Arizona Fly Fishing News – Arizona Fly Fishing

White Mountain Lake Foundation Membership Form

The White Mountain Lakes Foundation is a total voluntary non profit organization formed to help state and Federal agencies improve the quality of the trout fishing in the White Mountains. We have been planning with AZDG&F for awhile now to make changes to improve the water quality of some of our lakes. Many options have been discussed and none finalized yet but all would be/could be beneficial in making better fisheries for us all to enjoy.

As with any new project funding will be one of the main obstacles. That is where we come in. AZDG&F has been agreeable with some very aggressive new policies, something I have never seen before. But they will need some help with funding as well as with manual labor down the road.

Filling out this form and joining WMLF can be one of the first steps in making the White Mountains the quality fishery it could be. Already Becker Lake has been stocked with triploids. These are genetically altered rainbows that grow to immense sizes if given the opportunity to grow to maturity. The lake is hopefully going to become a “Catch and Release” lake by 2011.

Imagine being able to catch 5 lb plus (and bigger)rainbows right here in our own state. It will happen and we can help it along by giving up some of our hard earned money and time.

I know it’s tough out there but this is not that much and it will make such a huge difference down the road.

My hope is this organization will grow and become a major force in helping make some of Arizona’s trout waters become quality waters.

John Rohmer
President WMLF

Click Here For WMLF Membership Form

LEES FERRY ANGLERS CELEBRATES 20 YEARS IN BUSINESS.

Note: We would like to congratulate Lees Ferry Anglers on 20 years!The following is from Terry Gunn.

LEES FERRY ANGLERS CELEBRATES 20 YEARS IN BUSINESS.

In 1983, I moved to Lees Ferry to guide for a year or two as I pondered what I was going to do with my life. The fish were giant, the river was flowing at 45,000-cfs, and I lived in my boat.A couple years later I met the love of my life, Wendy Hanvold, who was waiting tables at Marble Canyon Lodge. She asked me if I would teach her how to fly fish…the rest is history

Most of the 80’s, I spent the summers in Alaska and co-founded Crystal Creek Lodge. In 1989, I decided I had enough fun in Alaska and an opportunity to open a fly shop at Lees Ferry presented itself. Russell Sullivan, Wendy Hanvold and I decided to open Lees Ferry Anglers Guides and Fly Shop at Vermillion Cliffs Lodge. We leased a “sprawling” 300 square feet in an old gas station and proceeded to make a $15,000 opening order with Orvis (yes, we were originally an Orvis shop and Orvis endorsed outfitter). The day that the UPS truck arrived with our opening order the 3 of us were standing by with hand trucks to help unload the heavy boxes. The driver hopped out of the truck and carried 3 boxes which contained our entire opening order into the shop. We spread it out the best that we could over the 300 square feet and the shop still looked pretty empty

Our first guide (besides Russell and myself) was Bill Shultz…Jeff English joined our staff a year later. We opened our business during the largest fishing down-turn in the history of Lees Ferry (experimental flows of 1989-1991) and despite the down-turn we survived and grew our business.

During the 90’s the fishing got better and in the process we became one of the largest retailers of fly fishing equipment in the southwestern US. Our guide service became one of the largest guide services in the country employing 14 full time fishing guides. We expanded our fleet of guide and rental boats to more than 20 boats and Ted Welling invented the Bead Head Zebra Midge in our shop.

In 2000, Jeff English became a partner in our business. Jeff came from a real estate background and suggested that we needed to own our real estate. A short time later Cliff Dwellers Lodge came up for sale. The lodge was run down and in desperate need of way too much work. It took us a while but we decided that this was the best move that we could make for our business. We bought the lodge and went to work renovating it and moved our fly shop and all operations to Cliff Dwellers in June 2001. Our timing was great! The same year we moved in, the western US went into the worst drought in history and the Lees Ferry fishery began another decline that lasted for a few years. Once again we survived and our business has thrived, the fishing has experienced a dramatic improvement, we have done well in the lodging and restaurant business and our enterprise continues to grow.

