South Platte River, Happy Meadows - April 10, #22 Mercury Pheasant Tail Midge |
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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 Bighorn River Trip - May CANCELLED
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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 BEAR CREEK EARTH DAY CONSERVATION PROJECT
BEAR CREEK GREENBELT PARK
SATURDAY, APRIL 24 – 7:55 AM TO 12PM
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WE NEED VOLUNTEERS for a Conservation Project on April 24.
Cutthroat Chapter TU Conservation Projects are Back! Join us for an Earth Day Conservation Celebration with the City of Lakewood on Saturday April 24, 2021.
2020 was a difficult year with COVID-19 worries cancelling most of our CCTU events. We are pleased to announce that CCTU has begun conservation projects in 2021 with proper precautions in mind. CCTU is cooperating with the staff of Bear Creek Lake Park to help restore the Bear Creek Greenbelt riparian environment in Lakewood. The part of their Earth Day event we are helping with is only open to CCTU members and friends. We will be planting native plants like chokecherry, native plum, and small cottonwood trees, in a 100% outdoor event.
We are calling for twenty volunteers who can meet the following requirements. If you would be willing to help, please contact George Franklin at 303.902.9827 or at georgefr@aol.com. You must sign up in advance with George in order to participate.
- We will meet at 7:55 am on Saturday April 24 at The Stone House, 2900 S. Estes St., Lakewood, CO 80227 (Bear Creek Greenbelt Park). The event ends at 12 noon.
- We will not have breakfast items or drinks provided, so bring your own if you so desire.
- We will split quickly into groups of no more than 10, family member groups preferred.
- We will have a “grab and go” lunch option at 12 noon, and then we will disperse.
- There will be no fishing contest as in years past, but you are encouraged to stay and fish Bear Creek while maintaining an appropriate social distance.
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COME FISH WITH US PROGRAM RETURNS! |
The CCTU Come Fish With Us monthly program at Lake Lehow, starts this month, with the first event Friday April 23, 5-8pm. However, due to Jeffco moving back to Yellow Covid status, CPW is only allowing 10 people to be at the Lake at any one time and you must wear a mask and gloves and practice social distancing. Given these limitations, you must contact David Coward at dpcoward@hotmail.com to reserve one of the spots for this event. Spots will be assigned on a first come first serve basis. Only those folks who have confirmation of a reserved spot with David will be allowed to enter Lake Lehow.
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 (enter via east side of Waterton Canyon Parking Lot) is a private lake that is heavily stocked with bass, panfish, and trout.
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DON’T FOREGET TO RENEW YOUR FISHING LICENSE NEW YEAR STARTED APRIL 1! |
Colorado Fishing Licenses and State Park Passes all expired on March 31st. 2021 Resident Fishing Licenses cost approximately $47 (including required habitat stamp) and the easiest way to renew your fishing license is online at
State Park Passes are $80 per vehicle and can be renewed at
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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, UPPER SOUTH PLATTE GREENBACK RESTORATION PROJECT UPDATE
Tyler Swarr is an Aquatic Biologist for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. He is a Colorado native and received his M.S. from the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at CSU. Tyler will talk the status and next steps on the Greenback Cutthroat Trout Reintroduction plan for the Upper South Platte watershed.
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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RIVER WATCH REPORT
BUGS OF LOWER WATERTON CANYON
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As part of CCTU’s participation in Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s River Watch water quality program, a sample of the fauna (all the aquatic creatures) is taken from the water quality testing site each year. Which creatures, especially insects, that are living at a specific site are an indicator the quality of the water at that location. The more diverse and abundant the insect community the better. Which insects and how many is also useful information for a fly fisher. It is nice to know exactly which Stoneflies, Mayflies and Caddis flies are present in the water you are fishing. The CCTU site is located on the South Platte River, just downstream of the Waterton Road bridge, near the big Waterton canyon parking lot. Go to the CCTU website link below for a list of insects and other aquatic creatures sampled from the river on Oct. 15, 2020. The sample was given to the CPW River watch program and then analyzed by their contractor.
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CHIP SWANSON ARK/EAGLE/COLORADO RIVER PRESENTATION AVAILABLE AT CCTU YOUTUBE CHANNEL |
We had an excellent presentation by Chip Swanson from Breckenridge Outfitters in April. He reviewed spring fishing techniques and locations for the Arkansas, Eagle, and Colorado Rivers. If you missed it, or wanted to digest it more thoroughly, the presentation can be viewed at the CCTU YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq5dYPu6pyE. If you are interested in contacting Chip for a guided float trip this summer on one of those rivers or other watersheds in the area, please contact him at kchip.swanson@gmail.com, or Breckenridge Outfitters (https://www.breckenridgeoutfitters.com/
or 970-453-4135).
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FLY OF THE MONTH - NO MERCY MIDGE
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This fly was invented by CCTU member and Umpqua tier Phil Iwane. One of the more effective midge pupa patterns we have ever fished. Phil focused it originally on one of his favorite haunts, Elevenmile Canyon. However, it is incredibly effective on all the Colorado tail-waters and freestones, and has been recently deadly at Deckers. Fish it down deep, or in the film, and swinging can be a killer technique. Our favorite size is #22, but tie it smaller or larger. Phil has been having some especially good luck this month on The Eagle with size #18. Video courtesy of Graham Moran (feel better Graham!).
Hook – TMC 2488 #20-26
Abdomen – Uni-thread Camel 8/0
Head – Veevus 12/0 or 14/0 Black
Rib – UTC XS Silver or Langartun X-Fine Silver Wire
Gills – CDC White Puffs
Coating – Solarez Bone Dry UV Resin
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NEW READS & RE-READS
RON BELAK, THE FISHING GUIDE TO 800 HIGH LAKES IN COLORADO
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Ron Belak, long-time Colorado writer and photographer, just published his 2nd book. He is a frequent presenter at CCTU meetings over the past few years, and a wealth of information on high alpine fishing in Colorado and the West. His new book is the most comprehensive and recent fishing guide for Colorado’s high mountain lakes, covering all of the major ranges in Colorado. Over 800 lakes are featured, and he has personally fished more than 600 of them. The book contains over 300 photos and 60 topographical maps. While many of the lakes are hike-in, 200 of them are accessible by ATV, 4WD or passenger cars.
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Ray Nagashima - Deckers
South Platte - Happy Meadows
South Platte - Happy Meadows
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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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4/17 CTU Spring BOD Meeting – Virtual
4/20 CCTU Chapter Meeting, Virtual Meeting via Zoom, 7-8:30pm
4/23 CCTU Come Fish With Us, Lake Lehow, 5-8pm
4/24 Bear Creek Earth Day Conservation Project, 7:55am-12pm
5/14 CCTU BOD Meeting, Virtual Meeting via Zoom, 7-8pm
5/18 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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