Colorado River - Feb 16, #22 Periwinkle |
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Conserve, Protect And Restore |
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Due to Covid concerns, the following Winter/Spring events have been cancelled...
All Chapter Meetings will be virtual via Zoom through at least June
CCTU Green River Trip - April CANCELLED
CCTU Bighorn River Trip - May CANCELLED
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CCTU MARCH CHAPTER MEETING – ZOOM MEETING
TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 7PM ON ZOOM
CHIP SWANSON, 2019 ORVIS ENDORSED GUIDE OF THE YEAR, SPRING FISHING ON THE EAGLE, COLORADO & ARKANSAS
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Join Breckenridge Outfitters Guide Chip Swanson for a presentation focused on post-winter/pre-runoff fishing on three of the key rivers he guides on – The Eagle, Colorado, and Arkansas. Chip will talk in detail about each river in terms of specific locations and early spring techniques that will help you catch more fish this upcoming season. Definitely not a presentation to miss. Chip Swanson is the 2019 Orvis Endorsed Freshwater Guide of the Year. Breckenridge Outfitters is the 2016 Orvis Authorized Dealer of the year and the 2013 Orvis Endorsed Outfitter of the Year.
The meeting will be held on Zoom, starting at 7pm on Tuesday, March 16. 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: 873 3764 9653
Passcode: trout
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DICK JEFFERIES POUDRE HEADWATERS GREENBACK RESTORATION AND FIRE IMPACT PRESENTATIONS |
We had a great couple of presentations by Dick Jefferies from the Rocky Mountain Fly Casters chapter in Fort Collins. Dick gave an excellent update on the fantastic work being done on Poudre Headwaters Greenback Restoration Project. He also detailed the forecasted impacts to date from the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome Creek fires. We will stay in touch with both Dick and the Colorado River Headwaters chapter to find out where CCTU can help in both fire areas. The Poudre Headwaters Project video can be watched at Poudre Headwaters Greenback Restoration. An easy to follow non-narrated version of the fire presentation can be watched at CCTU Youtube Channel - Fire Impact Presentation
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CCTU APRIL CHAPTER MEETING – ZOOM MEETING
TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 7PM ON ZOOM
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PROGRAM 1 – MIKELE PAINTER, US FOREST SVC, SOUTH PLATTE RIVER RANGERS PROGRAM
The South Platte River Rangers was a program introduced in 2020 to help educate and alleviate some of the overuse pressures that the South Platte Watershed and Cheesman Canyon were experiencing in 2020. CCTU has been heavily involved in getting this program set up on our home waters, and we were excited to hear that it has been funded again for 2021. Mikele Painter is a Wildlife Biologist for the South Platte Ranger District on the Pike National Forest and she will be speaking about the evolution of this critical program. She grew up in Colorado, went to CSU for a Bachelor’s in Wildlife Biology, and earned a Master’s degree in Forestry at Northern Arizona University.
PROGRAM 2 - JOE SHAFER, THE BLUE QUILL ANGLER, SOUTH PARK STILLWATER BASICS
Long-time Blue Quill Angler Guide Joe Shafer is no stranger to the CCTU crowd, as he has guided and taught many members over the years and presented at chapter meetings in the past. While he is a fantastic river and stream fly fisher and guide, his unique teaching and guiding skills on stillwaters for trout and bass have become legendary across the Front Range. He and Jerry Vigil are two of the key stillwater class teachers and guides at The Blue Quill, and their classes and trips are excellent. Joe is going to talk about some of his tips and techniques for his favorite South Park stillwaters. Definitely not one to miss. Whether it is river run-off or covid crowds, stillwaters are still a fairly untapped resource and never get the crowds you might see on a nice Saturday at Deckers.
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: 881 8176 9037
Passcode: trout
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CCTU BOARD OF DIRECTORS - FEB ELECTIONS |
We elected/re-elected CCTU board members at the February 16th meeting. Congratulations to Scott Tampa for his upcoming leadership as the new CCTU President and to the five new board members elected that night. The board meets the first Tuesday of each month from 7-8pm. All meetings are being held virtually at least through the first half of 2021, and the board welcomes any CCTU members who want to join a meeting. If you would like to find out more about being part of the CCTU Board, please contact Scott Tampa (scott.a.tampa@gmail.com) for more information.
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CCTU SOCIAL MEDIA – FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE…SIGN UP AND STAY EVEN MORE INFORMED |
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If you aren’t aware of it, CCTU does have a presence on the major social media platforms now with a site or page for Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. You can sign up for each CCTU site at the following…
We look forward to adding more CCTU members as followers and we also need content. If you have pictures or stories of any kind, please send them to one of the CCTU Social Media Administrators…
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WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH – A CELERATION OF SHARON LANCE BY TU PRESIDENT CHRIS WOOD |
A nice article in Trout Magazine on former CTU and CCTU President Sharon Lance. In honor of Women's History Month, TU President and CEO, Chris Wood, celebrates one of the women who has made an outsized impact on coldwater conservation and on him, personally.
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LEGACY GIFT FROM THE ESTATE OF RUTH AND LESLIE DASHIELL |
CCTU is delighted and honored to acknowledge the recent legacy gift from the estate of Leslie and Ruth Dashiell. Les was a long-time member of CCTU; so much so that he sent his oldest grandson, Jacob Hunt, to TU Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp in 2010. Jake truly enjoyed the experience and continued from then on to fish with his grandpa, Les. Fishing was one of the sports Ruth and Les loved to do together. And it was always a competition when they went on a fishing trip. The couple were “in their element” when it came to fishing. Les also enjoyed many fishing trips with Trout Unlimited. Attached are photos of the Dashiell family enjoying their passion.
