Summer 2011

A Message from Steve Trafton

 A message from Steve Trafton, the Managing Director of the Coldwater Conservation Fund.
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Read an article in last issue of The Drake fly fishing journal featuring Steve.
 

2011 CCF Trips

Our exclusive CCF trips combine world class fishing with remarkable accommodations. Just sit back, relax, and wet a line! Read more about our CCF trips.

CCF member Judith Hazen shows off a beautiful brown trout caught at Colorado’s High Lonesome Ranch.

Next Trip: South Fork Lodge, Idaho
September 6-10, 2011

Whether you like throwing hoppers off grassy banks or targeting big fish sipping tricos, you shouldn’t miss this year’s CCF trip on Idaho’s South Fork of the Snake River. Enjoy three full guided days on this renowned tail-water while returning home to the majestic and elegant South Fork Lodge, nestled on the bank of the river.
>>Learn More

Upcoming Trips;

• Healing Waters Lodge, Montana – September 10-14
• Fall Blitz, New York– September 25-29

Around the World of TU

-Apache Trout, AZ
Drought and Fire in the Southwest Threatens Apache Trout Restoration Progress

As the raging wildfires in Arizona have entered New Mexico, the condition of years of work for native Apache trout restoration remains unknown. The heart of the restoration effort east of Mt. Baldy in the Black River Watershed is believed to have been hit hard by the fires. To this point, forest service officials and biologists have been prevented from accessing the sites to assess any damage. According to Joe McGurrin, TU’s Director of Resources, the aftermath of these fires also bears the potential of continual damage as residual ash from fires upstream affects restored populations downstream. The good news is that critical populations of Apache trout on tribal lands that were the basis of the original restoration efforts have been spared so far by the event.

-Elwha River, WA
Preparing for Dam Removal on the Elwha River

-Bristol Bay, AK
Bristol Bay Fly Fishing and Guide Academy Equips Locals with Job Earning Skill Sets

-Trout in the Classroom
Preserving Maine’s Native Brook Trout Populations One Lesson at a Time

A Smart Investment:
Spring Creek Restoration in the Driftless Area

One of the greatest successes of federal Farm Bill Conservation Program work is the progress being made on the spring creeks within the Midwest’s famed “Driftless Area”. In fact, today’s model for federal landscape-scale conservation management is embodied in the cooperative restoration of this 24,000 square mile section of the Upper Mississippi basin. In cooperation with private, state and federal programs, Trout Unlimited’s Driftless Area Restoration program (DARE) has leveraged millions of dollars and included countless hours of volunteer work for the repair of 500 miles of streams. The result of this effort is a woven network of water with great fishing, supporting the farthest western native range of brook trout.
>>Read More.

Fishing in the Name of Science for Maine’s Brook Trout

Last winter, Trout Unlimited’s publication, Trout magazine, featured a program in Yellowstone where anglers help survey the park’s myriad native trout populations on its 2,650 miles of streams. From meadow streams to alpine lakes, volunteers are collecting data (aka: catching fish) via fly-rod in the name of science. This simple idea is a great way for Trout Unlimited members to combine their summer vacation with a conservation mission – and now a similar program is active in Maine. The “Trout Pond Survey Project” is a collaborative effort by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW), Maine Council of Trout Unlimited (METU), and Maine Audubon (MA) to identify previously undocumented wild brook trout populations in remote Maine ponds.
>>Read More.

You've Got Questions, We've Got Answers.

Is there something you've wanted to know about TU's work? Now's your chance to find out. Send your question to Anderson Smith and we'll answer it in a future issue of the Angler.

The Coldwater Conservation Fund provides core funding for professional conservation projects that advance Trout Unlimited's mission of conserving, protecting and restoring North America's trout and salmon and their watersheds.