Sunfish, Rotenone & The Ferry

[aztip]

Three words I never thought I'd hear together: Sunfish, Rotenone & Lees Ferry. When my Dad mentioned he'd seen a brief clip on the evening news about this, I was sure he had the wrong dam, or even the wrong river., but I was wrong:

http://azdailysun.com/news/local/che...6cc1cf0e6.html

Then I remembered a sign at the launch ramp about a closure when I was pulling out from my camping trip upriver a couple of weeks ago. At the time I couldn't figure out why they would close Prop Bar, but I was kind of focused on my outboard motor issues and getting home. Turns out it was the slough that was closed. Could be a bright side to this: No fall flood. Maybe they will opt for a Spring flood instead!

Link to schedule for this:

http://www.nps.gov/glca/learn/news/r...ter-slough.htm

[Litespeed1]

For some reason I remember hearing they intentionally changed the dam outlet to a higher and therefore warmer water release location. The water is definitely warmer running through the Ferry. I could be wrong but that's what I recall.

I always thought the looming issue of raising water temps through the Ferry would be fish coming upriver from Mead.

By far and away the best fishing at the Ferry happened when there was no "management" of that stretch of river.

I'm hoping we are at least halfway through the Colorado River below Glenn Canyon Dam "lets do something stupid and then do something else stupid to fix it" checklist.

Probably wrong though.

[jrdorvis]

Save lees ferry club a chub

[stoneflynut]

Originally Posted by jrdorvis

Save lees ferry club a chub

I like chubs, especially those cool humpies in the canyon.

Great story, thanks for posting, aztip.

[Seldomseen]

Will this be the end of the carp fishery there as well?

[aztightlines]

Seems like a few degrees warmer water could be a good thing: mayfly, caddis hatches perhaps.

[AzMandella]

Hope this doesn't turn into another OOOPPPSS we wiped out the whole Lee's Ferry area.

[almostlost]

Here's something odd, I was in the walk in getting skunked a couple weeks ago when I walked up on what I thought was a large rainbow carcass only to find out it was about a 20" Striper.

Guessing someone from the lake dropped it in as a joke or it washed all the way down from the damn?

Of course my dumb*** didn't get a pic so...

[Litespeed1]

Oh boy. If the powers that be thought Brown trout were too aggressive in their predatory ways (I wont include bug eating rainbows in this paragraph because that's a joke) get ready for a complete ecosystem collapse if that Striper was living in river.

Every time I reply to a Lees Ferry thread I can't help but shake my head in disappointment.

The last time I was there I was asked to participate in a survey. (again) The question I was asked to answer?

"Would you rather catch FOUR 10 inch rainbows per day or ONE 18" rainbow"? I looked around at the incredible scenery reflected off this amazing crystal clear 50 degree trout river and answered NEITHER. Are you kidding me? Those are my choices? How about THREE 10"-16" rainbows per hour with a 20" plus rainbow per day thrown in there? Like I remember it.

[jrdorvis]

I think it was 4 years ago or maybe 5 years ago when we had high flows.. It was sweet I found a great deep slot and was one of the only guides that spent my summer wading .. I worked a ton that summer and my point is the fish where all nice fat fish... Things change if the Goliath snow happens and fills the bath tub .ie lake Powell. It will be wonderful fishing..... have you walked up the whawheep boat ramp wow it's a hual. It will come around..... I am in for stocking trout that grow bigger and live longer than the fish lees ferry has now.... comes down to water flows and scuds and worms and cross your fingers