SPONSORED CONTENT
By Collin Metscher
The CSU Fly Fishing Club was founded in the Fall of 2014 by students Jacob Pitt and Connor Murphy, and has since become a cornerstone in the Fort Collins and CSU angler community. The club is a registered student organization, and chartered with Trout Unlimited (TU), a national non-profit organization dedicated to fisheries conservation, as a part of the “TU Costa 5 Rivers.” Five Rivers is a network of college TU clubs, with a focus on five key aspects: conservation, community outreach, Costa campus representation, fundraising, and TU support. Since its founding, the CSU club has participated in a variety of conservation projects and community events, and partners with organizations like PigFarm Ink, the Rocky Mountain Flycasters, and Wildlands Restoration Volunteers.
The club provides a wide variety of programs for CSU students. They hold monthly meetings, featuring guest presenters speaking about topics ranging from conservation initiatives to fishing techniques. The club also holds fly tying night socials, where beginners can learn to tie their first fly, experienced tyers can trade secrets, and everyone can share some fishing stories and laughs. Additionally, the club offers casting clinics, fishing trips, and conservation projects. The club also represents CSU at the annual Five Rivers Rendezvous, a fishing & conservation trip sponsored by Costa for all the clubs in the western US. All are welcome to attend club events. Some anglers may want to join as a dues paying member. For $15, dues paid members get a t-shirt, stickers, access to the rendezvous, and other perks.
This semester, there is a new event on the schedule for the club: The Fly Fishing Olympics. Featuring a variety of casting competitions, relay events, and cookout, the Olympics are a perfect place to prove yourself as an angler—or just come to meet other club members and have a great time! The event is free for dues paid members, and just $5 for a ticket for those that haven’t paid dues. Join them for the inaugural Fly Fishing Olympics on Saturday, March 31st at 12pm.
If you’re interested in attending the Olympics, or receiving information from the CSU Fly Fishing Club, email csuflyfish@gmail.com. And don’t forget to give @CSUFlyFishing a follow on Instagram!