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#229: July 23, 2021
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Montana TU's Bill Pfeiffer explains a 4 C's of trout conservation to the 2021 BRTU one day youth camp
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BRTU Board member Donna Haglund keeps a watchful eye for rising trout at the 2021 BRTU Youth Camp
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Bill Pfeiffer looks under the rocks to demonstrate some bugs at the 2021 BRTU Youth Camp
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TU Youth Conservation Camp a Big Success!
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It is a little hard to remember that on Saturday, July 10 the river was full of cold water water, all the grass was green and that the air didn't smell like a campfire. But those were the conditions when BRTU and Montana TU held the 2021 one-day youth conservation camp at Hamilton's Skalkaho Bend Park.
The course was limited to 10 boys and girls between 10 and 14, and it filled quickly. BRTU's Charlie Harris organized the event and the lead instructor was Bill Pfeiffer from Montana TU in Missoula. Several BRTU Board members and supporters, like Dave Ward, Donna Haglund and Steve Davis assisted.
Sitting under the BRTU canopy, the participants learned what trout eat, how to “read” a stream to find fish, and how Trout Unlimited works to conserve, protect and restore Montana’s cold-water fisheries. They were introduced to fly casting and tackle and also learned the skills of knot tying, fly selection, fly line management, how to look for bugs, water safety, and how to land and safely release fish. The day ended with some time on the water with rod in hand along the naturally eroding bank of the river adjacent to the park.
The kids all had a terrific time, and as the parents came to collect them at the day's end, several mothers were heard to ask why there wasn't a similar camp they could take! Donna Haglund has promised to tell them all about BRTU's Reel Women in the 'Root program.
Discussions are already underway for next year's youth conservation camp.
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A Bitterroot Cutthroat bleeds from gills, likely a victim of poor catch and release technique. Photo by Wade Fellin, Source Missoulian.
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A dead Bitterroot brown trout in the foreground with another dead trout in the background. Photo by Wade Fellin, Source Missoulian.
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Trout and Streams Stressed by Low Water, Heat and Anglers!
The MFWP fisheries biologists call them "mort floats," and doubtless they are one of the most depressing jobs they have to do. "Mort" is short for mortality and a "mort float" is a trip down the river to look for dead fish. And there are a lot of mort floats being done this summer across our streams as MFWP biologists and managers assess the damage being done to Montana's wild and native fish by this summer's extreme heat and low water, compounded by heavy angling pressure.
As reported in an excellent article by Rob Chaney in the July 17 Missoulian, Wade Fellin from the Big Hole Lodge in Wise River took a day off to come snorkel the Bitterroot with his wife and was appalled to observe "morts" and cutthroat bleeding out where he expected to see healthy fish frolicking in the cool water. Although the extreme heat wave and lack of the rain are contributing to stress, it is a bit of a stretch to think that the proximal cause of death is anything other than poor catch and release technique. So, anglers cannot be exculpated from this ongoing tragedy. Cutthroat are easy to catch, but are also easy to kill.
According to Pat Saffel who is our Regional Fisheries Manager, he and MFWP Biologist Jason Lindstrom are getting a lot of calls about dead fish and warm water conditions since the 3rd week of June. They have been carefully monitoring the water temps in the Bitterroot and have done a couple of "mort floats," as recently as July 21. The conditions on the Bitterroot so far have not met the MFWP criteria for instituting "hoot owl" restrictions, i.e., water temps greater than 73 degrees 3 days in a row, although they are coming close. There is also some consideration to making the criteria stricter for cutthroat streams like the upper Bitterroot. You can read Jason's very thoughtful and disturbing report here. I can scarcely imagine the horror at what they are finding. Maybe it is time to revisit the criteria for "hoot owl" or impose even stricter restrictions.
And conditions are even more dire on streams east of us. I am not going to catalog all the closures and restrictions again, but the list is pretty extensive, and as of July 20 includes a good chunk of the Missouri River. MFWP keeps a running tabulation listing all the current closures and restrictions.
