About NGTO
North Georgia Trout Online, Inc. is a non-profit organization 501(c)(3) dedicated to the promotion and protection of trout fishing in North Georgia.
Cooperation with city, state and other non-profit organizations, such as Trout Unlimited, allows NGTO to make an investment in our community and state.
NGTO Officers and Board of Directors Jeff FieldsPresident and Chief Executive Officer (GrizzlyHackle) I started fly fishing when I moved back to Atlanta in 1995. I had been living in Florida and fishing the salt-water flats but with moving to Atlanta, I knew that I was not going to be able to get to them very often. So I bought my first flyrod and out I went. As any newcomer to this sport knows, I did a lot of fumbling around. By a stroke of luck, and a lot of rewards points on my Visa card, I was able to make a trip to New Zealand. This was the beginning of the end for me. The Fly Fishing Bug bit me. I had some great guides that taught me more in two weeks then I could have learned by myself in years. My work took me all over the US and I fed my addiction with as much fishing as I could. Early this year I changed careers and now I am in the Atlanta area all the time. So I may not be traveling to as many places as I have in the past, but now I can devote my free time to other things I enjoy, such as NGTO. I will also spend as much time on the streams as I can. Hope to see you out there.
Aaron Sago, married, father of three, an avid fisherman, author of Fishing the Chattahoochee Delayed Harvest - A Detailed Guide, and technologist. When he's not working on NGTO or writing, Aaron works full-time at Silverpop - the industry leader in Email Marketing solutions - (www.silverpop.com) as a Sr. Technical Project Manager. Aaron created NGTO in 1994 out of a love for the outdoors and the love of fly-fishing. It is his hope that this little contribution will serve to create a higher awareness of conservation in our little corner of the world. "I am very proud of what NGTO has become and feel quite fortunate to be part of such an incredible group of people. The richness that my friends here on NGTO have brought to my life cannot be measured in words."
"The Ole Man"—Jack Edwards is one of Georgia’s pioneer fly fishers, having taken up the fly rod around the age of 8 in 1950. Jack caught his first trout- a fat brookie, in Wildcat Creek the same year. A native of North West Georgia, Jack is a retired Delta Air Lines Engineer. Even though Jack had his first fly tying kit at age 10, he has only been tying flies "in earnest" for about 20 years. Jack got his first computer in 1998, and shortly thereafter noticed a newspaper article about NGTO. Thus began a new circle of cherished friends and fellow trout fishers. "It has been an honor to serve the people of NGTO as a Director and as Treasurer for the past 3 years." Jack currently resides in his hometown of Cartersville, Ga.
An Atlanta native, I hold a BA from Emory University in Psychology (that degree and $1.35 buys me coffee). Currently living in Buford, I am a Security Director at a metro mall. I have been ultra light spin fishing since I was 10 years old. My wife, Betty, and I decided to start fly fishing about 8 years ago after "lurking" on NGTO for a year. After many wind knots and lost flies to trees, Betty laid down the long rod - but she still graciously allows me the opportunity to fish and tie 'til my heart is content. I fatefully met up with two NGTO members at the dam - B983 and Mike Smith. Thanks to their insistance that I could truly fly fish, the rest is history. I am proud to serve on the NGTO BOD. "Those sure are puurrtty stars..."
Born in Alabama in 1953, Patrick and his family moved to Georgia in 1983. Patrick holds a BS and Masters from Auburn University in Botany and Plant Pathology. Currently living in Duluth, GA, he owns and operates Prestige Shrub & Tree, Ltd. His first fishing experience came at the age of 4 when he would travel to Double Oak Mountain outside Birmingham, AL with his sister and father. The prey was the elusive 2" long Bread Ball Eating Bream which were to be found in the shallow pools at the base of the spillway! His father further instilled Patrick's need for fishing, with stories of big Muskeys in the Great Lakes and fly fishing for trout in Gatlinburg. Patrick's love for fishing, more specifically trout fishing, became an obsession, as some of his family call it, shortly after moving to Atlanta. Soon after discovering NGTO, the addiction was complete! He now splits his fishing time between salt water on the coast and fresh water in mostly Georgia and North Carolina but is not above heading west to fish in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming! Pat is also the author of two regional guidebooks, The Definitive Guide To The Tuckaseegee Delayed Harvest and The Definitive Guide To The Nantahala Delayed Harvest. One of his favorite quotes is an ancient Babylonian proverb "The gods do not deduct from man's allotted span, the hours spent in fishing."
