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North Platte River Casper, Wyoming Photo by Trent Tatum
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The extraordinary The extraordinary water, water, scenery scenery and and privacy privacy of this of 785± this 785± acre acre fishing fishing property property are complemented are complemented by exceptional by exceptional accommodations accommodations and aand convenient a convenient location location within within easy easy reachreach of Vail of Valley Vail Valley amenities amenities and airport. and airport.
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Coyote Coyote RiverRiver RiverRiver Ranch Ranch is 166± is 166± acresacres between between Glenwood Glenwood and Vail and CO, Vail with CO, with potential potential for gravel for gravel income, income, property property development development or conservation or conservation easement. easement. Approximately Approximately one mile one mile of great of great fishing fishing on the on Colorado the Colorado River. River.
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Beautiful Beautiful 503±503± acre acre ranch ranch with with 140±140± acresacres of irrigated of irrigated cropland cropland on one on of onethe of the best best reaches reaches of the of Big the Lost Big Lost 60 miles 60 miles from from Sun Sun Valley. Valley. Two attractively Two attractively furnished furnished fishing fishing cabins cabins set along set along the river the river offeroffer hugehuge viewsviews of Idaho’s of Idaho’s highest highest peaks. peaks.
Just Just 45 minutes 45 minutes fromfrom the Breckenridge the Breckenridge ski resort, ski resort, this this 240±240± acre acre mountain mountain ranch ranch features features 1.751.75 milesmiles of trout of trout fishing fishing on Tarryall on Tarryall Creek Creek and diverse and diverse wildlife wildlife habitat habitat in a in stunning a stunning setting setting at at the base the base of the of Continental the Continental Divide. Divide.
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S A LES S A LES | AU | CTIO AU CTIO N S N| S F IN | ANC FINANC E | E APPR | APPR AISALS AISALS | MANAG | MANAG EMENT EMENT 4
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SPRING 2015 VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 2
FEATURES 8
NOT DRAG FREE BY LANDON MAYER
39
THE FIREHOLE BY BRIAN LA RUE
DEPARTMENTS 12 LET’S GO FISHING
BY BILL EDRINGTON
COLORADO TU SECTION 16
COLORADO TU 2014 YEAR IN REVIEW
44
GREENBACKS RISING
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49
50
HCA EZINE CONTENTS 32
MY FIRST SALTWATER EXPERIENCE BY SHAWN ASH
35
THE CAMPING TRIP BY HAYDEN MELLSOP
36
HCA GEAR BAG BY BRIAN LA RUE
37
FIT TO BE TIED BY JOEL EVANS
BY JEFF FLORENCE
THE FLY FISHING WORLD COMES TO COLORADO! BY JOHN KNIGHT
SUPERFLY – THE HOOK DRESSED IN A MIGHTY CAPE BY JOEL L. EVANS
BROWNS CANYON
52
THE LAST CAST
BY JOHN NICKUM
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Spring 2015 • High Country Angler
7
Not Drag Free M
any anglers learn that the best way to present is to allow their flies to drift naturally in the current. The most common way to achieve a drag-free drift is with one or multiple mends, in which you place the fly line and leader upstream of the flies to remove tension, and then let them sink. This works well in deep water that has enough room for the flies to sink, and also in multiple current speeds, letting you keep your flies at a specific depth without them being swept away from the trout. I think the term “drag-free drift” is misleading. Yes, your indicator and line are drifting drag-free, but the flies below the surface still create drag by moving around in the turbulent current. Drifting your flies to supply tension to the presentation can solve the problem of snagging the river bottom, because the constant tension will keep your rig in the middle of the water column. This is important because a suspended trout is often a feeding target.
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High Country Angler • Spring 2015
by Landon Mayer
Mayer’s Mini Leech (Available from Umpqua Feather Merchants) www.HCAmagazine.com
Top to Bottom In shallow-water settings, a swing method works well when applying tension, because you can have the imitation accurately pass through the trout’s viewing lane at a 45-degree angle and drift short of the trout— preventing snags or foul-hooking the fish. This can cause the trout to turn and commit to eating before the meal disappears. It is also a great way to control depth in shallow water, as the flies will ride higher in the water column when swinging and allow feeding trout a better view of the bugs. Riffled waterways are known to supply trout cover, oxygen, food supply, and warming temperatures to produce prime habitat for active trout. These locations are known as feeding lies. I am a huge fan of achieving depth in the shallow waters by using plastic beads, like Dorsey’s Mercury Pheasantail, Cravens Ju Ju Beatis #18-20, or synthetic ties like my Tube Midge, or Eagan’s Rainbow Warrior #2022 to achieve a slow sinking rate while keeping the flies afloat. In deep-water scenarios—whether you are using a standard nymph rig or a Czech/European-style nymph rig—you can elevate your rod and leader setup to keep tension to your rig, and drift just above the river bottom without snags. For the best tension during the presentation, lead the flies with the tip of your rod to supply a 45-degree angle to your imitation. This stiff tension will also help you feel any subtle takes. When supplying tension, keep in mind that your leader length should increase no matter how you build it, and that removing any strike indicator will allow a more intimate connection with the river bottom. You will get many takes at the end of the swing when you begin lifting for the next cast. For the deep-water drift, anchor flies can be the way to reach the bottom fast at the beginning of the drift, then with a slow swing and lift, raising the flies on the second half of the drift. I call this the “dead swing.” Patterns such as Barr’s Crane Fly Larva #10-14, Cravens Two Bit Hooker #14-18, Tungsten Tube Midge #18-20, Mayer’s Mini Leech #14-16, Parrot’s Electric Caddis #10-14, are all a good tumbling choices as a main attractor on your rig.
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Nora Bushong Larimer
Watercolors and Oil Paintings Prints and Tiles Rock Run Gallery
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Vi Visistit the n the N ew w w Weebsit G e id bsitee tod ed tr Guuid Toda ay Ph e y d o T r ogra iippss hotto VP id grapph hy Videeoo an d mo y and re! Mor e!
Landon’s books & DVDs are available for order on his website!
w w w. l a n d o n m a y e r. c o m WWW.LANDONMAYER.COM Spring 2015 • High Country Angler
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High Country Angler • Spring 2015
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Indicate With A Purpose Many fly fishing toos can have multiple purposes on the water. One of the most overlooked attributes of a strike indicator is relying on it as a tracking device. With your flies in motion, connected with tension to the tip of the rod, you can track the speed of the water and the length of a drift to make sure every cast counts. For situations where the trout are feeding near the surface, the main purpose of a strike indicator is to keep the flies suspended while they swing near the surface film. When selecting the right tracking device, look for colors or makes that match what the trout will see on the water’s surface. 1) Adult insect during a hatch, Hoppers, Beetles, Ants. 2) White foam or debris, matched with whitetan foam, plastic, and yarn indicators. 3) Water bubbles, matched with clear thingamambobbers.
Let Them Run Knowing that there will be tension and a constant connection with your flies, setting the hook can be a very stressful event. Honestly, when your rig is taken while in motion, the trout will also be on the move when it takes, allowing the fish to basically set itself. When I teach this method on the water I refer to the term “nothing but cork.” The technique is simple. After setting the tension on your drag, simply hold the cork handle without slack line under your index finger. When the trout strikes in skinny waters, simply lift the rod with a convex bend. This will apply maximum pressure on the trout’s jaw, while letting the reel do its job as the targets bolts off. For long line scenarios with depth in mind, prevent stripping any line when you set. While controlling the slack line under your index finger, simply pinch the line when you see the take, elevate the rod with a convex bend, and immediately release the index finger to allow the line to feed out toward the moving fish. This will prevent the over-application of power by strip setting with slack line in the non-casting hand. The true lure of fly fishing is the neverending supply of knowledge we gain on the water. Encourage yourself everyday to try different techniques and approaches, like fishing with or without tension. Similar to the trout we hunt, having the ability to adapt can produce great rewards of productive waterways.
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• 1 & 2 Bedroom Cabins on the Frying Pan River • Fully Equipped Kitchens, Outdoor Decks, Grills, Etc. • Approx. 1/2 Mile of Privately Owned Property for your Fishing Pleasure • On the Four-Star Frying Pan River • Close to Historic Downtown Basalt Call for Availability & Rates:
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• Continental Breakfast • Free WIFI • Onsight Massage Service • RTA Shuttle to Crested Butte • Balconies Overlooking Golf Course • Parking for Boats & Trailers • Exercise Room • Laundry Facility • Friendly Staff That Loves the Outdoors!
About the Author.
Landon Mayer is a veteran Colorado guide and author of several books, including 101 Trout Tips: A Guide’s Secrets, Tactics, and TechniquesStackpole/Headwaters 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. www.HCAmagazine.com
1880s Railroad Boarding House
1-800-642-1650 Local (970) 641-1650
www.waterwheelinnatgunnison.com Spring 2015 • High Country Angler
11
LET’S GO FISHING •
BY BILL EDRINGTON
We All Needed Spring
T
his winter was a strange one to say the least. We had winter in late November followed by a nice December, a little winter in early January, followed by spring in early February, followed by a harsh, snowy winter blast that lasted over two weeks into early March.
That little spell left record low temperatures and record snowfall along the Front Range of Colorado. And, that paled in comparison to what was happening on the East Coast and the Midwest. My friends in Nashville were snowed in, and air travel back East was sketchy to say the least. I have no problem with all the snow in Boston that closed the city down…..it’s simply payback for the Patriots winning the Super Bowl. It seems like winter was totally boring for me; except for the few days I did get to fish, I spent the time writing, researching a new book, and drinking scotch. I believe that I wasn’t the only bored person out there. My Facebook friends took to sharing all their political beliefs with the rest of us, as if we cared. I got so glazed over by hate and fear mongering that I unfriended a few...take that. I joined the social media craze to post fly fishing information and share interesting fishing
trips and recipes with my friends, not to look at what your favorite news outlet just posted about the political party you dis-
ICEBERG BAETIS HOOK: TMC 200R #18 TO #22. THREAD: 8/0 OLIVE. TAIL: OLIVE Z LON. ABDOMEN: GREY-OLIVE TURKEY BIOT. THORAX: OLIVE ICE DUB. WING: CDC DARK DUN.
CHICKEN FRIED STEAK SANDWICH This is a classic sandwich from my past, present, and future. A Texan will chicken fry anything. I just saw chicken fried bacon last week at a restaurant in Austin. When I was a kid, my favorite meal was a sandwich made of leftover chicken fried steak, if there was any. Todays’ best chicken fry is made with a cube steak instead of pounding a round steak until it screams. Prepare a dredge of flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder and a bit of paprika. Dredge the cube steak in the flour prep and then into and egg wash, then back into the flour. Fry in a hot skillet with at least 1 inch of peanut oil. Old school would be bacon grease, which tastes better, but will stop your heart eventually. Make a sandwich of mayo, shredded lettuce, fresh sliced tomato, salt, pepper, and Swiss cheese. Eat it hot, room temperature, or cold. Great for a lunch on the river.
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High Country Angler • Spring 2015
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like. Amazing what we’ve come to, isn’t it? I really thought the human race would amount to more by now. Ok, Ok, there’s still some of the frustration showing... enough of that. That first paragraph is a total picture of why we all needed spring to show up. I have always been convinced that a few good fishing trips put everything back into perspective for most of us, and if it doesn’t, then there are just a few folks out there who need to get a life. So what do we expect for this fishing season? For the most part, the Rockies have a decent snowpack with some places having more than others, but that is normal. I fully expect all rivers to have good water this year, but not too much like we have experienced the last two seasons. After a heavy late summer monsoon season last year, many of the big freestones need silt cleaning—which they should get. Both my ex-wives used to go shop-
ping if they needed a change...seemed like they shopped a lot. Perhaps the change they needed was to not live with a fly fishing addict, but I digress. This winter I did a little shopping of my own. I learned to Euro Nymph last year and now I have another addiction. Last year I used the gear I had, but this year I’ve got all the neat stuff that everyone says you have to have to become good at this, so the fish had better watch out‌here I come.
First I did a great deal of research on what gear I actually did need. You can certainly produce the desired results of euro nymphing systems by using a 9 ft. rod, but I found that in order to reach out and touch fish, you needed to go at least 10 feet, so due to my age and stature (lol), I settled on an 11 foot 3 wt. I don’t have time left to matriculate from a 10 to an 11, which would be the inevitable move anyway. Some folks like a 4 wt and even a 2
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HOOK: TMC 2302, OR 2X LONG, CURVED BEAD: BLACK TUNGSTEN, 3/32� THREAD: BLACK, 6/0 RIBBING: ULTRA WIRE, SMALL CHARTREUSE UNDERBODY: UNI STRETCH, GREEN OVERBODY: TUBING, STANDARD SIZE, CLEAR THORAX: PEACOCK BLACK ICE DUB 1. Put bead on hook and start thread just behind the bead. 2. Tie in wire; lash down with thread to the bend 3. Cut tubing on an angle and use that for tie down spot at the bend, then run thread to rear of bead. 4. Tie in Uni Stretch just behind the bead. It is easier to apply if you put it on a bobbin, tie off tying thread, and remove it while wrapping Uni Stretch to the bend and back forward. You may have to spin the bobbin a time or two get this material to lie flat. 5. Re-start tying thread, tie off Uni stretch, then wrap wire forward, trying to keep it in the creases of the tubing. 6. Dub a small thorax, and finish.
