The Trout Tale WYOMING COUNCIL OF TROUT UNLIMITED
SUMMER 2020
UPSLOPE CRAFT LAGER
The official newsletter of the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited
FROM THE COORDINATOR
The Trout Tale Summer 2020 • Volume 6, Issue 1
The Trout Tale is a quarterly newsletter of the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited. The deadline for submission of articles, information, photos and content for the Fall 2020 newsletter (October, November and December) will be September 1, 2020. Send any and all contributions for the fall issue to Wyoming Coordinator Mike Jensen at: mike.jensen@tu.org. The Trout Tale is available online at the council’s website at: wyomingtu.org © 2020 Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited
• Mike Jensen, Newsletter Editor • Cole Sherard, Chair
Proud recipient of the 2014 Trout Unlimited “Bollinger Award For Best Newsletter”
Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited P.O. Box 22182 Cheyenne, WY 82009 e-mail: mike.jensen@tu.org Phone: 307.421.3188 www.wyomingtu.org
ON THE COVER: A beautiful Rainbow Trout is ready to leave the net after being caught on Wyoming’s Green River. Photo by Tom Koerner: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
SUMMER 2020
Mike Jensen
Forward... First and foremost, I hope each of you, your family and your friends are safe and healthy. It goes without saying that we are truly living in some very challenging times with the Covid19 outbreak continuing to expand and the civil unrest seems to be front and center right before our eyes on a daily basis. All of this couldn’t have happened at a worse time for Wyoming Trout Unlimited as springtime is typically the time of year our chapters and council are conducting fundraising events and activities to help raise money to support our mission of conserving, protecting and restoring Wyoming’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. As council coordinator, I have been most impressed with Trout Unlimited’s leadership since all of this began. President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Wood, along with his outstanding leadership team of staff and volunteers, have put safety and genuine concern first for not only TU staff, but for volunteers as well. I value and appreciate that strong leadership. A lot. I’m just a simple man, but I have faith that we — both TU and this great country — will apply lessons learned to move forward and come out of this stronger than ever.
from this raffle will go toward our conservation efforts in Wyoming. Watch for more details, but in the meantime, if you want me to set aside some raffle tickets for you, drop me an e-mail at: mike.jensen@tu.org. or call me at (307) 421-3188 and let me know.
I’d like to offer a big welcome to Sadie St. Clair-Valdez. Sadie currently serves as president of the Seedskadee TU Chapter in Green River and Rock Springs, and she has agreed to fill the vacant secretary position on the council’s executive committee. She replaces Barb Allen from Jackson who resigned her position in early May. On behalf of the executive committee, we thank Barb for her service to WYTU. To read more about Sadie, see page 12.
Mark your calendars now for the fall council meeting that will be held in Cody on Oct. 23, 24 and 25. This is a great opportunity for chapter officers and members to network with other TU members from around the Cowboy State. Watch for more details.
Speaking of fundraising, your Thanks to all WYTU members Wyoming Council is pleased to and staff for all you do. I hope to see announce we’ll be kicking-off a great you on one of Wyoming’s great trout raffle soon for five “classic” Sage fly waters soon. Until then. Stay safe. rods and five “classic” Abel reels. Stay healthy. This unique rod and reel package is valued at over $6,600 and winner takes all! These are new rods and reels and there are five rods (3 wt., 5 Mike Jensen is the Wyoming Council wt., 7 wt., 9 wt. and 11 wt.) and five Coordinator for Trout Unlimited and is based new reels (one with two extra spools). in Cheyenne. When he’s not at his desk, Tickets will be one for $50, or three pulling weeds or dodging hail, you can rest for $100 and will be available later in assured he’s driving his driftboat somewhere in search of big Wyoming trout. July. Of course, all proceeds raised
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THE TROUT TALE
RECONNECT
Jeff Streeter
After 92 years, trout can access the entire length of the Encampment River By JEFF STREETER Upper North Platte Project Manager for Trout Unlimited
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hen I started working for Trout Unlimited (TU) in 2008, I had a few high priority, reconnection projects in mind. An irrigation diversion dam on the lower Encampment River had created a barrier to over 75 miles of prime habitat since 1928. The politics were tricky. The landowners, a longestablished fishing club, demanded that TU broker with the State of Wyoming for fewer fishing boats drifting through their property, an impossible request. The water users insisted that there be no federal funding for fear of government incursion taking away their water rights. It was a three-way stalemate. Meanwhile, there were nine additional barriers to contend with on the East Fork and the main Encampment; hanging culverts, three long-abandoned hydrology weirs on the forest, and four irrigation push-up dams. TU started the methodical work to replace or remove these barriers. In the summer of 2017 they were gone, leaving only the most pivotal barrier just a mile above the confluence of the Encampment with the North Platte River, the irrigation diversion built in 1928. In 2017 there was a breakthrough. After a day of visiting previous barrier removals, a very generous private donor emerged who would fund the project to replace the last barrier with a structure that included a fishway around the irrigation diversion dam. Separate meetings with the water users and landowners grudgingly produced a possible glimmer of success. Though