GILL TRAIL BRIDGE SIGNAGE AND PROJECT COMPLETION

CCTU board member Peter King led the culminating portion of the chapter’s Gill Trail Bridge project. On Thursday 10/17, the full signage was erected by CCTU members and Forest Service employees, marking the end of an excellent project that will have solid long-term impact on the area. The Gill Trail is the primary byway for fly fishers seeking to fish the legendary Cheesman Canyon. Access to the trail involves crossing Wigwam Creek, and the bridge was in serious need of repair. In June 2019, volunteers from CCTU joined forces with US Forest Service employees to take down the old bridge and rebuild it. The Chapter also donated the lumber for the reconstruction and designed and paid for the commemorative sign. This was a great collaborative effort that was very much appreciated by the Forest Service.

AUGUST PICNIC AND 2019 RAFFLE WINNERS

CCTU had a great annual picnic last Tuesday.  Jonathan Walter and his team from Clear Creek Casting did a fanastic job with the casting demo and individual tune-ups.  Thanks to John Cristantiello for all the food, David Coward for the grills, and for Ray, Ken and Stephanie doing the cooking.  Allen announced all 40 of the 2019 Raffle Prize Winners and we handed out the prizes to those that made it to the picnic.  Deb Holmberg won the highly coveted Scott Tampa custom bamboo rod, and her shriek of surprise and joy when she heard her name announced was priceless.  While no one wanted to hear John Aaron’s name called again, given how many tickets he purchased, everyone was happy he pocketed a number of prizes.  We ended up with 144 tickets sold, and with no real costs due to all the donations, netted approx.. $14k for the raffle.  Thanks to all that helped volunteer at the event, thanks to everyone that brought food to pass (we had tons and it was wonderful) and thanks to all the 2019 Raffle Prize donors.  Can’t for next year’s program and picnic.

TRIPS & LESSONS                                                                                                 WINNER

Cast & Blast for 2 with Rudy Schreider—private fishing/hunting lease……Barry Wiebe

Dunoir Fishing Adventures, Wyoming—Guided Float Trip for 2, 2020 season……John Aaron

Pat Dorsey Guided Fly Fishing Trip for 2—guides choice water, 2020 season……Gary Deguero

Sunrise Anglers Guided Float Trip for 2—Thomas Schneider……John Aaron

Brian Young Guided Fly Fishing Trip for 2—private water……George Franklin

Guided Turkey Hunt for 2 with Rudy Schreider—private lease……..John Burke

Sunrise Anglers Guided Cutthroat Fly Fishing Trip for 2 with Brian Young……Ray Nagashima

GEAR Colorado Guided Tenkara Fly Fishing Trip for 2 with Graham Moran……Rich Benn

Wyoming Anglers North Platte Guided Float Trip for 2 with Tyler Soulek……Richard Wheeler

Colorado River Float Trip for 2 with Lunch—Matt Moskal……Peter King

The Bluffs at Valhalla 1/2 Day Pheasant Hunt for 2……Wayne Peterson

Bass Fishing Trip for 2 on private water with Pilatzke/Schreider +4 doz flies……John Aaron

Colorado River Float Trip for 2 with Lunch—David Densmore……Barry Wiebe

Florissant Ponds Fishing Trip for 2 with Pilatzke/Schreider +4 doz flies……Jim Klug

Fishing Trip for 2 to Rainbow Falls Mountain Trout with Greg Ledges……Linda Mills

Fishing Trip for 2 to Rainbow Falls Mountain Trout with Keith Simpson……Jerry Arni

Clear Creek Casting 3 Hr Fly Casting Lesson for 2 with Jonathan Walter……John Aaron

EQUIPMENT AND FLY ASSORTMENTS

Custom Bamboo Fly Rod—Scott Tampa design and build……Debbie Holmberg

Orvis Clearwater Euronymphing Outfit—10ft 3wt rod, Tactical Line, Reel….Nathan Bennett

Custom 9ft 5wt Fly Rod from Dan’s Fly Shop—with Clearwater II Reel and Line……Neil Corvino

Tenkara Outfit, Region Fishing—Rod, 3 lines, 3 spools, Nippers, 24 Flies, Box..Richard Wheeler

Fishpond Nomad 37” Net (Colorado Edit), Lanyard and Smith Creek Holster……Jim Morris

Colorado River Dries & Emergers Box, 6 dozen—tied by John Vevurka……Jason Hearle

River Road Creations Tying Basket—foam, cutters, wings, tying book, more…Ryan Rotramel

