Overmountain Chapter Trout Unlimited
Did you know?
The Overmountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited (OMTU) isn’t just a fishing club—we’re a cold water conservation group. Sure, many of us love chasing trout with a fly rod, but our real passion is protecting and preserving the cold water streams that make those moments possible.
Our mission is simple but important: To conserve, protect, and restore cold water fisheries in the Watauga, South Holston, and Nolichucky watersheds in Northeast Tennessee.
We’re always looking for passionate volunteers to join us—whether that’s helping out in the field, supporting local outreach, or just spreading the word in your community. Every little bit helps.
Can’t volunteer? No problem. Consider supporting our efforts with a donation. Your contribution helps us continue important work to keep these rivers healthy and thriving for generations to come.
Get involved. Make a difference. Protect what matters.
Our Next Chapter Meeting
Iron Fly Competition
Back by popular demand is the 2nd annual OMTU IRON FLY event!
IRON FLY is fly tying meets Iron Chef as tiers compete in a battle of partying skills and bobbin prowess to make the ultimate fish snack from the same set of mystery ingredients. Expect chaos as we challenge teams to tie ludicrous flies, using ludicrous materials, while following our ludicrous rules! Co-hosts: Tailwaters Fly Company and South Fork Tap House.
The competition will be in small teams of fly tiers (divided up by experience level) and no fly tying experience is necessary! We will provide all equipment and fly tying ingredients and be sharing some great prizes! Food and beverage can be purchased at the South Fork Tap House.
WHEN
Thursday, July 10th
6:00 PM
WHERE
South Fork Tap House
4189 Bluff City Hwy
Bluff City, TN 37618
Briar Creek Stream Restoration Work Day
Come out and participate in TU's strategic wood loading program to help create more habitat for Brook Trout in Briar Creek. We will be placing downed wood material in the stream channel to create wood aggregate structures. These structures increase the frequency of pools, create more gravel spawning areas, increase cover and provide more nutrients for bug life.
Volunteers will spend the first hour learning about rigging equipment and safety protocols. They will then put this knowledge into action at multiple locations in Briar Creek. Everyone will need to wear long pants and bring work gloves and footwear that can get wet. Rigging equipment, helmets and eye protection will be provided.
We will meet on site (see directions below) and plan to work from 9 am - 2 pm. Please note that Briar Creek Road is rough. Lunch will be provided. Up to 8 volunteers can sign up.
PLEASE REGISTER HERE
WHEN
Saurday, June 14
9:00 AM
WHERE
From Johnson City, take Cherokee Road west to Lone Oak Road (across from Cherokee Elementary School). Turn onto Lone Oak Road and go 4.7 miles. Turn left onto Briar Creek Road. We will meet about 2 miles from the intersection of Briar Creek and Lone Oak.
Blue Lines Fishing Series
Discover new waters and reconnect with nature through OMTU’s Blue Lines Fishing Series. This is your chance to hike into quiet streams, cast in water no wider than your fly rod, and chase wild trout in some of the most scenic and remote parts of our region. Whether you're a seasoned angler or just starting out, these adventures offer something special.
📍 Shady Valley
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Sunday, June 29 @ 12:00 PM
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Meet: Shady Valley Country Store, Shady Valley, TN
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Trip Details: Grab an early lunch at the Country Store before we partner up and head to Beaverdam Creek and its native brook trout streams.
📍 Horse Creek Watershed
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Saturday, July 19 @ 8:00 AM
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Meet: Horse Creek Recreation Area (2415 Horse Creek Park Rd, Chuckey, TN 37641)
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Trip Details: Meet up at the parking area at Horse Creek Recreation Area where we will have access to the many streams in the Sampson Mountain Wilderness with wild rainbows and brook trout.
📍 Roan Mountain
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Saturday, August 23 @ 8:00 AM
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Meet: Roan Mountain State Park Visitor Center (527 TN-143, Roan Mountain, TN 37687)
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Trip Details: Meet up at the Roan Mountain State Park Visitor Center in Roan Mountain, TN at 8 AM before partnering up and carpooling to the many tributaries of the Doe that house native brook trout.
📍 Laurel Fork
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Sunday, September 21 @ 12:00 PM
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Meet: Dennis Cove Recreation Area
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Trip Details: Meet up at the Dennis Cove Recreation Area in Hampton, TN at noon before partnering up and carpooling to the many tributaries of the Laurel that house native brook trout..
Bring your fishing gear, sense of adventure, and a love for wild water. We’ll see you on the stream!
Volunteer Signup – Meet the Mountains Festival
We’re looking for volunteers to help staff the Overmountain Trout Unlimited (OMTU) booth during the Meet the Mountains Festival! This is a great opportunity to share what OMTU does and connect with the community.
