September Chapter Meeting Guest to talk Virginia’s Nongame Fish. On September 5, 2024, Smith River Trout Unlimited chapter members and guests will have the special opportunity at our next quarterly meeting to learn about Virginia’s unique nongame fish species. Virginia has an outstanding outdoor environment! The inland waters of Virginia support an incredible diversity of freshwater fishes. Of the 1,213 freshwater fish in North America, Virginia has an amazing 226 fish species, 24 of which are threatened or endangered. Michael (Mike) Pinder, Aquatic Biologist, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources will give us a fascinating presentation on conservation and management of Virginia’s nongame and endangered freshwater fishes. Mike Pinder is the Nongame and Endangered Species Fish Biologist for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. He has co-authored the Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Virginia and A Guide to Virginia’s Snakes. Over his 30 years with the agency, he has worked with freshwater mussels, crayfish, amphibians and reptiles, but his passion is the conservation of Virginia’s nongame fishes. He is a lifelong angler, naturalist, woodworker and artist. As environmental conservationists Trout Unlimited members and friends should all be concerned about the health and protection of nongame fish, especially the endangered species. We should know what species need our protection and how we can help protect nongame fish at the same time we protect our native trout.

We will also review 2024 events, chapter updates, and end the meeting with a raffle.