Letter from President

“If you listen real close you can hear me pushing winter down the road!”

I like many others are over the grey, cloudy days below 35 degrees and we are ready for Spring! It will not come soon enough after all that last year brought to the table. I was able to squeeze in an afternoon of fishing the Clinch with Dave Harrell last Saturday for the first time in a month or two. The water release gave us a five hour window on a 40 degree day. I was very grateful as it gave us a chance to talk to friends on the water we have not seen in quite a while. Was the fishing great….not hardly but to be out on the water with the familiar feel of casting to hopeful currents was worth its weight in gold.

This month was also a time to honor our friend and GSM TU board member Michael Bachman who recently passed away. He was a long time member of our chapter and goes back many years in our history as a member and officer. I have known Michael even before I was a member of our chapter and he was always a class act. He served our country first as a pilot in the Air Force and then retired later from the Air National Guard as a Lt. Colonel. He was responsible for flying the tankers that fuel the fighters in mid-air. His career continued as the Vice President of Finance for McGee Tyson airport here in Knoxville until he retired just a few years ago. I will remember him especially for his dedication and service to our chapter and that he never let an opportunity to volunteer slip away. He was honored last week at the Veterans Park Cemetery with full military honors and it was a privilege to attend.

February is a short month so we will not have a monthly virtual meeting, however I am excited to announce that Tuesday March 23rd will be a special event. Our fly tying demos have been very successful the last couple of months as we deal with the inability to hold in person meetings due to the pandemic.

That evening we will be presenting a very special fly tier that I am sure will draw a lot of interest. Stay tuned as more details will be released as we get closer to Tuesday March 23, 2021.

Regarding the “IRON MAN FLY CONTEST” we are simply in a holding pattern waiting for the appropriate time to schedule. This is and always will be a “Live” event and if we have to wait for a safe time we will. The prizes are secured, ready to go along with our host sponsor “DEAD END BBQ” just waiting for the date. Bear with us as we are planning the biggest “IRON MAN FLY CONTEST” ever!

In closing we want to thank you for your continued support as we adapt and adjust to the demands and restrictions of social interactions for organizations like ours. The Zoom meetings have been successful thanks to our hosts like Smoky Mountain Angler. We ask you to support them also for your angling needs along with our other long time sponsors Little River Outfitters, 3 Rivers Angler and TFO Rods.

Remember to follow us on the GSM TU Facebook page and the chapter website. The Great Smoky Mountain TU Facebook page is the best and fastest way to follow us during these constantly changing times for the latest up to date information.

GSM TU FACEBOOK: http://m.facebook.com/ GreatSmokyMountainTU/

John Reinhardt

President