My Position On Our Responsibility

Okay, I'm not sure why I feel led to make this post other than to impress upon our readers the commitment we have to the precious resources we all love and use to one degree or another and the heartfelt passion we have for not only passing along our tradition to the next generation, but to helping ensure that generation has access to quality resources.  I realize that this may only be read by one or two of our friends but I'm stating it regardless.

In the past week, I have posted a couple of things on Facebook regarding issues that we hold near and dear to our core, the most recent being a link to a blog post by the President of the American Fly Fishing Trade Association (which Unicoi belongs to).  It concerned the proposal by the White House to  invest $450 million in the Land and Water Conservation Fund for fiscal year 2013.  From the comments I received, you would have thought I was advocating a ban on moms, baseball and apple pie as we all goose step off into the future.  Not because they were opposed to the LWCF.  There wasn't even an indication any of them even know what it is.  Their ire was directed at me and the president of AFFTA for being so blind as to not see the dangers of giving President Obama credit for trying to do something positive.  We live in the most amazing country that has ever been conceived.  Somehow we continue to be the strongest nation in the world while very little over 50% of the voting public ever supports one party or the other.  I've always thought it grand that almost half the country will disagree with one candidate, or party, or the other and yet, we put our shoulders to the grindstone after every election and keep working hard to move forward.  Interesting, isn't it.  Regardless of who you vote for and who's policies you support, half the people in our country disagree with you!  So please, no more attempts to use our Facebook page for political commentary.  Just remember, one of every two people who read your vitriol (liberal or conservative) are going to disagree with you.  And beyond that, they probably don't care what your personal opinions are and you have almost a zero chance of convincing them otherwise.  Whew!  Feels good to get that off my chest.

A little history here only because it was the issue du jour.  The Land and Water Conservation Fund was established by Congress back in 1964.  It's sole purpose was to use mitigation money collected from offshore oil and gas drilling for projects which would benefit the American public:  specifically to conserve irreplaceable lands and improve outdoor recreation opportunities.  These were not taxpayer dollars.  The Fund had broad bipartisan support in Congress (yeah, imagine that!).  For almost 50 years now, the funds have been being collected and deposited into the U. S. Treasury to the tune of $900 million each year.  Guess what!  Every year, with the exception of 2 of the 50, Congress has raided the LWCF cookie jar and spent it on their own pet programs.  Now, Congress passed the LWCF legislation, even wrote it up to declare that it was to only be used for the specific purposes mentioned above, but habitually took the money and used it elsewhere.  They stole our LWCF money and continue to do so!

So here's where I am.  As long as I'm one of the owners of Unicoi Outfitters, I will continue to focus of being a good steward and a good conservationist and will share whatever information available that I feel is important and noteworthy in this area.  The LWCF issue happens to be one of them.  I may be taking a stance but I may also simply be passing along information of interest to other anglers and conservationists.  Verbally slamming me and those I work with can be done on a private level if you feel absolutely bound to tell me how unpatriotic I am for giving the President (any president) a platform.  I'll be more than happy to discuss with you how blessed I feel I am to be an American, the dedication I have in my business as well as my personal life to helping create a better life for servicemen both on active duty (that's part of how I earn my living and I'm proud of it) and those who have sacrificed their bodies and their lives in our defense.  You can reach me through the shop phone or email.

Until then, I plan to concentrate on positive things like teaching kids and adults about the outdoors I have loved and respected for as long as I can remember being aware of them.  I hope I can instill some of the same awe in you.  Thanks for allowing me to vent.

Jimmy

Tying the "Original" Pheasant Tail

This is pretty cool.  Frank Sawyer, the English gentleman who was the originator of the famous Pheasant Tail Nymph is shown tying one in this old "film".  You can make up your own voice over and appropriate accompanying music if you need it.  Enjoy!

Finally Got To Trout Fish!

