BRTU E-News

Because there's more to fishin' than just fishin'!

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#307: Jan. 14, 2024

Reminder about Jan. 18 BRTU meeting: Big Hole fishery issues, Chapter elections, and 2023 Gold Trout award.

Two rather healthy looking brown trout captured during the fall 2023 electroshocking surveys on the Big Hole. Source: Jim Olsen, MFWP.

Another Big Hole brown trout from fall 2023 electroshocking. The head of this fish exhibits some of the lesions that have been observed in association with population declines. Source: Jim Olsen, MFWP.

A reminder that the first BRTU general meeting of 2024 is this Thursday, January 18 at the Hamilton Elks Lodge on 203 State Street in Hamilton. The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM, but many of us will convene about 5:45 for personality adjustment featuring a brat and beer for $10.

The meeting program will be presented by MFWP's Region 3 Big Hole Fisheries Biologist Jim Olsen from Butte. Jim graciously provided the following summary about his topic.

Brown trout in the Big Hole River have steadily declined over the past 5 years on the Big Hole River to all time low levels dating back to the 1970's when population estimates were first performed on the river. While we know water is a significant driver of trout populations in our rivers, the most recent declines have exceeded declines observed in more prolonged drought periods in the early 2000's. It is unclear what is causing the decline in brown trout number in the Big Hole and in surrounding rivers. Beginning in 2024, three studies will be initiated on the Big Hole, Beaverhead, Ruby and Madison rivers. The goal of the 1st study is to quantify adult trout mortality. This study will estimate different types of adult mortality (harvest, catch and release, temperature, spawning etc.) which will be fed into a population model. The second study will quantify juvenile mortality (trout age-2 and under (less than 12 inches in the Big Hole)). It will also assess the origin of trout in the mainstem Big Hole River and the relative importance of tributary streams to the trout population in the main river.

These data will also be fed into the population model. The goal of the modeling exercise is to focus our fisheries management action going forward on the things that will matter the most for helping the fishery of out SW MT rivers to recover as quick as possible and remain resilient into the future.

The last study will focus on fish health. Coupled with the declines in brown trout numbers, we have seen sick fish in the Big Hole in late June and also in late fall. Disease samples collected from sick and healthy fish have not yet provided information on a potential smoking gun. This last study will look at novel ways of looking at and understand disease and determine if it is a factor affecting the overall fish population. All of these studies will provide important data on how better manage the fishery of the Big Hole and other SW MT rivers.

In addition to Jim's talk, there will be 2 other noteworthy agenda items:

A slate of officers and board members will be presented and voted on.
The 2023 Gold Trout Award will be presented to Kent Myers for his inestimable contributions to the cold water fisheries of the Bitterroot. The BRTU Gold Trout Award was presented every year since 1994 until the pandemic, and this will be first since then. Please come down and help us honor this 24 karat gold stream conservationist! Retired MFWP Bitterroot Fisheries Biologist Chris Clancy made the nomination and has graciously offered to present the award.

There is no charge for admission to any BRTU meeting and the public is invited to attend.

For additional information, please contact Dave Ward or Marshall Bloom.

BRTU's 2023 Annual report.

First of all, I want to wish you a Happy New Year. We are all hoping for snow and an excellent season of fishing for 2024.

Our chapter recently completed another very successful year of programs and projects.

BRTU membership increased from 262 in 2022 to 315 for 2023. We remain an all-volunteer organization. All our projects are done without the help of paid BRTU staff.

With the assistance of a local artist, BRTU developed an excellent new chapter logo. Logo wear for members, including caps and an ORVIS fleece vest is proving very popular. More details are later in the newsletter.

A major focus of our efforts is education. This year BRTU added the Stevensville Middle School as the sixth school in our Trout in the Classroom Program. This is the fourth year of this program where the students receive fertilized rainbow trout eggs from FWP and raise them to a releasable size.

Our chapter is completing the first year of a major macroinvertebrate inventory program at nine sites along the river for the next 5 years. This project will provide a very good measure of the health of the river. We are using the students and teachers from the Trout in the Classroom to do the insect collection and classification. 2024 will be the second year of this important project. We are jointly funding this project with the Westslope Chapter of TU.

