Wytu fall 2015 newsletter

The

TROUT TALE

The official newsletter of the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited Volume 4, Issue 1

Fall 2015

SPECIAL TRIBUTE EDITION: Scott Christy leaves Trout Unlimited in Wyoming in a very good place. He will be missed by many...

Fall council meeting set for November in Sheridan Wyoming Trout Unlimited (WYTU) is pleased to announce that the council’s annual fall meeting will be held in Sheridan on November 6, 7 and 8.

The meeting will be held at the Best Western Sheridan Center.

Friday will be a fishing day for those interested in wetting a line on the area’s great trout waters A nohost dinner will be held that evening.

Saturday will begin with breakfast at 7 a.m. followed by the annual meeting from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The meeting will be packed with information, news, guest speakers and staff presentations This is an excellent opporSHERIDAN, WYOMING tunity NOVEMBER 6, 7, 8, 2015 for chapter leadership to get tips and useful information to take back to their respective chapters.

The day of meetings will be capped-off with a social dinner at the Sheridan Rib and Chop House.

Good food and drinks will be provided by the Wyoming Trout Unlimited Council.

HOLES IN MY WADERS Well done, Scott Christy.

Well done, indeed!

T

uesday, September 15 was a sad day for me.

And for Wyoming Trout Unlimited. That’s the day Wyoming Coordinator and good friend Scott Christy called me at my Cheyenne office to let me know he was leaving his post with Trout Unlimited.

I first met Scott over five years ago, when we were both brand new to the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited. It was a glorious spring day in May as members of the council gathered at the Murie Center in Jackson Hole for their annual spring meeting.

Scott was there to be introduced as Trout Unlimited’s new Wyoming Coordinator and I was

there, at the urging of then chairman Dave Sweet, to see what the council was all about. Little did I know that I would walk out of there the next day as interim council fundraising chairman. The rest, as they say, is history — and Scott and I began our journey with WYTU. It didn’t take long to see that Scott was the real deal and that council leadership — Dave Sweet and Jim Broderick in particular — got this one right. They hired the absolute right person for the job.

From day one, Scott immersed himself into his

See HOLES IN MY WADERS page 3

WYTU FALL MEETING

See FALL MEETING page 3

Former Wyoming Coordinator for Trout Unlimited Scott Christy doing what he does best — spending quality time in Wyoming’s great outdoors. ` WYTU PHOTOS/Steven Brutger

NOTES FROM THE CHAIRMAN A huge debt of gratitude...

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hope this newsletter finds everyone well heading into a beautiful fall season here in Wyoming. I know many of you are out fishing and hunting right now, enjoying this great fall weather we are having. Have fun in your adventures. Amy and I have been planning a trip to Belize this fall, so I’m getting really excited to try getting a fly in front of a tarpon, bonefish, or permit. Tarpon has been a bucket list fish for me for a long time, so we’ll see what happens!

We had a pretty quiet summer within the WYTU Council, but are getting ready for our Fall Council meeting to be held in Sheridan the weekend of November 6-8. I’m looking forward to visiting this part of the state this year and working with the folks within the Little Bighorn Chapter to host the get-together. I want to encourage as many of you as can to attend, and share your thoughts and ideas with all of us from throughout the state. We are still putting the agenda together, but it looks like we’ll have pretty good lineup of topics including discussion with the Trout Unlimited (TU) Science team regarding the “State of Trout” that was shared recently at the national meeting in Pennsylvania; a workshop on stream temperature monitoring that we can all take home with us to our chapters; spend some quality time discussing chapter development and leadership recruitment, and other pertinent topics.

The registration e-mail has already been sent out to chapter leadership throughout the state, and we hope to see many of you there.

I’m sure many have heard by now that our good friend and Wyoming Trout Unlimited (WYTU) Coordinator, Scott Christy, is moving on to new challenges and adventures. Scott did not come to this decision lightly, but he has decided to move on from TU. We will all surely miss Scott and his enthusiasm for WYTU, and appreciate all the great things he has done for our council and chapters over the last five years. Scott has not only

been a solid advocate for all things fishy, but he is also a good friend and has been there to help many of us throughout the state with chapter development, legislative issues, Adopt-A-Trout programs and many other TU objectives. Thank you, Scott, for all you’ve done for our coldwater fisheries in Wyoming. You’ll be missed, but we know you’ll still be around supporting TU in different ways.

