P REPARING FOR SPRING BATTLES
BY LANDON MAYER
HERMOSA CREEK
BY BRIAN LA RUE
HEALING RIVERS & DRIVING THE RESTORATION ECONOMY THE SAN LUIS VALLEY TU STUDENT CHAPTER
ROCKING CHAIR RANCH PHILIPSBURG, MONTANA
Adjacent to the town of Philipsburg, this 7,230± acre mix of irrigated pasture and native range offers a 350 AU cattle operation and recreational amenities, including premium fishing on Flint Creek, only one hour to Missoula.
$21,700,000
WILLOWBEND RETREAT ON THE TETON VICTOR, IDAHO
Located in Idaho’s Teton Valley, this 12.2± acre executive’s ranch has Teton River frontage, a custombuilt owner’s home, a guest house, manicured lawns and gardens, big mountain views, and pastures fenced for horses.
$6,295,500
Recreational ranch with 2,838± acres (1,358± deeded) on both sides of Piney Creek located 20 miles southeast of Sheridan. With excellent trout fishing, a broad variety of wildlife, solid grazing, and 300± acres of irrigation.
$12,500,000
CROW’S FOOT ON THE BIG HOLE TWIN BRIDGES, MONTANA
141± acre riparian ranch includes one mile of Big Hole River frontage, irrigated food plot, custom-built 3,250± square foot residence, and 832± square foot cabin. Minutes from Twin Bridges and one hour from Bozeman.
$5,950,000
Premier agricultural, sporting, and lifestyle property 15 minutes from La Grande. Features 1,442± acres with a mile of the Grande Ronde River, national forest boundary, abundant elk, and ranch and residential improvements.
$10,950,000
Own your recreational paradise! 102± acres of unspoiled beauty along three-quarters of a mile of the San Juan River. Prime fishing, potential for water development, and abundant wildlife. Your Pagosa Springs escape awaits.
$1,900,000
DIAMOND M BAR RANCH PAGOSA SPRINGS, COLORADO
RONDE RIVER RANCH LA GRANDE, OREGON
CROSS F RANCH UCROSS, WYOMING
12PM
PUBLISHERS
Jack Tallon & Frank Martin
CONTENT CONSULTANT
Landon Mayer
EDITORIAL
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ADVERTISING
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PHOTOGRAPHY
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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.
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Distributed by High Country Publications, LLC 730 Popes Valley Drive Colorado Springs, Colorado 80919 FAX 719-593-0040
Published in cooperation with Colorado Trout Unlimited 1536 Wynkoop Street, Suite 320 Denver, CO 80202 www.coloradotu.org
PHOTO BY LANDON MAYER
P REPARING FOR SPRING B ATTLES
The definition of Still Water is, “A level section of a waterway where no current is discernible and the water is still.” For some anglers when there is not the word “current” involved in a fishing discussion, it can be easy to think the fight would not be as intense as it would when currents are pushing against the fish. Yes, the battles in moving water can be intense and challenging. However, when it comes to the hardest fight you can have on the fly in freshwater, it is hands-down still water.
In still waters, trout are in constant search for food, and rarely wait for it to be delivered. If these fish were humans, they would be at the gym 8 hours a day, working out and consuming massive amounts of protein. These trout are built for speed and endurance.
Also, in still waters, fish tend to run away from you at seemingly mach2 speeds! There are no currents pushing against them, so runners are hard to keep up with. No matter how large your reel, you simply cannot keep up with them at times. Add arm wrenching heads shakes, and eye level jumps to the mix and you are truly in a fight!
Pinch and Lift
The pinch and lift is a go-to technique I use for setting the hook whenever I am retrieving a fly or having to deal with piles of slackline. By pinching the line with your trigger finger, followed by a lift of the arm, your rod will achieve a convex bend, and often allow you to hook the fly in the roof or corner of the fish’s mouth. This is, in my opinion, the best way to set a hook using streamers during the winter months. While squeezing the trigger is key with this technique, stripping in and releasing the fly line is just as important. If the target makes a mad dash toward you, begin to strip in to prevent slackline. If the fish swims away, loosen the index grip and let the fish take line until you get it on the reel.
The Circle of Trust
Whenever I hear this term, I cannot help but laugh thinking of the classic movie “Meet the Fockers. Yes, there is a connection to the circle of trust Robert Di Nero makes that will help you land more large trout in still waters.
Most presentations in Lakes, reservoirs, and ponds require line management by stripping line and controlling it under a trigger finger. While this is an effective way to maintain connection to your fly, try adding movement to your imitations to look like the natural food supply, and control slack line from wind. The true challenge is preventing the line from jumping 10 feet in the air when the fish bolts after you set the hook. This will result in the line wrapping around the rod, reel, and even your head!. It can be a heart-
breaking moment, and one I learned to prevent while Tarpon fishing in my twenties.
Using the “Circle of Trust” around the fly line when the fish takes off after the set, or dying the fight will allow line to move through the guides. But by applying more tension to the circle is like brakes on a car. The smooth tighten will help prevent line jump and allow you more chances of landing a fastswimming trout.
