Chapter News

New Board Member, Miles Comeau!

To kick off the new year, Five Rivers TU welcomed our newest board member, Miles Comeau. Read below to learn a bit about Miles and his story to join our 5RTU chapter!

"My fishing story is probably not very different from most children who learn to fish at a young age. It mostly consisted of drowning worms for crappie, bluegill and bass. There were also the occasional deep sea fishing trips on the gulf, cat fishing with Uncle Tom (which was an adventure in itself), and then being exposed to fishing for trout in the mountains. My father was the one who took me along on fishing and hunting trips as a kid and had the most to do with those two sports. But it was a family trip to the Tetons in the early 90's where I was really exposed to fly fishing. I remember all the guys in their gear and netting fishing in the river. The fly shops with bins and bins of fuzzy flies in every color and shape. And the night my dad caught dinner in the form of brook trout from a small creek near where we were camping. From then on I wanted to learn all things fly fishing.

We came back home to the sweltering heat of the South and I began what would become one the longest running obsessions of my life. Wading up and down the creek behind my house catching panfish and little bass on a handful of dry flies imaging I was fishing the famous Snake River. I must have been 9 or 10 at the time. It wouldn't be until the age of 24 (summer of 2007) that I had that actual opportunity to fish the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park. This was the summer I graduated college and got a job working at the Orvis Endorsed Fire Hole Ranch on Lake Hebgen in Montana, perfectly situated outside of West Yellowstone, the western entrance to the famous park.

After a summer of waiting tables and fishing every possible moment that I wasn't working, the Fire Hole Ranch closed for the season and I headed to Vail, Colorado where my career in fly fishing would begin. I would spend the better part of almost 6 seasons as the assistant manager of a fly shop and outfitter. Beyond the typical shop duties I would take overflow guide trips, write the local fishing reports for the Vail Daily, and help create a presence within the community where anyone could come to learn and take part in the sport. Our shop earned the Vail Daily's readers choice award almost every single year that I worked there.

After a series of unfortunate events I moved back south to be closer to family. I quickly found a job as the fishing manger for a corporate Orvis brick-and-mortar building where I consistently achieved recognition for being one the highest performing stores in the nation. I helped to establish the Orvis Fly Fishing 101 program as one of the first stores to begin the program and taught more than 600 students in 4 summers. Eventually it was time to move on from retail as making a living was tough. I began working in the tech sector and have ultimately landed in real estate technologies and services where I've worked for several years now. My wife and I planned to make the move back to Colorado, and did so in the summer of 2021.

[With 5RTU] I'd like to help focus on bringing back the historic fishing qualities of rivers that have been harmed by recent fires and decades of mining pollution, and that are subject to the ongoing water crisis that we are seeing here in the Southwest. I'd like to help create more public access and usher in a new generation of anglers where protecting the resource is more important than catching the fish, and ultimately I want the next generations to continue to carry that message into the future."

Welcome, Miles!

Priority Waters

In February 2022, Five Rivers TU will present a program intended to educate our members and supporters about an effort to identify Priority Waters for native and wild trout and salmon throughout the national network of Trout Unlimited Chapters.

Tom Jones, Five Rivers Chapter Board Member and National TU Trustee, and Buck Skillen, Five Rivers Chapter Board Member and Southwest Regional VP for Colorado TU, will be the presenters.

This effort by each Chapter to identify Priority Waters in the Chapter’s area of interest is an effort to be more strategic and efficient in identifying waters in which to direct volunteer power, collaborator and agency partners and, importantly, financing.

Strategically, this priority waters program intends to screen for Ecological Significance, Social Significance and Opportunity/Value. Ecological Significance looks to identifying critical reaches of native and wild trout habitat and the attendant threats to such habitat. The Social Significance component speaks to the importance of the reaches to the broader area community. Opportunity/Value looks at TU’s ability to add significant value.

In 2020, TU, on a national level accounting for all chapters, reported a total of 750,000 volunteer hours, which translates into 405 full time staff equivalent. By strategically identifying priority waters on a chapter area basis, TU, from the grassroots level up to the National level, will be better positioned to attract greater financial and volunteer support.

For a fuller explanation of the Priority Waters effort please go to the 5RTU Chapter web site. And, join us in February for the Chapter meeting where we discuss this program.

Colorado Trout Unlimited Staff Members visit with 5RTU

In early November, David Nickum, Executive Director, and Nancy Johnston, Conservation Projects Coordinator, were hosted here in Durango to engage with Chapter leaders and our Partners in our conservation efforts.

