I have never met Mr. Branson. I'm sure he is a nice guy. I don't wish anything but the best for his business.

As far as bikedog may be insinuating, I'm far from jealous of anyone on this forum. Erichugh22 is closer to being accurate... If I am on the water at LMF, and I see someone breaking the law, I will gently point it out to them. As many, many people point out here, there is a lack of a presence of law enforcement there.

I looked at every photo on Mr. Branson's website. Some of them are photos of people blatantly breaking the laws of the ODWC. Ignorance of the law is no excuse, especially when you hire a "professional" to enhance your experience.

When I look back through the archives here on TFF, time after time after time after time, there are posts of how "the locals" are cleaning out the fish days after they've been stocked. Over and over I see where people are disappointed by their experience at LMF.

Before I made my earlier post, I called one of the local fly shops to make sure I wasn't mis-reading the laws on retaining fish at LMF. Not only did I get the law clarified, I got the low-down on how the local professionals view Mr. Branson and his business ethics.

The local fly shops will not rent gear to Mr. Branson's customers. Mr. Branson's reputation for breaking the laws speaks volumes to me.

Good luck to you, Steve. You have a great opportunity to support your family. Respect the laws. Respect the fish. Respect the people that have the opportunity to visit the beautiful resource you call home.

Practice catch & release. I doubt that anyone that hires you would go hungry if you suggest they keep only the fish they are allowed. Adding to their stringer by giving them your fish is not going to make or break them.

JR

Is it standard practice for guides to fish? In a lot of places, the guides are there to put their clients on fish and to be attentive to what they need in order to be successful. If the guides are busy fishing, how are they helping their clients other than giving them a ride to the river? Again, maybe that is just the standard of practice there. Just curious.

Most of them I know, when with clients, are mainly holding rods, netting, teaching, re-tying, ect..... but not really fishing.

If laws are being broken, Then the law breakers need to be held accountable. Simple

i dont get this...

people pay $300 dollars to go with a guide an catch some fish to eat...why they dont go to central market and buy some fish?

all dollars from taxes to grow trout on hatcheries are just for eaters to go there and catch...why they dont just sell them on a marekt...

Well said Split Cane

And I would add, well said Buton.

LOL, Central Market in Broken Bow? I must have missed it...........


I think you may be getting a knock on your door from Oklahoma fish and Game.
I do believe you just outed their the grand conspiracy to separate dollars from Texan's wallets.

JK

I average about a thousand dollars a pound for Venison, so Trout is way cheaper to catch and process.

Denny

Nice ones! This makes me want to load up and head down below Tenkiller! I would love to make another trip to Broken Bow but Tenkiller is much closer for me!

Seeing this makes me glad all GRTU lease members have to catch and release. Also makes me sad that I'm driving up this weekend to fish the LMF for the first time. Fortunately, we're using reputable guides and will only CPR.

I don't think there is a lot to be concerned with unless they are taking more than their share of what the law allows.

I'd wager the summer temps kill at least as many as fisherman. Trout cannot survive long in water above 70 degrees as they can't feed. If it hits 80 then it's definitely lethal. Broken Bow averages 77-78 through July and August. If you get two to 3 weeks in the 80's (happens ever few year)those not sitting in discharge will starve or asphyxiate. As you could imagine the Guadalupe section below Canyon is the same story, just hotter. The daming of these rivers in the 60's created aquatic desserts in the tail races as the year round cold water drives most of the natural species and their prey downstream. If it weren't for the stocked trout there would be little to fish for unless they started stocking Striper or other similarly cold tolerant fish. The decision to year after year stock literally tons of trout in these tail races has far more to do with business than biology. They are put there to sell fishing licenses and support the local economy. They are there for the license holders to catch and if desired, harvest for the table. (within the limits of the law of course).
I'd be very curious to see creel surveys to compare the number of licenses sold to those keeping fish vs. those practicing C&R, but from what I've seen there it's well over 3 to 1 on the bank.

There are plenty of trout streams that need your help in asking for additional protection and regulation from over exploitation, pollution, etc. However, I think you will be hard pressed to find a biologist who would put LMF or the Guadalupe anywhere on that list. I'd wager many would argue the dams should never have built in the first place. That all being said, enjoy them for what they are, keep on educating your fellow anglers about the laws and if you see one being broken report it!

I'm confused Before the flood at brokenbow. you could hammer giant trout in zone two in the middle of August chunking big stimulators at them. Yes you could at least wet wade but still not warm. before they got flushed zone two's fish had taken on all the full color of wild fish and had been in there many summers. Zone three gets too warm at times that is why they are trying to clean out the re reg dam. Or are you referring to zone three or the guad, cause the Guad gets hot quick the further down you go in south texas heat. Maby I have just missed it I've fished it for ten years I'm sure at times when no power is ran a few days zone two starts to creep up. I have personally never seen it high seventies.

If so it's really sad they can't work out a minimal flow agreement to at lest get zone two back to its former glory. The fish I catch there now are all wild with a few exceptions. And some are many years old. If they could maintain the flow down there in the fish could keep reproducing it would sure keep a great place away from most of the bait chunkers for the most part. All my years down there when it was great I never saw a person throwing bait lures yes but the people who were throwing lures that had single barb hooks real shame. I think they got that back it would solve a lot of problems. The put and take guy and the guy that actually would come a line way and bust the local economy. And yes I know some flag as even keep a few stockers to take home but if there's a place you could just go to catch and release only again it would be great just my .02.

Haha I frequently lurk that forum and you are 100% right.

But laws are laws. And they're in place to protect our wild fish and game. I don't care if he is a guide, he still needs to follow the law.

Brendan