In this installment of our featured fly tyers, we had the chance to catch up with Fly Fish Food’s, Cheech and Curtis for this year’s Trout Unlimited x Flylords Trout Week!
Fly Fish Food is one of the most comprehensive fly tying and fly shops in the country. Cheech and Curtis have been fishing buddies since the early 2000’s where they never could have imagined opening up one of most premier fly fishing stores in the world. Curtis became well known from his weekly column for the Salt Lake Tribune featuring fly tying segments and pointing people to an accompanying YouTube channel. Cheech was a fly tying innovator; starting at Rainy’s flies. Cheech had around 50 signature patterns in Rainy’s catalog.
Cheech and Curtis decided to start a blog in 2012 which led them into making YouTube videos, fly tying tips and tricks, from a Hareline Dubbin order back in 2012 and spent the next four years “building Disneyland” for fly tyers worldwide. In 2018, Fly Fish Food finally opened, having enough space after moving out of Curtis’ basement into a 5,500 square foot building located in Orem, Utah. Fly Fish Food dedicates 60% of their space for fly tying material, over 125 fly rods to choose from, a reel display that allows you to to touch each reel, and everything any novice or “advanced” fly fisherman wants to get their hands on.
Flylords: Who is Cheech and Curtis?
Cheech & Curtis:“We are two fishing buddies that have a love for all things fly fishing, but especially fly tying. We have been collaborating on patterns, trips, etc. for over 20 years, and we accidentally started a fly shop. It all started with YouTube videos, gradually growing into one of the most comprehensive collections of fly gear and tying material in the world. Cheech is originally from Vernal, UT, and I (Curtis) is originally from Ontario, OR.”
Flylords: How did you guys get introduced to fly fishing and specifically fly-tying?
Cheech & Curtis: “Neither of us had a family member that got us started in the sport, so we kind of wandered into the world of fly fishing through outside contacts. Curtis used to tie flies and fish them behind a bubble for Crappie with his scout group in Oregon, and I (Cheech) started out, and still am a heathen gear fisher. I first casted a fly rod in my father in law’s back yard; my wife bought me a fly rod and fly tying kit for Christmas that year after which I tied flies for a solid year before ever catching a fish on a fly rod.”
Flylords: Tell us a little more about Fly Fish Food.
Cheech & Curtis: “We like to think that Fly Fish Food is somewhat like “America’s Fly Shop.” We try to reach people that might not have a fly shop near them that will answer their questions, provide the right gear for them, and ship really quickly. That said, in our brick and mortar shop in Orem, UT we also have one of the biggest selections of gear and tying materials in the world with over 25,000 different items that we sell. It’s also really important to us to connect with our customers so they know the people behind the brand.”
Flylords: Where do you get inspiration for creating new fly patterns?
Cheech & Curtis: “One of the perks of this job is that we get to go through the shop and look at all the materials to kind of piece together things that work together. One of the biggest elements of the creation process is that you are trying to either solve a problem that exists in the fly world like, for example, a giant fly that moves great that isn’t a pain in the butt to cast, or a super realistic hopper or cicada pattern. At the end of the day, it’s just art, and the fish is really looking for a good presentation… BUT, that doesn’t mean you should tie ratty flies all the time.”
Flylords: What are your go to fly patterns in the fall?
Cheech & Curtis: “This one changes every year for us. It really depends on what the fish are doing and where we are fishing the most. We prefer to leave the spawning fish alone in the fall, but the stillwater bite is going nuts so we spend a lot of time fishing lakes. The Baby Fat Minnow and the Half Wit Leech have been absolute slayers in the fall for us.”
Flylords: You clearly do a lot within the fly fishing industry from fly and product innovation to educational tips and product videos. What is one thing you both are proud of?
Cheech & Curtis: “I think the biggest thing for us is that we were able to build a company that supports us and all of our employees in the face of a lot of opposition. We can’t even count the times when someone told us we were crazy for quitting comfortable corporate jobs to work in the fly fishing industry.”
Flylords: Cheech, tell us more about your notable accomplishment in fly tying, tying 65 San Juan Worms in 20 minutes, while eating a Big Mac in 4 bites? What was the inspiration behind this?
Cheech: “As a gentleman much older and wiser told me… The rule of the fisherman is this – “Always tell the truth sometimes.” I really tied 65 worms, but it was probably more like an hour with a bit of prep time. The shop where I was working needed some in the bins and I was getting paid by the hour… win/win. The Big Mac feat was done in desperate times when money was low and the dares were high. It totally happened though.”
Flylords: Does Squatch like to kiss fish?Â
Cheech & Curtis: “Squatch absolutely loves to be in the middle of the action and will lick a fish on occasion.”
Flylords: You have a very impressive YouTube page with a lot of fly tying tips and tricks, how can people find you?
