A Hatch to Brag About

Image Courtesy of: http://www.fryingpananglers.com

It is said that the Western Green Drake (Drunella grandis) hatch in Colorado can provide some world class angling.  It just so happens that Colorado's Roaring Fork and Frying Pan are where you can experience some of the longest periods for the hatch in the country. Fish of all sizes move out from the deeper water to rise up and snag this large mayfly. But what makes this hatch so sought after by flyfishers? It's all about the insect. Trout seem to be drawn to it, no matter what the stage: nymph, emerger, dun, or spinner. The most common stages to catch a higher number of fish occurs in either the emergence stage, the spinner stage, or fishing crippled dun patterns. Some say that the most exciting part about the drake hatch is how fast and explosive it is, as most flyfishers tap out too early.

QUICK FACTS ON THE HATCH

• Insects: Western Green Drake
• Color: Dark Olive
• Dates: Jun 1 – Aug 1
• Emergence: Cloudy, 1-4 pm
• Size: 8-12 
• Spinner Fall: Evening

"[The hatch] process usually takes about a day, beginning in the late morning or early afternoon and ending throughout the evening and early the next morning. In order to be fully prepared for the green drake hatch, anglers should have an arsenal of patterns that covers the entire hatch process and includes green drake nymphs, emergers, cripples, duns, and spinners. " Read More on Vail Valley Anglers blog.

Fly fishing the Green Drake hatch on the Frying Pan river near Basalt, CO Fly Fishing Colorado Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8705D5C42BF2705F&feature=plcp

UPDATE FROM FLYFISHEROUTFITTERS.NET

7/1/2018–  Spring on the pan can create some great memories. excellent conditions right now. Look for some good dry fly action on the lower river in the afternoons. The Green Drakes and PMD’s are hatching!

 

RESOURCES

Colorado Hatch Charts

Western Green Drake Biology & Tips

Green Drakes of Aspen, CO

Tell Congress: take action before America's most successful access and recreation program expires

From crown jewels like the Great Sand Dunes and Black Canyon of the Gunnison, to access on the Colorado River, to community parks and trails in our own backyards, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) has set aside and protected special places in Colorado and nationwide for more than 50 years. If you've gone fishing, hiking or camping on public lands, or picnicked at a community park in your area, there's a good chance the LWCF helped protect it. But despite more than 50 years of success, the program will expire on September 30 if Congress doesn’t take action to renew it. 

Senators Bennet and Gardner have both been leaders in supporting LWCF – but we need Colorado’s House delegation to also step up so that this successful program isn't lost to Congressional gridlock.

Reconnect the Colorado

Reconnecting the Colorado River around Windy Gap Reservoir is moving one step closer to reality! The US Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service is conducting scoping on the Colorado River Headwaters Connectivity Project - an initiative of the NRCS along with Northern Water, Trout Unlimited, and Grand County.  The project contemplates a bypass channel that will restore the Colorado River around the Windy Gap Reservoir - benefitting water quality, fish passage, aquatic habitat, and restoring an additional mile of the Colorado River by creating the channel around the reservoir. 

Deadline to submit comments is August 31, 2018.

Thompson Divide protections preserved in settlement

The BLM announced some good news for Colorado’s native cutthroat trout and big game populations on June 22 after reaching a settlement in the lawsuit filed by oil and gas company SG Interests over the cancellation of 18 leases to drill in the Thompson Divide area of the White River National Forest near Carbondale, Colorado. The leases covered more than 21,000 acres (about 33 square miles) featuring prime big game habitat and native cutthroat trout streams in watersheds providing source water to the Crystal and Roaring Fork Rivers, as well as local communities.

Thompson Creek in the Thompson Divide.  Photo: Josh Duplechian

Leases to drill in the Thompson Divide were improperly issued by BLM in 2003. A coalition of county and local governments, ranchers, local businesses, sportsmen and citizen groups – including Trout Unlimited – mobilized and worked for years to protect the Thompson Divide. BLM ultimately recognized that the leases had been issued in violation of the law and cancelled them in 2016. 

In early 2017, SG Interests filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court to challenge BLM’s decision. Under the settlement, SG agrees to dismiss its case in exchange for a payment of $1.5 million from the federal government. The settlement compensates SG for investments made toward developing the leases but leaves the 2016 lease cancellations in effect.

“SG’s leases were issued in violation of the law, and these lands never should have been leased in the first place,” said Michael Freeman, a staff attorney at Earthjustice representing Wilderness Workshop and Colorado Trout Unlimited.  “BLM properly cancelled the leases in 2016. We’re glad to see that SG is dropping its challenge to those cancellations.”

The Thompson Divide area stretches across Pitkin, Garfield and Gunnison Counties and encompasses no fewer than nine National Forest roadless areas. The area includes habitat for deer, elk and a variety of sensitive wildlife species, including cold water streams vital to native cutthroat trout. Because it supports recreation, ranching and other local industries, the Thompson Divide produces an estimated 300 jobs and pumps more than $30 million into the local economy.

“From its prime big game habitat to unique native cutthroat trout fisheries, the Thompson Divide is a Colorado treasure for hunters and anglers,” said David Nickum, executive director of Colorado Trout Unlimited. “For years, sportsmen and women have fought to protect these lands — so we’re pleased that BLM and SG have reached an agreement that will keep them intact.”

