Latest Additions

April additions

The RMF board has been working to update and revise our Bylaws and a final draft is availble for review. Please take the time to read through it in preparation for adopting them at a special General meeting May 14, 2008. Final draft of 2008 Bylaws.

Eagle's Nest Work Day on April 20. Was it a glorious day at Eagle's Nest?

Flyfishing movies to show at the Lory Student Center Theater on May 7th.

New story from Greg Evans about his trip to San Juan River.

March additions

Special May Raffle

At the May meeting we will be having a drawing for the T.L. Johnson 9' 4wt 4-piece rod and other prizes. Tickets are available at the meetings and at your local favorite fly shops. Jax, St. Petes, Angler's Roost and Bob's Fly shop in Loveland. A $20.00 donation for the Behnke scholarship will get you entered for the drawing.

Again, the drawing will be on May 14th. Need not be present to win.

Welcome to our new home.

In February, the board agreed that it was more fitting that we have our web presence as a dot ORGanization rather than a dot COMmercial entity. As a non-profit organization that change makes the most sense. So, if you have any bookmarks to our site, you might want to edit them to www.rockymtnflycasters.org. If you have any problems with the site at this location, don't hesitate to contact the webmaster.

Phantom Canyon events for 2008 announced.

Stop cross-water contamination!

Whirling disease. Dydimo. New Zealand Mud Snails. Chytrid fungus. These are very real threats to our waters. If you follow some very simple, inexpensive procedures, you can help curb the spread of these diseases. See Common Sense Disinfection Procedure by Phil Wright. Coming soon! Another article from Phil Wright about an inexpensive home-made wading staff from recycled materials.

Land and water issues

At the October Board meeting, Gina C. Janett presented information about the Clean Water Act and the Hardrock Mining and Restoration Act that are coming up for action in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Some changes and interpretations of the Clean Water Act make it imperative that we get Congressional support for continuing protection of 75% of Colorado's streams and rivers. The hardrock mining issue seeks to update laws established in 1872 before the knowledge of damage done by mining was well understood. See this article for more information about this legislation.

Flycasters’ Forum

Screen shot from the forum

We have recently added another feature to our offerings on the Internet. We've created an additional site where we host a forum/message board for sharing information about our organization, our goals, our concerns, and some of our fun. Initial topics include places to discuss local, state, and national issues. RMF Board Members will have special access to sections pertaining to Board activities and discussions.

Head on over to Forum.RockyMtnFlycasters.org/phpbb and sign up to join the fun. Sign up soon so you can have the user name of your choice. Since we have just started, the field is wide open.

Phantom Canyon Trail Maintanence

A group of RMF volunteers went to Phantom Canyon to do some trail maintenance on August 25th. See the report and photo on the Phantom Canyon page.

Annual Report

See what Rocky Mountain Flycasters Chapter has been doing over the past year. Meetings, conservation, scholarships, and more.

 

 

Urgent Immediate Action Still Needed

Help us protect the Roan Plateau from irresponsible drilling

The Roan Plateau, located in NW Colorado, is home to native trout, world class deer and elk hunting and backcountry fly fishing. It is also slated for oil and gas drilling. The only way to keep well pads, roads, heavy machinery, pipelines, waste pits and an industrialized landscape off of the Roan Plateau is to have Congress act. The full U.S. House will be considering the Energy Independence Act of 2007 this week. We need you to contact your US Representative TODAY tell them to support language in the Energy Independence Act of 2007  that will protect the Roan Plateau. We need a plan that protects the fish, wildlife and hunting and angling values that the Roan Plateau is cherished for.

What you can do

This bill will be considered by the full House of Representatives this week—by August 4. Please contact your Representative today and tell them to support language in the Energy Independence Act of 2007 that will protect the Roan Plateau from irresponsible natural gas drilling through "no surface occupancy" stipulations.

More information. . .

Scholarship Challenge

Scholarship Awarded

Phantom Canyon Adventure Days

(Formerly known as Phantom Canyon Public fishing lottery.)

The Nature Conservancy and RMF is sponsoring Phantom Canyon River Adventure Days again this summer. Each River Adventure Day will have a theme, such as aquatic insects, fish biology and habitat, and hydrology and riparian plants followed by an opportunity to fish catch-and-release in the canyon. Registration will begin April 1 through Phantom Canyon Preserve, not through Rocky Mountain Flycasters.

[More information about Phantom Canyon Adventure Days and registration as well as our August Trail Maintenance...]

Current Issues

Rock Snot

Is didymo invading your favorite stream? Read this article and Phil Wright's about decontamination.

Rocky Mountain National Park wilderness legislation

Senator Salazar hosted a listening session on October 25th in Loveland to further gauge local support for protecting the Park’s wild backcountry. Dave Piske attended the meeting and provides this report.

Eagle’s Nest Open Space

They just keep coming, these fine days up at Eagles Nest Open Space and the North Fork! More on the July watering....

April 14 What a glorious day to be playing around on the North Fork! OK, if we had been fishing, it could have been even nicer! See this update.

Contact Bob Streeter by phone (495-1893) or email to join in this worthwhile project or if you need more information.

Rocky Mountain Flycasters’ members continue to contribute hundreds of hours for stream bank restoration to help make this a welcome Open Space. See more articles in our Chapter Activities.

Call for Volunteers

In addition to volunteers needed for the Eagle's nest project, there are several other opportunities to contribute to the conservation, protection and restoration of local trout fisheries and watersheds. Below is a partial list.

• Internship Program Opportunity:

  U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Region 8
  Office of Ecosystems Protection and Remediation
  Denver, Colorado
  Project # EPA Water 2006-66: An internship is available at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Region 8 office in Denver, Colorado. See the internship page for more information.

• Phantom Canyon: There is an occasional need for volunteers to assist in maintaining the trails at Phantom Canyon. Many times after trail work is done, volunteers are able to use artificial flies on barbless hooks to catch and release "samples." Volunteers should contact Ken Eis or Scott Baily. Additional information about Phantom Canyon and the Nature Conservancy, see www.nature.org/colorado.
• Rocky Mountain National Park: Help with providing park users with information or assist wildlife biologists with research. Options are wide-ranging and open to suit your needs. See RMNP Volunteers.

Mud Snail Threat

See Conservation News for information.

For water conditions in our area, please check U.S. Geological Survey's Real-time water data.