Cheech & Curtis: “Check out our YouTube page, you can find it here. Trout are finicky, we love coming up with new patterns and creating a video to share how to tie it. You can find us on Instagram @flyfishfood.”
Big thank you to Cheech and Curtis for making the time to chat with us about everything that happens at Fly Fish Food. Make sure to follow them on Instagram @flyfishfood. Follow along for more content from this year’s Trout Unlimited x Flylords Trout Week!
“What color though?â€- A question that often arises at the fly shop or in your box once you’ve settled on a particular pattern, color choice can be one of the most complicated and uncomplicated parts of fly fishing. To understand the why’s of color choice, you must first determine 2 things: Am I attractor fishing or matching the hatch, AND is a hatch occurring or about to occur? From there, you can at least make a very educated guess about what to use. When you are attractor fishing, you are doing just that, trying to get the fish’s attention through some flashy colorful attraction. Often times colors like purple, reds and oranges show up in these flies. Fish that tend to feed in less-selective environments are usually the target with attractor fishing. When you are matching the hatch, not only are you taking in to account the size, shape, profile and action of the fly, but you are also deciding on color. The fish you are trying to catch are much more picky and tend to reside in mores still, or spring-like water. I like to make the analogy that these trout are looking through glass all day. Fish in faster flowing waterways tend to be less selective, and just happy to grab a meal as it quickly passes by.Â
Making a quick study of bugs on the top water is always a good start for deciding what fly pattern to use. Skimming the edges of the banks, inspecting rocks near shore for shucks, and taking your fishing net to the nearest bush for a good whack, are all great ways to determine what is going on streamside. A small seine net, or even little green aquarium net is helpful for sampling nymphs as well. If a hatch is occurring, or is about to occur, that can make a difference in your fly color selection.Â
Let’s start with a little metamorphosis lesson for some background on how hatch time influences color. Because insects don’t have spines (macroinvertebrates-remember?), they have to grow in a different way than we do. They are also extremely soft-bodied, prone to desiccation, and have the ability to respire through their skin. That is where the exoskeleton comes in. The exoskeleton provides the right protection and the ability to breathe cutaneously for the insect. Think of it as a Gore-tex hardshell. It keeps in the right amount of moisture, allows you to be flexible, and protects you from the bad stuff. After the insect hatches from its egg, it grows, but through each growth spurt, it must shed and regrow its exoskeleton. The phases of the nymph growth are called instars and the act of shedding the exoskeleton is called molting. Depending on the species, an insect can have just a few instars, or it can have upwards of 40. A molt to a new instar is triggered by an increase in the hormone ecdysone, which increases due to a variety of environmental factors. Insect color is conditional on what exact part of the life cycle they are in, and specifically, how progressed they are in to each instar.Â
Chitin (rhymes with “titanâ€) is a polysaccharide that naturally occurs in arthropods and forms their exoskeleton along with a mixture of proteins. Arthropods are members of the invertebrate phylum of Kingdom Animalia that have a “jointed-footâ€. Chitin also occurs in fungi, nematodes, and is the second largest macromolecule found on earth (behind cellulose). After an insect molts, their chitin has to harden up and go through a type of tanning process, called sclerotization, for it to become rigid and back to its normal coloration again. Immediately after the insect molts, it becomes almost white in color before that tanning process has begun. This process can take several hours, so as it is going on, the insect changes in color. When the insect molts into that translucent-white version of itself, it is at its most vulnerable for predation due to the contrasting color, and their soft-bodied-ness that makes them extra easy to digest. This is called the “teneral†phase. If you ever flip over a rock and see a bug that looks like the ghost version of itself, you’ve likely found an insect or other arthropod in its teneral form. The see-through, teneral, insect is constantly in a state of darkening.Â
When the aquatic insect reaches its final instar and final molt, they can do so on a structure outside of the water, in the surface tension of the water, and some even do it underwater before swimming to the surface as a winged adult. During that final sclerotization period where the exoskeleton is hardening, the adult insect’s color becomes darker, and they are changing rapidly as they pump their wings full of hemolymph (insect blood) and prepare to take flight as an adult. A special blend of chitin and protein forms the more flexible wing material. This is sometimes a prime opportunity to fish a bug that’s hatching- in one of the lighter colors.Â
Sexually mature, winged-adult insects, don’t molt as an adult. EXCEPT that one funny exception, which is kind of a big deal in fly fishing. That is the Mayfly. Because of their prehistoric roots and lack of evolution, Mayflies actually DO have a second molt as an adult going from the subimago (dun) to the imago (spinner) phase. The biggest color change in that molt is the wings going from an opaque color as a dun to clear as a spinner. Your fly and color choice with an adult mayfly is going to be a little different than determining your nymph choice, mainly because the fish will be looking up at it, so wing shape and silhouette may matter more than color. In the underwater game, the variable color can make or break a day.Â
When nymphing, we are imitating insects in the drift. These insects aren’t necessarily attached to anything under the water, they are instead tumbling, swimming, and working their way downstream or towards the shore. This is for a myriad of reasons that can be to either change their habitat or to emerge. If an insect is headed towards the shore ready for its last (or next-to-last, ahem Mr. Mayfly), molt, it will likely be in its darkest color form at that time. That is why, say when the salmonfly hatch is about to occur, you may choose that black version of a Pat’s Rubberlegs, as opposed to the lighter tan and brown versions. If you are fishing with a green drake nymph and you see some emerging on the shore, but fish still aren’t keyed in on dries, try something less green and more dark olive, almost black.Â
One of the best days I have ever had fishing was because I had witnessed and documented a hatch in the previous year. I went out a few days earlier the following year and fished a darkened, swimming-close-to-the-surface nymph version of the bug and had a bang up time. Take pictures, keep a hatch log, and take time to notice the really, really little things. It will pay dividends.
