Trout Unlimited on the Savannah River
In 2008, Terrell Fleming and some TU friends began discussing the possibility of starting a chapter of Trout Unlimited in the Augusta area. Even though they were TU members, the nearest chapter was an hour or more away.
In order to be chartered, every TU chapter must contain at least 12 members in good standing and a six-member board of directors. Under the guidance of the Georgia TU Council, Terrell started the process. A name and also a zip code area was chosen to establish the chapter’s boundary. The group elected a board of directors and officers. Bylaws were established, approved by the state council and a date and place were chosen for the first public meeting. Soon all the preliminary work was completed, including getting an EID number from the IRS. The first public meeting of the Savannah River Chapter of Trout Unlimited was in January 2009 and TU National granted the charter soon afterward.
Jimmy Miller is the chapter president and due to his outstanding leadership has served as president several times. They meet in Hartwell on the first Monday of each month, with around 25 of the 75 members on the roster in attendance. There are two workdays every year, Lower Panther Creek in the spring and Soque River on Highway 197 in the fall, along with a Big Kids Fishing Event in the spring with around 50 kids participating. The chapter helps sponsor the Tallulah River Kids Fishing Rodeo in June. Its annual fundraiser is the third Saturday in August at Flat Shoals Baptist Church in Bowersville, just outside of Hartwell.
The Savannah River Chapter is strong and like all chapters they are looking for new members. Feel free to drop in at a meeting and get to know the folks. These guys know the resource and when, where and how to catch fish. Contact Jimmy at troutfisher1001@hotmail.com.
SUCCESS, BY JAMES PAYNE
What is success? That was a question posed at a recent Sunday school class. I paid attention for the first few seconds and, as usual, I quickly drifted into a semi-conscious state. My mind took me to a little free stone trout stream. I could feel the pulsing water against my legs. The sound of the rushing water masked all other sounds. I was just about to cast into a little pocket water near a boulder when I felt a sharp pinching of my right arm. I awoke with a startle. It was a pinching. It was my wife pinching me trying to wake me from my stupor.
As things came into focus, I could see the Sunday school teacher staring at me. “And James,” said the teacher, “what is your definition of success?” Before I knew it, I blurted out “A 20-inch brown trout.” My wife kicked me on the shin. The teacher, being a trout fisherman himself, knew what I was talking about. But all the ladies stared at me with their beady eyes, just sure that I had said something nasty.
That experience got me thinking. How do we define success as trout fishermen? Looking back through my life I could see that the benchmark had changed. As a child, catching any fish of any size with any method was success. Later, finding the stocking truck and catching and keeping my limit of trout was a successful day. Fooling a trout with a fly and then fooling one with a fly I had tied were both banner days. Sneaking out with my children to catch a fish of any size or species was a success. Then, the fish size began to matter. I even made a mark at 20 inches on my fly rod so I could measure the trout. I wanted to catch the big ones.
Stuff then became important. Having the right equipment, clothing, and paraphernalia defined success. The catalogue companies loved me. Now, the online companies really love me.
Today is successful when I can make it into the stream without injuring or drowning myself. Then there is the part of climbing out of the stream bank and up the hill to my back porch where I can enjoy an adult beverage. To heck with catching any fish.
Each of us float down the stream of life differently. You may be at the headwaters, mid-course, or where the river slows and meanders. Depending on where we are on our trip downstream, our idea of success will change.
So, wherever you are on your journey, just get out there and enjoy the fishing and your life
COOSA VALLEY FLY FISHING CLASS
Cathy Valancius says: Our class went well. We had seven students. The weather was good and we did knot-tying, casting and fly-tying. I spoke about fly fishing, where to fish and gear. It was a good class.
Paul Diprima of the Trout Unlimited Cohutta Chapter can be reached at Pauldiprima@ aol.com. The opinions in Talking Trout are his own. Unless specifically stated, they do not reflect the thoughts or policies of TU on
the state or national level.