The
TROUT TALE
The official newsletter of the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited Volume 3, Issue 4
Summer 2015
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Seedskadee Chapter brings unique fly tying event to Green River ..............Page 9
Spring Trout Unlimited events in Wyoming a huge success n Trout Unlimited Western Regional Meeting, 3rd Annual Tie-One-On Banquet and WYTU Annual Spring Council Meeting all part of busy and successful spring season in the Cowboy State By MIKE JENSEN Trout Tale Editor
T
o say the spring season was a bit busy for the staff and volunteers of Wyoming Trout Unlimited (WYTU) might just be an understatement. Three big events highlighted the spring season in the Cowboy State for WYTU and all three events were considered to be a big success by those who attended the events — including many Trout
Unlimited members from around the western United States. 2015 WYTU Spring Business Meeting The first event, held in mid-April, was the council’s annual spring business meeting held in Casper at the Ramkota Inn. The three-day event kicked off with some attendees fishing the famed North Platte River on Friday. While Mother Nature didn’t exactly cooperate, the anglers in several drift boats managed to catch some fish and have a great day on the water. On Friday evening, attendees gathered for a no-host dinner at La Cocina. Saturday’s meeting was well attended by
See SPRING EVENTS page 3 ABOVE: WYTU treasurer and Yellowstone Lake Project Manager Dave Sweet with a nice North Platte rainbow trout he caught during the council’s spring meeting in Casper. LEFT: Arkansas NLC Representative Kerri Russell leads a discussion during the Women’s Initiative workshop held during the Western Regional Meeting held in Jackson on May 1 and 2. WYTU PHOTOS/Mike Jensen
Make plans now for two upcoming WYTU events WYTU CONSERVATION TOUR Mark your calendars now and plan to Join Wyoming Trout Unlimited and the conservation committee for a tour of the Bear River and Smith’s Fork River water projects on Saturday, July 25, in southwest Wyoming. The tour, designed to showcase and discuss water project work in the area, will be led by esteemed Wyoming Water Project Director Cory Toye. Space is limited to a maximum of 20 participants. For more information or to make your reservation, contact Conservation Chair Diana Miller at (307) 699-3311. More details can be found on page 7 of this newsletter.
WYTU SHERIDAN, WYOMING NOVEMBER 6, 7, 8, 2015
FALL MEETING
The dates and location for the WYTU fall meeting have been announced. The Little Bighorn Trout Unlimited Chapter will help host the event in beautiful Sheridan on November 6, 7 and 8. Watch for more details as they become available.
NOTES FROM THE CHAIRMAN A busy spring in the Cowboy State...
I
t sure was a busy spring here within Wyoming and for Trout Unlimited (TU). We were able to host the TU Western Regional Meeting in Jackson in early May, enjoy the Third Annual Tie-One-On Banquet hosted by Jackson Hole TU and Wyoming Trout Unlimited (WYTU), and hold our Spring WYTU meeting in Casper. All of these events were well attended and very successful as folks from across Wyoming and other western states came together to share ideas, stories, successes, opportunities and just spend some time getting to know one another. Good times for sure. And thanks to everyone that helped to make these events successful. Your hard work and commitment is very much appreciated. Now, as we head into summer, many of our chapters are planning projects that get folks out to help the fisheries and habitats that we all treasure and enjoy so much. There will be projects to plant trees and willows, work on eliminating barriers, tracking fish to find out more about their movements with Adopt-A-Trout projects, stream enhancements, kids’ fishing days, educational events, casting clinics, picnics and many other great opportunities to help fisheries and promote the sport of fishing across the state. Hopefully many of you will have the chance to get out and help with one or two of the projects/events in your neck of the woods. Many of our chapters move away from traditional chapter meetings during the summer, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything going on. Keep in touch with your chapter happenings, watch your e-mail, check your chapter Facebook page and check out your chapter’s web page. Things are going on, and many volunteers are out there doing good things for our fisheries. Thanks to all of the committed volunteers for the good work and fun times together that are taking place and being planned during the summer months when
the days are longer and the fish are looking up. Summer also will bring new opportunities to get out and fish. Head into the mountains to fish a favorite stream or lake, or go exploring and find a new water. Put the boat on the river and go for a float, or put the belly boat or pontoon on the water and look for a cruising fish. Don’t forget to look up once in a while and check out the great scenery and wildlife along the way. Our great state offers many different options when it comes to fishing, and that’s one of the many reasons we enjoy this country so much. Get out there and try something different and new this summer if you can. I recently had the opportunity to get out on Flaming Gorge to try some traditional lake trout fishing for the first time. I had a great time — even caught a couple of pretty good fish and spent a fun day with a couple of friends on the water doing something different. We recently had a chapter meeting presentation by our good friend Charlie Card who discussed smallmouth fishing on the Gorge and a friend and I went out a couple of weeks later and spent some time targeting some smallmouth and had a blast putting some of Charlie’s pointers to the test. So get out and try something new and you’ll probably have some fun along the way. Thanks again for all you do to help our fisheries, and have a great summer! 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 Fall 2015 newsletter (October, November and December) will be September 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 Scott Christy Wyoming Coordinator schristy@tu.org
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 • Scott Christy, Wyoming Coordinator
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SUMMER 2015
SPRING EVENTS, continued from page 1 WYTU staff, volunteers and chapter representatives. The meeting included a variety of topics, reports and discussions covered by both staff and volunteers and was, as usual, informative and provided chapters with useful information to take home to their respective chapter members. Topics included updates regarding the council’s financial status, Wyoming Coordinator report from Scott Christy, NLC report from Jim Broderick, Wyoming Water Project updates from Wyoming Water Project Director Cory Toye, Sportsmen’s Conservation Program updates from former intermountain director Dave Glenn, Yellowstone Lake update from Dave Sweet, Walt Gasson gave an update on the Trout Unlimited Endorsed Business program and the conservation committee report from chair Diana Miller to name a few. Mark Fowden and Steve Sharon of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department also gave updates on the department’s fisheries programs and funding issues. The council’s new strategic plan for the next five years was presented and approved by those in attendance. Elections were also held as per the council’s bylaws for officer positions on the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited executive committee. ABOVE: Platte Valley Re-elected to two-year terms were Calvin chapter representatives Jeff Streeter, left, and Jim Hazlewood as chairman, Cole Sherard as vice chairman and Mike Jensen as past chairman. Jim States, right, present Broderick was elected to another one-year term as Cole Sherard and the the Wyoming’s representative to the National Laramie Valley with the Leadership Council. It should be noted that curWYTU Bucking Fish award during the spring rent council treasurer Dave Sweet meeting. is looking to leave that post as RIGHT: Speas Fish soon as a new Hatchery tour on treasurer is found Sunday morning WYTU PHOTOS/Mike Jensen and the secretary position is currently open. Saturday evening, the group gathered at Poor Boys Steakhouse for dinner. The Sunday morning session featured an outstanding presentation by retired Bureau of Reclamation Wyoming Area Manager John Lawson, who discussed North Platte River water management. Afterward, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department gave a tour of the Speas Fish Hatchery in Casper. The hatchery has quickly gained a reputation of being one of the country’s best hatchery operations found anywhere. The WYTU fall council meeting will be held in Sheridan on November 6-8. Watch your e-mail, as well as the WYTU website and facebook page for more details as they become available. 2015 Trout Unlimited Western Regional Meeting WYTU was extremely proud to host the 2015 Trout Unlimited Western Regional Meeting held in Jackson Hole on May 1 and 2. Close to 120 participants from around the west, including Wyoming, converged on the Snow King Resort in