Article from Trout Unlimited, Maggie Heumann. Stay tuned for more content from this year’s Flylords x Trout Unlimited’s Trout Week!
Trout Week is a great time to get excited about, well, all things trout. While learning about some new water, a new fly fishing technique, or that new fly pattern is great—and might even help you catch some fish—Trout Unlimited works throughout the country to conserve trout fisheries and restore natural habitats, but by now you all probably know this. Today, one of TU’s overarching goals is removing the four lower Snake River dams to restore the river and its native and wild salmon and steelhead.
Why the Lower Four Dams Need to Come Out
Salmon and steelhead throughout the Pacific coast teeter towards extinction. A devastating combination of factors contribute to this all but inevitable fate: human development, the strangulation of rivers, a changing climate, overharvest, and more. Yet, the dams throughout the west coast and notably in the Pacific Northwest have done by far the most harm. And in the Snake River basin, the four lower Snake River Dams (LSRDs), which should never have even been constructed in the first place, choke off wild populations of salmon and steelhead from otherwise intact and quality habitat and from the peoples most dependent.
LSRDs essentially create miles of slack water, wrecking havoc on juvenile salmon and steelhead born from a declining adult population. No downstream current prevents the efficient migration smolts once depended on and leave them susceptible to predation and the effects of poor water water quality.
In recent years, the number of salmon and steelhead smolts that pass through Lower Granite Dam for the ocean and return as adults (SAR) is just under two percent. Yet, a four percent or better SAR is required for healthy and harvestable populations of these once prolific salmon and steelhead runs. These fish are fading toward extinction unless the status quo changes.
Biologists from Oregon and Idaho, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and various tribes estimate removing the LSRDs will increase smolt-to-adult return ratios by four times. Also, removing the dams would return 140 miles of habitat to a naturally functioning river and significantly reduce the time it takes for smolts to make it to the ocean.
Independent and Government reports are now saying the same thing: the LSRDs threaten the survival of wild Snake River salmon and steelhead, and removing them represents the best opportunity to recover these iconic species.
While the dams do provide significant benefits to Northwest communities, all of those functions CAN be replaced and improved.
“It’s no longer a conversation about if but when the dams come out,” said Trout Unlimited’s Eric Crawford. “Collectively, we are that much closer to seeing the federal government uphold their trust obligation to Tribes throughout the Northwest and the recovery of harvestable abundant wild salmon and steelhead runs. As we transition to a planning phase, it’s important for folks to stay engaged, continue holding Congress accountable, ensuring electricity continues to be affordable and reliable, while developing agriculture commodity transportation infrastructure that is efficient and cost effective for farming families.”
The Snake River Dams are Coming Out
In just the last several months, the dialogue around Snake River restoration shifted from one of cautious optimism to “removing the LSRDs is an inevitability.” What fueled that shift you might ask. Well, it’s probably a myriad of factors, but recently published reports are making the same findings; Tribal communities are developing projects to offset the Dams’ outputs; Federal funds are flowing to jumpstart transition; and, all signs point to Snake River salmon and steelhead extirpating unless survival increases.
A Report from NOAA Fisheries this September found that, “breaching lower Snake River Dams–in conjunction with other fish protection measures–would have the highest increase in survival of all the alternatives considered.”
Ice Harbor Dam at Dusk, Ben Herndon.
And now, political leaders in the Northwest are more and more serious about removing the LSRDs and saving salmon and steelhead. It started with Idaho Representative Mike Simpson’s 2021 Energy and Salmon Concept. And then Washington Democrats, Governor Inslee and Senator Murray became involved. They released the Benefit Replacement Report earlier this summer that ultimately looked at Simpson’s plan and additional options in regard to recovering salmon and steelhead and replacing the Dams’ benefits. Read an excerpt from the Report below.
