Behind The Fin

Behind the Fin: Dave Taylor

Join us Behind the Fin with Dave Taylor, formerly the Executive Director and later the Board President of Colorado Trout Unlimited. Read on to hear some of his thoughts on TU past, present, and future.

How long have you been a TU member?

I joined TU in the early 1980s, with the Boulder Flycaster Chapter, when I was in graduate school at CU. A few years later I became a life member.

Why did you become a member and what chapter are you involved with?

I moved to Colorado in 1980 and became a rather fanatical fly fisherman, so I began attending Boulder Flycaster meetings after reading their newsletter in the local fly shop. I quickly got conscript- ed by Bruce Hoagland to be the Newsletter Editor, and a couple years later became chapter president.

What is your favorite activity or project you have done with TU?

I have done so many projects it is hard to determine a favorite. Certainly our work to save the South Platte from Two Forks inundation and our West Slope work to squash the AB Lateral project on the lower Gunnison are at the top of the list. Few today realize that we also purchased some key land   along the Dream Stream section below Spinney Mountain Reservoir that helped maintain public access. We turned that final parcel of land over to the state to ensure permanent access and state property status. We did the same thing on a small piece of land on the Roaring Fork as well. Good stuff, indeed. You were a central piece of the fight against Two Forks. How did you overcome the odds and beat the ‘2000-pound gorilla’ that was Denver Water? I thought it was 10,000 pounds? And don’t forget the Metropolitan Water Providers! It was a tremendous cooperative effort between a large coalition of conservation and environmental groups.

We also took a very intelligent approach. Thanks to agreements when Denver built its Foothills Project, we had a seat at the table for Two Forks. Technical experts such as Bob Weaver and EDF’s Dan Luecke helped build out a highly intelligent and viable series of alternatives that were cheaper, less destructive and could be phased in over time. We were able to point out several, ultimately fatal, flaws in the Two Forks proposal. It was a brave call by the EPA, but it was the right call. Many of the alternatives we proposed have actually been enacted, including conservation measures. No one in Colorado is without water to- day because Two Forks was vetoed. Intelligence prevailed. It’s nice to witness such a thing.

Do you have a favorite place to fish or memorable fishing story?

I have a lot of passion for the Madison River and the $3 Dollar Bridge area. Aesthetically, it is about as magnificent a river valley as you will see. The fishing is not bad either. It has gotten pretty crowded in recent years, though. Its recovery from whirling disease makes me particularly happy. You were at the heart of the battle over whirling disease in Colorado.

What did it take to win that battle to reform Colorado’s stocking practices?

Whirling disease was tragic in many ways, and personally was a very emotional issue. To see the magnificent wild rainbow populations collapse on the my favorite rivers – the Madison, the lower Gunnison, the Colorado in Middle Park, the South Platte and the upper Yellowstone and Yellowstone Lake – still pains me greatly to this day. We have learned much since the start of the WD dilemma, and some waters have recovered, but there is a clear and sobering lesson in WD for all of us to never forget.

Catching some fantastic wild rainbows at $3 Dollar Bridge two years ago made me feel a lot better. But then I fished the Yellowstone near Sulphur Caldron last August and landed one fish. In early July of 1980 I hiked into Cub Creek, a feeder stream into Yellowstone Lake. The Cutts were spawning and were so thick in the stream it looked exactly like an Alaskan salmon run. For a kid from New Jersey it was magical to see -- the essence of nature and wild trout. Several years ago, I believe Cub Creek had less than 100 fish in its spawning run. I think tens of thousands were going up the creek in the early 1980s. The careless stocking of lake trout and the WD menace have put those Yellowstone cutthroat on the brink. It is a very sad tale. Forty years ago one could stand in Buffalo Ford on the Yellowstone River and 5 to 10 large cutts would move up into the wake created by your legs when wading. And they were all 100% native and wild. That’s why we need TU.

 

What does being a part of TU mean to you?

