High Country Angler | Winter 24

winter winter 20 20

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THE CYCLE OF LIFE LANDON MAYER

THE MIRACLE MILE BRIAN LA RUE

RETURN OF THE NATIVES RESTORING STRONGHOLDS FOR COLORADO’S NATIVE TROUT

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WINTER 2024 VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 1

MAGAZINE CONTENTS 08

THE CYCLE OF LIFE

14

YOU’VE NEVER FISHED THE MILE?

24 28 32 36 38 44 46

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BY LANDON MAYER

BY BRIAN LA RUE

CTU RIVER CONSERVATION & FLY FISHING CAMP

BY COLORADO TU STAFF

RETURN OF THE NATIVES

BY COLORADO TU STAFF

RODEO OF A DIFFERENT KIND

BY JOEL EVANS

FOOLS AND BEARS

BY HAYDEN MELSOP

EURO NYMPHING PART 3

BY PETER STITCHER

HALFWAY GREEN DRAKE

BY JOEL EVANS

NON-NATIVE SPECIES

BY JOHN NICKUM

High Country Angler • Winter 2024

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HCA Staff P U B LISHER S

J ac k Tallo n & Frank M ar tin

C O NTENT C ONSU LTANT L ando n M ayer

EDITO R IAL

Frank M ar t i n, M anagi ng Editor f rank@ hc am agaz ine.co m Landon Mayer, Editorial Consultant Ruthie Mar tin, Editor

ADV ER TISING

B r i an L a R ue, S ales & M a r keting b r ian@ hc am agaz i ne.co m D i rec t : ( 303) 502- 4019 M ar k Shulm an, Ad S ales Cell: ( 303) 668- 2591 m ar k@ hc am agaz i ne.co m

DESIG N

David M ar tin, Creative Direc tor & Graphic D esigner

P HOTO G RAP HY

Frank Martin, Landon Mayer, Brian LaRue, Angus Drummond

STAF F WRITER S

Frank Martin, Landon Mayer, Brian LaRue, Joel Evans, David Nickum, John Nickum, Peter Stitcher Copyright 2017, High Country Angler, a division of High Country Publications, LLC. All rights reserved. Reprinting of any content or photos without expressed written consent of publisher is prohibited. Published four (4) times per year.

To add your shop or business to our distribution list, contact Frank Martin at frank@hcamagazine.com.

D i str i buted by H i gh Countr y Publi cati ons, L LC 730 Popes Valley D r i ve Colorad o Spr i ngs, Colorad o 809 1 9 FA X 719-593-0040 Published in cooperation with Colorado Trout Unlimited 1536 Wynkoop Street, Suite 320 Denver, CO 80202 www.coloradotu.org

ON THE COVER: LANDON MAYER AND HIS SON, RIVER MAYER

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Winter 2024 • High Country Angler

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THE CYCLE OF LIFE

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High Country Angler • Winter 2024

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by Landon Mayer www.HCAezine.com

Winter 2024 • High Country Angler

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M

idges are an essential food supply for trout, top to bottom, because they are found yearround. This makes imitation of this insect a must for all anglers in every season, not just winter.

My favorite way to approach a cold day in the water, imitating this menu, is what I call the “cycle of life.”

Matching a midge lifecycle can determine whether you have a successful day. A great example is having insulated skies the evening before, causing it to be 10 to 15° warmer in the morning and throughout the day of fishing. It is expected that more hatching midges in these warm conditions will make adults, emerging pupas, and larvae on the bottom available to all fish. On a cold day with less heat, there may be fewer

midges hatching, making larva and pupa the most important stage of life to imitate.

Matching Midges

A significant advantage to the chilly months is not having to dissect a complex hatch to find what food supply the fish prefer. A majority of the trout’s diet will consist of Midges with a side order of Baetis if they are available. The first component of the Midge mystery is size and silhouette. You want to match the natural midge, or downsize by one followed by the proper shape, which for Midges means thinner is better. Most of the larvae, pupae and adults are skinny.

The second part of the equation is the color scheme—finding the right color for the job based DAVID CHORPENNING AND HIS SON COLTON SHARE A on the trout’s reaction to your MOMENT LANDING IN THIS BEAUTIFUL BROWN TROUT. flies. I usually start with a confident color like red or a red ribbed midge (Tube Midge #18-20-22) as my main fly. Then, with my second dropper fly, start with a dark color (Dorsey’s Flash Back Black Beauty #18-22, Blindside Midge #18-22) and use this as a changing station throughout the day. This makes it easy to retie and find what color the fish will prefer.

The third and final step is deciding what stage of life the Midges or Baetis are in while the fish target them. To simplify this, it will usually be the larva or nymph near the bottom of the river. Try an emerging pupa, or nymph like (Craven’s Ju Ju Baetis #18-20-22, Henderson’s M and M# 18-24, brown Johnny Flash #18-20) just below the water's surface or near the middle water column. Finalize with adults (Griffith’s Gnat #18-24, Matt’s Midge #18-24) on the surface during the insulated warm, cloudy days winter can deliver.

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High Country Angler • Winter 2024

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Powder Days Deliver When people take to the slopes as a low front sets in and heavy clouds produce heavy snowfalls, this is also the productive time to take a trip for some of the best midge action. Unlike sunny conditions, the thick clouds insulate the air, causing warm temperatures for most of the day—not just the afternoon hours.

In addition to the warmth, trout feel more secure with the cover from clouds and dark water, encouraging them to gorge on the heavy hatches. When you hit the right conditions, slow down, knowing that the clouds can challenge sight fishing. Even actively rising trout can be difficult to see as the snow falls.

The dark clouds can supply great viewing lanes and windows to spot trout. Pay attention to the color of the sky and always face the clouds as they move in.

This will place a dark glare on the water's surface, allowing you easier visibility to find feeding targets. If the clouds are consistently light, your lanes and windows will be reduced, making your viewing lane only 5-10 feet before you.

