One of the important conservation programs UCCTU sponsors is Adopt-a-Stream - the process of monitoring water in tributaries of the Chattahoochee River below Buford Dam. Information gathered by certified volunteers is reported to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to help alert them to issues that warrant remediation or other action.
UCCTU's Adopt-a-Stream Program is led by Bill Lott, who along with Bob Schmitt has become certified to lead volunteer certification training sessions. I am pleased to announce that Bill's exceptional leadership of this program has earned him recognition by the Georgia Adopt-a-Stream Program as the recipient of the 2015 Outstanding Partnership and Outreach Award. Congratulations to Bill for a well-deserved honor!
Spring is a busy time for UCCTU, and this year is no exception. Please check our calendar for volunteer opportunities beginning this Saturday, Feb 20 with Tie-One-On at Bass Pro Shop and extending to Boy Scout events in March. Please don't hesitate to contact any of the officers to discuss your interest in volunteering for any of these events.
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Sincerely,
Jim
Jim Harvey
President
Upper Chattahoochee Chapter #436 - Trout Unlimited
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| Fishing - Spring 2016 Trip to South Holston River |
June 9, 10 and 11th
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| South Holston River Fly Shop |
Only TWO Spots Left!!!!
First Come -- First Served
The three houses available are described below. Your TOTAL "per bed fee" is ONLY $115 for the trip -- that includes two or three nights and a special dinner! Call
404-309-1368 or email
Brad Cruickshank with your reservation request and let him know which home is your first choice. Rooms/Beds will be assigned as reservations are made. The rooms/beds are described on the Holston Castaways website
.
Don't delay! Reservations for the Holston Castaways homes are limited to 15 . After that, if you want to go, you'll have to find other accommodations. There are other lodges nearby and several campgrounds.
Future emails from will list those who have reserved a spot and which home they've been assigned to. We'll also talk about guide services available in the area. If you want a guide for one or more days you are encouraged to book early since June is a prime month on the South Holston and other nearby rivers and streams.
Maps and Directions
If you have more questions please email Ken Mock at
[email protected] or call Ken at 404./725.3979
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| Fishing Dayz - March 12th - Callaway Gardens |
 As a special bonus for UCCTU members, Doug Stinnette, Manager of the Fishing Program at Callaway Gardens, is offering chapter members a Full Day of fishing for $80/per angler. The price does not include lunch. Please pack a lunch. The discount is only good for March's Fishing Dayz, which is scheduled for Saturday, March 12th.
Every four anglers (give or take) will be accompanied for the day by one of Callaway's professional fishing guides. To make your upcoming reservation, contact Doug at 706.663.5142, or one of his staff at their fishing shop 855.421.3120 or you can email Doug at [email protected].
Make plans to attend now!
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Our February Speaker:
Jon Hooper, Head Guide and Operations Manager for the South Holston River Lodge
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Rigging Techniques for Fishing Different Water Conditions
Headlining our February chapter meeting is Jon Hooper, Head Guide and Operatio
ns Manager for the South Holston River Lodge located in B
ristol, Tennessee. Jon will be speaking to the chapter via a 'live feed' from Tennessee directly on our big screen at Ippolito's. Jon's presentation will focus on the best rigging configurations for fishing different and difficult water conditions-especially those that can be experienced on the rivers and streams we'll be fishing during our upcoming June 9-12 Spring Trip to the South Holston area. He is originally from Upstate New York and grew up fishing the Great Lake tributaries and the Catskills. For the last 20 years, he has lived in the Southeast, but has fished and guided hundreds of clients from Alaska to New York. Whether or not you are planning to attend this year's Spring Trip, Jon's advice will be invaluable. Join us at our next chapter meeting at 6 pm on Tuesday, February 23, at Ippolito's Italian Restaurant on Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell for this presentation.
If you are interested in speaking at future UCCTU meetings contact Ken Mock, Programs Chair at
[email protected]
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Advocacy
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Chattahoochee Riverkeeper - Senate Bill 321 is bad for our river. Text pull321 to 52886 to find out more
State Senator Hunter Hill (District 6) has sponsored a bill to undo a smart ordinance adopted by the City of Atlanta in 2015. The ordinance requires large commercial property owners to measure and report their energy and water use, and conduct an energy audit every 10 years.
More details>>>>
Text pull321 to 52886 to find out more, or call Senator Hill's office (404) 463-2518, or email him at
[email protected], and urge him to withdraw SB 321.
House Bill 966 - we urge UCCTU members to contact your representatives to support
HB 966 is a bill to protect our streams and rivers. Georgia has for years had 25 foot stream buffers along its waterways, with 50 foot buffers along trout streams because of their very sensitive nature and the nature of the terrain through which they flow.
A recent court ruling threw into question the use of a very specific term, "wrested vegetation" in determining the starting point of stream buffers.
Wrested vegetation means any plant that has been moved or modified by the flow of water. Along rocky stream banks, along slow moving streams, and along sand bars there is no wrested vegetation so there is essentially no buffer.
HB 966 would substitute the term "ordinary high water mark" for wrested vegetation. Ordinary high water mark is a term used by the US Corps of Engineers and is widely understood and more easily determined than wrested vegetation.