As you travel around Wyoming this summer, 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
Colorado Cutthroat Trout: Oncorhynchus clarki pleuriticus Conserving and protecting Wyoming’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds... That’s what we do. Join us. 409 Lincoln Street Lander, WY 82520 Phone: 307.332.6700 www.wyomingtu.org
See SPRING EVENTS page 4 SUMMER 2015
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SPRING EVENTS, continued from page 3 Jackson for the two-day conference. According to Wyoming’s own Beverly Smith, who serves as Trout Unlimited’s vice president for volunteer operations, TU holds regional meetings around the country annually for three primary reasons. The meetings provide members with an opportunity to network with other volunteer leaders and develop working relationships, facilitate communication from the grassroots level in the region to national TU, and vice versa, and to create a forum to learn about, discuss and analyze common issues, develop possible solutions and build cooperative efforts to address common issues. And Smith noted the meeting in Jackson did just that. Over 94 percent of the attendees agreed the meeting delivered on its goals. Some of the comments after the meeting included “Great mix of presentations, location and attendees.” Another participant said, “If I could only go to one meeting each year, this would be it. It’s always excellent.” The two-day meeting began with TU’s Vice President for Western Conservation Rob Masonis giving his “State of Western TU” address to participants where he recapped the past year’s successes and looked forward to future opportunities and challenges that TU will experience. Other sessions during the twoday meeting included a wide range of topics including TU’s Women’s Initiative (featuring Wyoming’s own Hillary Walrath); an introduction to chapter-based stream monitoring activities, a non-profit leadership workshop, a presentation on building relationships with guides, outfitters and businesses and many, many more. Several Wyoming TU staff and volunteers participated in an open forum called “Building Clout for Trout: A Wyoming Example of Effective Grassroots Advocacy.” They included Wyoming Coordinator Scott Christy, WYTU Chair Calvin Hazlewood, WYTU NLC Representative Jim Broderick and former Intermountain Director for the Sportsmen’s
Conservation Project Dave Glenn. On Friday night, participants enjoyed a barbecue dinner sponsored by Upslope Brewing. The weather was perfect and everyone gathered at the Teton County Fairgrounds for a tasty dinner catered by Bubba’s Bar-B-Que of Jackson. Saturday night found some of the participants joining the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited and the Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited Chapter for their Third Annual Tie-One-On Banquet held at Teton Village. While the area was experiencing runoff conditions on most area waters, some of the participants did manage to get out and find some fishing opportunities. According to Smith, next year’s meeting will be held in Eugene, Oregon, and will not be held during runoff. Editor’s note: Beverly Smith contributed to this story. Thank you Beverly! Third Annual Tie-One-On Banquet For the third year in a row, Wyoming Trout Unlimited (WYTU) and the Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited Chapter (JHTU) rallied to host yet another premier fundraising event on May 2 — the Tie-One-On Banquet. WYTU and JHTU Third Annual Also for the third year in a row, TIE-ONE-ON BANQUET the very popular and sold out Teton Village • Jackson Hole, Wyoming event was held at the beautiful Hotel Terra in Teton Village and over 200 conservation supporters were in attendance for a great evening and to help raise money to benefit coldwater fisheries conservation in Teton County and across Wyoming. Trout Unlimited Western Water Project Director Scott Yates and JHTU board member Tote Turner served as master of ceremonies for the evening. The event featured raffles, a terrific live auction that showcased the auctioneering talents of Jeff Dougherty, games and silent auction. Local Jackson bluegrass band “PTO” kept those in attendance in good spirits by playing throughout the evening. A very special thanks goes to event sponsor First Western Trust who played a major role in the success of the banquet. “What a great event!” said Wyoming Coordinator and event organizer Scott Christy. “I can’t even begin to thank our event sponsor First Western Trust, our many fantastic donors and an incredible group of volunteers from Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited and Wyoming Trout Unlimited who made this banquet possible.”
See SPRING EVENTS page 5
CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: 1) Upslope Brewing sponsored the Friday evening barbecue for participants of the Western Regional Meeting at the Teton County Fairgrounds. 2) Former Intermountain Director for the Sportsmen’s Conservation Project Dave Glenn, WYTU Chair Calvin Hazlewood, WYTU NLC Representative Jim Broderick and Wyoming Coordinator Scott Christy during the “Building Clout For Trout” forum. 3) Wyoming Coordinator Scott Christy engages participants during his Council Round Table workshop. 4) Upper Bear River Trout Unlimited Chapter Treasurer Jim Hissong from Evanston, Wyoming, managed to find fishing opportunities on the Snake River Sunday morning after the Western Regional Meeting concluded. 5) Jackson Hole Board members and volunteers Leslie Steen and Tote Turner, along with Western Water Project Director Scott Yates, were all smiles at the banquet. Turner and Yates shared master of ceremony duties. WYTU PHOTOS/Mike Jensen and Mark Tesoro
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SPRING EVENTS, continued from page 4 LEFT: The incredibly hardworking and very talented volunteers from the Jackson Hole TU chapter include (from left); Marley Vaughn, JuliAnne Forrest, Leslie Steen, Kathleen Doffermyre and Barb Allen. Seated, in the glasses, is JHTU board member Tyler Halquist.
ABOVE RIGHT: WYTU volunteers that helped with the front desk included (seated) Werner Studer and Amy Hazlewood. Standing are Jodi Jensen and Calvin Hazlewood.
Congratulations to the “Tour de Wyoming” guided fishing trip winners who were announced during the banquet. They were Mark Tesoro, Jim Summers, Jim Hissong and John Turner. Each winner won two, guided fishing trips each on Wyoming and area waters. Wyoming Trout Unlimited and Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited would like to give a huge “thanks” to the guides and outfitters from I Fish 307, Wind River Troutfitters, the Lodge at Palisades Creek, The Wandering Angler, Ugly Bug Fly Shop/Crazy Rainbow, Wyoming Angling Company, Triangle X and DuNoir Fishing Adventures for their outstanding support and donations. A big thanks, too, to everyone in attendance who supported the event. “We can’t say thanks enough and we appreciate your generosity and support of coldwater conservation in the Cowboy State,” Christy said.
