5 tips for fishing the drought

Water temperatures are important to monitor when fishing in the summer. Trout are a coldwater species and therefore respond negatively to warming waters. Need more information about fishing, stream flows. rigging, and locations? Check out our "Go Fish" page.

This winter was certainly a tough one for Colorado. Whether you fish small creeks in the high country, irrigate your crops on the Western Slope, or water your lawn in central Denver, we will all be feeling the impacts of the low-water year. According to the latest SNOWTEL analysis offered by the NRCS National Water and Climate Center the percentage of snow-water equivalent (SWE) in Colorado currently ranges from 5% to 44% of normal. While it is true that hydrologic conditions can differ from drainage to drainage – with some areas seeing minimal impact from the low snow totals – overall,

Colorado will see less water in the creeks and rivers this year. Anglers, irrigators, ranchers, municipalities, and recreationalists will all feel the pain this summer, but we are not the only ones. Low flows and hotter days can have serious impacts on fish. With less water and warmer temperatures, the dissolved oxygen content within a stream reach can fluctuate significantly – meaning less holding capacity for fish and bugs. These tough conditions can also affect spawning, migration, and recovery (for example, after being released off the hook).

As anglers, we wait all winter to chase trout during the warmer seasons, but how can we pursue that goal and not over-stress our fisheries? We reached out to our fly shop partners around Colorado and posed that very question:

State Drought Monitor website.

The Tips

The fish and wildlife will continue to adapt to these changing conditions, but we can certainly do our part to help them adjust. Take this year as an opportunity to explore new watersheds, improve your handling practices, and better understand your local streams. If you have questions about when and where to fish, you can always ask your local fly shop. 

CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION

• Trout Tips: Fly Fishing Lakes and Deeper Water

• CPW offers fishing in reservoirs to avoid the warming streams

• Picking the right time to fish in Durango, CO

• San Luis Valley Chapter asks for voluntary fishing restrictions

---

About the Author

Dan Omasta is the Grassroots Coordinator for Colorado Trout Unlimited, overseeing 24 chapters across the state. 

Cold Water 1: If it's good for the fish, then it's good for the beer.

Pictured: A glass of Cold Water 1, right from the tap. It's a lightly hopped pilsner with tones of mountain sage and wild currant (where the deep red color comes from). 

Odell Brewing in Fort Collins has become a valued friend of Trout Unlimited and the Rocky Mountain Flycasters Chapter. They recognize the benefit their business derives from low cost, high quality water. Equally important, many of their patrons enjoy and recreate on the rivers and streams that we are so committed to protecting or improving. They have been generous supporters of our work, and we both have come to realize that ‘If it’s good for fish, it’s good for beer’!

Recently, we received an invite to come into the brewery and craft a beer in honor of TU and specifically, the launch of the long-awaited Poudre Headwaters Greenback Restoration Project. On May 30th, members of Rocky Mountain Flycasters and US Forest Service met at Odell Brewing to craft a new beer to celebrate both the Poudre Headwaters Project and TU.

While many of us involved in crafting the beer enjoy the post-production product, none of us were well-schooled in the details of making beer. Marni Wahlquist, a head pilot brewer at Odell Brewing, guided us through every step of the approximate six-hour brewing process. Our first decision was to decide on type and flavor profile of the beer. Following discussion, we settled on a lightly hopped pilsner with tones of mountain sage and wild currant. The two-row barley used in the pilsner paid homage to the agricultural community from which the project has evolved. In keeping with a high mountain stream theme, we settled on a name for the beer – Cold Water 1. The name refers to a grading system used by State agencies to describe aquatic habitat. 

“Cold Water 1 references the highest level of stream water quality. Cold and fresh, just like beer should be!”

Pictured left to right: Matt Fairchild, USFS Fisheries Biologist and Project Lead; Mickey McGuire RMF President; Wil Huett RMF; Dick Jefferies, CTU Board Vice President

Fast forward to July 1st. A warm, sunny day. Perfect weather for the Cold Water 1 release party at Odell Brewing. While the party was scheduled for 1pm, I was determined to be at Odell when they opened to insure a chance at the first draw of our newly crafted beer. While not a beer aficionado, I find it to be refreshing, lightly hopped, a bit fruity but not overpowering, with a hint of sage on the nose after swallow. Cold and fresh! Just like beer should be. Just like streams should be.It is a beer that reminds us all – If it’s good for fish, it’s good for beer.

Check out Odell Brewing Co. and you can try the new beer at the location in Fort Collins.

Written by Dick Jefferies, CTU Board Vice President

Youth get outdoors at the river conservation and fly fishing camp

ALMONT, CO – Have you ever wanted to learn more about the lifecycles of aquatic insects? Or new techniques for fly tying and casting? Perhaps you have always wanted to tour a fish hatchery, or learn more about river conservation. Well, sixteen youth had that very opportunity this past month. From June 10 to June 16, teens from across Colorado came together at the Silent Spring Resort in Almont, CO, for the 10th Annual Colorado TU Youth Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp.

Organized by CTU staff and volunteers, the week-long camp offers unique, hands-on opportunities to learn about bugs, hydrology, fly-tying, casting, knots, reading water, and safe wading techniques. This year, campers also enjoyed presentations from outside speakers that included: water law, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, a tour of ranch land near Gothic, CO by the Crested Butte Land Trust, and a walk-through of the Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery. The week was capped off with a willow-planting project on the Gunnison River, some great fishing, and a private screening of the Fly Fishing Film Tour, made possible by Mayfly Media.

