New Website Location for Trout Unlimited Chapter 678

For chapter updates and official info on Trout Unlimited Chapter 678, McKenzie River, Upper Willamette Chapter, please see Oregon Fly Fishing Blog.

Trout Unlimited Wine and Waders event Sunday Feb 22

Next Sunday is Trout Unlimited Chapter 678's annual Wine and Waders event at Territorial Vineyards in Eugene. This is a potluck event with auctions and raffles for a great cause — restoration and conservation of our native coldwater fish. The event takes place Feb. 22nd, 12-4 at 907 W 3rd Ave Eugene, OR 97402.

This year we have excellent auction items, like a guided trip fly fishing for Spring Chinook on the Tillamook system, an Outcast FishCat 4, hand-tied fly collections from expert anglers like salmon-guru Jay Nicholas and Mike Brooks (whose Atlantic salmon-style steelhead flies are in the Smithsonian).

Be sure to come by, bring a plate of bean dip or mini corndogs, and help support TU's fishery conservation goals.

If you have any questions or would like to donate auction items, please email Matt Stansberry (mattstansberry@gmail.com)

Fly Fishing events coming to Eugene, TU fundraiser

Monday December 8: Fly fishing movie Drift
The local chapter of Trout Unlimited will be showing the new fly fishing movie Drift at the David Minor Theater in Eugene, 5:30-7:30pm. One of the featured anglers in the movie, and editor of the new fly fishing magazine Catch, Oregon’s own Brian O’Keefe will be at the showing to talk about the film and his fly fishing travels. The cost is $10 and the proceeds from the event will go to the McKenzie Upper Willamette Chapter of Trout Unlmited. Tickets are pre-sale only and are available at The Caddis Fly shop in Eugene. Call 541-342-7005 for details.

Thursday December 11: Fly fishing for salmon seminar
Fisheries biologist and fly fishing fanatic Jay Nicholas will be giving a seminar on fly fishing for salmon in Oregon at The Caddis Fly Shop on Thursday evening, 6-9pm. Jay is a 30-year veteran of ODFW and is an expert on Oregon’s coastal rivers. Jay’s seminar will cover how to fly fish for salmon, fly tying demonstrations and gear selection. The class costs $20, call the shop for more details: 541-342-7005.

TU Cascades High Lakes outing this week

Attention current, lapsed, and/or wanna-be Trout Unlimited members! Your local chapter (TU 678) is again traveling into the mountains for high lakes fishing adventures. You may have missed our previous outings this summer but there is still one more opportunity. These trips have been very popular and are a great way to get out and enjoy the outdoors.

This month we plan to visit the Benson Lakes complex located in the Three Sisters Wilderness Area. The trip will take place on September 13th-14th. To get there head up the McKenzie Hwy 126 and take the Hwy 242 scenic bypass. Take the turnoff to the left for Scott’s lake and follow the signs to the Benson Lake trail head. The hike into the lake (our base camp) is about 1.5 miles and we will be hiking out from there to reach the other lakes in the area. Waders and float tubes will greatly improve your catching opportunities. A 3 to 5wt fly rod is recommended although light weight spin cast and bait cast setups can also be effective. Fly selections should include wooly buggers, chironomids, pheasant tails, and mayfly patterns. These are overnight trips so please bring a backpack, tent, sleeping bag, and food. The mosquitoes have been worse than usual this year so come prepared. If you have any questions please contact Todd Mullen at 935-2189 before Friday. We hope to see you there.

Time to sign up for the McKenzie River Two-fly tournament

The first annual McKenzie River Two-Fly Tournament will take place October 3-4, 2008 on the McKenzie River. Organized by The Caddis Fly Angling Shop and Trout Unlimited Chapter 678 (McKenzie River, Upper Willamette Chapter), proceeds from this inaugural event will fund restoration projects on the McKenzie River.



The tournament organizers have partnered with the Eugene based McKenzie River Trust to allocate funds toward native salmonid habitat enhancement. The Trust is a local grassroots organization working to protect special lands in Lane and Douglas county Oregon for their fish and wildlife habitat, water quality and scenic values. The Trust has been recognized by its partners for being creative with its projects, professional in its work with landowners, and committed to the community. “The McKenzie River Trust welcomes the continued loyal support of anglers,” said Joe Moll, Executive Director.

The tournament will take place October 3-4, 2008. Festivities begin Friday evening with a pre-tournament reception and raffle; the competition begins the following morning. The entry fee is $300 per person, two anglers per boat. Entry fee includes one day guided float trip on the McKenzie River, festivities, and door prizes.

