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p: Tim Romano
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BIG BLACKFOOT RIVER RANCH
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MCCOY, COLORADO
OVANDO, MONTANA
EAGLE COUNTY, COLORADO
The extraordinary water, scenery and privacy of this 785± acre fishing property are complemented by exceptional accommodations and a convenient location within easy reach of Vail Valley amenities and airport.
612± acre premium retreat, 1.5 mi. riverfront, trophy architecture, outstanding privacy and extraordinary wildlife. Home, club house, river pavilion and restored historic barn make this the most significant offering available on the river.
Coyote River River Ranch is 166± acres between Glenwood and Vail CO, with potential for gravel income, property development or conservation easement. Approximately one mile of great fishing on the Colorado River.
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BOULDER RIVER CONFLUENCE
MOOSE CREEK RANCH
TARRYALL MEADOWS RANCH
MCLEOD, MONTANA
MACKAY, IDAHO
COMO, COLORADO
113± acres fronting the Main Boulder River offering premium trout fishing. Great mountain views with nearby access into the wilderness and Yellowstone Park. Appointed with a 2,800± SF custom home and horse barn.
Beautiful 503± acre ranch with 140± acres of irrigated cropland on one of the best reaches of the Big Lost 60 miles from Sun Valley. Two attractively furnished fishing cabins set along the river offer huge views of Idaho’s highest peaks.
Just 45 minutes from the Breckenridge ski resort, this 240± acre mountain ranch features 1.75 miles of trout fishing on Tarryall Creek and diverse wildlife habitat in a stunning setting at the base of the Continental Divide.
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Exclusive access to fishing on the Fraser River & a private pond! Spacious 3 level home on 1.67 acres in Sunset Ridge near Devil's Thumb Ranch. Open concept living room, kitchen & dining room with fireplace & vaulted ceilings, plus a bonus rec room downstairs. Large master suite with fireplace & window seat. Wooded lot provides privacy. Conveniently located between WP & Granby Ranch ski areas. Access to private X-country & snowshoe trails! 4 Bedrooms/3 Baths • 2,752.64 Finished Sq. Ft. MLS #15-572 • $644,900
149 Juniper, Granby, CO
Many options for lake fishing in nearby Lake Granby, Grand Lake, Shadow Mountain Reservoir & more! Unique modern finishes & stonework accent this custom built home on 6+ acres with awesome surrounding mountain views. Perfect location with easy access to Rocky Mountain National Park, BLM hiking & skiing Granby Ranch or Winter Park. HUGE workshop adjoins a 3 car garage for those with hobbies or who have lots of toys. The kitchen is amazing in this home as well. RV hook up. No restrictive covenants! 4 Bedrooms/4 Baths • 3,001 Finished Sq. Ft. MLS #14-1084 • $569,000
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OLSEN PINEY RANCH
SUSIE Q RANCH
CIRCLE B SPRING CREEK RANCH
WOLCOTT, COLORADO
SUN VALLEY, IDAHO
MANHATTAN, MONTANA
This historic ranch is blessed with an unparalleled combination of privacy, recreation, wildlife and scenery. Nestled in the secluded Piney River valley, this 2,715± acre retreat is only minutes away from Vail, Beaver Creek and the Eagle airport.
The 537± acre Susie Q Ranch, 40 minutes from Ketchum, is one of Sun Valley’s premier fishing properties. The ranch features tasteful improvements, lush pastures, and nearly two miles of world-renowned Silver Creek.
Irrigated production ground with excellent fishing and hunting. 1.5± miles of Gallatin River frontage as well as 1.5± miles of spring creeks. A beautifully renovated home and outbuildings are embraced by 427± acres.
$18,000,000
$12,500,000
$6,500,000
ELK CREEK RANCH
POGNA RANCH
WELCOME CREEK RANCH
BOZEMAN , MONTANA
GUNNISON, COLORADO
MISSOULA, MONTANA
This very scenic 1,166.70± acre ranch along Elk Creek offers a highly productive agricultural base in the mountain foothills just a 20± minute drive west of downtown Bozeman. Spectacular building sites and an abundant variety of wildlife.
Located 6 miles south of Crested Butte and less than 30 minutes from the Gunnison Regional Airport; this 541± acres of vacant land is adjacent to public land and features over one mile of frontage on the East River.
Welcome Creek Ranch on Rock Creek features 130± acres with 3,000± ft. of Rock Creek frontage and a timber frame home w/guest house. Missoula is 35 minutes away. Excellent yearround access off a paved road. Forest Service borders on two sides.
$4,600,000
Reduced to $4,328,000
$1,950,000
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THE FARM AT MCCAULEY BUTTE
BUFFALO TRAIL RANCH
MISSOULA, MONTANA
OVANDO, MONTANA
MILL CREEK SANCTUARY LIVINGSTON , MONTANA
Best of both worlds with architecturally significant home by Cutler-Anderson and unique exurban location. Fifteen minutes to downtown Missoula, 1.25 miles Bitterroot River frontage, protected viewshed and outstanding wildlife.
550± acre premium recreational retreat in the heart of the Blackfoot River valley. Nearly two miles of riverfront with rare riverfront home, excellent privacy and extraordinary wildlife amidst western Montana’s best fishing.
Lovely wooded retreat with luxurious 7,228± sq ft architecturally designed residence along trout-rich Mill Creek in the heart of the Paradise Valley, with an artfully designed pond and commanding mountain views.
$6,500,000
$5,750,000
$4,950,000
SUMMIT SPRINGS RANCH
TARRYALL NOTCH RANCH
SHIELDS RIVER FARMSTEAD
CLYDE, IDAHO
FAIRPLAY, COLORADO
WILSALL, MONTANA
The 3,785± acre Summit Springs Ranch borders national forest and features a custom-built fishing cabin and two miles of a trout-filled spring creek. Located approximately two hours from Sun Valley and Idaho Falls.
Located just 45 minutes from Breckenridge Ski Resort and 90 minutes southwest of Denver, this scenic 830± acre high mountain ranch features 1.3± miles of troutfilled Tarryall Creek set against the peaks of the Continental Divide.
The Crazy Mountains provide a dramatic backdrop for this 144± acre scenic retreat along the upper Shields River. The trout fishing is excellent and the 120± acres of irrigated hay meadows provide significant yields.
$1,900,000
Reduced to $1,500,000
$1,350,000
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SUMMER 2015 VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 3
FEATURES 10 MAKE THEM NOSE BY LANDON MAYER 18
WILLIAMS FORK BY BRIAN LA RUE
DEPARTMENTS 14 LET’S GO FISHING
HCA EZINE CONTENTS
21
22
TIME TO GET TO THE COLORADO RIVER BY JACK BOMBARDIER
26
STILL WATER BLUES BY HAYDEN MELSOP
27
RAINBOW TROUT ON THE COMEBACK IN COLORADO BY JOE LEWANDOWSKI
28
STATE OF THE TROUT
BY BILL EDRINGTON
HCA GEAR BAG BY BRIAN LA RUE
COLORADO TU SECTION 30 PRESIDENT’S LINE
32
34
36
38
BY MARSHALL PENDERGRASS
COLORADO’S GOOD SAMARITANS BY TY CHURCHWELL
COSTA COLLEGIATE SPRINGS RENDEZVOUS BY GARRETT HANKS
HANDS OFF OUR PUBLIC LANDS THE LAST CAST
BY JOHN NICKUM
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Summer 2015 • High Country Angler
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Make Them Nose
by Landon Mayer
O
ftentimes I have a conversation with my client the evening before their trip that goes something along these lines:
“Landon, it’s Mike. How was your trip today?” “Hey Mike, I am looking forward to hitting the water with you guys tomorrow. We did well with good numbers on top.” “Really? I didn’t see single fish nose today!” “Don’t worry we will make them nose!” We all dream of seeing a giant trout swallow a big dry, followed by a whirlpool from the assault. While some trout will aggressively pursue a top water meal, most will let the current lift them to the surface and gently suck the fly to expend minimal energy. This visual looks like a nose poking above the surface, causing a small dimple while the fly disappears. It is magic! Sometimes the best indicator to toss dries is not seeing a rise, but seeing the water where large food supplies could land, slip, or fall on the surface. Matched with flooded banks and soft water, you now have conditions that will make them nose for the next meal. 10
High Country Angler • Summer 2015
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Spring-Summer 2015 will go down as some of the wettest and wildest, with heavy snow and rain leading to big water for many. With high—or even record— flows ripping through the landscape, big food supplies deliver a non-escaping meal that trout simply cannot pass up. The following information can help you overcome the intimidation factor when dealing with high water and dries.