TU has been a large part of my life, both professionally and asa volunteer. When I started inTU, I was one of the younger leaders, in my early 20s. I was a young Chapter President, and from 1986 to 1991 I worked for TU.

Later I was chairman of the Natural Resource Council in my early 30s – younger than most other leadership members. I later became CTU President and helped Dave Nickum establish a foundation for what has been a great 20 run of success in CTU under his leadership. And I volunteered to help start the Western Water Project operation in Colorado. For the last 10 years I have not done much work with TU, other than donate to the auction and Century Club.I have been too busy with family and work. Now, almost 40 years after going to my first TU chapter meeting, I am 62 years old and no longer a youngster in TU. I have witnessed great friends and TUers such as Bruce Hoagland, Al Makkai, Leo Go- molchak and Fred Rasmussen pass away. While I don’t look at myself as old, I am no longer a young buck in TU. When I retire in a few years, I will get re engaged on the volunteer side.

 What other hobbies or activities do you like to do?

I have an affinity for skiing, golfing and biking, and also from a DIY perspective like to play with electronics and build hi-fi amplifiers and speakers. I discovered that there are too many great hobbies and sports to engage in in life. So I had to win now it down at several stages of life.

What is the most important thing you learned from your past involvement with TU that present-day members ought to know?

I was born in 1956 and there were 169 million people in the U.S. at that time. Sixty-two years later there are almost 330 million. Pretty easy math. So in my lifetime there are 161 million more people utilizing the same land mass and a finite amount of natural resources, including cold water rivers and streams. To quote Joni Mitchell, “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.”

Conservation-minded anglers realize, and know, what we’ve got, and we need to band together and work our asses off to keep and protect it. If we want our grandkids and great-grandkids to be catching wild trout in magnificent settings and wading in clear, cold water, then we better work hard to protect the coldwater resource. If one doesn’t have time to personally dedicate to the cause, I can fully understand and empathize. But that’s when I say give money instead of time, so others can work on your behalf. It ultimately comes down to what something is worth to you, right?

Behind the Fin with Nick Krishnan

Join us Behind the Fin with Nicholas Hari Krishnan, Graduate Student and Colorado Trout Unlimited Community Outreach Intern. 

How long have you been a TU member?

 I’ve been a TU member for about three years.

Why did you become a member and what chapter are you involved with?

I joined TU because it felt important that if I was using resources (the water) that TU protects, then I should support TU and get involved in protecting these resources.  I am a member of the Cutthroat chapter, but I would like to get more involved with the Greenbacks.

What made you want to be involved with TU?

What sparked my involvement with TU was the idea that fly fishing is predominantly practiced by a specific demographic and I wanted to do something to bring more diversity in to the sport, especially for those coming from underprivileged backgrounds.

What is your favorite activity or project you have done with TU?

Thus far my favorite project with TU has been organizing our pilot program for underprivileged youth outreach.

Nick giving some fly casting tips before the students hit the water.

Nick giving some fly casting tips before the students hit the water.

I know you won’t tell me your favorite spot, but what is your second favorite place to fish or favorite fishing story?

One of my favorite fishing spots is the Blue river below Dillon.  That is where I went fly fishing for the first time, caught my first fish on a fly, and one of my favorite things to do in Colorado is snowboard at Keystone for half a day and fish the blue for half a day.

What does being a part of TU mean to you?

Students lined the banks of Clear Creek to practice their new learned skills from Nick's outreach program.

Students lined the banks of Clear Creek to practice their new learned skills from Nick's outreach program.

For me, being a part of TU means that I am not just using our natural resources but also helping to protect them and helping to teach younger generations how they can protect our natural resources as well.

What else do you do in your spare time or work?

I’m kind of obsessed with sports, I love playing soccer, basketball and flag football and I’ll watch just about any sport.

Behind the Fin with Josh Anaya

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Join us "Behind the Fin" with Josh Anaya, Secretary, Frostbite Fishoff Chair, Communications, and Webmaster for the Southern Greenbacks Trout Unlimited Chapter

How long have you been a member?

