To conserve, protect, and restore North America's cold-water fisheries and their watersheds |
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November is a time for giving thanks. The Old Pueblo TU had a successful year of presentations and outings. As we reflect back on a year of Conservation events, fly tying and fellowship, it is time for me to remind our members to: Get Involved. As you have heard me quote many times:
"Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not the fish they are after."
-Henry David Thoreau
The National Trout Unlimited organization has many programs for members to get involved with. Here are some of them.
Casting for Recovery. Powerful outdoor Retreats for women with breast cancer. CFR provides healing outdoor retreats for women with breast cancer, at no cost to the participates. The nationwide retreats are open to women of any age, in any stage of breast cancer treatment and recovery. This unique program combines breast cancer education and peer support with fly fishing enhancing the lives of women. For women who have had surgery or radiation as part of their treatment, the gentle motion of fly casting can be good physical therapy for increasing mobility in the arm and upper body. Couple that with the emotional benefits of connecting with nature – it’s powerful medicine.
As reported in TROUT 2002, “Healing Waters, Cancer survivors share tears, triumphs and TROUT. Participates at CFR said, “I think the most important thing about this program is that women forget about what else is going on in their lives for a while, and as a result, they heal better”. Participates said, “I’ve never forgotten about my cancer for that long before. Just for this weekend, I forgot I was sick. I felt whole again”. Members can participate, donate, volunteer for events Nationwide. www.castingforrecovery.org 888-553-3500.
The Mayfly Project. The mayfly project is a national non-profit organization on a mission to mentor children in foster care via the sport of fly fishing. Life in foster care is stressful, as children struggle with being moved around and never knowing the plan for their placement. Along with uncertainty, many children in foster care are trying to manage symptoms from trauma. Fly fishing is the ideal tool for supporting this population because it is currently prescribed by medical professionals as a tool to help manage trauma-related disorders. If you are interested in helping: www.themayflyproject.com 208-659-6584
Fly Fishing Instruction. The Old Pueblo TU and Dry Creek Outfitters continue to offer fly fishing instruction every Saturday at Ft. Lowell Park. Instructors meet with students of all levels for free instruction most Saturdays at 8:00 AM. Some equipment is available for the students. This has been a positive program for years. Consider attending if you wish to improve your skills with the fly rod.
The Old Pueblo TU is offering fly tying classes at Randolph Community Center the first Monday of each month. If you have a vise and some equipment show up at 5:30 for some excellent instruction by Jeff Collins. OPTU supplies most of the materials used to tie flies. Students purchase an excellent book on successful fly tying. All skill levels are welcome. The instruction is helpful and effective.
The Goal for 2024 with OPTU will be the subject of Conservation. Several events are planned for the coming years. We can always use some “Boots on the Ground” to help with events. Watch for announcements in the Newsletter and Email Blasts. Our plan is to keep members informed on upcoming events.
Here is hoping you have a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season. Our plan is to keep the members informed during the busy Holiday Season. Keep our Editor informed of any email changes that may have occurred. OPTU has only half the email addresses for our members. Our local Chapter, State Council and TU National are committed to not bothering you with unwanted email messages. Please give us a chance to keep you informed about our activities.
Please enjoy the Fall fishing season. See you on the water.
Mickey Fletcher, Old Pueblo TU Board President
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December 4th: Fly Tying with Jeff at Randolph at 6pm
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Tentative Schedule for 2023 |
December - Happy Holidays, no meeting/outing scheduled
January 3rd - Meeting
February - Outing
March 6th - Meeting
April - Outing
May 1st - Meeting
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We had an excellent presentation put on by Landon Mayer for our November meeting. Mayer is a guide, author, fly tyer, fly designer and more. For additional information on his services and presentations, contact him at:
719-210-0619
Our next meeting will be in January 2024. We'll be sending out the details about the meeting soon.
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Hey all,
We had a great turnout for our November tying class! Lots of new faces and plenty of returning Tyers. This month we are going to review some basics and tie some Squirmy worms for the upcoming Tucson Urban Trout Stocking in December going thru February. I would also like to set a date for an outing to one of the Urban lakes to try out our flies. I will also be there to instruct; casting techniques, knots, playing fish…etc. this will probably occur in January a few days after a stocking and most likely at Sahaurita park south of town. You’ll need to provide you’re own transportation.there is a big parking lot on the south side of the lake, clean bathrooms and a big Ramada we will meet at. Should be a fun day and maybe we’ll catch some fish!
