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12 Foto @ the Falls

Photography and spelunking collide at Ruby Falls’ eighth annual Foto at the Falls event. Photo enthusiasts are guided through a limited-size tour, allowing them to capture unique pictures of the cavern and waterfall. To reserve a spot, call 1-800755-7105 or visit rubyfalls. com/foto-at-falls.

19 Container Gardening Workshop

Beginning gardeners are welcome to join this class designed to make container gardening easy and fun. Held at Crabtree Farms’ Evelyn Center, the course covers everything from selecting the best container, potting mix and location, to tending raised bed gardens. To register, call 423-4939155, ext. 10, or email mtalley@crabtreefarms.org.

19 Rump Run

Help the Greater Chattanooga Colon Cancer Foundation “Kick Cancer in the Butt” in this appropriately named 5k at Enterprise South Nature Center. The race will be timed. There is also a 1-mile fun walk for those looking for a more relaxed pace. To register or find out more, visit rumprun.com.

20 Strides of March

Join the hundreds expected to turn out at Renaissance Park for Chattanooga Cares’ 21st annual Strides of March AIDS Walk and Fun Run. Participants walk or run from the park to the Bluff View Art District and back via the Walnut Street Bridge. Registration starts at noon. Visit chattanoogacares. org/strides-of-marchchattanooga for more information.

22 Siskin Hospital’s Possibilities Luncheon

Grant Korgan was the first spinal cord-injured athlete in history to ski 80 miles to Antarctica’s South Pole. His wife Shawna, whose dedication and experience as a certified personal trainer, helped him reach his goal. Meet them both and celebrate “Life Beyond Disability” during Siskin’s 13th annual Possibilities Luncheon at the Chattanooga Convention Center. To purchase tickets, call 423-634-1208 or email ddeweese@siskinrehab.org.

26 Flavor Run 5k

This family-friendly 5k lets you support local charities and businesses the tastiest way possible: by getting covered head to toe in fruit-flavored, colored powder. Dash through every color in the rainbow, then stay for the Post-Run Flavor Festival filled with live entertainment, fresh fruit, local vendors and children’s activities. To register or find out more, visit flavorrun.com.

22 National Parks Adventure

Celebrate World Water Day and the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service with this month’s biggest double feature. First, take a virtual tour of the nation’s most iconic natural treasures during a screening of National Parks Adventure 3D in the Tennessee Aquarium’s IMAX Theater, then settle in for a special presentation by Max Lowe, one of the adventurers featured in the film. With a selection of appetizers, a cash bar and an after-party with Lowe at High Point Climbing and Fitness, there should be nothing stopping you from calling 423267-3474 or visiting community.tnaqua. org/membership/ imax-club to purchase your tickets.

COREY SMITH

FRIDAY, MARCH 11 • $20 ADV • $25 DAY

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DALE WATSON

THURSDAY, MARCH 24 • $20 ADV & DAY 39605306 TICKETS & CALENDAR: REVELRYROOM.CO

SNAKEBITES

TRAIL SURVIVAL: SNAKEBITES

When Dr. Chris Moore gives educational presentations on snakebites, he likes to make his audience squirm with a nice, big picture of a snake to kick off his lecture. After watching their collective shudder, he’ll ask, “Why is it we are so afraid of something that is a fraction of our size?” It’s a good question. Moore says whenever he gets the chance, he tries to educate outdoor lovers on the truth about these slithering reptiles. Should you happen to run into one on your next trek in the woods, here’s what you should know.

BY KELSIE BOWMAN

TRAIL SURVIVAL: SNAKEBITES

FIRST, SOME EDUCATION

Out of the 120 species of snakes in the United States, only 19 of them are venomous, says Moore. Of those 19, two are coral snakes, one is the copperhead, another the water moccasin/cottonmouth, and the remaining 15 are various types of rattlesnakes.

A quick look at a snake distribution map will show you that, though cottonmouths’ natural habitat isn’t very far outside of Chattanooga, really the only snakes we have to be aware of in our area are the rattlers.

That being said, according to Moore there’s a lot of misinformation floating around about these creatures. He says it’s important to know that:

■ Snakes are coldblooded animals with terrible vision and hearing. They’re slow, lacking stamina, which means they won’t go chasing after you if you leave them alone. ■ They do, however, have a superior sense of smell and are extremely sensitive to heat and vibrations, which means they can easily sense when a large creature — like a human — is coming at them. ■ “When we think snakes are out to get us, it’s the furthest thing from the truth,” says Moore. “All of this is set up for their adaptation to stay alive and to replenish as a species and to feed themselves.

They’re going, ‘Oh my

God, there’s not a chance in the world I can take [that human] down and eat her.’” ■ While it might be handy to know how to identify a venomous versus non-venomous snake,

Moore says what’s more important is to get out of the situation. “If you see a snake, there’s really no reason to determine whether it’s venomous or nonvenomous; just leave it alone,” he says. ■ Snakes don’t want to waste venom. “We know now … in between 30 and 50 percent of all bites from venomous snakes, no venom is released,” says Moore. These are called “dry bites.” The idea is that snakes use their venom to kill their prey so they can eat.

Sensing the size of an average human, snakes generally can tell they can’t eat such a large creature. Instead, they try to scare us away with a bite.

BE PREPARED: This is part of our educational series on common outdoor injuries or dangers and what to do about them. Check next month’s issue for more Wilderness Medicine 101. Visit getoutchattanooga.com for anything you might have missed.

VENOMOUS OR NOT?

Aside from coral snakes, venomous snakes traditionally have:

■ Triangular head ■ Single row of subcaudal

scales

■ Heat-sensitive pit,

elliptical cat-like eyes, retractable fangs, which are their only teeth. Nonvenomous snakes traditionally have:

■ Tapered head ■ Double row of

subcaudal scales on the distal anal plate

■ Round pupils and

fixed teeth

WHO CARES? STAY AWAY!

Moore strongly advises just staying away from the snake. “All of these things are true, but they are really subtle and things can change,” he says, adding that the hog snake, a nonvenomous snake, has evolved to learn how to triangulate and flatten its head to appear venomous.

NOTE: Coral snakes are very different. They have a round head, fixed teeth and can generally be determined by their striping. Remember this rhyme: “Red next to yellow will kill a fellow. Red next to black is a friend to Jack.”

EASTERN CORAL SNAKE Micrurus fulvius fulvius

RATTLESNAKE Crotalus cerastes

DID YOU KNOW? Many people might see a snake swimming in a body of water and automatically assume it’s a water moccasin, but this isn’t necessarily true. “All snakes swim,” says Moore.

TAKING ACTION

ABOUT OUR EXPERT

Dr. Chris Moore is a medical doctor who has held many wilderness safety roles in the community during his tenure. He was the director of wilderness and event medicine at the UTC College of Medicine, helped start Baylor’s Walkabout program and Outdoor Chattanooga, and has served as trip physician on multiple outdoor excursions far and wide. According to Moore, about 45,000 snakebites are reported every year in the U.S., and 9,000 of those people are treated for venomous snakebites. Death by snakebite does not exceed 10 to 12 people per year, he says.

Bites largely occur on the upper extremities, and men are seven to nine times more likely to be bitten than women, largely because they’ll be the ones to go up to the snake and try to grab it, Moore laughs. Though it’s rare, a snakebite can happen. If it does, here’s what you should (and should not) do:

■ DO NOT panic. Remember, there’s a 30-50 percent chance the bite wasn’t venomous. Examine the wound and look for signs of swelling and severe pain. Note: A venomous bite can have anywhere from one to four puncture marks, as a rattlesnake can already be growing a second pair of teeth in the back of its mouth in case its current fangs get broken off. ■ DO NOT try to cut the wound and suck out the venom. Cutting could introduce more bacteria into the wound and damage the arteries and nerves. Also, it’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to access the venom pool secreted by the snake’s curved fangs. Basically, there’s too much risk involved for a method that has not been proven effective, says

Moore. ■ DO NOT use a tourniquet. “Venom is spread through tissues and the lymph system, not arteries,” Moore explains. “When you put a tourniquet and occlude veins and arteries, you’re not helping the snakebite. What you are helping is the possibility to kill the arm or leg.” ■ If you didn’t get a good look at the snake to determine if it’s venomous or not, DO NOT go looking for it. While the snake probably hasn’t gone very far if the bite was recent, sending someone off to find or kill it is really unnecessary. First, it could create another victim and delay getting help for the current victim. Second, emergency room doctors most often specialize in caring for snakebites, not identifying venomous snakes, says

Moore. Then there’s the fact that a snake’s head can still bite for up to 60 minutes after being severed from its body. ■ DO get to definitive care as soon as possible.

The only known cure for a snakebite is a dose of antivenin. Let’s say you’re hours out onto the trail when you get bitten, and the wound is swelling and the pain severe. How long do you have? Moore says it depends on your body size and where you were bitten. For instance, if you were bitten on an artery, the venom will travel faster throughout your body. But ultimately, “You have to get to definitive treatment as quickly and in the best way you can,” says Moore.