After several weeks of, essentially, not getting my weekly fix of fishing in I made up my mind this past weekend to find me some water to fish.  Now, I'm not one to complain about rain, particularly during the hot summer months, but the recent pattern of thunderstorms every afternoon have put a serious cramp in my style.  Muddy waters in the Chattahoochee downstream from Helen have made shoal bass fishing tough to accomplish.  The Jekyll and Hyde personality of the Little Tennessee River make trips to North Carolina a poor odds game.  If someone in Franklin spits in the Little T, you can't fish it for three or four days until the mud clears.  Even redeye fishing on the lower Chattooga has been curtailed due to high water conditions.  My lovely wife has threatened to fill the bath tub with water just so I can get some casting in.  It's a serious psychological issue at my house when I don't get to fish.

Jake with a nice rainbow

So this past Friday I conned Jake and my friend Chris Borders into floating the Toccoa.  Our plan was to get on the water by 9 AM, float from Curtis Switch to McCaysville, riding the generation wave out the last few miles.  It worked perfectly!  Lounging in the shade eating a great shore lunch prepared by Chris, the water caught us at 2:45.  Our success had been so-so up until that point, mostly because we were too hard headed to switch from dries to nymphs.  Well, you know how it is; when you've got your heart set on chocolate pie and you're served strawberry, you're just a little disappointed.

A nice 'bow (lower left center) diving
back to the depths

We were also suffering a little bit from Bill Kelly syndrome.  My late friend, Bill was famous for having quoted to everyone within hearing distance, "If I ain't gonna catch em, I'd just as soon not catch em on dry flies!".  This was our mind set Friday.  When we did dredge deep with lead and indicators, we caught fish just "bam, bam".  Mostly Rainbow Warriors and Pheasant Tails but a couple were caught on a Lime Juice bream fly bouncing the bottom. 

Mark on unnamed stream

On Saturday, I succumbed to the pressures of another of my fishing buddies, Mark Whitney, and drove to the Smokies for some wild trout fishing.  What a magnificent day!  I don't think the air temperature ever got above 73 or 74 degrees.  Water conditions were perfect and we had the stream to ourselves.  Although Mark was hard headed about fishing dries only, I did give in and fish a dry dropper most of the day.  Big Royal Trudes, Elk Hair Caddis and even a Rubber Legged Tarantula brought them to the top.  The biggest fish of the day, Mark's 14" rainbow, actually took the Tarantula.  Looked too good to pass up. 

I

When you can spend time casually taking photos mixed in with a little fishing and a good fried chicken lunch, you can't ask for much more.  I understand it was hot, muggy and raining down here in Georgia on Saturday.   No, you don't mess with Mother Nature but you can sneak one by her now and then if you need to preserve your sanity.  

New North Carolina Regs?

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission held a meeting recently where they were presented with a few potentially interesting changes in fishing regulations.  The Commission was presented with staff proposals to make portions of Big Snowbird and Fires Creeks Delayed Harvest streams among other proposed changes to the fishing regs.  These changes are proposed for the 2013 - 2014 seasons and are subject to public hearings, so it's still a good way out if the changes even happen - but worth keeping a watch out.  The complete list of proposed changes is available here in Exhibit C:  NCWRC 7/12/12 Meeting Agenda

Hot Weather Relief - Enjoy

Fly fishing in Brittany, Part 1 / Pêche à la mouche en Bretagne

I realize this isn't from north Georgia but it's a cool video with no hyperbole & no vulgarity that really makes me want to go stand in a small stream and cast dry flies.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

You May Be In The Smokies If....

...this is your morning shower.

...this is your office.

...this is fine dining.

...this is your mid-afternoon sleep number mattress.

...this is your Damsel in distress.

...this is your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Father's Day

Father's Day is this weekend!

Forest Services Waives Fees for National Get Outdoors Day June 9

Forest Services Waives Fees for National Get Outdoors Day June 9

Gainesville, GA- The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest is waiving fees at most of its day-use recreation sites as part of National Get Outdoors Day (GO Day) on Saturday, June 9, 2012. GO Day is sponsored by the USDA Forest Service in cooperation with participating partners to encourage healthy, active outdoor fun.

