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Littleton Cutthroat Chapter of Trout Unlimited

Littleton's Cutthroat Chapter

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Multi-day Trips (for 10-12 people)
~Green River, UT Apr 10-14
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Big Horn, MT May 30-Jun 04
~NEW Frying Pan, CO Sept 16-19
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San Juan, NM Oct 27-31

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Site Updated - March 10, 2010

March Electronic Newsletter Available - Click Here to view the contents.

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"Conservation Corner" - Issues related to Colorado from both the local and state perspective. For the most comprehensive coverage of conservation issues/projects affecting Colorado's cold water environment check out the CTU website. CTU has added the CTU NewsBlog featuring News and Happenings from Colorado Trout Unlimited.

New: Cutthroat Chapter 2010 "RIVER & WATERSHED" Projects Announced - Volunteers needed! (Click here for more detail on each project). To volunteer email Jim Klug or telephone him at (303) 953-8046.
Trail Creek Fire Restoration/Willow Planting with CUSP - April (date TBD)
• South Plate River Trash Pickup Day (and BBQ) - Saturday, June 26th
• Gill Trail Maintenance with CUSP (dates are TBD)
• Happy Meadows (Near Lake George) Stream Restoration with Cusp (dates are TBD)
• Michigan Creek Restoration with CUSP (dates are TBD)
• Clear Creek Clean-up (with West Denver, Cherry Creek and Denver TU Chapters) Sept 17
• South Platte River Restoration Design with Denver TU (dates are TBD)

ATTENTION - RiverWatch Collection/Sampling is March 15th
The Chapter's next River Watch collection/sampling event is scheduled for Monday morning, March 15th, at the collection site located above the bridge at Deckers . If you are interested in becoming part of the River Watch program and want to enjoy a little fishing contact Bill Honeyfield at (303) 771-1855 or blhoneyfield@comcast.net.


Special Chapter Offer Honoring Jonathan Keisling

The Cutthroat Chapter is offering four Fly Boxes containing 4 dozen flies tied by Chapter premier fly tiers. The price for each box is $70 and sold on a first come basis - contact Richard Piltzke phone number 303-979-8425. Proceeds go the the Jonathan Keisling Memorial Fund - Jon died in a tragic auto accident just before Thanksgiving. He was an active Cutthroat chapter member, professional guide, fly tier and best known for his advocacy of the e Czech nymphing technique.
box1(sm)Box2(sm)box3(sm)box4(sm)

To see a high definition image of each box select BOX #1, BOX #2, BOX #3 or BOX #4

The fly tiers are:

Box 1 - Pat Dorsey, Richard Mead, Al Makkai, Kent Higgins and Richard Pilatzke
Box 2 -Bud McAllister, Jim Neiberger, Jay Core and John Keefover
Box 3 - Pat Dorsey, Richard Pilatzke, Bob Dye and Kent Higgins
Box 4 - Jay Core, Bob Dye, Jim Neiberger, Kent Higgins and Richard Pilatzke


2010 Cutthroat Chapter Fishing Trips Announced

The Cutthroat Chapter is organizing 4 multi-day fishing trips for 2010 plus several one-day local area trips. Checkout the list of trips in the left hand column - click each entry for details and how to signup. In addition to our annual trips to the Green River (April), Bighorn River (May/June) and San Juan River (October) we have added a mid-September trip to the Frying Pan River. This year, after a short hiatus, we are actively organizing several Saturday trips within a 2-3 hr drive of the Denver metro area for the months of April through September. Currently John Aaron has volunteered to plan a northern pike fishing trip to the Williams Fork Reservoir during the magical third weekend in June. If you wish to host a similar one day trip for a small group (4-8) of chapter members, please contact Joe Snoy 303-688-8541 or email him at jsnoy@comcast.net. Trips to Spinney Mountain, Eleven-mile Canyon and Deckers are examples of popular local area fishing trips.


CAM2 Special "Catch a Memory" Raffle to Win a Trip of a Lifetime

Picture yourself winning the ultimate fly-fishing experience: You and three friends will fly from wherever you are in the US to Denver International Airport, where you will board a private jet to a 140,000-acre ranch in Wyoming's Medicine Bow Mountains. Click here to see a spectacular YouTube Video about this trip.