Colorado Terrestrial Fly Box, 6 dozen—tied by Richard Pilatzke……Mac Ishii

Colorado Fly Selection 10 doz midges/1 dozen streamers—tied by Greg Ledges……Allen Adinoff

Rocky Mountain Fly Design Streamer Box, 2 dozen streamers……Duane Vandeventer

South Platte Favorites Box, 5 dozen—tied by Richard Pilatzke……David Baker

Stillwater Chironomids (3 dozen) and Mice (1 dozen) Box—by Richard Pilatzke……John Aaron

Tiny Colorado Midge Box, 8 dozen—tied by Jerry Shin……Stephanie Young

Colorado Streamer Box, 6 dozen—tied by Bud McAlister……Darrell Kleeman

ARTWORK, FOOD & DRINK

Dave Whitlock S&N Framed Print……..Ken Hunter

Dave Whitelock S&N Framed Print……..Jim Mills

Full Dress Salmon Fly—tied by Scott Stisser……..Bob Beitscher

“Autumn on the Truckee” S&N (132/500) Framed Print by Fred Boyce……..Marty Buys

Rainbow Trout S&N (4/10) Framed Print by Tim England……..Tim Priser

Red Rainbow Giclee Print on Aluminum by Richard Pilatzke……..Rich Hus

Framed Photograph by Brian Kuchynka……..CJ Allen

Yeti Cooler and Rambler Tumblers……..Steve Stulock

2 Bottles Rare Wine—2000 Chateau Troplong Mondot, 2010 Janzen Napa Cabernet...Tom Corr

CCTU Board Mentors Alma Youths in Fly Fishing

Cutthroat Chapter Board has supported the Alma Riverwalk for the last couple of seasons. This ambitious project by the Town of Alma was formed to permanently conserve and protect a stretch of the Middle Fork of the South Platte as it flows through the Town. The Alma Foundation has aided in the purchase of 24,000 acres of critical wetlands habitat by the City which will help protect this essential headwaters from encroachment by mining and housing development. The Riverwalk will provide ADA access and educational opportunities via a 1800 foot trail that is now under construction. When CCTU approached the Foundation about helping them this season we learned that the Foundation had plenty of young boots on the ground in the form of the Southwest Conservation Corps.The Corps is a non-profit based in Salida that provides conservation service programs for local youth. What the Foundation hoped was for us to spend the day with these youths and demonstrate to them some of the finer points of headwaters recreation. The Foundation was hoping we could give these high school age youth a lesson in fly fishing. We were happy to oblige! Four members of the CCTU Board and Alma resident David Andersen spent the morning of August 2 teaching a version of the Fly Fishing 101 and 201 classes taught by our partners at Orvis. Many thinks to Brian Young for providing his expertise leading the instruction and providing Orvis rods for the experience. After a casting lesson we moved to a local pond where the youth put their lessons into practice catching a few of the local trout. After fishing the Foundation provided a nice lunch for all, thanks to the South Platte Brewing of Fairplay. After lunch the youth were happy to take us on a hike to show all the tough trail work they had accomplished. We wish the Foundation all the best as the Riverwalk construction moves forward. They are optimistically hoping to compete construction by the end of next season, at which time there will be ADA accessible trails complete with interpretive signage funded by our Cutthroat Chapter. To learn more about the Alma Riverwalk please be sure to attend our October chapter meeting when we will hear a talk by the Foundation's representative and Alma native Jara Johnson.

Bridge Repair and Trail Rehab on Gill Trail

Our Cutthroat Chapter of TU has a long standing tradition of caring for the South Platte River and the Gill Trail near Deckers. CCTU's dedication to conserve, protect, and restore that area was documented in a recent issue of Fly Fisherman Magazine and in Pat Dorsey's new guide book to that river. We recently became aware that the footbridge over Wigwam Creek had fallen into disrepair. That bridge allows angler access via the Gill Trail into the river's Cheesman Canyon. The bridge's deteriorating condition was beginning to threaten angler safety. Soon their only alternative would have been to hike around the bridge and through the creek. That would add to the harmful sediment load of both the creek and the river it feeds into. With money donated for construction materials by the CCTU board and with volunteer power from CCTU members, our club worked with the US Forest Service to refurbish that bridge on June 6 and 7. We also helped redefine the trail and drainage leading from the parking lot to that bridge. Our hope is the bridge and trail repairs will help both the anglers and the watershed for decades to come. Many thanks to the CCTU board, to our hardworking volunteers, to the USFS staff, and to Starbucks for their generous help.