“To establish breach of the Lower Snake River Dams as a realistic and actionable option, we must focus on short- and medium-term actions to invest in the region’s transportation network and electrical grid. Importantly, we must also aggressively pursue projects and initiatives to restore habitat and support salmon recovery throughout the Columbia River Basin and the Puget Sound. The combination of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as other federal investments, provides an excellent opportunity to meet our national decarbonization goals, accelerate the deployment of existing and new renewable energy sources, and protect the future of critically important species.”
The report outlines the necessary actions to make breaching the LSRDs a viable option. However, it also acknowledges that substantial work would be needed to get to that point. But one thing is for sure. The wheels–and dollars–are in motion to realize a more connected and productive Snake River for salmon, Tribal communities, outdoor recreationists, and local businesses. “[The dams] have already outlasted their planned service life and will only grow more obsolete in the coming years,” said Trout Unlimited’s President and CEO, Chris Wood. “The only questions are, what will replace them, and will it be in time to save salmon for salmon.”
A Reflection From Time in the Snake River Basin
Earlier this Fall, I joined a group of TU leaders, industry partners, and diehard steelhead anglers on the Clearwater River, a major tributary of the Snake, to share perspectives and learn more about the work on the ground. While the spey anglers of the group never got our hands on a steelhead or one of the legendary B-runs that the Clearwater is known for, Eric Crawford prefers to actually catch fish and hooked into a beautiful wild buck and a hatchery fish day one. Eric organized the event and is a major force in the larger Snake River recovery campaign.
The entire experience was incredible, but two events stuck out–and will likely remain vivid memories for years to come: standing beneath Lower Granite Dam and a discussion with the Vice Chairman of the Nez Perce Tribe, Shannon Wheeler.
I’d seen the pictures of Lower Granite dam many, many times but I was entirely unprepared for the feeling of seeing it in person and realizing its impact.
Of the LSRDs, Lower Granite is furthest up the Snake River. Approaching the dam and then standing beneath it, I was somewhat dumbfounded to see something that looked nothing like a wild, famed river. I mean the Snake is supposed to be, and once was, a large, winding river that carved a deep canyon through Idaha. Yet, I saw two lakes on either side of this massive concrete structure stretching across the deep canyon.
It was a powerful experience. Immediately, while standing next to this dam, you realize its size and the power neeeded to halt a river as mighty as the Snake. Second, I quickly felt that something was off; it just didn’t feel natural. The water should be moving; there should be lush vegetation along the river banks. There should be salmon and steelhead. I should not be looking at sprinklers needed to keep birds off of the outflow for out migrating smolts.
It was angering, which made all the work and effort of those behind the Snake River Campaign make sense. Standing beneath that concrete structure, and behind all that free-flowing river and salmon potential, that feeling and motivation that had pushed them and is still was instilled in me. But then you think about how close we are to losing these fish and the ways of life tied to them.
The Nez Perce Tribe have lived throughout the Columbia River Basin for centuries, relying on the Columbia and Snake Rivers for food, travel, and their culture. I knew this, and to a certain extent all of us probably have some conception about the connection Native Americans have with their lands and waters. However, sitting on a porch overlooking the Clearwater River eating a meal of steelhead (hatchery) and elk backstrap with Vice Chairman Wheeler left me with an entirely new perspective.
Gary Woodcock paddling in front of Lower Granite Dam on the Lower Snake RIver in the Salish Flathead dugout canoe after going through the locks, Ben Herndon.
It’s not just a pursuit of recreation and enjoyment for the Nez Perce people. They so innately rely on these fish to sustain their culture and feed their communities. The Vice Chairman spoke of this passionately, yet seriously. He wants to see the salmon return, and his people need the salmon to return. Wheeler also understands the process, which is why the Nez Perce Tribe is green lighting projects to offset some of the benefits the Dams provide.
A Snake River hatchery steelhead fed us well!
During our meal, Vice Chairman Wheeler explained the history of the region, how he has watched the salmon and steelhead decline, and why we must recover them. He also reminded all of us that United States made a promise to his people and other tribes that their rights to harvest salmon and other resources would be preserved. However, the problem with that is there must be salmon in the water to uphold those treaty obligations.
There must be abundant salmon and steelhead populations in the water for all of us to enjoy and benefit from. That’s something that Wheeler likes to harp on. “Salmon are the golden thread that tie us all together. When that part of our culture is in trouble, we are all in trouble. When salmon do not thrive, we suffer as a people.â€
Ultimately, an act of Congress is necessary to accomplish all of this, so Trout Unlimited developed an Action Page to urge Congress to remove the LSRDs and recover Snake River salmon and steelhead. I must say, I’ve been to some wild, remote places before, but there was something about hearing all the stories about how amazing and full of life the entire Snake River basin used to be–but then you think about how close we are, as a country, to loosing it. It doesn’t matter where you live, whether you fish for salmon and steelhead, Republican or Democrat, we must recover Snake River salmon and steelhead, and that starts with removing the four Lower Snake River Dams. Head on over to the Action Page and urge your members of Congress to Restore a free-flowing Lower Snake River.
