Chopped Fly 2016: Denver vs. Boulder

By: Danielle Adams

The hit song by Survivor, "Burning Heart" sums up perfectly what the Chopped Fly event is all about-

"Two worlds collide, rival nations, it's a primitive clash, venting years of frustrations. Bravely we hope, against all hope. There is so much at stake, seems our freedom's up against the ropes. Does the crowd understand? Is it East versus West? Or man against man? Can any nation stand alone?"

Alright, well maybe it's not that intense. After all it's not nation vs nation and ones freedom is on the line, but the Chopped fly event this Sunday, May 1st will still be pretty fun!

Hosted by Call to Arms Brewing Company at 4526 Tennyson St in Denver, The Boulder Fly Casters Chapter of TU will face the West Denver Chapter of TU in an Iron Chef style fly tying competition.

And although, ultimately one chapter will be victorious, the rivers and trout are the true winners this weekend. All proceeds will be split between West Denver TU's efforts to reintroduce the greenback cutthroat trout in native drainage and the Boulder Flycasters Flatirons Park Project - restoring over a mile of stream on Middle Boulder Creek.

The cost is $20 entry for in the Iron Chef style tying competition and the chapters ask that anyone who wants to tie, brings their own vice. All tying levels are welcomed and there will be great prizes available for everyone!

RSVP to ColoradoChoppedFly@gmail.com or show up day of with your vise and tools - materials and secret ingredients to be provided.

TU Calls for Accountability on Big Thompson Fish Kill

By Randy Scholfield How did this happen, and how can it be prevented from happening again?

Trout Unlimited today called for answers and accountability in the wake of a construction spill last month that killed more than 5,600 wild trout on the Big Thompson River near Estes Park.

The massive fish kill, first reported Tuesday by High Country News, happened March 7, but Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) delayed reporting the accident until this week, it said, to conduct analysis of the fish kill. In a release, CPW said that “site conditions, weather, soil, topography” and other factors led to seepage from concrete work, which raised the pH of the water, killing and sickening fish in the North Fork of the Big Thompson and on the mainstem.

More than half of the trout in the 8-mile river stretch from Drake to west Loveland were killed by the spill, according to the CPW analysis.

“This is body blow to the Big Thompson that sets back efforts by several partners, including TU, to restore the wild trout population in the canyon,” said David Nickum, executive director of Colorado Trout Unlimited. “The Big T is a very famous and popular river with anglers, and we’re deeply concerned about how an accident of this magnitude could have happened.”

Nickum said TU has a number of questions about the spill.

“What mistakes or human failures caused the accident? What best practices were in place during construction to prevent a major spill like this into prime trout habitat? And what procedures or guidelines need to be changed to ensure that this kind of catastrophe doesn’t happen again?”

He added, “There need to be answers and accountability.” Nickum called for CPW to push for full financial restitution from responsible parties to offset damage to the Big Thompson trout fishery, which contributes $4.3 million annually to the local economy.

TU’s local grassroots chapters in Estes Park and Fort Collins have been involved with willow planting and other habitat improvement projects on the Big Thompson in the wake of the September 2013 floods that devastated the river corridor.

“We’re deeply disappointed that recovery work we’ve done since the flooding has taken a big hit,” said Wil Huett, president of TU’s Rocky Mountain Flycasters chapter in Fort Collins. “We’ll get back to work to rebuild habitat and fish populations in the river, but this is a major setback.”

Randy Scholfield is the TU Director of Communications for the Southwest region.

Rendezvous Weekend Recap

For trout and Trout Unlimited members, the warmer months are when the most activity occurs. It’s easy for trout to become more active as the food sources are more abundant. But for people to become active in a cause bigger than themselves, it sometimes takes some extra motivation. And there’s no better way to become motivated than to discover one’s true inner conservationist. That’s where the Colorado Trout Unlimited Rendezvous comes in.

Over the weekend of April 22 through the 24, over 130 people comprised of Colorado Trout Unlimited members, staff, and supporters convened in Glenwood Springs along the banks of the Colorado River to discover more about their beloved organization, the water and fish they fight to protect, and the conservationist drive inside all of us.

The weekend started off on Friday as CTU Outreach Coordinator, Stephanie Scott, welcomed everyone and CTU and national TU employees introduced themselves to the participants. Following the welcome lunch, the group broke out to learn more about the roll women can play in TU, ways to engage members more effectively, best practices to implement conservation projects, and they learned how fishing guides throughout the state implement conservation into their trips and lessons.