While the settlement is an important step toward protecting the region, it does not end the threat posed by oil and gas development. Sen. Michael Bennet introduced legislation last year (S.481 - Thompson Divide Withdrawal and Protection Act of 2017) to permanently protect the Thompson Divide. With the specter of SG's 2003 leases and lawsuit no longer hanging over the area, Colorado TU hopes that his bill can gain momentum so that this treasured landscape can receive the lasting protection it deserves.

Hermosa 416 Fire Update: Spreading into Native Colorado River Cutthroat Trout habitat

High Quality map available for download here.

Update from National TU Staffer, Ty Churchwell, San Juan Mountains Coordinator & Sportsmen’s Conservation Project:

The 416 fire that started June 1, 2018 located 13 miles north of Durango, CO is currently over 35,000 acres large and is at 36% contained as of June 27, 2018 (seen in red outline & fill). Currently, the fire has encroached upon a large section of an isolated native cutthroat population along Clear Creek (traced with blue in the bottom left corner). You can see that most of that drainage has been hit. Clear Creek has been hit hard and currently burning more.

The middle-left creek, Big Bend, also highlighted in blue is currently an isolated population of native cutthroats that are held safe from invasives by a natural waterfall. The other blue lines at the top of the map indicated where the reintroduction program waters are. The basin continues north along with the reintroduction program, but the map cuts off about 1/4 of that. The reintroduction program and Big Bend are clear of fire right now. 

It’s mostly burning back on itself with about 100 acres of additional acreage in recent days.  There are two hot spots:  1) very near/at Clear Creek’s top end.  2)  in the interior of Hermosa burning NW towards Big Bend.  

Currently, updates are being posted on the 416 Facebook page here.

Volunteers make way for Greenback trout recovery efforts along Rock Creek

Volunteers working to dislodge a disruptive beaver dam along Rock Creek drainage in Colorado. Image courtesy of: Basin+Bend. 

On June 21, 2018, volunteers and Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff met between Fairplay and Grant, CO to work on helping take down beaver dams along the Rock Creek drainage. The Rock Creek drainage is a critical piece of the Greenback recovery puzzle and will provide nearly eight miles of connected stream habitat once the project is completed.  With the help of Trout Unlimited volunteers and chapters, agency partners, and private landowners, there are 4.5 miles of stream that are currently being prepared for greenback reintroduction in the next 2-3 years.  The project below will help make progress on the remaining 3.4 miles of critical habitat.

Last Thursday, volunteers focused on removing beaver dams from sections of the Rock Creek drainage in order to help CPW treat the area for Whirling Disease and non-native brook trout. Volunteers hiked up about a mile and used various tools to help dislodge the dams that were blocking creek flows. A huge thank you to all the volunteers for all their hard work, which resulted in the second scheduled day of work not being needed! Nice job, everyone! If you are interested in future projects, we have upcoming ones listed here. 

To learn more about Native trout and restoration projects across Colorado check out our page here. Check out the great pictures taken by Erik Myhre of Basin+Bend in Evergreen, CO. 

Pictures courtesy of Basin+Bend. 

Joel Evans, CTU Board Member, featured in news report about saving the rainbow trout in Colorado

REPOST FROM KRTV.COM: 

Joel Evans has been fishing the same stretch of the Gunnison River in western Colorado for more than 40 years. Like most anglers in those parts, for him, one species of fish is king: the rainbow trout. 

Colorado wildlife officials working to save fish

But in the 1990s, that fight between fish and fisherman shifted to one between rainbow trout and a parasite that invaded Colorado rivers. It causes whirling disease, an aquatic plague where young fish are deformed, swim in circles and die of starvation. 
 
What does he like about them most? "There's a bit of fight involved," he said. since, Renzo DelPiccolo of Colorado Parks and Wildlife has been working to keep the rainbow trout alive through various breeding programs, but at great cost and with only limited success. He's seen a tenfold decrease in the fish's population. Ever

VIDEO: Reintroduction of Native Greenback Trout in Estes Park, CO

Join Alpine Anglers Trout Unlimited Chapter as they head out to the Big Thompson for a day of fishing. Learn about the important work going on in the area in regards to habitat restoration to help with the reintroduction of native Greenback Cutthroat Trout. Check out the great video below and learn more about what the chapter is doing here.

Learn about fishing the Big Thompson and other waters surrounding Estes Park, Colorado, along with the reintroduction of the Greenback Cutthroat Trout.

Summer issue of High Country Issue is out!

June 2018 Currents: Warmer weather means outdoor projects

A new issue of Currents is out. If you are subscribed to our emails, then check your inbox. If not, that's alright because we post it online as well (see link below)! 

Stories and topics in this issue:

Fraser Flats Section Now Open for Fishing: Learning by Doing

Greenback Recovery Projects Announced for 2018

ANGLERS ALL & BELOW THE CANOPY PRESENT: TRUCHON

Behind the Fin with John Aaron

BRISTOL BAY PUBLIC COMMENT

"HOOKED" a film about youth in Bristol Bay