The Chapter We Hand Forward |
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| By Devin R. Herd After three years as President of New York City Trout Unlimited, I have been thinking less about individual accomplishments than about what we built together: a stronger conservation organization, a broader community, and a chapter prepared to keep moving forward. Last week, I had the privilege of chairing my final Annual General Meeting as President of New York City Trout Unlimited. Looking back over three years, I am proud of what we accomplished. But what stands out most is not any one event, project or statistic. It is how much the chapter itself has changed. |
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| Gathering for the 2025 Amawalk tree planting |
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| When I became President in 2023, NYC TU had a long history, committed members and people who cared deeply about coldwater conservation. But much of the organization still depended on a relatively small group of volunteers and a great deal of institutional memory. Today, the chapter is larger, better organized, and more capable of carrying its work forward. We have a broader board, active committees, stronger financial footing, shared systems, a monthly newsletter, a website, a growing network of partners, and clear ownership across our programs. That may sound like the less glamorous side of conservation, but I believe it matters enormously. Healthy organizations create the conditions for good work to continue. |
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| | Perhaps the clearest example is Trout in the Classroom. Over the last several years, our role has grown from primarily helping fund transportation and providing volunteers to taking much greater responsibility for recruitment, teacher support, release logistics, and classroom needs. In 2026 alone, 34 volunteers from NYC and the Croton Watershed chapter supported releases for 1,913 students from 32 schools. TU National has recognized the program as a model of urban youth engagement. |
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| One of many TIC trout releases |
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| At the AGM, members approved funding for another school setup, allowing that work to continue expanding. Our conservation work has matured in the same way. What began as individual restoration events has developed into a more sustained commitment to local waters, including riverbank restoration, habitat work, and citizen science. Our advocacy has also become more deliberate, giving members simple ways to speak up on issues affecting the Neversink, public lands, and coldwater habitat. Building a chapter is about more than conservation projects, however. We also wanted NYC TU to become a place where more people could find their way into this community. New partnerships, fishing trips, family events, casting opportunities, and gatherings in the city have brought in members who may not have seen themselves in TU before. Our board itself has become broader and more representative of the community we hope to serve. Along the way, the chapter found a stronger voice. The New York Drift newsletter, our website, original interviews, and advocacy communications have given us better ways to tell the story of coldwater conservation in New York City. At the AGM, members also adopted a new NYC TU logo, one that reflects the chapter we have become and the new era we are entering. We’ll share the full story behind the new identity, along with an official logo launch, later this year. |
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| | None of this belongs to a president. It belongs to the people who volunteered for a trout release, organized an event, planted along a river, wrote an article, balanced the books, recruited a speaker, built a webpage, led a fishing trip, or simply kept showing up. It belongs to our board and committee leaders, and to partners across Trout Unlimited and the wider conservation community who have increasingly treated NYC TU as a serious collaborator. One of the most important lessons I have learned is that volunteer leadership is not about doing everything yourself. It is about giving good people meaningful responsibility, trusting them with it, and building enough structure that their work can continue after any one person steps away. That is why I take particular pride in the fact that this chapter is ready for a leadership transition. |
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Volunteers at the 2025 Amawalk tree planting |
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Sam Sherman (left) and Devin Herd (right) at the 2026 Amawalk tree planting |
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| | Josh Ethan Johnson will succeed me as President, with Samuel Sherman serving as Vice President. Both already understand the chapter from the inside. Josh has played an important role in building the events and experiences that bring our community together. Sam has helped strengthen much of the organizational infrastructure, shared systems, and brand work that now support the chapter. More importantly, they will lead alongside a talented board and group of volunteers who already own meaningful parts of our work. That is what continuity should look like. The chapter still has plenty to build. We need to continue strengthening conservation leadership, develop a more deliberate fundraising program, improve how we capture volunteer contributions, and creating reasons for members to get more involved in NYC TU. But Josh and Sam are not inheriting an organization that needs to be rebuilt. They are inheriting one that is ready to move forward. I am stepping down as President, but I am not stepping away. I will remain on the board and look forward to supporting the next leadership team from a different seat. I hope you will continue to find your own way into the work. Volunteer for Trout in the Classroom. Come to a conservation day. Join us on the water. Write for The New York Drift. Bring a friend who has never held a fly rod. Three years ago, much of our focus was on building a stronger chapter. Now, we get to see what that stronger chapter can do. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as President, and for everything you did to build NYC TU alongside me. The chapter is in good hands. |
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| | | Recap of NYC TU’s Annual General Meeting and Board Elections |
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| NYC TU held its annual meeting on Thursday, September 24, 2026. Almost two dozen interested and invested anglers congregated in the loft at Filson on Broadway in Manhattan. Devin R. Herd gave his final state of the chapter update as President, Treasurer Patrick Hayden shared the chapter’s financial standing, and the chapter conducted board elections per its by-laws. Afterward, the group migrated across East 18th Street to a welcoming basement bar. For a couple of hours on this particular Thursday night, chapter regulars and newcomers alike swapped stories of the season’s travels and angling adventures. They also discussed big ideas for the chapter’s future. It was a pleasant evening, and one of transition. The warmth of summer had been replaced with the night’s cool autumnal breeze. Chapter leadership turned over, handing the torch over to the next group of leaders. And with many new faces among the crowd, one could see and feel the continued growth of a unique group of urban anglers. As a result of the chapter elections, the NYC TU board current consists of the following officers and directors: Officers All terms expiring 2027 President: Josh Ethan Johnson Vice President: Sam Sherman Secretary: Roger Olson Treasurer: Patrick Hayden Secondary Treasurer: Joel Sperber Secondary Secretary: Anne Tsaloff
