If you’ve been even mildly aware of the greater fly fishing culture over the past few decades,  you’ve inevitably seen plenty about the greenback cutthroat trout. Oncorhynchus clarkii stomias has been the subject of countless articles, initiatives, and debates at the local and national level.

Because we all thought it was extinct.

Historically, the greenback was the easternmost strain of cutthroats. Due to all of the usual suspects, this finely-spotted fish was declared extinct in the early part of the 20th century. A few dozen years later, fish matching the description of the greenback were found, Fast forward to 2012, and those fish – fish that were being used to restore the native range of the greenback – were discovered to be genetically impure. The exception was a relatively small  population in a tributary of the Arkansas River.

This extinct/not extinct back-and-forth has long been front page fly fishing news. This week, following more developments in the greenback saga, the fish hit the  mainstream.

The Bear Creek fish, true greenbacks, have been reintroduced into other streams in the strain’s native range and are reproducing on their own. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has enough data to confidently say that their efforts are working. While history shows that new information can always come to light, everything points to a legitimate success story after nearly 100 years of instability.

And success stories are something that anyone can get behind. Even if they happen to be about a fish. That is probably why countless news outlets picked up the report from the CPW. Here are a few takes from around the web:

Colorado’s state fish, once considered extinct, is reproducing naturally in native waters – Colorado Public Radio

CPW discovers greenback cutthroat trout naturally reproducing in wild – Fox 21 Colorado

Colorado’s official state fish makes second comeback after previously thought extinct – Colorado Sun

Stories like this are especially poignant for anglers. However, the coverage that the greenbacks are getting is a reminder that fly fishers have a lot of allies. Even those who may never cast a line appreciate conservation, the beauty of natural places, and the uniqueness of a single strain of a particular trout.