A GIFT FROM ABOVE

BY SUNNY MONTGOMERY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN HENRY

Alix Parks had been hiking on Signal Mountain when her destiny fell from the sky and landed at her feet: a disoriented baby grackle, sticky with blood after being dropped by a red-tailed hawk passing overhead. As a child, Parks had often cared for orphaned squirrels or opossums, but she had no experience with birds.

Still she brought the fledgling home.

She spent the spring season nursing it back to health. The grackle became her companion. When Parks took hikes, the bird followed along in the treetops above her. At night, it slept on a perch in her kitchen. One day, Parks noticed another grackle landing on a nearby tree and peering through her window.

She decided to find the flock. Parks climbed onto her bicycle, her grackle perched on her shoulder, and rode through town until she found the birds in a thicket of trees by Thrasher Elementary School. Every day after, she peddled her grackle back to the flock. The grackle would go sit with the other birds, but it always returned to her shoulder. Until the day it did not.

“The flock accepted him so he went with them. I had him about a year. That was too long, but I didn’t know back then,” says Parks.

Twenty years later, Parks

is the matriarch of Happinest Wildlife Rehabilitation & Rescue, a nonprofit organization that rehabs raptors, songbirds and small mammals. In 2012, Parks co-founded Happinest with her mentee Sherry Teas. In 2015, the two finally turned their partnership into a nonprofit.

Parks’ focus is raptors. Teas’ specialty is songbirds. There are six apprentices in training to treat small mammals.

Happinest’s rehabbers are all volunteers and work out of their homes. They foot their own expenses. Last year, Parks spent around $6,000 on frozen mice alone, she says. Teas says she spent $5,000 on meal worms. Each songbird’s rehab costs a minimum of $60. On average, each year, Happinest rehabs 600 songbirds.

Other expenditures might include vitamin supplements, surgical gloves, prescription medication, cages, aviaries and more.

Kate Harrell, who is apprenticing to specialize in squirrels, says she won’t tally her total costs. She doesn’t want to know.

“It’s all my spendable income, I know that,” Harrell says.

Happinest’s ultimate goal is to open Chattanooga’s first wildlife hospital. But first, the group hopes to become financially sustainable. One thing is certain: The rehabbers’ devotion is immeasurable.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit each of their homes. I was awestruck by their commitment.

Alix Parks with Lovely the Owl

RAPTORS

I pull into Parks’ sloping driveway and park behind a bumper-stickered RAV4 touting messages like “Give Wildlife a Brake!” A diamond-shaped “Hawk Crossing” sign is mounted to the backyard’s wooden privacy fence, beyond which I see the corrugated metal top of an aviary.

No doubt about it, I am in the right place.

Parks is a caretaker, through and through. She shares her home with her 97-year-old mother. She has five rescue parrots, a rescue cockatiel and two large dogs, one of which is 11-year-old Falco, a retired police K-9 abused and abandoned by his former owner.

“There was talk of putting him down, but I think he’s still got some good years in him,” Parks says, running her hand over the dog’s spine. She leads me into her kitchen and offers me coffee and a slice of homemade banana bread. Behind her, an owl calendar hangs on the wall; the back sliding door is stickered with bluebird decals. She nods to the top of her refrigerator where there sits a barn owl. “That’s my education bird,” says Parks.

I mistake it for a decoy, until the bird dips its head and flares its wings to the side. This is a warning, Parks explains. The owl, whose name is Lovely, feels threatened. I take a few steps back. Lovely relaxes.

In the world of wildlife rehab, an

education animal is an animal that is

non-releasable. Lovely cannot be released for two reasons: First, she was taken as a nestling and hand-fed a nutritionally deficient diet. This led to metabolic bone disease, which causes long bone fractures.

“By the time I got her, she was like a rubber chicken,” Parks says.

Second, the person who found Lovely kept her too long. Consequently, Lovely imprinted on that person. Imprinting is

the natural phenomenon where a young animal comes to recognize another ani-

mal or object as its parent. Simply put, Lovely does not know she is an owl.

To keep an education bird, one must obtain a special license. In order to rehab birds, one must obtain a state permit from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and a federal permit from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. State permits require 200 hours of apprentice work or one year of full-time employment as a veterinary technician. Federal permits require the applicant be at least 18 years old, have at least 100 hours’ experience rehabbing birds, and have a valid state wildlife rehabilitation permit.

Both state and federal permits require two letters of recommendation from permitted rehabilitators, a letter from a licensed veterinarian who will assist when necessary, and an inspection of the premises and caging.

Parks’ caging ranges from plastic pet carriers to 100-foot-long custom built aviaries. For the most part, wildlife rehabs itself, she says. Often, the rehabber’s job is to provide a safe, non-stressful environment for the animal to recover on its own. Other duties include cleaning the cages and feeding the birds: once a day for adult raptors; three times a day for the young.

“THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT WILD ANIMALS IS THAT THEY WANT TO BE WILD.”

— Kate Harrell

I follow Parks into her attached garage, which she has converted into a makeshift hospital. Parks calls it “intake.” It smells of feces and hay. One on side of the room there is a long terrarium where Parks breeds mice for food. On the other, a row of pet carriers where the birds are placed upon arrival. But first, Parks conducts a thorough examination. If necessary, she will provide splints, broken-bone wraps, antibiotics or pain medicine, which she obtains from the assisting veterinarian.

Parks points into the first cage. A young red-tailed hawk balances unsteadily on its perch. “This is Electra,” says Parks. Electra crashed into a power line and suffers from spinal trauma. The bird arrived paralyzed. As Electra gets stronger, Parks will move the bird to increasingly larger cages so it can exercise its wings.

“She’ll run before she’ll fly,” Parks says.

We exit the garage through a side door and out into the backyard. There are five structures on

Parks’ property. In one rests a screech owl. In another, a cooper’s hawk. We enter the largest aviary, where a great horned owl has almost recovered after being tangled in barbed wire.

The great horned owl is a magnificent animal. King of the treetops. Its diet ranges from rats to other raptors. The bird swoops and lands on a beam above our heads. It casts its ominous yellow eyes onto us. It flattens its ear tufts against its head, which, Parks explains, are not actually ears. Ear tufts are just long feathers used to communicate.

The owl begins to rapidly puff its throat muscles — gular fluttering, Parks calls it. It is the bird’s form of panting or sweating. The owl is nervous.

“He’s telling us to back off,” Parks says, adding that a bird will let a rehabber know when it is ready for release. “They become very vocal,” she says.

In addition to hawks and owls, Parks has rehabbed falcons, vultures, cranes and geese. In fact, she often receives calls about “injured” Canadian geese on the Tennessee Riverwalk. The injury is actually an affliction: angel wings, a syndrome where the bird’s wings grow flipped out to the side. It is caused by well-meaning birdwatchers who feed bread to the birds, explains Parks. Bread contains more protein than water-birds need. When it comprises the bulk of such a bird’s diet, it results in bone deformity.

Happinest hopes to put signs along the water, encouraging people to buy special pellets if they want to feed the birds. Rehabilitation is only half of the organization’s mission. Education is its second.

For instance, it is a hugely perpetuated myth

that a mother bird will abandon her young if

they are handled by a human. Frequently, Teas receives healthy baby birds taken from their mother.

“We call it kidnapping,” says Teas — who was once a culprit. The first baby bird she ever rehabbed was one that she inadvertently kidnapped.

SONGBIRDS

When I arrive at Teas’ home I again know I am in the right place. I step out of my car and hear a symphony of muffled squawks on the other side of her garage door.

Teas’ home is located in a tree-less neighborhood near Harrison Bay. In 2011, she remembers standing at her front door and watching as a tornado tore through her front yard and all its vegetation. After the storm passed, she went to inspect the damage. Beside one of her downed trees she found a robin’s nest. There were two babies, but only one survivor. The mother bird was nearby chirping loudly.

“I had no idea I could just put the nest someplace else and the mama would keep caring for it. So I took it with me,” says Teas.

The robin was a fledgling, which means it could fly. Teas went to the tackle shop and bought crickets. She hand-fed it every time it begged. Still, she was fascinated how quickly the bird’s natural instincts took effect. “Wilding up,” Teas calls it.

Most songbirds are less susceptible

to imprinting. The exception is corvids, a family of birds that is highly intelligent and includes species such as crows, ravens and blue jays.

Like Parks, Teas is a nurturer. She owns a hair salon. She has three indoor cats and two small rescue dogs, who eagerly greet me at the front door. We cross through her kitchen, past her living room where her third rescue dog, an elderly blind Chihuahua, is tucked into a playpen beside a flickering fireplace.

Also like Parks, Teas has turned her garage into a makeshift animal hospital.

Sherry Teas with a cedar waxwing

It is lined with bird cages, pet carriers and mesh reptariums, collectively housing over 20 songbirds. There is a mockingbird with a respiratory infection, a woodpecker with a head injury, a wren that had been stuck to a sticky trap, etc.