The shallow waters on any tailwater are usually the

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first section of the river to warm up, causing lethargic trout to migrate there looking for daily meals. While it can be advantageous for anglers to gain a visual of feeding trout, the flip side is that the fish can also see better, allowing them to investigate everything on your rig. The following tips are techniques I live by during the winter months for success with wary trout.

Weight Beyond the Bead Midges possess some of the slimmest profiled bodies compared to other food supplies in a trout’s diet, so when you buy or tie an imitation, you want to keep it slim. Bead is a favorite way to achieve weight on a fly, but sometimes they take the pattern over and destroy the slim profile. I prefer using midges with weight supplied with synthetic materials to the body: wire, tubing, cement, beads, or weighted dubbing.

I tie my Tube Midge (Umpqua Flies) by adding wire to the body. Not only is it heavier, but it is also highly durable and can stand the test of catching numerous trout, not just one before it falls apart. I even go as far as applying superglue to the thorax or body of

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Winter 2024 • High Country Angler

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my midges to ensure they will last. Using the slim flies without a split shot, and matched with a small clear thingamabober, or white indicator, you now have one of the best natural rigs to deliver the fly to the trout.

Attention to detail is important when dealing with fine tippets like 6-7 x and tiny flies. I encourage anglers to check their rigs every three casts, or whenever they think they have touched the river bottom. Even a small piece of vegetation can cover your imitation, preventing the trout from seeing the next meal. The most common way to clean a rig is by lifting the flies out of the water and clearing your rig by hand. Yes, this does work, but in cold temps, your fingers will become numb fast, and it causes unnecessary movement above the water that can cause fish to spook.

The fly slap is a more productive way to keep your flies clean. Performed below or above the water where the trout is holding with only one foot of line out past the rod tip, perform fast circular motions with the rod, causing the fly or flies to slap the surface at the end of each rotation. After two or three rotations, you will clean your imitations and return to presenting to the target.

but the color change will allow your fly to stand out against the natural. Trout sees more of a silhouette of the fly than color, which is why matching the size is the most important step in fly selection.

It is incredible how much you can learn during the winter season with midges in hand. Not only do you have a better view of the trout, but seeing all the fish’s movements will teach you a lot about the natural behavior of a feeding fish, and the best way to approach each presentation. As the midge is the only food supply that actively hatches all year, these tips can be used during every season, and the techniques can be applied during different hatches and disciplines yearround. Try these tips the next time you are looking at the forecast and wondering what day is best for your trip.

Top Water Success Tipping and sipping is the name of the game when trout are feeding on the midge adults known to blanket the water’s surface. The best top water imitation for the selective and slow-moving trout is the Griffith’s Gnat. With a slim body and dense hackle viewed from below, this fly mimics the body and legs of an adult midge perfectly. The only disadvantage is keeping track of our flies when surrounded by dozens of natural adults.

A trick that I have used for years is tying the hackle on the body using orange, pink, or red dyed grizzly. They will still keep the exact profile of the natural Griffith’s Gnat, 12

High Country Angler • Winter 2024

About Landon Landon Mayer is a veteran Colorado guide and author of several books. His newest book, Guide Flies: Easy-to-Tie Patterns for Tough Trout, can be purchased on his website at www.landonmayerflyfishing.com. You can follow Landon on Instagram at @landonmayerflyfishing.

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Winter 2024 • High Country Angler

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YOU’VE NEVER FISHED THE MILE?

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High Country Angler • Winter 2024

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by Brian La Rue www.HCAezine.com

Winter 2024 • High Country Angler

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T

he Miracle Mile, otherwise known as the Mile, for simplicity among my friends and locals in Wyoming, is one of those fisheries that everybody knows, 95% of the angling community has probably fished at one point, but there are a few fly fishers here and there that have never wet a line there. Well, maybe 2024 is the time you check it off your bucket list, or if you know it well, sneak out for a shot at a behemoth, and my friends have a deal for you!

As part of the North Platte River, this Blue Ribbon trout factory runs for about five to nine miles— depending on the water year—from Seminoe to Pathfinder Reservoir. Like any major fishery in the Rockies, you can count on rainbows and browns, but here they grow ‘em big. Quality and quantity are both present, with as many as 4,000 fish per mile and the average trout 16-21 inches, but 26+ inchers are caught every year.

With all these plus-sized rainbows and browns, what is it going to take to get into them this winter and spring? Well, it’s been a few years since I had my 16

High Country Angler • Winter 2024

ankle reconstructed, fishing from a drift boat with crutches and a non-weight-bearing boot with Erik and Trent from North Platte Lodge on the Grey Reef, but I knew they also know the Miracle Mile like the backs of their hands, so I reached out for this feature!

“The cool thing about Grey Reef and Miracle Mile is that they are tailwaters and do not have runoff,” said Erik Aune at North Platte Lodge https://northplatteflyfishing.com/north-platte-lodge/.

“We thrive year-round with the ultra-tailwater scenario,” said Aune. “The snowpack of the Snowies and Sierra Madres are well upstream—yet south—of Seminoe Reservoir, the first reservoir in the system. Seminoe is a million-acre-foot impoundment, and is responsible for capturing the sediment out of the middle and lower North Platte River reservoir archipelago.

“From Seminoe, the river immediately enters Kortes Reservoir, a skinny lake with plenty of current through a granite canyon that offers very little in the way of sediment. The Miracle Mile section of the North Platte River then pops out of the hydro units www.HCAezine.com

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High Country Angler • Winter 2024

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Winter 2024 • High Country Angler

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of Kortes Dam. The term Miracle Mile was coined

by Curt Gowdy and really referred to the uppermost part of the short tailwater, and is affectionately called "The Mile” by locals.

“This region of the system, including Seminoe, Kortes, Pathfinder, Alcova and Grey Reef Reservoirs has a pretty unique circumstance with a dry climate,” added Aune. “There are also no mountain ranges to collect runoff quantities of snow, and there is a bunch of solid and dissolved granite. These all combine to filter and settle sediment. Of the five tailwaters very close to and out the front door of The Reef Fly Shop and North Platte Lodge, all will experience increased flows at intervals during the season.

