CTU Youth Programs Update

First off, thank you to everyone who donated and supported CTU Youth during our Colorado Gives Day campaign! We accomplished our goal and then some, for a grand total of $7,675! Thank also to Barbara Luneau and Mark Rayman for offering a matching incentive and helping to double our donor’s donations by $2,500.

2023 is looking bright for CTU’s Headwaters Programs. We are beginning to plan out our 2023 STREAM
Girls and STREAM Keepers schedule. If you are interested in offering a STREAM Girls or STREAM Keepers program in 2023 fill out the forms below.

• 2023 STREAM Girls Inquiry Form

• 2023 STREAM Keepers Inquiry Form

---

Trout in the Classroom (TIC) is looking forward to 2023, as well. We will be installing a new TIC Community Tank at the CSU Spur Hydro Building in late December or early January. We hope to have the tank working and fish swimming by the time The National Western Stock Show is running. If you are going to the Stock Show be sure to visit the new CSU Spur Hydro Building and TIC Community Tank on the second floor.

---

We are excited to announce our 2023 River Conservation & Fly Fishing Camp will be June 11 - 17, 2023. Registration is now open for Camper applications and Camp Counselor applications. Visit our Camp website for more information.

Want to help CTU’s 2023 River Conservation & Fly Fishing Camp? Below are some great ways to show your support.

• Help us spread the word!

  • Download and share our 2023 River Conservation & Fly Fishing Camp Flyer.

• Sponsor a Camper!

  • Camp Registration is $600 per camper. If you would like to sponsor a camper please email Barbara Luneau or Natalie Flowers.

• Volunteer!

  • Camp Counselor applications are now open. Click here to apply to be a CTU Camp Counselor.

Thank you for all the support in 2022. We can’t wait to continue fostering the next generation of conservations and anglers in 2023!

If you would like to increase your impact, please contact Natalie Flowers and/or visit our Supporting CTU Youth page to see our greatest needs, sponsorship opportunities, and more.

Colorado Gives Day - Thank you!

All of us at Colorado Trout Unlimited would thank everyone who donated on Colorado Gives Day.

We are humbled by and so appreciative of the amazing support we received on December 6th. We also want to give a big thank you to Anglers All (abandoned mine restoration) and Barb Luneau and Mark Rayman (youth education), for their matching donations that helped us to raise even more funds for our work around the state! We look forward to 2023 and to continuing our coldwater conservation work in Colorado.

CTU raised an impressive $65,475 online, exceeding our goal of $65,000.

Join CTU at a December Social!

You are Invited!

Read more about the Native rod that benefits CTU: SEE THE ROD

RSVP for the Social event December 14th: RSVP

Colorado Gives Day is Coming!

Colorado Gives Day is Tuesday, December 6th, but you can donate today!

Your support helps conserve, protect and restore Colorado's coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. Make a difference for Colorado's rivers by donating today! In addition to support for our overall programs, thanks to our supporters with Anglers All and Barbara Luneau & Mark Rayman we have $12,500 in matching campaign opportunities for specific projects benefiting mine cleanup and youth education. Look for details under "campaigns supporting this organization" through the link below.

Orphan Boy Mine Cleanup with Anglers All

Help match Anglers All's $10,000 challenge to clean up a mine draining to the upper South Platte

Located high in the South Platte watershed near Alma, Orphan Boy is a once-successful legacy gold mine that has become a relic of its former self. The mine site now leaches heavy metals into the downstream waters of Mosquito Creek, a tributary to the Middle Fork South Platte, damaging valuable water resources, wetlands and trout habitat. 

Trout Unlimited plans to control this contamination by reclaiming the site through containment of flowing mine waters, controlling seepage and erosion, and revegetating exposed mine wastes - all while preserving the historic legacy of the site. The end result will be improved water quality and stream health, protection of downstream communities, and preservation of historical structures at the mine site.

Anglers All has generously pledged $10,000 as a matching gift to help with reclamation of this mine site in their home watershed - so your contribution will be doubled, helping us fully tap their challenge grant!

Youth at Colorado TU

Invest in the next generation! Please help us build up new stewards of our watersheds and fisheries.

