Received my Fly Fisherman in the mail today and the 'Stream Watch' article was written by our own OliveBugger....

Nice article Doug.

I can't imagine the amount of hate mail you get from Lovell...

Thanks, David. If it was just hate mail from Lovell it wouldn't be so bad. What surprised me was the kooks coming out of the woodwork who apparently to have a bone to pick with fly-fisherman, all fisherman, outfitters, guides, wade fisherman, drift boats, Democrats, Republicans, senators, congressman, city council, engineers, government employees, biologists, Montanans, Wyomingites, Greenies (yes, Greenies), Native Americans, publishers, Trout Unlimited, Walleyes Unlimited, and the Vice President. There was one guy who blames this all on Brigham Young.

I noticed that too, but did not read the article as of yet. Way to Go Doug!! One step at a time and hopefully you will be able to increase the flows of the Bighorn over time. Alittle by little will soon start to add up. Good job.

OB - I read the article last night - it was a very informative well written piece. I liked how you explained both sides, talked about how both have suffered and said how both sides need to work together to come to a strategic decision. Sometimes articles in FF turn out to be too one sided and often times they get rebuttle or clarification letters from the public that only draw up even more questions. I look forward to next issue to see the praise you get!

Have you seriously gotten hate mail over this? I mean seriously - how did they get your email address?

Thanks, Brandon, but I had a lot of help including Paul, the entire FWP organization, our local TU chapter, Trout Unlimited, and the complete support of everyone interested in the issue. I just put the timeline and facts together. My main goal is to bring some national exposure to the problem.

Regarding the hate mail... yes, its true, but it amounts to three or four dozens letters, mostly email. Most of it starts with "How can you be so stupid?" which I'm used to anyway. Initially, the meetings between the 'rival' parties involved sign in sheets, which of course included email addresses. I suppose that's how it got out initially. The BOR can't hide, so we shouldn't either. But I've never been bashful about soliciting viewpoints and contructive criticism, and to this day keep a dialogue going with the folks in Lovell. I'd rather have everyone talking about the problem rather than ignoring it.

I agree, everyone should be talking about it. But hate mail saying how "stupid" you are? That is crazy. That article is written with both perspectives, and you don't take a side except to say that both sides are suffering and there needs to be a mutual solution. Incredible. I mean, I know that some people are opinionated, but come on.

Let me know if you need any help responding to the letters, I have no problems expressing my opinions back to them. No one has ever told me I'm shy.

Doug and Paul have been sticking their necks out about the Bighorn for at least a year now. If it wasn't for them, there may not have been much of a Bighorn to fish this year.

There were some people that should have been on the front end of this debate/issue and didn't show up for a long time and that's only thanks to Doug and Paul and a small group of others that worked on this and at least a couple other fishing related issues last year.

Doug has had some letters and articles in the local news rag and I think that's where a lot of the hate mail comes from.

Unfortunately, the issue isn't going away until Mother Nature decides to stop being so fickle.

I haven't read the article yet, but I'm hoping it will help gain some more national and regional exposoure to the issue. Doug has been nothing short or tireless on this issue and I know that all of us who have fished the Bighorn appreciate the effort! Let's hope we can get a good flow this winter to help with the brown spawn.

If anyone new to this issue has some desire to see first-hand what we're up against (and experience mind-blowing bureacracy up close), Reclamation will be hosting their fall/winter operating plan meeting in Billings next Thursday. I don't have official word of the time and location, but will post it as soon as I get it from BOR. My guess is dicsussions will all center around reasons why we can't have the fall increase for the brown spawn that was promised, although it will be a bit more interesting this year because the lake is only 10ft from flood pool right now.

I just saw this today, a little late but it was a good piece.