This is due to a myriad of factors, including moving water through the system to stage for runoff entering Seminoe, to irrigation water destined for the corn in Nebraska, to power struggles between the Army 20

High Country Angler • Winter 2024

Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation.”

Now that you have the lay of the land, let’s get to the fishing conditions you might find if you venture out anytime soon.

“In winter and spring, flows are mundane throughout the entirety of the system, as the Miracle Mile and Grey Reef settle into a 500 cfs program.

Flows in the Mile will often increase prior to the Grey Reef flushing flows, to make plenty of room in Seminoe and replenish/repay Nebraska for the "wasted" water from Pathfinder that was pumped down Grey Reef to move silt from the critical trout spawning habitat. Long story short is that flows increase based on demand, and we love big water. Sediment is only an issue when we get a heavy/wet spring snow that melts fast, or a gully washer that lands right on top of us. Miracle Mile is nearly immune to dirty water, but muddy and drifty road access is an issue in snowy or www.HCAezine.com

wet periods.

“Winter and spring Miracle Mile access is best done via the Alcova/Grey Reef side. After rains, snowstorms, or wind events after it snows-- just don't go,” said Aune. “Kortes Road is an improved gravel road and an easy 30-minute drive from the shop, but it can turn into a survival event when conditions are poor. There is little-to-no cell service and very few inhabitants happen along when you get stuck in a huge drift or slide into a muddy ditch.

“The great thing is you have a few awesome fallbacks to fish if your Miracle Mile destination is not prudent,” continued Aune. “Stick around the rustic comforts of Alcova with provisions from the Sunset Bar, Sloanes General Store, and The Reef Fly Shop, Cottages & RV. Even when highway 220 is closed, you have bomber access to fish Grey Reef and grab a burger and beer from the Sunset.”

Okay, be cautious; got it, Erik! But what are the fish going to eat and what patterns should we tie or stock up on for the cooler months ahead when we do hit the Mile?

“Miracle Mile is not a mystery to fish in the winter and spring, but it isn't for the faint of heart,” says Aune. “At 6,000 feet and exposed, an outing on the river here can be a cold and windy endeavor. It can equally be gorgeous with warm sun, calm conditions, clear water and active fish.

“Nymphing is the MO, although all disciplines should be considered and in your arsenal,” said Aune. “Standard Mile nymph rigs will consist of worms, leeches, midges, scuds and crawdads. We tend to fish a pretty short and moderately heavy twofly rig during winter/spring flows.

“A 4- to 7-foot leader with only enough weight to get you in the zone is the key, but still keep you off of the bottom,” says Aune. “Daily midge hatches and relatively warm water keep the trout bustling and occasionally looking up. The Mile has plenty of current and midstream structure as well.

“Wading is possible, but there are slippery boulders and large cobblestones to give you an education,” added Aune. “Make sure you are solidly planted before taking your next step. Most Mile anglers have had a swim or two...she's slick and trippy. The Mile is also notorious for pinning your rigs under rocks, so make sure you come with plenty of bugs.” www.HCAezine.com

When The Reef Fly Shop and North Platte Lodge guide crew fish the Miracle Mile this time of year, they are typically throwing streamers while wading and making long casts across the runs and way down in the tailouts (since edge structure is mostly nonexistent), according to Aune.

“Try all speeds as you drift, swing, jig, and try a slow retrieve to be the most effective,” suggests Aune. “Of course, sometimes, they’ll want a fast retrieve! We normally fish sinking line or sink tips to keep the presentation low and level. Two handers are a great option as you can park in fast water for a bit more satisfying swing pace. However, you can reach deeper into the long Miracle Mile tailouts versus a traditional streamer outfit, so while the swing might be a bit slow and boring, you can access fish that others can't without a boat.

“Floating the Mile is a thing, but there aren't boat ramps or shuttles,” Aune reminded us all. “There are numerous places you can get yourself into trouble and banging into rocks should be expected. The Mile is floatable and wadeable at all water levels, just like Grey Reef. Fair warning: if you pull your boat out to the Mile when the Kortes Road is muddy, it'll be a $50 bill at the car wash and you will still be purging debris out months later. We don't drag boats out in the winter. Miracle Mile has great access from top to bottom and both sides of the river. This is really a wade angler's dream. Studded boots and wading staffs are not a terrible idea unless you are getting into a guide boat, that is a no-stud zone.”

The Mile is one of those places we all must fish at some point in our fishy lives. It’s got amazing attributes, but there’s always a catch. With an absurdly consistent supply of water, and gravel and robust trout populations which combine for ideal spawning conditions, there is rarely good recruitment. The best chance for the young of the year trout to survive is with a lot of water flowing down the ditch…. the kind of flows that scare off most fly anglers and protect the redds from long rodders and other predators.

“Fly anglers are likely the most destructive predators at Miracle Mile,” added Aune. “It is cool to watch the trout spawn, but uncool to fish to active spawners. Go fish to feeding trout and let the spawners do their business for the betterment of the future!

Winter 2024 • High Country Angler

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“By giving the spawners room and time we can not include lunch but do include flies. keep a steady supply of wild fish, indefinitely,” said So, there you have it, a deal for our readers from Aune. “When anglers are posted up and taking ad- guys who have been guiding on the Mile for nearly vantage of the spawning beds, it is easy to question 25 years, and they obviously care about the fishery! their mentality. Nobody will scrutinize your motiva- And my two cents to add to the concern: no pertions if you steer clear of the redds. The great thing sonal best brown taken off a spawning bed or a rivis that there are always feeding fish in non-spawning er’s future is worth a photo to earn likes and follows zones.” on social! Watch your step post spawn, leave active Entering its 26th year of operation, the North spawners alone and let’s all enjoy the fisheries’ past, Platte Lodge is the nearest lodge to Miracle Mile and present and future. the only lodge at Grey Reef. The same is true of The Reef Fly Shop.