Russell Sullivan retired from the business in 07 and is living the good life. Jeff English and I still guide full time. Wendy “Hanvold” Gunn, my wife of 13 years is general manager of Lees Ferry Anglers and Cliff Dwellers Lodge. What began as 300 sq. ft. has turned into 30 acres, with a fly shop, guide service, rental boats, rental equipment, gas station, convenience store, restaurant-bar and hotel. Our staff during our high season usually exceeds 40 people and we are proud to work with each and every one of them…it is because of them that we are where we are today. I have never had so much fun in my entire life as I have had watching this business grow and it has been a great ride. On behalf of all the staff of Lees Ferry Anglers and Cliff Dwellers Lodge we want to THANK YOU, OUR CUSTOMER, for making it possible for us to celebrate or 20 year anniversary

Terry Gunn
http://www.terrygunn.com
http://www.leesferry.com
http://www.cliffdwellerslodge.com
800-962-9755
Fax 928-355-2271
Hm. 928-355-2220

Lee’s Ferry Fishing Synopsis and Forecast by Terry Gunn 2/18/09

Fishing Synopsis and Forecast by Terry Gunn 2/18/09

Come by and see us at the ISE Outdoor Show, Cardinal Stadium, Feb 27-Mar 1.

Recent Fishing Conditions: Spring has arrived at Lees Ferry, I have always considered Feb. 15 to be our first day of spring, not only is the weather warming but the sun is moving higher in the sky and once again flooding the canyon corridor with sunlight. As usual, the midges are responding to the arrival of the sun and the hatches are beginning in earnest and the trout have just this week begun to move into the riffles to feed on the emerging midge pupae. The last few days I have been drifting a worm and a midge in the deep tail-out of the riffles and 90% of the trout have been eating the midge.

The spawn is just trickling along; it started with a bang in early December and has been slowly increasing in intensity the last few weeks. I get the feeling that the fish are currently staging for a major push into a full blown spawn within the next couple of weeks. Although it is important to keep in mind that spawn of the past 2 years has been off the charts in intensity and survivability so the fish may take a break this year.

The current water flows are perfect wading and drifting flows for fishing Lees Ferry and these same flows will continue for the next several months. I expect the fishing this spring to be a banner year and likely better than the last several years. The average size of the fish is the largest of this decade; most of the fish that I put in my net are 16 to 17-in with many that are larger. I recently had a father and son get a double hookup and both landed fish in excess of 20-inches at the same time. It has been more than 20 years since I have seen this happen. A few days before, a client landed a substantial 24-in long fish and I’m seeing a bunch of big fish in the river. We are also starting to catch some of the “little guys” that were part of the mass spawn of last year and the year before, these 12-in fish are growing fast and I always remind everyone that it takes small fish to make big fish.

Is this a peak before another down turn in the fishery? No, this is the beginning of a trend that is set to continue for at least a couple of years, and if nature cooperates and gives us moisture in the Rocky Mountains, and Lake Powell continues to rise, this trend of healthy trout populations and good fishing will continue for the next several years.

The turning point and the beginning for the recovery of the Lees Ferry fishery occurred in 2005 when Lake Powell had the first above normal snow-pack and runoff year since 1997. Last year we had almost exactly the same conditions. The above normal winter snow pack and runoff into Lake Powell in 2007-08, stirred up a tremendous amount of nutrient laden sediment that had accumulated at the lake mouths of the Colorado River, San Juan River, and the Green River. Lake Powell elevation increased 43-ft. and the rivers flowing into the lake mixed the sediment and nutrients into the lake water. It usually takes several months before we see this mixing affect the nutrient load in the water that enters the river from Glen Canyon dam. The increased nutrient load in the lake and river will be evident this coming spring by the enormous and dramatic increase in aquatic vegetation and aquatic organisms throughout the river.

For those of you that remember what the fishing was like in 1999 and 2000…you should be as excited as I am about the current conditions and what the increased nutrient load should do for the fishing at Lees Ferry.

Lots of stuff happening at the Ferry and it is all good!

