November 2014 Newsletter

TERRITORIAL TROUT
TRIBUNE
And Piscatorial Post
November, 2014
www.grand-valley-anglers.org
NOTE MEETING PLACE—GRAND VISTA HOTEL
2790 CROSSROADS BLVD.
MEETING , NOV. 20, 2014 — GRAND VISTA HOTEL, 5:30 P.M.
Join us on Thursday, November
20th at the Grand Vista Hotel at
2790 Crossroads Blvd. for a terrific program by Bill Haggerty
on the “River of the Mother of
God” in the Peruvian Andes.
Bring a friend, and enjoy the
return of wild Bill Haggerty.
See page 3 for a preview of Bill’s
program
See you Thursday at The Grand
Vista!
Photo by Pat Oglesby
Page 2
www.grand-valley-anglers.org
FROM THE PRESIDENT
We are moving into a very busy
social season now for November
and December. Hopefully, you
will be able to find time to attend
our next meeting at the Grand
Vista Hotel Ballroom. This will be
our meeting place through April.
The Grand Vista is located on
Horizon Drive out by the airport.
We are in need of volunteers to
lead Grand Valley Anglers. This is
a chance for you to put your
stamp on the direction and character of the chapter. We have four
board positions and the Vice President and President positions
open. Please let Lew Evans, Harriet Matthews, or Tom Bell know if
you are interested in serving on
the GVA board.
The President runs the meetings
and assigns tasks as necessary.
This position is the one that keeps
all the fish moving in the same direction if possible. The President
represents GVA at Colorado TU
board meetings and is the official
spokesperson for the chapter. The
President generally serves two
one-year terms
The Vice President is the President
in training. This position can also
serve as the program coordinator
or membership chair for the chapter. The VP fills in when the President is absent. The VP generally
serves two one-year terms before
moving up to President.
Board members serve as needed
helping to lead the chapter and its
projects. One board member may
serve as the membership coordinator. One board member may serve
as the special projects or conservation chair. You need to realize that
being a member of the board is a
time consuming responsibility; this
is a working board. Board director
terms are for three years.
The Board meets on the second
Tuesday of the month. Please seriously consider joining us. Grand Valley Anglers belongs to the members.
You get to decide the direction we
go.
We had a great Fall Rendezvous
here in Grand Junction in October.
Those who attended got a lot of information about CTU and TU and
how chapters can work. There will
be another opportunity for leadership training at the Spring Rendezvous in Redstone in April. I hope
many of you will consider attending.
I have been honored to be President
of GVA these last two years. I hope
that I have made a difference for
trout and conservation in the Grand
Valley. I look forward to working
with the next President.
See you on the water.
Tilda Evans
[email protected]
970-683-8879
Page 3
www.grand-valley-anglers.org
NOVEMBER 20TH PROGRAM—BY BILL HAGGERTY
MADRE de DIOS
The River I want to feature at the upcoming TU meeting is the Madre de Dios ...
the River of the Mother of God. Originating at the foot of Machu Picchu high in
the Peruvian Andes, it is one of the headwater tributaries to the Amazon, and it's
one big mother of a river! I spent 11 days on the river with my son and a bunch
of wildlife biologists following a great four-day trek into Machu Picchu. The river
travels through the Manu National Park Biosphere, one of the most lush spots on
earth, inhabited by native aboriginal tribes, 600 species of birds, three-toed
sloths, a plethora of caimans (Amazonian crocodiles), huge, gorgeous jaguars and
six-foot-long endangered Giant River Otters that make caimans scurry for cover!
Feel like wetting a line in this river for a chance at landing a 100+ pound catfish??? They don't use chicken hackle for flies here - they use the whole chicken.
Of course, you may become bait for the otters or caimans....
Photo by Bill Haggerty
Page 4
www.grand-valley-anglers.org
EXPO NOTICE by TOM BELL
Expo 17 will be coming up on March 28, 2015 so it is time to begin
thinking about donations for the bucket raffle, silent auction, and the
evening auction.
Western Anglers has again agreed to accept and store donations until
Expo. We would like to have quality donations in the bucket raffle. One or two dozen flies in a box would be good, maybe with a personal angle such as flies for "Paco" or for "Grand Mesa", etc.
We also need contacts for asking for donations from venders, guides, fly
shops, etc. A personal approach is much preferred over a phone call or
mail which is often tossed, hung up, or deleted.
