What are the Planned Activities?
Friday Night
Friday
is traditionally a crazy day as many arrive and will be setting up their campsites
throughout the afternoon and early evening. Some clavers take the afternoon
and golf, cycle, or boat on the adjacent South Holston Lake. The flyfishing
die-hards will have arrived one or two days earlier. Some even arrive a week
earlier as there's great fishing this time of the year and each wants the
opportunity  to
discover new fishing spots.
The
evening is historically an informal gathering of all attendees and an opportunity
to put a name with a face that that you may have communicated with over the
Internet or haven't seen in a while. Don't be shy, step up, and introduce
yourself and your friends or family members as we are all one big happy group
for the next few days. And if the temperature drops, make sure you bring a
folding chair to sit around the campfire rings to really learn what this claving and fly fishing is all about!
Each
year attendees of all ages and skill levels who are interested in fly tying
and showing off their "stuff", or teaching tips and techniques to
first time attendees will gather around the Main Clave Canopy. All attendees,
young and old, male and female are invited to attend. This is a great time
for newcomers and novices to witness the fly tying skill levels of the FF@
List members and be entertained in the process.
 NOTE: All are invited
and encouraged to sit up at the tables and tie their favorite patterns regardless
of skill levels or age! If you have never tied, someone will show you how
and maybe that will be the fly that catches your next trout.
We
would appreciate a donation of a few fies from each of the attendees and fly tiers
which will be included as a larger set of flies to be raffled the next evening
following the Pot Luck Supper.
If
you are wondering what flies to tie take a look at our good friend L.J.DeCuir's Smokey
Mountain Fly Patterns site. If its a reference you need on flies for the
weekend, then a copy of his latest book Southeastern Flies is
a must. L.J. was a dear friend to many of us and passed away in 2003. His memory lives on through his fly fishing wisdom and local knowledge for us to learn from. Also be sure to visit the rest of his Home Page as the premier site
for East Tennessee fly fishing.
Another great reference for East Tennessee flyfishing is Jimmy Jacob's Tailwater Trout in the South, An Angler's Guide.
Fly Fishing Supplies If you are in need of flies and supplies, there is little to offer in the immediate area. If travelling in from the North, we suggest you visit the Virginia Creeper Fly Shop in Abingdon, VA who will give you great information on local waters and make suggestions for flies.
If arriving from the Smokies and the West do stop by Little River Outfitters in Townsend and ask for Byron, Paula or Dan. No one knows East Tennessee fly waters and a day in the Smokies better than the crew at Little River.
If coming in from Nashville, stop by Fly South and ask for Jim or Steve. They will give you an up-to-date report on all Tennessee fishing activities.
Miss
Betsy and her helpers will also be around the Main Clave Canopy to collect
your Clave fee and distribute your Clave gift, receive
your raffle gift(s) and give you your raffle tickets Friday and Saturday. Remember, if you are
bringing your family then you should have sufficient gifts as she distributes
tickets on a one-for-one exchange. Who knows-perhaps you may go home a winner
of a coveted Claude Freaner Beaded Trout or other special donated gift.
 And
if you haven't purchased your Tennessee
Fishing License you can link link here for fishing license information or you may want to get over to Darter's General
Store just down from the campground. They are located at the corner of RT 44 and RT 421,
approximately 2 miles from the campground where you can purchase your license
and last minute weekend supplies.
Other
activities seem to focus around the next day's fishing i.e.. making furled
leaders,  assorting flies, and other last minute inspections and adjustments for the next days' fishing.
Saturday Morning Healing Waters Project Day and Fly Casting Clinic
Traditionally,
early Saturday morning is set aside for an informal Fly Casting Clinic open
to anyone who is interested. We usually start around 8:00-9:00AM and get you
out in time for late morning and lunch time fishing! We are looking for a
volunteer instructor(s) and ask any bystanders if we can borrow your rods
for those participants who don't have gear. Please let us know if you are
interested so we can finish planning this fun activity particularly for the
newcomers and novices.
