Monthly Features:

February Newsletter

David Ralston . . .  Legislative News

Cold Weather Safety:  It's a Matter of Life or Death
a must read . . .it happened to a member and it can happen to you

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Dream Trip Ticket Sales


  





"I'm dreaming the dream of winning".

This years Dream Trip will be heading to West Yellowstone Montana.  Purchase your chance for six nights at a cabin located in Island Park, Idaho just miles from the Madison River, the Henry's Fork, and all the wonders of Yellowstone Park.

Tickets are $10 per chance and only 2000 will be sold.  Prizes will include, accomodations for two, all of your meals, a guided float trip on the Madison River, one custom made Winston rod, Loop reel, fly line, box of six dozen flies and $1000 in transportation money.

Many great consolation prizes as well.  The drawing will be held at the Hooch on March 13th in Helen, GA.

Tickets may be purchased at the monthly meetings, Unicoi Outfitters, or by contacting Carl Riggs at 7turns@tds.net.  Don't wait ticketsbuy your tickets now as they are going fast. 

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Fly Tying For Intermediate/Advanced Tiers 
Improve your techniques - Learn from the best . . .

Mike  Holloway and Ralph Artigliere will guide you through an intermediate and advanced course of fly tying.  Both are excellent and patient instructors who will share their knowledge of  the art of fly tying.  Take yourself to the next level in this art.    So, join Mike and Ralph at Unicoi Outfitters  and get  hooked on fly tying. 

Classes start on February 18th and  will run for four consecutive weeks.  The cost is $39.95 for materials and supplies furnished by Unicoi. Email mike@hollowayrealtors.com and let him know your coming.  See you there! 
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Fishing Report

Upper Toccoa/Delayed Harvest . . . 

Bob Borgwat, Carl Riggs, and  Joe DiPietro braved the cold temperature and high water to float the Upper Toccoa River from Dial to the Shallowford Bridge.  The water temperature was 40 degrees and the CFS flow 889.  The conditions didn't stop these die hard fly fisherman from casting a line. The report is the fishing was tough but they managed to put a few in the net, enjoy the nature, telling their fishing tales, and of course smoking a good cigar.

Although the weather hasn't been very cooperative the past few weeks our members have managed to hit the Nantahalla, Tellico, and Toccoa,

Some other options for a day of fishing without having to travel too far would be Stover Creek, Smith Creek DH at Unicoi State Park in Helen, and the Tellico DH.  These are all smaller waters where wading is still possible.  So brave the weather and hit the waters.
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Toccoa Tailwater . . .

Getting out on the Toccoa Tailwater and the DH has been difficult due to the incessant rains and constant generation schedule.  However, Jay Campbell and Ralph Artigliere both managed separate January 2010 fishing outings on the Toccoa tailwater with essentially identical results:  each of us caught several nice (16-22 inch rainbow and brown trout) fish in two hour’s fishing.  Jay reported his success, including a location and tactics, at the January Chapter meeting, and Ralph heeded Jay’s advice, went out a couple days later, and shamelessly replicated Jay’s success.  Basically, the information Jay provided is what we always heard for this time of year:  Low and slow.  Both of us used streamer fishing on the bottom.   Jay used an olive rubber legged fly and Ralph an olive and black camo wooly bugger, the latter of which is taught in our chapter fly tying classes.   Pick one of the rare times when the river is not generating.   Use split shot or weighted fly to get the fly down to the bottom in deeper, slower water.  The fly can move some, but dead drift is best.  Use an indicator to slow the fly down if necessary.  Pictures of Jay’s fly and a couple of Ralph’s fish are attached.  The camo bugger is still in the rainbow in the attached photo.