Directors All 3-year terms Expiring 2027: Daniel Dunlow Georgia Faulkner Tyler Swanson Michael Tsang
Expiring 2028: Bennett Baumer Elise Encarnacion Ron Goldin
Expiring 2029: Matt Beck Casey Cayko Brandon Dale Sydney Emery Lillit Genovesi Rolando Guzman Devin Herd Jason Rintz
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| Trout in the Classroom Volunteers Sweepstakes Winners Announced |
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| In partnership with the Croton Watershed TU chapter, we offered a sweepstakes for this year’s 34 qualified TIC volunteers. This year’s winners are below. Thank you to all the volunteers, and congratulations to all this year’s winners! Mike Billy - Filson bag featuring a custom-painted Steven Weinberg trout graphic Ihor Szkolar - Nation FC packable rod of the winner's choice John Redmon - Full-day guided float on the Delaware River with Brian Sheppard of City Fly Chuck Grimmett - Foris Outdoors navy packable trucker hat Bruce Strachan - Foris Outdoors olive packable waxed canvas long bill hat Donald Rose - $100 gift card to North Branch Inn
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| | | Book Launch Party for Hunting: A New Conversation |
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Join Kinfolk for the launch of Hunting: A New Conversation by Kinfolk Co-Founder and NYC TU Board Member Brandon Dale, MD, PhD, for an evening of books, wild game, beer, stories, and community. Hosted by Kinfolk Hunting Collective, the night will include a book signing, a brief Q&A featuring stories from the book, beer from West Kill Brewing, and a raffle benefiting Kinfolk and its work creating pathways into hunting, fishing, and conservation. |
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| You can order Hunting: A New Conversation from Timber Press/Hachette, The Strand, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or other major book retailers. A limited number of copies will also be available for purchase at the event. Already have the book? Bring your copy for a free wild game gift and signing. ℹ️ What: Book launch party for Hunting: A New Conversation
📅 When: Thursday, October 8, 2026, 6:30-8:30pm ET
📍 Where: Filson, 876 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
Learn more |
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| Preparing for Fall-Run Salmon and Trout in Lake Ontario Tributaries |
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| As temperatures drop in the coming weeks, migratory trout and salmon will start entering numerous Lake Ontario tributaries in New York. This annual event attracts thousands of anglers to try their luck at catching these large migratory fish. |
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| Photo: NYS Canal Corporation |
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| Last year, nearly 150,000 angler trips were made in September and October. Pacific salmon (Chinook and coho) are the most frequently caught species, and there are opportunities to catch steelhead (rainbow trout), brown trout, and an occasional Atlantic salmon in select waters. This year’s abnormally dry late summer has resulted in low flow conditions in many eastern tributaries, so targeting larger streams and rivers is recommended. Through its Fall Fishing Program, NYS Canal Corporation releases water from the Erie Canal into Lake Ontario tributaries, providing enhanced fishing opportunities for trout and salmon. Learn more about the Fall Fishing Program and the release schedule for Eighteenmile, Oak Orchard, Johnson, and Sandy creeks |
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| | | It’s Not Too Late to Defend Roadless Public Lands |
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Photo: U.S. Forest Service |
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| The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is proposing to eliminate protections for more than 45 million acres of roadless areas in our national forests. The proposal would repeal the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule and open our roadless public lands to road construction in backcountry areas that will compromise fish and wildlife habitat and increase wildfire risk. Since 2001, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule has protected clean water and intact landscapes while allowing for responsible forest management. Taking away its protections risks fragmenting habitat, causing more unnaturally intense fires, and adding to the multi-billion-dollar maintenance backlog on the Forest Service’s existing road system. We have a limited window to act. Speak up today to urge the USDA to keep the roadless rule in place. Please consider replacing the placeholder text with a personal note about why public lands matter to you. Your unique point of view makes all the difference. |
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| Get Involved with Big Apple Brookies |
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| For decades, many of the rivers and streams in the greater New York City area were assumed to be too warm, polluted, or damaged to support native brook trout. That assumption drove many of the regulatory, stocking, and funding decisions of state agencies, funders, and fisheries managers—but it was wrong. In 2023, volunteers from the Mianus Chapter "discovered" a brook trout population in the Rippowam River in New York and Connecticut using environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling kits from Jonah Ventures. The discovery of a population hiding right under our noses inspired us to search for additional brook trout populations in our backyards, launching TU's “Big Apple Brookies: Searching for Brook Trout in the Shadows of NYC” project. So far, we’ve trained nearly 100 community volunteers on eDNA, taken over 150 stream samples, and identified or confirmed brook trout populations in 16 rivers in Connecticut and New York. Anyone can participate in eDNA sampling; no special experience is required. Sign up for one of the upcoming eDNA training events: To learn more or get involved, contact Gerald Berrafati at gerald.berrafati@tu.org. |
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| | Contribute to The New York Drift |
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| We know the chapter is full of talented and passionate individuals. Have a penchant for words and want to contribute to The New York Drift? Want to see us invest in different types of content? If so, we want to hear from you! Email us at nyctrout@gmail.com to let us know what’s on your mind. |
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