Greasy B

Last summer I replaced one of my main fly rods, an Orvis I bought in 1983. I have some pretty snazzy equipment now but the stuff I'm replacing is decades old. I would have kept the Orvis but once I started casting modern faster rods it got to where I couldn't stand the old soft action rods. I try to get as good equipment as I can afford and use the hell out of it.

I recall getting a shuttle from a gentlemen on Piney a while back. He bragged to me about all his secret rooting spots on NF lands. He also pointed out a road side buyer sitting on HWY J. I don't remember him saying how much he was making but judging from his appearance it wouldn't take much to improve his standard of living.

Yep, and we still have the pleasure of listening to that stupid horn too.

I recall the 13" rain event. I was on my way to montauk that weekend, the Bourbeuse was way above flood level but Current was relatively untouched. These types of weather events are considered rare only because the short duration that records have been kept. I have no doubt many such extraordinary events will happen in the future. I find it telling that the COE and BLM have built so many structures based on such limited data. I'm afraid a rude awakening is in our future with regard to river structures and their capacity to deal with these events.

That river will beat the tar out of any boat at low water especially after a week of it. You'd be limited the the handful of ramps that you could actual launch and the pools they access, even that would require a lot of hull crunching. As it turns out the water gods (an algorithm) have opened ther'e hearts and spigots this morning.

I believe the MDC agent who patrols the area drives a black truck. I ran across him several times at the HWY 8 access, seems like a nice young man. Skip from Green's canoe rental told me he really stepped up enforcement in the area, even busted the speedos dudes who got away poaching for years. I have always told those who float with me to cut off ther'e rubber baits before they cross under the 8 bridge when we're finishing a float on the river above.

Yeah, truth is it’s been quite a while since I’ve seen herding. There has been a big improvement in ethical fishing practices in recent years. The water we fished last weekend came in pulses, at times it was hard to tell a rise until it was underway; most times it was too late to run down river to get ahead of it. More than likely a similar generation pattern will resume next week, let’s hope.

Only scent free Huggies wipes for me, after all a man has to have standards.

Maybe be I don't get out enough but I can't say I've ever seen that.

Sure you can catch big browns on low water. You just run your boat back and forth herding all the browns into the deepest spot in the pool. Then set up about 30' away and chuck some peeled crawdad tails in front of ther'e nose. Nothing to it.

Not sure if I should respond to your comments. The four day new years weekend the water gods gave us three days of 1-2 units and one day off. Yea we seen some decent browns in the bigger water and had to resign ourselves to swinging soft hackles to midging rainbows on the low water. Some of the rainbows were fine fish, fully finned and beautifuly colored 16"-18", sweet on a 3 wt.

Do you remember the please don't shoot the turtle campain MDC had back in the 80's? Back then so many folks were plinking turtles on the rivers it was rare to see any sizable ones. I don't guess you ask people to not run over turtles, some folks would take it too literal and put themselves in a ditch.

I'll try to make at least one of the meetings, thanks. I'm close enough I should be able to make the trip on a single 6 pack; I'll save the other for the return trip.

Some good folks have bought and are renovating the old White Sands Hotel in Cotter Arkansas. It’s now called the Cotter Trout Lodge. My Buddies and I have stayed there off and on for more than 20 years. The place has always been the best choice for a cheap White River room. The camper cabins at Rim Shoals Resort are another sweet deal. Of course is you want to spend $150 + a night there are plenty of lodges and resorts in the area that are business as usual all winter long.

I like your "talking". welcome.

Almost always Oregon cheese or Oregon cheese with a pink eye. I think the most important thing is keeping the bulk down, as with all flies less is best. I was going to make comment about how my eggs work best when their tied on 1/80th or 1/100th jig hooks and they also work best when they’re a little disheveled, but what you have with that arrangement is basically a cross between a miracle fly and a Y2k bug.

Myself and most of my generation (mid-low 50's) have long given up on the idea of retirement. If you can retire in any shape or form consider yourself fortunate. I'm already gearing up for my future walmart greeter career.

Let's face it, most of our economic woe's have more to do with our personal habits than what detached bureaucrats in Washington do. My fishing buddies and I are trying to keep cost down by increasing vehicle occupancy and sharing gas cost for our long river commutes. A trip to Cotter Ak cost at least three tanks at about $75.00 a piece. Next week we'll divide that by 4 rather than 2.

Smile for the camera.

Makes you wonder what our transportation system would look like if the railroads infrastructure was subsidized to the degree the barge and trucking industry's is?

I think you just made JoeD's point. If the 12" fish was the first fish caught by a young new comer to the sport, if it was caught in a tiny head water stream miles above permanent flow or if it was taken from a stream so degraded fish life was thought to not exist I would very much like to see a picture of it. A lot of things can make a fish special.

When I go through my trip pictures most of what I have are landscape/riverscapes and very few fish or people pictures, the ones I do have seem lame. My usual fishing buddies and I have a natural aversion to the camera lens. Typically when one of us points a camera at another we flip the bird. So I do have a pretty good collection of bird portraits, probably not appropriate for the environment on this forum. Another concern is the picture police. If mistakenly mix in a picture from a trip other than that described in the post, if I inadvertently included a picture of a fish not being handled like a Ming vase or god forbid if I take a picture with a suspicious smudge I could be accused of posting a photo illustration without full disclosure, it’s hardly worth the grief. Anyway that’s my excuse. I do enjoy viewing all trip pictures others post, and rest assured I could give a rip about fish size or whether the content passes legal scrutiny.

Bluegill?

Pam cooking oil spray.

I enjoyed the big fish gets away story. Its nice to have the time to really work a river.