“This tournament is a great way for anglers to give back to the resource that gives them so much,” said Karl Mueller, Conservation Officer for TU Chapter 678. “We can’t control ocean conditions but we can do everything in our power to ensure that salmon have the in-stream habitat necessary to thrive in the McKenzie River, which is one of the last strongholds for Willamette River spring Chinook salmon.”

Mckenzie River Two-Fly Tournament rules
1. Contestants will participate in teams of two, single entrants can be paired up with another angler and make a new fishing partner.
2. The winning team will be determined by total length of the three largest fish landed. Length will be determined by a standard method (either measure net or modified PVC pipe w/ measuring tape, TBD). Digital photos of fish and measurement required.
3. The morning of the tournament, contestants will select two flies to use through the day. The can be fished singly or in tandem. If the two flies are lost the contestant may continue to fish, but the angler’s fish no longer count toward the team’s total length.
4. Leader, fly tackle, and fly fishing methods are all at the discretion of the angler.
5. The guide is the judge in the boat and enforcer of the rules.

McKenzie River Two-Fly Tournament Prizes
1. First prize team wins Winston BiiX rod and Ross Reel combos — ($1800 value).
2. Second prize team wins 2 nights stay for four at a luxury cabin on the Upper McKenzie River, $50 gift certificate to Holiday Farm ($750 value).
3. Third prize team wins two Scientific Angler Sharkskin lines ($200 value).

Cold snap doesn't stop TU's Spring McKenzie River outing!

TU Chapter 678 members Todd Mullen, Karl Mueller, Matt Stansberry and Brent Ross (aka the New Recruit)braved crappy weather to bring you this video. We hope you enjoy.



Despite the coldest late April weather in 50 years, we did manage to catch some nice fish on the lower McKenzie River last weekend. Karl put up more pics and a report at the Oregon Fly Fishing Blog.

Keep your ear to the ground for the next event, or sign up for our Yahoo Groups email list.

TU Oregon Council launches new blog site

Trout Unlimited's Oregon Council has launched a new blog to help keep the state's multiple chapters informed on fisheries issues. Oregon State Council Chair Tom Wolf has a post on TU's legislative agenda for the coming year, plus new chapter news -- Chetco River baby! Winter road trip, anyone?

TU meeting this week; New listserv

Hey there TU members. We're back on schedule at EWEB this Wed at 7:00pm. Please show up at this meeting if you're interested in shaping the calendar for trips or restoration projects in 2008. We'll be publishing a calendar of events in the near future. Also, TU member Matt Stansberry will present the National Wildlife Federation's slideshow on global warming in Oregon.

Also, if you used the RiseUp.Net listserv for TU, that is going away. If you'd like to stay in touch with our projects, please sign up on our new Yahoo Groups listserv. It's easy and free.

TU tables at NW Fly Tyers and Fly Fishing show

Last weekend TU volunteers manned a booth at the Federation of Fly Fishers NW Fly Tyers and Fly Fishing expo.

New Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

TU volunteers Karl and Matt teamed up with The Caddis Fly Shop to launch a new Oregon Fly Fishing Blog. Check it out and let us know what you think. The site offers Oregon fishing reports, gear reviews, conservation news and more.

Trout Unlimited pitches in with Eugene Stream Team

Last summer, TU Chapter 678 and Metro Planning adopted a section of stream bank along the Willamette River in Alton Baker park. It was an ugly job, but members managed to reclaim almost 200 feet of nasty blackberry infested riparian area by hand. Last weekend, TU and Metro Planning members collaborated with the larger Stream Team Whilamut Natural Area project to replant the new growth to offer shade, buffer surface pollutants, and stop erosion of the banks.

TU members managed to get some airtime on KVAL as well.

Oregon Coastal Coho protected again

Karl reports: Today NOAA fisheries announced its decision to restore federal Endangered Species Act protection as a “threatened species” for Oregon Coastal coho salmon. The agency, charged with salmon and steelhead conservation, had been under a court order to reconsider its 2006 decision not to list the Oregon Coastal coho. Trout Unlimited was among a group of fishing and conservation groups that sued to force a relisting.

Oregon Trout Unlimited State of the Union

Trout Unlimited Chapter 678 sent representatives to the Oregon State Council meeting last weekend in Portland. Conservation Officer Karl Mueller wrote up the proceedings in a recent blog post.

Highlights include:

An update on the Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB) Carmen-Smith relicensing. Carmen-Smith is a hydropower project on the upper Mckenzie that blocks upstream passage for ESA listed Chinook and Bull trout.

Excitement over the TU-spearheaded Copper-Salmon Wilderness.

A look at the potential settlement of the Klamath Pacificorp relicensing issue.

Check out the post for the full report.

