It was here, this section of the Au Sable River, that inspired and witnessed the creation of one of the most important cold water conservation organizations in the world. Trout Unlimited was envisioned by George Mason, who shared the idea with George Griffith in 1949 as they were walking into the river for a day’s fishing adventure. A decade later, 16 men assembled at Griffith’s cabin on the Au Sable, the Barbless Hook, and made Mason’s vision a reality.