NRVTU December meeting, 12/4/2019

Had a good group to listen to our guest speaker John Copeland the region fisheries biologist for this area. John gave us a lot of good information on trout fishing and how trout are doing in the area. Also, some upcoming changes and new water to open up in the area that are in the works. Will have more on that at a later date as things progress. One of the really exciting things was a partnership between TU, Izaak Walton League and The American Fisheries Society, to take the TU trout in the classroom to the next level. The new program the TIA alliance will have high schoolers not only raise trout in the classroom, but to have trout out of the classroom element with the kids going out to streams and studying the environment and ecosystems that trout live in and learning what is suitable habitat for Brook trout. John really seemed excited about this new outreach that we all could be participants in. The main goal is not only to get kids outside but to introduce them to careers in outdoor resource professions.  John also touched on the smallmouth spawn in the New river and what they have found to be the greatest influences to good or bad spawns from their sampling of over 20 years.