RIGHT: A great crowd was on hand for the Third Annual TieOne-On Banquet. WYTU PHOTOS/ Mike Jensen
Trout Unlimited updated brand and national logo Editor’s Note: This blog posting was first published on Trout Unlimited’s website on May 29, 2015. By JOEL JOHNSON Trout Unlimited Chief Marketing Officer
Y
ou may have noticed something different about the May Life campaign mailers hitting your mailbox right about now. Trout Unlimited has updated its national logo — the first update in many years. Over the past year, as Chief Marketing Officer, I have been looking at all aspects of the TU brand in order to help us better answer the question, “why should I join/support TU?” In the last year volunteers, members like you, trustees and our grassroots leaders have been researching, designing, taking feedback and working to clarify the TU brand, from the logo to our brand promise. After months of design and rounds of feedback from leaders and staff, here is the updated national TU logo. You’ll find the new logo is a really more an update than a complete do-over. In design reviews, we heard this approach was familiar yet appealing. It maintains our powerful visual equities, while also sporting a more modern look. We made four fundamental changes.
SUMMER 2015
1. The trout is more distinguishable as a trout, livelier, an energetic fish you want to protect or catch. 2.ÊOur recognizable blue and green colors were darkened and standardized for easier reproduction. 3.ÊThe font has been unified and standardized. 4.ÊWe designed the national logo to work as a leader of a “family” of logos, so TU programs, Chapters and Councils could have the option of high-quality standard logos of their own that were consistently branded. Why these changes? It is well known that a brand is not a logo, it’s the sum of an experience. However, one important aspect of our brand experience is the TU logo. The logo is now 15 years old, and has served us well. That said, it also had its “issues.” For example, the font was not commercially available anymore. The old logo did not make it easy to promote programs or giving levels with a standard look. TU guidelines did not provide chapters and councils with a clear path to incorporate the design into their own logos. Finally, and this rankled many members for a while, the fish was not obviously a trout.ÊÊÊÊ Please know that we have no intention of doing away with chapter and council logos. In fact, our recent brand research indicated chapter logos can be a source of pride but our members also want consistent guidelines on how, when and where to use their logos. New brand guidelines coming this summer will express and define the TU brand, and will offer several options for chapters and councils to update their own logos with clear design rules (including the option of keeping their current logo). Simultaneously, we also developed and tested our brand’s promise in two member surveys. We tested and foundÊthe following statement “Trout
See NEW TU LOGO page 15 Page 5
Wyoming Water Project staff continues awesome work for Wyoming fish By CORY TOYE Wyoming Water Project Director It’s a great time to be in our amazing state! All of Wyoming looks like a postcard with green meadows, white-capped mountains and rivers running at full tilt. Make sure you get out and enjoy it. 2015 promises to be another great year for restoration and reconnect work in Wyoming for Trout Unlimited (TU). Together with our partners, we will reconnect fragmented habitat, restore degraded river systems and replace irrigation infrastructure to improve conditions for trout. Over 15 projects will hit the ground this year. Below is a list of a few of the many projects we have in the works for this year. Please contact your nearest available TU staffer if you have any questions about the projects or how you can get involved. Here is to another successful year in the field – grab a shovel!
update
Middle Powder Reconnect Project The Hole in the Wall Ranch near Kaycee maintains two structures to divert water from the Middle Fork of the Powder River for irrigation operations. The existing structures are push-up dams that require frequent maintenance and are rebuilt after high flow events in the spring. Maintenance of the structure requires heavy machinery to push gravel into a berm so water can flow into irrigation ditches. Push-up dams are typical across the A beautiful rainbow trout from the state of Wyoming and Middle Fork of the Powder River. in most cases prevent WYTU PHOTO/Scott Yates barriers for the upstream movement of trout and other fish species during certain flow conditions throughout the year. Maintenance of push-up dams creates disturbances to the stream channel and associated riparian area. The upstream diversion on the Hole in the Wall Ranch becomes a barrier during low flow conditions at the end of the summer/early fall when brown trout are attempting to spawn. This is evidenced by numerous redds that can be seen at the foot of the structure where trout are attempting to move upstream to spawn. The Hole in the Wall Ranch borders the famed Middle Fork of the Powder River Canyon that is a fishing destination for anglers across the west. The segment of the river immediately above the ranch is also protected to maintain minimum flows by instream flow rights held by the state of Wyoming. The upper diversion on the ranch is within a half-mile of the public
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land. Rehabilitating the diversion structure to facilitate upstream fish movement will have a direct benefit on public fishing by improving population densities, allowing spawning and rearing activities and allowing repopulation of the upper habitats in the case of disease, fire or other event that displaces the existing population. Coon Creek Reconnect In 2006, ten man-made barriers to fish and other aquatic and riparian dependent species on the East Fork of the Encampment and the mainstem of the Encampment Rivers existed. Trout Unlimited, in collaboration with the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust, agencies and landowners, have already removed four barriers. This project represents the removal of three additional barriers; leaving just three barriers more to address in the entire watershed. From 1983 until 1996, the Rocky Mountain Research Station and the Medicine Bow National Forest conducted a paired Pictured is one of two sites of the Coon watershed study in Creek/East Fork Barrier Removal Project. the Coon Creek and The sites will be cleaned up, the East Fork of the channels contoured and reconnected. Encampment drainWYTU PHOTO/Jeff Streeter ages to evaluate the effects of timber harvest on streamflow and sediment yields. The study required the construction of instream weirs. The site infrastructure has deteriorated to the point of not being functional. The existing weirs impede fish and other aquatic organisms from moving up-and downstream in Coon Creek and the Upper East Fork Encampment River. This project will provide aquatic organism passage at weirs/barriers on Coon Creek and the East Fork of the Encampment River by removing infrastructure, contouring the river channel, seeding and planting willows. East Muddy Creek Populations of Colorado River cutthroat trout, flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker and roundtail chub historically occupied portions of the Upper Muddy Creek watershed in southern Carbon County, Wyoming. These once viable populations have experienced declines and are now classified as sensitive fish species within the Wyoming Game and fish Department (WGFD). The cause of these population declines has been attributed to habitat loss (e.g. barriers to movement and degradation of riparian habitat) and the introduction of invasive non-native fish species. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), along with the WGFD, Trout Unlimited (TU) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are actively involved in the development and implementation of conservation plans for Colorado River cutthroat trout (a cold water species), and bluehead sucker,
See WYOMING WATER PROJECT page 7 SUMMER 2015
WYOMING WATER PROJECT,
continued from page 6
flannelmouth sucker, and roundtail chub (warm water species). These plans lay out the process by which stream habitats in the Upper Muddy Creek watershed would be improved in order to allow populations of sensitive fish species to persist in this drainage and prevent the listing of these species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as amended. To date, approximately 31 miles of stream within the Muddy Creek watershed have been chemically treated to remove invasive non-native fishes. Of the 31 miles of treated streams, 11 miles were stocked with native Colorado River cutthroat trout in the fall of 2001, and annual stockings have occurred since. One of the three warmwater native fish species have been reintroduced by the WGFD into the treated areas, the other two are pending the The East Muddy Creek Diversion results of genetic analysis and will be taken out and rebuilt to the development of a reintroallow fish passage and a more duction plan. stable and reliable diversion Failing grade control strucstructure for the water user. tures on East Muddy Creek WYTU PHOTO/Nick Walrath has led to vertical instability, stream bank instability, inchannel erosion and risk of irrigation structure failure. As a result of the vertical instability and channel down-cutting, fish passage is inhibited. This project will restore fish passage to this proposed reach. Future work on East Muddy Creek includes stream bank stabilization and vertical stability work both upstream and downstream of the proposed reach. This project will be engineered so that future stream work is connected both upstream and downstream of the proposed design.
