Fly Fishing Colorado

8/25

Invasive Species Control is a difficult issue because of the wide diversity of species involved.  Some advocate use of chemicals for controlling invasive species.  Others advocate non-chemical means to control these invasive hitchikers.

In Colorado signs warning about New Zealand Mud Snail infection in a stream or lake also maintain a 50% solution of 409 cleaner in a gallon of water will kill these critters.  This recommendation is based on a California study.  The only thing is the California study used commercial grade 409 found in Lowe’s, Home Depot or other commercial cleaning supply houses.  This type of 409 is much more powerful than the grocery story kind. If you have noticed, refill bottles of 409 are no longer available in many grocery stores. [ Also 409 is not approved by the EPA for invasive species control. Doing so in fact is breaking the law. Further 409 does not control whirling disease, zebra mussels or a host of other invasive species. (1) ]

The list of procedures to control or prevent spreading Invasive Species can be applied to anglers, boaters and aquarium owners.  Procedures include:

1. Physical Removal of all visible mud, plant material, fish/animals, sand or other debris from waders, wading boots, boats and equipment before leaving a stream, lake, pond, or other body of water.
2. Water Removal - from boat motors, jet drives, live wells, scuba regulators and tanks, recreational swim equipment, boots, waders, bait buckets, seaplane equipment.
3. Cleaning Recommendations
   • Wash your dog with as warm water as possible and brush its coat.
   • Use 40⁰C or 104⁰ or hotter water to clean your equipment.  Salt water is also a good cleaning agent. If hot water is not available, use a high pressure sprayer to clean boats, floats, decoys and similar equipment.
   • Chemical Alternatives to 409 or for equipment that cannot be exposed to hot water
     Dipping equipment into 100% vinegar for 20 minutes will kill aquatic hitchhikers.
     A 1% salt solution dip for 24 hours can be used in place of the vinegar process.
     This table provides correct mixtures for the 1 % salt solution in water:

     Gallons of Water	Cups of Salt
     5	2/3
     10	1 ¼
     25	3
     50	6 1/4
     100	12 2/3

   • Drying Equipment Thoroughly for at least 5 days before using in new waters.
4. Proper Disposal of Aquarium Contents and leftover live bait
   • Aquarium Content Disposal - Children can exercise considerable influence over parents when it comes time to dispose of aquatic pets.  Parents need to educate children that pouring the contents of an aquarium into a body of water or storm drain may be harming the streams and lakes all over the country.  Such disposal of an aquarium may be killing other fish, animals and plants that are already growing in lakes and streams. If a home can’t be found for the aquarium and contents, bury the critters and dump any water in the yard far away from storm drains.
   • Bait Disposal - may be a problem.  Bait may not be native to the area you are fishing.  Bait can carry disease or aquatic hitchikers so proper disposal is important. Leftover bait should be put in a trash can or on land far enough from water resources so they are not impacted.  Dispose of leftover bait water on land far from storm drains or water resources.  Improper disposal consists of pouring water or left over bait back into a stream or lake.  The bait may have come from an area not native to where it is being used.  Such a disposal practice may introduce disease or invasive hitchhikers into your favorite lake or stream.

 Reference for these control procedures — www.protectyourwaters.org

 The Federation of Fly Fishers  (1) has a slightly different take on control measures.  The FFF does not support the use of chemicals for cleaning boots, waders, boats or other recreational equipment.  The FFF supports three main methods to control the spread of invasive species.

1. Inspect - your equipment for dirt, plants or animals before moving to another stream, lake or body of water.
2. Clean -  your gear with clean water.  Without the use of chemicals, your gear can be cleaned in the water you have been fishing thus leaving what you may have picked up in the same water. Using high pressure water will help remove the small hitchhikers you may not see.
3. Thoroughly dry your gear each time you use it.
4. Never transport any fish, plants or animals from one body of water to another
5. Switch to boot foot waders with studded rubber lug soles to make cleaning gear easier. 
6. Take the Clean Angling Pledge and encourage others to do the same.

 Please do your part and help to control the spread of invasive species. What you do just might mean the difference in your favorite fishery surviving.

Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
www.110flyfishingtips.com
www.troutadventures.com
Alaska Trout Fishing Information

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8/22

South Platte River

Started fishing the South Platte River between Waterton back toward Chatfield Reservoir.  Water was flowing 154 CFS and murky.  The flow was down from last weeks high of 680 CFS.  Clarity poor with visibility to about 1 foot.  Air temp good at high seventies and low eighties.  Water temp was estimated 42 to 45 degrees. Did not see any fish nor much insect activity.  A small midge hatch was all I say in three hours of fishing.  No strikes and no hook ups on any fly I tried.

Bear Creek

Moved to Bear Creek arriving at O’Fallon Park about noon.  Ate lunch and napped until 1:15. 

Water clarity was good to 2 feet deep.  Not gin clear but good.  Flow estimated between 22 and 28 CFS. Air temp in low eighties and water estimated at low fifties.

I fished one of the pools straight out from the main parking lot.  This pool is deceiving with the center run some 3 feet deep and about 2 feet wide.  I know because I had to wade across to rescue a fly from a tree branch that ate it.

Some small midge activity off the pool with a few small fish taking dries off the surface.  I caught one small fish on a #20 gray RS2 emerger on a Leisenring Lift technique.  Spotted a 14 inch fish in the pool but my fly rescue scared it off.

Fished the runs feeding large rock pool downstream.  Had a looker or two at a #18 Tellico nymph as it rose on a Leisenring Lift but no takers.