still often contentious, the meetings slowly began to take on more constructive dialogue. The water users began to realize that this might be an opportunity to replace a failing structure. The landowners now dropped their unrealistic demand of limits to public floating through their property. They were reminded that if the existing irrigation structure was to fail, the water users would use any means possible to get their water including the use of old furniture, scrap wood and the old pickup behind the barn to dam the river. The scope of the project grew. An engineer was chosen, as well as a contractor for more meetings. Over time, a complete replacement of the last irrigation dam was deemed necessary. Legal agreements were drafted between TU, the water users, the landowners, and others. The donor held on as the price tag shot up. It was agreed that the only other funding source acceptable to the water users was the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust. More meetings were held until a design plan was accepted by all factions. Construction was slated for July 2019. Due to abnormally high river flows, construction was postponed until August, then the first week of September. The contractor was still hoping to complete the project by December 1, then December 15, and then the end of the year. It didn’t happen and soon they were pouring concrete in January, February and March.
TOP: The WYCO dam on the Encampment River is pictured before the reconnect project. BOTTOM: The completed project features a fish ladder that will now allow fish to have access to nearly 100 miles of river Trout Unlimited Photos
A little more to the story... By CORY TOYE Wyoming Water & Habitat Program Director I asked Jeff to provide a short story of the effort with a few before and after pictures to share with the Trout Unlimited family. In true Jeff Streeter fashion, he forgets to mention himself in the story line. I thought I would add a paragraph or two to accompany Jeff’s synopsis.... I am convinced that Jeff is the only reason this project was completed. See MORE TO THE STORY on page 9
See ENCAMPMENT RIVER on page 9
THE TROUT TALE
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SUMMER 2020
YELLOWSTONE LAKE PROJECT
Dave Sweet
Yellowstone Cutthroat Recovery in Yellowstone Lake: Science Review Panel Summary — April 9-10, 2020
n n n n n n n n n
WYOMING COUNCIL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Cole Sherard Laramie...................................................Chair Rick Slagowski Evanston........................................Vice Chair Sadie St. Clair-Valdez Green River......................................Secretary Jim Hissong Mountain View.................................Treasurer Werner Studer Casper............................NLC Representative Dave Sweet Cody...................................At Large Member Kathy Buchner Jackson..............................At Large Member John Madia Sheridan.............................At Large Member Mike Jensen Cheyenne...................Council Coordinator
WYOMING CHAPTERS AND AEG’s: 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 n Adiposse (Alternative Engagement Group)
To join Trout Unlimited today, go to tu.org and click on the “I want to become a member” link
“Victory on Yellowstone Lake is within our grasp!” Those words came from Dr. Michael Hansen during the Science Review Panel meetings held in early April on the Yellowstone Cutthroat Recovery in Yellowstone Lake project. Hansen is the recently retired supervisory research fisheries biologist for the Great Lakes Science Center of the United States Geological Survey, and he is a longtime member of the Science Review Panel for the fisheries of Yellowstone National Park. “Nowhere else has seen the kind of adult lake trout collapse at the rate that has been achieved on Yellowstone Lake. Not on the Great Lakes. Not on Lake Pend — Dr. Michael Hansen Oreille,” Hansen said. When I heard these statements and saw the data for myself, it was hard to contain my excitement. I have been working on Yellowstone Lake for 12 years volunteering on the system, fundraising and trying to spread the word about what was happening. The Science Review Panel recently met online, due to the Coronavirus quarantine to review the suppression of invasive lake trout and the recovery of Yellowstone cutthroat trout on Yellowstone Lake. The intensive gill netting effort has reduced the adult lake trout numbers (age 6 and older, those that prey the most on the cutthroat trout) to 10 percent of their peak population from just eight years ago (see graph on page 6). These adult and sexually mature fish now represent only about two percent of the total lake trout population in the lake. The fishing mortality has been incredibly high. “This is extraordinarily good news,” Hansen said indicating this information Dave Sweet holds a beautiful Yellowstone sets the program up for cutth roat trout caught in the Thorofare in 2018 achieving a level of suc. Photo courtesy of Diana Miller cess that could hardly be imagined a decade ago. The goal has been to reduce the sub adult (age 3-5) and adult (age 6 and older) lake trout to 100,000 or less. That goal is now predicted to be achieved by 2024 if the current level of netting is maintained. The juvenile lake trout population (those age 2 and younger) continues to remain fairly high, but this is totally predictable for a crashing population according to Hansen. Recruitment of young lake trout represent the results of spawning two-and-a-half-years ago and those numbers will decline very fast in the next few years as fewer and fewer adults are available to spawn. “We have to keep up with these waves of juveniles, but the netting program is set up to do just that. These waves of juveniles won’t last,” Hansen said. Once the goal of 100,000 or fewer age 3 and older lake trout is achieved, gill netting can be reduced to about 60 percent of current levels according to the model presented at
“
Victory on Yellowstone Lake is in our grasp!
