CMCTU Sept 04 Newsletter - Cheyenne Mountain Trout Unlimited

Riffle Talk
Free to Members of the Cheyenne Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited
Volume: 19 Issue: 5
President’s Piece
Dan Snow
Where did the summer go?
Oh yeah, I was out of town
all summer…
Hopefully, you got your share
of fishing in this summer.
Even if you did, I’m sure most
of you will say “No, I didn’t…”
That’s just the way it is when
it comes to fishing and those of us who are passionate about it. You may have filled a fishing
journal with trip reports from the past year but then
one afternoon you remember a stretch of stream
you haven’t been to in a few years. You quickly
come to the conclusion that you need to get out
more. Never mind what your spouse thinks about
this.
At least until you try to bring it up.
I’m sure that you have some great stories to tell
from this year’s (and the year before and the year
before…) fishing. So why not come to our Annual
Membership Banquet September 25th and share
them with the rest of us. As usual, a good time
will be had by all and our guest speaker will be
Charlie Meyers from the Denver Post. So you
can come and pick up some
pointers on how a pro tells a
fish story. Just in case you
catch a fish worthy of a story.
Like the one I caught the other
day… or was that last year? I
gotta get out more.
Hope to see you at the
Banquet.
SEPT 2004
CMCTU Annual Banquet meeting
and Raffle
September 25th
Patty Jewett Clubhouse
6:00 Social—Cash Bar
7:00 Dinner
Prime Rib & Baked Salmon
Entertainment:
Day Time Singers, Barbershop
Quartet
Keynote Speaker:
Charlie Meyer—Denver Post
Outdoor Editor
Raffle and Auction
Fishing Equipment,
Art
Pontoon Boat
Tickets???? See Back of Newsletter
2
ACT NOW - clean up impaired
Colorado waters! comments due:
September 20
The Environmental Protection Agency
has proposed listing seven Colorado streams on
the "303(d) list" of impaired waters, including two
proposed by Trout Unlimited - Bear Creek and
the Dolores River. Why does listing matter? If
the streams are added to the list, they will be in
line for clean-up plans called "TMDLs" ( "total
maximum daily load") - plans under which responsibility for stream cleanup is divided among
different parties within a watershed to ensure
that waters that are impaired are restored to
health. Listing streams as "impaired" is the first
step in getting them cleaned up! Unfortunately,
polluters and water development interests have
lined up against the EPA's proposal and will be
mobilizing opposition. Those same interests
convinced the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission not to list the streams at a
state hearing earlier this year - requiring EPA
to step in and take responsibility.
That's why we need your help - your letter to
EPA supporting the listing and ultimate clean-up
of these streams will help provide the grassroots
political push that is needed to keep EPA on
track and prevent backsliding. The data clearly
show that these streams are impaired - failing to
list them would be a case of politics trumping
sound science and conservation.
TU volunteers’ data show that Bear
Creek near Evergreen has violated the water
quality standards for temperatures which have
been raised to levels that are harmful to fish and
other aquatic life, and in combination with an
ammonia release led to fish kills.
Once a vibrant tailwater fishery, the
Dolores River in southwest Colorado has
seen declines of 75% in its trout population
which were well underway even before the 2002
drought.
West Fork Clear Creek, near Empire and
Berthoud Pass, has violated zinc standards and
is proposed for listing by EPA. The state WQCC
responded by weakening the stream's zinc
standard - thereby "eliminating" the violations.
Tell EPA that this kind of "bait and switch" game
is not acceptable and that they should list the
West Fork and disallow the state's efforts to
weaken protections for this stream.
Write to EPA and ask them to stick with
the science and list Bear Creek, the Dolores
River, and West Fork Clear Creek on the 303d
list! Send your letters to: Kathryn Hernandez,
TMDL Team (8EPR-EP), Environmental Protection Agency Region VIII, 999 18th Street, Suite
300, Denver, CO 80202-2466 or by email :
hernandez.kathryn@epa.gov. Comments are
due by September 20. Thanks for all that you do
for Colorado's trout!