As far as the new year, 2024, I have huge plans for the tying. No more binders with pocket sleeves where the materials are falling out. I’m going to make it easy on you as well as me. I’m purchasing plastic boxes with 15 compartments plus ziplock bags. The boxes and bags will hold at least a years worth of tying material; hooks, beads, thread, wire, dubbing…etc. the ziplocks will hold all the larger pieces like feathers. There will be enough material to tie the years worth of flies, we will be tying out of the Dave Hughes Essential Trout Flies book that we all have. If you need a copy, let me know, Now $22. The box, ziplocks and it’s contents are on the house, please thank a board member for supplying this budget. I also have plenty of loner vises.
With this new method, I only have to fill the boxes one time with a year's supply of material. If you decide to use materials at home, that is fine but it will be your responsibility to refill it. If you only use the materials in class you’ll have plenty for the year, maybe more. As I get new materials during the year, they will be passed on to you all.
I got this idea from a vendor who sell something similar but not as much for $100. There will also be a material inventory list and a list of flies that the materials are for. I will announce what we are tying before each class and post a video of how to tie it on our OPTU Facebook site.
As a bonus to this monthly tying report I will add a monthly fishing report throughout the state. I have lots of contacts and I fish at least 5 days per month. This report will go year round even through the summer months.
First fishing report- Here’s a great deal. Cinda Howard of AZ Flyfish and Beyond announce she is presently giving $50 off her regular full day guiding. Normally $475; now $425. She is a wonderful guide in the White Mountains and great teacher. I believe this deal is now through Christmas with no expiration date.
Report #2- the creeks are still flowing throughout the state, no major snow to plow through. The Payson and Sedona regions are still fishing well. Payson is really a gem, so many creeks and only a 3 hour drive from Tucson. The browns are spawning and in full color. I fished Horton Creek a few weeks ago and caught a few browns in full fall colors. Even though these were small fish they were wonderful fighters. And they’re still hitting dries! There is a short 3/4 mile hike from the parking lot to where water is flowing in the stream. The trail along it is mostly on the top of a shallow canyon, but there are some intersecting points. It’s pretty much bushwhacking at the creek plus some shallow wading. We wet waded but wear neoprene socks, water is getting colder. Horton creek is not stocked, all wild fish, mainly browns and catch and release, barbless hooks. About 3 miles long, dry creek bottom for the last 3/4 mile where it connects into Tonto Creek. That junction is just below the parking lot for Horton. Tonto is a bigger creek and is stocked with rainbows right there. The first pool had plenty! Easier hiking also. There are several tributaries to Tonto. The further you hike from civilization there will be holdover and wild fish.
Report #3- fishing right now in Urbans have slowed. Catfish are being stocked and bass are tough. But the bass that are aggressive are big. I was in the Bass Turkey Tournament on Thanksgiving morning. 12 Anglers only 3 bass caught. They were 6 lb, 5 lb and 3 1/2lb! At Kennedy lake! I believe these big bass are coming off the habitat structures we put in last year. I am planning to go back in my float tube and depth Finder and mark some of the structures, anyone want to join in?
As the months go on, I will report on places I fish and hear about. Some will be small creeks and I won’t give exact locations but I will name the creek and flies and techniques that were used. There are two AZ State Challenges through AZGFD. One for wild fish and one for all the trout species in AZ. Go to the AZGFD website for all the rules. You’ll get a nice certificate, sweatshirt hoodie and you name on the website. There are presently 12 other states doing something similar. A friend of mine is on his 5 Challenge! I am presently doing the AZ wild trout and the New Mexico Trout challenges. It’s fun and a great goal for us Trout Bums.
Thanks Jeff Collins
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Fly tying instructor Jeff, also Teaches Project Healing Waters |
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Hope everyone is doing fine. Here are some tidbits going on in the Conservation world.
I attended a quarterly meeting with AZGFD and other conservation minded people on November 14. We discussed Gila Trout restoration in the Pinalenos( Mount Graham) and Cave Creek Watershed( in the Chiraquawas). All of the streams had received stockings of Gila Trout pre-fire in the Pinalenos. The Fires devastated all the streams; Marijilda, Frye, Grant and Ash. They have been monitored over the last 3 years. Marijilda and Frye have been coming back with creating habitat. There are GilaTrout in both streams and doing well, even self sustaining. We’re hoping soon these will be opened for angling. Ash sustained a lot of damage. The upper section seems to be recovering faster than the lower. An assessment will be made shortly on determine any Gila Stockings. Grant creek was determined not to be a Gila trout water. The plan is to create a Brown and Rainbow wild fishery. The fish are actually ready to go and it was hoped to stock this fall. Waiting on Forest Service final approval.