We are particlularly pleased and proud to announce this year that Saturday wil be dedicated to the Healing Waters Project, the national organization that assists our disabled  veterans with fly fishing through fly tying, casting, instruction and actual on-the-water fly fishing. The tenatitive Schedule of Activities for the Healing Waters Project personnel is listed here. More to follow at the Tenn'Clave Healing Waters Project link.
Saturday Afternoon
For
those who want to kick back and just take it easy if not on a mountain stream, tailrace or other activity then Saturday afternoon
is a great time to do so. If you are a cast iron campfire cooker then by all
means plan on demonstrating your skills as you prepare perhaps your contribution to the evening's
Pot Luck Supper.
On this weekend the Shady Valley Annual Cranberry Festival , known as "The Best Little Festival in Tennessee" is held, about 12 miles from the campground on RT 421 towards Mountain
City. For additional info you may call the Bristol Chamber of Commerce to
see what other activities are going on in the region throughout the weekend
at Bristol Chamber of Commerce, 20 Volunteer Parkway, Bristol, TN 37620
Tel: 423-989-4850.
 If
you want to venture off a bit, then the state and the Tri-Cities region offers
many sites and attractions to include the nearby Bristol and Appalachian Caverns,
Bristol Speedway, Smoky Top, Gatlinburg (2 hours to the West on I-81) with a thousand and
one attractions (and crowds you won't believe!). My favorites are still the
Great Smokies National Park and the new Aquarium in Gatlinburg which was built
for the kids but it seems the adults are more amazed by the design and overall
experience.
For the non-fisherfolks and football buffs, we always seem to have a few TVs going for either the Tennessee VOLS football or maybe even a Georgia Bull Dog outing in the afternoon!
Saturday Evening Welcoming Activities
Usually
by late afternoon the anglers have all returned, robust with tales of the big
one that got away or that they need to tie more flies, take a hot shower or
just relax with friends and the refreshment of their choice.
Saturday
Night the Annual Tenn'Clave Welcoming Festivities will be held at either the
Campground Pavilion area depending on the size of the crowd
and the weather. All are invited to attend starting around 7:00PM for dinner
with the anniual Tenn'Clave raffle starting shortly thereafter. (Note: We do ask that your raffle gift have a minimum value of $10.00 even if a re-gift!) Please see Besty prior to the Satyirday Night activities to receive your raffle tickets. Remember one ticket is issued for each raffle gift provided.
The
supper meal this year, due to popular request will be a Pot Luck Supper. Accordingly,
each is asked to make some kind of a contribution to the meal. Please indicate
to Ben by E-mail what you think
you may be bringing so that we are not experiencing 23 different types of
rice dishes or garden salads. For the non-cooking types, beverages, dessert
items, paper goods, etc. are certainly most welcome. Betsy and her lady helpers will
be the points of contact for your meal offerings.
 The
Welcoming activities will include our annual raffle after the meal, awards
for furthest traveled,  (no
you don't win the award if you get lost and drive around the campgrounds for
8 hours!), youngest attendee, and other impromptu feats of piscatorial prowess
up to the time of the festivities. This is also the weekend of the passing of Tennessee's finest fellows and although not an angler, Gentleman
Jack Daniels will be traditionally toasted once again with fine Tenn'see spirit,
this being the 97th year of his passing in 1911.
Sunday
For
most, this is Day II and a new opportunity to find that trout that eluded
your flies the previous day. Those who partied hearty the night before may
be late starters and you should have no problem gettting teamed up with an
experienced fisherman. There are no organized activities from Sunday on as
most are on the streams or mountain creeks getting in their last fly fishing
of the season. Come
Sunday morning a few campsites start to breakdown for the early departures.
Monday
Most
leave for home and those within a reasonable drive hit the streams for the
last time.
The campground is usually cleared by 10:00AM in the morning but
you are more than welcome to make arrangements with the campgrounds to further
your stay.
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