In addition, BRTU will be starting the 27^th year of our Bitterroot Bugger’s program. This is a middle school program where 35 students are taught stream ecology, fly tying, fly casting and then participate in a fishing day and BBQ at the Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association (RCFWA) property along the river.

The Montana Conservation Elders provided scholarships for 2 students from the Buggers program to attend the week long Montana Trout Unlimited’s fishing camp at Georgetown Lake in 2023 and will be doing the same for 2024.

Our chapter received a mini grant from Montana Trout Unlimited to do an environmental assessment of the area where Sheep Creek and the West Fork join. We have a well-qualified graduate student who will do the work. She will also be doing an assessment of the area from the point of view of the aboriginal peoples in that area. The MPG Ranch is also providing funding to this project.

The conservation project at the Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge has unfortunately been delayed until the fall of 2024. An archaeological report by the fish and wildlife service was not completed in time.

We are working with the Forest Service to help rebuild the boat launch across from Trapper Creek Job Corps Center on the West Fork. This project will start in the fall and will require a number of volunteers to help complete it.

BRTU had the pleasure of hosting John N. Maclean to give a presentation at the Ravalli County Museum on his relationship with his father as well as the 100^th anniversary edition of the Big Two Hearted River by Ernest Hemingway. The Chapter One Book Store cosponsored this event with us.

BRTU E-News is in its 9^th year and has over 800 subscribers. The articlesare often considered sufficiently noteworthy that they are picked up by the local newspapers.

We are always looking for volunteers for projects and activities. Please contact David Ward at dward0451@gmail.com or Donna Haglund at haglunddonna@gmail.com

Currently we are looking for someone to help to maintain the website and do the social media work.

Submitted by BRTU President David Ward. Jan. 8, 2024

The 2024 BRTU Bitterroot Buggers starts in February.

Buggers classes are designed so that the students get personal attention from experienced instructors. Courtesy: Marshall Bloom

NOTE THAT THE DATES HAVE BEEN UPDATED!

It's hard to imagine that we will soon be starting another year of the Bitterroot Buggers. Buggers has become the flagship program of BRTU's youth education efforts for local boys and girls ages 9 to 14 years old.

In recent years thanks to the diligent efforts of former BRTU President Greg Chester and a long-standing partnership with Hamilton Middle School instructor Joe Byrne, the Buggers is now a very sophisticated educational program.

After an initial orientation class, there will be 5 tying sessions, each dedicated to a particular wet or dry fly. Greg produced a a series of excellent videos demonstrating each of the flies that the kids are urged to view prior to each session.
The tying classes are followed by an evening dedicated exclusively to flycasting led by long time BRTU supporter Steve Davis.
The grand finale is the Buggers Fishing Day and picnic. Thanks to Don Patterson, the fishing day and picnic are at a special location on the river.

We are able to provide solid tying equipment and good materials as well as rod/reel outfits below cost thanks to the generosity of Grizzly Hackle in Missoula, and Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO). However, loaner equipment and materials are available.

Key to the success of the Buggers is a cadre of volunteers to assist during the classes. Good tying skills are not a prerequisite to being a good helper. Please contact Greg Chester if you can help BRTU out with this great program.

Classes are held at the Keystone After School facilities at Hamilton Middle School on Madison Street between 5th and 6th Streets. The schedule for the 2024 Bitterroot Buggers is:

Tues, Feb 27 - Orientation
Tues, Mar 5 - fly #1
Tues, Mar 12 - fly #2
Tues, Mar 19- fly #3
Tues, Mar 26* - fly #4
Tues, Apr 2* - fly #5
Tues, Apr 9* - casting
TBD - Buggers fishing day and picnic

* dates may vary according to Spring Break.

Courses tend to fill up quickly, so please contact Greg right away if you want to sign up a boy or girl for the course.

TU member develops new streamflow website.

Mike Gioielli is a TU member from Colorado. He recently retired from his career as a software developer and combined his love of fly fishing with his software skills to create a new website which will likely be of interest to many newsletter readers.

The website displays flows, water temperatures, weather forecasts and maps for stream data available from USGS and other sources.

The site is: http://watersheds.site

The site, which is free to to all TU members covers many states and has a convenient daily email feature for registered users.

