Denver's Cutthroat Chapter

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

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"Conservation Corner" - Click to see items/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! Buffalo Peaks Project - Early Signs of Success. Less than two months after volunteers finished planting willows and rose bushes, and less than six months after ERC strategically placed over 650 tons of rock, Buffalo Peaks Ranch is showing some early signs of success. Click here to read Rick Matsumoto's full report. Also check out the links to Charlie Meyers’ Denver Post article and blog entry below"

• Stream’s habitat gets help, 9/17/2008
• With heavy lifting, river restored at Middle Fork, 9/18/2008

Updated Sept 22nd: Final 2008 "RIVER & WATERSHED" PROJECT Being Planned

• Waterton Canyon Fish and Bug Survey being planned for October - watch for details. Volunteers will be needed! To volunteer email Jim Rasmussen or telephone him at (303) 773-2772.

“Want to learn fly-fishing basics?”
Two ways for novices to develop fly fishing skills:

Oct 21st Membership Mtg - 7 PM
"Fishing the Blue River "
- by Pat Dorsey

Join us Tuesday evening at 7 PM for a presentation on the Blue River by Pat Dorsey. A native of Colorado and Guide Director/partner of the Blue Quill Angler fly shop in Evergreen, Pat has been guiding in and around the Front Ranger for over 17 years. Pat usually spends around two hundred days a year on the water, enjoying a unique quality of life both personally and professionally. “I am blessed to be able to make a living as a fly fishing guide and I will never lose sight of how fortunate I am to really love my job.” He oversees and trains more than thirty guides and helps to set the standard for integrity and professionalism in the Blue Quill guide operation. Pat, also, writes the Central Rocky mountain stream report that monitors stream flows on the Blue, Colorado, South Platte, North Fork of the South Platte, and Williams Fork rivers.

Pat is the Southwest Field Editor for Fly Fisherman Magazine. In 2005, Pat authored the book, “A Fly Fisher’s Guide to the South Platte River”, a complete how-to fly fishing manual for the entire South Platte River drainage. It encompasses a thorough look at each section of the river detailing the hatches and recommended fly patterns for each of the four seasons of the year.

Pat is an accomplished fly tier and has originated a number of very effective patterns such as the Mercury series, UV scud, Limeaid, Cherry-Limeaid, Top Secret Midge, Medallion Midge and the Black Beauty Midge. Although Pat no longer has the time to tie flies commercially, he once produced over 28,000 flies in a year. Many of his flies are produced by Umpqua Feather Merchants and are available at the Blue Quill Angler. Pat is also a Celebrity Speaker for the International Sportsman’s Exposition in Denver and is very active in Trout Unlimited and the conservation of cold-water fisheries.

ATTENTION BEGINNING FLY FISHERS: Our October mini-clinic topic will be "Selecting and Fishing Streamers". Note: - The clinic begins 1/2 hour before the main membership meeting at 6:30.

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

San Juan River Fishing Trip
Oct 29 - Nov 2

The annual expedition to fish the San Juan River will be held from Wednesday, October 29 to Sunday, November 2, 2008. This multi-day trip will include wine tasting, chili cooking, dining in addition to some great fishing opportunities. As usual Abe’s Motel and Fly Shop located on the San Juan River will be the base of operations. For a complete description including accommodations, dining, driving directions and fishing information click here. Contact Ken McClatchy, Trip Coordinator, (303-972-0079) for additional information.

CCTU's November Conservation Auction
Tuesday Nov 18th!

Please be sure to  mark Tuesday, November 18th on your calendar for the Cutthroat Chapter’s Annual Conservation Auction.  This free, fun event which includes a cash bar promises to be better than ever with items to be auctioned including fishing equipment, fishing trips, lodge stays, a possible African photo and gift certificates plus many other items too numerous to mention. Bucket raffles and a silent auction are planned in addition to the 1 hour verbal auction event.

Bring a friend and/or spouse and get a free raffle ticket. Special items are being planned for women including a special door prize for women only. Doors will open at 6:30 P.M. for the Silent Auction, card raffle and buckets. The Verbal Auction will start at 7:30 P.M.

