Trout Unlimited: On the Rise Debuts on Sportsman Channel

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Erin Mooney, TU National Press Secretary (703) 284-9408
Michelle Scheuermann, Director of Communications, Sportsman Channel
(262) 432-9100 ext. 111

Trout Unlimited: On the Rise Debuts on Sportsman Channel

New season of popular fly-fishing show begins airing March 30.

Arlington, Va.--Great trout fishing almost always has a great conservation story behind it, and Trout Unlimited: On the Rise, the television show from the nation’s largest coldwater conservation group covers both big-fish and big-habitat stories in spades when it makes its debut on Sportsman Channel next week.

Beginning Tuesday, March 30, Trout Unlimited: On the Rise will air at 11 p.m. with re-airs on Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m., Fridays at 8:30 a.m., Saturdays at 10 a.m., and Sundays at 2:30 a.m., all EST.

On the Rise is hosted by Colorado fishing guide Frank Smethurst, who travels across the country reaping the rewards of Trout Unlimited’s (TU) hard work and shines a spotlight on the critical issues facing America’s trout and salmon. From casting streamers for salmon in Bristol Bay, Alaska, to fishing for wild brook trout in Long Island, N.Y., Smethurst and his arsenal of fly rods leave no stone unturned in the quest for wild trout and the people who work to protect them.

The third season of On the Rise begins with a bang, as Smethurst heads north to Alaska to fish in some of the most prolific salmon spawning grounds in the world. After a warm-up episode on the legendary Kanektok River, Smethurst moves on for two more episodes in Bristol Bay, where a proposed open-pit copper and gold mine (it would be North America’s largest) threatens the most important salmon watershed on the planet. The fight to prevent the mine from being built ranks among TU’s most important initiatives.

“We’re excited to bring our show to Sportsman Channel viewers, people for whom hunting and fishing is a way of life,” said Chris Wood, President and CEO of TU.  “On the Rise helps tell our story of how the dedication and hard work of TU volunteers results in great fishing, from Maine to Alaska.”

“On the Rise is a wonderful addition to our programming lineup,” said Willy Burkhardt, president of Sportsman Channel. “This show demonstrates what powerful television can be produced when you bring together fantastic videography, compelling conservation stories and a highly skilled host.”

The rest of the season takes fly-fishing junkies to some off-the-beaten path locations, where TU volunteers are working to restore and protect American coldwater fisheries. From hooking into huge Lahontan cutthroat trout in Nevada’s Pyramid Lake to pursuing early spring steelhead in the Pacific Northwest, On the Rise is 30-minutes of fly-fishing excitement wrapped around the passion of those who fight for clean, cold water.

About TU: TU is a private, nonprofit organization with more than 140,000 members who are dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring North America’s trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds. Visit www.tu.org [1].

About Sportsman Channel: Launched in 2003, Sportsman Channel is the only television and digital media company fully devoted to the more than 82 million sportsmen in the United States, delivering entertaining and educational programming focused exclusively on hunting, shooting and fishing activities.  Acquired by InterMedia Outdoors Holdings in 2006, Sportsman Channel reaches more than 25 million U.S. television households and is a part of the nation's largest multimedia company targeted exclusively to serving the information and entertainment needs of outdoors enthusiasts. Visit www.thesportsmanchannel.com [2], follow on Twitter, @SPORTSMANchnl (www.twitter.com/SPORTSMANchnl [3]),or become a fan on Facebook, www.facebook.com/sportsmanchannel [4].