Friday, March 24, 2017

Sweep the Hooch - Saturday, Apr 8, 2017 (9 AM to 12 PM)

Chattahoochee River Cleanup for April 8th. NEED Volunteers!
 

We will be partnering with Chattahoochee Riverkeepers and Hardman Farm Historic Site to do a river clean-up of the Chattahoochee. We invite you to keep our rivers clean and beautiful by picking up trash along the Chattahoochee.

We will meet at Hardman Farm parking lot. Please wear clothes that you do not mind getting dirty. Trash bags will be provided. Meet at Hardman Farm parking lot.

You will need to register at the website listed in the graphic below and if you do register before the date you will get a free t shirt! (good incentive) We will provide supplies like trash bags and extra gloves but you do need to dress to get wet and dirty.

Sarah Kelehear
Interpretive Ranger
Smithgall Woods State Park
sarah.kelehear@dnr.ga.gov
(706) 878-3087


Saturday, March 18, 2017

Brook Trout for Simgall Woods

Brook Trout donated to Smithgall Woods by the Georgia Foothills Chapter of TU to replace the one that was stolen a couple of years ago  

Monday, March 13, 2017

HB208



Team,

I have just received confirmation that HB208 will be heard by the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee next Wednesday, March 15 at 1:00 p.m. in room 450 of the Capitol.  I will certainly let you know if that changes.

This bill is in regards to proposed fee increases for Georgia fishing and hunting licenses. The council is in favor of this bill and I will be testifying before the Senate on Tuesday.

GWF issued a Camo Alert last night for folks to contact their Senator regarding passage.  We will also send an Alert suggesting they attend in person if able on March 15.  Chairman Ginn wants to see supporters of the bill, let's show him supporters.  I plan on being outside the committee room on the 4th floor of the Capitol around noon on Wednesday in the event anyone wants to ask questions about the process or about the bill.

I hope all of you can join us and/or contact your Senator between now and Wednesday.  Encourage your members to attend as well.  It would be great to see room 450 in the Capitol overflowing with hunters, anglers and all the folks that will benefit from enhanced outdoor opportunities.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.  Also feel free to forward this string of emails to anyone that might be interested in attending or commenting.  An easy way for folks to contact their legislators is to join the Camo Coalition at www.gwf.org.

Please share with your chapter membership and fishing and hunting friends

Carl Riggs
Council Chair
Georgia TU

Dream Trip Raffle Winners for 2017


Photos from the "Hoot on the Hooch"








Sunday, March 12, 2017

Quilt winner at the "Hoot"

Look who won the beautiful hand made quilt at the HOOT Trout Unlimited banquet tonight....

Kathy Harris wins the raffle for the quilt!!!

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Fly Fishing Film Tour

My name is Liam Cunningham and I am the president of Young Harris College’s TU 5Rivers Fly Fishing Club. This is our first year as a program and we are trying to do our best to spread our love of fly fishing and conservation around our area. One of the ways we plan to do this is by bringing the Fly Fishing Film Tour to Young Harris. We are looking to attract people from all over North GA, North and South Carolina, Tennessee and surrounding areas to Young Harris to share the passion of fly fishing.

We invite you to join us on Saturday, April 8, 2017 at Young Harris College Rollins Campus Center for the 11th annual Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3T). Participate in our casting competition, visit with area outfitters, guides and fellow fly fishing folk starting at 5:30pm. Dinner will be served at 6:30pm with films beginning at 7:00pm. Proceeds will benefit Healing Waters, Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition’s Corn Creek Project as well as YHC TU 5Rivers Fly Fishing Club.
Advanced tickets may be purchased on the Fly Fishing Film Tour website or at https://events.ticketprinting.com/event/22997 by April 4th and are $20 adult and $15 with a valid student ID. All tickets purchased at the door will be $30.

Please share our invitation with your club members and other fly-fishing enthusiasts. For more information please call or email Hayley Burch, YHC Events at 706-379-5016 / hcburch@yhc.edu or myself at 912-373-5250 / lacunningham@yhc.edu.

Our club would really appreciate your support. Come out, eat some food, enjoy great films and hangout with other fly fishers. We hope to see you there.

Tight lines,
Liam Cunningham

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

TROUT STOCKING WILL BEGIN EARLIER IN 2017

GAINESVILLE, Ga. (Mar. 7, 2017) – Take advantage of beautiful spring weather and plan a trout fishing trip to the north Georgia Mountains! How about an early trout stocking to sweeten the deal?
The Georgia Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will cooperatively stock 40,000 trout in Georgia during the week of Mar. 6, giving anglers their first opportunity to harvest some freshly stocked trout in 2017. Regular weekly stockings for the 2017 stocking season begin on Mar. 20, when an additional 70,000 trout will hit the water.
Despite the low stream flows being experienced in north Georgia, the trout stocking program is still aiming to stock one million fish this year.
“With the current spring-like conditions and all trout waters open to fishing year-round, we have decided to stock approximately 40,0000 trout two weeks early,” says WRD trout stocking coordinator John Lee Thomson. “Due to the mild winter, we have experienced excellent trout growth in our hatcheries and with the continuing low stream flows, these fish have outgrown the available hatchery space giving us the opportunity to stock a few weeks early this year.”
Some popular stocked streams that will receive trout during this early stocking effort include Cooper Creek in Union County, Tallulah River in Rabun County, Dicks Creek in Lumpkin County, Holly Creek in Murray County, and Johns Creek in Floyd County. The daily limit is eight trout on general regulation trout waters. Anglers are reminded to respect private property rights along streams flowing through private lands and to obtain permission before fishing on private property.
Anglers must possess a current Georgia fishing license and a trout license to fish in designated trout waters and to fish for or possess trout. Anglers must also possess a wildlife management area license or Georgia Outdoor Recreation Pass (GORP) in order to fish on certain WMAs. Find a list of designated areas at www.georgiawildlife.com/Georgia-Outdoor-Recreational-Pass .
Anglers must possess a current Georgia fishing license to fish in public waters. Where can you get a license? Buy it online (www.gooutdoorsgeorgia.com), at a retail license vendor (list at www.georgiawildlife.com/licenses-permits-passes ) or buy it by phone at 1-800-366-2661.
Purchasing a Trout license plate supports Georgia’s trout conservation and management programs. These efforts positively impact trout production, stocking and stream restoration throughout north Georgia. Purchase or find out more at your county tag office.
For the list of stocked trout streams, online versions the Georgia trout stream map, and other trout fishing tips, visit www.georgiawildlife.com/Fishing/Trout or call (770) 535-5498.

Foothills March Monthly Meeting

This Thursday, March 9th is the Foothills Monthly Meeting. We will be putting the finishing touches on our plans for the "Hoot" event this Saturday night.

Come join us this Thursday and bring a friend. The social time is around 6:00 - 6:30 with the program starting up at 7:00 and runs to about 8:00.
Date: 03/9/17
Time: 6:30 P.M.
Location: United Community Bank, 468 W Louise Street, Clarkesville, GA 30523

Saturday, March 4, 2017

Donations for the Hoot Bucket Raffles



We are looking forward to another successful HOOT to help support all of our outreach projects. 

Please help by asking for folks you shop with, restaurants you eat at or places you go for services to entertainment to donate something for our bucket raffles or silent auction. 

Please send Valarie vhdhai1@gmail.com an email to let her know what you have gotten along w the donar so that we can give them advertisement. Tax forms for donars available by email or at the meeting this Thursday.

Please bring your donations Thursday evening to meeting -drop off even if you can't stay for the meeting.

Thanks to all who are already gathering items  and to those who will to help make the event a success.