Redden rips latest salmon plan

From an article in The Oregonian:

In a blunt letter to attorneys who will appear in his Portland courtroom Wednesday in a landmark salmon lawsuit, U.S. District Judge James A. Redden signaled that the government is close to fumbling its last chance to help fish hammered by federal hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers.

Make your voice heard at GiveADamForSalmon.org.

Switch for Salmon

TU is launching a new campaign to get electricity customers in the PAC NW to save energy and pledge to do it for salmon recovery. The idea is that if you do the following, you reduce your household energy consumption 14%:

Switch out just three-quarters of my light bulbs to compact fluorescents: save 5%

Switch to running only full loads in the dryer: save 2%

Switch off lights when not in use: save 3%

Switch to air drying half my washed clothing: save 3%

Switch to running only full loads in the dishwasher: save 1%

From the site: Even if you've already made these changes, and many of you already do much more, it's important you let us know so we can demonstrate to the federal dam operators that consumers recognize the ties between power use and fish, and we're willing to change our power habits to help bring our salmon and steelhead back.

Sign the pledge.

BLM WOPR hurts trout and salmon fishing

Bottom line: The Bureau of Land Management's plan to increase logging in Western Oregon (Western Oregon Plan Revision: WOPR) will hurt trout and salmon populations in our state, which are already in decline. From today's Register-Guard:

The plan would shrink by 57 percent the tree buffers along rivers and streams that provide shade, bank stability and downed wood in the water, which create good habitat for fish.

Please read this very balanced piece by Susan Palmer on how the WOPR will impact the financial situations of rural Oregon counties and the biodiversity of our region.

Eugene TU Chapter puts the hurt on Umpqua Coho

While this doensn't necessarily qualify as coldwater fisheries restoration... TU 678 members boated a few of the Umpqua River's hatchery coho this year. Good to eat and good for you!











The fish were biting early in the morning between Elkton and Sawyer Rapid. If you want to read about catching them on the fly, check out Upstream In Oregon.

Dates set for upcoming Trout Unlimited Chapter 678 outings

Last night TU 678 representatives had the October meeting. We met with Jeff DeVore of the McKenzie Fly Fishers to talk about how the two groups can work more closely together and possibly do some joint trips in the coming months.

Karl Mueller outlined some of the problems facing salmonids if the proposed BLM WOPR is passed. An outline of how the Western Oregon Plan Revision will impact our fisheries will be in an upcoming Newsletter.

Upcoming outings for TU 678 include:
November 24-25: Elk and Sixes River for Fall Chinook. Last year's Bounty:


We also have a trip scheduled for the Siletz River, March 1-2. If you're interested in either of these trips, email us.

Eugene Trout Unlimited chapter tackles barbed wire on Steens wilderness

Trout Unlimited McKenzie River and Upper-Willamette Chapter 678 tackled barbed wire removal in the Steens Wilderness recently. Volunteers Karl Mueller and Matt Stansberry teamed up with Oregon-Washington TU Field Coordinator and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Chair Mike Beagle and BLM employee Laura Dowlan to pull over 1500 feet of barbed wire. The project will help open up large parcels of elk and pronghorn habitat, previously intersected by the fence. In fact, during the project, a herd of 50-60 elk moved through an area that had previously been fenced in.














During the off-hours, TU 678 volunteers fished the headwaters of the Blitzen River, easily catching 50 native redband rainbow trout, the biggest fish measuring around 14-inches. We plan to put together a TU 678 backpacking trip to the Steens next summer to fish from the headwaters to Blitzen Crossing. If you're interested in this trip or other upcoming events, please email Matt.

For full details of the trip, check out the Upstream in Oregon blog.

Oregon fishing and climate change

Last weekend, TU 678 attended a training session put on by the National Wildlife Federation and NW Steelheaders. The event was aimed at training Oregon hunters and anglers to give presentations on climate change. Check out Upstream In Oregon for the full report. Here is the segment on coldwater fisheries:

Global Warming is causing more rain in the Cascades (less snow). Because of that extra liquid precipitation, the average snow pack has been shrinking by 30-60% since the 1950s. The Cascades are the lifeblood of our coldwater streams in the Pacific Northwest. On Mt. Hood, Sandy Glacier (source of the world-class steelhead fishery, Sandy River) has decreased by 50% in the last 50 years.

Steelhead and salmon need cold, reliable flows to survive — fish that are already fighting extinction from extensive dam systems. The hydro system is not going away in the foreseeable future. Climate change is going to be an accelerant on all of the problems these fish already face.

Recent average August/Sept Columbia River temperatures were 68-71F. In coldwater species, 70F increases fish stress. 75F is lethal. According to the IPCC, stream water will increase in temp 2.2-4.9 F, making 25-38% of coldwater habitat unsuitable.