TU Science Forum...on TROUT

Announcement for 9/24 Science Forum in Ashland  
The Science of Fire and the State of the Trout

On Thursday, September 24, Dominick DellaSala, (Chief Scientist, Geos Institute) and Jack Williams (Senior Scientist, Trout Unlimited) will host a free Science Forum to discuss their new publications about wildfire science and trout fisheries.
 

This FREE Science Forum begins at 7pm at Science Works Museum (1500 East Main Street, Ashland). Co-sponsors include Geos Institute, Trout Unlimited, Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, and Siskiyou Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Oregon.

Our friends at WNCTU....

Doug Ray of the Wild North Coast Chapter near Seaside copied us with an email recently - and according to their FACEBOOK page - the Forest Lake dike removal project is complete! Complete enough that the plug placed at the opening may come out within the week [the plug is placed to ensure the trapped water settles and does not introduce excessive silt in the main river].

The last piece - the plug will come out soon!

Doug further notes that more of this type of flood plain restoration/off channel wetland complex habitat restoration....

An update from Tom....

Tom Wolf - OCTU Executive Director

Tom Wolf - our legislative insider - keeps busy in the off-season not only fishing remote waters in wilderness areas but following developments within the state. Included in that is tracking some of the ODFW activities. This past week the commission voted on the 2016 State Fishing Regulations in Seaside - Tom was there and forwarded his thoughts to the TU members:

I attended the ODFW Commission hearing in Seaside yesterday. The main subject was the proposed ODFW 2016 simplified fishing regulations, designed to make regulations easier to understand and more consistent.

Reminder!!

Don't forget the general meeting - with the short week and all it is TONIGHT! So if you want to know a bit about the SRC fishery, you'll want to be at the....

TVTU GENERAL MEETING!

WHEN: Wednesday, September 9, 2015
WHERE: Lucky Lab Public House [Multnomah]\
WHAT TIME: 6:30 p.m. Socializing; meeting starts at 7:00 p.m.
WHAT to EXPECT: Preston Singletary-"The Sea-Run Cutthroat"
Preston will provide insight into the SRC: His Life and Times in Freshwater and Salt, including the native range and the life histories of this semi-anadromous fish. His discussion will include a discussion of the saltwater fishery in Puget Sound and expand into fishing for them in rivers and streams.

 

A John Day recap.....

Our intrepid adventurer and outing leader has provided us with a bit of a recap of the adventure to the John Day last month....unfortunately, he was the only TVTU member with desires for an expedition and adventure. That means there is no proof of anything he writes...and with only one blurry photo as evidence of catching anything, we'll never know for sure!

Forty Casts and Forty Fish

By Andy Andrews

I arrived to Cottonwood Canyon State park on Friday about 2 pm, set up camp, strung a rod and started to explore the river. I expected to see a river similar to the Crooked but was surprised to see a stream far more clear than I had thought. The year being what is,  water depth was wadable in most of the river near the park. There were expanses of river that were wide (a hundred yards or more) and there were areas that were easy to cast completely across with a little effort. It was not hard to tell that the river was down far from it usually high point. I ventured downstream from the campground.........

September at TVU?

School is back in session and the waters are cooling down. After a bit of rain and a dusting of snow on the mountain things are beginning to look better for fall - we can certainly hope for that!

Now SUPPOSEDLY the fishing restrictions have been lifted for streams in Oregon [remember the time restrictions as of July 18?] - or so the local news said last night; BUT what we can't find is official ODFW news release about that. Might call ahead if you're going to test the cooler waters....

UPDATED - clear as of Sept 1 [but be mindful if things heat back up] - ODFW OFFICIAL news release <<<<< ODFW News >>>>

Now, on to more pressing business.....

How's the Elwha flowing?

Pretty well based on what the returning fish are saying! At least as reported by John Gusman and his video camera...

The chinook are now coming home to spawn in the dam free Elwha River. We try to find these returning king salmon as they battle the natural elements and a historic low water flow.

Another Fish Passage Exemption request...

Comments should be made on this one - why would one not make this a passage friendly bridge - who knows what may happen with a dam down the road; why not require passage on BOTH?! Certainly better to set the precedent now than to retroactively argue it later....

ODFW seeks comment on fish passage exemption for proposed bridge project near Selma

August 21, 2015

SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is seeking public comment on a request to exempt from fish passage requirements a proposed bridge replacement on McMullin Creek, a tributary to Deer Creek in the Illinois River Basin located near Selma, Oregon. Comments are due by Sept. 11, 2015.

The existing bridge located on Lakeshore Dr. and owned by Josephine County, crosses McMullin Creek immediately downstream of the Lake Selmac Dam. The county has proposed replacing the existing bridge with a new bridge, triggering ODFW fish passage requirements.

According to Ken Loffink, ODFW assistant fish passage coordinator, ODFW may grant the exemption if there is no appreciable benefit to fish from providing passage. Currently, coho, steelhead, and cutthroat trout are found in McMullin Creek downstream of the Lakeshore Dr. Bridge. However, the Lake Selmac Dam is located approximately 100 feet upstream of the bridge, and the dam spillway extends downstream to and beneath the bridge. The dam and spillway is a complete barrier to all native migratory fish.

Because there is a complete barrier immediately upstream, Loffink said ODFW has determined that even if fish passage was provided at the proposed new bridge, the action would not result in any appreciable benefit to native migratory fish.

Therefore, unless the agency receives public comment that would affect its determination, the exemption request will be approved. If, in the future, a trigger occurs at the Lake Selmac Dam, passage would be required at Lake Selmac and the exemption at Lakeshore Dr. would likely be revoked. Fish passage exemptions can be revoked and fish passage required if an appreciable benefit to native migratory fish develops in the future.

In the meantime, members of the public will have until Sept. 11, 2015 to submit written comments on the proposed plan. The fish passage exemption application and the Department’s benefit analysis are available at http://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/passage/.

Members of the public can send written comments to or request additional information from Ken Loffink, ODFW Assistant Fish Passage Program Coordinator, 3406 NE Cherry Ave. NE, Salem, OR 97303, e-mail, Ken.J.Loffink@state.or.us, or by calling (503) 947-6256

What'd I Miss - March Rehash!

Just learned from the esteemed TVTU Prez that Dave Hughes attended and wrote a recap of Jeff Morgan's March TVTU presentation - "The Oddballs"; with permission from Frank Amato publications we have the article from their Flyfishing & Tying Journal here for your reading pleasure!

Reminder: there is a SMALL BOX WITH AN ARROW in the upper right hand corner of the picture above; hover your curser in that area and it should appear; click that little box and the article will pop-up in a readable size....assuming technology works that is!

<<<LINK to ARTICLE>>>

Rogue River re-opens to full day fishing....

Afternoon fishing re-opens on Rogue River

August 13, 2015

MEDFORD, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has lifted afternoon fishing restrictions on the Rogue River and tributaries. Anglers can now fish from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset from Fisher’s Ferry boat ramp to the mouth of the river, and on all tributaries normally open to fishing. The change is effective immediately.

Releases of cooler water from Lost Creek Reservoir typically increase this time of year to minimize disease and pre-spawning mortality in adult fall Chinook migrating upstream. Flows from the reservoir were increased on Aug. 12. Combined with a milder weather pattern, river conditions should be back to near normal for August, allowing fishery managers to re-open the river to regular fishing hours.