I've been a member for almost two years. My first meeting was our chapter's election meeting, and we still had a couple of board positions open -- one of them being chairman of our annual fundraiser, the Frostbite Fish-Off. I thought it sounded fun and interesting, and I had some similar previous experience in cyberspace, and figured I'd try it out "in real life". By the end of the year, I also absorbed the positions of Secretary, and Communications/Web Guy.


Why did you become a member and what chapter are you involved with?

Curiosity, mostly. In January 2017, I joined both Trout Unlimited, and Fly Fishers International. A friend at one of my local fly shops suggested I check out TU, and see if it was something I'd be interested in. I was (and still am) pretty new to fly fishing, and it seemed like a great way to immerse myself in the community, and accelerate the learning process. Our chapter is the Southern Colorado Greenbacks, Chapter 509. We have members from Custer, Fremont, and Pueblo Counties. 

What made you want to become involved with TU?

Again, curiosity, but I also have some legitimate concerns over the future of the Stream Protection Rule under the current administration, and where the planet in general is headed environmentally. I thought I'd see what TU was all about, and see what I could contribute to the organization.


What is your favorite activity or project that you have done with TU?

I'd have to say it was the Frostbite Fish-Off -- our chapter's annual fundraiser. This year we had fifteen teams of two anglers each competing for some great prizes, with a party and raffle afterward. All in all, we had about seventy people involved. I've signed on to be the chairman of the event for at least another year, but I'm also working on getting a Trout in the Classroom project going at my son's middle school for the 2018-2019 school year. 

Our chapter also has a lot of cross-pollination with our local Fly Fishers International chapter (shout out to the Pueblo Tailwater Renegades!), and we've had river cleanups, and planted willows along the Arkansas River with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The Renegades also host a Thursday evening "Bluegill Bash" at the ponds next to the Arkansas Tailwater, and that's been pretty fun, too.

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What is your favorite activity or project that you have done with TU?

I'd have to say it was the Frostbite Fish-Off -- our chapter's annual fundraiser. This year we had fifteen teams of two anglers each competing for some great prizes, with a party and raffle afterward. All in all, we had about seventy people involved. I've signed on to be the chairman of the event for at least another year, but I'm also working on getting a Trout in the Classroom project going at my son's middle school for the 2018-2019 school year. 

Our chapter also has a lot of cross-pollination with our local Fly Fishers International chapter (shout out to the Pueblo Tailwater Renegades!), and we've had river cleanups, and planted willows along the Arkansas River with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The Renegades also host a Thursday evening "Bluegill Bash" at the ponds next to the Arkansas Tailwater, and that's been pretty fun, too.
 

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I know you won’t tell me your top spot, so what is your second favorite fishing spot or favorite fishing story?

My second favorite fishing spot would be pretty much anywhere in the World of Warcraft. I've been playing on and off for about twelve years now -- mostly to keep in touch with friends (big /cheer to my friends in the Bloodbath & Beyond guild). I haven't had the time to do all the cool end-game stuff for quite a few years, but every once in a while I'll log in, play for a night or two, and sneak in some fishing. That's actually where I got my start fishing -- I've always been a video gamer, and have played online games for about 20 years, and many of the bigger online games have fishing systems built into them. Two years ago, though, I had fished all there was to fish in Warcraft, and I was looking at about four months before the newest version would be out. I'd always see people fishing along the Arkansas whenever I'd ride that route, and one day I thought, "A lot of my gamer buddies like fishing in real life. I'mma learn2fish." I found a class at one of my local fly shops that was actually happening that weekend, and I jumped right in. 


What does being a part of TU mean to you?

After only a year or so, I'm still defining what I want that to be. I'll help with TU's mission where I can, and when I can. I'd like to be more active at the State level, but I'm still figuring out what kind of impact I can have at the local level, especially with working with local businesses and government entities.


Beyond being an awesome angler, what else do you do in your spare time or for work?