Raffle Prize Details - Raffle Winner and Each of Their 3 Guests Will Receive:
Flights to Denver International Airport (continental U.S. only)
$1,000 shopping spree to Charlie's FlyBox (American Angler's 2009 Retailer of the Year)
Private flight to destination
4 days premier fishing with a personal guide
3 nights lodging and opportunity to enjoy all the amenities at the ranch
Gourmet meals and inviting hospitality beyond compare
Commemorative Memory Book and DVD

Dates and details:
Raffle begins January 4th
Drawing to take place on June 30th, 2010
Trip Dates: Saturday, September 18 through Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Tickets cost $20. Click here to buy tickets. - Raffle sponsored by Trout Unlimited and Colorado Youth Outdoors.


Ystone March 16th Meeting - 7 PM Dave Sweet - "Trouble at Yellowstone Lake, WY "


Dave's presentation will focus on the history of the decline of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout in Yellowstone Lake and the upper Yellowstone River system, focusing on the principle cause of that decline (illegal lake trout introduction), and the efforts to reduce the lake trout population in that system. Removal efforts, to date, have focused on gill netting and spot electro shocking of the lake trout spawning grounds. A description of the research efforts (primarily being conducted in Bozeman, MT) to develop new technology used to target lake trout and lake trout eggs will be presented along with the fundraising efforts to support that research.

On a personal level, Dave received a PhD in analytical chemistry from the University of Colorado in 1970 and worked for Syntex (now Hoffman LaRoche) in Boulder for 9 years before moving to Arizona for 5 years and then Cody, WY for the past 22 years. Dave was a member of the St. Vrain Anglers TU Chapter in Lyons/Longmont in the late 70's and early 80"s. Currently Dave is Chairman of the WY Council of TU; Past President of the East Yellowstone Chapter in Cody (Silver Trout award winning Chapter); Chairman of the "Save the Yellowstone Cutthroat" Committee which has been set up to (1) raise awareness of the plight of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout in Yellowstone Lake and the upper Yellowstone River system and (2) to raise funds for research and mitigation efforts.

Conservation Mini-presentation - Prior to the main presentation Jon Bruno from the Coalition for Upper So. Platte (CUSP) will provide a 15 minute update on tentative 2010 conservation projects planned for CUSP and the Cutthroat Chapter within the South Platte River watershed.

Directions to the Chapter meeting location are described in the left column (near top).


Lonni"Fishing on the Fly" Classes for Middle Schoolers begins March 13th

The Cutthroat Chapter, in conjunction with the Highlands Ranch Community Association, will be teaching an introductory fly-fishing course to middle school-age youth beginning March 13th. "Fishing-On-The-Fly" is a five-session program with the first four sessions held at the HRCA Eastridge Center 9568 University Blvd., Highlands Ranch CO 80126. The final session (April 17th) will be a fly-fishing field trip to Lake Lehow at the mouth of Waterton Canyon. Click here to download a pdf file describing the entire program. Volunteer Instructors are needed for the following sessions:

March 27 (8-10 AM) - fly tying instructors
April 10 (8-10 AM) - casting instructors
April 17 (8-noon) - fly-fishing mentors

If you are interested in volunteering for a rewarding couple of hours to a half-day, please contact Jim Ives 303-843-0593 or email him at jamesives@msn.com.


CTU Annual Dinner & Gala
March 19, 5:00pm at the Arvada Center
Mark your calendars for the evening of March 19th to attend the Colorado Trout Unlimited Annual Dinner & Gala. This event is CTU's most important fund raising event of the year. The Dinner and Gala includes a silent auction, a sit-down dinner, a live auction, live entertainment and an "after-party". More details are available on the CTU website.


richardFly Tying Demo by Richard Pilatzke
March 20th at Hook Flyfishing


Mark your calendars! Richard Pilatzke, the Cutthroat Chapter's premier fly tier will be tying flies at Hook Flyfishing in Highlands Ranch on March 20, 2010. This will be a fly tying demonstration from 12 noon until 2:00 PM. Richard will tie mostly flies for Rocky Mountain lakes. See one of his specialty dragon flies above.

