W°^r May, 1 15 Cents Published Monthly Except August Dedicated to the Conservation of Oklahoma Natural Resources and to the continued benefits of wildlife and fisheries for hunters, by fishermen, trappers and others of this and future generations who value the opportunities of outdoor recreation. DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE Subscription rate $1.50 for one year (12 issues) or $4.00 for three years. Clubs are permitted to retain 50 cents from CONSERVATION each subscription when ten or more subscriptions are sub­ mitted. STATE OF OKLAHOMA Room 5, State Capitol Oklahoma City, Okla. COMMISSIONERS Jack Parish, Tishomingo; Chairman Harold Cooksey, Norman; Vice-Chairman Elmer Vieth, Kingfisher; Secretary George L. Knapp, Tulsa; Member Wayne Wallace, Antlers; Member Ed Futrell, Porum; Member Leslie Vanderwork, Taloga; Member Evans Chambers, M.D., Enid; Member Page ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Shades Of Ike Walton 3-4 Fishing Champion Quest 5 Wendell Bever, Director Mutt Standefer, Assistant Director Why Anglers Return 6-8 Glenn Titus, Information & Education Chief Conservation Sticker 9 Karl Jacobs, Game Management Chief H. G. Williamson, Assn. Chief Game Mgt. Bonus For Hunters 10-11 Leland Roberts, Fisheries Chief Dutdoor Recreation Spots 12-13 Kenneth Johnston, Assistant Fisheries Chief Orville Curtis, Supvsr. Big Game Rugged Assignment 14-16 George Wint, Supt. Game Farm Out of Hibernation 17 Farrell Copelin, Asst. to Director In charge of Wildlife Parade 18-19 Federal Aid Coordination and Planning Strip Mine Fishing 20-21 Garland Fletcher, Comptroller Sam Hall, Fairland, Ranger Chief, Dist. 1 Editing For Wildlife 23 Billy Ballew, Tahlequah, Ranger Chief, Dist. 2 James Hughston, Valliant, Ranger Chief, Dist. 3 Toy Tipton, Chandler, Ranger Chief, Dist. 4 Clay Boyd, Oklahoma City, Ranger Chief, Dist. 5 Bill Gaines, Calumet, Ranger Chief, Dist. 6 Clem Patillo, Mangum, Ranger Chief, Dist. 7 Bill Severe, Enid, Ranger Chief, Dist. 8 EDITOR George Crouse *7%0 (^QWl Curtis Carpenter Assistant Editor Seemingly endless opportunities for fishing went Doug Adams Staff Writer another step further this spring when the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Department, with the help of Mrs. Lulu Proctor Circulation Manager the U.S. Bureau of Sports Fisheries and Wildlife, intro­ duced Rainbow Trout fishing on the Illinois river below Lake Tenkiller dam. Tulsan Frank Hurt was Vol. XXI May, 1965 No. 5 one of the anglers who made the most of the occasion when the trout season curtain raiser took place and Second class postage paid at Oklahoma City, Okla. Jim Harkness, 1724 S. Boston, supplied one of his Circulation 12,000 color photographs for proof of Hurt's success. Permission is granted for reprinting material when proper credit is given. Photographs and articles are accepted for use when possible to publish same. The Wildlife Department or its staff assumes no liability for such material and no provision is made for payment on articles or photographs. Oklahoma Wildlife, May, 1965 hades Walton By Wendell Bever ndoubtedly, more than one U Oklahoman was puzzled by Oklahoma's entry into sport fishing for trout. Who­ ever heard of a cold-water mountain stream south of Colorado capable of support­ ing a finny population of rainbow trout? With the construction of flood control and power res­ ervoirs came marked changes in water habitat in much of eastern Oklahoma. In a few Wendell Bever instances water releases from reservoirs resulted in a change from a warm water to a cold water habitat. As a result Black bass, Crappie, Redear sunfish and Channel catfish populations were depressed in the tail- water areas below these reservoirs. QUALITY AND BEAUTY The Illinois River above and below Tenkiller Ferry Reservoir equals any stream in southern United States in water quality and sylvan beauty. However, that stretch of the river above Tenkiller differs greatly from the lower 12- mile stretch of water between the lake and the Arkansas River. Water released from the reservoir spills below the dam at an average temperature of 54 degrees and the annual variation is less than 20 degrees with maximum temperatures Oklahoma Wildlife, May, 1965 (Continued Pg. 4,) ? (Shades of Walton) A good trout fisherman normally wades a stream in chest waders, working up to 75 feet of line. At low and reaching 61 degrees. Since trout require temperatures around clear water, the successful fisherman will stalk his trout 50-70 degrees for maximum growth and survival, this stretch utilizing the maximum amount of line his rod will handle. of water had all the attributes of a trout paradise. Under such conditions a torpedo taper line will add 20 to 30 feet to his cast. There was one potential problem. Trout require rela­ tively high oxygen levels; the