Recent Fishing: With the water flows once again fluctuating and lower flows; we have been fishing from the boat as well as wading the riffles. The best fishing technique has been using a “heavy nymph rig” which is a 9 to 12-ft leader, strike indicator, split shot, and dual fly rig. I have been using 6X fluorocarbon tippet and feel that the lighter tippet results in a much higher success rate than say 5X. Anglers might argue that they break fish off on such light tippet but my argument is that in order to break a fish off, you first have to first get a fish to eat your fly and you are going to get more eaters with lighter tippet than heaver tippet.

When wading the riffles you need long dead drifts. There are 2 types of drifts; perfect dead drifts and all other drifts. Perfect dead drifts catch fish at Lees Ferry; all other drifts don’t catch fish here. You get a dead drift by mending the line, then throwing slack line on the water. If your line is straight from your rod tip to your indicator or you move your indicator during the drift, then your drift is not perfect and will not catch fish. The key to success is to stay over fish, get the flies down to the bottom, and get a long, perfect dead drift.

Word has it that the “walk-in’ is fishing very well. There are times in the spring that this area actually fishes better than upriver. Look for this area to continue fishing well until the summer high water arrives.

The high flow experiment, 4/08, was basically a non event as far as the fishery is concerned. It came and went with few visible changes to the river or the fishery. For more details and to see my complete comments go here: http://coloradoriverconservancy.org/

The experimental steady flows that occurred in September and October 2008 (12,000 constant) were beneficial to the river and are scheduled again for 2009. In years past, the flows in September and October have been the lowest flows of the year and have reset the “green line” to the 5,000-cfs level from the 12,000-cfs level of the summer flows. This has effectively reduced the food supply in the river by a significant amount. Then the higher flows of November and December arrive; but because of the declining sun angle and the shade of the cliffs, photosynthesis and aquatic production in the river declines and the areas of the river that were desiccated by the low flows do not regenerate until the following spring. This did not happen this year because of the steady flows in September and October the green line stayed high. The current fluctuating flows (7,500-cfs to 13,000-cfs) are continuing to keep the green line higher than in years past. There have been prolific midge and black-fly hatches every day and it appears as though the scud population has a higher density than any time since 2004.

For details on Lake Powell conditions and snow-pack, go here: http://lakepowell.water-data.com/

For a real time graphic view of water releases and ramp rates go here: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/az/nwis/uv?09380000

New guides at Lees Ferry Anglers: The last couple of years we have had several long time guide staff move on to bigger and hopefully better things. Last year we had 3 new guides join our team, though new to our organization they are not new to guiding. Luke Blaser, Tom Jones, and JD Miller have joined our team. They bring with them a couple of decades of combined guiding experience on various waters around the world, college degrees, and an enthusiasm for guiding that is contagious. I’m proud to introduce these fellows and I’m sure that you will agree that they are a great addition to our team.

The AZ Game and Fish Department has detected whirling disease in a very small percentage of Lees Ferry trout that were collected for a random sampling. A more recent sampling turned up no sign of the disease, which may mean that it was a “one time” exposure, where the disease was not established or that the disease is present but at a very low prevalence. Anglers should still use caution in cleaning their equipment both before and after they have fished here or in other waters. For more information visit: http://www.whirling-disease.org

AZ Fly Fishing’s NEW Trade Up Program

Do you have old fishing gear you would like to get rid of and update to the latest technology? Well, the Arizona Fly Fishing Trade Up Program will help you do just that. Bring your gear into the shop and we will sell it for you on eBay. We will work with you on the minimum price you will accept and feature your item on our eBay store as well as the eBay main auction. Whatever your product sells for, we give you 100% of that money as a store credit to buy whatever you choose or use it to help pay for one of our many destination trips. It is entirely up to you. We do require items to have a minimum value of $25. We encourage you to take advantage of this great new program!!!!

