In 1959, 16 fishermen gathered at George Griffith’s home near Grayling, Michigan. United by their love of trout fishing and by their growing discontent with the state's practice of stocking its waters with hatchery fish while allowing the rivers to deteriorate, they founded a new organization called Trout Unlimited. Fifty years later, TU remains dedicated to the protection of coldwater fisheries across America. In five decades, TU has grown to 140,000 members strong and has over 400 chapters around the country. Last year, volunteers donated 620,000 hours working for TU—restoring streams, planting trees, and teaching youth about conservation to further TU’s mission.