Letter From Chapter President

I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season so far, I spent mine in Louisville, Ky at my sister's. The temperature hit 76 degrees and set a new record along with a thunder storm! All I could think of was the old wive's tale of thunder in winter you get snow a week later.

Don't forget January 2017 is a jam packed month for our chapter. Of course the "IRON MAN FLY CONTEST 2017" kicks off the year at the Blackhorse Pub in Knoxville, TN on Thursday, January 19th at 6PM. All our sponsors are back and some new ones to help us raise money to send a deserving child to Trout Camp in the Great Smoky National Park this summer. Sign up today to register to tie and get there early this one packs out! (See the article below)

Just two days later the "Great Smoky Mountains Outdoor Expo" is being held at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum on January 21-22, 2017. We will have a Trout Unlimited booth set up to meet and greet attendees, and your help is needed to staff it. Send me an email if you would like to volunteer for a short shift to talk with people about Trout Unlimited. We will be letting folks know about the TU Southeast Regional meeting in Gatlinburg, TN, April 21-23, 2017. To volunteer, choose date & email: john711111@yahoo.com

How about a February road trip! The Atlanta Fly Fishing Show will be February 3-4, 2017 at the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth, Georgia. This is only one of seven held across the country and the closest one to us. As a bonus our good friend Don Kirk & Southern Trout magazine will be launching the first inductees into the "Legends of the Fly" Hall of Fame. We will be representing our chapter that weekend and spreading the word of the Great Smoky Mountain Trout Unlimited mission.

As I started off saying 2017 is a big year for our region and chapter and I am excited by what we are doing. The chapter board and officers met in December to plan for the coming year and a great many ideas were presented for this year. Add in our camping trips and our "Day on the Water" events and this year is going to be one to remember. Make plans to come out to chapter meetings and events this year, it is your chapter and our success depends on you!

John Reinhardt

President

Email: john711111@yahoo.com