Lees Ferry Synopsis By Terry Gunn

Lees Ferry Fishing Synopsis and Forecast by Terry Gunn 11/12/08

Recent Fishing Conditions: At a time when just about everything you read is bearing bad news, it gives me great pleasure to bring you some good news: The fishing at Lees Ferry is not just good it’s great! The fish are in the best shape and size that I have seen in several years and everything points to this being a trend that I expect to continue. Fishing is just going to get better and better as 2009 arrives…. Isn’t it great to hear some good news for a change! Not only is the fishing upriver great but rumor has it that the Walk-in area is fishing extremely well. One other thing; there has been no one here…come up (you can probably book a guide for tomorrow) and see the best fishing in years and you will likely have the river to yourself. Read on for the full story.

The experimental steady flows that occurred in September and October (12,000 constant) were as I predicted, beneficial to the river. In years past, the flows in September and October have been the lowest flows of the year and have reset the “green line” to the 5,000-cfs level from the 12,000-cfs level of the summer flows. This has effectively reduced the food supply in the river by a significant amount. Then the higher flows of November and December arrive; but because of the declining sun angle and the shade of the cliffs, photosynthesis and aquatic production in the river declines and the areas of the river that were desiccated by the low flows do not regenerate until the following spring. This did not happen this year because of the steady flows in September and October the green line stayed high. The current fluctuating flows (7,500-cfs to 13,000-cfs) are continuing to keep the green line higher than in years past. There have been prolific midge and black-fly hatches every day and it appears as though the scud population has a higher density than any time since 2004.

The trout spawn last winter was off the charts, never has there been such a productive spawn in the river. The high flows of summer and the steady flows this fall provided the perfect rearing habitat for the fry and fingerlings. I’m seeing them all over the river and they are growing fast! In addition to last winter’s great spawn, the survival rate from the spawn of 2006-07 was substantial and the river has a very good population of smaller fish that are growing fast.

The fish that we have been catching are probably averaging 16 to 17 inches and most are thick, fat, and heavy. We are also catching lots of larger fish, 18 to 20-inches. I have recently had clients hook into fish that were probably much larger, but as you well know, the big ones almost always get away.

The turning point and the beginning for the recovery of the Lees Ferry fishery occurred in 2005 when Lake Powell had the first above normal snow-pack and runoff year since 1997. This year we had almost exactly the same conditions. The above normal winter snow pack and runoff into Lake Powell in 2007-08, stirred up a tremendous amount of nutrient laden sediment that had accumulated at the lake mouths of the Colorado River, San Juan River, and the Green River. Lake Powell elevation increased 43-ft. and the rivers flowing into the lake mixed the sediment and nutrients into the lake water. It usually takes several months before we see this mixing affect the nutrient load in the water that enters the river from Glen Canyon dam. I believe that we are just now starting to see that as evidenced by the recent warmer than normal water temperatures. The river temperature this time of year is normally 48-degrees but the recent temperature has been 54-degrees which is the IDEAL water temperature for trout. The increased nutrient load in the lake and river will be evident this coming spring by the enormous and dramatic increase in aquatic vegetation and aquatic organisms throughout the river.

Lots of stuff happening at the Ferry and it is all good!

Recent Fishing: With the water flows once again fluctuating and lower flows; we have stopped fishing from the boat and have been wading the riffles. The best fishing technique has been using a “heavy nymph rig” which is a 9 to 12-ft leader, strike indicator, split shot, and dual fly rig. I have been using 6X fluorocarbon tippet and feel that the lighter tippet results in a much higher success rate than say 5X. Anglers might argue that they break fish off on such light tippet but my argument is that in order to break a fish off, you first have to first get a fish to eat your fly and you are going to get more eaters with lighter tippet than heaver tippet.

Flows should increase in December and I predict another year of a normal and strong spawn. I have already seen a few fish spawning; I have not seen this is several years.

