Colorado River, May 6, #12 Mayer's Mini Leech |
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Conserve, Protect And Restore |
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Due to Covid concerns, the following Spring/Summer events have been cancelled...
All Chapter Meetings will be virtual via Zoom through at least July
CCTU Bighorn River Trip - May CANCELLED
Project Healing Waters Crystal Lake Trip - June CANCELLED
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CCTU MAY CHAPTER MEETING – ZOOM MEETING
TUESDAY, MAY 18, 7PM ON ZOOM
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PROGRAM 1 – TAWNI RIEPE, CCTU CSU SCHOLARSHIP RECEIPIENT, BACTERIAL DISEASE IN COLORADO TROUT
Tawni Riepe is the 2020/21 recipient of the CCTU Steve Bailey Memorial Scholarship at CSU. She currently has a M.S. from and is a PhD candidate in the Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology graduate program at CSU with a focus on disease ecology in Colorado trout. Her presentation will be on bacterial kidney disease in Colorado trout.
PROGRAM 2 – TYLER SWARR, CPW AQUATIC BIOLOGIST UPPER SOUTH PLATTE BASIN, A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A STATE FISHERIES BIOLOGIST
Tyler Swarr is an Aquatic Biologist for Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). He is a Colorado native and received his M.S. from the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at CSU. Tyler will discuss how your public fisheries are managed. Topics covered will include how CPW manages your public fisheries using standardized sampling, wild spawning operations, the role of state fish hatcheries, regulations, and research projects. Additionally, Swarr will cover native species management projects and other issues facing our fishery resources.
The Zoom meeting portal will open at 6:30pm, feel free to pop in early and talk with various CCTU members.
To join the meeting, click on the link below prior to 7pm, or go to Zoom.com and enter the Meeting ID and Password.
Meeting ID: 843 2724 1940
Passcode: trout
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CCTU CONSERVATION PROJECTS ARE BACK!
BEAR CREEK EARTH DAY CONSERVATION PROJECT WRAP-UP
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After a year hiatus due to Covid concerns, Cutthroat Chapter volunteer boots are once again on the ground. 21 chapter members and friends, including six CCTU board members, joined forces with the City of Lakewood for an Earth Day planting event. On Saturday April 24, 2021 we met with four City employees at the Bear Creek Greenbelt. Ten narrow leaf cottonwood trees and two dozen shrubs, all native plants, were transplanted on a Bear Creek streambank damaged by excessive beaver activity. Beavers are an integral part of many watersheds, and they greatly enhance those areas with their dams which create wetlands. This activity diversifies habitat and increases species counts, both great things for these environments. Beavers with no predators can overdo things and create some damage to local flora. Funding from the Cutthroat Chapter paid for both these native plants and the fencing materials that will protect the trees and shrubs in their first few vulnerable years. These plants will shade and cool the water which is great for the fish. They will stabilize the streambanks while providing habitat for a multitude of animals. This project will allow coexistence of animals and plants in this urban oasis. It was a great day in celebration of our Mother Earth. |
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COME FISH WITH US & BARBECUE - MAY EVENT |
CCTU Come Fish With Us is back again on Friday May 21, 5-8pm. Ron and David are also hosting a barbecue that night. Brats, Burgers, Sauerkraut, Potato Salad and more. Stop by and have some food and drink with friends and some fun at the Lake. Lake Lehow is now operating at 100% capacity, but we are asking attendees to still wear masks and practice social distancing. From a food mgmt standpoint, it would be great if you can RSVP David Coward at dpcoward@hotmail.com, but you can also just show up as well.
Lake Lehow can be entered from the east side of the Waterton Canyon Parking Lot. Wadsworth south to Waterton Road, left into the parking lot. Veer to the right as you enter (toward van/trailer parking) and drive east down the dirt road to the green gate in back. A CCTU representative will be at the gate at 5pm and for an additional 5-10 minutes. The gate chain will then be “soft locked” for any late arrivals. If you arrive after 5pm, please redo the chain “soft lock” before proceeding to the lake.
