Orvis Needs Volunteers

And Yes, there is something in it for you!The Orvis Store (Park Meadows) is looking for a few good volunteers to assist with casting instruction at the Fly Fishing 101 and 201 classes it sponsors on weekends.  All attendees at these classes receive a free TU trial membership so it may provide a good opportunity to help recruit new members to TU and the Cutthroat Chapter.Anyone who volunteers for a least 2 classes gets a 10% discount on any Orvis in-store purchase and that discount escalates by 10% for each subsequent class volunteered for up to 50% off.  All classes are conducted on Saturday or Sunday mornings from 9-11.  Fly Fishing 101 courses are held at the store in Park Meadows.  Fly Fishing 201 courses are held at a local area pond.  Available dates for FF101 include: 5/16, 5/23, 5/30, 6/6, 6/13, 6/20, 6/21, 6/28, 7/19, 8/9.  Dates for FF201 include:   5/17, 5/24, 6/14, 6/27, 7/12, 8/2, 8/15.If you are interested in volunteering, please call the Orvis Shop at 303-768-9600.

POSTPONED: June 20th for South Platte River Park Enhancement Project

Due to record flows on the South Platte in the area of the scheduled project in South Platte Park, the event will not occur on June 20th.  We will arrange for a date later this summer.  Thank you to those who signed up and were ready to participate.Join CCTU and other local volunteers on June 20th to enhance the South Platte River Project.This has been a major restoration project sponsored by South Suburban Parks and Recreation. Come see the incredible augmentations to our South Platte River. Key changes have been made between C470 and Reynold’s Landing to improve our local jewel, turning it into a real trout fishery.Following completion of the major machinery work and planting, we’re looking for volunteers to improve river access, remove deadwood, and other hands on dirty work. You will enjoy a presentation by South Suburban on the scope of this project. Following our work and a complementary lunch, enjoy fishing the river! For questions and sign up, contact Allen Adinoff (ad.adinoff@coloradoallergy.com).CCTU wishes to acknowledge the generous support of Orvis Park Meadows for this project. In addition, Orvis will provide “$25 off a $50”purchase coupons to anyone who participates as a volunteer for the project

May Meeting on Secrets of Clear Creek

CLEAR CREEK SECRETS. A presentation on fishing Clear Creek (the one that flows through Idaho Springs) by Josh Paterson of Clear Creek Outdoors. Clear Creek is Josh's home water and it is often overlooked by anglers. Josh is here to tell us why it should be our next destination rather than a blur on the way to somewhere else.The meeting is May 19th at 7899 S Lincoln Ct, Littleton, CO 80122. The doors open around 6:30pm for fish tales and other socializing. The meeting begins at 7pm.Free admission.Don't forget the fly raffle! New members/attendees get a free raffle ticket. Raffle winners receive a choice of a dozen flies tied by a local tier for local waters.Also, there may be some CCTU logo hats still available!

May Fly Raffle

This month's fly raffle include a dozen flies from Loney Peralta, Rick Webb, Brian Kuchynka, Bob Getz, and Richard Pilatzke.  One of these sets of flies will make your day into a success.  Thanks to all who have contributed to the raffle.  If you are tying now, think about donating a dozen of your best ties to the raffle.

Recent Articles of Interest

Here are a couple of articles we thought were worthy of sharing.The first is an article from 2015 The High Line water policy review, a quarterly publication of the High Line Canal Preservation Association.  It’s a great review of many important issues regarding Colorado water policy.The second is an essay by Scott Willoughby that appeared in the Denver Post on Sunday.  Anyone interested in preserving public lands for outdoorsmen should become aware of the efforts by a “radicalized contingent of elected officials in the West”.Allen

State of Colorado TU 2015 Video

Check out this video put together by CTU Past President, Rick Matsumoto (on his iPhone, no less!) about the accomplishments of TU, CTU, and local state chapters in 2015. It's a little on the long side but it's because it's so thorough. Check it out!https://youtu.be/Krn7xWSG9OU

