Little River Chapter of Trout Unlimited

Thank you to the nineteen (19) volunteers who supported the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) Fisheries team with brook trout monitoring and index of biotic (IBI) surveys this summer.  It was encouraging to see several volunteers participating in these events for the first time.  Two days were spent counting and taking fin clips from brook trout on Anthony Creek and IBIs were conducted on Middle Prong of the Little Pigeon River at Greenbrier and Little River above Elkmont.   At least fourteen (14) unique fish species were identified during the Little Pigeon River IBI.  

GSMNP Fisheries personnel and Smoky Mountain Chapter TU members will be joining us for the Little River Chapter Picnic on Thursday, July 25 at River Johns Outfitters in Maryville.  Additional details are provided further in the newsletter.  This is a great time to visit with other TU members and to show appreciation to GSMNP fisheries personnel for the outstanding work they do in the national park.

Bob Bishop
President

It’s fishing time in the Smokies as our members who fished Norton Creek this past Saturday can attest. The article later in this newsletter highlights the attributes of a trip to Norton Creek. Speaking of fishing, please consider booking a trip with one of the local guides listed below who have supported the Little River Chapter through contributions to our annual fundraiser auction.

Tellico Outfitters – https://www.tellicooutfitters.com
Headwaters Outfitters – https://headwatersoutfitters.com
R & R Fly Fishing – https://randrflyfishing.com
Richard Witt Fly Fishing – https://www.richardwittflyfishing.com
Trout Zone Anglers – https://troutzoneanglers.com

Gary Pickens and Harry Fetterman recently completed an update to our Chapter website. If you haven’t looked at the website in a while, now would be a good time to check it out. A picture gallery is being added to the website later this summer to showcase photos of members fishing or participating in various Chapter activities. Start saving photos you would like to share with the Chapter. You can also send them to Dan Spradlin (danielspradlin93@gmail.com) who manages our Instagram account.

Congratulations to the Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP) Stream Barrier Survey team volunteers who recently completed Phase II of this project. These volunteers completed surveys of over 250 stream crossings which could be potential barriers to aquatic organism passage in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). See more information in the Stream Barrier Survey section.

Now that the AOP surveys are complete, Bernie Maloy will be transitioning into the role of Tennessee Fisheries Coordinator for GSMNP and Kim Emery will assume the role of Little River Chapter Director of Volunteer Operations. Bernie will be responsible for coordination with GSMNP Fisheries Group leadership to ensure projects are properly staffed with volunteers and respond to all volunteer requests regarding opportunities with the Fisheries Group. Kim will be a single point-of-contact for members who are interested in becoming involved with volunteer opportunities, ensure frequent and clear communication with all volunteers and volunteer coordinators, and be a back-up for the volunteer coordinators. Feel free to contact any of the volunteer coordinators listed below if you are interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities.

Tennessee GSMNP Fisheries – Bernie Maloy (52bazzman@gmail.com)
Trout in the Classroom – Kim Emery (kim@topshelfedu.com)
Pistol Creek Clean-Up – Ernie Frey (ernest.frey@comcast.net)
AOP Barrier Surveys – Bernie Maloy (52bazzman@gmail.com)
Norton Creek Projects – Daniel Spradlin (danielspradlin93@gmail.com)

It is a privilege to host Dr. Bernie Kuhajda, PhD from the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute as the featured speaker at the June 27 Chapter Meeting. Try and arrive early so you will have an opportunity to visit with other Chapter members, and it is a great time to talk fishing.

Bob Bishop
President

June 2024 Newsletter

Little River Chapter members accomplished over 4,200 hours of volunteer service this past year. Our Chapter provided 1,942 hours of volunteer support to Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) Fisheries which is an increase of 32% from the previous year.  LRCTU also provided over 900 hours of volunteer labor supporting youth education initiatives such as Trout in the Classroom.  Additionally, LRCTU spent $22,543 on conservation, science, and monitoring projects.  It should be recognized the above numbers are more than statistics.  These numbers are a testament to LRCTU’s commitment to conserve, protect, and restore the coldwater fisheries and their watersheds in and around GSMNP and to promote conservation through youth education.  Thanks to all of our volunteers who supported one or more of our Chapter’s projects.

June is fast approaching which means it’s time to prepare for the John Thurman Trout Adventure Camp held at Tremont Institute from June 17 – 22.  Many of you have already volunteered to assist with one or more of the Trout Camp activities.  There are still volunteers needed to support casting instruction followed by fishing with a camper on the Middle Prong Little River on Tuesday, June 18.  This is an all-day event beginning at 9:00 a.m. and finishing around 5:30 p.m.  If you are interested in supporting this activity or would like additional information regarding any Trout Camp activity, contact Bob Bishop at bishmoose@sbcglobal.net or visit the website at www.tntroutadventure.org.

The May Chapter Meeting will feature a presentation by Ben Fields on Euro-nymphing techniques.  Ben is a videographer for Dorsal Outdoors and produced films for the Fly Fishing Film Festival.  Ben always brings a high level of excitement with his presentation.  The informational session following Ben’s presentation will be a brief summary of LRCTU’s Annual Report submitted to TU National.  This will be an opportunity to learn a little more about our Chapter.

I, along with the other LRCTU Board members, would like to express our appreciation to Jim Jeswald and Jimmy Jones whose terms on the LRC Board of Directors expired in March.  Jim Jeswald has been instrumental in supporting our Trout in the Classroom programs and will continue to work with schools in the Lenoir City and West Knoxville areas, as well as the TIC Committee.  Jimmy Jones has been a featured tyer at numerous Tie & Lie events including the Townsend Fall Festival and was heavily involved in updating our Chapter bylaws.  Thanks to Jim and Jimmy for their dedication to LRCTU.

Bob Bishop
President

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