Trout Unlimited was founded in July 1959 on the banks of the Au Sable River near Grayling, Michigan. Its mission: To conserve, protect, and restore North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds.
From the beginning, TU was guided by the principle that if we “take care of the fish, then the fishing will take care of itself.” Since the mid-1960s, Trout Unlimited has expanded across the US and made numerous advances in the effort to save wild fish. TU’s latest national program, the Driftless Area Restoration Effort (TUDARE), is working to direct millions of dollars in grants and donations to stream restoration work in the Driftless region of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois. The North Bear chapter, based in Des Moines, was the first TU chapter established in Iowa.
Join Trout Unlimited North Bear and support the work the group is doing in the Driftless Area of Northeast Iowa at Jasper Winery on February 8th from 6:30 to 9:00 pm. Trout Unlimited North Bear will be showing The Heart of the Driftless, a movie highlighting the unique fishery we have in Iowa. There will be a silent auction with many fishing and non-fishing items, including an Orvis fly rod and a one hour sightseeing tour in a Cirrus SR20. Come swap fishing stories with other central Iowa trout fisherman. Your $25 entry donation gives you a chance to win a handmade bamboo fly rod.
Michael Chilton is a native of southeast Iowa and has been in Des Moines since 2006. He graduated from Drake University with a BSBA in Marketing in December 2008, and is a salesman for the men’s clothing store Badowers. He serves on the board for Trout Unlimited North Bear, Keep Iowa Beautiful, and the North of Grand Neighborhood Association. He’s an avid fisherman and has a website called Rod and Rivet where he writes about his adventures and operates an online shop. His wife Alicia is an editor at Meredith.