Defending Colorado's Water Quality

A trout’s most fundamental need is cold, clean water. Protecting that resource is a key part of Colorado Trout Unlimited’s mission and it has led us to engage in rulemaking efforts before the Water Quality Control Commission. This June, the Commission will be revising its “basic standards” for statewide water quality protection. One of the key standards for protecting trout is water temperature. Unfortunately, the staff of the Water Quality Control Division (WQCD) has proposed changes in the temperature standards that could put many fisheries at risk. They are looking to weaken temperature standards both in terms of transition periods between summer and winter, and based on elevation as a transition from high to lower quality trout waters. The seasonal shift could leave streams with no meaningful temperature standards during four months of the year which happen to be trout spawning and egg incubation periods - the most sensitive life stages. While the elevation-based approach could weaken standards for rivers at elevations seen on great trout rivers like the Colorado at State Bridge, the South Platte at Deckers, and the Poudre Canyon.

In partnership with other conservation groups, Trout Unlimited has brought on water quality expert Ashley Rust as a consultant to provide technical support. Her work has already demonstrated flaws in the data selection and analysis used for the WQCD’s proposal. We are working closely with scientists at Colorado Parks and Wildlife as well, who share TU’s concerns.

The concept of addressing transitional points both seasonally and on streams moving from colder to warmer natural conditions make sense – but whereas Colorado’s original temperature standards were the product of a multi-year collaborative process and rigorous data analysis, this proposal has been rushed by the WQCD at the 11th hour, and that has led to a proposal that is not based on strong science and which will not protect trout. TU will continue to fight this effort throughout the hearing process.

Colorado TU honors Denver Water with River Stewardship Award

At it's annual River Stewardship Gala last night, Colorado Trout Unlimited honored Denver Water with the 2016 River Stewardship Award for their work in urban conservation and collaborative efforts in water stewardship. 25 years after the Two Forks Dam battle- a plan that would've constructed a 615' tall dam along the South Platte, Denver Water has now engaged their former adversaries as partners in an effort to conserve our state's watersheds.

“That’s a remarkable and encouraging sign of progress in protecting the rivers that help sustain Colorado’s wildlife, communities and recreation economy," said David Nickum, Colorado TU Executive Director. "In the years since the Two Forks veto, Denver Water has truly changed its culture.... Colorado TU is pleased to recognize Denver Water for its leadership in promoting partnerships that not only supply water to Denver citizens, but also promote stewardship of Colorado’s rivers as well.”

“Part of what makes Colorado an amazing state are our great cities, variety of recreational opportunities and beautiful natural environment. Denver Water is committed to continuing to collaboratively work together with partners from all sectors to keep our rivers healthy,” said Jim Lochhead, Denver Water CEO/manager. “We’re honored to receive the 2016 River Stewardship Award from Trout Unlimited and look forward to continuing our work with them in the future.”

As part of working with conservation organizations like TU, Denver Water has incorporated "Learning by Doing," a monitoring and adaptive management program to maintain and restore or enhance the aquatic environment. Under the LBD project, Denver Water has agreed to be flexible in delivering flows of water as well as invest in habitat and water quality restoration and conservation efforts.

The Learning by Doing initiative also incorporates the South Platte Protection Plan- an alternative to designating parts of the South Platte as a Wild and Scenic River after the Two Forks Dam veto. The South Platte Plan promoted collaboration among water suppliers, local governments, recreationists and conservationists. These groups worked together on managing flows, support investment in river-related values, and partnerships for water quality and watershed health. The Plan also inspired the creation of the Coalition for the Upper South Platte- a group that has helped direct millions of dollars into watershed restoration efforts.

Denver Water currently provides water supply to about 25 percent of Colorado's population with less than 2 percent of all the water used in the state. They have worked with customers to reduce water use by more than 20 percent over the past 10 years, despite a 10 percent increase in population.

Rendezvous Registration is Filling Up!

Register now to save your seat for the premier event for protecting Colorado's rivers and fish!! With an impressive line up of guest speakers and a full weekend planned for women, there is something for everyone at Colorado Trout Unlimited's Annual Rendezvous. This year we will be holding most of the weekend at the historic Hotel Colorado.

