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Grand Valley Anglers Chapter Honors Carol Oglesby
This past December, the Grand Valley Anglers chapter of Trout Unlimited honored Carol Oglesby with Board Member - Emeritus for her over 30 years of service. Carol has been a staple in the Trout Unlimited volunteer world, and we all thank her for her commitment.
Know a volunteer we should highlight? Please email us at info@coloradotu.org.
Join CTU at the Denver Fly Fishing Show
Update! Please see two exciting events prior to, and during, the Fly Fishing Show!
Join CTU, Denver TU Chapter, West Denver Chapter, and Pikes Peak Chapter at the Denver Fly Fishing Show February 21st - 23rd at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center.
The Fly Fishing Show is an annual event that brings together fly fishing enthusiasts, manufacturers, and professionals from across the industry. It’s a hub for learning, discovering new gear, and connecting with others who are passionate about the sport.
Key Highlights of the Show:
Exhibits: Browse displays from hundreds of exhibitors featuring the latest fly fishing equipment, gear, and services.
Seminars: Attend free seminars on a variety of topics to deepen your understanding of fly fishing techniques and practices.
Demos: Watch live demonstrations, including fly tying, casting, and other practical techniques.
Learning Center: Participate in free hands-on instruction, including knot tying, rigging, and tips for selecting the right fly.
Consumer Choice Awards: Vote for your favorite products and see how they compare to other attendees' favorites.
Traveling Rod Show: View a special exhibit of rare fly rods that trace the evolution of this essential tool.
This event offers a unique opportunity to engage with the fly fishing community, gain insights from industry experts, and enhance your skills. The Fly Fishing Show is a must-see for Trout Unlimited members looking to stay connected and informed about the sport they love.
CTU Camper Registration Now Open!
Experience the CTU River Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp
Do you know a teen who loves the outdoors, is curious about conservation, or wants to learn the art of fly fishing? The CTU River Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp might be the opportunity they’ve been looking for.
Taking place June 8-14, 2025, at AEI Basecamp in Almont, CO, this camp offers youth aged 14-18 a chance to explore river stewardship, science, and outdoor recreation. Since 2006, our camp has introduced more than 250 teens from Colorado and beyond to conservation and fly fishing while building valuable skills and friendships.
What Makes This Camp Special?
Our camp combines STEM-based conservation education with hands-on fly fishing instruction. Campers learn about conservation by engaging directly with the natural environment they’re working to protect. Activities are designed to be fun and welcoming, connecting a passion for the outdoors with a commitment to conservation.
Here’s what campers will experience:
STEM education: Learn about river ecosystems and water management in the west.
Fly fishing instruction: Gain skills through one-on-one and group lessons.
Conservation projects: Participate in activities that make a tangible impact.
New friendships: Meet peers who share similar interests and values.
Who Can Apply?
The camp is open to youth aged 14-18. Applications are open now and must be submitted by April 1, 2025. Campers will be selected based on their responses, including an essay about why they want to attend. First-time applicants will receive preference.
Costs and Scholarships
The 2025 camp tuition is $700, with an additional $50 registration fee. These fees cover meals, gear rentals, and other necessary costs. Campers aged 16 and older will also need to purchase a Colorado Fishing License.
To make this experience accessible, many local Trout Unlimited chapters offer tuition scholarships. If financial assistance is needed, applicants can indicate this on their application, and we’ll work to match them with a scholarship opportunity.
Why Choose CTU Camp?
CTU River Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp is about more than just learning new skills. It’s an opportunity to develop a connection to nature and gain practical knowledge in a supportive environment. Campers leave with new abilities, friendships, and an understanding of how conservation efforts and outdoor recreation intersect.
For nearly 20 years, our program has brought together teens with shared interests in conservation and fly fishing. Campers take away valuable experiences that help them grow as individuals and future river stewards.
Apply Today!
Spaces are limited to 20 campers, and applications are due by April 1, 2025, so don’t wait to apply. The application process is straightforward, and scholarships are available to help make camp accessible for everyone.
Don’t miss this chance to learn, grow, and enjoy a week in Colorado’s beautiful outdoors. Apply today to take the first step toward becoming a river steward and fly fishing enthusiast.
Visit Our Trout in the Classroom Booth at the National Western Stock Show
Welcome to our Trout in the Classroom booth at the National Western Stock Show! Dive into the wonders of aquatic life with our interactive exhibit. Kids can explore the fascinating world of macroinvertebrates under the microscope and learn about the vital role they play in our ecosystems. Don't miss our live trout tank, where you can see these amazing fish up close and discover how we're bringing the magic of trout habitats into classrooms. Come join us for a fun and educational experience!