Elbows Down
I will never forget the advice Lefty Kreh gave to me once in a personal casting lesson. “Imagine that have your favorite bottle of Scotch below your armpit. If you lift your arm, the bottle with drop.” It’s a good visual to show that the proper way to cast is to keep your elbow to
your side. The same can be said in fighting fish on the run. You should see your rod, reel, and hands in front of you as you carefully reel and strip the line during the fight.
If the fish runs away from you, point the tip of your rod at him and let the reel do its job. If the fish bolts back toward you, lift from a horizontal position to a vertical angle. This lift will add tension to the line and save you from losing the trout due to too much slack in the line.
Learn to Strip
When fishing streams, I always teach clients to fight fish with their reel. But in still water battles, that doesn’t always work. In still waters, a fish can swing toward your feet so fast that you cannot reel fast enough, no matter how big your reel arbor. You need to know how to fight fish by stripping the line. This is accomplished by keeping the reel in front of you, grabbing the line from behind the trigger finger, and “stripping” the line in with your non-casting arm. Then reapply pressure on your trigger finger. This gives you control of each strip, and allows you a chance to practice the speed of the technique to the point where you can take in twice as much line compared to reeling. If the fish bolts again, go back to the “circle of trust tip.”
Practice these still water tips, and you’ll have the opportunity to catch larger trout. Because calm water is where the trophy trout often hang out.
I wish you the best this spring, and hope you have a chance to meet your backing on more than one occasion.
About Landon
Landon Mayer is a veteran Colorado guide and author of several books. His newest book, Guide Flies: Easy-to-Tie Patterns for Tough Trout, can be purchased on his website at www.landonmayerflyfishing.com. You can follow Landon on Instagram at @landonmayerflyfishing.
We are a huge supporter of Trout Unlimited, and proudly send around 10% of our sales to our partners at TU.
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HERMOSA CREEK:
A DURANGO GEM
by Brian La Rue
It’s always interesting what inspires me for a destination story. Most of the time it’s a personal trip to highlight a river after a fantastic outing with an amazing guide, but this time it was a short film, and it starred a unique breed of trout—Hermosa Creek’s San Juan Cutthroat.
For those of you who are not familiar with “The Fish and The Flame,” produced by Day's Edge Productions, presented by the Western Landowners Alliance and Chama Peak Land Alliance with New Mexico Habitat Conservation Initiative, You can see it at https://wla.social/fishandtheflame.
The film highlights efforts by a couple of dedicated individuals who worked during and after the 416 Fire of 2018 to save a special cutthroat trout. Jim White, an aquatic biologist for Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), and ranch manager, Tim Haarmann. White worked with the National Forest Service to go into the active fire zone and rescue small populations of San Juan cutthroat so the species wouldn’t be wiped out.
The film follows efforts to bring them to the hatchery, raise them and work to eventually release them into the watershed for a better chance at survival. Working with the ranch manager, the ranch also does all they can to clear dead vegetation and make the watershed ideal for this cutthroat and other strains to rebound.
“Back in 2014, the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act was passed giving Hermosa Creek permanent protection and creating the 37,400-acre Hermosa Creek Wilderness Area and 70,600-acre Hermosa Creek Management Area,” said Tom Knopick at Duranglers Flies & Supplies. “Our local Five Rivers TU chapter (5RTU), Colorado TU and TU National, also championed this hugely successful bipartisan legislature.”
Several small populations of trout have been found in isolat-
ed habitats on streams of the San Juan River Basin, within the San Juan National Forest and on private property, according to 5RTU. Fish were salvaged from those habitats to preserve their unique genetic stocks and are now being bred in CPW’s Durango fish hatchery with the intention of re-establishing self-sustaining populations in additional streams.
5RTU states, “in conjunction with partners at Colorado Trout Unlimited, CPW and the U.S. Forest Service, has initiated a multi-year project designed to reintroduce cutthroat species into streams once habitat restoration is completed.”
“As for the San Juan Cutthroat, the goal is to extend the current lineage project downstream 2.2 miles to a log-drop barrier and Hermosa Creek,” added John Livingston, CPW Southwest Region Public Information Officer. “This will be super important for conservation because the current population of fish occupies just a tiny fraction of what was reclaimed after the 416 fire impacted the habitat.”
Catch And Release Fishing
“The Durango Area is fortunate to have many
great small water fisheries, and Hermosa Creek is one of its jewels,” added Knopick. “Whether you are fishing the many miles of native cutthroat reintroduction or the section below that holds rainbows, cutthroat, cutbow and brookies, it is a wonderful resource. Not only has CPW reintroduced the native Colorado River Cutthroat, it holds Outstanding Waters designation which gives it the nation’s strongest water quality protection.
“There is still a lot of work to be done to help the San Juan cutthoat trout,” said Knopick. “CPW has taken some amazing steps to save/help the species, and they are working on a lot of restoration projects. In the near future, the fish will thrive and become a more viable option for anglers.
