Fly fishing event to include instructors, loaner rods
Experience is not a requirement to be a part of the Coosa Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited’s seventh annual Fly Fishing for Veterans Day and Ladies Fly Fishing Day this Saturday in Cave Spring.
Trout Unlimited members will be at the pond in Rolater Park ready to assist veterans, active military and ladies of all ages in learning the basics of fly fishing. Plus, we should have more than enough loaner fly rods to allow all those that attend each event to have a fly rod in hand while fishing the pond or creek.
Veterans and ladies may fish Little Cedar Creek for trout any time during the day with any type of fishing tackle they desire. All anglers 16 years old or older fishing the creek must have a valid fishing license and trout stamp. Those who fish the pond only will not be required to have a license.
The activities begin at 10 a.m. with veterans getting their chance to fish the pond for trout with fly rods. All veterans will hopefully be one-on-one with a casting instructor who will guide them on the proper use of fly rods.
Some of the instructors are very proficient casters and can aid those who have some fly fishing experience in improving their skills. We will have some member instructors, who are skilled casual fly casters, who can teach the basics to anyone who has never held a fly rod before.
There will be plenty of trout to catch and we suggest that if the participants want to take home their fish they bring a cooler with ice to keep their catch fresh.
The veterans’ pond fishing time will end at noon, and from about noon until around 1 p.m. veterans and ladies are welcome to enjoy a free hotdog lunch.
At 1 p.m. it will be the ladies’ turn for fly fishing the pond, which will be open for all ages. We are hoping to have some of the members of Georgia Women Fly Fishers assisting our local TU members in teaching fly casting. The ladies’ time in the pond will go on until 3 p.m. but creek fishing is allowed all day.
It was stated earlier that only girls 13 or older could participate in the ladies event, but at our TU Board meeting we decided that all ladies of any age may participate.
Throughout the day we will be giving away fly rods and other fishing gear. All that is required is to sign in before you start fishing so that your name can be drawn.
This year as in previous years we will make one-year memberships in Trout Unlimited available to all veterans who have never been a TU member. This free membership is an offer from TU National. We are also offering half-price membership for any lady anglers who wish to become Trout Unlimited members.
The TU membership allows anglers to maintain contact with the local Coosa Valley chapter and members who fish regularly. Our folks will be happy to share some of their favorite stream locations and can continue to assist new members with their fly casting.
Please tell any veteran and ladies young and old about this packed day of fly fishing. Veterans pond fishing is from 10 a.m. to noon, and the ladies pond fishing time is from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The event will happen rain or shine.
TU Meeting
The Coosa Valley Chapter will hold its regular monthly meeting Thursday at the Rome-floyd ECO River Education Center. Members will start arriving at 6:30 p.m. with the formal meeting starting at 7 p.m. The focus of the meeting will be preparation for the Veterans and Ladies Fly Fishing Day.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — No one has to tell Willie Taggart that he faces pressure to fix turn things around at Florida State after the Seminoles failed to reach a bowl game for the first time since 1981.
It was an inauspicious beginning for Taggart.
In his first year as the head coach, the Seminoles finished with a 5-7 record. The season included a humbling home loss to eventual national champion Clemson along with lopsided margins in losses to Virginia Tech, Syracuse, North Carolina State, Notre Dame and Florida. But Taggart said his perception of the program remains the same.
“I expect Florida State to win and that hadn’t changed,” Taggart said Wednesday during the Atlantic Coast Conference’s preseason media days. “And I expect we’ll do those things.”
That rough first season has led to at least some question about Taggart’s long-term future at FSU. Taggart was asked what his reaction is when he