The Water Column Freestone Aquatics Monthly Newsletter Photo Essay of the Month South Island New Zealand February and March 2005

Freestone Aquatics www.freestoneaquatics.com

Take a Kid by Luke Kelly Large, wild brown and rainbow trout are crashing the surface, and hundreds of huge salmon flies fill the air. This is why we are here. It’s a beautiful June day, and I was with three good friends scrambling down the well named “SOB” trail into the Black Canyon of The Gunnison River. It’s an extremely impressive canyon; simply driving the rim of the canyon is worth the trip itself. The trial is more like a rappel in spacesuits. There are several sections of down climbing that makes this a much less popular trail, but the reward at the bottom of the canyon is worth the effort. As if the steepness isn’t enough, there are also many areas filled with poison ivy, so my companions and I are wearing pants, long sleeves, and gloves, with wrist and ankles duct taped and all!

As we finally approached the river, the explosive rises of fish came into focus. We also noticed another camper set up, and was a bit surprised to see no one fishing. When we dumped our packs and the excitement really set in, it re- minding me of my younger days of die-hard fishing. I was taking off the duct tape from my ridiculous outfit, and I saw our camper friends sitting in the shade. It was a father and son, and I noticed a couple of spinning rods leaning against a nearby cottonwood tree. I approached to introduce our group, and they were quite friendly. They were here to fish, and had stayed one night already. Asking how the fishing was only resulted in a “nope” and some obvious frustration. Understandable when just 40 feet behind us a dozen trout were in mid-feeding frenzy. Our introduction ended on a difficult mood, but I had just the plan to make their day.

I was Perched on the bank and I had two rising fish in range. My five weight fly rod was all set up with a rather large, size four Rouge Salmon Fly on the end. I wanted to catch just one fish before I called up the attentive father-son audi- ence. On the second cast, the big fly slapped down like a wet sponge and wham! It was a healthy little brown with a bulging stomach, and I was surprised he could even attempt to eat another bug! (cont. on page 2) Freestone Aquatics, Inc PO Box 271229 Phone: 303.807.7805 Littleton, CO 80127 Fax: 303.972.6412 www.freestoneaquatics.com The Water Column Freestone Aquatics Monthly Newsletter 15 Minutes of Fame The Freestone Club The Freestone Club Membership Club Membership Fly Fishing Club The Freestone Club is for those anglers who enjoy Featuring Grand County, CO the purest aspects of the sport of Fly Fishing and are Rivers-Creeks-Lakes-Ponds looking for a natural and non-manicured experience when they are outdoors. You will only find the most Private Water Fishing and interesting, fulfilling and modest aspects of nature Limited Access and the sport of fly fishing as a member of The Freestone Club Memberships Now Available for 2009

[email protected] - 303.807.7805 Congratulations! Shawn Bratt— Youth Educator of The Year

Take a Kid Fishing—continued from page 1

After the release, I turned around and waved for the father and son to come over. The son ran up to me ahead of his father, and I could tell his hope was fully restored. Asking if they were interested in trying this out, it was the father who jumped to answer with an appreciative “YES”. I wanted to introduce them to the big picture, before I put the rod in one of their hands. We spent several minutes talking about trout and their point of view: their lifecycle, where they live, what they eat, how they eat, etc. I pointed out the husks on the rocks and could tell that they had already made the connection with the adult stoneflies buzzing all around us.

It was time for the son to make his first casts with a fly rod. Having a good feel right off the bat, I could tell this was going to be fun. After about ten casts, the fly landed in the right lane and a big rainbow rolled on the fly and threw it over two feet in the air! The fish wasn’t hooked but the look on the eight year old’s face was worth it. Both father and son were jaw dropped and I could tell that they were completely jazzed about the whole new world ahead of them.

Over the next half hour, I went into guide mode, and we managed to land each of them a fish on the fly. I insisted they continue to fish while I went to set up another rod. I returned with a couple of flies, tippet, and clippers. After a couple knot lessons, I sent them on their way upstream.

Getting toward dusk I could see them making their way back to camp. I anxiously greeted them, and asked how it went. All smiles they answered, “Lots of action”! Both of them were very appreciative of my efforts, and the father made it especially clear how thankful he was that I took the time to introduce his son to the big picture and how the river ecosystem works.

It was excellent fishing on that trip, and I certainly had plenty of my own fishing time. However, I think what made the trip so memorable was introducing the sport of fly fishing to a young person. I have many years of guiding in my past, and I always looked forward to the opportunity of sharing something that I feel is healthy for the mind and soul with an eager young student.

I think it is important to introduce our youth to anything that allows them to relate with the outdoors. In this day in age of parking garages, text messages, and DVD box sets of our favorite TV series, it is easy to lose touch with what mother nature intended. We need to protect all of the wilderness we have left. That protection will most likely come from ones who have experience with and relation to the outdoors in a fun and sustainable way. Thank goodness for fly fishing! Take a kid fishing. Freestone Aquatics Project Update Rowdy Trout Ranch - Shawnee, Colorado www.rowdytroutranch.com & www.anglersall.com

In the autumn of 2008 Freestone Aquatics, Inc was contracted by the owners of Rowdy Trout Ranch to do preliminary baseline studies of the river corridor within the Rowdy Trout Ranch property. Surveying of the linear profile and many cross-sections in addition to bank stability and channel stability surveys were conducted and reported to the owners of the property. All of this data was entered into our state of the art hydraulic flow modeling software, giving us the right directions to design a natural looking and fully functioning aquatic ecosystem within the river corridor. The goal of the design was to implement some of our more creative designs for structure, while making the finished product look as though it was naturally formed.

After the completion of our design and construction plans, the landowner chose to retain us for the duration of the permitting and construction process that is to commence in the summer of 2009. At project’s end, we are fully confi- dent that Rowdy Trout Ranch will have transformed from a steep gradient with high water volume fluctuations that limit the recreational use into a fishery that allows for use when water levels far exceed those fishable in the past. In addition to the phenomenal fishing opportunities that are sure to come, the property now is aware of many of the macroinvertebrates and plants that inhabit their section of river for future monitoring and studies. The Water Column Freestone Aquatics Monthly Newsletter

Friends, Sponsors, and Fishing Buddies

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Breckenridge Outfitters The Drake Magazine Anglers All They’ll Hook You Up For Those Who Fish Fly Shop and Guide Service www.breckenridgeoutfitters.com www.drakemag.com www.anglersall.com

Kumar and Associates (K+A) Geotechnical & Materials Freestone Aquatics Engineers River & Lake Specialists www.kumarusa.com www.freestoneaquatics.com The Trout & Salmon Foundation

Roaring Fork Anglers—Alpine Angling Two Great Rivers—Two Great Fly Shops www.roaringforkanglers.com

Abel Reels Catch Magazine www.abelreels.com Zakhem—Atherton Business Law and Corporate Attorneys The Official Journal of Fly Fishing www.zakhematherton.com Photography and Film www.catchmagazine.net