Make plans to attend our spring event at the Big Easy Concert House on Tuesday, April 6, 2004 when the Ted Trueblood Chapter presents its second Trout on Tuesday fundraiser.

This event will bring together fly anglers and trout enthusiasts to view two episodes from Trout Unlimited Television on large video projection screens, all part of a festive atmosphere in downtown Boise. The event will be at the Big Easy Concert Hall, 416 South 9^th Street.

Tickets for the event cost $10.00 each, and will be available for sale at local fly shops and from members of the Trueblood Chapter board. See more information at the end of this article. Snacks will be provided along with a no-host bar, making for a fun and casual event.

The two episodes to be shown have aired on Trout Unlimited Television on the Outdoor Life Network. One episode is on the South Fork Snake River and was filmed in 2002. The other is on the Big Wood River and it was produced in the fall of 2003.

TUTV host Tim Linehan fished with Idahoans Sean Lawson and TU staff Matt Woodard On the South Fork Snake River. For the episode on the Big Wood River Linehan is joined by Scott Yates, manager of TU's Idaho water office in Idaho Falls. While fishing the host and guests talk about conservation issues affecting the local fishing waters.

Because TUTV airs on cable television and outside prime viewing hours, few people in southwest Idaho have had the opportunity to view these episodes. Outdoor Life Network does not reach very many cable subscribers, so this evening presents the first opportunity for many to see these episodes.

The first episode will be shown at 6:30 p.m.

The Big Easy is normally a venue for hard rock bands and big crowds. But back in February 2002 we had more than 200 people attend our event where we showed two episodes that were filmed in Idaho in the fall of 2001 on Bear Valley Creek and the Teton River.

For more information on the event, of if you are interested in purchasing a ticket you can contact Jim Cook at 343-8548. This event is an excellent opportunity to participate in a Trout Unlimited fund raising event and one you can bring friends to and view some of Idaho's great fishing waters.

Now in my second year as President of the Ted Trueblood Chapter, I have been encouraged with the progress we are seeing in terms of making ourselves a stronger and more effective voice in protecting Idaho’s coldwater fisheries. More chapter members are becoming involved and we are advancing new ideas to improve our organization’s standing. Here are some examples:

• On important Boise River issues, we sent a comprehensive eight-page letter of comment to the Bureau of Reclamation on their draft environmental assessment to permanently contract 71,000 acre-feet of water in Lucky Peak Reservoir for irrigation use. With continuing and rapid urbanization of the Boise Valley, we have taken the position that all this water cannot be justified for irrigation use in perpetuity (as in forever). Some water should be dedicated to improve winter Boise River stream flows for trout habitat enhancement and to meet other growing municipal and community water needs.

• Based primarily on the Ted Trueblood chapter’s lobbying efforts, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission decided to maintain the two trout harvest restriction (quality regulations) in a mid-town reach of the Boise River for the next two years. This river section will continue to be favored by walk-in or floating anglers wanting a better shot at catching wild trout literally within the city limits of Boise. Check the IDFG fishing regulations for the Southwest Region area.
• Our chapter has created a new modular display system that we can transport, set up and use to better "advertise" the activities and projects we pursue. The display will be utilized at fund raising events and stationed in public places to expand community awareness of TU.
• In the near future, you should see some upgrades to our chapter’s website at www.tedtruebloodtu.org. Darryl Kuhrt and Shigeru Yokoyama will spearhead the work. We will post 1) upcoming project outings and volunteer work signups, 2) correspondence that we formally generate to further coldwater fisheries conservation, 3) expanded Trout in the Classroom coverage and 4) a calendar of upcoming TU activities.
• Our January 31, BSU John Shewey event generated a net return to the Ted Trueblood chapter of $1,500. Our next fund raising affair will be Trout on Tuesday, at the Big Easy concert hall in downtown Boise on April 6. Details on this fun and unique happening are on the front page. For just a $10 ticket, you don’t want to miss this.

The Ted Trueblood Chapter’s Trout in the Classroom Program continues to grow. Five new schools are now part of the program: North Junior High, Anser Charter School, Meridian High School, White Pine Elementary, and Lowman School House. Through the involvement of professional fishery biologists, dedicated teachers and chapter member support, Trout in the Classroom is in sixteen Treasure Valley schools. Students are currently witnessing rainbow trout emerge in their classroom aquariums. The Program provides an excellent interactive and integrated curriculum for hands-on learning of salmonid ecosystems, life cycles, and the world we interact with everyday. More information is posted at www.tedtruebloodtu.org

Trout Unlimited's professional staff will double from one to two as Amy Harig will move to Boise from Colorado this summer. Amy is the manager of the TU Bring Back the Natives Program, and works in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management. She will join Jeff Barney, who has been in Boise and on staff with TU since last summer.

With two people in Boise TU has a need for larger office space. If any local TU members would like to offer or have suggestions about office space in or near downtown, please call Jeff at 338-5595.

Here is a current listing of pending fish habitat improvement and research projects that the Ted Trueblood Chapter expects to be involved in this year. Please note the TU contact and their phone number if you want more information or wish to volunteer for the work outing.