. Jim has been offering hand-crafted, high quality graphite and bamboo rods through his Raven Fork Rods company for over 40 years. Members can purchase chances at $1 each ($5 gets you 6 tickets) to be selected to then draw a card from a standard deck. If you draw the special card you ll win the rod. That s quite a good reason to attend the next meeting. You could go home with this beautiful rod! October 2014 Page 9

10 Examples of apparel with the Tuckaseigee Chapter embroidery October 2014 Page 10

11 Happening at WATR Lightning wrap up of the summer Fracking was the big issue, no doubt. Still May that the western counties were River Rally, Ken Brown and i enticed Josh corner of the world as part of a nationover 250 people in Swain & Jackson. Evans.) very important. Most of us heard in late pegged for exploration. At the National Pribanic and Melissa Troutman to visit our wide tour. Their film Triple Divide drew (Special thank you goes to Jeanette The 6th Annual Traditional Cherokee Fish Harvest was held at the stome weir located in the river at the Webster home of Jim and Kate Allman. One highlight was the release of 1,000 sickle-fin redhorse minnows by the US Fish & Wildlife Service. This fish was important to Cherokee culture. All kids got a postcard from the ancestors! Cherokee Youth Council traveled to the University of Tennessee. At the Department of Anthropology they had a lively discussion on traditions, culture, and exploration of their ancestor s villages. Can kids tie together the ecology and culture of river cane and stone fishing weirs? How are they related? Cleanups? You bet! At this point, WATR and our partners have removed over two tons of trash from the Tuckaseigee and her tributaries so far. Special thanks go to the Carolina Canoe Club. Thank you goes to Jason Love of the LTLT program at Coweeta Hydrologic Lab. He and his crew conducted a Kids in the Creek program for over 150 students from Smoky Mountain High this week. Roger assisted at the Water Chemistry station. Ken Walton worked at the macro-invert station. LTLT staff contributed. Swain 8 th graders will do Kids in the Creek on October 6 and 8 in Deep Creek. Again Jason Love will be the leader and he will be assisted by GSMNP staff. Want to volunteer to help? Duke Energy s regional manager Lisa Leatherman presented Roger Clapp with a check for $19,000 for added displays and marketing the Discovery Trails. Part of Duke Energy Riparian Habitat Enhancement Fund. Above from the WATR website: October 2014 Page 11

12 Native Brook Trout License Plate to be Offered Brook trout are the only native coldwater trout in North Carolina. These trout generally exist in cold, clean mountain streams above 1,500-feet in elevation; however, most populations of wild brook trout are in streams over 3,000-feet in elevation. In 2013, the General Assembly authorized the creation of a special license plate to promote the Native Brook Trout. All proceeds from the sale of this plate will be used to fund public access to and habitat protection of brook trout waters in the state. (The final design will be very similar to the prototype pictured.) The Commission s 2013 North Carolina Trout Resources Management Plan identified increasing public access and habitat protection as two primary program areas. The funds generated from the sale of this special license plate will support projects to pursue permanent easements or property acquisition to conserve brook trout and provide angling access. Funds also may be used to remove or replace stream barriers for brook trout passage, stabilize stream banks to limit sedimentation and limit the effects of acid deposition in high-elevation streams. Mountain trout fishing is an important component of North Carolina s economy. Based on a 2008 report, North Carolina had 92,789 mountain trout anglers who had a total economic output of $174 million. Download application to apply for the Native Brook Trout License Plate (PDF) A minimum of 500 paid applications must be received by the Commission prior to July 1, 2015 for this plate to be produced. 100% of all proceeds will be used for brook trout habitat and fishing access. October 2014 Page 12

13 Regulation Reminders! C atch-and-release/artificial Lures OnlyWaters: These! trout waters and their tributaries, except as noted, may be fished only with artificial lures having one single hook. No trout may be harvested or possessed while fishing these streams. These streams are marked with purple-and-gold signs. C! atch-and-release/artificial Flies Only Waters:! These!trout waters and their tributaries, except as noted, may be fished only with artificial flies having one single hook. No trout may be harvested or possessed while fishing these streams. These streams are marked with red-and-gold signs. Please read the detailed fishing regulations for more information October 2014 Page 13

14 Chapter Officers TUCKASEIGEE CHAPTER # 373 OF TROUT UNLIMITED Richard Echelman- President!!!! richardalan1@frontier.com Larry Tucker - V. Pres.!!!!! lwtucker@morrisbb.net Dick Sellers - Past President!!!! dick.sellers@frontier.com Craig Green - Treasurer!!!!! cngreen@bellsouth.net Ted Kubit - Secretary!!!!! tkubit@frontier.com Lee Ewart - Director!!!!! duramax7710@gmail.com Delos Monteith - Director!!!! delos@southwesterncc.edu Craig Forrest - Newsletter Editor!/Webmaster!! craigforrest@sleepyhollowstudio.com Manufact ured by clouds. Aged in ice. Brought to you by gravity. Quantities are lim it ed. TU.org October Hatches INSECT EMERGENCE PATTERN Blue Quill / Blue Winged Olive Late Morning to Mid-Afternoon Blue Quill Blue Wing Olive Small Dun Caddis Mid-Morning to Late Afternoon 18-Brown Elk or Deer Hair Caddis Large October Caddis Early Morning to Late Afternoon 8-10 Ginger Elk Hair Caddis Ginger Stimulator October Caddis Emerger Mahogany Dun Mayfly Afternoon Mahogany Dun Midges All Day Griffiths Gnat October 2014 Page 14