Trout Unlimited Mission
"To bring together diverse interests to care for and recover rivers and streams 
​so that our children can experience the joy of wild and native trout and salmon."
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State of the White River Chapter of Trout Unlimited 698

The Chapter is one of three in Arkansas, with the others being the Little Red Chapter and the Fayetteville Chapter. The WRCTU became a chartered chapter in March 1999. We presently have 201 members of a 300,000 member National TU Membership. Our area of concern is the White River and Norfork River watersheds below the Bull Shoals and Norfork dams respectively. 

We have been involved with various activities to help conserve, protect and improve the fisheries of the White and Norfork as follows:
  • Stream and roadway clean-ups
  • Working with AG&FC and other angling groups to develop enlightened harvest regulations.
  • Bank stabilization projects with AG&FC on the White and Norfork Rivers and Dry Run Creek. We made some monetary contributions and were involved with tree and shrub planting on the project sites.
  • Working with landowners, generous contributors and AG&FC to develop the Rim Shoals walk-in fishing access. Chapter members, Master Naturalists, AG&FC and Kingdom Life Recovery have worked to maintain the 3/4 mile trail and its entryway. 
  • Working with AG & FC, Union Pacific Railroad, Northern Arkansas Fly Fishers, and the City of Cotter to develop and improve White River Access and parking areas from the Roundhouse Shoal to Armstrong Hole. These improvements provide 0.9 of a mile of access for bank and wade fishermen.
  • Working with Army Corps of Engineers, Bull Shoals State Park, City of Bull Shoals, AG&FC and Northern Arkansas Fly Fishers to improve the access road to the Bull Shoals Dam Fishing Access on the White River.
  • We have four Trout in The Classroom Schools, Drift Sisters Women’s Group and the Dry Run Creek Fly Fishing Academy. These groups help develop appreciation of trout and the environs in which they live.
  • Our annual fund raising banquet provides the necessary means to develop the above mention activities and projects.

Chapter 698 holds ten monthly member meetings as social gatherings where members and guest gather to swap fishing tales and ideas to improve the Chapter and local trout habitat. We meet at the Elks Lodge in Mt. Home on the first Wednesday of the month. We have a social hour 6-7 PM and short business and program 7-8 PM. ​ The chapter sponsors a Christmas/Holiday Party and conducts a fund-raising banquet annually.
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The following are some of the upcoming meeting programs:
  • August 5th – Pat Neuner, Wapsi Fly employee -  Pat will tell us about “My Life as a Fly Fisher and my Work with Orvis and Wapsi”
  • September 2nd- Heather Pittman , Fred Berry Conservation Manager- Heather will inform us about “The Snakes of Arkansas”
  • October 7th – Ed Alexander, Noted Arkansas Photographer – Ed will present “ The Beauty of Arkansas in Photographs”
  • November 4th- Shawn Taylor – Shawn will present “ Peacock Bass Fishing in Brazil”
  • December 14th-  Christmas Party at Rapps Barren Brew Pub and Restaurant
  • January 7th – Stewart Taylor, Bull Shoals State Park Ranger – Stewart will talk about “ Boating Safety and Courtesy”
  • February 20th – Annual Banquet at the Elks Lodge.​
  • ​​As with any 501.c-3 organization the volunteers make it “Go”. The following are those involved to make the Chapter a success:
President……………………………… Tom Emerick
Vice – President…………………… Open
Treasurer ……………………………. Paula Flippin
Secretary …………………………….. Diana Griscom
Directors- Robin Curtis, Jack Curtis, Wayne Buck, Bill Thorne (past President), Courtney Blank
Drift Sisters, Women’s Group – Courtney Blank, Jenny Woodard
We will be having elections at our May 2027 member meeting. A nominating committee is advised. Officer positions open are President and Vice-President. In addition, we can have four more Directors on the Board.

We have the following committees in need of leadership: Trout in The Classroom, Environmental, Communication, Programs. These are volunteer, not elected, positions

I hope this State of The Chapter will encourage some of you to join our monthly meetings and consider becoming a Board member and/or officer. There are State Council/ Chapter Handbooks, as well as fellow members, that will guide you in this endeavor. Our next Board meeting will be September 9th at the Natural State Fly Shop in Cotter.
 
Thank you,
 
Tom Emerick, President
​7/22/2026
White River Trout Unlimited 698 
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White River Trout Unlimited 698 Women's Group
Drift Sisters is a space to learn, explore and drift together. 
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The Arkansas White River TU is focused on the North Fork River and White River from Bull Shoals Dam to the North Fork.