Dear JHTU friends,

The Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited board is devastated by the sudden loss of our friend and fellow board member, Spencer Morton, and we are heartbroken for Melissa, Fritz, and his family. Spencer was the owner and founder of the Jackson Hole Fly Fishing School, a loving husband and father, a gifted angler, and a dedicated conservationist. He was the best of what the fishing community had to offer: professional, humble, a steward of the resource, and endlessly stoked to put people on fish - the stoke level was the same for a 30 inch brown as it was for a 7 inch cutty. He understood that, above all else, fishing was about connection - with each other, and with the river and the ecosystem. He was an enthusiastic and thoughtful board member who consistently showed up for our local conservation efforts, spearheading fish rescues, giving feedback on stream restoration projects, teaching the next generation, and helping raise funds and awareness for TU.

After checking in with Spencer's family, the JHTU board has made the difficult decision to proceed with our Tie One On virtual banquet this Friday, because we believe Spencer would have wanted us to continue to raise funds for the trout and streams that he loved.

For those of you that choose to tune in, we will be dedicating time during the program to highlight his contributions to our mission and the fishing community and ask JHTU supporters to contribute to the educational trust for his children. In the future, we are planning other ways to honor his memory, including a dedicated volunteer day. If you are interested in joining us, please login to jhtrout21.givesmart.com at 5:30 pm on Friday. For more information about the fund for Spencer's children and upcoming memorial service on Sunday, please visit the family's memorial page. We would also like to share Orvis JH's post about Spencer.

Please also view our board's tribute video in memory of Spencer's service to our board. 

Sincerely,

The Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited Board

Tote Turner, President

Jay Buchner

Howard Cole

Kathleen Belk Doffermyre

Mark Heineken

Maggie Heumann

Diana Sweet Miller

Abby Paffrath

Scott Weaver

Rick Will