Events: Kanuga Fly-fishing Retreat

We got a this notice from friends down South in the Tarheel State about the Kanuga Episcopal Center's annual fly fishing retreat. The host, Kevin Howell of Davidson River Outfitters, is an excellent angler.

Snow is covering the ground in Western North Carolina, but it won’t be long before winter melts away and it becomes time to wade into the water once again for theKanuga Fly-fishing Retreat.

As with previous Fly-fishing Retreats at Kanuga, 2007 Fly-fishing Masters National Champion Kevin Howell will share his expertise in fly tying with the group before taking everyone out to the Davidson River to test their new skills.

The Rev. Mark Wilson of St. James Episcopal Church in Fairhope, Ala., is serving as both chaplain and coordinator of this event and says he hopes participants will again learn a greater understanding of this popular pastime and its spiritual aspects during their time at Kanuga.

A flier and registration form is available at http://www.kanuga.org/conferences/pdf/flyfishing_flyer.pdf.
Anyone interested in saving a place for their tackle box and gear this spring should visit www.kanuga.org or contact registrar Jon Causey at 828-692-0077, ext. 228, today.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Rich
Communications Project Manager
Kanuga Conferences Inc.An Episcopal CenterPost Office Box 250Hendersonville, NC 28793jonathan.rich@kanuga.org
828-692-0077, ext. 224

Counting the Cost - 22,710

A broken pipe, a valve turned in error and twenty-two thousand trout are dead. An update on the recent Davidson River fish kill via BlueRidgeNow.com reports:

State environmental officials also say the fish were killed not only by oxygen being depleted from the water, as federal officials originally said, but also from direct contact with acute concentrations of toxic chemicals.

Officials of the N.C. Department of Public Health initially identified the pollutant which spilled into the river from the shuttered Ecusta paper mill as sodium hydrosulfide, a caustic compound used during decades of paper making.

Fish Kill On The Davidson River

The Ashville Citizen Times is reporting that a spill resulting from the clean up of a former paper mill has killed thousands of fish in the Davidson River. Reports are that the fish kill occurred in the lower parts of the river and and included a section of private water operated by Davidson River Outfitters.

From the Citizen Times Report:

The Asheville Citizen-Times reported Friday the liquid came from the Ecusta Mill, where engineers tried to discharge waste into a treatment basin. Thousands of minnows, suckers and trout died when the sewer breach sent the waste into the river instead. An official with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the spill doesn't pose any danger to public water supplies.

The latest word is that officials have cleared the river for recreational use and that the owners of the mill are working with the land owners to remediate the river and its trout population.

Eugene Shuler Wins Inaugural Pisgah Fly Masters

Eugene Shuler takes the overall winner's trophy at the 1st ever Pisgah Fly Masters held this past weekend on the Davidson River. To take the win Eugene had qualify on a casting course and score three fish during the second day's fishing totaling 63 inches.

You may know Eugene from our coverage of the North Carolina Fly Fishing Team which he helped form or from the Southeast Fly Fishing Forum which he sponsors.

Congratulations to Eugene! Read more about it via this article in the Citizen-Times.

Meth Heads Active on The Davidson?

As a warning to our fellow anglers, we have reports are that meth heads have been breaking into cars in the area around the Davidson River and the Pisgah National Forest.

As is their custom, they tend to target the SUV's of folks practicing hobbies requiring expensive equipment. Anglers are advised to leave the excess equipment at home and remove the Winston rod decals from their rear windows.

We are in no way recommending the use of poisonous guard snakes to protect your vehicle.

NCWRC To Host Pisgah Fly Masters on Davidson

BREVARD, N.C. (Oct. 24, 2007) – Fly-fishermen with a competitive edge will want to take notice of this event: The 2008 Pisgah Fly Masters on the Davidson River, March 29-30.
This inaugural fly-fishing tournament is limited to 125 competitors. Deadline for entries is Feb. 15, with a $50 application fee. Proceeds will go toward classroom construction at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission learning facility located south of Asheville.

“This is an ideal opportunity for fly-fishing competitors who would enjoy spending springtime in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains,” said Emilie Johnson, an event coordinator. “Not to mention that Trout Unlimited lists the Davidson River as one of America’s 100 best trout rivers!”

The Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education is located alongside the Davidson River, near Brevard, and is adjacent to the Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery. Aquatic ecosystems and cold water conservation are a large part of the exhibits and displays. The planned classroom will be used for educational programs including fly-fishing and fly-tying.

For the competition format, rules, prize list and entry forms, contact the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education at (828) 877-4423 or e-mail emilie.johnson@ncwildlife.org.


The event being limited to 125 anglers should make the fishing pressure similar to a normal weekend day on the "Big D."