According to Teas, the first and most important thing to do for an injured songbird is to stabilize it. Stress can kill

a bird. She recommends putting the bird in a box with a towel or T-shirt. Set the box in a dark space and do not disturb it. If the bird is lethargic, place a heating pad under half the box. Then, call her.

Happinest receives calls from the public 24/7. Teas is accustomed to the chaos. Her garage resounds with chirps, coos and fluttering wings. But this is nothing compared to springtime, she says.

Between April and September, Teas is inundated with baby birds. Baby songbirds must be fed as often as every 15 minutes from dawn to dusk. Peak months are May through July. During that time, Teas will care for 50-70 babies … a day. Sleeping in on Saturdays is no longer an option. If Teas and her husband want to go to dinner or catch a matinee, they must hire a “babysitter.”

Currently, Teas has 15 regular volunteers to help clean cages, prepare food, do dishes and tend baby birds during the busy season.

“I tell all my volunteers, ‘You can enjoy them, but you can’t treat them like pets.’ We don’t cradle them; we give them space,” Teas says.

“The beautiful thing about wild animals is that they want to be wild,” says Harrell, one of Happinest’s prospective mammal rehabilitators. “Everyone has that critter that connects to their heart.” For her, it is baby squirrels, which are also known as “pinkies.”

Apprentice Lisa Gyure Schott with a rock pigeon

MAMMALS

Happinest’s small-mammal branch is still under development, pending certification of its six apprentices.

Mammal rehabilitation requires only a state permit. It covers animals such as squirrels, rabbits and opossums. It does not cover foxes or raccoons, which are more prone to rabies. In order to rehabilitate these species, one must obtain a special state “rabies vector” permit. In the state of Tennessee, it is illegal for anyone to rehab bats or skunks.

I meet with three of Happinest’s apprentices — Kate Harrell, Misty Cheek and Lisa Gyure Schott — all working on their Class 2 wildlife licenses. Class 2 wildlife includes all species native to Tennessee but excludes bear, deer, wild turkey, poisonous snakes and those aforementioned rabies vectors. We gather around Schott’s kitchen table in her Hixson home. The three are giddy with enthusiasm.

“I didn’t know I could love anything as much as I love squirrels,” says Harrell.

Schott will also specialize in squirrels. Cheek will focus on rabbits.

Rabbits are one of the most difficult

animals to rehabilitate. They are so sensitive to stress, handling them more than twice a day can cause death. In fact, captive baby bunnies have a 90 percent mortality rate, says Cheek.

Education is paramount. All the volunteers are self-taught. They attend wildlife symposiums, read online forums and confer with experts.

“It is such a helpless feeling to watch an animal die because of something you did,” says Harrell.

For instance, cow’s milk or infant formula will clog most small mammals’ intestines. Still, the young are enthusiastic eaters. “They’ll suck down whatever you feed them, too fast,” Cheek says. This can cause aspiration, which is when food gets into the lungs. Without antibiotics, it can quickly kill the animal.

Kidnapping is also a big problem in the mammalian world. It is common for squirrel mothers to move their nests. While they do, they might leave a helpless-looking cluster of pinkies at the base of a tree. It is an honest mistake, and better than apathy, for a person to want to rescue them, says Harrell.

As a general rule, if the squirrel does not return to her young within three hours or before dark, then the babies have been abandoned.

Rabbits, on the other hand, tend their young only twice a day. To determine if

a den of bunnies has been orphaned, Cheek suggests sprinkling cornmeal around its opening. Wait 24 hours, then check back. If the cornmeal has not been disturbed, the babies need rescued.

“Put them in a box. Put them in a quiet spot. Don’t talk to them. Don’t touch them. Call a rehabber,” Cheek instructs.

Each year, Happinest averages 150 small mammals. The cost per animal ranges from $75 to $100, says Parks. But the most expensive thing will probably be divorce papers, jokes Schott. Busy season takes a toll on her marriage, she admits. “It becomes your whole world,” Schott says.

Her kitchen sink is filled with feeding bowls. The laundry room is heaped with bedding. Schott will sleep on the couch to monitor sick babies. The emotional price is steep. But all Happinest’s rehabbers agree: This is their destiny.

“We take so much from wildlife. The least I can do is give these animals a second chance,” says Harrell.

As we talk, the women flip through their phones, gleefully sharing photos of their work. Cheek holds up an image of a pintsized opossum wrapped in a blue washcloth. Its pink mouth agape, its black eyes shiny and wild, she holds humanity in the palm of her hand.

Diving in to the wide world of fishing

So, you’ve decided to cast a line and see what gets hooked (fish-wise). Great! However, the world of fishing is vast, and sometimes difficult to navigate. What kind of rod is suited for you? What style of fishing are you interested in? What are the differences between lures? What are the benefits to live bait?

These are just a few of the dozens of questions you might be asking yourself before diving in, metaphorically. Chattanooga’s fishing scene is one of the most vibrant in the Southeast, so you’ve picked a great place to start. We’ve loaded this guide with tips, gear and more to help get you started in the wide, open sea of fishing.

BY SHANE FOLEY

Master guide lands his biggest

Capt. Richard Simms is proud of his largest fish ever, even if his wife periodically reminds him that the largest fish she ever caught is bigger.

“She’s always quick to point that out,” he says with a hearty laugh.

Simms has helped hundreds of people catch their largest fish ever through his guide service, Scenic City Fishing Charters. Everyone from the Tennessee wildlife commissioner to completely new anglers have caught trophy catfish with Simms’ guidance.

He’s seen his clientele haul in bigger fish than he’s ever caught, but Simms has never been envious of his stewards. All he’s looking for are plentiful bites and a good fight.

“I always tell folks that I don’t like to fish, I like to catch fish,” Simms says. “I don’t deal with fighting tediousness well. When you’ve hooked a fish, though, there’s no boredom at all. You just have to control yourself.”

On a warm July night in 2013, in the moonlit shadow of the Tennessee Aquarium on the riverfront, Simms got the good fight he was looking for. He and his fishing partner Ty Konkle had been looking to escape the heat. As the sun dipped below the horizon, bites were coming periodically for the pair, and at that moment, Konkle was battling something that wasn’t in the mood to leave the river.

“All these catfish have personalities,” says Simms. “You can have a 20-pounder that fights like a 60 [pounder]. Every time you get a bite, you just don’t know what you’ve got.”

Konkle had just managed to work his catfish onboard, but Simms was distracted. Right as Konkle’s quarry had been hauled in, one of Simms’ rods had jerked as a fish contemplated the free meal in front of it at the bottom of the river. Simms snatched up the rod to set the hook.

“I estimated it at about 20 or 30 pounds, but he fought harder the closer I got him to the boat,” Simms says. “I came to realize, ‘Oh crap, this is a whole lot bigger than I thought.’”

Roughly five minutes into the fight it became abundantly clear to Simms that this was no average fish. The excitement and anticipation was palpable in the humid night air as the distant rush of cars along the parkway provided a low hum in the background.

Simms’ fight with the fish lasted over 30 minutes, at times seeming like a never-ending backand-forth of reeling to bring it closer before giving a bit of slack so the line wouldn’t break. He’d been part of long battles before; during one of his charters he had once helped a client fight with a blue catfish for an hour and a half.

“Catfish are like heavyweight fighters,” he says. “You can’t hook and reel them in fast. They fight hard, but it’s a different kind of fight. They try to wear you down with their size, and you have to stay strong.”

Could this be his biggest fish ever? Simms wasn’t sure. Even for an expert such as him it can be difficult to gauge the size of a fish based solely on its fight.

With the net ready in Konkle’s hand, Simms brought his catfish up to the surface. The fish was none too happy about this development, but once ensnared in the net, there was little it could do about it. The pair swiftly brought the fish onboard for weighing.

With the moon beaming in the sky above, the scale’s measurement was clear: 65 pounds, Simms’ largest to date.

“It’s a really good feeling when you see your partner lower that net under the fish,” says Simms. “At that point, you’re just ready to sit down.”

Simms is proud of that catch, but 65 pounds is nowhere near the largest blue catfish Simms has had his hands on. He recalls one crisp Sunday morning a few years preceding his big catch. He was relaxedly casting his line out, enjoying the cool breeze on Lake Chickamauga, when out of the corner of his eye he noticed a man on another boat a few hundred yards way frantically waving at him. Perhaps the man or a fishing partner needed medical aid, Simms thought. Or maybe his boat had run into an issue. He quickly made his way over to the older angler.

“I get up to him and he asks me for help,” Simms recounts. “He had hooked a huge catfish that I knew was over 100 pounds and he couldn’t get it in the boat.”

The fish was positively gargantuan. Simms had never seen one so massive. It took considerable effort, but the two managed to work the fish up and onto the older angler’s boat. Simms had friends at the aquarium he knew might be interested in such a monster catfish, but the fisherman he’d assisted was intent on taking his catch home. Simms went home that night curious about the catfish. He was confident it was over 100 pounds. But by how much? The recreational fishing record for blue catfish in Tennessee is 112 pounds. Could it have been a record breaker?

