Opening Day

[Gerry Romer]

or how 'bout a mated pair... timmy and trudy trout.

[Byron Begley]

I had an interesting conversation with Herb Handley this morning. Herb is in charge of Tourism and Travel for our county. We have become good friends. I can step out of the shop and yell and he will almost hear me. Our offices are close to each other. Though I'm taking the week off I go in to the shop every morning to write the fishing report. Herb called early and wanted to drop by to talk. We started talking about "Opening Day". As our conversation progressed we strayed away from fly fishing and started talking about "Opening Day" for Townsend. It would be a celebration of Spring. I am Chair for Tourism and Travel for the Blount County Chamber and Partnership so I need to look for all opportunities from a business point of view. We agreed to work on an "Opening Day" celebration in Townsend. The Anglers would meet at one location, the hikers at another. The history buffs would gather somewhere else. But one thing we agreed on, it would be a party in the Spring. We spend several hundred thousand dollars on advertising. And we are always looking for new ways to keep our motels and businesses thriving. I'm going to work with him on "Opening Day" in one form or another. Look for it in 2009. Reply here or send me an e-mail. Thanks.

Byron

[buzzmcmanus]

I can see it now... A bunch of flyfishermen standing in a group with the fly rods in one hand, wearing waders and fly vests. A group of hikers in their boots wearing their Coolmax shirts, hippacks with water bottles. Another group with history buffs, wearing their spectacles, smoking pipes. And the last group...a bunch of tubers in their flipflops, tubes around their wastes, floaties on their arms, standing around a big cooler of beer.
I don't care who you are, that there is funny.
I hope none of the tubers takes this the wrong way. If so, I appologize. I would probably be in the group around the cooler of beer anyhows.

[Byron Begley]

Buzz,

We are thinking about April. Tubing season opens in June.

Byron