Crippled Caddis

Davy wrote: <We all know that AGFC are well aware of the situation here, and they do make public the fact that there is a decline with fish growth in this system. As a State organised body as such, why do they themselves not seek via the legal channels to enforce EPCC to do something.> Simple answer: Political reality. Our biologists tread a very fine line indeed between doing the job they were trained for and losing that job. Should they speak up and tell the full truth they would soon find that their services are no longer needed. I tried to discover why the legal department of AGFC chose not to join the ADEQ/TU suit of Overlook Estates. I was stonewalled and dismissed by the attorney who was involved for AGFC. From the answers I did recieve it was obvious that he had instructions to reveal nothing. So the AGFC legal staff wears the same handcuffs of political reality as do the biologists. Just as Stinnetti says above: < This is strictly politics and politics is a dirty business. The one who threatens, spends, votes and manipulates Wins.> Another 'bottom line'.

Wow! Just let me go to bed early one time and look what happens. Fox wrote: <But lets get it straight right now, we will have to sue the state of Arkansas, maybe Missouri and several cities to force them to raise their fertilizer, chemical hazard, and effluent standards. We should be joining Oklahoma right now in there lawsuit against the chickem produces, the phamacutical and chemical producers. I am sure that I have just put half of you back into denial because of this paragraph. I am sure you are not willing to sue, but it is the only way to save the lakes that will save our rivers. We have to save the lakes then the rivers will come back to what they once were. We can't save the rivers unless we improve the source water and that is our lakes.> And that, my friends, is the true bottom line. Fox is 100% correct. Without clean water ALL else becomes moot. And so long as the industries he listed have powerful lobbies and politicians in their pocket the waters of the state will continue to decline. Both ADEQ & AGFC biologists know what the problem is and would do something about it were they not shackled by politics. The ultimate answer I think has to lie in a Political Action Coalition composed of every organized group in the state interested in clean water. Until a charismatic leader emerges that isn't going to happen. Where is that leader?

Everyone seems to pass lightly over the fact that a lake is a settling basin in the effect it has on the river. In operation it is little different than a settling basin in a sewage plant. It filters out the chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, heavy metals and other man-made as well as natural sediments. The lakes in the White River system are getting old. Norfork is over 60 years old, backed up behind a dam that was engineered for 50 years. Bull Shoals is slightly, very slightly, younger as are the other dams in the system. Is it then any wonder that the lakebeds might well be extremely toxic by this stage? I have enquired of the biological staff of both AGFC & ADEQ if there has been any studies conducted on the lake sediments to determine toxicity to no avail. All say none have been made. I find that passing strange. Without a baseline of water quality how are they to manage the fisheries for maximum benefit to the sportsman and the taxpayers of the state of Arkansas? Reason dictates that waters passing over and through toxic sediments has to pick up a part of that toxicity. The cold, clear waters issuing from the dams cannot be considered pristine at this point. I am left to wonder if it can even be considered safe to drink after processing. One even wonders about wet wading in light of all the insults to the land in the past 6 decades. CC

Davy wrote: <Motor or chain, either way both do have a downside.> The solution seems obvious from my perspective but I'll bet it would be about as well recieved as was Chucks no chain dragging initiative. Simply make it law that 2 cycle outboards cannot be used on the river along with imposing the anti chain dragging ban. Make the no chains effective immediately and allow a 5 year moratorium on the motors to give guides and docks the opportunity to amortize their investments. At the end of the moratorium only 4 cycle motors allowed on the tailwaters in the White river system. While it would discommode some and they would scream like a pig caught in the gate they would ultimately benefit by the improved health of the aquatic ecosystem. As would we all. CC

Then they need to awaken from their self-imposed stupor and become a part of the solution BEFORE the bottom drops out of their cash cow. If history is a dependable indicator that won't happen however and the screams for relief when the inevitable takes place are going to be deafening. CC

<Also last week as I fished the upper White below the dam, I see guides dragging the bottom, I thought that had been outlawed?> It was on the Norfork. Why it hasn't been implemented on the White is beyond my understanding. Surely dragging a chain thru the redds and weeds is just as damaging on the White as on the Norfork. Perhaps Davy will give us feedback on it.

I have just little enough sense to try it but too much to admit it.;o)

Hey Dano! Can you do that? Sounds like an excellent idea to me.