A few weeks later, fortune struck Simms when he ran into the same fisherman on the lake again.

“I asked him if he had a weight and he told me it was 116 pounds,” he says. “So I turn to him and tell him that was a recordbreaking fish. I’ll never forget, he looked at me, shrugged and said, ‘Ah hell, I don’t care about that.’ I had my hands on the state record and helped it get in the boat, and that guy couldn’t care less,” Simms laughs.

He smiles as he recalls the memory, but Simms says he’s confident there are more record breakers in the local lakes and reservoirs around Chattanooga.

“We all believe we’ve had 100-pound-plus fish on the line that we didn’t or couldn’t get to the boat,” he says. “I’ve seen it numerous times where people start jerking on their rod thinking they’re hung up on the bottom, when really, they’ve probably hooked a huge fish. People don’t realize it, but one big bite can be the bite of a lifetime.”

While his clients have caught larger catfish, Capt. Richard Simms, owner/guide with Scenic City Fishing Charters, shows off the largest cat he has personally caught — a 65-pound blue caught virtually in downtown Chattanooga.

PHOTO: TY CONKLE

About Richard Simms: A U.S. Coast Guard captain, Richard Simms holds a wildlife & fisheries management degree, is a former game warden for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and an outdoor journalist and book author with 50 years’ experience as a Tennessee river rat.

Part of the appeal of fishing is never knowing what’s on your line until it’s already hooked. Any angler of any skill level is capable of hooking a true monster or a record breaker. Actually hauling it in is another matter, but the point stands. Part of the appeal of fishing is never knowing what’s on your line until it’s already hooked. Any angler of any skill level is capable of hooking a true monster or a record breaker. Actually hauling it in is another matter, but the point stands.

The Big One

There are, without a doubt, record breaking fish currently swimming through the waters of Lake Chickamauga, Nickajack Lake and the rivers and streams of Southeast Tennessee. Some of the state’s — and even the world’s — largest fish have been caught in and around the Chattanooga area. Here’s just a small sample of the local river monsters that have been tamed.

Gabe Keen

LARGEMOUTH BASS

PHOTO: RICHARD SIMMS The Tennessee record for largemouth bass was caught in Chickamauga Lake just over a year ago, in February 2015, by Gabe Keen. The bass, which weighed 15 pounds, 3 ounces and was 30 inches long, broke a record that had been standing for over 60 years. Local fishermen believe an even bigger bass could easily be lurking in the depths of the reservoir.

ALABAMA BASS

Barely one year prior to Keen bringing in his record-setting largemouth, Shane McKee of Cleveland, Tennessee, landed a 7-pound Alabama bass in the Parksville Reservoir by the Ocoee River. McKee’s bass caused minor controversy when it was caught. Alabama spotted bass are not native to the Tennessee region; the only spotted bass naturally found in Tennessee waters are northern spotted bass. However, when it became clear that Alabama spotted bass had found their way into our waters, officials decided to create records for both species.

FRESHWATER DRUM

A relatively uncommon, but still catchable fish in Appalachia and throughout the Eastern Seaboard and Midwest, the world record for freshwater drum (54 pounds, 8 ounces) was hauled in right here in the Nickajack Reservoir in April 1972 by Benny Hull. Freshwater drum live to be very old, with the oldest on record living 72 years in Minnesota, so the odds are there for an old titan to still be slowly swimming around in our waters.

BROOK TROUT

A 3-pound, 14-ounce brook trout was snagged on the Hiwassee River by Jerry Wills in August 1973. While nearly 4 pounds doesn’t sound like much to brag about, remember that many brook trout only grow big enough to fit into a grown man’s two hands, so a nearly 4-pound brook trout may as well have been a beast living in the rapids. It’s a long-standing record, but that’s all the more reason to try to break it.

Clint Bailey captured this trophy 40-pound flathead catfish on Chickamauga Lake.

PHOTO: RICHARD SIMMS

FLATHEAD CATFISH

There are several species of catfish found locally in our waters, and flathead catfish is one that trophy fisherman are on the hunt for. An 85-pound, 15-ounce monster catfish was caught in the Hiwassee River by Larry Kaylor in July 1993. If 85 pounds sounds enormous, flathead cats aren’t even the biggest species in the region. The blue catfish record is a whopping 112 pounds and was caught on the Cumberland River in 1998. Still, trophy anglers in Chattanooga are always watchful for a tripledigit catfish to take a bite on their line.

At The End Of Your Line

One of the most important parts of a day spent fishing is deciding on your lure. Venturing into a tackle shop, the sheer number and variety of different lures can be intimidating. Thankfully, they’re all fairly straightforward, and it’s easy to determine what you need based on what you’re hoping to catch and the conditions or time of day. Here’s a quick rundown of the different kinds. With these, you won’t necessarily need to add the expense of bait.

JIGS

Best when: Fish are at the bottom during the heat of the day or otherwise inactive

The jig is a classic for a reason: It’s easy to use successfully, while still offering a challenge as you gain experience, it’s inexpensive and works for a variety of fish. A jig can be used to catch just about any type of fish you’re after, provided you’re skilled enough with it to make it mimic the movements of prey. The way a jig works is simple. Jigs feature a small, weighted head at the front and something flashy at the back, whether that’s string, feathers or even live bait. They come in a rainbow of colors and a variety of weights and sizes.

Using a jig expertly takes time and experience. When casting a jig, let it sink to the bottom, then slowly and repeatedly jerk it back toward you. This is known as the presentation. The size and speed of the jerk are completely dependent on you, and should change to reflect what’s working and what isn’t. Actually landing a bite will require your full attention: A nibble could be a subtle twitch in the line. Practice will make perfect with this lure. Figuring out what style or size best fits your needs and the fish you’re after are what makes this lure anything but simple.

SPINNERS

Best when: Fishing in murky, muddy water

While jigs are straightforward to use but can pack a sea of complexity depending on your skill, with spinners, what you see is what you get, making them perfect for new anglers. Spinners feature a plastic host, a hook and a thin metal blade which spins while it is dragged through the water. You can opt to bait the hook or leave it bare. With spinners, the presentation couldn’t be easier. Just cast and reel back. The spinning of the metal blade creates noise and vibrations through the water which help direct the fish to your line.

Keep in mind, different fish are attracted by different sizes of the metal blade on the spinner. The larger the blade’s size, the more distortion and noise it will create in the water, simulating larger and larger bait. For example, bass prefer a medium-sized blade, while large fish like pike and muskies would go after a large spinner. Ask your local bait shop or inquire online about what kind of spinner the type of fish you’re after would prefer.

SPOONS

Best when: Water visibility is high

Spoons are similar to spinners in their simplicity, though they differ in their application. Spoons are, like the name implies, shaped like spoons, with a concave piece of metal with a hook attached to one end. While spinners are designed to create noise and vibration when reeled in, spoons are designed to wobble in the water, as well as reflect light toward potential predators, mimicking an injured bait fish. Their effectiveness falls off in murky water.

To use this style of lure, just cast and reel it in at a brisk pace. Varying your speed can be helpful, just make sure you don’t go too fast or the spoon will start to spin, a dead giveaway to whatever you’re hunting that this is no bait fish. Because spoons are trying to imitate small fish, they are particularly effective at catching larger predatory fish, such as largemouth bass. If the lake or river you’re aiming to fish in is particularly weeded or heavy with vegetation, look into weedless spoons, which are designed to reduce snags on greenery.

LIVE BAIT Best when: Fish aren't biting

Despite a veritable smorgasbord of different lure types, using live bait on a simple hook can still be more than sufficient. There’s a reason running through the grass looking for grasshoppers or digging through the mud on the shore looking for worms are common memories of fishing as a youngster, as evidenced in yellowing photos of a fish on a line held up next to a smiling young face. The smell and sight of live food could be what entices a fish to your line. While every live bait type has its own advantages and disadvantages, the most useful tip is to use something native for the fish you’re after. Bait shops are usually stocked with local bait, but it never hurts to check. All fish are much more inclined to go after bait they’re familiar with, so hooking your line with something foreign to the area is rarely a good call.

REMEMBER:

With all these lures, remember that one single method of casting will never be sufficient. Make sure you mix things up if nothing is biting. Perhaps throw a small twitch or pause when reeling in your spinner, or vary speeds when bringing in a plug. Innovation doesn't just drive progress, it’s also related to landing a great catch. PLUGS Best when: Fish are active and hungry (dawn and dusk)

Plugs have been around for decades. The first plugs were carved from wood to replicate the look and feel of a bait fish swimming near the surface of the water. Since then, plugs have become incredibly diverse. There are plugs designed to mimic frogs, snakes, small rodents, insects and anything else that predatory fish might find appetizing. There are plugs designed for deeper water or subsurface fishing, but the most common plugs are designed to be quickly reeled in while at five or fewer feet under the water.