Nora Bushong Larimer
Big Rig Meals Big flies are great tools for searching the river to locate feeding and willing trout on top. These tasty treats are in greater numbers when conditions flood, causing the fish to commit more often. With such a high abundance of food below the surface, trout will not always concentrate on the surface even when hatches are in full swing. In a way, this approach is unmatching the hatch. To determine what to imitate, scan the ground on the way to the water, or while you move around the river’s edge. It could reveal multiple bouncing sizes and colors of hoppers, darting mice deep in the grass, buzzing crane flies along the banks, or a crawling stone that can’t handle the current. When selecting the right fly for the job, look at the make of the imitation to decide if it will ride high in the swirling and bouncing currents; foam-bodied flies can prevent the sink factor. Some of my go-to buoyant low riders are Charlie Boy Hopper, BC Hopper, Morrish Hopper, Hickman’s Mr. Hankey Morrish Mouse, Amy’s Ant, Furmisky’s Fluttering Caddis-Yellow Sally, and Chubby Chernobyl. Matched with a long leader of 10 plus feet of 4x or more, you can get long effective drifts without allowing the fly line to enter the trout viewing lane, causing it to spook. One of the biggest questions I receive in dealing with big water is how to effectively keep the flies afloat. The first step is to apply a liquid floating like Flyagra, or a paste like Dr. Magic, allowing dry time of ten minutes or more. Then when you locate water, or a trout to present to, use shake like Shimazaki Dry-Shake. I am not a fan of applying with a brush, because half the product can simply blow away in the wind after every application. Lastly, I use a fly patch tool to absorb moisture www.HCAmagazine.com
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 Summer 2015 • High Country Angler
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before reapplying more shake or dust. It is not as popular as it once was, but incredibly helpful to keep your bug floating throughout the day. I will continue to apply shake all day, and only re-apply liquid or paste if I tie on a new imitation.
Speed Reading Reading water and its speed plays a big part in top water success when conditions are tough. I prefer an even speed with soft water such as eddies and a side channel, and sand bars can all offer these manageable water conditions. Trout can hold in these water comfortably and eat; the advantage we gain from this is that a feeding trout is often a suspended trout, and closer to the surface, making it easier for the fish to see our fly and consume it. Water depth is also a big part of finding nosing zones. If the water is deep enough, fish can hold there without fighting the current, while having access to a variety of sub-surface and top water treats. My personal favorite is swollen grass-choked banks with a soft gravel or sand bottom.
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High Country Angler • Summer 2015
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Without structure on the substrate, the water surface will remain calm, making it easier to imitate a falling meal like hoppers. Foam is also a great indicator of good topwater: trout are supplied cover below the white stuff, making it a safe haven to present a dry. Additionally, when rivers rise, currents will change direction in many locations, allowing trout to feed while facing downstream in soft water or large eddies. When you look in these areas, fan the water by starting on one side of the run and moving left-right, back-forward, with one-to-two feet adjustments in presenting zones.
Crash Landings A common practice when presenting dries is allowing a loop to unroll numerous feet above the water’s surface in front of you; the fly will then land naturally on top. Yes, in many conditions and hatches that is the best way to present a may fly. Sometimes fish need a wake up call, and crashing a big dry on the surface can be the perfect alarm. If you watch, many of the impressive meals will land in the film with a splash. Big hoppers are the best example when the wind causes a rough landing, or they lose their grip on the grass and fall to the water below. Followed by a productive drift, the target won’t worry about the threat of escaping. As hard landings can trigger a take, you can now punch a straight line cast to the bank with accuracy when weather—or most importantly wind—is challenging your cast. The element of surprise is addictive when you fish dries! Try these tips the next time you are faced with tough water or conditions. You to will make them nose.
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
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Summer 2015 • High Country Angler
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LET’S GO FISHING •
BY BILL EDRINGTON
Fly Fishing: Sport or Pastime cent skier, but golf continued to escape me, as it still does. My drives always ended up in water hazards and I figured that was an omen. The better gear I bought, the worse I became, because I depended on it to make me better.
At the same time, graphite fly rods and neoprene waders came onto the scene. I had seen them on the San Juan being used by the “real” fly fishermen, and immediately coveted them. I thought to myself, “You have worn
The Sportsman Outdoors & Fly Shop
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hen I first started fly fishing, I was around 8 years old. I thought it was about the most fun thing you could do other than play football. I became so enthralled with it by the time I was in my early twenties, that I began to read everything I could get my hands on—starting with The Western Angler by Haig Brown—and at the same time tried to accumulate good gear, not the stuff from the discount store or the local Western Auto (there was no Walmart then). When I discovered the Herters catalogue, I was amazed. I ordered what I could afford, and back then, since I was in graduate school, that wasn’t very much. Still, I was pretty much convinced that the gear would simply catch more fish. During the same time, I was learning to ski and play golf, and considered them more serious sports; so I took lessons and worked my way up to better gear simultaneously. I never gave fly fishing lessons a second thought—primarily because they didn’t exist where I lived. Not many places offered them, come to think of it. I just continued to flail away, thinking it was just “fishing,” after all. I became a de-
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SILVEY’S CHUBBY SALLY HOOK: TMC 5262 10 THRU 16 THREAD: GOLD 6/0 TAIL: RED CALF TAIL OR SNYTHETIC HAIR BODY: GOLD ANTRON DUBBING LEGS: BLACK/WHITE SILICONE LEGS BODY: 1MM TO 2 MM YELLOW FOAM WINGS: WHITE ANTRON
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High Country Angler • Summer 2015
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BILL’S TACO SALAD WITH JALAPENO CRISP Brown 1 lb of lean hamburger with 1 tablespoon Red Chile powder, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, salt and pepper.
