High Country Angler | Summer 2019

Summer summer 20 20

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STREAM GIRLS HIT THE RIVER

SINGLE HANDED

BY LANDON MAYER

THE WHITE RIVER MEEKER'S GOLD 1

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SUMMER 2019 VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 3

MAGAZINE CONTENTS 06

SINGLE HANDED

14

MEEKER’S GOLD: THE WHITE RIVER

20

24

26

28

4

High Country Angler • Summer 2019

BY LANDON MAYER

BY BRIAN LA RUE

TIPS & TACTICS FOR FLY FISHING DURING RUNOFF

BY PETER STITCHER

SOMETHING ABOUT STONEFLIES

BY HAYDEN MELLSOP

A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

BY CAM CHANDLER

THE HISTORY OF BOULDER BOAT WORKS

BY COLORADO TU STAFF

www.HCAezine.com

HCA Staff P U B LISHER S

J ac k Tallo n & Frank M ar tin

30

STREAM GIRLS HIT THE WATER

C O NTENT C ONSU LTANT

38

FROM CONCERTS TO WILLOW PLANTING

EDITO R IAL

42

48

50

53

78

80

83

86

90

92

94

L ando n M ayer

BY COLORADO TU STAFF

BY KIRK KLANCKE

BUILDING COMMUNITY AROUND AN UNLOVED RIVER

BY JOHN DAVENPORT AND TODD FEHR

WILD TROUT – COMMUNITY IN THE BYGONE DAYS

BY TOM KROL

YOUTH CAMP CELEBRATES ITS 14TH YEAR

BY COLORADO TU STAFF

COLORADO TU ANNUAL REPORT

BY COLORADO TU STAFF

FIT TO BE TIED

BY JOEL EVANS

2019 GALA THANK YOU

Frank M ar t in, M anagi ng Editor f rank@ hc am agaz ine.co m Landon Mayer, Editorial Consultant Ruthie Mar tin, Editor

ADV ER TISING

B r i an L a R ue, S ales & M a r keting b r ian@ hc am agaz i ne.co m D i rec t : ( 714) 944- 5676 K andily n M ar t i n, Ad S ales k andi ly n@ hc am agaz ine.com Cell: ( 719) 432- 8317 M ar k Shulm an, Ad S ales Cell: ( 303) 668- 2591 m ar k@ hc am agaz i ne.co m

DESIG N

BY COLORADO TU STAFF

2019 EVENT CALENDAR

David M ar tin, Creative Direc tor & Graphic D esigner aisthetadesign.com

HIGH-PERFORMING PATTERNS FOR THE SEASON AHEAD

P HOTO G RAP HY

BY COLORADO TU STAFF

BY BOB REECE

KEITH MCCAFFERTY

Frank Martin, Landon Mayer, Brian LaRue, Angus Drummond

STAF F WRITER S

BY MARK SHULMAN

A GOOD YEAR FOR TROUT AT THE LEGISLATURE

BY JEN BOULTON

Frank Martin, Landon Mayer, Brian LaRue, Joel Evans, David Nickum, John Nickum, Peter Stitcher, Jeff Florence

THE LAST CAST

Copyright 2017, High Country Angler, a division of High Country Publications, LLC. All rights reserved. Reprinting of any content or photos without expressed written consent of publisher is prohibited. Published four (4) times per year.

BY DR. JOHN NICKUM

To add your shop or business to our distribution list, contact Frank Martin at frank@hcamagazine.com.

D i str i buted by H i gh Countr y Publi cati ons, L LC 730 Popes Valley D r i ve Colorad o Spr i ngs, Colorad o 809 1 9 FA X 719-593-0040 Published in cooperation with Colorado Trout Unlimited 1536 Wynkoop Street, Suite 320 Denver, CO 80202 www.coloradotu.org

ON THE COVER: Photo by Landon Mayer

TOC PHOTO:

By Jason and Annette Hearle

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Summer 2019 • High Country Angler

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le Sing Handed 6

by Landon Mayer

High Country Angler • Summer 2019

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Summer 2019 • High Country Angler

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I

t is hard to beat the reward of singlehandedly fooling, hooking, and landing a quality fish after a long day’s hunt. Stalking a target in close range is not an easy task. When you can’t rely on distance for presentation, it can take you out of your comfort zone, because you do not have to use both hands in harmony. The fact is, using one hand can produce more fish in the net and prevent reaching the breaking point for those large trout that like to hold in the nooks and crannies of many waters.

One of the most common techniques I try to work on with clients is the elusive “breaking point.” There are many situations when you need to manage a healthy length of line, or cast a good distance and manage line to achieve the right drift.

However, you will experience just as many situations in which the fish is literally 20 feet in front of you, and you cannot rely on length and dual hand techniques to perform. That is when the following single-handed techniques can become more tools for you to use daily to see more fish guided into your net.

Nothing but Cork One of the biggest challenges in fly fishing is not reaching the breaking point during the fight. It all starts in the first 15 seconds of the fight with the hook set, and trying to find the right balance of too much or too little can seem impossible. I personally like to play the odds in my favor by only holding the cork handle during the drift when possible. While you will have situations when you need to keep line under a trigger finger with your

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High Country Angler • Summer 2019

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other hand pulling in or feeding out line, more than half the time you will fish with a determined amount of line that you drift to the fish for the best accuracy. You will not need the non-casting hand.

If you only hold the cork handle, set, and allow the reel to compensate, it will do its job by releasing line, allowing you to continue well into the fight with the trout.

If you keep line pinched under the trigger finger on the casting hand or pinched on your non-casting hand, you cannot react fast enough. This leads to a break off.

If you set the drag to release only when pulled out while your rod is at a convex bend, you will have the right balance of give and take during battle.

Casting from a Tower The steeple cast is most effective when there are tall structures or objects behind you on the river, preventing a normal back cast. This stroke allows you to perform a back cast that properly loads your rod and shoots the line forward 20 to 30 feet with minimal effort. Start with the rod at the normal casting position, and then lift upward at a 45-degree angle, making an abrupt stop at the 12 o’clock position (this back cast is designed to stop high, allowing the fly line to straighten out behind you without getting caught up in the obstacle that prevents you from executing a traditional cast. Stop at the 12 o’clock position, pause briefly, and then accelerate forward smoothly, stopping abruptly at the 10 o’clock position in front. I have used this casting technique in countless encounters with large trout.

Because of streamside vegetation or

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Summer 2019 • High Country Angler

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high banks along many rivers in various situations around the world, it’s impossible to make a normal back cast. Plus, a majority of the time, I am in a crouched position, afraid to move because a giant trout is in the water right in front of me. Trust me when I say these tight spots on the water get even smaller creeping into position to cast to a trophy. It’s no coincidence that these tight spots often hold the largest trout! The steeple cast is the answer to get your fly to these fish; the trick is to deliver it without causing a disruptive splash. Even a relatively minor disturbance can be enough to spook the fish of a lifetime.

Practice the cast in non-fishing situations in the grass, in a park, or on a neighborhood pond. I like to practice the cast on the river, picking a rock or structure as my target. This has definitely helped me stay on top of my game, and gives me the confidence that I can make the right presentation when it counts.

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High Country Angler • Summer 2019

Shoot Your Mends Line control is an essential skill to become a better nymphing angler. A conventional method for mending is to perform a half circle roll with the tip of the fly rod, using excess line in your non- casting hand that you can feed out during each mend to ensure a smooth drift. This does work in big water and with long drift.

In tight quarters, with short drifts, it can take too long and prevent the correct drift or accuracy of a presentation. This is when shoot mending with a “micro second wrist” as Doug Swisher taught us in the classic Scientific Angler Mastery Series videos is in order. I can still hear his voice in my head every time I use his techniques.

With single-hand casting, you turn your wrist up or down river with the bottom of the reel pointing upstream toward your target. Then with the rod out in front of you, following the

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fly as they drift, perform a quick flick with the rod tip like your are throwing a small cast up or down river.

This will throw a loop of line like a small cast in the direction you want. Using the “micro second wrist” you can literally shoot two or three quick mends during a drift without pulling the flies out of the drifting lane. For consistent current speed, perform the mend upstream to manage a good drift.

Swing Before you Cast I am a fan of allowing the use of tension when delivering sub surface imitations to trout. The term “drag free drift” is misleading, because so many time the flies are not drag-free like the fly line and leaders are on the surface. Instead, the presentation in this portion of the video is used with tension to allow control and accuracy while triggering a strike, or matching the natural movement of a meal that is dead or alive, drifting in the current. When you master the art of sight fishing, you will not only hook more trout, you will learn so much more from seeing their feeding behavior first hand.

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High Country Angler • Summer 2019

The more you fish, the more you build the skill of hand/eye coordination. Just remember on the water, it does not have to be two hands. The focus of single hand techniques can add to your tool box and give you more opportunities to fool fish in high quarters.

About The Author Landon Mayer is a veteran Colorado guide and author of several books, including the recently released The Hunt for Giant Trout, from Stackpole Books. He has co-produced 2 fly fishing DVDs with John Barr, both available from Mad Trout Media. Visit Landon’s website at www.landonmayer.com and follow him on Instagram @landonmayerflyfishing.

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Meeker’s Gold: The White River

W

hen I hear the term “wilderness,” I’m reminded of early reads like Call of The Wild, childhood movies like The Adventures of the Wilderness Family and of course, then I want to go exploring, fly rod in hand! That’s the kind of thing that gets my heart pumping, so it’s a no-brainer that the White River comes to mind. No not Arkansas’ White

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High Country Angler • Summer 2019

River, but Colorado’s White River in Rio Blanco Country in the Northwest.

Setting up home base in Meeker, anglers will enjoy a handful of lodging options from inns and bed and breakfasts, to camps and lodges; Meeker has something for everybody. Settled in the White River Valley, Meeker was founded in 1883 following the Ute War. You can

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BY BRIAN LA RUE

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BY JASON AND ANNETTE HEARLE

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High Country Angler • Summer 2019

learn about the town’s wild frontier history in the White River Museum.

Known for amazing outdoor activities, Meeker offers award-winning hunting and fishing depending on the season. Fly fishing is why I’m here, so let’s break down the White River: Beginning in the headwaters, the river is formed by the North Fork and the South Fork coming together near Buford. The headwaters include the Flat Tops Region with Wall Lake and Trappers Lake, but let’s save the Flat Tops for a future feature and focus on the stretch in the valley and around Meeker—just a small sampling of its total 195 miles as it winds its way to join the Green.

I started researching the White River for this feature in mid-April, when flows were running about 300 CFS. As I made calls, reached out to friends, and made some new ones in Meeker, the flows went from 300 CFS to 1,400 CFS in a matter of a couple of days, so by now—as you read this article--- flows are probably still a bit up if not leveling off and soon to be in prime shape for an outing. But c’mon right—where do you fish and what flies should you use?

For starters, I was told by numerous folks—ok a handful of the 2,500 or so individuals that call Meeker home that is, “The White River’s rainbows and browns are not shy and they can grow to great sizes, but don’t think you’re going to come in here and fish tiny midges and small nymphs to catch your typical Colorado trout.

Fish to these guys with larger tippets and bigger bugs like you’re fishing to Wyoming’s trout, and you’ll do well.”

From June through winter, the White can be amazing. It really fishes well year- round with runoff being the only thing that might challenge you with the usual tough wading, and offcolor, low visibility conditions.

As flows get back to normal though, stock up on mayflies like PMDs in white and yellow in sizes 12 to 18. Caddis are also on the menu www.HCAezine.com

early through October with larger 10s -14s producing. Carry olive, green, tan, orange and black. Have a Hemmingway or Missing Link Caddis in tow, as well. Black is a key color on the river, as you’ll see!

The terrestrial and stonefly hatch gets going early, with huge bugs working early and often. Don’t count out attractors, either. Some of my favorite choices that worked on Jackson Hole areas’ waters will do the trick here, just as Meeker folks suggested. So, carry yellow and tan golden stones in #814, and a yellow Sally from #12- 18.

Why do I keep mentioning how similar the hatch and fly section is to our friends to the north? That’s because even terrestrials will work from about late May through the first freeze. So, throw ants, beetles, and hoppers early and often. Fan out, cover lots of water—this is the type of river where every fishy spot will produce aggressive strikes, and typically, the fish you are catching run 15 to 18 inches.

Some of my favorite big dries in this category included black and tan ants, black, purple and blue beetles; or tie on a variety of black and orange crickets and hoppers. Pink and purple patterns like the Umpqua Amy’s Ant, any rubber-legged stimulator, a chubby, or of course when you think of purple, try a purple haze too. Always have some green drakes or red quills as well. If you find yourself out before the surface bite heats up, try your standard Pat’s Rubber legs or a beadhead Prince Nymph.

My friends Jason and Annette Hearle fished it last summer, and Annette caught what most would consider a brown of a lifetime. They were fishing a number of fly patterns, covered much of the water, and enjoyed warm conditions wearing short sleeves as Annette connected with the sizeable brown you see in their photos. No exact bugs or locations were shared….just the way we like it.

Have more confidence in tiny bugs?

Okay, you can fish smaller midges and www.HCAezine.com

BWOs in the colder months when that’s what it will take to move fish in chilly water. But let’s focus on the now and where to fish.

Access is free and easy. Follow Highway 13 or County Road 8 around Meeker and Buford to see obvious points to try your luck. Some venture out on dirt roads or go down river from Meeker to escape what little crowd you will ever see on the river.

Watch for posted signs for private property, but for the most part—access points and campgrounds are well posted.

Some key points to try and include are Nelson Prather, Meeker City Park, the bridge at Road 10, Fawn Creek, Big Beaver and Lost Creek. Again, these are smaller county roads with little to no traffic, nothing like many of the other rivers in Colorado that are paralleled by major highways.

After talking with the staff at the Meeker Chamber, anglers can also look forward to a new fishing program

coming to the area. The chamber will be spending a significant amount of money on new access fishing signage to help anglers add the White River to their own maps for years to come.

One last factor to consider! I’ve now heard it from Jason, Meeker locals, and a few other anglers I talked with when mentioning that I was writing this story. Everybody said, “don’t know if it’s because it takes work to get to the water, a longer drive to get there/here from the metro areas, if it’s the bug population or the quality of the freestone water, but the White River offers some of the biggest trout on average when compared to the other rivers in the Rocky Mountain Region. With counts in the 2,000 fish per mile level and a good population of photo-worthy fish, six-pound rainbows and double-digit browns showing with some regularity, the White River is pretty special.”

Bottom line: Meeker is more known for its fall big game hunting

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while the fishery remains nearly undiscovered, waters uncrowded and full of willing trout. Are you going to discover this northwest option this summer?

It’s an amazing fishery and we haven’t even covered the upper reaches heading into the Flat Tops— Let’s save that for next time! For now, plan a trip, stay a couple nights and reach out to the friendly folks at Elk Haven Colorado (https://elkhavencolorado. com/lodging/) or the Ute Lodge (https://www.utelodge.com/). If you happen to fall in love with the idea of an affordable vacation or retirement home along the river, reach out to Suzan Pelloni at Sotheby’s (https://suzanpelloni.steamboatsir.com/eng) —she’s the Meeker expert and can take care of your real estate needs. Share your fishing photos when you get back, hit us up on Facebook or Instagram and give us a follow. Good luck!

About The Author High Country Angler contributor Brian La Rue enjoys giving fly fishers ideas of where to go for an adventure. Feel free to reach out to Brian at Brian@hcamagazine. com if you want your lodge or guide service featured in an upcoming promotional marketing plan.

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High Country Angler • Summer 2019

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19

Tips & Tactics for Fly Fishing During Runoff

A

pril Showers bring May flowers, but they also can make spring fly fishing a serious challenge! Much of the Western United States received an exceptional amount of snow this past winter, exceeding 150% of the average in many basins, and the rivers are already starting to

swell with what is certain to be a long and intense run-off. With the warmer spring temperatures and the appearance of the first sizable swarms of mayflies, caddis, and stoneflies of the year, the fish are hungry after a long winter and spring fly fishing can be amazing if you are able to adapt to run-off.