higher the water temperatures the greater the oxygen needs. For three months out of the UPSTREAM ACTION year, water will be taken out of the reservoir below the The Rainbow should be fished moving upstream casting thermocline, or from an area where the oxygen content is up and across. The trout fly should float or drift free in the near zero. Trout require water with 4 p.p.m. (parts per current with very little cross-current motion. Keep slack million) oxygen content or higher. However, it is antici­ out of the line so the tesponse to a strike can be immediate. pated that turbulence below the dam will result in re-oxy- genation adequate for trout about one mile from the dam During evenings and mornings, feeding trout will move site, downstream to the Arkansas. into the riffles usually at the lower end of slicks and slack- water areas. The thorough fisherman will work out each In selecting the kinds of trout, three species were con­ pocket behind a boulder or rock, undercut banks and riffles sidered: the Brown or Lock Leven, the Brook and the Rain­ below and at the head of pools. bow. Since the Brookie is highly critical of water quality and temperature, this species was dropped from considera­ Maintaining a trout fishery today is probably the most tion. expensive kind of a fish operation. Most stocking where spawning does not occur is based on a "put and take" fishery. BROWN TROUT DROPPED If 1,000 fish are stocked, the objective is to approach 1,000 fish caught as closely as possible. The Brown trout, which does relatively well under mod­ At the beginning a few fishermen will catch most of erately high temperatures was dropped for two reasons. First, he is probably the most wary and difficult of all trout the fish. But as others learn the secrets of trout fishing, the to catch and secondly, he is decidedly cannabalistic. catch will materially increase and more people will take home limits. The Rainbow trout, originally of the Sierras of Cali­ fornia has become acclimated to most parts of the United LEGISLATURE HELPED States. Of all the trout the Rainbow is the gamiest: a tail- walking, leaping, twisting, bottom-scratching, never-say-die, With the guidance of Representative Ray Fine and Sen­ scrapper. He is scored by the purist at the top of the list. ator Clem Hamilton, the one dollar trout license passed Although an early spring spawner, only rarely will the trout through the legislature at a speedy pace and was signed into produce fertile eggs that will survive because of the river law by Governor Bellmon within 24 hours after hitting his water fluctuation caused by opening and closing the dam desk. This dollar trout stamp will be used to obtain addi­ gates for hydroelectric generating. Under ideal conditions tional access areas on the lower Illinois River and to conduct he can reach a weight exceeding 15 pounds. stream improvement and other management that will boost Oklahoma's trout fishing program. The flesh of trout is tasty, as any gourmet will attest. It may be red, pink or pure white, depending largely upon Fourteen years ago I man-handled a 7-pound, 8-ounce his food. Brook trout out of the Twenty-Lakes country in the Wind River Range of Wyoming. This square tail, equalling the VARIED DIET national Field and Stream record for that year, changed a crawdad dunking bass fisherman to a permanent, trophy- Many Oklahoma fishermen will discover the trout has seeking trout hunter — if there is such a thing! Five or six a varied diet and on occasions, particularly during the spring years from now there'll be some 10-pound plus lunker Rain­ months, he prefers an ordinary garden hackle (the earth­ bows inhabiting the Illinois. I just hope I'll be lucky enough worm). As the water temperature warms up and different to be at the right place, at the right time, when a hungry insect hatches begin to occur, his feeding habits change to jaw-snapping male rainbow cruises by. surface floating insects or submerged larval forms. The man handy with the dry and wet flys in the Silver Doctor, Royal Coachman, Rio Grande King, Mosquito, Blue Quill, Grey Hackle and Bee patterns should come into his own. During the "dog days" of mid-summer it'll take the dry fly purist to consistently fill a limit. As water temperatures begin to drop in September the trout develops a sweet tooth for canned corn, salmon eggs, bits of marshmellow and other exotic baits. Spoons, spinners, flatfish below an F-7 size, and small under-water plugs frequently pay off for the trophy fisherman or the man looking for a lunker. Trout can be caught on anything from a handline or cane pole to a $200.00, 3-ounce English flyrod. Probably the favorite consists of a 4-ounce or lighter, lYi to 8V2 foot flyrod, automatic reel, level line with a 2 to 4 pound tippet (leader), and the customary size 12 wet fly.