“My first guide trip for the North Platte Lodge was a wade About The Author trip at the Mile in 1998,” added Aune. “We still host folks who High Country Angler contributor Brian La Rue enjoys giving were with us that day. We have fly fishers ideas of where to go for an adventure. Feel free great trip packages that just startto reach out to Brian at Brian@hcamagazine.com if you want ed and run through March 15. your lodge or guide service featured in an upcoming promotional Two nights lodging in one of our marketing plan. cottages and a full day Mile trip for two guests is $800 and a full day trip is $575. Cheap trips do

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Winter 2024 • High Country Angler

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Colorado TU River Conservation Camp

Watch the 2024 Camp Reel

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High Country Angler • Winter 2024

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Winter 2024 • High Country Angler

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CTU River Conservation & Fly Fishing Camp

We are excited to announce registration is open for our River Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp!

CTU Camp is for youth 14 - 18 years old, and we accept 20 campers each year. Campers spend a week together in the mountains near Almont, CO. This inclusive camp is a special place where teens find acceptance and make forever friendships with others who share their passion for the river, fly fishing, and conservation.

CAMP DETAILS Eligibility: Youth 14 - 18 years old Cost: $650 (tuition), plus $50 registration fee *SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE* Applications Deadline: April 1, 2024

CTU Camp aims to inspire the next generation of river stewards and conservation-minded anglers.

By providing youth with a safe, fun, and inclusive environment, we learn together how conservation, a passion for the outdoors, and fly fishing are beautifully connected.

Visit coloradotu.org/youthcamp for more information and to register.

To learn more To learn more about this and other stories, visit coloradotu.org.

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The Sand Creek Lakes are productive and support the growth of Rio Grande cutthroats to a good size for anglers ambitious enough to make the backcountry trek there, as well as providing a source of fish to the stream below.

Return of the Natives TU IS HELPING RESTORE STRONGHOLDS FOR COLORADO’S NATIVE TROUT

by Colorado TU Staff

W

hile Trout Unlimited works to conserve all wild trout and their habitats, Colorado’s native trout hold a special place in our hearts – and, thanks to interagency partnership efforts, will hold a place in Colorado’s future as well.

At one time, four different native cutthroat trout subspecies occupied habitat across most of Colorado’s coldwater habitats – except the North Platte, which, by a quirk of nature, had no native salmonid fish.

Colorado’s state fish, the Greenback cutthroat, occupied the South Platte watershed. Once thought extinct, the Greenback was confirmed in one small stream near Colorado Springs (into which it had been 28

High Country Angler • Winter 2024

transplanted many decades before) – and is now being restored in multiple locations within its native range.

The Yellowfin cutthroat was found in the Arkansas basin but is now believed to be extinct. However, biologists continue to search in remote headwater areas, hoping to rediscover it.

The Rio Grande cutthroat is found through the Rio Grande watershed in both Colorado and New Mexico.

An interstate conservation team continues to work on its restoration within both states.

The Colorado River cutthroat had a native range spanning multiple drainages within the Colorado River basin. Genetic studies have helped identify three www.HCAezine.com

distinctive lineages of the fish, found respectively in the Green/White/Yampa basins, the mainstem Colorado/Gunnison/Dolores basins, and the San Juan basin.

Loss of habitat, overfishing, and competition and hybridization with non-native species diminished each of these unique trout subspecies into small portions of their historic range, primarily in isolated headwater reaches above natural barriers such as waterfalls. For many years, efforts to restore these fish have focused on replicating those small populations in other similarly isolated headwater areas, to protect them from downstream non-native fish.

More recently, conservation biologists have recognized the importance of not only replicating native trout into multiple new habitats, but also of thinking bigger and restoring natives in larger systems that are more resilient in the face of potential environmental disruptions such as fires and floods.

TU in Colorado has embraced this approach and is partnering with natural resource agencies like Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the US Forest Service, and the National Park Service in working toward the restoration of native trout strongholds for each of Colorado’s unique fish subspecies. These resilient strongholds will help secure Colorado’s native trout for future generations to appreciate, carrying forward a special part of Colorado’s natural legacy.

Poudre Headwaters. Efforts are underway to bring Greenback cutthroat trout into a portion of their native habitat in the headwaters of the Cache la Poudre. The project will ultimately be the largest native trout recovery effort in state history, spanning nearly forty miles of connected streams, as well as Long Draw Reservoir.

Colorado TU and the Rocky Mountain Flycasters Chapter have entered into a long-term collaboration with the US Forest Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and Rocky Mountain National Park, and has generous support from the Western Native Trout Initiative, Ross Reels, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's Outdoor Fund, the National Forest Foundation, and the Long Draw Reservoir Mitigation Trust. www.HCAezine.com

A first barrier has been installed to isolate the restoration area from the west slope systems intercepted by the Grand Ditch, while a fish passage structure on Corral Creek that will also feature a temporary barrier is in process. CPW has removed non-native trout from one lake above the Grand Ditch, and future reclamation will take place in segments of the watershed over the next ten years, with Greenback cutthroat reintroduced into the newly available habitats. The project will include two permanent and three temporary barriers to help break the large watershed into smaller chunks that can be reclaimed in stages. You can see more about this restoration effort in this video produced by the Rocky Mountain Flycasters Chapter:

Colorado TU’s David Nickum and Ross Reel’s Jeff Patterson visit the downstream waterfall that is expected to be the lower barrier for the Poudre Headwaters Project.

