Brian Sloss

Well, if you have read my Eleven Point fishing reports, you may have noticed that I have almost never mention dry flies. That is not because I don't like to fish dries, rather it is a product of where I am fishing. Here, even during prolific hatches, you rarely see any regular risers and I can't recall big fish rising at all. That is not to say it can't be done, but it simply has not proven productive. I wish I had more top water action. Now up on the Merimec and Current, I have had good fun with white flies in the fall in the evenings just before dark and the tailwaters with cracklebacks (most out of the region people I've met don't know this fly) and midges. I do have a spot around this area (not the Eleven Point) where I dare say would rival anywhere for fast and furious action on Hexes in late Aug - Sept, but there is only room for 2 anglers before it gets a little tight. A unique set up that knocks hexes out of the air and starts a feeding frenzy for about an hour every evening. You can catch 20 inch browns fairly regularly. I don't mean to sound selfish, but I'm not keen to put it online for the reason that it is a very small spot. If you PM me, I will tell you more.

If they eventually get your account number, they will just clean you out and if they are doing this to other businesses as well, it won't be any small amount. If you have $10,000 in your business checking and they find a way to get your account # and clean you out, that is a good payday for a couple of days emailing. Say he is doing the same thing to 10 or 20 other small businesses, this getting to be a very a good payday as he can surely email numerous businesses at the same time to run this scam.

That was going to be next. He wanted to pay me and then have me pay the "logistic travel/ticketing agent" through money gram/international tranfer. In other words pay me in the states and then have me wire money back to England to pay the ticketing agent. It makes no sense and you can bet when the transfer was to take place, my account # would have been required for the transaction. Crazy, to think I would allow this. I just don't want anyone to waste their precious time on this joker, because at first he just seems like a guy looking for a fishing vacation and then after you have wasted your time getting it together, he comes up with a whacked out payment process, that you can tell will lead you to being scammed.

Recently I got an email from a guy in England, (I knew from the phone # on the email) and he wanted to know our rates and a total bill for lodging and fishing (ie canoe rentals and fishing licenses) and I assumed he wanted a package deal, as most fishing vacations in England are sold as packages. So I made lodging arraingements here locally and put together an all inclusive package for him, to make his life easier, though I was a little surprised that he was contacting me all the way from England for a trip to Alton to fish. Not that I don't feel the 11 Point is worthy destination, but it surely isn't internationally known. Well after getting the package together and a few wasted hours of my time, I got a return email. He wanted me to handle the payment for myself and the local lodging, which I had agreed to do, but now wanted me to handle payment through a money gram to the "logistic travel/ticketing agent". Obviously, at this point I put a halt to everything. The name signed was Dr. William David. They never let on that they are anyone other than someone looking for a fishing vacation until you have invested your time and trouble putting a package together. The scammers are getting more sophisticated, before trying to rob you blind. If you get an email from this joker, don't waste your time. He took about two hours from me and I'd hate to see anyone else waste their time on this idiot as well.

Had a couple of guys from the a Heber Springs fly shop here this weekend and they seemed pretty happy about extending the slot limit for such a long stretch of the river. We didn't discuss the brookie or catch and release only sections of the river, so I don't know their thoughts on that, but the slot limit rule sounds promising to me provided that it is enforced well. If they get out and really spread the word and make sure it is enforced really well the first couple of years (of course that should continue after the 1st year or 2), I think the overall quality could improve. That being said, I am no expert on the ins and outs of the Little Red watershed. It's just that the slot limit idea has worked on a lot of other areas.

Happy b-day Brian. Hope to see you at the NFOW either this month or in March. Got a friend with a cabin by your employer and we want to fish there before the Spring season hits. Hope you can fish with us. Gaoing to bring the drift boat.

The more experienced conoers may be able to float it if it comes down to about 4ft on the gauge (5.6ft presently), but caution would be the name of the game. I would wait just a little longer though. Fishing probably would be tough with the high water anyway.

Mike, The number for that campground is 417-778-6307 and it is owned by Chester Colmbs. He may be tough to get a hold of, but you should be able to contact him if you keep trying. I think he charges around $15. It is rarely sold out and I have known people to just show up and he will come by and collect from you. Try to contact him first though.

I was able to get out for about an hour and a half today and it was about time. I have not been able to hit the water for about 2 weeks because I've been otherwised engaged and I wasn't sure if I'd remember what catching a fish was like. Anyway, I went to graveyard hallow and fished around island one, landing around six fish on a bitch creek stonefly with an egg dropper. None were of any great size, about 12 inches, but it was good fun. The thing to note was they were taking very softly and I missed the first 2 or 3 hook-up oppertunities as I wasn't ready to make the hook set quick enough. After that is when I starting setting the hook a little quicker and landiing my fish. The water is still about 3/4 of a foot above normal and swift, so extra weight was required to get to the fish. Good to get out again.

If we warm it early this year and the water temps are up, it could be good, though it really peaks more toward April and May. If it is cold, fish near the springs where the water temps are warmer in colder weather and you should find some active fish.

