Great turnout for the Picnic and Raffle Party, all things considered. About 35-40 folks showed up and had a great time. Thanks again to Jonathan Walter for doing his casting demo and working with folks individually. Philly On The Go Cheesesteak’s food truck as a big hit…great work by John Cristantiello. The Raffle Drawing went from 6:15 to 7pm, and was deftly managed online via Zoom by George Franklin. Meg Renton and The Gibbens were the big winners of the evening. Check the final list below for the winners of each Raffle Item. Didn’t get as many pictures as normal but a good time was had by all. #troutunlimited #coloradotroutunlimited #coloradoconservation #coloradoflyfishing #flyfishingcolorado
FLY FISHING RMNP PRESENTATION NOW UP ON CCTU YOUTUBE SITE
Dick Shinton gave an excellent presentation on July 21 on Fly Fishing Rocky Mountain National Park. Dick is the shop manager and a longtime guide for the Laughing Grizzly Fly Shop in Longmont. He has guided and fished the waters of RMNP for many years and gave some great tips and techniques in addition to some specific locations, mainly on the eastern side of the park. Thanks to George Franklin's efforts on Zoom, we now have Dick’s presentation up on the CCTU Youtube site. Per Dick, you still need a reservation to enter the park, but once you are in, you are good for the rest of the day. It appears that you don’t need reservations before 6am and after 5pm as well. Get up and enjoy RMNP. The park’s waters are now at prime summer flows and fishing very well, especially on dries and terrestrials.
Check out the presentation at the following link…
CCTU GILL TRAIL SIGNAGE – TO HELP PREVENT OVERUSE AND ABUSE
With the Colorado Governor’s Stay at Home orders, modified to Safer at Home, more and more people feeling cabin fever are venturing to the outdoors. This became very apparent along the South Platte River on the Gill Trail in Cheesman Canyon. Even on weekdays, the parking lot was full (and overflowing) by the early morning hours. CCTU received a call for help from the Blue Quill Anglers co-owner/head guide Pat Dorsey. He and his other guides would spend their early morning hours picking up trash and animal waste around the parking lot and along the trail and would carry it back out for disposal. They noticed overuse and abuse of the Gill Trail, people hiking the trail with their dogs without leashes, others leaving the river with rainbow trout on stringers and overnight campsites with obvious campfire rings. In June, a CCTU special committee convened to develop solutions to help educate the new influx of visitors on the regulations of the Canyon. The first step is new signage for the upper and lower trailheads. On July 2, signs were installed by Peter King, Scott Tampa, and Grant Compton (Eagle Scout candidate working with CCTU on his service project).
Over the years, CCTU has developed a special relationship with Cheesman Canyon. From the Gill Trail development and continuous trail refurbishing efforts, to the new signage…work that can make us all proud. Hopefully visitors will read and adhere to the posted regulations to keep it a special place for all to enjoy.
IN MEMORIAM - BILL STONE
IN MEMORIAM - BILL STONE
We are sad to report that long-time Cutthroat Chapter member Bill Stone has passed. Bill was a husband, father, grandfather, navy veteran, and friend. He was an avid hunter and angler. He participated in the Chapter trips to the Green and San Juan Rivers for many years. He will be dearly missed by all in the chapter and the community. Rest In Peace B1.
We have included a link to the CCTU YouTube page for a video by George Franklin of Bill landing a nice fish at Little Hole on the Green River. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO1z28Pg09DweF6RJ5jmzWg
The funeral service will be held Friday 7/17 at the Queen Of Peace Catholic Church, 13120 E Kentucky Ave., Aurora CO 80012 at 10 am. Seating due to the Covid 19 limitations in the church is 200 people. Grave site service will be held at 12 pm, at the Mt. Olivet Cemetery, 12801 West 44th Avenue, Wheat Ridge, Jefferson County, CO, 80033. The cemetery is limiting those in the group paying their respects to 50 people.
A reception will be held at the family home in Aurora around 2 pm. Renate and the daughters are welcoming all who wish to stop by and see the family. They have no limits on friends coming over. 1485 S Wheeling Circle, Aurora, CO, 80012.
Cole Brittain CSU Scholarship Receipient Online Presentation
ONLINE PRESENTATION BY COLE BRITTAIN CSU STEVE BAILEY SCHOLARSHIP RECEIPIENT
Cole Brittain is the 2019/20 recipient of the CCTU Steve Bailey Memorial Scholarship at CSU. He is a Master’s candidate in the Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology graduate program at CSU with a focus on research in fish passage. He was supposed to present at our cancelled April meeting, and was nice enough to add audio to his presentation so we could load it onto the CCTU YouTube site. His presentation is on the effects of Substrates on Rock Ramp Fish Passage Structures. Fish passage structures, such as rock ramp style fishways, can be used to circumvent dams and other structures that prevent upstream movement of fish. His project tests the passage probabilities of three native small-bodied fish species that differ in swimming performance (Arkansas Darter, Flathead Chub, Stonecat) to develop criteria crucial for passage success in rock ramp fishways.
View the presentation at the CCTU YouTube site https://studio.youtube.com/video/GA1NitM9OPM/edit
Should I Stay, Or Should I Go... Fishing?
