West Denver Trout Unlimited Chapter's Fantasy Raffle for a good cause

The West Denver Trout Unlimited (WDTU) Chapter in Colorado is having their annual "Fantasy Raffle" with proceeds going towards chapter projects and operations such as their annual Joseph’s Journey fishing day for terminally ill children, and several stream habitat improvement projects on Clear Creek. This is a great way to support a local chapter as possibly win a fabulous prize consisting of over 35 great items. The drawing is held at the May Chapter meeting each year. You need not be present to win. This year’s WDTU May Chapter Meeting is on May 2nd.

Check out their raffle and purchase tickets!

Rainbow trout resistant to Whirling Disease headed for Arkansas River

Check out Trout Unlimited volunteers working through the cold to help CPW aquatic biologists with their year-old rainbow trout that will be released into the Arkansas River. The fish are resistant to "whirling disease [which] is thought to be a major factor in the declines of wild rainbow trout populations in certain Colorado waters. It's suspected that the outbreak of the disease may be linked to other environmental factors that aren't yet apparent. The parasite has been confirmed in 13 of Colorado's 15 major river drainages, including the Colorado, South Platte, Gunnison, Arkansas and Rio Grande rivers, as well as in a number of state hatcheries." CPW Fact Sheet on Whirling Disease Video via Denver Post.

Support Colorado's Great Outdoors

We are almost there! The reauthorization of the Colorado Lottery has passed with bi-partisan support through the Senate and now it's up to the Colorado House of Representatives to approve the bill and send it to the Governor for signature. We urge the House to "Keep it Colorado" and pass SB 66, reauthorizing the Colorado Lottery. The proceeds are invested back into parks, wildlife and open space through Great Outdoors Colorado, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and funding to local governments statewide. The lottery has been a huge source of financial support for public lands and recreation - without depending on tax dollars. By investing in our great outdoors, the lottery helps drive our state's multi-billion outdoor recreation economy - benefiting not only our quality of life, but also supporting jobs and economic development statewide.

Click the button below!

TU in Colorado is hiring!

Colorado Field Coordinator

ABOUT TROUT UNLIMITED

Trout Unlimited is a national organization with 300,000 members and supporters organized into over 400 chapters and councils nationwide. These dedicated grassroots volunteers are matched by a respected staff of organizers, lawyers, policy experts, and scientists, who work out of more than 45 offices across the country. Our mission is to conserve, protect, and restore North America's cold-water fisheries and their watersheds.

POSITION SUMMARY

Some of the best hunting and fishing in the West today is found on public land where intact habitat provides all the necessities for healthy populations of wild and native fish as well as trophy herds of elk, deer and other big-game animals. Trout Unlimited's Sportsmen's Conservation Project is looking for a field coordinator to work in Colorado.

We are seeking a staff member to design and implement campaigns that engage hunters and anglers in public land decision-making processes on high-quality fish and wildlife habitat. Denver location preferred, Colorado Front Range communities acceptable.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Grassroots organizing with local and state hunters/anglers, organizations, local businesses and community leaders.
• Working with local elected officials, legislative officials, and state and federal land management agencies.
• Leading a team-oriented, collaborative effort to maintain and protect the great fish and wildlife values in the area.
• Assist in fundraising.
• Non-supervisory position.
• Will be responsible for helping develop and implement campaigns within allocated budgets.

This is not an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor Degree preferred, will consider experience in lieu of education.
• Knowledge of public land issues and agency planning processes a plus.
• Experience in developing and leading advocacy-oriented campaigns preferred.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and be a self-starter.
• Positive attitude with energy and willingness to do what it takes to get the job done.
• Flexibility, adaptability.
• Proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Very strong inter-personal skills.
• Avid angler/hunter a plus.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Fundraising experience preferred.

HOW TO APPLY

Please send a letter of interest and resume to Katie Becker, kbecker@tu.org. No phone calls, please. Open until filled.

Please fill out this voluntary form and submit it as an attachment to this email address.

TU is an Equal Employment Opportunity & Affirmative Action Employer pursuant to Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act & Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistant Act.

TU hires staff without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status or disability.

Yelling at storm clouds

A few days ago, I found myself standing in my yard yelling “Yeah, c’mon!?” while shaking my fist at a rather feeble-looking storm cloud. Now, I normally reserve this type of a pointless weekend lunacy for Broncos games and the like, but considering the dire state of the snowpack in the Colorado River Basin, including my home watershed of the Uncompahgre basin—the reaction seemed appropriate. Beyond the obvious lack of snow in my front yard, I'm seeing a seemingly endless chain of news stories highlighting lack of snow, record low river flows and, perhaps worst of all, dire projections that long-term weather trends won’t provide respite—all serving to fuel my anxiety about the summer to come.

Droughts of years past have taken a serious toll on important fisheries and inflicted economic pain and hardship on water users of all stripes who depend on diverting water for their livelihoods and quality of life. These periods of shortage have also taught us valuable lessons about reacting to and preparing for drought in the West.

