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Old Pueblo Trout Unlimited Chapter

(TU Chapter 531)

www.optu.org

OLUME

SSUE

O CONSERVE

PROTECT

AND RESTORE

ORTH

MERICA

COLDWATER FISHERIES AND THEIR WATERSHEDS

2008

President’s Message

Greetings Fellow TUers:

We have made a number of exciting moves this year

in keeping with our position as a member of a respected

conservation organization. The move to the library for our

monthly meetings is very well received and the money it

saves is a dramatic increase in our ability to do

conservation work on the Apache and now other native

trout. In keeping with this move, the board decided

recently, and after significant discussions at our monthly

general meetings, to curtail or significantly limit the actual

printed newsletter we send out each month. The email

version and posting on our website will continue.

This move is also in recognition of the times in which

we live, and the increased access to the internet available

around the world. As a result, beginning in September,

OPTU will be sending out our newsletter only by email.

Printed versions will be available at local fly shop(s), and a

few select locations we will publish in coming months. We

will also begin sending the newsletter by an e mail

message with a link to the website in order to make it

easier for our members to receive in this day of spam

blockers.

Limiting the newsletter to email will reduce our cost

for printing, postage, as well as the amount of impact we

subject our community to through paper use, and gas and

diesel in the preparation and delivery of the newsletter.

Also of import is the cost to the tune of about $2000 per

year this move should save the club. Again, enabling us

to continue our increasing conservation work. We are

proud of this decision, and proud of our members who

have made this happen. Clay Hernandez

Ed Davenport passed away recently. His obituary is on our

website. We received the following letter from his friend

Darlene Hood-Johnson along with a generous donation

which our board has earmarked per her wishes for

sending a kid to Trout Unlimited fishing camp. Ed died too

young. Ms Hood-Johnson's letter, and the picture it paints

of Ed is truly all any of us can hope to be remembered

for. Thank you Ms. Hood-Johnson, and Ed we hope you

are wetting a line.

Clay Hernandez

OPTU #531, 7698 Sombrero Peak Drive

Tucson, AZ 85743

March 18, 2008

In fond memory of our friend, Ed Davenport:

Ed was a kind and thoughtful man. He was a friend and

co-worker and he loved to laugh. He could always lighten the

day with his humor. Ed was one of those rare people who

could make going to work everyday fun.

Ed loved fishing and he loved children. He took my son,

Jesse, on his first real fishing trip. Jesse was no more than 7

years old at the time and had recently lost his own father. I

was worried that my son would become bored and want to

come home early. Ed assured me that it would be ok; he said

that he wanted to share his love of fishing. They stayed out

all day and my son had a great time! He still loves fishing and

has a very nice memory of a kind man who taught him to

fish. Thank you Ed!

Sincerely,

Darlene Hood-Johnson

Clay Hernandez

President

Conservation Tip of the Month and Hat Winner

For those of you who enjoy the idea of having grass in their

yard. Try synthetic grass! There is absolutely no watering

involved and honestly you can't tell the difference. It can be

purchased at Home Depot or even Costco and is very

reasonable considering your water savings and time trying to

keep a lawn looking good. A friend of mine has had his for 3

years now and it just looks fabulous. It's green all year long

and backed not to fade for 10 years. Follow this link to a

website that carries this product.

http://www.ecowaterlessgrass.com/

Jeff Collins

OPTU in the Community

One of our members, Robin Marsett, has taken it upon

himself to prepare and organize a "Healing Waters"

presentation for the returning veterans in our community.

Robin's interest in this most worthy cause was piqued last

year, and he presented it to our Board of Directors recently

where he received unanimous support. He has now arranged

for a group of our members, many of them vets themselves,

to present our version of this program to the Veteran's

Hospital right here in Tucson. Our group of OPTU members

prepared a presentation on casting instruction, fly tying, and

a video/slidesh ow for their consideration. As we flesh out the

details on how we can all be a part of this program we will let

you know in future newsletters, and meetings.