enough skills to understand what I have to do and what it takes to do it. The bottom line is that fly fishing has certainly turned from a pastime to a sport for me. Many fly fishers that I have encountered are still very much in the pastime mode and will probably never leave it. If they considered fly fishing to be a sport, then they would be more interested in learning the skill sets that it requires to become as proficient as you can be. The folks that fall into this category are the ones that come into a fly shop and say “sell me the fly that works,” never giving any thought to the skills that it takes to present that fly, and where the fish actually might be in the river. For a long time I believed that those people just simply didn’t respect the sport that I had
come to love, and needed to have a “Come to Jesus” moment in their life. Then as I became older, I understood that some folks didn’t have the time, the desire, or the will to become serious about fly fishing, and that it didn’t matter. They were doing what they wanted and had seemingly achieved a modicum of luck in their life, leading them to believe that what they were doing was the right thing. When I realized that I couldn’t force folks to love fly fishing as I did, I became a much wiser and kinder person. I still enjoy selling an $800 fly rod to the fisher that believes it will immediately make them better, and perhaps there is something to believing that. Better rods will cast easier and more accurately, thus leading to a better experience on the river. There is still
Combine with 4 chopped Roma tomatoes, 2 cups of grated sharp cheddar, 2 cups of shredded iceberg lettuce, 3 sliced jalapenos, and drizzle with Dorothy Lynch Homestyle Dressing. Toss with broken Nacho Cheese Doritos. Take several tablespoons of grated cheddar or your cheese of choice—perhaps pepper jack— and arrange each spoonful of cheese on a cookie sheet lined with non-stick aluminum. Flatten the piles of cheese and top each of them with sliced jalepenos. Cook at 350 degrees until cheese melts completely. Let it cool and serve with the salad.
your last pair of vinyl/rubber waders that leaked as soon as they were out of the box.” Oh, and I didn’t mention that they were cold and hot at the same time...still haven’t figured that out. Otherwise, no matter what you paid they were a piece of crap and didn’t look nearly as cool as the new brown Imperial waders, or the even nicer teal-colored James Scotts. Then we had blue neoprene by Streamline, but by that time, I owned a fly shop and could pilfer only the best. But I digress. In the mid-seventies, I made pilgrimages to Montana, all the streams and rivers of New Mexico (where my parents had a vacation cabin), my best friend’s ranch on the Fraser, and up to the Yampa and the Frying Pan. I had the extreme pleasure back then to make the acquaintance of Chuck Fothergill, who had a fly shop in Aspen, and he turned me into a “real” fly fisherman. Chuck remained a close friend until his death, and I’m convinced that were he still alive I would be twice the fisherman I am now. There was so much more to it than I had ever imagined. It turned from a reason to go to the mountains (I still lived in Texas at the time) to something that I was driven to conquer. I still have that drive, but now have realized that no matter how much you know, there is still that darned fish out there that is a million times more instinctive than you will ever be. A friend of mine who is an anthropologist tells me that once we had that instinct, but it was thousands of years ago. Obviously that is not to say that I haven’t learned www.HCAmagazine.com
• Private Gold Medal fishing on Fraser River • 75 minutes from Denver • 20 minutes from Winter Park Ski Area • Room to sleep up to 18 Call
Jack Gerstein
to take a tour!
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Summer 2015 • High Country Angler
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RED AMY’S ANT HOOK: TIEMCO 5262 HOOK SIZE: #8 – 14 THREAD: BLACK 3/0 UNDERBODY: PINK 2MM FOAM OVERBODY: BLACK 2MM FOAM LEGS: BLACK MEDIUM ROUND RUBBER LEGS BODY: RED MEDIUM ICE CHENILLE UNDER WING: RAINBOW KRYSTAL FLASH OVER WING: ELK HAIR HEAD: RED ICE DUB DUBBING
not a rod that will cast itself, but we’re getting closer. All of our equipment has gotten much better, and just having it gives you a sense of confidence and a more pleasurable time on the river. I had forgotten the excitement of the seeing my first pair of neoprene waders. So, the answer to the question is simply
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Cube a 4 pound pork butt into one inch pieces, season with salt and pepper and sear in a Dutch oven on the stove top. Add one chopped onion, 6 cloves of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of green Chile powder, 2 tablespoons of masa flour, 1 tablespoon cumin, and one lb. of chopped green chiles. Stir on stove top until flour and chile powder coats the meat. Pour in 2 cups of water, stir and place in a 350 degree oven for 2 hours. Check to make sure it’s not burning and add a little water if necessary. The pork should be fork tender. I like to put this in the fridge and put some in a nonstick skillet with a little oil, and crisp it up a bit. Then make tacos, burritos, or huevos rancheros. It will keep in a sealed bowl for quite a while. It hasn’t lasted me long enough to find out how long.
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High Country Angler • Summer 2015
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this: fly fishing is a pastime to many and a very serious sport to others. We will all become more tolerant, pleasant people to be around when we realize that the diversity of fly fishing is rooted in FUN, no matter what you call it. My flies and food for this issue are simple recipes that work in a variety of places. Jack Dennis’ Amy’s Ant in Red is my very favorite attractor dry fly in a several sizes. I prefer #10s and #14s. I have caught lots of fish on this fly alone when nothing seems to be happening. Brian Silvey’s Chubby Sally is maybe the best summer attractor pattern for Yellow Sallys and even PMDs when heavy hatches are occurring and the fish are picky. To eat along the way, try this simple taco salad with cheese jalapeno crisp. Carnitas con Chile Verde can be used in many ways to satisfy human hunger streamside or at home. Have a great summer. It’ll be snowing again before we know it.
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.
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Summer 2015 • High Country Angler
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Williams Fork: Little Taste of The Wild! by Brian La Rue
I
n my time in Colorado, I’ve fished all over the state. There have been waters I frequented often, some I’ve hit once and have never gone back to, but there are only a handful that I like to hit regularly. One of those spots I frequented in the past is Williams Fork near Parshall, and its the one I tell close friends that it is a simple must-do at least twice a year. Of course, with every treasure there is a downside, and for the Willimas Fork, it pains me to say that it gets crowded. I’ve seen more mountain lion tracks while fishing here than at any other fishery, and it is only two miles long. Still intrigued? We’ll, it is a bit of a hike too! Flows coming out of Williams Fork can rise and fall at the drop of a hat, so there’s another hangup, but time the seasons and flows right, and you could have the kind of day that brings you back time after time. I’ve fished the Williams Fork in the spring and fall. One outing in the spring saw more than a dozen rainbows from 16- to 21- inches hit everything I threw at them as they were holding in deeper water in pre-spawn mode. I called a good friend David about the bite, and we headed out there a week later. As luck would have it, the flows dropped, the snow flurries were flying, and mother nature wasn’t having any part of it. We managed a few browns, but the deep riffles were empty, the shallow runs barren, and the rainbows suffered from lockjaw as we figured they had hunkered down in the big pools waiting for a bit more flow. I would highly suggest a March through May outing here. Target the Fork’s browns and 18
High Country Angler • Summer 2015