Earth Day on Bear Creek - Conservation Project and Fishing Competition

On April 27, 2019 the City of Lakewood celebrated Earth Day by hosting a volunteer work day at Bear Creek Lake Park.  On that beautiful Saturday no less than 26 members and friends of the Cutthroat Chapter dropped by to help out.  Our volunteers planted ten large native cottonwood trees along the creek.  Those trees were donated by our chapter utilizing funds our members raise for these conservation projects.  These trees will help shade the creek and will provide improved riparian habitat for wildlife both terrestrial and aquatic.  We were very pleased to learn from the park rangers that they had 100% survival of the trees we planted last year!  That was due in part to the year-long care of those rangers in periodically watering those new trees.  With any luck these new trees will fare just as well.  After a delicious lunch provided by the City, a dozen of these CCTU volunteers chose to stick around for the 3rd Annual CCTU Fishing Contest on Bear Creek.  Cyndy Scholz gave fellow anglers a lesson by winning the contest with a beautiful 18" rainbow trout taken and released along the Fox Hollow Golf Course.  The CCTU board wishes to thank all the volunteers and the City for a wonderful event.

Gil Trail Parking Lot and Trail Closure June 3 - 7

The Forest Service wants to get the word out regarding a closure to the Gil Trail in early June.  Heavy equipment will be working on Cheesman Canyon trailhead parking lot and trail down to the bridge the week of June 3…therefore the parking lot and lower ¾ mile of the Gil Trail will be closed to the public the entire week of Monday, June 3 through Friday, June 7, 2019.

CCTU Annual Fundraising Program - Raffle Tickets On Sale Starting Tuesday 4/16!

This year CCTU’s annual Fundraising efforts will be focused on our biggest Raffle program ever.  We aren’t having the Fundraising Party this year (with Fly Auctions, Silent Auctions), so the Raffle program is your main opportunity to support chapter projects and have an excellent chance to win a prize from our greatest list of donated items yet.

We have 40 prizes this year, making it our biggest raffle ever.  These donated items range from 17 different guided float, fishing trips and lessons, 5 great equipment packages including a Scott Tampa bamboo rod, 9 fly box prizes filled with over 50 dozen flies, 7 framed prints or photography, and 2 restaurant or wine oriented prizes.  Check out the full list on the CCTU website this week.  Each raffle ticket is $100, and you can win more than once with multiple tickets.  Entries are limited to 150, and with 40 great prizes, the odds of winning are the best CCTU has ever offered.  Tickets go on sale at this Tuesday’s meeting (4/16) and will be on sale into August…winners announced at the August 20 annual picnic (don’t need to be present to win).  You can purchase tickets at the meeting with cash, check or credit.  If you can't make the meeting please email Allen Adinoff (aadinoff10@gmail.com) or Stephanie Young (syoung50@comcast.net) to arrange completion of the purchase by phone.

Don’t delay, as tickets will go fast!

All proceeds will go toward chapter conservation programs and other initiatives, including the CSU Steve Bailey scholarship, Greenback Reintroduction program, South Platte River Watch and Bug Analysis programs, the Clear Creek Clean-up Project, several joint CCTU/Coalition for the Upper South Platte rehabilitation and clean-up programs, and multiple projects focused on Lower Bear Creek.  These programs would not exist without your generous support of these fundraising efforts.