The theme for Rendezvous 2016 is Sportsmen; The Original Conservationist and for the first time we will be holding this event at the historic Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs. To most sportsmen and women the sport of fishing or hunting is so much more than the hunt. It is the connection to the wild places that protect the game and the rivers that allow the fish to swim that makes the person coming back time after time. As sportsmen we have an obligation to protect these wild places and be stewards to the environment that surrounds us. This year at Rendezvous we will explore what it means to bring out the conservationist in all of us and learn how each individual can do their part in passing on our beautiful state to future generations.

Click the link below to see the agenda, the schedule for Women's Weekend, and to register.

https://org2.salsalabs.com/o/7023/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=80676

For questions please contact Stephanie Scott at sscott@tu.org or 720-354-2647

Snowpack and Our Rivers

By: Danielle Adams For Colorado, the snowpack levels don't only affect recreation, they affect our way of life. While the accumulation may wreck havoc on commutes, the snow provides Colorado with some much needed moisture during the hotter, dryer months.

Thanks to a strong El Niño winter, the buildup of snow accumulation throughout the state has increased each basin's snowpack to above average.

Snowpack is a seasonal accumulation of slow-melting snow, which becomes compressed in layers by its own weight over time. As there is more snow accumulation in a region, the snowpack becomes more dense. The denser the snow, the more water storage capability it has--a hard layer will have around a 40% water to 60% air ratio.

According to Denver Water, collection in the Upper South Platte watershed is 126% of normal and the Upper Colorado River watershed is 118% of normal. If snowfall can continue to build snowpack in the coming months watersheds across the state will be in much better shape than previous years. In an article by CBS Denver, Noah Newman with CSU's Colorado Climate Center said, “March is our biggest month for snowfall. If we don’t see the expected March snow then these numbers will go down."

The total amount of snowpack is essential to Colorado's freshwater ecosystems because it serves as frozen water storage. The accumulation of water in the river basins and watersheds across the state is in direct correlation with the amount, and melt-rate of the basin's snow total.

Trout species as well as the bug life and standing stock in every ecosystem require watersheds to be at normal levels in order to flourish. Dissolved oxygen (DO) is fundamental to aquatic life. With higher levels of snowpack, there is more capability for dissolved oxygen in water due to higher water levels and colder temperatures. Cold water can hold more DO than warm water. Higher DO levels are achieved when water levels and flow rates are high and where the water is aerated in the rapids.

Most species of trout requires 5-6 times more DO when water temperatures reach 75 degrees compared to when they are at 41 degrees. "Species that cannot tolerate low levels of DO - mayfly nymphs, stonefly nymphs, and beetle larvae - will be replaced by a few kinds of pollution-tolerant organisms, such as worms and fly larvae. Nuisance algae and anaerobic organisms (that live without oxygen) may also become abundant in waters with low levels of DO," according to Brian Oram with the Water Research Center. Fish reproduction can also be hampered if there is not sufficient snowpack because eggs and fish in immature stages require much higher DO content in water.

So what do low levels of snowpack mean for us on a conservation level?

There are a few things to keep in mind in the event that snowfall patterns slow, and snowpack fails to develop as extensively as predicted. As the spring and summer months draw nearer, lower snowpack levels brings strained trout populations. In these circumstances, trout will be trying even more desperately to conserve energy in order to utilize less oxygen. This means, that even with all steps taken to properly handle a fish, under these already stressful environmental factors, the fish has less of a chance for survival. In order to keep our fish populations strong and growing even under preexisting environmental stress, catch and release tactics must be carried out even more delicately than usual.

Next time you're stuck in traffic due to a snowstorm and the stress levels are rising, keep in mind that the snow is good for our waters and trout. The higher levels of snowpack mean higher watershed levels and lower water temperatures, leading to higher levels of dissolved oxygen- making bugs and fish, and ultimately the angler happier.

Windy Gap Bypass in the Works

Known for carving majestic canyons, millions of years ago the headwaters of the mighty Colorado River carved through the rocks west of Granby and created a small riparian valley where air currents blow through- earning a well-deserved name- Windy Gap. Although the wind continues to gust, the quality of the water has diminished over time.

In the 1980's, Windy Gap Reservoir was built directly inline with the river's east to west flow. Because of this placement, the river velocity drops as it enters the reservoir, resulting in increased sediment buildup. Currently, reservoir permits require building off channel to avoid the problems found in Windy Gap.