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I wouldn't exactly call myself an awesome angler...yet. Professionally, though, I'm a software developer, but I have a lot of other things going on the side. My evenings are usually spent playing games with my kids, or helping them with their homework. Once everybody's asleep, I'm usually working on some art project or another, whether it's digital like 3d modeling, or something more traditional like painting and sculpting. I picked up fish carving after this year's Western Rendezvous after I stumbled across Bill Rottman's artwork in a shop, and then met him a month later at the Annual Woodcarving & Woodworking Show in Colorado Springs, hosted by the Pikes Peak Whittlers. I'm also working on a couple independent video game projects. 

I tie, too! The shop I learned to fly fish at -- The Drift Fly Shop in Pueblo -- has classes on tying, and I jumped into that, too. I love the art, and I was just awarded my bronze level award in fly tying from Fly Fishers International. Next on my project list are to complete the silver and gold levels of the award.

Behind the Fin with John Aaron

Picture taken January 2017.

Picture taken January 2017.

Join us "behind the fin" with John Aaron. John has been a local chapter president, Vice President of CCTU, Board member of two chapters, and a fund raiser for both local chapters and the State council as well as a behind the scenes advocate for trout and clean water for years.

How long have you been a TU member?

Since 1979.

What chapter are you involved with?

Originally, with Wild Trout chapter which became the Denver chapter, then with Cutthroat Chapter.

What made you want to be involved with TU?

Was looking for a group that was flyfishing oriented and might know where to catch them.

What is your favorite activity or project you have done with TU?

Too many to account for, but a couple that stand out, fighting the building of the proposed Two Folks dam, and the establishment of the South Platte restoration program with Todd Fehr, resulting in the restoration of miles in in town fisheries.

I know you won’t tell me your favorite spot, but what is your second favorite place to fish or favorite fishing story?   

Wind River in Wyoming and the Conejos River in Colorado. Did I mention Belize?

What does being a part of TU mean to you?

Enhancing the living places of fishes no matter the species.

What else do you do in your spare time or work?

Working on additional restoration efforts through non-TU projects, teaching new comers, Fly tying and attempting to raise the awareness of politicians to environmental concerns.

Behind the Fin with Emma Brown

Join us “behind the fin” with Emma Brown, student, angler and intern of the Greenbacks, the non-profit organization dedicated to promoting native fish, and engaging the next generation of anglers.

How long have you been a TU member?

I have been a TU member for 2 years and have loved every second of it!

Why did you become a member and what chapter are you involved with?

I have always loved fly fishing, and grew up playing in the river next to my father as he fly fished. When I was 16, I started thinking about a project that is required to graduate- which consisted of 120 hours of work with professionals in the community. I based my project off of fly fishing and river/trout conservation. In an effort to reach out to local groups, I saw an ad for the Greenbacks in a Trout Unlimited magazine that my grandpa had given me, and emailed them that day to start getting involved and volunteering. The next week I was driving down to Colorado Springs as a volunteer to teach other high school kids how to fly fish. It was and still is one of the best experiences I’ve had.

What made you want to be involved with TU?
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It is very important to engage young anglers in conservation projects so they know not to take our beautiful rivers and lands for granted. Not only this but I was very privileged to learn fly fishing at a young age, and have gear passed down from my father and grandfather. Trout Unlimited and the Greenbacks had a wonderful opportunity to be able to share this with other kids my age. Not only this, but the conservation opportunities that I saw members participating in were something that I needed to participate in.

What is your favorite activity or project you have done with TU?

Every year our group puts on an event to engage inner-city school kids from Denver, through Big Brother Big Sister, in fishing. We spend the whole day with these kids, and eventually, they walk away with a handful of fishing supplies. There is nothing like helping someone catch their first fish, and seeing their huge smiles and excitement. I want to give back more than anything, and Trout Unlimited has helped me do just that.

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I know you won’t tell me your favorite spot, but what is your second favorite place to fish or favorite fishing story?