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OUR MISSION: Conserving, protecting and restoring Wyoming’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds
See YELLOWSTONE on page 6
SUMMER 2020
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THE TROUT TALE
YELLOWSTONE from page 5
The numbers of young cutthroat have shown the biggest increases and the average size of the cutthroats is clearly larger than historical. By-catch of cutthroats in the lake trout netting is likely slowing the overall population recovery and this by-catch has risen as the netting effort and the cutthroat population have both increased. As we move into a lower maintenance level of netting and with fewer adult, predacious lake trout pre-
Figure 1. Abundance estimates for age-2, age-3 to age-5, and age-6+ lake trout at the start of the year for 1998 to 2019 using a statistical catch-at-age model. the meeting. With this reduction in netting comes equal financial savings. Currently the netting effort costs about $2 million per year, much of which is provided by donors who greatly treasure this incredible resource and ecosystem. Further savings are possible by seasonal adjustments to gill netting and by optimizing gill-net mesh sizes. But make no mistake, a “maintenance” level of netting will be needed for the foreseeable future to keep the lake trout under control. This is the price that must be paid to maintain and sustain this important Yellowstone cutthroat trout population. Total eradication of the lake trout is not likely possible with today’s technology. Perhaps one day, but not now. Alternative suppression was also on the agenda of the Science Review Panel. Although research has shown the potential to reduce lake trout recruitment by dumping either carcasses or carcass analog pellets on spawning beds, a number of problems must be overcome. The panel recommended curIn 2013 during gill-netting operations, this 21rent research inch lake trout was discovered to have five continue as Yellowstone cutthroat trout in its mouth. alternative supPhoto courtesy of Pat Bigelow pression may become a valuable part of the maintenance level of lake trout suppression. Of course, we must remember that the purpose of lake trout suppression is to allow Yellowstone cutthroat trout to recover in the system. The population has increased steadily over the last several years, after decades of decline; however, the increases haven’t been as dramatic as might be hoped.
Volunteers watch with interest as a lake trout is receiving a hydroacoustic tag implant in 2011. This is one of the very first lake trout implant conducted for telemetry studies. Photo courtesy of Dave Showalter
sent, the cutthroat numbers should increase at a faster pace. Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cameron Sholly received the good news at the wrap-up session of the meeting and expressed his gratitude to the panel for their leadership and insight, to those who have donated to the suppression effort, and to his fisheries staff for their persistence in protecting and restoring this iconic resource. “This resource is the top of my list for continued funding in these times of tightening budgets and uncertainty caused by Coronavirus,” Sholly said.
Dave Sweet is the Yellowstone Lake Special Project Manager for Wyoming Trout Unlimited. He lives in Cody, Wyoming and serves on the board of the East Yellowstone Chapter of Trout Unlimited as well as the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited.
Always in style on the river or around town. The famous bucking fish hat from Wyoming Trout Unlimited! Choose your favorite style and color for only $20 (plus $5 shipping). Go to wyomingtu.org and click on the WYTU Store tab! As always, all proceeds benefit our efforts to conserve, protect and restore Wyoming’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. Thank you for your support!