"Through this fee waiver we hope to reach some first-time visitors to Georgia's national forests," said Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest Supervisor George Bain. "It's a perfect opportunity for reconnecting our youth to the great outdoors. Go for a hike, cast a fishing line, look for wildlife, paddle a canoe...just get out and explore your public lands," said Bain.

Most day-use recreation areas in the Chattahoochee and Oconee National Forests that are open for the season and operated by the Forest Service will waive any normal day-use fees. Forest visitors may check with their local Forest Service office for more information. Specific sites with fee waivers in place on each Ranger District include:

Blue Ridge Ranger District Office (Blairsville, GA - 706-745-6928)
• Beasley Knob OHV Trailhead
• Deep Hole Recreation Area
• DeSoto Falls Recreation Area
• Lakewood Landing Boat Launch
• Toccoa River Sandy Bottoms Recreation Area
• Whissenhunt OHV Trailhead

Chattooga River Ranger District Office (Lakemont, GA - 706 754-6221):
• Frady Branch Trailhead
• Oakey Mountain OHV Trailhead

Conasauga Ranger District Office (Chatsworth, GA - 706 695-6736):
• Chestnut Mountain Shooting Range
• Dry Creek Trailhead
• Houston Valley OHV Trailhead
• Lake Conasauga Day Use Area
• Sumac Creek Shooting Range

Oconee Ranger District Office (Eatonton, GA - 706 485-7110):
• Dyar Pasture Day Use Area
• Lake Sinclair Day Use Area
• Miller Lake Day Use Area
• Ocmulgee Bluff Trailhead
• Oconee River Day Use Area
• Redlands Recreation Area
• Roberts Bike Camp OHV Trailhead
• Swords Recreation Area
• Town Creek OHV Trailhead

Additional information about the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, including details and status updates for all national forest recreation areas, is available on the web at www.fs.usda.gov/conf.

This is the second of four Forest Service fee waiver events in 2012, with others scheduled for National Public Lands Day - Sept. 29, and Veterans Day Weekend - Nov. 10-12. The fee waiver days support the goals of President Obama's America's Great Outdoors initiative, as well as First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move Outside" program. For more information on the Forest Service's recreation fee program and how these funds are used, please visit http://www.fs.fed.us/passespermits/about-rec-fees.shtml.

The pilot effort of National Get Outdoors Day was launched on June 14, 2008, and has grown every year. Building on the success of More Kids in the Woods and other important efforts to connect Americans, and especially children, with nature and active lifestyles, the USDA Forest Service and the American Recreation Coalition (ARC) led an inclusive, nationwide effort focusing on a single day when people would be inspired and motivated to get outdoors. For more information about GO Day, visitwww.nationalgetoutdoorsday.org.

The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. Encompassing around 867,000 acres across 26 counties, the Chattahoochee and Oconee National Forests provide the finest outdoor recreation opportunities and natural resources in Georgia. Featuring nearly 118,000 acres of designated Wilderness, more than 800 miles of recreation trails, and dozens of campgrounds, picnic areas, and other recreation activity opportunities, these lands are rich in natural scenery, history and culture. The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests is part of the Southern Region, with the Forest Supervisor's office in Gainesville, Georgia, managing four District units in Blairsville (Blue Ridge District), Lakemont (Chattooga River District), Chatsworth (Conasauga District), and Eatonton (Oconee District).

Media Contact
Judy Toppins (770) 297-3061

The Details

Click on Collage for the Details

Like most anglers and others who enjoy being in the outdoors, I am often moved by the world around me and try to capture the images in my mind as I soak in the panorama.  Mountain ranges fading into the horizon, the silhouette of a grand old walnut tree against the mist of a cool morning.  Being a part of these scenes gives me pause and reminds me of why I feel more at home here than in my office.  But even beyond that majestic canvas, I find so much beauty in the details of God's Green Earth.  Common things become uncommon when viewed in minute detail.  Patterns and colors emerge that often go overlooked.  When we slow down and take the time to absorb what's right in front of us, it can turn a good day afield into a day of discovery.  The scale pattern of a common shiner suddenly resemble silver jewelry.  The tiny dark eyes peering at you from a cluster of salamander eggs sequestered just below the water's surface look as innocent as a newborn baby.  Are the rusty dots and dashes decorating the sides of a long-eared sunfish some form of Morse Code or a reflection of its DNA?