When I go fishing I love to go as far as I can from people and end up in the backcountry. There is nothing more satisfying than hiking for two hours to get to a high mountain trout stream and catch beautiful native fish on a fly rod. These places tend to be in the backcountry of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, fishing streams that trickle down from melting glaciers. I absolutely love Rocky Mountain National Park and the Big Thompson, as well as the South St. Vrain and Boulder Creek.

What does being a part of TU mean to you?
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As a member of Trout Unlimited, it is very important for me to give back to the community and the beautiful lands that we recreate on. I want these wild places healthy and available for centuries to come for future anglers to enjoy. I also think involving inner-city school kids and people who have never fly fished before is essential. Not only this but working with veterans and first responders who use fly fishing as a healing method of therapy is also very important to me. Fly fishing is important in a very large variety of ways that I want to share it with everyone.

What else do you do in your spare time or work?

I like to keep myself very busy! I am currently a student at the University of Colorado, Boulder with my eyes on medical school. I am an EMT/Firefighter, and absolutely love helping others. I grew up on a ranch working horses and teaching lessons, so I love working with and riding my horses. I also love film and photography and love taking photos of all the adventures I go on. I hope to use this and social media to make an impact on the fly fishing world and to inspire others to be leaders in their communities.

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Behind the Fin: Ben Bloodworth

Join us “behind the fin” with Ben Bloodworth,  President of the Grand Valley Anglers Chapter of Trout Unlimited and Program Coordinator at RiversEdge West (formally the Tamarisk Coalition), located in Grand Junction, Colorado.

How long have you been a TU member?

I have been a TU member since 2001, when I first learned about the organization because I was offered a job to help start up a new office in Anchorage, AK. Sadly, I had to turn the position down (long story involving therapy-inducing spasms of regret), but became a member and have mostly been a consistent member since that time.

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Why did you become a member and what chapter are you involved with?

I originally became a member because I believe in the mission of TU. At the time I joined, I had just recently started fly-fishing - as well as attained my Master’s in Environmental Science - so my focus was centered mostly around coldwater conservation (with Trout and the occasional "please-stay-in-TU" gifts being a perk of giving). As a wetland ecologist by trade, I have spent my career working for state agencies and non-profits.

I am currently the President of Grand Valley Anglers (GVA) Chapter in Grand Junction, Colorado.

What made you want to be involved with TU?

The work that TU accomplished nationally (conservation, restoration, rehabilitation, protection) was the main impetus of involvement for me. However, that involvement in the beginning was strictly based upon monetary support (through the annual dues as well as support for individual campaigns) and not direct volunteerism for a particular Chapter..

What is your favorite activity or project you have done with TU?

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After all the above-mentioned discussion about conservation work and the like, one may expect that my favorite TU activity would be some awesome stream restoration project. The fact of the matter is that I've been involved with many more of those types of projects in my career than in my volunteerism, so the typical TU project is not what I have enjoyed the most.

As President of the Grand Valley Chapter, my mission here in Grand Junction has been to get a younger and more diverse group of folks involved at the local level. So, while I have enjoyed working on several streamside restoration projects, setting up Trout-in-the-Classroom tanks, and providing community casting events, my favorite projects have been "fundraisers". I use quotes there because, while they are indeed now our Chapter's biggest fundraisers, the events I have started are more about bringing a new crowd out to hear what we as a Chapter are doing. My favorite activities are thus the flyfishing film tours, Iron Flys, and competitions that we are now doing consistently in Grand Junction and I get excited watching how many people who don't know TU come out to enjoy our events and get to know more about who we are.

I know you won’t tell me your favorite spot, but what is your second favorite place to fish or favorite fishing story?

