Little River Chapter of Trout Unlimited

If collective data provided important information to do your job or any other aspects affecting your world, then you can understand how LRCTU heavily depends upon our volunteer data. Not just in the volunteer work that we do, but the volunteer hours involved in that work.

Our volunteer hours justify grant requests, donations, and give the GSMNP data they need for planning and funding. This data is the very heart of survival for LRCTU, its mission, and how we can help the GSMNP Fisheries.

Using the current national data for what a volunteer hour is worth, each hour entered is plus $34.79 making every volunteer hour NOT ENTERED, NEGATIVE $34.79. Not entering hours cancels out someone else’s hard work!

In the last 4 years, volunteers donated 13,314 hours which is equivalent to donating $460,000.00 to LRCTU and GSMNP!

And then there’s this; there is one of me and one of Bernie Maloy with at least 83 people volunteering. It takes you a lot less time to quickly fill out the form for each event than it does for me and Bernie to comb through the list to find what’s missing, contact everyone, make sure it’s entered, contact again if not. Some might wait until March, when we send out the PLEASE for year-end reporting. We appreciate hours entered, but when it’s all at once, it skews the data for YTD, making it hard to keep track in real time.

So, for every volunteer event you participate in, I am (begging, pleading with) asking you to be kind to a couple of old brains! It might seem trivial to you, but it’s a huge thing for the collective us.

If you want to check to see what hours you have entered already, go to VOLUNTEER HOURS RECORDED.  This is a View Only file.  In order to actually enter your hours, access our website at LRCTU.org.  Find Submit Volunteer Hours Here! under our logo on the right-hand side of the page.

Looking forward to the picnic Thursday, July 24! There will be great burgers, potluck, and of course, having fun. Bring a chair, a spouse or friend, and come early if you want to fish; it is on the river, ya know!

Hope your summer is off to a great start!
Kim Emery
President

Newsletter

Wow, another Trout in the Classroom session comes to an end. This program is a bounty of enthusiasm and feel good for so many people and students. As volunteers we have had the privilege of watching eyes go wide when they see a river for the first time or a piece of knowledge sparks their interest.

The adults involved receive many benefits as well. Teachers get a day out and a sort of day off, while volunteers participate in something very special. I am not sure everyone appreciates all that the volunteers do and we should. We have volunteers that drive over an hour one way to be bright eyed and bushy tailed first thing in the morning, some donning their boots and waders to get into the river in search of a bug collection worthy of a presentation. Then there are the school coordinators that spent time all semester watching the tank, talking with classes, bringing the fingerlings to the release, then cleaning up and closing down the tank until the next session.

Being involved with Trout in the Classroom is one of my favorite things. I always feel I personally gain something from each release. I love fishing, but the gratification from this, well, it beats even the moment of the largest brown I ever caught. I’ll even throw in the time I caught the big Brookie on the Tuck!

Summer is upon us and many will start traveling soon. If you are one of those, here’s wishing you safe travels and a wonderful vacation, or family time, or whatever it is you will be doing. If you aren’t traveling, we have a great summer of presentations and a picnic for you to enjoy!

As always, our Newsletter Creator in Chief, Joyce Frey, has all of the information you need for upcoming events. Please continue scrolling!

Here fishy, fishy, fishy!

Kim
LRCTU Chapter President

Newsletter

My life has been filled with serendipity.  Many years ago, my brother asked if I wanted to split the cost of a casting lesson with him and on that day fly fishing became one of those serendipitous events. That day began a journey for both of us and we were able to share a gift of some amazing days on the water.

Fly fishing isn’t just fishing.  It takes you places.  It exposes you to some of the most beautiful scenery you could ever hope to see, even if it is just being on The Little River on a beautiful day, while feeling that burning hope for the big one.  As a friend of mine always says, “the tug is the drug!”  This spring I found that to be true even when catching a stick while floating on the Tuckaseegee!

Serendipity also brought me to the Little River Chapter where I have found more passions; Tie and Lie, Trout in the Classroom, or even getting some good exercise while picking up trash. There is an added bonus of spending time with amazing people and building friendships while sharing the common purpose of caring for the park, its fisheries, and the beauty that surrounds us.

As president, I share a responsibility to keep LRCTU strong and healthy.  I can’t believe my fortune of being surrounded by so many passionate people willing to give their time and talents to help along the way.  I am always in awe of how many volunteers and volunteer hours we have each year.

Our newsletter editor, Joyce Frey, does a great job with dates, descriptions, and goings on, so please do some scrolling and see what ’s coming up!  I do know we could use a few more volunteers for our Trout in the Classroom releases and there are a couple of more dates open for Norton Creek.  Man, talk about some great fishing!

Here fishy, fishy, fishy!

Kim Emery
President

Newsletter