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rainbows with size 20 Barr’s Emergers, but don’t give up on a dead-drifted Woolly Bugger either. Both patterns work wonders in the spring. Flows should be in the 120- 280- CFS range for best results, so always look at the flow reports and find a regular pattern before heading out. In my experience it always seemed like the flows are cut when it snows or rains, or maybe that’s just my luck when I talk up a bite. Of course with any spring outing in Colorado, anglers should leave spawning fish alone. The fork is one of these fantastic tributaries of the Colorado River, so it will see big rainbows and browns, and a few will hang around and hold over from spawn to spawn. So always be prepared to land a big fish! After the spawn, fishing remains good with dry fly fishing getting pretty good. The fishery is home to a nice supply of resident fish besides the spawning runners coming out of the Colorado. A well-placed attractor/dropper combo like a Kaufman’s Stimulator or a Joe’s Hopper, and a Copper John or Prince Nymph will mean success all day. Elk Hair Caddis and a few other choice dries will do the trick here. In the fall, the browns get aggressive here just like anywhere else. Large fish run up the fork and can be caught and released, but stealthy fishing or great presentations are called for. The water can get low in the fall, especially if it is a hot one as the powers that be might have released a lot of water during the summer. If flows are still near 100 CFS or more, go for it. When flows drop below 80
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FULL COLOR
CFS, even down to 40 CFS, things get skinny and not very sportsman-like. The good thing about the fork however, is that fishing can only be done with artificials and on a strict catchand-release basis. “The Colorado River is known to produce some pretty spectacular brown trout,” said guide Kyle Wilkinson, Trout’s Outfitting and Communications Manager. “Come fall when they get ready to do their spawning thing, you can bet some of those fish will be making their way up the Williams Fork. The majority of the fish you catch will be in the 14- to 18-inch range, however this will most likely be the best chance at a 2- footer you’ll get all year on this fishery.” So what is going to turn the heads of the browns in the fall? I like to rip streamers through these pools on light-weight sinktips. I’ve thrown large yellow Double Bunnies here on a 10-foot, 5-weight sink tip, and 3X line to catch good numbers of quality browns. Again, I’ll catch the flows at ideal levels one day, tell a friend about the bite, and then feel like a chump as the flows get cut the next outing. Growing up in SoCal surfing, you really get use to the saying, “you should’ve been here yesterday”--but these are fish and flows, not waves! “When it comes to putting together your streamer game plan for fishing the Williams Fork, the same logic should be followed as on any other freestone river,” said Wilkinson. “That means you’ll want to match the prevailing conditions (as I call them). On darker/
cloudy/dirty water/low light hours of the day, I’ll find myself starting with darker patterns first. Bluebird sunny days and/or clear water which you should have in the fall - will lend themselves more to olive/tan or even white patterns. Flows can play a major factor in my game plan as well. Lower flows, which will be typical in the fall, can make the river pretty bony in places. I’d focus on finding deeper/ slower water or any place that serves as a good ambush point for aggressive browns. “The closer you fish to the Colorado, the more consistent fishing you’re likely going to find day in and day out,” added Wilkinson. “Brown trout typically run pretty far upriver when it comes time to spawn. I prefer to target the pre-spawn fish with my streamers when they’re fresh out of the Colorado and feeling aggressive.” As for access and stream characteristics on the Williams Fork, anglers will find a decent hike to get into the valley. Park at the trailhead off Highway 40 near Parshall and walk about 20 to 25 minutes, and you will come to a cattle fence with access breaks. Here you will get your first view of the oasis called the Williams Fork. The sage flats/foothills split and the river valley is exposed. The valley is maybe 100 yards wide, larger in other spots, but it is obvious where you need to go to access the water. I’ve hiked straight down, jumped in and gone for three hours without a take. Stay on the trail and gradually work your way up river, and you’ll slowly find some more productive water. Whether walking along the trail of the
Williams Fork or another river, I always look at the soft muddy areas to see how recently another angler has been out, or what might be joining me in the valley. I’ve seen more mountain lion prints here along the river than anywhere else. There is at least one big, active cat here! Though I’ve always fished the river early or late in the year, many friends have enjoyed the summer bite, but also advise that the river valley can be quite buggy in the summer. Mosquitoes are prevalent along any Colorado River valley area, so get yourself a good spray or better yet, try an ExOfficio Bugsaway shirt--those things work like a charm for me in places like Alaska and Yellowstone! Lastly, the Williams Fork is a year-round fishery. The 2-mile tailwater I’ve highlighted here can be fished 365 days a year, but remember that low flows can make it tough on fish, and high spring releases pushing 1000 CFS can make things tough on me and you. Plan ahead and check out a flow gauge before you head out to give this little gem a try!
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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hrowing the latest and greatest, light weight yet super responsive fly rods requires an equally innovative fly line, and that’s where the folks at ARC Fishing have launched ARC 99+.
ARC 99+ is a half-line size heavier and features a more condensed taper than standard true-to-size fly lines, allowing for quick loads and equally impressive shots across the river. So it loads nicely and fires, but what about accuracy? Yes, we at High Country Angler enjoyed putting the line to the test, easily hitting targeted runs in the distance. ARC99+ is built around a 6% low-stretch Response Core, so you’ll be hardpressed to miss a hookset. This hot new line features a super high float-
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O
kay, we all have secret places we like to fish, hike into, and rarely tell anybody about --and I’m no different. As an outdoor writer the past 16 years, I have many secret spots and if I’ve shared a few gems with you over a beer, then consider yourself a trusted fishing buddy. Colorado veteran angler Mike Kephart has teamed up with Wilderness Adventures Press to share a few secrets he has learned over the years, and you can learn them all in The Flyfisher’s Guide to Colorado’s Lost Lakes and Secret Places. Kephart writes about numerous Colorado mountain and wilderness lakes and creeks, how to get there, access, and what you can expect to catch should you decide to leave your home water for the day. Kephart has done his homework to determine which lakes hold big ones, high populations, hatches, and rare species like greenback cutthroat and golden trout. The fish in these hard-to-access places can be eager to eat, so picking the right one is worth the effort. Beyond the lakes, Kephart covers some remote canyons, gorges, and side canyons, where he’s found excellent fishing. The author has fished them all in detail, making sure he fished the lakes several times before adding it to his secret list. He also covers forest fires, oil development, and grazing as those topics apply to fly fishing in some of the areas. Mike Kephart has paid his dues and maybe some of yours, so take advantage of this great opportunity to learn some of his secrets with this new guide from Wilderness Adventures Press. For more information, see www.wildadvpress.com or call (866) 400-2012 for Wilderness Adventures Press.
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Summer 2015 • High Country Angler
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Time to Get Colorado
by Jack Bom
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t Up to the o River!