TU-CO-201009128-0028

Because of the sediment build up, the Gold Medal status of the Colorado is in jeopardy. Over the years, as the sediment builds, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has seen a decrease in bug life and feeder fish. One of the feeder fish that has almost vanished in the river is Sculpin- a small fish species that not only do trout rely on, but the health of the river relies on too.

“We have looked and looked, but we do not find any sculpin in that section of the river, all the way to Gore Canyon," said Colorado Parks and Wildlife Aquatic Biologist John Ewitt to Sky-Hi Daily News in Grand County. Sculpin are sensitive to environmental impacts and the levels of sculpin are often used to gauge overall river health.

CPW has also noted a decrease in mayflies, caddisflies, and stoneflies- three of the main food sources for trout in the area.

But the solution to the problem is near. With help from Trout Unlimited and local organizations, a project to bypass the Windy Gap reservoir is in the works.

Over the last 15 years, Trout Unlimited and local landowners have been lobbying with Northern Water to find a solution to this problem. The groups became known as the Upper Colorado River Alliance (UCRA) and comprised the idea of bypassing the reservoir.

Northern Water was intrigued by the idea as they were looking for a similar way to expand their water storage capabilities. In a project they are calling the Windy Gap Firming Project (WGFP), they would build Chimney Hollow Reservoir to solve the storage problem. When Northern Water went to the Grand County government for a permit on Chimney Hollow, there was a condition for the Windy Gap bypass.

The long-term project will include digging a portion of Windy Gap and using the dirt to build a berm in the current reservoir to create a smaller, adjacent body of water. This will create a new channel for the Colorado River to flow through. Preliminary engineering is expected to be completed this summer.

The total price for the project will be around $9.6 million- and a little under half of that, 4.1 million, has already been secured for the project. Along with $2 million towards the project, Northern Water has contributed around $300,000 towards environmental studies below the reservoir. The state of Colorado has also contributed $2 million to the project.

The Colorado River Headwaters chapter of Colorado TU has been on the forefront of this problem and has been a major part in helping get the bypass underway. With more help from volunteers and members, the bypass can be completed and the 20 miles of Gold Medal waters along the Colorado can thrive.

President vetoes bill to block headwater protection

Yesterday, President Obama vetoed SJ Res 22, which would have nullfied rules adopted last summer by the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers to clarify that Clean Water Act protections apply to the small headwater and feeder streams and not just the downstream perennial waters.  Click here to read a response supporting these Clean Water rules, from Colorado TU and the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. The President's veto message appears below and echoes TU's argument that protection of our larger downstream rivers depends on protecting them from their source in the headwaters. Colorado TU would also like to thank Senator Michael Bennet, who voted against SJ Res 22 and in support of anglers and water quality protection.  (Update: the Senate voted today 1/21/16 and the President's veto was upheld.  Thank you to Senator Bennet and all those who stood up in defense of water quality.)

The President's Veto Message follows:

I am returning herewith without my approval S.J. Res. 22, a resolution that would nullify a rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Army to clarify the jurisdictional boundaries of the Clean Water Act. The rule, which is a product of extensive public involvement and years of work, is critical to our efforts to protect the Nation's waters and keep them clean; is responsive to calls for rulemaking from the Congress, industry, and community stakeholders; and is consistent with decisions of the United States Supreme Court.

We must protect the waters that are vital for the health of our communities and the success of our businesses, agriculture, and energy development. As I have noted before, too many of our waters have been left vulnerable. Pollution from upstream sources ends up in the rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and coastal waters near which most Americans live and on which they depend for their drinking water, recreation, and economic development. Clarifying the scope of the Clean Water Act helps to protect these resources and safeguard public health. Because this resolution seeks to block the progress represented by this rule and deny businesses and communities the regulatory certainty and clarity needed to invest in projects that rely on clean water, I cannot support it. I am therefore vetoing this resolution.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,

January 19, 2016.

Behind the Fin: Rick Tarr

• Name: Rick Tarr
• Member of West Denver Chapter
• TU Member for 15 years
• Retired Faculty of Political Science Department at Metro State
• Best Quote from Rick: “A number of years ago, the Chapter established a fully equipped fly tying classroom where we teach the kids (two sessions of ten each) how to tie two simple flies and then help them fish in the stocked pond.  We also make them aware of the many challenges facing the task of maintaining healthy trout habitat.”