Ishawooa Creek Reconnect and Fish Screening The Ishawooa Creek drainage is comprised of more than 10 miles of pristine Yellowstone cutthroat Trout (YCT) spawning and rearing habitat but is currently disconnected from the South Fork Shoshone River during late season flows. The stream goes dry 800 meters from the confluence with the mainstem South Fork which prevents all out-migrating young-of-the-year YCT from reaching this prime juvenile habitat. The source of the disconnection is an irrigation diversion that serves the TE Ranch. Fortunately, the ranch uses a portion of this water near the mainstem South Fork. TU and project partners will install a fish screen in the irrigation ditch that will redirect fish into a return channel that is connected to the mainstem South Fork. This will allow all migrating Ishawooa Creek This old diversion currently entrains all outfish, at all times of migrating young-of-year Yellowstone the year, to reach cutthroat trout (YCT) from Ishawooa Creek. the South Fork. It will be replaced with a modern, fishThis project will friendly system that will reroute YCT to the allow fluvial YCT mainstem South Fork Shoshone River. WYTU PHOTO/Tommy Thompson and their progeny to complete their seasonal migration from Ishawooa Creek back into the South Fork Shoshone River. This will ensure that during each following spring, the maximum number of individuals in the system will be triggered to return to Ishawooa Creek (which is almost entirely on public land) to spawn. These outcomes combine to improve the health and resiliency of the entire South Fork Shoshone River fishery and will increase angling opportunities for the public.
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Sense of place... By WALT GASSON Trout Unlimited Director of Endorsed Businesses
S
ometimes I wish I was better at putting it into words. It’s hard — even if you’re used to working with words. It’s hard to tell someone what’s in your heart when it comes to the things that are closest to you. It’s too personal, too close to your heart. How do you tell someone who doesn’t know you very well that you know all the words to “Strawberry Roan”? How do you tell them that you love the way the Charles Marion Russell captured the light of the early morning in sagebrush country? That being horseback just makes you feel like you’re more alive? How do you tell them that your heart and your soul is so firmly attached to Wyoming that it’s hard to know where one stops and the other begins? I can talk for hours about hunting, fishing and my family but I can barely choke out a halting phrase or two when it comes to the sense of place that has sustained me for as long I can remember. Wallace Stegner said that that sense of place is about the knowledge that there is a place that we belong, a shared geography and shared values. But how do you talk about a shared geography to people who believe that golf is being in the outdoors? How do you help them smell the coffee the old man poured from the Thermos in the eerie green light of the dashboard of his pickup as we headed off to fish North Cottonwood Creek in the summer of 1964? How do you take someone from their smart phone to the way the horse’s back twitches under your hand when you’re brushing him down in the half-light of evening? How do you speak of God and freedom and humility to someone who has never felt any of them? I don’t know. I don’t think that sense of place, that faith and freedom and humility, comes by accident. Neither do I think it comes from a book. I think it comes the only way it has ever come – by experience. I can’t fix the world. But I want my children and my grandchildren to know what is important. I want them to hear sandhill cranes passing overhead in a chorus of those bugle calls that Aldo Leopold said were the last reminders of the Pleistocene. I want them to smell the musk of elk in the air, and I want them to be able to move through the timber with no more sound than the breeze. I want them to know the feel of a brown trout as it hammers their fly and tail-walks halfway across the stream – even if only happens in their dreams. I want them to feel Wyoming in their hearts and to love it in the
How do you help them smell the coffee the old man poured from the Thermos in the eerie green light of the dashboard of his pickup as we headed off to fish North Cottonwood Creek in the summer of 1964?
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depths of their being, no matter where they are. In the end, I don’t have much I can give them. I suppose when God calls me home there will be some material things they may inherit. Most of it isn’t all that important. I want one of them to have my elk rifle. Someone ought to have the beaded riding gloves Dick Son’s wife made for my grandfather. But more than any of this, I want them to have a love for God and for this hard country we call home. I want them to love it and respect it and to know what has been and what still could be in this, the most thinly inhabited part of fly-over country. Maybe if I can help them keep their feet firmly planted on the ground, their eyes on the horizon and their hearts in Wyoming, maybe that will be what I can do. And that may well be the only thing of importance that I can ever share with them. I don’t know how you feel about this special place. I can only imagine that if you’re reading this, it’s because you love the wild things and wild places that make Wyoming special. If you do, and if you’re wondering how we might help the next couple of generations come to know and love it as we do, then I have one suggestion for you this summer: Take someone fishing. Make it a kid if you can. If you don’t have one in your family, go borrow one. But take them fishing. Let them feel the magic. Talk with them about what they’re seeing and feeling. Give them a running start on that sense of place that will sustain them and the places we hold so dear. God bless you for what you’re doing. Have a great summer.
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.