Recreation, residential, retirement, investment. 5IF EJĂľFSFODF CFUXFFO MPPLJOH GPS ZPVS TQFDJBM QMBDF BOE mOEJOH JU 1JOPO 3FBM &TUBUF (SPVQ 4BMJEB 0ĂśDF ] $FMM XXX )PNF 8BUFST DPN INFMMTPQ!QJOPOSFBMFTUBUF DPN
Note: For a little extra flash, you can slide a strand of Krystal Flash into the tubing.
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wt if you can find one, but after due diligence, I decided on the 3 wt. Sage makes an ESN 11 ft. 3wt. that is designed for Euro nymphing and really nothing else. It has great feel and is extremely light. I love it...absolutely one of the finest instruments I’ve ever used. I matched it with the RIO Euro Nymphing line, which has very little taper and works on any rod from 2 to 5 weights. It carries a variety of leader systems well, and that is where the rubber meets the road. At first I was confused by the Czech system vs. the French and the Spanish. I started simple by using a three foot butt section followed by a two foot sighter (leader material that is high visibility— red, green, yellow or a combination), then a tippet ring and a two stage tippet of around five feet, corresponding to the size of the nymphs I was fishing. Actually I stayed pretty much with this leader with an occasional move to the French coil sighter. As long as you are using a regular
WF floating line, this leader works well. Now that I have the Euro line, I can tie the sighter material directly to the fly line, then place the tippet sections to the tippet ring or tie directly with double surgeon’s knot. Then if I need more leader length, I can just tie on one of the new Umpqua Red Hot Power Taper leaders which have the sighter built in behind a highly visible milky butt section. Since we don’t use strike indicators on these systems, Euro nymphing brings us back to using our senses instead of just watching a hank of yarn floating down the river until we see it in our sleep. It actually moves us toward an old tried-and-proven method of bounce nymphing, and detecting the difference between streambed and fish. If you ever bounced a worm as a kid, you know what I mean. We can also move directly to a dead drift situation without adjusting an indicator. This is tactical nymphing that is very akin to shooting a long bow instead of a compound, or combat pistol instead of target. It allows us to move to the fish holding areas quickly and cover more water without having to stop to make adjustments. Quite honestly, to me, it has brought joy back to fishing sub-
surface. Now I don’t want to just sit on a rock and wait for a hatch, which pretty much kills most of your fishing day unless all is perfect. All is very rarely perfect, but a river moving around my feet and the pursuit of a trout in the Rocky Mountains is as close as God will allow me to get for the time being. I have included a couple of my favorite sandwiches for your spring fishing enjoyment. These are both staples at Texas Steakhouses and other assorted dives. My fly selections are both Larry Kingrey’s— one new, one old—but both excellent for this time of year. By this time, I have given Larry enough positive advertising for his great Umpqua patterns that I’m sure he’ll buy me a $100 bottle of Scotch...not.
About
The
Author.
Bill Edrington is a retired sociology/ criminology professor who has owned Royal Gorge Anglers for over 20 years. He has authored several books and magazine articles. You can follow his fly fishing and cooking adventures on his Facebook page at: Bill Edrington/ Tight Lines and Tasty Spoons.
BILL’S STEAKHOUSE SANDWICH This sandwich will keep you fishing the rest of the afternoon, or serve as a great dinner back at the cabin. It goes equally well with a cold beer or a bottle of cabernet. This sandwich is traditionally served on Texas Toast but a Ciabatta roll will certainly suffice if you want to get a little fancy. I like to serve it with onion rings as you can see. This horseradish sauce makes the sandwich… without it you just have a regular sandwich. 1 tablespoon hot horseradish (the real thing, not a sauce), 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, salt and pepper. The steak needs to be rubbed with cracked black or red pepper. Use a sirloin if you want, or a rib eye. Be sure to let it rest with the rub for about 2 to 3 hours at room temperature. Sear the steak at 500 degrees on your grill or in a skillet. About two minutes on each side should be good. The steak should be rare and rested before slicing. Stack the steak with a roasted Pablano pepper, and sharp cheddar. Pop it under the broiler for one minute to melt the cheese and enjoy.
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High Country Angler • Spring 2015
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Spring 2015 • High Country Angler
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Trout Unlimited in Colorado
2014 Year In Review
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High Country Angler • Spring 2015
Conserving, protecting and restoring Colorado’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds www.HCAmagazine.com
Our Mission
From the President Conservation success doesn’t happen overnight – it takes thoughtful planning, effective execution, and perseverance in the face of challenges. In 2014, Colorado TU enjoyed some remarkable successes that were the culmination of years of effort. From the Roan Plateau to the Fraser River, we saw campaigns that started a decade or more ago reach major milestones.
Trout Unlimited works to conserve, protect and restore
I attribute this success to the dedication of our skilled professional staff and the impressive work of grassroots volunteers across our 24 local chapters. Together, we’ve upheld a culture in which it is natural to leverage modest resources into formidable impact and to forge strong partnerships with agency colleagues, other conservationists, and nontraditional allies such as oil and gas companies and water providers.
Colorado’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. Through cooperation, collaboration, grassroots advocacy and
While our progress on our conservation and education mission is the heart of what you’ll read in this report, we’ve also achieved several goals from our strategic plan that strengthen Colorado TU’s sustainability as a non-profit organization. We have:
education Trout Unlimited seeks to ensure that robust
• Enhanced volunteer training programs for our chapter leaders to promote their success in communities across the state.
populations of native and wild coldwater fish once again thrive across Colorado, so that
• Extended our Leo Gomolchak Conservation MiniGrant Program to give local chapters seed capital that they can leverage for local projects.
our children can enjoy healthy
• Grown our staff capacity for chapter engagement and support and youth education. • Expanded fundraising initiatives for donors both large and small, from the Coldwater Conservation Fund to the Protect Our Rivers license plate.
fisheries in their home waters.
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Trout Unlimited in Colorado 2014 Year In Review
• Invested time and effort in building enhanced partnerships to better leverage our efforts through cooperation with agencies, businesses, schools, and other groups with whom we can find common interest. We’re far from finished. In the Colorado headwaters, we are turning a corner from focused advocacy on specific water development projects toward new collaborations for river management and restoration. We are stepping up our efforts for native trout restoration, including the ‘re-discovered’ greenback cutthroat trout. We are moving forward to expand successful youth education programs piloted in the north Denver area into new communities around the state. And we continue to work toward making TU a sustainable organization that can advance these efforts for many years to come. Your support as a member and donor provide the foundation from which we can build these efforts. Thank you for helping TU make a difference for Colorado, today and tomorrow. Rick Matsumoto President, Colorado TU
Spring 2015 • High Country Angler
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Project Locations
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CTU Chapters
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South Boulder Creek
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Alpine Anglers – Estes Park Boulder Flycasters – Boulder Cherry Creek Anglers – Aurora Cheyenne Mountain
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Collegiate Peaks Anglers
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Colorado River Headwaters
1 2
(page 4)
3
Yampa River
(page 5)
Purgatoire River
– Colorado Springs
(page 5)
Fraser River
– Salida/Buena Vista
(page 6)
No Chico Brush
– Grand County
(page 7)
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Roan Plateau
G.
Hermosa Creek
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(page 10)
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(page 11)
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– Aspen/Glenwood Springs
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Clear Creek River Cleanup
Every year the West Denver Trout Unlimited chapter out of Golden gathers its trash bags, gloves, safety vests, and boots and heads up Clear Creek canyon to clean up the river. The chapter has adopted a stretch of Clear Creek to protect, clean, and restore. In 2014, students from Achieve Academy in Thornton were bussed to the clean up to take part in the fun. Other community groups, including the Colorado Women Fly Fishers, also partnered in the cleanup. Students and adults found chairs, bones, large signs and a lot of trash! This is one of many cleanups that happen around the state organized by Trout Unlimited chapters where we leverage the sweat equity of hundreds of volunteers – removing tons of trash from our waterways, and having a lot of fun.
High Country Angler • Spring 2015
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Five Rivers – Durango/Cortez Gore Range – Summit County Grand Valley Anglers
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Gunnison Angling Society
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Gunnison Gorge Anglers
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– Grand Junction – Gunnison
TIC – Presidential Award
– Delta/Montrose
Trout in the Classroom Teacher Wins National Recognition
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Purgatoire River Anglers
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Rocky Mountain Flycasters
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San Luis Valley – Alamosa Southern Colorado Greenbacks
– Trinidad
Thanks to his conservation efforts and environmental teaching with the Trout in the Classroom program, local Summit High School teacher and Gore Range Chapter member Jamie Lambrecht received the 2014 Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE). The award is presented by the US Environmental Protection Agency, “to nationally honor, support and encourage educators who incorporate environmental education in their classrooms & teaching methods.” Lambrecht has been involved with the Trout in the Classroom program for the last three years. The program reaches about 150-200 kids between the ages of 14 and 18 in Summit County. His curriculum involves more than growing fish in tanks; it helps students learn all about the aquatic ecosystem. Students learn about the insects in the water, the effects of pH and nitrate on water quality, and other ways to help improve the river habitat. The kids also learn how these different traits affect fishing. According to Lambrecht, the award shows that “people are starting to realize the efforts that go into watersheds and conservation.”
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Cutthroat – Littleton Denver Dolores River Anglers – Cortez Eagle Valley – Eagle Evergreen Ferdinand Hayden
– Fort Collins/Greeley
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– Pueblo 22 23 24
St. Vrain Anglers – Longmont West Denver – Lakewood Yampa Valley Flyfishers – Steamboat Springs
Looking Ahead:
CAMP for Dolores River Native Trout
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Dolores River Anglers and national TU staff are teaming up on a multi-year project to develop an overarching “hands on”, chapterlevel decision tool to assist in identifying viable long-term native trout strongholds within the Dolores watershed in the face of climate change, and to identify strategies to strengthen those strongholds. The “Coldwaterfisheries Adaptive Management Plan” (CAMP) builds on science about local watersheds/streams, connecting them with relevant Best Management Practices and assessing them in light of the risks from long term climate change. Through the CAMP, the chapter will focus efforts on the most promising and important habitats for the future of native and wild trout in the Dolores basin.
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River & Riparian Restoration
Restoring Our Rivers Abandoned Mine Cleanup
South Boulder Creek TU’s Boulder Flycasters chapter helped restore habitat on Upper
Many of Colorado’s headwater streams are polluted by heavy metals stemming from abandoned hardrock mines, which in 2006 inspired TU to start a Colorado Abandoned Mine Restoration Program. In 2014, with help from our most important funder and partner,
South Boulder Creek, partnering with Denver Water and Colorado Parks and Wildlife to leverage more than $200,000 to recreate a more natural river habitat on a reach that previously lacked the complex habitat needed for healthy fisheries. “The Upper South Boulder Creek project provided an opportunity to enhance trout habitat in a stream that was mainly used as a water conduit for over 100 years. The project also was a chance to strengthen our relationships with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the United States Forest Service, Denver
Freeport-McMoRan Inc., we expanded the program into three new watersheds and solidified a great partnership with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). In 2014, TU secured funding for projects on Evans Gulch in the Upper Arkansas watershed and Illinois Gulch in the Upper Blue watershed. Both are
contaminated with metals such as zinc and cadmium due to historic hardrock mining. Project plans include sampling to identify the most problematic site within each watershed, followed by restoration design and implementation. Two years ago, TU partnered with the USFS on the Doctor Mine cleanup on the West Fork of Clear Creek. The success of that project led to a much stronger partnership Mine tailings with the agency, and in 2014 washed down TU received USFS funding from mill sites contribute to cleanup a large area of copper and dispersed mine tailings that other metals to contribute high levels of Leavenworth copper into Leavenworth Creek. TU will Creek. The creek provides begin a project drinking water for in 2015 to clean Georgetown and supports up the tailings a brook trout fishery. This and help restore remote and idyllic watershed the watershed. has a rich mining history, but some of the remnants must be cleaned up in order to ensure a healthy headwater ecosystem. TU is excited to begin this project in 2015. TU leveraged $100,000 in corporate contributions to raise more than $700,000 total for abandoned mine restoration projects.
Water Board and Union Pacific Railroad. We were successful on
Partnerships for Flood Recovery
all counts.”
After the devastating 2013 floods in the South Platte Basin, the US Forest Service (USFS) found itself with a huge backlog of damaged watersheds where they lacked even basic information on postflood conditions. Members from our northern Front Range chapters have stepped up to help assess the damage, using a protocol developed by the USFS hydrologist and fisheries biologist
– Tim D’Avis, Project Manager, Boulder Flycasters
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Trout Unlimited in Colorado 2014 Year In Review
specifically for TU volunteers. As of now we have trained over 50 TU volunteers, who will collect data that will be used to develop prescriptions for restoring the watersheds back to a more natural and resilient state. This partnership will grow in the coming years as we move from assessment into restoration work.