CTU is hard at work engaging the next generation in all-things-conservation through numerous educational, hands-on opportunities throughout the year. Our Trout in the Classroom program has doubled in size over the past year and will reach some 6,000 Colorado youth this school year! Along with TIC, our stream of engagement youth programs include Stream Girls, River Conservation & Flyfishing Camp, Stream Keepers, National Fishing in Schools, Stream Explorers, 5 Rivers College Clubs, and RiverWatch. 

This is what a 2023 camp participant has to say about the experience: "Everything about yourself grows. Everyone is interested and knowledgeable in the things you like and want to talk about. Just amazing."

We have bold goals for 2023 and beyond. Help us reach thousands of youth next year alone, through a donation to the CTU Youth Fund.

Thank you to Barbara Luneau and Mark Rayman, who are generously donating dollars up to $2,500 for Youth at CTU. Double your impact!

Testimonials

The list of non-profits who would like your time, talent and money is endless, so why Colorado Trout Unlimited? First is the organization's reason for being. Serving as a champion for clear mountain streams is something that just grabs my heart. Second is the quality of the organization. It is important that the leadership be focused, reasonable in its positions, and fiscally responsible. CTU meets all of those parameters for me.
---Tom Jones, donor and TU Grassroots Trustee

Trout Unlimited (TU) in Colorado is an effective, science-based, working-with-all-stakeholders organization that gets things done. As a homeowner in the Denver area and Grand County, I cherish the water we use on the front range, and the recreational opportunities that take me to Grand Lake and the Upper Colorado River system. The tenacity of TU staff and engagement of chapters is the reason I'm a donor, and now a member of the Colorado Trout Unlimited (CTU) council board. It's well worth the time and treasure I've committed to the group's outcomes.
---Larry Howe, donor and Board Secretary

November 2022 Currents

This month’s issue of Currents features information on the CTU Rendezvous Recap and Awards, Fall Update on Trout In The Classroom, How Volunteers Played a Big Role in Herman Gulch Greenback Cutthroat Trout Reintroduction, and much more. Read the Full Issue Here.

Book with SET Fly Fishing, and Help CTU!

For a limited time, SET Fly Fishing will donate to CTU when you book a trip to the fabled Spring Creek Lodge in Argentina.

“The 2022/23 season will provide another unique and memorable experience for everyone that visits us in Argentina’s Patagonia.’ Says Kevin Landon, SET Fly Fishing. “This past winter we had exceptional snowpack, so the rivers are full, and the cooperative wild trout are just waiting for your arrival!

Every offseason we work hard to improve upon the service and lodging that we offer to our valued guests, and this past season was no exception. We just completed a major renovation of the clubhouse which included new wood flooring, windows and a remodeled kitchen. Outside the clubhouse we replaced all the wood decking and added a new fire pit with seating. On the culinary side we are close to completing the construction of a new greenhouse. This will help expand our “farm to table” concept of serving the freshest locally grown fruits and vegetables.

If you have visited us in the past and are thinking about returning, we’d love to see you again and catch-up on what’s new in your life. For those of you that have been thinking about a visit to Patagonia but haven’t found the time well maybe this is the year. We’d enjoy the opportunity to show you what we can offer and what to expect when you travel with us. We know that you won’t be disappointed!”

Spring Creek Lodge’s central location allows for easy access to northern Patagonia’s world-class trout waters. Five of the region’s most famous rivers, several spring creeks, and pristine mountain lakes are all a short drive away. This region is a dry fly mecca.

Located on the banks of the upper Chimehuin River, the lodge has six cabañas each feature two individual bedrooms with a shared bath, living room and outdoor porch. Gourmet dinners are served in the clubhouse while you enjoy the stunning views of the Lanín Volcano. The clubhouse also has a common sitting area and bar for you to enjoy a glass of wine or your favorite beverage. Upstairs presents a wine tasting room and a boutique with one-of-a-kind pieces designed and crafted by local artists and artisans.

SET Fly Fishing will donate $500 for every trip booked before December 31st, 2022.

Trout in the Classroom Update: The Trout Eggs Are Here!

By Natalie Flowers, CTU Youth Coordinator

It was a busy fall for Trout in the Classroom (TIC) in Colorado, as sites, chapters, and volunteers worked diligently to fundraise, purchase, and set up TIC equipment across the state. Trout Egg Delivery Days finally came on September 28th for 27 tanks across the state, then on October 25th, another 23 tanks received their shipment. Approximately 11,600 Rainbow Trout eggs from Colorado Parks & Wildlife’s Crystal River Hatchery were transported and delivered successfully to these 50 TIC tanks.

