There will be a very limited number of fans and pickers for this package. 12-15 total So don’t dally when making your plans!

Join Larry Keel Natural Bridge and friends for three days of instruction, small concerts, incredible food and camping. You’ll be hanging out at the Elk River Inn, Cabins & Restaurant located in the high peaks of West Virginia. Elk River has plenty of things to do when you’re not learning a new lick. Fly and spin fishing for trout, hiking and mountain bike trail right out the door. Or just relaxing with a cold beverage near the campfire.

You may arrive on Thursday for dinner and settle in to your tent. All meals from Thursday evening through Sunday breakfast are included in this very special weekend. Also guitar, mandolin, banjo and bass guitar instruction will be the highlight. Evening picking sessions on Thursday, Friday will build up to a very special concert Saturday evening to cap things off.

Arrive Thursday 4-7pm Check in Dinner will be family style starting at 6pm. Meet and greet with Larry, the band, special guests and fellow campers.

Friday morning coffee begins at 7:30 Breakfast is available from 8-10am

Free time 9am – 12:30pm to fish one of our local rivers such as the Williams, Elk, or one of the dozens of native brook fisheries. If you’re not an angler this is great time to hike, bike or just relax.

Lunch 12:30 – 1:30
Workshop / Jam 1:30 – 4:00
Free time 4 – 6pm
Dinner 7pm
After dinner jam and socializing

Saturday Breakfast is the same time.

Learn to fly cast with Elk River’s Orvis Endorsed guides 10:30 – ? or free time to explore local rivers and or kick back on one of the many Elk River outdoor porches.

Lunch 12:30 – 1:30
Workshop / Jam 1:30 – 4:00
Free time 4 – 6pm
Dinner 7pm
Evening Concert Larry Keel, Natural Bridge and friends 9pm – ?

Sunday breakfast 8 -10am
Farewell and goodbyes

Cost – 349.95 3 night p.p. plus tax 299.95 2 night p.p. plus tax.

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‘TROUT AND TUNES 2’

May 17th – 20th, 2012

Join Larry Keel & Natural Bridge and friends for three days of instruction, small concerts, incredible food and lodging.

You’ll be hanging out at the Elk River Inn, Cabins & Restaurant located in the high peaks of West Virginia. Elk River has plenty of things to do when you’re not learning a new lick. Fly and spin casting for trout, hiking and mountain bike trail right out the door or just relaxing with a cold beverage near the campfire. Join us on May 17th – 20th 2012 for Trout and Tunes 2, your surely not going to want to miss it.

We will have a Fly Fishing class to show you how to cast a fly rod and tie on your liter, tippet and fly. We will also have Andrew White the builder of one of Larry’s guitars come in and show you what it takes to construct an instrument with parts of instruments in different stages.

You may arrive on Thursday for dinner and settle in to your cabin, Inn or bunk house lodging. All meals from Thursday evening through Sunday breakfast are included in this very special weekend. Also guitar, mandolin, banjo and bass guitar instruction will be the highlight. Evening picking sessions on Thursday, Friday will build up to a very special concert Saturday evening to cap things off.

$495.00 plus tax Farm house 5 bedrooms share 3 baths / 595.00 plus tax Private Inn room with private bath or groups of 3-6 private cabins

If you would like more information or reservation, please call us at 304-572-3771 or 866-572-3771 or email us at info@ertc.com or www.elkriverinnandrestaurant.com

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This is up close and personal with some of your favorite musicians, get a chance to learn and see how these great pickers approach music and the logic behind the madness. The bonus is a large GA lake full of more bass than one can handle…grab a boat and go out for the morning or evening and fill the bucket full of some of the finest bass in the region. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner is served all weekend along with lodging options to fit everyone.

Bass and Grass kicks off with supper Thursday night and it doesn’t let up ’till Sunday noon, a full weekend of unforgettable fun! The day’s activities include fishing, canoeing, hiking, hanging out on the dock at Goose Lake, music workshops, plenty of pickin’ circles and lots of good eating. The artists and participants are housed together which guarantees that everyone gets plenty of intimate coffee drinking time with Larry, Jenny, Jeff, Big Daddy, David and Gove!

Night time generally finds folks jamming around the fire pit at the Party Barn. The weekend culminates with a Saturday night barnyard jam, a full on round-robin showcase of Bass and Grass talent! It’s a real treat of innovation and collaboration!
Bass and Grass is hosted by the Green Bell which offers a diverse choice of lodging options to the intrepid Bass and Grasser. The most luxurious housing opportunities include the following:

THE SHACK – It’s the heart of the Green Bell with enough room for 12 participants. This is also where the meals are served. For a complete list of amenities, visit the web-site www.greenbellbedandbarn.com

DOGTROT – a peaceful, cozy farmhouse across the creek

TWEET’S cabin and BROKE DOWN Palace – two recently renovated cabins overlooking the lake

CAMPING options vary from bunk-room style cots in the Party Barn to you pitching your own tent under the Georgia stars. RV’s are welcome although water and electricity are not available.

No matter your housing choice, ALL options include the same fabulous food, fishing, music workshops and are conveniently within walking distance of one another.

