The
TROUT TALE
The official newsletter of the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited Volume 1, Issue 3
Spring 2013
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Upper Green River TU Chapter completes outstanding project......................Page 10
‘Tie One On’ with Wyoming Trout Unlimited in Jackson on May 4 n Saturday night banquet to highlight Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited Annual Meeting By SCOTT CHRISTY Trout Unlimited Wyoming Coordinator
D
o you want to have one heck of a great night and support fisheries conservation in Wyoming? If so, you are cordially invited to join Wyoming Trout Unlimited and the Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited Chapter on May 4 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for the first-ever “Tie One On” with Trout Unlimited (TU) fundraising event. The event will be held at the beautiful Hotel Terra in Teton Village in conjunction with the WYTU annual meeting that will take place on May 2-5. With a reception-style dinner, no-host cash bar, raffle drawings, silent and live auctions on hand, it’s sure to be a great evening. Wyoming Trout Unlimited and the Jackson TU chapter have procured an impressive list of prizes for the night including a variety of great rifles and shotguns, guided fishing float trips from across Wyoming, tons of The Incredible Hotel Terra related fishing items and gear, and a highly sought after first-class fly fishing trip to Patagonia, Argentina. In addition, we are also pleased to announce that the evening will
feature live music by local Jackson bluegrass favorites “Steam Powered Airplane.” Social hour will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the event will get under way at 7 p.m. Tickets for the event are $75 each and all proceeds will go to benefit the Jackson Hole TU Chapter and Wyoming Trout Unlimited. You can purchase tickets online at either wyomingtu.org/store or at http:// wyomingtu.givezooks.com/events/2013-tie-one-on-with-tu. You can also contact Scott Christy at (307) 332-7700 ext. 12 or e-mail him at: schristy@tu.org. If you purchase a ticket on-line, please print the receipt of your ticket purchase and present it at the door for admittance. In addition, if you are interested in becoming a sponsor for this outstanding event, please call Scott Christy at the number listed earlier. For those banquet attendees who would like to stay at Hotel Terra the night of the event, WYTU has arranged a special rate of $119 per night single or double occupancy. Make sure when making reservations, you identify yourself as a guest of the Wyoming Trout Unlimited Council meeting. To make reservations, call (307) 739-4000 or toll-free at 1-800-631-6281. So come out on May 4, have a fantastic evening and support Wyoming Trout Unlimited and Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited at Hotel Terra in Teton Village. JACKSON HOLE • MAY 2, 3, 4 & 5, 2013 As previously mentioned, the “Tie One On” with WYTU fundraiser is being held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited and will also be a great opportunity to meet TU leaders and staff from around the Cowboy state. The annual meeting features Wyoming TU chapter leadership that gather twice a year in the form of the council to work on statewide fisheries
WYTU
ANNUAL MEETING
See TIE ONE ON, page 12
NOTES FROM THE CHAIRMAN...
W
ith spring arriving in Wyoming, the days of having to worry about your guides icing up are becoming fewer and farther between. Is there anything more frustrating than to courageously venture onto the river in a winter gale, skillfully play a big fish to the side of the boat (fish of a lifetime BIG!!), and patiently wait for your guide to scoop this monster into the net only to find that the guide is frozen to the rowing seat? Literally, frozen to the seat! Spring thankfully signals the end of such trials of winter fishing. Spring also signals the dawn of a new fishing season. I know, I know. The season technically begins on January 2, when I drop by the shop to purchase my license for the new year. Why isn’t the shop open on New Year’s Day anyway? In any event, for me the winter fishing I manage to fit in between back country ski sojourns feels as though it is bonus time tacked on to the previous year rather than signifying the start of new campaign. It is only when spring has truly sprung that I begin to think the karmic slate borne on the water last season has been wiped clean, to be rewritten by the adventures, and misadventures, of a new season. This season, though, will be special — my term as chairman of WYTU ends in early May. Who could argue that my dedicated service and everything I accomplished for the organization has not created an overabundance of good karma that will yield my best fishing season ever? Let’s look at the evidence. Yellowstone Lake: I won’t rehash all the details in this column (you can read that elsewhere in these pages) but all that work is making a difference for native Yellowstone cutthroat. Tracking, identifying spawning beds, funding for ova suppression research…it’s being done. Oh, wait. That wasn’t me. That was Dave Sweet and so many other hardworking folks. Adopt-A-Trout: who doesn’t love teaching those kids? The smiles on their faces when they make the connection one could only dream they’d make between trout and the environment. What’s that you say? Oh…yes, that is due to the hard work of our incredible Wyoming Coordinator Scott Christy. OK, OK, I’ve got one. Look at all the fancy graphics and information in this beautiful, shiny newsletter. Pretty darn professional looking, isn’t it? Hmm, that was vice chair and newsletter editor Mike Jensen.