We are moving forward with plans to fill the Wyoming Coordinator position, and we’ll be having discussions with our chapters, council and national TU staff regarding the position. We will continue to strive to find the right person to work with us all to move forward the mission of TU in Wyoming.

I also want to thank our newsletter editor and past chair, Mike Jensen, for once again putting together this quality newsletter for WYTU. This communication forum helps to keep all of us informed of what is going on with TU in the state and offers the opportunity for us all to share our thoughts and insights. Thanks again, Mike.

So, as we transition into fall and the changing of the seasons, we also are moving forward with changes in our WYTU ranks. Embracing change for the opportunities it offers can help us move forward in a positive direction, so that’s what we will do. All of us are involved in TU for many different reasons, and the opportunities ahead of us are exciting and a little change along the way can help us take full advantage of what is ahead.

Have a great fall, get out and make some memories with family and friends, and we’ll see you along the way.

Calvin Hazlewood is the chair of WYTU and lives in Green River. He and his wife, Amy, along with their daughter Dayna and their dog Hatch, enjoy the outdoors — particularly fishing and floating in their drift boat. Calvin is also an accomplished photographer. E-mail Calvin at calvinandamy@q.com

WINNER OF THE 2014 TROUT UNLIMITED “BOLLINGER AWARD FOR BEST NEWSLETTER” The TROUT TALE is a quarterly newsletter of the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited.

The deadline for submission of information, photos and content for the Winter 2016 newsletter (January, February and March) will be December 1, 2015. Please send any and all contributions for the fall issue to newsletter editor Mike Jensen at: trouthut@gmail.com The TROUT TALE is available through e-mail and online on the council’s website at: wyomingtu.org

MISSION: Conserving and protecting Wyoming’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds

WYOMING COUNCIL OFFICERS: Calvin Hazlewood Chair Cole Sherard Vice Chair and Secretary Dave Sweet Treasurer Jim Broderick NLC Representative Mike Jensen Past Chair

WYOMING CHAPTERS: n Casper-Grey Reef n Curt Gowdy n East Yellowstone n Jackson Hole n Laramie Valley n Little Bighorn n Platte Valley n Popo Agie Anglers n Seedskadee n Upper Bear River n Upper Green River

OFFICE LOCATION: 409 Lincoln Street Lander, Wyoming 82520 Phone: 307.332.6700 Fax: 307.332.9299

ONLINE: www.wyomingtu.org

© 2015 Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited

Mike Jensen, Newsletter Editor • Calvin Hazlewood, Chairman

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FALL 2015

HOLES IN MY WADERS, continued from page 1 new position with enthusiasm, energy and passion. He quickly established himself as a leader and, along with a great group of volunteers who made up the council, began the process of making WYTU not only relevant, but also taking the organization to the next level. Thanks to Scott’s leadership, determination and vision, WYTU has become the working model for other councils around the country to follow and the envy of many in Trout Unlimited.

Over the years, Scott’s dedication, ideas, planning and execution was really something to behold. From his humble beginnings at WYTU, it seemed Scott progressed to a point that he had his hands and efforts in everything WYTU — membership growth and retention, chapter development, recruiting, marketing, Adopt-ATrout, finances, conservation agendas, legislative liaison, newsletter, social media, communications, council meetings, fundraising, banquet planning, officer elections, Yellowstone Lake, attending meetings, building partnerships and coalitions, writing grants, traveling tens of thousands of miles around the Cowboy State to represent WYTU at chapter meetings, banquets, events, the legislature, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc. etc., I could go on and on, but there simply isn’t enough room.

While Scott wore many, many hats, he did so with grace and has earned the admiration and respect of so many people — in and out of the conservation arena. In addition, under Scott’s inspiring stewardship, WYTU won two major Trout Unlimited awards in 2013 and 2014 — the State Council Award for Excellence and the Bollinger Newsletter Award respectively, that were presented during Trout Unlimited national meetings in Madison, Wisconsin and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Beyond serving in his professional capacity, I’m proud to call Scott my friend.

