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Announcement! I did a thorough scout this weekend, checking out the cabin and sites. We are in for a real treat. The large cabin is very nice with plenty of room-- and right on the river with 2 decks. Board walks and hiking trails. A fully equipped kitchen, 2 showers and 3 toilets. 2 bedrooms with 5 twin beds per room... clean sheets are provided. No towels so bring your own. A TV and VCR... so bring any fish tapes to watch. There are lots of cool maps on the walls, but we will not be spending much time here i think! I want us to head out at 10 am Saturday morning sharp. The first site is downriver several miles to an abandoned coal mining community called Shake Rag (that is how they flagged down passing river traffic). Neat old stone structures are still standing. Here we will wade out into the Tennessee River and try our luck with seines. Then on down the road is another backwater area which looks promising. Minnows, bass, sunfish, snakes, anoles and turtles were observed Sunday. Nearly leaving the gorge we will come to a stream that drains the Prentice Cooper State Forest on top of the mountain. It was clear and calls for a snorkle when it warms, but I'm not intending on snorkling this trip. We will hike downstream and follow Mullens Creek the 1/4 mile to the Tennessee River proper and see what kind of activity is at the joining of these waters. In the creek I observed bass, sunfish and stone rollers... a good sign. This site should yield some interesting fish both upstream and at the water's juncture. After these 3 stops we will be leaving the gorge and head to the Little Sequatchie River. I've often snorkled here and that will be one of the stops as well as a spring, a cave spring and the Big Sequatchie River. This is a lot to do and we should intend on staying out all day Saturday until dark. At that time we will all head back to the cabin... probably catch a restaurant on the way home for dinner. We may not get to hit all the sites. This combination offers great diversity. Big flowing river water, sloughs and backwaters, small mountain streams, springs, spring caves and finally the most excellent Little Sequatchie river. You can study this area in advance if you have a TN gazateer on page 24 at the bottom. This is a very valued, unique and protected region for Chattanoogans and all of us. The Tennessee River Gorge Trust is buying as much of this land as possible to keep and preserve it as it is. We are staying as virtual guests in their cabin so mind yer manners. Beer is allowed but it should be kept to a minimum. Don't trash the place. The fish coolers should be kept outside on the porch as the floors inside are polished wood. I may try to set up a couple aquariums for observing... if i get time. I want each of you to arrive at the cabin with TN fishing licenses (a Kmart is about 10 miles away), a breakfast under your belt, a full tank of gas and drinks and snacks for the day. We will be a long way from civilization on a lot of this. This is about a 45 mile run and that many miles back to the cabin tho we will use the freeway for a speedier return. To keep the length of the caravan down lets buddy up. These roads are narrow with limited pull offs-- 4 maybe 5 vehicles max should be fine. We may be doing a bit of rough road stuff, but low vehicles should be able to pull off the main road ok and walk. Directions: For those arriving Friday afternoon or evening or by 8 am Saturday morning... come to my home. I will be home all day Friday... the phone number is 423-485-9541. My work number is 423-624-0721. Immediately below the I-24 and I-75 split and headed south on 75 is the East Ridge Highway 41 exit. Take this exit and head south on 41. check your odometer, from the freeway it will be a total of 1.4 miles to my mailbox. Go down Hwy 41 less than a mile and turn left onto Frawley Road. It is marked and a large white sign lettered Frawley Baptist Church marks the spot. Turning left follow this windy road til you come to a large bright blue mailbox on your right marked 354 Cox / Blue Fish Ridge. Turn up the long windy driveway. Don't park in the cement pond. Towards the end of the evening I will lead those arrived to the apartment above my business... and will return in the morning to lead them to the cabin. Arrive early... South Chickamauga Creek is behind my house as well as all my pools and experiments. Lots to do while we arrive and welcome everyone in. Directions to Pot Point Cabin: For those arriving late or delayed. We intend on leaving Pot Point Cabin at 10 am Saturday sharp. You may catch us by going down river on the only road-- Mullen's Cove Road. To get to the cabin from I-24 in downtown Chattanooga, the freeway splits off to 27 and crosses the river. After crossing the river, exit at Signal Mountain Blvd and head toward Signal Mountain. You will pass a K-Mart tucked back on your right. A Hardee's or McDonalds is out front. This is a good place to get a fishing license. Staying on 27 go thru the light. Just before you can go up the mountain 27 turns off to the left. I think a light is there. Follow 27 for 4 miles. Cross the bridge at Suck Creek and turn off of 27 to your left onto Mullens or River Canyon Road. Follow this for 4.6 miles to Pot Point Cabin! Long and windy... you will wonder if you will ever get there! Bring a sleeping bag for the apartment. There is one bed and 2 couches, one that folds out. Plenty of floor space, too. Cell phones: I know Cingular works from the cabin. Steve how about bringing your walki talkies. Bring your seines. 10' max in Tennessee. You will need waders for some of the creepy spots... you know... snakes and stuff. I've got a pair of 10's to spare. Sunday I have several other site options available and I will be prepared to spend the whole day dipnetting. We will take a consensus Saturday night for Sunday's activities. Some of these sites are close by, while others are further depending on our time. We will be seeing a lot of darters. Some require cool, oxygenated water. Be thoughtful when collecting as to their survivability. The river fishes should be pretty tough, though. In the Little Sequatchie I see rainbow, redline, fantails, logperch and TN snubnoses. White tail shiners, N studfish, river chubs building nests, mountain shiners w/ glowing heads, full glory striped shiners, rock bass,a nd lots of fish I dont know... so lets go! Rain or shine! We will already be wet anyway! At this time we have 7 financially comitted... Stott Noble and his brother in-law (AL) Martin Moore (MS) Chip Rinehart (SC) Steve Ellis (GA) Mike Whitfield (TN), myself and possibly my son (TN). And a not to good a maybe from... Bruce Stallsmith (AL) and maybe a couple guys from Chatt... Rob, Earl (Mr mushroom) and Lamarr. We have room for a few more. I think about 10 to 12 is the comfortable limit. We need (and now have!) 6 of us financially comitted at $25 each to cover the $150 cabin rental. (If you dont show you still owe! Please dont leave me paying your bill!) If any more folks attend we will collect $25 from them and contribute it to NANFA. If 10 of us attend... that would be a total of $250 of which the cabin rental is $150 and NANFA would get $100 as an appreciation... as we are getting a big discount on the cabin rental fee due to NANFA's non-profit status! This is a really neat opportunity. I'm still planning on doing the teepee fish jamboree but that will be mid summer... and that's a long way away! As for now time is awasting and the river is calling! Casper Cox, prizma@aol.com
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