I have checked this out, and it is very cool. Several sites on the Bitterroot are listed (screen shot above), but not all are displaying current information.

TU members are invited to provide feedback so that Mike can improve the site.

Sheep Creek rare earth elements mine watch!

The recently formed Bitterroot Clean Water Alliance has started an active campaign to oppose the proposed Sheep Creek Mine. They are selling these yard signs which are starting to pop up all over the valley. Courtesy: Philip Ramsey.

On Monday, February 26, BRTU and the Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association will be co-hosting a special presentation on the Sheep Creek Mine by Philip Ramsey. The meeting will be held in the community room at the Daly-Leach Memorial Chapel at 1010 West Main Street in Hamilton. Stay tuned for additional details

Phil has done a tremendous amount of research on mining for rare earth elements in general and the proposed Sheep Creek Mine in particular. He will present his findings. Phil has already made a number of presentations around the valley which have been very well received.

Phil and his wife Bonnie-Bleu recently started the Bitterroot Clean Water Alliance and are offering yard signs with the clear message "Don't Pollute the 'Root." The signs will available at the Feb. 26 meeting.

In other news, there were recent reports about a high grade rare earth deposit near Wheatland, Wyoming. The purveyors of this particular snake oil are American Rare Earths, and this company actually has investors and several active sites with roads, electricity, and other amenities. According to the Wyoming blatter:

"On the heels of other Wyoming rare earth discoveries and breakthroughs, one high-grade deposit owned by American Rare Earths near Wheatland, Wyoming, has the company thinking it has potential to be the world’s richest."

So maybe the Sheep Creek proposal is not the major game it claims to be. However, we can't be complacent and need to maintain vigilance. Particularly since the President and CEO of the Montana Chamber of Commerce is crowing about the need for and benefits of rare earth element mining for Montana's future.

You can sign up for Sheep Creek Mine updates from the West Fork Ranger Dan Pliley on the Bitterroot National Forest website.

In September, BRTU in conjunction with Montana TU and National TU published a position statement on the Sheep Creek rare earth elements mine proposal. The statement appeared as an OpEd in the September 23 Ravalli Republic.

There have been articles and meetings about the Sheep Creek mine for rare earth metals being proposed in the very upper reaches of the West Fork of the Bitterroot as it approaches Horse Creek Pass into Idaho. The topic has been covered in a previous BRTU E-Newsletter, but the project threatens native trout habitat, water quality, and the quality of life for residents and businesses on the West Fork.

Representatives of BRTU, Montana TU and National TU, as well as other groups, are tracking the issue and to date the company has not taken additional steps to initiate anything beyond that already reported.

The project is in the West Fork District of the Bitterroot National Forest. If you would like to receive updates on the project, you can email West Fork District Ranger Dan Pliley and ask to receive updates on the Sheep Creek Mine proposal.

A logo for all seasons.

The new BRTU logo sticker sells for $2.00

Cotton caps embroidered with the new BRTU logo sell for $20.00. Caps featuring a leather BRTU logo patch are $50.00.

ORVIS fleece vests sporting the new BRTU logo are available for a minimum donation of $80.00.

Since the debut at the October BRTU meeting, stickers and caps featuring the new have really sold well!

Also, BRTU teamed up with long-time TU supporter ORVIS to design a finely made fleece vest that prominently features the new BRTU logo embroidered on the right chest. We have already received and placed orders for 22 men's (Ink) and women's (Midnight Blue, pictured) ORVIS fleece vests sporting the new BRTU logo. The vests are $80 and buyers will be notified as soon as the vests are received from ORVIS and embroidered with the logo.

In addition, we still have the BRTU logo stickers for $2.00. And there are caps to sell, both with the leather logo for a $50 donation, and with the embroidered logo for a $20 donation. Caps and stickers will be available at BRTU meetings.

Remember that all of the proceeds will go to support the projects and programs that you read about in BRTU E-News.

The caps with the leather patches were designed and produced by Kestrel Almquist of Hammer and Tine. If you are not familiar with their exceptional handcrafted knifes and leather goods, I urge you to check out their website.