How long have you been a TU member?

I’m not sure of the exact time that I joined.  But I’d say, about 15 years.

Why did you become a member?

After retiring from the faculty of Metro State in 1997 in the Political Science Department, I had time for volunteer activities.  In addition to TU, I have a weekly volunteer activity with Project Cure, which collects donated medical supplies that are then shipped overseas where needed.

What made you want to become more involved with TU and which chapter are you currently involved with?

As a long time trout fisherman I was naturally interested in the trout habitat conservation and restoration activities put on by TU- Especially in our "home water" of Clear Creek. The West Denver Chapter is closest to my home in Lakewood.

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

I have enjoyed the various educational activities of our Chapter.  Most importantly our fly tying, fly fishing and conservation program for sixth graders at the Jefferson County Outdoor Education Lab School (near Bailey) for 6th graders.  We do this whenever it is requested by their teachers as an optional activity during their week at Windy Peak.  A number of years ago, the Chapter established a fully equipped fly tying classroom where we teach the kids (two sessions of ten each) how to tie two simple flies and then help them fish in the stocked pond.  We also make them aware of the many challenges facing the task of maintaining healthy trout habitat.

What is a favorite fishing spot and favorite fishing story?

I've had a number of enjoyable days fishing in California (home state), Wyoming, Oregon, Montana, Alaska, British Columba and Argentina.  But trout fishing in New Zealand is the most memorable.

To you, what is the best tactic or fly for catching trout?

My favorite fly is gold ribbed hare's ear.

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

My other hobbies include: wood working, kayaking, aviation, travel.

Congress sends sportsmen a strong budget bill for Christmas

Last week, congressional leaders agreed to a bipartisan omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal year 2016. By and large, Trout Unlimited is very pleased with the bill. It provides strong funding levels for many important federal conservation programs and does NOT include a number of harmful policy riders that were in play leading up to the final agreement. We recognize the profound challenges that accompany the appropriations process, and are grateful to Congressional leaders for reaching consensus on a bill that invests in conservation and supports the interests of sportsmen and women.   

Of special interest to Trout Unlimited and our members across the country, the Omnibus bill includes the following highlights: 

Clean Water Rule

Trout Unlimited is delighted to see that the bill does NOT include the ill-conceived Clean Water Rule rider that was intended to delay or block the Rule restoring Clean Water Act protections to smaller streams and adjacent wetlands.  We deeply appreciate the efforts of the Obama Administration and our allies in Congress who stood firm with Trout Unlimited members, American sportsmen and women, and the nearly one million individuals who supported the rule. Hunters and anglers care deeply about protecting headwater streams and wetlands and we are thankful Congress maintained the vital effort to restore Clean Water Act safeguards to these waters. [Colorado TU adds: Senator Michael Bennet stood strong in support of the Clean Water Rule which helps ensure that the Clean Water Act continues to apply to our Colorado headwater/tributary streams. Read more about the issue here.]

LWCF

While Trout Unlimited was disappointed that the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) was not permanently extended in the omnibus bill, it was reauthorized for an additional three years. In addition, the omnibus directs that the LWCF will receive $450 million in the coming year, which is $100 million more than in 2015, and more than the LWCF has been appropriated since 2010. These provisions represent a step in the right direction for the LWCF and will provide Trout Unlimited with good footing to work with member of Congress in the years ahead to secure permanent authorization for the program. [Colorado TU adds: Senators Cory Gardner and Michael Bennet fought long and hard to support LWCF and deserve thanks from Colorado's sportsmen, and we look forward to working with them to ultimately secure a permanent reauthorization for one of the nation's most effective conservation programs.]

Support for Abandoned Mine Clean-up

In western mine lands and in eastern coal country, Trout Unlimited has invested a huge amount of time and effort in cleaning up pollution from abandoned mine lands to restore trout watersheds. Thus Trout Unlimited was particularly pleased to see the addition of $90 million dollars to the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund in the omnibus bill. This is a significant increase over previous years that will allow States with to tackle some of their larger economic, community, and environmental goals related to the reclamation of abandoned coal mines. 