2015 Project Listing: Conservation, Restoration and Education

Gil Trail Repair- Leader: Jim Long. We need many able-bodied volunteers for this project.Saturday, May 30thFriday, June 19thFriday, July 24thFriday July 31st South Platte Park Project- Leaders: John Arron and Allen AdinoffSaturday, June 20th Crystal Lake with Project Healing Waters- Leader: Rich PilatzkeWednesday, July 8th Clear Creek Cleanup- Leaders: Ray Carney and Jim KlugSaturday, September 19th Alma Mine Reclamation- Leader: Rich PilatzkeSaturday TBD October/November Email cutthroattu@gmail.com to inquire and sign up! 

April 21st Meeting - Stillwater Fly Fishing for Dummies

Join your fellow members at our next Cutthroat Chapter meeting Tuesday April 21st at 6:30pm to expand your fly fishing knowledge in the arena of High Mountain Lakes.

Cutthroat Chapter resident Alpine lake and stillwater expert, Richard Platzke will be sharing techniques, strategies (and hopefully lake locations) to help you get the most out of a day of fishing on a Rocky Mountain lake in his presentation, Stillwater Fly Fishing for Dummies. From Damsel to Callibaetis, Richard knows it all and will make himself available for questions following the presentation. Using a fly rod as your tool of choice on a Rocky Mountain lake can provide many rewarding opportunities. Not only are alpine lakes scenic and serene, but they also play host to vibrantly colored, native Cutthroat Trout.Richard is an accomplished lake fisherman and fly tier. His flies have appeared most recently in the book "Modern Terrestrials", by Rick Takahashi and Jerry Hubka and also in Pat Dorsey's book, "Fly Fishing Tailwaters".Fellow Cutthroat Chapter member Jim Rassmussen on Richard:

I fished with Richard a few years ago at a local lake. We both fished ant patterns. His worked, mine didn't. His were better by design.

Doors open around 6:30 pm. The meetings start at 7:00pm and are held at the South Metro Denver Realtors Association building at the corner of South Broadway and West Mineral Avenue. Here's the address: 7899 S. Lincoln Ct., Littleton, CO 80122.Note: Come with cash if you would like to purchase your very own Cutthroat Chapter Hats with redesigned logo ($20).

March Monthly Meeting a Fly Tying Demonstration

"The joy of creating a fine fly is so great that it is often difficult to distinguish between the basic needs and the urge to possess that which delights the sensitivities."-"The Philosophical Fisherman" by Harold Blaisdell

Join your fellow members at our next Cutthroat Chapter meeting Tuesday March 17th at 6:30pm for a night of fly tying instruction and demonstration.Bring your own fly tying gear and show us your skills or learn tips and tricks from our on-staff experts. 15 unique fly tyers will be making an appearance and providing instruction (as well as a few free flies!). Don't miss this opportunity to meet some of Colorado's most notable fly tiers, authors and angling experts.*Another Upslope Brewing sponsored event.Featured Tyers:

• Pat Dorsey
• Greg Garcia
• Jim Neiberger
• Patrick Oppenheim
• Jim Schmidt
• John Keefover
• Bud McAllister
• Ed Berg
• John Aaron
• Richard Pilatzke
• John Vevurka
• Stephen Johnson
• Bob Getz
• Jerry Shin
• Doug Garvey

Colorado TU Membership Survey

Please take a few minutes to fill out the CTU Membership Survey.With over 10,000 Trout Unlimited members across the state, together we represent a strong voice for river conservation.  We are hoping to strengthen that voice by better understanding what is important to our members as individuals and as parts of the whole that is Colorado TU.  We have compiled a Membership Survey with questions ranging from your favorite river basins to the kinds of work, from water issues to public lands, that interest you most.  We want to know why you became a TU member, if there are ways you’d like to get more involved, and more.  Completing the survey should take less than 5 minutes of your time and will help us better tailor our communications to you.Please consider taking a few minutes today to offer your feedback.  Thank you!Click here to complete the 2015 Colorado TU Membership Survey.