Cancel TU membership

[Kingscott]

I am in my 60’’s and fished since I was 6 years old I’ve covered a lot of territory over the years and always show the fish and stream respect. I catch and release most of the time but on a few larger rivers like the yough or Allegheny may keep a fat rainbow or two to throw on the grill with butter or lemon. For the past 10-15 years we have taken a lot of pictures to share online or with friends primarily to savor the memory in case one day I get old and decrepit I will have fond memories to cherish. Always very careful with the fish when taking photos to assure that the fished was released quickly and when a trout is deep hooked to pass on a photo
I canceled my TU membership yesterday when I saw on the online newsletter that NO trout caught will appear in there media, newspapers or online etc. They only accept photos of unhooked fish in a stream. Who in the hell runs this organization They turned me off a few times in the past with bleeding liberal attempts to regulate my sport. I am not renewing because of this insanity. I ask others who respect fishing and picture taking make your voice heard as well to an
organization that once was about fishing and stream enhancements.

 

[allthingsfishing]

They have the right to regulate what is shown in their magazine just like you have the right to cancel your membership.

With that said, TU does get preachy, but how many other national organizations try to protect fishing resources? Many of the stream improvements has TU somewhere in the background.

It's a shame that their view is "liberal" in your eyes. Does our whole life have to be liberal vs conservative?

 

[troutbert]

Kingscott wrote:

I canceled my TU membership yesterday when I saw on the online newsletter that NO trout caught will appear in there media, newspapers or online etc. They only accept photos of unhooked fish in a stream.

Do you have a link to this? I did a very quick search and didn't find it.

 

[Kingscott]

Here is link was in yesterday’s online newsletter


https://www.tu.org/magazine/fishing/trout-talk/trout-magazine-online-will-only-publish-photos-of-fish-in-the-water/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=informz&_zs=RotHc&_zl=7KCj2

 

[guidedbywire]

Thanks for the reminder to renew mine.

 

[moon1284]

I don’t have a problem with the link above...

 

[Dave_W]

King,
While I understand your frustration - I have had my disagreements with TU. I agree that TU, especially National, can get preachy and political sometimes.

Try to keep in mind the big picture. Your message here reveals your commitment to trout fishing and careful C&R fishing. I too keep some trout to eat from time to time. I'd suggest considering all the good that your local chapter does, and try not to take some of the publicity stuff too seriously. They have probably had to field some of the sanctimonious complaints about fish handling pics (just as we do here on PAFF - it's tiresome) and maybe they have adopted the new photo policy in an effort to ward this off.

Anyway, may I suggest you give this some time to settle. Remember the totality of good things TU does - especially at the local level - and let this cool. Consider sticking this out and continuing to support your local chapter.

 

[afishinado]

Below is a paragraph from the TU link posted >

"The caveats? Yes, there are some. First, any fish destined for the grill or the smoker might very well be displayed in various stages of cooking preparation (yes, we do food writing here at TROUT!). Sometimes, as most thoughtful anglers know, keeping fish is the best choice. For example, brook trout encroaching on native cutthroat trout habitat are prime candidates for the frying pan. Stocked trout planted for the sole purpose of being harvested? It’s fine to keep a legal limit, and we’ll do more to show you how to prepare and cook them. Finally, when our on-the-ground biologists and members of our top-notch Science Team are working in the field, sometimes it’s necessary to remove trout from the water to collect data..."

They seem okay with you keeping some trout under the circumstances you stated in your OP. Quite reasonable IMHO, but each to his own....

 

[redietz]

afishinado wrote:

They seem okay with you keeping some trout under the circumstances you stated in your OP. Quite reasonable IMHO, but each to his own....

What they're not ok with is killing fish for a grip and grin photo. I don't disagree. If you're going to release a fish, release it.

 

[JeffP]

Yes, I keep putting off signing up again. It's time. Dave's post makes a lot sense.

 

[stecal]

I've been a solid member of TU for 40 some years now. I completely believe in their mission to make things happen at the local level as well as lobbying efforts in DC. Where else are you going to find an organization with the patience and perseverance to work 20-30 years on the legal wrangling & projects to get dams removed.

