Read our latest issue below, or download a PDF version here for your reading device.
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As you make plans to fish this season or in the future, Montana Trout Unlimited invites you to please patronize the guides, outfitters, and business donors who have made a difference to us and the future of coldwater fisheries in Montana. Visit our new Support our Supporters page to learn how you can give back to the businesses and organizations that donate to conserving, protecting, and restoring Montana’s trout habitat.
https://montanatu.org/support-our-supporters/?preview_id=14142&preview_nonce=a8fa0b3682&_thumbnail_id=-1&preview=true
Read our latest issue below, or download a PDF version here for your reading device.
To request a print copy by mail, please email us at [email protected]. We will resume mailing for the Summer 2020 issue.
Our last year was one of our best ever, and we have high hopes for the future. Read our 2019 Annual Report to find out how we conserve, protect, and restore Montana’s coldwater fisheries.
An impressive migration was documented again this week by Patrick Uthe and Craig Podner (FWP Missoula). We had a 21 inch rainbow trout (3.5 lbs) that was captured in the Thompson Falls Fish Ladder March 25, 2020 and tagged with a Floy and PIT tag. It was released upstream, and then FWP recaptured it up Johnson Creek, a tributary to the lower Blackfoot River on April 27th, 2020. This is the furthest documented fish movement to date and the first documented connection from the Lower Clark Fork to the Blackfoot River system. In 33 days this rainbow moved upstream 150+ miles to where it likely hatched, to carry out its life history and presumably spawn.
When one collectively thinks about the independent restoration actions it took to have a positive cumulative effect it’s pretty remarkable. Starting in Johnson Creek where habitat conditions must be suitable enough for fish to spawn, survive the critical first couple of years, and then facilitate upstream return of adults, partners completed work that included; 3 culvert removals and installation of a bridge allowing for upstream fish passage, road decommissioning which improved habitat and reduced the risk of fine sediment delivery, and a three way protective land acquisition with Plum Creek, The Nature Conservancy, and Lolo National Forest. Several years ago this juvenile rainbow trout (now known as tag #0068) left Johnson Creek and moved downstream, the removal of Milltown Dam reduced a predatory population of nonnative northern pike from the reservoir. As this juvenile matured and instincts kicked in to return to its natal stream, the operation of the Thompson Falls fish ladder then started the upstream sequence and allowed access to the middle Clark Fork River. Again, the removal of Milltown Dam, allowed #0068 further access this Blackfoot River tributary, where it was trapped incidentally via another fisheries research project.
This success story supplements a similar migration by a rainbow trout to Rattlesnake Creek (in Missoula) via Thompson Falls Dam last spring.
These partnership efforts restore this possibility. The biological documentation linking all the actions is a notable feat. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Lolo National Forest, US Fish Wildlife Service, Big Blackfoot Chapter of TU, Trout Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, and NorthWestern Energy are just a few of the key contributors to make this multi drainage success happen. Thank you to all the people who have been a part of these efforts up until now, and all those working towards a brighter future.
At Montana Trout Unlimited, we know how important the next generation of river stewards is to the future of conservation and sound angling ethics. That’s why for many years we’ve offered the Youth Fly Fishing and Conservation Camp each summer. We also know that with the reality of COVID-19, many people are home schooling their children and summer plans are uncertain for all of us. That’s why we created a crash-course for parents and kids in stream biology and ecology. Divided into 5 modules focused on different pieces of the river ecology mosaic, we’ve gathered lesson plans, fun handouts and activities you can download to do together, while creating fresh new video content to support your learning progress available on our YouTube page. Many of the materials here were developed by Margaret Sherriffs and Duncan Blair for TU’s Cold Water Conservation Education Guide (2002) and have been used at various youth camps for many years.
We also want you to share your experiences with us and other families. Tag us in your posts on Facebook and Instagram and use the hashtag #mturiverlife. We’ll send the best submissions some cool TU gear for sharing.
Check out our program below! We’ll update the lesson plan as we progress each week. New modules will be posted as we progress, with a live broadcast most weekdays at 11am Mountain Time that will fit into our weekly topic. Tune in to our Facebook and Instagram live and follow along with your family.
Learning Objectives:
Curriculum – Trout Bio Lesson 1 (parents download here)
Activities