Sage Grouse 

Why does Trout Unlimited care about the controversial bird? Because sage grouse are especially dependent on riparian areas along trout streams in the western U.S., and what is good for the bird is good for the trout. Earlier this year the FWS decided not to list the Greater Sage Grouse under the Endangered Species Act, opting instead to formulate, along with the states and other Interior Department agencies, a set of comprehensive conservation plans for the imperiled western bird. Trout Unlimited is pleased that the omnibus did not include riders to delay, defund, or otherwise undo the sage grouse conservation plans and instead provides funding to support the cooperative approach identified by the FWS. 

Fish Passage

The omnibus includes $13,248,000 for the National Fish Passage Program within the FWS, one of the most cost-effective programs among all federal natural resource agencies. This is a roughly $500,000 increase over last year’s funding. Barriers to fish passage pose a serious threat to the health and sustainability of trout and salmon populations across the country, and the new funds will catalyze new projects around the Nation.  [Colorado TU adds: this program provided valuable funding here in Colorado to help restore fish passage associated at water diversion sites that were damaged in the September 2013 floods, allowing Colorado to rebuild smarter and better.]

Western Drought and Basin-Scale Restoration Programs

Trout Unlimited is pleased that the Omnibus provided $100 million for Western Drought Response to enable states, farmers and other water users to conserve water and protect fish habitat in the face of the very serious western drought. The funds will be especially valuable in states hard hit by drought such as California and Washington. The bill also provides considerable funding for the Yakima River Basin (Washington) Water Enhancement Project. Trout Unlimited and its partners have worked extremely hard in recent years to come up with an extensive plan to enhance the Yakima River and its watershed. The culmination of this collaborative effort is a 30-year restoration plan aimed at securing water supplies in the face of worsening drought conditions and restoring habitat throughout the watershed to the betterment of fish, wildlife, and sportsmen. 

Wildfire borrowing 

The number of large wildfires in recent years has driven up wildfire fighting and suppression costs to a point where the U.S. Forest Service now spends more than half of its budget on wildfires. To cover these rising costs, the Forest Service has been forced to divert or “borrow” money from other programs within the agency. Borrowing results in the delay or outright cancellation of projects aimed at improving fish and wildlife habitat, trails and recreational areas, and efforts to make our national forests more resistant to future wildfires. Trout Unlimited supports the proposed fix for this troubling scenario contained within the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act (WDFA).  Although WDFA was not included in the bill, the good news is that appropriators provided the Forest Service and BLM with a substantial increase, nearly $600 million more than what they have spent on average over the last decade. In the long-term a more permanent fix is required, but for now the big increase in funding may be enough to avoid program pilfering in the coming year.

Farm Bill Conservation program cut

A loss for trout conservation was in the USDA NRCS portion of the bill, where NRCS’s large, work horse program, the Environmental Quality Program (EQIP), was trimmed $321 million, a very significant amount. EQIP is vital to conserving streams and rivers on farm lands nationwide by itself, but it also partially funds RCPP, NRCS’s landscape scale conservation program. Still, EQIP’s total is still a significant $1.3 billion, and it will yield considerable benefit to trout nationwide.

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

The spending bill would provide $300 million for the EPA’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), a funding program that fosters partnerships among state, federal and local governments, nonprofits, businesses, and other stakeholders to restore habitat and improve water quality in the Great Lakes basin. Support through the GLRI is enabling TU to restore trout habitat in partnership with national forests in Michigan and Wisconsin. The administration had requested $250 million for the effort, and we appreciate the Congress showing its commitment to the Great Lakes by maintaining the program at $300 million.

Chesapeake Bay Program

The EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program, which plays an important role in improving the health of trout streams in the Bay watershed’s headwaters, received level funding at $73 million. Importantly, Congress maintained $6 million in funding for the EPA’s Small Watershed grant program administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, through which TU is working with partners in West Virginia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania on habitat restoration projects.

Considering the partisan fighting that has characterized this Congress, formulation of such a strong bill is a remarkable achievement. Trout Unlimited salutes Congress and the Obama Administration for getting the job done.

This post was written by Steve Moyer, TU’s vice president for government affairs. He works from TU’s Arlington, Va., headquarters. 

Colorado Introduces It's First Ever Water Plan

In 139 years of Colorado being a state, it had never had a water plan- until today. On Thursday, November 19 the Colorado Water Conservation Board unveiled the State's first ever water plan. The plan will help keep rivers and streams healthy that will continue to support Colorado's economy and quality of life.

