Applications open ‘trout’ camp
Registration is open for the Great Smoky Mountains Adventure Camp.
Registration is open now for this year’s camp, to be held June 17-22 at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Trout Camp is designed to give campers an appreciation of conservation of our coldwater resources through the sport of fly fishing. Participants learn about stream ecology, stream physics and water chemistry along with aquatic entomology and diversity of fish species in Smokies streams. Experienced mountain anglers teach the campers fly casting, fly tying, stream etiquette and knot tying, and guide them on fishing expeditions to streams in and near the national park. Other activities include swimming and snorkeling in Little River.
Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont is a private, nonprofit environmental learning center on the Middle Prong of Little River. Facilities include dining hall, classrooms, outdoor meeting shelters, bookstore/gift shop and full-time professional staff.
Girls and boys who are interested in fishing and science and who will be 12 to 15 years old on June 16, 2019, are eligible to attend the camp—Tennessee residency is not required. Applications are being accepted from Jan. 1 to June 1; selections will begin April 1. Slots fill quickly, so apply early. Only 14 campers will be accepted, but others can be placed on a waiting list in case selected campers aren’t able to attend.
For girls to participate, at least two must be accepted.
Campers should be in good physical condition—able to wade in streams and hike to fishing areas. To ensure physical capabilities, campers must have had a complete physical examination within the past two years.
Tuition for the 2019 camp is $530. Financial assistance may be available through a camper’s area Trout Unlimited chapter—contact information for TU chapters in Tennessee is available on the Tennessee Council website, http://tctu.org/tn-chapters.html
For more information and to apply, families can visit the Trout Camp website, https://www.tntroutadventure.org or contact Camp Director Steve Young at steve_y@earthlink.net or (832) 256-3228, or Assistant Director Sean Fagan, sp220f@aol.com or (719) 332-4486.