Some of you may recognize the iconic line from The Clash’s song, but to be honest, the question has been torturing me lately. As I examine my non-hook punctured fingers and dry, cracking knuckles I realize that they’re dry not from releasing yet another gift from the fishing gods but from diligently washing my hands to prevent the spread of this awful virus that has frozen many of us in our track. Yes, I’m desperate to stand in any one of my favorite rivers and cast to those ‘fishy’ locations but I’m struggling because all of my favorite rivers are an hour or more from my home in Arvada.
I have used the justification I’ve heard stating that fishing can be a solitary sport and that I wouldn’t even come in contact with anyone. But then I saw Kyle Clark on 9News’s program, Next, scold those that were still heading to the high-country to get the fix on whatever mountain addiction ails them. He emphasized that despite your best intentions of staying away from people and towns, through no fault of your own, you may end up needing assistance from any of our brave first responders. And now you’ve exposed them and every single person they will come in contact with for the next several hours or weeks. I was devastated, but the argument makes total sense. I stayed home.
Finally, I came across an article from Kirk Deeter on Angling Trade’s website that really confirmed my begrudgingly made decision to stay home. I’m sharing that article here for those that are stuck in the Denver Metro area and desperate to get on the water, like I am. I hope it helps you feel better about following the rules that will help us all in the long run.
Until we get the all-clear, support your local fly shops and guides by buying gift cards and whatever supplies you need online. Or visit our Partners page and support one of those business in the same way.
Stay Strong. Stay Safe. We’ll be back on the water in due time.
Mike Myers
CCTU 2020 RAFFLE PROGRAM - TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
This year, CCTU’s annual Fundraising efforts will again be focused on the Raffle program. We aren’t having the Fundraising Party again this year (with Fly Auctions, Silent Auctions), so the Raffle program is your main opportunity to support chapter projects and you have an excellent chance to win a prize from our greatest list of donated items yet.
We have 40 prizes again this year, and an even better set of prizes than ever before…with nearly $16k retail value!. These donated items range from 11 different guided float, fishing trips and lessons, 8 great equipment packages including a Scott Tampa bamboo rod, 12 fly box prizes filled with over 50 dozen flies, 6 framed artwork/photography, and 3 restaurant/other 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 will be on sale into August, or whenever we reach 150. Winners announced at the August 18 annual picnic (don’t need to be present to win).
All proceeds will go toward chapter conservation programs and other initiatives, including the CSU Steve Bailey scholarship, Greenback Reintroduction program, Alma Riverwalk Project, Earth Day Bear Creek Project, South Platte River Watch and Bug Analysis programs, Clear Creek Clean-up, several joint CCTU/Coalition for the Upper South Platte (CUSP) rehabilitation and clean-up programs. These programs would not exist without your generous support of these fundraising efforts.
Ready to buy tickets? Contact Peter King (pbking10@outlook.com, 303-775-9422) or Allen Adinoff (aadinoff10@gmail.com, 303-726-0073) or George Franklin (georgefr@aol.com, 303-902-9827) to purchase. Tickets must be purchased via check (mail) or cash (in person). Tickets will be sent by email back to you, following payment.
Don’t delay, as tickets will go fast!
In Memoriam - Bob Tucker
It is with sadness that we announce the passing of long time CCTU member and supporter Bob Tucker on April 1. Please see comments and photo his longtime friend and fishing partner Sharon Lance provided.
“It is with great sorrow that I share the passing of Bob Tucker on April 1st of a heart attack on his 59th wedding anniversary. He was one of our staunchest Cutthroat supporters and a long-time member. Bob was a dear friend and my fishing buddy. Bob had an engaging smile and shared everything he could to support our chapter. He donated a trip for two anglers to his home in Carbondale at the Ranch of the Roaring Fork every year for our annual auction. He and his wife, Bobbye, were so gracious. They taught me what the word “hospitality” means as well as true friendship. I remember all the stories about Bob and Arny Silverman at the annual chapter trip to the Big Horn River. Bob and Arny would fish from sunup to sundown, come back to the condo”, cook dinner and tie flies after dinner. They would do this every day for four or five days in a row!
Bob had some favorite sayings that I will always remember……."Anything worth doing is worth overdoing" and “Too much of a good thing is just right”.
It can be summed up in a quote that stood in his home: “Life is a great investment and no man lives in vain who guards a hundred friendships as a miser guards his gain”...author unknown.”
For a full obituary, go to…https://horancares.com/obits/robert-edward-tucker/
April Bear Creek Conservation Project CANCELLED
Unfortunately the City of Lakewood has cancelled the Bear Creek Conservation event. If it is rescheduled, we will let CCTU members know.
Change to Chapter Bylaws
This spring, the board decided that Emeritus board members that attend a board meeting would count towards a quorum and they would have a vote. Chapter Bylaws will be changed for Emeritus board members to read “If in attendance at a board meeting, they will be given a vote, and will be counted towards a quorum. Meeting attendance would not be required.” If you have any questions on this change, please contact CCTU President Allen Adinoff at aadinoff10@gmail.com.