October 2016

Newsletter of the Cohutta Chapter of

Lines from the Leader

Since this is my first article as the new Chapter president, I felt it appropriate to start with some thank What’s Inside yous for jobs well done. Let's start with our past Lines from the Leader P. 1 president Rodney Tumlin. Under his leadership our The Guides Angle P. 2 Chapter and involvement in youth education grew SOTM reports P. 3 tremendously. We now support eight Trout in the SOTM Schedule P. 3 Classroom programs, as well as a Five Rivers Chili Cookoff P.4 program at North Paulding High School. Rodney is Knots for the Business End of Your Fly Line P.5 also the director at Trout Camp each June. With the A Mending Primer P. 6-8 help of John Dyke, our education chair, our presence Trout in the Classroom P.9-10 in youth education leads the state. Membership Info P.10-12 Rattler Ford Pictures P. 13 I would like to thank Jeff Walters for taking on the Our Sponsors P. 14 newsletter responsibility, not an easy job, but one that is vital in our communication link. We need the information contained here to keep up with all our upcoming and past events. And thanks to Mack Martin and The Atlanta School for all the generous donations which We recently had an opportunity to add to our budget has greatly increased our income. Not only donating in helping the Coosa Valley Chapter at their annual to our raffle and door prize items, but also the Chili cookoff. Our members stepped up and brought Winston rod raffle. in one thousand dollars for a few hours of work, well done! We will look forward to working with Coosa To all those who do stream restorations, help with Valley again next year at this event. youth education, volunteered to be part of our leadership team and assist with all of our programs, Many thanks to all those who make our Stream of thank you all. So, my gist of this article is it takes a the Month outings happen. Jimbo McKean for setting lot of people to make what we do happen, if you are our schedule and all the volunteers who cooked and new to TU do not be afraid to help, ask questions or cleaned. I was able to attend the Rattler Ford event provide solutions. We have a hardworking and on the 14th,15th, and 16th of this month and it was vibrant Chapter and I look forward to the future. great. Thanks to Larry Vigil, Jeff Wilson and Nelson Withers for some great food and all who helped with See you soon, the after meal cleaning. Steve Westmoreland

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IMPORTANT MEETING ITEMS We are going to discuss a change of night for our meetings. Due to the many events that Hudson Grill has on Thursdays, they have suggested moving to Tuesdays to cut down on the noise and crowds. We will talk this over and vote on this at the October Meeting. The new nights would be the fourth Tuesday of each month from January thru October.

Dream Trip tickets are now available.

In Lieu of a speaker this month, Mack is bringing the analyzer and assessing your casting problems prior to the meeting. This will run from 4:30 to 6:00 and will be weather dependent, if there is rain this is not going to be possible. If you would like to be involved please plan to arrive early. SHRIMP BOIL is coming up fast, we have a few on board to help with the set up and organization of this event. This is our major fund raising event and more help is needed. I will have a signup sheet at the meeting for all who can volunteer, There will be a volunteer meeting soon for this event to assign tasks and finalize details.

The Guide's Angle

November is a great time to be on the Chattahoochee. All the hardcore deer hunters are off the river dedicated to the woods and many other anglers think the trout season s over. Brown trout begin to stage at spawning sites in October and November is their peak in spawning and egg laying. During this time larger brood Browns will be very aggressive even during daylight hours. This aggravated behavior is probably sexual frustration and territorial instincts to carry on their genetic pool. Regardless this is a great time to have the river to Calendar of Events yourself and to catch some better than average Cohutta Meeting October 27 bruiser Browns. Streamers and larger nymphs fished Cohutta SOTM Dukes/Smith/Hooch November 19 in the murky water during typical inclement fall Shrimp Boil December 10 weather is ideal. Meetings are held at the Good luck and tight lines! Hudson Grille in Kennesaw. 2500 Cobb Place Ln NW Kennesaw, GA 30144 the fourth Thursday of the month.