He and I have spent some quality time in the outdoors and I sincerely hope we will find time for more outdoor adventures. He’s an accomplished and talented outdoorsman, angler and hunter, boatsman, search and rescue volunteer, and he’s most comfortable when he’s outside and taking in everything Mother Nature has to offer.

My friend has set the bar high and has left WYTU in a very good place. His hard work and accomplishments have formed a very solid foundation for the council to be successful moving forward. Not too shabby for a skinny kid from Iowa who came west.

All of us in Trout Unlimited — not just Wyoming Trout Unlimited — owe Scott our sincere gratitude and admiration for his outstanding work in conserving and protecting Wyoming’s coldwater fisheries and watersheds. He most certainly has mine.

Scott, there will always be a cold, frosty beverage with your name on it at the Trouthut Bar & Grill located at the Lazy J Ranch in Cheyenne. I’ll look forward to many more late night conversations and laughs about fishing and hunting, politics, conservation and the next chapter in your life.

Well done, Scott Christy. Well done, indeed.

As you travel around Wyoming this fall, we hope you’ll get to know the natives...

Bonneville Cutthroat Trout: Oncorhynchus clarki utah

Snake River Cutthroat Trout: Oncorhynchus clarki behnkei

Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout: Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri

Mike Jensen currently serves as WYTU past chairman and editor of the council’s “The Trout Tale” newsletter. He and his wife, Jodi, have three terrific kids, a wonderful daughter-in-law, two beautiful granddaughters, and a couple of hunting and fishing labs. Mike and Jodi call the Cheyenne area home and he always looks forward to driving his drift boat and creating more Wyoming fly fishing adventures and memories with family and good friends. E-mail Mike at trouthut@gmail.com

Colorado Cutthroat Trout: Oncorhynchus clarki pleuriticus

FALL MEETING, continued from page 1

Conserving and protecting Wyoming’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds...

On Sunday, breakfast will be served at 7 a.m. An excellent training session will be presented Sunday morning for those in attendance and more details will be made available as they are finalized.

Following the training session, attendees will depart for their respective home waters.

The Best Western Sheridan Center has a special room rate for the event of $79.99 per night. The rate will be available until October 6, so if you haven’t got your room reservation, call today. They can be reached by calling (307) 674-7421.

For more information or to register for the WYTU Fall Council Meeting, go to: https://wyomingtu.givezooks.com/events/2015-fall-wyoming-trout-unlimitedmeeting.

FALL 2015

That’s what we do.

Join us.

409 Lincoln Street Lander, WY 82520 Phone: 307.332.6700 www.wyomingtu.org

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Chris Wood, President and CEO of Trout Unlimited

Scott was always at his best when he was charged with motivating a group of people about our mission. His enthusiasm and energy was simply contagious. And thanks to Scott, that energy and enthusiasm for our mission has now been passed to countless youth in this state, many of whom are sure to carry it forward.

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Scott has been the motivating force for WYTU, helping drive the state council along with offering support to all the chapters around the state. Scott’s commitment and hard work have propelled the Adopt-A-Trout Program to the next level around the Cowboy State. He leaves us with some big shoes to fill. Thanks, Scott, cold water fisheries in Wyoming are better because of you.

Beverly Smith, Trout Unlimited VP for Volunteer Operations

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Scott was instrumental in the reinvigorating of the Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited Chapter. His enthusiasm, commitment and professionalism made us a better board, increased our fundraising capacity and relit the fires of cold water fisheries conservation here in Jackson.

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Barb Allen, President of the Jackson Hole TU Chapter

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Scott worked in every capacity to promote Trout Unlimited in Wyoming. His love of moving water, trout, and the people of Wyoming was a benefit to all; thank you, Scott.

Jeff Streeter, TU North Platte River Water Project Manager

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In a word, Scott was always “Helpful.”

Both in my professional life and as president of the Seedskadee Chapter of TU. I could always count on helpful advise or a cold beer on the river. Best Luck to Scott in his future adventures.

