BRTU E-News
Because there's more to fishin' than just fishin'!
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#285: Apr. 16, 2023
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Don't miss Thursday's BRTU meeting: update on Bitterroot fishery and prospects for the season. |
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Montana SNOTEL map as of March 26, 2023. Source: USDA NRCS. |
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Montana SNOTEL map as of April 9, 2023. Source USDA NRCS. |
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Bitterroot River streamflows at Darby gauge. Source: USGS. |
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Bitterroot River streamflows at Bell Crossing gauge. Source: USGS |
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This Thursday's BRTU meeting will feature MFWP Fisheries Biologist Jason Lindstrom. Jason will provide a status report on the fishery, habitat conditions, and present results from last year's surveys and other studies. He will also review the updated Hoot Owl program, and discuss relevant results from the 2023 Legislature as they affect fisheries.
The recent late season snowfall has pushed the Bitterroot snowpack over 100%, which is very encouraging, and the streamflows are ticking up at Bell Crossing and Darby. The weather has been a bit of a seesaw, but the number of boats out for skwala is astonishing. From now on out, the flows will depend on temperatures and precipitation.
Jason's numbers from last year may give us some clues what to expect.
The talk will begin at 7:00 PM on Thursday, April 20 at the Hamilton Elk's Club, 203 State Street. But come down at 6:15 for personality adjustment enabled by the Elks excellent grilled brats and beer. The brats are steamed in beer before being grilled and then served with fried onions and sauerkraut. The Elks gives BRTU a special of $10 for a brat and a beer. We have been selling close to 30 each month and several BRTU stalwarts have been observed eating 2 brats and getting another for the road after the meeting!
The public is invited to attend and there is no charge for admission.
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A map delineating the West Fork Road (#473) above Painted Rocks Lake and Horse Creek Pass on the Idaho border. Sheep Creek is a small drainage off this extreme upper end of the West Fork, approximately at the sign SE SW Section 3 Mine. Painted Rocks Lake would be a bit north of Alta and Hughes Creek. Source: Mapcarta.
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The notorious Mountain Pass rare earth mine in California. Approximately 2000 X2600 meters. Source:GoogleEarth. |
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Since the announcement by the Utah based US Critical Materials, Corporation in March claiming that there was a "mother lode" of rare earth metals in the Sheep Creek drainage of the upper upper West Fork above Painted Rocks Lake, interest has remained intense.
The company's claims in the Sheep Creek area cover about 7 square miles. However, in an effort to understand and map the Sheep Creek and potential vicinal deposits, the US Geologic Survey will be doing aerial surveys in Montana and Idaho, which are described in this Missoulian article.
There is still no report that a Plan of Operation has been filed with the Bitterroot National Forest, so the course of action remains speculative. However, BRTU and Montana TU, as well as other groups, continue to monitor this latest snake oil project. The drainage downstream from the claims is home to populations of native cutthroat and bull trout. As a result, it is a mistake to discount this project which warrants watchful waiting.
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A new species of rainbow trout? How cool is that! |
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A McCloud River redband trout. Source: UC-Davis. |
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Trout Creek in the McCloud River drainage. |
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For all the trout mavens and experts who thought there was nothing new in or under the run, long-time BRTU member and supporter Kathy Engel sent me a very cool story from her alma mater, the University of California - Davis.
The UC-Davis news release states:
The McCloud River redband trout, or O. mykiss calisulat, is newly identified as its own distinct subspecies of rainbow trout in a study from the University of California, Davis. It is the first newly identified subspecies of Pacific trout since 2008 and the youngest rainbow trout subspecies by more than 100 years.
The study, published in the journal Zootaxa, notes that fish biologists have suspected the McCloud River redband trout was its own subspecies since at least the 1970s, but only newer genetics techniques — including genomewide DNA sequencing — allowed the UC Davis-led team to tease the puzzle apart and confirm it as a subspecies.
The actual journal article is a bit technical, so I have substituted this one. Techniques like the ones utilized in this study will likely lead to a lot of new information about native trout, including the ones in Montana.
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An ORVIS-endorsed lodge on the Bitterroot!
If you are like me, you get a lot of gorgeous catalogs and e-newsletters from ORVIS. They are full of photos and descriptions of incredible sounding fishing and birdhunting adventures, many in ORVIS-endorsed lodges in very exotic places.
Well, there is now an ORVIS-endorsed lodge on the Bitterroot between Wally Crawford and Angler's Roost - the Bitterroot Mile Club. If there was any doubt that the Bitterroot has been "discovered," this should quell those doubts once and for all.
This article from today's paper describes the Bitterroot Mile Club and quotes the owner, Mr Scott Woolfolk.