Hug the Edges

river grinds along the boulders, roots, and logs that line the streambank. It's not uncommon during run The high energy flows of run-off force the trout to off to find the majority of trout holding within 3 - 5 look for cover. Some of the best cover to be found in feet from the bank of the river, so Hug the Banks with any river is going to be along the shallow edges as the your casts as you fish this Spring.

Big Flows Require Big Tippet & Leaders High flows and off-color waters mean that fish are less likely to be leader-shy, and 1X - 4X leader and tippet may be necessary to help you fight the current and get the fish to the net.

About The Author Peter Stitcher is an Aquatic Biologist and owner of Ascent Fly Fishing. Originator of the Biologist Crafted Fly Selection, Peter and his team build their clients’ fly selections specific to the bugs in the waters they fish, when they fish them. You can contact Peter or restock your fly box at: www.ascentflyfishing.com.

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High Country Angler • Summer 2019

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Pictured above: Black Stonefly Nymph (left) & Beadhead Wired Stone (right)

Go Big or Go Home

Embrace the Dark Side

Trout need to see your flies if they are going to eat them. Spring rains and melting snow add fresh dirt and debris to the river, while the powerful runoff flows flush last season’s silt and algae up into the water column. The result is chocolate milk like water color in which our little flies disappear in the flowing cloud of silt and debris.

To overcome the visibility hurdle we need to exaggerate the size of our flies, tying on fly patterns as much as 2-3 hook sizes larger than the insects we sample on and around the water.

The final piece to making your flies visible to feeding trout during runoff is going dark. In the mud-stained flows of run-off, black flies, dark brown, dark green, and purple fly patterns maintain a sharp crisp profile that makes them pop out to feeding trout. Embrace the Dark Side and tie on the darkest flies in your box this Spring!

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Don't let runoff keep you away from the river this Spring!

The trout are hungry, the fair-weather fly fishers are still at home, and when you see the Ascent Fly Fishing truck next to the river, you are welcome to fish with me!

Summer 2019 • High Country Angler

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Something About Stoneflies

T

here’s something about stoneflies that gets my motor running. They have sex appeal, in as much as is possible for a prehistoric, ungainly, four-winged, six legged creature with probing antennae can, and I’ll admit to occasionally going to some effort—wading neck-deep through frigid water, scrambling hundreds of feet high over precarious bluffs— to seek them out. But not just any stonefly.

When it comes to this particular predilection, size definitely matters. Of all the stoneflies out there, none are sexier than Pteronarcys, the big, hulking salmon flies. I do need to admit to a shameless duplicity, because ultimately it is not the bugs themselves that I am really after, but the fish who feed on them—rather like making friends with the plain looking girl in the hope of getting to know her good-looking friend.

Just like no one told the bumble bee they can’t fly, according to the laws of physics as we understand them, so too do salmon flies push the boundaries of aerodynamics. Their ungainly flight and heavy, clumsy water landings make them low-hanging fruit to a trout looking for a serious shot of protein. June is the month they are most active in these parts, and as such their emergence is inexorably associated with summer. After months of nymphing with thread- wrapped hooks along icy banks, and braving the elements tying on size 22 blue wings with frozen, cracked fingertips, squinting in vain to see your fly against the steel-grey river, it is hard not to feel a certain exhilaration at tying on a bright orange dry fly the size of a hummingbird and slapping it hard against the water where it meets a cliff face.

I find myself going to lengths greater than I would otherwise for the opportunity to fish a salmon fly hatch. On certain rivers it is often the only time of year the really big fish will deign to feed off the surface. I’ve pulled off Indiana Jones-style climbing maneuvers with my 5wt gripped between my teeth, 24

High Country Angler • Summer 2019

waded naked and nipple-deep in water so cold I’d blend right in at a eunuch convention, and taken short cuts through groves of poison ivy—all in the name of getting to where the bugs, by rights, should be.

And of course, sometimes they’re not. Like all the inhabitants of trout streams anywhere, they move to their own rhythms and cycles about which we can theorize, but ultimately remain ignorant about. In this respect, they are no different than may flies or caddis, and many is the angler who has planned, prepared, and plotted, and still gets it wrong. Yet the memory of timing a salmon fly hatch lingers longer than do blue wings or caddis, and the desire to return to try again the next year is undiminished, if not enhanced, by the experience of coming up emptyhanded.

And then there is the gentleman’s hours the salmon fly keeps. They fit well with an angler who likes to sit late in camp, over-imbibing a little, safe in the knowledge that he or she won’t need to be up at the crack of dawn to catch the hatch. Stoneflies like the feel of the warmth of the sun on their back before lift off, having crawled from the depths of the river to emerge into their brave new world the previous night. In flight, it’s like no one reads them the flight manual, or if so, skipped the chapters about gracefulness, avoiding large objects and how to land with subtlety. Airborne, they somehow manage to look like they are tethered to an invisible load, fighting a knife-edged battle with gravity. And yet, despite their apparent clumsiness, they have been quite happily doing what they do for untold millennia, considerably more than we, as a species, can claim.

I once woke from an afternoon nap beneath the shade of a riverside box elder, a smooth slab of granite my mattress. Upon waking, the trunk and branches of the box elder above me appeared to www.HCAezine.com

have fattened, quietly moving and pulsing to a slow, deliberate rhythm. I briefly wondered if I’d woken up in the middle of that Dead concert in ‘89, my supposed life a mere extension of an electric kool aid-induced mind game.

Fortunately my eyes dragged into focus, revealing the entire tree a mass of stoneflies, driven silently from the heat of the day to the same shade that had drawn me, where they quietly and without self consciousness went about the business of procreation, their single minded and unobtrusive commitment to the species’ immortality.

There’s lots we could learn from their example. Mind your own business. Hot afternoons riverside are for slumber and / or procreation. And make the most of the hand you are dealt, no matter how goofy you might look playing it.

Hayden Mellsop Fly ďŹ shing guide. Real Estate guide.

About The Author Hayden Mellsop is an expat New Zealander living in the mountain town of Salida, Colorado, on the banks of the Arkansas River.

As well as being a semiretired fly fishing guide, he juggles helping his wife raise two teenage daughters, along with a career in real estate.

www.HCAezine.com

Recreation, residential, retirement, investment.

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Summer 2019 • High Country Angler

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FROM THE COLORADO TU DIRECTOR • CAM CHANDLER

A Letter from the President

C

olorado Trout Unlimited has a strong record of accomplishment throughout our 50-year history. The defeat of the proposed Two Forks dam and current projects to restore native cutthroats to their home waters are just two examples of our past and current success. I hope each of you share my pride in these types of accomplishments. That said, what keeps so many of us committed to TU is the friendships and camaraderie we build through shared experiences and values, as part of the TU community.

This edition of High Country Angler includes various articles describing how the Colorado TU community of anglers are benefitting larger communities through dedication, conservation and education. For example, Dick Shinton’s article on the Colorado TU Youth River Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp describes the community of camp volunteers and alumni that built strong personal relationships that have carried on years after the week they shared together at camp. Kirk Klancke’s article shares how the Grand County community has rallied around a shared goal of “Save the Fraser”— through volunteerism and community events like “Riverstock.” Tom Krol writes about the rewards of working

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High Country Angler • Summer 2019

in community through boots-onthe-ground conservation projects with the Wild Trout Chapter (now Denver Chapter). Todd Fehr and John Davenport describe the community of anglers that is growing in the Denver metro area to create a “home waters” ethos for the South Platte River through events like the Carp Slam and river restoration projects.

Whether hunting a spinner fall, planting willows or drifting through a riffle, time spent on a river with others who share a common love of clean, cold water is richly rewarding. If you haven’t had the chance to take part in your local TU community—do it! Check your local chapter’s website or Facebook page, reach out to the chapter president and find an opportunity to get involved.

Your efforts will be well worth it. You’ll also have some fun and make new friends in the process.

Enjoy this edition of High Country Angler and then get outside for what is shaping up as a great summer in Colorado!

Tight lines and wet feet.

Cam Chandler is the President of Colorado Trout Unlimited and a past president of the Cutthroat Chapter.

www.HCAezine.com

GETS DIRTY. KEEPS RIVERS CLEAN. We donate 1% of all Upslope Craft Lager can sales to our local Trout Unlimited chapter. Because two of our favorite things in this world are beer and fishing.

And you can’t have either without clean water.

www.HCAezine.com

#cancountry

Summer 2019 • High Country Angler

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THE HISTORY OF BOULDER BOAT WORKS

I

n the late ‘90s, a master woodworker in Boulder, Colorado named Andy Toohey wanted a new drift boat. Andy had a lifelong passion for boats and rivers and used his skills as a craftsman to build several wooden dories over the years.

The biggest drawback to doing it this way is the simple fact that when wood and rock meet there are problems. If you have spent much or any time on the rivers here in Colorado, boats encounter rocks constantly. “I wanted a drift boat that would be lighter, quieter, more durable and last longer,” said Toohey.

Taking inspiration from the plastic whitewater kayaks that are seemingly ubiquitous on our local rivers, he hatched a plan that would stand the drift boat industry on its head. After crafting multiple prototypes, Toohey settled on what is today the Pro Guide High Side, based off the classic McKenzie river dories from Oregon. With this design he created a company to bring his vision to anglers everywhere, and Boulder Boat Works was born. Over the years, the design evolved to create a low-sided model for the flatter, windier rivers in the Northern Rockies and some of the rivers on the eastern part of the country, a two-man rowing dory for flat water, and a decked whitewater dory for big whitewater like the Grand Canyon.

More than 20 years later, Boulder Boat Works is still the first, and only company, to create a drift boat that is better in every way when it comes to the three criteria of lighter, quieter, and more durable that Andy set out to achieve.

A little over a year ago, a change in ownership

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High Country Angler • Summer 2019

brought the company to the Roaring Fork Valley near Carbondale, Colorado. The commute to the river went from at least three hours, depending on the worsening Front Range traffic, to under five minutes. A company full of fishermen and river enthusiasts, with proximity to a world class trout stream, and being within an hour of some world class whitewater, makes it a great place to build boats. Being this close to the river also has created a great atmosphere to teach new boat owners about river safety and oarsmanship skills that can be a tremendous barrier to entry for people wanting to get off the banks and into a boat. Floating is great way to get away from the crowds, and having a boat that is more durable and lighter makes it more forgiving to the new oarsman or oarswoman. We believe in innovation, and are constantly re-exploring some of the original designs as well as developing some new designs of our own. These are exciting times for Boulder Boat Works, and we look forward to continue sharing our love of rivers with those that are looking to expand their fishing options.

We are beyond excited to be working with Colorado Trout Unlimited to offer a special edition High Side Pro Guide for their 50th anniversary. The boat comes with custom 50th anniversary shields, a rower’s rope seat, sawyer oars, and a deluxe trailer. One of the biggest components to being a well-rounded and responsible angler is supporting the organizations that work to protect and restore our fisheries, and nobody does this like the good folks at CTU.

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We've never done a raffle this big! It's so big that we wanted to make sure that once you win, it's yours right then and there. That means, in addition to the boat, we're including $7,760 in cash to cover the income tax withholding! The odds to win the Colorado lottery are 1 in 5,245,786. Boat Raffle? 1 in 550. Your odds are insane! Best part? YOU have the opportunity to win this beautiful drift boat AND help CTU raise crucial funds for our work conserving, protecting, and restoring Colorado’s watersheds and wild places!

The CTU Pro Guide driftboat from Boulder Boat Works includes: Black Dog deluxe trailer

Rower's rope seat

Oarsman Dry Storage Bench

Durable polymer hull

YETI Roadie 20 backseat cooler

In-floor anchor system White Ash Interior

Sawyer Cobra Oarlocks and Shoal Cut Oars Custom CTU 50th Anniversary Metal Plaques www.HCAezine.com Summer 2019 • High Country Angler 29 Drawing Time and Place: Monday, August 19, 2019 at 12:00pm at Colorado Trout Unlimited, 1536 Wynkoop St, Suite 320, Denver, CO. Raffle Participants NEED NOT to be present to win. This raffle is conducted under Colorado Raffle License No. 2019-14255, and is open to Colorado residents ONLY.

I

n 2011, Trout Unlimited established an initiative under the National Leadership Council to engage more women and diverse groups through our chapters and councils. As part of this initiative, STREAM Girls is a program created through a partnership between Trout Unlimited and Girl Scouts of America as a way to engage young girls in STEM activities, river conservation, and fly fishing.

With support from Anadarko, Colorado Trout Unlimited (CTU) and Girl Scouts of Colorado (GSCO) hosted the first-ever STREAM Girls events in Colorado on April 13 and May 11. There was a northern and southern event in the Denver Metro area with a total of 30 Girl Scouts participating along with 24 volunteers, both women and men.

The STREAM Girls program is an outdoor watershed experience that employs STEM-education (science, technology, engineering, math) plus recreation and arts, to explore a local stream. By visiting a local stream and having the opportunity to observe it as scientists, anglers, and artists, Girl Scout juniors and cadettes come away

with a complete picture of what their stream means to them. Over the course of multiple sessions, Girl Scouts observe a stream, collect flow data, sample macro-invertebrates (aka aquatic bugs), tie flies, and learn fly casting. Using their STREAM Girls field handbooks, the Girl Scouts engage in observation, reflection and discussion about their findings around the stream.

Colorado TU is planning to continue the STREAM Girls programming across the state in partnership with Girls Scouts of Colorado. If you would like to learn more please visit: www.coloradotu.org/ stream-girls Parent Quote: "I want to tell you thank you for organizing this incredible event!

My husband was very impressed; he wants to take our Brownie daughter when she has the age to attend. Her leader said it was the best event she has ever had, so well organized she said, and Alison had so much fun and learned a lot!! She wrote a lot in her notebook, you should read it, like a real science girl."

Using fly rods, fish targets and hula hoops, Girl Scouts learned the basic mechanics of fly fishing.

Girl Scouts use yardsticks, measuring tape, and a ping pong ball to help them calculate the flow rate of the South Platte. This exercise teaches about the movement of water and how human and riparian conditions can affect that.

Cyndy Scholz, the Women/Diversity Initiative coordinator of our Cutthroat Chapter and Education Co-Director for the Colorado Women Flyfishers, helps Girl Scouts collect streamside rocks to search for macroinvertebrates!

Margot Iwanchuk, the great-grandniece of Girl Scout's founder Juliette Gordon Low, leads a friendship circle with the Girl Scouts to close out the day. The circle symbolizes the passing of friendship on to the next person in the form of a gentle squeeze, reminding us that we are all connected to each other. Together they sing "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, the other is gold. A circle is round, it has no end. That’s how long, I want to be your friend." When the song is done, everyone spins out by uncrossing their arms.

Using a dichotomous key, Girl Scouts observe and categorize macroinvertebrate bug life to measure the abundance and diversity to determine the stream's health.

While on the search for macroinvertebrate life around the river, a girl scout finds a crayfish.

Girl Scouts bring a seine net out to the river to help collect macroinvertebrate life from the bed of the river.

A girl scout holds her survey flag up in the air, identifying healthy stream ingredient number 7 out of 9, the sky.

Volunteers help the Girl Scouts navigate the river.

Girl Scouts are introduced to flies and basic fly tying techniques.

Girl Scouts get to see the connections between the flies that they tied and the bug life they observed near the river. A large Salmon Fly (Nymph) collected from the rocks was an exciting find for the girls!

Girl Scouts get a quick lesson about the South Platte watershed before setting out to the river.

