Welcome to Chattooga River TU!
Members of the Chattooga River of Trout Unlimited teach a course in beginning fly fishing through the OSHER Lifelong Learning Program with Clemson University. The course is divided into four major modules:
- Information about equipment and supplies needed to fly fish
- Instruction for safety on the river, knots, and casting techniques
- Discussions on reading the water, trout habitat, and fishing regulations
- Demonstration and fly fishing on a local river
The class has been very successful by encouraging good conservation practices and providing an excellent outdoor activity. Chapter members can also provide mentoring sessions on request.
The Chattooga River Chapter of Trout Unlimited (CRCTU) maintains five temperature loggers in the Chattooga River. The loggers are placed from Bull Pen Road in North Carolina to Earl’s Ford in South Carolina. The temperature data collected is used by the US Forest Service and the Department of Natural Resources in South Carolina. Both agencies track long term temperature trends of the river. Volunteers are welcome to assist placing and retrieving the loggers.
One of the important conservation activities of our Chapter is litter cleanup at two major river access areas. We meet for litter cleanup once every quarter, with Burrell’s Ford on the 1st Saturday of the first month of the quarter and the Eastatoe River access on the 1st Saturday of the second month of each quarter. Changes due to weather, football schedules and any other relevant conflicts will be determined and rescheduled for the next available Saturday. For the Burrell’s Ford area, we meet at 9:00am at the intersection of Burrell’s Ford Road and Rt. 107. For the Eastatoe River access we meet at 9:00am at the Dug Mountain Angler Access Area off Roy F. Jones Road about a mile north and off SC Rt. 11. Everyone is encouraged to come and get some great exercise and satisfaction from volunteering to help in trash cleanup at our river access areas. Feel free to bring family members and friends. The schedule is shown on the Chapter Events Section of the CRCTU website and reminders are typically sent out to Chapter members via Mail Chimp the week before the cleanup.
See you there!
BURRELLS FORD trash pick dates
February 29th.
We may add one for October or November
Please email the numbers of the activities that you would like to learn more about and possibly volunteer to assist with.
Send the information at the bottom and return vial email or mail to:
Tom McInnis: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
or 206 Wescott Drive, Clemson SC 29631
Conservation—fundraising, stream cleanup, restoration project volunteers:
1. Adopt-a-Highway Litter Pickup—coordinator, pickup volunteer 4X a year.
2. Stream Project Volunteer—assist with stream restoration, population sampling, etc.
3. Fundraising—business solicitation, annual banquet planning and coordination, monthly attendance drawing coordination.
4. USFS Liaison—monitor and maintain communication with the forest service about activities of mutual interest.
5. SC DNR Liaison—monitor and maintain communication with DNR fisheries biologist.
Education-teaching TU conservation philosophy to youth and others:
6. Trout in the Classroom—work with teachers raise and release trout fry as needed, fundraising.
7. Other Youth Activities—Scouting for Trout, school visitation, etc.
8. Clemson University Student Chapter Liaison.
9. Mentoring of members—teaching fly fishing basics, on-stream instruction. Recreation:
Recreation – fun things for member enjoyment:
10. Frequent fishing Outings—help with planning, preparing/providing food.
11. Chapter parties—planning and coordination of spring and Christmas events.
Outreach—recruiting and retaining members, increasing public awareness of TU:
12. Writing and/or editing articles.
13. Webpage—design and/or maintenance of specific web pages or social media
14. Meeting Greeters—greeting and welcoming visitors and new members at chapter meetings.
15. National Hunting and Fishing Day—coordinator; volunteer in areas of fly casting, fly tying, and booth supervision.
16. Chapter Display—updating and maintaining.
17. Membership Recruitment 20 via Newcomers or other organizations.
18. Speaking to Community Groups about TU.
Name: ___________________________________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________________________
Phone #: _________________________________________________________________________
Email: ___________________________________________________________________________
The numbers of the above activities of interest:__________________________________________
A Brief History of Chattooga River Chapter of Trout Unlimited
The Beginning
Following an exploratory meeting of interested upstate trout fishermen on May 25, 1988, the CHATTOOGA RIVER CHAPTER of TROUT UNLIMITED (CRCTU) was organized in Clemson, SC on June 15, 1988. This chapter was created to fill the gap between active chapters in Greenville, SC (Mountain Bridge Chapter) and Clayton, GA (Rabun County Chapter). A number of early members transferred from the Mountain Bridge Chapter to the new chapter for travel convenience.
At the organizational meeting the following initial officers and directors were elected:
Art Shick, President; Lindsay Chase, VP; Ray Mortensen, Secretary; Webb Alspaugh, Treasurer and Directors: Robert Cureton, Gus Gustafson, Ellis Ivey, Ben Dysart, John Steed and Earl Highfill.
The new chapter became very active from the start. Secretary Ray Mortensen initiated a chapter newsletter – the Long Line Release (LLR), and in the December 1988 first edition he reported the beginning of the Corbin Creek Habitat Improvement Project in partnership with the landowner Duke Power Co. and under the leadership of David Van Lear. An application to National TU for an Embrace-a-Stream Grant for assistance in project funding was made and subsequently approved. Ray also reported on speakers obtained for the next several meetings, plans for the annual TU Banquet fundraiser in February, and the need for member action on water quality regulations proposed by DHEC.
CRCTU was off and running and the pace of activities has continued until the present.
-Webb Alspaugh
Overview and Purpose
The Chattooga River Chapter is composed principally of trout fishers from the upstate of South Carolina. There are SC chapters to the east – Mountain Bridge and Saluda River – GA chapters to the west – mainly Rabun County, and NC chapters to the north – principally Tuckaseegee, Pisgah and Land ‘O Sky. CRCTU, with the other SC chapters form the SC Council which, in turn, is coordinated by the national TU organization based near Washington, DC. Individually and collectively these organizations actively support cold water conservation and related water quality and fisheries issues at local, regional and national levels. This support can take the form not only of fundraising and call for appropriate legislative and regulatory action, but of working with local state and federal officials and private interests on such activities as trout habitat improvement, data gathering, and stocking. TU chapters also promote responsible trout fishing to individuals and groups.
Other resources for the history of the CRCTU
Those who want more detail on CRCTU history should consult the bound copies of all chapter monthly newsletters (the Long Line Releases). This is a complete file beginning with the first newsletter in December 1988. It was created by contributions from several members, with coordination by Ben Morton, then chapter Secretary.
Both this writing and the complete file of newsletters are just black ink on white paper and while the content may be accurate, it has little color. For this you will need to come to an early chapter outing and pull up your chair at the campfire next to one of the old timers. You may learn more that you really wanted to know, but it will be reasonably accurate, hopefully entertaining, and will be in full color.
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