What did I accomplish? I must have done something. Trout rescue: that was chapters; protecting special places like Little Mountain and the Green River: that was staff. Ooh, ooh… removing barriers to restore access to historical spawning streams? No, that was our chapters and staff working together. All those folks sure did do a lot of great work, didn’t they? There has to be something for which I can take the credit. I’ve got it! I know exactly what I did!
“The best leader is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what needs to be done, and selfrestraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” —Theodore Roosevelt That’s what I did! I’m not sure if the WYTU leadership and staff would agree that I have any sense, but I hope they would agree that I didn’t meddle. Of course, I also didn’t have to pick anyone for anything — another thing for which I don’t deserve any credit. These good folks voluntary signed up for the positions they hold. It was simply my good fortune to come along and somehow get elected chairman at a time when things simply needed to get done. And, as you’ve read in these pages over the last few issues — my, how they have gotten things done! I am honored and grateful to have had the privilege of leading WYTU the past couple years. Most of all, I’m grateful my dedicated service allowed me to accomplish the task of not screwing it up. For my last time in this space reserved for the chairman, my sincere thanks to all of you for everything you do for Wyoming’s coldwater fisheries. It truly has been an honor and privilege. Sincerely,
P.S. As a parting note, I must offer full disclosure: I was the guide frozen to the seat. Jim Broderick serves as the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited chairman. 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
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 Summer newsletter (July, August, September) will be June 1, 2013. Please send any and all contributions for the Spring issue to newsletter editor Mike Jensen at: mjensen@uintacountyherald.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: Jim Broderick Chairman Mike Jensen Vice Chairman Dave Sweet Treasurer and Past Chair Kathy Buchner Secretary Jim Broderick Interim NLC Representative Scott Christy Wyoming Coordinator schristy@tu.org
WYOMING CHAPTERS: n Casper-Grey Reef n Curt Gowdy n East Yellowstone n Flaming Gorge/ Lower Green River n Jackson Hole n Laramie Valley n Little Bighorn n Platte Valley n Popo Agie Anglers n Upper Bear River n Upper Green River
OFFICE LOCATION: 250 North 1st Street Lander, Wyoming 82520 Phone: 307.332.7700 Fax: 307.332.9299
ONLINE: www.wyomingtu.org
© 2013 Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited
Mike Jensen, Newsletter Editor • Scott Christy, Wyoming Coordinator
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SPRING 2013
A home for cowboys and cutthroats
By TOMMY THOMPSON Bighorn River Basin Project Manager
T
he Francs Fork is a major tributary to the Greybull River and is named after Count Otto Franc von Lichtenstein. In 1879, Otto Franc, as he was commonly known, left his life as a nobleman in Germany to establish the first cattle ranch in the Greybull River valley. He soon became a major Wyoming cattle baron and his iconic Pitchfork Ranch would expand to comprise nearly 300,000 acres at its peak. Franc’s successes also led him to serve the Bighorn Basin in powerful political roles including sheriff and judge. He is perhaps best remembered for arresting Butch Cassidy on a horse theft warrant and subsequently incarcerating him for two years in the Wyoming State Penitentiary. It was this stint in prison that encouraged Cassidy to pursue a life of crime and he formed his infamous Hole-in-theWall Gang shortly after being released. The ongoing feud between the two men ended when Franc was found shot to death under mysterious circumstances near the Greybull River in 1903. Modern times in the upper Greybull are arguably even more exciting than its colorful past. In recent years, Trout Unlimited (TU) has managed several fish passage projects in the area that have reconnected over 140 miles of habitat. On the Francs Fork, in particular, we replaced two road culverts with a fullspan bridge that has allowed Yellowstone cutthroat trout (YCT) from the Greybull to access 13 miles of spawning and rearing habitat. Prior to this, all but one-quarter mile of the Francs Fork was disconnected from the mainstem Greybull for more than 50 years. Reconnecting this ancient migration route in 2008 made an immediate impact on the fishery. This “new” stream was so popular with spawning fish from the Greybull River that by the fall of 2010, a small (five cubic feet per second) ditch on the Francs Fork was annually entraining over 10,000 outmigrating young-of-the-year YCT. During fall flows, the Francs Fork above the diversion only contains about 10 cfs. This dramatic increase in spawning recruitment is evidence that a genetically pure YCT population can make maximum use of tributaries that are too small and steep for some other salmonids. It also highlights the reality that when TU partners with a private landowner, the benefits are wide-reaching. Better habitat on private land means more fish on the adjacent public land. Currently, we’re constructing a new irrigation diversion for the Francs Fork ditch that will provide safe downstream passage to all YCT for the first time in over 100 years. This site presents unique challenges, however. The geology of the stream precludes us from installing a traditional fish screen in the canal because the Francs Fork’s main channel migrates wildly within the active streambed. This means that a fish return pipe installed between a ditch screen and the creek could be perfectly-placed one year, but high-and-dry the next. We’re solving this problem by building an infiltration gallery (a leach
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field that operates in reverse) under the active streambed. It will collect water from beneath the stream, consolidate it into pipes, and deliver it to the existing canal. Interestingly, it’s the highly-mobile, porous streambed material that allows us to use this technology. If this system n Wyoming Wildlife and were installed in a more Natural Resource Trust stable type of substrate, it could become clogged much n US Fish and Wildlife Service, too frequently to be a viable Fish Passage Program option. The Francs Fork will n US Forest Service also realize the benefit of n Wyoming Game and Fish eliminating daily maintenance by the Department irrigators. The ranch will no n Pitchfork Ranch longer need to bring heavy equipment into the creek to maintain their diversion. This is a classic TU Wyoming Water Project undertaking — a simultaneous win for trout and agriculture.