 


KidsCampTU's weeklong Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp - accepting applications through March 30


The camp is an intensive program that focuses on stream science, conservation, fly tying and fishing. This year, the Beaver Run Trout Ranch near Aspen will host the camp - thank you! Click here to read more and download an application.

But Wait! (as Howard Cosell used to say)

Introducing the Northern Colorado (NoCo) Youth River Conservation and Fly Fishing Day Camps, made possible by Rocky Mountain Flycasters in Fort Collins! The NoCo camps - July 15-17 and July 22-24 - are similar to the CTU camp but last just 3 days and are day camps rather than overnighters. Applications for the 2010 summer program are being accepted with a deadline of April 30. Click here for details and an application form.


MidgeApril 20th Monthly Meeting 7 PM - Rick Takahashi and Jerry Hubka
New book - "Modern Midges: Tying and Fishing the World's Most Effective Patterns"

About the book:
Midges may be small, but in many streams and lakes around the world they are the most important year- round food source for trout. Rick Takahashi and Jerry Hubka team up to provide readers with the most comprehensive midge pattern and fishing techniques resource to date. Stunning photos and detailed illustrations show the life cycle of the naturals, fishing and rigging techniques for a wide range of waters, and over 1,000 midge patterns. Whether you tie or buy your flies, this collection of cutting-edge advice from experts around the world will help you catch more fish.

 

Directions to the Chapter meeting location are described in the left column (near top).



TICTrout in the Classroom Update
See Video Below

During this past summer representatives from the Cutthroat Chapter, the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) and the Thompson Valley High School teamed up to kickoff the "Trout in the Classroom" program. Through the coming school year, the Thompson Valley HS students will raise the trout from eggs to fry and then release them into a CDOW approved cold water stream or river (tentatively identified as the Big Thompson River). The 6-month process of raising, monitoring, and caring for young trout is intended to foster a conservation ethic within the students and promote an understanding of the factors affecting Colorado's water resources.

Progress to-date. During late August a 55-gallon tank, chillers and ancillary equipment were installed and the aquatic environment established at the Thompson Valley HS classroom in preparation to receive the fish eggs. As a precaution electronic temperature sensing alarms were installed to call teachers in case of water temperature problems. On Sept 10th approximately 200 fertilized rainbow trout eggs arrived and were deposited in the tank. The eggs have hatched with about 100+ fish surviving and growing faster than expected. An April 2010 release date is being considered.

The image above shows Thompson Valley High School teacher Tom Hewson reviewing progress to-date with his freshman science class - the date is Nov 6th, 2009. Click to see large images of students feeding the fish: Feeding 1 and Feeding 2. Stay tuned as this program matures. We hope to post monthly updates with pictures and progress reports from the students.
The following video was also taken on Nov 6, 2009.

Trout in the Classroom (TIC) programs have been in place all across the country for more than 20 years, the results of numerous collaborations between teachers, volunteers, government agencies, and local organizations including (but not limited to) Trout Unlimited. The programs were designed specifically for teachers who wanted to incorporate more environmental education into their curriculum. For more background information go to this website.


bman

More "Notes From the Farside"
Two New Fly Fishing Stories by Richard Pilatzke

I had always considered boatmen and backswimmers to be a minor, insignificant part of the diet of trout and hadn't’t given much thought to tying boatman/backswimmer patterns until John Doughty, the ranch manager at Arrowhead Ranch, told me he had been seeing boatmen and backswimmers showing up when he pumped (with a stomach pump) fish at the ranch, so I thought I give them a try . I have been doing lots of research on water boatmen and have found some interesting facts. Water boatmen and backswimmers can actually be a very important food item to fish in lakes and slow, weedy streams.- Richard

In "Water Boatman/ Backswimmer Time"(pdf) Richard Pilatzke, Cutthroat Chapter board member (and fly-tyer extraordinaire), tells about his success trying out a new fly pattern..