In addition to becoming better anglers, these young adults learned the importance of conservation and the impact it has on their favorite waters. Campers also made life-long friends and connected with a whole new watershed. The CTU Youth Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp has now completed a decade of getting youth out on the water and teaching the next generation of anglers. We are proud to see so many students returning year after year as counselors, sharing what they learned and inspiring their peers.

This camp would not be possible without the generous support of our chapters and partners. We would especially like to thank the Silent Spring Resort and staff for your amazing hospitality and great venue, the Colorado Rod Makers Reunion, the CTU River Stewardship Council, the Sharon Lance Youth Fund, and Mayfly Media. You can see more pictures from the camp by visiting: https://coloradotu.org/youth-conservation-and-fly-fishing-camp

For more information about the 2019 CTU Youth Conversation and Fly Fishing Camp, please contact Dan Omasta, domasta@tu.org.

What's in a drought? That which we call a drought.

Rafters enjoy floating down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Boating down the Colorado River below Havasu Creek in Grand Canyon National Park. NPS photo by Mark Lellouch.

A report published by the Colorado River Research Group takes a look at the word "drought" and why it might be time to retire its usage based on the data seen from the Colorado River Basin.

“Drought: a period of dryness especially when prolonged; specifically : one that causes extensive damage to crops or prevents their successful growth”

— Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Water is a hot commodity for ranchers across Colorado.

A sign advertising a water sale sits on a farm outside Del Norte, Colorado. Luke Runyon / HARVEST PUBLIC MEDIA

According to that definition, a drought refers to a period of time which would mean there is a beginning and a foreseeable end. What we are noticing in Colorado is a drought that seems to have no end. That's why scientists from Arizona, Utah, California, Colorado, and Michigan are starting to label the changes we have seen in the Colorado River Basin as aridification. It's true that the word does not share the same one-syllable punch that drought delivers, but the research groups says that it better defines what is happening to the area.

“aridification: the gradual change of a region from a wetter to a drier climate, often measured as the reduction of average soil moisture content”

— Merriam-Webster Dictionary

A riverbed dried up along the Rio Grande.

What this study suggests is that the years upon years of weather patterns we have seen in Colorado are pointing to a larger trend that is simply more than just a temporary drought or warming. If you are interested in learning more, you can read the full report with the link below. As always, what do you think? Is it time to start calling a spade a spade?

Other topics addressed in the report include: 

• Measuring the likelihood of future megadroughts in terms of low soil moisture
• What studies say about the "dust on snow" phenomenon
• What are two possible new normals based on climate models, trends, and Colorado population demand and growth

Read the Full Report here: 

When is Drought Not a Drought?  Drought, Aridification, and the "New Normal" (March 2018) 

P.S. Did you catch the Shakespeare reference?

CTU Executive Director David Nickum on air with Terry Wickstrom

Executive Director of Colorado Trout Unlimited David Nickum joins The Fan 104.3 with Terry Wickstrom to talk about CPW funding to renew places to fish, as well as to update Terry on warm water river flows. Listen to the full interview below or read the article here.

Check out more interviews on 104.3

Landmark Agreement Protects Iconic Maroon & Castle Creeks

In a major victory for free-flowing rivers and Aspen’s famed Maroon Bells, Colorado Trout Unlimited (CTU) and American Rivers announced today that they signed an agreement with the City of Aspen to stop the development of two unnecessary new dams.

Since 2016, Aspen had been advancing a proposal to develop a 155-foot dam on Maroon Creek and a 170-foot dam on Castle Creek in the shadow of the Maroon Bells. The dams would have flooded private property as well as federally protected land in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area, one of the most visited and photographed valleys in Colorado. Anglers adventuring up from the Roaring Fork also visit the area to fish for wild brook and cutthroat trout.

Maroon Lake reflecting the Maroon Bells, in the upper Maroon Creek valley.

“Sacrificing the places that make Colorado great is the wrong answer for meeting future water needs,” said David Nickum, Executive Director of Colorado Trout Unlimited. “We appreciate the City of Aspen making this commitment to meet its water supply needs while protecting these much-loved valleys and creeks, and the wild trout that call them home.”

In December 2016, American Rivers and Colorado Trout Unlimited filed statements of opposition with the Colorado Water Court regarding Aspen’s application to continue conditional water rights to pursue construction of the dams. Aspen’s own 2016 water availability report clearly stated that the city did not need the two dams for municipal water supply or climate resiliency.

In the new agreement, Aspen commits to moving the water storage rights out of the Castle and Maroon Creek valleys forever, to alternate locations that won’t damage river health. CTU and American Rivers retained the ability to engage in federal and land use permitting for those proposed alternate sites, should Aspen move forward with the projects in the future – so that river advocates can ensure impacts at those locations are mitigated.

“This is a significant victory for rivers in Colorado,” said Matt Rice, Colorado River Basin Director for American Rivers. “We applaud the City of Aspen for working with the conservation community to find more sustainable and cost-effective water supply solutions. Thanks to the hard work and persistence of so many people who love this special place, these creeks will be protected forever from harmful new dams.”

CTU benefited from generous pro bono representation from the law firm of Patrick, Miller and Noto. We are grateful for their help in making this settlement possible.

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.