In the Blue Watershed, a little north of Pinalenos, Gila trout were stocked in KP Creek by Backpacking them in. Hopefully this will go smoothly and we can fish KP shortly. Years ago I worked with Mike Lopez on this project; 7 tributaries of the Blue River for Gila Trout. We found KP Creek, Grant Creek( a different one than Pinalenos) and Lanphier creek on the East side of the Blue; all had wild trout in them but some hybrid with rainbows. We put Temperature monitors in all seven. But fires and funding slowed progress, so I was very happy with the Gila stocking at KP.
I also did some investigating on Apache Trout. Since there is an upcoming delisting I wanted to see how far off it was from the MOU I signed as AZTU Chairman in 2011( I think). The MOU planned 30 self Sustaining creeks of Rainbow trout on Forest Service Land. Well its Close, there are 30 self sustaining populations but it includes the White Mountain Apache Reservation( WMAT) and it should. They are part of AZ and I hope to work with them more. There are seven self Sustaining Populations on Forest Service Land:
- East Fork Little Colorado River
- West Fork Little Colorado River
- South Fork Little Colorado River
- West Fork Black River
- Bear Wallow Creek
- Soldier Springs Creek
- North Canyon Creek
The remaining Self Sustaining populations are on WMAT. ANY PROGRESS MADE ON THE REMAINING Forest Service land was destroyed by fires; all that work, it’s a shame. But hey at least a dream is coming true.
I would still like to see the entire WF of the Black and its tributaries become a complete system for Apache Trout. I realize there is some negativity by the Brown trout advocates saying that is the only wild brown trout fishery in Arizona. NOT TRUE! I recently made a road trip to a beautiful Creek which is not only pure wild Brown Trout, but Catch and Release! Horton Creek. 4 miles flow from its headwaters to its confluence with Tonto Creek. It has nice hiking trail mainly above the stream, to view the many waterfalls in it. You have to bush whack along the stream or hit the areas with short paths to the stream. It’s a challenge.
I’m sure there might be others; the Grant Creek in Pinalenos will be a special reg also; Browns and Rainbows.
Has anyone completed the Arizona Trout Challenge? There is a Wild Category and a stocked. Go to the AZGFD website for more information on where the wild Trout are. I’m in the process of doing the challenge. There are seven states participating in Trout Challenges. I’m also in the process of completing New Mexico.
In other Conservation news, a population of Gila Trout were stocked in the Bradshaw mountains near Meyer Arizona, a stream called Grapevine. No fishing allowed yet but it’s being monitored for progress. There presently is only one self sustaining Wild Native Gila Trout stream in the whole state, Dude creek. North of Payson. Did you know that Payson area has many Streams, just a 3 hour Drive from Tucson. Me and a friend did an up and back with 4 hours of fishing a couple weeks ago, get out and fish! Pictured, Dude Creek Gila, beautiful!
I’ll continue my reports next month
Jeff Collins, OPTU Conservation Officer
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Sylvan is a young TU member who came out to our October outing at Lakeside Lake. He didn't catch any fish that day, but learned a ton from other TU members and caught the fly fishing bug. He went to Rose Canyon shortly after and caught his first fish! He wasn't done after that though, he went on to catch 13 more fish! Way to go Sylvan! |
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NZ Mudsnails Confirmed in Canyon Creek
Anglers and others recreating in Canyon Creek are now required to clean, drain, dry and decontaminate their equipment after each visit.
Checkout the AZGFD news release for more details.
Jim Strogen's latest article (see below) has some information about some new signage that has gone up at Canyon Creek.
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The trout eggs have been delivered for TIC! More updates to come soon.
A must see 3 1/2 minute video, provides an overview of the Arizona program with testimonials from the students and teachers on the positive benefits they received from the program. The video can be seen on www.aztic.org.
Steve Reiter is the OPTU TIC chairman. If interested in the TIC program to spread the word or to volunteer, contact Steve at [email protected]
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Check out Jim Strogen's latest article in the Payson Roundup.
AZ TU has a new website with lots of great information about public policy, conservation and more. Check it out at the link below.
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Groundwater News in AZ
Groundwater continues to be a hot topic in Arizona! The Ad-hoc Committee in Arizona continues to promote the message that local control of groundwater in rural communities is critical to their livelihoods. Twenty percent of Arizona's groundwater became managed in 1980 with the "Groundwater Management of 1980". But the other 80% of groundwater in Arizona still has no protection. Landowners can pump as much water as they want, without measurement, reporting or limit. The group working with the Arizona Department of Water Resources is looking to find an executable protocol for managing water outside of the Active Management Areas of Phoenix, Prescott, Pinal County, Tucson, and Santa Cruz which were established by the legislation in 1980. The draft legislation would empower local and rural communities to create Rural Groundwater Stewardship Areas if the groundwater in their rural community became threatened.
