BRTU E-News
Because there's more to fishin' than just fishin'!
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#276: Feb. 1, 2023
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Breaking News: In a huge victory for the environment and the world's largest sockeye salmon run in the world, yesterday the US Environmental Protection Administration vetoed the Pebble Mine in Alaska's Bristol Bay area. The March 2023 BRTU meeting will be a program on the Pebble Mine presented by one of the lead attorneys on the Pebble Mine case.
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February 16 BRTU Meeting - Fishing for Golden Dorado on Bolivia's Secure River |
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A hefty Golden Dorado that smashed one of Birch's flies. Photos courtesy Birch Fett. |
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An airborne Golden Dorado on Bolivia's Secure River. |
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The February 16 Bitterroot TU meeting will feature Birch Fett talking about Fishing for Golden Dorado on Bolivia's Secure River. You won't want to miss this presentation!
Birch is a teacher in Hamilton and he was able to travel to the Secure River in Bolivia to fish for Golden Dorado. Birch said
"This was fly fishing for Golden Dorado in the Bolivian jungle. 37 hours of travel to the most magical, mystical jungle I have ever experienced. Wildlife sightings that rival any nature documentary, dugout canoes, river stingrays, and unparalleled fly fishing. This fly fishing adventure challenged my stealth, presentations, nerves and tackle as we found giant predatory dorado in small streams and creeks. Dorado are acrobatic river wolves that hunt in packs and provide explosive action for anglers. Truly a wild place and experience."
Golden Dorado or Salminus brasiliensis are large predatory fish that live in streams like Bolivia's Secure River or other rivers in east central or central South America. In spite of their name, they are related to neither salmon nor the saltwater Dorado. Golden Dorado are considered to be the apex predator in those river systems, but their populations are declining due to the usual causes of overfishing and habitat destruction. And did we say they are ferocious fighters?
Birch's talk will begin at 7:00 PM on Thursday, February 16 at the Hamilton Elk's Club, 203 State Street.
The public is invited to attend and there is no charge for admission.
Plan on coming down early for personality adjustment because starting at 6:15, the Elks will be serving their excellent grilled brats and beer. The brats are steamed in beer before being grilled! Just $10 for a brat and a beer.
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2023 Bitterroot Buggers start this month: students and helpers needed. |
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A group of Buggers and parents pay rapt attention at the weekly fly judging competition. |
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BRTU Board member and former Chapter President Jack Mauer shows a Bugger how it's done. |
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Buggers course master and former BRTU Chapter President Greg Chester peers through bifocals as he assists a Bugger with the fine points of technique. |
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For almost 3 decades, the Bitterroot Buggers has been teaching flytying, flyfishing and conservations to local kids between the ages of 9 and 14. The Buggers continues to be BRTU's flagship youth education program and is coordinated with the Hamilton Middle School.
Advance registration is required and now open. There are still some openings, so parents or guardians interested in registering kids should contact Joe Byrne by email or phone (406-381-2815) right away as classes tend fill up quickly.
All classes are held between 6:30 and 8:00 PM at the Keystone Enrichment Center of the Hamilton Middle School, entered from Madison Street between 5th and 6th Streets. Adults are encouraged to stay to assist and learn alongside the kids.
The tying classes begin with a video demonstration of the particular fly being tackled. Then the students and volunteers head to the vices to put the lesson into practice. At the end of each class, flies are entered into a competition judged by an expert tier.
Each Bugger receives a manual with all of the fly patterns, and links to the on-line videos. Quality tools and materials may be purchased for a very nominal cost, or borrowed during the class. Rod and reel outfits are also available for purchase below cost. For information on purchasing, please contact Joe Byrne or Greg Chester.
Finally, the success of this program is absolutely dependent on volunteer helpers. It is not necessary to be a flytier in order to help with these classes. Please consider signing up to assist with the very worthwhile program. Contact Joe or Greg.
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Earl Little Award presented
at January 19 BRTU meeting
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Greg Chester presents the Earl Little Award to Geoff FitzGerald. Courtesy: Marshall Bloom. |
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Earl Little in a characteristic pose. He had a knack not only for education, but for catching fish! |
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A highlight of the January 2023 BRTU meeting was the presentation of the Earl Little Youth Education award.