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Stream of the Month Our October Stream of the Month trip was a huge success with everyone catching fish on the Snowbird in spite of the low clear water. Nelson, Jeff, Larry and Steve never missed a beat and kept us well fed and entertained. It really was a great trip. Steve, Greg, Sid, and myself, served as mentors to some of our newer members on Saturday and Sunday to help ensure that everyone caught fish. For our November SOTM we have reserved Dukes Creek on November 19th by having all 15 slots occupied with Cohutta TU members. If you would like to fish Dukes but did not reserve a spot some members may be coming off the water around noon so the opportunity to swap out may exist. Alternatively, I will be meeting our newer members at 9am at Smith Creek at Unicoi State Park to fish the Delayed Harvest. We will plan an afternoon gathering in Helen for eats and swapping fish stories. Location TBD. It has been my pleasure to serve as the Stream of the Month Coordinator for 2016 and I appreciate all the help this year as I persevered through my stroke recovery. October 22 marked 1 year since my stroke, what a year it has been. Typical NC Brookie stocker that we were catching.

See you on the water. Tight Lines, Jimbo

Stream Of The Month Schedule November 19 Saturday Dukes/Smith/Hooch

Stream of the Month 2017 Our 2017 SOTM coordinators will be Sid Wilson and Greg Bryant. Thank you guys for taking this on, we look forward to another great year of fishing, catching and fibbing.

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Cohutta Volunteers Earn $1000.00 On October the 8th, 17 volunteers from the Cohutta Cohutta Chapter #242 Officers Chapter made the eventful trip to the City or Rome to aid our sister chapter, Coosa Valley, with their President Steve Westmoreland Phone 770-403-0609 celebrated “Chili Cookoff.” Cohutta Secretary, Sid Email [email protected] Wilson, took the lead on this successful event and Vice President made sure that it all ran smoothly. Four of our Don Thomson Phone 678-296-5756 volunteers are also members of the NPHS Fly Email [email protected] Fishing and Cold Water Conservation Club. We had Treasure a great time and great fellowship, parked a few cars, Kenn Walker Phone 770-377-5474 ate some good chili, drank a couple of cold ones and E-mail [email protected] made a quick and tidy sum to help our chapter. The Secretary price of $1000.00 was negotiated with the Coosa Sid Wilson Phone 404-921-7615 Email [email protected] Chapter and they have guaranteed us that amount Stream of the Month every year as long as we wish to provide the James McKean Phone 404-819-3941 necessary volunteers. In the past, that same amount E-mail [email protected] was divided up among all the other chapters that Newsletter Publisher and Edit or/Fundraising helped. In the future Cohutta alone will receive that Jeff Walters 404-557-0551 amount. E-mail [email protected]

Fisheries Development Committee 15 of the 17 Cohutta Volunteers Kevin Doyle Phone 678-472-2074 E-mail [email protected]

Membership Committee Tony Rackie Phone 770-712-7231 Email [email protected] Web site Tony Rackie Email [email protected]

TIC & Education John Dyke E-mail [email protected]

Don’t forget to visit our Web Site at www.tucohutta.org

To conserve, protect and restore North America's Coldwater fisheries and their watersheds 4

Knots for the Business End of Your Fly Line The results of these tests are shown below. First, let me say that statistically speaking this information is not sufficient to arrive at a breaking strength that Last month I reported on the results of breaking would yield a most probable breaking strength for a strength for most new nylon tippet materials on knot. However the data does demonstrate that today’s market. That information should help anglers Jack’s knot is very similar in strength to the improved make an informed choice for nylon materials that are clinch knot. Moreover, having watched each knot as strong and reliable. it went to failure I noticed that the Davy knot clinched While doing these tests I also snuck in a few up, twisted and turned until it failed. While Jack’s additional knots that anglers might use to attach their knot stayed in place without much movement until it fly to the terminal end of their leader. Our tests have failed. All breaks were at the knots. always found the improved clinch knot (5 turn) to Jack’s knot is a relatively new knot and it can be have superior strength for this knot, as we typically found at several web sites on the internet. see about 85%+ of the wet strength of most (but not (http://www.jacksknots.com/jacksknot.htm.) all) of the nylon tippet materials. However, many anglers prefer to use a terminal knot that is easier to Mack Martin tie than the improved clinch knot. Two knots that are quick and easier to tie include Jack’s knot and the Davy knot. Both of these knots were tied with RIO 4X nylon with the tag ends left about .25” long. The knots were soaked for 6 hours in water and then pulled with the Instron machine until break.

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A Mending Primer and if the line is drifting faster or slower than the fly, it will drag the fly through the water. This problem is called, by Philip Monahan aptly enough, “drag.” illustrations by Larry Largay Learning to play the different currents of a river is the key to a natural presentation.

