The Pisgah Conservancy (TPC) and U.S. Forest Service hosted over 500 volunteers last month to complete dozens of projects on Pisgah Project Day. These volunteers were composed of women, men, youth of all ages, representing diverse interests in the Pisgah National Forest. What united this group was their passion to do what they can to maintain and improve this special place that is in our backyard.

This annual event consistently attracts a motivated response from the community. It is amazing that on-line registration fills up very quickly and TPC has to shut down registration when they reach the capacity number of volunteers! Considering how many people love to recreate in the forest, this should not surprise us. Many of the projects they complete directly benefit aquatic habitat in the streams we fish for trout. Trail maintenance to reduce erosion and sedimentation, fence construction to control stream access, planting trees and shrubs, and other Pisgah Project Day projects all mirror our Chapter's conservation goals.

PCTU has always partnered in this event, but in recent years relatively few chapter members participate. Considering that we have about 350 members, many who enjoy all the Pisgah Forest has to offer, PCTU should have a stronger representation. How can we attract more of this level of effort and enthusiasm for conservation projects that we spearhead? Roadside clean ups, Davidson River habitat impact surveys, water temperature monitoring, and community science projects are just a few of activities that we organize that require participation from our members and supporters. Often we struggle to recruit enough folks to do the work. We could accomplish so much more if we could learn from TPC to generate stronger participation.

Pisgah Project Day is held on a Saturday - our conservation work days occur during the week - maybe we need to plan more of our projects on Saturdays. Perhaps we need to work with TPC and other organizations to recruit volunteers outside of our PCTU roster. We try to do this when we host our booth at Hendersonville's EarthFest, Mills River Day, and other community events to let folks know about what we are doing to improve aquatic habitat in the forest and invite them to join us. Maybe we don't need to stress TU membership, but building a broad volunteer base of non-members is a better approach.

And for those who physically can no longer do the conservation work, helping host our booth at community events is a great way to help us recruit more "River Champions" and increase our impact on coldwater conservation.

We would deeply appreciate your ideas on how to attract and engage more volunteers - please send an email to news@pisgahtu.org

A community science project that we are very excited about is maintaining water temperature loggers in streams in the Pisgah and Dupont Forests. We have a team of volunteers who visit these sites every six months to download data from hourly readings to their cell phones. The work is not strenuous, but some sites require short hikes. Downloading takes just a few minutes and afterwards, many volunteers then enjoy fishing!

At our June meeting, we will hear from Powell Wheeler and Amanda Bushon, fisheries biologists with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) who will talk about this water temperature monitoring project that is going on all over western NC. It will be exciting to hear how our temperature data is being used and how PCTU can help expand this important effort.

We plan to expand this project to cover more streams in Pisgah and DuPont. If you want to join us, please email news@pisgahtu.org.

Amanda Bushon

Amanda Bushon was born and raised in West Virginia and has been a fisheries biologist with the NCWRC for 19 years. She earned her B.S. in Biology from Wheeling Jesuit University and received her M.S. in Biology from Texas A&M University -Corpus Christi, where she studied recruitment patterns of juvenile red drum. Throughout her career, she has supported and led a wide range of projects in western North Carolina, working with sportfish species such as trout, muskellunge, and walleye. Her work focuses on enhancing fisheries resources and supporting quality angling opportunities for North Carolina’s anglers.

Powell Wheeler

Powell was raised in the Appalachian mountains of southwestern Virginia. He fell in love with fishing at 10 years old and spent most of his teen-aged years flyfishing for smallmouth bass and stocked and wild trout. He attended nearby Virginia Tech and graduated with a B.S. in Fisheries Science in 1998 and then finished his education with a M.S. at the University of Florida in 2001. He studied a smallmouth bass cousin, the shoal bass, for his thesis project. Powell worked for the U.S. Forest Service, Virginia Tech, and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources before starting with NCWRC as a sportfish biologist in 2002.

Our Basic Casting Clinic held last month at Straus Park in Brevard was a great success. We filled the twelve spots and were led by casting expert Mike Mihalas with assistance from John Rich, Matt Christian, and Robin Hoofnagle.

Thanks to Straus Park for allowing us to hold the clinic at their private lake and clubhouse. It was a perfect day and venue to hold the clinic.