“But Hermosa Creek itself is an easy-to-access fishery with drive-in opportunities for those who are unable to hike any distance. The drainage, the East and Main forks, do offer incredible hike-in opportunities for anglers as well,” added Knopick.
Hermosa Creek is characterized by pocket water, boulders and beautiful meadow stretches that can hold decent fish. The average trout will run about 6-13 inches, but there’s always something special lurking as the creek does spill into the Animas.
The upper reaches are great for anglers with midges and as flows subside after runoff, then it becomes an all-out frenzy on small dries as well as attractors and terrestrials. You can find easy access on the road along both forks.
“Hermosa Creek is a gem and 5RTU has been proud to be a part of its rehabilitation for over 20 years,” said Kara Armano. “Dab pristine pocket water in the rehabilitated creeks for colorful cutties while you contemplate how special it is to be in such gorgeous scenery of the San Juan mountains. Rehabilitating native species makes places like Hermosa a dream come true for anglers looking for a unique experience in a truly pristine envi-
ronment.
“Work continued last summer seeing the replacement of two tributary culverts to Hermosa to provide better aquatic organism passage,” added Armano. “5RTU helped with seeding and willow planting post construction.
“The East Fork and Mainstem of Hermosa Creek both have been rehabilitated to have cutthroat trout in them--the Colorado River strain. Unfortunately, we didn't know about the San Juan Cutthroat (SJCT) at the time of rehabilitation,” continued Armano. “That said, there is one tributary that has SJCT in it. Another barrier is under construction and will likely be stocked with SJCTs this year but more likely next year.”
Durango And Surroundings
So, there you have it. And yes, getting all three expert quotes to tell the story was easy, only hard to drop them into the best order! Kara, Tom and John all spoke highly of the creek and were a pleasure to deal with!
If this gets you excited about catching a San Juan cutty, I’m sorry because the small population still needs more time before they become stable. But
Thousands of anglers, guides, lodges, and shops served since 1999.
Colorado Family and Veteran owned and operated.
Hermosa’s other trout will supply more than enough action, not to mention the area’s numerous other waters!
“If you still want to try for a San Juan Cutthroat on the fly, there are a few better options in the region with Wolf Creek above Pagosa Springs and Rito Blanco above Aspen Spur Road,” said John Livingston, back at the CPW offices in Durango.
Durango is also home to great local restaurants and some amazing accommodations, so make a week out of it and be sure to save one day to head south to the San Juan River! While you are there check out historic Abe’s Motel and Fly Shop! Did you know it’s for sale? What a property! My friends Greg Liddle and Lauren Fichtl from Hayden Outdoors are representing the property. More at https://www. haydenoutdoors.com/land-for-sale/abes-lodgingand-fly-shop-on-the-san-juan-river/.
Thanks for reading and stop by Duranglers for flies, latest reports or book a guided trip. Send a photo of your next adventure, maybe I’ll use it for social! Reach out to me at Brian@HCAmagazine.com.
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.
The Kakahi King
The volcanoes were shrouded in mist as was their habit, yet I pictured their contours hidden behind the veil--Tongariro with its flattopped, crater-filled moonscape and steam venting from its flanks, Ngauruhoe rising overhead in conical perfection, and in the distance Ruapehu, rambling and restless, still to settle on its final form.
As we drove he pointed out the significant features of the landscape, the names given to them by the original inhabitants, and relayed stories passed down through the generations of love and hate and wars fought between ancestors in the times before written language came to these shores.
From the highway we turned on to roads that wound ever-narrowing, descending into a hollow of which the low lands were a checkerboard of farmland, the upper, less suitable for the raising of sheep and cattle, still dense in a cover of native timber. We came to a small settlement—a cluster of houses, a one-time bakery now closed and boarded, and a general store,
all in a line along the narrow road.
I parked the car and we went inside the store in search of local advice on the best place to access the nearby river. An old man behind the counter looked up at us as we entered. Stooped with age, he offered us a greeting. I looked around at shelves and countertops of organized chaos. One could purchase anything here from canned goods and magazines to gardening implements and fencing materials, little apparent order to their placing. Black and white photos of the settlement’s glory days adorned the walls— men and women on horseback with rifles slung over their shoulders, the stumps of trees broad across as a person, felled by axe and saw, a steam train, cattle in a field.
Upon being asked where would be the best place to fish, the old man’s eyes lit up. “Come with me,” he said, shuffling toward the door. We stood outside and he pointed up the road.
“Follow the road here for a bit. Veer left twice, then you’ll come to a long straight. Follow that all the way through a cut in the hillside and you’ll come to a flat area. You can access the river from there. Another place, take the next right just up there, follow the road to a sign that says Stone Jug, turn there, and that’ll put you further upstream.”
We returned inside to buy a few supplies for the day, nothing really necessary, but as a way of saying thank you.
“I used to fish the river myself, back in the day,” he
continued. “Now I can’t handle walking on the rocks. Too slippery, and the water is too fast.”