Figure 2: Double Mend - In this situation the angler is casting Figure 1: Upstream Mend - The basic upstream mend is used across an eddy (which will pull his line upstream) and fast water when you must cast across fast water. By throwing the line (which will push his line downstream). He will therefore have to upstream, the angler delays the moment when the line starts make two mends. Always mend from far to near: First make the pulling the fly downstream. The key here is to make the line hinge upstream mend, then the downstream mend. The key here is right on the seam between the fast water and slow water. getting the line to hinge on the seams of the various currents. You can control the hinge point by how high you lift your rod tip and MOST NOVICE ANGLERS think that the only hard part of how much line you pick up off the water. fly fishing is learning how to cast: once you’ve figured out The way to combat drag is by “mending” your line; that is, the old “10 and 2,” the logic goes, the rest just falls into counteracting the effects of drag-causing currents by place. It’s a comforting little myth — and it helps some moving the line after it’s on the water. Mending is one of people to justify buying a $700 fly rod — but things don’t the least-understood aspects of fly fishing: many anglers really work that easily in the real world. A good friend of are aware that mending is important, but they don’t really mine, who has been a guide for many years, always understand why . Mastering the mend requires good draws a distinction between those clients who can cast technique, as well as an understanding of river hydraulics and those who can actually fish . (He maintains that the and how they affect your line. former outnumber the latter by a wide margin.) Casting The next time you look at the surface of a river, notice that only helps you throw the line through the air. But the fish the current is not uniform from bank to bank; different don’t live in the air. They live in the water, and the water is parts of the river move faster or slower than others. usually moving. Problems arise for fly fishermen when they have to cast To catch fish consistently with a fly rod, you’ve got to be across currents of different speeds. For instance, the able to control how your fly and your fly line are affected current near the bank is usually slower than that in the by a river’s various currents. When you’re fishing with a middle of the river, so if you want to cast to the opposite dry fly or a nymph, one of the keys to a good presentation bank from where you’re standing, your line will lie across is a “dead drift” — when the fly drifts naturally in the the faster current, while your fly sits in the slower current. current, as if it weren’t attached to anything. What makes Because the fast current will take your fly line downstream this difficult is that the fly is, in fact, attached to the fly line, ahead of the fly, the line will drag the fly behind it, creating 6

a wake and ruining the dead drift. However, if you can the water. You may have to make a couple of quick strips arrange it so the line starts upstream of the fly, the fly will to pick up this slack before you mend. float naturally for as long as it takes the fly line to catch up 3. The hinging point, where the mended line meets the to and then pass the fly. This is where the basic upstream unmended line, should occur at the seam between the mend comes in handy. different speed currents. If you don’t mend enough line, the current will cause the line to drag the fly; if you mend too much line, you can accidentally pull your fly out of the trout’s feeding lane. 4. Lift your rod tip high, even over your head, during the mend. This will allow you to pick up more line and to avoid dragging the line across the water. 5. Mend with authority. A half-hearted mend rarely moves enough line. You’ll probably over-mend the first few times — accidentally throwing your fly upstream with the line — but with some practice, you’ll learn just how much power is needed to move the line you want to move without disturbing the fly.

Figure 3: Reach Cast - The reach cast allows you to throw a mend into your line before the fly hits the water. Cast directly across the river, and, just as the line straightens out, extend your arm and the rod tip upstream (or downstream, as the case may be). This will cause the line to fall diagonally across the current, which means that the fly has time to dead-drift before the line catches up. This technique works best in slower water and in deep pools where the differences in current are not very great.

Mending Mechanics

To achieve a good upstream mend, you’ve got to throw a certain portion of your line upstream of your fly. (See Figure 4: Drag Mend - In some situations, poor mending technique figure 1.) But getting your line to move up and down the can be an asset. When you're making long casts across a fast current or when the current is really cooking, it's hard to make a river is harder than it sounds; most beginners end up big upstream mend without disturbing the fly. The solution is to dragging their flies underwater during the mend. To avoid drag the fly on purpose. First, slather your fly with a lot of floatant. Then cast upstream and beyond where you want the fly to be (A). this, you must lift the part of the fly line that you want to Make a big, ugly mend, which drags your fly into the lane you want mend off the water , leaving the unmended portion of the to fish (B). If you really lift your rod high and throw your weight into the mend, the fly should not sink. line on the water. There are five keys to a good mend: 1. Mend as soon as the fly touches down, before the line has time to bond to the water’s surface. This will help you avoid dragging your fly under. 2. Begin the mend with your rod tip close to the surface of the water. If you have a bunch of slack hanging from your rod tip, all you’ll end up moving is the slack, not the line on 7