Project Partners:
With a home base in Cody, Tommy fiercely defends his claim that he has the best job in the best town in Wyoming. He is a Rocky Mountain native, a graduate of the University of Montana, an ardent hunter, and has rafted and kayaked thousands of river miles in search of trout, salmon, and whitewater. When he’s not rowing, paddling, casting, or shooting, he can be found enjoying time with his brilliant wife and two small children. He can be reached at Tommy.Thompson@tu.org
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Our Mountains By STEVEN BRUTGER Trout Unlimited Wyoming Energy Coordinator
W
e had big grins on our face. Bouncing down a dusty gravel road in the dark. Gas station burritos in hand and the radio blaring an old George Strait tune. Sleeping under the stars we awoke to frost covering our bags. Fingers numb, I was rigged up and fishing as the sun crept over the ridge. For the next twelve hours we drove dirt roads all over the range and fished every likely spot we could find. We caught one brookie. We wanted a cutty. This was 2011 and summer came late to the Wyoming Range. The water was still high and ice cold. We couldn’t buy a fish. Exhausted and almost out of gas we retreated to Los Cabos in Big Piney. The Wyoming Range is our mountain range…the state’s The Wyoming Range namesake range. I’m not sure is our mountain how it came to bear this honor, but whatever the reason, the range... the state’s name fits. namesake range. Why? Because the Wyoming Range is used by all I’m not sure how it of us. For all the things that came to bear this make this state great. Big deer, honor, but whatever native trout, families with campers, snowmobiles — you the reason, the name it. It has hard to reach name fits. creeks where no one will ever find you. And easy to access places where any one can jump in the truck, leave the work week behind and be in the mountains by sunset. For years sportsmen have stuck up for our range, making sure it stays just like it is. Wild and unbridled. With all the sticking up we’ve been doing, many of us are simply tired and confused when it comes to protecting the Wyoming Range. From the Legacy Act, to a lease buy out in the Hoback to even more leases, it’s hard to keep it straight.
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Wyoming’s Little Grey’s River We should be done. I would like to be done. But the reality is we aren’t. We’ve done a lot, but through an ironic twist of administrative fate, 44 thousand acres of oil and gas leases still remain in the balance. From Horse Creek to South Cottonwood, these leases contain some of the best fish and wildlife habitat in the range, along with the best sporting opportunities. It was these leases that started it all. In 2005, sportsmen stood up and said enough is enough when these leases were put on the auction block. This event was the catalyst for all the protection that has occurred in the range. Now we need to finish what we started and encourage the U.S. Forest Service to take these leases off the table once and for all. See OUR MOUNTAINS, page 5
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OUR MOUNTAINS,
continued from page 4
With thousands of wells proposed in the Upper Green River Basin over the coming years it makes sense to protect this relatively small patch of country that would yield at most a couple hundred wells. In return the Eastern Gateway to the Wyoming Range will remain accessible to all, containing the healthy trout and abundant big game we all enjoy. Right now more analysis is being done and papers are being pushed around behind closed doors. As opposed to the sound bites and rapid paced news cycle we have become accustomed to, this is part of how decisions are made. It can be a moving target, but the Forest Service is expecting to release a decision next fall. We are in constant contact with decision makers and when the time comes we all need to be ready to tell the Forest
Service that we want to finish what we started and put these leases to bed. In the meantime if you come across a muddy/ gray Dodge parked somewhere in the Wyoming Range, come say hello. It might be me searching for warmer water and a cutty that wants to come out of hiding to smack a dry fly. I will likely have a cold beer or two in the truck and we can raise a toast to the Wyoming Range…our mountains. Steven Brutger serves as the Wyoming Energy Coordinator for Trout Unlimited. He and his wife, Sarah, have two children and two black labs and live in Lander. Steven enjoys hunting and fishing in Wyoming’s great outdoors every chance he gets. Email Steven at: sbrutger@tu.org
Lessons learned... A
t 6:45 a.m., on a bitterly cold morning in Laramie, Wyoming, I started up my Toyota 4Runner to warm it up. I went back into my sons’ apartment to finish my coffee. At 7 a.m., I went back out to my vehicle anticipating a nice drive to the Denver Fly Fishing Show with my two boys. What? Where is my 4Runner? Gone. Vanished. Obviously stolen because I am stupid for leaving the vehicle running with the doors unlocked. Guilty as charged. What does this have to do with trout tales and promises of fishing fibs? Nothing. But please bear with me as I continue my therapeutic tale of woe and offer you some counsel. The Laramie Police Department was great. Within an hour they had recovered my chariot. However, you can guess the sad story to come. Although my 4Runner was undamaged by the thieves, its contents were gone. No laptop. No satellite radio. No wildlife viewing binoculars. Because I had planned on taking some spey casting lessons and tying up some flies with friends at “The Show”... no fly fishing and fly tying equipment that had taken me years to accumulate. Doggraddit! Insert here sounds of wailing and gnashing of teeth. So, let me impart some wisdom on you so that you can avoid a similar doomsday disaster. n My 4Runner was parked less than 15 paces from my sons’ front door in a wide-open parking lot. In law enforcement parlance, I had created a “crime of opportunity.” I have since learned that Colorado and Utah in the past two years have passed a statewide law prohibiting car/truck owners from leaving their vehicles running while he or she, for example, runs into the Maverik for a newspaper. Here I thought it was because of pollution. That’s part of the reason for the law but it was overwhelmingly supported by police agencies that don’t have the
