In Teaching Fishing

Many of us have heard it, or said it, numerous times.  The future of fishing is in our youth.  Sound familiar?  Sure it does and it makes perfect sense.  It may be time, however, to add to this statement and it should go something like this.  The future of fishing is in our youth and people willing to teach them.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife is thinking along these lines because they have added an introduction to fishing to their menu of outdoor education in public schools.  Fishing joins the outdoor education curriculum roster along with hunting, archery, bow hunting, and the wildlife department is considering a pilot program for shotgun sports.

Outdoor editor for the Oklahoman, Ed Godfrey, published an article that explains the wildlife department hopes with this education program. 

In the article, Colin Berg of the wildlife department states, "If we don't have hunters and fishermen in the future, we may not have wildlife in the future."

Read all of Ed Godfrey's article "Oklahoma Department of Wildlife making it's mark."

Chapter 58 Day 23 - Trout Season

The Thanks We All Should Be Giving This Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  For Miss Carol and me, this Thanksgiving is kind of a wash with me having to be at work early in the morning and Carol having to pull a six hour shift beginning at noon. 

Most likely, we will go a non-traditional route, late in the day, fixing some tacos or maybe tamales.  Our children are here, there, and everywhere, some of them traveling, and therefore getting everyone together would be a logistical nightmare. 

I would like to go to the river Blue tomorrow afternoon and regardless of whether I get to or not, I will remind myself this Thanksgiving of all I have to be thankful for as a member of the outdoor community. 

Here on the prairie ocean, we have been blessed with a wonderful outdoor and wildlife program managed by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife. 

I truly believe if you ask anyone with the wildlife department about Blue River they will be quick to tell you that Blue River is one of the crown jewels of their program.  Blue is a sparkling stone set concretely in the cap that a proud department wears so proudly.

Although Blue River is not one of the year round trout fisheries, it is the most popular fall and winter-time trout fishery in Oklahoma.  In addition, this river has another distinction - a trout fishery that is classified as a put and take trout fishery, but, has a delayed harvest catch and release section - something that is unique.  The delayed harvest catch and release area is the result of a proactive wildlife department listening to a small segment of the fly fishing community.  I don't know how we could ask for more.

Blue River has a number of distinctions and the one I like best is the fact that it is a free-flowing river.  No dams to impede it's natural flow or course - this river's direction is left to nature.  

And on this prairie ocean we have excellent coverage of the outdoor community with people like Ed Godfrey, outdoor editor for the Oklahoman, and Kelly Bostian, outdoor editor for the Tulsa World Journal.

So tomorrow if I am lucky enough to get to the river, I will find a rock along the river's edge and take a seat, and it is here I will talk with the creator telling him of my thanks for all the blessings in my life in general, and as an outdoorsman.  

Tribute To Our Little Lady Blue

The Daily Oklahomans outdoors editor Ed Godfrey penned a most excellent article in this Sunday's edition paying tribute to the beauty of our little Blue River.

The only thing I can add to Godfrey's comments is that if you've never seen Blue River then you simply can't imagine the beauty you are missing. It's beauty that seems to be misplaced for sure and something unexpected in the middle of the prairie ocean.

Read Ed's article Southern Beauty.