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Yampa River Project: A Tailwater Turns the Corner In 2010, the Yampa River tailwater fishery below Stagecoach Dam – one of Colorado’s most productive – was becoming a victim of its own popularity. With upwards of 40,000 visitors a year, and a wild rainbow population hit hard by whirling disease, the tailwater showed troubling
signs of decline, including a wide, shallow streambed, loss of riparian vegetation, and a trout fishery that struggled to sustain itself. In 2013, TU biologist Brian Hodge, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), and other partners launched a restoration project to bring the Yampa tailwater back to health. After securing funding and partners, the group restored a 1,200-foot section of the river, constructing spawning beds,
building deep pools and reworking juvenile rearing channels. The group also built a user access trail along the river. In fall 2014, 29 volunteers from TU’s Yampa Valley Fly Fishers chapter and local families put the finishing touches on the project, planting nearly 1000 trees (alders, willows, choke cherries) along the bank. Native plants for the project were drawn from a unique riparian nursery that the chapter had previously established in partnership with CPW on state property just outside of Steamboat Springs, where vegetation can be raised to maturity for use in restoration projects throughout the Yampa Valley. TU’s Hodge said the reworked channels and habitat should favor multiple life history and size classes of fish. “The fishery can replenish itself through onsite spawning and rearing,” said Hodge. “This stretch will also produce larger fish than it has in recent years because of increased food production and availability of choice feeding positions.”
coordinating efforts and leveraging resources. Besides CPW, partners included Yampa Valley Land Trust, Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District, Rob Bringuel, and Riverkeeper Bill Chace. Thanks to TU and the power of partnerships, this is a tailwater on the rebound.
Restoration efforts converted a wide channel with eroding banks into a better defined, healthier river channel with improved holding water for trout.
Teamwork was essential in
Creating Home Waters in Trinidad The Purgatoire River Anglers Chapter has continued its successful partnership efforts in the Trinidad area to restore habitat on the Purgatoire River through town. In 2014, work was completed on Reach 3 with installation of rock vanes and boulder clusters to create improved habitat and a deeper, narrower channel through nearly 0.4 miles of river corridor. The chapter partnered with the
CPW’s Bill Atkinson displays a healthy Yampa River rainbow
Purgatoire River Water Conservancy District, City of Trinidad, Pioneer Natural Resources, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and the Trinidad Community Foundation to leverage the resources needed for the third phase of this ambitious multi-year restoration project. Volunteers also contributed their sweat equity to help stabilize and revegetate the area following construction. The result: a healthier Purgatoire River as an increasingly important centerpiece for the Trinidad community.
Partner Spotlight
Vail Resorts
“Our organizations, Trout Unlimited and Vail Resorts, share a commitment to healthy watersheds and sustainable use of our natural resources. We simply will not solve today’s most challenging environmental problems, such as landscape scale watershed restoration, by going it alone. Vail Resorts believes that working in partnership with wellrespected organizations such as Trout Unlimited is our best chance for success. We are proud to partner with TU!” - Rick Cables, VP, Natural Resources and Conservation
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Water Partnerships
Breakthrough for the Fraser River
Saving the Fraser “It’s satisfying that after more than 10 years of study and discussion, Trout Unlimited and Grand County have stayed at the table with us in good faith.” –
The Moffat mitigation agreement includes: • $4.5 million for aquatic habitat restoration projects in the watershed • $2 million for habitat improvement on the Colorado River
Denver Water CEO Jim Lochhead
• 1000 acre-feet of water each year to help at low flow times • $2 million for water quality projects • Use of Moffat project operating flexibility to provide flushing flows • Monitoring and adaptive management through “Learning by Doing”
Profile in Conservation: Kirk Klancke For more than a decade, Kirk Klancke has been the face, voice, and driving spirit behind the Save the Fraser campaign. From speaking out at public meetings, to organizing the community Riverstock festival, to leading on-the-ground tours for reporters and decisionmakers, Kirk has been at the heart of efforts to
Thanks to TU, the Fraser River won a new lease on life in 2014. In February – after almost a decade of dogged advocacy, countless meetings and mind-crunching negotiations – Trout Unlimited, Denver Water and Grand County reached agreement on a package of river protections designed to keep the Fraser River and its trout populations healthy. The Mitigation and Enhancement Coordination Plan brought to a close years of discussions over the proposed Moffat Collection System Project and its potential impacts on the Fraser watershed. All sides hailed the agreement as a breakthrough that balances municipal needs and environmental health. The accord includes water for streamflow needs and millions of dollars for habitat restoration and water quality (see sidebar). But the centerpiece of the agreement is “Learning by Doing,” a unique and groundbreaking effort to manage an aquatic environment on a permanent, cooperative basis. The Learning by Doing program will provide an oversight team of stakeholders, including TU, to identify issues of ecological concern and find solutions – partnering to leverage the mitigation and enhancement resources provided by Denver Water to maximize benefits for the river.
was going to require a new way of doing business, a collaboration among those who influence and rely upon the Fraser so that everyone has a shared stake in conserving the river for the long term,” said David Nickum, executive director of Colorado Trout Unlimited. “That is the idea behind the Learning by Doing program.” “This package of protections and enhancements, if adopted in the final permit, gives us the best opportunity to keep the Fraser River and its trout fishery healthy far into the future,” said Mely Whiting, counsel for TU’s Colorado Water Project, who was instrumental in negotiating the agreement. “This pragmatic agreement underscores the value of a collaborative approach to water planning — one that recognizes the importance of healthy rivers.”
“Trout Unlimited realized that protecting this river
conserve the Fraser watershed. “We owe this effort to generations that haven’t been born yet,” he says. “The quality of the environment they inherit depends on the quality of our rivers. TU is the perfect partner for this type of long term commitment.”
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Flowcast During the summer of 2014, TU’s Kevin Terry worked with the San Luis Valley Irrigation District and the Colorado Division of Water Resources to provide realtime flow information to local outfitters and boaters on a daily basis. This program, called the Rio Grande Flowcast, opened a new line of communication among diverse river stakeholders, including outfitters, anglers, local landowners and agencies. At Terry’s urging, DWR allowed SLVID to use compact water from the reservoir to slowly reduce flows, rather than shutting them off drastically — a management change that has great benefit to the river and the fishery, as well as to the anglers trying to fish the river.
Trout Unlimited in Colorado 2014 Year In Review
Spring 2015 • High Country Angler
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Our Colorado River: Healthy Rivers Key to CO Water Plan Against a backdrop of punishing drought and dwindling river flows, Colorado officials in 2014 undertook an ambitious new effort to chart a roadmap – a “Colorado Water Plan” – for sustainable future water use, and Trout Unlimited was there to speak out for healthy rivers and fisheries. TU members, from national staff to chapter volunteers, were active in the citizen-led
businesses, irrigation districts and city and county governments – representing tens of thousands of Coloradans – signed the Our Colorado River Core Values statement. The statement endorses cooperation rather than conflict, protection of our Colorado open spaces and outdoor quality of life, modernization of our irrigation infrastructure,
Anglers have long enjoyed fishing access to the Colorado River near Parshall in Grand County
basin roundtables around the state that hashed out fine points of the draft plan – many served as conservation representatives on the roundtables, submitting detailed comments and identifying priority projects. TU’s message for the Colorado Water Plan, delivered on several fronts: collaboration, conservation and efficiency can help the state meet diverse water needs, from farms and industry to communities and fisheries. Through the “Our Colorado River” program, TU has worked to bring West Slope residents and leaders together around these common values on water use. For 14 months, TU’s Our Colorado River coordinator Richard Van Gytenbeek travelled the West Slope, making presentations and garnering support for a collaborative approach to water planning that included healthy rivers as a key goal. In response, more than 635 individuals,
innovative water management, and keeping our rivers at home rather than pursuing large transbasin diversions to the Front Range.
‘No Chico Brush’ NRCS Funding will Benefit Farms, Fisheries Over the past decade, aided by hardworking chapter volunteers, TU staff have worked with ranchers and farmers throughout the upper Colorado River Basin to develop projects that deliver benefits for both farms and fish. That important work received a huge boost in early 2015 when the NRCS, through its new Regional Conservation Partnership Program, awarded TU and partners $8 million for the Lower Gunnison Project, which will upgrade aging infrastructure, modernize irrigation systems, and address water quality concerns in four irrigation water districts in the Montrose and Delta areas. Among the project partners is No Chico Brush, an informal collaborative of farmers whose goal is to make the best use of water for the benefit of all users. TU has worked closely with the group to identify irrigation improvements that can promote water security for farmers while boosting the health of fisheries and stream habitat. “The ultimate objective is simple: provide win-win solutions that safeguard water resources for fish and irrigators,” said Cary Denison, Gunnison River Basin project coordinator for Trout Unlimited.
Trout Unlimited pointed to collaborative projects between ranchers and TU across Colorado (including No Chico Brush – see profile this page) as an example of the kind of efficiency projects that could secure water for agriculture while enhancing river flows and habitat. “That’s what the future of Colorado water use should look like,” said Drew Peternell, director of TU’s Colorado Water Project. “Instead of a zero sum game, with winners and losers, we should collaborate and build partnerships. Working together, we can find pragmatic, win-win solutions that satisfy all of our diverse water needs, including the need for healthy fisheries and river habitat.”
Looking Ahead: Reconnecting the Colorado River As part of a multi-party agreement for the Windy Gap Firming Project, TU is working with Grand County, local landowners, the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (“Northern”), and other partners to develop a plan for reconnecting the Colorado River at or around the Windy Gap dam to allow fish passage, downstream movement of gravels needed to maintain a healthy river and spawning beds, and to improve water quality and habitat. $4 million has already been pledged to the effort by Northern and the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and in the coming year we hope to join our partners in identifying the best design approach and securing the additional funds that will be needed for construction.
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Photos by Aaron Derwingson of TNC.
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Water Youth Partnerships Education
Engaging the Next Generation Stream of Engagement
Outdoor Mentors Bringing traditionally underserved youth in touch with traditional sporting activities, Colorado TU partners with mentoring organizations to get kids excited about the outdoors. Collaborating with organizations like Big BrothersBig Sisters, leveraging the effort of TU volunteers in Denver-area chapters, and offering crosscutting events in partnership
Trout Unlimited is working to connect with youth through a “Stream of Engagement,” the path for youth to follow across multiple years and multiple programs with a consistent message from TU. Beginning in the headwaters at an early age, a child’s first time fishing is the first step into the Stream of Engagement. River Explorers is a major tributary, offering a multiyear, multidiscipline watershed science and fly fishing curriculum to middle and high school classrooms. Colorado TU then works to transition its reach from younger kids to teens in the form of the Youth Camp and the Nationwide TU initiative called TU Teens. From there the young adults in the 5 Rivers College Chapters have connections to local chapters
but also to professional development for students though internship programs and networking events. Ultimately, we hope this Stream of Engagement translates to new TU members, advocates for healthy watersheds and fisheries, and lifelong conservationists.
with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Outdoor Mentors helps TU reach hundreds of kids in the Denver Metro area each year.
Youth Camp For youth who want to fully wade into the Stream of Engagement, the Colorado Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp provides an outlet for budding and first time anglers alike to experience the fishing lifestyle and hone their skills. The camp provides not only a chance to sharpen fly fishing proficiency,
River Anglers chapter with generous sponsorship from Phil Long Toyota. 2015 will be the 10th annual summer camp. Many camp alumni have leapt into even greater involvement – returning as counselors, becoming TU Teen leaders, and starting up 5 River College Chapters.
but also the fundamentals of conservation science and watershed stewardship. The 2014 camp was hosted by the Purgatoire
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Trout Unlimited in Colorado 2014 Year In Review
Spring 2015 • High Country Angler
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River Explorers Colorado TU has developed a program to give RiverWatch: This experience in citizen science youth several intensive experiences focused on builds upon students’ previous experiences by watershed science and fishing. River Explorers allowing them to do water quality monitoring on provides multiple vertically and horizontally a reach of their local waterway. The students also connected programs that engage students learn that their efforts create results – RiverWatch throughout their schooling experience. Each sites produce publically available data which is experience builds upon previous programs to used in official state water quality rulemaking increase students’ interest and skills in science and processes. fishing. Partnering with the Mapleton and Adams Trout in the Classroom: With teacher trainings 12 school districts in the north Denver metro area, and hands-on support from Colorado Trout Colorado TU has Unlimited, schools can participate in the Trout established River in the Classroom Program where students raise Explorers as a Rainbow Trout from eggs to fry through the successful model course of the school year – along the way learning for engaging youth about fish in the future of biology conservation and water stewardship. chemistry. River Explorers At the is made up of conclusion these individual More than 4000 kids were of the year, programs: introduced to fishing, watershed students science and/or rivers through release Colorado TU’s youth education their trout programs in 2014. into stateapproved waters.
Stream Explorers: This introductory program provides opportunities for young people to have several hands on, science oriented experiences with living aquatic organisms as well as developing basic fishing skills. From in-class experiments to field visits to observe aquatic habitats, the program facilitates student-driven learning rather than simply presenting information. Through these deeply personal experiences, with expert assistance, we hope students will develop a rudimentary understanding of the beauty, complexity, and dynamics of aquatic ecosystems and the fish they support.
National Fishing in Schools Program: Using curriculum and equipment from this nationwide program, teachers are trained and certified to teach fly casting in their gym via a unique target system that is proven to engage students, facilitate sound fly casting skills, and reinforce aquatic ecology concepts. At the conclusion of the program, students go on a fishing trip at a local stocked water with the support of local Trout Unlimited volunteers. In addition to the two districts where the full River Explorers curriculum is being used, we have also implemented stand-alone pieces from the package in other schools, from Summit County to Loveland to Grand Junction.
5 Rivers College Program In universities across the state, Trout Unlimited recognizes fly fishing clubs as charter “5 Rivers” college chapters. Colorado has a growing number of clubs, seven officially, with the potential for a huge hub of young adults to participate in TU’s conservation efforts. The clubs provide an outlet for College students to connect with other anglers, engage in conservation, and make potentially rewarding connections for their futures. As part of engaging college students in our efforts, Colorado TU launched a successful internship program in summer 2014. The interns gain valuable real world experience in their field of study while helping advance key efforts for TU. Colorado TU hired four interns in Denver in 2014, with fields of study in Communications, Environmental Science, Journalism and Biology. In 2015, the program will expand into smaller communities including Cortez and Gunnison. Along the way, we are building partnerships with colleges and universities across the state and awareness of TU and our mission.