We have recently lost a couple of friends who have contributed much to the sport of fly fishing. Mel Krieger passed away last month after a brief illness from a brain tumor. Denny Breer, from Trout Creek Flies and Green River Outfitters, passed away 11/07, he was involved in a freak accident. Our hearts and best wishes go out to all their families

For details on Lake Powell conditions and snow-pack, go here: http://lakepowell.water-data.com/

For a real time graphic view of water releases and ramp rates go here: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/az/nwis/uv?09380000

New guides at Lees Ferry Anglers. The last couple of years we have had several long time guide staff move on to bigger and hopefully better things. This past year we had 3 new guides join our team, though new to our organization they are not new to guiding. Luke Blaser, Tom Jones, and JD Miller have joined our team. They bring with them a couple of decades of combined guiding experience on various waters around the world, college degrees, and an enthusiasm for guiding that is contagious. I’m proud to introduce these fellows and I’m sure that you will agree that they are a great addition to our team.

The AZ Game and Fish Department recently detected whirling disease in a small percentage of Lees Ferry trout that were collected for a random sampling. A recent sampling turned up no sign of the disease, which may mean that it was a “one time” exposure, where the disease was not established or that the disease is present but at a very low prevalence. Anglers should still use caution in cleaning their equipment both before and after they have fished here or in other waters. For more information visit: http://www.whirling-disease.org

Terry Gunn
Lees Ferry Anglers Fly Shop, Guides, & Rentals
Cliff Dwellers Lodge
http://www.terrygunn.com
http://www.leesferry.com
http://www.cliffdwellerslodge.com
800-962-9755
Fax 928-355-2271
Hm. 928-355-2220

We Want to Catch a 20” Trout

During the late 90’s into the 2000’s the White Mountains have been experiencing severe drought conditions. These conditions have severely impacted the water conditions on many of our state’s trout lakes. One of the most severely affected is Crescent Lake. This lake once was one of the most prolific trout growers under the jurisdiction of AZG&F. The lake was a mainstay for all fishers to go and catch quality trout. The lake had a store that supplied eager fishermen with all the gear they needed to fill their stringers with hefty trout whether it be with salmon eggs , cowbells or flies. The store had it all including rental boats for those that didn’t have their own means to get on the water.

The store has not been in operation since the late ‘90’s. Due to the lack of water in the lake it suffers fishkills often several times a year. The weeds have choked the lake to a point that there is just a channel to fish in the middle that is about 1/3 the width of the lake. The water has been so low that the weed cutter is not even launched in the Fall to help eradicate the weeds. The lake is virtually vacant most of the fishing season. This is a total waste of a possible great fishery….all due to the fact that there is not ample water for the fish to grow in.

We the undersigned are committing our time, labor and money to help improve the water quality in Crescent. Possible solutions are:

Drill wells to insure constant water flow into the lake summer and winter.
Install aerators that will pump needed oxygen back into the water.
Extend the boat ramps so the weed cutter can be used to trim the weeds.

John Rohmer

Please join us in the fight to get more quality fisheries in the State of Arizona and on the WMAT. We have a copy of the petition in the shop, please stop by to sign your name. The more names we get the better our chances to start seeing some changes in management. You can also email us admin@azflyfishing.com and we can add your name to the list, all we need is a name, address and phone number. Thanks for your participation.

We Want to Catch a 20” Trout

I have been fishing the White Mountains ever since the 60’s when I became old enough to drive. I have seen the lakes go through good times and through bad times. Without a doubt the majority of the bad times were brought about by the lack of water to keep the fish alive, be it summer or winter. This latest prolonged drought the West is experiencing has proven to be one of the most devastating in my lifetime. I fished Sunrise this past week and although the lake had more water than last year….it has less FISHABLE water due to the prolific weed growth. I would venture to say that only 50% of the lake is fishable now (and probably less). Not that long ago we could fish the entire lake with the best fishing usually down at the southern end which is where the weeds grew back then. I don’t believe I have been able to fish that end for ten years now and the lake is getting smaller and smaller every year. It’s turning into a mud hen sanctuary. Unless something is done to improve the water volume in the lake I think we will eventually lose it. We go through summer and winterkills on a steady basis and it seems to be acceptable by the WMAT. Less and less people are fishing the lake now and it’s a waste of a valuable resource. The lake is a virtual fish factory if we can keep enough water in it so the fish can survive and grow to maturity.