mbardier
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Summer 2015 • High Country Angler
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ere on the Upper Colorado River, what turned out to be the Great Spring Runoff Of 2015 has finally past its crest, and begun its long, slow decent. The other night I went home the back way, taking the river road via McCoy and Burns, and the river looked as perfect and sensuous as I’ve ever seen it in the 28 years that I’ve intimately known it. As I drove along it’s northern flank, the river looked like Natasha Kinski suggestively wrapped around a writhing serpent. The valley colors were made of deep warm browns and reds and olive. It made me want to pull over and jump into the river to feel its cool embrace. The “Lower Upper” Colorado River peaked at about 8000 cfs this spring, but now I can see the wood of my riverside dock for the first time in a month. The rocks which helped hold it down against the river’s relentless flow are all poking out above the waterline again. As I’ve noted in previous emails, when the river rises, it goes off-color. When flows stabilize, it clears. When flows drop, it clears faster. After three weeks of high water, the river had already shed itself of turbid sediment. Now that it’s dropping, it looks clear and perfect. Float fishing the river at levels between 8000 and 2500 cfs might sound like a scary number to those accustomed to floating the Lower Upper at its 1000 cfs summertime norm. Such high flows do reduce the fishable areas of the river, but if you know this water then that’s a good thing, not a negative. In 2011, we had some of the best fishing here ever from 10,000 cfs on down to where it is now, since it was
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High Country Angler • Summer 2015
clear and the fish long overdue for a good meal. I never thought I’d see those high, wonderful flows again, but here we are! While most of the west suffers from dry conditions and low water, and the east has its usual crappy weather, Colorado is probably the best place to be in the United States, if not beyond. If you look at the national Snotel map, the Centennial State is a huge moist blue blob surrounded by a sea of blank nothingness or pale green. The wildfire season has begun in other places, which is making for some nice sunsets here downwind. If you live in Colorado, thank your lucky stars! Two days ago, I took one of my wife’s new employees for a quick float. For me a “quick float” means putting in at Pinball, and taking out at my shop five miles below. Though its not many river miles, this float encompasses running Pinball Rapid (going right of the bridge abutment, into a meaty wave train), checking out the rock with dinosaur tracks, doing multiple laps around Whirlpool Canyon, running the exciting center line of the Twin Bridges, and cantering through the continuous waves below that for a half-mile all the way past Rancho Starvo. In short, this is the most fun time to be on the water! Its mild whitewater, plus all the fish are stacked up in the eddies where they’re easy to find and they’re hungry. My wife’s employees name is Ashley, and she grew up on the Chesapeake Bay, and she’s only had the most fleeting brush with the Great American West. Thus far being here has been everything she had hoped for when she came from back east. Being from Massachusetts
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originally myself, I can relate to what its like to be someone from the east coast turned loose onto the spectacular visceral experience that is western Colorado. I last took Ashley on the river a month ago, just before the river rose from the 5000 cfs range to 8000 where it peaked. On our first trip, I didn’t bother bringing any fishing rods and regretted it, for there was a nice caddis hatch that night and we saw trout noses in every eddy. The other night I almost made the same mistake again, and only at the last minute did I remember to bring my ten foot Loomis three weight. The Loomis was already rigged with two caddis patterns, a HiVis Elkhair all ginked up, and a tiny, natural-looking caddis pattern left trailing behind it undressed so that it would sink just a bit subsurface. Ashley and I stopped next to the Dinosaur Rock, and then sneaked past the right side of the Pinball Bridge. We flew on to Whirlpool Canyon, where I tossed my cataraft around in the waves multiple times. Then it was through more fast water all the way to Jack Flats, where it suddenly occurred to me that we had a fly rod with us. I eddied left and as the boat was being carried back upriver I showed her where the fish should be, though I didn’t see any riseforms. Caddis flies were dashing about in their erratic flight paths, and I knew that at least some of them were being consumed. Remembering the rod, I took it out of its holder, showed Ashley the flies that were attached to it, stripped out some line, and made a cast upstream ahead of the boat. I needed a couple more feet than I had, and pointed out the wakes the flies were making to demonstrate what a non drag-free drift looked like. I pulled a couple more feet of line out, made a bit of a reach cast to get a better drift, and after only a couple feet of floating the Hi-Vis Elk Hair suddenly had a little www.HCAmagazine.com
tug. I set the hook and felt a stronger tug in my hand. A trout had taken the second fly which was just below the surface, and the battle was on. Ashley was looking on wide-eyed and smiling. “Do you want to land it?” I asked, and she sprang forward to grab the rod before even answering. I told her to keep the rod tip high, and not to give the fish any slack but also not pull too hard. With the net at the ready, Ashley steered the trout to the boat and soon we had a handsome fifteen inch brown trout on board. It was the first trout she had ever caught, and was utterly delighted to see it up close and personal. My small cataraft has an open floor, and we were able to hold the net in the water and let the trout swim around at our feet like it was in a live well. I had hooked not only a fish, but a new fisherperson as well! I let Ashley know that a ratio of one fish caught per two casts made is not to be expected, but when you know where the trout are, and they’re feeding, then fishing can be pretty easy sometimes! And that’s how it is on the Lower Upper right now. There is still little holding water along the banks, so the trout are stacked up in the Colorado’s multiple big eddies. It’s been a little tough for them to get a meal over the last few weeks, but now that the water is clearer, and the bugs are moving again, the warming water temps (64 degrees) have their metabolism going. It’s all come together in a perfect storm of trout (and trout fisherman) nirvana. So you’ve been waiting for the water to come down before doing a float, don’t, come now before the river drops the rest of the way, and the fattened trout scatter!
More...
For more of Jack’s articles, visit his website at www.confluencecasting.com. Summer 2015 • High Country Angler
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A GUIDE’S LIFE
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BY HAYDEN MELLSOP
Still Water Blues
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here’s a lake nearby I hike to around this time of the year, while the side creeks are swollen with run off, the river resembles chocolate milk, and every man and his dog is crowding whatever tailwater happens to be running low and clear that day. I have a bit of a love-hate thing going with still water fishing. The love comes from the places it takes me—in particular high lakes where the settings are remote and visceral; there is a certain sense of rightof-passage in reaching them with a pack strapped to your back and a couple of hours of honest endeavor, toiling up a steep trail. The hate, although perhaps too harsh a word, comes from the feeling of being all at sea when I get there. Stand me next to a stretch of moving water, and I’m able to figure out in a short amount of time where, according to logic and the laws of hydrodynamics, a fish should be. Whether I catch one or not is another matter. Put me next to a lake, and the clues are a lot more subtle, the water’s body language more difficult to decipher. An old fishing sage once told me, “Ten minutes of sitting and watching is worth an hour of fishing.” Never is this more true than on still water, where discerning inflows, outflows, ledges, drop offs, and the feeding beats of cruising fish can remove a lot of the guess 26
work. But still, there usually comes a time where you just have to throw your cast out there, and see what happens. The trail to this particular lake cuts away from the highway and then rises steeply—the act of climbing it at times resembling more a session on a stair master than walking a trail. Often there is still snow on the ground in the higher reaches, and I don my waders before post-holing through the drifts the last quarter mile, all the while hoping the surface is fully iced off. The lake is cradled on three sides by stark granite cliffs, over which storm clouds can appear in a matter of minutes. There is a small meadow and an inflow from a spring across the far side, but otherwise the Englemann spruce grow tall and close to the lake’s edge. The water is crystal clear in the shallows, tinged with tannin from the jumble of logs that have fallen into the lake and cluster around the outflow like a game of giant pick up sticks. Occasionally I’ll see cruisers in shallow amongst the logs, but the trees grow too close for a back cast, and the slightest ripple on the surface caused by wading out sees them dart straight for the blackness of the deep water beyond the drop off. Still water is conducive to a wandering mind, which is really half the point. On rivers and streams, something is always moving— your fly, the water—and the drifts are shorter; there’s less chance to mentally switch off. On still water, there are long periods of staring—both at the fly, the scenery,
High Country Angler • Summer 2015
and the void of existential angst that seems to accompany an unmolested fly, alone and motionless on a vast, featureless plain of water. After thirty minutes of concentration, you glance away at the scenery, turning back in time to see a small whorl where your fly once was. You set the hook—way too fast—only to feel it slide tantalizingly out of the fish’s mouth. Your roar of frustration reverberates off the mountains. I’ve hiked to this particular lake five times, and been skunked four. The one time I did catch a fish, I caught five—three of them in quick succession during a brief but intense storm that spilled over the divide, barely giving me time to pull on my jacket. As thunder rolled and graupel bounced off the hood of my jacket and expired in a soft hiss on the water around me, I caught one fish after another—all fat cutthroats with vibrant orange gill plates and bellies the color of burnished gold. Later, as I hiked back down to the highway, I realized that despite my success, I was none the wiser as to why I’d caught fish then, and not before, or since for that matter. And that, when it comes to still water fishing, is how I like it to be.