John wrote: <I was also amazed by the raw honesty in Davy's post.> It does represent a 'turning of the worm' within the guide community. But apparently you too have recognized it as indicated by your activities on other waters. I feel it wise of you to steal a march on others by transferring a segment of your trips to waters with a better future. <I also feel that there are possibly more problems than we can handle. At the present, it looks like a bleak future for our fishery.> I'm going to use your statement to point out a few disagreeable facts John. Please, under no circumstance should you feel it a reflection or attack on you. You have quite obviously taken a peek into the future and recognized the truth in the matter. Your post has merely given me entre' to shine some light on a sore subject. There are two organizations that have failed their own goals and their duty to the resource in the case of the Norfork. Both have inescapably reminded me of 60s era 'love children' sitting around a campfire holding hands and chanting woefully about the inequities of the world rather than taking up the cudgel and doing something of substance. Under the leadership of Chuck Davidson the North Arkansas Flyfishers was a pro-active group that was very effective in various activities that both bettered as well as defended our waters. Their current newsletter effusively praising the foot-dragging response from ADEQ in the Overlook Estates fiasco tells better than I how effective the club is in this era. But the Friends of the Rivers seem the poster child for fraternizing with the enemy as they pursue a course of 'co-operative effort' with the Corp of Engineers and Southwest Power. Those two entities ARE the enemies of our tailwaters and they will be very happy indeed to sit around coffee klatching and smoozing with any group while they continue to bring down ruin on the fisheries. They will hold 'meetings' and do 'studies' forever if allowed to. While decimating the resource. The only thing that will change their policies are court orders with teeth in them. In short the only thing they understand is "Sue the bas**rds". Anyone who thinks otherwise is woefully ignorant of their history or, at best, simply disengenuous. After editing I find myself hoping you're not associated with either group John.;o)

SIO3 wrote: <The guy I started going on the trip with was so disappointed in the fishing this year that he said we should start looking around for something better. He commented that it was hardly worth the 4.5 hour drive and the gas money to come down anymore. In addition to the decline in fishing, throw in the overcrowding and the closing of McC's and Mountain Home is losing it's allure as a destination.> Would that the reporter who wrote the article Dano posted that initiated this thread could see your words. They encapsulate in a paragraph the fate of the North central Arkansas economy when the public loses the perception of big fish in the Norfork. What the non-fishing public and 'powers-that-be' fail to understand is that it is that PERCEPTION, reality be da**ed, that fuels area growth. Once the perception is lost then the $ will quit flowing into the local economy. I'm going to be brutally honest and very politically incorrect with the next statement, but neither detracts from the basic truth. That segment of the public that pursues the perception of trout of legendary proportions is in the upper segment of those with significant disposable income to allow them pursuit of their Holy Grail of fishing. They are the ones who patronize the lodging, eateries, guides, flyshops and other businesses that caters to the visiting angler of above average means. It is their wives who feed local antique dealers, tourist attractions and other businesses with their cash and credit cards. And they are the ones who come here to retire bringing transfers of their wealth to area banks. Banks whose growth has exploded to the point of doubling the number of branches in the last decade. If---or perhaps I should say when, we lose the confidence of that segment of the angling public we'll hear the slamming of doors as those branches fail. 'Joe Local' isn't going to save them with his purchases of a can of Niblets, a dozen splitshot and a 6 pack. There is no elitism intended or implied with that statement---"Just the facts Ma'am" as Joe Friday often said. Certainly those in my own economic sphere can't take up the slack. The only salvation of the fishery lies in getting that message across to the business and political community before it is too late. Some fear that date lies in the past.

SIO3, I was the other one with Dano that day---the tall, ugly one. I too wish we could have talked. Dano and I were discussing the ultimate fate of the river in light of what we have witnessed over the past 30 years and could smell that day. Dano is correct---the future doesn't appear bright for a river that only a scant few years ago was considered to be the premier big Brown trout producer in the entire world. Within a period of a very few months in the late '80s it produced two new world records only to be eclipsed by the 40#+ behemoth from the 'Lil Red in '92. In one respect we have only ourselves to blame. A few, such as Fox Statler, started warning us nearly a decade ago that the Norfork's health was in decline, but almost to a man we denied it. Certainly the lodges and guides did so in fear of a decline in business, but I think we were all in denial to some extent. Anathema was heaped upon the heads of those who spoke up concerning the river's declining health and they were viewed as 'Chicken Littles'. Their prescience has now been finally recognized---everywhere except where recognition might produce results----the business communities that are completely dependent on continued growth of the local economy which is in large measure fueled by the tourism and population growth that the fishery has brought to the region. Until the business community becomes convinced that they stand to lose the almost $60M per annum credited to the Norfork fishery by AGFC surveys in 2003 nothing is going to happen. The group or individual who can make that happen will be the hero in this on-going saga of official neglect by the agencies charged with the fiduciary responsibilities to the public for maintaining the health of the river.

May I suggest that you post your question on the help board of the Antique Outboard Club? <http://www.aomci.org/askamember/index.html> Even tho yours is hardly an antique the members of the board are probably to most knowledgeable group in a single gathering in the world and always eager to be of assistance. CC

Many reel repair facilities that service reels used in salt water use and recommend Marvel Mystery Oil for reel lube. MMO contains anti-oxidents to prevent oxidation. Rust is an oxidation process. Another of my hobbies is model building and flying for which I prefer to use model engines that operate on the compression ignition principle. (diesel) Prior to using diesels I had always used Marvel Mystery oil as a preservative between periods of use and had never had an engine suffer from internal rusting even tho the alcohol used as fuel attracts moisture and a model engine that isn't lubed after use can 'go bad' when just sitting around. I soon found that using MMO in diesels was an exercise in frustration as the anti-oxidents it contains totally prevented ignition which is also an oxidation process. I had to disassemble and wash the diesels out before they would fire again. As a result I no longer use it as an after run oil in model diesels but I DO use it on my reels. HTH, Tom

A red thread base layer overwrapped with a layer of clear pearlescent Crystal Flash or Xmas icycle topped with a full-length wrap of the smallest 'D' rib looks pretty good. Best done on a light wire dry fly hook to hold down the diameter if you really want it to look like a bloodworm.