Moved to one of favorite pools upstream about 3 pm.  This pool had some 15 to 20 fished stacked in the main run.  I could see them moving about taking nymphs mid-column in the water column. My first fish was a 15 inch length, 4 inch girth beauty of a cut bow on a #20 gray RS2 trailing emerger with a #16 beadhead, gold ribbed, flashback hares ear point fly.  Next fish was a healthy 10 inch brown from the tail of pool.  Followed by a 13 inch brown from the tail of the pool on the hares ear. The fourth fish took me around the pool once head down and shaking.  Then it headed upstream in the fast water.  I managed to see a belly flash as it went by.  I estimate that it was 17 or 18 inches.  Got this fish stopped by a rock in the fast run feeding this pool but could not easily get across to follow him upstream.  At this point, this fish performed one last strong head shake and broke off a 5X leader.  He disappeared with both flies.

I tried to get pics of me holding the fish I caught.  I need a lot more practice to get less of me and my hand and more of the fish.

About 5 p.m. a thunderstorm rolled in with lightening.  Back to the car to wait it out. Back at the pool at 6 p.m. Lots of duck activity as they paddled around the pool. Had to watch carefully so they did not eat my dry fly.

Some insect activity. Small tan caddis hatch.  I switched to a tan yarn caddis dry fly pattern I had tied.  First cast, a fish snapped at it on the end of the drift and I set the hook too soon.  Two casts later a nice 12 inch brown jumped six inches into the air to grab the fly as I picked up for a cast.  This was fun to watch.  Had two more strikes at my tan caddis.  Biggest problem was having to put floatant on every other cast to keep the yarn from becoming water soaked. Need to change the body on the pattern.

About 7 p.m. another thunderstorm rolled in with lots of lightening.  Headed post haste to car.  Had to shoo some deer off the path so I could go through.  They were nice and healthy, tan does with sleek coats.  Got a few pics. At car, I got out of gear with lightening cracking over the mountain I was parked next to.  Reviewing the afternoon, it was an excellent day of fishing.

Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
www.110flyfishingtips.com
www.troutadventures.com
Alaska Trout Fishing Information

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8/12/08

Air Temp in mid to high 70’s. Water clarity excellent to 2 feet. In the deeper cutbank - runs with depths greater than 2 feet, could not see bottom. Appeared to be moss on bottom.

First fish hooked on a 2 nymph rig. Beadhead, goldribbed, flashback hare’s ear #16 top and a #16 Barr’s tan graphic caddis on bottom. Fished with 3 #4 Dinsmore weights to get to bottom of this cutbank run. An 18 - 20 inch rainbow took the Barr’s graphic caddis. Lost him on a jump but a great fish.

Took several 12 inchers along the bank on nymphs before a small tan caddis hatch #18 or #20 started up. The fish were coming up for them about 6 inches out from the bank. Casting required accuracy to avoid hanging up in the bankside grasses.

Later I fished the cutbank I was standing on by doing short river casts of some 15 feet upstream and guiding the drift back against the bank. After some 20 drifts, I hooked up with a nice fat 13 inch brown about 2 feet from the bank. Had him on for a few minutes then lost him on the jump.

A friend from the High Plains Drifters FFF club, fished Tomahawk on Sat 8/16. Larry hooked up with a brown he estimated over 24 inches.

Scenery this time of year at the area is beautiful. Especially around 6 pm when the mountains northwest of the south parking area are shadowed and outlined.

Mountains at dusk northwest of south parking area in Tomahawk State Wildlife Area taken with pan-focus mode.

Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
www.110flyfishingtips.com
www.troutadventures.com
Alaska Trout Fishing Information

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8/19

Invasive species are those that are not a normal part of an ecosystem or aquasystem.  Usually invasive species are introduced by human beings on boats, anchor ropes, wet felt soles, ballast water, aquarium dumps, releasing little Sammy into the wild and similar incidents.

The resulting impact on the ecosystem or aquaculture can be devastating and expensive. In aquaculture envioronments, major game fish depletions may occur with resulting loss of income and jobs for those who depend on recreational fishing.

Invasive Species Impacts:

Reduction in game fish populations may occur through direct fish kills, reduction of native food sources, interference with the reproductive cycle and reduction of oxygen content in the water. Such reductions in game fish populations are usually related to reduced gear sales, guided trips, less vacation trips booked and similar reduction of revenue in the affected area.

Zebra mussels in particular clog water plant intake pipes resulting in increased operating costs.  The also clog the water outlet pipes on power plants. Nuclear power plants in the Great Lakes region average $825,000 annually for zebra mussel control.  Zebra mussels accumlate PCB’s and PAH’s in their tissues 300,000 times greater than normally found in the environment.  Then they deposit these harmful chemicals in the pseudofeces.  Ducks and fish will then pick up the chemicals and may cause harm for humans that eat them.

These are only some of the impacts that invasive species have on communities, mom and pop businesses that depend on recreational fishing, water and power plants, human health and other negative aspects resulting from human transportation of these non-native species.  For more information on Invasive Species Imacts.  See www.protectyourwaters.org website from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Coast Guard for much more information about Invasive Species.

For an Invasive Species List . The first in this series on Invasive Species.  Next is Invasive Species Control

Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
www.110flyfishingtips.com
www.troutadventures.com
Alaska Trout Fishing Information

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8/19

Orvis Giant 2008 Fall Tackle Sale — Save up to $200 on a Zero Gravity Fly rod and great savings on other rods and reels.

$40 off Silver Label Stockingfoot Waders. (Editor: The Silver Label Wader is the most breathable and comfortable wader I have ever owned.) Be sure to check out the Riverkeeper Gear Bag at $79 - comes with own standon mat to protect your waders and lots of room for boots, waders, rain gear and more.  Many more gear and clothing items on sale.

Check out this sale right away. If you snooze you loose, all the good tackle will be gone.

Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
www.110flyfishingtips.com
www.troutadventures.com
Alaska Trout Fishing Information

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