Matt A. Kulp is the Supervisory Fishery Biologist at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Gave to our chapter ‘Fish and Water Quality Updates’ at our January meeting. If you missed it or would like to see it again. Please see the link below.
Matt Culp Presentation to LRCTU January 2021
Matt is discussing ongoing research and restoration projects in the park and opportunities for our members to volunteer this upcoming year.
Good Fishing <(((<
Joe Hatton
PRESIDENT – Steve Young
Newsletter
Christmas Lights and Leader, and a Better Year in 2021
Happy 2021 to all!! I join you in wishing (hoping?) for a better this year than last. Despite the restrictions I have been able to indulge in my favorite social distancing pastime of fishing!!-mostly in the park. I hope you have also. Only lately have the cold snaps and lowered stream water temps kept me indoors—more time for fly tying!
I always thought that untangling a dry/dropper on 5x tippet after a missed strike or a tree encounter was the worst—until I unpacked our Christmas lights for the Holidays. I have been schooled again! All I gained was the re-realization that patience is a virtue in many aspects of life.
Patience will be a virtue as we negotiate 2021. Frustratingly, early 2021 will be much the same as most of 2020; COVID restrictions in place that I hope we all continue to follow. For LRCTU that means no live meetings indoors, masks and social distancing when we do meet outside. However, we will be trying to air some programs via the ZOOM route starting with Matt Culp’s annual GSMNP update. Watch for the announcement and invitation to the online meeting. I am hoping we can have our first live meeting in July with our annual picnic at River John’s.
A big difference for this year is the vaccine introduction. Because of my service with the Dandridge Fire Department and my lymphoma history I have already gotten the first MODERNA application and by the time you read this the second. I will keep you posted on the after effects. Despite the vaccination, I plan to maintain the handwashing, masks, and social distancing protocols for a while; this is really a necessity because the experts say even though I shouldn’t get sick I can still be a transmitter.
Little River Chapter like all of TU relies on volunteers to lead the way. This year we have a great Board of Directors who were introduced in the last Newsletter—save one. We need someone to step up as PROGRAM CHAIR. While this can be somewhat daunting, whoever takes this on will have a great head start; the previous Program Chair, Chuck James, had a great set of programs lined up—and we didn’t use any of them! I have all the names and contact information; these individuals just need to be contacted and dates set up.
We have a number of other projects planned that will require LRCTU members participation to be successful. They are listed below in the Projects / Chapter Activities section with the name of the Coordinator and their contact information. If interested please contact them directly. And I am sure more projects will arise that will need members’ participation to be successful; we will keep you posted.
Whew!! That was a load—I promise (at least try) not to be so wordy but I wanted to get all of this out in front of the membership as we head into the new year.
Best Wishes and Tight Lines! – Steve Y
Matt O’Neal of Savage flies has started a new series on YouTube called the Great Smoky Mountain Flies . The patterns come from Don Kirk’s book Hatches & Fly Patterns of the Great Smoky Mountains link. Matt is planing on tying 60 patterns. His YouTube site also has flies from other authors like Dave Hughes, David Klausmeyer.
Matt has links for
Great Smoky Mountain Series 1-20
Great Smoky Mountain Series 21-40
Hope you enjoy these Videos
Good Fishing <(((<
Joe