ENERGIZE C O L O R A D O At Anadarko, we deeply care about the communities we call home. Operating in a sustainable manner and giving back is our responsibility, and our commitment.

www.anadarko.com

www.HCAezine.com

Summer 2019 • High Country Angler

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50 YEARS PROTECTING RIVERS

From Concerts to Willow Planting: Building Community Around Rivers

By Kirk Klancke

H

ere in Grand County, we face serious health issues with our rivers. With both the Adams and Moffat Tunnels tapping our waterways, Grand County is more heavily impacted by transbasin diversions than any other county in Colorado. The fortunate part of facing these issues is that it enhances our ability to engage our citizens. For us, engagement has been a two-part process: educating people about our rivers and the threats facing them, and then involving them in volunteer activities to protect and

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High Country Angler • Summer 2019

restore the rivers.

Throughout federal, state and local permitting processes for projects affecting our rivers, we have held well-attended community seminars to educate and activate our older citizens. Newspaper articles to reach this same age group are well-read in our community paper. A different group of younger community members have been engaged through a series of educational rock concerts called “Riverstock” where local bands performed in a festival setting built around celebrating our www.HCAezine.com

AND WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED!

rivers and their central role in our community. From these events we successfully recruited millennials to serve on our chapter Board, and these Board members have in turn helped us reach younger age groups by better using Facebook and Instagram.

Our website and an email list are also used to educate and engage our community.

Education outreach is most effective when your audience can relate to your message. That is why it is so important that our audience in the Colorado River headwaters views our chapter as a conservation organization and not simply a fly fishing club. That has helped us engage a far broader part of our community.

In recent years, we’ve www.HCAezine.com

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Summer 2019 • High Country Angler

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High Country Angler • Summer 2019

www.HCAezine.com

provided new outlets for community members to engage through partnership conservation projects – efforts like the instream-habitat improvements and riparian restoration on the Fraser Flats reach, which also opened up a new half-mile of the river for public angling. While a professional stream restoration firm, Freestone Aquatics, took the lead on design and construction of channel improvements with heavy equipment, a large group of families and individuals of all ages turned out over multiple weekends to help harvest and then plant willows to help jump start riparian restoration in the area.

Similar riparian recovery work is continuing now on Ranch Creek, and these volunteer projects have become a great reflection of our community’s care for and relationship with its home waters.

Living in ground zero for transbasin diversions gives us a lot of opportunity for conservation work. But you don’t have to live at ground zero to have an opportunity to engage your community in a conservation project.

Every chapter has the opportunity because every chapter in Colorado lives near a stream or river that has been negatively impacted by human activities. Finding a project is the easy part. The next step is to make this project bigger than just your chapter. We’ve done that by requesting help from all the conservationminded members of our community – and indeed, www.HCAezine.com

most of our financial and volunteer help comes from community members that don’t even fly fish. Some of those non-flyfishers have gone on to join TU and our chapter.

So put your best TU foot forward and take the conservation step first. Then go fishing after you’ve completed a successful project and celebrated it with your entire community.

About The Author Kirk Klancke is President of the Colorado River Headwater Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

Summer 2019 • High Country Angler

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50 YEARS PROTECTING RIVERS

Building an Angling Community Around an Unloved River

by John Davenport and Todd Fehr

I

n 2005 when Todd Fehr joined the Denver Trout Unlimited (DTU) board, he was asked what he wanted to do as a board member. He answered, “I want to restore the South Platte River so that kids and families can get out and fish or enjoy the outdoors close to home.” The room grew silent, with disbelief on faces all around. At the time, the South Platte River in Denver wasn’t considered a place to fish. Anglers went to the mountains. We didn’t fish in a flood control project which had been wrecked by the early settlers and only recently had shown some improvement from pollution control and water treatment plants. But the DTU Board came around and recognized that it actually could have a jewel of a river in the heart of this Rocky Mountain City.

The task would be daunting

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High Country Angler • Summer 2019

and involved changing the way residents, governments, and nongovernmental organizations viewed the urban sections of the South Platte. In a “shot heard ‘round the river,” DTU funded a study to design riparian restoration and aquatic habitat on a half mile stretch at Carson Nature Center, while also satisfying all the requirements of flood control. After two years of discussions, meetings, and completion of the study, South Suburban Parks and Recreation, the City of Littleton, Urban Drainage and Flood Control (UDFC), and even the US Army Corps of Engineers embraced the results of the study and partnered with DTU to complete a pilot project. On the day the restoration project was formally dedicated, trout could be seen rising in the newly-created pools.

Following the successful pilot www.HCAezine.com

COLORADO TROUT UNLIMITED

VOLUNTEER FOR GREENBACKS THIS SUMMER! HELP WITH GREENBACK CUTTHROAT TROUT STOCKING, SPAWNING, MONITORING, HABITAT RESTORATION AND MORE! www.HCAezine.com

Learn more about the program at: Summer 2019 • High Country Angler www.coloradotu.org/native-trout

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Summer 2019 • High Country Angler

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50 YEARS PROTECTING RIVERS

project, UDFC, the City of Littleton and South Suburban Parks and Recreation District improved the balance of the two miles of South Platte in the Carson Nature Center on their own.

The question then became, how can DTU continue to fund these studies, provide matching funds for future projects, and become a stakeholder in restoration along the South Platte? In a flash of collective inspiration, the board conceived the Carp Slam Pro/Am Fly Fishing tournament in 2006. Using 46

an unloved fish to save an unloved river had a nice irony. It was our chapter’s solution to building awareness and creating a source of funding.

As our vision was taking shape in Littleton, we met additional key partners and initiated a project with the Greenway Foundation, the Overland Park Neighborhood Association, the City and County of Denver, and others to being restoring approximately two miles of river from Pasquinels’ Landing downstream through Overland Park.

The work there eventually led to other partnerships that helped renew Overland Park Pond, a place where thousands of kids have begun their outdoor experience.

With the completion of two miles of river in Littleton, and another urban enhancement success in the making, the Carp Slam was getting people to take notice generally, and fishing and recreation on the river began to become even more mainstream.

But we still had a problem with the generally accepted narrative of the Denver South Platte (DSP).

“Don’t touch the water. You

High Country Angler • Summer 2019

never know if a body will float up or your finger might drop off, ha, ha,” was typical of what you might hear from newscast, newspapers, Facebook posts and bikers and walkers on the Greenway Foundation trails along the 26 urban miles of South Platte. On the other hand, long-term anglers knew the river held wild populations of carp, bass, and catfish, and even an occasional large brown or rainbow trout.

We set out to change the narrative with newsletter stories, press releases, presentations to other chapters, trout-in-the-classroom, “Meet your River” one-on-one tours, and of course plenty of social media photos of #caughtonthesouthplatte.

At the same time, we managed to change to the reputation of the DSP carp from a “trash” fish into a prized but difficult to catch “freshwater golden bone” with the intelligence and fight of a saltwater bonefish. The quality of our carp fishery attracted the attention of author Chris Santella who included it in his volume “Fifty More Places to Fly Fish Before You Die.” The exciting runs of these large DSP carp were captured on scores of YouTube videos.

In 2016 board member John Davenport found a Trout Unlimited document detailing the placement of low-cost full-time hourly temperature sensors in headwaters to study the effects of climate change. He believed this same monitoring would work on the DSP and the board funded eight full-year hourly temperature sensors along the 26 miles of the DSP. Conventional wisdom was that the DSP was a warm-water fishery, www.HCAezine.com

AND WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED!

but DTU anglers knew that trout washed in from Bear Creek or the Chatfield Hatchery seemed to survive and grow large. Our 200,000 hourly temperature measurements and our #caughtonthesouthplatte photos have now clearly shown that the DSP is a mixed fishery supporting over 12 species, including trout.

The visibility of fly fishers from the walkways and bridges downtown has helped establish our credibility and change the narrative about the river. DTU is now included in discussions with the USACE, city planners, and developers on projects involving the river, and has helped bring the habitat issues of in-stream rock clusters, fish passage, spawning beds, LUNKER pipe embankment shelters (artificial structures mimicking undercut banks), and sediment transport into the forefront.

One key to this connection is responding during the public comment phases of projects on the river. Even though these project time lines are sometimes decades long, it is crucial to participate and stay

on the interested-parties or stake-holders list.

Sustaining an urban fishery anywhere is a challenge and the DSP is no different. But an improving multi-species fishery is proof that vision and persistence will pay off.

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John Davenport is current president and Todd Fehr is a past president of the Denver Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

www.HCAezine.com

Summer 2019 • High Country Angler

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50 YEARS PROTECTING RIVERS

Wild Trout Community in the Bygone Days

By By Tom Krol

I

n the early and mid-1990s, regrettably referred to by CTU’s Executive Director as “back in the day,” I belonged to the Wild Trout Chapter of TU. Although it was a time when chapters statewide were united in the fight to stop the stocking of the whirling-disease infected fish, my fondest memories involve rock-rolling. Being in or on or near the water, with friends nearby but not too nearby, is what I’ve always loved about TU. Our leader for most of our projects was Denny Bohon, who worked in the Forest Service’s South Platte Ranger District, and was a recipient of the Colorado TU Trout Conservation Award.

My first and most memorable restoration project was on Hoosier Creek, near the summit of Kenosha Pass, just north of

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High Country Angler • Summer 2019

U.S. 285. The creek couldn’t have been more than two feet wide in most places, except for where the banks had been degraded by mining and grazing. During its heyday in the early 1900s, the creek yielded a gold nugget said to be worth $250. When you consider that gold was priced at 20 bucks an ounce at the time, that twelve-ounce chunk would be worth about $16,000 today.

Somehow, a hardy population of cutthroats had managed to survive the onslaught of civilization, and our job was to make the creek more like home.

The riparian area looked pretty grim. There were no structures left from the mining days, but there were areas were the earth had been scraped bare, with remnants of tailings deposited long ago. In some places,

www.HCAezine.com

AND WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED!

the streambanks were heavily ground down by grazing.

It was a multiple stage project. We planted willows, laid down wattles and netting designed to promote growth, and installed substantial fencing to keep out the cattle. In the scheme of things, it wasn’t a big deal, especially compared to the work TU is doing on mine reclamation today. It was hard work, but it was fun. Corporations pay big money for team-building exercises. Ours was free. And combined with similar small projects across the state, our greater team, Colorado TU, was making a huge difference.

I’ve driven by the Hoosier Creek site dozens of times since then, and I sometimes drive up

the Forest Service road a bit to stop and look around. The area looks pristine. To paraphrase the line from the TV commercial, it looks like nothing ever happened.

I don’t dare try to mention names of the friends and colleagues who worked on Hoosier Creek for fear of leaving someone out. Not to mention, since it was “back in the day,” there are some folks I simply don’t remember. But, together, we did a good thing – and had a good time doing it.

Sure, nature can (usually) heal itself from the damage humans do, but we can often speed up the healing by decades. That’s what TU is famous for. And it’s something to be proud of.

About The

Author

Tom Krol is a pastpresident of Colorado Trout Unlimited and member of the Wild Trout Chapter (now called the Denver Chapter) of TU.

www.HCAezine.com

Summer 2019 • High Country Angler

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50 YEARS PROTECTING RIVERS

Youth Camp Celebrates its th Year

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by Colorado TU Staff

C

olorado Trout Unlimited’s River Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp celebrates its fourteenth year in June 2019. Our goal is two-fold: to give students the knowledge and skills to become stewards of coldwater fisheries, consistent with Trout Unlimited’s mission and goals, and to teach attendees to become proficient fly fishers and fly tyers. Students age 14-18 learn the basics of stream entomology, stream hydrology, water quality, trout biology and pathology, invasive species, habitat management and improvement, and Colorado water law, in addition to basic fly fishing and tying skills. The camp’s capacity is 20 students, and both boys and girls attend from every part of Colorado, and occasionally from out of

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High Country Angler • Summer 2019

state. Colorado TU chapters often provide financial support for attendees who could otherwise not afford the $500 tuition.

Camp graduates have gone on to graduate from college with degrees in environmental engineering, fisheries management, forestry, and many other fields.

A former camper formed his own guide service; several have worked as guides during their college years. Another works for a major supplier of fly tying materials; she has also been recognized with a CTU Outstanding Volunteer award for her service as a youth counselor, and now as a regular camp staff member.

Camp grads work for the US Forest Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and other public and private conservation organizations. Students have served

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AND WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED!

FULL COLOR

on Colorado TU boards. A 2006 camp graduate authored a resolution in favor of water conservation that was passed by the Colorado legislature and signed by the governor. Two campers have attended TU’s Teen Summit, an annual leadership conference for teens who have proven their commitment to TU’s mission. The CTU Youth Camp has made an impact on several hundred teens and they have gone on to make positive impacts on the world we share.

The camp is a tie that binds the men and women, young and old,

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volunteer their time. Counselors include fly shop staff, guides, retired professionals, and TU chapter board members and officers. Two counselors have been associated with the camp for more than 10 years, providing continuity while helping implement new ideas and methods.

Presenters come from Trout Unlimited, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and other conservation organizations, as well as CPW hatchery staff and local and federal government organizations.

Outstanding campers who demonstrate leadership skills are invited back as youth counselors.

Camp venues are provided at low cost by lodges, resorts, and ranches, and they often provide some services at no charge.

Camps have been held at Peace attendees and staff, in a commu- Ranch near Basalt, Beaver Run nity of purpose and fellowship Trout Ranch near Aspen, High around fly fishing and conserva- Lonesome Ranch near DeBeque, tion. Most camp staff members Bar NI Ranch near Stonewall, remain in contact with some and currently at Silent Spring students who attended during Resort near Almont.

The camp was founded in their tenure. Some relationships are maintained via social media, 2006 by former Trout Unlimited others are based on social occa- National Trustee Sharon Lance sions, and many involve regular and Larry Quilling, Past Presifishing expeditions. One of the dent of Boulder Flycasters Chapmost rewarding outcomes are ter. It is their legacy that prothe lasting friendships that de- vides the inspiration to make the CTU River Conservation and velop among campers.

The camp has no paid staff— Fly Fishing Youth Camp among all counselors and presenters the best in the nation.

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High Country Angler • Summer 2019

www.HCAezine.com

2018

TROUT UNLIMITED IN COLORADO

coloradotu.org

501 (c)(3) nonprofit

tu.org

organization

CONSERVING, PROTECTING, RESTORING Colorado’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds ANNUAL FIELD NOTES est. 1969

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Tr o u t U n l i m i t e d & C o l o r a d o Tr o u t U n l i m i t e d

24 pgs/Full Color

Summer 2019 • High Country Angler

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

O

ne of the founders of Trout Unlimited (TU), Art Neumann, famously said, “Take care of the fish, and the fishing will take care of itself.” I am pleased to say that Colorado Trout Unlimited (CTU) has continued to “take care of the fish” and in the process has benefited our rivers and streams, our local communities and, of course, our fishing.

This past year, I’ve had the chance to look at the work of TU in Colorado through several different lenses – seeing it through the eyes of an angler, a volunteer and a donor.

As an angler, I’m excited to see some of the successes TU has achieved in protecting important areas and setting the stage for improved fishing in others. In 2018, CTU was part of a landmark victory in the Aspen area to protect Maroon and Castle Creeks from proposed dams; TU coordinated important flow partnerships that have helped shore up in-stream flows in the Rio Grande River; and many of our chapters demonstrated leadership and commitment by engaging anglers and water users to respect our fisheries during a hot, dry summer that put many trout populations at significant risk.

On waterways across Colorado, TU is indeed taking care of the fish and thereby improving the fisheries and the opportunities that all anglers and water lovers can enjoy.

As a volunteer, it has been so rewarding to be part of a community of conservationists that are giving back to our waters. Last year, working alongside many hundreds of other volunteers, we generated more than 45,000 hours of service – the equivalent of more than 22 full-time employees working year-round. From stream cleanups to habitat improvement projects, from water quality monitoring programs to stocking of native trout for recovery projects – our chapters and volunteers provide the grassroots manpower needed to get things done. Our volunteer efforts are at the heart of what makes TU in Colorado so effective.

