· Landon Mayer with Fishing on the Edge;
· Brian LaRue with Conejos River: Hop, Fish, Hop!;
· Colorado TU Staff with a photo essay of Trout in the Classroom;
· Hayden Mellsop with The Gift of Summer;
· Peter Stitcher with The Crane Fly: Spring's Unsung Hero Fly Patterns;
· Other columns by Barbara Luneau, Joel Evans, and CTU Staff
Last week (June 9th - 15th) Colorado Trout Unlimited volunteers and partners came together in Almont, CO to host this year’s River Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp. This year we had 23 adventurous teens attend from all over Colorado and beyond. We also had 15 Senior Counselors and 6 Junior Counselors volunteer and help lead, mentor, and guide our campers this year.
Below are some fun preliminary pictures from this year’s camp!
A special thank you goes out to our incredible volunteer staff: Barbara Luneau - Camp Director and our Senior and Junior Counselors - Cameron Bratina, Grant Compton, Jon Gartz, Stahsic Green, Josh Greene, David Haeusler, Mark Hanson, Reau Heinitz, Joe Johnson, Audrey Kenney, Chris Lamson, Daven Masche, Jonathan Onken, Mark Rayman, Trenton Sendziak, Dick Shinton, Ben Ward, Levi Ward, and Jim Williams
We also humbly thank our program partners, CTU & TU Staff, and speakers: Dan Branch, Aquatic Biologist for CPW; Cole Brittain, Fisheries Biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Joshua Duplechian, TU Senior Producer; Natalie Flowers, CTU Youth Education Coordinator; Rachel Juritsch, Adams County 4-H CSU Extension; Bianka Martinez, Ambassador and National Program Coordinator for Hunters of Color; Sarah Porterfield, TU Water Policy Associate; Liz Werner from Adams County 4-H CSU Extension; and Roaring Judy Hatchery Staff.
We are so grateful and this camp could not be done without you!
Bette “Jo” Evans with her husband, Tom, and her son, Tommy.
This month Colorado’s water and trout lost a grand champion, and Colorado Trout Unlimited lost a beloved colleague. Bette “Jo” Evans died on June 3 after a prolonged illness. She was 79.
Jo fought for Colorado’s streams and trout as a lobbyist for Colorado TU and other conservation organizations at the Colorado General Assembly. She lobbied for CTU through the 1980s, 90s and until 2002, at which point she retired and passed the baton to her daughter Jen Boulton, who had worked with her as an associate lobbyist for several years prior to Jo’s retirement.
Advocacy is a necessary function of any conservation organization, and Jo was CTU’s greatest advocate. She could have made several times what CTU and other conservation groups paid her, if she had wanted to advocate for other interests. But those interests did not interest her, or stoke the fire that burned in her belly. She wanted to be, and was, a force for water and trout, and for decades was one of the most passionate, articulate and effective lobbyists in Colorado. She was in it for the cause, and she was in it for the long run. She loved working for and with the people of Trout Unlimited. We were utterly blessed to have Jo.
Jen said it best on the morning of June 3 when she posted this on Facebook: “So, at 2:51 this morning my parents were reunited when Bette Jo Evans left this world behind. We have lost an incredible warrior for clean air and water, and the Earth mourns its loss, while Heaven rejoices. Rest well Mom, the entire State of Colorado is eternally in debt for your efforts on its behalf. We will remember you in every gurgling stream, in the winds in the pines, and in all the wild places for which you spent a lifetime fighting.”
Former CTU Executive Director Dave Taylor shares his reflections on Jo:
I first met Jo when I began working for CTU in the mid-1980s. Each year TU and a handful of conservation, environmental and wildlife organizations would cobble together some funding and employ Jo as our lobbyist at the Capital, with CTU being a principal funder. Jo liked all the organizations, but had a soft spot for CTU.
Year after year, legislative session after session, Jo effectively worked both sides of the aisle to keep Colorado’s air and water clean, and our streams flowing. Jo was indefatigable in her pursuit of quality legislation for water and fish, and equally determined to battle down bad bills that would negatively impact our state’s coldwater resource.
