Trout Unlimited Lifetime Membership Offer

[caddisflyer]

I posted about this back in 2016 and never pulled the trigger. Back then it was a Scott. Last year it was the Orvis Helios/Hydros reel offer. This year it is the Winston AIR 2 9' 5-weight I am interested in. No reel this year and the price has gone up to $1,800. This is a substantial investment for me but doable. I am 56.

How many of you have the TU Life Membership?
Does anyone have the Winton Air 2? Thoughts on the rod?
Pro's- A great rod and no more membership mailers. Good for the environment and the clutter on my desk.
Cons and Questions

• a very expensive rod. I plan to get a 9'5 anyway but is there something cheaper that would be as good or almost as good? I like that the Winston is made in the U.S.!
• No reel. What would be a good reel to complement this rod? How much?
• I was planning to make a couple large donations to conservation groups. This would pretty much suck up my planned donations. I know TU is a good group, but would it make more sense to buy a cheaper rod and make separate donations to TU and other local organizations. I am particularly interested in donating to local stream projects. Local conservancies such as Manada are also on my list. I will likely be retiring next year and also plan to volunteer for this group.

I really value the opinions on here and would love to get some feedback. TIA

I would be very careful about any newer Winston rods based on my experience. I purchased one from Reds Fly shop and ended up sending it back. Compared to the older ones the action was very wimpy which was a surprise. The rod was advertised as a moderate fast action but had no power. I cannot recall the exact model but it was highly rated online. I am a fan of several of my older Winstons by the way. I would definitely want to cast any rod before buying one.

 

[pcray1231]

I support TU and am a member. They do a lot of good stuff. I get yearly memberships and am not after rewards of any sort, like magazines or rods or flies. It's about giving to a good organization, plugging into a local chapter of concerned individuals (which I wish I had more time to do!), volunteering on something local when I can with my schedule.

From a pure "conservation for your dollar" standpoint, though, I favor conservancies. I see the biggest threat to our sport as land use. The biggest bang for ensuring it's there for my kids is protecting land from development, keeping developed land unposted, etc. More parks, game lands, state forests, and more easements on private property. I pay my TU membership, but on top of that, if I run into some money and want to make a valuable donation it usually goes to a conservancy.

 

[brookiefan]

I agree buying land to conserve is a good cause. However, it might be best to check the organizations land use policies before deciding on which one to support. For instance Natural Lands protects a lot of land in SE Pa and New Jersey. However they do not permit fishing on any of their properties(stated on their website) . I don't know their reasoning, but I think a policy like Fly fishing, artificial lures only, catch & release could be a good compromise. They do allow limited hunting (definitely not catch & release). So , check out the land use policy of any conservancy before you donate to make sure it aligns with your land use values.

 

[pcray1231]

WPC is always a good one. Here's a map of properties you can thank them for.

ArcGIS Web Application

wpcgis.maps.arcgis.com

Included are SGL 295, which covers portions of BFC and Cherry Run. Oil Creek State Park. Crawford Reserve (Hemlock Creek watershed). Portions of Elk Creek in Erie. McConnell's Mill State Park (Slippery Rock Creek). Significant add ons to national and state forest lands. And quite a bit around the Bennett's Branch and Clarion River watersheds.

 

[jifigz]

You could buy a rod for way less than $1800 and then donate some money to co-op hatchery so we have fish in the cricks

Cooperative Nursery Program

www.fishandboat.com

Oh Krayfish, if there is a button you'll push it.

 

[krayfish2]

Oh Krayfish, if there is a button you'll push it.

Well, it is a fair statement. Buy a nice rod / reel for $1100 and donate the rest to co-op. We need more rodeos for kids to get them involved in fishing. The children should also be exposed to the miracle of life and see the exact moment fish exit the womb of the stocking truck. 😁

 

[Fly-Swatter]

Well, it is a fair statement. Buy a nice rod / reel for $1100 and donate the rest to co-op. We need more rodeos for kids to get them involved in fishing. The children should also be exposed to the miracle of life and see the exact moment fish exit the womb of the stocking truck. 😁

 

[AndyP]

I became a lifetime member many years back and when I got the rod and reel offered at the time I decided I liked the reel but not the rod so I donated that to my local TU to be used for a raffle. It felt like a win/win for both the local and National. We need both organizations to be financially sound so I tend to donate to both equally each year as they each have benefits in what they do.