Beyond the Stream: Michigan Trout Unlimited's Youth Conservation and Trout Camp
A Film By Robert Thompson
In 2024, the Kalamazoo Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited contracted with fly fishing filmmaker Robert Thompson (“The River” and “Night of the Hex”) to produce a documentary film capturing all that is our Michigan Trout Unlimited Youth Conservation and Trout Camp. The result of this partnership is “Beyond the Stream: Michigan Trout Unlimited’s Youth Conservation and Trout Camp”, and will premiere April 2025.
“Beyond the Stream” captures the heart and soul of our youth camp: the generational connections formed between campers, new and experienced alike, and the volunteer counsellors, many of whom have been a part of camp from its earliest days. Much like his film “The River”, Thompson is able to connect the viewer to the men and women, girls and boys that come together on the banks of the storied Au Sable River. It’s a story that started many years ago with an idea and a mission, and “Beyond the Stream” offers both a heart-warming narrative as young people like Madeline, Ben, Cece and Lily find themselves and each other as they become immersed in fly fishing along the river upon which Trout Unlimited was founded, but also a hopeful glimpse into the future of cold water conservation as those same youth connect with TU volunteers like Greg, Lori and Jon.
The film will premiere on April 6, 2025 at the Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids.
