SEPTEMBER 6th General Meeting -

"BUFFALO PEAKS RANCH PROJECT"
. . . a new CTU undertaking

The Buffalo Peaks Ranch project is an effort by CTU and its chapters to restore fish habitat on a 5-mile segment of public water along the Middle Fork South Platte River in Park County - just upstream from the Tomahawk State Wildlife Area. The stream has been damaged by historic grazing, and the project will help restore a more natural channel condition, provide more pools and structure for fish habitat, and protect riparian habitat through fencing to manage grazing use on the property.

The project is still in the design and permitting phase, and volunteer opportunities - fence-building, helping stabilize and re-vegetate riverside areas, etc. - are expected to really kick-in in 2007. To help keep us up-to-date on the project, Sinjin Eberle, CTU secretary, will stop by to present us with the entire picture of how this massive project will become a reality. The area being targeted is just a 2 hour drive from Boulder and it will impact our fishing, for the better, in a few short years. We thought it might be appropriate for all our members to see what our state organization has up it’s sleeve in the coming years!!

Come prepared to talk about your greatest fish tale of the summer!!

Also, Our Clinic starting at 6:00 pm.

Looking Back on a Summer of Fun by Bob Bush, BFC Vice President & Editor

Hope your summer was as conservation and fish filled as mine was. We've gotten a great start on our newest BFC creek project, "The Boulder Creek Habitat Improvement Project", approximately 6 miles up Boulder Canyon on Middle Boulder Creek. We are proposing about 1/2 mile of Boulder Creek to be rehab'd from one long ripple, 4" to 6" in depth, to a revitalized, section of water able to sustain winter water levels with lots of fish holding capabilities. We have applied for funding grants through our Roger's Park, "BCHIP" project committee, headed by Roger Svendsen. Paul Prentiss will be keeping you informed as we proceed with this project.

As far as the summer goes, fishing locally has been terriffic and the National Fly Fishing Championships went off without a hitch. We selected 15 top notch team members for this years' World Championships and we'll be reporting their performances in later issues as we receive the results.

My own personal summer of fishing excitement was watching my oldest granddaughter, Chloe, 6, catch and land a 12" rainbow in Grand Lake in June, a special treat on her own "Barbie Rod"!

I can't wait to hear from you with the results of your personal exploits from a summer of fun. If you are so inclined, please feel free to write your own "Tale of the Fin" for publication in Reel News. We'd love to feature anything (within reason) you might submit!!

BFC's Summer Horse Pack-In Trip to the Cloud Peak Wilderness! by Bob Bush, BFC Vice President & Editor

Yes . . . for all you skeptics out there, a group of BFC'ers survived a week in the Big Horn Mountains in northern Wyoming. Nine Boulder Flycasters left Buffalo, WY for the 12.5 mile trek, on horse back (mule for me), with Rusty Borgers of Flatiron Troutfitters. Bolstered by Paul Prentiss' tight (two sizes too small) riding pants, Maurice Blackmon, Mark Riley, Tom Finley, Tony Fernandez, John Dowd, Greg Nelson, Lloyd (Butch) Burch (my cousin) and myself ventured into the wilderness in the hopes that the "Trout Fairy" would be good to us!
Thankfully, the fishing was good, the fellowship outstanding and the biting bugs almost non-existent. Later this fall, once Paul and I have collected everyone's pictures, we'll let you all in on all the high's and the not-so-low, lows of the trip!! We'll be booking next years' trip within the next few months and will give you a better idea of how we'll be customizing it for you BFC'ers for 2007.
Until then, watch the Flycasters web site for the latest information and in Reel News for more about horse adventures!

President's Pool ~ The Boulder Creek Habitat Improvement Project Reviewed

Our Membership has been advised of the Boulder Creek Habitat Improvement Project (BCHIP) targeted for the Rogers Park Area of Boulder Creek. Read the complete details of Paul's article by clicking below!

Paul Prentiss

More Information!

Annual Boulder Creek Clean-Up Set For September 16th!

Yes, we've got the date from Colorado Trout Unlimited for our third annual clean-up of Middle Boulder Creek. The date for the clean-up is Saturday, September 16th starting at 8:30 am.
Please read all the details by clicking below !

