zthomas

Brand new Scientific Anglers Streamer Express 150-grain line for 4 or 5-weight rods. Never even put it on a spool. Fast-sinking head, slow-sinking running line. Looks like around $70 new. I'd take $35, plus $4 if you want it mailed. Located in Fort Smith. Moving to Florida, and don't think my 4-wt will see much use...

Forgot to mention, I'm in Fort Smith.

Fishing-specific PFD. Used only twice and looks brand-new. New price $75. I'll take $40 and ship it to you for an extra $10. Please PM with questions, etc.

SOLD

Blue Heron 9 inflatable solo pontoon, made by Outcast Boats for Bass Pro/White River Fly Shop. Bought used two years ago with no documentation, so I don't know exactly how old it is. It's in good shape with apparently very little use. I've used it only three times myself. There is some sun deterioration on the seat and side storage bags, like it was stored outside for a while, but no other problems. Frame is aluminum, so it's fairly light for a pontoon, about 60 lbs. Includes oars, stripping apron, removable flyrod holder. Rigged for an anchor but doesn't have one. You'd need to get a pump, fins, and probably a repair kit to be ready for the water. Fits easily in the back of a full-size, short-bed pickup with some pressure taken out of the tubes. Original price was around $500, I believe. Located in Fort Smith, AR. Please PM with questions.

Bought new in 2009. Never leaked, excellent condition. Only issue is wear on foot pegs from studded wading boots. Best for rivers and creeks with some current. Doesn't glide or track like a canoe, so long, sluggish pools aren't fun. With some current, though, it floats at least as shallow as a canoe, and it's extremely comfortable, secure, stable, and maneuverable. In the winters, I take it down solid class III streams with the whitewater paddling crowd. Can be rigged with trolling motor too. Boat is $1,000 new. Details and specs here: http://www.outcastboats.com/outcast/products/?id=33 Includes oars, 12-lb. pyramid anchor with rope, repair kit, hurricane 12V pump, double action hand pump, oar tethers, blade rests, seat caddy, fins, foot pump, extra storage. Total new value over $1,300. Boat is located in Fort Smith, AR. Please PM with questions.

Honestly, I love the boat, although it does have its shortcomings, the main on being that it doesn't glide like a canoe. Rowing through long pools is definitely a bit of work. On the other hand, it's super stable. You don't even have to think about swimming. I run class III whitewater in it in the winter with my kayaker buddies. It's also, in my opinion, easier to fish from than a canoe. When you really want to work a pool, you put on fins and you can kick it around like a float tube--not as well, but better than having to put down your rod and pick up your paddle every time you want to move at all. Rowing takes a bit of getting used to if you're accustomed to paddling, but once you figure it out, it's way more maneuverable than a canoe. Because you're pulling against the current, you can more or less stop in mid-rapid and ferry to one side or another to get around obstacles. Here's a couple more pictures that show the boat better...

Did a solo float--my first ever on Crooked Creek--from Kelly's slab to Yellville. Had to do a moderate amount of dragging--maybe 6 or 8 times--but not too bad. Fishing was tough though. Obviously, the water was very low and clear, with minimal current, and the fish were spooky and not in an eating mood. Got some ambitious little sunfish on topwater stuff, but no bass. Switched to a crazy-dad and got a few little smallies and one decent one. Still a nice float with perfect, not-too-hot weather. Got off the water at 1 p.m. and went over and waded the walk-in access on the White right above Wildcat Shoals and caught a bunch of 10- to 14-inch rainbows stripping streamers.

Took the back way from Fort Smith to Marshall, AR this weekend, thinking I'd get in a little fishing on Big Piney Creek. Turns out there was near zero flow, and it was bathtub warm--warm enough it was steaming on the relatively cool, drizzly evening. Pretty, but no fish.

Waded the Kings at Marshall Ford for a couple hours this afternoon (3/10) and ended up spending more time with the camera than the flyrod. Didn't realize until I downloaded them that most of my pictures had the same leaning sycamore in them, just from different perspectives.

Finally got to take out the new lens I picked up at Christmas—a Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 with vibration control (aka image stabilization). Picked the Tamron over the equivalent Canon or Sigma because on both of those the front element rotates when you focus, so you can't really use a polarizer. So far, I'd say it's quite a lens for the money--a little under $400. Everything here was shot handheld from a solo boat on the Mulberry--less than ideal conditions for sharp images, so the image stabilization seems to make a big difference. Floated from Big Eddy to Campbells with an Arkansas Canoe Club group including Bobber from this board, and it was a blast. Good weather, good people, and a gorgeous river. Didn't even bring a fishing rod, though.