The strain of rainbows in the lake is the Erwin strain from Ennis, MT. Several years ago I contacted the hatchery in Ennis to inquire about the strain and was told it would live 5-7 years and grow to 12-15 lbs in hatchery conditions. Sunrise is not a hatchery but it is certainly rich enough to support a healthy population of BIG trout if we can keep them alive.

In the near future I plan on having a petition to sign in the hands of all businesses that deal with fishing in the state. The petition will encourage the WMAT to:

1. Fix the pipe from Ono Lake that feeds Brookie Cove with Spring runoff.

2. Drill some wells that will supply fresh water on a daily basis.

3. Install aerators that will provide oxygen to the lake both in winter and during the “Dog Days” of summer.

I urge all fishers to sign the petition to help Sunrise Lake come back and become the fishery it has the potential to be.

This is not about Catch and Release or slot limits. It is about improving the lake’s water quality and subsequently better growing conditions for the trout. This is about growing and catching BIG trout in Arizona.

John Rohmer

Fall Fishing Forecast: Chapter 1- The Winds of Change

Fall Fishing Forecast: Chapter 1- The Winds of Change

Situated between the 31^st and 37^th parallel of north latitude in the southwestern quadrant of North America, Arizona lays on the fringe of the Mexican Monsoon.

While most of the year Arizona is under the influence of northern Pacific Ocean, during the months of July, August, and into the first part of September, the pressure belts shift north. This seasonal shift imports southern moisture from the Gulfs of Mexico and California.

The moisture has its pluses providing much needed rain in the form of afternoon thunderstorms and moderate afternoon temperatures. It also has its minuses, mostly in the form of higher overnight lows resulting in the warming of the trout waters we fish. Additionally, main stems of our undammed rivers often take on the color of chocolate milk, inhibiting the pursuit of sight-feeding warm water species like smallmouth bass.

The Mexican Monsoon manifests as the dog days of summer.

Yet already the winds of change are blowing as the pressure belts slip back to the south. In the next couple of weeks, the dominant atmospheric flow will return to a western regime and the southern moisture will be scoured. Expect below freezing overnight temperatures in the high country and clearing water in the rivers.

Now is not the time to put away the rods for the season. In fact, late September through mid-November offers some of the best fishing of the year.

It is more than improved water conditions though. In the high country, the fall colors will be on display in early October and the elk will be bugling. Brisk mornings will yield to t-shirt afternoons. Lower elevations will be more accommodating as well with relief from the sun early and late in the day.

Stay tuned. Over the next couple weeks we are going to discuss some of the fisheries we will target this fall. The fish are fat, the browns and brookies will be anxious, the water temps are cooling, and the weather will some of the best of the year.

Fall is a time to fish.

Lee’s Ferry Synopsis

Fishing Synopsis and Forecast by Terry Gunn 7/26/08

Recent Fishing: The Cicadas began singing in June and by early July the trout were starting to key on this winged meal. The hatch was normal by historical standards but not the “bumper crop” of last year. The numbers of cicadas are such that the fish are feeding on them near the rocky shores but not in the middle of the river like last summer. It is always a treat to catch Lees Ferry trout on big dry flies; July and August is the time to do it. The cicadas appear to be declining as their life cycle is short but there will be some flying around for the rest of the summer and the fish will continue keying on them even as the cicadas die off. The cicada fishing is always best on cloudy or overcast days.

Drifting from the boat with heavy nymph rigs has been very productive! The high flows of summer restrict the areas that are productive to wade but open up vast areas that are productive to the drifting angler. We have been having terrific success with scuds and San Juan worms, attached to 10 to 15-ft leaders, with heavy shot and a strike indicator. The key to success is to stay over fish, get the flies down to the bottom, and get a long, perfect dead drift.

If you can take the heat; the summer is a very productive time to fish the Ferry and provides the most consistent and least crowded fishing of the entire year.

I recently heard the spawn this year was 10X normal. I have never seen so many fry and small trout in the river.

Lots of stuff happening at the Ferry and it is all good!

