Stone Mountain Chapter - Trout Unlimited

Thanks to our table sponsors and our mechandise sponsors. Also thank you to our auctioneer and hostesses.

Banquet Gold Sponsors.

Harris Leather
Boss Hog BBQ
White Sulpher Springs
G & B Energy
Vulcan Materials.
Duke Energy

Silver Sponsors

Surry/Yadkin EMC
New River Soil & Water Conservation
Blue Ridge EMC
Tilley Auto Sales
Custom Heating and Cooling

Merchandise Sponsors

Temple Fork Outfitters
Simons Welter-Guided Trip Davidson
LL Bean Fly Rod
Page Collectables
Terrell Camping
Denver Restaurant Equipment
White Sulpher Springs
KMA Salon
Jennifer Copeland
Blue Ridge Chocolates
R & R Guide Service
Anthony Hipps
Jeff and Nancy Payne
Fort Dobbs Hardware
Carolina Mountain Sports
Mr. Bullhide Leather
Keith & Melinda Cockerham
Foscoe Orvis Shop
Bob & Brenda Pearson
Debbie Garner
Judy Hackney
Blueberry Hills Gift Shop
Get Outdoors
Green Drake
Great Outdoor Provision
Hunting Creek Preserve
Duke Energy
Scott Frye
Cooks Sport Store
Agnes Smith
Waggles Pet Supply
The Vintage Corner
Rivergirl Fishing Co.
Yadkin Valley General Store
Paul Weinberg
National Committee for the New River
MDR and Associates
Travis France
Steve and Darla Parker
Harris Leather
Monica Hoffner
Good Life Outfitters
Robby’s Army Store
Vernon Butler
Car Quest of Elkin
Jamie Hough
Ashe County
Artist Theatre
Parker Tie Hardware
Mountain Outfitters
Dr. Mary Lou Church

Auctioneer
Dustin Rogers

Hostesses
Kristen Howard
Jordan Carpenter

By all indications the banquet was a success. The attendance was awesome even though presales of tickets was low. Everyone who said they would buy tickets at the door pretty much did attend and then some. Thanks to all the donors, the TIC schools who were able to be there (East Wilkes Middle School, Watauga High School), and the officers who made it possible. Thanks to the Elks Lodge for a good meal and to our hostesses for a job well done. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

The date is February the 25th and will get started at 5:30 pm. Ticket info is to the left in the “Upcoming Events”. We will again have the live, silent auctions along with bucket raffles, trout bingo, door prizes and special drawing for sponsors and the ladies who attend. We hope everyone can make it because this is our only major fund raiser for projects we sponsor for the the next two years so please be there if at all possible. See everyone there.

It has been a busy spring/summer for me and as my guiding season slows down I hope to get caught up on the SMTU web-site. As you view the pictures from the 2011 TIC release day, keep in mind that we added the Mount Airy Middle School for the 2010/2011 year. Our chapter wants to thank the teachers there and East Wilkes Middle School for the hard work they put into TIC and we hope to continue working with them. We are also excited to let our readers know we have now added two new schools. Watauga High and Ashe High will be on board for the 2011/ 2012 TIC program bringing our total number of schools sponsored by SMTU to four. We are looking forward to another successful year.

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Stone Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited was well represented by our members at the Mount Airy Healthy Kid’s Outdoor Day. Below are just a few of the children that came out to do a little trout fishing in the Ararat River that is located in the town limits of Mount Airy. According to Dick Everhart, our project coordinator, the trout fishing was one of the most busy activities at the event. Kin Hodges, wildlife biologist for Surry County, provided the trout, bait, and equipment. Our members were in charge of helping make sure everyone had equipment, bait and if needed, help fishing. Thanks again to those who helped and thanks to Catrina Alexander of the Mount Airy Parks and Recreation for inviting us to help.The pictures below show Kin getting folks ready to start, Bob Pearson, our treasurer, helping a child to catch trout, and folks enjoying the day.

Thanks to everyone who was able to make it to the South Fork clean up this past Saturday, May 5th. We found some interesting items including a strong box full of cash. Unfortunately the cash had all dissolved due to years of being submerged in the water. Kelly, of Rivergirl in Todd, has some of the items including the strong box if anyone is interested in seeing it for themselves. I think she also has a scary looking baby doll in case anyone wants their nerves disturbed.