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Stream Management Panel set for May 25. |
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Logjams like the one pictured are boating hazards, but also provide superb habitat. Panelists will discuss how officials balance these 2 important issues and what laws govern wood removal. Source: BRTU. |
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The water from Painted Rocks Lake sustains flows and fisheries, and enables agriculture to be successful. Panelists will discuss management challenges in satisfying both needs. Source: BRTU. |
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The downed trees in the photo on the left are about a mile downstream from Bell Crossing. An outfitter friend tells me the trees, along with a trapped drift boat, have been there since last year. Another friend who was fishing near the tree last weekend watched as a raft with 3 occupants nearly capsized there.
This situation epitomizes one of the major conundrums of recent Bitterroot River management, adjudicating the competing concerns of habitat versus hazard. This one seems pretty obvious, but it seems noone has submitted an application for a 310 permit to remove the hazard.
In order to clarify roles and responsibilities of stream management, BRTU is partnering with the Bitterroot Conservation District, MFWP, DNRC and the Bitterroot River Commissioner to host a free panel discussion on Thursday, May 25.
Panelists will include 1.) Bitterroot Conservation District Supervisor Kent Myers will discuss the laws regulating activities in the streambed and floodplain as well as the Woody Debris Task Force, 2.) River Commissioner JR Iman and DNRC Engineer Larry Schock will preview the Painted Rocks water status and probable water release schedules, 3.) Ben Dickinson, our new MFWP Region 2 Recreation Manager, who will talk about boating safety and recreation issues, 4.) BRTU President Dave Ward who will present some possible novel solutions for hazard notification.
More details will follow, but the panel will be at 7:00 PM on May 25 at the Hamilton Elks Club and BRTU will be providing free brats to encourage attendance. Please note the date on your calendars. Guides and outfitters are particularly encouraged to attend.
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This issue's Picture of the Week was submitted by long-time BRTU supporter and volunteer, Tom Puchlerz. Tom was one of the many volunteers who helped out last week at the final classroom session of the 2023 Bitterroot Buggers.
The photo depicts casting instructor Steve Davis showing the entire 2023 Buggers class the proper way to assemble and string up a fly rod. Steve then demonstrated the basic casting stroke, and the attentive students arrayed around the Hamilton Middle School gymnasium to practice under the guidance of the volunteers. The kids also learned the how and why of false casting. By the end of the session, every Bugger was able to do a decent cast. Steve, Joe Byrne and Greg Chester were all given a hearty thank you as the kids dismantled their outfits and filed out the door.
A final note that this was the 28th year of Buggers, and it is an entirely BRTU volunteer effort. A truly remarkable accomplishment. If you would like to help support BRTU programs like the Buggers, you can make a donation through the Montana TU website. Be sure to note in the comments that you are donating to BRTU.
Please send me any fishing or conservation related photos to be considered for the "Picture of the Week." Make sure that the files are less than 5 mB in size. Note that in most cases I plan to not to use "grip and grin" photos, but rather pictures of fish in the water or net.
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This week's BRTU Puzzler was submitted by long-time BRTU member and all-round good guy, Keith Johnson.
The fish was caught by Keith's grandson Nate in the Thomas pond on the Teller Wildlife Refuge. The Puzzler is to identify the fish by its common and technical name and provide a little history of the species in Western Montana. The person to submit the first correct answer will win the BRTU Puzzler and a prize from the Puzzler's sponsor.
The BRTU Puzzler now has a new sponsor - Chapter One Book Store in Hamilton. Chapter One is offering a $10 gift card to each winner but it must be picked up in person. The book store is a long time BRTU supporter and has an unbelievable inventory of books and magazines. If Chapter One doesn't have the tome you want, they can get it in a jiffy. Shouldn't we be patronizing local small independents rather than big online giants?
And by the way, at 6:00 PM this coming Wednesday, Chapter One is sponsoring a special event that may be of interest. Have you ever wondered what makes some animals resilient in the face of lost habitat, changing climate and an ever shifting landscape? Or contemplated what role should humans play in their recovery? Or pondered how important is genetic purity to the recovery of iconic species like bison?
If you have a cool fishing, outdoor activity, or conservation related photo, consider submitting it to BRTU Puzzlemaster Marshall Bloom for the BRTU Puzzler. The first correct entry will be the winner.
BRTU E-News will no longer publish grip and grin photos of native fish out of water but will highlight photos of actual fish in the water.
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Monte Dolack BRTU prints
now available at Joe's Studio.
A very few Publisher's Proofs of the limited edition "Bitterroot River-Lost Horse Bend" by Monte Dolack are still 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 BRTU sponsor, 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 Dave Ward. 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 the BRTU website. chapter number is #080. If you have a question about your membership, please call the Montana TU office at 406-543-0054.
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
Donna Haglund; Vice President; E-mail: haglunddonna@gmail.com
Don Patterson, Treasurer; d5357mt@gmail.com
BOARD MEMBERS
Charlie Harris; E-mail: hmgharris@gmail.com
Joe Byrne; E-mail: byrnej@hsd3.org
Vacant; (student board member)
GENERAL FACTOTUM AND NEWSLETTER PUBLISHER
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Bitterroot Trout Unlimited| PO 262, Hamilton, MT 59840 | www.bitterroottu.org |
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