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time, budget, or manpower to investigate avoidable crimes. n We have become too complacent in the “small town with really long streets” we know and love as Wyoming. Every person I tell my chronicle of anguish to interrupts me with “In Laramie? Really?” There are sociopathic a%#holes amongst us that live by the credo, “What’s mine is mine. What’s yours is yours until I decide to make it mine.” Do the best you can to protect your stuff. Don’t make it easy on the jerks. n Trust me. You don’t have enough contents insurance on your homeowner’s/renter’s policy. Your auto insurance does not cover theft of your vehicle’s contents. Your agent will also explain to you that your fly fishing gear is fully covered when in your home but only partially covered when in your car, truck, camper, etc. That last bit of info was unbeknownst to me. Insert “double-doggraddit!” here. Bottom line? Inventory all your “stuff” you might ever be transporting, consider carefully its replacement cost and purchase insurance to cover it. Insurance is what we purchase to take the sting out of being a victim. And, at least in my case, what I buy when the dealer shows an ace. Please accept my advice with the sincere intent it was delivered. That being said, if you are ever on the water and notice some fool abusing a Winston BIIx “Home Waters TU” rod because he has no clue what he has in his hand, please contact me immediately.
Jim Hissong lives in Mountain View, Wyoming with his wife, Susan; and goldbutt, Bo. A recovering teacher and presently a bureaucrat for Uinta County, he performs his duties as secretary of the Upper Bear River Chapter and gets out on the water as much as he can . . . sans a few rods and reels.
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WYTU CHAPTER CHATTER
FLAMING GORGE/LOWER GREEN RIVER CHAPTER Spring is on the way... really. A little snow to help keep water in the rivers and streams is something we always need, and it’s good to see some here toward the end of February, but spring is around the corner. Our chapter has been getting ready for another fun and busy spring and summer. We have been planning activities to help our fisheries and engage our members so we can all spend some time together having fun and enjoying this sport we all love so much. Some of the activities we have planned are the new Trout Unlimited office grand opening and ribbon cutting in Green River; the hatching box project on the Big Sandy; 2nd Annual Fly Fishing Clinic; and fishing outings. These are just a few of the upcoming activities that we are looking forward to and there is plenty to get involved with and hopefully something that appeals to all members. We hope that many of you have been out doing some fishing during this winter, whether in open water or through the ice. This time of year is always busy with tying flies for those that do, or simply dreaming about where to go fishing once the snow and ice melts, and the rivers and lakes open up to allow a fly to be cast again. Some of our chapter members have been out fishing below Fontenelle, below the Gorge, and through the ice and have been catching fish during the winter around here, and some even yet plan trips to go fish somewhere new as well. Coming up this summer will be the 2nd Annual TU Teen Leadership Summit to be held here in Wyoming. Our chapter’s own Haley Capozza will be in a lead role as a planning chairperson for this event that will bring
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together youth from across the country to share their passion and enjoy our great state of Wyoming. It will be a busy time between now and then as preparations are made to host this event for our youth — the next generation to carry out the mission of TU. The only way that chapters grow and thrive is to have an active membership, and the Flaming Gorge/Lower Green River Chapter has many individuals who are committed to helping fisheries and working together to have some fun and make a difference for our sport and fisheries here in southwest Wyoming. Our chapter has grown its membership over the last couple of years — something that we hope to continue moving forward. We’re looking forward to spring and the renewed hope that it brings. Get involved in your chapter activities, make some new friends, have some fun and help the fisheries that we all enjoy. : • April 4, chapter meeting at 7 p.m. at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs; • April 11, “Lying and Tying” event at 6:30 p.m. at the Trout Unlimited office in Green River; • Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Western Wyoming Community College in Green River; • April 27, chapter fishing outing TBA. PLATTE VALLEY CHAPTER Revegetation of a recently stabilized section in the upper reach of the Encampment River valley by the Platte Valley chapter of Trout Unlimited is the final step in restoring the section after using the most advanced hydrological techniques and geographic information systems to place hundreds of tons of large rock and thousands of feet of trees and root mats to basically reconstruct nearly a mile of river to tolerances of within one-tenth of a foot. The results of this project are an impressive demonstration of what can be accomplished through collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) and local landowners to benefit not only the fishery but livestock and wild game on the landscape through which the river runs. Currently, pictures, descriptions and costs of this project are being used in a proposal to the Wyoming Lands Conservation Initiative for funding to apply the same strategy at the lower end of the Encampment River valley on the only section of the river that is accessible to wade fishing. Our larger vision is to apply this approach to stream-bank recovery throughout the valley, coordinating this effort with mule deer habitat improvements being considered for severely damaged winter range in the surrounding Baggot Rocks area as an example of what can be accomplished through cooperative, landscape scale recovery projects under a Platte Valley Habitat Partnership being spon-