THE TROUT TALE
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SUMMER 2020
New TU staffer Rose at the ready for Wyoming anglers, hunters That one event in 1991 had such an impact on the river that Robert’s and my family valued so much, and on all the people that lived, worked and recreated along that corridor, Rose said. Geology had explained the physical world around her but policy, she realized, defined what was permitted to happen and where. In 2019, she completed a master’s degree in environmental policy from the University of ColoradoBoulder. Rose joined Trout Unlimited this past winter, just in time for the 2020 Wyoming legislative session. As part of Trout Unlimited, she Liz Rose recently joined works to protect the hunting and Trou t Unlimited as part of fishing heritage that is so important the Sportsmen’s to so many people. TU’s team Conservation Project. As works in collaboration with federal som eone who took up and state agencies, partner conserfishing and hunting in her vation groups and sportsmen and 20s, she is hopeful she women for common sense solucan help find ways to get tions to protect the wild places of other young people in the the West. TU is engaged on the sports. legislative level in every Western Photo courtesy of Liz Rose state and nationally on the congressional level. “I ski, run, fish and hunt. I love our public lands and rivers and I want them to stay the way they are or be restored to the way they should be,” she said. “Things can get polarized. I worked in oil and gas. My grandparents are cattle ranchers. I understand livelihoods are impacted and I appreciate that Trout Unlimited believes protecting all of our resources can be done in a responsible way with respect for all the interests.” Rose also has personal goals she hopes to accomplish in her new Trout Unlimited role. She always loved the outdoors, but only came to know and appreciate fishing and hunting traditions in her mid-20s. She hopes that understanding how she came to love those sports and the conservation world a little later in life, will help her bring others into the fold. Because, she says, making people love things makes them want to protect them. “Many fishing and hunting conservation groups have a hard time recruiting younger and non-white people frankly, and I know these things are really hard to get into without guidance or mentorship.” she said. “I want to help give more people the opportunity to experience hunting and fishing in an enjoyable way so more people might understand the value of fish and wildlife, public land and water, and conservation... and because fishing and hunting are very uniquely satisfying and fun.”
By BRETT PRETTYMAN Communications Director for Science, Western Water & Habitat and Headwaters Program
P
eople and places change lives. This maxim is evident in Liz Rose’s new position as Wyoming field organizer with Trout Unlimited’s Sportsmen’s Conservation Project. Rose spent a lot of her childhood at a family cabin along the Sacramento River near Lake Shasta in California. Her time there fostered an interest in natural science and love of the outdoors, which eventually led to a Bachelor’s of Science degree in earth science (with an emphasis in environmental geology) from the University of California-Santa Cruz. By 2012, Rose had a couple of years of working with the U.S. Geological Survey under her belt, but was trying to navigate away from the stale, office cubicle path that is often too easy to follow. She made a summer trip with friends back to her beloved river and was at her ing Field Liz Rose is the Wyom d’s family cabin when a neighbor ite lim Un ut Tro Coordinator for and family friend came by to ion at erv ns Co ’s Sportsmen se say hello. Robert Balcom was Ro Liz of Photo courtesy Project. interested to hear about her college experience and catch up, and, while talking about fishing in the area, he reflected on an incident that happened not too far from that spot 21 years prior. A railroad tanker, according to a Los Angeles Times story on the incident, spilled 19,000 gallons of a toxic herbicide in to the Upper Sacramento River in 1991, forcing hundreds of nearby residents to evacuate and killing “tens of thousands” of fish for 40 miles. “He said everything was wiped out, as he recalled how devastating it was to the river and to him personally,” Rose said. “He looked so sad telling me the story; it really stuck with me.” That fall she found a new job working in the oil and gas industry taking her from California to Texas and drastically altering her lifestyle and career trajectory. As she learned about land and resource management, hunting and fishing in Texas, and oil train derailments and spills that are bound to happen during oil transport, she thought more seriously about going back to school. “Every train crash or spill I’d read about reminded me of that conversation I’d had with Robert, and how those events all break peoples’ hearts.
Liz Rose started working with Trout Unlimited in January of 2020 and represented the nonprofit at the Wyoming State Legislature in February and March on legislation that would impact coldwater fisheries and Wyoming anglers.