You won't want to miss this "fun" event. Call Steve Bailey at 303-986-5985 or via email if you have any questions or if you have some items to donate. Click here to download a Flyer with map to the auction. Click here to download a Donation Form.

Dan Wright's "10 Second Fishing Video Series

Dan Wright noted Master Certified Fly Casting Instructor and owner of the Colorado Academy of Fly Casting (website) has given permission for the Cutthroat Chapter to link to his new "10 Second Fishing Video Series" containing Tips, Techniques and How-to instructions. His video “Casting: Double Spey, Single Hand Rod” is linked here. Dan intends to produce additional videos at frequent intervals. Also checkout Dan's on-line blog and read about the Deckers "fish moving" caddis hatch which Dan says is the "densest caddis hatch I've seen in the Deckers area in 20 years".

NEW! Announcing the 2008 CCTU Photo Contest

Submit Your Favorite Photos for a Chance to Win Prizes! We haven't had a Cutthroat Photo Contest in some time, so everyone should have a healthy stash of great pictures to enter. Entries can be on any subject as long as it has some tie to trout fishing, be it scenery, kids, equipment or goofy grinning behind a trophy. Let's limit the entries to 5 per member and amateurs only, please. (If you're wondering why, see January and April of the new 2009 TU Photo Calendar for examples of what talented photographer and CCTU member Mark Lance is capable of.) E-Mail your photos, in full size, to Don Cushing at cushco7@comcast.net between now and December 13th. Don will bring them to the CCTU Christmas Party meeting on Dec 16th for a viewing and judging by attendees. If you don't have a digital camera, you'll need to arrange to have them scanned. Prizes are TBD, but we'll come up with some worthwhile awards for you, just in time for Christmas.

Aug 23rd Eleven Mile Canyon Worksession Report

On Saturday Aug 23rd, the Cutthroat Chapter had nine volunteers turn out for a weed pulling/fishing trip to the downstream side of the Dam at Eleven Mile Reservoir. The primary purpose involved pulling thistles from the floodplain to reduce competition for native riparian vegetation. The project was done in coordination with the Coalition for the South Platte River (CUSP). The Chapter's effort was organized by member, John Meyer and the weed pullers included; John Aaron, Steve Osa, Jim Ericson, Duane Van de Venter, Jim Rasmussen and Mark and Tyler Gebhart from the Cheyenne Mountain Chapter in Colorado Springs. Following the weed pulling and a brief
picnic lunch, the crew headed upstream for some outstanding dry fly fishing in the middle of thunderstorms, hail, and a tornado. Despite the weather, the fishing was lights out for the afternoon with baetis, midges, caddis, yellow sallies, and tricos on the water.

Questions about Greenback Trout Genetics Raised

An August 28th study published by researchers from the University of Colorado in Molecular Ecology has raised some questions about the genetic purity of the Greenback Trout being reintroduced into Colorado waters. Read a synopsis dated August 30th from ScienceNow. Additional information is contained in the September 5th news release from the University of Colorado which is linked here. And the entire 10 page study can be downloaded (pdf format)here.

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.

Ready, Set, Jump - How High Can Brook Trout Jump?

This was the question posed by researches from Colorado State University, who challenged three sizes of brook trout - 4-6 inches, 6-8 inches, and over 8 inches - to jump a laboratory-built waterfall. Both the height of the waterfall and the depth of the plunge pool below were adjustable. To no one's surprise, larger brookies out-jumped smaller ones; the large group cleared a 29 inch waterfall, while the small group hurdled a none-too-shabby 25 inch barrier. All of the leaping fish were confounded by a 17 inch barrier when the plunge pool depth was cut to just 4 inches. Researchers hope the study will help create effective fishways and segregate brook trout in systems where they are invasive. - Andrew Belden, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society

Fishing Information - ColoradoOnThe Fly.com

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.

Animated Fishing Knots

Here is a website that is a great educational tool into the sometimes technical world of fishing knot tying, The site, Animated Knots by Grog, offers a step by step, or fully animated sequence of how to tie over seventy five fishing knots. Take a look at it.

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

So You Want to Hire a Fishing Guide — Click 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.