After the Fly Fishing Film Tour showing, members and the general public had the option of joining CTU and the Greenbacks for a showing of Surface Film- an event that combines the best photography shots in fly fishing with free beer and wine tastings. The event also included a silent and live auction where members purchased great prizes and trips.

Saturday started off with a Grassroots breakfast where members could eat and listen to the head of all Trout Unlimited programs in Colorado talk about their current issues and projects. The panel also answered any questions that the members asked. Following the breakfast, the group listened to CTU President, Marshall Pendergrass, talk about the state of CTU recapping all of the work done in the past year and what’s on the radar for the future.

During the State of CTU address, the council also awarded Gomolchak grants to different chapters for work on temperature monitoring, greenback restoration, improving fish tanks, and much more! The board also voted on the new Director At-Large candidates.

Following the state of CTU, Yampa Valley chapter member, Todd Musselman rocked the crowd with a motivational speech that captivated hearts and made everyone think about what they wanted to be, not just in within TU but in life. He recapped stories from his own life and lessons he’s learned along the way. Todd has spoken to numerous businesses including MillerCoors, ReMax, Microsoft and many more.

The Director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Bob Broscheid, joined in on the fun and spoke about the collaboration efforts of TU and other agencies and how all sportsmen and anglers can work together to improve the quality of our natural resources. He spoke to the point of sportsmen are the true and best conservationists and protecting the public lands and watersheds start with us.

After Director Broscheid, Jeff Graves from the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, spoke about mine cleanups happening throughout the state and how it affects the water quality. John Stulp from the Colorado Water Board also talked about how we are going to implement the state’s water plan and what it means for the future of Colorado’s people and fish. Members also learned more about veteran programs and taking action for clean water from some national Trout Unlimited staff members.

There is a rumor that the Hotel Colorado is haunted and on Saturday night, it seemed that way as the ghost of our 26^th president, Theodore Roosevelt joined our dinner banquet and talked about his life’s journeys and how the open wilderness changed his perspective on life.  He went through his days as a boy with asthma living in the city and how the open air of the woods would help cure him mentally and physically. Teddy spoke to the point of how we all should carry on his legacy and protect and fight for the wilderness so it can improve everyone’s quality of life.

At the dinner banquet, CTU also present various awards to chapters, volunteers, leaders and other members who served as stewards to our rivers. Among the winners were also the newest Silver Trout Award winners, Larry Quilling and Glen Edwards.

The night capped off with a scotch tasting for everyone to partake and learn more about the whiskey from the Scottish Isles.

The final morning started off with a breakfast sessions where members could learn more about engaging the youth and next generation of anglers and conservationists. Following the panel, the groups broke out into sessions that spoke about how chapters and members can use social media to help spread their message and word as well as how the state and organizations are working to improve native trout fisheries.

To finish the weekend, chapters joined other chapter leaders in their region to go over current events and happenings and how the state and national level of Trout Unlimited can help the on-the-ground work done by the various chapters.

Many new initiatives were born over the weekend and many others began to move forward. As the weather warmed up, it wasn’t just the trout that became active- Trout Unlimited members discovered what being a conservationist means to them and got to work on how to better the lives of our trout, waters and ecosystems.

2016 Caddis Festival Banquet

By: Danielle Adams Collegiate Peaks’ annual fundraiser is coming May 7th, 2016, at the Chaffee County Fairgrounds.

The Collegiate Peaks Chapter of Trout Unlimited will hold its 31st annual Caddis Festival Banquet and Auction on Saturday, May 7th at the Chaffee County Fairgrounds in Poncha Springs.

Early May is the traditional time of the year that the caddis hatch reaches the Salida area of the Arkansas River. Anglers from far and wide descend upon the river to test their skills at fooling trout with a caddis fly imitation. The Caddis Festival Banquet is a great way to top off a day on the river.

Doors and cash bar open at 5 PM, followed by a catered buffet dinner at 6:45. Tickets are $25 in advance ($30 at the door) and youth tickets are $15. This is the chapter’s primary conservation fundraising event of the year with the proceeds going to a wide variety of activities including habitat improvement projects, stream restoration, youth & adult education, college scholarships, trail maintenance and the ever-popular kid's fishing derbies.

Chapter members will be receiving a letter with a registration form. Please send it in with your reservations as soon as possible. Non-members are also encouraged to attend. There will be lots of fun for everyone, including silent and live auction items and special bucket raffles!

It’s a great time, and very important for the support of CPA activities, including the Kids Fishing Derbies, college scholarships, and support for our environmental projects.