As a donor, I appreciate the strong return on investment that I see from my financial contributions.

By securing matching grants and corporate donations, partnering with allies like Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and leveraging the hard work of our volunteers, TU in Colorado has generated more than $9 in conservation impact on each dollar individuals like me contributed over the past year. If only my investment portfolio could perform at that rate!

LEVERAGING YOUR DOLLAR

$587,000 individual and corporate donations were made in 2018, which were leveraged by other sources totaling $3.92 million plus sweat equity of $1.21 million – meaning each dollar was leveraged nearly 9 times over.

Every $1 contribution to TU in Colorado is turned into $9 towards conservation work across the state.

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High Country Angler • Summer 2019

I hope you will spend some time reading about some of our accomplishments from 2018 that are summarized in the following pages. As you do, I trust you’ll share my pride in what we have accomplished – and my ambition for all we can accomplish in the future, working together.

To our members, donors and partners whose contributions and involvement have made our successes possible, I say, thank you! And for those of you thinking about becoming involved, we’ve got a place for you to truly make a difference for Colorado’s rivers and watersheds – join us! CTU has been making Colorado’s watersheds and fishing better for 50 years.

With your continued support I can say with assurance: “We’re just getting started!”

Tight lines and wet feet, Cam Chandler President, Colorado Trout Unlimitedwww.HCAezine.com

Your Guide Around the State

CHAPTERS

FEATURED STORIES A Demand Management/Tomichi

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B Upper Rio Grande Basin Project

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C River Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp

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D Maroon and Castle Creek Victories

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E Thompson Divide Settlement

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F Community River Cleanup

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G San Juan Lineage Discovery

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H Restoring Native Trout

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Restoring Native Trout To Poudre Headwaters

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J Learning by Doing for the Upper Colorado River

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K TU, JeffCO, Students Team up to Help North Fork South Platte

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L Restoring the Animas

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M Illinois Gulch Mine Restoration

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N Evans Mine Restoration

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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Alpine Anglers Boulder Flycasters Cherry Creek Anglers Collegiate Peaks Colorado River Headwaters Cutthroat Denver Trout Unlimited Dolores River Anglers Eagle Valley Evergreen Ferdinand Hayden Five Rivers Gore Range Anglers Grand Valley Anglers Gunnison Angling Society Gunnison Gorge Anglers Pikes Peak Purgatoire River Anglers Rocky Mountain Flycasters San Luis Valley Southern Colorado Greenback St. Vrain Anglers West Denver Yampa Valley Fly Fishers

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NUMBERS ACROSS COLORADO

TOTAL VOLUNTEER HOURS:

49,009 48

VETERANS PROGRAMS:

ACTIVE CHAPTERS:

103

YOUTH PROGRAMS:

CONSERVATION PROJECTS:

12,039

GRASSROOTS MEMBERS:

24

PROFESSIONAL STAFF MEMBERS:

69

VOLUNTEER VALUE:

26

$1,210,032*

*based on Independent Sector's value of volunteer time in 2018 of $24.69 per hour.

Stream Management Planning

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ncluded as a core component of the Colorado Water Plan, Stream Management Plans (SMPs) aim to identify essential environmental and recreational flow needs for “priority” stream reaches, with an eye to improving flows and habitat through collaborative water management with other water users. Such plans may also help identify priority needs for river restoration and promote opportunities for multibenefit partnerships among conservationists, recreationists, agricultural producers, and other stakeholders.

CTU and Trout Unlimited have been heavily active in the development of SMPs throughout the state – including in the South Platte River Drainage, Blue River,

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San Miguel, St. Vrain, Upper Gunnison, San Luis Valley, and the Colorado River. In the past two years, there have been sixteen major stream management planning efforts occurring on priority rivers throughout the state, with another 8-10 slated to come online in 2019. These processes empower local communities to identify critical water supply gaps, environmental concerns, recreational needs, and project opportunities within the basin.

Funding from the Colorado Water Conservation Board, water users, government agencies, and foundations is leveraged to generate the latest scientific studies that help decision-makers prioritize and implement critical water-related projects. •

High Country Angler • Summer 2019

In 2018, Trout Unlimited helped local communities and river districts to develop and manage SMP grants totaling over $500,000, while also providing critical technical support to ongoing efforts. As the state’s leading coldwater fisheries organization, TU and local chapters continue to engage in the SMP process and ensure long-term protection and enhancement of rivers throughout Colorado. www.HCAezine.com

WAT E R PA R T N E R S H I P S

Demand Management/Tomichi

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s most TU members know well, the Colorado River is experiencing a major water supply crisis. The Colorado – originating as snowmelt from the high mountains of its namesake state and also draining parts of Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California – provides water to 40 million people in the western United States.

Because of water over-use and a drying climate, the Colorado River has not reached its mouth at the Sea of Cortez for many years. The problems facing the Colorado River have come into sharper focus in recent years as water levels have plummeted in Lakes Mead and Powell, the two major storage reservoirs serving the Colorado River system. The “head-in-thesand” era is now over.

Water managers across the seven states of the Colorado River Basin are working actively to craft long-term solutions to the water supply problem on the Colorado River. The leading idea in the discussion of the Colorado River water supply problem is “demand management” – or, more simply, using less water – and over the past five years, water leaders have advanced programs designed to encourage reduced water usage. Specifically, from 2013 through 2018, the System Conservation Pilot Program (SCPP) provided funding to water users who agreed to forego water consumption. The seven basin states, the federal government, private foundations, and several large municipal water providers who depend on the Colorado River, including Denver Water, provided the funding for the program. The concept behind the SCPP was to answer the question of whether water users would be willing to accept compensation for water conservation efforts.

Creek in exchange for cash payments that TU arranged through SCPP as well as grants from the state of Colorado and the local water conservancy district. The six ranches are located immediately above the Tomichi State Wildlife Area, and when the ranches all stopped diverting water on July 1, there was a significant increase in flows in Tomichi Creek, providing a benefit to the fishery during this hot and dry summer.

Early this year, the sponsors of the SCPP announced that 2018 would be the final year of the pilot program.

While this is disappointing, the good news is that there remains a strong commitment amongst water users and the Colorado River Basin states to establishing a permanent demand management program. TU will be heavily involved in helping to set up the program and in working with our friends in the agricultural community to implement it once it is in place. •

The answer was a resounding “yes,” and TU was an active player in establishing that fact. Leaning on strong relationships with the agricultural community, during the course of the SCPP, TU acted as a broker between farmers and ranchers and the SCPP program.

We helped to set up more SCPP contracts in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming than any other single entity.

For example, on lower Tomichi Creek in the Gunnison River Basin, TU enrolled six ranches into the SCPP during the 2018 irrigation season.

The ranches agreed to turn off their irrigation diversions from Tomichi

5 WAT E R PA R T N E R S H I P S

Chapter Spotlight - San Luis Valley: Drought Response

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ue to significant drought and high water temperatures throughout Colorado, Summer and Fall were extremely tough on fish this year. With some rivers reaching well over 72-degrees Fahrenheit, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) issued numerous voluntary and mandatory closures.

Colorado TU and several chapters around the state took immediate action when the low flows and extreme heat started to make an impact. Numerous chapters stepped up and wrote letters to their local papers, published print and radio ads, and worked with local fly shops to inform anglers (and tourists) about the water quality concerns. Many recommended voluntary closures before they were in effect and called on fishermen to follow best practices for drought conditions.

Colorado Trout Unlimited supported chapter efforts with the creation of the Trout Thermometer, which was utilized in papers and media communications throughout the state. In some instances, CTU partnered with groups like the San Luis Valley Chapter to distribute stream temperature loggers that helped local groups make datadriven requests for voluntary closures and monitor critical streams that hold native trout.•

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rado 79% of Colo and sportsmen l women cal themselves nists. conservatio - 2018 State

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ies Project

of the Rock

A Trifecta for Conservation Funding!

he 2018 Colorado legislative session was highlighted by three key victories for investing in our state’s fish, wildlife, and public lands. The Hunting and Fishing for Future Generations Act approved modest fee increases to Colorado anglers, hunters and park visitors, so that Colorado Parks and Wildlife will have the resources they need to keep Colorado's fishing, hunting, and parks great. Lottery reauthorization for another 25 years maintains the funding stream that supports Great Outdoors Colorado, through which Coloradans invest in parks, wildlife and open space. That benefits not only our quality of life but also supports jobs and economic development statewide. Finally, the Mussel-Free Colorado Act created an aquatic nuisance species stamp for the operation of motorboats and sailboats in waters of the state, to help fund aquatic nuisance species control programs, as well as increasing penalties related to the introduction of aquatic nuisance species into the waters of the state.

Funding efforts for Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Aquatic Nuisance Species failed in their first Senate committee in 2017. So Colorado TU and its members and chapters – including the Cutthroat Chapter whose territory included districts for two critical Senate Committee members – put on a full-court press to support these vital bills to invest in our great outdoors. Letters and calls to the capitol, press coverage, and in-person meetings with legislators all helped make a difference in generating the broad, bipartisan support needed to pass these bills. Combined, the three measures help ensure that Colorado can continue to invest in our fish, wildlife, and public lands - so we can "keep it Colorado!" • WAT E R PA R T N E R S H I P S & A DVO C AC Y

Upper Rio Grande Basin Program

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ince 2013, TU’s Colorado Water and Habitat Program has worked to improve water management, increase flows, and restore habitat throughout Colorado’s Upper Rio Grande Basin. Our program relies on innovative measures and diverse partnerships to benefit not only trout, but farmers, ranchers, and local businesses alike.

The highlight of our work in the Upper Rio Grande Basin is our flow program.

Under the flow program, TU moves water into storage reservoirs on the Rio Grande and Conejos Rivers through leases or other free-market arrangements. We then release the water to the rivers during winter months when flows historically have been depleted. The program depends on the trust and strong relationships we have built with agricultural water managers in the basin over the past five years.

The winter flow program has improved flows in the

Rio Grande and Conejos Rivers during each winter since 2014. During the winter of 2017 and 2018, the winter flow program released over 4,000 acre-feet of water, at times amounting to more than 10% of the flow in the Rio Grande at the state line. In the absence of these efforts, winter flows in the Conejos would have been 7 cfs or lower, and there could be no water in the Rio Grande at all. In addition to restoring streamflows, the winter flow program benefits the agricultural producers who participate in it by increasing the options available to them. The program has now become an integral piece to solving the San Luis Valley’s groundwater crisis by providing replacement water to the sub-districts that have formed to pursue groundwater sustainability. •

in Terry

Kev Photo Credit:

TU is involved in multiple efforts to restore habitat and Rio Grande cutthroat trout populations in the Upper Rio Grande Basin. TU has completed several phases of restoration work on Jim Creek, an important Rio Grande cutthroat trout stream in Conejos County. Under a partnership with the National Park Service, TU is also managing a Rio Grande cutthroat trout reclamation project on Sand Creek in the Great Sand Dunes National Park. This project will not only be vital to the future of the species, but will also create an opportunity for the public to enjoy the fish in a pristine wilderness setting.

7 WAT E R PA R T N E R S H I P S

Youth Education & Outdoor Experiences

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outh camps provide unique opportunities for younger generations of anglers to increase their skill, knowledge, and network. In addition to providing hands-on casting workshops and bug identification techniques, these events inspire local youth to be the conservationists of tomorrow and to build life-long friendships with peers across the state. Colorado TU and more than a dozen chapters supported youth camp programs in Colorado in 2018. Some groups led “fishing days” at local outdoor camps, while the Rocky Mountain Flycasters Chapter and Colorado TU hosted two weeklong programs.

From June 10 to June 16, teens from across Colorado came together at the Silent Spring Resort in Almont, CO, for the 10th Annual Colorado TU River Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp. Organized by CTU staff and volunteers, the week-long camp offers unique, hands-

on opportunities to learn about bugs, hydrology, flytying, casting, knots, reading water, and safe wading techniques. Campers also enjoyed presentations from outside speakers that included: water law, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, a tour of ranch land near Gothic, CO by the Crested Butte Land Trust, and a walk-through of the Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery. The week was capped off with a willow-planting project on the Gunnison River, some great fishing, and a private screening of the Fly Fishing Film Tour, made possible

by Mayfly Media. In addition to becoming better anglers, these young adults learned the importance of conservation and the impact it has on their favorite waters. •

"I give to Trout Unlimited because the places and the people TU touch are important to me. I was raised with the work ethic of 'if you see something that needs to be done, do it'.

We each need to decide what is important to us and protect it. The places that my husband and I fly fish are our meditation and tranquility, it's where we are one with nature. That's why we give both our time and financial support to TU. The single most compelling reason I give my time to youth is because it's fun. Young people inspire and energize me. As a culture we continually generalize generational behavior, but when you spend time with individual young people, you quickly realize what amazing leaders are on the cusp of adulthood. Our connection to nature is a strong sustaining passion and when you feel it connect you to the next generations, it gives you a lot of hope for the future."

Barbara Luneau, RSC donor, Director-at-Large, and Headwaters Committee Chair

8 YOUTH OUTREACH

Campers enjoyed plenty of fly fishing which helped them practice their catchand-release techniques. These skills will help them become better anglers and conservationists.

Campers toured the Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Roaring Judy Hatchery, which is home to the largest kokanee salmon run in Colorado. Roaring Judy annually produces over 3 million kokanee fry, 100,000 subcatcatchable (2-5 inch) trout, and 180,000 catchable (10 inch) trout. Kokanee salmon, rainbow trout and cutthroat trout are the primary species raised here.

(Pictured right)

Trout biology and pathology is one of the areas of topic that is covered during the camp. Campers get to dissect and examine an invasive brook trout to learn about the different parts of a trout.

YOUTH OUTREACH

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ELK and CTU Partner Up to Teach Denver Youth Fly Fishing

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n August 8th, 2018, a group of 10 Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK) Urban Rangers - youth leaders who help teach ELK programs to other kids- along with Colorado TU volunteers headed up to Clear Creek in Jefferson County to spend the day learning about trout and fly fishing. All of this was put together by CTU's Youth Outreach Intern, Nicholas Krishnan. The students practiced their casting, knot tying, and setting up their fly rod before hitting the water.

Each student was paired up with one of our volunteers providing one-on-one teaching. Everyone enjoyed wading out into the river and one of the students caught two fish! Towards the end of the day, many of the students decided to cool off by wading in waist deep to the middle of Clear Creek. You could overhear one of the students exclaim, "I feel like a kid out here".

The day consisted of a little bit of everything to maximize our time on the water. Students learned all about trout including the different species, biology, diseases, and invasives that affect their habitat. From there, gear was distributed to each of the students including a fly rod, reel, fly line, leader, tippet, and a stocked fly box.

Gear was generously donated by Eagle Claw Fishing Tackle, Orvis Park Meadows, Cabela's Lone Tree, Anglers Accessories, Denver Angler and CTU. Flies were tied by Liz Smith, Dick Shinton, Ryan RileyButtram from the Greenbacks, Dr. Jacob Kinnard and Will McDonough. Professional photography services that day were provided by Catherine Belme and Shaw Taylor.

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YOUTH OUTREACH

Chapter Spotlight - Ferdinand Hayden: Maroon and Castle Creek Victories

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n autumn 2018, Colorado TU and the Ferdinand Hayden TU Chapter secured a major victory for one of Colorado’s most iconic places, ending the threat of proposed dams on Castle and Maroon Creeks in the Snowmass-Maroon Bells Wilderness Area. The City of Aspen holds conditional water storage rights to build dams on both creeks. Working with conservation allies (American Rivers, Western Resource Advocates, and Wilderness Workshop) and with generous pro bono legal support from Patrick, Miller and Noto PC, we secured an agreement through which Aspen is abandoning those dam locations and moving its water storage rights to more environmentally-friendly sites within and downstream of the city limits. •

“We appreciate the city of Aspen’s commitment to meet its water supply needs in ways that protect these much-loved valleys and creeks, and the wild trout that call them home” said CTU Executive Director David Nickum.