Surface plugs work best when the fish are active and moving, so look for water that is warm and calm. Lightweight minnow plugs that float when not moving are very common, and are perhaps the first you should look to add to your tackle box. They come in a wide array of colors, but you can’t go wrong with black. Black is visible when the water is clear and the sun is up, but also provides a silhouette for the fish to notice when it’s darker out.

On the water, patience pays with interest

“We must have sat there the whole entire day, I’m talking at least six hours, without getting even a single bite,” says Shane Hill.

He had been out on Watts Bar Lake on July 4, 2007 with his fishing partner Erich Weber. Hill had been fishing with Weber for over seven years, but this was shaping up to be one of their worst outings yet.

“We were definitely discouraged. I mean, we’d been out on many a trip, and you always at least get a bite or something,” Hill says.

The sun was drifting lazily through the sky above them when they decided to call it quits. The day certainly wasn’t over; they had a family cookout complete with fireworks to go home to. Just as the pair began to gather up the rods they had been trolling the waters with, one of Weber’s lines took off.

“At that point we were just happy to have gotten a single bite,” Hill says, laughing.

Hill watched as Weber began to wrestle with the fish. At that moment, one of his rods began to jerk. Hill rushed over to the rod and attempted to set the hook, but something was off. His line felt completely dead, and his hook didn’t feel like it was going anywhere. He sighed to himself; he’d hooked a log, one of the banes of any fisherman. Over his shoulder Weber was hauling in what ended up being a 23-pound catfish. Hill smiled despite himself. At least the trip hadn’t been completely bite-free.

As Weber scanned over his catch, he asked Hill what was on his line.

“Well, I told him that I just hooked a log was all, so he went back to packing everything up,” Hill says. “I grabbed the spool and started to pull up, and I’ll tell you, I’d never hooked anything that felt like this before.”

Had Hill hooked the bottom of the lake? He didn’t think so: usually, all it took to free your hook from that was a bit of jostling on the line.

“Well, it was about when I was trying to pull it back up to the boat that it decided it wanted to fight back,” says Hill. “I had no idea I’d hooked a fish. Neither of us had ever hooked a fish that just stopped dead like that.”

Suddenly, Hill had a battle on his hands, and one he was more than willing to oblige. The lake was nearly empty, and the air was still. The only sounds were the tension of the rod as it creaked and bent, the soft jostling of the boat and Hill straining to keep whatever he’d hooked on his line.

“At the time, the biggest fish I’d ever caught was 48 pounds, and this felt a lot bigger than that,” Hill says. “I turned to Erich and said, ‘I might be in the 50-pound club!’ I was really excited that this might be my biggest fish ever.”

A tense battle of nearly 20 minutes ensued. With finesse, aptitude and strength, Hill managed to work the behemoth close to the surface, free from the murky depths. His arms were exhausted, and his legs were shaking from strain and excitement.

“You got to have patience with stuff like that. I think it’s one of my strong points,” says Hill. “I’m not patient when it comes to a lot, but out on the water I definitely am.”

Weber lowered a net into the water to bring in Hill’s catch. He wasn’t prepared for the beast of a fish his partner had caught. Weber almost dropped the net; he couldn’t haul it on the boat on the first try.

It was a mammoth blue catfish whose battle-scarred body and slashed fins were evidence of a long life fending off those that would usurp him as king of the lake. He refused to stop thrashing even as he cleared the surface.

“We would have missed it if we didn’t get it in the boat that second time. It took both of us to pull it in, and even then it wasn’t easy,” says Hill. “Erich turned to me and said, ‘Nah, I think you’re in the 90-pound club.’”

Once back on shore, they posed for some photos with the catfish when a local group of motorcyclists who were driving by insisted they take some photos as well.

“I felt like a bit of a celebrity, honestly,” Hill remembers. “He bottomed out our 75-pound scale, so we knew he was bigger than that.”

Hill had to call his friends to bring a deer scale to get the official weight. There was no way he was letting that fish go before getting a real weight. As dusk overtook the sky, Hill weighed his monster cat at a whopping 100.3 pounds. Forget the 50-pound club; Hill had broken into triple digits.

Hill and Weber released the catfish back into the lake three miles upriver from the boat ramp, close to where it had initially been caught. The pair returned home triumphant; six hours out on the water without a bite had been more than worth it.

“The story doesn’t end there, though,” Hill says, smiling.

The competitive fishing series both Weber and Hill compete in, the East-Tennessee Catfish Anglers Tournament Series, was holding a tournament at the very same lake not a week later. After a week of congratulatory claps on the back and praise for being part of the 100 club, Hill hadn’t given much thought about where he had released that blue catfish.

As the day wound to a close and they headed for the ramp to get their haul weighed in, they spotted something on the shore. Another angler was holding up a suspiciously large catfish, complete with scarring on its skin and notches cut in its tail.

“He went and got himself caught again not 50 yards away from where I initially caught it,” Hill says with a guffaw. “This fish was a king fish. He just ate what he wanted. I bet I wasn’t the first time he’d been hauled in, and that tournament won’t be the last.”

Shane Hill proudly holds up the 100.3-pound trophy blue catfish he caught on July 4, 2007. Although he has had numerous big catches in the years since, none have trumped his tripledigit behemoth. Shane Hill is no one-trick pony. Although he hasn’t been able to beat his largest catch from 2007, he still manages to hook and haul in monster catfish from the depths of Tennessee’s rivers and lakes, such as this 80-pounder he caught on Chickamauga Lake.

About Shane Hill: Shane Hill, who turned 40 on Feb. 9, has been an avid fisherman his whole life. He’s fished with Erich Weber since they were 15. A native of Maryville, Tennessee, Hill says some of his preferred spots are around Chattanooga and Chickamauga, though his favorite is Caney Creek in Kingston, Tennessee, where he says he’s had his best luck.

Finding the Spot

If you feel like you’re ready to get out on the water, you’ve got a multitude of spots from which to choose. Chattanooga and Southeast Tennessee have some of the most diverse waters in the world. Between all our rivers, streams, lakes and tributaries, it may be a little difficult to figure out where the best spots in the area are.

GO TO ................................. FOR Chickamauga Lake.................. Largemouth Bass, Blue Catfish Chickamauga Dam.................. Blue Catfish, Channel Catfish, Bass Sequatchie River..................... Largemouth Bass, Brook Trout, Brown Trout Nickajack Lake/Reservoir ..... Large Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Striped Bass, Blue Catfish Hiwassee River ........................ Bass, Brook Trout, Sauger Watts Bar Lake ........................ Large, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie Tellico River............................. Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout Guntersville Lake.................... Bass of all kinds, Blue Catfish Marrowbone Lake.................... Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Blue Catfish Stones River ............................ Bass of all kinds, Crappie, Catfish Watauga River ......................... Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout Dale Hollow Lake..................... Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth, Walleye, Muskie

FISH FINDER

Top-of-the-line in features but not in price, the Humminbird 698ci HD Side Imaging fish finder is a powerful bet. Split screens allow you to view the sonar and built-in GPS at once, and it even comes with UniMap cartography. A card slot allows you to save waypoints or additional maps. Its side and down imaging are powered by 4,000 watts, meaning fish will have to swim pretty far to be out of your sight. Temperature and speed are also included in the readings. Its large screen is easy to read and offers picturelike quality. And while all the bells and whistles are extravagant, the mounting system is simple.

FISH TREE

Local angler Matt Marsden recently patented what he says is a more durable fish attractor. If you've tried to outsmart them, you know fish love to hide. This creates the kind of environment they crave almost as much as tasty bait, and is easily picked up by sonar equipment, so you're guaranteed to find your fish. Devices like his are especially helpful when casting in places where vegetation is minimal or has been destroyed or rotted. Visit americanfishtree.com to learn more or snag yourself one.

FISHING TALES: The one that got away really didn’t

Eric Maurer poses with the 44-pound striped bass he caught in the fall of 2014. Immediately after this photo was taken, he put the fish back in the water and spent nearly 20 minutes trying to revive it. After considerable effort, the bass was strong enough to swim away — but only after Maurer realized he’d just released a world record-tying fish.

For Eric Maurer, fishing is all about the pursuit and the journey.

“A day on the water is why I go out. Catching the fish is a bonus,” he says. “I can go out and enjoy the day, and I’ll always at least come home with good stories.”

Maurer is positively flush with stories. He’s the holder of 22 various line class records from the International Game Fish Association, meaning he’s caught the largest fish on record on a certain weight of line. “After you’ve caught so many fish, you look for a little bit more of a challenge, and one way is using lighter lines,” he explains. “With light lines, you can’t put much pressure on the line. You’re fighting the tackle as much as the fish, and that’s part of the excitement.”

One misty morning in the fall of 2014, Maurer got a moment of such excitement. As fog gently crept over the surface of Lake Chickamauga, he sat on his boat, gently trolling for catfish. He was off to an excellent start with four catches. They weren’t anything to write home about, but a caught fish is a caught fish. As he released his fourth catch and it wriggled back into the lake, he prepped his rod to start another drift on his boat. Within moments, Maurer felt a tug on his line.