Our trout are in more than just this classroom this week; we have a booth at the CSU Spur for the National Western Stock Show! This outreach effort is a vital component for both educational and non-profit programs as it helps raise awareness, engage the community, and foster a deeper understanding of important issues. At our booth, we aim to inspire curiosity and environmental stewardship through interactive activities, demonstrating to the community how engaging and educational our program can be if brought into their local school.
Kids can explore macroinvertebrates under the microscope and observe live trout in our tank, learning about aquatic ecosystems and conservation. They can also watch the Spur staff feed the fish in the morning, adding an exciting, interactive element to their visit. By expanding this program, we hope to reach more students and communities, providing hands-on experiences that highlight the importance of preserving our freshwater habitats and encouraging a lifelong passion for science and nature.
Water released from Chatfield Reservoir Environmental Pool into South Platte River in historic first
Image courtesy of CPW
Denver Trout Unlimited played a key role as a funding partner in the creation of the Chatfield Reservoir Environmental Pool, a groundbreaking effort to support the health of the South Platte River. This initiative, driven by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and other dedicated organizations, marks an important milestone in improving aquatic ecosystems and ensuring more sustainable water management. The first-ever release from the Environmental Pool highlights the power of partnerships, like Denver Trout Unlimited's, in addressing low flow conditions, benefiting aquatic life, and enhancing the river’s overall resilience.
From Colorado Parks and Wildlife:
LITTLETON, Colo. – Colorado Parks and Wildlife initiated the first release of water from the Chatfield Reservoir Environmental Pool to increase flows in the South Platte River below the reservoir. The historic release began Tuesday morning and provided three cubic feet per second of water into the South Platte to alleviate low flow conditions, support aquatic life and enhance ecosystem function.
The first water release from the Chatfield Environmental Pool marks the next step in reservoir operations at Chatfield State Park and aquatic habitat management in the South Platte River. The 2,100 acre-foot pool was created through the Chatfield Storage Reallocation Project, which provides increased water storage capacity for municipal water providers and downstream irrigators by capturing high flows from large rainstorms and snow runoff. As a part of the increased operating level of Chatfield Reservoir, the project designated the pool to store additional water within the reservoir with the intent of releasing water to relieve stress on aquatic life during low flow conditions in the South Platte.
“This historic moment is the culmination of decades of commitment and innovation from Colorado Parks and Wildlife and its partners,” said Matt Nicholl, CPW’s Aquatic Wildlife Assistant Director. “The Reallocation Project helps meet Colorado’s growing water demands while providing benefits to the South Platte River and aquatic species. We are looking forward to studying the habitat improvements in this next step of water management for CPW.”
“Chatfield State Park is excited to embark on this new era of operations,” said Chatfield State Park Manager Kris Wahlers. “When drought conditions occur, it’s not only people who are affected. Fisheries and other natural resources experience a substantial setback as well. Having the ability to release stored water during low flow conditions gives natural resources downstream of Chatfield much more security than they’ve ever had before. I’m very glad that the planners and supporters of the project took that into consideration.”
The South Platte is an important tributary and water source along the Front Range. Agricultural producers rely on the river to irrigate crops, and municipal providers rely on the waterway for human population needs. Low flows burden aquatic ecosystems and human communities alike. The higher river levels from the release will work to alleviate some of the stress that dry periods can inflict.
"The Colorado Water Conservation Board is proud of this incredible partnership to bring much-needed water to the South Platte River through the Metro area,” said Lauren Ris, CWCB Director. “The additional storage in Chatfield Reservoir will not only help with dry season flows but the water will be utilized several times before leaving the state.”
“The Greenway Foundation is beyond excited for the first release of water from the Environmental Pool,” said Ryan Aids, Executive Director for The Greenway Foundation. “This inaugural release marks the culmination of nearly two decades of vision, partnerships, construction and now execution. With the current state and unknown future state of water in Colorado, a project like this, which allows for additional water in the South Platte River, is one to be celebrated. The Greenway Foundation is honored to have been a part of this visionary project along with a long list of amazing partners and supporters.”
In addition to the primary benefit of a lift to the aquatic ecosystem, releases from the Environmental Pool will also improve the South Platte’s quality and appearance, as well as recreational opportunities. Releases will help reduce impacts from critical low flow days, benefitting the fish community downstream.