Had they been built, the proposed dams would have flooded important fish, wildlife and recreation areas including designated wilderness lands, forever changing two of the most beautiful, visited, and photographed valleys in Colorado. The agreement allows Aspen to pursue its future water needs without sacrificing the remarkable places that make Colorado great.

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Celebrating Rivers by Cleaning Them Up!

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018 marked the 50th Anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. While Colorado has only one Wild and Scenic River – the Cache la Poudre – many others enjoy interim protections under the Act, including the South Platte. To celebrate the 50th anniversary while giving back to rivers at the same time, Colorado TU joined with the Pike National Forest, Coalition for the Upper South Platte, American Rivers and Denver Water to host an October clean up on the South Platte River in the Deckers area from the Wigwam Club downstream. While the South Platte is not designated as a Wild and Scenic River, it was deemed “eligible” under the Act and has

been protected by the local South Platte Protection Plan for more than 15 years. The purpose of the South Platte Protection Plan is to protect the river’s outstandingly remarkable values - fishery, cultural, geologic, recreation, scenic and wildlife resources.

More than 50 people gathered at Deckers and spread out to pick up trash– from beer cans to abandoned rafts – from along more than 15 miles of the South Platte. It was especially gratifying to see so many representatives of the guide and outfitter community who work along the South Platte join us in giving back to the river that gives so much to all of us! We hope to make this fall cleanup an annual event. •

Thompson Divide settlement pushes protection forward

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hings rarely stand still on Thompson Divide. Aspens quake, streams swirl, animals roam and the policy pendulum remains in perpetual motion. After a decade of give and take, momentum is swinging in favor of habitat on the rolling mid-elevation parcel rising above the Crystal, Roaring Fork, Colorado and North Fork Gunnison rivers south of Carbondale. On the heels of a late-2016 decision by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to cancel 25 inappropriately issued oil and gas leases on the Thompson Divide, the BLM settled an ensuing lawsuit in 2018 to preserve the conservation victory.

The leases covered more than 21,000 acres (about 33 square miles) of critical wildlife habitat, spanning undeveloped roadless areas in Pitkin, Gunnison and Garfield counties among some of Colorado’s most productive environment for big game, cutthroat trout and numerous other native species. For the time being, their removal preserves an area that has been recognized by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife as highvalue habitat for deer, elk, bear, moose and lynx, and serves as the headwaters to some of Colorado’s most popular and prolific fisheries.

It also sets the table for permanent protection of the Thompson Divide’s incredible wildlife and water resources. For the past decade, Trout Unlimited has been working with a broad coalition of community members, hunters and anglers, ranchers, recreation advocates and elected officials to pass legislation that protects the Thompson Divide and removes the possibility of this land being leased by oil and gas companies in the future. That effort will continue until this vital habitat in the heart of Colorado’s western wildlands is permanently protected. •

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RIVER ADVOCACY

Chapter Spotlight - Five Rivers San Juan Native Trout – Extinct No More!

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n August 4th, Colorado Parks and Wildlife released information confirming the rediscovery of a lineage of native trout previously thought to be extinct. The report documented a few small populations of fish throughout the upper San Juan and Animas watersheds that are genetically distinct and - based on comparison with historic samples housed in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - are descended from the original trout that occupied the San Juan basin.

We know now that the native trout of the San Juan are not extinct, but distinct. The fact is these fish are found nowhere else on earth and are a beacon of discovery in the natural world.

In addition to their genetics, it’s the story of these fish that makes them unique. Though most closely related to other lineages of the Colorado River cutthroat trout, the recently discovered trout are unique to the San Juan basin.

The San Juan cutthroats may once have occupied the entirety of the cold waterways in the San Juan basin – from the creeks above Silverton to the stretch known as the “quality water” in New Mexico. We will never know its historic extent, but we are now responsible for their future existence.

As news spreads and plans are laid, the Five Rivers Chapter of Trout Unlimited stands to play a pivotal role in the story of these fish and their restoration.

"Native trout are why we fight for protections like the Hermosa Watershed Protection Area" said Chapter President Buck Skillen "and why we dedicate years to restoration projects to secure their habitat, and why we strive to be leaders in public land management."

TU looks forward to working with all partners – state and federal game and fish agencies, land managers, local tribes, municipalities, and other stakeholders to restore robust populations of the San Juan lineage cutthroat across their native range.

13 San Juan Cutthroat Trout. Photo credit Kevin Rogers.

Restoring Native Trout

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reenback Cutthroat Trout recovery continued to advance on the backs of Trout Unlimited volunteers and agency partners. Over the course of the year, TU members and chapters stepped up to help Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) restore habitat, spawn fish, collect data, and stock streams. CTU Volunteers were even awarded a Volunteer Service Award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for their exceptional support of Greenback Recovery efforts. •

Representatives from the Loveland Ski Co. Patrol along with over 80 volunteers and 20+ agency staff from CPW, USFS, and USFWS packed up 1,700 native Greenback Cutthroat trout to be released along Dry Gulch and Herman Gulch in July 2018.

TU Volunteers helping CPW spawn native Greenback Trout at Zimmerman Lake. These eggs were sent to special hatcheries and later released by other TU volunteers into various recovery sites!

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In partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and the Western Native Trout Initiative, TU volunteers worked to install and maintain over 40 stream temperature data loggers in streams throughout the Front Range. This information will help biologists identify future recovery sites for the Greenback Cutthroat and understand how high-alpine streams are responding to changing climate conditions.

N AT I V E T R O U T R E S TO R AT I O N

Greenback Cutthroat trout swims from the stocking bag into its new home.

Photo Credit: Jack Bombardier, Confluence Casting

Idaho Fire Fighters on loan to local agencies in South Park, CO spent the day working alongside TU volunteers and CPW staff to notch beaver dams on Black Canyon Creek (a tributary of Rock Creek). This effort will allow biologists to prepare the site for reintroduction of Greenback Cutthroat trout throughout the Rock Creek drainage.

Photo Credit: Erik Myhre/Basin + Bend

15 N AT I V E T R O U T R E S TO R AT I O N

"Trout Unlimited was a conservation partner that we knew we wanted to support through our unique Conservation First program from day one.

Having the opportunity to support their mission of conserving coldwater fisheries along with the native fish that once thrived within them and do it in the heart of our home drainage of the South Platte, was the perfect place to start.

The growing population of rediscovered pure Greenback Cutthroat are some of the most precious fish we have in the state. Diversifying their geographic distribution within their native drainage will ensure we don't lose another subspecies of native cutthroat to catastrophic wildfires, disease, or a myriad of other threats.

Our partnership with Colorado TU on the Rock Creek project put us one step closer to creating a self-sustaining, robust conservation metapopulation that will achieve just that. To us, it was the ideal project for leveraging commerce for conservation. " Erik Myhre, Basin + Bend

Chapter Spotlight - Rocky Mountain Flycasters Returning Native Trout to the Poudre Headwaters

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orking with the U.S. Forest Service and with support through the Long Draw Reservoir Mitigation Trust, Colorado TU and the Rocky Mountain Flycasters Chapter launched the first stages of a multi-year restoration project for greenback cutthroat trout in the Poudre headwaters. Over the course of more than a decade, the project aims to restore native trout in nearly 40 miles of connected river as well as in Long Draw Reservoir itself. As a first step in assessing and designing the project, the Forest Service worked with TU volunteers to capture and tag fish for release below the waterfall at the bottom end of the project area. The Forest Service will track to see if any tagged fish are able to make it above the waterfall – helping to determine if it is an effective fish barrier or needs to be modified to protect the restoration area from invasion by downstream nonnative fish populations. • Our partners at Odell Brewing celebrated the launch of the Poudre Headwaters Restoration project with a limited edition beer – “Cold Water 1” – inspired by the Poudre headwaters. A lightly hopped pilsner with tones of mountain sage and wild currant, the beer was featured at Odell’s tasting room starting in July and was part of their effort in raising $10K for the native trout project this year. Thanks, Odell!

16 N AT I V E T R O U T R E S TO R AT I O N

Learning by Doing for the Upper Colorado

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rout Unlimited’s longstanding efforts to conserve, protect, and restore the Fraser and Upper Colorado Rivers continued to make progress in 2018. Like much of the state, the Upper Colorado suffered the impacts of a hot, dry summer with low flows and high water temperatures.

Fortunately, through the “Learning by Doing” partnership among water users, Grand County, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and TU, the river benefited from a release of 6,000 acre-feet of water from Granby Reservoir to improve Colorado River flows during the hottest part of the summer, as well as coordinating Denver Water’s bypass of 900 acre-feet of water in the Fraser basin.

2018 was a very tough year for the river – but without these additional flows, it would have been worse.

Work also progressed on the Colorado River Connectivity Channel (sometimes called the “Windy Gap Bypass”) to reconnect the Colorado River and minimize the impacts of Windy Gap Reservoir on fish passage and river health. Working closely with our partners at the Upper Colorado River Alliance, Grand County, and Northern Water, TU helped secure key funding needed for the bypass and with the Natural

Resources Conservation Service have initiated the federal environmental analysis process for the project – completing the initial public “scoping” phase and collecting needed data for the environmental assessment. We are now one step closer to reconnecting the Colorado River at Windy Gap for the first time since the dam was completed in 1985. •

Upper Colorado River in Rocky Mountain National Park near Granby, CO

Chapter Spotlight - Pikes Peak: Serving Those Who Served

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any TU chapters across Colorado participate in the Veterans Service program – with 48 projects and events held statewide in the past year to give back to those who have given so much.

Given its proximity to Fort Carson as well as being home to many vets, the Pikes Peak Chapter has been intimately involved in these efforts through its partnership with Project Healing Waters (PHW) in Colorado Springs. Chapter members are among the local leadership for this program, and volunteers assist veterans in fly tying, casting and fishing – sponsoring and/or leading trips to streams to allow the vets opportunities to catch a trout. Chapter members participate in extensive training on interacting with vets that might be suffering from PTSD as well as physical injuries. The chapter also operates raffle fund raising activities during the year with funds dedicated to supporting this program. •

17 COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

TU, JeffCo, and Students Team Up to Help North Fork South Platte

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olorado TU and Jefferson County Open Space teamed up with Senior Design students at the Colorado School of Mines to launch their designs for habitat improvements along the North Fork of the South Platte at the Pine Valley Ranch Park.

The two miles of the North Fork that run through the park currently provide poor fish habitat, but as success with private water restoration projects along the river has shown, with appropriate care and investment the North Fork can support quality fisheries.

The students, dubbing their group “Reel Sustainable Solutions,” designed a series of proposed habitat features to help enhance holding habitat, including elements that can improve holding water during low flows while also providing shelter during high flows. They propose a two-stage channel through the reach, to help concentrate low flows and maintain habitat when the North Fork is running low (without Roberts Tunnel deliveries from the west slope) while also functioning at the higher flows that come when the tunnel is operating.

CSM faculty and TU Business Partner Freestone Aquatics, which has conducted projects on other portions of the North Fork, provided technical advice to assist the students in their efforts.

Looking forward, Colorado TU and Jefferson County plan to complete the habitat designs and incorporate them with larger planned capital investments throughout the Pine Valley Ranch Park in the coming years. Having the chance to jumpstart efforts for the river – while also providing practical, real-world experience to students preparing to launch their engineering careers – allowed us to advance our conservation goals while also engaging the next generation of leaders. • "We felt strongly about making a contribution that would help Colorado TU both survive and thrive well into the future. We appreciate the passion and dedication of the TU members and supporters around the state. These are folks who are committed to making their local watersheds healthier and the fishing better. The impact TU has made in Colorado over the past thirteen years we’ve been involved has been impressive and inspirational.

Our decision to make Colorado TU part of our estate plan was due to the organization’s longevity, management, ongoing commitment to collaboration, and effectiveness in protecting and restoring our state’s rivers and wild places."

Allen Adinoff and Mary Klinnert, River Legacy Society Donors

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H A B I TAT R E S TO R AT I O N

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Restoring the Animas - Superfund

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n the three and a half years since the Gold King mine spill, Trout Unlimited’s leadership role and dedication to the Animas River in Southwest Colorado has not wavered. In fact, we’ve stepped up our game for the “River of Lost Souls.”

In early 2016, San Juan County (CO) - home to over 1500 abandoned hardrock mines - requested listing of the upper Animas on the National Priorities List (NPL) to receive a Superfund cleanup. TU supported their request as the best means to finally address the pervasive problem of acid mine drainage into one of America’s finest trout fisheries.

For well over a decade, TU’s volunteer members and staff have been deeplyembedded in the

conversation about the Animas’ mining-impacted water quality issues. In this trusted leadership role, TU continues to shepherd the Animas River watershed through the long Superfund process. Over the past year we have worked with local partners to develop a ‘Community Advisory Group’ (CAG) for the Superfund cleanup. Under Superfund, the CAG serves as the primary mechanism for citizen involvement in the process, as the watershed’s decision-making body and as the disseminator of data and information to and from the EPA. We have just stepped off the starting blocks of a marathon, but TU is confident we can restore the Animas River to conditions even better than just a few years ago – extending its high-quality fishing further upstream and improving the health of the watershed up into the headwaters. •

Chapter Spotlight - Denver: South Platte "Just add Water!"

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ne of Colorado’s most significant cooperative conservation endeavors is happening before our eyes. The water level in Chatfield Reservoir is being raised and storage space reallocated to meet area water needs - including allowing Colorado Parks and Wildlife to release water to keep the Denver South Platte flowing.

There were 116 days when flow from Chatfield was less that 1 CFS last year. Water managers recognized the 2014 Denver TU funded study that showed the benefit to the aquatic environment and health of the river with a year round minimum flow, riparian banks, and a low flow channel. They allocated 2,100 acre feet of space for an "Environmental Pool" at a cost of $7,500/acre foot. Denver Water, Greenway Foundation, Denver TU and a number of others have pledged funds to make this happen.

Trouts Fly Fishing in Denver partnered with Denver TU by hosting a number of events including two fly fishing film festivals with funds raised to help with the Environmental Pool. Letting customers know that their raffle and ticket proceeds are directly impacting the river seems to encourage participation. Denver TU also partnered with the Colorado Water Conservation Board to complete a flow study that will inform CPW decisions on the new water management plan for Chatfield, so they can get the greatest ecological benefits. Partners above the water are helping the fish and critters below the water.

Conservation flows on. •

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M I N E R E C L A M AT I O N & WAT E R PA R T N E R S H I P S

Illinois Gulch Mine Restoration rout Unlimited’s Abandoned Mine Land Program completed work on the Illinois Gulch Restoration Project southeast of Breckenridge in September. Trout Unlimited first became involved in the Illinois Gulch watershed in 2012 through joint watershed sampling with Region 8 EPA. In late 2014, TU was awarded a grant for further watershed characterization, water quality improvements, site selections and design by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Based on sampling results, TU identified the Mountain Pride Mine as a significant zinc source in the upper watershed. Water quality samples taken above and below the mine showed a ten-fold increase in zinc-loading.

After all necessary permits, liability discussions, approvals, and design work, TU and our contractor, Iron Maiden LLC, began construction at the Mountain Pride Mine on August 27th. Construction lasted two weeks and consisted primarily of re-routing 414 feet of Illinois Gulch stream channel, as well as backfilling two mine pools with footprints of 2,589 and 1,715 square feet, respectively, at depths of 25-30 feet. During channel relocation and construction, several drop structures were installed throughout the steepest

sections, and the entire length of the channel was revegetated with native seed to promote regrowth and longterm stability of the constructed channel.