The photos in this collage are just a few that I have collected that bring a special memory to mind every time I see them.  You may click on the image to see them in a larger format but be warned that these are not professional quality photos.  They're mine and, actually, they're parts of mine taken with a variety of mostly point and shoot cameras and slightly edited with iPhoto before pasting together.  Remember, it's the details of the moment that caught my attention.  I hope this encourages you to stop and look for them on your next adventure.

Hypothermia

From The Fishing Wire:

May 18, 2012

Hypothermia

You don't have to encounter sub-zero temperatures and high wind to come face-to-face with hypothermia. In fact, if you are a boater who ends up in the water for any length of time, hypothermia can be your greatest threat to survival, and the fact of the matter is the water doesn't even have to be particularly cold. Here are some basic facts you should know and some common sense precautions you should take to decrease your risk of hypother- mia and make your time on the water safer.

Capt. Terry Sullivan dresses warmly and wears a belt type inflatable PFD for flotation when fishing for striped bass along the beach in the Mid Atlantic where water temperatures are moderate and other boats and Coast Guard rescue crews are never far away.

According to the Mayo Clinic, hypothermia is "a physical condition that occurs when the body's core temperature falls below its normal range, about 98.6 F (37 C) to 95 F (35 C) or cooler." The term "core" refers specifically to internal organs and the brain. This condition can occur when a body is exposed to cold temperatures without adequate clothing, but the effect is accelerated when the body is submerged in cool or cold water. When core temperature begins to fall, the performance of the brain, heart and lungs are affected.

In addition, cold core temperatures slow the body's reaction time and cause nerve and muscle function to become impaired.

The cooler the core becomes, the more degraded these body functions become. Left unchecked, heart and lung functions will eventually shut down resulting in death. According to the Center for Disease Control, approximately 600 people die of hypothermia in the United States annually, but when a person is submerged, hypothermia can lead to loss of life far more quickly as a result of rapid exhaustion and unconsciousness, leading ultimately to drowning.

Survival time in cold water can be dramatically different from one individual to another. Some of the physical factors that affect survival time include swimming ability, body size and build, tolerance to cold, shivering response, body fat and alcohol level in the blood. Behavioral characteristics also come into play including the individual's psychological state, will to live, activity level and even his or her posture in the water. Obviously, water temperature is also a major factor but surprisingly, water that you might not hesitate to swim in can cause hypothermia if a body is subjected to it for an extended period of time.

A person immersed in water less than 40 F has an expected survival time of 30-to-90 minutes before hypothermia causes death. However, exhaustion and resulting unconsciousness can occur in as little as 15 minutes. Submersion in water between 60 F and 70 F results in an expected time of survival that can stretch to as long as 40 hours, but exhaustion and unconsciousness can occur in as little as two hours. So while a person could conceivably survive two or three days floating partially submerged in water at those temperatures while awaiting rescue, without the aid of a flotation device, chances are most people will be unable to tread water for more than a few hours.

Prevention is the key to maximizing the chance of survival in the water, and a little knowledge goes a long way. The single most important thing you can do to enhance your safe boating experience and maximize survivability in cool or cold water is to wear a personal flotation device (PFD). Putting on a PFD once you are in the water can be difficult at best, so it's important to wear them regardless of your swimming ability.

When submerged in cold water, there are a few things you can do to slow the onset of hypothermia.

Keep as much clothing on as possible. Even wet, clothing can help retain some body heat.

Adopt a survival or "heat escape lessening position" (H.E.L.P.) with arms wrapped around chest and legs drawn up to slow core cooling.

Remain still unless a floating object, another person or the shore is nearby. Excessive movement and exertion increases temperature loss.

Keep as much of your body out of the water as possible, especially your head.

Keep a positive mental outlook while awaiting rescue, and try not to panic.