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Robb Keith, President of the Seedskadee Trout Unlimited Chapter

I would thank Scott in his effort to help revive the Laramie Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited. He made a trip to Laramie for the local meeting and did a presentation by conference call.

His ideas and leadership really helped energize our local chapter. Thanks Scott!

Cole Sherard, Vice President Laramie Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited and Vice President/Secretary of Wyoming Trout Unlimited Page 4

Nick Walrath, TU Green River Project Manager

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What some folks are saying about our friend and colleague Scott Christy...

Whenever I’d show up in Wyoming, I’d look forward to seeing Scott and having him make sure I didn’t say something I’d regret or make sure I’d meet the great volunteer leaders. He’s one of those people who knows exactly what to say and when to say it. He will be sorely missed!

Scott poured his enthusiasm and passion for fisheries conservation into everything he did. Trout all across this great state can thank him for improving their lives.”

Hillary Walrath, TU Salinity Control Coordinator for the Henry’s Fork, Wyoming

FALL 2015

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Werner Studer, Vice President Grey Reef Trout Unlimited Casper-Area Chapter

The Upper Bear River Chapter would like to thank Scott for all the years of support. Scott’s enthusiasm, professionalism and his infectious personality will be sorely missed by our chapter, and no doubt, statewide. Most of all, thank you for your friendship. Cheers to thinking like a fish! Good luck and tight lines from all of us in the UBRTU chapter.

Rick Slagowski, President Upper Bear River TU Chapter

My first few days with Trout Unlimited, I had the fortuitous privilege of rooming with Scott at a Park City Hotel for the Western Regional TU meeting. My parents had just sent me a pair of socks from Ireland, where they were serving a mission for two years. The socks were very green with four leaf clover print and said “Kiss me I’m Irish.” Scott immediately swooped them up, gave ‘em the once over, and proceeded to give me a ration of grief about the socks, which I proudly flaunted in a pair of Chaco’s, blatant Utah style. Well, guess what, Scott? The socks are still around.

What’s up with you? Seriously, knowing the character of this man as I now do, I’d gladly give up those socks if he were to stick around and help us all in TU for even one more day. Yeah, he’s all that. Be well, my friend, and friend of trout everywhere. I know you will do good work wherever you land, and God be with you.

Charles Card, TU Northeastern Utah Backcountry Coordinator

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I had the distinct pleasure of sharing an office and working with Scott for nearly all of the past five years and want to express my gratitude for his great work. As a close friend, I am excited for Scott and his future endeavors, but on a professional level I am sad to see him go. A lot has changed for WYTU over the last five years and it is almost universally positive.

So much of what we do at TU requires a large team effort and Wyoming sets the example others emulate. But Scott has played a huge role in keeping our team together and moving forward. For many across the Cowboy State he has been the face and voice of TU. Whether running the Adopt-A-Trout program, speaking at the legislature, or coordinating council meetings, he has been an excellent ambassador for all of us. Scott’s loud voice and infectious enthusiasm will be missed, but Wyoming’s coldwater fisheries are better off because of him. Hopefully his old white pickup can muster a few more miles to get him to his next destination.

Thanks Scott and all the best.

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Although I’ve only known Scott for a little over a year, I have been impressed by his professionalism and enthusiasm as state coordinator.

Steven Brutger, TU Rocky Mountain Director of Development

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Of all the work Scott has accomplished during his tenure at TU, I will remember his talents with youth education the most. Scott’s energy and style motivated over 1,500 kids to learn more about their watershed and get outside. Because of Scott’s efforts, I rest easy knowing another generation of Scott’s dedication to the members of WYTU coldwater stewards will pick up will be sincerely missed. He was always willing where we leave off. to lend an ear or a hand whenever it was needed. His enthusiastic nature was Cory Toye, Wyoming Water contagious and we will all notice Project Director its absence within WYTU.