“As trusted stewards of valuable natural resources, we believe we have an opportunity and a responsibility to build better futures for the communities where we operate. One way we achieve this is by supporting innovative programs that teach our youth how to solve problems using unconventional thinking, such as CTU’s South Platte River Explorer Program. In providing Denver-area students with intensive experiences focusing on watershed science and fishing, CTU is cultivating a future workforce that can think critically, realistically and creatively in addressing conservation and energy issues.” - Shelley Powell, Vice President Refining U.S., Suncor
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Protecting Wild Lands & Native Trout
A New Lease on Life for the Roan Plateau
Sportsmen for Browns Canyon Browns Canyon on the Arkansas River is one of Colorado’s best wild places, with outstanding backcountry lands and at its heart a gold medal trout fishery and one of the nation’s most popular rafting rivers. TU has worked to protect Browns – with partners from hunters and anglers to local businesses – through the “Sportsmen for Browns Canyon” campaign. Sportsmen have long advocated for Browns Canyon to be designated as a National Monument to protect its values in perpetuity. TU helped organize local hunters and anglers to voice their support in meetings and letters, and its members attended numerous local meetings and public forums, including one in Salida that brought out an overflow crowd of supporters. Sportsmen for Browns Canyon even took out billboards in the Denver metro area to build public awareness. “Browns Canyon is one of those special places that draws rafters, hunters and anglers from all over the world,” said Jim Impara, Vice President of the Collegiate Peaks Anglers chapter of TU. “A National Monument will ensure that Browns’ wildness and rare beauty will be there for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.”
Following litigation that stretched back more than six years – and advocacy and conservation efforts for more than a decade before that – Colorado TU and its partners reached a settlement of the legal battle over energy development on the Roan Plateau. In November, an agreement was announced that lays a “win-win” path forward to protect the Roan’s most valued fish and wildlife habitats while also allowing for responsible energy development. The Roan Plateau supports remarkable natural values including habitat for rare native Colorado River cutthroat trout, scenic canyons and waterfalls, and outstanding big game habitat and hunting opportunities. TU’s Grand Valley Anglers chapter has for more than two decades worked on projects to benefit Trapper Creek and the unique native cutthroats it supports – Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists found they are adapted to withstand warmer water temperatures than most cutthroats.
• BLM will prepare a new management plan for the Roan, including a “settlement alternative” with agreed-upon protective terms to guide responsible development on the retained leases. • The settlement alternative identifies a limited number of carefully-sited well pads and best management practices to minimize the impacts of development on fish and wildlife on the remaining leases atop the Roan. • The agreement also allows development at the base of the Roan but strengthens “no surface occupancy” requirements for sensitive habitats like wildlife migration corridors. • In a side agreement, one of the major leaseholders has agreed to provide funding for projects to benefit the Roan’s outstanding natural resources. The Roan Plateau is a great example of TU leveraging strengths from the grassroots on up, with local volunteers from Grand Valley Anglers, Colorado TU staff and volunteer leaders, and National TU staff all contributing to the victory. TU also benefited from great partners including outstanding legal counsel with Earthjustice and hunting and fishing partners at the National Wildlife Federation.
The Roan could also be a model for balance on energy development. Oil and gas leaseholders engaged with conservationists in honest and constructive dialogue about a path for responsible energy development that includes strong protection for the Roan’s unique fish and wildlife resources. The settlement keeps disturbance out of the most important and sensitive habitats, while enabling responsible development to proceed on other portions of the Roan. Key provisions of the settlement include: • The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) canceled leases covering 90% of the acreage atop the Roan, including all of the native trout watersheds.
A Roan Timeline 1992 – GVA (Grand Valley Anglers) begin fencing and habitat projects on Trapper Creek 2000 – BLM launches its planning process for oil and gas development on the Roan
2008 – BLM issues its final plan and sells leases throughout the Roan planning area; Colorado TU and partners challenge the BLM in federal district court
2010 – GVA and other TU volunteers begin new riparian plantings along Trapper and Northwater Creeks 2012 – Colorado TU and partners prevail in district court, but leaseholders appeal the decision
2013 – Colorado TU completes installation of a fish barrier to assist with native trout reintroduction on the East Fork of Parachute Creek 2014 – Leaseholders, conservationists, and BLM announce settlement agreement
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Hermosa Creek gets Permanent Protection For months, it looked like the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act would be yet another victim of a dysfunctional, hyperpartisan Congress—despite its strong local and bipartisan support in Colorado. But TU and its partners kept pushing and never gave up, and in late 2014, the Senate passed a historic public lands bill that gave permanent protection to the Hermosa Creek watershed, a wild backcountry area just north of Durango prized for its outstanding fish and wildlife habitat and diverse recreation uses. Thanks to TU’s leadership, native cutthroat trout in southwest Colorado now have a protected home in America’s newest wilderness area. The passage of the Hermosa bill represents eight years of hard work by TU field staff in Colorado, DC-based government affairs staff, and volunteers from the Five Rivers Chapter in Durango. The effort was truly a “One TU” success. TU anglers were joined by sportsmen from the region, and across the country, in a coalition aptly named the “Sportsmen for Hermosa.” From local fly shops to rod manufacturers, from
sportsmen’s conservation groups to outfitters, sportsmen stood up unified in support of permanent protections for Hermosa Creek. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Michael Bennet and Rep. Scott Tipton and based on a package negotiated among local stakeholders, will protect the Hermosa Creek watershed through designation of a 70,000-acre Special Management Area and a 37,000-acre wilderness area in the San Juan National Forest. The Act preserves prime native trout habitat in Hermosa Creek as well as an array of recreational opportunities in and around the areas designated for protection. At the heart of the Hermosa watershed is the 18-mile Hermosa Creek Trail, a popular and heavily used recreation corridor that will remain open to existing uses, from anglers and hikers to motorized and mechanized uses such as ATVs,
“To pass a public land protection bill, with a wilderness component, is an astronomical feat in today’s tough and highly partisan political climate,” said Ty Churchwell, TU’s backcountry coordinator for Colorado. “But sportsmen stood strong, made their voices heard, and were persistent and patient—and now 107,000 acres of public land will remain unspoiled and productive for the next generation of America’s sportsmen, women and children.”
Hermosa Creek – a tough hike but another jewel in the Colorado backcountry. Hermosa Creek & Thompson Divide photos by Joshua Duplechian | TU Communications Specialist
Thompson Divide Protection Advances The U.S. Forest Service announced that it was removing the Thompson Divide area in western Colorado from consideration for future energy leasing—a move praised by TU and a broad
dirt bikes and mountain bikes.
coalition of Thompson supporters who had been working for years to protect the pristine backcountry area from proposed oil and gas development. The Forest Service decision was included in a Final Environmental Impact Statement for the White River National Forest, which provides guidelines for energy development on the forest’s 2.2 million acres over the next 20 years. While the BLM still needs to incorporate the EIS into its management plan, the Thompson Divide ruling was a huge step toward protection, said TU staff working on the campaign.
Quality Control Commission and successfully made the case for Thompson Creek to be designated as an “outstanding water.” With the designation, the stream is now protected by strict anti-degradation water quality standards.
“This is a special place, and the Forest Service decision will help to preserve the outstanding fish and wildlife habitat and sporting opportunities in the Thompson Divide for future generations,” said Aaron Kindle, Thompson Divide campaign coordinator for Trout Unlimited. Earlier in the year, TU secured strong water quality protections for native cutthroat streams in the Thompson Divide. Working with local partners in the Thompson Divide coalition, TU brought on-the-ground water quality data to Colorado’s Water 26
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11 2014 Year In Review Trout Unlimited in Colorado www.HCAmagazine.com
Protecting Wild Lands & Native Trout
On the Trail of the “True” Greenback For decades, Colorado TU volunteers and staff have partnered with state and federal agencies to help recover the threatened greenback cutthroat trout, Colorado’s state fish. When new genetic studies, funded in part by TU, revealed that the restored fish were actually a different strain of Colorado native cutthroats and that native greenbacks were found only in one small stream – Bear Creek near Colorado Springs – the setback for restoration instead became a call to action.
Jim Creek In 2014, TU partnered with Conejos County, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and other
In summer 2014, when Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists prepared to reintroduce greenbacks into a second location, TU volunteers were there to pitch in. 1200 of the Colorado natives were released at Zimmerman Lake in August – a first key step forward in restoring the “true” greenback cutthroat trout.
stakeholders on a fencing project that will exclude cattle from the riparian area on two and a half miles of Jim Creek, home to an important population of native Rio Grande cutthroat trout. One mile of fencing went up in 2014, and with the help of TU’s San Luis Valley chapter volunteers, the
Volunteers with the Cheyenne Mountain Chapter adopted the unique greenback cutthroats in Bear Creek and began work as advocates for the stream and in securing grant funds to help conduct projects to improve habitat conditions. Young TU members with The Greenbacks conducted a crowd-sourcing fundraiser and leveraged dollars with grants to help support projects to reintroduce the greenbacks into new habitats.
remainder of the fence will be built in 2015. Once fencing is complete, the Colorado State Forest Service will lead TU members in an effort to reestablish native riparian
Protecting Rocky Mountain National Park’s Native Trout
vegetation.
Trout Unlimited plays a key role in the recovery and protection of native cutthroat trout in Rocky Mountain National Park. The Alpine Anglers chapter recruits and coordinates volunteer effort in support of the park’s fisheries program. In 2014, more that 1200 hours of volunteer effort helped biologists perform population surveys and assess the health of cutthroat populations. Volunteers also educate anglers and other park visitors on native trout recovery programs and on the special protections afforded cutthroat trout by fishing regulations. The chapter develops and prints fish ID cards to help anglers correctly identify native trout and has distributed – through the Park and local fly shops – almost 15,000 ID cards over the past 10 years.
Looking Ahead: South Park The Bureau of Land Management has announced plans to create one of the nation’s first Master Leasing Plans (MLP) to guide future energy development in South Park basin, one of Colorado’s “last best places” and the headwaters of the South Platte. This public process is an exciting opportunity for Colorado stakeholders to help determine the where, when and how of energy development for these pristine lands. TU staff and volunteers plan to be fully engaged in this MLP process to ensure it’s done responsibly and protects South Park’s natural treasures, including world-class fishing destinations like the “Dream Stream.” “MLPs are the smart way to manage leasing on public lands,” said Aaron Kindle, TU’s South Park campaign coordinator. “It’s about finding a balance that allows energy development in less sensitive areas but protects the highest-value habitat and streams. We’ll be following this closely — South Park is a sportsmen’s paradise that TU is committed to protecting.”
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Trout Unlimited in Colorado 2014 Year In Review
Spring 2015 • High Country Angler
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Investing in Colorado
In 2014, Colorado Trout Unlimited continued to represent a great “bang for your buck” investment in fisheries conservation, with a demonstrated 8 to 1 return on individual and corporate contributions, and with nearly 90 percent of funding going directly to our mission of conservation, education and river restoration projects. We compound your support by attracting and managing grant funds, and with skilled professional staff and experienced volunteer leaders in the field, we make sure the job of restoring and preserving our rivers is done right! In fiscal year 2014, Trout Unlimited in Colorado invested more than $3.1 million toward its conservation and education programs, on-the-ground projects, and chapter support. These funds included the work of:
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The Colorado Council and its chapters – from legislative advocacy at the General Assembly to an annual youth camp to post-flood restoration projects;
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The Colorado Water Project working on river protection, agriculture partnerships, and habitat improvement;
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The Sportsmen’s Conservation Project, leading campaigns to protect key public land areas like Hermosa Creek and the Thompson Divide; and
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The Western Restoration Program, with staff working on partnerships for watershed restoration in areas affected by abandoned mines.
These direct funds were leveraged through an additional $1.2 million in “sweat equity” – the value of more than 46,000 volunteer hours contributed through our grassroots volunteers.
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Of these funds, approximately $450,000 came from individual and corporate contributions, and another $200,000 from other sources such as special events. Another $2.5 million was leveraged through foundation and government grants for conservation projects and programs. These grants, when coupled with the value of TU’s volunteer contributions, amount to $8 of leveraged resources for each $1 of individual and corporate contributions invested through TU in Colorado.
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The bulk of funds were invested directly back into conservation and education programs and on-the-ground projects; in total 89% of funds were directly invested in TU’s conservation mission, while 6.5% went toward administration and 4.5% toward fundraising and development.
Leveraging Your Investment in Colorado
1
4 million
1.2 million $1.2 million 2
$1.2 million – in-kind volunteer service
4 $2.7 million 2.7 million - dollars leveraged 2
2014 Financials Income Individual & corporate donations
$450,000
14%
Events & other leveraged funds
$200,000
6%
Grant funding
$2,510,000
80%
Total Income
$3,160,000
Expenditure 4
TU leverages your donations many times over, generating $8 in matching dollars and volunteer sweat equity for each $1 of individual and corporate contributions invested through TU in Colorado.
28
More than 8:1 Return on your commitment!