He reached into a pile on the counter before us and withdrew a magazine with a photo of a much more youthful him on the cover, a sizable brown trout in his hands. Thumbing through the dog-eared pages he opened it at the accompanying article, headlined the Kakahi King.
“My family moved here from Mumbai in 1947. I was five years old. None of us spoke a lick of English. My father bought the store, then after a time got sick. I had to leave school to help out for a summer. This’ll be my sixty-seventh year running this place.” He paused, then added as an afterthought, “There was much more going on around here then. Once upon a time there were plans for a main trunk railroad to come through here.”
We looked among the shelves, picked out a bag of obviously home-grown tomatoes, a couple of ice cream bars, and some chocolate. Setting this before him, he rummaged for a pen and paper and from memory wrote the price of each item down in a column, then added the total. I put away my credit card and paid in cash.
“I’ve always been good with numbers,” he explained, counting out my change.
We thanked him for his help then stepped outside, got in the
car and followed his directions toward the cut. Past the last house the road turned to gravel. A pall of dust hung behind us in the still, humid air, much like the hollow, apparently suspended in time.
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 semi-retired fly fishing guide, he juggles helping his wife raise two teenage daughters, along with a career in real estate.
guide. Real Estate guide.
Recreation, residential, retirement, investment.
Hayden Mellsop Fly fishing
Building a Future For Conservation: the san luis valley tu student Chapter
by Kevin Milder - San Luis Valley Chapter
Anew wave of conservation leadership is taking shape in the San Luis Valley, where young anglers and environmental stewards are stepping up to protect their local waters. The San Luis Valley Trout Unlimited (TU) Student Chapterofficially designated as Chapter 001 - one of the first three TU student chapters in the nation and the only one west of the Mississippi—is providing students with hands-on opportunities to engage in conservation, learn valuable skills, and foster a lifelong connection to their watershed.
Since its inception, the chapter has already made strides in both education and habitat restoration.
One of its first events introduced students to the art of fly tying in collaboration with Project Healing Waters, teaching them the patience and precision required to craft their own flies. But the chapter’s impact extends well beyond the vise. Students have also contributed to conservation efforts, building fence stiles that will be installed this summer at Jim Creek and along the Conejos River. These structures will improve angler access while protecting fragile riparian habitats—demonstrating the chapter’s commitment to balancing recreation with conservation.
Looking ahead, the chapter has an ambitious lineup of activities designed to deepen students’ skills
and environmental awareness. More fly tying sessions are scheduled, allowing participants to refine their craft while gaining a deeper understanding of entomology and fly selection. Monthly outings will provide opportunities to test their skills on local waters while fostering a greater appreciation for both the sport and the ecosystems they seek to protect.
This summer, students will take an even more active role in conservation work. They’ll assist with fish population surveys through electroshocking at Jim Creek, help repair fencing to protect sensitive habitats, and install the previously constructed fence stiles. These hands-on experiences will not only enhance their technical skills but also instill a sense of responsibility for the health of local fisheries.
Though the chapter was founded at Monte Vista High School, its vision is to expand participation to students across the San Luis Valley. By broadening its reach, the chapter can inspire more young people to become conservation leaders, strengthening the
future of coldwater fisheries in the region.
The early success of the San Luis Valley TU Student Chapter is a testament to the enthusiasm and dedication of its members. With continued support from the local TU chapter and community partners, this initiative is poised to make a lasting impact— both on the students involved and on the health of the region’s waters. This is just the beginning, and the future looks bright for youth conservation in the San Luis Valley.
To learn more
For more information on TU Student Chapters, please contact Cliff Watson at clifford.watson@tu.org
Healing Rive
tHe RestoRation
by David
David Nickum
Trout Unlimited has always been about restoring fisheries and their habitat, work that has helped restore populations of wild and native trout and salmon and enhance the health of watersheds across the nation. This work also has an often-overlooked benefit to our communities in addition to enhancing our environment and recreational opportunities.
Trout Unlimited’s restoration efforts don’t just support America’s working lands and waters, they are also a driving force behind rural economic growth. We’ve long recognized the importance of healthy rivers and fisheries for the outdoor recreation economy, which in Colorado generates $17.2 billion in economic activity and supports over 132,000 jobs. But TU’s projects are also generating high-quality jobs for contractors, engineers, and laborers, most of whom live and work in the very communities benefiting from these projects.
Many of TU’s efforts rely upon, and help leverage, federal dollars from agency partners like the Bureau of Reclamation, US Forest Service, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. In Colorado alone, TU is managing more than $24 million in federallyfunded projects, helping support more than 250 Colorado jobs through our contractors and partners. These partnerships create lasting benefits – for
fish and communities. Whether improving river conditions while also providing irrigators with more efficient and low-maintenance infrastructure – or restoring fish passage while also creating road crossings that are safter and more resilient in the face of floods – or helping recover landscapes damaged by catastrophic wildfire to better protect communities and habitat – TU projects are producing benefits well beyond the fish that inspire us. Just as importantly, TU projects have injected millions into local economies, supporting small businesses, boosting tourism, and ensuring that our communities thrive alongside their rivers and streams.
