How a partnership with iconic Colorado companies benefits TU’s Embrace A Stream program
If only you could really embrace a stream; actually give it a hug and hold it in your arms. Since that isn’t possible, Trout Unlimited creates opportunities for grassroots chapters to embrace a stream in their home waters via grants for habitat rehabilitation.
Embrace A Stream is TU’s longest running grassroots grant program, providing more than $5 million to 1,200 volunteer-led conservation projects since 1975.
Over the last six years, TU has helped fund more than 150 local projects across 30 different states to reconnect more than 175 miles of stream, restore more than 80 miles of river habitat, plant over 30,000 trees and contribute our member and supporter time and talent with more than 50,000 volunteer hours. All in the name of fisheries habitat restoration.
Making the funds work harder
None of this would be possible without the generosity of outside donors. Some come from individuals and are greatly appreciated, but scaled investments come from companies like Mayfly Outdoors and Molson Coors.
Mayfly is the parent company behind beloved fishing brands Abel and Ross Reels, Airflo, Dyna-King, and recently Renzetti joined that esteemed list. It is led by CEO Jeff Wagner whose lively passion for the outdoors has bred a desire to continually involve the brands in conservation initiatives.
“At Mayfly, we believe in funding conservation efforts because if we don’t take care of our streams and rivers now, we soon won’t have a viable business, plus since we are all avid anglers, we reap the benefits as well,” said Wagner. “Embrace A Stream is a proven program with visible, effective habitat restoration efforts in our customers’ backyards, so this partnership is ideal for us.”
This is where the Ross Reels and TU partnership came into being to raise funds for Embrace A Stream. A strong belief in healthy fisheries, native fish and restoring habitats is what drove the most recent collaboration.
Incredible reels help incredible projects
It started in Colorado, Ross Reels’ home state, by partnering with Colorado Trout Unlimited and its native series. Purchasing the Colorado Cutthroat Reel allows funds to flow into projects on the Clear Fork East Muddy Creek. The Greenback Cutthroat Reel is another of the initial special edition reels and money generated from those sales goes towards the Poudre Headwaters Project. And finally, the Rio Grande Cutthroat Reel supports extensive Rio Grande cutthroat trout rehabilitation via the Rio San Antonio Improvement Project.
Thanks to the screaming success of the CTU reels, the program has since expanded to native reels honoring native trout across the country.
The Native Reel program now includes the East vs. West Reel pitting native brook trout in the East against Kern River rainbows in the West, and the Golden Trout Reel helps efforts to protect and expand golden trout habitat in California.
Beyond the fly fishing industry
Ross Reels was up to the task of doing more and bringing more money into the Embrace A Stream program, so it extended this partnership beyond these native trout reels.
Another Colorado powerhouse, Molson Coors has been brewing beverages with Colorado water for two centuries, so protecting the resources it needs to provide its customers with tasty beverages is at the heart of its brand.
“Cold, clean Rocky Mountain water is not only a key ingredient in our beers but is also central to Coors Banquet’s story and legacy,” said Candace Hancock, Coors field marketing manager. “That’s why we’re proud to continue our partnership with Ross Reels helping conserve the West’s waterways through Trout Unlimited’s Embrace A Stream program.”
Ross and Coors partnered to create the Coors Banquet reel. Selling out of the 4/5 and 5/6 versions in mere days, dedicated consumers can still find a few 7/8 size reels still out there through this campaign, which ends spring of 2025. To add to this Coors product line, Ross Reels made nippers so even more money flows back to these rivers across the West:
- Clear Creek – Colorado:
- Tumbling 57 miles from the headwaters near the Continental Divide, Clear Creek connects the community of the greater Denver region to the cold, clean waters of the mountains and the vital drinking water and the fishing and recreation opportunities they provide. Despite its incredible public access, or perhaps because of it, Clear Creek suffers from significant stormwater runoff and habitat degradation and needs riparian buffer and in-stream habitat work to help keep the waters flowing clean and clear for future generations.
- Big Hole – Montana:
- The last remaining habitat for native, river-dwelling Arctic Grayling in the contiguous United States, the Big Hole River flows more than 150 miles from its protected headwaters in the Beaverhead National Forest. In this historic and iconic Montana fishery, TU is actively working to protect river flows to continue to support robust wild fish populations and restore critical headwaters habitat to keep the nursery waters thriving for the next generation.
- Provo River – Utah:
- A popular Blue-Ribbon fishery due to its proximity to Salt Lake City, the Provo River has unmatched beauty as it flows out of the High Uinta Wilderness, through the Heber Valley and into Utah Lake. The river supports large numbers of wild brown, rainbow and cutthroat trout despite the heavy water use from the Central Utah Project. Landmark restoration work along the 10-mile middle section has created consistent flow, great trout habitat and access for recreation. However, much work remains for the lower sections that are constrained by lower flows.
- La Barge – Wyoming:
- From the iconic Tri-Basin Divide of the rugged Wyoming Range, La Barge Creek starts as a high mountain stream home to one of the largest Colorado River cutthroat trout restoration projects in the state. Colorado River cutthroat trout only occupy a fraction of their historic range, so projects to improve habitat and fish movement are essential in the continued restoration of this native species.
Caring for coldwater streams
“For nearly 50 years, Embrace A Stream has been helping thousands of TU volunteers be the champions of local rivers and lead the care and recovery of these coldwater streams,” said TU’s Jeff Yates. “Thanks to Mayfly Outdoors and Coors, these passionate conservationists who care the most will have the resources they need to make a difference for cold, clean rivers and streams and the future generations who will cherish them.”
By creating these high quality, beautiful reels, Ross and Coors are relaying to its customers how important funding conservation is to its mission.
The Mayfly Outdoors team deeply believe that without funding for projects and partnering with organizations who help get this money working on the ground, fishing could not be what it is today, nor what it could be in the future.
More money means more restoration projects and TU couldn’t be happier about these meaningful partnerships.
By making conservation a clear mantra at Ross Reels and Coors, consumers can help fund projects in their backyards and embrace a stream near their home. Just don’t try to literally hug your stream.