2023-2024

BRTU Meeting Schedule

Here is the complete lineup for BRTU's 2023-2024 general meetings (subject to change).

Thursday, October 19, 2023 – Christine Brissette, TU Projects Manager, Bitterroot Project updates and plans. The new BRTU logo was debuted at this meeting.
Thursday, November 16, 2023 – Morgan Case, Montana TU Water Program, Going with the flow: opportunities and challenges in restoring streamflow in Montana.
Thursday, January 18, 2024 – Jim Olsen, MFWP Region 3, Fishery issues on the Big Hole and other southwest Montana rivers.
Thursday, February 15, 2024- Jason Lindstrom and Ben Dickinson, MFWP Region 2, Fisheries studies on the Bitterroot – trends and findings.
Monday, February 26, 2024 - Philip Ramsey, Sheep Creek Mine proposal, Special meeting at Daly-Leach Memorial Chapel co-sponsored with the Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association.
Thursday, March 21, 2024 – Todd Myse, Sara Edington and Ginette Abdo, Montana Tech, Groundwater studies of the Bitterroot River drainage.
Thursday, April 18, 2024 – Anna Pakham-Stevenson, Director, Water Resources Division, DNRC – An overview of water resources, water rights in Montana with a focus on the Bitterroot River drainage.
Thursday, May 16, 2024 – Dan Bailey, Executive Director, Teller Wildlife Refuge – From taimen to Teller. Note this meeting and a cook out will be held at the Slack Barn on the Refuge.

All meetings (except February 26 and May 16) will be held at the Hamilton Elks Lodge at 203 State St in Hamilton.
Programs will begin at 7:00 pm. Brats and brews start at 5:45.
There is no charge for admission and the public is invited to attend.
For additional information, please contact Marshall Bloom or Dave Ward.

Short casts

BRTU Picture of the Week

Restoration project on Flint Creek. Source: Trout Unlimited.

This Picture of the Week was shamelessly stolen from an article in the Missoula Current about a TU restoration project on Flint Creek.

Flint Creek is a tributary that drains Georgetown Lake and enters the Upper Clark Fork River at Drummond. It's a pretty small stream that used to hold some rather reticent large brown trout and less reticent klopperschlangen. However, the access is poor and much of the stream has been hammered pretty badly by poor land use practice and climate change.

The story in the Missoula Current talks about another terrific stream restoration project that TU is doing on Flint Creek. The project manager is TU's Tess Scanlon, who gave a great program on stream restoration to BRTU a few years before the COVID pandemic. The project is another superb example of TU working with landowners to improve fisheries. Improvements on Flint Creek will also benefit the adjacent reaches of the Upper Clark Fork.

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 general I plan to not to use "grip and grin" photos, but rather pictures of fish in the water or net.

BRTU Puzzler

This week's BRTU Puzzler was submitted by my good friend Ryan Jones. Ryan submitted this photo of a pretty impressive fish caught some where east of Victor. The Puzzler is to identify the fish, the lure and the location.

The first person to submit the correct answer will win the Puzzler and will receive a gift from our BRTU Puzzler sponsor.he

Our BRTU Puzzler sponsor is Chapter One Book Store in Hamilton. Chapter One generously offers 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?

The winner can pick up their gift card from Chapter One. However, there was no winner this time around.

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 routinely publish grip and grin photos of native fish out of water but will highlight photos of actual fish in the water.

Notices.

In this space, I will post information provided by businesses supporting BRTU or organizations whose mission is compatible with BRTU's Mission.

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)

For additional information, please contact Marshall Bloom (drtrout@mtbloom.net, 363-3485)

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

Greg Chester, Past-President; E-mail: gchester55@aol.com

Dave Ward; President; E-mail: dward451@comcast.net

Donna Haglund; Vice President; E-mail: haglunddonna@gmail.com

Don Patterson, Treasurer; d5357mt@gmail.com

BOARD MEMBERS

Charlie Harris; E-mail: hmgharris@gmail.com

Jack Mauer; E-mail: banjojack@wapiti-waters.com

Keith Mullan: E-mail: Keithcmullan@hotmail.com

Marlin Lewis; E-mail: Lewism@hsd3.org

Shelia Bryan; E-mail: shoe6561@gmail.com