3
Riffle Talk
3
Published by the Cheyenne Mountain Chapter of
Trout Unlimited
Board of Directors 2003-04
Home
Work
President: Daniel Snow
687-9576
556-3704
VP Development Rick Luce 227-0398
531-5353
VP Membership Carl Roberts 392-8082
VP Projects
William Burd 590-6615
VP Publicity
Ken Brown
687-0506
337-4213
VP Comm.
Allyn Kratz 632-6489
635-5694
VP Programs Ben Carlson 638-6237
963-2700
VP Special Events Vacant
WEB Master
Gary Almeida 570-0267
471-2984
DIR at Large
Tim Trunnell 272-9917
594-6969
DIR at Large
Mike Fatiuk 598-2421
Secretary
Nick Daley
447-0262
636-3780
Treasurer
Barry Blackman 488-3660
Raffle master
Mike Dunn (non Bd) 634-6818
We solicit reader’s contributions in the form of guest editorials, fly tier’s corner, letters-to-the-editor, cartoons,
jokes, etc. ALL materials are subject to editing. We prefer
text submissions in any PC format on a 3.5 diskette,
which will be returned. Photographs and other graphics
should be of sufficient resolution and contrast that they
can be printed as-is. The fastest way to contact the editor
is by e-mail to allynk@adelphia.net. You can also send
your contributions to:
Banquet Tickets:
$32.50 per person, $60.00 per couple
Send check to:
CMCTU, P.O. Box 458, Colo Spgs, CO 80901
Or Pick them up a Ghillies Fly Shop
Riffle Talk
Cheyenne Mountain Chapter, Trout Unlimited
P.O. Box 458
Colorado Springs, CO 80901-0458
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RIFFLE TALK is a non-profit publication of the Cheyenne
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Website: www.cmctu.org
4
Vanilla Wooly Bugger
By Tim Trunell
Hook: Streamer Hook, size
2-14
Thread: Black, 6/0
Tail: Tan Marabou with 4-6
strands of Krystal Flash
Rib: Black Ultra Wire
Body: Tan Chenile
Body Hackle: Tan Rooster
or Hen
Head: Black Cone Head
This is an excellent all around streamer
pattern especially for the fall months, but will
work well any time of year. This fly will work
great on any size river or still water, just adjust
the size of the fly to match the size of the water.
This is a very easy pattern to tie, and with different color combinations it is a must for every fly
box.
Start by pinching the barb down on your
hook and sliding a black cone head on to the
hook. If you like to weight your streamers with
lead wire, wrap
the hook shank
with it at this
time. I like to
fish my streamers on a sinking
line or with a
sinking leader
so I don’t usually use any
lead. Tie in a tail of tan marabou at the bend of
the hook equal to the length of the body. Tie in 2
or 3 strands of Krystal Flash on each side of the
marabou tail. I use root beer colored Krystal
Flash, but pearl or your favorite color will work
fine. Next tie in a piece of black Ultra Wire for
the rib and let it hang off the back. Then tie in a
tan rooster or hen hackle by the tip and hang it
off with the rib. Then strip the end of a piece of
tan chenille off of the core about ¼ inch and tie it
in at the hook bend. Advance your thread up to
the cone head so you are ready to tie off your
body materials. First wrap the chenille up to the
cone head to form the body, tie it off and put in a
half hitch to hold the thread. Then wrap the
hackle forward evenly spaced up to the cone, tie
it off and add another half hitch. Now reverse
wrap the wire evenly up the body to secure the
hackle and chenille. This will give you nice segmentation as well as a very durable fly. Now
whip finish and a drop of head cement and
you’re done!
The Wooly Bugger fly pattern series was
invented years ago and remains one of the
most effective flies available today for both rivers and lakes. The Wooly Bugger is most often
seen in black, olive and brown, but the vanilla
version is easily as effective, if not more. I was
shown this vanilla color by Larry Kingrey of
Royal Gorge Anglers in Canon City. The effectiveness of the Wooly Bugger is due to how
many different things it represents and how lifelike it appears in the water.
