About Us

The Valley Forge Chapter of Trout Unlimited is dedicated to preserving, protecting, and restoring trout habitat throughout Chester County, Pennsylvania. Valley Forge Trout Unlimited is an active chapter effectively working to advance conservation efforts. Its 800-plus members and affiliates are engaged in the fight to preserve our precious cold water resources. All similarly inclined persons are invited to join in our efforts.

Valley Forge Trout Unlimited general meetings are open to the public. They are held the second Thursday of each month, with the exception of June, July, and August.

⇒ NEW Meeting Location! ⇐
Chester Valley Grange Hall, 3285 Phoenixville Pike, Malvern, PA 19355
7:30 PM Second Thursday of each month from September – May

Please plan on joining us for our regularly scheduled monthly meetings featuring great speakers and terrific members! Click Here for more information

Watershed Management

Our primary mission is to protect Chester County’s watersheds – Valley Creek, West Valley Creek and the Brandywine Creek.  As a result, our conservation efforts are many and varied.

Trout In The Classroom Makes A Splash

Published by Dave Kile on 06/06/2017

All students across the country get a chance to learn about biology and environmental sciences when attending middle school. However, the students at Tredyffrin/Easttown Middle School (TEMs) have the unique opportunity to actually go beyond the regular curriculum with raising trout in their classroom.

The program is led by Mr. Gordon Davis, 7th English/8th science teacher at TEMS. The Trout in the Classroom program at TEMS is supported by the PA Fish and Boat Commission, PA Council of Trout Unlimited and Valley Forge Trout Unlimited.

Along with raising the trout, students learn about the importance of cold-water resources throughout their middle school experience. It is a great fit on the heels of the 6th grade curriculum which studies water resources. In addition, they benefit from learning about the chemical factors affecting water quality.

In the beginning of the school year the students learn about the Pennsylvania state fish, the brook trout. Then, when trout eggs arrive in early November, the “eyed” eggs (where the eyeball and spinal cord is visible in the egg) and the trout are raised through the “fingerling” stage, before being released in early May at an approved trout stream.

As part of the program this year, the students visited a trout raceway, owned by the Chester Valley Sportsmen’s Association. Ray Andrews and other members of the association take care of roughly 5,500 rainbow and brook trout prior to stocking, which they receive from the Carlisle state hatchery.

“Students were able to see a real-world connection to the trout care we practice in the classroom and also study the behaviors of mature trout,” said Mr. Davis

The students are involved in an in-depth program raising the trout that includes exploring YouTube videos posted by anglers which highlight trout fishing across the state. One of the most popular activities this year occurred when the program partner from Valley Forge Trout Unlimited, Dave Dickens, visited to discuss his life spent trout fishing.

The program has enjoyed outstanding support from the school district, community and parents, and is very well known by many. “Mr. Davis is a wonderful teacher and my daughter is tremendously excited about the program,” shared Melissa Kennedy of Berwyn.

For many years Mr. Davis has been enthusiastically supported by the PA TIC program director, Amidea Daniel. He was extremely grateful to the PTO for their support in purchasing materials needed for trout; our Principal, Andy Phillips, for his support of our program; our VFTU representative, Dave Dickens; and our friend, Ray Andrews, for the connections through TIC.

Trout In the Classroom is a partnership between the PA Fish and Boat Commission and PA Council of Trout Unlimited. It was created to introduce students to cold-water resources and the importance of maintaining healthy streams. The partnership provides brook trout eggs, trout food, technical assistance, curriculum connections and teacher workshops each year.

@ 2016 www.paflyfish.com

Chester County Conservation Camp

Every year, Valley Forge Trout Unlimited contributes money to this fantastic camp where kids learn and have so much fun. Stream ecology, fishing, birding and shooting are just some of the camp activities, not to mention opportunities to practice and improve cooperation and communication skills. Your contributions and participation in our raffles and fundraisers make this possible. Click this link to see the letter to sponsors we (and you) received: CCCC Sponsor Letter

Project Healing Waters

Project Healing Waters is a nationwide program administered through the Veteran’s Administration that introduces fly fishing to veterans.  Our chapter began this outreach program in 2012 and it is growing rapidly.  Click here for more information on how we’re engaging our veterans in this rejuvenating project and how you can take part.

Delaware River Basin Commission

Begins Fracking Ban Process

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) voted to begin the lengthy process of enacting a ban on fracking in the Delaware River watershed on September 13, 2017. The commissioners did not adopt natural gas development regulations at this meeting. The representatives of the governors of Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware voted for the procedural resolution. The representative for New Jersey abstained, and the representative for the EPA voted against it.

The resolution directs the staff to draft regulations which will be published no later than November 30, with hearings and a public comment period to follow. The resolution includes language addressing, but not banning, regulation of withdrawal of water from the river and its tributaries and disposal of fracking wastewater in the Delaware watershed.

Close monitoring of this situation will be vital to the cause of protecting the drinking water of more than 15 million people. Valley Forge Trout Unlimited will continue to keep you informed as to what you can do to convince the Delaware River Basin Commission to permanently ban fracking, horizontal drilling, water withdrawal and wastewater disposal in the Delaware River watershed.

From the DRBC website:

The procedural resolution approved on September 13, 2017 and an updated set of frequently asked questions (FAQs), along with additional background information, can be viewed at www.nj.gov/drbc/programs/natural/.

Following publication of the revised draft regulations, the public input process will include one or more hearings and ample opportunity for written comments. No action on the revised draft rules will be taken by the commission until the public comment process is completed. The commissioners will consider changes to the revised draft regulations that may be appropriate based on the comments received.

Details about the public hearing(s) and instructions for submitting written comments will be included in the notice of proposed rulemaking to be published no later than Nov. 30. Interested persons are invited to regularly check the commission’s web site at www.drbc.net and follow DRBC on Twitter (@DRBC1961) for information as it becomes available.

Written or oral comments received before the draft rules are published and the comment period officially opens will not be included in the rulemaking record.