Support fish conservation and education efforts at free event next week

On Friday evening (April 19), the Enchanted Circle Chapter of Trout Unlimited will host our annual spring social at the Taos Country Club. This event serves as an excellent opportunity for local anglers to get together and swap fishing stories. Moreover, this is our major fundraiser of the year, with all the monies raised going to projects here in Northern New Mexico for the benefit of Rio Grande cutthroat trout restoration projects; our youth education program, Trout in the Classroom; Trout Warriors veterans fly-fishing program; and Casting for Recovery, our women’s cancer survivors fly-fishing program.

The Enchanted Circle Chapter is under the national organization of Trout Unlimited, whose mission is to bring together diverse interests to care for and recover rivers and streams so our children can experience the joy of wild and native trout.

Our Trout in the Classroom program benefits local Taos County and Northern New Mexico schools by connecting students with their watershed. This program is a gateway stewardship experience for students that fosters a new generation of local watershed advocates and anglers. The students raise native and wild trout from eggs supplied by the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish and release them in local streams. Four of our schools here in Taos are raising native Rio Grande cutthroat trout from Seven Springs Fish Hatchery in Jemez Springs. A teacher has only to express an interest in participating in this project and with the principal’s permission Enchanted Circle Trout Unlimited buys the classroom’s aquarium equipment and secures the eggs through our fundraising efforts.

This year’s Enchanted Circle Trout Unlimited Spring Social offers an auction and raffle to help support our youth, veterans and women’s fly-fishing education programs. Thanks to the generosity of area business — such as Cid’s Food Market, Taos Spa and Tennis Club, Black Mesa Winery, 10,000 Wags Pet Resort and many others — we seek to expand our programing to reach more Taoseños and their families.

All are welcome to our spring social. We hope you can join us to help support our community work for clean water and native trout, meet new fishing friends and learn more about Trout Unlimited.

Tickets are $55 and can be purchased online at tu.myeventscenter.com/event/ Ectu24spring-89982. Visit our website, ectu. org, for more information.