North Platte WU
Newsletter Editors
7 p.m. Sept. 1
at Game and Fish Building
Our family outing last month went well, great weather, good food, and a nice pleasant afternoon. Larry Rue was our fish cleaner, although he didn't have much to do. Howard Ewart and his wife Nina with Roy Herrington and his wife, Lotus were the cooks and as always, did a fine job. George Overman won the Big Fish Plaque, it is unknown if he plans to have it mounted.
We have a date penciled in for our spring Banquet. It will be March 4th, 2006 at the Parkway Plaza. If it turns out like the last one, it should be a great one. I'm already looking forward to it.
At our last club meeting it was proposed and passed to support the Natrona County Fire Department's water safety program. This is a program to have available life jackets, that would be loaned out to the citizens of the county as needed for boating, floating the river, and playing in the white water park in town. We had several near tragedies on the river this year and this program will try to eliminate that. It was reported that the Fish and Game has started to issue tickets for not having a life jacket for floating the river and the fines are steep.
The club authorized $1500 for this project and Whites Marine Center was able to find us great deals on the jackets and got them to us at cost. We presented the life jackets to the fire dept and they are setting up the logistics of tracking, and distribution points along with efficient means of checking out and returning the life jackets. There was some media coverage on this gift of the life jackets by two television stations and the Casper Star Tribune. We were able to provide 123 jackets in the various sizes most needed by the fire dept including 5 infant life jackets. If any member needs an extra life jacket of any size for a day or two, we now have a place to get one.
It was reported to me that Goldeneye Reservoir had a large inflow of water during last months heavy rains. I wanted to see for myself so I went out and took a look. It appeared to me that there was little if any inflow since we sank our Christmas trees last winter. This is not good news as the Game and Fish dept said the water was slowly reaching critically high dissolved solids level that would be harmful to the walleye populations there.
Fishing Reports-Tips-& tricks
Current Lake levels
Glendo dropped 30 ft this month. Glendo is currently at 28 percent full with the inflow 854 cubic feet per second and the outflow 4225 CFS. I have heard that vertical jigging with spoons has been effective at times.
Boysen is hanging in there, being 91 percent full and only dropped 2 ft in the last month. It has an inflow of 528 CFS and the outflow 1264 CFS. Fishing is reported great or terrible depending on which day it is. The fish were reported down to 35 ft deep in the last week or so. If you can get cranks deep, it may work.
Seminoe dropped 6.5 feet this last month.. Seminoe is 47.7% full, the inflow is currently 368 CFS, the outflow is 1030 CFS.
Pathfinder maintained within an inch or two this pass 30 days.. The lake is 23.3 percent full with an inflow of 970 CFS and the outflow 965 CFS. With luck it might make through the irrigation season at current levels. Fishing is slow with mostly the smaller fish being caught.
Game & Fish news, notes
Fishing regulations
On July 13th, the Game and Fish Commission at their meeting in Rawlins, passed new fishing regulations for Glendo Reservoir for the 2006-2007 fishing seasons. The regulations will be that "no fishing contests shall be approved for the following dates: June 17th 2006 through June 30, 2006; and June 16th 2007 through June 30, 2007".
The NPWU and club members had a very important input on this subject. There was quite a bit of public support for the new regulations.
Game and Fish withdrew the possible "No fishing contests" period for Boysen due to lack of public support. Most of the comments on the Boysen proposal were against the idea.
The new Glendo regulations will provide two full weeks of no fishing tournaments and practically no prefishing on the reservoir.
Think BIG, fish production should be very good at Boysen Reservoir this year! Drought had its affect on Boysen Reservoir. During the time of receding shorelines, forage and juvenile fish were pulled into open water where they became easy targets to predators. Adult walleye dominated the Boysen fishery. Two strong walleye year classes, age 7 and 8, carried the walleye fishery the past few years. So far these two cohorts have only suffered an estimated 14% mortality. With the increasing water level last year, walleye recruitment has improved. Twenty five percent of the walleye sampled in 2004 were age 1. By age 4 this year class of walleye will be around 15 inches.
Walleye recruitment should continue to be good if the flooded terrestrial vegetation remains available for nursery habitat for juvenile fish. Thousands of acres of flooded terrestrial vegetation now serve as nursery habitat for most fish species and spawning habitat for yellow perch. Our sampling in 2004 confirmed that juvenile fish have benefited. Two strong year classes of yellow perch reflect the gradual filling and inundating of terrestrial vegetation. -- From the Wyoming Game and Fish Angler newsletter-Lander Division
Friday of the Wyoming Hunting and Fishing Heritage Expo has been known as kids' day, and now you can call Sunday "women's day." On Sept. 11 from 9 a.m. to noon the Stuckenhoff Shooting Complex will be reserved for women who would like to learn about shotgunning. Participants are welcome to bring their own equipment if they would like.
Wyoming Game and Fish Department Hunter Education Coordinator Helen McCracken says the sessions will cover the safety, engineering and dynamics of shotguns in addition to considerable time to practice shooting. Participants will receive one-on-one instruction. "The women's shooting day is a relaxed, noncompetitive atmosphere for both beginning and experienced women to shoot," McCracken said. She adds the shooting day is patterned after the "Becoming an Outdoors Woman" workshops she coordinates in Wyoming.
The eighth annual Expo offers dozens of hands-on outdoor activities for all ages and aptitudes at the Casper Events Center and nearby shooting ranges. Among the opportunities are archery, shooting, horse packing, photography, canoeing, bird dog training and much more.
Last year's kids' day attracted school classes totaling more than 6,000 kids. Classes can still sign up for the upcoming Sept. 9 kids' day.
Volunteers are still needed, especially on Friday, to help instruct some of the activities. For information about the Expo or for banquet tickets call (888) EXPO-WYO. (contact: Jeff Obrecht) -- From the Wyoming Game and Fish website-Casper
Things you will never hear a fisherman say
"Have you ever stopped to think how many chores we could get done at home if we didn't fish so much?"
"Man, I would really love to buy this rod and reel, but I noticed my curtains at home are going to need replacing."
"Pay $50 for a fishing rod? ......... I don't think so".
"Sorry buddy, I'm going to have to cancel our fishing trip this weekend. I just found out Sears is having an awesome White Sale." "Where did we catch all these fish? Here, let me show you on this map".
"I love having those jet bikes buzzing us so close, the spray is so refresing". -- From Boating World
Some things to ponder....
Isn't it interesting that the same people who laugh at science fiction listen to weather forecasts and economists?
"I don't know what weapons will be used in world war three, but in world war four people will use sticks and stones." (Albert Einstein)
In a restaurant: "Open seven days a week and weekends."
Church Anecdote:
As a preacher was completing a temperance sermon, with great expression he said, "If I had all the beer in the world, I'd take it and throw it into the river."
With even greater emphasis, he said, "And if I had all the wine in the world, I'd take it and throw it into the river."
And then, finally, he said, "And if I had all the whiskey in the world, I'd take it and throw it into the river." He sat down.
The song leader then stood very cautiously and announced with a pleasant smile, "For our closing song, let us sing Hymn #365: 'Shall We Gather At the River.'"
wyowalleyenewsletter@hotmail.com
Tight Lines -- Woody and Bruce