DonAndersen Posted July 25, 2018 Posted July 25, 2018 Folks, i've fished the Oldman River for something over 50 years and watched the changes. From the constant signs of land destruction, the loving sounds of quads and dirt bikes, from the villages of squatters things have changed big time. Damn but am I impressed. Only took a couple of years to change. Was it hard, must have been. Only took 50 years. Big trouble for where I live though. The herd will go somewhere. Don 2 1 Quote
bloom Posted July 25, 2018 Posted July 25, 2018 Yes, I was just there for a few days last week. Really enjoyed it. Surprised. and Happy. I like positive changes to fishing around here...there's not enough. 1 Quote
matt1984 Posted July 25, 2018 Posted July 25, 2018 What are the changes in oldman? As far as I know, you can still random camp and quad etc out there. It does seem like people are better behaved this year though. Quote
DonAndersen Posted July 26, 2018 Author Posted July 26, 2018 Quad operations, from what I gathered at the kiosk, was they were limited to established trails. Some squatter camps still exist. But there are a lot less od them. Don 1 Quote
Spinn Posted July 26, 2018 Posted July 26, 2018 Don, thanks for your feedback! I am new to the fly fishing game but it's still great to hear about positive changes to our fisheries. Quote
angler Posted July 26, 2018 Posted July 26, 2018 Don, yup noticed the same the week after opening. Raggedy Ass Road was empty. Zilch. Nada. Love it. I did see a few of quads. We were interviewed on-water by a couple 'kids' form ACA I think about fishing, our gear, our boots, if we knew about the clean drain dry initiative etc. We asked about the OHVs and told new only a few days prior so they were expecting some 'failure to comply'. The 4 guys I saw down a track - with truck, trailer and another truck with quads off-loaded were a bit 'rough' for an old fart accompanied by wife and dog to try to 'edumacate'. I'd personally love to see OHVs banned province wide, for recreational purposes. Need for work (surveyors etc) or farm, fine. Except, of course, for 'purpose built' OHV 'parks' where anything goes. Ya wanna get dirty, there's the place for that. 5 Quote
bigalcal Posted July 26, 2018 Posted July 26, 2018 My seasonal campsite at Dutch Creek backs onto the "Dutch Creek" road. For years I would hear the quads zipping up and down that road. Now they can't quad on that road and it is so quiet!! Much appreciated!! 3 Quote
Tinyfly Posted July 27, 2018 Posted July 27, 2018 Stopped visiting the Gap altogether around 10 years ago because it became so depressing like you say. Upper Oldman used to be so idyllic. Thanks for the good news update I’ll need to see it for myself soon... 2 Quote
mkm Posted July 27, 2018 Posted July 27, 2018 Great to hear of the changes. I tried to find some information on the changes and came up empty. Has anyone seen anything officially published? 1 Quote
DonAndersen Posted July 28, 2018 Author Posted July 28, 2018 4 hours ago, mkm said: Great to hear of the changes. I tried to find some information on the changes and came up empty. Has anyone seen anything officially published? Here ya go: http://aep.alberta.ca/recreation-public-use/recreation-on-public-land/public-land-use-zones/livingstone-pluz.aspx http://aep.alberta.ca/recreation-public-use/recreation-on-public-land/public-land-use-zones/ 2 Quote
haggis57 Posted July 28, 2018 Posted July 28, 2018 What a pleasant change! Not as dramatic as the reduced numbers of people/quads in the West Castle - Carbondale - Lynx area, but a huge step in the right direction. Ken 1 Quote
WesG Posted July 30, 2018 Posted July 30, 2018 I noticed in a big way. We arrived at Castle Falls campground at 6 Friday night to be shut out for a camp site, that's the first time that's ever happened!! On to Castle Bridge, also full. The only exception was if we wanted to go online and "reserve" a site that was sitting empty right in front of us. Onward we went back into Lynx and although there was still a lot of random camping going on, not a single quad or dirtbike to be seen or heard all weekend and the rivers rain clear and clean the entire time as well. Was great to have some peace and quiet up there for once and hopefully every other time from here on out. Quote
Akamina Posted July 31, 2018 Posted July 31, 2018 Remember the positive changes when voting comes around next year. Who will work with an admittedly imperfect conservation-regeneration approach, and who will attempt to reverse it to the days of dust, mud, and noise? 6 Quote
Smitty Posted July 31, 2018 Posted July 31, 2018 13 hours ago, Akamina said: Remember the positive changes when voting comes around next year. ^^This.^^ 5 Quote
monger Posted August 3, 2018 Posted August 3, 2018 Still some folks driving sidebysides and dirt bikes up the Oldman....and lots of machines were showing up today. A bridge was being installed over the river to access the one designated trail. If an officer shows up this weekend there will be lots to do with "educating" the motor-loving public. ACA is roving the area doing surveys Quote
trailhead Posted August 8, 2018 Posted August 8, 2018 Yeah I was in there this weekend, might have been a tad quieter, still lots of people in lots of places doing lots of stuff. Quote
Tinyfly Posted June 27, 2019 Posted June 27, 2019 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/brooks-motocross-club-fined-cutthroat-trout-habitat-1.5192042 Besides the few bad apples destroying the place also a whole club of assholes. A bit of justice anyhow. Don’t worry Jason will put the fine $$ to good use to bring back the good old days soon and the trout crushing can resume. 1 Quote
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