2023 SILVER TROUT RECIPIENT                         Chris Wood, TU Chief Executive Officer, presented the Silver Trout Award to OBTU at the National Meeting recognizing OBTU as among the highest performing of TU’s approximately 400 chapters:

Read OBTU’s Silver Trout Award Announcement via the following link:

READ THE ANNOUNCEMENT HERE
OBTu’s 50th Anniversary cELEbRATION was A  GREAT Time!

Chris Wood, TU CEO, Delivered the Key Note Address.

Janet Yang Rohr, Illinois Congressman (Naperville, 41st District ), spoke on the issue of access to Illinois Waterways. (Janet introduced HB5844 to safeguard public rights to Illinois navigable waters.)

180 People Attended including presidents of all four Illinois TU Chapters. 

A $5000 check was presented to Mike Siepker, Iowa DNR Fisheries Management Biologist, for habitat improvement of North Bear Creek which was named as OBTU’s 50th Anniversary Special Commemorative Conservation Project.

15 OBTU partners staffed display tables. Fly Casting, Fly Tying, Fishing for “Lawn Trout” and other activities kept everyone entertained. OBTU fly boxes & other giveaways were distributed.

Parachute Adams Band was Outstanding!

Brief Summary of Key Upcoming OBTU Events:

March 2:  OBTU Youth Fly Fishing “Train the Trainer” Session.   Members interested in participating in OBTU Youth Education programs are invited.

March 17:  Fly Tying Workshop in Peoria, IL.  This event is a collaboration of OBTU and the Sierra Club chapter of central IL.

March 20:  Chapter Meeting.  PJ Smith, Driftless Area Guide, to speak.

April 17:  Chapter Meeting.  Mike Siepker, Iowa DNR Fisheries Management Biologist to provide update on NE Iowa Stream Improvement Projects including status of work on North Bear Creek (recipient of contributions from OBTU)

April 19-21:  OBTU Chapter fishing outing based in Decorah, Iowa.

April 20:  OBTU work day with SE Wisc.TU to plant trees on Bluff Creek.

April 27:  OBTU Adopt-a-Stream clean up day on the DuPage River at Pioneer Park in Naperville.

May 15:  Chapter Meeting.  This is the final chapter meeting before the summer break.   Chapter meetings will resume in September.

May17-19:  OBTU Chapter fishing outing based in the Viroqua Wisconsin area.  An Adopt-a-Highway work session is included.

June 1:  Coldwater River Entomology work day near Grand Rapids, Michigan combined with fishing opportunity.

Link to Calendar For Event Details as they beome available

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