HB80 Update.......please help!

This can potentially affect all/any state(s) so it could benefit everyone to help out if you can

Subject: HB-80: URGENT Request - contact your reps and senatorsURGENT! Please read! As many of you know, a new bill has been introduced to the Utah legislation a few weeks ago by Rep Lorie Fowlke. The bill, HB-80, is a bill that we (TU), our hired lobbyist, and other groups and individuals have been working with Lorie on for the last 6 months. The bill is in response to last year's HB-187 debacle which tried to severely change our recreational right, access and use of Utah's streams and rivers. Lorie's bill is a compromise bill that actually strengthens and supports the current law when it comes to accessing and using streams and rivers that pass over private stream beds. The time is now to start contacting your representatives and senators and asking them as their constituents, to please support HB-80. Tell them that Rep. Fowlke has gone through the proper processes to ensure a compromised bill for all interested parties. Over the last 6 months she has had several open public comment sessions at the capitol, met with members of TU, the DWR, Utah Anglers Coalition, the Farm Bureau, private land owners, etc, in order to come up with a fair and compromised bill. Rep Fowlke has done her due diligence in writing this bill. As a Utah Trout Unlimited leadership group, we fully support HB-80 and hope that you will take our lead and contact your representatives asap. Our grassroots movement will be key in getting HB-80 passed. Unfortunately, as good as a bill as it may be, we're not guaranteed that this bill will pass throught the house without a fight. We do have opposition. The Farm Bureau has been aggressively trashing Rep Fowlke's bill the last 3 days, saying the bill does not go far enough. Rep McGiff and Ferry have been working on their own bill that is written to overturn the Canatser supreme court ruling. There is obvious opposition that we face and we need your help. Please take 5 minutes of your time and look up your representative's contact info. Send them an email or give them a call. Be professional and polite in your correspondence and let them know that their constituents feel that HB-80 is important. Here's a few links to help you find your reps and senators as well as links to HB-80.
http://www.facebook.com/l/e51c0;le.utah.gov/http://www.facebook.com/l/e51c0;le.utah.gov/~2010/htmdoc/hbillhtm/HB0080.htmhttp://www.facebook.com/l/e51c0;le.utah.gov/GIS/findDistrict.jsphttp://www.facebook.com/l/e51c0;le.utah.gov/Documents/09roster.pdf


Tally from this week....$1,420.00!! Great job so far everyone!!!!The $200 @ $50 was a great idea, let hope it keeps going!!http://www.utahonthefly.com/forums/showthread.php?p=251664#post251664Jay's Facebook page and photo offer also brought in more donations, thanks J!!Although it sounds like a ton of cash, its only a small chunk.We still need over $12,000.00!! and we have about 30 days to do this.Please contact everyone you know, post on blogs, forums and Facebook.... spread the word!!!! We have a very tough road ahead of us, we really need all the help we can get.

Colorado......Kids

Last saturday i drove over to colorado to pay a visit to my kids. i am here for the week and leave again come saturday. i was hoping to get in some fishing while i was here and was really hoping to hit grape creek but that didn't pan out so i stayed close and hit the arkansas while the kids were in school. all week the weather was in the 50's and according to the local fly shop midge and a few baetis dries were fishing well on top, with plenty of risers to be found. well i got up this morning with high hopes of chucking streamers and throwing some dries in the spring like weather. as my luck would have it a storm came in last night and i woke up to snow and freezing temps. ain't that a bitch.....never seems to fail. i did throw some streamers and did some nymphing but couldn't even muster up a hit. other then the geese and the ducks there didn't seem to be any life on/in the river. didn't even see any of the usually abundant crawdads. hopefully next time i come to visit i will get to do somemore fishing

Lamson Customer Service

Last friday i sent in my velocity hard alox with $20 and today, 7 days later, i got my reel back. they changed the drag and one other piece so now i just need to get it back on the water and make sure it is good to go. as far as the customer service goes i was satisfied

Korkers Predator Boots...Kling-On Soles

I ordered a pair of these predators with the kling-on soles to have something other then my simms w/studded aquastealth soles. soemthing i could wear in a boat without gacking it all up. i have had korkers in the past and found them a lot lighter then my simms and weight was also a key factor in my decisions to buy another pair of korkers. i love my simms but wanted something different and had heard good things about the kling-on soles. these aslo come equipped with the boa lace system and it definately kicks ass, really simple to use. this is alsotheir first boot with a fixed sole, not interchangeable. my only knock on my previous korkers has been durability. they didn't seem nearly as durable as my simms but i am optimistic about these predators. i have only used them three times but have been extremely impressed with the soles. they are gripping really well, including in the snow, when usually i would slip. i have tested three river bottoms and have had no complaints as of yet. it's been a long time since i've had boots without cleats and don't feel i need them anymore. the real test for me now will be how long andhow much wear and tear they can withstand. only time will tell. all in all i am very impressed and i hope i continue to be impressed.

Another Garbage Day

Had MLK day off and didn't feel like a lengthy drive so i headed over a canyon. i walked the creek up to the dam and it was mostly walking. the flows have been dropped again just making the fishing to damn tough. today was a day, apparently, more for picture taking then fishing. there seems to be only a few select holes that are holding fish and they are mostly whitefish. i turned over a few rocks and snapped some shots. took a few scenery shots but got no pics of any fish. i caught one small cutt on a stonefly and that was it. the fishing sucked today, there is no other way to put it. i did have to stop in the road for 30-40 turkeys or so, that was cool to see. i did however enjoy taking different photos

The Green

Met up with pat and scott (RnF) in coalville at 4am so we could get to the river by 8. when we arrived there wasn't a soul around. the air was brisk but the wind was mellow. pat had read a report that most everything was working so i rigged up with a streamer on one rod and another rod was set up to swing soft hackles. it was a slow morning, actually a slow day, the fishing wasn't that good and the hatches were almost non-existant. we saw only a few risers and a few midges. a streamer didn't produce but swinging a small syl's midge and a standard soft hackle did. i was surprised that most of the fish caught were rainbows. nothing of size for any of us. scott did get one that was 'bout 17", but most fish were in the 14" range. the wind did eventually get roaring which made the day even colder. my patagonia waders did not have any leaks before the day started but during the course of the day i accrued to leaks in my left leg and one in my right. what a bunch of crap cause now both my waders have leaks. i will send these in instead of trying to fix them. we left the river about 5 and had dinner up at the lodge. pat for some reason bought dinner, i guess the person who catches the fewest fish buys. scott seemed like a cool dude and it was good to meet him.

Utah Recreational Water user Bill HB80.........

is released to the public. Thanks to chris, bryan and all the others for all they are doing to make shit happen. i know chris, especially has been putting in some major overtime for all of us waterway users. bryan sent this e-mail out the other day.



Representative Fowlke released the much anticipated Recreational water Bill today!!
The process of this Bill started right after the end of last years session. It involved input from all sides, the DWR and it included the public. This was an ongoing process that lasted though the late Fall. Although, not everyone got exactly what they wanted, all groups on both sides compromised and tried diligently to make this a win-win. Unfortunately, there is always one in the bunch....the FB will not be backing this. They are unwilling to compromise and were set on the language stating "wet-boot" rather than "ordinary high water mark".
HB 80 --> http://le.utah.gov/~2010/htmdoc/hbillhtm/HB0080.htm
PDF --> http://le.utah.gov/~2010/bills/hbillint/hb0080.pdf
Keep up the good work!
Bryan Gregson
www.utahwaterguardians.com
www.utahcutthroat.com