John Davenport

John Davenport, CTU Statewide TIC Coordinator, arranged the Trout Express teams, recruited volunteers, and then pitched in as the rainbow trout eggs were transported across Colorado. CTU staff and volunteers then delivered the eggs to their specific schools. TIC educators, students, and volunteers took over by tempering the eggs so they would not experience shock and settled them into their new homes.

Once situated, educators and students began monitoring tank levels and surveying, supporting the growth of the fish. Most of the trout eggs hatched within 7 to 10 days after delivery, and some of the alevins began to swim in another 7 to 10 days.

This year, the TIC story has just started. Educators and students are eager to see how their fish will grow and will be monitoring their trout throughout the school year. Students will learn about the trout lifecycle, weigh their fish weekly, and maintain tank health. At the end of the school year for each school, students will celebrate a big day that culminates all their hard work – The TIC Trout Release Day.

CTU would like to give a special thank you to some amazing people and organizations that made our TIC Egg Delivery Days possible; John Davenport, John Covert, Ray Nagashima, John Bryant, David Nickum, Fred Miller, Madi Shaheen, Cory Neumiller, Michele White, Dennis Cook, Bret Linenfelser, Brendan Besetzny, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, US Fish and Wildlife Service, A. Alfred Taubman Foundation, Rafael Levy Memorial Foundation, TIC educators, TIC chapter volunteers, TIC students, TIC volunteers, and all the other incredible Trout Express Delivery volunteers.

If you would like to support the Trout in the Classroom program or help fund any TIC sites that are currently on our waiting list please email Natalie Flowers, Youth Education Coordinator for CTU.

To learn more about the Trout in the Classroom program visit https://coloradotu.org/trout-in-the-classroom.

Distant Waters Q&A With Owner Kevin Wigfield

CTU is excited to announce a question and answer session with Distant Waters Angling Adventures in New Zealand owner Kevin Wigfield on Thursday, November 17th at 7pm. This session will be held via Zoom, and you can receive information on the call by replying to info@coloradotu.org. One lucky attendee will win an Orvis fly rod!

Join the meeting and learn more about fishing in New Zealand! Distant Waters is still offering a special rate of $5,999 and donating part of the proceeds to Colorado Trout Unlimited.

2022 CTU Awards

On October 22nd, CTU announced its annual awards at the Fall Rendezvous in Glenwood Springs.

Outstanding Volunteer:

Jim Williams – for his 17 years of committed service to the river conservation and fly fishing youth camp, as a counselor on site in 15 of those years and as a supporter and advocate for it throughout

Duncan Rose and Raymond Rose – for lending their scientific expertise and leadership in developing river conservation strategies for the upper Dolores River grounded in strong science and addressing the risks posed by changing climate in the basin

Chapter Communications:

Gunnison Gorge chapter for their commitment and consistency in maintaining newsletter and online communications with their members and community throughout the challenges of the Covid pandemic.

Chapter Youth Education:

Denver for their innovation in strengthening the Trout in the Classroom including adaptations that helped sustain it through pandemic challenges with participating schools – including community tanks, live streaming of tanks for remote learning, and improved telemetry for tank condition monitoring.

Chapter Project: 

San Luis Valley for their multifaceted work on Jim Creek in partnership with NTU staff (Kevin Terry) including fencing and maintenance to protect the stream, culvert replacement to reconnect it, habitat improvements to restore habitat, and ongoing brook trout removal to sustain the native Rio Grande cutthroat fishery.

Exemplary Chapter:

Rocky Mountain Flycasters for their strong programs across all aspects of chapter activity, including community partnerships with local businesses, governments, and watershed coalitions; leadership in native trout restoration in the Poudre Headwaters; wild trout habitat protection through riparian fencing with CPW at the Cherokee SWA; and youth education including TIC tanks and an annual summer day-camp

Trout Communications Award:

The Colorado Sun for their extensive efforts to provide meaningful and in-depth local coverage of water issues and challenges – making relevant news and analysis available to educate Coloradans about issues from water quality protection on the Denver South Platte to the basin-wide challenges with demands exceeding supply in the Colorado River basin.

