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Because there's more to fishin' than just fishin'!
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| The Upper Clark Fork - a precarious recovery. |
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The Clark Fork River above the Blackfoot has been on a long slow journey to recovery after more than a century of abuse from Anaconda Copper Company copper mining and smelting. Over 50 miles of lovely river is virtually barren of fish except in a few spots where clean water tributaries enter the river.
In 1908 there was a massive flood that sent mine wastes hurtling down stream from Butte and Anaconda until they were stopped by the former Milltown dam and overunning the banks. When the water receded, heavy metals were deposited in "slickens" along the banks of the rivers. And every time, there was heavy run off or severe rains, this toxic material surged into the water turning the water red and instantly extinguishing any fish in the way. Somewhere there is a movie of one of these events taken from the air and it is truly nauseating.
After decades of legal wrangling, in 2008, Atlantic Richfield, the heir to Anaconda, dedicated $95 million to the State of Montana for remediation. Largely due to the efforts of Montana TU Executive Director Bruce Farling pushing a Natural Resource Damage lawsuit, monies were also set aside to remedy harm done to natural resources in the drainage, such as fisheries. As part of this effort, TU has been working to enhance fisheries in smaller tributaries to improve recruitment into the Clark Fork River. But significant problems persist.
As detailed in an August 23 Missoulian story, a significant fish kill occurred in September 2019 when a berm restraining some slickens failed in a storm. And there are about 100 other berms holding back slickens that are degenerating, too. Temporary measures are being entertained, but this needs to fixed.
The story is worth a read since it lays out the problem in considerable detail. And of course, although the scale of the Clark Fork problem is gargantuan, stories like this are common every time there is a hard rock mine near a river. And, it seems like they are always a near a river.
Personal flotation devices - a plea!
The papers today reported the 3rd drowning in the last month.
This most recent one involved a retired sheriff and police chief whose body was found across the Missouri River from his boat.
On August 22, there was another drowning on the Missouri of a kayaker whose boat tipped over in a rapid.
And on August 5, a woman who was inner tubing died on the Bitterroot when she was trapped under a log jam downstream of Bell Crossing. Her fellow tubers failed to recognize that she had gone missing.
 Unfortunately, these tragedies share a common denominator with every other boating death in Montana. None of the victims were wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) or life jacket. After losing 3 friends to drowning on the Bitterroot, I resolved never to get into a raft, drift boat or canoe without one.
PFDs have become very comfortable and easy to wear. Some are specifically designed for anglers.  Places like Northwest River Supplies offer an almost unimaginable selection styles and size.
Some models are very compact and are designed to inflate if the wearer goes into the water. Former BRTU President Doug Nation is wearing one of these in the photo to the right.
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| Best day ever - Teller Wildlife Refuge! |
It is hard to find much good news today. Thanks to the pandemic, the fair had to be cancelled, the usual summer confabs of friends and relatives had to be postponed or drastically. And even the sight of little kids trooping off to kindergarten is fraught with trepidation.
Then, I received an email from the Teller Wildlife Refuge called "The Best Day Ever." The email read:
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Have you ever faced an obstacle? I'm sure you have encountered many at this point.
Obstacles frustrate us. They make us struggle. We have to stop, think and come up with a plan. The process can be painful and tiring, but given some time, we get through it and on our way ...to the next one.
Working through obstacles is a daily process for children too. We believe that time spent in nature is ideal for kids to test their ability to handle a bump in the trail. If adults can step back and let the child figure out what to do next, he or she will. They will get past that bump and now hold the power to successfully navigate the next thing that stands in their way.
We were challenged when it came to planning our 2020 Nature Connections Summer Camp. Could we design a camp where kids have fun, learn about conservation, and still be mindful of our dedication to our community's safety?
Camp Director, Amanda Bestor, answered this with a 4-week series of one-day camps. Two camps for hikers and two for bikers. Each camp focused on a different theme; Nature Art + Games, Forest Mammals + Ecology, Aquatic Habitat Exploration, and Fur, Fin + Feather Fun. All camps would be in-person and on the refuge.
And how did it go?
The campers arrived in the morning and set about creating art with natural materials. They played nature-themed tag, socially distancing with foam noodles on their hands. They rode the wagon through the refuge, hiked along the Bitterroot River and watched a family of deer along the way. Stopping for lunch next to a pond, the campers then spent the afternoon absorbing lessons about birds, insects, and wildlife habitat through games and activities. All of this plus a dip in a little byway next to the river to splash around and cool off.
Walking with the campers to the wagon for a ride back to the barn, it's clear they had a great day. A day that made their whole summer! This day, spent amongst the trees, the birds, the deer, and the water skeeters (not to mention the mosquitos) left a lifelong impression on them. In nature, they had time to relax, engage, and find out how they belong in this world.
More than once you could hear a camper shout, "This was the best day ever!"
Make sure that Teller continues to provide these experiences for youth throughout the year. Donate to Lucy's Fund. "Best day ever!" is something that every kid should find in nature.