“CPW is excited to see how fish populations will respond to the changes in hydrology,” said Kyle Battige, senior aquatic biologist with CPW. “The South Platte is an important habitat for many aquatic species in our state, and we’re committed to improving the river ecosystem.”
Future releases into the South Platte will be contingent on several factors including water availability, habitat needs and conditions at the park. While annual releases are not guaranteed, CPW will continue to manage the environmental pool at Chatfield State Park for recreation and ecosystem health.
The New Winter 2025 Issue of High Country Angler is Live!
Your new Winter 2025 issue of
High Country Angler is here!
Check out the Winter 2025 issue of High Country Angler e-zine, including these stories:
· Landon Mayer with Q and A with "Mr. Leech";
· Brian LaRue with Winter Cast and Blast Opportunities;
· Colorado TU Staff with Trout in the Classroom;
· Hayden Mellsop with Ice Rises;
· Colorado TU Staff with 2024 Year in Review;
· Other columns by Barbara Luneau, Joel Evans, and CTU Staff
December Currents Newsletter
This month’s issue features Good Samaritan Act Passes, End of Year Gifts, Rio Grande Cutthroat Not Listed on ESA, and More!
Hook the Holiday Deal of the Year
Hook More Adventure This Holiday Season!
Trout Unlimited and RareWaters have teamed together to offer you the ultimate gift of adventure to access over 65+ incredible properties across the West!
Buy a 2025 RareWaters Season Pass with TU20 pricing (20% off Season Passes with savings of $500!) and RareWaters will give back an additional $250 directly back to TU Colorado for every Season Pass sold. It's a win-win for anglers getting a limited-time deal while simultaneously supporting Trout Unlimited in significant ways. In addition, each Season Pass member receives a TU annual membership which you can gift as well as many additional perks below.
As a RareWaters Season Pass Member you will have unlimited access to incredible waters across the West. Make your 2025 fishing season a memorable one by supporting this great partnership. It’s the gift that keeps on giving all year long!
Use code TU20 at checkout to grab your pass for only $2,000 (plus taxes/fees) - That's $500 off! Don’t wait — this Trout Unlimited x RareWaters Holiday special ends at midnight on December 24, 2025!
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🐟 Free Trout Unlimited membership and TroutRoutes subscription
Genetically unique cutthroat trout rescued from 2016 wildfire are found to be reproducing in SE Region streams
A genetically unique Hayden Creek cutthroat trout after it was rescued from a wildlife in 2016.
Photo courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife
OUTDOOR COLORADO MAGAZINE
Dec. 17, 2024
CPW biologists hopeful as genetically unique cutthroat trout rescued from 2016 wildfire are found to be reproducing in SE Region streams
COALDALE, Colo. – Eight years after wildfire and flashfloods threatened to wipe out a genetically unique cutthroat trout from tiny Hayden Creek, Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists are finding hopeful signs that their efforts to save the fish are succeeding.
Recent surveys of creeks where CPW has reintroduced the unique trout found evidence they are surviving multiple years – a huge milestone in any wildlife restoration project. Even more important, CPW biologists are finding newly hatched Hayden Creek cutthroat (HCC), meaning they are naturally reproducing in some streams and thriving.
“This is very exciting news for these fish and for the agency, considering the odds they faced back in 2016,” said Paul Foutz, senior aquatic biologist for CPW’s Southeast Region.
In July 2016, as a wildfire raged on Hayden Pass south of Coaldale, a small army of CPW aquatic biologists, hatchery staff, and U.S. Forest Service personnel donned fire-resistant suits, strapped on heavy electro-shocking backpacks, carried oxygen bottles, nets and water tanks and headed behind fire lines to pull off a daring rescue of a rare cutthroat trout from the south fork of Hayden Creek.
The dramatic effort was undertaken because massive wildfires like the Hayden Creek Fire, which charred 16,754 acres that summer, often produce ash and debris that wash into creeks and rivers, ruining water quality, choking off aquatic life and destroying habitat.
That day in 2016, CPW biologists found and removed 194 of the rare HCC trout, before the team returned to safety outside the fire zone. And their worst fears about the creek quickly came true when runoff from later rains overwhelmed Hayden Creek with a thick, black sludge that ultimately poured into the Arkansas River, damaging fish and habitat for miles in that waterway.
After the fire, surveys of Hayden Creek found no fish remained.