Program expenditures
$2,790,000
89%
Administration
$210,000
7%
Fundraising
$140,000
4%
Total Expenditures
$3,140,000
$450,000
- individual 450,000 & corporate donations
High Country Angler • Spring 2015
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Thank You Protect Our Rivers Sponsors
Thank you!
Upslope Brewing Company, an award-winning Colorado brewery, knows that healthy rivers brew the best beer. Upslope contributes 1% of the sales of its craft lager to Colorado TU through the Protect Our Rivers program.
River-minded businesses can
www.upslopebrewing.com
help Colorado’s rivers through their generous contributions
Freestone Outfitters is a premier Orvis-endorsed outfitter operating out of Littleton and offering outstanding walk/wade and float fishing trips on both public and private waters. Through a “round up for rivers” program, Freestone offers its customers the chance to add a $25 donation in support of TU to their trips – and matches those contributions as part of its commitment to conservation.
under Colorado TU’s “Protect Our Rivers” corporate donor program. The program offers businesses recognition in
www.flyfishfreestone.com
Colorado TU’s outreach to more than 10,000 members, the ability to integrate the program into their own marketing and let customers know that they
Rep Your Water offers creatively-designed gear that allows you to show your love for your home waters. They not only celebrate those waters, they give back to them - 1% of sales of Colorado merchandise is contributed to Colorado TU. www.repyourwater.com
care about rivers, and of course, makes a difference for the rivers that benefit all Coloradoans and our economy.
H20 Car Wash in Highlands Ranch takes water efficiency to a new level, with a high-tech water recycling system that works for the environment, your car, and YOU! H20 partners with Colorado TU on special water conservation events with proceeds from car washes donated to help river conservation. www.h2o-carwash.com
“It is paramount for small companies like ours to be able to do whatever they can, even if it is just 1% of their sales, to support what they believe in. Customers relate to and appreciate the fact that we are supporting Colorado TU and together we are helping to protect the water that we fish and help to assure it is here for the generations to come.”
Fox Coffee Roasters was born from a passion for great coffee and a love for the outdoors. Working with brokers to source coffee directly from the farmers, and contributing 1% of all sales to river conservation through Colorado TU, Fox Coffee Roasters is your source for “coffee with a conscience.” www.foxcoffeeroasters.com
Trouts Fly Fishing in Denver is a premier fly fishing outfitter and retailer with a 3,000+ square foot store boasting two floors of retail goods, as well as a fly fishing education center and outfitting office. Trouts has hosted multiple events featuring raffles and other fundraisers to support the TU and the Defend the Colorado campaign, bringing resources and awareness to the plight of our state’s namesake river. www.troutsflyfishing.com
Suncor is a globally competitive integrated energy company with a balanced portfolio of assets including oil and gas as well as renewable energy. Suncor is a generous supporter of the South Platte River Explorers program connecting Denver-area students with watershed science and fishing. www.suncor.com -Garrison & Corinne Doctor
Phil Long Toyota of Trinidad is a full service dealership offering new and used vehicles, parts, and service. They are also committed to giving back to their community, and are the sponsor for Colorado TU’s Youth Fly Fishing and Conservation Camp, held in the Purgatoire watershed.
Owners, Rep Your Water
www.phillongtoyota.com
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Trout Unlimited in Colorado 2014 Year In Review
Spring 2015 • High Country Angler
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Make A Difference for the Waters You Love
Trout Unlimited Succeeds Because of Your Support! Trout Unlimited thanks the generous individuals, businesses, and foundations whose support – along with yours – makes our successes possible.
In order to keep the great conservation success stories that you see in this report coming, and to make fishing in Colorado better, we need your financial contributions. As described in the financial report on page 13, your gifts are leveraged 8 to 1. You can support the work of Trout Unlimited in Colorado through contributions for unrestricted support or for specific programs, projects, or basins. Century Club donors contribute $100 or more each year, while through a contribution of $1000 or more per year you can join the Coldwater Conservation Fund/River Stewardship Council program and take part in special tours where you can interact with other dedicated conservationists, enjoy outstanding fishing, and see first-hand the difference your support is making on the ground. 2015 will be a critical year for Colorado’s coldwater fisheries and your donation will make a difference. Please go to www.coloradotu.org or www.TU.org right now, to make a contribution and help write the next success story. Thank you!
Coldwater Conservation Fund/River Stewardship Council Donors Bruce Allbright Chris Striebich and Tanya Argo Jerry Arnold Marshall Whiting and Richard Arnold William Bartels Matthew Bates Judith Baxter Phillip Bendele James Boak James Buckler Larry Bussey Norman Carpenter Scott Carpenter Rob Carson Adam Cherry Daryl Coles Robert Collins Steve Craig I M Cunningham Zak Danielson Michael Dannerbeck Michael and Jean Delaney Mark Dickson David DiGiacomo Sam Doyle Michael Duffy Will Durant Sinjin Eberle Terry Escamilla Bob Fanch Cathey and Richard Finlon Steven Fletcher Tom Fochtman John and Denise Frontczak Daniel Galhardo Samuel and Nancy Gary Caleb Gates Jr. Michael Gerber Bill Hankinson Andrew Harvin Louis Hegedus Warren Hemphill
Chris Herrman Charlie Horn Larry Howe Bud Isaacs Ralph Jacobson Michael Jefferson Fleta Johnsen Stephen Kandell Jayn Karl Dikran Kashkashian Doug Kelsall Randy Keogh Ken Kinsman Eric Koehler Mark and Sharon Lance Allan Larson Matthew Leavy Dexter Levandoski Andrew Light Barbara Luneau Randy Luskey Cam MacMillan James Marr Rick Matsumoto John McDermott Douglas McDonald Michael McGoldrick Clif McIntosh Donald McIntyre C. Miles Tom Mooney Gerald Moore Pat and Carol Oglesby George Orbanek Clint Packo Gary and Ivy Parish Ben Peternell Doug Pierce Robert Powell Jay and Molly Precourt Steven Read Robert Rich Walter Rockwell Dave Rootes Gerald and Jacqueline Ryan Ray Samuelson Alfred Schock Robert Schulz Elizabeth Searle Elizabeth Serniak
Celia Sheneman Mike and Christine Siddoway Kurt and Liz Soderberg Christopher Stephan Dennis Swanson Marjorie Swig David Wenman Alex Wiegers George Wiegers Ryan Willett James Williams
Major Corporate, Agency and Foundation Supporters 8 River Rodeo African Eyes Travel Alaska’s Legend Lodge Anonymous Bank of Colorado Black Canyon Anglers Bureau of Land Management Chevron Humankind Citywide Banks Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund Colorado Mountain College Colorado Nonpoint Source Program Colorado Parks and Wildlife Colorado Water Conservation Board Community First Foundation
Cutthroat Anglers Distant Waters Angling Adventures in New Zealand Dvorak Expeditions fishpond Freestone Outfitters Freeport-McMoRan Inc Front Range Anglers Gates Family Foundation H20 Car Wash William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Lake Carol Anne Madison Valley Ranch MillerCoors Mountain Angler National Fish and Wildlife Foundation New Venture Fund Over the Hill Outfitters David and Lucile Packard Foundation Patagonia Represent Your Water Ripple Creek Lodge Rose Family Foundation Silver Trout Foundation Suncor Sunrise Pack Station Trout and Salmon Foundation Trouts Flyfishing Upslope Brewing Company U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Forest Service Vail Resorts Walton Family Foundation Wells Fargo Western Conservation Foundation Wyss Foundation
Conservation Steward “I support TU through their Coldwater Conservation Fund because they work to protect and restore my home waters on the upper Colorado and the other rivers around the state that I fish.” Randy Keogh
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High Country Angler • Spring 2015
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Trout Unlimited in Colorado Denver 1536 Wynkoop Street Suite 320 Denver, CO 80202
Durango 1309 E. 3rd Avenue Suite 109 Durango, CO 81301
Grand Junction 115 North Fifth Street Suite 410 Grand Junction, CO 81501
Salida 128 East 1st Street Suite 203 Salida, CO 81201
www.coloradotu.org www.tu.org
TU in Colorado Colorado TU State Council Officers Rick Matsumoto, President Marshall Pendergrass, Vice President Larry Howe, Secretary Jay Boak, Treasurer Sinjin Eberle, Past President Tom Jones, National Leadership Council Representative Ken Neubecker, Regional Vice President John Fooks, Regional Vice President Glen Edwards, Regional Vice President
Colorado TU State Council Staff & Contractors David Nickum, Executive Director Stephanie Scott, Outreach Coordinator Shannon Kindle, Administrative Assistant Jen Boulton, Legislative Liaison Garrett Hanks, Youth Education Coordinator
TU Colorado Water Project Staff Drew Peternell, Colorado Water Project Director Brian Hodge, Yampa/White River Basin Project Manager Cary Denison, Gunnison River Basin Project Manager Mely Whiting, Legal Counsel David Stillwell, Office and Internal Communications Manager Randy Scholfield, Communications Director Jesse Kruthaupt, Upper Gunnison River Project Specialist Richard Van Gytenbeek, Colorado River Basin Organizer Russell Schnitzer, Agriculture Policy Advisor Kevin Terry, Rio Grande Project Manager
TU Sportsmen’s Conservation Project Staff Steve Kandell, Sportsmen’s Conservation Project Director Aaron Kindle, Colorado Field Coordinator Ty Churchwell, Backcountry Coordinator, Alpine Triangle Matthew Clark, Backcountry Coordinator, Dolores River Basin Shane Cross, Western Energy Counsel Joshua Duplechian, Communications Specialist
TU Western Restoration Staff Elizabeth Russell, Mine Restoration Project Manager Jason Willis, Mine Restoration Project Manager
Coldwater Conservation Fund Chris Herrman, Colorado Director, CCF
Cover Photos by Joshua Duplechian | TU Communications Specialist Annual Report Design by Lopez Design Group, lopezdesigngroup@gmail.com
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Spring 2015 • High Country Angler
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My First Saltwater Experience
A
lmost everything I have ever heard about saltwater fly fishing was confirmed this winter, when I had the privilege of heading down to the Yucatan Peninsula and fishing the pristine fishery within Ascension Bay. The number one and most important thing I had heard about saltwater on the fly was to know that it catches you, not the other way around. With this one trip, I have formed a new addiction and the need to start a new piggy bank. One exclusively for salt water fly fishing trips. 32
High Country Angler • Spring 2015
by Shawn Ash
After riding on planes, trains and automobiles, I was finally loading my gear onto a flats boat for one last ride to The Grand Slam Lodge. On the boat ride out, I had to literally close my eyes, because it all felt too surreal. The crystal clear blue and turquoise water was beyond anything I had experienced before. To think that I would be standing on the bow of that boat fishing for exotic species the very next day, almost took my breath away. After arriving at the lodge, it was time to hit the bar, as I knew there would be no chance of www.HCAmagazine.com
me falling asleep that night without the help of a little alcohol. With all the excitement and anticipation of the days to come, I grabbed a gin and tonic and started inventorying my gear for the next day. Permit, tarpon, and bonefish were on the agenda for the week, and I began rigging accordingly. Several drinks later and all the rods rigged and ready to go, it was time to hit the hay and just hope I could catch a few hours of sleep. By the time 4:30 am rolled around, I was up, pacing around in my room, looking over my fly boxes and doing one last check of all my knots and rigs. I headed out in the almost pitch black to practice my double haul off the dock, with lofty aspirations of starting the day with a fish in hand
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before hitting the boats. Casting into 30 mph head winds was no easy task, however it was a humbling challenge and one that I was happy to meet head on. I practiced until the sun came up and the lodge started buzzing with people. I ate a quick breakfast, paired up with my guide for the day and hit the water. We had a 45-minute boat ride to the flats where we would start our journey. As I drank a Corona Light and admired dolphins rolling on the surface, saltwater splashed in my face adding a little salty flavor to the bland drink. I mentally prepared, talking myself through the cast no matter what the conditions would be, and thought to myself, “Don’t trout set, don’t trout set.”
