What are your thoughts?

[browntrout]

I was just thinking about what the Caney Fork will be like once the dam repairs are done and the lake is back to a normal level and the generation schedule is not so harsh. With the current regulations that are now in effect it could make the Caney an even better trout fishery. Also with an influx of more and colder water and the rainbow trout population restored we could see some large rainbows also. Just wondering what others thoughts might be?

Roy

[Travis C.]

In an ideal scenario where the Dam is complete, flows back, cold water there when needed and with current regs the river should be mentioned in the same breath as other primo southeast tailwaters again.

But a couple factors I am waiting to see:

1) How much runoff ends up in the river from all the construction and its effect.

2) Once the Dam is finished and "no more leaks" what will the min flow be? Right now its a little more than the 250cfs including the leaks from the bluffs and where ever else.

I'd say bump the min to 500cfs. That will make wading in some areas uncomfortable for some people but man it would be tremendous for the river.

As far as the rainbows... bring back the 30 inchers

I personally think the regs will help grow some big browns on top of what is in there now but the ones it's really going to boost is the rainbows. There is going to be some fish with big shoulders on them once everything is back to normal.

[browntrout]

Travis, those are my thoughts exactly. One interesting thing that Alphahawk and I found out this weekend. All of the work that has previously been done on the dam didnt work. The new company (Bauer) is redoing everything that the prior company did. Apparently the grout idea did not work. More government money wasted.

I remember before the dam repair 6 to 8 lb rainbow were not uncommon. I remember catching several around the 5lb. mark. I am excited about the possibilities that the Caney has. Time will tell.

Roy

[Travis C.]

I wonder if it is because of Wolf Creek. They were on to the final phase up there and had to go back to the initial high risk area on the earth embankment to re-repair their repair job. It could be something they learned that is being applied here. I have no idea other than it is govt and money is no object or time...

I do remember and miss it. There were some monster bows in the river. Heck, the brook trout when they were introduced were growing at a rate of about an inch a month until the Dam repair changed the flow and silted up the water.

The river is not all that bad now. It fishes really well and still gives up numbers of fish. It's just for those that fished it then compared to now is like eating homemade apple pie and eating the dollar apple pie at McD's. Both on a day you're hungry are good but one is oh so much better.

[white95v6]

Hmm I have pondered this for the last few yrs.....what would 500-750 cfs constant flow be like. And what it would do for the health of the river.

Also repairs no working dang it. Soo I am assuming the 2013 finish date is now out the window.

[browntrout]

Originally Posted by white95v6

Hmm I have pondered this for the last few yrs.....what would 500-750 cfs constant flow be like. And what it would do for the health of the river.

Also repairs no working dang it. Soo I am assuming the 2013 finish date is now out the window.

They are now saying that the completion will be the end of 2014 or first of 2015. Tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock zzzzzzzzzz.

Roy

[Travis C.]

Originally Posted by browntrout

They are now saying that the completion will be the end of 2014 or first of 2015. Tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock zzzzzzzzzz.

Roy

Yeah, the last I heard was 2015.

white95v6- bumping the cfs up in the river would be majorly beneficial. Before the sluice ran there was a lot of gravel bars that dewatered once generation stopped. The new gate on the sluice creating the 250 helped that by leaps n bounds as you seen in 2006-2008 by creating much more area for bug life with a higher low water mark. Even now with the 250 there are still a lot of areas that dewater post generation. A 500 would give the fish that much more area for bug life/food with an even higher low water mark.

[white95v6]

Awesome ok who do we need to bug to get 500 lol........also I truly wonder if they will ever bring center hill back to previous levels. I mean if they can't repair the dam to make it safe. Would they just leave the lake low?

[Travis C.]

Originally Posted by white95v6

Awesome ok who do we need to bug to get 500 lol........also I truly wonder if they will ever bring center hill back to previous levels. I mean if they can't repair the dam to make it safe. Would they just leave the lake low?

They'll raise it and it will probably be back to normal pool the year following completion.

Its been leaking since it was built. Even when they were building it the earthen side had a failure flooding all the working buildings below. What they are doing should help and not hurt it anymore than its been for 60 something years.

Probably can't get the 500cfs. If you thought the new regs made some people mad now tell them they have less places to wade for those reg fish.

[white95v6]

Originally Posted by Travis C.

They'll raise it and it will probably be back to normal pool the year following completion.

Its been leaking since it was built. Even when they were building it the earthen side had a failure flooding all the working buildings below. What they are doing should help and not hurt it anymore than its been for 60 something years.

Probably can't get the 500cfs. If you thought the new regs made some people mad now tell them they have less places to wade for those reg fish.

ahh i got a boat. don't care about those waders.lmao. yea i gues one can dream of 500cfs anyways.

[punchs]

Living in Clarksville it's a little hard to get over and check the water levels on the Caney. I was planning a trip in the next couple of weekends but I have never been and need a little bit of water to float my boat on the river. I guess two questions stand out that I need help answering.

1. I have a 21foot jet boat that can run in a foot of water easily while on plane but I need about 2-3 feet when coming off of plane. Is there enough water in the river for me to run my boat and even if I come off plane for people fishing on the banks and other boaters; will I piss everyone off by running a boat of that size on the Caney? I'm trying to be nice here since I have only ran river out west and it's kind of a different deal in TN and people are not used to seeing jet boats on the river.

2. What would be a good launch to use. I would really like to make it up to the damn but understand that it might be a little hard if the water levels are really low. Gordonsville would be my first choice and the backup would be to put in at Carthage and run all the way up. I have about a 100 mile push just in one tank and trying to conserve a little bit of petrol for this trip.

[Reel Tune]

Would 500-750cfs do any harm to the float businesses? Would this much volume be dangerous? The Caney of the past sounds like a really neat place.

[Travis C.]

People use jets on the Caney all the time. The majority of those will be Gheenoe, Riverhawk, Supreme and Jon boat styles. A 16ft SeaArk I believe was the brand with float pods on the rear and like a 90 jet was the biggest jet running on low that I have seen.

If you time it where you run upstream on the tail end of generation pulse and float it back as the water falls you won't be much of an issue.

Once familiar with the water and its runs you can do it on low water with exception of a few places that may be troublesome. People have and do do it. I'd ride with someone first in a jet or have someone with your for the maiden voyage to help out.

[Travis C.]

Originally Posted by MidTNKayakAngler

Would 500-750cfs do any harm to the float businesses? Would this much volume be dangerous? The Caney of the past sounds like a really neat place.

I doubt it would hurt their business. They have let people go when generation was going, while a lightning storm was going on just down river from the Dam putting them 3 miles from shelter on the river and who knows what else I haven't seen.

[Reel Tune]

Originally Posted by Travis C.

I doubt it would hurt their business. They have let people go when generation was going, while a lightning storm was going on just down river from the Dam putting them 3 miles from shelter on the river and who konw what I haven't seen.

Safety First, huh