The Greenbacker

 

Alpine Anglers Chapter

Estes Park, Colorado

 

July 14, 2008

 

Photo courtesy Rocky Mountain National Park

 

July meeting this Thursday

Do you fish Rocky Mountain National Park? Would you like to learn from expert guides how to do it better and more successfully? Then come to this month’s Alpine Anglers meeting.  Estes Angler guides Mike Oatley (also Sports Editor for the Estes Park Trail Gazette) and Scott Davidson will talk about fly fishing Rocky Mountain National Park from ice-out to freeze-up, with a slideshow of photos from the Park and a tying demonstration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picnic location finalized

This summer’s annual Alpine Anglers picnic will be Saturday, August 23 at the Lily Lake picnic area (on the south side). Festivities will start about 4:00 P.M., but some of us will be there earlier to try for the lake’s elusive greenback cutthroat. We have moved the picnic to Saturday this year to make it easier for more people to attend. No program. No agenda.  Just food, drink and a chance to socialize and catch up on who’s been catching what.

Nothing to bring—just be there!

 

 

 

 

 

Alpine Anglers donates prize for Fishing Derby winner.

The Estes Park Fishing Derby happened as predicted on Saturday, June 11 on a chilly June morning. Alpine Anglers operated a booth next to the weigh-in area to educate participates on the greenback cutthroat recovery program and to give fly casting lessons to interested participants. Thanks to a generous donation of fly fishing equipment to Trout Unlimited by LL Bean, we were also able to provide the grand prize—a LL Bean Angler fly rod and reel set. The winner was Erik Brost of Fort Collins who landed a 2 pound 9 ounce, 19 inch rainbow to handily eclipse other contestants.

Allyn Kratz, Drew Peternell and Dallas Mauer after a hard day fishing.

 

Learn more about CTU at

cotrout.org.

Alpine Anglers host Colorado Trout Unlimited summer board meeting.

While most people are aware of TU chapter and national activities, our state TU council, Colorado Trout Unlimited, is often overlooked. CTU operates a number of programs critical to cold water conservation and to angling in Colorado. They are currently involved in a major effort with state and federal agencies to assure that oil and gas exploration is done, but done in a way that protects trout fisheries and other wildlife in Colorado.

 

Alpine Anglers hosted the CTU summer board meeting in Estes Park on Saturday, July 12. The following day, we were able to give several key TU leaders a first-hand education on our activities by hosting them for a day fishing one of our best greenback waters. Special thanks to (What? Me fish?) Dallas Maurer for showing CTU treasurer Michael McGoldrick, secretary Allyn Kratz and Drew Peternell (a TU attorney and Director of TU’s Colorado Water Project) the ropes in RMNP.

 

 

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Thursday, July 17

7:00 P.M.

Estes Park Library—Hondius Room

Program:

Mike Oatley and Scott Davidson: Fly Fishing Rocky Mountain National Park from ice-out to freeze-up.

 

July meeting details

 

Dr. Robert Behnke presentation a hit at RMNP.

On Saturday, May 31st, Alpine Anglers and RMNP collaborated to bring Dr. Robert J. Behnke to Estes Park. His presentation, “Native Trout of Rocky Mountain National Park—Past, Present and Future,” drew over 70 attendees. Dr. Behnke is a professor emeritus at Colorado State University, and he is widely viewed as one of the foremost authorities in the world on trout and salmon. This was an important community educational event for Alpine Anglers. Thanks to Alpine Anglers board members Bob Trout and Dallas Maurer for setting up this very successful event. And thanks, of course, to Dr. Behnke.

Greenback Backers protect trout and help Lily Lake anglers stay legal.

Lily Lake, just south of Estes Park on Hwy 7, contains a population of greenback cutthroat that helps biologists understand how the trout respond to heavy fishing pressure and serves as an educational program about native fish recovery. Fishing is with artificial flies and lures with barbless hooks, and all trout caught must be released immediately. To help park visitors understand these special regulations and the reasons for them, Greenback Backers patrol the lake seven days a week monitoring compliance, offering advice and explaining the native trout recovery program to visitors. (And answering thousands of other questions visitors pose to anyone wearing a volunteer uniform.)

 

Alpine Anglers coordinates and staffs the Greenback Backers under the RMNP Volunteers in Parks program. To volunteer or learn more, contact Alpine Anglers volunteer coordinator Austin Condon at 970-586-1762 or e-mail AlpineAnglers_TU@q.com.

 

 

Erik Brost won an LL Bean fly rod provided by Alpine Anglers.

Colbert Cushing (above) and Kimball Beery (right) on duty at Lily Lake

NPS photo

Remember...You can always find Chris Kennedy’s latest fieldwork schedule and volunteer needs on our web site:

AlpineAnglers.org