Letter from GSM President

Water..Water everywhere...and plenty to go around. ! It has been raining it seems like every day these past few weeks. The hardest part is trying to stay grateful as our fellow anglers and friends out West are preparing in a lot of areas for a short snowmelt season and possible drought conditions. We are blessed our aquifers are probably full and overflowing in this part of the Smokies. I posted a link on our GSM TU Facebook to a video from Fontana Dam where they are sluicing from the spillway. It is only the fourth time in eight years they have released water this way. (LINK:https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...id=53521981382

As usual there will be no June meeting as many of our members are traveling or beginning their summer activities. However, there is still time to get involved and volunteer for the Clinch River TU chapters "Kids Fish Free Day" next Saturday. Held annually at Millers Island on the Clinch River your help is always needed and appreciated, please the see the article below for information on signing up.

I will be in Cherokee, NC June 9th, 2018 for the second year volunteering with the "Casting for Hope" Fishing Tournament, another great event on the Carolina side of the Smokies. This tournament sponsored in partnership with the Cherokee Tribal Council helps fund women who are recovering from cancer.

I want to give a shout out to everyone who attended the Smoky Mountain Angler's 30 Anniversary Celebration. Harold Thompson, owner of the fly shop and Chad Fouts, shop manager along with their crew put on a great event. They have been a great friend to our GSM TU chapter for years and always step-up to help whenever we ask. A lot of our sponsors were in attendance and helped make the day a success. Also I want to give a big hats off to our chapter vice president Derrick Douthat and board member Sue Stone for assisting all day with the cookout. They survived not only working with me, but helping serve great food to people along with occasional torrential rain!

As in years past we are again sponsoring this summer a teen to "Trout Camp" in the Smokies this month. It is a week long camp in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at the Tremont Institute. The campers will have the opportunity to experience all aspects of fishing in the Park, from fly tying to the study of bugs and most importantly having fun! It is because of our Great Smoky Mountain "Iron Man Fly Contest" each year in January that we are able to raise the funds to help make this happen for a deserving young person.

Do not forget our next chapter meeting is on Thursday, July 26th, 2018 6PM at River Johns! Join us as we gather with the Little River TU chapter members on the banks of the Little River on a private island for their annual picnic. If you have not been here before you are missing a hidden jewel just minutes from downtown Knoxville.

Thanks to everyone who volunteers for these events and to those who attend our chapter meetings. As always spread the word that you never have to be a chapter member to attend a Great Smoky Mountain Trout Unlimited event. The only requirement is a love of the outdoors and fellowship with others who feel the same way.

John Reinhardt
President
Email: john711111@yahoo.com