Brett Prettyman is part of the Trout Unlimited communications team, fondly referred to as TROUT Media. He is based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. Brett Prettyman Photo
Trout Unlimited Photo
SUMMER 2020
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THE TROUT TALE
FROM THE FLY BENCH
Jay Buchner
Spiders as trout food By JAY BUCHNER Master fly tier and angler
I
started tying flies in my grandfather’s basement when I was 8 years old. That boils down to having started this interest in all things fish and fishing about 65 years ago. Fly tying has become not just a hobby or pastime, or a job, but a passion. A curiosity about the natural world and all of the critters that my brother and I came across in our almost constant attendance in the outdoor classroom near our parent’s home was a start. The learning continued in high school and college as I pursued classes in natural sciences. What I didn’t learn in school, I’ve pursued on my own with a wealth of literature available on all aspects of the outdoors. With a lot of years working in the fly fishing/ fly tying industry, I can say I’ve learned a great deal about aquatic entomology and the fly patterns that have been and are still being developed to imitate all stages of the aquatic insects. In fact, I’ve tied hundreds of dozens of flies to imitate the major insect groups of Mayflies, Caddis flies, Midges and Stoneflies. I still continue to tie many of these flies, but I have developed an interest in non-traditional trout foods. As an example, when I was going to Sweden with the U.S. Fly Fishing Team, I was able to locate some aquatic entomology studies on some of the rivers in the area we’d be fishing. I noticed that there were more aquatic beetle species than mayfly or caddis species. I did a little more research and designed some flies and techniques that I thought would imitate some of the beetle species. When fished on the Swedish rivers, I was excited that the flies caught both grayling and brown trout, but didn’t seem to be the ‘Silver Bullet’ we were looking for. Other patterns were more consistent producers. More recently, I’ve taken an interest in spiders. Not the soft-hackled wet flies from the north country of the United Kingdom, but the eight-legged, web spinning variety. Spiders are everywhere. If you look a bit, you’ll find a robust spider population around any stream. They are found in a variety of sizes and colors and are preying on many of the insects that the trout find so tasty. It’s common practice to look for spider webs near a stream to get an indication of what bug has been hatching recently. Many times I’ve checked out a web and its contents and not seen the web maker and wondered if they were hiding. Or, did they miss a step and end up in the water? This evidently happens often enough that trout
THE TROUT TALE
will often rise to take a spider imitation. Like most non-traditional trout foods, they seem to work or they don’t work. It’s always worth a try and seems to fulfill my curiosity — “will this work today?” I’ve come across a few successful spider patterns. The first was handed to me by a friend while we fished a meandering meadow stream. It worked quite well and has had a place in a fly box for years. STYROFOAM SPIDER
Abdomen and Thorax: Fine dubbing – color could be gray, tan, black, brown or a color of your choice. Shellback: 2mm foam strip of your desired color gray, tan, black, brown or other. Parachute wing/indicator: White Poly yarn Legs: The original pattern called for Pheasant tail fibers, but they are a bit fragile and soon break off. I have started using inexpensive paint brush bristles in black, brown, tans that are long enough to work well. They can be banded with a marker. Hackle: Any good quality hackle in a complimentary color. I’ve been using mostly medium or dark dun. 1. Put a hook in the vise, attach the thread. Attach the foam strip and plan on tying this off at the middle of the hook.
Hook: Standard Dry Fly #10 - #16 Thread: Gray or to match body Body: Abdomen — with your scissors, cut and shape a small bit of Styrofoam packing peanut and put into a piece of nylon stocking material like a pocket. Gather the material to surround the styrofoam and tie onto hook at mid-shank. The head is made the same way with a smaller bit of styrofoam. Tie in at the midpoint of the hook. Colors could be gray, tan, black, brown. Legs: Two long sections of rubber legs tied in at the midpoint on each side of the body so you end up with four legs pointing forward and four backward. Cover the thread wraps with a few wraps of dubbing in the body color.
Editor’s Note: The Wolf Spider pattern was published in the February 2020 British magazine Fly Fishing & Fly Tying. Only the pattern is used here by Jay. A more recent addition to my spider collection comes from South Africa. Fly Tier Leonard Flemming created this one in 2002. Mr. Flemming calls it a Wolf Spider and suggests it may imitate this non-web making spider that is common in South Africa as well as most places in the world. We see them scurrying around the rocks on gravel bars on any of our streams. I prefer that the trout decide what type of spider they think it is when they rise to eat it.
2. Dub the body one-half the shank length and pull the foam over and secure. Trim off the excess. Attach the poly wing for the parachute.
3. Attach hackle on the hook shank and onto the post.
WOLF SPIDER Hook: Standard Dry Fly #12 - #16
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See SPIDERS on page 9
SUMMER 2020
SPIDERS from page 8
ENCAMPMENT RIVER from page 4
4. Attach two paint brush bristles on each side. Secure from the abdomen to the parachute post. The legs can be stripped with a permanent marker.