With 50 to 60 kid’s ages 5 to 13 showing up for our 6th annual “Kid’s Fishing Day” in Wilkesboro it is easy to say it was a success. Kevin Hinning with the NCWRC brought around 400 hundred brook and rainbow trout to Cub Creek Park for the young fisherpeople to catch and take home. We provided assistance to those who needed help and prepared about 130 hot-dogs, all of which were eaten by the hungry participants and their families. Thanks to those who helped from our chapter and their spouses and significant others. Also, thanks goes out to the town of North Wilkesboro for their restoration work on the stream as it continues to improve with the work they do. I will be posting pictures as I get them and also have the link to the Journal Patriot.

http://www.journalpatriot.com/news/article_8d18d5de-6464-11e0-8bb1-0019bb30f31a.html

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Our SMTU Chapter, Boone Fork TU, ASU Fly Fishing Club, NCNR and Franklin Tate along with Damon Hearne from TU National got together for a little fly fishing and planning for some of the waters we want to make sure, through conservation, maintain its ability to hold trout in our area. We are currently in the first stages of working together on projects this year and hopefully for years to come. Thanks to everyone who was able to make it. Below are some of the trout we caught before the meeting that night along with pictures of the area we fished.

Be sure and go to “Cold Water Fish Management News” and check out Kevin Hinnings latest news for some new opportunities in our area.
http://smtu.org/index.php/site/Fish_Management_News/

Dick Everhart, representing the Stone Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited, delivers the eggs for Mount Airy Middle Schools first TIC project which will be under the direction of Jeannie Noble in the Science Department. Pictured is Mr. Everhart with the trout eggs and some of the students helping with the project. Also shown are the actual eggs which the students are responsible for taking care of and hopefully hatching into trout. In the Spring, if all goes well, the students will then release their rainbow trout into the East Prong of Roaring River in Stone Mountain State Park.

I apologize for not having this for our members sooner. I have had it for a couple months now but it has been a very hectic summer. I plan on getting this moved to its on section of the front page. As you can tell this was a great day for the kids and for our members. Thanks again to East Wilkes Middle School students, Russell Sparks and Shelly Somers for all their help to make our first TIC Project a success.

http://www.wilkes.k12.nc.us/ewms/news.html

Our chapter will be having a Stream Clean Up on the North Fork of the New River August, 28th with a start time around nine in the morning. After we get the trash out of a section of the river we will be having a stream-side BBQ. All of this is possible with the help of the National Committee for the New River. Cortney Waite, from the NCNR, again has been gracious enough to set this up along with the help of our very on Scott Frye. More info to come about meet points to drive up and the area we will clean. To help out call Scott Frye at 336-409-2429.

We will meet at 9:00 Saturday at the park in Mount Airy. The address given to me by the recreation department to get directions is 270 Riverside Dr., Mount Airy, NC 27030. Hope to see everyone there.

Stone Mountain Trout Unlimited is staying busy in the community with the help and partnership of other organizations. Our “Kid’s Fishng Day” was another success with the help of the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission and our very own fisheries biologist, Kevin Hinning. Kevin is shown stocking trout the day before our 6th annual fishing day. You can’t deny the fact, as this young angler shows, that the kid’s (and parents) enjoy this event. We hope some day a few of these kid’s grow up and want to help other young people learn more about angling and will one day join SMTU and help in conservation of streams so trout can continue to live in the wild.

We also had another “Stream Clean Sweep” with the help of the National Committee for the New River’s very own Courtney Waite. This girl has enough energy for everyone, which is good since we aren’t as young as we once were. We cleaned up another stretch of the Upper New and ended up with to canoe loads of various trash. Thanks to both organizations for helping us continue our mission to educate and give back to the resource that is so important to our communities.

We will once again be partnering with the folks from NCNR and will be cleaning up a stretch of the South Fork of the New River…..Next Saturday, April 17!
I have the time now as well as the date, hope to see everyone there. Members are welcomed to bring a friend or more to help, all are welcomed.

We will meet at 9:00 to start the adventure.  NCNR will provide boats to haul trash in as well as gloves. 
Directions to the meeting spot are as follows:
US421 NB
Just before entering Boone proper, you will cross the South Fork.
Take a left on the road immediately past the bridge after crossing the river.
Continue on this road until you come to a low-water bridge.  There is parking there around the bridge.