On November 12, 2016 the John Muir Chapter of Trout Unlimited recently held its first public, educational event at Quarry Lakes Regional Park in Fremont. Partnering with Bay Nature Magazine, The East Bay Regional Parks District and members of the Oakland Casting Club, we held a half-day Introduction to Fishing Clinic. More than 40 attendees of all ages, mostly new to fishing, attended this event. The event started off with a nature walk led by an EBRPD naturalist followed by sessions on Stream Biology, Where to Fish Locally, Spin Casting and Fly Casting were popular among the participants who all got plenty of hands on experience in casting. A few of the attendees who had limited experience in casting were overheard to remark “now I know why it never worked for me when I tried it before!” Kids especially enjoyed handling the wiggly aquatic critters collected that morning from local creeks, and seeing the traveling aquarium of fish residing in our local waters that the Regional Parks District brought to this event.

The more than a dozen volunteers who served as instructors got to hang out together for an after event picnic to get to know each other and talk about future efforts. We are planning to increase the work we do together with these local organizations to further participation in our new TU chapter and in conservation and public outreach in our local region.