In "Bobber Fishing"(pdf) Richard gives us tips how to fish using strike indicators on lakes. Suspending flies from an indicator on a lake can be a very productive fishing method at times.


Cutthroat Lending Library Reactivated

The library contains nearly 85 books, DVD's, and VHS tapes related to fishing. Items may be checked out for 30 days free of charge. Click on the "Library Link" to download a listing of the library's selections. Contact Duane "Van" VanDeVenter 303-935-4403 to borrow any item.


FatAlbertAmazing Fly Tying Website Available!

You have to see this to believe it! Click here to see the FlyTyingClips.com website. Interactive three dimensional views of flies tied by 18 of Colorado's professional fly tiers appear on your desktop. Click on the image of the fly and move your mouse to rotate the image for a 360 degree of each fly. Choose your favorite fly tier including the Cutthroat Chapter's own Richard Pilatzke, to see a dropdown menu of his flies. Select an individual fly and after it appears, rotate the image by moving your mouse. The recipe for many flies are also displayed. This website is truly amazing. (The fly at the left is Richard's Fat Albert).

 

 


fish-tissueDOW Fish Tissue Study - Mercury Content Measured/Reported

The Colorado Fish Tissue Study is a five year study that began in 2004. Go to this DOW webpage to view an interactive map containing clickable links to specific water bodies and individual reports. The data on this site will be updated on a regular basis. These pages contain all analytical data, all reports, and Fish Consumption Advisories (FCAs) generated from the study. The FCAs place limits on safe quantities for consumption of fish from McPhee and Narraguinnep reservoirs as well as other lakes in the state.

 

 

 

 

 

 


bgtrout
Fly Fishing Rocky Mountain National Park
Excellent article on stream fishing RMNP linked from the electronic version of Fly Fisherman magazine

Just looking at a map of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) rivets your attention. (Click here to see a map.) What you see at a glance is a peppering of 150 alpine lakes and a lacework of flowing water that adds up to 450 miles of streams. About 50 lakes (360 total acres) and 150 miles of streams hold trout. Click here to read the entire article by Ross Purnell, the editorial director of Fly Fisherman. The article discusses fishing both the major river systems flowing out of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP)--the Cache la Poudre, Colorado River, the North Fork of the St. Vrain, the Big Thompson, and the Fall River --as well as the smaller creeks flowing from alpine trout lakes like Glacier Creek, Ouzel Creek, Fern Creek, Roaring River, the North Fork of the Big Thompson, Columbine Creek, Timber Creek, and Paradise Creek.


Fishing Information - ColoradoOnThe Fly.comspinney

ColoradoOnTheFly.com is designed as a Colorado Fly Fishing directory, categorized with hundreds of websites. No where will you find a more complete directory with rich content and easy navigation. Participation is encouraged and will always be acknowledged.


knotAnimated Fishing Knots (Updated Mar 09)

Here are two websites that provide great educational tools into the sometimes technical world of fishing knot tying. The first site, Animated Knots by Grog, offers a step by step, fully animated sequence of how to tie over seventy five fishing knots. The second site, VideoFishingKnots.com by Morten Kjems provides menu of close-up videos of many fishing knots important to anglers. Take a look at them.


What is the connection between Cancer and Flyfishing?
The answer is "Reel Recovery"!


So You Want to Hire a Fishing GuideClick Here for perspective (including pictures) in what a fishing guide should offer & do for you!


Cutthroat Chapter Fishing Buddies

Looking for someone to go fishing with? Click here for the list.


New Zealand Mud Snail Infestation in Colorado
Click here to learn about the NZ Mud Snail in Colorado and how to Sanitize Your Fishing Equipment - contains updated information about the Formula 409 Disinfectant /Antibacterial product courtesy the West Denver Chapter of TU. Please note that the previously recommended use of bleach or Grape Seed Extract as cleaning methods has been proven ineffective.


Copyright © 2009 [Trout Unlimited, Denver Cutthroat Chapter]. All rights reserved.
Revised: March 10, 2010

Special thanks to FirstLink for their exceptional website hosting.

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