2015 Hall of Fame Inductees

Lake Fork fishing guide Mark Stevenson is arguably the most famous angler in Texas due to his catch of Ethel, a 17.67-pound largemouth bass that broke the previous state record and became the first entry into the ShareLunker program. Ethel lived out the rest of her life at the flagship Bass Pro Shop in Springfield, Missouri, where she fueled a growing national interest in bass fishing and the conservation of fish through catch-and-release. In addition to guiding paying clients, Mark donated trips to many worthy causes benefiting youth, veterans and TPWD projects such as construction of the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited, or GRTU, is the largest Trout Unlimited chapter in the world, primarily because of its work in developing a year-around trophy trout fishery in the Guadalupe River below Canyon Dam. GRTU worked to ensure adequate instream flows in the river to support aquatic life, supported restrictive harvest regulations to protect the fishery, and annually purchases large rainbow trout for stocking into the river. It also leases access points from private landowners to enable the public, for payment of a fee, to access the best fishing spots. GRTU also provides classroom materials for schools to grow trout fry for stocking into the river and holds a Trout Camp on the river each summer to introduce youth to fly-fishing and conservation.