If you are interested in getting more involved in Advocacy contact Advocacy/Conservation Chairman Bill Lott at
[email protected]
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Conservation
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Sweep The Hooch - April 9th
We are gearing up for another BIG cleanup this year, on April 9th! Although it's obvious to most that river cleanups improve the quality of our water, we've discovered that they do much more than that. Cleanups are also a great way to develop a sense of "river community." This is your chance to volunteer and be part of this community.
In 2015 more than 500 volunteers removed 7.16 tons of river refuse with more than half ton of trash recycled. That's 14,320 pounds!!!
If you have any questions about Sweep The Hooch contact Bill Lott at
[email protected]
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Chapter Survey - Please Complete
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In our ongoing effort to identify new ways to engage members in our activities, UCCTU sent an on-line survey to members in early February. The survey has been designed to gather feedback from members on a confidential basis about our meetings and activities so that we can better address your needs. Please complete your survey as soon as you can.. Your feedback is important.
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Education - Trout in the Classroom in the news...
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If you have any questions about Trout In The Classroom or would like to assist contact Jim Byrd at
[email protected]
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Education - Volunteers Needed
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UCCTU is seeking volunteers to help educate the next generation of fly fishers. Several important events are scheduled during the next two months for which we need fly tiers and fly casters. These are demonstration events designed to pique the interest of Boy Scouts and other youths, so the emphasis will be on demonstrating and engaging viewers in order to generate interest in participating in more formalized instruction to be scheduled later. You do not have to be an expert fly tier or caster to volunteer for these events.
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Tie One On, Saturday, February 20 at Bass Pro Shop from 9:00 to 5:00
: This is a fly tying demonstration event sponsored by the Georgia Council of TU with participation by several chapters throughout the greater Atlanta area. As the largest of these chapters, UCCTU needs volunteers to tie flies with materials provided by Bass Pro Shop. The primary target will be youths who can be lightly engaged in the fly tying process - sometimes just handling fly tying materials. Proceeds generated from the chapters for this event are designated by the Council for educational purposes. Volunteers are eligible for a 15% discount at Bass Pro Shop on February 20. More details>>>>
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Boy Scout Merit Badge Day, Saturday, March 5, Alpharetta Campus of GSU: This is a gathering of many troops from North Atlanta area seeking to earn merit badges. They recognize that the ten requirements of the Fly Fishing Merit Badge can't be completed in one session, and for that we will be demonstrating fly casting and fly tying in order to generate interest in scheduling a FFMB session at a later time. UCCTU is seeking fly tiers and fly casters for this demonstration event.
More details>>>>
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Boy Scout Camporee, Saturday, March 12, Bert Adams Scout Camp near Covington: This is an all-day event (lunch provided) demonstrating fly tying and fly casting to hundreds of Scouts from the greater Atlanta area and beyond. There may be fly fishing at the nearby lake as well. The objective is to generate enough interest to schedule a FFMB training session for Scouts later this spring or summer.
More details>>>>
These are really fun events that provide us with opportunities to engage with youths of all ages. What could be more fun than that?
Please consider helping out with these events, even if it's just for a couple of hours. To volunteer for an event, please contact Tom Hayes at
[email protected]
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Education - Sam Rizzio Youth Fly Fishing Clinic
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The Upper Chattahoochee Chapter of Trout Unlimited, The Chattahoochee Nature Center, The Fish Hawk, Atlanta Fly Fishing School, Alpharetta Outfitters, Bass Pro Shops and the Georgia Women FlyFishers are pleased to announce a comprehensive one day fly fishing clinic for
young men and women, ages 10 to 15
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The clinic is designed for the beginning fly fisher and will provide basic instruction in all phases of fly fishing including fly casting, knot tying, insect identification and conservation. Certified Instructors and Mentors will work with students to provide individual instruction and answer questions about fly fishing and conservation. Each student will be awarded a certificate upon completion and a drawing will be held for a fly rod and reel. In addition there are hundreds of dollars of prizes and giveaways to help the kids get started, including 10 complete fly rod and reel combos!
The clinic will be held on
April 23, 2016 at The Chattahoochee Nature Center
near the Chattahoochee River in Roswell
from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. Open to the public. All are invited.
Lunch will be provided. The clinic will be limited to 36 students and is offered at a cost of $20.
If you would like to volunteer or have any questions, please contact Tom Hayes at [email protected]
Click on the link below to register.
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| News Bites |
Don't forget to pay your UCCTU Voluntary Dues
Here
Contact Fulton County's Georgia DNR Officer Mark Puig if you see any poaching or violations while your fishing next time.
Check out the new Chapter Website at
ucctu.org and leave comments in the Shout Out box.
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Select for Calendar view
February 20 -
February 23 - Chapter Mtg
March 5 - GA Council Mtg
March 12 -
March 23
- Chapter Mtg
April 9 -
April 26 - Chapter Mtg
May 5 - UCCTU Board Mtg
May 24 - Chapter Mtg
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Welcome to the TU Kanooka Chapter members who have joined UCCTU.
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| Must Read Articles, Blogs..... |
LAST CHANCE to buy your Dream Tickets - just $10 each.
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