WHITLOCK VIBERT BOX PROJECT

Tony Kirk – Project Team Leader
11/20/09

The Lower Mountain Fork River Foundation planted 13 Whitlock Vibert Boxes with 5485 Brown Trout eggs in the Lower Mountain Fork River. In spite of the cool damp conditions, 16 volunteers from the Lower Mountain Fork River Foundation and other like minded fly fishing organizations, sorted and counted the eggs, loaded the boxes, brought the eggs from their shipping temperature of 38 degrees to the river temperature of 58 degrees. The eggs were then transported to the river and buried 2 to 4 inches below the river bed surface. The boxes were planted from below the “Cold Hole” to the Day Use Area. At the current river temperature we expect the eggs to hatch into Brown Trout fry in 4 to 6 weeks. At that point the fry will work their way up through the gravel and enter the river system. Being the first attempt at this, it is our intention to analyze the results, make whatever adjustment are deemed necessary and with the State of Oklahoma’s permission, make this an annual event.

The team consisted of Tony Kirk, Mike Scott, Sandy Maris, Bill Sargent, Mark Cavanaugh, Lewis Barringer, Jim Crump, Jud Stamper, Chad Martin, Jimmy Durham, Main Hutcheson, Mike Emerson, Rick Wolf, Dick Waldrep, Jim Kelly and Jesse King.