Sign up for Illinois Trout Unlimited's summer conservation and fly fishing youth camp
The 12th annual edition of the Illinois Council of Trout Unlimited Youth Conservation and Fly Fishing camp is scheduled July 21-26 at the RAM Conference Center in Roscommon, Michigan.
The 2019 camp delivers a rigorous introduction to the sport of fly fishing on the famed Au Sable River in Michigan while also developing the next generation of cold water conservation advocates. An experienced Trout Unlimited mentor team will conduct fly fishing instruction and guide twelve 13- to 18-year-old campers through prime time morning and evening trout fishing sessions on several sections of the Au Sable River.
Throughout the mid-day periods, field trips include an electro-shock survey of the local trout population, entomology surveys to capture and identify aquatic insect life, a stream improvement project to enhance trout habitat, a trout dissection with anatomy lesson, and explorations of the natural environment and its history.
The camp mentors and instructors will be comprised of Trout Unlimited members from Illinois and Michigan, along with biologists from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan State University, Western Michigan University, a private cold water conservation company, and naturalists from Hartwick-Pines State Park.
"The camp is designed to be an intense experience that makes a significant impact on youth," said Dan LaFave, Oak Brook Trout Unlimited board member and camp director. "Campers will learn more about conservation and fly fishing in a week than many of us learn in a lifetime. It is an enjoyable and educational experience."
The camp cost includes round-trip transportation from Chicago, lodging, meals and equipment.
The tuition fee is $575 (comprised of a $75 deposit at the time of application plus a $500 remaining balance due one month before camp).
Sponsorship is available for campers with financial need. For detailed information, including an application, please visit the Oak Brook Trout Unlimited website (obtu.org/youth-outreach/youth-camp/) youth camp page.
Oak Brook Trout Unlimited is dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring cold water fisheries and their watersheds in the Midwest. The Oak Brook Chapter is comprised of over 1,200 members from Chicago's western and south suburbs and downstate Illinois and is part of the national Trout Unlimited organization.
Oak Brook Trout Unlimited fulfills its mission through advocacy and education efforts regarding the impact of pollution and soil erosion on water-based ecosystems, and by engaging volunteers in hands-on projects to improve and rehabilitate cold water river systems. For more information about Oak Brook Trout Unlimited, visit www.obtu.org