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Post by okieman71 on Jul 19, 2017 10:52:49 GMT -6
It is my understanding that the crew that is making preparations to install the new bridge has been narrowing the Cold Hole. It definitely needs narrowing but I have also heard that in the process they have also move material around and have either eliminated or almost eliminated the narrow channel that runs through the cypress trees which holds a lot of the smaller fry and is almost completely in the shade. Can anyone speak to the current status of what is going on? I intend to get down later this week but haven't been down in a few. I hope it isn't another blunder in a long line of blunders. By that I mean something that will negatively impact the fish. Any info. would be appreciated.
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Post by fvanek on Jul 19, 2017 11:34:14 GMT -6
The Cold Hole area where the new bridge is going has been narrowed, but the Cold Hole from where the bridge construction is down towards the Bluffs is the same. The run on the cypress tree side of the rock pile has been shut off with all of the flow going on the opposite run now. They have also dug out that run some where it is quite deep in some areas. I didn't go up past the middle of the rock pile on Sunday so I don't know what all they are doing where the Cold Hole runs into the Bluffs now.
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Post by Fenwick on Jul 19, 2017 16:38:16 GMT -6
Some photos are posted here: lmfrfoundation.org/latest-news-and-updates/It'd be great if someone who is a regular on the water up there would post a few brand new photos and add some commentary as to what's what nowadays for we viewers at home. I'm intrigued by mention of the particular waterway lane closing and what all they're doing with the Tonka Toys as it were. Maybe also a photo of the "you're not supposed to be in the water downstream of this buoy line" at the power generation station leading up to the swim beach bridge to in order to put things into perspective? I probably won't be up there breaking off nymphs on submerged rocks and logs again until the outdoor air temperature is lower than the typical highway speed limit. Please and thank you! - Fenwick |
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Post by okieman71 on Jul 20, 2017 6:10:25 GMT -6
May get down there late this evening Fenwick. If I do, I will try to take and take some pictures of what is going on in the cold hole/bluffs area.
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Post by Fenwick on Jul 20, 2017 12:45:42 GMT -6
That is dedication to go out in this hot and humid weather among clouds of voracious biting insects and clambering around on sun baked rocks radiating heat like mad. I suppose you'll have to saturate yourself in DEET first. Plenty of cottonmouths and copperheads to keep you company too.
Thanks!
-Fenwick
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Post by okieman71 on Jul 20, 2017 13:18:51 GMT -6
Heat is the main deterent for me. I am debating whether to go late this evening or at daylight in the morning. Maybe neither LOL
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Post by okieman71 on Jul 20, 2017 21:23:43 GMT -6
I haven't seen it for myself but I did hear that the crew that is doing the work on the bridge did a real number on the bluffs and the water around the rock pile. Heard the fast water above evening hole flats is nonexistent on the left side and on the right side that the little path is gone and now it is a steep drop-off into the water and it is now too deep to wade. Its too bad that the folks in charge(if there is such a thing) cannot get there heads together and do things in such a manner as not to tear up things that have already been repaired. I sure hope once they get the bridge in (if they ever do) that they will rework everything between the cold hole bridge and EH bridge. Too bad they won't bring in a hydrologist to help them decide what to do with that stretch of water. I have also heard more reports of people leaving the EH with big stringers of fish. Really is a shame that no one cares enough to enforce the regulations. Since the floods this place is a joke. It will become a seasonal put and take fishery right before our eyes if somebody doesn't step in and do something. Of course the ones that could most likely want it that way anyway. Guess they will be happy when the FF finally get fed up and start going to Arkansas to fish. Then it will be a 2-3 month a year resort. Nothing More. Those who fish year round are the ones who keep the place going from Sept-May. They may want to consider that as they blatantly turn their heads amidst all the viloations.
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Post by bradbessett on Jul 21, 2017 8:10:07 GMT -6
I couldn't have said it better okie. It's sad that the state cares so little for the ones who care so much.
I sure miss that place and hope one day we'll have our river again.