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Diana Miller, WYTU Conservation Chair

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WYTU photos by Beverly Smith, Steven Brutger and Mike Jensen

It’s been said, ‘It won’t feel like work if you are passionate about it.’ If you add to that the privilege of being alongside people like Scott Christy, then it definitely isn’t work. It is family making good things happen. I could go on and on about all the great things Scott accomplished for WYTU but it is what he taught me that I value most. His level of cool, calm rationalism regardless of the situation, and the same he demanded of me, made me better simply by being around him. Although he now takes leave of the WYTU family to embark on other adventures, I’ll always welcome him teach me more.

FALL 2015

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Jim Broderick, Wyoming National Leadership Council Representative

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WALT’S WIT AND WISDOM The real deal...

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grew up in Green River, the son of two people who had grown up in that same town and despised anyone who would drive to Rock Springs to do their shopping. In our family we always supported businesses in our own community. I guess it’s no wonder then that I would almost always use this column to talk about a great Trout Unlimited (TU) business member in Wyoming. The idea is for all of us to get to know and support businesses that are part of our community, part of the TU Team. But this time is different. I want to talk not so much about the business as much as the team.

Someone told me once that the best thing in the world is being in love, but the second best thing in the world is being part of a truly great team. I’ve had both experiences. In fact, I’ve been in love with the best teammate a guy could have — my wife Kim – for over four decades. But I’ve been part of a great team at work, too. In fact, I think it’s fair to say that the team we have here at Wyoming TU is the best team in the league. It’s no accident that WYTU won the State Council Award for Excellence and this newsletter won the Bollinger Award in back-to-back years. It’s no accident that Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust chose us as their Partner of the Year. This is a truly great team.

A friend recently asked me about Wyoming TU. They had some experiences with TU in other states that weren’t always positive. There were some egos involved, for sure. And frankly, there were some just plain bad actors who managed to slither their way into leadership positions. He asked me (knowing that I’d been here since the plesiosaurs) if we’d seen any of that. I told him honestly that we hadn’t and that we wouldn’t tolerate it if we did see it. I told him that Wyoming is a small town, and like the folks in the small town of my birth you really couldn’t be a jackass without serious repercussions. But it led me to think about what makes a great team in a great state.

I want to suggest that one of the most important things that makes a great team is a great team player. The guy who sets the example for everyone else – the guy who loves the game and loves his teammates. The guy who’s the first guy on the field and the last guy off. The guy who always gives 110 percent — win or lose. The guy who never loses his humility in victory or his enthusiasm in defeat. The guy who’s always encouraging the rest of the team to do better, to give more, to kick it up just one more notch. That’s the guy I want on my team.

And that’s the guy we had. Scott Christy — the ultimate team player. Like the Gasson clan, Scott came to Wyoming from Iowa. He was a Wyomingite by choice, not by accident of birth. And he lived every day in the great wide open as if it was a present God gave him, because it was. He was the Charlie Hustle of the Popo Agie, the spark plug of the team. He had a vision for what we could do together and he never stopped pursuing it. Like the man himself, that vision was rooted in the wild country we protected and nurtured on the streams and rivers we restored and reconnected. He was Wyoming from the top of his head to the soles of his feet and we all loved him for it.

Now he’s moved on, and we all wish him well. We’ll see him again from time to time, I hope. But even more I hope that we’ll remember his endless energy and boundless enthusiasm. I hope we’ll remember how he bucked us up when we were down and gently corrected us when he knew we were wrong. You’re the real deal, Scott Christy. And we wish you nothing but the best.

Adios, mi amigo.

Walt Gasson is a fourth generation Wyomingite with a great passion for his home water in the Green River country of western Wyoming. He is a hunter, angler and 40 year veteran of conservation in the Cowboy State. He currently serves as Trout Unlimited’s director of endorsed businesses. He and his family blog at: www.threeelkmeadow.blogspot.com.

Over 1,070 likes and counting!

CALENDAR WYTU OCTOBER 15 Trout Unlimited will be accepting EmbraceA-Stream grant applications through December 15. Draft proposals will be due November 15. However, make sure you contact our EAS representative Andy Brunelle at 208.334.1770 as soon as possible to discuss your project or to have any questions answered.

NOVEMBER 1 Daylight Saving Time ends. Turn your clocks back one hour at 2 a.m.