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. www.HCAmagazine.com
RAINBOW TROUT ON THE COMEBACK THROUGHOUT COLORADO By Joe Lewandowski – Colorado Parks and Wildlife
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fter being devastated by whirling disease in the 1990s, rainbow trout populations are increasing in most major rivers in the state, thanks to a 20-year effort by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) aquatic scientists and biologists. “It’s been a long road, but bringing back populations of fish that were essentially extirpated from Colorado can only be called a huge success,” said George Schisler, CPW’s aquatic research team leader who is based in Fort Collins. The comeback is positive news for anglers who can once again fish for both rainbows and brown trout in Colorado’s big rivers and streams. For the past 15 years, brown trout have dominated most of the state’s rivers. But since last summer, anglers have reported that they are catching nice-sized rainbows in the upper Colorado, Rio Grande, upper Gunnison, Poudre, East, Taylor, Arkansas, and Yampa rivers and others. The whirling disease problem started in 1986 when a private hatchery unknowingly imported infected rainbow trout from Idaho that were stocked in 40 different waters in Colorado. The disease eventually spread throughout the state and even infected CPW hatcheries, which caused more waters to be infected. Whirling disease is caused by a parasite that attacks the cartilage of very young fish. The infection deforms the spine causing the fish to swim in a whirling pattern and regularly causing death. When whirling disease hit Colorado’s rivers, natural reproduction of rainbow trout virtually ended. That allowed brown trout, which are not as affected by the disease, to become the dominant sport fish. At a national conference on whirling disease in Denver in 2002, a German researcher presented information showing that trout at a hatchery in Germany, operated by a family named Hofer, were resistant to the parasite. Colorado’s aquatic staff moved quickly to import eggs from Germany which were hatched at the University of California at Davis. The fingerlings were then brought to CPW’s Bellvue hatchery near Fort Collins. www.HCAmagazine.com
The fish grew quickly and their disease resistance was proven. By 2006 Schisler stocked some of the Hofers in two reservoirs west of Berthoud. Anglers reported that the fish hit hooks hard and were easy to catch. This made them ideal for stocking in reservoirs where anglers expect to catch fish. But because the “Hofers” had been domesticated in a hatchery for generations, Schisler and his colleagues knew that the fish did not possess a “flight response” to danger. They would have little chance in creeks and rivers where they need to avoid predators and survive fluctuating water conditions. So CPW researchers started the meticulous process of cross-breeding the Hofers with existing strains of trout that possessed wild characteristics and had been stocked in rivers for years. After three years some of the crosses were ready for stocking in rivers –- with the hope that the fish would survive, reproduce, and revive a wild, self-sustaining population of rainbows. Biologists first stocked 5-inch Hofer-crosses, but they didn’t survive. Then in 2010, fingerlings were stocked in the Colorado River near Hot Sulphur Springs. When researchers returned to survey the area 14 months later, they learned the experiment had finally paid off. They found good numbers of 15-inch rainbows, and evidence that young fish were hatching in the wild. CPW biologists have been stocking fingerling Hofer-crosses throughout the state at different sizes and times of year to optimize survival. The young fish are surviving and Schisler is confident that Colorado’s rivers and streams are again home to truly wild rainbows. In the late 1990s many CPW scientists worried that truly wild rainbow trout would disappear. Now a new chapter for sport fishing in Colorado is just getting started … again.
Summer 2015 • High Country Angler
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rout Unlimited released a new “State of the Trout” report highlighting the status – and plight – of native trout across the country. “Native trout are in trouble in the United States,” said Chris Wood, Trout Unlimited’s president and CEO, in the report’s foreword. “But we are making a difference, and with help, involvement and action can promise a future of recovery, not one of loss, for our children.” “The State of the Trout” details the status of 28 separate species and subspecies of trout and char native to the United States. Of those detailed populations, three are already extinct (including Colorado’s yellowfin cutthroat trout), and more than half of the remaining trout and char populations occupy less than 25 percent of their native waters. While the state of trout in America is tenuous, there are success stories that prove trout recovery is possible. The report lays out a roadmap for that recovery. Trout Unlimited’s staff of scientists spent more than a year preparing the detailed report with input from TU’s field staff and independent, federal, and state fisheries experts. The full report is available in digital form online at www.tu.org/stateofthetrout. On the Colorado Plateau and in the southern Rockies, native trout face several threats, ranging from century-old abandoned mine runoff to ongoing efforts to drill for gas and oil within native trout ranges. In Colorado, native greenback cutthroat trout were thought to be nearing recovery and delisting under the Endangered Species Act, when new genetic techniques revealed that stocks used for reintroduction were not greenbacks, but rather a strain of Colorado River cutthroat trout. Today, self-sustaining native greenbacks are found in just four miles of Bear Creek on the slopes of Pikes Peak, making them susceptible to natural events made more severe by yet another threat—a changing climate. The Front Range of Colorado has been hit hard
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in recent years by fire, extreme drought and heavy flooding that has wreaked havoc on communities and entire watersheds. Native Colorado River cutthroat trout, while in much better shape than greenbacks, also face a number of historic and ongoing threats, including the persistence and expansion of non-native trout within their native waters, and ongoing energy development projects within the fish’s native range. Colorado River cutthroats today are largely relegated to headwater streams that are usually disconnected from one another, making individual stocks susceptible to local events often exacerbated by climate change, like fire, flood, and extreme drought. Despite threats to their long-term persistence, there is good news for Colorado’s native fish. For example, in western Colorado, Trout Unlimited volunteers with the Grand Valley Anglers Chapter have worked diligently for twenty years to protect a unique strain of Colorado River cutthroat trout atop the Roan Plateau. Just last year, TU reached a negotiated deal with natural gas leaseholders on the Roan that will protect the watersheds in which these prized native trout swim. “Colorado’s native trout are a vital part of our state’s fishing heritage, something that anglers can experience in Colorado and nowhere else,” said David Nickum, executive director of Colorado Trout Unlimited. “The State of the Trout report is a wake-up call that we need to step up our efforts to conserve and restore these fish, so that they are still there for our children and grandchildren to experience and enjoy.” In the end, it’s all about hope and optimism. “People who fish are eternal optimists,” Wood said. “Even the most cynical among us, on the last cast of the day, are confident we will catch the biggest fish of the day. That optimism and hope for the future breathes through this report.”
Summer 2015 • High Country Angler
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PRESIDENT’S LINE • MARSHALL PENDERGRASS
Trout Unlimited in Colorado nors that increase our funding leverage. “One TU” is alive and working well in Colorado. The Spring 2015 HCA issue included our special 16-page insert entitled “2014 Year in Review” - our new version of an “Annual Report.” It is a fish-friendly, easy-to-read, lots- of-
pictures, feel-good must-read for all of us – it will make you proud! Tight lines to all! I hope to see you at a TU event soon – and if I’m not there, then you know I’m out fishing somewhere nearby and am there in spirit.