Jo had immense credibility with legislators, gobs of it. Regardless of a legislator’s party affiliation or point of view, they all respected and admired Jo. She lobbied from a brilliantly articulated point of logic and pragmatism, and she smacked of integrity and character.
She knew legislators from the obscure to the powerful, Senate and House leaders, and Governors and their staffs. They all knew and admired Jo. They knew she would speak in a fact-based and logical manner, rationally but fiercely advocating for Colorado’s natural resources, especially water and trout.
Jo Evans fought the good fight on behalf of us all. And for that I shed a tear and am forever thankful. And I am forever blessed to have known Jo and called her my friend. She was special.
CTU Executive Director David Nickum shares his reflections on Jo:
When I first moved to Colorado in the 1990s working for National Trout Unlimited, I quickly discovered some of the key conservation leaders who fought for Colorado’s trout and watersheds, and from whom I could learn. Jo was top of the list, and I was blessed to have the chance to work alongside her for several years and to see first-hand how effectively she represented TU and the cause of coldwater conservation. At a time when there were hardly any professional lobbyists working in Colorado on behalf of conservation, Jo could be an army of one when needed – but also a great collaborator and as kind and giving of a colleague as you could hope to meet.
Jo was a force of nature, and a force for nature. Over some two decades of dedicated work, if there was a significant piece of conservation legislation passed or a major threat defeated at the General Assembly, Jo was a central piece in making it happen.
A former school teacher, Jo brought a knack for explaining complex issues in simple yet accurate terms. Knowing that her clients could never match the deep pocketbooks of other competing interests, she ensured that she and they were respected and appreciated for what they could bring: a sincere dedication to Colorado’s natural resources, a deep knowledge and expertise of the issues, and the utmost credibility: if Jo said it was so, you could take it to the bank. She leveraged those qualities to earn the respect of legislators on both sides of the aisle, and to achieve landmark bipartisan legislative measures from securing conservation funding through the lottery under Great Outdoors Colorado - to empowering the state instream flow program to acquire water rights to improve historically degraded environments.
Today, Colorado’s conservation community has multiple lobbyists representing our state’s natural resources at the General Assembly, including Jo’s daughter Jen Boulton, whose own skill and commitment was a source of deep pride for Jo. As a conservation community we have worked with legislative leaders to secure key victories such as this year’s passage of legislation to protect Colorado waters and wetlands after last year’s rollback of the Clean Water Act by the Supreme Court. But we can never forget those giants on whose shoulders we stand – and Jo’s long-time commitment and effectiveness not only secured some of Colorado’s most important legislation, but she paved the way for all of those who have followed in her footsteps.
We are thrilled to announce a fantastic giveaway featuring some of the best fly fishing brands that Colorado has to offer. Together, we are celebrating the Colorado waters we call home. This is your chance to win premium gear and accessories perfect for your next fishing adventure!
The winner will receive the prize pack below, valued at over $5,000:
RareWaters - Prize: 4 Rod Pass ($600 value)
Ross Reels - Prize: Colorado Cutt Reel ($495 value)
Airflo - Prize: Line, Leader, Tippet Package
Dyna-King: Kingfisher Vise ($345 value)
Yakoda -: Gear Transport, Streamer Stash, Treeline fleece, Utility Pack & Wallet ($497 value)
OnWater - Prize: 10x onWater+ memberships for you and your friends! ($490 value) plus a free extended trial of onWater+ for any entry
Riversmith - Prize: Riversmith CONVOY Collection Bundle":PackOut Bag - $50 value Gear-Roll - $200 value Hauler - $250 value
Flylords - Prize: $350 value Flylords Gift card
RepYourWater - Prize: $350 value Gift card
Umpqua - Prize: Just add water kit: Loaded NorthFork Pack (Leader/Tippet, Tools and Loaded Fly Box) ($500 value)
Boulder Boat Works - Prize: Boulder Boat Works Experience: Guided Fishing & Boat Demo in a Boulder Boat Works Boat on the Roaring Fork River, Exclusive Shop Tour, and BBW Swag ($775 value)
Colorado Trout Unlimited - Prize: TU one-year membership and swag bag
On May 29, 2024, in Silverthorne, Governor Polis officially signed into law HB 24-1379, making Colorado the first state to legislatively restore state protections to waters and wetlands that lost federal protection when the Supreme Court removed long-standing Clean Water Act jurisdiction from many wetlands and seasonal streams.