Meetings were held with Warren Rider of Animas Watershed Partnership, Scott Roberts and Amanda Kuenze of Mountain Studies Institute, Patt Dorsey of National Wild Turkey Federation, Jim White, Aquatic Biologist with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Clay Kampf, Aquatic Biologist with the San Juan National Forest, and San Juan National Forest employees Kara Chadwick, James Simino, Lindsey Hanson, Brandy Richardson and Ivan Messinger.

David and Nancy also visited with Jacob Rash of The San Juan Angler and Tom Knopick of Duranglers and toured the San Juan Cutthroat hatchery area with Toby Morning.

Of particular interest is the San Juan Cutthroat conservation work in the planning stages and the prospects for funding our conservation efforts on the Forest. The opportunity to have extended time with Jim and Clay and the San Juan National Forest line officers and staff proved to be very informative and a great opportunity for relationship building.

5RTU Board Fishing Day

In November, the 5RTU Board wet some lines in the Animas! Records were shattered, no fibs told, and plenty of smiles shared on a sunny day! Check out a couple of the catches, below -

Public Lands Day

On September 26, 5RTU and volunteers participated in a cleanup on Hermosa Creek.

July 2020
Hermosa Creek Restoration Efforts

Willows and grass taking hold at the Confluence Barrier on Hermosa Creek thanks to the volunteer efforts of Five Rivers TU.

June 2020
Update on Conservation Activity and Future Volunteer Opportunities

The USFS is currently completing eDNA and electrofishing on sections of Hermosa Creek to ensure that stream treatments have been successful. After completing their assessment, the goal is to stock Colorado River Cutthroat. We hope that this presents a volunteer opportunity to help with the re-stocking. Stay tuned for more information.
This summer, a “Watershed Characterization Study” will be done on two drainages to help inform CPW and the Forest Service’s on the San Juan Cutthroat reintroduction efforts. This will entail some temperature sensors, flow calculations and other data collection efforts. We will notify you of volunteer opportunities as they arise.
Garrett Hanks from TU is currently applying for the research permit to collect samples on area creeks (TBD) for Outstanding Waters designation. Volunteer support will be needed to collect water samples. More information to come.

Hermosa Creek Restoration Work: October 2019

Willow planting on Hermosa Creek with the “stinger”.

Animas River Community Forum

The Animas River Community Forum recently held a presentation of the health of the Animas River from the headwaters through Durango. Discussed were the state of the headwaters and status of the Bonita Peaks Superfund process; the San Juan Cutthroat Trout and their effect on the Animas River health, and the Animas River fishery and bug life update.

The conclusion was that while it will take a while for the Animas to fully recover, the river is still fishing decently.

For more information, click here to see the presentations.

february 2019 chapter meeting

On February 13, we hosted a videoconference presentation with Bryan Huskey and Sascha Clark Danylchuk of Keepemwet®. Bryan and Sascha discussed principles to minimize the impact on the fish we catch, even while taking pictures. More information is available on their website, but here are a few of the basic principles they reviewed regarding handling.

Minimize air exposure. Keep a fish’s mouth and gills fully submerged in the water as much as possible during handling.
Eliminate contact on dry surfaces. Contact with dry surfaces, whether they are hands, rocks, grass, boat bottoms, etc. can remove a fish’s protective slime and make them more susceptible to diseases.
Reduce handling. Generally the less a fish is handled, the better. Measures like fishing barbless hooks and having tools easily accessible help reduce handling and allow you to release the fish more quickly.

January 2019 Chapter Meeting

A big thanks to Matt McCannel, head guide at RIGS Fly Shop in Ridgeway, CO for venturing over for our January meeting and discussing techniques to help improve your landing rate. While Matt is generally targeting large fish on light leader/tippet with small flies, these are great tips for any situation. For those who attended - and those who couldn't make - here are 5 recommendations that Matt presented.

Hermosa Creek Restoration

The Hermosa Creek work for 2018 was partially completed. In November, volunteers helped scatter grass seed in the area of the new barrier prior to the road shutdown for the winter. We intend to go back in as early as possible in the spring to plant willows. Stay tuned as more information becomes available.

The Chapter will be looking for volunteers to help with this work in the summer and fall of 2019.

Bonita Peak Consumer Advisory Group

There is no other issue of greater importance to the health of the Animas fishery - top to bottom - than mining-impacted water quality. As such, TU has long-been at the table with local stakeholders to address the problem and find solutions. It should then come as no surprise that TU was instrumental in developing the Bonita Peak CAG. Sign up to stay informed by going to www.BonitaPeakCAG.org .

Orvis 50/50 On the Water Profiles

Congratulations to 5RTU board member Kara Armano for being recognized by Orvis in their #50/50 On the Water Profiles. To read more about this accomplished fisherwoman and conservationist, check out the following link at https://5050onthewater.orvis.com/profiles/kara-armano-2/