The Come Fish With Us program is designed for chapter members and non-members to explore local fisheries with experienced chapter members also there to answer questions, offer tips, and provide help on casting, fly selection, hooking, playing and landing fish. Lake Lehow is a private lake (Denver Water) that is heavily stocked with bass, panfish, and trout.
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CCTU JUNE CHAPTER MEETING – ZOOM MEETING
TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 7PM ON ZOOM
PATRICK BLACKDALE, THREE RIVERS RESORT & OUTFITTING, SOURCE-DOWN, AN OVERVIEW OF THE UPPER GUNNISON DRAINAGE
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If you haven’t had a chance to fish the Gunnison, Taylor, or East River, or cast for cutthroats on Spring Creek, you will want to hear this presentation from Patrick Blackdale. Three Rivers Resort & Outfitting is the Orvis Endorsed outfitter in Alma, Colorado…right near the junction of the Taylor and East Rivers, which join to form the Gunnison.
Patrick will give photo-laden look at the Upper Gunnison Drainage. He will do a broad overview of the fishery, touching on high alpine lakes, small streams, freestones, tailwaters, and reservoirs. The presentation is not extremely detailed on any one particular waterway, but rather meant to highlight the incredible diversity of the Upper Gunnison drainage.
Three Rivers Resort is located in Almont, Colorado on the Taylor River. The resort features rustic cabins from the 1800s, as well as brand new cabins with the comforts of home. They have access to both public and private water and set you on amazing fish in stunning surroundings. Patrick oversees the fly shop and Willowfly Anglers guide service, in addition to assisting in the management of the entire outfitting operation. He is a Colorado native, went to college in Leadville, guided on the Arkansas before arriving at Three Rivers Resort.
The Zoom meeting portal will open at 6:30pm, feel free to pop in early and talk with various CCTU members.
To join the meeting, click on the link below prior to 7pm, or go to Zoom.com and enter the Meeting ID and Password.
Meeting ID: 874 9073 5042
Passcode: trout
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STOP THE WATER QUALITY ROLLBACK! |
For nearly 50 years, the Clean Water Act has been a tool for improving the quality of waters in Colorado and nationwide. Now, the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission is considering a new rule that would allow for greater degradation of many Colorado waters. Urban rivers like the Denver South Platte (pictured) would be especially at risk - but mountain streams could also see their protections weakened.
Please sign our petition below to oppose this rollback of Colorado's anti-degradation rules. You can also add a personal comment if you wish. The Commission is used to hearing from parties, but rarely from the public at large - so your participation can make a difference.
The current rule incentivizes water quality improvement, while the proposed rule change would remove incentives to clean up streams, and replace it with a system that allows for more water quality degradation.
This rule change would benefit industry over people and the environment by allowing more pollution, especially in our urban streams, like the Denver South Platte, where industrial activity is disproportionately located in lower income neighborhoods.
Please click here to sign the CTU petition to oppose this rollback of Colorado’s anti-degredation rules. Join us and let your voices be heard.
For more information, please see this CTU article from late April…
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FRASER RIVER WILLOW PLANTNG WITH THE HEADWATERS CHAPTER
SATURDAY MAY 22 & SUNDAY MAY 23 – 9AM
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Through contact with local wildlife biologists, environmental experts and river conservation researchers, TU has learned that one of the very best things we can do to protect and restore the environment and natural habitat around our rivers is to plant willows on the river banks. For several years the Headwaters Chapter (Grand County) has organized willow harvesting and planting events along our local rivers. Programs are back on and they need your help.
May 22 and 23 - we’ll gather at 9AM at the Sunset Ridge Pond parking lot located near the south end of the railroad bridge at the edge of Tabernash on Grand County Road 83 just off of Highway 40. TU will provide coffee, donuts and lunch for our volunteers. Masks will be required for orientation but from the parking lot, we will break up into small groups and use social distancing. If you have them, bring boots or waders and gloves.
For all the details and to sign up, go to the Headwaters Chapter website Project Sign-Up.