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SUMMER 2015
seedskadee chapter
•
green river and rock springs, w y o m i n g
A little friendly competition at the fly tying vise: Iron Fly style! By NICK WALRATH Green River Project Manager for Trout Unlimited
D
uring the last few hours of light on the last Friday of April, a rowdy bunch of young guys with beards and tattoos were standing below the bridge of the main drag in Green River, Wyoming, looking at the river. The bunch wasn’t conspiring about some new graffiti under the bridge, they were talking about what flies to use. This group of dudes skipped out on their hip, cool and rad Fort Collins weekend to help out with a fly tying event in Green River. The group calls themselves Pig Farm Ink. They grew from a handful of guys in Fort Collins that liked to tie flies and have some beers at their house to a fly tying and fly fishing phenomena. Social media catapulted the group to “epic” proportions. They started by moving their tying night to a popular bar and had some tying competitions — they called it the “Iron Fly” (think Iron Chef meets fly tying). The Iron Fly is a fun laid-back event that helps break the initial barriers some people have about fly fishing and the fly fishing community. Hundreds of Iron Fly events have been held all around the country from Virginia to Oregon. In some people’s eyes, this group may not look like the face of fly fishing. However, as the popularity of fly fishing grows and the younger generation starts looking for ways to get out and enjoy the outdoors, its face is changing. Groups like Pig Farm Ink and events like the Iron Fly offer that outlet. So much so that the Pig Farm Ink boys have a saying “Fly fishing saves lives” (#flyfishingsaveslives). I don’t know any of their personal stories, but talking to some of them this quote means a lot. Maybe fly fishing has given some a new hobby and maybe it has pulled others from a darker place. Whatever the context, one thing resonates with them — fly fishing is “Bad-A...” The Green River Iron Fly was held at the busiest bar in Green River on a Friday night. There were 20 fly tying vises set up and six challenges throughout the night. The tying seats were filled all night — many times with beginner fly tyers. After sitting around tying, telling stories and listening to the bluegrass band for an hour or two, the first challenge started. It was a timed San Juan worm (SJW). Easy right? As materials were handed out and the tyers readied themselves
WYTU CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT
SUMMER 2015
for the fastest SJW of their lives, a “curve ball” was sent their way. On the megaphone, competitors were told to go find someone in the bar that has never tied a fly and teach them to tie a SJW. This broke the ice and got some people at the vise that may not have even tried it. After each challenge, hats, stickers, fly fishing line, etc., were handed out to the tyers of, what the “judges” voted as, the top flies. The sixth and final challenge was the “main event” — the Iron Fly. For this final challenge, each tyer was given a mystery bag of random materials to make what the judges called the “fishiest” fly. The materials included a piece of quarter-inch diameter rope, and some very colorful and less than ideal tying materials. The event was a success. Beers were drunk. A good times had by all. The Pig Farm boys aren’t your conventional fly fisherman, but they are all passionate about fly fishing and getting people involved — taking people fishing and teaching people how to wrap thread around a hook. They all came to Green River from Fort Collins for nothing, just a chance to fish some new water and have a good time. In our Trout Unlimited chapter meetings and events, we can send a snooty message, even if we don’t mean COURTESY PHOTO/Clint Kendall to. Sometimes, everyone needs to just let go, have fun and talk about business later. A huge thank you to the following businesses, organizations and individuals for making this event a great success — The Fish Bowl, Green River Steamboat, volunteers from the Seedskadee Chapter of TU and Pig Farm Ink. Nick Walrath is the Green River Project Manager for Trout Unlimited. Nick is a Wyoming native from Torrington. He lives with his beautiful wife and daughter in Green River and never misses a chance to get out and enjoy everything Wyoming has to offer – hunting, fishing, skiing, etc. Throughout the summer he pretends to be a farmer in the family’s small back yard, trying to grow everything from watermelon to spinach.
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WYTU NEWS NOTES
Trout Unlimited loses a very good friend and conservation partner Members of Trout Unlimited — particularly those members in Wyoming — are mourning the loss of good friend and conservationist Luke Lynch from Jackson Hole. He died in an unfortunate avalanche on Mt. Moran in Grand Teton National Park on May 17. He was climbing/skiing with three other individuals — Stephen P. Adamson, Jr., Brook Yeoman and Zahan “Z” Billimoria. Adamson, Jr. succumbed to his injuries and passed away on May 20. COURTESY PHOTO/ Lynch was a resident of Jackson and the Sam Moulton Wyoming director of the Conservation Fund, whose state branch he founded in 2006, and which has preserved 150,000 acres of wild lands and critical habitat across Wyoming since its founding. He loved the outdoors and the thrill of adventure and was an active member of the Jackson Hole Community. Luke was married to former TU staffer Kathy Lynch and they have three sons. A memorial fund in Lynch’s name has been established at the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole.
Wyoming Trout Unlimited hits 1000th like on Facebook page Congratulations are in order for Eileen Butler of Spanish Fork, Utah. She was officially recognized as the 1000th like on the Wyoming Trout Unlimited (WYTU) Facebook page recently. For her efforts, she will receive a WYTU prize pack that includes a brand new WYTU bucking fish hat and cool can koozie! Thanks to everyone who follows the WYTU Facebook page. Check daily for updates and useful information regarding coldwater conservation and habitat work in the Cowboy State.
Seasoned outdoor media veteran joins TU intermountain communications team Brett Prettyman, a longtime outdoor reporter/ editor for the Salt Lake Tribune, has joined the Trout Unlimited communications team for the Intermountain region. “Please join me in welcoming Brett to our communications team,” said Trout Unlimited National Director of Communications Chris Hunt. “He will handle all the communication work for the Intermountain region and fill a much-needed void in that region.”
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According to Hunt, Prettyman, who has a stellar reputation in the Rocky Mountain region’s media world, began his new position on June 1.
Tour de Wyoming guided fishing trip winners announced Wyoming Trout Unlimited and the Jackson Hole Chapter of Trout Unlimited are proud to announce the winners of eight great guided fishing trips at the Third Annual Tie-One-On Banquet on May 2. All proceeds raised from the sale of Tour de Wyoming raffle tickets will be used toward coldwater conservation and habitat restoration projects in Jackson and around Wyoming. The guided fishing trip winners are: n Jim Summers who won the Bighorn River trip provided by Wind River Troutfitters; and the South Fork of the Snake River guided fishing trip provided by the Lodge at Palisades Creek. n Mark Tesoro won the Wind River Range guided fishing trip provided by I Fish 307; and the Snake or Salt River guided fishing trip provided by The Wandering Angler. n John Turner won the North Platte River guided fishing trip provided by Ugly Bug/Crazy Rainbow; and the canyon of the Snake River guided fishing trip provided by the Wyoming Angling Company. n Jim Hissong won the Firehole River guided walk/wade fishing trip provided by the Triangle X; and the Bighorn River guided fishing trip provided by DuNoir Fishing Adventures. A very special thanks goes to the generous guides, outfitters and fly shops that provided these incredible trips. And a huge thanks goes to everyone who purchased raffle tickets. Your generous support is, as always, most appreciated.
Conservation committee to host summer tour in southwest Wyoming Join Wyoming Trout Unlimited and the conservation committee for a tour of the Bear River and Smith’s Fork River water projects on Saturday, July 25, in southwest Wyoming. The tour, designed to showcase and discuss water project work in the area, will be led by our esteemed Wyoming Water Project Director Cory Toye. The tour will begin by meeting at Wagner’s Chevron in Diamondville at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 25. The tour will conclude that day at a beautiful spot along Hobble Creek with time left for fishing. WYTU will host a barbecue at the Hobble Creek Campground that evening. Spend the evening camping at the same campground or make reservations at the Clark County Bed and Breakfast, a TU partner. Space is limited to a maximum of 20 participants. For more information or to make your reservation, contact Conservation Chair Diana Miller at 307.699.3311 or e-mail her at diana.miller13@gmail.com by July 17.
Do you have an item for “WYTU News Notes?”
WYTU NEWS NOTES
Send your information via e-mail to Scott Christy at: schristy@tu.org or Mike Jensen at: trouthut@gmail.com
SUMMER 2015
NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL Good intentions... LOST: Original column intended for this space. Last seen leaving my e-mail program on or around June 1. Sent into the Ethernet, but it has not arrived at the computer of our illustrious editor. If found, please print and send it to the WYTU office.
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his may be evidence of “good ‘ol day” syndrome but remember when you could rely on the post office to send your correspondence and rely on it to arrive in a timely manner? I don’t know about your post office, but that reliability disappeared from mine, causing me to rely on e-mail. Events of the past few months have caused me to become disillusioned with that method of communication, too. First, e-mails would seemingly get randomly bounced…almost precisely one week after I sent them. There was no rhyme or reason to it but the web company finally fixed it. Then, one day my e-mail stopped working. All the settings in my mail program stopped working, web mail rejected me and I couldn’t even log into the control panel for my website. After numerous conversations with the web hosting company, it was determined that individuals with nefarious intentions had hijacked the server in which my site was hosted. Yes, the operative word is “was.” Oh, how this all makes me long for the days when my mail would miraculously find me even if it was only addressed “Jimmy B., somewhere near Grand Tetons, Wyoming 8300_.” It doesn’t take too much in the way of smarts to know how many errors, inconsistencies or omissions exist in such an address. Of course, the proper delivery of that piece of mail probably had more to do with some secret pact between the post office and little old ladies throughout the world that allowed my 102-year-old grandma to successfully send her birthday wishes to me based on a vague address and a few kind words of encouragement softly spoken to the mail carrier in her broken English. Yes, those were the days. Why am I bothering to take all this column space to tell you this? Intentions. I had good ones when I sent my original column to the editor. And, much like my grandma’s birthday intentions for me, my intention to convey to you some useful NLC news will not be denied. Did I mention that my original column is filed so securely in my computer that I can’t find it? I wonder if I could hire a hacker to find it. But I digress; what follows is my best re-creation of the original column and the important information I intended to convey. As you may or may not know, Trout Unlimited spent much of the last year working on a new strategic plan. Since the last plan only covered through 2014, our illustrious leaders figured we better plan for what we’re going to be doing from now through 2020. With all due respect to tortoises everywhere, don’t worry, TU will not be changing its name to Tortoises Unlimited; we’ll continue to focus on trout as we have now done for over fifty years. But if you have a chance to peruse the TU.org website, I encourage you to read the updated strategic plan. I think you will find it maintains the protect, reconnect, restore and sustain mission to which we have all become accustomed while outlining some lofty, perhaps visionary,
goals for which we will strive. This is where my intent comes into play: when was the last time your chapter updated its strategic plan? I know the temptation is to write it, approve it and file it away somewhere (maybe it’s with my column). We all know, however, that is not the best use of a strategic plan. Plan your work and work your plan, right? If your chapter isn’t doing that, are you meeting the full potential of your chapter? For that matter, is your chapter still onboard with what you’re doing in the way of conservation work and member engagement? Here’s an idea: use those days during summer thunderstorms when it’s not safe to be out fishing to have a gander at the national strategic plan. Then, take a look at your chapter’s strategic plan and compare the two (If you can’t find your chapter’s plan shoot me an e-mail and I’ll send it to you. Yes, I have all of them for our Wyoming chapters). Finally, ask yourself the above questions. Are you on track with the ideas expressed in your plan or might you want to consider updating it to reflect the things you have accomplished and your newer interests? If you’re like most organizations, your plan could probably use a refresh. Or, perhaps this quick review helps to quell a chapter squabble over what you think you should be doing and sets everyone on the same path again. Either way, I promise you will find it a useful exercise and I will be happy to help guide you through the process.
When fall comes around and your chapter begins to consider future projects, I promise you’ll find this forethought to be very helpful
SUMMER 2015
As if that weren’t enough, does your plan contain a conservation agenda? National’s plan does. In fact, I’m currently chairing the National Leadership Council work group charged with updating the National Conservation Agenda to ensure it is complementary to the strategic plan. We anticipate completing revisions and updates in time for approval at the annual meeting planned for Scranton, Pennsylvania, in September. I can hear you wondering, “What’s so significant about that?” Well, the National Conservation Agenda puts into “real” terms what the grassroots (i.e., all of you) is doing to help all of Trout Unlimited realize the goals expressed in the strategic plan. I have no qualms suggesting to all of you that you might find it quite useful in setting priorities for your own chapters. I’ll state it again: plan your work and work your plan. In short, there are an abundance of planning tools to help all of us do everything we can to protect our coldwater fisheries here in Wyoming. Take a moment or two this summer when you’re resting that behemoth fish that you just put down by “lining” him again (I can’t be the only who regularly does this) and begin to think about planning your chapter’s work. When fall comes around and your chapter begins to consider future projects, I promise you’ll find this forethought to be very helpful. 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. E-mail Jim at: jim@rmrm.biz.
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WYTU CHAPTER CHATTER UPPER BEAR RIVER CHAPTER
Information Provided By RICK SLAGOWSKI and JIM HISSONG Chapter President and Treasurer The 2015 Upper Bear River Chapter Banquet held in May was a huge success. There were 220 supporters in attendance and the chapter put close to $18,000 in the bank to be used for our conservation and habitat projects in southwest Wyoming. Congratulations to Robin Rhodes who received the 2015 “Trout Bum of the Year” award and the Gun Room in Evanston received the chapter’s prestigious Business of the Year award. The chapter recently hosted yet another Robin Rhodes and highly popular Rick Slagowski ro WYTU PHOTO/Mark Teso Kids’ Fishing day event on June 27 where several hundred kids and family members were on hand. Prizes, fishing gear and a free lunch were provided by the chapter and participating sponsors. Rick Slagow ski and The chapter continues to fund Mark Anders survey and data collection on the Booth WYTU PHOTO on. /Mark Tesoro Ditch project on the Bear River. In the foreseeable future, a push-up dam will be removed and a fish-friendly head gate will be constructed and installed to restore much needed habitat in the Bear River.
hands and say —“I can do that” or “I can lead that project” — whether it be big project or a small project, it all helps. Volunteers said “I can” this spring and raised over $17,000 for conservation efforts through two fundraisers. The STU once again received a commissioner’s tag from Commissioner Anselmi. With the assistance of our valued partners at the Muley Fanatic Foundation, the tag sold for $14,500 at their banquet earlier this year. A big thanks to Commissioner Anselmi and our partners at the Muley Fanatic Foundation for providing STU the opportunity to raise so much money for conservation efforts. Members also volunteered their time to organize and host the 2015 FT3 film festival in Rock Springs. After a fun evening featuring the film and a raffle, the chapter members had raised an additional $2,872 for conservation efforts. The STU partnered with the Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) and volunteers from Project Healing Water (PHW) to take several disabled veterans fishing on the Green River below Fontenelle Reservoir. Chapter members donated their time and drift boats to row the veterans and the PHW volunteers for a couple days fishing. The chapter members also sponsored a two casual evening socials with the folks from PHW and SNWR. A good time was had by all. The opportunity to share the Green River fishery with the folks from PHW was a very rewarding experience. Trout Unlimited Green River Project Manager Nick Walrath and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) launched an Adopt-ATrout project on the Green River this spring. Twenty brown trout and 15 burbot were tagged with radio transmitters so biologists can track their movements and better understand how they use the Green River. Biologists hope to learn how the trout use the river and glean ideas for improving the trout population. Similarly, biologists are hoping to learn how burbot use the Green River. Unfortunately for the burbot, the hope
SEEDSKADEE CHAPTER Information Provided By ROBB KEITH Chapter President
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one ght from the Green River by A beautiful brown trout cau volunteers. of the Project Healing WaterU PHOTO/Tom Koerner Seedskadee Chapter WYT
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Wow – the Seedskadee Chapter of Trout Unlimited (STU) has had a great first half of 2015. Many chapter members have stepped up and volunteered their time and energy to raise funds for future projects and to get projects on the ground. I am always impressed by how much an individual or small group of individuals can accomplish when they raise their
See CHAPTER CHATTER page 13
Oh, give me grace to catch a fish so big that even I, when talking of it afterwards, may have no need to lie — Anonymous
SUMMER 2015
CHAPTER CHATTER, continued from page 12 is to figure out ways to further exploit burbot and reduce their numbers. The STU helped get the project on the ground by purchasing some of the radio tags and an ATS receiver for use in tracking the tagged fish. STU members partnered with SNWR and the WGFD to plant narrow leaf cottonwoods on the refuge. Projects like this are invaluable to help maintain the cottonwood tree galleries that sustain both terrestrial and aquatic life along and in the Green River. STU volunteers and agency personnel planted over 400 cottonwood poles that were originally cut from an overgrown stand on private land in Farson. Most of the planted poles will root and become mighty trees some day. STU members stepped up when SNWR personnel needed help earlier this year. STU volunteers assisted with school programs at the refuge during April and May. They helped refuge personnel teach students from numerous schools about aquatic resources and riparian areas. Members also volunteered their time to repair and paint countless fence crossovers on the refuge, ensuring anglers, hunters and general recreationalists can safely enjoy Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. Chapter members are also working with SNWR and WGFD personnel to identify side channels on the refuge that can be reopened to provide habitat diversity along the river corridor. Side channels provide important early rearing habitat for juvenile trout. The second half of the year looks to be just as productive and busy as the first half. Stay tuned for updates in the next edition of this great newsletter
conservation, aquatic entomology and fly fishing. The event will take place on August 8 and 9, and volunteers are needed to help make this event a success. All members and their guests are invited and encouraged to attend our chapter meetings and these events as volunteers are
needed. For more information contact Don Claunch, chapter president at: dlclaunch@gmail.com or by phone at: 307.266.5979
Editor’s Note: Help spread the word on your chapter’s great work, accomplishments and activities! If your chapter would like to be included in the WYTU “Chapter Chatter” section, please send your brief information to Mike Jensen at: trouthut@gmail.com.
CASPER AREA GREY REEF CHAPTER Information Provided By DON CLAUNCH Chapter President The Casper area Grey Reef Chapter meets the first Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Ad Bay offices in Casper. However, there will be no meetings in July or August as we all need to be out fishing! We’ve had several great events including a tour of the Speas Fish Hatchery west of Casper for our June meeting. Also in early June, the chapter assisted with the Wyoming Game and Fish Kids’ Free Fishing Day in Casper. In August, the chapter will host a weekend with the local Girl Scouts and their new Stream Girls program which introduces young women to all aspects of cold water
SUMMER 2015
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WYOMING COORDINATOR
REPORT
Spring changes to Summer — get the kids out fishing!
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pring turning into summer always means all sorts of opportunities to get kids out fishing and helping out our rivers. With kids’ fishing days being conducted by Chapters around the state, and wrapping up TU’s Adopt-ATrout programs for the school year, we’re in full bore education mode trying to get as many youth as possible primed for a fantastic summer of fishing. We recently completed Adopt-A-Trout programs with a spring field days in Jackson, Ranchester, Pinedale, and McKinnon. All of these programs consisted of the students following telemetry tagged fish throughout the school year and then completing a conservation project to give back to local streams or riparian habitat. Our fantastic project partners help us make Students from Ranchester and Adopt-A-Trout programs a success, and we’d like Dayton plant willows on the to thank the Wyoming Game and Fish Padlock Ranch to improve Department, Bridger Teton National Forest, bank stability on a Tongue River Padlock Ranch, the Nature Conservancy, Teton tributary. COURTESY PHOTO/Ann Powers Science School, the Jackson National Fish Tongue River Middle School Teacher Hatchery, Pinedale Middle School, Jackson Hole Middle School, Tongue River Middle School,ÊMcKinnon Elementary School, Wyoming Wildlife Natural Resources Trust, Sweetwater County Conservation District, Southern Rockies Landscape Conservation Cooperative, the Anderson Ranch and the Lonetree Ranch. WYTU has been active in Kids’ Fishing Days across Wyoming. We’ve been lucky enough to get a number of other kids groups on the water and we’d like to give a big thanks to all the volunteers across the state who have given their time helping kids learn how to fish. We can’t say enough good things about giving young folks a connection to the outdoors that will last a lifetime Ft. Washakie kids recently learned how to fly through fishing. fish on Ray Lake located north of Lander. As we head into the coming WYTU PHOTO/Scott Christy summer, take the time and take a young person out fishing with you! Creating the next generation of conservation stewards and outdoor enthusiasts is a win-win across the board. It’ll pay dividends for everyone involved, including the fish. Scott Christy is the Wyoming Coordinator for Trout Unlimited. Originally from Iowa, Scott has an incredible passion for the outdoors — camping, hunting, fishing and whitewater rafting. Scott lives in Lander in order to foolishly chase golden trout in the high country of the Wind River Range all summer. He also pretends to bow hunt for big game in Wyoming, but really only brings home the occasional grouse. E-mail Scott at: schristy@tu.org.
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CALENDAR WYTU JULY 25 WYTU Conservation Committee annual conservation tour will take place in southwest Wyoming. The tour will be led by Wyoming Water Project Director Cory Toye. Projects and locations to be toured will include Bear River and Smith’s Fork River projects. See page 7 for more details on this tour. Space is limited so make your reservation now by calling WYTU Conservation Chair Diana Miller at 307.699.3311. AUGUST 21-23, 2015 Third Annual Cody Wildwest River Fest in Cody, Wyoming. For more information contact Tommy Thompson via e-mail at: tommy.thompson@tu.org or go to: codyriverfest.com. SEPTEMBER 16-20, 2015 Annual Trout Unlimited meeting in Scranton, Pennsylvania. NOVEMBER 6-8, 2015 Mark your calendars now for the Annual Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited fall meeting that will be held in Sheridan, Wyoming. Plans are currently underway to put together another great meeting that will include fishing, Saturday meeting and Sunday morning session. Watch your e-mail for more details and information as they become available. If you have an item for the WYTU calendar, please e-mail to Mike Jensen today at: trouthut@gmail.com.
SUMMER 2015
NEW TU LOGO,
continued from page 5
Unlimited makes fishing better by protecting and restoring the most important habitat for trout and salmon” best represents TU, according to a majority of survey respondents in both surveys. We plan a year-long rollout, and you’ll see this logo start to appear in national communications, like the newsletter, website and social media immediately, but it will take time to swap out the logos so beg your patience. This summer we will distribute a new TU brand book available to everyone with the guidelines for using the national logo, especially in coordination with chapter and council logos. This logo will influence future TU branding, including program and giving level branding. We will hold webinar trainings for chapters and councils in August open to all, and a branding workshop at the annual meeting in Scranton this September. We will move to liquidate our premium inventory and print materials using the old logo over the course of the next year as well. For now, please do not use, copy or adapt the logo from this blog post – this image is low resolution. We will provide and distribute a high-quality set of logos on TU.org and to chapter and council leaders as part of the TU brand book rollout starting this summer. Our goal is to make it simple and easy to adopt. The brand book will fulfill an overdue promise for clarity and instruction to our many volunteers who want our logo to be a stamp of pride and inspiration. A very special thanks goes out to the many staff, chapter and council leaders, National Leadership Council representatives, and members who contributed to this effort, participated in the research, and provided thoughtful advice. For more information on the rollout, questions or comments, please contact me at: jjohnson@tu.org.
classifieds WYTU MISCELLANEOUS NEW! GREAT LOOKING WYOMING TROUT UNLIMITED HATS. Everybody is talking about them and everybody wants one! Get your great looking blue WYTU ball cap today for only $20. Order yours now by simply going to: www.wyomingtu.org and click on the WYTU Store button.
WYTU CAN KOOZIE. Get your great looking brown and gold can koozie with the WYTU logo on it! Only $5 while supplies last! Order yours by going to: www.wyomingtu.org and click on the WYTU Store button.
Joel Johnson is TU’s chief marketing officer. He works from TU’s Arlington, Va., headquarters.Ê
TU BUSINESS MEMBER
What is this? “Trout Tale” Editor Mike Jensen used the “old” TU fish logo as the basic design for this unique piece of artwork. A little plywood, a few old Wyoming license plates, a handful of nails and some BandAids is all it took. The art now proudly hangs on the wall of his man cave.
blogs WORTH CHECKING OUT: STEVEN BRUTGER.: www.stalkingtheseam.com WALT GASSON and FAMILY.: www.threeelkmeadow.blogspot.com TROUT UNLIMITED: www.tu.org/connect/blog FIELD & STREAM (Often featuring our friends Tim Romano and Kirk Deeter): www.fieldandstream.com/fishing/flyfishing TOM REED and CO.: www.mouthfuloffeathers.com SUMMER 2015
BECOME A TROUT UNLIMITED BUSINESS PARTNER! TU Endorsed Businesses are partners with TU in helping anglers experience the passion of fishing and the peace of being out on the water. As the professionals of the fishing industry, their influence is unmatched in sustaining a community for anglers to share and learn more about fish and fishing. Perhaps most importantly, these businesses actively share TU’s commitment to conserving, protecting and restoring North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds for future generations. TU offers two types of business memberships: The TU Endorsed Business membership for outfitters, lodges, fly shops and other fishing-related businesses and the TU Endorsed Guide membership for independent guides. To learn more about this program or for more information, call Director of Endorsed Business Walt Gasson in Cheyenne, Wyoming at (307) 630-7398. 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 Fall 2015 newsletter that will be published on October 1, 2015! To place your ad, contact Wyoming Coordinator Scott Christy by e-mailing him at schristy@tu.org.
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So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu, adieu, adieu, to you and you and you... Trout Unlimited is blessed with great staff, a great CEO and a great mission... but what really sets Trout Unlimited apart is the people like you that are passionate enough to roll rocks, to plant willows to remove a fish barrier, to volunteer to teach kids, to write a check or to pick up the phone or write a letter. Thank you, it’s what makes Trout Unlimited the great organization that it is and it’s what has made me proud to work for TU. We’ve made some great friendships, and I hope those relationships will continue. My new email contact info is: dglenn@wyoming.com. I’ll see you on the river!
Trout Unlimited is blessed with a great staff, a great CEO and a great mission...
Dave Glenn is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys big game hunting, wingshooting and fly fishing. He is the former Intermountain Director for Trout Unlimited’s Sportsmen’s Conservation Project based out of Lander. Dave lives with his three horses, two gun dogs, 11 chickens and a stray cat and enjoys a robust, rousing sing-along of any Jerry Jeff Walker song. You can reach Dave at his new e-mail address at: dglenn@wyoming.com
n WYTU has busy spring hosting three, highlysuccessful events n Walt Gasson shares his thoughts on “Sense of Place” n Iron Fly event a big hit in Green River, Wyoming n Wyoming Water Project continues great work around the Cowboy State n Dave Glenn bids a fond farewell n Blogs worth checking out n Much, much more!
409 Lincoln Street Lander, Wyoming 82520
WYOMING TROUT UNLIMITED
I
’m proud to be part of Wyoming Trout Unlimited. Wyoming is blessed with amazing people and amazing country. Wyoming people have a certain pride, a certain resilience, a certain way of communicating, and a certain way of getting things done. This shows in the great work Wyoming Trout Unlimited volunteers have done throughout the state. From transplanting fish out of irrigation ditches in Cody, to fishing with Wounded Warriors on the Platte, to the Seedskadee chapter improving habitat on Red Creek. Every chapter is making a difference. This doesn’t include the hundreds of you who communicate issues surrounding trout and their watersheds with local and national elected officials. After eight years, and a lot of consideration I’ve decided to move on from Trout Unlimited as the Sportsmen’s Conservation Project Intermountain Director. The hardest part of this decision was knowing that I wouldn’t be working with you fantastic volunteers on a day-to-day basis anymore.