The award ceremony, which was reported in the Bitterroot Star, was led by BRTU Past President Greg Chester, who presented the award and read the following citation.
Earl Little was a long time steward of conservation and education in the Bitterroot with a special focus on youth education. A long-time BRTU member, Earl was a founder of the Bitterroot Buggers program. After his death in 2018, the Earl Little Youth Education Award of Excellence was established to recognize those who excelled as youth educators.
The latest recipient of this prestigious award is Geoff FitzGerald, a Past President of BRTU.
Geoff holds a BA Degree in Fish and Wildlife Management from MSU and has worked with US Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Natural Heritage Program through the Fisheries Cooperative at MSU, Idaho Fish and Game on whirling disease and with the Eagle Fish Health Lab. He also has been a raptor research technician, and owl Biologist in both MT and Oregon and a site leader through MT Defenders of Wildlife for a wolverine project.
Most notably, and the reason for his selection for the Earl Little Education Award, Geoff taught Entomology and Bug ID to the Bitterroot Buggers and BRTU’s adult fishing classes for over 12 years.
His extraordinary preparation for these classes included gathering insects to be placed in aquaria affording students up-close observation of bug activity. After the classes, Geoff would ensure the bugs were returned back to where he had collected them. Geoff’s detailed “bug handouts” received raves reviews from at least 2 noted fly fishing authors, Rick Hafele and Dave Hughes.
Coupled with his dedication to our watershed and to promotion of stewardship, Geoff FitzGerald is most deserving of this prestigious award recognizing excellence in Bitterroot Valley youth conservation education.
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A letter to BRTU members from the Chapter President.
BRTU Chapter President Dave Ward recently sent a letter to the BRTU membership. The letter described some of the Chapter's accomplishments over the past year and delineated several projects for the coming year. Dave pointed out that with more volunteers, the chapter could accomplish even more!
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Fly Fishing Film Festival
Alex Ocanas from the Bitterroot Water Forum has asked me to reminded folks that tickets are now on sale for the International Fly Fishing Film Festival, which will be back in-person this year on Friday, February 24.
Tickets are just $15 this year (super deal!) and we'll be screening films at the Mary Stuart Rogers Performing Arts Center at Victor School - they've got about the best audio/visual set up in the Valley. And finally, we'll have a pint night at The Hops in Victor where folks can gather and socialize (5-7 ish) before the films begin at 7 pm. Tickets can be reserved online.
The showing is hosted locally by the Water Forum and National Trout Unlimited is one of the presenting sponsors.
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This issue's Picture of the Week was submitted by long-time BRTU supporter and newsletter subscriber Bob Miller.
When Bob heard our February program (see lead story) was about Golden Dorado fishing, he couldn't resist teasing this photo of one he was lucky enough to land last year on the Parana River in Northeastern Argentina. The Parana is part of the huge Rio de Plata River system, second only in size to the Amazon River system, which runs through Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. A trip most of us will only ever dream of.....
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 is again from my peripatetic friend and colleague Seth Cooley. I am beginning to think that Seth is the only newsletter reader with a camera.
Seth took this cool picture about 2 weeks ago while taking his rod for a walk. He noted that he didnt catch any fish, but planted his rod in the snow long enough to snap this gorgeous winter shot. I'd say the vista pretty much compensated for not catching any fish!
This week's Puzzler is to identify the spot from which Seth's photo was taken. For bonus points, identify the type of rod and fly he was using.
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?
The winner will be able to collect their gift card by stopping in at the book store.
If you have a cool fishing, outdoor activity, or conservation related photo, consider submitting it to BRTU Puzzlemaster Marshall Bloom for the BRTU Puzzler. 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
Vacant, Treasurer;
BOARD MEMBERS
Charlie Harris; E-mail: hmgharris@gmail.com
JuliAnne Thomas; E-mail: thomasjulianneh@gmail.com
Vacant; (student board member)
GENERAL FACTOTUM AND NEWSLETTER PUBLISHER
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