NOVEMBER 6-8, 2015 Reserve your spot now for the Annual Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited fall meeting that will be held in Sheridan, Wyoming on November 6, 7 and 8, at the Best Western Sheridan Center.

The agenda is currently being put together for another great meeting that will include fishing on Friday, Saturday meeting and Sunday morning training session.

See the story on page one of this newsletter for more information. To register for the event, you can go to: https:// wyomingtu.givezooks.com/events/2015-fallwyoming-trout-unlimited-meeting.

NOVEMBER 15 All Wyoming Trout Unlimited chapters and councils will need to have their respective Annual Financial Reports (AFR) filed with TU national by November 15. If you need assistance with your chapter’s AFR, there will be an online training session on October 7 at 8 p.m. eastern time. For more information, contact WYTU treasurer Dave Sweet at 307.899.9959.

FEBRUARY 15, 2016 The Wyoming Council and all chapters must have their respective tax returns filed no later than February 15, 2016. For questions or assistance, please contact WYTU treasurer Dave Sweet at 307.899.9959.

APRIL 1-2, 2016 Western Regional meeting in Eugene, Oregon.

SEPTEMBER 28-OCTOBER 1, 2016 Annual Trout Unlimited Meeting Bozeman, Montana.

Join the conversation and keep up to date on what’s new and exciting at Wyoming Trout Unlimited!

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FALL 2015

WYOMING COORDINATOR REPORT Thanks for letting me be a part of WYTU...

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ecently, after much deliberation, I announced my departure from my role as the Wyoming Coordinator for Trout Unlimited.

In the past five years in this role, I’ve had the great pleasure of working alongside Wyoming’s passionate coldwater fisheries volunteer network and seeing the positive conservation changes that dedicated volunteers can accomplish in their cities, towns, local, state and national landscapes. I can think of no better community to work with, laugh with and accomplish conservation work with.

In Wyoming you can see the effects of volunteer efforts borne out on so many remarkable levels.Ê Volunteers in Cheyenne are working on helping out tiny Crow Creek to improve habitat for fish as it runs out of the Air Force base.

Volunteers in Laramie helped install a new aerator in Meeboer Lake to protect from winter kills. Volunteers in Saratoga have been taking wounded vets fishing on the Platte throughout the past handful of summers.

Volunteers in Casper have helped cleanup the Platte on local clean up days.

Volunteers in Lander have kept up a kids’ fishing pond to teach the next generation how to fish.

Volunteers in Jackson have helped restore Flat Creek in the elk refuge.

Volunteers in Pinedale have removed a barrier to fish passage right in town.

Volunteers in Cody have put thousands of hours into shocking fish out of local irrigation ditches to highlight entrainment as an issue and make an argument for ditch screening. Volunteers in Evanston have rallied to bring back the Bear and helped install a fish ladder on the old city diversion above town. Volunteers in Green River have installed hatching boxes for fry on tributaries of the Green.

You can see conservation successes in the efforts of volunteers to put on Kids’ Fishing Days or assist TU’s Adopt-A-Trout programs to

educate the next generations about our environment. You can see them in WYTU’s efforts to help Yellowstone Cutthroat on Yellowstone Lake. You can see the passion of volunteers during sessions of the Wyoming Legislature where volunteers have spoken for fish at committee meetings, or written letters to

decision makers on behalf of local waters and you can see it when Wyoming volunteers take the time to fly back to Washington DC to speak with Wyoming’s congressional delegation about why fisheries conservation is important here on

See COORDINATOR page 8

We have something very special here in Wyoming.

Something that shines with a magnitude I believe unparalleled at Trout Unlimited

FALL 2015

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COORDINATOR, continued from page 7 the ground in the Cowboy State.ÊAnd that is all just the tip of the iceberg.Ê In a recent e-mail to TU colleagues I wrote, “As has been noted so many times over the last few years at regional, state and national meetings, on staff calls, and at pretty much any gathering that gets a number of TU folks from different states in one room, we have something very special here in Wyoming. Something that shines with a magnitude I believe unparalleled at Trout Unlimited Ê— a singularly great confluence of hard working and talented staff working in concert with passionate and dedicated volunteers. In essence an outstanding community. Thanks for letting me be a part of it and I have no doubt that you all will move TU’s important mission forward with grace, good humor, and excellent style in the days to come.”

If you’re reading this, you’re likely part of these efforts in some way.

One person really can make a difference with our fisheries in Wyoming, whether it is working with WYTU staff to comment on proposed legislation, driving over a culvert and deciding that a local chapter should get interested in removing it for better fisheries passage, or introducing

local youth to fishing, your time and effort can make Wyoming’s fisheries healthier and more sustainable.Ê All of which really boils down to thank you.

Keep up the good work and I hope I’ll see you out on the water.

Scott Christy is the former Wyoming Coordinator for Trout Unlimited. Originally from Iowa, Scott has an incredible passion for the outdoors — camping, hunting, fishing and whitewater rafting. Scott currently lives in Lander in order to foolishly chase golden trout in the high country of the Wind River Range all summer.

He also enjoys bow hunting for big game in the Cowboy state.

NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL TU’s national meeting informative and energizing...

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all brings cooler days and colorful foliage, both of which make days spent casting a line on our home waters in Wyoming that much more special. It is an extra special time for me because I get to realize the privilege of taking a few days away from our waters to represent Wyoming at the Trout Unlimited Annual Meeting. It is an occasion when TU’s staff, volunteer leaders and council and chapter members from around the country gather to celebrate all that we have accomplished in the past year, consider the challenges we face, and plan for the future. This year that meant a trip to Scranton, Pennsylvania, for what the mayor of Scranton, Honorable William Courtright, proclaimed to be, “Trout Unlimited Week.” Cool!

We’ve never had our own week before!

The most difficult part of attending the annual meeting is trying to decide which meetings and workshops to attend because they all offer excellent resources and program information that I want to bring back to Wyoming. Since I’ve not yet figured out how to be in two or more places at the same time, decisions had to be made. I do have certain “job” responsibilities that come with my NLC position, however, which means that some of those decisions were made for me. Let me tell you about a few of the highlights here.

As a member of the Western Native Trout Work Group (yes, the group that helped elevate our work on Yellowstone Lake to national importance), we’ve primarily been working on two issues: TU’s stream temperature monitoring handbook and a new fishing challenge. I’ll talk more about the monitoring program later but I can’t wait to tell you about the fishing challenge! I imagine most of you are familiar with the Wyoming Cutt Slam? Imagine a similar challenge to catch all of the native trout we have in the west. I know many of you travel throughout the west, either for work or pleasure and smartly ensure you always have a rod handy to try out new waters for new fish. Soon, you’ll have a new reason to pack the fishing gear before even thinking about the clothes you’ll need for the trip (as if you didn’t already do that?). If you document your catch of the native trout in their native waters you’ll be rewarded. I don’t want to divulge all the juicy details now but the point of this challenge is to emphasize the importance of our native species. These fish are uniquely adapted to the environ-

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ments in which they live. They’ve survived in those environments for thousands of years and TU wants to ensure they are there for thousands more.

To say they are important is an understatement. And what’s the best way to fully understand the importance of those species and the habitats in which they live? Catch them in their native habitat and get rewarded for doing so, of course! Stay tuned for more information as this challenge gets rolled out.

I am also a member of the New Initiatives Work Group. OK, actually I chair that work group which means one of the items on the “to-do” list this year was updating the National Conservation Agenda (NCA). This document could almost be considered a summary of the new TU Strategic Plan in that it spells out all the activities in which TU is currently engaged as well as those in which we recognize the need to engage. There is, however, one important distinction between the two documents: the NCA is focused on the work of the chapters and councils. It directs TU to work on the issues important to all of you! I find that to be a tremendously positive indicator of a true grassroots organization. And as if that wasn’t enough, a part of the NCA is a list called Critical Focus Areas. Longtime readers of this column will recall that Yellowstone Lake became a Critical

Right now, it appears that everything is coming together for Dr. Jack Williams to accept my invitation to attend our Wyoming Council meeting in Sheridan this November. Yes, his “Angler Science” presentation is that good

See NLC REPORT page 9 FALL 2015

NLC REPORT,

continued from page 8

Focus Area, received national attention and resources, and we are now seeing an increase in the population of cutthroat in the lake. Wyoming’s own Dave Sweet played a large part in making all that happen but it illustrates the importance of an issue being named a Critical Focus Area. The issues on this CFA list are reviewed annually and I am proud to report that Yellowstone Lake remains on it. Although we are making significant progress on the lake, our work is not yet done, which means that its place on the CFA list will help ensure it continues to receive resources and attention worthy of its importance.