The 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Sackett v EPA created the largest rollback of protection under the Clean Water Act in that law’s 50+ year history. While Colorado had strong state-level protections for point-source discharges such as from an industrial or water treatment facility, the Sackett decision potentially left many Colorado wetlands and seasonal streams at risk of being dug out or filled in – Colorado had no program equivalent to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act that handled permitting for dredge and fill activities in waters of the United States.
Now, thanks to Governor Polis and HB 24-1379’s dedicated sponsors (Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie, House Ag Committee Chair Rep. Karen McCormick, and Senate Ag Committee Chair Sen. Dylan Roberts), Colorado’s wetlands and headwater streams are again protected.
Some of the key provisions in HB 24-1379 include:
· Directs that the standard of protection used for Colorado wetlands will be at least as strong as previously existing federal criteria, and can be made stronger if necessary to maintain the integrity of Colorado’s waters.
Establishes a new dredge and fill permitting program housed with the Water Quality Control Division/Commission, and with measures in place to ensure the agency secures additional staff and funding if needed to ensure the timely processing of permits.
Establishes a statewide general permit for “isolated wetlands” beyond 1500 feet from rivers, which includes best management practices to ensure protection of water quality. This was a key issue given the important role such wetlands play as natural filters maintaining downstream water quality.
The end result is a model for other states to emulate in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision, and is arguably the most significant water quality legislation that Colorado has seen since the original 1973 passage of the Colorado Water Quality Control Act. Colorado TU thanks Governor Polis, Speaker McCluskie, Rep. McCormick, and Sen. Roberts for their exemplary work in protecting headwaters, wetlands, and water quality for Colorado.
The Dolores River offers world-class hunting and fishing opportunities but faces threats from industrial-scale mining, habitat fragmentation, climate change, and unmanaged recreation.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Jay Chancellor, Trout Unlimited, jay.chancellor@tu.org, 720-484-9247
Kaden McArthur, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, mcarthur@backcountryhunters.org, 435-770-3774
Today, Trout Unlimited and Backcountry Hunters & Anglers launched Sportsmen for the Dolores, representing anglers and hunters across Colorado. The purpose of this coalition is to conserve fish and wildlife habitat, as well as sustain sporting opportunities, on Bureau of Land Management and National Forest Service lands in the Dolores River watershed. The Dolores River offers world-class hunting and fishing opportunities but faces threats from industrial-scale mining, habitat fragmentation, climate change, and unmanaged recreation.
The Dolores River watershed provides habitat for big game species including elk, mule deer, and desert bighorn sheep and includes some of the most sought-after hunting units in the state. Tributaries of the Dolores River hold wild trout populations as well as native Colorado River cutthroat trout. The Dolores River, a tributary of the Colorado River, weaves for 241 miles from south to north.
Sportsmen for the Dolores supports the Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act, championed by Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper along with Representative Boebert. This legislation would conserve nearly 70,000 acres of public lands, which would be managed to enhance fishing and hunting opportunity. Further north along the Dolores River a national monument designation is currently being discussed and vetted. When created with the input of sportsmen and sportswomen, national monuments are an effective tool for protecting areas important to hunting and fishing on federal public land.
Sportsmen for the Dolores seeks to permanently conserve the Dolores River watershed, critical to retaining its high-quality sporting values. The coalition supports a national monument designation as a means to achieve that conservation goal and is committed to ensuring a final Dolores Canyons National Monument aligns with principles outlined in National Monuments: A Hunting and Fishing Perspective, to receive the support of hunters, anglers, and sporting businesses. These principles include creating monuments that safeguard fish and wildlife habitat, maintain reasonable public access for hunting, fishing and wildlife management, and provide assurance that authority over fish and wildlife populations will be retained by state management agencies.
Jay Chancellor, Colorado Campaign Manager for Trout Unlimited, said, “After decades of trying to protect the Dolores River, now is the time for action. The Dolores River represents one of the largest angling and hunting conservation opportunities in Colorado.”