The Committee is currently hosting county-based dialogue sessions to engage local residents in the issues. One was held in Flagstaff for Coconino County on October 25th and had an attendance of local community members of approximately 70 people. Coconino County Supervisor Patrice Horstman, the water manager for Flagstaff, the mayor of Tucson, a hydrology professor from NAU, and our AZTU-PPC Past Chairman, Tom Osterday, were panelists. Additional meetings/events are being planned.
We encourage you to be alert for calls to support the Rural Groundwater Stewardship Areas legislation in the upcoming legislative session!
Two articles published in the Arizona Republic recently:
Arizona won't explain why it has paused leases on some state-owned farmland
Is the Arizona State Land Department taking steps to reverse a handful of unpopular leases? Or, more widely rethinking water use on state trust land?
Water shortfall could halt growth
Check out the story: here
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A Trout Unlimited Event
COMMUNITY × COLDWATER × CONSERVATION
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Navigating Currents: Dr. Len Necefer on Tribal Water Rights, Outdoor Adventures and a Splash of Humor
Nick Gann
November 16, 2023
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Amidst the debate over the future of water rights in the Colorado River, a spotlight on the impacts to tribal nations and what it means for the future of indigenous populations across the West
Editor’s Note: Trout Unlimited is inviting people from across the Colorado River Basin—ranchers, guides, elected officials, businesses, athletes, tourism officials—to talk with us about the West’s historic drought and how we can work together to meet the challenge of a world with less water. Welcome to the Fly That Binds.
In the world of environmental advocacy and outdoor stewardship, few voices offer the blend of personal and professional experiences as that of Dr. Len Necefer. A proud member of the Navajo Nation, Dr. Necefer holds a Ph.D. in public policy from Carnegie Mellon University and is a former employee of the U.S. Department of Energy. He was also professor of American Indian Studies and Public Policy at the University of Arizona.
Currently, he’s the CEO of NativesOutdoors, a Native-owned athletic and creative collective which focuses on filmmaking, storytelling, consulting, and working with indigenous talent. And to top it all off, Len is a committed mountaineer, backcountry skier, part-time pack rafter, and rock climber, and has ticked off countless impressive adventures throughout the world.
... Continue reading on tu.org
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THE STUDIO
A Film by Trout Unlimited with support from Simms
Scot Simmons has dealt with various forms of anxiety, PTSD and depression for most of his adult life. He is committed to creating a better life for himself and others, and he strives to be a better role model for his own family.
Premiering on YouTube, a new film from Trout Unlimited highlighting Twin Cities TU board member Scot Simmons’ path to creating a better life for himself and others as he strives to be a better role model for his own family. Fly fishing has helped him find his equilibrium.
You can watch the film for free here.
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I am thinning out my flyfishing possessions, my loss is your gain: Call on items you are interested in 520-403-4062
-Jeff Collins
- Winston VSL 9’7wt and Ross Rapid 7/8 reel with backing. $350
- Simms Freestone wading boots with cleats, no felt size 12 $99
- Frogg Togg wading boots size 12 $25
- Redington wading pants 2xl $70
- Hodgeman Chest Waders XL $60
- Echo Ion 10’ 6wt fly rod with case…$100
- Redington Path 10’ 7wt with case…$80
- Maxcatch Extreme 9’ 5 wt with Maxcatch “Brown Trout” reel…$50
- Maxcatch V-Access 9’7wt fly rod with case…$40,;)
- Redington Voyant 9’ 6wt fly rod with case…$85
- Redington Predator 7’11” 8 wt fly rod with case…$85
- Headwaters Bamboo 7’6” 5wt bamboo fly rod…$150
- South Bend “Custom” 8 1/2’ 6 wt bamboo fly rod…$150
- Oasis Benches “Fly Factory tying bench…$50
- Oasis Benches “Dubbing Brush Machine” new!…$100
- Hareline small dubbing brush machine…$25
- Maxcatch Extreme 8’3” 3 wt fly rod with case, Maxcatch 3/4 ‘Brown Trout’ reel…$50
More to come...
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Member Mike Carpenter has a Battenkill 7/8 pristine reel he'd like to trade for Pflueger 1494 and extra spool. He also has a Pflueger 1495-1/2 with two extra spools he'd like to trade for 1495 or 1494.
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