Please contact Tom Bell at [email protected] or 970-2613342 if you can help or have ideas or suggestions.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
Here lies poor Thompson, all alone,
As dead and cold as any stone.
In wading in the river Nith,
He took a cold, which stopp’d his breath.
He fish’d the stream for ten years past,
Death caught him in his net at last.
~ Written on a tombstone in Dumphries, England
Quoted by Tim Ben in The (Almost) Complete Angler (1988)
Page 5
www.grand-valley-anglers.org
SPECIAL PROJECTS by BILL GRAHAM
Silver Lake Project – The proposed project at Silver Lake on Grand Mesa is on hold as we
wait for the Forest Service to allow us to install a bridge across the inlet and place gravel for
spawning in the stream where it enters the lake. Grayling and cutthroats have been observed spawning in the limited habitat and we intend to provide more spawning area. We
are also considering planting willows to stabilize the banks where the springs cut across an
old beaver dam before entering Silver Lake.
West Creek – Reports of fishing success are mixed but mostly we hear of poor fishing results. CPW recently electroshocked to conduct population studies and the results were similar to what they found last spring—dismal. The biologists are puzzled by the low population
of trout above the petroleum spill area. It is unknown if the spill is directly responsible for
the low fish numbers or if there are other factors involved. CPW biologist, Lori Martin, will
provide us with the results when she has compiled the data. Don’t forget to provide John
Trammell with the results of your fishing experience for his on-going data collection. He
can be reached at 243-4304 or
[email protected].
Gunnison Gorge Flows – The GVA board received a draft letter from CTU to the USBR regarding spring Gunnison Gorge flows and will provide a response.
Bob Armstrong, John Trammell and Bill Graham measuring the width of the inlet at Silver
Lake at the proposed foot bridge site, summer 2014
Photo by Pat Oglesby
www.grand-valley-anglers.org
Page 6
Thank you for your service and volunteering.
It is that time of the year where we give thanks to our veterans both past and present in a
time honored tradition on Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2014. We honor them currently
by giving them a recreational therapy program that hopefully helps them fulfill whatever
empty spot is present and forget about those things that are best left unsaid. Thank you.
Congratulation’s goes out to Richard Wright and Dawn Gwin for taking second place in
their categories at the Second Annual Project Healing Waters Fly Tying contest. Our Veterans work very hard to improve their skills at tying and it is with great honor that Project
Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. will be sending these two participants to the International
Fly Tying Symposium in Somerset, NJ on November 21st, 2014. What a long way they have
come from their initial beginnings in the program. RW submitted this beautiful Salmon Fly
among three others that helped path the way to his success. He has been a long time tier
and has had much experience. Five years ago January, Dawn Gwin did not even know
what fly fishing was. But, she has become an avid tier and student of Jim Patton and others, along with the other Veteran’s in PHWFF.
Left, salmon fly by Richard Wright
Below, parachute by Dawn Gwin
Photos by Pat Oglesby
Continued on Page 7
www.grand-valley-anglers.org
Page 7
PROJECT HEALING WATERS CONT. By Dawn Gwin
Project Healing Water’s Grand Junction would like to invite you to join us on December 8th, 2014 for a WHITE ELEPHANT and POTLUCK dinner at the ELKS LODGE at 5:30
pm. There will be pro-fly tying demonstrations, time to peruse before dinner and a $5
dollar donation for a door prize drawing. Family is welcome and drinks will be available at the bar.
Items such as:
Oil Painting, Veteran Made Quilts, Veteran Made Custom Fly Rods, Pro and Veteran
tied flies, and more will be available for silent bidding at that time. Oh, and yes, we do
have a float tube that’s been donated for those who are interested…there could be
more.
Dinner will begin between 6:00 – 6:30 pm, we plan to wrap up by 8:30 pm. So, there is
no rush but we certainly would love to see you all there, to help support a great
cause,” Project Healing Waters Grand Junction.” This is a great opportunity to come
and meet our new Veteran’s as well, that have joined us over the past year.
Looking forward to seeing you there,
Dawn Gwin,Project Lead
PHWFF GJ 970-314-4400
Page 8
www.grand-valley-anglers.org
YOUTH EDUCATION by KIRK RIDER
In 2013, GVA sponsored a Trout in the Classroom project at the John McConnell Math and Science Center.