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ello! Marshall here – an avid trout fly fisherman and water conservationist – and honored to be elected President of Colorado Trout Unlimited by the Board of Directors at our 2015 Rendezvous. It is my pleasure to help serve our 11,000 members and 24 TU chapters in the state, and continue our presence as a leader in cold water conservation. I am located on the west slope in Montrose, and have been active for the past 7 years in both my local chapter—Gunnison Gorge Anglers—and in Colorado TU volunteer officer positions and projects. I strongly believe in TU’s mission and that partnerships are the keys we can use in resolving many of the issues relating to water. We have a long history of successes and need to continue that trend with the help of our many supporters. “Trout Unlimited in Colorado” is our new branding that covers not only Colorado TU staff and volunteers, but also includes over 20 national TU staff members located within the state, and 24 chapters serving their home waters and communities – all of us working together on critical water-related issues and projects. It also includes our Business Sponsors and individual do30
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Colorado’s Good Samaritans By Ty Churchwell
H
istorically, mining played a large role in settling the American West and building the nation. However, its legacy – more than 500,000 abandoned hard rock mines with an estimated cleanup cost ranging from $36-72 billion – has persisted for the better part of a century with little progress toward a solution. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), abandoned hard rock mines affect 40 percent of headwaters in the western United States. Unfortunately, burdensome liability for would-be ‘Good Samaritans’ such as Trout Unlimited, has hindered abandoned hard rock mine cleanups. These groups didn’t create the problem, they want to fix it – but under current law, they could be held responsible in perpetuity for the pollution they’ve worked to reduce, and be required to spend millions to treat it to full Clean Water Act compliance. One needs to look no further than Colorado’s San Juan Mountains for acute examples of this problem. The San Juans are some of the most heavily mineralized mountains in the world, and they’ve been mined to death. More accurately, several fabled trout rivers in the region have suffered a long, slow death from acid mine drainage. The Animas River is completely devoid of aquatic life for many miles below Silverton on its way to Durango. Only through the input of clean tributaries does the water become diluted enough to support a strong fishery in Du32
High Country Angler • Summer 2015
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rango. The Uncompahgre River near Ouray is dead until the heavy metals fall out into the depths of Ridgway Reservoir. Other regional rivers, such as the Rio Grande and Lake Fork of the Gunnison, suffer as well. Our tried-and-true pollution cleanup laws, the Clean Water Act, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (better known as “CERCLA” or “Superfund”), place the burden of cleanup squarely on the owners of a property. Generally this is an excellent policy for most forms of pollution. But in the West, where the parties responsible for developing most of the old mine sites are long-gone, cleaning up these sites is a legal quagmire. A 2007 EPA policy memorandum provided useful protection to Good Samaritans from Superfund liability, but Clean Water Act liability remains a significant obstacle. There are many projects in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains where water quality could be improved by collecting run-off, or taking an existing discrete discharge, and running the water through either an active or passive water treatment system. Unfortunately, Clean Water Act compliance and liability issues remain a barrier to such projects. In short, Good Samaritan projects need some sort of permit mechanism, such as that contemplated by legislation previously introduced by Senator Mark Udall and Rep. Scott Tipton in 2013. That legislation required a
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project to produce significant improvements in water quality for a specific period of time, implement best design and management practices, and conduct appropriate monitoring, but not expose the Good Samaritan to liability if the project at some point fails to achieve a required criterion for a given pollutant. For over two decades, numerous federal legislators have attempted to pass ‘Good Samaritan’ legislation with no success. Thankfully, Colorado’s Senator Michael Bennet and Colorado 3rd District Representative Scott Tipton remain committed to resolving the problem. Building on their success with Trout Unlimited last year with the Hermosa Creek legislation, theses officials are drafting site-specific Good Samaritan legislation for the San Juan Mountains. The hope is to demonstrate with pilot legislation that these types of projects can be successful, setting the stage for a successful national bill down the road. Trout Unlimited will be coordinating on-the-ground efforts to educate communities and stakeholders while gathering supporters. We are building a grassroots coalition, and we would welcome your support. Visit the campaign website at: www. sanjuancleanwater.org. Click on the ‘take action’ tab to sign up. Find us on Facebook as well at San Juan Clean Water Coalition. Let’s work together to pass this important legislation for healthy rivers and productive trout fisheries!
To Learn More.
To learn more about this story and Colorado Trout Unlimited, visit, www.coloradotu.org.
Summer 2015 • High Country Angler
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Costa Collegiate Springs Rendezvous: The Yampa is Wild By Garrett Hanks
I
n April in the northwest corner of Colorado, Four hundred inches of champagne powder, which the Steamboat Ski Resort boasts is among the best in the nation, begins to melt into the Yampa River basin. For a short period, before the run-off turns the water to a torrent of chocolate milk, fishing in the valley gets silly—really silly. Locals sport bumper stickers that read, “The Yampa is Wild,” a reference to the fact that the Yampa River is one of the final vestiges of America’s wild, free-flowing waterways. And the few days between high mountain melt and low valley deluge are filled with epic fishing for angry, hungry wild trout. This year, the Trout Unlimited Costa Collegiate Spring Rendezvous travelled to the Yampa River the second weekend of April to catch Yampa Wild Fever. Nine teams of three to four students from colleges in Colorado and Utah participated in a weekend of the silliness that is spring fishing on the Yampa. All told, ninety-four Rainbows, Browns, Brookies, and Whitefish ranging from five to twenty-two inches were netted, filmed, taped, and released in a seven-hour period on a five-mile stretch of public, catch-and-release fishing water through downtown Steamboat Springs. Conceived by Colorado Mountain College’s Associate Professor of Business, Tim Widmer, organized by Colorado Trout Unlimited’s Education Coordinator, Garrett Hanks, and sponsored by Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, the mission of the annual event is to build camaraderie and foster positive relationships between colleges in different watersheds, while encouraging a new generation of river stewards to preserve the West’s cold water fisheries. But fish weren’t all the students netted: the amount of trash collected and recycled far outweighed the number of fish. As the number of anglers increase along Colorado’s river corridors, so does the trash. As river stewards, anglers find 34
High Country Angler • Summer 2015
The winning team from Colorado College: Kevin Coleman, Ham Wallace and Greg Sayles, caught 24 fish through the kayak park in downtown Steamboat Springs. Jeff Ruff, a member of the local TU chapter, the Yampa Valley Fly Fishers, holds a bag of trash collected while they fished.
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themselves not only packing out their own trash, but also that of others. Among the items collected by the students included a refrigerator door, an inner tube, and a cook stove, not to mention plenty of beer cans, plastic bottles and flip flops. The kickoff to the event began on Friday evening. Students from Colorado College, the University of Colorado, Western State University, the University of Denver, the University of Utah, Adams State University, and Colorado Mountain College met at one of Steamboat’s local favorite pizza places. Thus began the “Iron Fly” competition in which a “secret ingredient” was revealed, which each angler had to use in an original fly pattern. The students took to the vices and jealously guarded their creations with the secret ingredient: chartreuse.
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Participants collected and recycled trash in addition to fishing. Local shops provided the secret ingredient for the Iron Fly competition.
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The next day, the students, in teams of three, hit the water with all things green and a “controller,” a member of two local Trout Unlimited clubs: the Yampa Valley Fly Fishers and the Greenbacks. Points earned were entered in a matrix: the amount of trash collected, biggest fish, smallest fish, each team member catching fish, and number of species caught. Extra points were awarded for any fish caught and released with the Iron Fly. That evening, the teams rejoined for a friendly game of pool at a local pub. Bragging honors went to the Colorado College team who netted 24 fish, the largest of which was 21 ½ inches, on the tape. But all the teams showed that the future of fly fishing – and conservation – will be in good hands.