Mrs. Ducky wrote: <Can you post a picture? That sounds easy enough to do, I'd just like to see what I'm imitating.> Sorry Mrs. Ducky but my camera has recently decided it isn't going to do close-ups any more.;o( But the pic Mikey posted is 'close enough for government work'. Mikey wrote: <I came across this worm pattern on ebay the other day. looks realistic enough for me...is this kinda what you are talking about seeing?> Very close indeed Mikey. I guess I should mention that the bloodworms we've been turning up are probably less than 1/32" in diameter and 3/8" to 1/2" long.

Terry wrote: <You should ALWAYS be prepared to some degree. Flashlights, batteries, canned food, alternate cooking, heat, and other preparation.> And I can't believe how many people live in all-electric homes!;o( Even if we lose power for days at a time (and it has happened) we're not dependent on the central heat. I installed one of the ventless heaters @ 4 years ago and it requires no electricity to keep us toasty. It was less than $200 bucks when Harbor Freight had a summer sale and simple to install. If I had no back-up heating source I'd get one of them and keep several propane tanks for the grille topped up at all times. I suspect that would be less expensive than a plumbing bill for busted pipes. If you're already on gas but can't run the central heat because of lack of power you don't even need the portable tanks. Just makes sense to me.

FWIW---and it may not be much---I have been told that the penetrant constituent in WD-40 is DMSO, a linament used on horses with joint problems. I have used DMSO on my own arthritic joints and very shortly after applying it you get a taste in your mouth that is said to prove that it has penetrated. I decided that wasn't a good thing so I quit using it. WD-40 is the gunsmith's friend. Because many hunters use it on their firearms as a lubricant. It is NOT a lubricant! The residues eventually turn into a gummy substance that will inhibit the proper actions of moving parts in cold weather. More than one big buck has been saved by the firing pin failing to do it's job. Once a gun is well and truly gummed up with WD-40 a trip to the gunsmith for a complete disassembly and cleaning is required unless the gun owner is competent to do it himself. All this information from an old uncle,(a gunsmith) since deceased, who said the advent of WD-40 had increased his business 40%.;o) So I don't think I would put it on my reels either. Your mileage may vary. CC

<Maybe Beebe should follow the slogan for the State "The Natural State". If it keeps going the way it's heading, this state will be called chicken dung state!!!> From my post on Wilson's board on the subject: When the very first appointment of our new Governor was to name the head lobbyist and political bagman of the poultry industry as his Chief of Staff I thought I could see the future. If anyone is aware of the damage and on-going problems with the poultry industry in relation to the environment in the state of Arkansas it is the man just leaving the position as state Attorney General. His actions in choosing a chicken industry spokeman to be in charge of daily operations of the Governors office was nothing less that an arrogant backhanded slap in the face of every outdoorsman in the state and a sure indication of his intent IMO.

Happy Birthday! Go fishing to celebrate!;o)

Ducky, Try putting a little head cement on the last 1/4"-1/2" of the thread closest to the fly after you've got the whip finish wrapped but BEFORE pulling it down tight. I whip finish by hand and do two finishes on each head, adding cement to the thread with each. I usually don't cement the head when finished since I figure if I'm fishing the fly where it needs to be that I'm not gonna have it long enough for it to come apart.

Well said John! YOU understand why we seek the music of nature. (Why on earth would anyone want a 'silent drag'?)

Both Thayer & Mt. Home have the colored version in a 4# but the smallest they have in clear is the 6. Ash Flat is next on my list to check. Dunno why the colored version is almost twice as expensive as the clear.

Thank you Dave Cook & brittsnbirds! That is exactly the sort of feedback I hoped would surface when I reactivated the thread. I'll feel a lot better informed about using Vanish now if I can only find the 2# & 4# in my area. CC

While last week I asked one of our local wardens on the Spring river if the stories of sticking the debarbed hook thru the sleeve of their shirt to see if it pulled thread was true. He assured me that was the test of choice and you would be ticketed if it pulled threads. When I tried to tell him it was virtually impossible to pinch a barb down far enough to prevent such a test 'coming up positive' he said "Then you better file it down". Frankly this seems a rather extreme position. Abiding by the spirit of the law with an earnest effort is one thing, abiding by the letter of the law when it is a virtual impossibility is another. I believe the AGFC needs to clarify their position on it a bit more specifically. I tried it. After pinching down the barb I could see no remaining protrusion even when wearing reading glasses, a headband magnifier and looking thru a magnifying lamp yet it would pull thread when trying to back it out of fabric 2 outta 3 times. SO CYA in Arkansas!