Catching is Caring: Lessons from a TU Youth Camp in Nevada

A happy Trout Unlimited youth camper and his mentor at a recent event in Nevada.

By Sam Sedillo

Hooking a fish provides more than just a connection to a creature; it also establishes a tie to the places where they live.

Trout Unlimited helped set the hook in the next generation of anglers and conservationists during a recent two-day youth camp in Nevada. A dozen new fly fishers included boys and girls ages 9-13.

NevadaCamp2.jpg

A dozen young anglers get their first taste of fly fishing during a Trout Unlimited Youth Camp in Nevada.

The camp covered everything fly fishing — aquatic entomology, stream and lake ecology, tackle, casting, fly tying, native and wild trout protection and restoration, and river/lake etiquette. TU staffers Dave Lass and Sam Sedillo were joined by Steve Kemp with the Nevada Department of Wildlife and fly fishing guide Dan LeCount.

"There is something really special about seeing someone catch a fish for the first time, and to know we are teaching them the skills to do this correctly and to care about the wild places fish live makes it all the more rewarding," LeCount said.

Over two days, students became sponges to the vast amount of information and hands-on fly fishing techniques. At the end of the camp many of the participants put their new skills to the ultimate test and were able to bring trout to the net at the Spring Creek Marina near Elko. Trout Unlimited is committed to building a community of stewards who will ensure that the rivers, streams and lakes of Northern Nevada support native Lahontan cutthroat and many other fish and wildlife species that enhance quality of life in the region.

Anglers can be a catalyst in building that community because they are passionate about and have personal connection to the trout and waters where trout are found; they care and want to conserve and pass along this rich natural heritage to future generations.

The free two-day camp was supported by The Elko Fly Shop, the Sagebrush Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Nevada Department of Wildlife and the Spring Creek Association. Trout Unlimited is excited to see where the new found skills take each of these new fly fishers.

Due to the success of the camp, TU is happy to announce more Nevada Fly Fishing Camps in the future. Contact Sam Sedillo at ssedillo@tu.org if you are interested.

Sam Sedillo is the Sierra-Cascades Field Coordinator for Trout Unlimited