As federal agencies continue their review of federallyfunded programs, we urge you to reach out to your elected officials and encourage the swift completion of their review of popular conservation programs and restore critical federal funding for restoration projects and the rural communities they support. A TU action alert makes it easy to lend your voice in support of these multi-benefit programs: https://coloradotu. salsalabs.org/federalrestorationfunds
Here is a sampling of the diverse partnership projects that TU has completed or is working on in Colorado – helping trout and communities and supporting local economies.
Reconnecting tHe coloRaDo RiveR
Long-time champion for the Upper Colorado Bud Isaacs described Windy Gap Reservoir near Granby as being like a miner’s pan – passing on the silt and capturing the rocks. While that may be desirable for a miner panning for gold, it spelled disaster for the river as the natural bedload that provides habitat for trout and macroinvertebrates was filled in with fine sediment, leading to the loss of sculpin and stoneflies and significant declines in the Colorado River’s gold medal fishery. He advocated for a ‘bypass’ channel around the reservoir to help restore the river’s natural processes – and the downstream fishery.
In 2024, Northern Water and Trout Unlimited finally achieved Bud’s vision through completion of the Colorado River Connectivity Channel – with the help of partners including the Colorado River District, Grand County, Upper Colorado River Alliance, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Colorado Water Conservation Board, Great Outdoors Colorado, Bonneville Environmental Foundation and other corporate partners, and critically, the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service. With federal and matching funds from these partners, we were able to convert Windy Gap Reservoir into a smaller “off-channel” forebay that can operate when its water rights are in priority, while restoring part of the former reservoir footprint into a connecting river channel that
maintains flows and restores natural processes to the Colorado, re-opens fish passage into the Colorado and Fraser above the project, and will ultimately provide 2 miles of new publicly-accessible river fishing on our state’s namesake river.
a Win-Win-Win foR fisH, agRicultuRe anD local economies
Elk Creek near New Castle supports some excellent trout spawning habitat – but spawning fish coming up from the Colorado River for decades have had their access upstream cut off by historic stream-spanning diversion structures. Meanwhile, those aging structures were facing significant future maintenance needs and had room to become more efficient. Colorado TU’s Nancy Johnston and Richard Van Gytenbeek are working with local irrigators to replace three diversion structures with new modern headgates that will efficiently and effectively deliver irrigation water to hay fields and orchards in the area, reduce maintenance needs, and restore fish passage for trout in Elk Creek.
These projects are also supporting the local
About The Author.
David Nickum is Executive Director of Colorado Trout Unlimited. You can reach him via the CTU website at www.coloradotu.org.
economy and jobs, with more than $4 million in funds from the federal Bureau of Reclamation, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and the Colorado River District helping fund the project work by two local general contractors and an engineering firm. Work will be completed in time for the 2025 irrigation season. This project is a great example of how TU is leveraging federal investments with state and local partnerships to create meaningful impacts on the ground and in rural communities.
native tRout – anD moRe Resilient RoaDs –in tHe PouDRe HeaDWateRs
In early summer 2025, Colorado Trout Unlimited will be completing a unique project along Corral Creek, a tributary to the Cache la Poudre headwaters near Long Draw Reservoir. Working with local contractors and in close collaboration with the US Forest Service, TU has removed an undersized culvert that restricted fish passage – and posed greater risk of road failure from floods and debris – and replaced it with a much larger culvert designed to handle the system’s peak wet-year flows while maintaining a
natural stream bottom on the culvert’s floor. Uniquely, the project also features a temporary fish barrier at the mouth of the culvert, creating a barrier (for now) to fish movement above the road crossing. This will allow the Forest Service and Colorado Parks and Wildlife to remove non-native trout from the upper portions of Corral Creek in order to reintroduce native Greenback cutthroat trout. In future years as downstream areas are also restored to Greenback habitat, the temporary barrier will be removed and the fish-friendly culvert allowed to restore fish movement through Corral Creek. Ultimately, this and adjacent restoration projects will restore 37 miles of connected habitat as a stronghold area for Greenback restoration – making it the largest native trout restoration effort in Colorado history.
Funding for this work has come through partnership agreements with the US Forest Service, with those dollars leveraged on Corral Creek and with a second barrier at the mouth of the Grand Ditch through funding from the Colorado Water Conservation Board, Ross Reels, and Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's Outdoor Fund, as well as mitigation dollars from the Water Supply and Storage Company (for their Long Draw Reservoir). Collective investments so far of over $1.3 million through two local general contractors, helping support jobs in the northern Colorado restoration economy.