Additional work at the site included exploration and permanent closure of a historic collapsed shaft below the larger of the two mine pools, and removal of approximately 3,200 cubic yards of mine waste into an on-site repository. The former mine waste pile and consolidated mine waste were revegetated; Iron Maiden’s team spread eight tons of limestone across the graded and compacted waste material, then followed with approximately two to three feet of clean material on top of the limestone as cap material across the site. Over 2,000 pounds of a fertilizer was mixed into the top couple inches of clean soil along with 2 pallets of mushroom compost to promote successful revegetation.

Illinois Gulch is an important contributor to the Blue River watershed; Trout Unlimited hopes that work at the Mountain Pride Mine will lead to improvements in downstream water quality both in Illinois Gulch and in the greater Blue River system. Funding support for this $130,000 project came from Freeport McMoRan, National

Forest Foundation, Vail Resorts, and Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety. •

Photo is showing first layer of geotextile fabric laid down on top of 6-1ft compacted lifts with clean fill. An old steel door was found beneath the debris and 9,700 ft. lbs of pressure was applied several times to ensure its stability. Once verified, six, 1ft. compacted lifts of clean fill were placed on top followed by two layers of geotextile filter fabric.

25'-30' deep

T

After photo (below) showing capped and revegetated former waste pile area along with fully constructed Illinois Gulch stream channel. Once waste was moved and graded to former hillslope elevation in the background, all waste was capped with 8 tons of limestone, followed by 2-3 feet of clean fill material. Over 2,000 pounds of a 4-6-2 fertilizer blend was ripped into the top surface followed by native seed.

Before photo (above) showing equipment beginning to move waste pile onto geotextile fabric and grade to former hillslope.

20 M I N E R E C L A M AT I O N

Evans Gulch Mine Restoration

T

rout Unlimited’s Abandoned Mine Land Program touches on the root wads consisted of 10 live willow completed work on the Evans Gulch Restoration transplants and six sedge mats to provide immediate Project east of Leadville in October. Watershed bank stability for next year’s runoff. characterization, site selection, design, and liability The final phase of work on the Evans Gulch project was discussions have been ongoing since 2014 when the at the Valley Mine directly across the drainage from grant was awarded to TU by the Colorado Department the Streamside Site. This site had the largest volume of Public Health and Environment. Through past soil of waste rock with the most acid generating potential. and water quality monitoring Construction at this site consisted efforts, TU was able to prioritize of re-grading steep slopes of the three sites for reclamation that pile, consolidation of waste on-site, were suspected sources of nonand incorporation of limestone point source pollution. After all and compost to waste material necessary permits, approvals, followed by placement of clean fill and design work, TU and its material on top. After the pile was contractor H-2 Enterprises capped with clean material, native began construction on August seed was broadcast across the (Above) During construction conditions with part of pile removed and graded; and (Below) After conditions 20th. Construction lasted site with a mixture of wood and showing graded and amended pile with establishment of three weeks and consisted of agricultural straw placed on top of clean floodplain bench. Three root wads were installed grading the waste piles at the that to promote vegetation growth. in the bank in conjunction with 10 whole willow transplants and six sedge mats to provide bank stability In conjunction with waste pile Silver Spoon site, placing a and trout habitat. culvert beneath County Rd. reclamation, over 40 live willows 3 to reduce interaction of were transplanted into the zone surface water and adjacent mine below the pile along with 100 willow waste, and installation of erosion cuttings to help buffer any non-point control devices on freshly graded source loading that might occur in slopes. Work was also performed the future. at the Streamside tailings pile that Matching fund support for this saw constant erosion into Evans $194,000 project came from Gulch due to the overly steep Freeport McMoRan, Newmont slopes. Through efforts at this site, Mining, and Colorado Division of the entire pile was re-graded and amended in place Reclamation Mining and Safety. With Evans Gulch to facilitate vegetation growth and reduce erosion. sustaining a local fishery and providing drinking water On the section of the pile along the stream, waste for Leadville and Lake County, TU hopes that work was excavated and benched to 3:1 slopes allowing for associated with this reclamation effort benefits the local installation of three root wads into the bank to help residential and ecological communities. • with long-term stability and trout habitat. The final

Before conditions showing steep slopes of Valley Mine waste pile along with wetland and dead zone devoid of willow and other species.

After conditions showing freshly reshaped pile along with 40 live willow transplants and 100 willow cuttings in the wetland.

After amendments were incorporated into the pile, clean fill material was placed on top, seeded, and mulched to promote vegetation growth.

21 M I N E R E C L A M AT I O N

Financial Summary The vast majority of TU funds go directly into programs for conservation, education, and grassroots engagement.

FY 2018 general administration fundraising

program services

I

n fiscal year 2018, Trout Unlimited in Colorado invested more than $4.5 million toward its conservation and education programs, on-the-ground projects, and chapter support. These funds included the work of the Colorado Council and its 24 local chapters—from legislative advocacy at the General Assembly to youth education projects to native trout restoration; as well as Colorado-based National Trout Unlimited programs and staff working on initiatives for river conservation, agriculture partnerships, public land protection, and abandoned mine reclamation.

in Colorado were complemented by an additional $1.21 million in “sweat equity”—the value of more than 49,000 volunteer hours contributed through our grassroots volunteers. In total, nearly $9 of conservation value was generated from each $1 of individual and corporate support to Trout Unlimited in Colorado – and that doesn’t even include the substantial in-kind partnership support of collaborating agencies like Colorado Parks and Wildlife. •

Through the leveraging power of partnerships and grassroots contributions, TU helps make your donor dollars go farther for our conservation mission. Your individual and corporate donations of $587,000 were leveraged by over $3.9 million in funds from grants, events, and other matching funds. TU cash funds

Service

Major Corporate, Agency, and Foundation Supporters 8 Rivers Rodeo African Eyes Travel Allen Kube Bamboo Rods Anadarko Petroleum Andes Drifters Anglers All Avanti Food & Beverage Basin + Bend Blue Valley Ranch Bonneville Environmental Foundation Bureau of Land Management Butler Rents Can’d Aid (Oskar Blues Brewing) Citywide Banks Colorado Parks and Wildlife Colorado River Basin Roundtable Colorado River System Conservation Pilot Program Colorado Rodmakers Reunion Colorado State Conservation Board Colorado Trout Foundation Colorado Water Conservation Board ConocoPhillips Cutthroat Anglers Denver Water Factor Design Build Fishpond Fly Fish Australia Inc. Freeport McMoRan Freestone Aquatics Gates Family Foundation Gunnison Basin Roundtable Horse & Dragon Brewing Company Intel Corporation Jack Dennis Fly Fishing Madison Valley Ranch Maris Group Mayfly MillerCoors Mirr Ranch Group National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

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$1.21 Million In-kind Volunteer

$3.9 Million

Grants, Events, National Park Service and other Natural Resources Conservation Service Matching Funds Newmont Mining North Fork Ranch Northern Water Occasions Catering $587,000 Odell Brewing Company Rainbow Falls Mountain Trout Individual & Rawhide Fly Fishers Corporate Rep Your Water Donors Ripple Creek Lodge RNB Lending Group San Luis Valley Conservation and Connection Initiative Sawyer Oars Silver Trout Foundation Soderberg Family Southwest Generation Protect Our Rivers Partnership Program donors Suncor Energy are corporate partners who care about healthy Ted's Montana Grill rivers and fisheries and contribute annually Tenkara USA in support of Colorado TU’s work to protect The Broadmoor Fly Fishing Camp and restore our state’s watersheds and wild The Drake places. Our business partner program connects The Industrial Company (TIC) businesses and Colorado TU members and The Precourt Foundation supporters who share an interest in protecting The Wiegers Family Foundation and sustaining Colorado’s rivers and fisheries.

Three Rivers Lodge Tiffany & Co. Foundation Trouts Fly Fishing U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Forest Service Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District Upslope Brewing Company Walton Family Foundation Wayne Swanson Charitable Fund Western Native Trout Iniative William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Wyss Foundation is priority "Protecting our rivers and habitat ng with neri part By All. number 1 for Anglers rence." diffe a e mak to er pow the TU we have pictured) Chris Keeley, Anglers All (shop dog

Griffith Circle/River Stewardship Council Donors Bruce Allbright Rob Anderson Mary and Dan Armour Jerry Arnold Ronald Baker John Barry Paul Benedetti Claudia Benedict Christopher Bevilacqua Bob and Sandy Biebel Andrew Bird James Boak Richard Brennan Michael Brueggemann James Buckler Graham Buggs Travis Campbell Joe Cannon Jason Carey Jodi Carrillo Cam Chandler Adam Cherry Lulu Colby Gerald Cole Robert Collins Gary Cook Steve and Tracy Craig Brian Cramer Gordy and Dona Crawford Clint and Kristen Crookshanks Mac Cunningham Rick Davie Terrence Deaton Kirk and Sarah Deeter Paul Deeter Michael and Jean Delaney Stanley Dempsey Mark and Katy Dickson David and Michelle DiGiacomo Jeffrey Downing David Downs Paul DuPont Jackie and Glen Edwards Roe Emery Terry Escamilla James Farley Eli Feldman Richard and Cathey Finlon Thomas Fletcher John and Denise Frontczak Timothy Gablehouse Kate and Sam Gary, Jr. Caleb Gates, Jr. Robert Giannoni Walt Gustafson, Jr. William Hadden Charles Hamlin Chris Hanson Robert Harper Louis Hegedus Robert Hesse Kent Heyborne Bill Hicks Paul Hird

Craig Holmes David Honeyfield Michael Howard Larry Howe Ken Hunter Bruce Hutchison Jim and Ann Jackson Ken James Sam and Barbara Jampolis Michael Jefferson Scott Jennings Pitch and Cathie Johnson William Jones Robert Kendig Randy Keogh Ken Kinsman Allen Adinoff and Mary Klinnert Richard Krebs Sharon and Mark Lance Cory Landers Chris Lang Allan Larson Duane Larson Robert Leavitt Susan Leeson Thomas Lorden Barbara Luneau Randy Luskey Andrew Luter Cargill MacMillan, III Ford Malmquist Joe Marr Lee Mather, Jr. Chris Maughan Mike McCurdie Tom McDermott John McDermott Douglas McDonald Ben McGinnis Michael McGoldrick Patrick McGuire Clif McIntosh Stephen Meacham Bruce Miller Frederick Miller Thomas and Elene Mooney Gerald Moore Ray Nagashima Tom Norton Chuck Ogilby George Orbanek Clint and Kallie Packo

Bruce Papich Kathleen Parrish Joel and Karen Piassick Doug Pierce Robert Postle James Regan Robert Rich Kirk Rider David Rootes Ronald Rudy Paul Rullkoetter Gerald Ryan Ray Samuelson Michael Schumacher Elizabeth Searle Celia Sheneman Edward Shriner Rob Singer Aaron Smith Hugh Smith Dale Smith Jason Smith Brian Spear Josh Stapp George Stark Rick Stephens Blane Stone Tanya Argo and Chris Striebich Bradford Talbot Stephen Thompson Jeff Voth Kellie and Rich Ward Dave Wenman Paul Westphal Dave Wickersham Jeffrey Wilken Erik Wilkinson Ryan Willett Mark Williams Jim Williams Irving Wiltsey John Winters Michael Winton Alex Woodruff

"We have chosen to support Colorado Trout Unlimited because of its consistent results and constantly growing list of significant accomplishments in conserving the resources we are passionate about. We recognize that the success and impact of CTU is fueled in large part by support from individuals and businesses. As a result, we choose to give our resources because of the excellent track record and the great individual relationships we have developed."

Clint and Kallie Packo, RSC Donors

Donor Levels River Stewardship Council (RSC) donors provide core support for Colorado Trout Unlimited's work on stream management planning, native trout reintroduction, watershed and conservation education for Colorado youth, engagement with our 24 chapters and over 12,000 grassroots members, and more. This community of seventy donors is committed to conserving, protecting, and restoring Colorado's rivers and wild places. As members of our flagship donor society, RSC donors contribute $1,000 or more annually and enjoy exclusive trip invitations and an annual donor dinner.

The Griffith Circle honors the legacy of the Trout Unlimited foundation in 1959 when George Griffith brought together a group of anglers at his home on the banks of the Au Sable River in Michigan. The Griffith Circle honors the legacy of these founding members while raising essential resources to continue the march toward their vision. Griffith Circle members make annual contributions of $1,000 or more and support the full range of nationwide Trout Unlimited Projects.

Silver Trout Foundation was established through a generous bequest from former CTU president Steve Lundy and funds are managed by past recipients of the prestigious Silver Trout award. The Foundation manages endowment funds for the long-term benefit of CTU and provides donors interested in making endowment gifts, a vehicle for leaving their own legacy of coldwater conservation.

River Legacy Society donors are a group of committed Colorado Trout Unlimited supporters who have made one of the most sincere and lasting commitments to Colorado TU’s conservation mission by naming the organization as a beneficiary of their estate or making a life income gift.

If you are interested in learning more about our different support levels and opportunities, please contact Shannon Kindle, Colorado TU Development Director at Shannon.kindle@tu.org

23

LOCATIONS

Colorado TU State Council Officers

Cam Chandler, President Dick Jefferies, Vice President Larry Howe, Secretary Joel Evans, Treasurer Marshall Pendergrass, Past President Mac Cunningham, National Leadership Council Representative Tom Jones, Regional Vice President Barbara Luneau, Regional Vice President Glen Edwards, Regional Vice President Terry Deaton, Regional Vice President Ben Bloodworth, Regional Vice President

Colorado TU State Council Staff & Contractors

David Nickum, Executive Director, dnickum@tu.org Shannon Kindle, Development Director, skindle@tu.org Daniel Omasta, Grassroots Coordinator, domasta@tu.org Andrea Smith, Communications & Membership Coordinator, andrea.smith@tu.org Bianca Martinez-McGrath, Youth VISTA Coordinator, bianca.mcgrathmartinez@tu.org Jen Boulton, Legislative Liasion, jenboulton1@aol.com Ashley Rust, Water Quality Technical Consultant, ashleyrust@gmail.com

Denver 1536 Wynkoop St Suite 320 Denver, CO 80202 Durango 1309 E. 3rd Ave Suite 109 Durango, CO 81301 Grand Junction 115 North Fifth St Suite 409 Grand Junction, CO 81201 Salida 128 East 1st St Suite 203 Salida, CO 81201

TU Western Water & Habitat Program Staff

Drew Peternell, Colorado Water Project Director, dpeternell@tu.org Brian Hodge, Northwest Colorado Program Director, bhodge@tu.org Cary Denison, Gunnison River Basin Project Manager, cdenison@tu.org Mely Whiting, Legal Counsel, mwhiting@tu.org David Stillwell, Office and Internal Communications Manager, dstillwell@tu.org Jesse Kruthaupt, Upper Gunnison River Basin Project Manager, jkruthaupt@tu.org Richard Van Gytenbeek, Colorado River Basin Organizer, r.vangytenbeek@tu.org Kevin Terry, Rio Grande River Basin Project Contractor, kterry@tu.org Lauren Duncan, Mine Restoration Project Manager, lduncan@tu.org Jason Willis, Mine Restoration Project Manager, jwillis@tu.org Kaitlyn Vaux, Yampa/White River Basin Project Manager, kvaux@tu.org Aaron True, White River Project Manager, atrue@tu.org

TU Communications Staff

Kirk Deeter, Vice President of Trout Media, kirk.deeter@tu.org Joshua Duplechian, Senior Producer, jduplechian@tu.org

TU Sportsmen's Conservation Project Staff

Stephen Kandell, Sportsmen's Conservation Project Director, skandell@tu.org Ty Churchwell, San Juan Mountains Coordinator, tchurchwell@tu.org Garrett Hanks, Southwest Public Lands Coordinator, ghanks@tu.org Scott Willoughby, Northern Colorado Field Organizer, scott.willoughby@tu.org

www.coloradoTU.org www.TU.org

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Content and Stories By: CTU & TU staff TU Images By: Joshua Duplechian/TU Report Designed By: Annie Smith/CTU

Additional High Country Angler • Summer 2019

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FIT TO BE TIED

•

BY JOEL EVANS

University of Trout Pop Quiz

O

k, so you are not in school anymore. But I have a quiz for you anyway – TV show style with the answer first.