Can't seem to upload images. Doing everything the way I always have, but just get the message, "This upload failed." Photos are around 150 to 200 KB jpegs, so they're definitely not too big. Tried logging out and back in. Tried using a different browser. Tried both the advanced and basic uploading tools. Other ideas? As others have said, thanks for all the hard work on this great forum.

Doing everything the way I always have, but just get the message, "This upload failed." Photos are around 150 to 200 KB, so they're definitely not too big. Tried logging out and back in. Tried using a different browser. Other ideas?

So I'm off 12/26 through 12/28, and so far, the weather is looking good. I'd like to get on the water somewhere, preferably in my solo pontoon, for a day float or even a short overnighter. Figure I've got enough time, for a change, to go anywhere within about a 5-hour drive of Fort Smith, AR. Would be equally happy to pull on trout or smallmouth, but would also like a scenic float. So where would you go? I'm thinking possibly 11 Point or NFOW, both of which are new to me. But what about the Elk/Sugar area--how does that fish in the winter? Any other suggestions for a nice float with relatively good winter fishing?

Sounds like good times indeed. This was my first time down the Frog, and yes, it's definitely un-bayou-like. And thanks for the compliments. MOSmallies, on the water, I use an old Canon EOS Digital Rebel body with a Sigma 10 - 20 mm zoom lens that I absolutely love for taking fishing and boating pictures.

Without much in the way of fishing options, I left the rods at home and joined some acquaintances Saturday for a short whitewater float on the Frog near Rudy. It was fun putting my little pontoon boat (visible in the second shot) through its paces and a gorgeous afternoon for pictures.

Did a quick overnight from Buffalo Point to Rush, hoping to maximize fishing time in the late evening and early morning. At between 80 and 90 cfs on the Harriet gauge, there was some minor dragging, but nothing bad--maybe 5 short spots on the whole paddle. BUT, it was definitely a paddle, not a float. At that flow, it's basically a series of half-mile-long ponds separated by short riffles. With a canoe, I'd do it again. With my little pontoon, which doesn't track or glide worth anything, it was quite a bit more exercise than I really wanted. Fishing was about as slow as the water. I did see two big fish, but only caught a few little ones Saturday evening and then a few more in the first hour I was on the water Sunday morning. Best pattern I found was a little minnow imitation swung fast just under the surface in the moving water. Also got some on a big dry (a stimulator, I think) twitched intermittently in the deep, still water. Maybe it looked like cicada? Scenery was great of course, and I managed not to get rained on too hard.

Not a bad suggestion. But from down here in Fort Smith, the Buffalo is about the closest thing that has enough water to float at all. And hey, the crowds should be down...

Anybody fish and/or float the lower river recently? Thinking of doing a short, solo overnighter 7/30 to 7/31--launching at 5 or 6p to catch the late evening bite, then getting on the water pre-dawn the next morning for the early bite. Looking at either Spring Creek to the Hwy 14 bridge or Buffalo Point to Rush. Any thoughts on where the fishing will be better? Recent reports? Advice on camp spots near good holes? Thanks in advance.

Just got back from quick trip with my father down to my old stomping grounds La Paz in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Spent more time than usual behind the camera, and thought you all might enjoy some shots of the fishing and the place. As always, if anybody has any questions about Baja, hit me up.

I just ran a story in the magazine I edit about a guy over in Oklahoma who is paralyzed from the chest down and remains an avid (and very good) fisherman and hunter. He runs a big, open Blue Wave or similar boat and has a power lift to get up into it in the parking lot. Here's a link to the magazine (story starts on p. 24): http://issuu.com/ua_fort_smith/docs/bell_tower_spring_11 I'll also email him and let him know of this discussion. He might be able to offer a lot of good advice.

...plus an oil platform, a little blacktip, and an Arkansas hillbilly with his first red snapper, all this past weekend in Louisiana.

Camera-nerd-ese, an obscure English dialect.

Not obsessed with green sunfish or anything--just been playing with close ups recently and greenies are the majority of what I've been catching. This is with the discontinued Sigma 24-70 mm f/2.8 macro. With a 1:3.8 magnification ratio, I don't think it's actually a true macro (that means 1:1, right?) but it focuses at 15.5" and 70mm, which gives lots of detail.

Fished for a while under the 59 bridge on Saturday afternoon. The few smallies I got were out in the riffles, lying in little pockets in that bedrock bottom. Hard to fish it with the moss and stuff, but if you could swing a craw fly into a pocket without spooking the fish, you'd get one. Of course, they were all about eight inches long. Still fun, though.