Volunteers will work in 2-hour shifts and help with the following activities:
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Talking with visitors about OMTU’s mission and programs
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Demonstrating simple fly tying techniques at our fly tying station
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Helping teach basic casting with a fly rod
Feel free to sign up for multiple time blocks if you’d like to stay longer!
Please register at the link below to reserve your shift.
🗓 Friday, August 15 from 4PM - 8PM
🗓 Saturday, August 16 from 10AM - 8PM
📍Winged Deer Lakeside Park (160 Carroll Creek Rd, Johnson City, TN 37601)
OMTU Fundraising Raffle
The drawing will be held on August 19th — don’t miss your chance to win!
Tickets are available from any board member and will be sold at all of our upcoming events.
All proceeds go directly toward conservation projects in our area — your support makes a difference!
First Saturday Clean-up and Fishing Day
Thanks to your support during the 2025 Tail Water Round-Up, large sections of the Watauga River are now nearly free of debris. However, the Watauga Bluffs State Natural Area still requires multiple clean-ups to remove debris from a small, low-lying section. To address this, we’re incorporating a clean-up component into our First Saturday Fishing Days, allowing us to make steady progress each month.
Event Details
📍 Location: Watauga Bluffs State Natural Area
🕗 Time: 8:00 AM, First Saturday of each month
Participants will be provided with gloves and trash bags before walking less than half a mile to the river. We'll spend an hour or two cleaning up, followed by a relaxing morning of fishing near the bluffs. This area offers excellent wade fishing when there’s no generation. If generation is scheduled, we’ll still proceed with the clean-up, and participants can explore other fishing spots afterward.
For convenience, trash bags will be placed near the river below the rapid, allowing drift boats to easily retrieve them from the boat ramp downstream.
Directions
📍 Address: 3511 Steam Plant Rd, Watauga, TN 37694
Google Maps provides accurate directions, but some GPS systems may not.
From I-26 in Johnson City:
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Take the Watauga Ave exit and head northeast toward the town of Watauga.
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Travel 1 mile on E Watauga Ave, then turn left onto N Broadway at Walgreens.
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Immediately turn right onto E Unaka Ave and continue for 3.5 miles.
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Turn left onto Steam Plant Rd just before Persinger Bridge over the Watauga River.
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Follow Steam Plant Rd for 0.25 miles and then bear to the right
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The parking lot will be another 0.25 miles on the right.
Steam Plant Rd passes under Persinger Bridge and over railroad tracks. Since the parking area is small, please carpool if possible.
We appreciate your help in keeping our river clean and look forward to seeing you there!
Stony Creek Trash Trout
A Trash Trout was installed on Stony Creek in Carter County, thanks to a team effort between Overmountain Trout Unlimited (OMTU), Asheville Greenworks, and some generous donors. This floating trap is designed to catch plastic and trash before it can float downstream into the Watauga River, helping keep the water clean and healthy for fish and people.
OMTU will check and empty the trap about once a month. The project was made possible with support from Tennessee Tri-Fly and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), who helped cover the costs. It’s a great step toward protecting our local streams and keeping them clean for everyone to enjoy.
Hampton Creek Grant
We are excited to share that we have been awarded a $25,000 grant to repair the Brook Trout barrier on the Left Prong of Hampton Creek. Our gratitude goes to the FishAmerica Foundation and The Brunswick Foundation for funding this important project. We also extend our thanks to the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC) and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) for their assistance in securing the grant. Construction is scheduled to begin in May or June 2025.
2025 Tailwater Roundup
What a day! 138 volunteers came together to restore the Watauga and South Holston rivers, with over 110 on the Watauga, alone. This has been our largest clean-up EVER! Several large dumpsters of trash were filled with trash, tires, and other debris at several locations along the rivers.
While significant improvements were made, there is still much to do after the unprecedented damage caused by Helene. Expect to see other clean-up opportunities in the future.
After the clean-up, volunteers met for BBQ and beer at Appalachian Sun Brewery LLC, where lots of folks walked away with sweet gear and guided trips generously donated by local businesses. Organizations providing volunteers included Overmountain Chapter Trout Unlimited, Blue Ridge Guide Association, Appalachian Paddling Enthusiasts, East Tennessee State University, and several local outfitters.
THANK YOU to all of our fantastic volunteers and our sponsors!
OMTU Story
Here is a video that was made by OMTU members back in 1999. It tells about the mission of OMTU and some of the past projects that we have worked on as a chapter. The narrator of the video, Paul Anderson, recently passed away so we decided to post this video in his honor. The projects that we have worked on over the years may have changed, but the mission remains the same.
