December 25, 1937 - March 25, 2013

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Ernie Nester served as the foundation upon which the original twelve members formed Kanawha Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited (KVCTU) and shepherded it’s growth throughout the years. 

 

​Ernie was the epitome of  Trout Unlimited’s motto of conserving, protecting and restoring West Virginia’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. West Virginia's trout fishermen off all ages and types owe a sincere debt to Ernie and his dogmatic efforts to grow and expand the fishery in the state.

 

Ernie’s down home appeal and demeanor no doubt helped him to accomplish his goals, to borrow a quote from the Gazette’s John McCoy “He had an easy smile and an affable manner that put folks instantly at ease, and a manner of speaking that sounded very much as if someone had taken famed actor Jimmy Stewarts’s voice and transplanted it into a lanky civil engineers body”

 

​The KVCTU was renamed the Ernie Nester Chapter of Trout Unlimited (ENCTU) to honor Ernie Nester's work and dedication to our mission.