Born in Brunswick, Bill "THE EG" Egeland attended the University of Georgia and obtained a Master's degree in Geology. He works in an analytical laboratory in Suwanee. Originally from St. Simon's Island, he fished in the coastal and offshore areas of the Golden Ilses before heading off to college. He has been in the Athens/Atlanta area since 1984. He moved to Cherokee County in 1990. His first experience with the addiction of trout fishing was in 1998 on an outing to Amicalola Falls where he simply wanted to let the kids have a chance to fish. A recent stocking had the pond full of stocker trout and he soon joined the kids catching the stockers. That episode infected him with the trout virus. A search of the internet led him to NGTO. His trout fishing experiences have been expanding ever since.
As a barefoot eight year old, carrying a cane pole around my hometown reservoir in central South Carolina, I saw a man fishing the outflow with a flyrod and just tearing up the redbreasts. I thought it was artistry in motion and determined to try it some day. By my mid-teen years, an 8 foot Shakespeare 7wt accompanied my father and me on many of our local fishing trips. If the bass weren’t active on our conventional tackle, I’d spend my time rollcasting a popper along the shoreline weeds and pads as we drifted by. When I came to Georgia in 1968, I was quickly taken by both trout fishing and the ultralight spinning craze. All things considered, I was well-served by both for many years. In 1998 I stumbled across NGTO on the web and things haven’t been the same since! By the time I had updated my 30 year old fly tackle, I found myself volunteering for various trout fishing-related civic activities. And then somehow, my new fly gear began to get upgraded and added to. Then came rod building, books and videos! Oh, my! Most importantly, the past five years have re-introduced me to the joy I felt as an eight year old, watching that bobber disappear.
I am proud to say that I am true Georgia Boy, Born & Raised Here. I was destined to be a fisherman from the time I was born, As it was Dr. Fish that delivered me.(honestly). I caught my 1st fish at the age of 2, Thanks to Family Photos I know that it was trout at Andy's Trout Farm in Dillard,Ga. THANKS DAD you started a lifelong obession. After yrs of fishing , I began to develop an interest in Fly Fishing, Tried it and the Obession went to another level. I first found the NGTO website in 1999 and after Lurking for several months, I joined up in 2000. Since joining I have made many new friends, learned more about fishing, and had many enjoyable outings. These outings have enabled me to combine a lot of my favorite activies, Fishing, Camping & Outdoor Cooking. In June of 2003, I was honored to be chosen to be on the NGTO B.O.D.. I look forward to working with all the members of NGTO and all members of the fishing family.
I started fishing with a spinning rod when I was growing up in Pennsylvania. I often saw people fly fishing and I thought it looked interesting and different from what I was used to doing with a spinning rod. I moved to Florida in 1994 and my job as a Safety Manager frequently took me to Atlanta. On my first trip here, I ended up at Buford Dam with a co-worker who used to live in Atlanta. We were spin fishing and once again I saw a lot of people fly fishing. This reminded of what I witnessed during my younger years. I decided to use a free airplane ticket to Colorado. I bought a cheap fly rod and reel and the basic tackle. I fished the Cache La Poudre north of Denver for 2 days. I immediately fell in love with fly fishing and it continues to be my favorite thing to do. I found out about NGTO searching the internet and have made many wonderful friends along the way. I am now living in Atlanta and try to fish as much as possible. It is an honor to be a Board of Director and I look forward to working with all of the members of NGTO.
My introduction to fly fishing was several years ago when a friend and I went on a long float trip down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho, tossing hoppers and dries to cutthroat trout. And I've been hooked ever since (pun intended). Before I found the fly rod I fished in Florida and Tennessee bu mostly chucking plastic worms at bass but with a few salt water missions over the years. As a kid in Fort Lauderdale I fished for mullet in Jupiter Inlet or tried to catch whatever mutant fish lived in the canals. My job as a consultant with a very large global technology company keeps me on the road more than I'd like but I do try to get on the Hooch when I can, as well the many trout streams that wander through the Southeast. Even though we've lived in the Atlanta area since 1985 it's only been in recent years that I've had the pleasure of wading around North Georgia in search of trout. Like many folks I found NGTO by stumbling around the internet in search of fly-fishing information. And what a jackpot of information and good people I found! I am very pleased to be associated with this organization, its directors, its bretheren and sisteren (is that a word?) organizations and the many volunteers who help with events and conservation efforts. Tie your own flies - fish need to laugh too!
My father bought me my first fly rod when I was about 11 years old at a garage sale for a couple of bucks. I cut my teeth on that 9 foot fiberglass rod, but that was all it took to get me hooked on fly fishing. Being an avid backpacker as well, I was able to combine my two passions and spent much of my youth hiking and fishing the mountains of north Georgia. I spent 10 years driving submarines for the US Navy, but returned to Atlanta in the early 90’s to start a career. I work for North Highland, an Atlanta based management consulting firm, with my specialty being business process design and project management. Like many, I happened upon NGTO searching the web for information on trout fishing. I believe that NGTO is one of the greatest online communities out there and I am honored to be able to serve others as they pursue their passion for trout fishing in north Georgia.
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