In this week’s “How to Tie” video feature, Hopper Juan Ramirez ties the Money Midge, a midge nymph pattern that every angler should be keeping in mind for this winter.
Learn About This Fly:
Difficulty: Easy
Midges are a food item that trout will consume year round. Leaving for the water without an arsenal of them is a grave mistake. Although small in size, trout both big and small will feed regularly on midges on even the coldest winter days. These flies are simple, yet extremely effective as fish are used to a constant supply. The Money Midge is a midge pattern that adopts this simplicity and proves you should never be on the water without a midge box.
The beauty of tying midge patterns is variety. You can modify the same pattern by changing one color and create an arsenal very quickly. Whether you are a veteran tyer or a novice, midges are simple and fantastic practice. For a beginner, you are forced to pay attention to detail and develop precision on the vise, which will translate over exceptionally well to any other fly.
During the winter months, the Money Midge is the perfect fly to add below a heavier nymph in a double nymph rig. Tight lined or under an indicator, this fly will get the job done and produce for you in some of the coldest conditions. Fish this pattern with confidence and practice your tying skills on the vise. There is no sweeter feeling than catching a trout on a personally tied fly, and the Money Midge is the perfect place for a novice to start.
The Trout Unlimited Costa 5 Rivers program is creating the most empowered, educated, and conservation-minded generation of college fly anglers in history. As the capstone of Trout Unlimited’s Headwaters Youth Program, we welcome young anglers of all skill levels and educate them about local, regional, and national issues critical to native trout and salmon.
Here are our favorite articles about and by 5 Rivers Students!
Camping and fishing in the middle of a rainstorm wouldn’t usually be my idea of fun. But the Montana State Fly Fishing Club doesn’t let anyone rain on their parade. At the beginning of October, the Bozo Trout Bums held their semi-annual Women’s Fly Fishing trip on the Missouri River. This trip was designed to teach beginner anglers the skills they need to be independent and successful on the water. The student’s enthusiasm and love for fly fishing, mentorship, and community were contagious and inspiring. There were dance parties on the river bank, high-fives shared from boat to boat, hoots and hollers of excitement, and the occasional “What fly are you using?†shouted across the river with an honest answer to follow.
There was no ego or judgment on this trip, but rather stoke and smiles because everyone understood a win (or in this case a fish) for one was a win for all!
The Montana State Fly Fishing Club, better known as the Bozo Trout Bums, is one of the 5 Rivers College Clubs. 5 Rivers is a collegiate fly fishing club network focusing on conservation and community and organized by Trout Unlimited and Costa Sunglasses. The Montana State Fly Fishing Club, based in Bozeman, has been striving to increase gender diversity and make fly fishing more accessible and accepting to all. Together twelve women and two men collaborated to make this truly remarkable trip happen. Brooklin and Wyatt, the club’s current co-presidents, answered a few questions for Flylords about the trip, the club, 5 Rivers, and what makes fly fishing so special.
Flylords: Brooklin and Wyatt! It was so fun to fish and camp with y’all this past weekend; the Bozo Trout Bums sure know how to have a good time! Would you tell me a bit about yourselves and how you got involved with the Montana State Fly Fishing Club?
Brooklin: I’m a senior in microbiology and biotechnology. I was born and raised in St. Ignatius, Montana and grew up spin fishing but only started fly fishing in 2019, and only really got serious about it in 2021. I decided to attend a club tying night after one of my mentors suggested it to me. Walking into that first event was pretty terrifying. I wasn’t sure what to expect or how the guys would react to a new girl in the club. But, I absolutely loved it. It was the first time I felt truly welcome in a fishing community, which was a little surprising to me because at the time we had very few girls in the club. The guys there were so kind and more than happy to teach me whatever I wanted to know.
Wyatt: I’m a senior in Finance with a minor in international business. I was born in Missoula, Montana and have been fly fishing for as long as I can remember. I attended a couple of the general meetings when I first started because I was interested in finding people to fish with. I immediately had a small group of members that I got along with well and we still fish together today.
Flylords: When did you become co-presidents of the club? Did you have any particular goals with this position and how have you seen the club evolve during your presidency?
Brooklin: I became a vice president in January 2022 and then co-president in August 2022. Wyatt and I both wanted to improve the gender diversity in our club, and we wanted to give members opportunities to tie and fish–especially fish from boats since that tends to be too expensive for a lot of college kids.