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And the email had a link to an amazing video. If this doesn't lift your spirits, I don't what will. And while you are there, make a donation to Lucy's Fund so that kids can continue to have "the Best Day Ever!" |
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Picture of the Week.
This week's picture was submitted by Ty Balser. Ty has been a Bitterroot Bugger for
several years and will be going into 8th grade.
Ty has been doing a lot of tying and has gotten extremely good. The photo is of a couple of elk hair caddis that Ty tied. Ty has also done a lot of socially distanced fishing this summer and sent me a photo of a chubby 21 inch rainbow that he caught on a stonefly nymph while fishing with his family on Georgetown Lake. It took him 22 minutes to land the fish.
Ty has offered to tie 3 or 4 dozen flies for our on-line auction this fall, a selection that will likely include elk hair caddis, parachute Adams, callibatis nymphs and royal trudes. His sister Jadie is entering 7th grade and she is becoming quite the tier, too. Ty says Jadie is going to donate some flies, too.
So, be on the lookout for information about the on line auction so you can bid against me for Ty's and Jadie's flies! And if you have something you'd like to donate for the on-line, please contact BRTU President Jeremy Anderson.
And be sure to send me any photos that might be suitable for the Picture of the Week. I promise not to divulge any secrets.
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The BRTU Puzzler.
This week's BRTU Puzzler was submitted by Olivia Steele-Mortimer. In addition to being a world-class expert on microbiology, Olivia is also a globe-trotting angler of considerable skill.
Olivia took this moody picture on a recent trip. The remote location is hours away from a major airport and can only be reached by boat after a long overland trip. The area translates into English as Silent Dog Forest.
Submit your entries to BRTU Puzzlemaster Marshall Bloom. If you are the first person to correctly identify the location, province and country, you will be the next BRTU Puzzler winner.
Chuck Stranahan has generously offered a prize to all winners of the BRTU Puzzler. The winner will be able to can claim a prize of hand-tied trout flies by contacting Chuck.
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October 2020 BRTU banquet cancelled!
The BRTU Board of Directors has made the hard decision to cancel our 2020 banquet that was scheduled for this coming October. Uncertainties about status of the COVID-19 pandemic at that time and possible reluctance of people to come together in large groups were 2 of the factors.
Plans are being made to have a virtual auction and we have already lined up some exceptional premiums. As soon as more details are available, we will share them.
This would have been the 41st annual fundraiser and this decision was not made easily.
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Monte Dolack BRTU prints
now available at Joe's Studio.
A small number of Pubisher's Proofs of the limited edition "Bitterroot River-Lost Horse Bend" by Monte Dolack are now available at Joe's Studio. BRTU commissioned Monte  Dolack in 2007 to create this iconic print of the Bitterroot River.
The remaining Publisher's Proofs are $375 and all proceeds support BRTU efforts to protect trout and streams.
Joe's Studio, a regular sponsor of our banquets, is located in Hamilton at 220 Marcus Street (961-4586, joesstudio@aol.com)
The "U" in BRTU
Unlike many groups, BTRU has no paid staff. We are an entirely volunteer organization. We are always looking for new members to get involved in projects or to join our board and assist with maintaining our focus on native fish, clean healthy streams and education. If you would like to help out, please contact BRTU Chapter President Jeremy Anderson. We could sure use your help!
In other words, how about putting a little "U" in BRTU?
If "U" are not already a member, "U" can join TU today by going to the BRTU website. Our chapter number is #080. If you have a question about your membership, please call Clayton at 406-543-0054.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemi, BRTU board meetings are now being held virtually on ZOOM. They are open to all BRTU members. Date and time vary, so please contact Jeremy if you would like to log in and learn what is going on.
The BRTU Mission statement is "To conserve, protect, and restore the Bitterroot River and it's watershed," directly in line with the Montana TU mission statement.
For your information, here is a tabulation of our current hard-working BRTU officers and board members.
BOARD OFFICERS
Dr. Jeremy Anderson; President; E-mail: mtwildtrout1@gmail.com
Dave Ward; Vice-President; E-mail: dward451@comcast.net
Marissa Sowles, Secretary (acting); sowlesm@gmail.com
Keith Mullan, Treasurer; E-mail: keithcmullan@hotmail.com
BOARD MEMBERS
Donna Haglund; E-mail: haglunddonna@gmail.com
Marlin Lewis; E-mail: Lewism@hsd3.org
Shelia Bryan; E-mail: shoe6561@gmail.com
Gavin Marston (student board member)
GENERAL FACTOTUM AND NEWSLETTER PUBLISHER
Dr Trout (Marshall Bloom); E-mail: drtrout@mtbloom.net
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We're currently in the planning stages of our Annual Fall Event. This has historically been one of our biggest fundraisers of the year, and we could always use more help. To learn more about how you can volunteer, please email Rick Todd at email@constantcontact.com. . Learn More. |
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