Craig Grother, Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Board Member/Central West Slope Regional Director/Norwood resident, said “Healthy, intact public lands are essential to sustaining and improving hunting and fishing opportunities. More than one million hunters and anglers enjoy the pursuit of fish and game in Colorado each year, and the conservation of these wild landscapes is critical for many who rely on them for their sporting traditions.
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Trout Unlimited is the nation’s oldest and largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization dedicated to caring for and recovering America’s rivers and streams so our children can experience the joy of wild and native trout and salmon. Across the country, TU brings to bear local, regional, and national grassroots organizing, durable partnerships, science-backed policy muscle, and legal firepower on behalf of trout and salmon fisheries, healthy waters, and vibrant communities.
CPW will hold two public meetings in early June to discuss issues related to Rio Grande cutthroat trout.
MONTE VISTA, Colo. – Colorado Parks and Wildlife has scheduled two public meetings to discuss proposed fishing regulation changes that are aimed at advancing conservation goals related to Rio Grande cutthroat trout.
One meeting will be held in Westcliffe and another in Monte Vista. The meeting in Westcliffe will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. June 10 at the West Custer County Library located at 209 Main St. The meeting in Monte Vista is slated for 6 to 8 p.m. June 13 at the conference room at CPW’s office located at 722 Henderson Rd.
“We are proposing restricting harvest and tackle in the Sand Creek drainage to allow for the reestablishment of a self-sustaining Rio Grande cutthroat trout population,” said CPW Aquatic Biologist Estevan Vigil. “In addition to changing the regulations at Sand Creek, we are also proposing to restrict harvest and tackle at Rito Hondo Reservoir and the creek above the lake also to restore Rio Grande cutthroats.”
Both the Sand Creek and Rito Hondo drainages have recently been reclaimed by removing non-native fish from these drainages so Rio Grande cutthroat will thrive. The proposed regulations are aimed at protecting populations during the rebuilding process, which can take up to five years.
Additionally, another regulation change is also proposed for Kerr Lake within the Rio Grande National Forest south of South Fork. CPW has proposed the removal of special regulations involving fly-and-lure fishing only that has been in place at Kerr Lake since 1955. CPW has also proposed removing the limit of two fish and returning Kerr Lake to statewide regulations on bag and possession limits of four and eight.
CPW has found there is no biological reason to keep the special regulations at Kerr Lake in place.
“The cutthroat in Kerr Lake are sustained through stocking and are not genetically pure,” Vigil said. “In order to match regulations to other waters managed the same way, we are proposing the removal of the special regs at Kerr Lake.”
CPW will discuss these proposed changes and be available to discuss issues related to Rio Grande cutthroat trout conservation at these two meetings. All are welcome to attend.
“It is important we hear feedback from the public and local anglers before implementing any regulation changes,” Vigil said.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) invites resident and nonresident anglers of all ages to participate in Free Fishing Weekend. On June 1-2, 2024, the fishing license and Habitat Stamp requirement will be waived, allowing anyone interested in fishing to try it out and hopefully get hooked.
Fishing offers a variety of health benefits and is a great excuse to get outdoors and you can even try to put some food on the table. For experienced anglers, Free Fishing Weekend offers a perfect opportunity to introduce someone interested in fishing who might be hesitant about purchasing a license.
From reservoirs, lakes and ponds to rivers and high-altitude streams, Colorado is a highly-regarded fishing destination. The state features nearly 9,000 miles of trout streams -321 miles of which are designated Gold Medal waters - and over 1,300 angling locations, all managed for high-quality fishing. Colorado offers an opportunity to catch some 35 species of warm-water and cold-water fish.
“The outdoors are for everyone, and fishing is a great way to discover and enjoy Colorado,” said Angler Outreach Coordinator Andre Egli. “The fish are biting and Free Fishing Weekend is the perfect opportunity for everyone to give fishing a try.”
All other fishing regulations, including bag and possession limits still apply. Learn more about fishing regulations and license fees in the 2024 Colorado Fishing Brochure.
For more information about licenses or fishing, including the Stocking Report and Fishing Atlas, visit cpw.state.co.us/Fishing.