sored by the WGFD. • May 1, chapter meeting featuring nationally known author, speaker and fishing guide Landon Mayer. • June 26-28, Wounded Warrior/Project Healing Waters event. UPPER BEAR RIVER CHAPTER Our Upper Bear River Trout Unlimited Chapter in Evanston has been very busy the past several months. The Evanston Inlet Project — the major focus of our efforts — has been moving along nicely. Members of our board, along with Nick Walrath, met with the Evanston City Council at a work session in February. The presentation went great and the city was very impressed and excited about our project. Several landowners who would be impacted by the project also came to the meeting. Everyone was satisfied with the planning that we’ve done so far. Since that meeting, Jim Hissong and Nick Walrath have been feverishly working on writing grants. The next steps will be to finalize the engineering, secure easements and access, build some more partnerships and of course, fundraise. If all goes as planned, we could start construction on the project by this fall. From our inception as a chapter six years ago, we’ve always dreamed of a big project like this and we are well on our way to accomplishing that dream. Our local newspaper, the Uinta County Herald, published a front page article on the project that has really helped to build a lot of positive momentum for our chapter. The chapter also has our 6th Annual Fundraising Banquet coming up on Saturday, April, 20. Our banquet will feature great artwork from the likes of A.D. Maddox, Travis J. Sylvester, David Ruimveld and Dave Whitlock. Along with the terrific art, we’ll have the best in fly fishing gear, fishing trips and home decor. Tickets for the banquet are $35 each and are available by calling chapter vicepresident Rick Slagowski at (307) 679-0074. • April 20, 6th Annual Fundraising Banquet at the Evanston Machine Shop. Great artwork, fishing gear, outdoor gear, firearms, home decor items and much more will be available. Auctions, prizes, raffles, drawings and great fun. Tickets are $35 each and can be purchased by calling Rick Slagowski at (307) 679-0074. • June 8, Kids’ Fishing Day. In past years, with the weather cooperating, we’ve given away over 400 free fishing poles and fed over 600 people a free hot dog lunch. We’re looking for a great turnout again and invite everyone to attend this fun event.
SPRING 2013
update
By DAVE SWEET Yellowstone Lake Special Project Manager for Wyoming Trout Unlimited
S
ince the last issue of “The Trout Tale,” much has happened on our Yellowstone Lake project. On February 21, the working group that has been coordinating the efforts of the multiple Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) and agencies engaged in the effort met at Mammoth Hot Springs. This meeting reviewed the progress of netting suppression, telemetry studies, population trends of both Yellowstone cutthroats and lake trout, fundraising status for both short term suppression and longer term ova suppression, and directions for the upcoming season. As Yellowstone Lake Special Project Manager from Wyoming Trout Unlimited, I couldn’t be happier. Cooperation among the diverse groups has never been so strong and the indicators for “success” have never been better. Lake trout suppression on Yellowstone Lake is now seen as a two-pronged effort. One can’t succeed without the other. In the short term, gill netting has been expanded to reach a critical milestone of units of effort (basically the length of nets in the water for a specified number of days) and a critical milestone of lake trout removal that will lead to a population crash. This coming season should see even higher levels of gill netting, and subsequent lake trout removal, as the contract netting company adds a third boat to the fight. Trap netting will continue to target the larger, spawning age fish in shallow water. We may finally be at a level of lake trout removal that reverses the course of population expansion. In the longer term, ova suppression is now seen as an important component of total lake trout control rather than a separate research study. The telemetry program, that we all have helped fund, is now starting to pay real dividends. The statistician that was hired in November is really starting to pick apart the overwhelming amount of telemetry data. His conclusions are just starting to guide the netting as depth and temperature preferences, as well as movement patterns of the lake trout by season, are being understood. In addition, his analysis has pointed to
several potential new spawning beds around the lake. Meanwhile, the VPS array system at Carrington Island has pinpointed the exact location and extent of that spawning bed as well as the timing of its use by the lakers. The importance of these VPS arrays can’t be overstated. Experiments are also under way to utilize new technology to kill those lake trout eggs at Carrington. Electro-shocking continues to be considered the best methodology as two outside contractors are being considered for specific systems. In addition, the National Park Service employed vacuum technology on a limited basis at Carrington last fall. All indicators of both lake trout and Yellowstone cutthroat trout (YCT) populations are pointed in the right direction. We are a long way from winning back this system; however, we are definitely going in the right direction after so many years of decline. Every parameter from lake trout CPUE, to distribution netting of both species, to angler surveys indicate positive trends. We cannot let up, however. We all know that there is a long way to go, and we all know that the trend will reverse back without constant diligence. Our fundraising is a critical part of that. The telemetry season of 2013 is so important. Our hydro-acoustic tags that we all helped purchase have only limited battery life remaining. We must take advantage of that battery life this year by deploying as many VPS arrays on potential spawning beds as possible. That takes money. The NGO partners are currently trying to raise $118,000 to support this year’s work. We currently have $43,000. If you personally, or your chapter can dig even deeper, we can meet our goal. Consider sending in whatever you can to “Save the Yellowstone Cutthroat,” c/ o: Wyoming Trout Unlimited, 250 1st St., Lander, WY 82520. Dave Sweet has been a member of TU since the mid70s. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from Trout Unlimited as well as former chairman of the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited. He currently is serving as the treasurer of the council and is a former president and current board member of the East Yellowstone Chapter in Cody. Dave and his wife, Cathy, are the parents of two daughters — Cindy, an attorney in Casper, and Diana, a fisheries biologist for the Wyoming Game & Fish Department in Jackson — and they live in Cody. Dave loves to fish for any species; hunt for whatever crawls, flies or walks; and ride his horses. E-mail Dave at: davidps@tritel.net
WYTU spring membership drive underway! Want to help Trout Unlimited (TU) have more energy for trout conservation in Wyoming? Sign up more TU members! More TU membership means a greater pool of potential volunteers for your chapter and a bigger voice in conservation issues in Wyoming and beyond. That’s why Wyoming Trout Unlimited is holding a spring membership drive. There are currently over 1,500 Trout Unlimited members in Wyoming and we’d appreciate your help growing that number. We’ve all got great friends we fish with who may not be active in TU and helping them become TU members can open the door for them to be stewards of our trout waters. If a single person
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signed up 20 members, Wyoming Trout Unlimited would grow over 1 percent. How do you sign up new members? Trout Unlimited has a fantastic introductory offer at: https://www.tumembership. org/member/intro. The cost is only $17.50 for brand new members and if they select your chapter during the sign-up, $15 of that $17.50 will come directly back to your chapter at the end of the year.
Help Trout Unlimited grow and bring more voices into the conservation dialogue. Check out: https://www.tumembership.org/women.
Oftentimes, people who are past Trout Unlimited members, whose membership has expired, just need a little encouragement and some help renewing their membership. The fastest way to get past members renewed can be found at: https://www.tumembership. org/member/renew. If you have events and need copies of sign-up sheets or want to hear more tips about signing up TU members, please contact Scott Christy at the TU office in Lander at (307) 332-1432 ext 12 or email him at: schristy@tu.org. The next person you sign up could be your future chapter president!
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WYTU NEWS NOTES
Be a part of our success...
Wyoming to host 2nd Annual Trout Unlimited Teen Leadership Summit
Wyoming has been selected to host the 2nd Annual Trout Unlimited Teen Leadership Summit this summer in Kelly, Wyoming near Jackson Hole, and a member of the Flaming Gorge/Lower Green River Trout Unlimited Chapter in Rock Springs/Green River will play a major role in the event. The summit is scheduled for July 2731. The chapter’s own Haley Capozza will serve as chairperson for the planning committee that will bring youth — ages 13 to 19 — from across the country to share their passion for Trout Unlimited and to enjoy the great outdoors of Wyoming. The teens will participate in a variety of activities including fly fishing, fly tying, conservation and leadership workshops as well as participate in a field service project to earn volunteer credit. In addition, the participants will hear from conservation officials, Wyoming council officers and representatives from Wyoming TU chapters during the summit. During their visit to Wyoming, the participants will have an outstanding opportunity to socialize with others their age and develop interpersonal relationships. A field trip to Yellowstone Lake to see first hand the work being done to save the Yellowstone cutthroat trout in Yellowstone National Park is tentatively scheduled as the highlight of the summit. Members of the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited will be assisting during the summit.
Wyoming Trout Unlimited National Leadership Council representative resigns position John Deakins, who has served as the National Leadership Council (NLC) representative for Wyoming Trout Unlimited (WYTU) since 2008, resigned his position effective February 26, 2013. Deakins cited personal and health reasons for his decision to resign. His term is set to expire in early May when elections are slated to take place to fill all WYTU executive council positions at the spring meeting in Jackson. “We are very grateful to John for serving Wyoming Trout Unlimited so well,” said WYTU Chairman Jim Broderick. “We wish John and his wife, Tharon, the very best and hope to see them on fly water soon.” The WYTU executive council appointed chairman Jim Broderick as interim NLC representative to fill the remainder of Deakins term.