You cannot accomplish these basic survival techniques if you are not wearing a PFD. Assuming and maintaining the survival position is impossible. Remaining still is impossible. Keeping some of your body, especially you head from contact with the water is impossible. When you are struggling to keep from sinking without a PFD, keeping a positive mental outlook and avoiding panic becomes far more difficult.

If you spend time on the water during the colder months of the year when water temperatures can reduce exhaustion and survival times to short intervals just wearing a PFD is not enough. Insulation to slow the onset of hypothermia has to be considered. While inflatable PFDs are growing in popularity, they offer little insulation, while a vest-type PFD can reduce heat loss from the critical chest area of the body. Put one on over warm clothing and you can feel the way it helps maximize heat retention. Insulated flotation jackets (float coats) take insulation and warmth another step. One with a hood is even better to reduce heat loss from the neck and head. If you operate a boat on bodies of water with temperatures in the 40 F-range or colder, having survival suits aboard can save lives in the event of an emergency. Commercial vessels must carry one for each crew member by law. Common sense suggests that recreational boaters operating in extreme conditions should be similarly equipped.

All recreational boaters should strive to operate their boats in a manner that protects the safety of those on board. It's very important never to lose site of the environment in which you operate, and take whatever precautions are necessary when you are on the water. Don't forget that the water doesn't have to be all that cold to cause hypothermia. Properly equipping your boat with PFDs that fit your environment could make a big difference in preventing hypothermia should a situation occur.

Tie-Athlon in Print!

Nice to see the Friends of Georgia State Parks recognize Ron Thomas' Tie 1 On "Tie-Athlon" in the most recent "Georgia's Great Places" magazine! Support the Friends of Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites!

Carp Fishin' 101

From the Brooklynite at Carpe Carpio:

We Helped Create These Fishing Fanatics!

Our great friends Trudy Johnson and Linda Bennett have been a source of pure enjoyment for us over the past several years.  Seldom have we seen anglers take to the sport like these two.  We think they may fish more than we do at times; and that's saying something.  The accompanying story is from Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone, MT.  Needless to say, we are proud of you ladies!

From Trudy:

"Linda and I had a terrific time with Dan - we fished the "Between the Lakes" area of the Madison, the lower Madison, the Beaverhead, and did some great targeted casting to rising fish on the McCoy property.  Dan also gave us some great instruction on fishing streamers. 

"The scenery was spectacular, and we saw all sorts of critters not native to Georgia - buffalo, elk, bighorn sheep, pronghorn.  I was most excited to see SandHill cranes and a few eagle and osprey nests. 

"We did try a purple assassin (no luck), Linda's version of a lightening bug (great luck) and I changed the rainbow warrior to add a white zelon wing - it also was a great fly out there. 

It certainly is interesting to go on a trip with the only fact known is that we were going to be picked up at the airport in Bozeman!!  Dan treated us like royalty - we are really spoiled and are already wanting to find the money to go again next week!! NO chance on that one."

The photo on the right is of Linda's "first-cast" 20" brown!

First Annual Tie-One-On Tie-Athlon a Success!

1st Annual Tie-Athlon

Tie 1 On for Smithgall Woods--what a great day--a winning day for everyone involved.

Chuck Head & Jake Darling - 1st Place

On Saturday, March 24, 12 tyers (6 teams of 2 per team) of aspiring fly tyers gathered at Unicoi Outfitters in Helen, Ga. to have some fun and to help out a worthy cause located in our community - Smithgall Woods State Park.  Five hours and 450 flies later, we had raised over $2,500 in pledges - this amount is still hard for me to believe.

Smithgall Woods was definitely a winner because they will be the recipient of these donations by way of the Friends of Smithgall Woods - hopefully this will help out with the conservation and kids' programs that they offer.

Rosie Whitmire

Unicoi Outfitters, Foothills chapter of Trout Unlimited, and our own "Tie 1 On" group were all winners because they were responsible for sponsoring this inaugural fly tying event - which we hope will become an annual fund raiser for worthy causes in our community.