The Dashiell’s become Charter Members to the newly formed CCTU “Cutthroat Conservation Legacy Society”. The Society was formed with the goal of providing a sustaining source of funding in support of the TU mission: The Conservation, Protection, and Restoration of Cold Water Fisheries and Watersheds. Learn more on how you can preserve your legacy with a planned gift to CCTU by contacting:
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2019 CCTU CSU SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT WINS AWARD FOR DISSERTATION RESEARCH |
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The CCTU Steve Bailey Memorial Scholarship annually awards a research fellowship to a CSU graduate student studying in a field related to freshwater fisheries. Our hope is that that student will use the scholarship to advance their studies and enter a field that promotes our mission to conserve, protect, and restore Colorado's coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. The 2019 scholarship recipient was Chris Kotalik, who was working on Clear Creek at that time. We are proud to note that Chris did indeed go on to earn his PhD, and he continues to receive high honors for his groundbreaking work.
We also learned that Chris has recently won an award for his dissertation research. The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry/International Copper Association Chris Lee Award for Metals Research recognizes excellence in Chris's research related to the fate and effects of metals in the environment.
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HIDDEN TREASURE MINE PROJECT – AN UPDATE SIX YEARS LATER…BEFORE AND AFTER |
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Six years ago a pair of industrious scofflaws came up with a get-rich-quick scheme. They decided to haul a backhoe up to an illegal campsite near the abandoned Hidden Treasure Mine above Alma, CO. Their plan was to find their fortune by digging through the tailings at the mine’s adit. By the time their illegal activity was discovered they had succeeded in directing the water draining from this mine through the disturbed tailings and on into Buckskin Creek. This act endangered health of that creek, the health of the middle fork of the South Platte River downstream, and the health of the residents of Alma that rely on this creek for pure drinking water. The Coalition for the Upper South Platte (CUSP) enlisted CCTU’s help in rerouting the drainage, encapsulating the tailings, decommissioning the illegal campsite and mine adit and access road, and revegetating the site.
Recently, CCTU members visiting the area on business were able to tour that site. They were guided by former CUSP employee Jara Johnson, who helped direct that activity in 2014. They are pleased to report that in spite of the extreme altitude and harsh conditions, that construction work is intact and nature continues to repair itself. The vegetation at the site is continuing fill in. The illegal road to the campsite it still effectively blocked and camouflaged to discourage continued use. The French drain constructed to reroute the water exiting the mine still works as designed. That drainage now bypasses the tailings and trickles harmlessly down the slope to the creek.
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ADVOCACY NOTES FROM THE CTU BULL MOOSE COMMITTEE - JOHN EGAN |
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CORE ACT Moves Forward! On Feb 26th, the House of Representatives passed the Protecting America’s Wilderness Act (H.R. 803) which is a package of multiple public land bills across four Western states. TU strongly supports this legislation, as it will better conserve and restore public lands, watersheds and cold water fisheries as well as supporting the country’s commitment to countering the impacts of climate change by protecting at least 30% of our lands and waters by the year 2030.
Specifically for Colorado, H.R. 803 includes the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act. The proposed legislation would protect critical cold water streams, enhance high-value habitat for several species of wildlife and increase public access for anglers in some of Colorado’s premier fisheries.
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FLY OF THE MONTH - MAYHEM MIDGE
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This fly was invented in Telluride by Chris Walker, formerly a key guide and tier at Telluride Outside. It imitates a wide range of midges and small Baetis that make up a majority of trout’s spring diet. The foam wing allows it to dance and and bob in the water column and once it sinks, it floats upward, making it a perfect imitation of the emerging stage. Fish it off the bottom or close to the surface. Video Courtesy of AvidMax. Max has a couple of solid simplifications to the original pattern, by using the Antron for both the tail and legs and dubbing instead of peacock herl for the thorax. Black, olive, and red are some of our favorite colors.
Hook – CB230BL or TMC 100 Dry Fly Hook
Thread – UTC 70 Light Olive
Shuck – Antron Yarn, Brown
Rib – Olive UTC Wire Small
Thorax – Superfine Mahogany Brown Dubbing
Wingcase – 2mm Tan Foam
Legs – Antron Yarn, Brown
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NEW READS & RE-READS
JAMES MCCLINTOCK, A NATURALIST GOES FISHING
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James McClintock is a scientific expert on Antartica, who is also an avid angler. He brings his scientific observation skills to his fishing stories, sharing not only the fish and fishing but the geology, plants, birds and more. For each trip story, he details the conservation issues succinctly, and addresses how we might make changes that are better for fishing and the fishery. His trips are far reaching. Follow him as he fishes off the marshy barrier islands of Louisiana, teeming with life but ravaged by disasters like the Deepwater Horizon spill. Travel to New Zealand’s Stewart Island and its fast disappearing fishery. Fish for gigantic Antarctic toothfish through the ice, and for spotted bass in Alabama’s Cahaba River, which has the highest diversity of freshwater fish in North America. |
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New CCTU Officers and BOD Members
Scott Tampa - President
Ron Taniwaki
John Egan
Bob Getz
(returning to the board)
Barry Wiebe
Aaron Gardner
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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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3/16 CCTU Chapter Meeting, Virtual Meeting via Zoom 7-8:30pm
4/6 CCTU BOD Meeting, Virtual Meeting via Zoom 7-8:00pm
4/17 CTU Spring BOD Meeting – Virtual
4/20 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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