P r e s i d e n t ’ s C o r n e r
Mike Bryant (mjbryant1954@hotmail.com)
My fishing attempts have been noticeably lacking over the last month or so. Lots of excuses (some of them valid) regarding the holidays, family, weather, high water, low water, and / or very cold water. Bill and I did manage to fish near the Elkmont Campground on a day that was supposed to reach 60 degrees. We did find some fish feeding in a pool and I did manage to land a small brown with Bill guiding my casts. But with the water temperature at 42 degrees, most of the fish were hunkered down. That brown was my only fish of the day. I think Bill managed to raise a couple of rainbows. Not much to write home about, but we were outdoors and pretty much had the stream to ourselves.
I’ll be gearing up for the annual Everglades trip that Jan and I make every winter. I love fly fishing for trout in the Park and saltwater species in the Everglades. Both places are beautiful in their own special way. I am blessed to be able to fish both.
With the 2016 Board of Directors and Officers now in place, we have started mapping out plans for the new year. Probably the biggest challenge will be in fundraising. To keep it fresh we will be trying some new ways to raise funds for the Park and the Steve Moore Youth Education Fund. I’ll be sharing more details in the next couple of months. We will continue to support Matt and his crew with our volunteer efforts. We expect to continue growing our Trout-in-the-Classroom program, expanding the number of 5 Rivers college fishing clubs in Tennessee and helping with this year’s Trout Camp
.
I would be remiss if I didn’t provide a big THANK YOU to the four Board members who rotated off the BOD this year – Sheila Bolinger, Wayne Everbach, Chuck James and James Locke. Each has made major contributions to our Chapter and the Park. I will be acknowledging their efforts at upcoming meetings, but please let them know that you appreciate their efforts and leadership.Check out Steve Young’s article on the Trout-in-the-Classroom release event last December. Our TIC program is going strong and will continue to grow in our region. Many thanks to everyone who has contributed with your time, talents and contributions!
Stay warm and safe. I hope to see you at the January meeting.
-Mike