In April, the water users liked what they saw. On May 11, we had a landowner walk-through of the new dam and fishway. After 12 years of negotiating with some tough folks, meeting funding challenges, satisfying legal issues, and construction delays, trout can access the entire length of the Encampment River for the first time in 92 years. The final price tag: $1,700,000. Jeff Streeter is the Upper North Platte River Project Manager for Trout Unlimited. He enjoys the quiet life in Encampment with his wife Sandy. Jeff Streeter Photo
5. Dub the thorax area between the legs.
6. Wrap the parachute hackle in a counterclockwise direction, tie off in front of the post, trim excess and whip finish.
MORE TO THE STORY from page 4
If not for Jeff, the project doesn’t happen — ever. This project had every imaginable obstacle and each one should have derailed the effort. But each challenge was no match for Jeff’s resolve. His passion, honesty and unbelievable work ethic continued the march until the project was complete. Even the last day of the project created a hurdle when an excavator was buried to the top of the cab in the river after sliding into a deep hole. But once
again, Jeff jumped into problem solver mode, grabbed his personal raft and shuttled workers, equipment and supplies until everyone and everything was safely extracted. Congratulations to Jeff for completing this watershed scale project that took a decade to imagine. We are so lucky to have him on our team — he is putting the entire drainage together while continuing to serve as a role model, mentor and friend for everyone lucky enough to know him.
#CleanTheGreen2020 campaign off to a great start 7. The finished spider looks like it might walk off the table.
After moving to Jackson, Wyoming in the late 60s, Jay turned his love of fishing into a career guiding fisher people in the Jackson Hole area for nearly 35 years. He owned and operated both a retail mail order fly fishing catalog and a fly fishing shop in Jackson. Jay Buchner Photo
SUMMER 2020
The Clean The Green 2020 trash pickup campaign, started earlier this spring, is off to a great start with Trout Unlimited members, families, chapters, councils, guides and outfitters, other organizations and NGOs, and the general public from Wyoming and Utah participating in the volunteer trash pickup along the beautiful Green River in Wyoming and Utah. The program was initiated to celebrate the Green River from its headwaters in the famed Wind River mountains of Wyoming to the confluence with the Colorado River in Utah by cleaning up during outdoor trips and adventures. So the next time you’re out fishing, hiking or recreating on the Green River, make sure to pick up trash, take a photo(s) and post them on social media using #CleantheGreen2020 to be eligible for some great monthly prizes. Thanks to those who have already participated in the program by picking up trash. Thanks, also to our great group of sponsors who have provided some outstanding prizes. Some of those sponsors include Camp Chef, Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited, Two Rivers Fishing Co., Utah Council of Trout Unlimited, the Seedskadee Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Spinner Fall Guide Service, Holiday River Expeditions, Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Forest Service and many more.
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THE TROUT TALE
A HIDDEN TREASURE IN THE COWBOY STATE:
Little Mountain
By LIZ ROSE Wyoming Field Coordinator for Trout Unlimited’s Sportsmen’s Conservation Project
I’m not a person who cares (yet) about catching big fish. I love ambitious fish that’ll take flies almost as big as their heads and I love colorful fish! Lucky for me, we found trout that checked both of those boxes in the Greater Little Mountain Area and I (finally) caught my first Wyoming cutthroat trout. In this part of Wyoming you can find the Colorado River Cutthroat Trout (CRCT). This is one of Wyoming’s four native cutthroat trout subspecies and it historically occupied parts of the Colorado River basin in Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. The CRCT is listed on Wyoming’s Species of Greatest Conservation Need and on the Bureau of Land Management Wyoming Sensitive Species lists. Volunteers from the Seedskadee Trout Unlimited (TU) chapter and TU staff have done a tremendous amount of work in the Greater Little Mountain Area to protect our native trout. With partners like the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD), BLM, Boy Scouts of America, local businesses and private land owners, they continue their dedicated habitat-improvement work so that the CRCT does not end up on a federal threatened or endangered species list, or worse, disappear from the wild places we know and love. The BLM manages most of the land there. They are obligated to periodically create land and resource management plans that outline how and where they will accommodate “multiple use” including grazing, hunting, fishing, camping, oil and gas drilling, and mining. We expect to see an updated resource management plan draft from the BLM soon. Once their plan revision is finalized, it will dictate how the Greater Little Mountain Area and surrounding BLM land will be managed for the next 10 to 20 years. We want native trout and fishing opportunities to be protected for generations to come. We want to make sure that when the BLM accepts public input during a 90-day public comment period they hear from people like you. To learn more please visit greaterlittlemountain.org and follow the Greater Little Mountain Coalition on Facebook. If you want to be more involved in Greater Little Mountain Area work or on Wyoming policy and planning efforts, send me an e-mail at: liz.rose@tu.org.