One of those lessons is about the importance of working together on our water challenges.

Throughout the basin, Trout Unlimited and water users are partnering on innovative strategies to address water supply shortfalls while protecting rivers and streams. For instance, TU is helping irrigation districts and the water users they serve in the Gunnison Basin improve irrigation infrastructure on and off the farm to reduce system losses, thereby improving stream flows on important tributaries like the Cimarron River.

TU has also been at the forefront of water planning efforts in Colorado that identify needs of both the environment and water users and establish watershed-specific approaches to reducing the impacts of drought.

In another innovative approach, TU is working closely with agricultural producers in the Upper Colorado River Basin through a pilot project that reimburses water users who voluntarily reduce consumptive water use through fallowing, partial fallowing or switching from high to low water-use crops. The program, known as the System Conservation Pilot Program, or SCPP, aims to improve flows on Upper Basin tributaries in a manner that not only helps reduce supply gaps at Lake Powell but also improves important fisheries.

With all the water uncertainty, there’s one thing we can be certain of—this drought period won’t be the last. In fact, scientists say it’s likely that the Colorado River Basin will be facing a drier and more variable climate—all the more reason why scaling up collaborative conservation and efficiency efforts now, regardless of the snowpack levels, is critical to preparing for future drought and protecting our valuable watersheds and all that they support.

Working together, we are finding solutions that can help buffer the impacts of drought years and keep our rivers and fisheries healthy.

And that’s surely more effective than yelling at clouds.

By Cary Denison

Cary Denison is TU’s project coordinator in the Gunnison Basin.

Blog Post via Trout Unlimited.

Behind the Fin with Dennis Cook

Join us “Behind the Fin” with Dennis Cook, retired, Rocky Mountain Flycasters Chapter Youth Chairperson in Fort Collins, Colorado.

How long have you been a TU member?  

Sixteen years. I joined TU originally on a free TU membership offer from when I purchased a pair of wading boots.

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

After the free year expired, in January 2003 I joined as a paid member with Cherry Creek Anglers Chapter when I lived in Parker, a Denver suburb. Ten years ago we moved to Fort Collins and I transferred memberships into the Rocky Mountain Flycasters Chapter here.

What made you want to be involved with TU?

I was enjoying reading the local chapter’s newsletters, and natural outdoors conservation has always held a soft spot in my heart.  Plus, I also was looking for a way to connect with other fly fishing people.

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

At Cherry Creek Anglers I was active on the chapter board, and also served Colorado TU as a chapter development volunteer.  Here at Rocky Mountain Flycasters I’ve focused on youth education.  My favorite project has been establishing a six-day River Conservation & Fly Fishing Youth Day Camp here in Northern Colorado, that is modeled loosely similar to the state residential youth camp, and that 2018 will be our day camp’s ninth year.  Additionally, we have built a solid, overall youth education program, including multiple

years’ success with Trout in the Classroom (high schools), participating annually with three school systems’ elementary school grades Water Festivals, establishing a multi-years relationship supporting Colorado State University’s Environmental Learning Center’s middle school age summer camp programs, and fostering the CSU Five Rivers Fly Fishing Club now in its third year.

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

I’ve fished the Cache La Poudre River for about twenty-five years and it remains my primary fishery, especially the far upper canyon stretches where I also fish some of the small tributaries. Each year I enjoy a few multi-day trips to many of the other great fisheries in here in Colorado, Wyoming and occasionally Montana. All hold remnants as something of a favorite spot, each in its own way.

What does being a part of TU mean to you?

I have a great sense of identity and pride being a TU member, both for what I can contribute…and also for the favorable accomplishments and impacts TU makes nationally in specific conservation advocacy and restorations. The growth of TU’s outreach programs and conservation impact nationally across the sixteen years I’ve been able to observe has been extraordinary. TU does not just talk a good game, it makes really good things happen!

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

In retirement I’ve kind of become a one act pony, enjoying my fly fishing and TU activities.  With that, after a part-time job in a retail store’s fishing department, and all the household, yard and activities of a large family, I’m ready to sleep well every night.

Colorado Trout Unlimited River Stewardship Gala March 8

Join your fellow river and trout conservationists for a wonderful night of drinks, dinner, and live and silent auctions filled with world-class fishing opportunities, tickets to shows, getaways, and so much more! The Colorado Trout Unlimited River Stewardship Gala is an event not to be missed. We've sold out the last two years so get your tickets today!

In addition to raising funds for trout and watershed conservation, we are thrilled to be honoring Governor John W. Hickenlooper with our River Stewardship Award.

We look forward to seeing you on March 8, 2018!

Purchase your tickets here.

Colorado voters consider themselves to be conservationists - Not a surprise to us.

