The Greenbacker

 

Alpine Anglers Chapter

Estes Park, Colorado

 

June 1, 2007

 

Photo courtesy Rocky Mountain National Park

 

What’s The Greenbacker?

This newsletter will be our way to let you know what’s happening in Alpine Anglers and in the Greenback Cutthroat Trout Recovery Program in Rocky Mountain National Park. We will publish it bimonthly during the summer and fall—more often if there is something important to report. The Greenbacker will be distributed by e-mail. If you have received this through the U.S. Mail, it’s because we don’t have your e-mail address. This will be the last “snail-mail” distribution, so please send us your e-mail address at AlpineAnglersTU@msn.com.

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday, June 14

7:00 P.M.

Mary’s Lake Lodge

Program:

Steve Craig: President, Colorado Trout Unlimited

Chris Kennedy: U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Greenback Cutthroat Trout Recovery Program.

Refreshments served--Be there!

 

June meeting details

 

Alpine Anglers plans 2007 season

Summer is here, and several key projects have already been completed. The best is ahead, though. Monthly meetings June through October will offer programs of interest to local anglers and conservationists. And, as usual, the August picnic will be a time to ease out, socialize and find out where the big ones are biting. Here’s our 2007 calendar:

 

Date        Event                       Location                                  Program                                           

June 14   meeting                   Mary’s Lake Lodge               Steve Craig, President, Colorado Trout Unlimited                                                                                                          Chris Kennedy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

July 19    meeting                   EP Library-Hondius Rm       Rick Spowart, Colorado Division of Wildlife

Aug 16    picnic                       Sprague Lake, RMNP          Burgers, brats, fellowship

Sept 20   meeting                   EP Library-Hondius Rm       Rob Burgy, Big Thompson Watershed Forum

Oct 18     meeting                   EP Library-Hondius Rm       Bill Dvorak, Colorado’s first licensed outfitter,                                                                                                                 Floating and fishing Gunnison Gorge

All are welcome.

 

 

 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces 2007 fieldwork schedule.

Chris Kennedy has posted his 2007 fieldwork schedule for the greenback recovery program. Volunteers are needed to help Chris with electro-fishing projects, gill netting and “hook and line sampling.” This year’s schedule includes opportunities to visit and fish in some of the most pristine locations in Rocky Mountain National Park as well as some lovely spots closer to the road.

Get the details directly from Chris at the Alpine Anglers June meeting (details above), and visit the Alpine Anglers web site (www.alpineanglers.org) to see his latest schedule.

 

 

Howard Lipke weighs greenback cutthroat during 2006 project.

 

Alpine Anglers receives Exemplary Project Award from Colorado Trout Unlimited for greenback work.

April 2006—At the CTU Rendezvous at Redstone, CTU Executive Director David Nickum presented a CTU Exemplary Project Award to Alpine Anglers for “outstanding work in restoring native trout...” Alpine Anglers president Dallas Maurer accepted the award on behalf of our member and non-member volunteers who contributed more than 1500 hours of volunteer effort in 2006 to the Greenback Cutthroat Recovery Program.

 

Volunteers assist U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Chris Kennedy with electro-fishing survey at Hidden Valley Creek. The project captured, marked and released brook trout below a barrier to test the effectiveness of the barrier.

 

Roaring River fish rescue

In November 2006, RMNP decided to reroute 700 feet of the Roaring River back to the original streambed that existed prior to the Lawn Lake flood as part of its efforts to restore the riparian area of Fall River. The re-plumbing would have left trout high and dry. Alpine Anglers and other volunteers responded to help catch and relocate the fish. On a cold, blustery day, almost 700 greenback, brown and brook trout were caught by electro-fishing and relocated to Fall River.

At left, John Barber and other volunteers weigh and measure fish prior to release into Fall River.

 

Recent projects

April 2007: Summer is already underway. Bert Cushing installs Catch and Release signs on Big Thompson River.

 

Saratoga National Fish Hatchery

In October 2006, volunteers accompanied Chris Kennedy to the Saratoga hatchery to assist in spawning lake trout. Saratoga is a broodstock hatchery that supplies eggs to production hatcheries across the U.S.

 

At right, a volunteer strips eggs from a “laker.” Later they will be fertilized and packed for shipping.

 

Join Trout Unlimited:

Trout Unlimited is a conservation organization dedicated to preserving and protecting coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. Membership includes a subscription to Trout magazine and membership in a local chapter. Best of all, it includes the opportunity to meet and work with others who like to fish and who believe we should preserve coldwater fisheries for generations to come.

 

Learn more or join at www.tu.org.

 

If you’re not a member, get to know us by attending a chapter meeting. And you can help by volunteering for a greenback cutthroat recovery project.

 

See the latest schedule at alpineanglers.org

 

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