Winter 2024 • High Country Angler

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Sand Creek. The Sand Creek watershed, including the Sand Creek Lakes and its headwaters, is a unique and robust system for the restoration of Rio Grande Cutthroat trout. The watershed has a particularly effective natural barrier at the bottom of the restoration reach: the stream disappears and goes to the ground as it hits the Great Sand Dunes. The site was selected with an eye to Colorado’s changing climate: the headwater lakes are deep and above tree line, making them highly resistant to both fire and drought impacts. The lakes provide productive habitats for fish recruitment and refuge that supply new fish downstream over time. TU and the San Luis Valley Chapter have worked in partnership with the National Park Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Running Rivers, and the Western Native Trout Initiative to help reclaim this area in a twophase effort to remove non-native trout and begin the process of restoring the Rio Grande cutthroat to one of Colorado’s iconic landscapes. The upper portion was successfully completed in 2020, and the lower is planned for 2024. You can read what Trout Unlimited’s Kevin Terry wrote in his own words about this first phase of this stronghold project for the Rio Grande cutthroat.

This new fish barrier was installed in late 2023 into the Muddy Creek headwaters off the Grand Mesa, and will help secure habitat for native Colorado River cutthroat trout.

Muddy Creek. Work has just been completed on a fish barrier that will help protect an aboriginal population of Colorado River Cutthroat Trout in the headwaters of the Muddy Creek system above Paonia Reservoir. In the next two years, invasive brook trout will be removed from connected habitats, and the Colorado River Cutthroat reclamation will begin, in order to secure a stronghold over approximately 13 miles of habitat.

Work on this project has been made possible through TU partnerships with the US Forest Service, Colorado Parks and 30

High Country Angler • Winter 2024

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Biologists conduct dye studies to determine how quickly water flows through reaches of streams to help guide them on how to apply rotenone for the removal of non-native fish in preparation for native trout reintroduction.

Along with providing an important and resilient habitat in the Muddy Creek area, the project will ignite other cutthroat recovery efforts in the Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre-Gunnison National Forests, providing a brood stock for subsequent stocking out of the project area into adjacent watersheds.

Increasing the distribution and overall population is crucial to ensuring the persistence of one of Colorado's cherished native trout species.

Wildlife, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Fresh Water Life, Colorado River Water Conservation District, Trout and Salmon Foundation, Western Native Trout Initiative, Ross Reels, and Running Rivers.

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Winter 2024 • High Country Angler

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Rodeo of a Different Kind Q

uestion: How many rivers can one fish in one day?

Answer: One can fish eight rivers in two days.

That is if one is fishing for fun in the 8 River Rodeo.

The 8 River Rodeo, or 8RR, is a fly fishing tournament and non-profit fundraiser. A team of two people fish eight specific Colorado rivers in two days, with four rivers on Friday Day 1, then 4 different rivers on Saturday Day 2. Organized by Clint Crookshanks and a team of volunteers, 2023 was the 16th year for 8RR.

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High Country Angler • Winter 2024

by Joel Evans

The four rivers of Day 1 are in the Roaring Fork Valley area near Basalt. The Roaring Fork, the Frying Pan, the Crystal, and the Colorado are all within a day’s driving distance. In the order of the downhill trajectory of all rivers, the Roaring Fork is first, upvalley of Basalt towards Aspen. At Basalt, the Frying Pan tributary joins the Roaring Fork. Next is the Crystal, another tributary of the Roaring Fork, joining at Carbondale. The Roaring Fork flows on to Glenwood Springs, where it is swallowed by the Colorado.

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Day 2 requires attending four different rivers in the Gunnison Valley area near Almont. The Taylor, the Spring Creek, the East, and the Gunnison are somewhat centrally located near Almont.

First is the Taylor below Taylor Reservoir, supplemented by Spring Creek meeting the Taylor about halfway up from Almont.

Then the East running south from Crested Butte, which together the East and Taylor join at Almont, creating the beginning of the Gunnison, and on to the town of Gunnison.

Now if you know your Colorado geography, you will say wow, those two valleys are a significant distance apart! How is it that you can fish the Roaring Fork area on day one—all day no less—and then be in the Gunnison River drainage the next day? Well, it www.HCAezine.com

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isn’t easy. The main highways would take you all the way around from Glenwood Springs to Grand Junction, Montrose, and on to Gunnison.

But there is a shortcut. McClure Pass and Kebler Pass are the roads-less-travelled answer. Trouble is, after fishing until dark on Day 1, those two passes must be driven after dark to get an early start to fishing on Day 2. Do-able but interesting. Especially Kebler Pass, which is a winding dirt road with animals and ditches. Whew!

So my partner and I did just that. Fished all four rivers on Day 1, drove to Almont in the dark, and fished the Day 2 rivers. Why? Well, for the fundraiser! Contestants pay a $160 entry fee per angler (or $120 early bird). Not a lot, but with 62 fishers making up 31 teams this year, that is a chunk of money. Plus, the typical live and silent auctions bring in another pocket of money.

Who for? Project Healing Waters and Colorado Trout Unlimited. Both fishing related non-profits, PHW provides support programs for military veterans, while CTU engages in coldwater fishery conservation. So, while some tournaments have a large cash prize or some significant value item such as a boat for the angler, with 8RR there is no prize or incentive to the winner except some bragging rights and clunky gold medal to hang around their neck. All the money raised is donated to PHW and CTU, and goes towards funding the non-profit mission.

Clint noted that a donation of $4,100 was made to Project Healing Waters, and $3,500 to Colorado Trout Unlimited. The donation team was led by Michael Linderman and Marty Majka. Custom built fly rods were donated by Craig Graham, Gene Hart, and Pat Higgins. Sponsors include Rio Products, Dead Drift Colorado Whiskey, Roaring Fork Valley Fly Fishing Club, Rep Your Water, Syndicate, St. Peter’s Fly Shop, Minturn Anglers, Ross Reels, Sarabella Fishing, Umpqua, and Trouts Fly Fishing.

So rodeo-ers gather, go fishing, and keep track on an honor system of the fish they catch. All fish must be carefully handled, measured, photographed, then released. Rules are simple. To qualify as the winner, both anglers on one team must catch one fish in all 8 rivers. That’s 16 fish per team (which not all teams do). Then among those teams that qualify, the most total inches for those 16 fish wins. Even a small fish www.HCAezine.com

counts….it’s just whether your team total is the most.