Spring 2015 • High Country Angler
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Before I knew it, the engine shut off and the guide thanks to a 7-weight Winston and 10 pound tippet. said, “grab your bone rod.” I grabbed my rod, jumped up After experiencing saltwater fly fishing for the first onto the bow, and it all started. I stripped out a pile of time, I am hooked. It was beyond my wildest expectaline and scanned the water, unsure of exactly what I was tions and has made me a better angler in every aspect. I looking for. I could spot trout like nobody’s business, but can never wait to bend my next rod, and now thanks to this would be something different. Before I knew it the salt, I have a whole new world of water out there to fish. guide yelled “11’oclock 45 feet.” I got a slight glimpse of a shadow and started double hauling to get it out there as quickly as possible. I made my cast, landing directly on About The Author. the bonefish, and away it went. Do NOT cast directly on Shawn Ash has been fly fishing since he was 14 years old. top of the fish…CHECK. We pulled around and another He grew up in Pennsylvania, fly fishing the limestone trout fish came up, 3 o’clock 35 feet. This time I saw the fish streams, as well as fishing for warm water species such as and led my cast in front of the bonefish. Wait, wait, wait, bass, pan fish, and pike. In 2008 he moved to Montana in Ok, strip. As I worked, the guide talked me through it: pursuit of more trout waters and an education in biology. After graduating with a degree in Biology Field Ecology and “Strip, strip, strip, slower, wait, strip, strip, strip, set!” getting familiar with big fish and big water, Shawn’s passion I had a half strip set and half trout set, but thankfully for angling inspired him to pursue a career as a professional it was good enough to hook into my first saltwater fish on fly fishing guide. He moved to Colorado in 2013 where the fly! As I let out the slack line, it tightened up and the he found his place in the industry. As Fisheries Manager drag started spinning. I had always wondered how a fish and Pro-Staff Guide, for the Flyfisher Group, Shawn can of this size could take you into your backing, but away it be found at any one of their properties ensuring that the streams are properly managed and maintained to create went. I watched as the float line disappeared out of the unforgettable angling experiences. Shawn’s easy going last guide, and out the backing went. After three strong personality, fun and informative approach to angling makes runs, I was starting to bring line back in and reclaim my him the perfect guide for anglers of all ages and experience fish. Thinking it was much bigger then it was, I landed levels. You can contact Shawn via their website at www. my first bonefish. She was a three-pounder, and I was theflyfishergroup.com. shocked at the power and speed that this fish displayed in taking me into my backing. I was hooked. I realized right then as I was getting my picture taken, that it was not my first salt fish I had hooked, on 38339 US Hwy 50 the fly, but the salt’s first hook landed Gunnison, CO 81230 in me. I am and will forever be addicted to fly fishing in the salt. 970.641.1442 After a day of chasing bonefish, I was ready to switch it up. With so many different fish species to target, and feeling accomplished with bonefish, the rest of the trip was going to • Walking distance to the gold-medal be about getting as many shots at as waters of the Gunnison River many different species as I could. The next day consisted of tarpon, bone• Near Blue Mesa Reservoir fish, barracuda, permit, and needle• Vintage charm and ambiance fish. With shots at each fish species, I was able to hook into and land • Great outdoor space bonefish, barracuda, and a needlefish. The third day was the icing on • Multiple room layouts the cake with a perfect shot at a nice • Fully stocked kitchens crevalle jack. I nailed the cast, as the fish cruised by the boat, stripped • Spacious boat parking, including once and strip set into the fish. It was free long-term for multiple stays absolutely incredible and ended up being the cherry on top for me. After 40 minutes I was able to land the fish,
Island Acres
www.IslandAcresResort.com
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High Country Angler • Spring 2015
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A GUIDE’S LIFE
•
BY HAYDEN MELLSOP
The Camping Trip
H
er first fish was a ten inch cutthroat, taken from a large pond on the edge of town on a parachute adams. She leaned back with the strain, keeping the rod high and clutched tight to her chest as she stripped in line while the fish thrashed on the surface. She giggled and smiled and I waited nervously with my net, willing the fish to stay on the barbless hook, which it did. Now a d ay s , her ever-busy schedule of school and dance camps, and my work restricts us to a oncea-summer getaway. Last year we camped for a couple of nights next to a lovely little stream flowing out of the La Garita Wilderness. At 9500 feet, the weather, even in summer, can change in an instant, and within an hour of making camp a sunny sky had turned dark and threatening. I pulled a tarp over the back of the truck, attaching the corners to the cliff face we’d backed up against with a combination of ropes, cam straps, stones and a random nail, driven into the rock by a previous camper, I assume for just this purpose. We wrapped up warm and sat in our chairs under the shelter of the tarp while a west wind blew and a slushy rain tried its best to turn to snow. We played last card and ate an early dinner then burrowed into our bags in the back of the truck. The stream was still high from a late runoff, discolored and swollen, hardly ideal. Nevertheless, the next morning we waded up under a crisp blue sky and hiked downstream through a little canyon to a broadening meadow where a tributary flowed in from the south. Good fishing water was sparse, only a few inside bends of occasional sharp corners in the river providing an element of shelter from the current. I gave her the easier inside water while I worked the tight eddies against the far side and the six inch strips of slow water along grassy banks, and we each caught a couple of fish for our troubles. We sat on a long, flat, sloping boulwww.HCAmagazine.com
der and ate lunch looking at the distant mountains colored purple by the stands of beetle kill pine, then lay back with our hats over our faces and dozed, soaking up the heat from the granite like lizards. She hadn’t always been this amenable to camping. Our first attempt amounted to little more than a disaster. She was about eighteen months old, and one day Kym and I decided to load a cooler and a mattress into the back of the pick-up and head for the night up to a lake twenty miles away, the last five on a steep, rocky jeep road. On a calm summer evening, as this was shaping up to be, this particular lake was legendary for its hour-beforedusk hatches. I loaded my rod into the truck, strapping a pontoon boat to the roof, all the while explaining to her that we were going camping, which was fun. It meant we’d cook hot dogs and mac and cheese outside, then all snuggle in the back of the truck like a family of bears till morning. We bounced and jolted up the road, finding a place to camp close to the water’s edge. I set up the kitchen, then we went down to the lake and tossed stones in the shallows. Two or three tents were pitched at other places around the lake and near one of them, I could see a canoe pulled up along the shore. Others had the same idea. An after dinner calm settled on the day, the breeze dying out, the lake a mirror of the darkening trees surrounding it and the washed out blue of the fading sky above. Here and there the dimple of a rise marred the placid surface. I assembled my rod, unstrapped the pontoon boat and carried it down to the water’s edge, then walked back up to fetch my rod and a hand pump to top off the boat’s tubes. “Daddy’s going fishing for a bit now, honey.” Kym sat in her camp chair with Soph in her lap, both cocooned in fleece against the onset of night’s chill. I looked out on the lake, the dimples now becoming more frequent. Across the far side, the canoe cut a gentle wake as a solitary paddler glided out toward the rise forms. By the time I was in my waders, the rise was fast becoming a boil. I quickly tied on a caddis then reached down for a grab loop on one of the pontoons when a highpitched wail split the evening’s calm. I
glanced over my shoulder and saw Kym in earnest conversation with Soph. I continued to drag the boat to the water. Another wail split the air, followed by a third. Kym was standing now, Soph on her hip, and even at a distance of fifty yards, in the deepening gloom, I could read the look on her face. Get your butt here. My shoulders slumped. I set down the boat and walked over. “She wants to go home. She doesn’t want to sleep in the truck.” “But honey, that’s the best part of camping. We all get nice and cozy and snuggle together like a family of bugs in a rug.” She looked unimpressed. “Now how about you and Mamma get nice and cozy now, and I’ll go and try to catch a fish.” She wailed again. If it had just been us and no one else at the lake, I’d have maybe tried a little harder but as it was we were already disturbing the serenity of the evening too much for the other campers. I knew enough about the magic of the moment happening out there on the lake to not want to spoil it for others. I sighed and looked at Kym. “OK. I’ll go get the boat. You pack up the stove.” There were now loud slurping noises coming from the lake, its surface an frenzy of feeding of Caligula-like proportions. I cut off my fly and reeled in my line. By the time we’d reloaded everything it was fully dark, and we bounced our way back down the road, Soph having fallen asleep in her car seat within minutes. We briefly contemplated finding a place to turn around and head back up, but there’d be all heck to pay if she woke and wasn’t back home in her own little den. Now, these days, our camping trips may not be more fun than dance camp, but I’m pretty sure that they rate higher than school!
About The Author.
A native of New Zealand, Hayden has fished and guided both Down Under and in Colorado for over twenty years. He currently resides in the mountain town of Salida, CO, where he still guides, works in recreational real estate, volunteers in local land and water protection, and is in the throes of writing his first book. Spring 2015 • High Country Angler
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HCA
GEAR BAG BY BRIAN LA RUE
JERK ALERT: HIGH, DRY, RESPONSIVE
W
hen utilizing an indicator, I consider myself a minimalist. I utilize an indicator that is small and offers the best castability, but it also needs to ride high and react to the softest of takes. It took me years to try a plastic indicator, holding on to my dental rubber bands and synthetic worm forever. I’ve tried the loopover things, the lay-the-line-in-and-tighten things and even the screw-down foam, but Jerk Alert indicators combine the best of literally all worlds for smaller water applications. In testing the Jerk Alerts, I found that a couple of big stoneflies in swirling water were too much for the dime-sized Jerk Alerts, but when it came to nymphs and midges on all tailwaters, freestones, and stillwaters, they out- performed many of the more bulky options. As one the latest innovations from Skip’s Original Strike Indicator line-up, the Jerk Alert is a dumbbell-shaped float that easily locks to your leader, but allows for you to reposition, or remove and re-use them with ease with no leader tweak-
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High Country Angler • Spring 2015
ing or kinking. They also cut through the air when cast as if you have no strike indicator attached. I tried all sorts of trick casts, powering bugs in all directions trying to see if the Jerk Alert would fly off, slide or hamper my cast. It did not, remaining where I put it, while my bugs landed exactly where I targeted them. Adding to the Jerk Alert’s appeal is the design’s high floating, eye-catching colors. They are highlyvisible to you and me, but subtle enough to avoid detection by your quarry. Colors include Salmon Pink, River Rock Camo, Gator Green, Fluorescent Orange, Fluorescent Yellow, and Fluorescent BiVisible. Gator Green is my favorite for these dimesized fishing buddies. As a bonus for you float tubers and pontoon stillwater guys, the Jerk Alert is the only indicator on the water that can be set up on the leader to allow them to slide down the leader for easy fish retrieval. For more information, contact Skip Originals at 505-632-0329 or click on www.skipsoriginals.com.
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FIT TO BE TIED
•
BY JOEL EVANS
What’s the Same and What’s Different?
R
ecently a fishing friend of mine arrived unexpectedly at my office. Carrying a boot size shoebox, he asked me if I’d be interested in a small treasure he had come by. Knowing I was unlikely to refuse, he plopped the box onto my desk and opened the top. Within were books. Obviously old books.
Page 1 and 2 is an illustration of parts of a fly. Similar to a salmon fly, there are 23 parts, with names such as horns, topping, veiling, and cheek. The tools section mentions a hand vise, which is a steel rod—held by hand—not secured with a clamp or pedestal.
Within the head cement discussion, he advised not to use shellac, a commonly available coating of the A family friend, a widow, had called him to look time. Thread is described with the full number systhrough what she had on hand from her husband’s tem, as in 000000 instead of 6/0 or simply 6. A hand fishing days. Although my friend didn’t offer me the whip finish knot is illustrated. In a lengthy chapter likely priceless bamboo rod he acquired, he did know devoted to hackles, there is no mention of chickens I collected fishing books, particularly fly tying books. being raised specifically for fly tying, and being genetically altered as we know today. The half-dozen or so books were all in great shape. None of them are rare or of great monetary value, but Chenille is the French word for caterpillar. I didn’t my excitement was escalated upon a quick unloading know that. The entire discussion of synthetic mateof the box. I kept them all and have added them to my rials is limited to a few sentences discussing orlon, reading stack for now. dacron, and nylon yarns. An extended mayfly body could be made using gum rubber crepe. There are Among them was a hardback book called Pro- separate chapters on tying wet flies and nymphs, a fessional Fly Tying, Spinning and Tackle Making by distinction seemingly, and unfortunately, lost today George Leonard Herter. I have in my collection a few in my opinion. other Herter books and mail order catalogs, mostly acquired in a similar manner. This particular book You thought saltwater flies were new. He has a is the revised 18th edition copyright 1969. The first whole chapter. The chapter on dry flies lists a popular edition was 1941. fly as being the Buzek Hopper. Wayne “Buz” Buzek was a California fly tyer who originated this fly in 1943 George Herter was well known to fishermen and in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Today the International fly tyers of his day. When I learned to tie in the early Federation of Fly Tyers annually awards an outstand1980’s, the then senior citizens (I am one now) or- ing tyer with the Buzek Award. Think UV materials dered materials from his catalog. According to Wiki- are new? Well, he has a discussion on ultra-violet in pedia, he was from Minnesota, lived from 1911 to the chapter on colors and what a fish sees. 1994. Herter took over his father’s dry goods store and turned it into an outdoor store, opening both retail What fun! I’ve been tying for almost 40 years and stores and a catalog business. He also published nu- there is much to be learned, even from an old book. merous books. Looking through the book my friend gave me, I noticed a few “signs of the times.” In fly tying, some things have changed little—for example, hooks. But here are a few random observations of things that have changed: www.HCAmagazine.com
About The Author.
Joel Evans is a fly fishing writer, photographer, and longtime member of Trout Unlimited from Montrose, CO. You can contact him via the HCA editor at frank@hcamagazine. com.