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APRIL MEETING PRESENTATIONS AVAILABLE ON-LINE
SOUTH PLATTE RIVER PATROL & LOCAL WARM-WATER FISHING
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We had an excellent CCTU April meeting and the recording of that presentation is now ready at the CCTU YouTube channel at April Presentations on CCTU YouTube Channel. Mikele Painter from the US Forest Service gave an excellent update on the South Platte River Patrol program with which CCTU has been heavily involved. Chris Barry from Orvis Park Meadows gave out a ton of tips and locations on local warm-water fishing in his presentation Warm-Water Fishing in the South Denver Metro Area. Thanks to both presenters for insightful, entertaining, and interesting info.
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FLY OF THE MONTH - CLOUSER MINNOW
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High water is almost upon us. Baitfish imitations, like Clousers and Deceivers, are often thought of as salter patterns only, but during spring runoff, young trout often find themselves caught up in the current and available to larger fish. Swinging a chartreuse-white or olive-white Clouser through slower runs during high water can produce your most aggressive strikes of the day. On bigger water like the Bighorn, Gunnison, and Lower Colorado, the Clouser can be an amazingly effective high water tool. Don’t forget to use some heavy fluorocarbon tippet (1-2x) and tie it on with a non-slip mono loop knot to get maximum fly activity. Video courtesy of Tightline Productions.
Hook – Mustad 34007 2/0
Abdomen – UTC 140 White
Eyes – White Dumbell Eyes Large
Tail – White Bucktail Large
Collar 1 – Gold Krystal Flash
Collar 2 – Sculpin Olive Bucktail Large
Head Cement - Fly Tyers Z-Ment Quick Dry
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NEW READS & RE-READS
SCOTT WALDIE, THE TRAVERS CORNERS TRILOGY
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Picked up a book the other day and reread it front to cover in a night or two. The late Scott Waldie wrote a series of three books about a small Montana town that revolves around fly fishing. Great character development, back stories, and good fishing fiction. The trilogy consists of Travers Corners, Return to Travers Corners, and Travers Corners The Final Chapters. Waldie paints a vivid picture of small town life in a fly fishing town and it definitely makes you want to drop everything and head to Montana. Scott was a well-known guide and outfitter in California, Wyoming and Montana. He owed the Four Rivers Fishing Company in Twin Bridges for a number of years. He wrote fly fishing travel articles, short stories, and novels. Great summer reads.
All three books are available at Amazon, but don’t forget to sign up for Amazon Smiles and focus donations to CCTU.
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Ramsey Musa - Colorado River
Colorado River
Peter King - Gunnison River
Colorado River
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CCTU EVERYDAY FUNDRAISING VEHICLES
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King Soopers Card Program – Link up your King Soopers Rewards Card to CCTU for their Community Rewards program and get King Soopers donations flowing to the Chapter. Requires no ongoing effort on your part. Set up is very simple….check the CCTU website at CCTU Website for the directions how to link your King Soopers card to Community Rewards donations to CCTU.
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Amazon Smile - Amazon Smile provides .5% of the price of your Amazon purchase to the charitable organization of your choice. When buying something from Amazon, simply go to the Amazon Smile website (https://smile.amazon.com) to sign into your Amazon account, rather than going to Amazon.com. Once you sign into your Amazon account via the Amazon Smile website, you will be transported to the Amazon website and all purchases will register for the .5% donation to CCTU.
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5/18 CCTU Chapter Meeting, Virtual Meeting via Zoom, 7-8:30pm
5/21 CCTU Come Fish With Us, Lake Lehow, 5-8pm
5/22-23 Fraser River Willow Planting, Headwaters Chapter, 9am
6/1 CCTU BOD Meeting, Virtual Meeting via Zoom, 7-8:30pm
6/15 CCTU Chapter Meeting, Virtual Meeting via Zoom, 7-8:30pm
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Cutthroat Chapter Trout Unlimited
9444 Dolton Way
Highlands Ranch, CO 80126
(303) 249-7524
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