Wyatt: I was a vice president during fall of 2021 and then took over as president in the spring of 2022 and asked Brooklin to be the co-president in August 2022. The two main goals in taking over the leadership role was to expand diversity and our event itinerary.Â
Flylords: Wyatt- I heard from some of the participants this weekend about the split sign-up sheets for club events and then I heard it was your idea. What motivated you to start splitting the sign-up sheets for 50/50 slots for men and women?
Wyatt: Brooklin told me about the feedback she was getting from female members that they were hesitant to attend events without knowing that there would be other women there. The motivation for splitting events was to increase our female attendance and allow them to feel more comfortable attending. The result was new members as a whole were more comfortable attending especially if they knew someone else attending.
Flylords: Brooklin- How has this new sign-up system changed the club dynamics? What other ways are you all working to make this club more inclusive?
Brooklin: We’ve seen much more female participation with this new system. I’ve heard that they love the new system because they know they won’t be the only girl at any of the events. Being the only girl at fishing events can feel kinda isolating and really intimidating, especially if you are a beginner. The new system removes that source of anxiety so girls are more willing to participate. Once they come to a club event, they often have the same realization that I had upon attending my first club event–all of the people in the club are great teachers, friends, and anglers.
Flylords: This past weekend was a women’s fishing trip. How did these trips come about and what is your favorite part about them?
Brooklin: I don’t remember when the idea exactly came about, but as soon as I had the idea I decided I had to make it happen. We had our first trip in April 2022 and we had really generous support from Madison Gallatin Trout Unlimited and the Women on the River Collective. We went to a local river and caught a lot of big trout. This time we had amazing support from Big Boys Toys and Bozeman Fly Supply.
I love the excitement and empowerment on these trips. I was so impressed on this trip– we hadn’t figured out what fly those fish wanted, but by the second day the girls had clean drifts, good casts, and they were tying a lot of their own knots. I love seeing how much they can grow in just one weekend of fishing.
Flylords: On a more personal level, how have you (both) learned and grown participating in this club? What is your favorite part? What do you hope for the future of Bozo Trout Bums?
Brooklin: The people in the club have taught me so much about fly fishing, especially Collin and Wyatt. I was still a beginner when I joined last year. Now I tie almost all of my own flies, I double-haul, and I can run a boat fairly independently.Â
Wyatt has taught me that men can play a big role in getting more women into fly fishing. It seems like guys are often uncomfortable teaching women how to fish or tie because they worry that it will be interpreted as mansplaining. And that’s pretty fair! But it means most of the efforts to get more women into this sport are being led by women. It’s awesome to see a male leader doing so much recruiting, planning, and teaching to get more women involved. It just goes to show that men can play a big and important role in improving gender diversity in this sport.Â
I hope the club will remain a fun and inclusive community where anglers of all skill levels can learn from each other and come together to have a damn good time. College is exhausting–we all need a place to escape from the books for a little while to refresh our brains. I hope the club can be that for all of our current and future members.
Wyatt: I have learned a lot about the fly fishing industry as well as how to best manage clubs and events in an efficient manner. Collin and Brooklin have been influential, especially Brooklin, she has shown me that we can do more events than we used to and include more people in them. Collin was an excellent predecessor who set us up for success. Collin and his co-president Nick both had large club events rolling and purchased the first club boat. Brooklin’s impact on the club has been substantial especially when it comes to planning events and including more women. She has become an excellent teacher, especially in fly-tying, and always has new ideas for events and club meetings. The future of the club will hopefully include more women and more events. I would agree with Brooklin and say that the club will remain a fun and inclusive place for anglers of any experience level.Â
Flylords: Would you tell me a bit about Trout Unlimited Costa 5 Rivers College Clubs? What is the benefit of this sort of nationwide network of clubs?
Brooklin: Five Rivers is a national organization of university fly fishing clubs sponsored by Trout Unlimited and Costa. We are all united by the fly.fishing platform, which is an online network that we use to connect with our club members and members of other clubs. There are Five Rivers clubs all over the country and they vary in size and activity, but all of them are focused on bringing young anglers together. It is a lot of fun to make friends all over the country through fly fishing. For college anglers who want to get involved in the industry after they graduate, Five Rivers is a goldmine of opportunities to network and find jobs.
Flylords: Switching it up a bit… The weather was a bit all over the place this weekend. What is your favorite pair of Costa Sunglasses for this sort of variable weather?
Brooklin: I love my Caldera’s with the copper silver mirror lenses. They are super effective in low or variable light conditions–I’ve used them for sight fishing quite a bit and they’re great every time.
Wyatt: I am a huge fan of the Ferg with copper lens. They perform well in every situation I have had them in including saltwater.Â
Flylords: Thank you both so much for organizing this trip and for your leadership in this incredible club! Anything else you wish to share?