On the following Sunday morning, anglers gathered at Three Rivers Resort in Almont for a BBQ and awards ceremony. This year, 18 teams completed all 8 rivers to qualify for the finals. Total inches ranged from 178 to 274 inches.

Results were: Gold, Team Fur and Feather, Mindy and Marc, 274.02 inches; Silver, Team Powerbait Pros, Adam and Shawn, 245.28 inches; Bronze, Team Pick Up Artists, Scott and Dan, 242.91 inches; Big Fish Day 1, Mindy, 27.6-inch rainbow on the Crystal River; Big Fish Day 2, Dan, 20- inch brown on the Taylor River; Smallest Fish Day 1, Sean, 3.5- inch fish on the Colorado River; Smallest Fish Day 2, Bart, 5.5- inch fish on Spring Creek.

Personally, I had a good two days, but not great.

I managed to catch a fish in six of the eight rivers. I missed qualifying, not having a catch in the Roaring Fork and the Taylor. Both very fishy rivers, and both very, very familiar to me, but just wasn’t my day.

With so many rivers in such a short time, one can only fish any one river for a few hours, then move on. Although I was not in the running for a medal, satisfaction comes in the fun of fishing, the social connection with other fishers, men and women, and knowing the money supports the cause.

Colorado has so many great places to fish in the summer. After the tournament, I stopped on the way home and fished some other rivers. I waded into a total of 11 rivers in 4 days. Crazy! Not your typical rodeo, but a wild ride.

Next year’s Rodeo is scheduled for July 26-28, 2024. Sometime after the first of the year, the website will open for registration at www.8riverrodeo.com. If at first you don’t succeed, try, again! So, I’m in.

About The Author Joel Evans is president of the Gunnison Gorge Anglers chapter and the current Southwest Regional Vice President of Colorado Trout Unlimited.

Winter 2024 • High Country Angler

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A GUIDE’S LIFE

•

BY HAYDEN MELLSOP

Fools and Bears

I

looked down in surprise at my thumb, dripping blood into the river from a clean slice across the top. How and when it happened was a mystery. I’d certainly felt nothing. I had been struggling to gain enough dexterity in my hands to be able to work my nippers to cut a slender piece of tippet, until then unaware of how cold I had become over the preceding two hours.

A hundred yards away in the back of my truck was a first aid kit, but given the weather, I knew once I left the river I’d likely not return. Besides, at long last, fish were rising. I shook blood off my hand, selected a small dry, and fumbled my way through a clinch knot, a procedure usually completed in a few seconds occupying the best part of two minutes. I’d catch a fish on a dry, or faint in the process of trying.

“Shoulda been here yesterday,” the guy in the fly shop had said earlier in the day. “The river’s been fishing great until this front came through. It’ll likely have put the fish down for the winter. You might be able to dredge a couple off the bottom, but no way will they come up for a dry. Besides, everybody’s hunting now, not fishing.”

“That’s why we’ve come now,” said Caveman. We picked up an out-of-state license, thanked him for his time, and headed for the door. A job at the local 36

High Country Angler • Winter 2024

chamber of commerce did not seem to be on the cards for him anytime soon.

We followed an access sign just outside of town that led to the river. A concrete boat ramp ran down to the water’s edge. For half the distance to the far bank the river ran ankle-deep before darkening into a trench that curved upstream. Multiple boulders, some submerged, others breaking the surface, were scattered along the trench and formed the far bank.

Tasty looking water, I thought, but how many anglers had already cast flies to what were surely by now fish as jaded as the guy in the shop?

A gentle rain began to fall, turning briefly to snow, then back to rain, before clouds lifted half-heartedly to reveal distant mountains mantled in snow-dusted pine. We layered up beneath our waders and headed for the river.

“There has to be a big one down there somewhere,” remarked Caveman, rigging a couple of nymphs and some split shot onto his line. I followed suit, minus the split shot, deciding to fish the tail of the trench where the current broadened and shallowed, flowing beneath a bridge towards the next riffle. A missed strike and a rig lost on a snag was all I had to show for a half hour of effort before a yell from upstream told

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me Caveman had located his big fish, a Cutbow that “What do you think about a motel for the night?” did its best to fill his net. suggested Caveman as we peeled off our waders and I battled on, crossing the river to work up the far slipped feet into warm, dry boots. He brooked no arbank amongst the boulders, losing two more rigs for gument from me. Only fools and bears would choose the reward of a rainbow hooked down deep. My new to fish, let alone sleep out in weather like this. fishing pack refused to sit comfortably, swinging off my hip as I moved from boulder to boulder, About The Author causing balance issues and almost sending me into the water.

Hayden Mellsop is an expat New Zealander living in the It wasn’t until, on the verge of mountain town of Salida, Colorado, on the banks of the waving the white flag and admitArkansas River. As well as being a semi-retired fly fishing ting that perhaps Schleprock in guide, he juggles helping his wife raise two teenage the fly shop was correct, I’d seen daughters, along with a career in real estate. the rising fish. A last shot at redemption, a last salvage of the day, at least from an angling point of view.

Whatever hatch the fish were Hayden Mellsop rising to, the bugs were small, too Fly fishing guide. Real Estate guide. small for me to see on water beneath a leaden sky. Same with the fly I had selected. Ordinarily I’d tie a larger one on first as a spotter, but given the lack of dexterity and feeling in my hands, and the sliced thumb, I kept it simple and settled for a single.

Playing zone defense, setting the hook anytime a fish rose in proximity to where I thought my fly floated, I shivered through the next ten minutes until finally, sucRecreation, residential, retirement, investment. cess. A swirl somewhere in the vi5IF EJõFSFODF CFUXFFO MPPLJOH GPS ZPVS TQFDJBM QMBDF BOE mOEJOH JU cinity of where I thought my fly drifted. I raised the rod tip and 1JOPO 3FBM &TUBUF (SPVQ 4BMJEB felt the weight of a fish. I hooked 0öDF ] $FMM XXX )PNF 8BUFST DPN and released a diminutive CutINFMMTPQ!QJOPOSFBMFTUBUF DPN bow, then immediately headed for shore, chilled but satisfied. www.HCAezine.com

Winter 2024 • High Country Angler

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Euro Nymphing Part 3: How to Build a Euro Leader

by Peter Stitcher

I

ts time to kick off part 3 of our Euro nymphing series with an in-depth look at euro nymphing leaders. The first thing you need to do when approaching the topic of Euro leaders is mentally place them in a different category of gear than your standard, tapered monofilament and fluorocarbon leaders. Your store-bought tapered leader is inexpensive and disposable; we use them, trim them down, break them off, and replace them. Euro leaders on the other hand are an investment of time and mate38

High Country Angler • Winter 2024

rials, with butt sections made from high-test material (20 lb. to 12 lb.) that can last an entire season of heavy fishing. While several companies produce quality Euro leaders that will get you on the water, making your own leaders allows you to incorporate some next-level tech material, have greater versatility, and be able to fine tune your leader for your particular waters. In this article we’re going to provide step by step instructions on how to make your own competition-quality euro leader. www.HCAezine.com

Building the Butt Section The name of the game when crafting the section of your euro leader is to make it heavy, make it durable, and make it invisible to trout. To accomplish this, we recommend using Cortland Camo Euro Nymph leader material in 20 lb., 15 lb., and 12 lb. test. Cortland Camo Euro Nymph leader material is crafted from a non-reflective, hue changing, brown material that is essentially invisible to trout as it drifts through their aquatic world. Building the butt section from this stiff 20 lb. to 12 lb. test material will give us enough weight to fully turn over heavy tungsten bead-headed nymphs, while providing exceptional abrasion resistance and leader life. After cutting a 42” section each of Cortland Camo 20 lb., 15 lb., and 12 lb., give a short, steady stretch to remove the looped memory from the material. Then, using

blood knots to attach one end of the 20 lb. section to the 15 lb., and the other end of the 15 lb. section to the 12 lb. section, trim all of the tag ends flush on each knot.

Building the Sighter Section The next section that we need to build before attaching it to the butt section is the Sighter, which is a brightly-colored section that will enable you to gauge fly depth and subtle takes by trout. Sighter material can be bought on spools or in packs, and our favorites come in a tri-color of fluorescent yel-

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low, orange, black, or pink. Cut a 14” to 20” section of 3x sighter material (continuing our leader taper), give it a steady stretch to remove the loop memory, and then attach it to the 12 lb. test end of your butt section using a blood knot. While you will want to cut the tag end of the 12 lb. Cortland camo leader flush with the knot, you will want to leave a 1” – 2” tag of your sighter at this and every other sighter knot. These bright tags will help you track your drift, depth, and strikes. Next, cut the sighter in the middle before reattaching the sections with a blood knot, leaving both tags untrimmed. Finally, using a uni or clinch knot, attach a 2mm tippet ring to the end of your sighter (leaving a 1” – 2” tag).

This section of leader, from the tip of the 20 lb.

Cortland Camo leader to the tippet ring on the end of the sighter is the foundation of your euro leader.

From this point you will add tippet and flies, adjusting tippet length for depth, and flies for the water or hatch, but this foundational leader will remain to be used again and again.

Winter 2024 • High Country Angler

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High Country Angler • Winter 2024

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Building the Terminal Section

From the tippet ring we will be adding 3’ to 6’ of 4x fluorocarbon tippet (preferably Ascent Fly Fishing Phantom Fluorocarbon Tippet) depending on the depth of the water we are fishing, and we will attach it using a uni or clinch knot, and then trimming off the tag.

Finally, cut off a 20” – 24” section of 5x fluorocarbon tippet and attach it to approximately 10” from the end of your 4x tippet, using a triple surgeons knot and trimming the tag end of the 5x pointing towards the sighter.

When properly tied, you should have a 10” tag of 4x tippet extending off of your last knot, and approximately 18” – 22” of 5x tippet extending below the knot. From the 10” tag of 4x tippet you will attach your dropper fly, and from the 20” section of 5x tippet you will add your heavy, terminal fly.

It takes some time and a small investment in leader material, but building your euro leaders according to this formula will set you up for success while allowing you to grow in your euro nymphing game! www.HCAezine.com

About The Author

Peter Stitcher is an aquatic biologist by vocation and the owner of Ascent Fly Fishing located in Littleton CO and online at ascentflyfishing.com. Peter has written the “Bug Bites” column in High Country Angler for the last 7 years. Whether you are new to fly fishing or are a seasoned angler, Peter and the team at Ascent Fly Fishing would love to be a resource in equipping you, your family, and friends to help you get out on the water and experience it in a way that is life giving for you!

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43

FIT TO BE TIED

•

BY JOEL EVANS

Halfway Green Drake

E

verybody has favorites. Not the same favorite as the next person, but undoubtedly we all have favorites. Favorite flavor of ice cream, favorite vacation destination, or favorite sports team.

How about your favorite species of fish to spend countless hours chasing? There is freshwater and there is saltwater. There is warmwater and there is coldwater. Or favorite kind of water to fish. There are oceans, still waters, and rivers. Or favorite rod to cast. There is a profuse variety from short to long, light to heavy. No one better than the other, just different and somewhere in that list is your favorite.

Then there are those of us who can’t decide on one favorite, so we have a lot of favorites. Mostly it depends on where and what we are fishing for that day – that is our favorite today, but it could change tomorrow.

So maybe we’ll allow ourselves to magnify one favorite to a dozen or so, simply to avoid the question. Seems like cheating to not pick one. Ok, so what.

One of my dozen favorites, or maybe is it two dozen favorites(?), is chasing a trout on a riffley mountain stream during a green drake mayfly hatch. Typically, green drakes hatch in the summer when the water has cleared from spring runoff. Flows may be strong but past their annual peak, so both boating and wading are a tossup choice; the trout are eager to feed while the mayfly plate is full, and the fly imitations are relatively large and easy to see for both the trout and the fisher.

The eastern and the western United States each have their own version of the green drake. While similar, my backyard is the western side, so my fishing and pattern choices follow what my trout like to eat on the west side. All stages of the hatch, from a struggling nymph emerger to an adult winged dun to the spent spinner have popu44

High Country Angler • Winter 2024

lar fly patterns to fool the fish.

But what I find missing in the pattern list is a halfway version that is in-between the emerger and the upright winged adult with momentarily drying wings and seeking flight. My not- so- common pattern is a down wing version of the adult. The developing adults don’t pop out with wings immediately upright and fly away. It may only be seconds from the emerger to the flying adult, but in that brief stage, the wings can be laid back as they split and pull free of the shuck.

And sometimes they just don’t make it, with a few trying but never achieving a dried wing for flight. And sometimes it is simply a contrarian presentation, using a pattern slightly different from the pure match-the-hatch upright wing in hopes trout will pick yours instead of the multiple other real drakes on the water.

Where this pattern is the same as other traditional upright wing patterns is with the hook, colors, tail, dubbing, ribbing, and wrapped saddle hackle. This pattern is different in that it adds two small hen hackle tips as down wings behind the thorax and alongside the abdomen. Choosing a dark wing gives contrast to a lighter- colored abdomen, making the wings a prominent feature that hopefully causes a rise to your fake mayfly instead of the real mayfly next to yours.

About The Author Joel Evans is president of the Gunnison Gorge Anglers chapter and the current Southwest Regional Vice President of Colorado Trout Unlimited.

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Winter 2024 • High Country Angler

45

THE LAST CAST

•

JOHN G. NICKUM

Non-native Species: What to Do?

Some managers want to introduce non-native species to provide new fishing opportunities; or, sometimes to deal with “problem species.” Other managers and many environmental activists want nothing to do with nonnative species, frequently stating, “They do not belong here.” What is your opinion? Do you have any experience related to these questions?

Q

Yes, I have some thoughts, and a little experience with nonnative species. Ecological history and principles are also involved.

There can be several reasons for non-native species to be controversial when introduced into waters populated by native species. If the non-native species is an efficient predator, it will almost certainly prey on young native fishes. If the native species support a popular fishery, anglers will “rise up” in defense of the popular native fish. Anglers in many western states have fought against introductions of walleye and northern pike into waters with populations of cutthroat trout. Even the introduction of a highly valued salmonid fish, such as lake trout, can be controversial: lake trout grow big and they are effective predators; therefore, they can be a threat to almost all native western trout, as evidenced in Yellowstone Lake.

Yellow perch are native to the waters of upstate New York, but not the lakes and streams in the Adirondack Mountains. When a farm pond program was implemented in New York, managers recommended yellow perch for the

A

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pond stocking program. The young yellow perch performed admirably as a forage base, while the adults were effective predators and the target of sport anglers. But – the yellow perch escaped the ponds and began to prey on young brook trout. Trout anglers in the upstate NY area could become extremely agitated whenever yellow perch were mentioned.

I was personally involved with a pond stocking initiative in southern Illinois, where ponds and the surface pits left from coal mining were not well-suited to the standard farm pond stocking recommendations of largemouth bass and bluegills. Smallmouth bass are native in southeastern America, but only in mountain streams. Largemouth bass were easier to produce and stock and were native to nearly all waters of the area. The ponds and mine pits had no native fish populations; therefore, smallmouth bass were a potential fish for stocking, even though they were not native in the streams of southern Illinois. My colleagues evaluated the “situation” and proceeded with research aimed at developing ways to use smallmouth bass in ponds and mine pits. The key turned out to be placing gravel in shallow shoreline waters where the smallmouth bass would use it for spawning. To the best of my knowledge, there have been arguments against using smallmouth bass in such waters as farm ponds and mine pits.

The coldwater streams of eastern America have involved controversial stocking programs that led to serious problems for brook trout.

Fisheries managers from Maine to Georgia try to manage for native brook trout; however, they have faced stream degradation related to mining, lumbering, and farming practices,

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as well as constituents demanding stocking programs for brown trout and rainbow trout.

Southeastern Minnesota where I first fished for trout often had streams where all three species were present. In those waters, I suggest, land use practices are bigger problems than predation, competition, and hybridization among the three species.

However, the coolwaters and warmwaters of the eastern third of the United States have been affected by the introduction of non-native species. The common carp and the Asian carps have rendered waters throughout the area as nearly useless for the production of native fishes. The cold waters of the Great Lakes have faced a different situation when faced with the introduction of highly popular Pacific salmon.

The salmon have adapted well and have become the target of a very sought-after fishery, but the fisheries based on native lake trout, perch, and walleye are nearly extinct. Habitat destruction has probably been more important in the demise of these native species, but the Pacific salmon and the focus on managing them are major factors.

The cutthroat trout populations in the

Rocky Mountain region have been the focus of many discussions about the importance of isolated fish populations. One scientist at a university in the area has described the native trout as representing “perfect” evolutionary balance. Any introductions on non-native species that could interbreed with the native cutthroat species would not only threaten the genetic purity of the species, but disrupt a “perfect” ecosystem. If the introduced species also preyed on the native fish, the potential effects would be even worse.

While I agree with the efforts to save each of the unique populations that have been identified as a subspecies, I suggest that proponents of the concept that these populations are examples of “perfection” genetically and ecologically are not being realistic. In evolutionary terms, the Ice Age in which continental ice sheets covered much of North America is a recent event; too recent for the slow processes of evolution to achieve perfection. The native species deserve protection on their own, without exaggerated claims about the ecosystems where they are found.

About The Author John Nickum, is a retired PhD. fishery biologist whose career has included positions as professor at research universities including Iowa State and Cornell University, director of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s fisheries research facility in Bozeman, MT, and science officer for the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Mountain-Prairie Region. He was inducted into the National Fish Culture Hall of Fame in 2008.

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