TheTugistheDrug

Thanks for sharing. News could be much worse. Please post any future ways that come up to support long term solutions for the LIR. Thanks!

Great news! Thanks for the post and the information. It has been a long time since I have fished LIR but you have me excited...

Probably will have more luck working the upper Illinois river than in tenkiller. The upper Illinois has multiple access points via hwy 10. You can also start closer to the lake at Carter's Landing, Horseshoe bend, Barron Fork, and Town Branch. (I have never been able to hook a carp on the fly but have snagged quite a few with treble hook and bass rod years ago in these areas.) You could take a scouting trip in the next month and see if the sand bass are running up the river. Would be a good way to see the river and catch a TON of fish that fight extremely hard. Light/white streamers seem to work the best. Let us know how you do...

I have never been to the LIR except when the water flow is low. After they kill the generators how much different do the fish feed? I can picture myself having a hard time keeping a dry in a drag-less drift... Thanks!

Congrats to you and to her!!!

Fished last weekend for a short while. Two of us landed fish on wooly buggers and gold bead head hares ear. Saw MANY fish being taken by others. We were fishing the gravel lot below the dam, far side of the island. There was a spin caster near us who must have caught a fish on every cast for about thirty minutes...not sure what he was using. Water was low but th fish were biting. Good luck!

Washington, DC Office: 205 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 -3603 Main: (202) 224-4721 Fax: (202) 228-0380 Map this | Directions To Tulsa, OK Office: 1924 S. Utica Avenue Suite 530 Tulsa, OK 74104 -6511 Main: (918) 748-5111 Fax: (918) 748-5119 Map this | Directions To Oklahoma City, OK Office: 1900 NW Expressway St Suite 1210 Oklahoma City, OK 73118 Main: (405) 608-4381 Fax: (405) 608-4120 Map this | Directions To McAlester, OK Office: 215 E Choctaw Ave Suite 106 McAlester, OK 74501 Main: (918) 426-0933 Fax: (918) 426-0935 Map this | Directions To Enid, OK Office: 302 N Independence Suite 104 Enid, OK 73701 Main: (580) 234-5105 Fax: (580) 234-5094 <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=302+N+Independence,Enid,OK,73701" target="_blank">Map this | Directions To http://inhofe.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

Below is correspondence from Jim Burroughs of the ODWC: Looks like contacting Jim Inhofe is the best way to get spurt from the state for a constant source of water flow to the LIR... See below. No new developments for a permanent water source. We have made some progress in managing what temporary water rights we have however. SWPA has agreed to fund a bypass piping system from the surge tank located behind the powerhouse running to the tailwater area. This will be a somewhat automated system that will come on when there is no generation and go off when there is generation. It will only provide about 55 cfs which will be a little more than we have to have in the winter and less than we need in the summer but will help us to better meter our water. SWPA has also agreed to pay for the equipment and install of an oxygen super-saturation system that will be deployed by ODWC in the sluice pool area on a as needed basis. This will only be to improve the oxygen in the sluice pool area and not downstream oxygen levels. These two things are positive and are a step in the right direction but the only long term permanent solution is the permanent allocation of water to ODWC for management of the stream. The water rights we have are borrowed and could be gone any day. Without this borrowed water we would be totally reliant on SWPA's generation. Management of the stream, based on historical generation schedules, would be mostly impossible with only this source of water. Senator Inhofe seems to be the one we need to work through for a reallocation of water. There needs to be a reallocation of water and water given to the state at no cost to maintain the trout fishery. That's the only permanent solution I can see. I appreciate you interest and support. -----Original Message----- Jim, I got your contact email from a fishing friend and wanted to inquire about the status of the Lower Illinois River in regards to finding a constant water flow. I have not been down since June but do enjoy it every chance I get. Last week I mentioned the LIR to Lt Gov Todd Lamb and he had no new insight then what he told me in April when he said he visited Gore... If you have any contact information on who to contact to promote supporting the LIR I will pass it on as well as let them know I appreciate the river and their support of it. Thanks!

Thanks for the reply and info Josh.

Impressive. Good stuff!

Thanks!

Anyone on here been fishing lately? Would like to spend some time there this weekend if all is well. Thanks!

If you have the specifics on the names of who to write letters to and addresses I will do so ASAP and pass it along to others. Great news and thanks for sharing!

Gadget Company. 15th and Boston. Have flies and supplies. They are an Orvis retailer and can help with any Orvis issues. They took care of a couple rod issues I had. Their fly fishing guy will call you if he is not in.

Thanks!