Old pic

[Chief Grey Bear]

Sportsman were the least of his clientele. 

For decades he and others pounded the hell out the James. Raping her for everything she had. Much more than that  pittance of tragedy we continually hear of to the east a little. 

As then, to this day, she continues to be a top destination due to her fine fishing ability and stunning beauty. 

[MoCarp]

1 minute ago, Chief Grey Bear said:

Sportsman were the least of his clientele. 

For decades he and others pounded the hell out the James. Raping her for everything she had. Much more than that  pittance of tragedy we continually hear of to the east a little. 

As then, to this day, she continues to be a top destination due to her fine fishing ability and stunning beauty. 

everyone should do a float on the James its an Ozark tradition, pretty good fishing too

[Chief Grey Bear]

2 hours ago, bfishn said:

The White River Valley Historical Quarterly has enough interesting local information to last you well into decent weather. There's a keyword search that yields many references to Jim Owen, or you can just start with the first issue and read 'em all. Really good stuff!

 

2 hours ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

Wow!

Unbelievable how people lived in the Ozarks back then

 

Another good read

https://thelibrary.org/lochist/periodicals/wrv/V8/N8/S84h.htm

[snagged in outlet 3]

I just finished the volume on opening up the White and James to steamboats.  Unbelievable! 

[Al Agnew]

Those were romantic times for a person who loves float fishing.  But nearly all the floats back then started at Galena, so floating what's left of the James isn't much like what those trips were.  By far the most scenic parts of the James are now under Table Rock.

Yeah, Jim Owen said how much he loved the James and White, but he was an entrepreneur first, last, and only, and quickly saw ways to make a buck from the lakes after the rivers were gone.

And yes, there were a lot of people killing bass any way they could all throughout the glory days of the James and White.  In truth, the fishing back then probably wasn't nearly as good on those rivers as it is now on some of the Ozark streams.  I can't imagine how good it could be with the kind of at least decent management we have now if the lower James and White were still flowing.

[tjm]

Might say the most scenic parts (and the best farmlands) of all the Ozarks are under somebody's lake. I recall a trip up the bottom of Beaver before they built that dam and fished most of Truman when it still a river. Not a fan of flood control, me.

[MoCarp]

1 hour ago, tjm said:

Might say the most scenic parts (and the best farmlands) of all the Ozarks are under somebody's lake. I recall a trip up the bottom of Beaver before they built that dam and fished most of Truman when it still a river. Not a fan of flood control, me.

you can blame 2 things...the great flood of 1927 with its resulting loss of property, life and the devastation we just do not see in modern America, the great floods of the 1990's are the only thing that even sniffed getting close.....and the fact that people needed work in the depression area....people all over the country were effected....something was done....

as a kid growing up in the south...there still are great swaths of land that are undeveloped because of the flooding that happens most years..its been mediated by levies to some degree but the smaller rivers are not....people build "camps" on pilons..but they get wiped out every so often.....want some excitement? get to go clean up a camp in spring!..... going in a cabin is an adventure from nutrias, coons snakes and gators....crazy!

[grizwilson]

Have not read this yet, just got for Christmas, The James fork of the White and others:

http://www.dammingtheosage.com/buy-the-book/

or Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/James-Fork-White-Transformation-Ozark/dp/096739256X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514557389&sr=8-1&keywords=james+fork+of+the+white

 

[grizwilson]

20 hours ago, MoCarp said:

everyone should do a float on the James its an Ozark tradition, pretty good fishing too

Having grew up on the river I would agree, however the last trip I made it appeared "everyone" chose the same day....... 

[Al Agnew]

18 hours ago, tjm said:

Might say the most scenic parts (and the best farmlands) of all the Ozarks are under somebody's lake. I recall a trip up the bottom of Beaver before they built that dam and fished most of Truman when it still a river. Not a fan of flood control, me.

That's definitely true when it comes to the White River dams.  The lower North Fork, according to many of the old timers, was the best fishing of all of them, though far less well known.  And not a whole lot of people knew much about how good the upper White was above the James.  Lower Kings must have been something, too.

Interesting that, with all the dams that WERE built in the Ozarks, it had three of the greatest success stories in stopping the dams.  First was Current River, slated at one time for 5 dams that would have flooded the entire river and all the big springs.  It always had a lot of opposition to the dams and the Corps of Engineers gave up on Current River dams without much of a fight.  Then came the Buffalo, which had three dams planned which were only stopped after a long and acrimonious battle.  And finally, the Meramec, the only dam stopped AFTER the land had been acquired and work on the dam had actually started.

Funny also that the Missouri Conservation Federation started out being against the dams, then turned to be for them, and finally came out against them again.  And MDC was for some of them.  They originally agreed to support the Meramec Dam in return for the Corps abandoning plans to dam the Gasconade and Big PIney.  But in the end they were instrumental in stopping the dams in the Meramec Basin.

At one time, there were plans for a LOT more dams than what were finally built.  Three on the Gasconade.  One on the Eleven Point.  One on the James itself. One on the Bourbeuse, two on Big River.  One on the lower White that would have wiped out much of what is now the trout water.