Before he had time to even think about what it could be, his reel took off like a shot, and it didn’t seem to be slowing. Seconds later, nearly half his spool of line was off the rod. “In the beginning I was worried that I lost it,” says Maurer. “I had to follow it with my trolling motor to make sure it didn’t get so far away.”

Such speed and strength from the fish meant it was a big one, and also meant Maurer was in for a long fight. He was only using 6-pound test line, which would easily snap under the strain of a large catch. Maurer settled himself in and smiled. He had plenty of time.

For nearly 45 minutes he maintained a steady composure and constant vigilance to the stress on his line. Even a moment of overreeling could mean his target would escape forever, the hook embedded in its mouth a testament to Maurer’s overeagerness.

Slowly and assuredly, Maurer brought his catch close to the surface. Then, in one swift motion, he netted the fish, which turned out to be a striped bass. It was certainly not what Maurer had intended to catch when he started the day, but he was happy nonetheless.

A quick weight and measurement told him the fish weighed 44 pounds and was at least 44 inches long — a mammoth in the bass world. After snapping a few photos for posterity, he realized the fish had gone limp in his hands. As the sun began rising through the morning sky, Maurer saw he had a nearly dead bass on his hands, something he was hoping to avoid.

“If I’m not going to use it, I want it to live, especially with bass,” he says. “With them, catch-andrelease is important because of how many fishermen target them, but really there’s no need to be wasteful with any type of fish.”

Striped bass die easily after a long fight, Maurer explains. “Stripers fight until they’re completely worn out, so it doens’t take much,” he says.

He immediately put the fish back in the water to see if it would swim away. Nothing. The fish lay just as lifeless in the water as it had on the boat. Over the next 15 minutes, Maurer worked tirelessly to keep the bass upright in the water while trying to get water to flow over its gills. Ever so slowly, the fish began to show signs of life.

“Most fish you just drop back in and they’re good to go,” he says. “He was a big fish, though. He definitely deserved to keep living. Plus, it gives someone else the opportunity to catch a really nice fish.

“You just develop a respect for them after a while,” Maurer adds.

Eventually, the striped bass began to swim away. But Maurer’s work wasn’t over. Just over a minute later, the bass came back up to the surface, moving weakly. It took not one, but two more revitalization attempts and releases before the fish returned to the lake healthy.

Maurer stood up to admire his handiwork. He’d caught a monster bass on light line, and the bass had lived to tell the tale. As he thought of his good deed, he paused, and blinked.

How big was that fish?

He got out the paperwork he kept with him and looked up the line class world record for striped bass on a 6-pound line.

Forty-four pounds. He’d just spent 20 minutes trying to revive and release a world record-tying fish!

He immediately went to the edge of the boat and scanned the water to see if the bass was intent on giving up the ghost despite Maurer’s effort, but no luck. All his work had paid off and the striper was swimming free, the only physical proof of Maurer’s record-breaking catch gone. He couldn’t help but chuckle at himself.

“What I remember thinking probably isn’t fit to print,” he says with a hearty laugh. “But it wasn’t really important to me. I wasn’t trying for a record. It was just coincidence that I picked up this big fish.”

He stayed out on the water for a few more hours and brought in a couple more catfish before returning home. Despite having lost proof of his record-tying catch, he says it was a good trip.

“It’s like I said, I had a great day on the water and I came home with a good story. I don’t need more than that,” says Maurer.

About Eric Maurer: Eric Maurer has been fishing for over half a century, although he says it’s become a bigger part of his life since he retired. A resident of Cleveland, Tennessee, for over 35 years, his favorite fishing spot is, without a doubt, Lake Chickamauga. The diversity and variety of fish, coupled with their size, he says, makes for a great trip every time.

Reeling it In

When it comes to rods, there are a few things that make some better than others, but for getting started, your primary concern should be your budget.

While they’re not one size fits all, the fishing you can do around Chattanooga doesn’t require anything out of the ordinary in the rod department. Just go with what you feel most comfortable. Reels are similar in this regard, but there are a few more considerations. Don’t worry: While they may look complicated, they’re not, especially once you familiarize yourself with them.

SPINCASTER REELS

This is the reel with which people are perhaps most familiar. If you ever went fishing as a child, your rod probably featured one of these. Spincast reels have a closed face; all the important bits are inside the case. The reel rests on top of the rod, and although many kids learn on this reel, in no way is it entirely for children. Spincasters are designed to be easy to use: Just press the button on the top of the reel as you pull back, and release as you cast. Reel in once to re-engage the line and you’re good to go. The downside to the simplicity spincasters offer is less control and accuracy with your casts. However, as you’re learning, spincasters are a fine choice.

SPINNER REELS

Any time you go out on the water, there’s a good chance you’ll see a lot of these open-faced reels. Spinner reels are affixed below the rod, and have a bail which controls whether you can cast or reel in.

To cast, open the bail and hook the line with your index finger next to the rod. As you go through the overhead casting motion, release the line that was held by your finger and the weight of the lure will pull the line out. To reel your line back in, just close the bail and start reeling. Spinners offer more control with your line, and work better with heavier lures than spincasters. They’re also capable of holding quite a bit of line, so consider using this reel when several hundred feet of line might be needed. Since there is more of a trick to casting spinners, taking some time to practice casting might be a good idea before heading out on the water.

BAITCASTER REELS

Baitcasters are the most challenging of the traditional reel setups, but offer unparalleled control and accuracy with your casts. Designed for optimal use with heavy lures and lines, a baitcaster will give you the most distance out of any reel and let you land bigger fish than its counterparts. Baitcasters are positioned above the rod similarly to spincasters, but have an opening at the top for your thumb. The control of the line is entirely on you; the spool moves as the line is being cast, so stopping the line with your thumb right as the lure hits the water is paramount. Forgetting to stop the line can (and will) lead to a messy tangle of loose line around your reel, but stopping it too early will leave you short of your target. Practice makes perfect with these reels, so don’t get frustrated if you find them to be a challenge at the beginning.

CONVENTIONAL REELS

If you’re just starting out, you probably don’t need to worry about conventional reels for a while, but if the opportunity to go ocean fishing arises it will help to know about them. They’re not too different from baitcasters aside from their size and weight — a conventional reel is basically just a baitcaster that’s been scaled up at least 50 percent. Able to hold several hundred yards of heavy-duty line, conventional reels are most often used to haul in the biggest of the sea, such as marlin, tuna or shark. These reels have a lever that, once engaged, puts the reel into free-spin to enable casting. Like baitcasters, the weight of the lure and line are what pulls it to your target. Due to conventional reels’ weight, you may have to apply some pressure with your thumb as the line is in the air. Then, right before the lure hits the water, firmly press down with your thumb to stop the reel and flip the lever to pull the reel out of free-spin mode. Conventional tackle is by far the most challenging reel to use properly. Unless you’re aiming to land the big one out on the open ocean, you shouldn’t really need one.

Try your hand at fly fishing

Some may wonder at the allure of fly fishing versus traditional baitcasting, and anglers already versed in the traditional style may ask themselves why they’d want to consider it. Chris Loizeaux of Trekka Outfitters here in Chattanooga says that although the end result is similar, the experience is fundamentally different, and you would be remiss if you didn’t at least see what fly fishing has to offer.

“A lot of people have complaints of boredom out on a lake, and I think they’d have a good shot at gravitating toward fly fishing,” he says. “It’s far more immersive as an activity. You’ve got the sun on your back and the water at your waist. You’re constantly aware of the current. You feel the fish on your line with your whole body. It’s a much more tactile experience.”

Loizeaux, who is an avid backpacker and hiker, also says the journey, not necessarily the destination, is a big draw with fly fishing. Some of the best fly fishing spots around are in beautiful streams and brooks hidden away in the Smoky Mountains. “Very often, people can walk away from a fly fishing trip feeling great even if they didn’t catch anything,” says Loizeaux. “It’s still a spectacular experience.”

More than anything, though, people who already do — or would like to try —fishing as a hobby should give fly fishing a shot because it’s something new that they just might love. You’re denying yourself a great new experience if you shrug off fly fishing just because it’s different, Loizeaux says. Sure, it may not be for you, but if you haven’t tried it, you could be seriously missing out.

PHOTO: CHRIS LOIZEAUX

Similar to the specific flies used in fly fishing, which we’ll get into a minute, the reel you pick doesn’t define what you can do. On the contrary, your rod and line determine what reel you should be looking for.

