Bennett C&R Monday?

[laker67]

3 hours ago, dave potts said:

I remember in the early days of the C&R season you practically had the place to yourself.  It's worse than a summer weekend now especially if the weather is halfway decent.

Anybody remember when the winter C&R started?  I can remember by younger son and I going when he was quite young and he is now 42.

Yes December 10 or maybe 12 1976. Which ever day was  on a saturday.

[fishinwrench]

11 minutes ago, laker67 said:

Yes December 10 or maybe 12 1976. Which ever day was  on a saturday.

I was thinking that I fished it the first year, but if it was that early then I'm wrong.  Had to have been the very early '80's for me.   I remember one hell of a New year's Eve party at Spring View flyshop back when my buddies and I were still underage.

[laker67]

37 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

I was thinking that I fished it the first year, but if it was that early then I'm wrong.  Had to have been the very early '80's for me.   I remember one hell of a New year's Eve party at Spring View flyshop back when my buddies and I were still underage.

Only zone 1 was open for the  first couple of years

[dave potts]

That time period sounds about right.  My son that I took (mentioned above) was born in 1976 so that trip we took was probably in  the mid 80's and they still were only getting small crowds then.

As I recall you could fish both zones 1 and 2 but not 3 in the early years.  I don't remember being zone 1 only.

 

[laker67]

9 hours ago, dave potts said:

That time period sounds about right.  My son that I took (mentioned above) was born in 1976 so that trip we took was probably in  the mid 80's and they still were only getting small crowds then.

As I recall you could fish both zones 1 and 2 but not 3 in the early years.  I don't remember being zone 1 only.

 

That's right Dave. I couldn't tell you when 2 opened for sure, and much later for 3. Also the days progressed from 2 to 4 as the years went by. And I think  for about 2 to 3 years it was bssp only. I can recall Montauk being added but not rrsp or meramac. Don't have a clue when they came on board. In the early years there was no need for me to go anywhere else. Bssp had all the  big fish you could stand to catch in one season. Caught my first 10lb fish at bssp with several to follow.

[fishinwrench]

The old days of Bennett are among my best memories.  I learned short-line nymphing from Mike Alred who was a friend of Ed and Kay's at Spring View.  Learned sight fishing from crankyass ol' Jack B. back when he was way more friendly and less of a prick.  Learned dry fly techniques from an old dude with the last name of Kramer (can't recall his first name but he was originally from my home town). 

Back then, as a young kid, you just had to pester someone until they finally took a liking to you....then they'd share all kinds of good stuff with ya.  😎

[snagged in outlet 3]

First trip there was in my mom's belly.  LOVE that place.  I strictly fly fished but saw an old guy hammering fish with an ultra light.  I wanted one so bad.  We called the guy Ole Dubber and he lent me one and showed me how to fish jigs.  I went home and ordered everything to make an ultra light and tie jogs.   My dad just shook his head when he saw it.  I still have that rod.

[dave potts]

On ‎11‎/‎14‎/‎2018 at 12:17 PM, fishinwrench said:

The old days of Bennett are among my best memories.  I learned short-line nymphing from Mike Alred who was a friend of Ed and Kay's at Spring View.  Learned sight fishing from crankyass ol' Jack B. back when he was way more friendly and less of a prick.  Learned dry fly techniques from an old dude with the last name of Kramer (can't recall his first name but he was originally from my home town). 

Back then, as a young kid, you just had to pester someone until they finally took a liking to you....then they'd share all kinds of good stuff with ya.  😎

That was Harold Kramer I think.  He worked in the plant and moved to Bennett after he retired.  I remember going into Larry's shop one day and asked if he had any Golden Nugget yarn.  He said I bet you are from Mexico and want to tie up some of Kramer's " Horsechoker Flies"  Larry said someone named them that because they were so big they'd choke a horse.

However, my favorite story on him was when Bob Gaston asked me one day where I was from and when I told him Mexico,MO he asked me if I ever knew Harold as he was from there too.  I said I worked at Green's too but didn't know him.  He said Harold told everyone down here that he was Green's "clay man" as he could sniff out clay deposits on any piece of land.  I told Bob I guess I can go back to work Monday and tell upper management we wasted our money on funding all the prospecting department and drilling rigs.   Apparently, old Harold was a heck of a good fisherman but a pretty good BS'er too.  Actually that's a pretty prevalent combination.

[fishinwrench]

That clay does have a certain smell.  When I go up there and get a whiff of it, it always brings back memories.