Gold Rush chapter maintains North Ga. trout streams

Dahlonega is blessed with a great location for trout anglers and not only is the town the home of the first big gold rush in Georgia, the same streams that produced the gold rush are also home to wild, native and stocked trout. Dahlonega is surrounded by great streams.

Back in 2003, trout fishermen Pat Pattillo and Jody Ray were thinking about starting a Trout Unlimited chapter in the Dahlonega area. These two guys got 13 other anglers to join with them to start a TU chapter. They met all the requirements and received the charter before year's end. One of the first things the chapter did was to have John Vermont write a grant application for work on Cane Creek, which flows through Camp Glisson. The chapter was awarded the grant and they have returned there often, doing erosion control and enhancement projects.

Jody Ray was the first president but had to step aside when he moved to Marietta and in 2004 Pat Pattillo was elected president. Pat taught fly tying at North Georgia College for many years and started a fly tying class for the chapter. While Pat was president, with the help of John Vermont, they started the annual picnic barbecue that has fed a lot of fisher people.

Sam Johnson, Scott Goss and Deb Scott were presidents during the next few years and with Deb's help started a major Back the Brookie project on Stover Creek. The Gold Rush chapter joined with the USFS, the DNR and other chapters to make Stover into a great brook trout stream, complete with a barrier to prevent nonnative trout from entering the stream. During her tenure as chapter president Deb brought fun, enthusiasm and an influx of new members.

During Fred Ruppel's tenure as president, the chapter finished the work on Stover Creek and developed a close relationship with Big Canoe. They also started The After-School Program in Lumpkin County, which has become a successful outreach program, and worked with Frog Hollow (a trophy fly fishing destination) to start the Gold Cup fundraiser.

After Fred Ruppel there have been some great leaders in the chapter, including Rick O'Hara, a full time student at North Georgia College. Bill Nelson is the current president, with Doug Hickman the secretary-treasurer. The Gold Rush chapter stays active with ongoing workdays on several streams. They assist the DNR in stocking the Amicalola delayed harvest area, and last November we stocked 2,045 fish equally at the 53 Bridge and Steel Bridge. The chapter has fishing outings on the Oconoluftee and Tallulah rivers as well as Dukes Creek, the Chattahoochee and many other north Georgia and North Carolina streams.