RestoRation of legacy mine sites in tHe uPPeR soutH Platte
Colorado’s mining history has left many fascinating sites across our mountains – but has also created a less-attractive legacy of polluted drainage from mine outlets and runoff from waste rock.TU has a long history of working to restore these abandoned mine sites that have no surviving party responsible for their cleanup. Planned for later in 2025, the Sacramento Gulch Mill
Site reclamation project will reclaim approximately 2500 cubic yards of mine waste rock, ore stockpile, and a mill pad near the town of Fairplay, on the PikeSan Isabel National Forest. The Project is a partnership between the USDA Forest Service and Trout Unlimited, using federal Environmental Compliance and Protection dollars along with private matching funds provided by Anglers All and individual donors through Colorado Gives Day as well as Park County’s Land and Water Trust.
Sacramento Gulch is in the headwaters of the Middle Fork South Platte watershed, so reclaiming mine waste will help improve water quality for a stream that serves both as a municipal water supply and as a source for the gold-medal reaches of the Middle Fork and mainstem South Platte downstream. Similar projects in the upper Middle Fork watershed have been completed by TU’s professional abandoned mine land project managers working with skilled local contractors, on sites including Orphan Boy and Mineral Park.
How to Match the Hatch Part 1: P.A.U.S.E. before you Match
by Peter Stitcher
If you want to take your fly fishing to the next level and consistently start catching more fish, one of the best ways to do so is to learn to quickly and accurately match the hatch. Match the Hatch, is a term you hear thrown around a lot in fly fishing circles, and it refers to the ability of the angler to on the water and in real time sample the insects living on and around the water you are fishing and quickly and accurate choose the artificial fly patterns that most closely imitate the natural insects. Don’t let this intimidate you! What matching the hatch DOESN’T mean is you need to know the species and names of the flies you see on the water, or even the names of the flies in your fly box. You simple need to know
where the day’s menu is written on and around the water and choose the fly(ies) in your box that most closely match the size, color, and characteristic of the natural. In part 1 of this match the hatch series, I’m going to walk you through the 5 places where the day’s menu will be found with a easy to remember acronym, P.A.U.S.E.
P- Parking Lot to the River
The ability to affectively match the hatch is first and foremost about being observant, and the first place that we need to keep our eyes and ears open is from the parking lot to the river. What bugs became lodged in the grill of your vehicle as you drove along
the river? Which insects do you hear or see as you walk along trail from the parking lot to the water’s edge? All of your observations made from the parking lot to the river will help to inform which dry fly patterns you will want to fish that day.
A–
Above the water
3 of your big 4 aquatic invertebrate families – Mayflies, Caddisflies, and Stoneflies each exhibit unique physical characteristics and behaviors above the water that are easy for the angler to identify and match it to the family. Each of these families have a unique flight pattern, resting wing shape, and egg laying behavior on the surface of the water that can be identified from a significant distance. All of your observations made above the water will also help to inform which dry fly patterns you will want to fish that day.
U– Under the Water
Under the water is the single most important place for the angler to sample if they want to have a great day on the water! The aquatic life stages of the insects account for 99.9% of the life of aquatic trout food and 80% of what trout eat year round. Using a seine, a fine mesh net that strains insect out of the water, is the best tool to collect this essential sample and match to the most effective nymph and wet fly patterns for the day.
S- Spider Webs
Spiders that live along the edges of the water you are fishing are constantly sampling dry flies for you! If you can find an active spider web, take a peek at what’s hanging around and match your dry flies to the most abundant insects trapped in the web.
E– Edges and Eddies
As the current of the river twists and sweeps behind rocks, root wads, and alcoves along the edge of the river, insects both on top of the water and under water get
trapped in this recirculating flow. This is a great point to check for dry flies spinning on the surface of the water as well as using your seine to get second wet fly sample under the water.
The next time you go to the river, make sure to PAUSE to collect the day’s menu, and stay tuned to the second part of this series next month when I share how to take this data and choose the best fly patterns for the day!
About The Author
Peter Stitcher is an aquatic biologist by vocation and the owner of Ascent Fly Fishing located in Littleton CO and online at ascentflyfishing.com. Peter has written the “Bug Bites” column in High Country Angler for the last 7 years. Whether you are new to fly fishing or are a seasoned angler, Peter and the team at Ascent Fly Fishing would love to be a resource in equipping you, your family, and friends to help you get out on the water and experience it in a way that is life giving for you!
Jiggy Miracle
Change is hard. Change for change’s sake. If you don’t change and adapt, you fall behind. Times they are changing. If you don’t like something, change it.
These often-heard quotes about change are usually applied with a serious voice tone and in the context of life or business or social progression. I know this will upset some readers, but fly tying is not that.
Not serious, that is. In a relative sense, compared to all that is life, fly tying is for fun. Fun as to the art, but sure, serious as to the designing and practice towards the goal of catching a fish, a creature of not great intelligence.
So change in fly tying can be good. Recreational fly tying has been around for a century or two. A relatively short period of time compared to the first ever fishing for food with a crude fly a millennium ago.