Answer: Pteronarcys californica. Questions: A) What is the prehistoric dinosaur that starred in the movie Jurassic Park? or B) What is the state bird of California? or C) What giant bug flies like a helicopter and drives both trout and trout fishermen crazy?

If you are not a student of Latin (neither am I), I’ll forgive you for choosing answer A or B. If you are salivating just thinking about these prehistoric insects, then you would have easily, quickly, and correctly chosen

answer C. For choosing well my son, then you may pass GO and proceed directly to the river!

So what is this P.C. thing that we can’t pronounce but we love so dearly? Best known as the salmonfly or willowfly, this river-dwelling insect is a fast-food meal deal, biggie size. I just call it what it is – an orange stonefly.

Giants in trout fishing terms, the underwater nymphs hatch into winged adults over 2 inches in length.

Pack a fly box full of oversize orange stonefly pattern nymphs and dries. Tie them to your heavy 3x tippet and hang on for a trout-a-coaster ride. Hooking up, expect a trout of size to

wallow down among the rocks before going airborne. Next will be a dart to the fast current of midstream in an educated attempt to wrap a preplanned underwater rock and break off.

Whew! Now, depending on who won the battle, it may be that you just shake your head then grin a time or two as you examine the curled and broken leader. Just retie, get back in the saddle, go again, and hang on for another ride – it will come!

Early in the day, the nymphs are doing the underwater crawl.

Fishing the rocks with a weighted nymph is effective. As the day progresses, switch to a dry when the winged adults fly and bop about the water.

Lest you think that the only time to toss these bugs is during

About The

Author

Joel Evans is a fly fishing writer, photographer, and long-time member of Trout Unlimited from Montrose, CO. You can contact him via the HCA editor at frank@hcamagazine.com.

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EVIE STONEFLY THREAD: ORANGE 6/0 TAIL: BLACK GOOSE BIOTS RIBBING: ORANGE FLOSS ABDOMEN: LIGHT SIAMESE CAT SOFT UNDERBODY HAIR THORAX: DARK SIAMESE CAT UNDERBODY WITH

STIFFER GUARD HAIRS, WEIGHTED WINGCASE:PHEASANT TAIL, CEMENTED LEGS: PICKED OUT GUARD HAIR

match-the-hatch time in early summer, think again. Nonsensical as me eating ice cream in the winter, trout still rise to an orange stonefly dry after the real bugs are gone. Continue into July to toss an adult dry imitation into the pocket behind big rocks. Trout remember the hatch.

My unscientific experiments with numerous dry fly patterns concluded that the Bird’s Stone imitation works the best. But there are many styles and variations – an orange stimulator, rubber legs, and foam can all be effective. For nymphs, my own tie, the Evie, is superb.

Blue skies, clear cold water, and orange stones –YeeHaw! www.HCAezine.com

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COLORADO FLY SHOPS & OUTFITTERS Almont Anglers www.almont-anglers.com ArkAnglers www.arkanglers.com Blue Quill Angler www.bluequillangler.com Breckenridge Outfitters www.breckenridgeoutfitters.com Confluence Casting www.confluencecasting.com Duranglers www.duranglers.com Eleven Experience www.elevenexperience.com Homewaters Fly Fishing www.homewaters.us Mountain Angler www.mountainangler.com North Fork Ranch Guide Service www.northforkranch.com/fishing Pack Llama www.packllamaco.com

COLORADO LODGES, HOTELS, RANCHES, FISHING CLUBS

Jack Dennis Fly Fishing www.jackdennisfishingtrips.com Madison Valley Ranch www.madisonvalleyranch.com

Blue Valley Ranch www.bluevalleyranch.com

Middle Fork Adventures www.middleforkadventures.com

Devil's Thumb Ranch www.devilsthumbranch.com

Red Canyon Lodge www.redcanyonlodge.com

Keystone Resort www.keystoneresort.com

Rock Creek Anglers www.rockcreekanglers.com

Lost Valley Ranch www.lostvalleyranch.com

Upland Angler Outfitting

Lost Canyon Resort www.lostcanyonresort.net

ALASKA & INTERNATIONAL

North Fork Ranch www.northforkranch.com

African Eyes Travel www.africaneyestravel.com

Rainbow Falls Mountain Trout www.rainbowfallsmt.com

Andes Drifters www.andesdrifters.com

Redstone Inn www.redstoneinn/thegilmorecollection.com

Distant Waters New Zealand www.distantwatersnz.com

Ripple Creek Lodge www.ripplecreeklodge.com

Fly Fish Austrailia Inc. www.flyfishaustralia.com.au/cms

Rockey River Resort www.gunnisoncabins.com

St. Peter's Fly Shop www.stpetes.com

The Broadmoor Fly Fishing Camp www.broadmoor.com/the-wilderness-experiences/fly-fishing-camp

The Colorado Angler www.thecoloradoangler.com

IDAHO, MONTANA, UTAH & WYOMING

Tumbling Trout Fly Shop www.tumblingtrout.com

Don Hatch River Expeditions www.donhatchrivertrips.com

Willowfly Anglers at Three Rivers Resort www.3riversresort.com/fishing/ fly-fishing

Fish the Fly www.fishthefly.com

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Grand Teton Fly Fishing www.grandtetonflyfishing.com

El Pescador www.elpescador.com

Tightlines Alaska www.tightlinesalaska.com FISHING GEAR AND OUTDOOR PRODUCTS Abel Reels; www.abelreels.com Allen Kube Bamboo Rods Ascent Fly Fishing www.ascentflyfishing.com Cortland Line www.cortlandline.com

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Denver Outfitters www.denveroutfitters.com Dr. Slick www.drslick.com Elkhorn Fly Rod and Reel www.elkhornflyrodandreel.com Fishpond www.fishpondusa.com Outcast Boats www.outcastboats.com Outward Hound www.outwardhound.com Riversmith www.riversmith.com Rep Your Water www.repyourwater.com SaraBella Fishing www.sarabellafishing.com Sawyer Paddles & Oars www.paddlesandoars.com Scientific Anglers www.scientificanglers.com Sierra Designs www.sierradesigns.com Sportsman’s Warehouse www.sportsmanswarehouse.com Troutmap www.troutmap.com Winter Park Optical www.winterparkoptical.com Zeal Optics www.zealoptics.com

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BOOKS & ART Frank Amato Publications www.amatobooks.com Gusterman Silversmiths www.gustermans.com Kristi Williams Photography www.kristiwilliamsphotography.com Noreen Art www.noreenart.com Tight Lines Jewelry www.tightlinesjewelry.com CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS Arvada Center www.arvadacenter.org Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra www.boulderphil.org Colorado Symphony Orchestra www.coloradosymphony.org History Colorado Center www.historycolorado.org/history-colorado-center Rabbit Hole Recreation Services www.rabbithole.rs FOOD & DRINK Horse & Dragon Brewing Company www.horseanddragonbrewing.com MillerCoors www.millercoors.com River Bear American Meats www.riverbearmeats.com Spirit Hound Distillers www.spirithounds.com www.HCAezine.com

FISHING FOR THINGS TO DO IN 2019?

Colorado TU 2019 Event Calendar January 4-6 Fly Fishing Show Denver Mart flyfishingshow.com/denver-co Colorado’s largest fly fishing show, featuring exhibitor booths with outfitters and the latest fishing products, plus fly tying and casting demonstrations, classes and seminars by leading pros and authors, and be sure to stop by the Colorado Trout Unlimited booth to connect with us as well!

February 8-9 Frostbite Fish-Off Arkansas River tailwaters, Pueblo www.frostbitefishoff.com Hosted by the Southern Colorado Greenbacks Chapter of TU, this event allows two-angler teams to square off against each other for some fabulous prizes, bragging rights, and a great cause – helping to protect local watersheds.

February 9 West Denver 43rd Annual Fly Tying Clinic Jefferson County Fairgrounds www.westdenvertu.org The clinic features more than 40 of the Rocky Mountain region’s best fly tyers, plus door prizes, raffles, casting lessons, and more. Proceeds benefit local water quality, stream restoration, youth education, and community outreach programs.

March 7 River Stewardship Gala Mile High Station, Denver www.coloradotu.org/gala Celebrate rivers, socialize with other anglers and conservationists, and help raise funds to support CTU’s conservation efforts at the annual River Stewardship Gala in Denver. Dinner, beer and wine are included alongside an exciting array of auction items and trips. Our 2019 honoree is former EPA Administrator William K. Reilly, who was responsible for the veto of Two Forks Dam.

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50 YEARS PROTECTING RIVERS

April 26-28 Colorado TU Rendezvous Hotel Colorado, Glenwood Springs www.coloradotu.org/rendezvous Rendezvous is the place to be if you want to connect with other TUers and learn more about how to make a difference for trout in Colorado. Along with CTU’s annual membership meeting, the Rendezvous features workshops on topics from stream habitat conservation and improvement to strategies for effective online communication. A great chance to learn and connect with new and old friends!

June 9 -15 CTU Youth River Conservation & Fly Fishing Camp Almont www.coloradotu.org/youth-conservation-and-fly-fishing-camp This week-long residential camp is designed to educate 14 to 18 year old students on watershed science and the importance of coldwater conservation, and provide hands-on fly fishing instruction on some of Colorado’s finest waters. Approximately 20 students are selected each year, based on their qualifications and a written essay on why they would like to attend the camp.

July 26-28 8 River Rodeo Glenwood Springs and Almont www.8riverrodeo.com The most fun you can have with your waders on! You and a teammate each catch 8 fish from 8 different rivers in 2 days across the Roaring Fork and Gunnison valleys. All proceeds benefit CTU and Project Healing Waters. This event will make you a better angler and give you the opportunity to fish Colorado’s best and most beautiful rivers.

July 29-August 3 Rocky Mountain Flycasters Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp Ft. Collins www.rockymtnflycasters.org This day camp program is designed for 15 campers, ages 14-17, from the northern Front Range region – and space fills quickly! The camp is a fast-paced six days of instruction, participation, and fun. Topics include: how to fly fish, responsibility for the watersheds, riparian habitat, river ecology, and trout.

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AND WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED!

September 6-8 Golf Trout Tournament Steamboat Springs www.golftrout.com Four person teams compete in a unique two-day competition, with a full day of guided fishing on exclusive private waters followed by a day of golfing on a championship course. Proceeds benefit coldwater conservation efforts in the Yampa Valley.

September 6-7 Gunnison Superfly Almont/Gunnison www.gunnisonanglingsociety.org/superfly Two-person teams compete to see who can catch the most inches of trout in one day using the two flies of their choice. Anglers fish a variety of waters in the Gunnison Valley, including premier private water on the East, Taylor, and Gunnison Rivers. Proceeds benefit youth education and river conservation in the Gunnison Valley.

September 7 Carp Slam Denver www.carpslam.org Pro/Am teams come together to share over 20 miles of the Denver South Platte and target the river’s resident finned behemoth, the carp. Some contend this is the hardest fresh water game fish to target on the fly. Funds raised by the tournament are used to improve habitat and flow in the Denver South Platte – ironically making it less attractive to Carp.

September 28-29 Upper Colorado Fall Classic Eagle www.eaglevalley.tu.org Two-person teams compete over a guided float down the Colorado River between Pumphouse and Catamount recreation areas, sharing dinner and drinks the night prior to the competition and appetizers and drinks at the award ceremony following the float. For information: nick.noesen@ gmail.com

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A Triple Threat Three High-Performing Patterns for the Season Ahead

by Bob Reece 86

High Country Angler • Summer 2019

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T

he transition toward summer increases the available food items for trout. It also leads to an expansion of pattern variety in the fly boxes of anglers. In the current world of fly fishing, the selection of patterns can be overwhelming.

Throughout the bulk of the year, smaller streamers have a larger spectrum of application when compared to their larger counterparts. Reece’s Masked Bandit fills this downsized niche. This petite streamer was created in an effort to match the smaller profile of the average-sized baitfish in most waters.

The materials used to construct it allow for a wide variety of color variations needed to effectively match various species. The combination of zonkered Pine Squirrel and Ripple ice fiber provide the perfect blend of natural mottling and flash seen in many baitfish species. The addition of the Flymen Fish Mask creates an accurate imitation of a prominent head and large eyes that is seen in the natural. In addition to this visual impact, the pre-made fish head moves more water when stripped. This helps to trigger a response from larger predatory fish. Lastly, but most importantly, the pattern is founded on an Owner Mosquito hook. This short-shanked hook is constructed with an offset hook point that increases the odds of successfully hooking up with fish. Additionally, the short shank reduces the leverage that the fish can apply that could result in the hook being shaken loose.

The sparse nature of this pattern is intentional and aids in different applications. With no weight added to the Masked Bandit, its depth of presentation is dictated by line type and accompanying flies. When the still waters of the Rocky Mountain region ice off in spring, the shallow shoals and margins are the first to open. For these situations, the Masked Bandit can be fished over water as shallow as six inches when presented with a floating line. For early season moving waters, this pattern acts as a highly effective trailing streamer behind the larger and sometimes articulated versions that are fished during high water conditions.

During the remainder of the summer and fall, this pattern can be effectively swung or stripped. Due to its highly accurate profile it can be effectively presented in the clearest of water conditions. It’s also suited for shallow water presentations that come with the low flows of fall. When fished on a leader of at least 11 feet and attached to a floating line, the Masked Bandit can be used to target fish in the shallowest of moving water conditions. www.HCAezine.com

In addition to being stripped, the Masked Bandit works as an effective addition to an indicator rig. Anchored by a heavier pattern at the bottom of the rig, the Bandit can be fished within a foot or two of the stream substrate on a dead drift, or with the occasional twitch. The presentation aims to imitate a dead or injured baitfish that has become part of the drift.

Dubbed nymph bodies provide excellent movement and mottled coloring, but do not sink quickly; they also lack durability. Wire bodied nymphs sink quickly and are durable, but lack natural movement and mottled coloration. Reece’s Fusion nymph combines these elements, allowing it to sink quickly, display enhanced movement, mottled coloration and excellent durability.

With the color varieties of Ultra Wire, Ostrich Herl and Ice Dub, the color combinations for this fly

Masked Bandit Recipe: Hook: Owner Mosquito (size 2) Thread: Veevus 8/0 (match fur) Flash: Hareline Ripple Ice Fiber Tail: Zonkered Pine Squirrel Collar: Zonkered Pine Squirrel Head: Flymen Fish Mask #4 Eyes: Flymen Living Eyes #4

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Fusion Recipe: Hook: Tiemco 2499Bl (size 6-18), Daiichi 1150 (size 20-22) Bead: Tungsten (sized to hook) Thread: Veevus 14/0 Tail: 3 Strands Krystal Flash Abdomen 1: Ostrich herl Abdomen 2: Medium UTC Wire Thorax: Ice Dub (applied with dubbing loop)

are nearly endless. For sizes six to 18, the pattern is tied on a Tiemco 2499BL. Below this size it is tied on a Daiichi 1150. The optional inclusion of various sizes of MFC Sexi-Floss for rubber legs can be used to increase the already present element of movement.

Over the past four years, this pattern in its plethora of sizes and color combinations has brought fish to net around the world in freestones, still waters, and even the highly pressured local tailwaters of the Roaring Fork, Deckers, Gray’s Reef, and the Miracle mile.

There are several rigging options for this pattern, depending on the type of water that is being fished.