W
hen I first moved to Wyoming I heard someone say, “it’s good that I-80 is where it is, otherwise the whole country might find out how much beautiful country we have here.” If you’ve been fortunate enough to drive 30 minutes south of Rock Springs and explore the Greater Little Mountain Area, you probably know what I mean. My first visit to the Greater Little Mountain Area was full of surprises. I had underestimated this place despite everything I’d been told, and despite what I’d seen in the beautifully done Greater Little Mountain Coalition film (greaterlittlemountain.org). I didn’t even know such small stream sections could hold so many fish and I didn’t expect to see so many deer, so many pronghorn or so much topographic relief (from over 9,000 ft. atop Little Mountain to 6,000 ft. along Flaming Gorge Reservoir). As a former geoscientist, I couldn’t help but gush over the red-banded sandstone and shale cliffs found in the Red Creek Basin beneath Pine Mountain or notice the lack of structure and slope stability in the Sugarloaf Basin. The range of vegetation and habitats across the landscape impressed me, and may partly explain how the landscape can support so many fish, wildlife and livestock. It was the escape I needed after way too much time spent indoors this winter and spring.
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon and his team met with community members, Seedskadee TU Chapter president Sadie St. Clair-Valdez, TU staff members Nick Walrath and Liz Rose, and Greater Mountain Coalition partners at Gooseberry Creek on June 12. Trout Unlimited Photos by Liz Rose
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SUMMER 2020
CHAPTER HIGHLIGHT
East Yellowstone Chapter
Cody home to one of the most active and productive chapters in Wyoming the lakes, rivers, and streams in Yellowstone support from the chapter was the creation of a National Park as their “home waters” and has trophy trout fishery at the Newton Lakes complex worked on several projects there. north of Cody and development of that area’s The chapter has remained strong over the recreational facilities. Newton Lakes remain even years and has taken on some big projects with today one of the chapter’s major endeavors. both their funds and volunteer labor. They were Currently, the chapter is working to protect the the first chapter in the state to water source for those lakes he East Yellowstone Chapter of Trout recognize the impact fall and to keep invasive species Unlimited (TU) was first organized in August of entrainment in irrigation from interfering with the 1987 out of the love for the Big Horn Basin’s ditches was having on trout amazing trout growth in East fisheries by the founding members. The original populations. For over 20 Newton. name was the Bighorn Chapter but became the years they have organized The Big Horn Basin is East Yellowstone (EYTU) Chapter in 1994 to community engagement in blessed with several major give more name rescuing trout from those watersheds. On the west side recognition to the ditches as the ditches become of the Basin are both the chapter as it entered dewatered. This multi-day North Fork and South Fork the fight to stop the rescue has often involved of the Shoshone River which New World Mine, a groups of up to 30 drain into Buffalo Bill gold mine located just volunteers. The chapter also Reservoir and exit the outside the northeast installed the first fish reservoir as a tremendous corner of friendly, easily maintained winter fishery known as the Yellowstone. fish screen in one of those Lower Shoshone. This lower That mining permit river and its fishery is aided This is one of the largest brown diversions and now assists its was eventually pulled partners in maintaining over a by thermal features below trout the chapter has rescued when President Bill half-dozen screens. The the dam that allow from an irrigation canal. Clinton came to the WYTU Photo by Dave Sweet chapter focus is often on the tremendous hatches yeararea to announce the preservation of native round. Other west side of the decision. There were about 30 members initially Yellowstone cutthroat trout and has led or assisted Basin fisheries are the Greybull River system but soon grew to about 200 throughout the Big in many efforts; including the Yellowstone Lake (home of one of the few remaining robust native Horn Basin and as far as Gillette initially. Current lake trout suppression project, fish ladders on the Yellowstone cutthroat populations) and the Clarks membership throughout the Basin is about 230. Greybull, recovery and stocking of cutthroats in Fork of the Yellowstone (a wild and scenic river). Another of the early projects to receive many high mountain streams, and other riparian On the east side of projects benefitting cutthroats. It seems like in the Basin are this heavily agricultural area of the state, there are numerous streams always issues and projects to work on. and rivers that drain The chapter has also recognized the the Big Horn importance of the “Sustain” mission of TU. They Mountains and flow work in cooperation with partners to hold Kids’ into the Big Horn Fishing Day each year, has conducted women’s River. The EYTU fly fishing clinics, and has worked with the chapter shares the schools to hold casting clinics and Adopt-A-Trout Big Horn Mountain sessions. streams with the Some of today’s challenges for the chapter Little Big Horn include the decline of native Yellowstone Chapter in Sheridan cutthroats in the upper Shoshone River system; and cooperates on invasive species in Buffalo Bill Reservoir (lake many projects there. trout and more recently, walleye) and their impact The Basin also has on the rainbow and cutthroat populations; the numerous lakes previously mentioned water management in (both high alpine on Newton Lakes; water quality degradation in the the Beartooth lower Shoshone River system mainly due to plateau and lower sediment, and many others. elevation lakes like The fisheries in the Big Horn Basin have been world famous “discovered” by other instate and out-of-state Monster Lake). The Lots of youth have have turned out to help on one of the chapter also chapter’s fish rescue projects. See EAST YELLOWSTONE CHAPTER on page 12 WYTU Photo by Dave Sweet considers many of