Spring 2015 • High Country Angler
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High Country Angler • Spring 2015
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Yellowstone’s Firehole River:
A Fly Fishing Adventure
O
ne of the most interesting waters I’ve ever fished in my 30 years of fly fishing would have to be the Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park. From its boiling water and active geysers to unbelieveable sights of blanket hatches with 40 to 50 fish rising in a single picturesque bend, the Firehole is a fishery that demands a least one opener or fall outing in your fly time. “The Firehole River is one the first rivers to clear in the park, and is usually fishing well by opening day, the Saturday morning of Memorial Day Weekend,” said longtime West Yellowstone guide, Fly Fishing Hall of Famer, and overall fly fishing guru, Bob Jacklin (www.jacklinsflyshop.com). “I would highly suggest you try small Woolly Buggers early in the season. That productive pattern is always a good bet on opening weekend. There is also always some great dry fly fishing to be found for anglers throwing smaller Blue Wing Olives in sizes 16 and 18. “One of the best access points starting upstream is at Biscuit Basin,” added Jacklin. “Focus on fishing downstream along the many cut banks. Another good starting point is at Midway Geyser. Again, fish downstream. You’ll find a good mile of open water with pools and fast shallow runs all the way to Fountain Flats Drive. “Another good tip is to drive from Madison Junction upstream, and park at each of the pull-offs along the road to look for rising fish,” says Jacklin. “The water is smooth and easy to read. In June, there are good hatches of Blue Wing Olives and a www.HCAmagazine.com
by Brian La Rue great hatch of little White Miller Caddis in size 16.” I’ve personally spent numerous Junes in the Madison Campground, and I have driven the Grand Loop following the Firehole--sometimes even walking up the Firehole at the head of the Madison. The higher water conditions of June always produced plenty of action. Small dry olive and caddis patterns always produce, but my bigger early season Firehole fish always hit small cinnamon, purple, and black beadhead Woolly Buggers. I like to swing the buggers around bends or in front of obvious boulders and weed mounds. Usually something like a Hydros Clear Sink Tip does the trick, with a Hare Sculpin too. The other options early in the season are the many standard nymph patterns like PTs, Prince’s, and Hare’s Ears, but try these productive patterns in wet hackle versions. Fish them the same way--around structure and under the cut banks, but a simple floating line setup will do the trick. Swinging the wet hackle patterns will work wonders while you wait for heads to start rising. I like to park in some of the less-used pullouts, and access the river through the forest. Driving along the Loop, you will see the river disappear behind groves of pines. Most folks pull out and fish within sight of the car, but I like to have my wife drop me off at one pullout, then I fish upriver to the next pullout. My wife will call me on my cell occasionally to make sure a bison hasn’t gored me or a grizzly devoured me. I think she feels I’ll simply break an ankle one of these days...and that will be the reason for my demise. Spring 2015 • High Country Angler
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Those one to two mile stretches I find off the beaten path have produced fun dry bites with 12 to 15 fish a riffle running 15 inches. I always have my pepper spray on my hip and have only slipped/swam once, but don’t tell my wife! The Firehole is one of those rivers where anybody could get into a great dry fly bite. It is hard for me to drive the length of the river without my wife saying, “Eyes on the Road,” as rising fish grab my attention. Once I had ankle reconstruction (work related,not fishing--thank you!) and I had a nonweight-bearing cast on it for 11 weeks. We went camping in Yellowstone because I figured I would never have that much time off until I either made my millions writing for Frank, or I retired, so we went on a road trip. I was able to fish from a folding camp chair near the Nez Perce area and caught dozens of dry-eating rainbows and browns. It had rained for three straight days, and after the clouds finally moved on, the next morning proved to be dynamite with hundreds of 8- to 15-inch rising as far
as the eye could see and my crutches would carry me. June is also a great time to capitalize on a very abbreviated salmon fly hatch in one of my favorite spots on the river, Firehole Canyon. Everybody drives along Firehole Drive and enjoys the views, but if you’re willing to billy goat down hills, rock hop and climb around waterfalls, you can have fun throwing big dries like a size 6 Paulson’s Flutter Bug. A couple years ago a friend and I managed to time the hatch just right and caught numerous browns from 11 to 18 inches before hail, heavy rain, snow, and wind put the kibosh on the canyon action. The only problem with the Firehole is the fact it is fed by the boiling thermal features. Sure it adds appeal and makes for a unique fishery, but at the same time, it warms the water to the upper limits of all things trout, so most years, the National Park Service closes the river in August, depending on the temperatures and the year. Usually by mid-July, anglers only fish it early in the a.m. or later in the p.m. “Mid-summer fishing on the Fire-
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hole slows down about mid-July, and the stress placed on the trout at that time of the year is simply too much,” added Jacklin. “Look for colder water such as the Gibbon River during the warmest times of the year. “The Firehole comes back to life around the middle part of September,” said Jacklin. “Our first snow storm comes through about the 20th of September each year. Once the water cools in around this time, there are great dry fly hatches of size 18 and 20 Blue Wing Olives. Look for stormy weather and rain, or even some light snow to get the river hopping. The Firehole fishes best on these overcast and stormy weather days.” The Firehole has produced some whoppers over the years. Large browns used to frequent the river, but catches of fish measuring over 18 inches are few and far between. Once in a while a runner from Hebgen is caught and released just above the confluence with the Gibbon/ Madison beginnings. “The Firehole now is a great fishery with an overabundance of smaller catchable size fish,” said Jacklin. “Both browns and rainbows from eight to ten inches are
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the Nez Perce Picnic Area called the Firehole Hotel. Some anglers still find broken dishes in the river, but anything found must be left alone. Also, there aren’t many gravestones or people buried in the park, but one of the few graves is also in the area. It belongs to Mattie Culver, the wife of the hotel caretaker, who died in 1889. So pay your respects if you visit her river. So there you have it--the Firehole. If you make it to the park anytime soon, pitch a tent or call one of the neighboring towns home for the night. West Yellowstone is by far the closest town to the Firehole, but you could also camp at Madison or stay at the cabins or lodge at Old Faithful. Enjoy one of my favorite places and share your photos and stories with us on our High Country Angler Facebook page.
About The Author.
High Country Angler contributor Brian La Rue enjoys giving fly fishers ideas of where to go for an adventure. His work can also be seen at his Examiner.com Denver Fly Fishing page. You can contact Brian by writing to brian@HCAmagazine.com.
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Spring 2015 • High Country Angler
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Greenbacks Rising By Jeff Florence
T
he story on the Greenbacks is one for the ages. When heard around a campfire, one would have a hard time believing such a tale is true. An entire species of native trout once believed to be extinct had suddenly reappeared in a four mile stream in Colorado. These final 750 fish were left to reintroduce an entire species into a region where they once flourished. With natural and man-made obstacles in their way, these Greenbacks needed assistance. The same species that caused their demise was now stepping up to save them. Volunteers, chapters, and partners of Colorado Trout Unlimited have made it their mission to save the Greenbacks. When a species of Cutthroat trout believed to be the native Greenback was discovered in the 1960’s, researchers began restocking the species throughout the waters in Colorado. By 1973, the fish were protected under the Endangered Species Act and five years later, the fish were moved from endangered status to threatened. But later research showed that the species researchers were looking at and stocking weren’t in fact Greenbacks. They are now believed to be from a lineage of cutthroat trout from Colorado’s western slope, not from the South Platte basin like their Greenback cousins. During the recovery process, a population of roughly 750 greenbacks was discovered in a stream outside of Colorado Springs in Bear Creek. But the fish looked weird. They were different from the other “Greenback” trout that scientists had been stocking and studying the last hundred years. A study by Brigham Young University came back with results that these fish were genetically different. Further studies lead by Dr. Jessica Metcalf and Dr. Andrew Martin in 2007 proved that these “weird” Greenbacks were in fact the real greenbacks – the only ones known to be left in the world. With the new findings, the recovery process started all over. Bear Creek was closed off from fishing, and studies on the water and fish began to take place. However, trails in the watershed remained open to mountain bikers, motorized vehicles and hikers every day, resulting in large loads of sediment running off the trails and into the water, and 44
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in turn affecting the home waters of the Greenback population. That is where Colorado Trout Unlimited and its partners came in. Chapters throughout the Front Range as well as affiliate corporations worked together to protect the waters of Bear Creek and to reduce the issues that faced the last remaining Greenbacks. In 2002, the Cheyenne Mountain Chapter of TU (CMCTU) began a Riverwatch volunteer monitoring program on Bear Creek shortly after the fish were discovered. Even before they knew just what these “weird” fish really were, CMCTU believed this species still needed its attention. They collected data for three years on the water of Bear Creek, and based on the data, they worked with CTU to secure “outstanding water” designation to put in place strong State anti-degradation standards for water quality protection. Since then, CMCTU has worked every year to take macroinvertebrate samples from Bear Creek to determine stream health. Volunteers brave the elements and collect samples of the water, then send them in to Colorado Springs Utilities for further analysis. Dissolved oxygen, heavy metals, E. Coli and phosphate are among the water quality measurements that the chapter monitors. As it became clearer just how unique the “weird” Bear Creek trout were, the Southern Colorado Greenback Chapter in Pueblo, Colorado joined CMCTU’s conservation efforts and helped raise $5,000 for conservation efforts for the Greenbacks in Bear Creek. “We raised funding for CMCTU through local efforts including raffles, banquets and the Frostbite Fish-Off,” said Ben Wurster, president of the Pueblo-based TU chapter. “Our chapter has worked closely with CMCTU for some time, and they regularly come down and help with cleanup and recovery work on the Arkansas River tail water.” Along with water quality monitoring, the groups working on the Bear Creek Greenbacks also tried to make sure the water remains home only to the native fish. Barriers were placed downstream from the Greenback’s habitat to keep invasive species, including nonnative trout, New Zealand Mudsnails and Rusty Crayfish, away from www.HCAmagazine.com
the native and fragile population. With trails, primarily High Drive, so close to the stream, another large order of business for CMCTU and partners was to work on reducing sedimentation runoff into the stream. The rock that makes up the area is primarily decomposed granite that breaks off easily and falls into the water. CMCTU was able to work with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), the United States Forest Service (USFS), the Rocky Mountain Field Institute, and local trail users, on efforts to slow the sediment overflow by modifying and maintaining trails. Along with the trail work, CMCTU brought a $10,000 grant and hard working volunteers to put up sediment barriers along the stream to collect larger fragments of runoff. Unfortunately, the sediment traps that were supposed to last a year (securing time to find a long term solution) only lasted three months until they were full. The increase in sedimentation results in low nutrient levels in the water. With the sediment traps overflowing, the stream quality began to diminish, and then a major storm in 2012 came through the area, producing flood flows. It looked to be bad at first as the high flows wiped away the sedimentation barriers. But upon further tests, according to Allyn Kratz, treasurer of CMCTU, the storm actually helped moved sedimentation downstream and out of the Bear Creek area. According to Bob Garrett, Vice President of Government Affairs for CMCTU, there has not been a long-term solution found for the traps. However, after a meticulous process, Jones Park, the land area where Bear Creek runs through, has been turned over from Colorado Springs Utilities to El Paso County, and the water of Bear Creek is now in possession of USFS and the County. With the new ownerships of land in the area, conversations to work on sediment run off have been positive, according to Kratz. Other corporations have worked alongside CTU in the process and have helped in the re-stocking and funding efforts. The Greenbacks, a Denver-area group of younger CTU members, has been actively involved with Colorado Parks and Wildlife in the restoration and re-stocking of Greenbacks. “In August of last year we were offered the opportunity by Parks and Wildlife to assist in the stocking of Greenbacks in Zimmerman Lake,” said Nick Hoover of The Greenbacks.“We weighed, measured, clipped fins, and released around 1,200 fish into the lake.” With help from corporate partners such as Patagonia, who contributed a $5,000 grant, and individual donors who gave $10,000 through an Indiegogo crowd sourcing effort, The Greenbacks have raised funds to partner with CPW to re-stock the native Greenbacks into more waters across Colorado. “To think that there were only around 750 of these fish left in the wild motivated all of us to get involved,” said Hoover.“We challenged our folwww.HCAmagazine.com
lowers with the Indiegogo campaign and they stepped up big time. That led us to more conversations with TU.” Colorado Trout Unlimited, its chapters and partners are still working hard to bring these beautiful fish back to their full potential. Efforts to continue to keep the waters of Bear Creek clean are being made daily by CMCTU, cooperating chapters, and their volunteers. “We want to move the trails that cause high sediment run off as well as expand and partner with other conservation and trail user groups,” according to Kratz. Other chapters in the Greenbacks’ true native range in the South Platte are also working to prepare the way for new restoration projects. The Greenbacks are working with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to work on restocking more Greenbacks into different waters in the future. “We are continuing to work closely with Parks and Wildlife and hope to put our funds to good use,” said Hoover.“We’re hoping to get out this summer and do some on-the-ground work.” Meanwhile, the West Denver Chapter of CTU is working with CPW and USFS to assess suitable sites for reintroducing the Greenbacks into the Clear Creek drainage system. According to Tim Toohey, the President of the chapter, “There are several places on the Clear Creek drainage that are being looked at for the reintroduction of the Bear Creek Greenbacks, and our Chapter will be involved in the process.”
Further north, in the headwaters of the Poudre watershed, the Alpine Anglers Chapter and Rocky Mountain Flycasters Chapter are also working to prepare the way for Greenback restoration. In partnership with the USFS and CPW, as well as Rocky Mountain National Park, the chapters are helping collect baseline data to help set the stage for a decade-long large-scale restoration that could span more than 40 miles of connected rivers in the upper watershed. Once completed, it will be the largest native trout restoration project in Colorado’s history. The Greenbacks have come a long way from their origins. When explorers first began moving west, the fish were plentiful and moving across the rivers of Colorado like their own highway system. After a few setbacks, the painstaking process of the Greenback recovery is well underway. Thanks to the chapters and partners that work directly with the research, advocating, fundraising, and recovery processes, the Greenback, once reduced to only 750 fish, is finally moving upstream again.
To Learn More.
To learn more about this story and Colorado Trout Unlimited, visit, www.coloradotu.org.