WYTU’s Dave Sweet named as a 2013 Field & Stream Hero of Conservation Congratulations are in order for Dave Sweet who serves as Yellowstone Lake Special Project Manager for Wyoming Trout Unlimited. Sweet was recently named a Hero of Conservation by Field & Stream magazine for his impressive work on Yellowstone Lake and for native Yellowstone cutthroat trout in Yellowstone
Donate to Wyoming Trout Unlimited today — 3 easy ways to donate! 1) Simply fill out the form below with your check or credit card information and mail to WYTU 2) Give over the phone by calling Scott Christy at (307) 332-7700 ext. 12 or 3) Donate online at www.wyomingtu.org/donate
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YES! I support the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited’s efforts to protect and preserve Wyoming’s trout and their watersheds. Enclosed is my gift of: $35 $50 $100 $250 $1,000 Other ___________
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Signature Mail this form to: WYTU, 250 North 1st Street, Lander, WY 82520. Contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Please make checks payable to the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited. Please be assured that WYTU never uses your e-mail address for anything other than WYTU business.
See WYTU NEWS NOTES, page 9
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National Park. Sweet is now in the running for the magazine’s prestigious Hero of the Year conservation award. Sweet currently serves as treasurer and past chairman of the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited and is an active member of the East Yellowstone TU Chapter in Cody. He is also the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from Trout Unlimited. Well done, Dave. Well done, indeed.
New TU office opens in Green River A new Trout Unlimited (TU) office has opened in Green River and the staff were officially welcomed by the Green River Chamber of Commerce during a ribbon cutting ceremony on March 14. Representatives from the Flaming Gorge/Lower Green River chapter, the Upper Bear River Trout Unlimited Chapter and the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited were on hand to help celebrate the new office opening.
CALENDAR WYTU APRIL 4-6, 2013 Trout Unlimited will host its spring regional meeting in Spokane, Washington. Several members from WYTU and staff will be attending the three-day conference. APRIL 9, 2013 A meeting will be held at 7 p.m. to reorganize and revitalize the Casper-Grey Reef chapter of Trout Unlimited. The meeting will be held at the new K2 Land Company/Diamond Oil Building located at 1541 Diamond Drive. For more information, contact Scott Christy at (307) 332-6700 ext. 12. APRIL 18, 2013 The University Flycasters (TU college chapter) at the University of Wyoming will be hosting their annual Flycasters Symposium that features speakers, fly-tying demonstrations and the Fly Fishing Film Tour. For more information, contact Jason Carroll at (720) 324-0248.
Pizza and refreshments were served to the nice crowd in attendance throughout the evening. Green River Project Manager Nick Walrath, and his lovely wife and fellow TU employee, Hillary, will be working out of the new office located at 520 Wilkes Drive, Suite 4B in the Manface Plaza. Congratulations to Nick, Hillary and Trout Unlimited as they continue to grow and expand in the Cowboy State.
Wyoming Fly Casters decline to update and adopt bylaws to be a Trout Unlimited Chapter In early February, the members of the Wyoming Fly Casters in Casper, voted “no” to updating and adopting bylaws to become a Trout Unlimited chapter. The Fly Casters, and Wyoming Trout Unlimited (WYTU) have enjoyed a very good working relationship in Wyoming for many, many years and that relationship will not change moving forward as the two organizations share many of the same goals and conservation efforts. “We wish the Fly Casters nothing but the very best for their organization,” said Scott Christy, coordinator for Wyoming Trout Unlimited. “We value our relationship with them and look forward to working with them in the future.” WYTU is working hard to have a strong presence in the Casper region and efforts are under way to revitalize the Casper-Grey Reef chapter as soon as possible. A meeting to do just that is scheduled for April 9 at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held at the new K2 Land Company/ Diamond Oil Building located at 1541 Diamond Drive in Casper. For more information, contact Scott Christy at (307) 332-6700 ext. 12.
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WYTU NEWS NOTES
APRIL 20, 2013 The Upper Bear River Trout Unlimited Chapter in Evanston will host its 6th Annual Conservation Banquet at the Machine Shop in Evanston. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Mark Tesoro at (307) 679-6316 or Rick Slagowski at (307) 679-0074. MAY 2-5, 2013 The Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited annual meeting will be held in Jackson, Wyoming at the Hotel Terra in Teton Village. This meeting will include elections of new Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited officers for the next two years. A fundraising banquet will be hosted by both the Jackson Hole TU Chapter and the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited at Hotel Terra on Saturday, May 4. Doors open at 6:30 p.m and the event gets under way at 7 p.m. Great raffle drawings, silent and live auction and much more. (Please see the story on page one for complete details and how to purchase banquet tickets). For more information, contact Wyoming Coordinator Scott Christy at (307) 332-6700 ext. 12. JULY 27-31, 2013 The 2nd Annual Trout Unlimited Teen Summit will be held in Kelly, Wyoming. Teens from across the country will converge in the Jackson Hole area for youth leadership and conservation workshops, fly fishing outings, fly tying, learn more about Wyoming’s Adopt-A-Trout program, conduct a service project, take a field trip to Yellowstone Lake and much, much more.