Other Situations closer to the fly lagging behind — you know that you need to mend first downstream, then mend just half the line Unfortunately, the upstream mend is the only kind of upstream. mend that many fly fishermen ever learn, and they apply it to all situations. But different current conditions call for Once you get used to this idea, you’ll be able to read the different kinds of mends. For instance, if the fly is moving water and figure out which mends are necessary before faster than the line, you must mend downstream. In more you cast. There are no set rules to how many mends, and complex situations, you may have to mend several times in which direction, you can make during a single drift — as or mend different parts of the line in different directions. long as you don’t drag the fly across the water. An (See figure 2.) The important thing to remember is that understanding of why you need to mend and how you want your mends to do the opposite of what the mending helps you achieve a dead drift makes the current does to your fly line. practice of mending a lot easier. The easiest way to determine which mends you’ll have to make is to not mend at all. Cast a couple of times and Phil Monahan is a former Alaskan guide and was the long-time watch to see how the current affects the line. If the line editor of American Angler magazine. He's now a columnist for MidCurrent and writes and edits the fly-fishing blog races ahead of the fly, you know that you need to throw at OrvisNews.com. You can email your fly fishing questions to us an upstream mend. If the line makes an “S” shape — with at [email protected]. Article copyright © 2004 Philip Monahan. part of the line nearest you racing ahead and the part

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Trout in the Classroom The Cohutta chapter sponsors 8 separate Trout in the Classroom programs in our area. They are from Cherokee County- Creekview High, Cherokee High School, Cherokee Charter School , Paulding County - East Paulding High School, North Paulding High School, Paulding High School, Cobb County Schools- Harrison High School , Kell High School.

We have trout growing in all eight classrooms today.

John Dyke

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Membership:

Not sure where 2016 has gone but this month’s meeting is the last for the year. We meet each 4th Thursday of the month from January until October. Hope to see you at the meeting and the other events like the Shrimp Boil in December.

We do not have any local chapter dues and you do not have to be a TU member to attend. However if you are not a TU member I hope that you consider joining TU, and in particular our chapter. There is a special introductory offer which I would encourage you to check out and be sure to select Georgia, 242- Cohutta. https://gifts.tumembership.org/member/intro

A “Welcome” to those who have joined our chapter. We hope to meet you at one of our upcoming chapter functions. Please feel free to contact one of the leaders of the chapter if you have any questions.

Name and City Charlie h. - Smyrna, Ga David H. - Canton, Ga Lewyn P. - Acworth, Ga

If you have not “LIKED” our Facebook page you can follow updates during the month at: https://www.facebook.com/tucohutta/

and you can also refer to our Web page at: http://www.tucohutta.org/

Reminder - We have Moved! Our new location is the Hudson Grille in Kennesaw Ga.

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For our current members, some items to check: Where do our members live? Has your membership expired or will it soon? We also have members of our chapter with Are you correctly assigned to our chapter? addresses in 6 other states. (Cohutta 242) City and State If you are not sure that you are correctly assigned to Acworth, GA 44 our chapter - or to check if your membership is Alpharetta, GA 1 current - please review your profile at Armuchee, GA 1 http://www.tu.org/user. You can also contact me for Atlanta, GA 117 assistance or to be added to our chapter’s email Avondale Estates, GA 1 distribution list. Bowdon, GA 1 Bremen, GA 2 Tony Rackie Buchanan, GA 2 Canton, GA 41 Chapter Membership and information: Carrollton, GA 8 [email protected] Cartersville, GA 18 Columbus, GA 2 Dallas, GA 25 Current Membership Info: Decatur, GA 1 (Changes in last 30 days as of 10/21/2016) Douglasville, GA 20 Active Members = 586 Prior Month = 590 Eatonton, GA 2 Renewed/Contributed = 26 Soon to Expire (This Month) = 51 Euharlee, GA 2

