NCTU willl have applications at the Fly Fishing Show and before long they will be available online. The annual cost is $20 or if you want to personalize it $50. Those fees are in addition to the regular renewal fees.

There remain a couple of conditions:

1. NCTU has to pre-sell 300 plates before the first one is printed.

2. NCDMV will not give final approval for the plate until the 300 plates are sold and NCTU gives the DMV the 300 applications and a single check for the plates. We have been told that there are no deal breakers evident but final approval will only be given once 300 tags are sold.

3. By law, the plate must contain a Brook Trout and the phrase Back the Brookie. We have some flexibility in positioning the brookie and the text on the plate. Therefore, NCTU reserves the right to make some final minor adjustments to the tag including changes in fonts and font color.

3. The new ink jet printing presses that the NCDMV is upgrading to have not yet been installed but are expected to be this spring. (We are dealing with the state though, remember that.)

4. If you chose to buy, and I hope you do, you will write your checks to NCTU and they will be cashed when received. If NCTU can't sell 300 plates you will receive a refund. NCTU has not decided on a cutoff date yet. (We're optimistic that it will be quick, but I am also optimistic each time I set out on a fishing trip only to be disappointed.)

NCTU commissioned an artist for the brookie and NCTU has the printing rights. It hasn't been decided what will be done with the original or what might be printed. NCTU is looking at using the same brookie and developing a logo from it.

BTW, the artist is Michael Simon http://michaelsimonanglingart.com/.
Some of you might recognize his work since I believe he is also the artist that did the plate in VA.

I would like to credit three fellows for getting this done. They are members of NCTU's Native Trout Initiative Committee: Penn Cox (known to you as Troutdawg), Dave Maeda and Sam Stitcher. Sam has particularly put in a yeoman's effort by pushing this through not only NCTU bu through the DMV.

For those of you that expressed an interest in obtaining a tag over the past few years, I would like to thank you for your patience.

To order yours today click here and fill out the application.

wilhelm