Oklahoma Fishing Trip 2004
In June 2004 Rev. Neal and his father made a week-long trip to southeastern Oklahoma in order to fish the Mountain Fork River, up north of Lake Broken Bow. Due to a major rainstorm and flood, their trip wasn't as "fishy" as they would have liked.

   

We like to stay in a cabin up on the Mountain Fork River. It's very nice.
The Mt. Fork Lodge has several small cabins. Hot & cold running water, beds, even AC.
We got there after a major rain storm, and the river was already rising.
...and rising.
So Dad and I did some pole and net fishing, hoping to be able to go out on the river and put out a trot line after the river went down.
As the river rose -- over 10 feet in 12 hours -- junk came down the river
... like a canoe ...
... with no one ...
... aboard.
We watched it pass by and enter the rapids ... where it got chopped to pieces.
And the river kept coming up.
It flooded the whole boat launch.
It flooded the stairway.
It almost reached the drive. See the top the boat launch? Scroll up or down ... you can see how much of it is now under water.
The RUSHING WATERS.
Since we couldn't fish the river, we drove down to Lake Broken Bow and Beavers' Bend State park. Here's a shot of the "narrows. Choppy and flooded.
 
Calm waters on the lake.
Lake Broken Bow's dam-retaining wall.
The dam's spill way.
The spill way from below the dam.
There's always someone fishing for trout below the spillway.
Looking down the Mountain Fork River just below the dam. BRRRRR ... the water was COLD.
Lake Broken Bow Hydroelectric Power Station.
I guess they didn't need electricity ... the generators were shut down.
The river below the lake was SMOOTH.
Quiet. Lovely.
At Beavers' Bend State Park there's a carved pole of historic and family interest....
Buck Scott is a VERY VERY old friend of our family and of my Dad.
When my Dad was a kid, back in the 1930s, Buck would set them out on the River.
Beavers' Bend State Park ...
... is LOVELY.
And the waters were calm ...
... and CLEAR ...
... compared to the river above the lake.
Dad showed me one of his favorite childhood fishing holes below the dam. It's amazing how 60+ years has not changed it.
The next day, back up at the cabin, the river had gone down 10+ feet, almost back to normal, in just 14 hours.
Dad and I got out on the river.
Sadly, it was all muddy -- the color of coffee with cream in it ... so we couldn't fly fish.
But we put out a trot line, and did some casting and pole fishing.
And enjoyed the cool, lovely day.
In one day we caught several big catfish on the line. Here's part of our catch.