Important Note: Due to the higher than normal runoff conditions and the desire to equalize Lake Powell and Lake Meade, water releases were increased on April 14. The projected increase amounts to more than 600,000 acre feet of water to be released between 4/14 and the end of the water year in October. This means that water flows will be higher than normal for the months of April, May, June, and July.

Steady flows are planned for September and October. Read below how I predict the increased flows will affect fishing.

The trout spawn began in early December which we have not seen in several years. It was a good strong spawn until the start of the experimental flow. Immediately following the high flow experiment the trout spawn began in earnest. It looked like every fish in the river was spawning at once and was the strongest spawn that I have ever witnessed. It was an inspiring sight…fish spawning everywhere and in areas that I have not seen them use in years. The spawn occurred in mostly deep water (up to 40-ft. deep!) with very little shallow water spawning taking place. The deep water spawn should translate into a “bumper crop” of fry and the survival rate will likely be off the charts.

Here is a quick overview and prediction.

The high runoff will provide the river with a huge nutrient load that will result in tremendous growth of aquatic organisms and plants (trout food).

The current trout population is healthy and the fish are larger than we have seen in years. These fish will grow rapidly to a larger size with the arrival of the nutrients and food. The current average 17-in fish should grow at least a couple inches and we have a bunch of fish that are bigger than that. We will see lots of 20+-in fish in the river next year.

The 2007 spawn survival rate was substantial; the river is currently full of 7 to 8-in fish and the increased productivity of the nutrients should arrive just in time to stimulate growth of these juvenile fish. These fish will be 12-in and larger by this next fall and be catchable. The nutrient load should last at least a couple years even if next year’s snow pack is below normal. One strange phenomenon regarding juvenile fish at Lees Ferry is that once the fry reach 3-in long, they “disappear” until they reach 12-in and then suddenly they reappear and populate normal fishing lies. We’ll be seeing these fish this next fall and winter.

I have already told you about the trout spawn from this year. The number of trout fry will likely be off the chart and the survival should be good. The river conditions should be perfect for survival and growth of these young of the year fish and they will show up as 12-in or larger fish in the fall of 2009.

Higher water flows always provide better health and growth rates for trout at Lees Ferry. Due to the projected run-off and the desire to equalize Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the planned release volume from April to October is being increased from 8.23 million acre feet of water to 8.88 million acre feet which is an increase of more than 600,000 acre feet of water. This is the first time since 1997 that there has been a release larger than the minimum of 8.23 million acre feet. Lake Powell has been rising since early March and the final forecast calls for the lake to raise a total of 50 feet by August. So, why is this important for Lees Ferry? The streams that flow into Lake Powell (Colorado River, San Juan, and Green River) have been raging and stirring up all the accumulated sediment at the stream entrance. This sediment is nutrient laden and the suspended nutrients will be distributed throughout Lake Powell. All these nutrients will be transported and arrive in the river below the dam in a few months and the river will explode with algal growth and there will be lots of food for the fish. The last time this happened was 2005 and this set the stage for the dramatic increase in the health of the Lees Ferry fishery and aquatic food base.

For those of you that remember what the fishing was like in 1999 and 2000…you should be as excited as I am about what this higher water and increased nutrient load should do to the fishing at Lees Ferry.

The high flow experiment was basically a non event as far as the fishery is concerned. It came and went with few visible changes to the river or the fishery. For more details and to see my complete comments go here: http://coloradoriverconservancy.org/

For details on Lake Powell conditions and snow-pack, go here: http://lakepowell.water-data.com/

For a real time graphic view of water releases and ramp rates go here: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/az/nwis/uv?09380000

New guides at Lees Ferry Anglers. The last couple of years we have had several long time guide staff move on to bigger and hopefully better things. This year I’m proud to introduce 4 new guides, though new to our organization they are not new to guiding. Luke Blaser, Nick Gibb, Tom Jones, and JD Miller have joined our team. They bring with them a couple of decades of combined guiding experience on various waters around the world, college degrees, and an enthusiasm for guiding that is contagious. I’m proud to introduce these fellows and I’m sure that you will agree that they are a great addition to our team.

For the latest on Lee’s Ferry visit: http://www.leesferry.com/index.htm