Well, like most fisherman I've got great (in my mind) fishing stories ranging from trout to tarpon, but one of my best ones of late stemmed from a day of bass fishing in Oklahoma, and was much more than just about fishing. This is an excerpt from one of our GVA spring newsletters that tells that story:

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"Why was I thinking about TU while fishing for largemouth bass? Well, the gray and white Clouser I was having the best luck with (9 crushing bass on my 4-wt before it was truly hammered) was Pat Oglesby’s. This was one of the flies I had selected from the table in back that Carol had put out at the truly inspiring memorial celebration she held in his memory. Attended by hundreds of people from across the state, it was amazing to see how Pat’s life had touched so many - a life of passion and service for Trout Unlimited, conservation, and youth education. So, while casting for warm water fish, I was thinking about Pat and the cold water fisheries he loved.

GVA supports these cold water fisheries through programs like Trout In the Classroom, Adopt-a-Trout, and conservation and education events for both youth and adults, as well as great community events. These are the things that Pat was passionate about and the things which those of us who get involved in GVA programs commit our time. Casting that Clouser I was thinking about this time, my passion for the TU mission, my vision for GVA in the future, and about trying to carry on the commitment to service that was the life of Pat. The amazing congregation of friends and family to celebrate at the memorial was evidence of Pat’s desire to help everyone with whom he came into contact, not only in their knowledge of fly-fishing, casting, or tying, or even in understanding why conservation is important, but in being better at living a life that matters.

So, whether it is while bass fishing, or teaching a kid to cast a fly, I challenge all of us to consider what a life of service can mean and how we can contribute, not just to the Chapter, but to the people, rivers, and places around us. How we can be more like a man that leaves an amazing legacy, and maybe a few effective flies behind…"

What does being a part of TU mean to you?

Being a part of TU for me is about being associated with a group that gets things accomplished, and accomplishes them well. It is about conserving our fisheries and assuring their long-term sustainability so that we can continue to catch gorgeous trout all across our beautiful country in the future, no matter what the climate, political or otherwise. It is about working together and sharing a beer on the river with fellow flyfishers who feel the way I do about protecting and restoring our native fisheries. And, to be clear, it is about fun, not Board meetings!

What else do you do in your spare time or work?

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I currently work for RiversEdge West (formerly the Tamarisk Coalition), a small non-profit based in GJ that works with partners all across the southwest to restore and sustain native riparian areas.

In the little spare time left after work and TU, I cook, garden, read, canoe, camp, hike, backpack, and every now and then get to fish. These activities are often shared with my girlfriend, a little less often shared with my dogs, and still a little less often shared with my kids (who live back East). Oh, I also like to play volleyball, soccer, and guitar...

Behind the Fin: Briant Wiles

Join us "behind the fin" with TU volunteer and President of the Gunnison Angling Society, Briant Wiles. How long have you been a TU member?

I have been a TU member for six years now.

Why did you become a member and what chapter are you involved with?

I became a member because I was increasingly aware of TU's impact in the region. The more I learned about what TU stands for and what they do, the more I felt that this was an organization that aligns with my values. So a few years after becoming a member I started to get involved with my local chapter the Gunnison Angling Society.

 

What made you want to be involved with TU?

I wanted to get involved with TU because of the opportunity there was to make a difference in local waters. The more I learned about the issues impacting coldwater fisheries and their watersheds, the more I saw these impacts nearly everywhere I looked. Right now there exists a big opportunity to work to address a host of impairments with common sense approaches that could have long lasting impacts. TU is an organization that I see as being effective in working on these often contentious natural resource issues. So for me, wanting to make an impact and effect change, TU was an easy choice. Not to mention all the fun I have had connecting with other passionate anglers and improving my fishing game.

 

What is your favorite activity or project you have done with TU?

By far my favorite project I have done with TU has been the Gunnison Basin Adopt-A-Trout program. This grass root effort was really rewarding and I learned a lot. Through the project, we were able to tag and track trout, do riparian restoration, and I have had the opportunity to speak to hundreds of youth from the Gunnison Area and around the country about the importance of trout habitat. Through the project, I was really able to grow and develop as a community member. Now I am more aware and involved with local issues such as growth and development in our little mountain valley. I mean who among us would not jump at the chance to handle and track trout in the hopes of a better tomorrow?