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Post by Fenwick on Jul 21, 2017 8:35:20 GMT -6
One can only hope the heavy equipment activity is a long term work in progress where eventually, e-v-e-n-t-u-a-l-l-y we'll be admiring a nicely groomed trout stream from the new Cold Hole bridge to the Evening Hole bridge. One can only hope. Perhaps what is being reported right now is only a temporary situation where rocks and flows have to be set a certain way short term in order to accomplish a particular task before everything gets moved around yet again in order to accomplish the next task and so forth until it's all done. If only someone with immediate access to the stretch up there could create a photo essay of the work in progress. Might help we far away folks to appreciate the efforts rather than fret about the unknowns. The foundation does post updates from time to time but those are few and far between. It'd be great if the Corps, the Park Superintendent and the ODWC got together and hashed out a uniform progress report to the agreement of everyone so that it could be presented to the public in a positive light such that we all appreciate what they are doing as time goes by. You'd think the Chamber of Commerce / Tourism P.R. type of folks would've seized upon this opportunity already and put it out on their snazzy looking websites to lure folks in.
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Post by slim on Jul 21, 2017 15:07:13 GMT -6
You're right fenwick, no one seems to care or be in charge on the Corp side or the State side. And that includes water flow at low flow and allowing emergency flows to be the standard management practice now. Instead of starting to release water before emergency flows are even necessary.
I haven't been down to LMF in about two years now, there is just too much crao going on now as you have just commented on.
Am I the only one that still has low expectations for the Corp to change ?
A new CH bridge is "lipstick on a pig".
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Post by okieman71 on Jul 21, 2017 15:31:40 GMT -6
The place has officially become a tourist trap. I hate to be negative but its just the truth. They are going to cater to the vacationers and are not going to enforce anything as to not run any business off. They do not care about the trout or the FF community. Actions speak louder than words and from the actions I have seen over the last two years, it is apparent to me that their view is they will just keep on putting trout in the river and letting the tourists float, kayak, carry stringers full of fish out of the EH or ZII, or whatever else they wish to do. The Rangers have turned a deaf ear to us and a blind eye to the violators. THEY DO NOT CARE!!! There is no collaboration between the USCAE or the ODWC about the red zone area or flows, or temps(which are too hot to safely handle trout by the way). The only people who truly care about the river and its well being are the folks of the LMFRF and the FF community. There, I said it. Its the truth. You have takers and you have those who like to leave things better than they found them. The latter is the minority. The LMF is the Wild West and until someone is in charge who truly wants it to be as great as it could be, it will do nothing but get worse. As for me, I am looking in to buying a 20ft. river boat and spending my time in a state that actually cares about its waters and its trout. Oklahoma Does not. Rant over.
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Post by turfdawg on Jul 21, 2017 16:41:12 GMT -6
The place has officially become a tourist trap. I hate to be negative but its just the truth. They are going to cater to the vacationers and are not going to enforce anything as to not run any business off. They do not care about the trout or the FF community. Actions speak louder than words and from the actions I have seen over the last two years, it is apparent to me that their view is they will just keep on putting trout in the river and letting the tourists float, kayak, carry stringers full of fish out of the EH or ZII, or whatever else they wish to do. The Rangers have turned a deaf ear to us and a blind eye to the violators. THEY DO NOT CARE!!! There is no collaboration between the USCAE or the ODWC about the red zone area or flows, or temps(which are too hot to safely handle trout by the way). The only people who truly care about the river and its well being are the folks of the LMFRF and the FF community. There, I said it. Its the truth. You have takers and you have those who like to leave things better than they found them. The latter is the minority. The LMF is the Wild West and until someone is in charge who truly wants it to be as great as it could be, it will do nothing but get worse. As for me, I am looking in to buying a 20ft. river boat and spending my time in a state that actually cares about its waters and its trout. Oklahoma Does not. Rant over. I hate to say it but I have to agree with you. I do not think there is a lake that I can think of in Oklahoma or Texas that was built for anything other than water supply and flood control. That is where the Corp is going to stop caring past those two things. The State parks around these lakes are money pits so the more people paying camping fees the better. Our last trip I actually saw more people swimming at the Bluffs than I saw fishing Evening hole, so if that brings more campers than swimming it is. When I met a beautiful black haired girl back spring break 1986 and went with her to 806 Campbell St Broken Bow Oklahoma to meet her grandparents, I thought Beavers Bend state park was one great place. Over the years it kept getting better and then they started stocking trout. OMG what a great time. Her kin folk taking us down some of the logging roads bass fishing then hitting the LMF for trout, life was great. Then it happened. More and more cabins with more and more people to visit. Then the floods happened. No money to replace things and a river demolished. I guess it just depends on whos foot the shoe is on. A person I graduated with has 4 nice expensive to rent cabins so people swimming in the red zone is the least of his concerns. Just wait until that new casino and waterpark and stuff is built. They might not even allow fishing inside the park before long. |
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Post by okieman71 on Jul 21, 2017 17:14:04 GMT -6
Turfdawg, what they fail to realize is that those who frequent the place from Sept.-May are for the most part there for the trout. I had a lady tell me that she inquires why people are renting her cabins. She told me that 42% of them say they are there to trout fish. Thats a pretty good indicator of the main reason that makes the place special/different from other locations in the area. I hate it but it looks like I am gonna have to buy a river boat and start going to Arkansas. Fly fishing is my passion and 4.5 hrs. isn't too bad of a drive so thats my new plan.