Send your information via e-mail to Scott Christy at: schristy@tu.org or Mike Jensen at: mjensen@uintacountyherald.com
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Pine Creek
YLE! T S D E IT IM L N U T TROU R E IV R N E E R G UPPER
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he Upper Green River Chapter of Trout Unlimited (UGRTU) completed restoration and reconnection efforts on another reach of Pine Creek in Pinedale, Wyoming in the fall of 2012. This is the second project completed by the chapter to remove fish migration barriers and restore instream and riparian habitat along Pine Creek. The first project was completed on the McDowell ditch in an effort to improve the irrigation diversion structure to allow for fish passage during low flows. It was a resounding success. The latest project is an extension of this earlier effort to reconnect and restore Pine Creek. The chapter expects to continue work on Pine Creek over the next several years. ĂŠ The 2012 project was a cooperative effort that included private and governmental entities partnering to accomplish the task at hand. A grant of $40,000 from the Wyoming Wildlife Natural Resource Trust Fund (WWNRT), as well as significant cash and in-kind contributions from the Town of Pinedale and Sublette County was the foundation of the project funding. The UGRTU chapter also made significant cash and in-kind contributions to the project. Cooperation extended well beyond the funding entities and included support from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Steady Stream Hydrology, Noble Construction, Wyoming Trout Unlimited and the
WYTU
downstream irrigators. The project could not have been completed without the support and cooperation of all of the partners involved as well as the community of Pinedale. The main goal of the 2012 project was to remove or mitigate the abandoned sewer line that crossed Pine Creek near Tyler Street in Boyd Skinner Park and to reverse the effects that the line had on the creek over the years. The abandoned line created a migration barrier to young fish in low flow conditions and caused the over-widening of the channel upstream of the abandoned line. This created a situation where young fish could not naturally migrate within the stream. The stream also stored sediments above the line and created shallow, laminar flows which caused high water temperatures in the summer months when low flows regularly occur on the creek. ĂŠ See PINE CREEK, page 11
CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT
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WYTU CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT
irrigation flows to downstream users and maintaining the natural look and feel of the creek. The UGRTU chapter thanks all those involved in the latest efforts to reconnect and restore Pine Creek and looks forward to partnering with these and other organizations on future projects.
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My biggest worry is that my wife (when I’m dead) will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it.
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— Koos Brandt
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With the completion of the second project in the fall of 2012, major portions of the abandoned line were removed and replaced by crossvanes, pools and riffles. The portions of the abandoned line that could not be removed were creatively used as part of other structures installed to assist in fish passage and to create pool and riffle habitat on the creek. The project added many new pools and several new riffles while narrowing the stream in key locations. Additionally, riparian restoration efforts were completed as part of the project as well as follow through on willow plantings which were completed by UGRTU volunteers post construction. All of this was completed without negatively impacting
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conservation business, conduct pertinent training sessions as well as to receive updates from TU staff on their Wyoming work. Elections for new WYTU officers will also be held and nominations for those open positions will be taken prior to the election. This year, in addition to the usual business, the council has arranged for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) to conduct an additional Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Inspector Training class on Thursday, May 2, in Jackson. Given the new AIS regulations that take effect this year, all watercraft coming into Wyoming (even if from out of state and for only part of a day) must be certified AIS-free prior to launching in Wyoming waters.ÊThat means if you take a day trip to the South Fork of the Snake or the Green below Flaming
Gorge, you will need to have your boat inspected prior to launching on the Snake near Jackson or the Green near Pinedale as an example. Participants completing this class will become certified AIS watercraft inspectors with the ability to inspect boats, including their own. For more information specific to this AIS training session in Jackson, please go to the WGFD website at: http:// wgfd.wyo.gov/web2011/fishing-1001290.aspx. And, this class is absolutely free. Did we mention that there is likely to be some great pre-runoff fly fishing opportunities in Jackson in early May? Purchase your banquet tickets today and we’ll look forward to seeing you on May 4 at Hotel Terra for a great night of raising money for coldwater conservation.
Coming in the next ‘TROUT TALE’ Trout Unlimited staffer Charlie Card earns coveted spot on Fly Fishing Team USA... WYTU photo by Calvin Hazlewood
Charlie is Trout Unlimited’s Northeastern Utah Coordinator for the Sportsmen’s Conservation Project and adopted son of Wyoming Trout Unlimited. He lives in Dutch John, Utah.
n Wyoming Trout Unlimited and Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited to host fundraising banquet in conjunction with WYTU annual meeting n The Wyoming Range — Our Mountains n Upper Green River Trout Unlimited Chapter completes outstanding restoration project on Pine Creek n Wyoming to host 2nd Annual Trout Unlimited Teen Summit n Much, much more!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 250 North 1st Street Lander, Wyoming 82520
WYOMING TROUT UNLIMITED