President's Message -- June 2018

If You Can’t Go Fishing Now What?

What’s happening with our weather? It’s been a wild and crazy Spring. And now we’re paying for all of the rain that descended on the metro area during March, April and May. If you’ve seen the Hooch you know that it’s basically unfishable – don’t go in it.

Reports are that releases from Buford Dam will continue 24/7 as long as the water level in Lake Lanier is above full pool. At last count it was about 2-1/2 feet above!

So, what can you do to while away the time until flows are back to normal?

Here’s what I’m doing:

• Cleaning out my fly boxes of old worn out flies and tying replacements so I’ll be ready.
• Checking over all of my rods and reels for any problems that could affect my next trip on the river. Also cleaning fly lines is a good job to undertake.
• Washing off my waders and especially muddy boots. Let’s make this a practice to follow after every trip to the river.
• Heading out to local lakes and up to North Georgia should permit some fishing now that the rain has let up. Be careful though…some streams are still running faster than normal.
• Dreaming about an upcoming late summer trip out West. I better get busy tying flies for that adventure.

You see, maybe we can’t hop in the car and be on the Hooch in 15 minutes today, but we can be prepared for the moment we can.

I hope you’ll join us at our June 26th chapter meeting where Don Kirk, publisher of Southern Trout Magazine will speak to us about his publication and covering the trout fishing scene across the southern states.

Ken Mock

Chapter President