For more information about reservations, tickets, and more, contact Barbara Plake, Caddis Festival Planning Committee Chair.

719-395-0478

bplake@inu.edu

What's in a name?

We've all heard of them- the Animas, Cache La Poudre, Cimarron, Yampa, Purgatoire, Uncompahgre. All of these Colorado rivers are household names throughout the state. We all say them, most of know where they are located, but what's up with the names? Most rivers are named after a town or a physical location (Colorado River, Gunnison River). Other's are named after the individuals who first recorded their discovery of the river or the leader who sent them on their exploration.

But some rivers have unusual names with unusual histories. Stories that have been told for centuries still resonate through their unique names.

The Animas River near Durango, Colorado got it's name from in 1765 from Spanish explorer Juan Maria de Rivera. When Maria De Rivera went in search of gold from Sante Fe, his group was haunted by the empty ruins of pueblo dwellings. Thus, they decided to name the river, "Rio de las Animas Perdidas" meaning River of Lost Souls. The Animas also runs through other Aztec, Ute and Navajo lands that have sense been "lost".

Cache La Poudre River has it's headwaters in Rocky Mountain National Park and flows east from the Continental Divide. The river has supplied mining and railroad camps, cities, towns and agriculture throughout northern Colorado for centuries. But what does Cache La Poudre mean? In the 1820's French explorers were caught in a tremendous snow storm along the headwaters of the river. In order to lighten their load, they had to bury substantial amounts of gun powder along the river banks. The burying of the powder gave the water it's name, Cache La Poudre or "Hide the Powder."

The Cimarron River get it's name from early Spanish Explorers who named the water "Río de los Carneros Cimarrón" translating to "River of the Wild Sheep." Given for the large amounts of big horn sheep that explorers found along the river. Early American Explorers called the same river, "The Red Fork of the Arkansas" due it's color from the red clay banks.

The Yampa River is a tributary of the Green River which then flows into the Colorado River. The name Yampa was coined by John C Freemont who noticed the large amounts of Perideridia plants along the banks of the River.

While some rivers have names from their explorers, others have interesting stories behind their name. The name could come from an event along the water, like the Purgatoire River- meaning purgatory, named by French explorers after they saw Spanish Explorers killed by a native tribe. Or it could come from the sightings explorers noticed, like the Umcompahgre- which means "Dirty Water" in Ute because of the off color of the water.

All of these river names are known to Coloradans and anglers alike, but the history behind the naming of their favorite river is known to few.

Keep Fish Cool

The Colorado Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) is considering a state policy change that would increase the "standard" temperature for trout streams throughout the state. Proposed changes brought forth by the Water Quality Control Division (WQCD) would put many trout fisheries at risk including spawning periods. In order for trout to function properly, they need the water temperature to be between the ranges of 40-65 degrees. Some species- primarily the ones found in higher elevations like the cutthroat trout- are more sensitive to temperature changes and have a chronic limit of 60 degrees. When the water temperature falls within the trouts preferred range, the trout can no longer feed, grow or move properly.

As the water becomes warmer, there becomes less dissolved oxygen available. Conversely, when the water cools, more oxygen is available and the fish can feed and move comfortably. Trout species require 4-5 times more dissolved oxygen when the water temperature is out of their preferred range than when the water is close to 40 degrees.

The changes proposed by the WQCD will increase the "standard" temperature in trout streams, causing their stress levels to increase and ultimately cause issues in their feeding, growing and movement.

These potential changes would allow higher elevation streams to reach 63 degrees- 3 degrees over the chronic limit for sensitive coldwater species. For middle elevation streams (the most common streams), the limit will be raised to 65 degrees, just about the chronic limit for most trout species in Colorado.

The potentially higher temperature standards would be allowed during the months of April to November- during the months of Rainbow and Brown spawning seasons when the fish are more sensitive and susceptible to changes in their environment. For more information regarding these changes, check out the report: Fish in Hot Water? by Mindi May and Ashley Rust.

Changes being proposed are potential, but the fish need our help. Trout Unlimited is conducting a Citizen Science for anglers throughout the state to record stream temperature, species, presence of redds (if possible) and photos to present to the WQCD. To conduct the Citizen Science form, visit the Google Doc created by Ashley Rust or submit findings to AshleyRust@gmail.com

The hearing will be on June 13 at 9:30 at the Department of Public Health. Along with our Citizen Science data, we want Trout Unlimited members, supporters and anglers to be there showing their support for our trout and the cold water they call home.