Greer to Turner is ussually good in March. If it is an early spring (warm weather) Cane to Greer can be very good for smallmouth. You may also get into a few trout up there that leave the blue ribbon area when the water is cold from the winter. No garauntees, but some have had luck in theat regard. Also, the high winter waters may have enticed a few more trout upstream this year.

We are about a foot high today and so without rain, by next weekend we should be 3/4 ft high then. Be careful just above the 19 bridge there is a dangerous tree almost all the way accross river and another one accross the river at Turner Mill. Nothing you couldn't easily avoid by portaging, just pay attention as the last flood made a few changes. Fish deep with weight and you should be able to catch some fish. Little Huricane shoal may be too hazzardous to wade safely with the flow right now and be careful not to get too far out in the current wading with the cfs what it is now. Don't let those words frighten you, the river is fine, just use common sense, because the water is high and it is cold now. Don't ignore the small sides of the islands right now. Often the flow is a little easier for the fish to hold in during these conditions and you can often find a number of them willing to feed in these areas. Also, fish seams between fast and slow water, this is a good place for the fish to avoid the fastest current but still attack food passing by. Finally, drop offs (you can see the water color change) in shoals and tail-outs after shoals and islands where it gets deep but still has a decent current should be fished. Remember to fish VERY DEEP. Good luck and get a hold of me if you need any help with your trip.

They are still a little high and I wouldn't expect fishing to be very good until next week sometime. Just needs to come down some more.

The English language has been under assault in recent years, but the reasons are numerous. Standards may be lower today than during my school years, but in my experience as a substitute teacher during the winter when things are slow around the shop, are that not enough parents are engaged with the children's education. Too many parents don't support the school when it comes to homework and discipline. Teachers need to be paid more as well. Slang is nothing new, it has been going on for years, though it may be more pervasive today. But if parents don't expect better from thier kids, they probably won't get it. How the civil rights act of 1968 got dragged into this, I have no idea. It was long overdue when it passed and was one of the best things America did in the 20th century.

Any news on the shad kill front? Anything happening yet?

Any word on a shad kill?

Superfly, Got my jacket back yesterday. Thanks for that and the yellow prince nymph.

Bayou can be accessed of hwy. 9 leaving Mammoth Srping. To get to the 11 Pt. take 63 N. to the north side of Thayer, MO and pick up 19 N. and go to Alton, MO. My canoe rental is at the second blinking light. If you stop in, I'll direct you to the best fishing spot from there.

Alton, Mo is only 18 miles from Mammoth Spring, AR. if you want to make a side trip for a day on the 11 Point.

Hey guys, I had a great time as well and I hope we can fish together again sometime. Only next time Brian can't fish a spot right after me. I can't take him pulling a good fish out of a spot I'd been fishing 5 minutes earlier again! By the way, sorry the report was so poorly written, I was beat down tired when I wrote it. Bitch creek stones, Golden stones, Brown stones, eggs, yellow prince nymphs, and I think a Don's crawdad took the big fish.

Fish below Dam 3 by all means, that is where most people fish, but to get away from the crowds go above the dam and fish the Lassiter access.

Here is the pic of Brian's fish.

Got out in the drift boat for a day of fun (not a guide trip) with a couple of great guys, Matt "Superfly" and Brian from Springfield. We caught plenty of fish and various things, but more important being deep was most important. Seams between fast and slow water were important. We had a great time and plenty of fish were caught, though we would have caught more if the water were about 6 inches shallower. The fish of the day was caught by Brian, an 18 inch beauty caught in the shoal before Mary Decker shoals. A pic will be posted as soon as Matt emails it to me. Hope we don't get too much rain this weekend as the river doesn't need it right now.

John Kern, a customer down here and long time fisherman on the 11 point who has caught many fish in the Blue Ribbon waters got out in a canoe today and gave me the following report. Though numbers of fish caught were less for what he ussually catches here (about 11 or so taday), he did hook a couple of dandies. The biggest being about 24 inches or so and another more like 20. He was fishing DEEP and I do mean DEEP. In a lot of places, 10ft of 4x to the indicator. The biggest fish was caught while achored in a tailout below a fast run in an eddy by the seam between fast and slow water with his indicator all the way up to the fly line. He used 2 A sized split shot to sink the Dan's Crawdad. This fish, a female, launched itself a few times from the surface and put on quite a show before being released. He lost a lot of flies on the botttom, but that is the price to have a chance at a big fish in the higher than normal conditions and faster water we have had this winter. Hopefully the picture will follow in a couple of days when he gets it developed.

I am from the school of cast right, reel left and I am right handed. It just didn't make sense to me when I was learning to switch hands to put something on the reel and it still doesn't. I've been told that I don't do it correctly for a right handed person, but I feel more comfortable my way. I also set up beginners to fish my way as well. I figure the less you have to do bringing a fish in, the better; and to have a beginner switch hands if they have a good fish on is a good way to have them loose that fish in my experience (they tend to loose tension on the line during the trade off). At the end of the day though, I say to each his own.