The 2nd Annual Fly Casting Tournament & Fly Fishing Boat Show was held at Eagle Island State Park, raising thousands of dollars on behalf of the South Fork Boise River Fishery.  More than 200 people attended as participants, judges and spectators.

Casting on the “Redemption” hole at the 2nd Annual Fly Casting Tournament

As near perfect weather as could be expected greeted the fly casting competitors Saturday morning.  Hardly any winds.  The day warmed up through the morning as 12 teams competed in the Gold Division.  Four person teams competed on 14 casting targets or “holes” with a team’s best three individual player scores per hole added together for a team score.

While the competition was keen, it was the cause that brought so many people together.  Protection and enhancement of the South Fork Boise River fishery is something everyone can support.  And leading conservation/angling groups, fly fishing shops and local businesses got behind the event.

In the afternoon sixteen teams participated in the Silver Division.  All participants were together for lunch, where Gold Division awards were made, an Outcast PAC 9000 pontoon boat was raffled off, and recognition of big supporters of the Pierce Creek Reconnection Project were recognized.

Pat Kilroy of the Ted Trueblood Chapter of Trout Unlimited presents a plaque to Erik Moncada with Boise Valley Fly Fishers recognizing the BVFF support for the Pierce Creek Reconnection Project

The results:

• Silver Division. 3rd Barely Visible 167, 2nd Place Leaky Boots 167, 1st Power Casters 130.  Top individual caster Sean Martin from the Vallivue team.
• 3rd place Gold, Cabela’s 156 points. 2nd place Angler’s 137, 1st place 120 Willowcreek Grill.  Top individual caster: Dave Klein with a score of 36!

Trueblood Chapter friend and supporter Bryan Huskey sends along this photo report on the fishing at Little Camas Reservoir.  The fish food is out!

WILLOW LANE WETLAND ALONG THE BOISE RIVER

Saturday morning, April 21st some 40 volunteers with the Leadership Boise program arrived at the Willow Lane park in northwest Boise.  Hidden behind the six softball diamonds and parking area, where the year’s first big slowpitch softball tournament was being held, there lies a newly constructed wetland, hard up next to the north bank of the Boise River.

In high water the wetland is already functioning as a backwater to the Boise River, today flowing at 6,500 cfs at the Glenwood Bridge gage.  A new wetland, with one ingredient always in need of additional supply: wetland plant species such as willow and cottonwood.  

Here is where Trout Unlimited and the Boise Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Boise, and partners Boise City Parks, Boise National Forest (Lucky Peak Nursery) and Wetlands Group LLC are launching a first ever tried restoration of cottonwood.  What’s different here is the cottonwood is grown from seed.

In May 2011 Trout Unlimited collected the cottonwood seed at sites along the Boise River and the Lucky Peak Nursery successfully germinated and grew the starts.  Today they were planted along the wetland by the Leadership Boise volunteers as part of their community projects.

We will monitor the planting and document over time the level of success we may achieve with this idea.  Certainly the seed-grown cottonwood is a plus for the Boise River where many trees are clones from cuttings or suckers growing from old root systems.

In the coming months the partnership will expand to the South East Neighborhood Association and the East End Neighborhood Association.  Seeds will be collected this spring for 2013 planting, and in Fall 2012 additional sites will be planted with seed grown cottonwoods still growing at Lucky Peak Nursery.