For more Information, click here

Bike Tour for BFC'er and Watershed Initiative Officials Prove Valuable! by Larry Quilling

The Boulder Creek Watershed Initiative and Boulder Flycaster, Larry Quilling took a four hour bike tour of South Boulder Creek this past spring. Read about what they discovered and how we can partner with BCWI to help South Boulder Creek and the goal of 7 cfs water flow in the lower reaches of the creek during our low water months!

click here for "Bike Tour details"

A NEW APPROACH TO SUMMER by Rob Zwolfer (At large contributor to Reel News)

Rob Zwolfer gives us a perspective of summer fishing that sounds like many of us spent our summers as young fathers and mothers did not so many years ago!
By the way . . . there are more important things in life besides 24 inch lunkers and 30 to 50 fish days as our author explains. Take a moment to read his tale of summer fishing, of two young sons, too young to share in their father's passion of fly fishing! But on the other hand, not too young to understand what draws us all to the water. Enjoy "A New Approach to Summer" by Rob Zwolfer

For "A New Approach to Summer", click here

BFC YOUTH REPARIAN RESTORATION DAY 2006

Larry Quilling lead a group of youngsters on a work project on South Boulder Creek last May 6th, in conjunction with the City of Boulder Parks & Open Space Department. Earmarked for this year's project was the South Boulder Creek Canyon Ditch diversion located on the South Boulder Creek Open Space Trail between CO Hwy 93 and South Boulder Road.
Larry has been heading up this Youth Day for a number of years now and he and his team of youngsters have done much to improve the Riparian Corridor along South Boulder Creek! Read all about their work by clicking below!

click here to find out more!

Direct from David Nickum, Executive Director of Colorado Trout Unlimited

Executive Director, David Nickum was greatly encouraged by last spring's National Fly Fishing Championships. He's very excited about our prospects for the event in 2007 and anticipates greater things to come. Read all about his thoughts and positive reasons for having CTU and the US Team join together in a cooperative agreement to help CTU and Team USA be more successful.

Read more about what David has to say by clicking below!

click here for more about David Nickum's comments

LOCAL BOULDER HIGH STUDENT ATTENDS CTU SUMMER CAMP

Nick Rzyska-Filipek, Boulder High School student was sponsored by your own Boulder Flycasters to attend CTU's First Annual Youth Rivers Conservation & Fly Fishing Camp at the Williams Peak Ranch, near Parshall, Colorado, this summer.

Nick, on right, with Hayden Stone, another scholarship winner, doing a water experiment.

Read all about the "Nick" Adventures and about the CTU Camp, as reviewed by Larry Quilling, by clicking below!

Click Here for More Information about Nick

Memoirs of a Trout Assassin by Tom Finley

Luckily, we are not lacking material for our September Issue as BFC'er Tom Finley's piece "Memoirs of a Trout Assassin" suggests! What I really mean to say is that Boulder Flycasters are lucky to have many of it's members who have an incredible talent for writing and Tom's piece only illustrates what I'm referring to!

Tom will let you in on his first real taste of trout fishing in Colorado with a down side, typical of a real encounter of a "Trout Assassin" up close and personal.

Please click below to read his first hand account of what it's like to be targeted to play the role of a "new-bee" among trout bums!

I think you'll enjoy his account and it just might hit home with a few of you!!!

click here for Tom's Article

FINDING TROUT IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES - Boulder Toyota Trout!

Larry Quilling just can't stand to let fish lie around enjoying the peace and tranquility of a Boulder Summer!! This article he submitted to the editor is a perfect illustration, showing that Larry really has "no life" away from both running waters of Boulder and fly fishing. Even his wife, I feel, has given up on him!!
Only Larry would stoop so low as to fish in a flood drainage canal, in front of a local Boulder Dealership! What else can this guy do to get an even lower reputation, "dumpster diving" for flies????

The photo caption should read "Lookie over there at that poor fish hiding in that flood drainage canal pool . . . I'd better rescue it."

At any rate, at least he did what was best for the fish, if not for the rest of us in his piece . . . "Finding Trout in all the Wrong Places . . . Boulder Toyota Trout". Read all the gory details by clicking below!

Click here for all the gory details

Fly Fishing Nirvana and Then Some!

BFC'er Bill Marx spent a delightful three days at Elk Trout this past spring. With Elk Trout's available private waters of the Colorado River, Blue River, Troublesome Creek and some 17 ranch ponds, Bill had an incredible selection of waters to choose from. These waters responded by giving up some magnificent fish, provided typical Colorado beauty and Bill was surrounded by some great friends with which to share the memories.