Brooklin and Wyatt: Huge thanks to Trout Unlimited and Costa for their continual support of our club! We also want to give a huge and massive thank you and shout out to Big Boys Toys in Four Corners for providing us with boats and Bozeman Fly Supply for providing some awesome flies for the trip.Â
Thank you to Costa Sunglasses for supporting Trout Unlimited and 5 Rivers across the country! If you want to learn more about 5 Rivers CLICK HERE.
The Trout Unlimited Costa 5 Rivers program is creating the most empowered, educated, and conservation-minded generation of college fly anglers in history. As the capstone of Trout Unlimited’s Headwaters Youth Program, we welcome young anglers of all skill levels and educate them about local, regional, and national issues critical to native trout and salmon.
5 Rivers clubs are active on over 70 colleges and university campuses in the U.S. and Canada. Our efforts to connect clubs to each other, and to Trout Unlimited’s mission, would not be possible without dedicated support from our partners, specifically Costa Sunglasses. Costa has been the industry powerhouse behind 5 Rivers since its inception in 2012, and its continued support has enabled us to expand our reach and explore new opportunities to connect with club members. Also, thanks to a recent grant from the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, six 5 Rivers clubs received grants for fly fishing gear and stream sampling supplies to help them host youth education projects in their communities.
As pandemic restrictions have eased across the country, we are doubling down on efforts to connect students with each other and to cultivate meaningful experiences in the outdoors. Here are a few examples of the 5 Rivers community in action:
In April, we hosted the Midwest Rendezvous in Viroqua, WI. Midwest club members learned about the ecology of the Driftless region, built future trout habitats, picked up trash, and caught some wily Driftless trout.
In September, we hosted the Rocky Mountain Rendezvous near Steamboat Springs, CO. Colorado club members gathered at Stagecoach State Park to fish, camp, and give back to the Yampa through a service project with Ian Wilson, Trout Unlimited’s Yampa and White Rivers Project Manager.
In the spring of 2023, we will host the Midwest Rendezvous in Wisconsin’s Driftless region and the Southeast Rendezvous in the southern Appalachian highlands.
In August 2023, we are revitalizing the Costa Ambassador Summit on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. At the Summit, students will deepen the experiences initiated during the regional rendezvouses and channel their energy into a collaborative service project with program partners Indifly and Shoshone and Arapahoe Tribal Fish and Game.
This year, we will also award grants from the 5 Rivers Community Fund, thanks to a generous donation from the S. Kent Rockwell Foundation, with the goal of empowering 5 Rivers clubs to create positive change on local streams and rivers through hands-on conservation projects. The S. Kent Rockwell foundation has been an incredible partner of TU’s Headwaters youth program for several years, and we are excited to offer this opportunity to 5 Rivers clubs.
The 5 Rivers program may look different than it did in years past, but the spirit of the program remains as fiery as ever thanks to the individual club members and leaders who keep the stoke alive on their campuses. These students are the future leaders of the fly fishing industry and conservation field, and there is no doubt that the impact they are making now will continue to ripple throughout their communities long after their involvement in the 5 Rivers program.
If you would like to learn more about TU Costa 5 Rivers or find your local club. CLICK HERE!
In 2010, demolition began to remove a diversion dam on Spread Creek that allowed no fish passage or migration. Through a coordinated private-public partnership, Trout Unlimited and others removed the dam and replaced it with a structure much less harmful to local fish populations. The partnership then began working to recover riparian zones and create better trout habitat. This work has provided native and migratory Snake River cutthroat trout with some 50 miles of new accessible habitat.
“The story of Spread Creek is a story of persistence,” said Trout Unlimited’s NW Wyoming Program Director Leslie Steen. “It’s a story of resiliency, not just for the fish and the stream and our beautiful, native cutthroat trout, but also the partnerships and the relationships we’ve built.â€
Be sure to watch the video to learn more about this  commendable partnership with TU, the Jackson community, and state and federal government entities and how Spread Creek has improved as a result of their efforts.
“Partnerships such as this makes these improvements a reality,” said Mary Cernicek, Bridger-Teton National Forest Public Affairs Officer, “resulting in increased ecological connectivity and improved watershed condition, while also protecting infrastructure to withstand flooding and increased stream runoff.â€
For this Boots on The Ground series, we head to Truckee, California to meet with Jessica Strickland and get involved with a gravel restoration project. Jessica is Trout Unlimited’s  California Inland Trout Program Director. Follow along to learn more about Jessica and some of the projects she’s working on.Â
Flylords:Â Jessica, welcome to Trout Week and thanks for sharing some time with us! First off, can you tell us a little bit about you and how you found Trout Unlimited?Â
Jessica: Thank you so much for having me! I grew up fishing, and went to college for wildlife and fisheries biology. So I’ve known of Trout Unlimited in my periphery as long as I can remember. However, how I really came to learn about what TU does is when I moved to California after grad school and worked for a non-profit that works closely with TU on dam removal campaigns. I saw all the great things they were doing and felt how passionately I aligned with TU’s mission.Â
Flylords:Â What do you do with TU?