FULL LIST OF RAFFLE PRIZES

PRIZE RETAIL $ GUIDED TRIPS & LESSONS 1. Dunoir Fishing Adventures, Wyoming – Guided Float Trip for 2, 2020 season $475 2. Cast & Blast for 2 with Rudy Schreider – private fishing/hunting lease $750 3. Pat Dorsey Guided Fly Fishing Trip for 2 – guides choice water, 2020 season $495 4. Sunrise Anglers Guided Fly Fishing Trip for 2 – Thomas Schneider $550 5. Brian Young Guided Fly Fishing Trip for 2 – private water $575 6. Guided Turkey Hunt for 2 with Rudy Schreider $450 7. Sunrise Anglers Guided Fly Fishing Trip for 2..Cutthroat Trip with Brian Young $350 8. GEAR Colorado Fly Fishing Guided Tenkara Fly Fishing Trip for 2 with Graham Moran $400 9. Wyoming Anglers North Platte River Guided Float Trip for 2 with Tyler Soulek $500 10. Colorado River Float Trip for 2 with Lunch – with Matt Moskal $400 11. The Bluffs at Valhalla ½ Day Pheasant Hunt for 2 – sponsored by Allen Adinoff $900 12. Bass Fishing Trip for 2 on private water with Richard Pilatzke and Rudy Schreider, + 4 dozen flies $700 13. Colorado River Float Trip for 2 with Lunch – with David Densmore $400 14. Fishing Trip for 2 at Florissant Ponds with Richard Pilatzke and Rudy Schreider, + 4 dozen flies $700 15. Fishing Trip for 2 at Rainbow Falls Mountain Trout with Greg Ledges $400 16. Fishing Trip for 2 at Rainbow Falls Mountain Trout with Keith Simpson $400 17. Clear Creek Casting 3 hour Fly Casting Lesson for 2 people with Jonathan Walter $280 EQUIPMENT 18. Custom Bamboo Fly Rod designed and built by Scott Tampa $1,000 19. Orvis Clearwater Euronymphing Outfit – 10ft 3wt rod, Tactical Fly Line, Sighter Material $360 20. Custom 9ft 5wt Fly Rod from Dan’s Fly Shop, with Clearwater II Reel and line $315 21. Tenkara Outfit from Region Fishing - Rod, 3 lines, 3 spools, Nippers, Hemostats, 24 flies in Fly Box $200 22. Fishpond Nomad Mid-length Net, Colorado Edition, Net Release Lanyard and Smith Creek Holster $265 FLIES (IN BOXES) 23. Colorado River Dries & Emergers Box, 6 dozen – tied by John Vevurka $215 24. River Road Creations Tying Basket – foam, foam cutters, wing materials, tying book $250 25. Colorado Terrestrial Fly Box, 6 dozen – tied by Richard Pilatzke $180 26. Colorado Fly Selection 10 dozen midges/1 dozen streamers – tied by Greg Ledges $350 27. Rock Mountain Fly Design Streamer Box, 2 dozen streamers – tied by Chris Krueger $150 28. South Platte Favorites Box, 5 dozen – tied by Richard Pilatzke $150 29. Stillwater Chironomids (3 dozen) and Mice (1 dozen) Box – tied by Richard Pilatzke $120 30. Tiny Colorado Midge Box, 8 dozen – tied by Jerry Shin $280 31. Colorado Streamer Box, 6 dozen – tied by Bud McAlister $215 ARTWORK 32. Dave Whitlock Signed & Numbered Framed Print $250 33. Dave Whitlock Signed & Numbered Framed Print $250 34. Full Dress Framed Salmon Fly – tied by Scott Stisser $175 35. “Autumn on the Truckee” Signed & Numbered (132/500) Framed Print by Fred Boyce $250 36. Rainbow Trout Signed & Numbered (4/10) Framed Print by Tim England $150 37. Red Rainbow Giclee Print on Aluminum by Richard Pilatzke $100 38. Framed Photograph by Brian Kuchynka $200 FOOD & DRINK $200 Gift Certificate to White Chocolate Grill (Park Meadows) – donated by Kellen Sullivan $200 2 Bottles of Rare Fine Wine – donated by Ray Nagashima $485

How to Ethically Fish During the Trout Spawn from Our Friends at Ascent Fly Fishing

Peter Stitcher at Ascent Fly Fishing put this email together and we think it’s an important reminder for everyone heading out into the rivers in Colorado this spring. Read the article here: https://ascentflyfishing.com/blog/how-to-ethically-fish-during-the-trout-spawn/

Not sure what to look for when crossing your favorite river? Try these pictures, too.

2019 State of the Chapter and Financial Review

We recently posted the 2019 CCTU State of the Chapter, which was presented at the January meeting by the CCTU President, Allen Adinoff. At the same meeting, the CCTU Treasurer, Stephanie Young, presented the 2019 CCTU Financial Review. You can check out both documents for yourself on the BOD Minutes page.

Change to CCTU Bylaws

At the Board meeting last month, an amendment change to the Bylaws was made. We extended term limits of Officers from 3 to 10 years. This was done so that current Officers could continue to serve. The ten year term limit is consistent with that of TU National.

The amendment relates to Article VI, point #1: Election, Term, Vacancy. The new verbiage will read:

The Chapter officers shall be elected for one-year terms. No officer shall serve more than ten (10) consecutive one-year terms in the same office, but an officer may hold the office after a one-year out of office.

You may contact a board member with any questions: Board of Directors contact page.

Review the current bylaws here.