Bill has spent the past four seasons sampling Elk Trout's vast inventory of waters along with other private and public waters here in Colorado, waters surrendering some quality fish. According to Bill, "the fish in Colorado are plentiful, more than willing to come to a well-presented offering and large enough to keep you awake at night just thinking about them"!

This is the second of what we hope will be a regular "Bill Serving" of fishing in the Northern Hemisphere. Bill has spent the better part of his retirement from the medical world chasing lunker fish in Alaska, Canada and, as I understand, every bit of running water the U.S. has to offer, pursuing his finned friends. This piece simply illustrates his passion! Click below for a real treat!

click here for Bill's Article

Fly of the Month, Ron's Damsel Fly

Ron Donahue will again provide us with one of his go-to patterns for summer delight, his Damsel fly imitation. He fishes this pattern anytime adult Damsel fly's are present. Also, a great pattern to tie on those cold, winter nights, as it will require a little more time than your average Adams!
click here for the pattern

BFC Calendar Events Listing for Fall, 2006

September 6th Presentation . . . Buffalo Peaks Ranch — CTU Project
September 27th Board Meeting — ERA Realty
October 4th Presentation . . . Brian Capsay — U.S. Fly Fishing Team
October 25th Board Meeting — ERA Realty
November 1st Presentation . . . Barry Reynolds — Pike and Carp Fishing
November 29th Board Meeting — ERA Realty
December 6th Presentation . . . Holiday Party
December 20th Board Meeting — ERA Realty

Remember, Meetings begin at — 6:00 pm - Clinic; 6:30-7:00 pm - Business and Announcements; 7:00-8:30 pm - Program

Catch & Kill

By Adam Armold

Editoral Note: Adam has agreed to contribute conservation pieces on a somewhat regular basis for Reel News. . . . Look for his contributions in many future issues of our newsletter, thank you Adam!!

Fortunately for us, as well as trout, we live in an enlightened age. Photos of anglers with “A string of trout” no longer are part of our post-vacation presentation. The practice of carrying fishing creels has “died out” and these once common items now adorn the walls of bars and inns as a reminder of a bygone era. Catch & release has become synonymous with fly fishing.

These days, hemostats and special release tools dangle from fly fishing vests and chest packs, and are as common as tippet spools. While some of us shun the use of landing nets, and other anglers practice a, “Do not handle” approach, there are times when this is not enough.

The correlation between temperature and the metabolic rate of trout is established and is the subject of numerous studies. Thankfully, one does not have to be a fisheries biologist to realize that water temp plays a key role in the behavior of trout. Although it is generally understood by most anglers that trout are most active between 50 and 65 degrees, there is an additional underlying critical issue.

Although trout may not glean oxygen in the same manner as we do, it is just as crucial for their existence. Oxygen content and water temps are directly linked. Trout require dissolved oxygen for life support and above 68 degrees, the capacity of water to hold oxygen falls off rapidly. As the water temps rise they become physically stressed. Add the strain of struggling against a taut flyline and the stress can be terminal.

The answer? Carry and use a fishing thermometer. Be it a special production model, complete with fishing logos, or an instant read pocket tool used for cooking. Avoid adding stress to trout when the water temps climb into their upper limits, or you may be practicing, Catch & Kill……

Bruce Brown is looking for a few good men to help him as volunteer advisors in teaching casting and fly tying for area Boy Scouts who wish to acquire their Fly Fishing Merit Badges this fall. The weekend that is of most concern for Bruce is Saturday, September 9th, at the Camp Tahosa Scout Camp. Rods and tying materials are being furnished by FFF Clubs but staff is in short supply for that weekend. There are a total of four weekends involved (they begin on Fridays but we are needed on Saturdays, so that date is what is listed), they are 8/19, 8/26, 9/9 and 9/16. 9/16 is completely staffed and the other two weekends find us lacking as our newsletter will be going out after the first two have been completed.
If you can find the time to help on the 9/9 weekend please call Bruce on his (cell) at 303-981-1243 or (home) at 720-887-1450 or (work) at 303-293-8800.

Paul "Tight Pants" Prentiss is not about to let riding a horse get the best of him as noted by his pose!!