Jessica: I am TU California’s Inland Trout Program Director. So, basically I focus on non-anadromous trout (i.e., no salmon or steelhead). We work to protect and restore native trout populations, in addition to improving popular sportfish waters. Our program also has a strong focus on engaging the community, anglers and youth in our work. I think the “We Make Fishing Better†mantra of TU runs deep in my program.Â
Jessica reaping the rewards of conservation
Flylords:Â Can you describe the fisheries in your region or home waters?
Jessica: I’d say our “home waters†are the Sierra Nevada/Eastern Sierra. It hosts several unique trout species with small native ranges, such as CA golden trout, Kern River rainbow trout, Lahontan cutthroat trout, etc. This draws folks to the “Heritage Trout Challenge†put on by CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife, where you work to catch 6 different species of inland trout all located in the Sierra Nevada. We also have blue ribbon waters that draw crowds for their large rainbows and brown trout, the Truckee River for example, where our office is based. Point being, we have a lot of diversity going on, in types of fish and types of fishing you can do here.   Â
Flylords: Before we get into the gravel addition project and the Public Lands Day volunteer event, tell us about some of the other projects you’ve been working on this summer.
Jessica: This summer has been all about headwater habitat restoration – so improving small headwater streams and meadows that have been impacted in some way or another. Most of my summer has been focused on what’s probably been my favorite project of all time – Golden Trout Wilderness/CA golden trout meadow restoration. So, we are talking epic high alpine (9,000 ft elevation) waters within wilderness (so walk or pack-mule in only) that we are working to restore for CA golden trout. Â
To name a few other side gigs, we worked to restore some floodplain habitat of the East Walker River in Nevada, moved trout around a construction site on the Carson River, restored meadow/stream habitat on tributaries to the Kern River.
TU Volunteer group photo
Flylords: Now let’s talk about the project on the Truckee River (we’re keeping the the exact tributary name shielded)—what went into this effort and what is the goal?
Jessica: This effort was in partnership with Tahoe National Forest for National Public Lands Day. So, the big picture here was getting people involved in caring for our nation’s public lands, a place where we can all go to hunt and fish. Something like 80% of our “home waters†range of the Sierra Nevada is public lands – mainly U.S. Forest Service, National Parks, etc. That’s a huge amount of opportunity in places to go recreate. So, TU, and myself personally, think it’s super important that people, especially anglers, understand that value and take ownership in caring for it.
The nitty gritty of the event was adding spawning gravel to an important tributary to the Truckee River that has been deprived due to upstream dams. As most of us know, when rivers get dammed, not only does that change streamflow downstream, but they get deprived of important habitat components like large wood, nutrients, and spawning gravels. Â
Jessica spreading gravel
Flylords:Â How does gravel introduction benefit trout populations? Are there other watersheds this might benefit?
Jessica: Sometimes in these dammed river systems, they don’t get the big pulses of streamflow that are needed to flush out fine sediments and add new gravels. There are  many systems that could benefit from work like this considering most rivers in the U.S. are dammed in some form or another! Â
Flylords:Â Tell us a little bit about the community/partnerships that went into the project?Â
Jessica: This work was done through partnership with the U.S. Forest Service’s Tahoe National Forest. Then, we recruited from the community and from TU local chapters, and our materials and transportation was mostly donated, which is awesome support from our local businesses. Â
Jessica Strickland & Daughters
Flylords:Â Some of your family joined in on the restoration efforts. How does being a mother and raising kids influence your work and conservation efforts?Â
Jessica: I grew up camping and fishing, it shaped my childhood, sparked my career, and made me who I am today. Outside of teaching your kids to fish, I cannot encourage people enough to get their children involved in giving back to the outdoors. Our “home waters†give us all so much joy and so many memories…how can we not give back to something that so endlessly provides?  Â
Flylords: Do you all have any upcoming projects or efforts in the works that you’d like to highlight?Â
Jessica: Reaching back to question 4 – The Golden Trout Project is something that I am beyond excited about. Restoring what’s already such an incredible place, Golden Trout Wilderness, for our state fish, CA golden trout, at a landscape-level is something that I think will make a real impact for the species and the fishery. An impact I will be able to see in my lifetime. When working as a fisheries biologist and/or conservationist, it takes years of planning to make things happen and sometimes years or decades to see a difference. I am confident that the fish and the anglers will feel the result of this work, and that’s something I am really proud of.  Â