Fly rods are categorized by their action — that is, how flexible they are. Fast-action rods awon’t flex too much during casting, leading to sharp, long and powerful casts which make the lure dance on the water. Slow-action rods flex much more, lending to gentler casts and a smoother motion, making this type of rod simpler to use on short casts. Rods can exist anywhere between fast and slow action, and moderateaction rods are considered to be the most versatile, featuring the best of both worlds. Loizeaux recommends a medium-fast rod for the beginner. Really, you can’t go wrong with whatever rod feels most natural when you’re casting. Rods are also categorized by weight. Lighter weights are used to catch small panfish and small trout. The heavier the rod, the larger the fish you should be aiming to catch, up to massive saltwater catches like marlin or bluefin. The heft of the reel you select as well as the weight of the line should match your rod choice. Here in Tennessee, you won’t be battling anything too massive, so Loiveaux says that reel selection should be last on your list of priorities when getting started, behind your rod, line, and fly selection. YOUR FIRST FLYGHT: Trekka Outfitters offers monthly meet-ups for beginner and veteran fly fishermen alike, usually on the third Saturday of each month. The shop also offers $25 rod rentals. After evaluating what the water is like in other areas, everyone carpools to the chosen location that month to fly fish for about four hours. Loizeaux says it’s a great opportunity to not only be introduced to the sport, but also to the local fly fishing community. Check Trekka Outfitters’ social media profiles on Facebook and Instagram for details.

PHOTOS: CHRIS LOIZEAUX With fly fishing, the type of lure you pick is all about your surroundings — you’re trying to create the illusion of naturally moving prey the fish you’re after would be looking for. There are thousands of different variations of flies mimicking different types of prey.

Dry flies are the lightest and float on top of the water like an adult fly would, meaning you’ll get a graceful show of a fish arcing out of the water, or at least the satisfying smacking sound as they surface for your bait. Nymph flies aim to mimic the pre-adult stage of local insect life. Since aquatic nymphs usually rest under rocks or in other secluded parts of the water and are only active if jostled from their hiding place or if they’re hatching, if you opt for a nymph fly, you should cast it as low as you can get it under the water’s surface. As such, nymph flies can be difficult to use since you won’t be able to see when a fish takes your line. Streamer flies are supposed to act like larger, more active prey, such as bait fish or leeches, leading to a bigger bout of action since they’re more likely to attract bigger fish.

For more advanced anglers, the differences may improve their chances, but for all intents and purposes, a new fly fisherman shouldn’t stress too heavily about them. Loizeaux says beginners can stick with streamer flies and the occasional dry fly as they get more comfortable with their rod and casting. More than anything, he says, matching the fly you’re using with what is native to the region and active at the moment is key. When you go to your local fly fishing shop, ask for flies that are viable in different seasons and in different areas. The more versatile, the better. Observation of your surroundings, he says, is the single most critical component to being a good fly fisherman.

RODS

Similar to the specific flies used in fly fishing, the reel you pick doesn’t define what you can do. On the contrary, your rod and line determine what reel you should be looking for.

Fly rods are categorized by their action — that is, how flexible they are. Fast-action rods won’t flex too much during casting, leading to sharp, long and powerful casts which make the lure dance on the water. Slow-action rods flex much more, lending to gentler casts and a smoother motion, making this type of rod simpler to use on short casts. Rods can be anywhere between fast- and slowaction. Moderate-action rods are considered the most versatile, featuring the best of both worlds. Loizeaux recommends a medium-fast rod for beginners, but really, you can’t go wrong with whatever rod feels most natural when you’re casting. Rods are also categorized by weight. Lighter weights are used to catch small panfish and small trout. The heavier the rod, the larger the fish you should be aiming to catch, up to massive saltwater catches like marlin or bluefin.

The heft of the reel you select as well as the weight of the line should match your rod choice. Here in Tennessee, you won’t be battling anything too massive, so Loizeaux says reel selection should be last on your list of priorities when getting started, behind your rod, line and lure, or fly,

Responsibility on the Water

Everyone out on the water has a duty to preserve the fishing habitat for everyone else around them, and for those in the future. Fishing is a great sport and hobby, but can quickly sour if your favorite spot’s population dries up from the irresponsible actions of other anglers. Nothing on this list is particularly hard, but it all goes a long way to making sure our local lakes and rivers are sustainable for future fishermen.

Never dispose of anything into the water: This may seem like a “duh” suggestion, but the amount of trash in America’s lakes and rivers is staggering. In 2015, the National River Cleanup organized over 1,000 river cleanups around the country and removed 2 million pounds of trash. It’s simple: Don’t toss anything into the water, and if you see any trash, do your part and pick it up.

Be wary of monofilament fishing line: Monofilament is made from a single strand of plastic, and is extremely common. However, when it breaks, it can lead to serious issues for fish and other local wildlife. Multifilament fishing line is more expensive, so if you opt for monofilament, just be sure to collect any line that breaks or that you see on the shore.

Retrieve all your lures: Inevitably you’ll cast and your line will get hung up and caught on something. When that happens, retrieving it will not only keep you from losing your lure, but will also ensure no wildlife gets snared by it.

Consider using barbless hooks, and avoid J-hooks

if you are fishing for sport: J-hooks are much more likely to gut-hook the fish, meaning it has hooked the fish deep in its gullet, making it difficult or impossible to retrieve. Barbless hooks ensure that when you catch a fish, the hook is easily removed, which increases survivability for the fish after release. Also, if a fish is hooked deep in its mouth, try cutting the hook instead of removing it.

Avoid lead sinkers: Lead is a highly toxic contaminant in any water supply, and lost or discarded lead sinkers accumulate over time to decrease the quality of the water.

Handle your fish with care, and release them

quickly: If possible, remove your hook while the fish is in the water to keep the fish breathing. Also, try to avoid touching the fish’s gills; this can create respiratory issues for them after release. Chris Loizeaux

PHOTO: CHRIS LOIZEAUX

Tennessee Aquarium leads the charge for conservation

The Tennessee Aquarium doesn’t house and protect just the fish and wildlife behind the glass in its exhibits. For years, the aquarium has funded the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute, which has been at the forefront and worked behind the scenes to help preserve and protect the aquatic environments present in Tennessee and throughout the Southeast.

The institute’s current director, Dr. Anna George, is a biologist with a Ph.D with a focus on ichthyology who is doubling down on the institute’s efforts to protect the nearly 320 unique fish species living in the waters of Tennessee.

“The Southeast is an amazing place. We have an underwater rainforest with species that are only found here, nowhere else in the world,” says George.

While many of the species the TNACI aims to protect are small minnows, aquatic snails and other out-ofsight creatures, George says the health of our waters is dependent on everything in them, no matter how small.

“We’re drawn to diversity, I think, and that’s what these species provide. You never know what services the animals are providing to the environment,” she says. “The South has a national heritage with these species, and people overlook that a lot.”

Any angler who’s caught a lake sturgeon or Southern Appalachian brook trout recently has the TNACI to thank. The institute and its partners are singlehandedly responsible for the reintroduction of the two species, which are growing in popularity among game fishermen. The TNACI relies on local anglers reporting their catches of the two game fish in order to track their growth and development, and thus the program’s success.

“Lots of work is being done in monitoring the quality of rivers and streams,” says George. “The water is all interconnected, so the health of one region often spreads to others. The quality of our water is absolutely key.”

While the TNACI’s efforts might not always be the most visible, even the group’s most minor efforts can lead to restoring a stream or lake into a popular spot for anglers. For instance, an endangered minnow, the laurel dace, is only found in two places in the world, and they are both on Walden’s Ridge. While seemingly innocuous, George says the fish, and others like it throughout the Tennessee Valley, are key players in each individual ecosystem.

George is currently leading the TNACI to work with the University of Georgia to create a broad, regional conservation plan to assess and understand needs across the South.

“One of our goals is to always let the Southeast know just how special it is,” she says. “We’re on the world’s biggest hotspots for diversity. We can’t just protect it, we want to make sure people know and celebrate it with us.”

CONTRIBUTED BY THE TENNESSEE AQUARIUM

Campers with Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute’s CLAW program sample stream water to study the stream’s health. Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute Director Dr. Anna George releases a young Southern Appalachian brook trout into a Chattanooga-area river. The TNACI is deep in the middle of an extensive program to reintroduce the trout species back into Tennessee waters.

COMING UP: The TNACI is closing in on its 20th anniversary, and will be opening a new riverfront facility in September to better study the health of our water and wildlife. Soon after, the annual Tennessee River Rescue will take place to help clean up Chattanooga’s most famous river. To learn more or get involved with the cleanup, visit tennesseeriverrescue.org.

AT THE STARTING LINE

BY KELSIE BOWMAN

When it comes to major outdoor sporting events, Chattanooga is basking in a national, even global, spotlight. The city successfully hosted the U.S. Pro Cycling Championships three years in a row, not to mention both the full and half Ironman events, with the 70.3 World Championship hitting the Scenic City’s streets in 2017.

It’s pretty impressive, and we’re extremely proud.

AT THE STARTING LINE

But Tim Morgan, president of the Chattanooga Visitors Bureau’s Sports Committee, says the city is still missing something. “This is a market that should be hosting a 5,000-, 10,000-, potentially 15,000-person running event,” he says. “And we don’t have that.”

So last summer, the CVB, city of Chattanooga and Chattanooga Track Club, among others, joined forces and announced the inaugural Erlanger Chattanooga Marathon presented by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, debuting this month, March 4-6.