I also support their stand again the endless selfies of guys holding up suffering fish they eventually plan to C & R. Sometimes it is a photo of every damn fish they caught that day. My policy is to try and never even remove fish from the water while I am unhooking if at all possible.

 

[Acristickid]

Poor reason to quit.

 

[Lkyboots]

I just renewed my membership, I think TU is a good organization. I went to one of their banquets and felt like a duck in a hen house. Some of those folks are a little hoity toity. I've been fly fishing since the 60's so I guess you could call me "Old School". Fly fishing is just fishing, nothing that makes you special. Knowing the name of a bug doesn't make you a better fisherman. I've never taken a picture of the Trout I've caught except for pictures guides have taken while fishing with them.

 

[McSneek]

TU is a very liberal organization. They get my $50 a year but I often question why. First off are the constant solicitations to donate more money. That seems wasteful to me. No sooner do I renew than I get junk mail asking me to be a lifetime member or donate to some other campaign. Second are causes in far away, remote areas that I will never, ever come close to visiting.

I will continue to carefully take photos of wet trout when I want to.

 

[troutbert]

I'm continuing my membership.

Don't sweat the small stuff. Like fish photos.

TU has done a lot for trout streams and wild trout.

 

[rrt]

As a lifetime TU member, I find this to be a little "over the top." I think McSneek is right, and I'll continue to take some trout pics as well.

TU does a good job in many ways. When I was active, the local chapter did quite a bit of stream rehab work. I think the rehab work was effective in another way, besides the actual rehab work. Landowners saw that TU was interested in the well-being of the landowners' properties, and I think this helped retain public access to private water in some places.

I would not recommend dropping out of TU because of a photo-display policy in TU's online publications.

 

[Canoetripper]

Both my grandfather and father were lifetime TU members. I am not lifetime but have been a member for many years.

I was a member of the Nat Greene Chapter when I lived in Greensboro, NC many years ago, and am currently a member of the Donegal Chapter in Lancaster County.

I have done nothing other than wright checks, but am supportive of the TU organization.

I know that TU is a left leaning organization but I don't let that bother me. TU does more good than harm in my opinion.

I am also a member of the NRA which I know is a right leaning organization but I don't let that bother me either. I am a proponent of our 2nd Amendment rights for all of us law abiding citizens.

 

[Chaz]

In the water pretty much discriminates against photos from amateurs from appearing in the magazine, given that it takes time to set up a photo underwater. To me that is an extraordinary amount of time as we all know from taking out pics does take time. To take a fish off the hook and keep it in the water takes way more time then unhooking the fish and hold it. Or the way I do it, which is keep it on the hook and photo the fish while in the water, grabbing the hook and letting the fish go.

 

[RLeep2]

I've been a TU member for a long time. I'm not fully on board with every single thing National proposes. This is as true in 2021 as it was in 2001 or even 1981, for that matter. So what? I agree though with the fundamentals of the TU mission and philosophy and there isn't any doubt that TU is the best thing out there when it comes to advocacy for our cold water fisheries.

So, I'll be sticking around. I won't, though, wear a buff or fish with a dog. I have my limits...

 

[Sylvaneous]

Politics is how we solve problems and adjust markets. If any organization is advocating for just about anything, there will be allied interests and opposing interests. I'm a 'hook-n-bullet' guy. I want NOTHING to do with the neo-fascists that are the dominant force in what is, unfortunately 'gun culture' to day. (is there a 'hammer culture'? a 'bread culture'? It's so F-'ed.) When mining and logging and housing and road building impair trout fishing, I'll push back. I'll insist that my organization pushes back. If Senator Bedfellow, fresh back from the Rape-n-Pilliage summit at Jackson Hole, where he got fed and F-'ed by the best that the West could provide, is in favor of those intersts that impair MY interests, then that colors my politics. THey picked their sides. I have my interests.
TU needs to stay in its lane. but its lane is wide. It cannot be all things to all people (F- the NRA just for its anti-union stance). But they MUST do whatever they can over time to keep the limestone quarry from de-watering the Bushkill. I don't think that interest extends to, say, sales tax or national Medicare, and I haven't seen that. It's a huge country and you'll find problems everywhere, given enough people. I can live with that, but I cannot abide an organization that compromizes its essential purpose.