Exemplary Industry Partner Award:

Rare Waters – for their generous support of conservation as part of their business model and their leadership in engaging private landowners with angling recreation and river stewardship.

Mayfly Outdoors – for their support of conservation through various collaborations and their vision and leadership in improving habitat and providing public angling access along the Uncompahgre River in Montrose

Trout Conservation Award:

Andrew Todd for his work in building public interest in angling and native trout through the Flyathlon (combining trail running, fishing, and craft beer drinking) and establishment of Running Rivers as a nonprofit to crowdsource funds through Flyathlon events in support of native trout conservation – to the tune of more than $500,000 to date.

Bruce Hoagland Award for Leadership in Conservation:

Ken Neubecker for his lifetime of conservation leadership as an advocate, educator, and conservator – especially for the Eagle, Roaring Fork and Upper Colorado Rivers; as well as for his efforts in strengthening Trout Unlimited as a force for conservation through his work in helping to establish the Eagle Valley and Colorado River Headwaters chapters.

2022 CTU Rendezvous Recap

Over the weekend of October 21st through the 23rd, Colorado Trout Unlimited held its annual Fall Rendezvous at the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs. The weekend was full of leader training, breakout sessions, the ‘State of CTU’ breakfast, national Trout Unlimited staff presentations, discussions with government officials, keynote speeches by fly-fishing industry professionals, and a few happy hours.

Hotel Colorado

The weekend kicked off with chapter leader training focusing on subjects such as communication tools, risk management, fundraising, and more. Afterward, state and national Trout Unlimited staff discussed projects around the state, including abandoned mine cleanups and water projects such as Colorado’s Gold Medal projects. The day ended with a special happy hour properly named ‘the Icebreaker’ where donated Upslope Brewing beer and complimentary food were provided.

Friday Chapter Leader Training in the Roosevelt Room

Saturday morning, during breakfast, CTU president Greg Hardy gave the annual State of CTU where he discussed several important victories in the past year, as well as a vision for the future. After, national Trout Unlimited senior staff Peter Barker, Beverly Smith, and Joanne Theurich (also dubbed PB&J) discussed a vision for engagement and chapter impact. Following these presentations, chapters broke into groups to discuss topics focused on specific regions.

PB&J - Peter Barber, Beverly Smith, and Joanne Theurich - Trout Unlimited

We came back together for a catered lunch, then, a panel discussed the emphasis on the conservation impact of the Colorado River crisis. After a short break, concurrent sessions were held in different rooms that focused on defining your cause and inspiring community engagement, raising your community profile and expanding engagement, and talks on conservation, protection, and restoration.

As we moved into the evening, the annual awards banquet took place where the CEO of Mayfly Outdoors, Jeff Wagner, spoke on creating community through sustainable business. After, the annual CTU awards were announced and presented. See the list below of winners.

CEO of Mayfly Outdoors, Jeff Wagner, speaks to a packed Devereux Ballroom

Sunday morning started with breakfast, then the fall board meeting was held. After, some split into groups for fishing outings led by local members and executive committee members.

Overall, the weekend was a huge success, full of education and social interactions. New and existing members were able to come together to discuss what works for their chapters so others could take home new knowledge to engage their community.

First-time attendee Cade Kloberdanz, president of the Grand Valley Anglers chapter said, “As a first-timer at rendezvous I wasn’t really sure what to expect. In my particular part of the state, we are pretty far removed from most other chapters and from CTU’s main hub which can make you feel really isolated. The rendezvous was pretty incredible at bringing all the chapters together and reminding us that we all have the same mission. The connections and friendships I made in a short time will be an invaluable resource going forward and I can’t wait to attend again next year.” Vice President of Volunteer Operations, Beverly Smith, said, “My cup feels so filled up seeing and being a part of all of the TU goodness in Colorado.”, and Chief Operation Officer, Joanne Theurich, said, “I am so glad we were able to be a part of the meeting.  I am energized every time I spend time with our grassroots volunteers; the work you are doing is amazing and it makes me super proud to be a part of TU!”

Thank you to everyone who attended and helped plan the weekend. It was a huge success, and we can’t wait to see you again next year.

More photos from the weekend: