Hi everyone. Intellectually I know spring is coming soon, but it's hard to believe when
there’s still a bunch of snow piled up on the north side of the house. That's ok,
the winter adventures continue. I fished a piece of water for the first time a couple
of weeks ago and was impressed equally with the scenery, the weather and the fish.
It’s a great time of year to be outdoors. This weekend will be my first try at
ice-fishing. The 2' rod feels pretty silly, but at least I tied my own jigs. It'll
be nice to get out and breathe some fresh mountain air. They don't call the outdoors
"great" for nothing. Our new Board has been installed and has hit the ground
running. Lots of things to cover so, on to business....
February General Meeting
Thursday is "Members’ Night", a fun and informal evening dedicated to our members,
and will feature seven, count 'em, seven varieties of chili cooked up by volunteers for our
enjoyment. The cooks always do a great job on the food and there should be plenty to fill
everyone. In addition, we have two member fishing presentations. Ben Lawhon and Ken Baurer
will show us what they have been up to on the water this past year. New chapter President
Barbara Luneau will present the annual chapter report to catch us all up on what SVATU has
been up to and where we hope to go as a chapter. There will also be presentations at the
meeting for some very special members. As always, there will be fly-tying and raffles as well.
This is the most popular meeting of the year, don't miss it. Feb. 18, 6:30pm at the VFW on
S. Main.
Stream Update
The SVATU Stream Committee recently met with Boulder County Open Space officials to check
in on the status of three Rubicon gates that are being installed on major ditches along
the St. Vrain river drainage. Rubicon gates are designed to insure that water, purchased
by the cities of Longmont and Lyons to maintain minimum flows in the St. Vrain river,
actually flows down the main river channel. A scientific evaluation of the St. Vrain
river done by our TU chapter in 2005 to 2006 found that sections of the river were going
dry during the winter months due to major ditches diverting the entire river flow. In
conjunction with the St. Vrain Corridor Committee, three Rubicon gates were purchased
to insure that minimum flows in the river channel were maintained.
We are please to announce that one of the rubicon gates is fully operational on the
Oligarchy Ditch and the remaining two are partially installed on the Palmerton and
Highland Ditches. The ditches should be fully operational by late Spring if all goes
well. Maintaining consistent flows in the St. Vrain river is the first step in
strengthening the health of the river and the fish and animal life that depend upon
the St. Vrain. Stay tuned for future news on other Stream Committee activities aimed
at improving the St. Vrain river.
2010 Fundraiser
Our fundraiser this year will be held at the Moose Lodge in Longmont, 2210 Pratt St.
on Saturday, May 22. Brad has been putting together an impressive list of items for
both live and silent auctions, as well as an array of bucket raffles. Doors open at
5:00 p.m. for viewing, socializing, etc., and food will be served at 6:00 p.m.
The silent auction closes at 6:45 p.m., live auction begins at 7:00 p.m.
Cash and check please. Credit cards processed
the following day if absolutely necessary. It takes a lot of work to make all this
happen, so if you have a little spare time, please offer some of it to Brad to help
him out. Donations of items large and small for the auction and bucket raffles
would be greatly appreciated. Speak to Brad or drop us an email.
10 for ’10
A unique opportunity for the last 10 months of 2010 launches at the February 18 General
Meeting. The SVATU board challenges you to recruit 10 new members in 2010. There are lots
of great reasons to expand our membership, show your commitment to conserving and protecting
our streams and rivers by introducing other like-minded sportsmen and women of all ages to
Trout Unlimited. This year, TU continues to offer the new member rate of $17.50*. Assist
your recruits to register with our chapter number, 316, and $16 comes back to our chapter
in rebates. Use the attached application or guide your recruits to www.tu.org/intro
(include 316 as chapter code). With these funds, our chapter bolsters its operating expenses
and has the ability to expand education and conservation awareness programs.
Come to the Feb 18 chapter meeting to learn of the prizes and incentives for participation.
For starters, earn 5 free bucket raffle tickets for the first member you recruit. Recruitment
tracking begins Feb 19.
Chapter Fishing Trip
Our next chapter fishing trip will be to the Colorado River near Hot Sulpher Springs on the
weekend of March 20th & 21st. We’ll drive up Saturday morning, get a big breakfast, fish like
mad and stay the night in Sulpher Springs or Kremmling, fish Sunday and come back Sunday
afternoon. This is a great chance to fish with some new faces, maybe in a new place and share
some tips and tricks. We’ll need to reserve rooms so we'll pass along a sign-up sheet at the
meetings, or drop a line here at stvraintu@gmail.com
to get signed up. This is a lot of fun, please don’t miss it.
Chapter Fishing Trip
At the January meeting, Ken Neubecker filled us in on what has been going on with the
proposed expansion of the Moffat diversion from the Fraser Valley to the front range.
Streamflows in the Upper Colorado River basin are a fraction of historic flows and
additional diversions of water could prove devastating to the health of the ecosystem
up there. This from the Denver Water website: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is preparing an
Environmental Impact Statement to analyze the effects of implementing the
Moffat Project and a reasonable range of alternatives.
Questions regarding the proposed project, public consultation process, scoping document and
Environmental Impact Statement process can be directed to:
Mr. Scott Franklin
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
9307 South Wadsworth Blvd.
Littleton, CO 80128-6901
Fax: 303-979-0602
E-mail: moffat.eis@usace.army.mil
Fly Fishing Expo
On April 16-17, 2010, The River Church, Lyons , Colorado will host the second annual
Fly Fishing Expo on the banks of the beautiful Saint Vrain River. This event has something
for the whole family, beginners to advanced fly fishermen and everyone in between. This free,
non-commercial event covers a day and a half featuring casting, presentation and tying
demonstrations and workshops, stream habitat and restoration presentations, and guest
speakers and instructors. This year's special guest is Gary Borger, renowned educator,
author, and speaker. Don't miss this opportunity to learn, improve and just mingle with
people that love to share what they receive from the side of a stream with a rod in their
hands. Stay tuned for more detailed schedule and information.
CTU Youth Conservation and Flyfishing Camp
Colorado Trout Unlimited is now accepting applications from students aged 14 to 18 for
its fifth annual River Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp, June 6-11 at Peace Ranch
near Basalt. Applications must be received by March 30, 2010. This is a fantastic, well-run
program and a great opportunity for youth interested in fishing and the environment.
The cost is $450 for the week, but scholarships may be available through this chapter.
Please visit the website,
,
and contact Dick Shinton (rashinton@gmail.com)
for more information.
Kid's Fishing Day...
...is June 5th at Golden Ponds in Longmont. This is a great time for everyone involved,
so volunteer to help get these kids started right!
Notes:
Dick can use some help with the Kid's Learn to Flyfish Program starting later this month -
rashinton@gmail.com. Check out the website, throw
some pictures up there...
Email us with your suggestions, ideas or questions...
Volunteers and donations greatly appreciated...
Go fishing...