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Sportsmen to Legislators: Hands Off Our Public Lands
I
n State legislatures across the west, including Colorado, 2015 featured legislative proposals aimed at transferring ownership of federal public lands – the National Forests and Bureau of Land Management lands that make up large swaths of western public land and provide valued access for angling and hunting. And sportsmen were there to speak out for maintaining our public land heritage and the hunting and fishing opportunities it provides. In the past, proposed legislation in Colorado called for the transfer of federal public lands that could be used for agriculture (e.g., ranching, timber) to the state – despite the fact that Colorado lacks the resources needed to manage our more than 22 million acres of National Forest and BLM lands, and would have little option but to either commercialize access to the lands or sell them into private ownership. Indeed, Western states have a long history of selling their lands. In Nevada, nearly 2.7 million acres of state land have been sold, while Utah has sold more than 50 percent of its land grant. Maintaining roads and recreation facilities, fighting wildfires, and similar activities require funds that Colorado and other western states simply do not have. The only practical means to raise the funds would be to charge higher user fees, open more lands to development or sell the lands to private interests. While sportsmen are sometimes frustrated with the federal government’s management of our public lands, transferring those public lands to the states and making them available for sale to private interests jeopardizes the future of hunting and fishing. In 2015, two major bills were proposed in Colorado: one bill (SB 39) called for “concurrent jurisdiction” by the state over federal lands, while another (SB 232) called for a task force to “study” how to manage the transfer of these lands to the state. Fortunately, both bills died – SB 39 in House committee after passing the Senate, while SB 232 died in an 18-17 vote on the Senate floor. Hunters and anglers were among the leading voices objecting to these anti-public-land proposals. On February 25, members from TU, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, the Colorado Wildlife Federation, and other sportsmen groups turned up in front of the Capitol on a snowy day to turn up the heat on Colorado lawmakers thinking about transferring control of Winter public lands. The message was simple: not on
our watch. “Our public lands are not for sale!” said Kent Ingram of the Colorado Wildlife Federation, one of several speakers who spoke from the heart about what public lands mean to America’s sportsmen. Kirk Deeter, longtime Field & Stream columnist and editor of TU’s TROUT magazine says that Coloradans agree. He noted that he travels all over the world to fish and hunt, but chooses to live in Colorado because of its magnificent public lands and access to outdoors opportunity. He said proposals to strip away that public lands birthright and heritage were “un-American” and won’t be tolerated by sportsmen.
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Other Coloradans agree. A bipartisan poll by Colorado College found that more than 80 percent of Coloradans citied the ability to be near and recreate on public lands as a significant factor for living in the West. The proposed transfer of public lands is one of the greatest threats to angling and hunting access in Colorado and the west. For the large majority of hunters and anglers who are not fortunate enough to own properties where they can hunt and fish, National Forest and BLM lands are among the most important areas where they can access land and water. Indeed, the US Fish and Wildlife Service reports that 72 percent of sportsmen depend on public lands for access to hunting. Sportsmen aren’t taking this attack sitting down. “We’re going to fight,” said Deeter at the February rally. And for the 2015 legislative session, at least, Colorado’s sportsmen have won the round. But the fight is far from over. Legislation will surely be proposed again in 2016, and federal legislation to transfer public lands could pose an even bigger threat than the state-based efforts. Indeed, a non-binding (fortunately!) budget resolution amendment offered by Senator Lisa Murkowski (which passed on a 51-49 Senate vote) encourages Congress to “sell, or transfer to, or exchange with, a state or local government any Federal land that is not within the boundaries of a National Park, National Preserve, or National Monument…” Colorado Senators Bennet and Gardner both voted against this proposal and stood with sportsmen in support of public lands. But the vote raises a giant red flag that our heritage of public lands is very much at risk, and needs vigorous defense from hunters and anglers. Concerned sportsmen can learn more and lend their voice as part of a coalition of outdoor businesses and sportsmen groups (including TU), by visiting sportsmensaccess.org.
To Learn More.
To learn more about this story and Colorado Trout Unlimited, visit, www.coloradotu.org. www.HCAmagazine.com
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THE LAST CAST
•
JOHN NICKUM
The Clean Water Rule – It’s All Downhill from Here
Q
I have been hearing a lot about some new “clean water rules” promulgated by the EPA and Corp of Engineers. Are they really based on scientifically valid concepts, or are they an example of what some politicians call “government over-reach?”
A
The “Old Professor” has never shied away from politically controversial discussions, but, I am going to try to stick to science in this response… with just a few economic principles thrown in to enliven the discussion. The scientific aspect of my response starts with a very basic characteristic of water: water is a liquid that has mass; therefore, it responds to gravity and flows downhill. If water did not flow downhill, we could get by with a lot fewer rules concerning it. Another important characteristic of water is that it is the “universal solvent.” It can dissolve almost everything, including some very nasty pollutants. Given the fact that water moves downward and carries a wide array of things with it, we are faced with complicated political decisions. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) have been given the responsibilities for these decisions by our duly elected representatives in Congress. The new Clean Water Rules are the latest attempt to promulgate and implement rules that serve the interests of the public in general with respect to water. Water quality is a broad term that applies to everything dissolved in or suspended in water. Common terms, such as “hard water” or “soft water” refer to the amount of minerals dissolved in the water. Water that runs over, or percolates through, rocks such as limestone, dissolve large amounts of calcium, magnesium, and carbonate ions and become “hard.” Water running over granite and other igneous or metamorphic rocks doesn’t dissolve much from these rocks, and stays “soft.” Natural water quality varies greatly, ranging from very soft waters in the headwater streams and lakes in the Adiron38
dack Mountains and Appalachian Mountains in eastern America, to the waters of prairie lakes in the Dakotas - waters that are almost as brackish as the upper reaches of estuaries. The rules developed by EPA and the COE recognize these fundamental, natural differences, but do not attempt to regulate them. The rules focus on pollution and simply implement the intent of Congress with respect to a broad array of pollutants. Congress has taken the position that pollutants are public health problems and also harm ecosystems that are critically important to the “common good” of the American public. Individual rights do not permit one person, or group of persons such as a corporation, to take actions that harm other people. Congress has determined that no one has an inherent “right to pollute.” No individual, business, or corporation has the right to “externalize” the costs of cleaning up the runoff or the waste waters from their property by simply “dumping” it on their neighbor’s property, or dumping it into a publicly owned water. The original Clean Water Act and its regulations focused on “navigable waters” and “waters of the United States.” However, defining exactly what these waters are has led to countless disputes and seemingly endless litigation. The new clean water rules attempt to define in clearer terms which waters are to be protected. Much of the controversy in recent weeks has focused on intermittent and ephemeral waters that clearly are not navigable. However, such streams and wetlands, including those that are ephemeral (temporary) provide many benefits to communities, as well as ecosystems, by trapping floodwaters, recharging groundwater supplies, filtering pollution, and providing habitat for fish and wildlife. Many years ago during the “Old Professor’s” graduate student days, his limnology class studied an ephemeral pond for 10 weeks during springtime. Suffice to say the abundance of life—even completed life cycles—in that pond was amazing. Had that pond
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been polluted, none of that life would have existed and the pollutants would have been carried down into the groundwater. The fact that water moves downhill, either to lower elevations on the earth’s surface, or into sub-surface aquifers, is the primary reason that intermittent, ephemeral, temporary waters must be protected. When these waters become polluted, the pollutants are carried into the ground or downstream. The effects of the pollutants are spread over a far greater area. During extended droughts, such as those that have affected much of the western United States in recent years, ground waters become a major, even primary, source of water. If the ground waters are polluted, they may be unfit for use, or at least may require expensive treatment. In the case of wetlands, these “not suited for navigation” waters also provide extremely important buffers against flooding. Draining these waters and/or leaving them unprotected from pollution simply causes greater problems downstream. Clean Water Act rules following Supreme Court decisions in the 2000s focused on navigable waters and left headwaters and temporary waters – arguably the most important part of the entire watershed – unprotected. The new Clean Water Rules correct that mistake. The new rules are based on scientifically valid reality. For those who would like to read more themselves, additional details and rationale can be found online at: www2.epa.gov/cleanwaterrule.
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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