There are, however, seven other intensely debated spots on the CFA list. I’ll be happy to have a beer with you sometime and regale you with stories of how I moderated the “Great Debate” over those remaining spots. Since this is a family periodical, however, let’s just say I’ve seen calmer discussions between two anglers almost coming to blows over who got to the honey hole first. Passion is a good thing, right?

One of the workshops I’m excited to tell you about is “Angler Science” as presented by TU’s Senior Scientist, Dr. Jack Williams. Dr. Jack and his team have been hard at work creating numerous programs in which we, as anglers, can participate in gathering real science that can be used to inform our restoration work. And perhaps one of the coolest parts is that much of it can often be done while we’re out fishing! I previously mentioned that I would talk more later about one of these programs: stream temperature monitoring. I didn’t, however, specify how much later, did I? Right now, it appears that everything is coming together for Dr. Jack to accept my invitation to attend our Wyoming Council meeting in Sheridan this November. Yes, his “Angler Science” presentation is that good. In addition to stream temperature monitoring, programs I’ve previously mentioned in this space (e.g., River’s Calendar, Water Quality Monitoring, Trout Blitz!) can be great ways to engage chapter members, relatively inexpensive (if not free!), and inform your chapter’s conservation work. While they might have been in the “beta” stage when I first mentioned them I was excited about them then and even more excited about them now as they have gotten better and better. I can assure you that his presentation in Sheridan is one you do not want to miss!

As you might be able to glean from my writing, attending the TU Annual meeting is both informative and energizing. It’s a meeting, yes, but one in which each of the six times I’ve emerged, I’ve been more ready than ever to tackle ever greater issues facing our coldwater fisheries.

If you think you might like to attend, there is good news. Next year’s meeting will be in Bozeman, Montana, on September 28 through October 1. I don’t think any of us needs another reason to fish the outstanding waters around Bozeman but this is a certainly a good one. I’d love to have you join me there!

Jim Broderick serves as the National Leadership Council representative for the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited. He and his wife, Becky, along with their two dogs, Bear and Cooper, and a pond full of Snake River cutthroat trout, live in Jackson. Jim is the owner of Rocky Mountain Ranch Management and in his free time, he enjoys driving drift boats in search of epic fly fishing. Email Jim at: jim@rmrm.biz.

blogs WORTH CHECKING OUT: WALT GASSON and FAMILY.: www.threeelkmeadow.blogspot.com

STEVEN BRUTGER.: www.stalkingtheseam.com FIELD & STREAM (Often featuring our friends Tim Romano and Kirk Deeter): www.fieldandstream.com/fishing/flyfishing TOM REED and CO.: www.mouthfuloffeathers.com FALL 2015

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You can reach over 1,700 members of Wyoming Trout Unlimited with your classified ad in this quarterly newsletter! For only $20, you can have your ad placed in the Winter 2016 newsletter that will be published on January 1, 2016! To place your ad, contact Trout Tale Editor Mike Jensen by emailing him at trouthut@gmail.com.

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Thank you.

The 1,700-plus members of Trout Unlimited in Wyoming offer sincere thanks to outgoing Wyoming Coordinator Scott Christy for his outstanding contributions, vision, leadership and dedicated service to Wyoming Trout Unlimited.

Best wishes for continued success and many, many tight lines in your travels and new adventures.

Photo by Steven Brutger

Conserving and protecting Wyoming’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds

n Special tribute edition honoring former Trout Unlimited Wyoming Coordinator Scott Christy n WYTU Fall Council Meeting will be held in Sheridan on November 6, 7 and 8. n National Meeting was informative and energizing for Wyoming’s Broderick 409 Lincoln Street Lander, Wyoming 82520

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