The Center is an independent educational organizational located at 2660 Unaweep Avenue. The center offers hands-on math and science learning to students from all of Western
Colorado. According to TripAdvisor, it’s also the third-ranked attraction in Grand Junction,
behind such attractions as the Colorado National Monument.
200 fertilized trout eggs were placed in cooled, filtered and aerated tank last November. All
the equipment was bought by GVA, and set up by GVA volunteers. The students in charge of
the project (A fifth-grade class at New Emerson School) kept logs of water chemistry in the
tank, fish development, mortality, etc., for the school year. These logs were maintained daily
through the year.
Only about 10 fish survived to the present, due to a chemistry upset condition last spring that persisted for 2-3 weeks. At least, we hope this helped drive home the
importance of environmental conditions on fish survival in a very pointed way.
This November, a new shipment of fertilized eggs will be delivered to repeat this project at the
Center, and the lessons learned last year should bring some improved results in terms of fish
survival. The cost to GVA this year will be nominal, with most of the equipment carrying over
from last year. The Center has purchased and installed new filtration media, and conditions in
the tank should be optimal when the new eggs arrive. The cost of the eggs will be the main
expense, plus some replacement insulation to keep the tank dark and cool during the incubation period. GVA members should pay a visit to the Center, not just to visit this project but to
see the fascinating assortment of hands-on learning displays there. The fish display will be
more interesting in January and later months, when the eggs have hatched and tiny trout are
swimming around the 55-gallon tank.
No mention of Trout in the Classroom would be complete without acknowledging the immense contributions of Sharon Lance, a CTU stalwart, who single-handedly established Trout
in the Classroom in Colorado.
Newly hatched alevins in the
aquarium, 2013.
Photo by Pat Oglesby
www.grand-valley-anglers.org
Page 9
GRAND JUNCTION PARADE OF LIGHTS
Colorado West Slope Fly Fishing invites GVA members to participate in the Parade of Lights
on December 6th. They currently have 3 drift boats they will decorate with lights and fill with
anglers. If you want to get some exercise you can dress in your waders and escort the drift
boats down main street. This is an opportunity to represent the local community of fly fishing, GVA and CWSFF. For information on time to meet, location and other details, contact
Jeff McKenna at 970-778-2906 or [email protected] .
Colorado West Slope Fly Fishing is a social network started about 2 years ago to share fishing
photos, current reports & other fun local happenings. We are in the process of looking at focusing on and encouraging more local events and projects that not only encourage growth
in the sport of fly fishing, but also hoping to create community awareness in projects to protect nearby watersheds. Colorado West Slope Fly Fishing can be found on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter with a website in design and production as we speak.
#coloradowestslopeflyfishing #cwsff
Photos by Jeff McKenna
www.grand-valley-anglers.org
Page 10
FLY OF THE MONTH—ARTICULATED RAINBOW BAIT FISH
By Matthew James
Growing up in the Midwest, I have been fishing for as long as I can remember. My love of fly
fishing and fly tying started 12 years ago while catching smallmouth bass. I have lived in
Colorado now for 7 years where trout rivers, creeks and lakes have taken my passion in a
new direction. When I am now working at Western Anglers, you can find me walking the
banks or floating down the rivers of the western slope.
If you have questions about this fly or want to order a dozen, call Matt at Western Anglers
or stop by 413 Main Street. (970)244-8658
Open Monday-Saturday 9:30 to 5:30; Sunday 11-3
Photo by Matt James
MATERIALS
Hook:
Thread:
Hook Connection:
Head:
Rib:
Body Top:
Body Side:
Body Bottom:
Tail :
Dai Riki #700 size 4 or 6
Ultra thread 210d (olive)
Intruder wire (med.) and Troutbead 6mm (red)
Fish Skull Bait Fish Head (medium, chartreuse) & bucktail (olive & pink)
Ultra wire (small, olive)
Rabbit strips (golden olive)
Krystal Flash (pink)
Ice Dub (pearl red hue)
Marabou (white & olive)
Instructions on following page
Continued on Page 11
www.grand-valley-anglers.org
Page 11
FLY OF THE MONTH, CONT.– ARTICULATED RAINBOW BAIT
FISH by Matthew James
RECIPE
1. With thread started wrap until bend of hook and add white marabou
2. Add wire next
3. Add olive rabbit strip
4. Add pink flash to both sides of the hook
5. Add crystal dubbing and wrap forward to eye of hook
6. Tie in pink flash the length of hook
7. Tie in rabbit strip at eye of hook
8. Wrap the wire around everything until you get to the eye of the hook
9. Pick out the rabbit strip where the wire has pinched it down
10. Use backing with a bead on it to tie this hook to the next one though the eye of the
next hook and wrap tightly.