“We’re pleased that the Colorado Water Plan recognizes that healthy rivers are central to Colorado’s quality of life and help drive our booming, $13 billion recreation economy,” said David Nickum, executive director of Colorado Trout Unlimited. “If we want a future of Gold Medal trout rivers and outdoor opportunities, we need to plan for that future—and this plan is a step in the right direction.”

Colorado Trout Unlimited supports three main components of the plan. The first being that irrigation throughout the state needs to be modernized, communities need to create stream management plans, and lastly, the plan establishes the base work for evaluation trans-mountain water diversion.

Primarily on the Western Slope, TU is working with farmers and ranchers on modernizing their irrigation techniques. The new water plan and Colorado General Assembly help fund the transition and provide incentives and support to farmers and ranchers changing their techniques.

The community Stream Management Plans will help local communities better understand the importance of flows that support a healthy river as well as recreational and other usage.

“Steam management plans bring local water users together to determine how best to use limited water resources,” Said Drew Peternell, director of TU’s Colorado Water Project. “They are an exercise in collaboration.”

TU has opposed trans-mountain water diversions unless there is a large focus on conservation, shows that water is available for the project, and guarantees against environmental or economic harm to the basin of origin.

The Colorado Water Plan is just a beginning. The true test will be the implementation of the proposed ideas.

“The Final Water Plan is a beginning not an end,” said Nickum. “The key to Colorado’s water future will be actual on-the-ground collaboration to meet our water needs while protecting our state’s rivers and agricultural heritage.”

Fishing Doesn't Hibernate in Winter

Winter in Colorado generally means ski gear is taking up most of the space in your car. But be sure to leave a little room for your waders and rod. Although the weather is colder, fly fishing remains hot. Fishing during the colder months is possibly the most rewarding time of year to fish. Not only does catching a fish justify the hours spent in the cold and wind, and give you a reason to spend more time in some of the best fisheries in the country, but winter trout require much more precise technique and skill than any other time of year.

When the air temperature drops, the water temperature drops with it. Like most fish, trout cannot regulate their body temperature and therefore operate at the same temperature as the water around them. When fish get too cold, they become sluggish and dormant.

Trout prefer temperature between the ranges of 45-65 degrees Fahrenheit- also known as the Trout Zone. This is no problem for summer days in Colorado when the water remains in this range, but during the winter, the temperature can drop below freezing. In order to survive, trout will find holes or eddies where the water may be warmer and stay low in the water.

In order to catch the fish in these spots it's best to use a nymph. Fish won't move more than a few inches to catch food. When their body is cold and metabolism is low, it's not worth the risk to waste energy by moving for a small reward that a bug might offer. Therefore, drop nymphs to the bottom of the stream where they can see it and move slightly to eat it.

When fishing in these winter streams, remember that trout are still alert and they know what it is worth wasting energy for and what is not. Every single move they make and bite they take is a gamble. If they strike and miss, that's a lot of energy wasted for no reward.

Winter streams are generally lower and clearer. Trout will be able to see your tippet if it's too big. Try to use one tippet smaller than what you'd normally use on that body of water. If you use a 5x tippet in spring and summer, drop to a 6X tippet in the winter months. This will not only help that the trout won't see the line, but that the nymph is presented more realistically.

For the same reason that the tippet should be shortened, it's also important to stay low. Because the water is clearer and lower, it gives the fish a better chance at seeing you.

While nymphing is the best tactic for winter trout, don't put all of your dry flies away quite yet. Keep a view on your vest because in deeper pools trout may still rise. This generally occurs in tailwaters (rivers that flow from bottom-released dams). In these tailwaters, the water is moving out of the dam fast enough that the water temperature generally remains in the Trout Zone year round.

During the winter trout will also eat minnows and crayfish, but remember they won't move too far for them to conserve energy. Fishing streamers is a good tactic but just like everything else, they need to be presented next to the trout ensuring they don't need to move as much.

Remember to keep fish in the water as long as possible, especially in the winter as the outside temperature can harm and possibly kill them. Use the fundamentals of proper handling when fishing.

So don't take that fly rod out of your car just yet- or ever. Because fly fishing never hibernates. And when you're stuck in ski traffic, there's no better way than to wait it out by wading out.