But I think the real winners would have to be all those who took part in the event - the fly tyers who worked hard to raise the pledges and tied the flies, the volunteers who helped set up and clean up the mess we made, the cooks - who boiled the peanuts and grilled the dawgs, those who judged the event, and especially those who donated - you made this event successful. 

Thanks to all of you - a man is truly blessed by the friends in his life.

We had a blast!

Tie 1 On,

Ron

40-Year Old Memories & the Chattooga River

Spring-like, heck, summer-like weather this weekend was too much of an allure to get on the river and I ended up fishing the Chattooga both Saturday and Sunday.  All day Saturday with my friend Alan Juncker and Sunday afternoon with Mark Whitney.  Saturday morning at 7:05 AM I get a text from Alan saying he's just north of Athens and headed to the Chattooga.  Asks if I want to join him.  Forty-five minutes later we're throwing all our gear into one vehicle and Chattooga bound.

For about three hours, we pretty much had the river to ourselves.  What a beautiful morning it was.  My mind flashed back to 1968 and my first trout fishing trip to north Georgia during spring break at UGA.  That first cool morning when I stepped up to a small mountain stream and smelled the aromatic mix of dew and the richness of decaying organic matter.  The cold water providing a chill to the air in the stream corridor.  We didn't own waders back then and only one guy in the group had a fly rod.  The rest of us were spin fishing but I knew right then that this was something special.

Thankfully, I've never lost that feeling over all the years and it was as if I were stepping back into that small stream Saturday morning.  Only this time I had my 4 wt. in hand and hoping for dry flies and rises.  We walked a good ways upstream to one of my favorite corners, seeing only one other angler along the way.  I wanted fish on dries but I hedged my bet with a soft hackle hares ear dropper since no bugs were coming off and no fish rising.

All morning the action was steady with about half coming on my tan caddis dry and half on the hares ear.  Most fish were caught in the shallow riffles, the most enjoyable water to fish in my opinion.  For a couple of hours at mid-day, things slowed down markedly but began to pick back up around 2:00.  With the early start to the day, we planned on leaving around 4:00 to head back home and began fishing our way back downstream.

You could tell that the fishing was going to be picking up as the afternoon wore on.  In another of my favorite riffles, we had picked up several fish on the hares ears that we were now fishing under indicators. At the very top of the run, my orange Thingamabobber was inhaled by a nice fish.  The next cast was a repeat of the first with the fish taking it completely out of sight  before releasing it.  I was sure it was a big brown simple looking for a big wad of protein.

Changing to a hopper pattern with orange foam, I got at least a half dozen follows but no takes.  Okay, we'll go with more orange.  I'm thinking a Stimulator but notice an Orange Palmer in my box and go with it.  Smaller but definitely more orange.  The first cast, just as the fly was about to float out of the zone, and the big fish makes one of those slow motion rises to gently inhale the fly and the tussle is on.  As I catch a glimpse of the fish, I'm thinking "That's no brown." but it doesn't exactly look like a rainbow either.  A few minutes later I slide my net under a big, very pretty brook trout.  What a great way to end the day!

Sunday afternoon I get an invitation from Mark to attend his birthday party.  He planned to spend it standing in the Chattooga.  I can't disappoint my friend on his birthday!  As we pull into the parking lot, the weather goes really bad with lightning and hail pounding the area.  It was relatively short lived and we were soon on the river.  Using Saturday as a guide, I go right back to the dry/dropper rig; a tan elk hair caddis with a bead head hares ear hanging off the back.  This afternoon, there is almost no interest in the dry with only two fish rising to it.  But a lot of fish were caught on the nymph.  Few bugs were seen in the air so I'm sure that had something to do with the fish not looking up.  I used the same hares ear all afternoon, never feeling a need to change to something different.  It was that consistent.  This afternoon we stayed on the river until about 30 minutes before dark and never saw over a half dozen rises.

I think things will continue to get even better in the next couple of weeks as more bugs begin to hatch.  There are small dun caddis, blue dun mayflies, March browns, dark Hendricksons and even some light cahills popping out of the water right now.  It's a great time to be on the Chattooga, early morning or late afternoon.