A new bipartisan study, the Conservation in the West Poll, was released January 25, 2018 by the State of the Rockies Project, in conjunction with Lori Weigel, Public Opinion Strategies and Dave Metz, Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, and Metz & Associates. The survey, conducted in eight western states, explores bi-partisan opinions in each state and for the Rocky Mountain West region concerning conservation, environment, energy, the role of government, trade-offs with economies, and citizen priorities. The survey now includes polling in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

Colorado College in Colorado Springs has released all of the polls publications broken up by state, topic, and additional reports about Sportsmen and Agriculture. You can go through them all here, but we are going to take you through some of the most interesting results.

One demographic that we are very familiar with is those who identify as a sportsman or woman. The poll found that 79% are the most likely vote sub-group to identify as a conservationist which is a 4% increase from last year. Among that voter group, 58% preferred that the Trump Administration would focus on protecting clean water, air quality, and wildlife habitats on public lands.

In relation to the recent national monuments and public lands reductions happening to Utah's Grand Staircase and Bear's Ears, a majority of those who identify as a hunter or angler found this to be a largely bad idea and that any future reductions or stripping of other Monuments was also a bad idea. 

Currently, there is legislation around our national monuments and you can speak up against it with our current action alert. 

Another demographic that is extremely involved in the water issues of Colorado are voters who identify as being part of a rural or small town. Now some might think they don't share the same values as those in the growing cities of the Front Range, but that notion couldn't be farther from the truth. Rural communities overwhelmingly share similar values in regards to conservation, development, and public lands.

And to sum up the state's opinions as a whole, below is an infographic showing the support for different initiatives regarding water conservation, national monuments, and outdoor recreation. If you would like a closer look at the reports shown here or any of the images in this post, see the links at the bottom of the page.

Takeaway from the Data

The results of this poll are encouraging and also not unexpected. As part of Trout Unlimited, we know that our members who identify as sportsmen/women, farmers, activists, and outdoor recreationists are and have always been conservationists. This poll just further proves that we are a strong majority of people who believe in the future of clean water, access to public lands, and healthy fisheries. We stand together as a collaborative and influential community that puts conservation first.

Resources and References:

1. Conservation in the West 2018 Report - Sportsmen
2. Conservation in the West 2018 Report - Rural
3. Conservation in the West 2018 Report - Colorado Infographic
4. Conservation in the West 2018 Report - All Materials & Reports

A River's Reckoning, an official selection of the 2018 Wild and Scenic Film Festival

Paul Bruchez is a fifth-generation rancher whose family raises cattle in the upper reaches of the Colorado River near Kremmling, Colorado, where he also runs a private fly-fishing guide service. “A River’s Reckoning” tells the story of Paul’s awakening to the importance of river conservation and the legacy of his family’s ranch when drought and urban water diversions deplete the Colorado River, threatening the ranch’s operations. When Art Bruchez, the family patriarch, is diagnosed with cancer, Paul and his younger brother Doug are forced to step in and take over. This “river reckoning” pushes Paul and his family to confront new challenges and embrace new ways of thinking to keep their family’s ranch—and others in the valley—alive and productive. Paul and his brother rise to meet these challenges, working with neighbors, Trout Unlimited, American Rivers and other conservation groups and partners to find creative solutions that enhance their irrigation systems while restoring trout habitat in the river. “A River’s Reckoning” is a beautiful story of family, grit, and legacy, all in support of sustaining a ranch at 10,000 feet that depends heavily on stewardship of the Colorado River. The film was recently honored as an official selection of the 2018 Wild and Scenic Film Festival.

You can enjoy the full film below: 

Fly Fishing Show comes to Denver, CO

Start off the new year right, with the 17th annual Fly Fishing Show in Denver, CO. Immerse yourself in the world of fly fishing, whether you are a beginner or expert. They will be having over 10 demonstrations every hour, so there will always be something to see or learn while there. The show will also have continuous fly tying demos and seminars. There will also be casting demonstrations scheduled by Gary Borger, George Daniel, Jeff Currier, Landon Mayer and Alice Owsley and featured fly tiers including Charlie Craven, Dave Whitlock, Tom Baltz, Pat Dorsey and Ed Engle. There will also be a Women's Showcase that will feature networking, discussions, and learning opportunities along with gear and clothing. So if you've been thinking about getting into the world of fly fishing then this is your chance to learn from the best and get yourself started.

You can also stop by the Colorado Trout Unlimited booth along with some of the regional chapters and see what we are up to and get a whole list of upcoming 2018 events to look forward to.

There will be a world premiere of the 2018 Fly Fishing Film Festival to be held Fri. at 6:30. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.

The Fly Fishing Show admission is $15 for one day, $25 for two days and $35 for three days. Children under age 5 are free as are Boy and Girl Scouts under 16 in uniform. Active military with an ID are $10. You can purchase tickets in advanced here.

Click here for a complete list of fly-fishing films, classes, seminars and demonstrations, visit or phone (814) 443-3638.

Denver Fly Fishing Show January 5-7

Friday, January 5, 2018: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm Saturday, January 6, 2018: 9:00 am - 5:30 pm Sunday, January 7, 2018: 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Denver Mart 451 East 58th Avenue, Denver, CO