11.With thread started wrap until bend of hook and add white marabou
12. Add wire next
13. Add olive rabbit strip
14. Add pink flash to both sides of the hook
15. Add crystal dubbing and wrap forward to eye of hook
16. Tie in pink flash the length of hook
17. Tie in rabbit strip at eye of hook
18. Wrap the wire around everything until you get to the eye of the hook
19. Pick out the rabbit strip where the wire has pinched it down
20. Add pink marabou to the underside of the fly
21. Add olive hair to head of fly on top
22. Glue in fish skull, glue on eyes to fish skull
23. Wrap thread between fish skull and eye of hook creating a thread dam.
21. Whip finish & tie off.
www.grand-valley-anglers.org
Page 12
NEWS FROM WESTERN ANGLERS by JEFF McKENNA
Photos by Jeff
McKenna
At this time, we'd like to extend a permanent discount of 15% to all Grand Valley Anglers,
Trout Unlimited Members and Project Healing Waters from Western Anglers. Jerry, Keith, Matt
and I welcome this and we really hope to grow not only the store but the community of fly
fishing in Grand Junction. All we ask is that members inform us and that we get the chance to
meet them when they come into the shop. The winter fly tying demos begin with Tim Jacobs
on December 6th, 10am. events.
We currently have Simms boots
and waders on sale, and new
products arriving all the time.
We are going to start intro and
advanced fly tying classes.
Western Anglers Facebook page
is the best way to stay updated
on sales, new products and
events.
Colorado West Slope Fly Fishing
is another Facebook page that
Jeff and Matt do that shows off
pictures and stories of the people
who fish the west slope.
Western Anglers Discount to Grand Valley Anglers and
Project Healing Waters Members
Jerry Schaeffer and his staff, Keith Hutchinson, Jeff McKenna and Matt James announce a discount of 15% off retail prices for GVA and PHW members. They will also price match any other
retail outlet in town. No reason to shop anywhere else with these special offerings. Western
Anglers has always been a huge supporter of GVA and we should show our appreciation by
giving them our business. Thanks guys!
www.grand-valley-anglers.org
Page 13
Member of Trout Unlimited: Conserving, Protecting
and Restoring North America’s Coldwater Fisheries
and their watersheds;
Grand Valley Anglers
P.O. Box 4451
Grand Jct., CO 81502
Affiliate of the International Federation of Fly Fishers:
Conserving, Restoring and Educating through fly
fishing.
Territorial Trout Tribune & Piscatorial Post
Editor: Carol Oglesby
[email protected]
To submit articles, photos, news or a fly of the
month, please email the editor.
This is your newsletter—please help by contributing a
Fly of The Month, a story, picture, or article of interest
to the GVA group. Email your item to the Editor, Carol
Oglesby, at
[email protected].
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Nov. 20—GVA Meeting, Grand Vista Hotel
Dec. 18—Fishmas Party
Thanks to everyone who helped with this month’s
news!
I welcome input for the newsletter!
Contact Tilda Evans for info:
[email protected]
970-683-8879
VISIT THE GRAND VALLEY ANGLERS FACEBOOK PAGE
Add your input. Like us and send updates about your recent fishing activities,
pictures, etc.
ABOUT G.V.A.
Grand Valley Anglers meets the third Thursday of each Month at 5:30 p.m. October through April . May
through September picnic meetings are held at Sherwood Park, 3rd St. & E. Sherwood Dr. in the shelter
on the south side of the Park, parking adjacent to the shelter. The public is invited.
Board Meetings are held the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. at Bray & Co. Real Estate, 244 North
7th St., Grand Jct. Members are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Officers:
Tilda Evans, President
Steve McCall Vice-President
Harriet Matthews Sec./Treas.
Lew Evans, Past-President
Board Members:
Tom Bell, Dave Bogott, Sarah Catlin, Dawn Gwin, Bill Graham, Charlie Hensel, Jon Gartz, Harriet Matthews, Jim Patton, Kirk Rider
Newsletter Editor: Carol Oglesby