RATES:
$550 for the housing option

$375 for the camping option

Reserve your spot early, this opportunity is LIMITED to a few lucky participants!

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For almost one year now, Charlie and I have been fighting this, first through criminal court and now through civil court.  We have fought it not because that is our favorite trout fishery in the state, but because if we had just rolled over and accepted the injunction a very dangerous legal precedent would have been set, kicking-off a “land grab” along other colonial-era rivers, as land owners pursued this civil tactic of putting the burden on the angler to disprove a claim of King’s Grant in order to privatize “their” stretch of river.  I personally couldn’t sleep at night knowing this was the legacy I left the angling community in my state.

So, now that this case is about the broader rights of the Virginia angling community, and the rights of your children and grand children to use our rivers and enjoy the sport each of you has enjoyed, I personally need your help in seeing this fight through to a favorable ruling.  Please go to our site at www.virginiariversdefensefund.org and do three things:

1)  Send your extended fishing, hunting and paddling community the link to our cause,
2)  Write, call or email the VA Attorney General, asking him to protect the property of the state and join our case as a third party defendant before the July 25th hearing (to compel the state to join)
3)  Donate what you can to our defense fund (link on site).  While we’ve built an impressive team of volunteers, who are spending hundreds of hours a week mobilize the angling community, the legal fees of our lawyers need to be paid and they are beyond what Charlie and I can do personally.

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The Trout & Tunes event is now offering a 15% discount on the 3 day lodging package when you book a spot for you and a friend. Also we’re now offering a camping package with a limited amount of space. the cost will be $349.00 for three nights which will include all meals, instruction, outdoor activities, event swag and evening concerts. the two night camping package will 295.00 which will start with dinner on Friday evening and include the rest of the package amenities.

Larry Keel, Natural Bridge and Elk River Inn/Restaurant are planning one of most unique bluegrass weekends ever offered in the Mid Atlantic states. You don’t want to miss this rare opportunity.

Join Larry Keel & Natural Bridge and friends for three days of instruction, small concerts, incredible food and lodging. You’ll be hanging out at the Elk River Inn, Cabins & Restaurant located in the high peaks of West Virginia. Elk River has plenty of things to do when you’re not learning a new lick. Fly and spin fishing for trout, hiking and mountain bike trail right out the door. Or just relaxing with a cold beverage near the… campfire.

You may arrive on Thursday for dinner and settle in to your cabin, Inn or bunk house lodging. All meals from Thursday evening through Sunday breakfast are included in this very special weekend. Also guitar, mandolin, banjo and bass guitar instruction will be the highlight. Evening picking sessions on Thursday, Friday will build up to a very special concert Saturday evening to cap things off.

Arrive Thursday 4-7pm Check in Dinner will be family style starting at 6pm. Meet and greet with Larry, the band, special guests and fellow campers.

Friday morning coffee begins at 7:30 Breakfast is available from 8-10am
Free time 9am – 12:30pm to fish one of our local rivers such as the Williams, Elk, or one of the dozens of native brook fisheries. If you’re not an angler this is great time to hike, bike or just relax.
Lunch 12:30 – 1:30
Workshop / Jam 1:30 – 4:00
Free time 4 – 6pm
Dinner 7pm
After dinner jam and socializing

Saturday Breakfast is the same time.
Learn to fly cast with Elk River’s Orvis Endorsed guides 10:30 – ? or free time to explore local rivers and or kick back on one of the many Elk River outdoor porches.
Lunch 12:30 – 1:30
Workshop / Jam 1:30 – 4:00
Free time 4 – 6pm
Dinner 7pm
Evening Concert Larry Keel, Natural Bridge and friends 9pm – ?

Sunday breakfast 8 -10am
Farewell and goodbyes

$495.00 plus tax Farm house 5 bedrooms share 3 baths / 595.00 plus tax Private Inn room with private bath or groups of 3-6 private cabins.

If you would like more information or reservation, please call us at 304-572-3771 or 866-572-3771 or email us at info@ertc.com or www.elkriverinnandrestaurant.com

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Sample Friday agenda: Up early for some top-water action on Goose lake, feast on a large brunch at the shack, head up to the barn for music workshop, more fishing, supper at the shack: Fannie’s Friday night fried chicken and biscuits, informal jam session at the barn, and then, best get some sleep ’cause Saturday is a big day. We’ve got a couple things up our sleeves for Saturday’s activities, but we’re not telling just yet. More details to be announced soon…..

The Bass and Grass weekend wraps up after breakfast on Sunday, October 31st.

RATES: $550 for lodging at the shack or dogtrot. $350 for lodging at the barn.
Reserve your spot early, this opportunity is LIMITED to a few lucky participants!!

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FRANKFORT, Ky. – The coming weeks will finally start to offer Kentuckians a welcome break from frigid temperatures. As the temperatures begin topping the 50s next week, fishing begins to look a lot better than it did when a foot of snow blanketed the Bluegrass state. It’s time to pull out the fishing rods and reels as the water begins to warm for the upcoming season.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is expanding its Fishing in Neighborhoods (FINs) program to 29 urban lakes statewide – a perfect opportunity for inexperienced anglers to take up the sport. Beginning anglers, however, may not know where to start when it comes to putting together their first tackle box of needed fishing supplies.