We hope to offer more of these opportunities for beginners and intermediate anglers to improve their casting skills. If you are interested in attending a future clinic, please send an email to news@pisgahtu.org.

For over 30 years, the U. S. Forest Service has hosted youth and adults with disabilities for a day of fishing at Lake Powhatan in the Pisgah National Forest. Prior to Pisgah Fish Day (Friday and Saturday - for children and families), the lake is stocked with trout and catfish by the NCWRC.

Eight PCTU members and several other local trout anglers worked with the Pisgah River Rangers and the WNC Muskie Club to help folks fish and enjoy a PCTU-provided lunch. Fishing action was awesome and everyone had a great time. For the volunteers, this experience is incredible and it melts your heart to share the love and excitement with these special people.

TU chapters and the NC Council of TU host Rivercourse Coldwater Conservation and Youth Fiy Fishing Camp nestled in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. Designed for boys and girls aged 12 to 15, our camp combines the excitement and challenge of fly fishing with a focus on stream ecology and coldwater conservation.

At the heart of Rivercourse, held at the beautiful Lake Logan Event Center in Canton, is our commitment to TU’s mission: the conservation, restoration, and preservation of our precious coldwater ecosystems. This camp is located on an amazing stretch of privately-owned waters on the West Fork of the Pigeon River.

Our action-packed six-day program goes beyond fishing. Campers will engage in unique activities like falconry, enjoy interactive conservation talks, and learn about river ecology. Nights are filled with camaraderie and fireside stories, fostering new friendships and a deep appreciation for nature.

Rivercourse depends on volunteers from local TU chapters to serve as camp chaperones, fishing ghillies, and fly tying instructors. You can volunteer for one day as a ghillie or the entire session as a cabin counselor.

To request for information about volunteering CLICK HERE.

Rivercourse

Lake Logan Event Center, Canton

June 14 - 19

The Transylvania French Broad Stewards, the Town of Rosman, Conserving Carolina, Headwaters Outfitters, Pisgah Chapter of Trout Unlimited (PCTU), and many other community organizations and businesses are joining up again to put on the 11th annual Upper French Broad Riverfest!

Residents and visitors are invited to come spend a fun day celebrating the river! This is a free, family-friendly festival with live local music, hands-on educational activities, free tubing trips, food trucks, and a great music line up. Don’t forget your swimsuit and towel! 

PCTU will be hosting a booth with aquatic insect identification, fly tying, and activities for kids. Join us greeting folks and sharing information about trout and coldwater conservation. No special training or expertise are needed - just sign up and be ready to enjoy a great day. Sign up by sending an email to news@pisgahtu.org

The much anticipated macroinvertebrate survey will begin in late July. This two-year survey will re-visit the same nine sites on the Davidson River that were sampled in 2016 - 2017. The study will evaluate the effects of Tropical Storm Fred and Hurricane Helene on the benthic macroinvertebrate community, and assess aquatic habitat conditions for supporting a healthy aquatic ecosystem.

This research project is a collaboration between the U.S. Forest Service, Clemson University and PCTU. It is lead by internationally-recognized Dr. John Morse, Professor Emeritus of Entomology and the Director of the Clemson University Arthropod Collection. He will be assisted by a PhD student, Cheyana Bassham, who was a Pisgah River Ranger in 2020.

We have a team of volunteers who will be trained to assist Cheyana and her team with sampling the river. We can always use a few more. No prior experience is needed and the work is not overly strenuous. If you are interested, send an email to news@pisgahtu.org.

We will meet at the BluAxis Realty office in Hendersonville to hear from Jim Cannon who hosts Hendersonville Outfitter's Trailside Fly Tying every Wednesday from 5:30 - 7:30 at Trailside Brewing. Jim provides all the materials needed to fly the "fly of the week" for beginner and more advanced tyers.

Jim will discuss various skills, materials, and tools. You will learn about different types of hooks and beads, and tips for tying in deer hair and dry fly hackle.

Jim stresses using quality materials while being budget conscious, and his presentation will benefit tyers of all skill levels - from novice to expert.

Bring a friend and cup of coffee, meet new friends, and learn from a great teacher.