The only known survivors were 158 of the rare fish rescued by CPW staff and placed in an isolation unit at the Roaring Judy Hatchery near Gunnison. The other 36 had been released in nearby Newlin Creek, in the Wet Mountains about 10 miles southwest of Florence, in hopes they would survive in the wild.
Almost immediately, CPW aquatic biologists began the urgent task of finding new homes out on the landscape for the Hayden Creek cutthroat. The staff at Roaring Judy planned to keep the survivors as a brood stock and spawn new generations each spring. But they couldn’t all live in the hatchery.
So similar sized creeks within the Arkansas River drainage were scouted. Biologists wanted creeks that were comparable in size and habitat characteristics offering year-round flow and that were remote enough to protect the prized HCC trout from human interference.
The first creek deemed suitable was Newlin, where 36 were released during the fire. In October 2017, a team of 20 aquatic biologists, other staff and volunteers from CPW and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) fanned out across the five drainages that make up Newlin Creek, which twists and turns through thick brush and rock in the rugged foothills.
The biologists split into six teams and bushwhacked up and down six miles, give or take, of the remote upper reaches of Newlin Creek, following the creek’s main stem and four branches. They snaked along treacherous cliffs, through jumbles of huge boulders and under fallen trees between Locke and Stull mountains.
The teams hiked for hours as the sun turned the day into short-sleeve weather, taxing some of the crew clad in rubber wading outfits and lugging 30-pound electrofishing units on their backs.
Anywhere that trickles of water pooled enough to offer fish habitat, the CPW/USFS teams stopped and probed the pools with their electrofishing units in hopes of catching a few of the 36 fish that were released during the fire.
They repeated the process dozens of times as they thrashed through the brush, scrambled over rocks, under felled trees and past caves and piles of bones from predator kills. At the end of a 10-hour marathon fish survey, the results were clear: none of the 36 HCC trout had survived.
But that day of scouting convinced the CPW team that Newlin Creek could serve as the new home for HCC trout spawned at Roaring Judy.
Biologists began the painstaking task of reclaiming Newlin of any existing fish that might compete with the HCC trout. Only then could stocking begin.
The work climaxed Oct. 24, 2018, when 900 HCC trout, each about 2 inches long, were carried in bags by CPW staff up Newlin Creek and released.
The restoration effort eventually expanded to 13 other streams across the Arkansas Drainage. Spreading them across the region makes them less vulnerable to extinction due to an isolated catastrophic fire or flood event.
Since that first stocking in 2018, more than 8,000 HCC trout have been released in Newlin along a 1.5-mile stretch of water. After years of observing survival of the HCC trout in Newlin, CPW biologists documented evidence of natural reproduction in surveying the creek in 2024.
“Our surveys this year found ‘young-of-the-year’ fish swimming with older class fish from previous stocking,” Foutz said. “Although this does not mean the HCC in Newlin are a self-sustaining population yet, it’s a huge step in the right direction.”
To date, nearly 135,000 HCC trout have been stocked along 25 miles of water in 18 streams, ponds and lakes. These fish are produced in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Fish Hatchery at Leadville and CPW’s Roaring Judy hatchery.
Other streams stocked with HCC trout also show good signs of survival and multiple age classes. Those streams include South Ruxton Creek on Pikes Peak near Colorado Springs, South Middle Creek near La Veta Pass west of Walsenburg, and Iowa Gulch near Leadville in the Upper Arkansas Valley.
It was stocked with HCC trout from 2021-24 with roughly 5,000 fingerlings a year. A 2024 survey found evidence of natural reproduction as over 20 young-of-the-year fish were found before fall stocking had occurred. Also, two fish up to 12 inches long were sampled, which shows great growth potential.
“CPW’s mission begins with a vow to perpetuate the wildlife resources of Colorado and this is a perfect example,” said Foutz, who was on the CPW team that rescued the Hayden Creek cutthroat from the wildlife in 2016. “These fish have unique genetics and it’s our job to ensure they remain on the landscape for future generations of Coloradans.”
CPW aquatic biologists and hatchery staff deeply involved in the HCC restoration are Carrie Tucker in Pueblo, Alex Townsend in Salida, Cory Noble in Colorado Springs, and CPW Hatchery Manager Seth Firestone and hatchery crew, and USFWS Hatchery Manager Josh Homer.
Watch the fish survey work on Newlin Creek in October 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SjhrQpwib4&feature=youtu.be.