“A trip to a sporting goods store or Walmart can be dizzying,” said Marc Johnson, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s aquatic education coordinator. “But in those beginning stages, you don’t need a lot of stuff.”

Johnson recommends starting with a simple, one-tray tackle box. Get one that is fitted with a latch, rather than the snap-on variety, so the bottom of your box doesn’t fall and send your lures and other fishing tackle spilling onto the ground. Next, stock it with small hooks, bobbers and split shot weights.

“I think one thing beginners tend to do wrong across the board is they think that a big hook and a big bobber will catch a big fish,” said Johnson. “That’s not necessarily true. You can catch a big fish with a small hook, but you can’t catch a little fish with a big hook. The goal initially is to catch fish – any fish. Later on, you can start to target specific fish.”

Johnson recommends small, removable split shot sinkers, 1 1/4-inch bobbers and size 6 hooks.

“I like size 6 because it’s big enough to catch a catfish, which is often what you’re going to catch at urban lakes,” he said. “You can go with a smaller size 8 on a pond that gets a lot of pressure and has a lot of small fish.”

Live bait, such as redworms and wax worms, are always a good option to finish off this basic fishing rig. Size 1 feather jigs, commonly known as Pop-Eyes, in both light and dark colors are another good addition to the tackle box. Small inline spinners such as Rooster Tails should also be included. White is a good, all-around color.

Ask the store clerk or person behind the counter at your local bait shop if you have trouble finding these items.

A redworm on a size 6 hook is the simplest rig for beginner anglers. A feather jig paired with a wax worm is also an effective combination. Both rigs should be placed under a bobber with a small split shot sinker. Start by placing the rigs three feet under the bobber then experimenting with different depths.

“When a feather jig gets wet, the feathers resemble wings, and the worm moves, making it look like an insect. Everything in the water likes to eat insects,” Johnson explained. “The same goes for small fish. An inline spinner like a Rooster Tail mimics a small fish, and fish will eat it because it fits in their mouths.”

Beginning anglers should also include pliers and fingernail clippers in their tackle box, to remove hooks and clip excess line. Finally, request a copy of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s fish identification booklet by calling the department at 1-800-858-1549. Being able to identify your catch is essential to complying with fishing regulations.

The 2010-11 Kentucky Fishing and Boating Guide outlines that state’s fishing laws. The department’s basic fishing booklet helps beginning anglers get started with valuable tips about tying knots plus information about where to fish and how to fish. Both of these publications are available online at fw.ky.gov or by calling 1-800-858-1549 to request a printed copy.

A statewide fishing license is required for anglers who are 16 and older. A $5 senior license is also available for those anglers age 65 and older.

To find a nearby lake, check out Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s FINs program Web page. Go online to fw.ky.gov, then search under the keyword “FINs.” With temperatures on the rise, newly stocked lakes ready to fish and a basic tackle box assembled, your fishing season will soon be underway.

Author Hayley Lynch is an award-winning writer and associate editor for Kentucky Afield magazine, the official publication of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. She loves deer hunting, shotgun sports and introducing women to the outdoors.

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The last few weeks have been an emotional ride for lovers of Harriman State Park. On January 11 the Governor of Idaho, C.L. “Butch” Otter, unveiled a draft state budget that showed the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR; the agency that manages Harriman and other state parks all over Idaho) receiving no funding for the coming fiscal year. The Henry’s Fork Foundation sent out a press release that day raising two fundamental concerns:

• Without IDPR, what will happen to the lands, facilities, and programs currently administered for the public benefit by IDPR?

• IDPR came into being as part of the agreement between the Harriman family and the State of Idaho through which the family gave what is now Harriman State Park to the people of Idaho; if one of the fundamental terms of that agreement is broken, or even called into question, then the future of Harriman State Park is in grave jeopardy.

The public response was overwhelming. Between January 11 and January 22, countless people wrote, called, or e-mailed the Governor’s office, and State and local officials at all levels, to express their concerns not only about Harriman State Park, but also for IDPR and the state park system as a whole. On January 22, Governor Otter and the IDPR Director, Nancy Merrill, held a press conference to announce their plan to continue to fund and staff IDPR (though at dramatically reduced levels). Disaster was averted; your concerns were heard.

That said, the future of both IDPR and Harriman State Park is still cloudy. IDPR needs to find a way to continue to provide its public benefits with fewer dollars and fewer hands. Harriman State Park, for its part, will be under pressure to generate more revenue, a recurring theme in the park’s history (does everyone remember the RV park proposal of 2002?). I encourage all of you to track this issue carefully, and to make your concerns known to the Governor. At the moment, nothing has been decided (the State Legislature still has to approve the budget). I am going to Boise on February 10 to meet with Director Merrill and offer the HFF’s assistance to her, and to Harriman in particular, in finding a way to ensure that this year’s scare will not be a recurring theme.

Steve Trafton
Executive Director
Henry’s Fork Foundation

Support The Voice of the River & Join HFF.

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