So what can we do? I suspect by now everyone can recite the litany - obey the "hoot owl" restrictions, impose even stricter restrictions on yourself, horse the fish in and be careful when you release them, keep them in the water and skip the photos, maybe crimp your barbs, don't catch every fish you can.
Maybe even stay home to read John N. Maclean's Home Waters and hope for rain and cool temperatures. Chapter One Book Store in Hamilton can either provide or order a signed copy for you. It is truly a marvelous read! Marisa tells me that they have sold over 100!
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This story is a slightly happier than the previous one!
We have all had the experience of a brown trout acting a little out of the ordinary, tail walking when they should be diving under a logjam or nabbing a fly like 4 inch cutthroat on Blodgett Creek.
Well, a recent article suggests another potential cause of brown trout bedlam - meth! Some biologists in the Czech Republic have found that fish can become addicted to illicit drugs that are not removed in municipal water systems and make their way into waterways. Not only that - the fish become addicted and show withdrawal signs when they are deprived of their fix.
There is also reasonable evidence that other substances that pass municipal water treatment plants can interfere with fish physiology. For example endocrine disruptors, found in birth control pills and other meds, can feminize male fish.
As more and more people take more and more medications, the levels of these drugs will increase in our streams. This is another potential threat to our native and wild trout.
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At long last and just in time for the 2021 fishing season, the new BRTU caps and drybags have arrived.
BRTU President Dave Ward reports that the new BRTU soft cotton caps are now available in 5 pleasing colors.
As you can see from inspecting our professional models, one size fits all. However, we were unable to perfect a canine version.
Included with each hat is a small Montana TU dry bag. The size is perfect for stashing your lunch and phone in the boat.
The price for a hat and a bag is just $20.
The hats may be viewed and purchased at Chuck Stranahan’ s Fly Shop in the Safeway parking lot in Hamilton. Supplies are limited, so don't wait too long!
Chuck has made it very easy! You can pay for your cap and drybag at his shop with cash, check or credit card.
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A beautiful arctic grayling caught in Fuse Lake. Courtesy Seth Cooley.
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Monte Dolack's 1993 print for the Montana Arctic Grayling Recovery Program. Source: Dolack.com
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This week's picture was submitted by my friend Seth Cooley. Seth likes to combine his fishing with herculean hikes and got in a bunch before the smoke started rolling in.
The fish in this photo is unmistakably an arctic grayling and Seth snapped the picture at Fuse Lake in late June. Grayling are easily recognized by the incredibly beautiful dorsal "sail," and are actually a salmonid although the resemblance is not obvious. Grayling are Thymallus arcticus because the they are said to smell like thyme when cooked. The lacustrine or lake dwelling grayling are completely distinct from the riverine or river dwelling ones and are abundant in a few local lakes like Fuse Lake and Mussigbrod Lake in the mountains north of Wisdom.
Fuse Lake is a really easy and relatively short hike that starts near the top of Skalkaho Pass. It is totally loaded with grayling and if you hit it right, like Seth did, the fishing can be terrific. The time I fished there with my kids about 30 years ago, the fish were jumping like crazy and we exhausted my fly box selections until I noticed the swarm of flying ants. Luckily I had 3 flying ant patterns and we had a great time until we lost all 3 in the bushes.
The river dwelling grayling in the Big Hole are the last surviving river dwelling population in the lower 48 states. In summer of 1805, the fish were abundant in the entire upper Missouri River drainage when Lewis and Clark made the first written descriptions. By the late 20th century, however, the grayling declined to the verge of extinction due to the usual quartet of habitat degradation, non-native species, over fishing, and dewatering, and could be found only in the upper Big Hole.
Grayling were literally brought back from the brink of extinction in the late 1980's when Montana TU, the Montana Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, the Big Hole River Foundation and MFWP then under the leadership of Pat Graham started the Montana Arctic Grayling Recovery program. A special MFWP biologist position was created and a major cooperative effort was undertaken to address dewatering and other issues with landowners in the upper Big Hole. Our chapter has been a regular and significant contributor to this effort.
