Outside Bend

Yep, it's a drum. Good eats.

Very cool, that's something I'd love to have the time and patience to do well

I wondered about that too, whether stress from spawning, low water, or competition could contribute to the grey phase Chief's talking about. I would assume the pigments we see are controlled somehow by the nervous system, and whether some nervous impairment could account for it, too. Just conjecture, though.

I was able to find a few last week, hopefully the rain they're forecasting for the end of the week will help out...

Really cool photos, thanks for sharing, it definitely got me thinking. I don't know if their colors respond to changing light conditions throughout the day (early morning to bright midday sun and back), but it seems like it'd make a pretty interesting photo essay. Getting the fish to participate would be the difficult part Thanks for sharing.

To me, that guy looks like a green x bluegill hybrid. The deepness of the body and the dark spot on the rear of the dorsal fin makes me think bluegill, while the orange and white fins and some of the markings on the head make me think green sunfish. The third one in the first post, though, I'm pretty certain is a greenie. It is pretty interesting how greenies, rock bass, and warmouth all look very similar (aside from their colors). As for the cars, it may be that they were part of a bank stablilization project in the past. People used to line river banks with them in order to prevent erosion.

I'm headed out west for six months in May, figuring stopping in the Black Hills for a day or two of stream fishing would be a good way to break up the monotony of a 16 hour car ride. Anyone fished the area, and know what the water will be like in early to mid May? Any good flyshops, restaurants, or attractions I should take a look at while I'm out there? Thanks!

Cool photos, I've spent a fair bit of time on Big Creek and, aside from the time I was nearly struck by lightning, enjoyed every moment of it. Sounds like a great float!

It was a little dingier than I expected, visibility between 18 inches and 2 feet, I'd say.

Fished the upper Meramec for a couple hours last Friday, on the way to points farther south. River was in great shape, although the water was a bit cloudy from recent rains. Only managed one fish, a sixteen inch smallie on a near-nuff crayfish swung through a 3-4 foot deep run. Nothing to complain about, though

Fished the St. Francis the other day for a few hours, fairly productive. Lots of green and longear sunfish which wanted to play, smashing foam spiders and bugs on top, and got two slashes at a white diver/streamer by smallies. Missed a couple smallies on an olive and gold zonker, stripped through runs, seams, and amongst bolders. Wound up catching a coupele fish 10-12 inches, and another that ran 14 or so, right at dark. Great fun on a fly rod, and great scenery to boot. Olive seemed to be the only consistent thing about the bite- fish didn't want white, or tan, or orange, or black, or anything else. But tie on something olive, and they were awfully receptive.