It makes for a great addition to a multiple nymph rig run underneath an indicator. This fly also serves as an effective dropper in the widely used dry dropper 88

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rigging. During heavy caddis and mayfly hatches, it can be fished five to six inches below an adult dry fly pattern. It’s important to note that the high density of its construction requires a large foam terrestrial to float it in its larger sizes. If used as a dropper below a traditional dry fly, the Fusion nymph size should fall into the sixteen to twenty size range. This pattern also serves as a solid foundation at the bottom of a tight line rig. When using the Fusion on still waters, I rig it as the bottom fly on a suspended nymph rig under an indicator.

The current world of fly fishing provides a plethora of grasshopper patterns. Throughout a typical season, trout in most waters see more than their fair share. As a result of this, by late summer and early fall fish will often inspect but refuse the general imitations of these terrestrials. Reece’s Beefcake Hopper was created to help overcome this obstacle.

The topside of a dry fly that anglers see does matter. Yet, it is not nearly as important as what the trout see from below. When looking at the underside of the naturals, a distinct difference in the segmentation of the abdomen and thorax can be seen. This visual aspect is accurately imitated by attaching the foam to the bottom of the hook shank, and varying the length of segments created. In addition to this, the exoskeleton of grasshoppers displays a slight sheen. By placing a thin coat of UV material over the bottom side of the fly this reflective quality is matched. An added bonus of this coat is a substantially more durable fly that holds up to the abrasion of trout teeth.

The Thin Skin that creates the wing of the pattern provides a transparent and durable imitation of the insects’ wings. Unlike more commonly used wing materials, this synthetic membrane provides bulletproof durability and a longer life for the fly. It also acts as a shield for the upper foam surface of the pattern, further enhancing its life span.

This slimly-built hopper is tied on the shank of a Tiemco 2499 barbless hook. This hook provides a larger-than-average gap compared to more commonly used dry fly hooks. As a result, the odds of successfully hooking a fish are increased. Along with this, the short shank of the hook reduces the ability of the fish to apply leverage during the fight. This increases the odds of fish-to-net success for fly fishers.

The cliché of matching the hatch is rarely taken as seriously when selecting grasshopper patterns. However, even in this category of large and foamy flies, the little things still matter. A river that I frequently fish www.HCAezine.com

with friends is home to many significantly sized trout.

During the late summer and early fall months, these fish move to the margins of the river to take advantage of the significant local grasshopper population. As

Beefcake Hopper Recipe: Hook: Tiemco 2499BL (size 6-10) Thread: Veevus 8/0 (match foam) Upper Foam: 2mm tying foam (cut to taper at rear) Lower Foam: 2mm tying foam (cut to taper and rear) Wing: Natural Bustard Thin Skin Rear Legs: Double Knotted Round Rubber Front Legs: Knotted Round Rubber Indicator (Optional): 2mm Orange tying foam Eyes: Black Sharpie

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the season progresses, these fish become increasingly selective of the hopper patterns that they are willing to eat. A late summer day found my friends and I taking turns sight fishing to numerous large fish. All three of us were fishing different well-known foam hopper patterns. While we were able to catch some of these fish on our dropper nymphs, all refused our surface offerings. It was nice to have caught the fish that we did, but the images of our terrestrials being repeatedly rejected lodged themselves in my mind.

The following winter I set out to create a more accurate hopper imitation. Having collected numerous samples from my region, including that beloved river, I noticed one common element. The underside of the abdomen and thorax of the natural displayed a slightly translucent and reflective sheen. As a result of this, the finishing touch for my Beefcake Hopper was a thin coat of UV resin. With the addition of this material, the underside of the fly displayed a slightly semi-transparent shine.

Late summer the following year found me on a high bank, overlooking the same river. I sat for an hour and watched two other fly fishers work their way up the bank. Spaced out along the edge of the bank, were two portly rainbows and one stout cutthroat. They all moved to and refused the foam offerings that were presented to them. I allowed the fish to rest and return to their feeding lanes. With a slow and methodical approach I was blessed to eventually watch all three fish rise and take the Beefcake Hopper.

As we move forward into a new season, enhance the effective diversity of your fly selection. These three patterns can help to round out the variety of bugs that already fill your boxes. More importantly, their thoughtful and durable construction will help to increase your fish-to-net success.

About The Author Bob Reece is a junior high school science teacher in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He also works as an Umpqua Signature Fly Designer and runs his own guide business; Thin Air Anglers at Horse Creek Ranch.

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Keith McCafferty

by Mark Shulman, High Country Angler

“

The fishing guide known as Rainbow Sam found the body. Or rather, it was the client casting from the bow of Sam’s drift boat, working a fly called a Girdle Bug in front of a log jam that parted the current of the Madison River….”

W

ith these opening words to The Royal Wulff Murders, author Keith McCafferty introduces us to a mystery about Montana, fly fishing and the legendary river called the Madison.

I had the special pleasure to meet and interview Keith McCafferty in Bozeman, Montana in early May, having come up from Colorado for a few days of fishing on the Madison before the start of runoff.

The Royal Wulff Murders, McCafferty’s highly successful debut novel in 2012, has led to six additional books featuring Sean Stranahan, fly flsher, painter, and has-been private detective. All of McCafferty s main characters are composites of people from his own life of fishing and hunting around the world. His stories spring from an imagination starting with his early childhood on the Au Sable River in Ohio, where he learned to fish from his father and became a voracious reader nurtured by his mother. Keith claims his boyhood fascination with snakes led his mother to take him to the local library where he could indulge his reptile interests in the safety of books. From this early introduction to books, Keith would discover a love of mystery from the works of Sherlock Holmes and adventures from, among others, Hemingway. Readers of the Sean Stranahan series will happily discover hints from these classics in Keith’s novels.

After graduating valedictorian of his Appalachian high school, Keith entered Duke University earning a degree in Zoology. Planning on working in outdoor endeavors like forest service or related science studies, Keith turned an opportu-

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nity at the University of Michigan Grad school of Journalism into a life-changing career of writing and travel. While interning as crime reporter for the Bakersfield, California newspaper, Keith began his journey as a writer and met his wife Gail, also a reporter. Gail writes today for the Bozeman newspaper. For more than 40 years Keith has been the Survival and Outdoors Editor of Field and Stream Magazine, contributing more than a thousand articles. Keith has been published also in Fly Fisherman Magazine, Mother Earth News, Grays Sporting Journal and the Chicago Tribune.

L.L. Bean asked Keith to write their handbooks on Hiking and Backpacking and Family Camping.

Keith’s passion as an outdoorsmen and his curiosity as a scientist has led him on assignments all over America and the world. From western trout streams to the India Himalayas fishing for the Golden Mahseer, Keith McCafferty challenges life with gusto and good humor.

For more than two hours at his Bridger Creek streamside, writing “office” and then later over fish tacos and beer at the Montana Ale Works in downtown Bozeman, Keith kept me enthralled with stories of fly fishing famous rivers and little known creeks, and of Mother’s Day hatches so thick you could hardly breathe.

Winner of the Western Writers of America Spur Award for his 2015 novel, Crazy Mountain Kiss, the Robert Traver Award for angling literature, and featured on Oprah Winfrey’s Book List , Keith displays the easy-going manner of someone you would like to fish with or have guide you on a new river adventure. When not fishing or travelwww.HCAezine.com

ling, most mornings you can find Keith writing in a downtown Bozeman coffee shop.

Keith McCafferty is a novelist, nonfiction writer of outdoor survival and skills, scientist, conservationist, and teller of stories. All High Country Angler readers will love the Keith McCafferty novels, and anyone who enjoys a good mystery and the outdoors will love these novels, too! I’ve read them all and am eagerly awaiting the release of the newest Sean Stranahan adventure! Which, I have on good authority, will be released by Penguin Books in May 2020.

Thanks Keith, and see you on the river! www.HCAezine.com

About The Author Mark Shulman is an avid fly-fisherman and longtime TU member from Centennial, Colorado. He is also a Marketing Representative for High Country Angler magazine. You can contact Mark at Mark@HCAmagazine.com.

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A Good Year for Trout at the Legislature

by Jen Boulton

T

he 2019 session was one of the most intense in recent years. There was some Washington DC level obstruction on numerous bills, which led to some very long days, and even longer nights.

After the dust settled, however, the river conservation community achieved some remarkable successes.

One of the highest priorities for Colorado TU was HB1113, to revamp some of the hard rock mining laws in the state. Most notably, the bill prohibited reliance on perpetual water treatment for newly permit-

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ted mines. Under the previously existing law, companies could apply for permits knowing that perpetual mine drainage pollution would result from their activities. In reality, the policy of the State of Colorado hasn’t allowed the practice for several years - but with passage of HB1113, the practice now is prohibited by law, so our streams and rivers are less reliant on the policies of a single department or administration.

HB1113 also prohibited the use of “self-bonding” for recovery on mining sites. Self-bonding allowed com-

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panies to claim that a healthy corporate balance sheet negated the need to post bonds in order to ensure sufficient resources for reclamation. Lastly, the bill gave specific authority to State regulators to require bonds to protect water quality, rather than solely for surface reclamation. Put together, these provisions will help ensure that future mining operations are required to operate responsibly and in a manner that adequately restores the environments where mining takes place.

Another important measure was passage of the oil and gas regulation bill. One of the biggest obstacles to updating regulations on the oil and gas industry to protect streams and rivers has been the statutory provision that the agency responsible for regulation – the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) has also been required to foster development of oil and gas resources. That dual mission has led to significant difficulties in protecting water quality, as well as public health and safety.

There has been a tremendous amount of misinformation circulated about this bill. It absolutely was not a resurrection of the 2018 ballot measure on set-

backs – a measure that Colorado TU did not support.

In fact, the word setback wasn’t even in the bill. The bill actually addressed two major issues, and several smaller issues to streamline the process and improve transparency. First it removed the requirement that the COGCC foster development. Instead, it made the regulatory agency responsible solely for regulating the industry. Second, the bill gave increased authority to local governments to regulate the siting of facilities in accordance with their land use policy. This provision was one of the most contentious. Opponents of the bill claimed that the resulting patchwork of regulations would make development prohibitively expensive – but the bill merely put the oil and gas industry on the same footing with all other commercial and residential development, which was already subject to regulation and permitting by each local jurisdiction in the State.

On a disappointing note, we were unable to pass HB1218, a bill that would have expanded the existing program allowing temporary leasing of water for protection of instream flows. The bill expanded the existing program from allowing temporary leases three years in a single ten year period; to allowing up to five years of leasing in ten, with renewal for up to two additional ten year terms. This program has already been used to help keep more water in droughtstricken streams, including the current maximum three times (through 2018) on the Yampa River where leasing partnerships with the local water conservancy district have been essential in maintaining the fishery through drought years. Unfortunately, the opposition was strong enough to derail the bill, and force it into a discussion during the Summer at the water resources and review committee.

While the failure of HB1218 was a disappointment, the 2019 session was overall a significant success for trout and their habitats. Hopefully we can build further on that success in 2020.

About The Author Jen Boulton is the contract lobbyist for Colorado Trout Unlimited.

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THE LAST CAST

•

JOHN NICKUM

Fish + Angler = Fisheries Sustainability Requires More

Q

Sustainability seems to be a relatively new concept in fisheries management, and even resource conservation in general. Are sustainability and human dimension issues becoming a major part of American fisheries management?

When Europeans started settling in North America in the 16th and early 17th centuries, they were completely awed by the abundance of natural resources, especially fisheries resources. Those resources seemed to be absolutely limitless, and human populations were low. Exploitation of land, water, and fish resources proceeded unabated with little or no regulation for more than 200 years. Even as late as the 1930s when my father adopted contour farming, strip-cropping, and crop rotation on his farm, many neighbors ridiculed him. One neighbor, Willis, who did nothing to practice conservation on his hilly farm, told my father, “You’re making it hard on yourself. This land will last as long as I’m alive; after that, I don’t give a damn.” That viewpoint of Old Willis was much more common than my father’s conservation ideas, until recently.

Concern about the fish and fisheries resources of America seems to have developed earlier than concerns for soil conservation and forest resources. By the time the American Fisheries Society was organized in 1870 and the U.S. Fish Commission established in 1871, anglers and commercial fishers were demanding action. The initial emphasis was on stocking hatchery-reared fish and controlling harvest with an array of regulations. Regu-

A

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lations focused on seasons, gear restrictions, and catch limits. Hatcheries for trout were a new innovation in the second half of the 19th century. The “conventional wisdom” was to rear as many trout as possible and stock them everywhere. Readers can do an online search for “Fish Cars” to learn how stocking proponents took advantage of the development of intercontinental railways and “modern” rail cars to stock trout from eastern hatcheries across the entire nation.

Hatcheries and regulations remained the primary normal practices for managing trout fisheries for nearly 100 years. Most anglers were satisfied as long as opening day of the trout season produced catch limits. The main complaints in those days focused on the odd taste of the fish, ragged fins, and pale colored bodies. Hatchery feeds were primitive by present day standards—basically anything the fish would eat. Water-stable feed pellets were largely unknown before the 1950s, and nutrientbased formulas were in early development.

Organizations devoted to conservation and resource management began to appear in the 1st quarter of the 20th century. President Theodore Roosevelt’s efforts to establish National Parks and National Monuments are credited with raising public awareness of the need to protect and preserve resources rather than exploit them for immediate profits. Cartoonist Ding Darling’s works depicting the damages caused by unregulated exploitation gained wide attention during and after the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Izaak Walton League, established in 1922, seems to be the first citizen’s organization dedicated to fish and wildlife resource preservation and conservation. States took on additional roles during those years by either establishing or expanding the roles and responsibilities of their fish, wildlife/game,

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and conservation agencies. Progress was halted however, when World War II caused such programs—and life in general—to pause and focus on the realities of our Nation’s survival.

Initially, the years following the Great Depression, World War II, and the Korean “Conflict” seemed to be a case of our Nation pausing, “taking a deep breath” and attempting to return to normal. Nearly 30 years of turmoil and events threatening the very existence of our Nation had left most Americans longing for peace and normality. Trout Unlimited fit perfectly into America’s desire for a more idyllic life in 1959 when its founders gathered in the “Upper-Lower” of Michigan to establish an organization devoted to a more conservation-minded form of fishing.

The founders focused on wild trout, catch and release and “fair chase,” and the art of fly fishing, as opposed to simply capturing food for the table.

Almost immediately, chapters of Trout Unlimited were developed in other states, including Colorado. Colorado Trout Unlimited built on the foundation of these local chapters in 1969 to lend citizen angler support and activism to an array of modern strategies for sustainable fisheries management.

The early years of Trout Unlimited were not always smooth. The concept of “catch and release” was viewed by “catch and consume” anglers as elitist and even downright stupid. When the objective is food for the table, live baits and large

hooks were considered to be more effective. If fish populations dwindled, there were more fish available from hatcheries. Matching species and genetic characteristics of hatchery-reared fish with natural, native populations did not catch on as a desirable practice in those early years. But Trout Unlimited persisted and provided leadership on habitat restoration, in-stream flow, and natural reproduction of native species. Earth Day 1970 brought attention to modern conservation, and sustainable management of Earth’s natural resources became a widely-supported philosophy based on scientifically valid information.

The years since Earth Day have led to greater citizen involvement in sustainable conservation, spearheaded by organizations such as Trout Unlimited. The basic concepts of sustainable resource management are now widely accepted, yet powerful forces oppose programs and actions based on these concepts. The most common excuses are, “We can’t afford these practices” and “regulations hurt the efficiency and profitability of corporate enterprises.” Greed and immediate financial profit pose formidable obstacles to resource protection and management based on principles of sustainability. In light of these challenges, Trout Unlimited must continue to promote fisheries conservation practices that ensure sustainable resources and great outdoor experiences for future generations.

About The Author John Nickum, is a retired PhD. fishery biologist whose career has included positions as professor at research universities including Iowa State and Cornell University, director of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s fisheries research facility in Bozeman, MT, and science officer for the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Mountain-Prairie Region. He was inducted into the National Fish Culture Hall of Fame in 2008.

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