The recovery program has been successful in the intervening 30 some years and although the fish are not thriving, populations have been established in several other locations like Yellowstone National Park and the Centennial Valley. Big Hole anglers occasionally catch one and it always a thrill. Part of this effort was publication of a 1993 Monte Dolack print, which has always been one of my favorites.
Please send your photos and stories to me. Your picture might end up as the Picture of the Week!
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There have been no correct answers yet, so I am going to leave this Puzzler up for a while longer. Another clue is that the location is east of the Bitterroot and west of the Madison.
This BRTU Puzzler is another submission by Jerry Kustich. Jerry started out in the bamboo flyrod business working with Tom Morgan and Glenn Brackett in the halcyon days of RL Winston Rod Company. When Tom sold RL Winston, Glenn started Sweetgrass Rods in Twin Bridges and Jerry came along with him. As part of product testing, Jerry ranged up and down the Ruby River and other trout waters of Southwestern Montana.
Several years ago, Jerry "retired" to northern Maryland in order devote more time to fishing and writing, but still serves as the East Coast rep for Sweetgrass. His books, like Holy Water, are really terrific.
Although he now resides in the East, Jerry thought that this photo would make an excellent entry for the BRTU Puzzler.
Please send your best guess as to the location of this iconic scene to BRTU Puzzlemaster Marshall Bloom. If you submit the first correct answer, you will win the BRTU Puzzler.
Chuck Stranahan has generously offered a prize to all winners of the BRTU Puzzler. The winner of this week's BRTU Puzzler can claim his prize of hand-tied trout flies by contacting Chuck.
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Bitterroot Water Forum Upcoming Events...
The Bitterroot Water Forum has several upcoming events, and Ellie DeVos has asked that we pass on the information.
RUN FOR THE RIVER 5K: Friday, August 13th 6-9 pm
Join the Bitter Root Water Forum for the Run for the River 5K on Friday, August 13th! This family friendly run/walk begins at 7pm and follows a scenic trail course beginning and ending at the River Park in Hamilton.
Children 10 and under are encouraged to participate in the Splish Splash Dash at 6:45pm. No pre-registration necessary for the dash.
Run registration is $40, and includes a Bitter Root Water Forum Hydro Flask (while supplies last).
Proceeds support bringing the community together to protect, enhance, and restore the Bitterroot watershed we all rely on.
BITTERROOT RIVER CLEAN-UP: Saturday, August 14th 5-8 pm
Join the Bitter Root Water Forum for the Bitterroot River Clean-Up on Saturday, August 14th! Volunteers sign-up in advance for stretches covering all 155 miles of the river from Sula and Painted Rocks to the confluence at the Clark Fork in Missoula. We hope you will help and walk or float a stretch of the river during the clean-up.
Clean-up bags and gloves will be available at all Valley Fly Shops and at the Water Forum office at 178 S. 2nd St in Hamilton during the two weeks leading up to the event. Please feel free to use your own supplies as well.
You are welcome to begin and end your clean-up effort at any point on the 14th. We encourage you to drop your trash between 5-8pm at Hamilton’s Kiwanis River Park and stay for a community celebration with live music from Pinegrass and local food trucks! Fun prizes will be awarded at 7:30pm.
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Monte Dolack BRTU prints
now available at Joe's Studio.
A small number of Publisher's Proofs of the limited edition "Bitterroot River-Lost Horse Bend" by Monte Dolack are now 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 sponsor of our banquets, 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 Clayton at 406-543-0054.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, BRTU board meetings are now being held virtually on ZOOM. They are open to all BRTU members. Date and time vary, so please contact Chapter President Dave Ward if you would like to log in and learn what is going on.
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
Vice President - OPEN
BOARD MEMBERS
Gavin Marston (student board member)
GENERAL FACTOTUM AND NEWSLETTER PUBLISHER
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