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Post by hankinsfly on Jul 21, 2017 17:50:49 GMT -6
OKIEMAN- come meet us next weekend in white/norfork. Also, I will chip in on gas and take turns motoring/rowing!
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Post by okieman71 on Jul 21, 2017 21:06:25 GMT -6
Would love to but I have just begun the search for a river boat. Taking a real hard look at the Xtream, Supreme or Top Water. If and when I buy one its gonna be a 20footer for sure. The Xtream appears to give you the best value for the money but they are all close. Motor will be a Yamaha for sure.
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Post by hankinsfly on Jul 21, 2017 21:15:07 GMT -6
Are those all by Shawnee company?
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Post by okieman71 on Jul 21, 2017 21:44:41 GMT -6
No sir. The Shawnee/Supreme are both made by the same company. The Top Water and the Xtream are both smaller companies that are in the same are that build 50 or less boats a year. Its a tough decision. Used ones are hard to find and depending on how one is equipped, they will run in the 12-14k range. The Xtream nor the Top water even have websites. The Xtream does have a FB page though.
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Post by okieman71 on Jul 21, 2017 21:46:56 GMT -6
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Post by okieman71 on Jul 21, 2017 21:47:42 GMT -6
These are a couple of the Xtreams, Hank. Color options are as broad as Ranger boats.
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Post by hankinsfly on Jul 21, 2017 22:12:37 GMT -6
I see a lot of the guides on the White are fishing those. I've never fished out of one but I see the benefit in being able to motor back up and fish a spot thoroughly instead of one pass out of a drift boat. I sure hope you can make it work! You'd have lots of versatility- LIR stripers, white/Norfork streamers, all of it. I'm limited to wading, the canoe, and guides for now. I do like to canoe to all the wade spots, but I don't want to canoe on more than a couple units on the white.
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Post by okieman71 on Jul 22, 2017 5:34:58 GMT -6
I guess a guy could fish the white or Norfolk with just an aluminum Jon. I think the reason for the these river boats is twofold. 1. Tradition; Back in the day this was the style of boat the guides used. 2. Feasability; During the lower water, they can run the river better where as a boat that sets lower in the water would be a problem. Supposedly these set pretty close to the top.
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Post by tsfarling on Jul 27, 2017 19:00:07 GMT -6
The company that is doing the bridge work did indeed undo all the boulder clusters and plunge pools that Jay did from ODWC and made steep banks along the bluff side run again. They also dredged out the run above the bluffs in order to get water to move out of cold hole to try and get elevations down. The cypress side run is gone from what I heard. Now, ODWC was not informed of any of this work and they have nothing to do with it. They know about it now and are not very happy that these areas were destroyed. I don't know what that means for the future but I am now just a fisherman on that river. I have finished up my studies down there.
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Post by captwoody on Jul 27, 2017 19:30:09 GMT -6
Hopefully they will require the contractor to repair the damage.
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Smallfry
Riffle Club
Trophy Sunfish Hunter
Posts: 434
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Post by Smallfry on Jul 27, 2017 19:34:06 GMT -6
Didn't the foundation put up money to help rent the equipment used to fix up that area?
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Post by tsfarling on Jul 27, 2017 19:41:37 GMT -6
Didn't the foundation put up money to help rent the equipment used to fix up that area? Yes, the foundation chipped in a portion of the money. |
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