This race is different, Morgan says, in that it’s made by our own community, for our community. “[The idea was], we have the local experts, we have the local passion,” he says. “We have all the tools in the shed. Let’s get them out and build this one as a community.”

It’s not that the city doesn’t have great options for marathons already, Morgan clarifies. There’s the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon, the 7 Bridges Marathon and numerous trail marathons. But the partnerships involved in building the Chattanooga Marathon from the ground up give the event the potential to grow into that 5,000-plus race which officials are dreaming of.

“What’s great about it is the nature of the partnerships of all the people involved. We have access to much more than we typically would for one of our events because it’s a city event,” says local runner and Chattanooga Track Club Manager Stacey Malecky. The CTC was responsible for designing the brand-new marathon course, the half marathon, 5k and kids’ run that comprise the Chattanooga Marathon.

“We gathered a group of folks who had, between the group, over 300 marathons under our belts, all over the country,” she says. “The same group of people also run all over Chattanooga all the time, so they really knew what neighborhoods would be best to highlight and see along the way.” With the help of city officials to guide the process, Malecky says, the design team gathered multiple times to brainstorm the perfect course for this community-centric race. The finished product takes runners from the Tennessee Aquarium through downtown and into St. Elmo, back north over the bridges and into Riverview, with a big finish right next to First Tennessee Pavilion and Finley Stadium.

“It’s a course that an event has never run in this community’s history,” says Morgan, adding that at the finish line there will be a large expo inside the pavilion, with everything from a Michelob ULTRA activation unit and seating area to live music to vendors and sponsor stations, and more. “This isn’t just a running event — this is a research tool, a music event, a health and wellness initiative for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee; this is a

CONTINUED

health and wellness initiative/ brand awareness campaign for Erlanger, specifically Children’s Hospital, which is associated with the kids’ fun run,” he says.

A Call to the Community

Though the marathon was born out of an organizational partnership, city officials are also working to partner with the community on an even more personal level. City of Chattannoga’s Molly Cooper is heading up an initiative to inspire locals who live in the neighborhoods along the course. Cooper and other officials have been spending their time attending neighborhood association meetings and the like to inform the community of what’s coming.

“A big part of this marathon is that it came together as a group of local folks interested in creating the best marathon in the city,” she says. “We knew part of that was to get the community involved. Chattanooga Track Club runs races all over the country, and it was evident that part of what makes a marathon great is excitement … and engagement along the course.”

It’s possible for these neighborhoods to witness hundreds, if not thousands, of runners jogging their streets. Though final registration numbers aren’t in, and Morgan says he expects a lot of walk-up registrants, officials have bought 3,500 medals for participants across all the events. “You always have an aspiration of 5,000 [registrants] and beyond,” he says. “The reality of the situation is that if and when we hit 3,500, we deem that to be successful for year one.

“If we come in under, we understand. This isn’t one and done. It’s building that foundation so we can enhance the quality on an annual basis.”

Learn more about the Chattanooga Marathon at chattanoogamarathon.com.

Q&A

Race Director Brian Myrick

This is not Brian Myrick’s first rodeo, so to speak. An athlete himself and founder of a full-service event company specializing in triathlons, cycling and running events, he’s worked on high-profile races around the globe — including serving as the race director for the Ironman here at home.

Get Out:How long have you lived in Chattanooga? Myrick: I moved here in the fall of 2013, just after announcing that Ironman was coming to Chattanooga. I spent that first year as a part-time resident, but it quickly became apparent that this was a place I wanted to stay. After years of traveling full time, it’s been really good to have a city that I love and enjoy to call home. GO: What are you most looking forward to on race day? BM: Seeing the athletes cross that finish line. For some it will be the first time, for others it will just be another long run. But they each have a story, and those stories make what we do so unique and special. GO:How will you utilize your experience with Ironman Chattanooga to make this race great? BM: Over the last two years I have been fortunate to develop great relationships with folks in this community, and to pull off an event like this we have to rely on those relationships. People like Tim Morgan with the Chattanooga Sports Committee, Molly Cooper with Mayor Berke’s office, Philip Grymes with Outdoor Chattanooga, Sgt. Garrett and Officer Tolson with the Chattanooga Police Department have all been vital in the planning and execution of high-caliber events like this. GO: What key things do you think makes a race of this size successful? BM: You can’t skip the basics. You MUST ensure a safe, wellorganized event. Once you nail down those things, you can really start to listen to the athletes and try and figure out what they want. That changes annually, so you have to constantly try and stay on top with your production. That could be advances in live timing and tracking, SWAG options, post-race food. It’s also important to look out for the host community when planning something of this size. In order to ensure long-term success, you have to balance the needs of the event with those of the community, and that is something I think we have done a really good job at. GO:What do you envision for the future of the race? BM: We would love to see this event become a staple in the Chattanooga area and the region; something that athletes, spectators and the community get behind and support for years to come. With the infrastructure already in place to host large events, there is no reason this can’t be a 5,000- to 7,000-person event in the next few years. Chattanooga has been a wonderful host to me, my business and our athletes, and we feel that it will be no different for the thousands of folks coming to Chattanooga [this month].

Schedule of Events

Monday, March 4

4 1-7 p.m. Expo/Packet pickup/Registration at First Tennessee Pavilion

Saturday, March 5

7-8:30 a.m. Registration and packet pickup for Classic 150 5k 9-10 a.m. Classic 150 5k starts from First Tennessee Pavilion 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Expo/ Packet pickup/ Registration 10 a.m. Classic 150 5k awards 11 a.m. Kids’ 1-mile Fun Run starts from First Tennessee Pavilion 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Live entertainment

Sunday, March 6

6-7 a.m. Emergency packet pickup at First Tennessee Pavilion 6-7:30 a.m. Bag drop at race finish/Shuttle from finish line to race start 6:30-8 a.m. Morning clothes drop at race start 8 a.m. Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon start at Broad Street and Tennessee Aquarium 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Post-race party and food 11 a.m. Half marathon awards 1 p.m. Marathon awards

Racer Spotlight

Nathan Sexton

Among the throng of runners on race day, spectators might recognize some faces of local Bellhops. The company, which offers a flexible and less expensive way to hire movers, employs a man who is running against the odds. And come race day, he’ll be running with the support of up to 60 other employees.

Bellhops Vice President of Business Intelligence Nathan Sexton was diagnosed with brain cancer last summer after a series of seizures. As a seemingly healthy, active 28-year-old, Sexton and his family were shocked by the diagnosis of glioblastoma, which usually means a prognosis of an average remaining life span of 15 months. The following weeks and months were a whirlwind of doctor appointments and a surgery at Vanderbilt that removed 95 percent of the baseballsized mass on his brain.

“I’ll never be cancer-free unless there’s a cure,” Sexton says. “Death is a reality for all of us; I just know when it might take place.”

This experience has changed his perspective on everything, he says: his time with his family, his faith, as well as what’s really important in life. “It’s the biggest curse that’s been turned into this awesome gift,” says Sexton. “I don’t ever take a second for granted. When I am with my family, I am with them 100 percent, not checking email.”

And running a half marathon is on his bucket list, so between bouts of chemotherapy, which he undergoes for five days every 23 days, he strives to stay on track with his training for the Chattanooga Half Marathon, so far maintaining an average pace of 8:30.

“Nathan is kind of a legend around here,” says Bellhops CEO and co-founder Stephen Vlahos. “The guy is just phenomenal.”

Half of the Bellhops employees are running the race with Sexton, he adds, with the company covering the cost of their registration so they can donate to the American Brain Tumor Association.

“They’ve honestly been like a second family through all of this,” says Sexton. “And my wife has been unreal through this whole process; she’s so strong.” The training itself has also been helpful, he adds.

“It was really hard to train and pace myself,” he says, explaining his struggle to slow down and experience every mile during a long run. Sprinting to finish a workout as quickly as possible will just wear a long-distance runner out, leaving him ill-prepared for the hard miles toward the end of the race. “But it’s like another metaphor. Like God’s trying to get me to slow my life down and not worry what’s ahead for me.”

Based on his last scans, Sexton is happy to report no further growth of the cancer has occurred. If all goes well with the Chattanooga Marathon, he says he’d love to try another destination race.

Technology Run

Ever wonder what’s going on inside the brain of a long-distance runner? Thanks to the UTC Department of Health and Human Performance, Carbon Five and EBP, you can find out at the Chattanooga Marathon Expo. UTC’s Dr. Gary Liguori says a couple of the marathon’s runners will wear special headbands with EEG technology, which detects brainwaves, as well as armbands that — thanks to the expertise of Alex Cruikshank with Carbon Five, a local collaborative software development and design firm — will transmit data to EPB’s TVs at First Tennessee Pavilion on race day. Displays will show color-coded maps of the range of emotions the runners are going through, in real time. “The marathon is an intermediate step for us,” says Liguori, explaining that the department’s newfound partnership with Carbon Five will help them take the technology a step farther. “We personally in our department want to take it further after the marathon and do some actual research with the technology … looking how being in the outdoors affects the brain.”