Fish this fly by itself as a searching pattern along the banks and around obvious structure. It can be fished dead drift in the current
and then stripped back in once it pulls tight, or
just strip it the whole way. Experiment with different strip speeds. Generally you will strip
faster in warmer water, slower in colder water.
Use your rod tip to add a tantalizing skitter to
your retrieve, try to make the fly behave like a
wounded or frightened fish.
Keep your rod tip low by the surface of
the water so you are ready to set the hook
when you feel a tug. One of the most important
things to remember when fishing streamers is
to KEEP MOVING! If you don’t get a strike after
5 passes or so, try a different spot. This fly is
great to troll with behind a float tube or boat
also. You only need a 3 to 4 foot leader when
fishing a wooly bugger, and keep the line
around a size 3X. The fish will not be able to
see the leader when you are stripping, and you
will get some savage strikes so leave the 5X
and 6X at home! My favorite sizes are 4 and 6
though it works well from size 2 to 14. The fall is
a great time to fish streamers as brown trout will
be aggressive around pre and post spawning
time, and all fish will be looking for some big
meals as winter approaches.
Please feel free to email me at:
timtrunell@adelphia.net with any questions
or comments. I’d love to hear how you do with
these patterns.
5
Autum
By Charlie Meyers
Denver Post Outdoors
Editor
It is among the most puzzling aspects of Colorado
outdoors, this late-season
malaise that sweeps over
fishermen.
With the Labor Day madness behind them, with
hordes of tourists gone home, with room to roam
on favorite rivers, with less pressured trout eager
to bite, with weather at its best, with golden
leaves and white-tipped mountains turning the
high country into one big picture postcard, thousands of resident anglers fold up their rods to
conclude a season too short to begin with.
Makes no sense.
Maybe that's the way folks did things back wherever they were before they moved to Colorado.
Maybe people figure the season ends when the
Colorado Division of Wildlife suspends its fishing
report after this week. Maybe they turn their attention to bird hunting. Or archery season. Or,
God forbid, spend weekends watching football.
But for anyone who truly loves trout fishing, who
thrills to the chime of cold water tinkling over
rocks, at swirling hues of blue and purple reflected in shadowy currents, autumn is the best
time of the year.
TU Roadless Areas Action Alert
On July 12, the Bush Administration announced its plan to overturn the Roadless
Area Conservation Rule, a 2001 Forest Service conservation policy that protected 58 million acres from new roadbuilding and most logging.
Instead, the Administration proposes that state
governors would have to petition the Forest Service for roadless protection on a case-by-case
basis. This provides little in the way of durable
protection for these areas. This will result in additional bureaucratic hoops for state governments with no guarantee that such requests will
be granted because the Forest Service retains
the ultimate authority to decide whether roadless
areas will be protected.
TU has expressed strong opposition to the Forest Service on this proposal.
CMCTU Leads area activities around
National River Clean Up Day!
Our Cheyenne Mountain Chapter has received
notice by the press for this project and as a result many contacts by volunteers.
We will be working on Eleven Mile Canyon on
September 18th, Saturday. Very appropriate as
our Chapter has completed many work days with
bank Stabilization, Surveying Social Trails and
also getting the Catch and Release section protected.
There will be T-shirts for the first National River
Clean up. We will also have a Fly Fishing session during the lunch break. Lunch will be provided by the Chapter as well as water and soft
drinks.
Let's make this a Great Day and have fun doing our part to help make a Cleaner Colorado.
This event is close to Press time so if you
missed it but would like to be part of the next
project, e-mail or phone
Bill Burd 719.590.6615
bjeagle@worldnet.att.net
6
FRIENDS OF TROUT UNLIMITED
CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN CHAPTER
Support The Colorado Businesses That Support Us!
Arrowhead Ranch
“South Park’s Finest
Fly Fishing!”
Private, Exclusive, Membership Only!
Lodging, 4 Large Lakes and 7 miles of the South Fork
of the South Platte River west of Hwy. 285!