 

I know you won’t tell me your favorite spot, but what is your second favorite place to fish or favorite fishing story?

The Gunnison area is a blessed place to cast a fly rod with plenty of options. There is, of course, a few places that I hold more dear than others. One that I don't mind sharing is the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. For one, getting into this large hole in the earth and out again is difficult so not too many folks will venture there anyway. If your idea of fun is scrambling down loose scree, navigating large cliffs and thrashing your way through dense thickets of towering poison ivy than the Black may just might be right for you. I have had some of my more memorable experiences battling the geology in the depths of the canyon, finding large eager fish waiting in a pristine setting. A magical place for sure.

 

What does being a part of TU mean to you?

Being a part of TU means that you are part of the future. TU's commitment and values align well with my own. For me, the TU decal on a pickup's rear window is a sign that there are others out there that share those same values. TU is highly regarded among conservation organizations and is considered a major player in many local issues impacting water. A message of progress that I can gladly get behind while looking to a sustainable future.

 

What else do you do in your spare time or work?

I connect to the outdoors in three meaningful ways: Winter, I am splitboarding in the Crested Butte backcountry; Fall, I chase elk, grouse and ducks; all other times I am fishing. My passion for the outdoors has led me to a career in natural resource conservation and I am currently building experience working on water related issues. I hope to be able to grow my own business consulting and working on natural resource issues in the Gunnison Basin and beyond.

Behind the Fin: Duncan Rose

Join us "behind the fin" with TU volunteer Duncan Rose from the Dolores watershed. How long have you been a TU member?

9-10 years - about three years in Charlotte, and seven here in Colorado.

Why did you become a member and what chapter are you involved with?

Dolores River Anglers, Chapter 145, here in the Four Corners of southwestern Colorado. As newbies to the area, I sought insight and orientation to the area from local enthusiasts.

What made you want to become involved with TU?

When we moved here I was approaching retirement and had targeted environmental organizations and fly fishing as a focal point of interest as I moved into retirement. TU, of course, combined both into an effective package.

What is your favorite activity or project you have done with TU?

Our recent study of climate change and its likely impacts on our home waters (we set out to identify and map long term trout strongholds in our mountains). While fishing in late summer of 2012 and 2013 (severe drought years here), several of us had noted cutties struggling through water only half their height to move from tiny pocket to tiny pocket. Being on the Western Slope, our waters are at the interface of high desert with big mountains. That makes us “canaries in the mine” with respect to climate change. Our findings reveal huge challenges for the persistence of trout habitat in the western San Juans by the turn of the century. We worked hard to make the study highly credible. Over 3000 hours of  volunteer"citizen-science" was involved (along with $25,000 in various grants -- including chapter money and TU Gomo and Embrace a Stream grants-- for scientific expertise).

I know you won’t tell me your favorite spot, but what is your second favorite place to fish or favorite fishing story?

We have some 300 miles of trout habitat spread across 46 streams (1430 square miles of watershed) here in the upper Dolores. I’m particularly attracted to high, small, back-country tributaries, dry flies and, for the last four seasons, tenkara. The settings are as compelling as the fishing. I go out every week from runoff moderation to ice-out in November.

What does being a part of TU mean to you?

Besides the camaraderie of colleagues, as past chapter president and current conservation co-chair, I get to pay back some of the great enjoyment I derive from the fly fishing through our conservation projects. Which means that I am investing in a trout future for our two daughters.

What else do you do in your spare time or work?

I am on the board of our local Conservation Land Trust. We have just been “gifted” an 80 hay/cattle tract into which we are incorporating a significant agriculture education program for the greater region. TU and land conservation, great combination--both get under your skin and into your soul.

Editor' Note: The 'climate change study' referenced above is called: "Climate Change and the Upper Dolores Watershed: A Coldwater-fisheries Adaptive Management Framework"