Spring 2015 • High Country Angler
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The Fly Fishing World Comes to Colorado! By John Knight
G
lobal fly fishermen will descend upon Vail, Colorado for the 14th FIPS Mouche World Youth Fly Fishing Championship on August 10-16, 2015, and the( adult) 36th FIPS Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship on September 11-18, 2016. Anglers will wade fish three rivers and boat fish two lakes during the event. Over 30 countries plan to attend and participate, with more than 400 international fly fishermen, and involving over 500 volunteers. The events will operate within the Olympic ideal: to foster friendship and understanding among all people, and peace in the world, and will provide watershed and fishery information. The Conservation Symposiums will include speakers and interaction with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Colorado Trout Unlimited, and the Eagle River Watershed Council. The championships are catch and release, fly fishing only. Countries will be sending eight-person teams to compete on the best trout waters in Colorado, with a chance for gold, silver, and bronze medal awards. The Eagle and 46
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Colorado Rivers, and Dillon Reservoir and Sylvan Lake will showcase the diversity of Colorado’s watersheds and outstanding trout fisheries. Colorado Trout Unlimited will be assisting with the Conservation Symposiums and supporting this event of international anglers coming together in a celebration of fly fishing and watershed awareness. Volunteers bring this event to life, and most go riverside as a “controller.” The job is easy and controllers get to spend time on the water with some of the top anglers in the world. There are also positions assisting with the event’s ceremonies, venues, and transportation needs. Volunteers are provided daily lunch, event merchandise, and special discount forms from area shops. A ticket to the closing ceremony and awards banquet at Mid Vail also will be provided to each volunteer. You can learn more about volunteering at: www.wyffc2015.com/volunteer-2/. The fly fishing championships are wonderful events for spectators, as the venues are the free flowing rivers and majestic lakes of the Rocky Mountains, and the resort towns of Colorado. The Town of Vail is the location for the opening and closing ceremonies; the host hotel, the Evergreen Lodge, will serve as event headquarters, where competitor lodging, meals, transportation staging, team registration, captains’ meetings, beat draw, and posting of scores will occur. This will be a great place to meet and mingle with the international teams and to enjoy the festive atmosphere. The opening ceremony includes a flag parade of teams led through Vail along Gore Creek by Helmut Fricker. Afterward, participants will go up the Lionshead Eagle Bahn Gondola to the top of Vail Mountain. Here the official ceremony will occur, with welcome speeches and a presentation of the Birds of Prey. Youth teams will then enjoy an exhilarating ride on a zip line and return to Eagle’s Nest for the Welcome Dinner. Tickets to attend the Opening Ceremony are required, and include the ride up the gondola and the welcome dinner. There will be a Beaver Creek Rodeo excursion for an evening of cowboys www.HCAmagazine.com
and BBQ. The Beaver Creek Rodeo features the full line up of classic rodeo events – bareback & saddle bronc riding, team roping, barrel racing and of course, bull riding! A conservation symposium on the topics of watershed conservation, invasive species, and fishery management will be provided to the attendees. Speakers will be Trout Unlimited, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and the Eagle River Watershed Council at historic Camp Hale at Nova Guides. The closing ceremony is open to the
public at Vail Mountain Plaza at the base of Gondola One. Watch as team and individual medals are awarded, while national anthems are played and national flags raised. Cheer alongside all the competitors as the medals and trophies are held high, and listen to the closing speeches. With the official closing completed, the awards banquet will follow, with teams boarding Gondola One for a ride up the mountain to Mid Vail for dinner and awards. The awards handed out here are from our sponsors, and go to teams and participants of the
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event. Enjoy dinner and the setting sun as the championship closes with smiles, new friendships, and memories for a lifetime. Tickets to attend the awards banquet are required, and include the ride up the gondola and the awards dinner. Fishing venues are divided into 5 sectors. Maps to the sectors and the land rules will be available. Access will vary by sector based on private or managed property requirements. Land owners, ranch owners, and government agencies have all joined together to provide these championship waters. Parking and pedestrian traffic will be controlled so we do not disturb the water or competitor. Bring a camera, enjoy the beautiful scenery of Colorado, and watch true masters of the fly rod in action at this once-in-a-lifetime event! Learn more about the World Youth Fly Fishing Championships www.wyffc2015.com
Family Fly Fishing Festival On August 15th at historic Camp Hale, hosted by Nova Guides Lodge, families will have the opportunity to interact and learn from the best youth fly fishers with Team USA and from around the world. Whether you are the next aspiring Team USA member or a first time angler, the Family Fly Fishing Festival has something for you. Coming at the conclusion of the World Youth Fly Fishing Championships, the Family Fly Fishing Festival, taking place from 10- 2 pm, invites young anglers and their families to have some fun with the tournament competitors while learning some new skills along the way. Attendees will have the chance to fish the private ponds of Nova Guides, and instruction will be available for participants of all skill levels and ages—including from members of Team USA. Other outdoor activities from partners like Colorado Parks and Wildlife, River Watch, and the Eagle River Watershed Council will be available for the whole family: flycasting, fly tying, entomology, fish art and more. Lunch is included with registration, and will feature the World Championships’ Conservation Symposium where guests can learn about the waters of Colorado and the groups working to protect them. To sign up, or for more information about registration and activities, go to www.coloradotu.org.
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Superfly
By Joel L. Evans
I
have a shirt from an early Superfly. Back then they were short sleeved and embroidered with the early logo of a hook with a superman cape. Not the first one, maybe. According to Jeff Oulton, one of the founders, the first event was in 1990. Over the years, many fish have been caught and about as many stories have been hatched. But most of all, a lot of comraderie has been established and money raised for the fish. I’ve participated a number of years either as a contestant or a guide….it is a permanent mark on my annual calendar. Held in Almont, Colorado every September and sponsored by the Gunnison Angling Society, a chapter of Trout Unlimited, Superfly is a catch and release fishing contest fundraiser for GAS. With money from the non-profit event, GAS provides youth fishing activities and education, funds stream conservation projects, and educates anglers about coldwater fishing in the Gunnison area. One example is the GAS Scholarship Fund. Youth receive financial support to attend a camp that teaches fisheries conservation and fly fishing. The 2014 event gathered 9 teams of two fishermen each, who were assigned a morning and an afternoon river wading beat to fish. A “beat” is a stretch of river, either public or pre-arranged private within driving distance of Almont, such as the Taylor, East, and Gunnison. Each team of two fishermen is accompanied by a volunteer monitor who may provide advice, but whose primary duty is to enforce rules and measure fish. Anglers are allowed two barbless flies for the entire day, fishing only one at a time. Lose those two and you are out of the contest. That’s it. Significant strategy and hushed conversation go into what those fly choices might be - dry or nymph, large or small, hatchmatching or attractor, and leader size. But come Saturday morning contest time, the two flies are registered with the contest captain. Anglers then head out to their morning beat with their monitor. The monitor announces the uniform start and stop time of 3 hours, then anglers break for lunch and head off to their afternoon beat. The monitor counts and measures the fish, which is not every fish by the way. There www.HCAmagazine.com
are rules and accompanying strategies involved. At the end of the afternoon beat, anglers return to the Almont Resort headquarters to log team results and an evening of food, fun, and fundraising. Top team for 2014 was the Grand County team of Duke Beardsley and Luke Beatty with 147 inches of countable fish. 2nd was the Peckerwoods team of Jack McAllister and Mark Solari with 134 inches, and 3rd was the GAS Youth team of Taila Oulton and Connor Stahlnecker with 127 inches. Top rod was Luke Beatty with an individual 88 inch total. Largest single fish was John Bocchino with a 23 inch rainbow. I had a great day on the water with teammate Brad Oberto and guide Gene Erwin on the East River. Although we didn’t place,
we caught fish, hoping nobody else was! To my remembrance, the contest has been held every year except 2002, when low water and high temperatures that would stress the fish forced a cancellation. GAS had already ordered and paid for the shirts that contestants receive, so Bruce Hoagland, a chapter legend, went around selling the shirts to recoup the costs. I still wear mine regularly on the water. For 2015, the contest will be held the weekend after Labor Day, Saturday, September 12. Social events begin Friday evening. The Almont Resort (headquarters of the event) and Mark Day of Almont Anglers are major sponsors. Other individuals and companies sponsor the event and provide donations. Make your plans now for this year’s contest. Support the fisheries, have some fun, and make some new friends. Lodging is available in Almont and Gunnison. Many contestants hang around Sunday for a day of fishing—after all, it is fall in Colorado – wonderful. Visit the GAS webpage at gunnisonanglingsociety.org for entry form and rules. See you there!
To Learn More.
To learn more about this story and Colorado Trout Unlimited, visit, www.coloradotu.org.
Spring 2015 • High Country Angler
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Browns Canyon becomes Colorado’s newest National Monument
A
fter more than a decade of efforts by local sportsmen, TU and other sportsmen’s groups, including the National conservationists, and businesses, Browns Canyon along Wildlife Federation and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, the Arkansas River was designated as a National Monu- organized local anglers and hunters through a Sportsmen for ment by President Obama in February. The designation will pro- Browns Canyon coalition to voice their support and attend tect 22,000 acres of land along the Arkansas River and into the numerous local meetings and public forums. The groups cited upland habitat above it. Browns’ important fish and wildlife habitat, as well as its role as The designation is the culmination of years of effort to pro- an economic driver for Colorado’s $1.2 billion fishing economy tect a Colorado backcountry treasure beloved by generations of and $500 million hunting economy. Browns Canyon is also the anglers, hunters, rafters, and other recreational users. Bipartisan single largest contributor to Colorado’s $140 million whitewater efforts over the years – from Wilderness legislation sponsored by rafting industry. former Rep. Joel Hefley to National Monument legislation sponAnd now, it is protected as Colorado’s newest National Monsored by former Sen. Mark Udall – stalled in Congress, despite ument. broad local support. That led Gov. John Hickenlooper and Sen. Michael Bennet to ask President Obama to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to establish the Browns Canyon National Monument. “I’m thrilled,” said Jim Impara, vice Create Your Own Classic president of the Collegiate Peaks Chapter of Trout Unlimited in Salida. “Browns Canyon is one of those special places that draws rafters, hunters, and anglers from all over the world. This action ensures that Browns’ wildness and rare beauty will be there for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.”
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THE LAST CAST
•
JOHN NICKUM
Evolutionary Bottlenecks and Inbreeding Depression
Q
The greenback cutthroat trout in Bear Creek are now considered to be the only “true” native greenbacks in Colorado. Why is this population considered to be “true,” when there are other greenbacks elsewhere? --- Looking to the future, should we expect “inbreeding depression” problems in the Bear Creek greenbacks because of the small numbers of fish used to establish this population? Will there be an “evolutionary bottleneck” that will threaten the survival of our “true,” native greenbacks?
A
I don’t like terms, such as, “true,” or “pure,” when they are used to describe populations of living things; be they fish, plants, humans, or any other set of living things. These are value-based terms used by humans to describe sets (populations) of animals or plants. While these terms are useful with respect to regulations and the politics of imperiled species, they don’t have much to do with the ongoing dynamics of evolutionary survival. Nevertheless, to answer your question: The greenbacks in Bear Creek are called “true” greenbacks because their molecular genetic makeup matches very closely (exactly?) that of the earliest specimens of fish that fish taxonomists described as “greenbacks.” Fortunately, comparisons were made possible because fish collected in the 1800s were stored in museums in Colorado and elsewhere; thus enabling molecular geneticists to analyze and compare DNA obtained from present-day fish and the earliest specimens. The Bear Creek greenbacks are the closest match to the earliest museum specimens from the South Platte drainage, the native range of the greenback. I suggest that we all need to remember that all taxonomic group are populations of living things that qualified experts call “species,” or “sub-species,” or “strains,” or some 52
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other title. These terms are human constructs. Such labels are very valuable for describing or managing these populations, but we must be careful in the use of these value-laden terms. Modern techniques for DNA analyses enable us to have far greater detail about the actual genetic similarities, or lack thereof, of populations separated by time and/or space. Whether or not one population is better suited for long-term survival than a different population is not determined by the closeness of its genetic match to a specific historical population. We place value on each set of genetic material and don’t want to lose it, but value judgments, such as, “true” or “pure” must be interpreted as just what they are… expert opinions. Moving on to the second question: The potential problems with evolutionary bottlenecks and inbreeding depression are real, but they are not guaranteed to happen. Your concerns are legitimate, but these potential problems are not necessarily threats to the long-term survival of the Bear Creek greenbacks. There are many examples of ongoing and historical evolutionary bottlenecks and inbreeding depression. For example: rhinos, the cheetah, and other forms of “charismatic megafauna” in Africa are often cited as populations endangered by small numbers of breeding adults. There is even evidence that human populations have experienced genetic bottlenecks throughout our history. Large numbers of adult animals in breeding populations typically provide additional genetic diversity and, therefore, greater resilience to environmental changes and stressors that may jeopardize the long-term survival of the population. However, founder populations that colonize new habitats are almost always very small in numbers. Inbreeding depression can occur when closely related parent stocks
reproduce. If parents, or sets of parents, carry genes for non-adaptive characteristics, or even mal-adaptive characteristics, the offspring may be poorly equipped for survival. As the environment changes over time, the lack of genetic diversity may become critically important. It remains to be seen whether or not the long term survival of greenbacks will be affected by the relatively low numbers of fish in the founder populations. It is entirely possible that they will adapt readily as climate change and other environmental changes play out over time. I am not trying to ignore the potential problems related to low numbers in founder populations, but it is important to keep long-term evolutionary history in perspective. Millions of species exist today that were derived from small numbers of parents in their founder populations. Evolutionary survival is an ongoing process; while the probability of survival is enhanced by large numbers in the breeding population, a small breeding population is not necessarily a “death sentence.” We just need to hope that the adaptive characteristics of greenbacks in the late 1800s have the same adaptive value today that they had “back in the day.” If so, the Bear Creek population will be okay, and so will other populations derived from it.
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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