Scott & Lois Saunders
(719) 448-0267
e-mail: rssriparian@adelphia.net
1221 Hermosa Way
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
cell: (719) 660-4532
7
Mission Statement
Cheyenne Mountain Chapter
of Trout Unlimited
The Cheyenne Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited strives to conserve, protect and restore cold-water fisheries, resources and their watersheds. THIS IS ITS SOLE MISSION. THESE GOALS ARE TROUT UNLIMITED’S REASON
FOR BEING!
To achieve these goals, to participate in this mission, Members:
1. Support and promote fisheries and water-resource policies that further these goals.
2. Work actively on conservation projects, volunteering labor and expertise, often in cooperation with the U.S. Forest
Service and Colorado Wildlife and conservation agencies.
3. Seek to influence the decisions of such agencies as well as those of wildlife commissioners, legislative committees
and elected officials in general.
4. Foster ethical and sensible conservation practices among users of the cols-water resource.
5. Attend the regular membership meetings of the Cheyenne Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
6. Elect to the Chapter’s Board of Directors members who will provide direction and strong leadership.
7. Contribute financially to build and maintain the Chapter’s fiscal stability.
Beginners Guide to Fly Fishing
by Richard Luce
A primer for the beginning fly angler’s gear
Ever wondered what it would be like to heft a
nine-foot graphite rod with the right size line and
leader and confidently go looking for wild trout
on one of our Colorado streams? I think that all
fishermen have had that dream at one time or
another. This guide is strictly for the beginning
fisherman or fisherwoman, who would like to try
a different type of fishing from what they currently enjoy.
The gear and lore of fly-fishing at first puts many
people off. It is often viewed as stuffy and elitist.
With the dawn of the modern fishing age, which
we are now well into, these stereotypes no
longer apply to the vast majority of people who
currently fly-fish our local waters. These “new
fisherman or fisherwomen” were once just like
you, true anglers who just wanted a new and
different way to ply their hobby or, as some
would have it, their obsession.
2004-2005
CMCTU Slate of Officers
President—Allyn Kratz
Secretary—Nick Daley
Treasurer—Barry Blackman
Vice President—Development—Rick Luce
Vice President—Membership—Vacant
Vice President—Projects—William Burd
Vice President –Publicity—Ken Brown
Vice Pres.—Communications—Tom Terebus
Vice President—Programs—Vacant
Vice President—Special Events—Vacant
Vice President—Resources—Dan Snow
Web Master—Gary Almeida
Director at Large—Tim Trunnell
Director at Large—Mike Fatiuk
Director at Large—Carl Roberts
Director at Large—Greg Walck
Director at Large—Don Logelin
The Election will take place at the September
Annual Meeting.
Patty Jewett Club House
Would you like to finish this article???
If so, Visit us at: www.cmctu.org and look under
the link titled: Beginner’s Flyfishing.
Membership Meeting
Membership Meetings are the FORTH TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH JANUARY
THROUGH OCTOBER!
Cheyenne Mountain Chapter
Trout Unlimited
P.O. Box 458
Colorado Springs, CO 80901-
NON-PROFIT
ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Colo. Springs, CO
Permit No. 202
Volume: 19 , Issue: 5
Published Bi-Monthly Jan, Mar, May, July, Sept, & Nov/Dec
Renew: if your address label indicates your
membership has expired
For over 40 years, Trout Unlimited has been America's leading trout and salmon conservation organization, dedicated to conserving, protecting, and restoring coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. Whether
we're planning and building stream improvement projects, working with government to protect our rivers and
streams, or teaching young people the importance of protecting wild fish and their habitat, TU members
are actively engaged in preserving our vital natural resources
CMCTU Annual Banquet
6:00 Social and Cash Bar
7:00 Dinner-Prime Rib & Baked Salmon
Entertainment: Day-Time Singers, Barbershop Quartet
Keynote Speaker: Charlie Meyer
Banquet Tickets: $32.50 per person/ $60.00 per Couple
Send your check to CMCTU, P.O. Box 458, Colo. Spgs. CO 80901
Or
Pick them up at Ghillies Fly Shop, 3314 Austin Bluffs Pkwy