TU Lends Hand, and Strong Backs, to Gila Restoration
- Rare native fish are planted in Frye Creek near Mt Graham
- Additional planting in Grapevine Creek near Prescott

December 15, 2009
Arizona Game and Fish Department
By Mark Hart and Rory Aikens

SAFFORD, Ariz. - The Arizona Game and Fish Department, with help from Trout Unlimited volunteers, took its first step toward recovering Gila trout and establishing a Gila trout fishery in southern Arizona on Nov. 4, 2009, when it began stocking Frye Creek on Mt. Graham in the Pinaleño Mountains [south of Tucson].

The fish were trucked in from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Mora National Fish Hatchery and Technology Center in New Mexico to the department's Cluff Ranch Wildlife Area near Pima, Arizona... Approximately 20 Arizona Game and Fish Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service officials participated in the Frye Creek stocking, as well as a volunteer from Tucson's Old Pueblo Trout Unlimited chapter.

In addition to the Gila trout stocked at Frye Creek on Nov. 4, about 160 Gila trout were transported from Cluff Ranch to Grapevine Creek in the Prescott National Forest.  The Gila trout were loaded into five gallon buckets and hiked upstream and stocked into pools within the one mile reach of perennial water.

Approximately 20 Arizona Game and Fish Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service officials participated in the Frye Creek stocking, as well as a volunteer from Tucson's Old Pueblo Trout Unlimited chapter.  Approximately 30 people from those agencies, as well as volunteers from Prescott Flycasters, Arizona Flycasters, and the Zane Grey chapter of Trout Unlimited, participated in the Grapevine Creek stocking.
Read the press release                                                       Read more about Gila Trout


TU Projects and Activities in Arizona
PROJECT HEALING WATERS
OPTU teams with Project Healing Waters for
Rose Canyon Lake outing

17 November 2009

Old Pueblo Trout Unlimited hosted the Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing group from Fort Huachuca at Rose Canyon Lake in the Santa Catalina Mountains above Tucson for a day outdoors.

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings.

Whitey Kuebler and Garry Locker of Old Pueblo Trout Unlimited were joined by Alex Landeen and Aaron Dennett of Fat Guys Fly Fishing. See the OPTU newsletter, January 2010, for details plus photos.
Read more
TROUT UNLIMITED
Arizona State Council

On June 26, 2010, the Gila Trout chapter of Trout Unlimited in Payson, Arizona  conducted a clean up day of trash along the East Verde River north of Payson.

Volunteers met
at the parking lot of Home Depot on SR 87 at the north end of Payson (South end of parking lot), at 8AM on Saturday June 26th.  The volunteers broke up into several groups and picked up trash on the East Verde River. Collected trash was placed along the road and picked up by US Forest Service workers.


Following the trash pickup, volunteers met at the day camping area on the East Verde River by the Flowing Springs crossing for hotdogs and cold drinks for all of the volunteers.

For more information, contact: - BOB YOUTZ   474-5024 webmasterpaysonflycasters@q.com

TU Gila Trout Chapter in Payson Conducts Stream Clean Up Project