Expired (Last Month) = 11 Fairmount, GA 1 Transferred In (30 days prior) = 0 Fort Benning, GA 2 Transferred Out (30 days prior) =0 Address Changes (30 days prior) = 0 Griffin, GA 1 Hiram, GA 6 Source: Kennesaw, GA 38 https://leadersonly.tumembership.org/reports/chapter_membership_c Kingston, GA 3 hanges/242 Lithia Springs, GA 2

Marietta, GA 107 Life Members: Powder Springs, GA 21 Rockmart, GA 5 Our chapter now has 94 Life Members Rome, GA 1 Join as a TU Life Member and check out the Roopville, GA 2 current offer for a fly rod, reel, personalized Life Roswell, GA 1 Member certificate, member card, a lifetime of Savannah, GA 1 TROUT magazine and all other associated TU Smyrna, GA 33 Summerville, GA 1 member benefits. Taylorsville, GA 1 *Offer may change. Check the TU web site for details. Temple, GA 2 Villa Rica, GA 6 https://gifts.tumembership.org/member/life Waleska, GA 7 White, GA 2 Winston, GA 2 Woodstock, GA 46

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Sign up for TU or Renew Your TU Membership: Kids are Members of Every Chapter https://gifts.tumembership.org/member/intro

Please enter chapter 242-Cohutta to be sure you are assigned to our chapter

TU has young youth members—called Stream Explorers—in every state. Stream Explorers are 12 and under, and they often come to TU through a family member or chapter fishing day. Some Stream Explorers find TU through their school’s Trout in the Classroom program. Their TU Stream Explorers has a discounted rate and is specially tailored just for kids. They get a membership card and our beautiful calendar, and then they get a special magazine just for them. More and more kids and families come to TU each year, all of them looking for ways to be outside and spend time on their home waters. Stream Explorers are the future of TU.

For only $12 per year, Stream Explorers receive a TU membership card, special Stream Explorers decal, TU calendar, full chapter membership, and four issues per year of Stream Explorers magazine. For just a little bit more, Stream Explorers can also get books, DVDs, or caps selected just for them. Groups can buy Stream Explorers memberships at a discount, only $8 apiece for 12 or more memberships. Contact Headwaters Youth Membership Level Yearly Dues Program Staff for more information.

Stream Explorer (18 and under) $12 Special Introductory Rate >>> $17.50 Current Number in our chapter Senior (62 or older) $20 Regular $35 Month Active Steam Contributor $50 Explorers Family $55 Memberships Jan 2016 10 Feb 2016 8

Mar 2016 8 If anyone has pictures that they would like to share Apr 2016 8 please send them to [email protected] . The May 2016 6 link for the Chapter’s Pictures is: TU242_Pictures. June 2016 6 July 2016 6 We would like to have them for the newsletter and to Aug 2016 14 show in our chapter meetings. Sep 2016 10 Oct 2016 10 Also – if you have any info or articles for our chapter newsletter please send them to [email protected]. http://www.tu.org/streamexplorers

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More Rattler Ford

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Cohutta TU Chapter Supporters Thank these folks for supporting the Cohutta TU Chapter throughout the year.

Henry Cowen Cowen's Quality Flies and Guide Service [email protected] home 678-513-1934 cell 678-677-5382

Tic Smith Southeastern Anglers 866-55TROUT www.southeasternanglers.com [email protected]

Mack Martin Atlanta Fly Fishing School 404-550-6890 www.atlantaflyfishingschool.com

Andy Bowen Cohutta Fishing Company 770-606-1100 www.cohuttafishingco.com

John Fravel Charred Oak Spirits http://rjrspirits.com Phone 888-917-9172

Matt Walters Walters Fly Rods | Southeastern Fly Rods 404-507-6894 http://www.waltersflyrods.com/

Joe DiPietro North Georgia Trout Fishing 706-851-4001 [email protected] http://fannintrout.wix.com/troutman

Mr. Wagner Smithgall Woods 706-878-3087 http://gastateparks.org/SmithgallWoods

Willie Perry Fly Box Outfitters 678-594-7330 www.flyboxoutfitters.com

Jimmy Harris Unicoi Outfitters 706-878-3083 www.unicoioutfitters.com

Chris Scalley River through Atlanta 770-650-8630 www.riverthroughatlanta.com

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