Crane Over The Weekend Pics

[trout_bum]

Great pictures Casey. It looks like you were fishing the upper wire road access just north of town judging from your pictures. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the last picture appears to be taken just downstream from the bridge at the upper access. You probably wouldn't believe me, but this part of the creek was completely dry for a period of time back in August of last year. It amazes me that this little creek is able to sustain the wild trout population that it does considering the extreme drought and flooding events it's experienced over the years.

[Flysmallie]

Sounds like Crane Creek is turning into Bennett Springs.

I was thinking the same thing.

[Casey Self]

I took that picture from the bridge but we weren’t fishing that area, We drove to all the different access just to check them out and stay away from other people fishing but ended up in a different area all together.

I don't think you'd have to worry about Crane turning into Bennett. Most people go to Bennet to catch stocker sized trout and keep them. Most people aren't going to be interested in spending more time scouting for fish then actually fishing and then when you finally find them your only catching fish that could be used as bait in most places, I know the other 4 guys on our trip who stayed fishing at Taney for the weekend laughed about the size of the fish and weren't interested in the place except for the story behind the McCloud when I showed them the pics of the few we caught Saturday. Not to mention you have to walk a long ways ( I put in at least 2 miles ), be stealthy to sneak up on the fish and you'd better be a seasoned fly caster unless you want to loose every fly in the tree's or scare the fish away with one wrong cast. Crane is more for someone who wants the challenge of catching wild trout, tight casting, and being able to catch a piece of history. If you don’t like walking 2 miles to catch 1 or 2 6 inch trout then its probably not the best place to travel too. If your looking for a challenge then it’s the place to be.

[Flysmallie]

I don't think you'd have to worry about Crane turning into Bennett.

I'm not worried about it at all. Just seems like it's the place to go lately and everybody seems to be headed there. Pretty soon the fear of snakes will keep out the sissies and then it will be back to it's normal quiet self. Which also makes no difference to me because it's bass time.

[Gavin]

I'm not worried either...just giving some of you fellows some trouble for crowding up a small stream, and crowing a bit to loudly about it on the net. From all the reports, I'd say there was at least 8-10 folks out last weekend...And thats alot, IMO.

Go there enjoy the place, but why not keep it on the down low? Its not a tailwater fish ditch or trout park designed for the masses. Cheers.

[MattTucker]

It was crowded last weekend, but if you walked you could get away from the people (we also started earlier than others on the stream). Rest assured, my butt won't be there in the spring / summer. The place looks too darn "snakey" for me, oh and the locals did tell us stories of mountain lions too (if you believe that sort of urban legend). I would venture to say that most of the guys we saw this past saturday were from Arkansas (judging by the license plates we saw).

[fozzie.]

It was crowded last weekend, but if you walked you could get away from the people (we also started earlier than others on the stream). Rest assured, my butt won't be there in the spring / summer. The place looks too darn "snakey" for me, oh and the locals did tell us stories of mountain lions too (if you believe that sort of urban legend). I would venture to say that most of the guys we saw this past saturday were from Arkansas (judging by the license plates we saw).

Haven't you heard? MDC parachutes them in out of their black helicopters. Rattlesnakes too. And I've heard there's a clandestine cobra project going on at some stream accesses on the Current River. Best the neophytes hang up their gear during the warmer months

On a serious note though- the rainbows in Crane have already spawned this season, right? It'd be a shame if all this new found popularity for this resource resulted in the destruction of redds and larval/young fish, thereby reducing its productivity in the future...

[Flysmallie]

most of the guys we saw this past saturday were from Arkansas (judging by the license plates we saw).

Didn't we put up a fence?

[Mo Mac Man]

No joke. I almost stepped on a cottonmouth one spring day when I was in college. It was very angry. I nearly pissed my waders. I haven't been back in 11 years.

[ness]

Oh -- there's mountain lions out there, bears too. Remember Gregor from the old Conservation Cafe? He went in there one March and has never been heard of since. Ray from Crane told me they found a pair of hemos in a steaming pile of bear scat down by the dairy farm a couple days after he went missing.

Anyway, I trained bears and lions for the circus in the summers during school, so I'm comfortable with them. And, I've been bit by all kinda snakes at church, so they don't really bother me none neither.