Bill Anderson

My years in law enforcement showed me that violence and crime can happen anywhere, anytime. That's why I'm usually carrying a weapon when I'm out in the wilds. You just never know these days.

I understand the frustration at Meramec, tho I have not been there. I do live a half hour from Roaring River and understand the crowds and rude people you sometimes encounter there, as in any trout park.. I have also found that at Bennet Springs. But during the catch and release winter season, I have never had any problems. The rude, greedy meat fishermen are absent and there are basically only fellow fly fishermen there. I usually go during the week, even in winter, because the fishermen population is much less. I enjoy chatting with other flyfishermen about as much as I do actually fishing, and the catch and release season is a fine time of year. Earlier this year, a friend at church said, "I guess you're really looking forward to opening day at Roaring River!".. He looked puzzled when I told him that mob fishing was not my style and that I avoid crowds at all costs and would not go to a trout park on opening day for free. He said it was a big tradition for most people. I told him I wasn't "most people", and elbow to elbow combat fishing was a nightmare. I have seen the elbow to elbow combat fishing there at Roaring River during a drive thru, and if that was the only fishing I had available, I would hang up my rods, sell my gear, and spend most of my time on amateur radio or star gazing instead. He asked if I didn't fish with friends, and I told him, many times I go fishing with friends, but we don't stand elbow to elbow while fishing. We get to the river and split up and give each other lots and lots of room, maybe even several hundred yards. He still didn't seem to understand. He could never grasp the "why" when I told him I fish catch and release only for trout and had not purposely killed a trout in over 30 years. He seems to think the only reason you go fishing is to catch fish to eat. It seems that the flyfishing mindset was just too far removed from his concept of fishing for him to grasp. He was totally befuddled when he asked about my tackle and I described Hardy reels and bamboo fly rods and he asked what they cost he couldn't believe anyone would spend that much money on them This guy drives a high end BMW, by the way. Oh well......sorry I got off the original subject, but the worst place I ever fished was at my great aunt's pond when I was a kid. I had caught huge bluegill in previous years, but the last time I fished there, i was bait fishing and hooked a 1200 pound steer who was wading in the pond....the weather was hot. Well, it took most of my line and finally broke off, but it sure put a bend in my spinning rod. I decided to "steer clear" of that pond after that. I did end up IN that pond once....at age 12, I decided to shoot my aunt's breed bull in the privates with a BB gun. There was a lot of temptation for a "swinging target"...I spent an hour in the pond up to my neck until that PO'ed bull left.

Avoid weekends and holidays like the plague. The boatloads of drunken fools will ruin your experience. I have floated the warm fork from Boy Scout Camp Kia Kima to Hardy,and it is an easy float and you won't run into many others untilyou hit the cold fork junction above Hardy.. But the spring fork can be a nightmare. 99% of the canoes put in at Dam 3, so anything below that is a circus. If you want to just fish, drive up to Mammoth Springs and fish at the Lassiter Access on the opposite side of the river. Few canoes up there. Memorial Day, July4th, and Labor Day are a drunken circus on the Spring. Go early in the week, and it won't be as crowded. The best time of year is in late October or early November before it gets too cold.

The boxed Japanese bamboo fly rods were made after World War 2 and are very poor quality and are known to delaminate easily. Fly fishermen consider them good for wall hangers but worthless junk for fishing. They are worth $50 to $75 tops. Any reputable dealer in classic fly rods will tell you the same, so don't just take my word for it, but I have encountered these before and have had discussions with tackle dealers about them, so I know my info is correct. If someone paid hundreds of dollars for one, he got screwed royally.

When I was a teenager I caught everything you can imagine on some of my dad's pre WW2 Heddon lures. I guess the oldest I might still use would be a Jitterbug, Mepps and Rooster tail spinners and the old reliable Johnson Silver Minnow Spoon. The Johnson silver or gold minnow has caught everything from channel catfish to trout for me and I've fished them since the early 1960s.

These jerks could likely have found some busted windshields and windows and a really nasty note left on their trucks. I'm not condoning vandalism, but there is such a thing as vigilante justice, and these A-holes could easily have earned it. I once lived on a private lake that had continuous problems with people fishing there despite their having been warned and police called on them repeatedly. Some of the residents took to cutting the tires of people who launched their boats on our lake. None of those clowns who lost tires ever made a repeat visit I was told. Some people just can't take a hint. Push people far enough, and you'll get what you bargained for. A couple of slashed $200 truck tires is a powerful persuader.

How long was the exposure? Really nice.

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, you can count on less than one hand the number of deaths from snake bite in Missouri in the last 50 years, despite the fact that about 100 people are bitten in the state each year. Three of the deaths were from copperhead bites. You can look it up for yourself.

And the legend grows.....I've been fishing streams year round most of my of my life and I've seen tons of snakes, including water mocassins and copperheads. I have NEVER had problems with any of them. Cottonmouths will lie there coiled and open their mouths if you come near and vibrate their tail, but I have never had one come at me; swim toward me yes. But I just stood still and he casually swam within a foot of me and ignored me. Copperheads will lie still and rely on their superior camoflage, unless you disturb them. I just keep myself aware of my surroundings and where I step and I always have my trusty Orvis ash wading staff in hand. Sorry guys, but the stories about cottonmouths attacking or chasing people are nonsense as far as I am concerned. Herpatologists will tell you the same thing.

Cottonmouths chasing people is total nonsense. Actually they are not a really aggressive snake. You almost have to step on one to get bitten. They'll open their mouth wide and vibrate their tail, but that's mostly it. Any healthy stream like Crane is going to have snakes. If there are no snakes, then something is very wrong with the area ecosystem. I always carry a stout wading staff. It's really all you need to flip a snake out of the way if one gets too close for your comfort. When I carry a gun, it's not snakes I worry about, it's two legged vermin or rabid skunks, ect.

Who is sponsoring this bill and what do they stand to gain by it? What is their motive?

West Memphis, Arkansas, is an even worse place to get stuck in than Memphis. How do I know? I'm a Memphis native and spent 30 years in the Memphis news media......I know.

Anyone ever fish under the F Highway Bridge? The one time I went down there I got my truck too close to the river and buried it to the hubs in the soft gravel. It cost me $80 to get a wrecker to get me out....and I never got to wet a fly.

Tim has it all pretty well covered. I fished for about an hour and a half Tuesday in the lower camprgound and caught 6, one was a nice male with a hooked lower jaw. I fished a glass 4weight, and caught two each on an #18 brassie, 18 cinnamon ant, and a 20 cream elk hair caddis. I lost several others before I could land them. Like Tim says, the water was up about a foot and murky. It was coming over the top of the rock dam at the mouth of Dry Hollow, too. But the fish were active. I fished a big pod of fish that had gathered under a big tree and were hitting something apparently falling off the tree. There was a bit of wind at times, but the fishing was good. I get tired of standing after a couple of hours, so that the limit of my fishing for the day.

Just curious....do most people use chest waders on Crane or are hip boots sufficient?