I’ve been tying for over 40 years, and much has changed in that short breath of time. Tools, materials, hooks-everything has changed. In my time and in my opinion, the biggest change has been the shift from natural to synthetic materials. Plastic, primarily, has brought forth not only new materials, but materials that very closely resemble natural materials, such as hair and feather. While not entirely replacing natural, synthetic has somewhat negated the need for natural material.
In the realm of trout fishing, synthetics have allowed us to create realistic patterns that are ever smaller, thinner, and exacting by using synthetic threads, tubing, sheeting, flash, coatings, glues, etc., all available in a full spectrum of color.
Have fun with this all-synthetic pattern in a bright pink color. The Jiggy Miracle is an adaptation
of the historic Miracle Nymph, using a jig hook, tungsten bead, and UV coating for tight-line nymphing. Vary the Jiggy Miracle with different hook sizes, try a bright green or purple, or use a different bead color. That’s the fun of recreational fly tying, and oh by the way, it works.
About The Author
Joel Evans is president of the Gunnison Gorge Anglers chapter and the current Southwest Regional Vice President of Colorado Trout Unlimited.
Play Video
HOOK: JIG SIZE 14 OR SMALLER
BEAD: TUNGSTEN SLOTTED GOLD 2.8MM
WEIGHT: LEAD SUBSTITUTE WIRE 0.010
BODY: THREAD FLUORESCENT PINK 70 DENIER OR 6/0
RIBBING: WIRE MEDIUM GOLD
BODY OVERLAY: FLOSS 1X TAN
HEAD: VINYL RIBBING SMALL BLACK
HOT SPOT: THREAD FLUORESCENT PINK 70 OR 6/0
BODY CEMENT: UV CLEAR THIN
THE LAUGHING
LAUGHINGRIVER
by Jack Bombardier
The other night when I got home from work, I opened the door to my car and heard a sound that was very familiar, though one I hadn't heard in months. It sounded like distant applause, or maybe a sitcom laugh track. Then it realized that it was just the river, unbound from its icy tomb for the first time since November. When I heard the rhythmic sssh-sssh-sssh music coming from the backyard, I knew that the large field of ice that had been quickly melting over the previous two weeks had finally floated off downstream. The Colorado River was indeed a river once more, and all vestiges of the ice skating rink we'd enjoyed all winter was gone. There is no more definitive measure marking the transition from winter to spring than the river ice melting away. It happens slowly at first, then all at once.
This is an important seasonal marker where I live. Twice a year the river goes from being a huge asset in our lives to a liability, even if just for a short time. Those two periods occur just after Thanksgiving, when the river ice is frozen but not yet thick enough to stand on, and in the spring, when it looks sound but is unsafe. We have several labradors who consider our backyard and its adjacent waterway their territory, and during those two short periods of unsafe ice we can't let them into that space which is otherwise their slice of heaven, and mine.
Late fall and early spring is also when another phenomenon occurs, river ice circles. Ice circles usually appear in December and March, in a few specific spots. One is just below the boat ramp at Cottonwood, and if you stop to watch, you'll see circle spinning slowly, like an album turntable.
This winter past was pretty ordinary and normal, which is to say, wonderful. Here and along the river corridors, it was a pretty lean year for snow. In Eagle, we got the Ice Castles, a temporary collection of water frozen and shaped into various tunnels, caves and passageways. Water, along with the air we breathe, is one of the two most essential components of the life. When people use it to create something beautiful, even if it only lasts in our memories, its a reminder of life's fleeting nature.
Our house isn't in the mountains, but it is surrounded by them. Along the river itself, we got a few small snowstorms, but nothing I couldn't clear off the river with my doublewide snow shovel. As a result,
we had almost three months of safe, smooth ice to skate on. There were a few large cracks that formed, but they were obvious if you kept an eye peeled for them. There were a couple of times I didn't, usually at night stickhandling a throw stick while being pursued by a pack of baying labradors. Hitting those cracks at the wrong angle meant flying through the air ending with a hard landing, followed by a long slide across the smooth ice. I'd look up at the night sky from my back, do a quick mental inventory to check if I broke anything, then have my reverie broken by five enthusiastic tongues licking my face.
But those days and nights on top of the river surface are over for now, and its time to back into the river. The time has returned to begin cracking the bedroom window open at night, to let that sweet river music into our home and into our ears. Today I went and got my dory. It’s in the backyard now, ready to be eased into the river to resume its station tied to my dock. Once it’s out there, I can just jump into it anytime I want to row upriver for a quick float involving no shuttle, or trailer, or any complication beyond unlooping my bow line. Sometimes I'll take a dog, or two, or five, or the cat, or my wife, or maybe a neighbor. Other times, I hop in after work and go for a twenty-minute float, just because I can, and do it by myself to remember why I live here. If I've earned a happy spot in the afterlife, and it involves being in a boat on the Colorado River in perpetuity, I'll be fine with that.