By DAVE SWEET East Yellowstone Trout Unlimited Chapter Board Member
T
SUMMER 2020
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THE TROUT TALE
EAST YELLOWSTONE CHAPTER from page 11
anglers leading to increased angling pressure. A myriad of factors has resulted in decreased angler satisfaction in the Basin that is a constant focus of the chapter. From an organizational perspective, the aging of the current chapter membership presents a real challenge. Like TU chapters everywhere, engagement of youth and young adults is a pressing need. In This is the chapter’s original order to be successful in the drum installation on Trout Creek. future, this aging and the WYTU Photo by Dave Sweet engagement of younger members must be addressed. However, like many challenges met over its 30 year life, the East Yellowstone Chapter remains dedicated to solving this issue and upholding its mission “To Preserve, Protect and Restore the Coldwater Fisheries of the Big Horn Basin”. If you are in Cody the second Tuesday of the month (September through May) plan to join the chapter for their monthly meeting at the Holiday Inn at 6 p.m. Or if you are in the Cody area to fish, call one of the chapter officers. They will try to join up with you and show you some of the fantastic waters we call home.
Members of the East Yellowstone Chapter in Cody and the Little Big Horn Chapter in Sheridan work on a joint project to stabilize a stream bank on the North Fork of the Tongue River in the Big Horn mountains. Little Big Horn Chapter Photo by John Madia
AROUND THE COWBOY STATE St. Clair-Valdez steps into new council position Sadie St. Clair-Valdez currently serves as the chapter president for the Seedskadee Chapter in Green River and Rock Springs. Recently, she agreed to fill the open Secretary position on the Council’s executive committee. She replaces Barb Allen from Jackson, who resigned her position in May. Sadie grew up as a sixth generation member on her family ranch in Red Lodge, MT. She attended the University of Montana in Missoula and studied Ecology and Organismal Biology in hopes of becoming a fisheries biologist dealing with coral reef ecosystems. After graduation, she found herself living in Green River, Wyoming working as a fisheries technician with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) for two seasons. During her first season of employment, she met Calvin and Amy Hazlewood who introduced her to the Seedskadee TU
THE TROUT TALE
Wyoming Trout Unlimited
Chapter. Not knowing how to fly fish as well as losing hope in becoming a fisheries biologist, she gained new excitement after meeting members of the chapter that were driven to maintain and protect fisheries in southwest Wyoming. At the end of her first work season, she moved to Oklahoma to live with her sister. But before her move, she met Miguel, now her husband, at Trout Creek on Little Mountain during a steel jack fence project that would help protect habitat for native Colorado Cutthroat trout. Needless to say, he was the reason she moved back to Wyoming for her second season of working for the WGFD. She served as the social media expert for the chapter followed by becoming president, a role she still holds today. “Being part of a non-profit organization has major benefits and takes a lot of heart because it’s all volunteer work,” said Sadie. She currently is employed as a county program technician for the USDA Farm Service Agency. She keeps busy by volunteering as chapter president and social media chair for the Seedskadee Chapter and she’s on the PAC for the southwest Chapter of the Muley Fanatic Foundation. “I am extremely excited to take on this new roll and learn more about what’s going on across Wyoming in the world of fisheries,” she noted.
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WYTU fall council meeting set for October in Cody The Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited has recently announced that the fall council meeting will be held in Cody on Oct. 23-25. Most WYTU members will recall that the council’s spring meeting was scheduled to take place in Cody in April, but was canceled due to the Covid-19 outbreak and directives from Trout Unlimited’s national office. While disappointed the spring meeting was canceled, the East Yellowstone Chapter is excited to host CODY, WYOMING the fall meeting OCTOBER 23, 24, 25 which will feature some terrific fishing opportunities and dinner on Friday, Saturday business meeting, dinner and a great raffle, a potential project or facility tour on Sunday and much more. This is a great opportunity for chapter members to network with other members from around the state. Mark your calendars now for Oct. 23, 24 and 25, and watch for more details as they become available on social media, the website and e-mail.
WYTU FALL MEETING
SUMMER 2020