It’s only the second day of March, and as such too early to predict what kind of season we'll have this year on the river. The snowpack is just OK, around normal, though there's still plenty of time for it to build up some more. March is usually the snowiest month in Colorado, and my favorite time to ski. The river is low and clear in my yard, and I've already seen a few rise forms from sipping trout. But upriver, there is still a lot of ice in the river yet to melt. If we don't get our "normal" March snows (and who is to say what is normal weather anymore?}, then we might be in for a low water spring as the reservoirs are refilled. This means that the fishing in May and June might be quite good if the runoff is subdued.
However, if our next "normal" weather pattern, the summer monsoons come late, then the river might get too warm to fish in July. Of course, being the first week of March, it’s way too early to speculate about any of that. Right now, I'm just extremely grateful to see the river back once more. Although it never left, its sometimes easy to forget that it was there all along. In January, it got so cold that the river froze all the way across, something it doesn't do every year. For a few weeks, it was just a frozen wasteland, and seeing a polar bear trotting along its edge wouldn't have looked out of place.
The story of the Colorado River for 2025 has yet to be written, but it’s a tale I look forward to having some small, supporting role in. The river is awake and alive and laughing again, and soon we'll be floating, swimming, fishing or just sitting beside it.
About The Author
Jack Bombardier is the owner of Confluence Casting and guides on the “lower Upper” Colorado River above Dotsero. He also serves on the Upper Colorado Wild & Scenic Management team, charged with collaborating to protect the river’s outstanding values.
The Last Cast
Dear Friends,
Several years ago, I compiled a presentation on the legacy of women in conservation. During my research, I discovered remarkable women who persevered through challenging times to lead grassroots conservation movements. With ongoing uncertainties surrounding federal restoration funding and threats to public lands, these leaders have been on my mind lately. In honor of Women’s History Month, I would like to share a few of their stories.
By the late 19th century, the rise of the middle class, literary clubs, and the abolition and women's rights movements exposed women to the political process and the public arena. These women’s groups were driven by a growing awareness of the value of nature and scenery as a remedy for urban squalor. Women emerged as a powerful force in the progressive conservation movement, transforming it from an elite male endeavor to a widely based movement. They contributed as organizers, writers, professionals, and leaders.
The legacy of women in conservation is a rich history of often-overlooked figures, frequently recorded simply as ‘Mrs. so and so.’ Laura Lyon White, for instance, championed forestry in 1897 by founding the California Club to preserve California redwood groves. She led a national campaign that resulted in President Teddy Roosevelt issuing the first presidential message to Congress at the request of a women-led organization, urging the preservation of the Big Tree groves. While White advocated for outdoor access and navigated the divisive politics of her time, she also reflected the era's prejudices by opposing the inclusion of Black women's clubs in the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, perpetuating racist practices.
The conservation movement of the 1930s and 40s addressed a continental-scale ecological crisis. Deforestation, wetland drainage, and the Dust Bowl, a consequence of destructive farming practices, demanded action. In the early 20th century, it was noteworthy for women to attain education and professional status in the sciences. Dr. Emmeline Moore, a pioneering fisheries scientist and recognized leader, exemplified this. She stated that she ‘had to be all things to all fishes.’ Moore directed one of the world’s most extensive surveys of fish and aquatic organisms, a groundbreaking achievement for both men and women at the time. She earned her doctorate in biology from Cornell in 1916 and began her fisheries career during World War I. Among her many accomplishments,
she was elected president of the American Fisheries Society in 1927. It was another 55 years, in 1982, before another woman held that position.
Celia Hunter (1910-2001) was the first female president of The Wilderness Society. She collaborated with Mardy and Olaus Murie to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and spearheaded the passage of legislation in the 1980s that protected over 100 million acres in Alaska. Famously, she was said to have been writing messages to senators in Washington, D.C., the night before she died at 82, urging them to vote against proposed oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in 2001.
This column provides only a glimpse of the many women in conservation leadership whose stories I find inspiring. I explored their stories to emphasize the continued need for women to step forward as leaders and contribute their voices and perspectives to this vital work. I feel privileged to attempt to build upon their legacy in my own way. I’ll conclude with the story of Berta Cáceres (1971-2016). As a member of the Lenca people of Honduras, Berta Isabel Cáceres Flores led an environmental movement against the Agua Zarca Dam, which threatened the Gualcarque River and the livelihoods of her community. She organized protests and blockades that eventually forced contractors to abandon the project. Cáceres knew her life was at risk for years; in 2013, she stated, ‘I want to live, there are many things I still want to do in this world but I have never once considered giving up fighting for our territory, for a life with dignity, because our fight is legitimate.’ Tragically, in 2016, Cáceres was assassinated in her home, a casualty in one of the world's most dangerous countries for environmental activists.
As TU supporters and leaders, the task is far less dangerous. We are charged with remaining steadfast in our values, grassroots, nonpartisan, community-based.
Warmly, Barbara Luneau
About The Author
Barbara Luneau is Colorado Trout Unlimited’s President, a retired geologist, avid angler, and long-time TU volunteer at both local chapter and statewide levels. She has a deep commitment to youth programming, including serving as the volunteer director of the annual CTU River Conservation and Fly Fishing youth camp.
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