6/8/09 Save the Current River - Again!

There are times when we are called to stand for what, once lost, cannot be reclaimed. This is one of those times. You have an opportunity to be a important voice in a series of public meetings the National Park Service is hosting.

The Ozark National Scenic Riverways (The Riverways) is Missouri's most important piece of public land. Over 40 years ago, the federal government designated the Current and Jack Fork Rivers as the first protected riverways, preserving for future generations 80,000 acres along 134 miles of the pristine rivers.

Because of its magnificent, clear, spring-fed waters, the Riverways' use as a recreational retreat has increased to a level that now threatens the health of the waters. The waters are not as clear as they once were and many are troubled by the area's deterioration.

The National Park Service is entrusted with the long-term care and protection of the Riverways, but has failed to implement appropriate measures to stem the tide of overuse. We want the Riverways to be clean, healthy, and safe for today's Americans, and for future generations. It is time to recommit to the vision.

The original management plan called for limited access points, but there are hundreds of trails and roads leading straight to the water's edge. Each additional access point means more people, more footprints.

Off-road vehicle and ATV use has the potential to completely devastate a natural area by compacting soil, destroying plants, and increasing runoff and pollution. Vehicles plowing through sandbars and shallows, along with motor boats, also impede use by those who seek a truly natural and safe environment for canoeing, fishing, swimming, and camping.

Many of those who love the Ozark wilderness enjoy it on horseback. But in excess, even this can cause damage. When as many as 3,000 horses and riders access the waters in a single weekend, their waste can overwhelm the capacity of natural systems making certain areas unsafe for swimming. This level of use can also impact banks, increase sediment, cause erosion, and harm wildlife habitats.

Conservation easements that are in place at taxpayer expense to preserve the historical and scenic landscape have been unenforced, leading to violations that have altered the landscape and threaten the beauty of the Riverways.

Other National Parks that safeguard natural resources, like the Buffalo National River and Yellowstone National Park, have management plans that balance recreational use and sustainable natural resource standards. At long last, the Parks Service is seeking public input for a new Ozark National Scenic Riverways General Management Plan.

This is a time when direct citizen participation is needed. Your first opportunity is a week-long series of public meetings:

Monday, June 22, 5-8PM
Van Buren Community Center, Intersection of D Hwy and Business 60, Van Buren, MO 63965

Tuesday, June 23, 5-8PM
Eminence High School New Gym, 1 Redwing Drive (College Drive), Eminence, MO 65466

Wednesday, June 24, 5-8PM
Ozark Natural & Cultural Resource Center, 202 S. Main Street (Hwy 19), Salem, MO 65560

Thursday, June 25, 3:30-7PM
Courtyard by Marriott, 3301 Lemone Industrial Blvd, Columbia, MO 65201

Friday, June 26, 3:30-7PM
Crowne Plaza Hotel, 7750 Carondelet Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105

If you cannot attend one of the National Park Service public meetings, please review the plan and submit your comments in support of better management practices including implementation of appropriate usage standards. Every comment counts, so please make yours. You may also submit comments in writing and, most recommended, electronically.

To learn more, you can view and share a new Missouri Parks Association and Friends of Ozark Riverways documentary entitled Why We Must Save the Current River, Again. For the first time ever, it tells the story of the Riverways from the conservationist point of view. It reminds us all of those who went before and why they saved the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, and why we must follow their example and save the rivers, again.

Please be a Friend to Ozark Riverways. You can make a difference if you speak up.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Logan Smith
Missouri Coalition for the Environment
email: klogansmith@moenviron.org
phone: 314-727-0600
web: http://www.moenviron.org

Licking Bass

Saturday morning Paul and I went to Carole's pond solely intent on targeting this fish. Rumors had been swirling about it harassing the kids catching sunfish off the dock. So, with the expert guidance of the guys at T. Hargrove(aka the best flyshop in the midwest), I got some material and tied up a few sunfish patterns. When we arrived at the pond I spotted this fish and a few other large bass prowling the shallows. It turned out that the fly was much harder to cast than I anticipated but it looked great in the water and immediately got the attention of two of the bass. They pursued it into the shallows, almost to the bank on the first two casts. On the third cast the bigger of the two fish had enough. He turned on it and just completely hammered it. I set the hook and the line came tight immediately. I ran backwards about 8 feet to get rid of the slack line and get him on the reel. Immediately I realized the drag was going to need to be cranked down as it ran for the dock. After a decent fight it did a last minute jump and tail walk and quickly I thumbed that big lower lip. Paul took a few photos for me, we marked the length on the dock and returned it to the pond. The fish flipped its tail and disappeared. I was shaking and laughing, this being the biggest bass by far I ever caught on a fly rod and with a pattern I tied myself. It was great fun. We went back in the evening and measured to the mark on the dock and the fish was 19 3/4". Would have loved to get a girth or a weight but it wasn't in the cards. That evening I spotted another one in the back cove of the pond that was even larger but impossible to cast to for someone with my skills. I will be back next time to try again.

Future OTD Member

Tommy Elliott gettin' into em' at the MDC "Go Fish" Basic Fishing II class.  Nothing basic about this picture,  that is about a 5 or 6 lb Channel Cat.  Way to go Tommy.  Now if we can just get your dad to bring you down to the stream and do a little fly fishing maybe some of that good luck or should I say skill will trickle down to the rest of us.  By the way,  not pictured is the 3 lb Channel Cat that he caught on the previous cast.   Honorable mention to Audrey Hammer who caught mas Hybrid Bluegill and almost baited her own hook.  One more thing, the secret educational lake we fished is open to kids in the winter for for Trout and apparently it is stocked heavily.

Hungover in the Hatch

Get your Crowd on

MMMMM..... Delicious Hangover

A bacon sandwich really does cure a hangover - by boosting the level of amines which clear the head, scientists have found.

Researchers claim food also speeds up the metabolism helping the body get rid of the booze more quickly.
Elin Roberts, of Newcastle University's Centre for Life said: "Food doesn't soak up the alcohol but it does increase your metabolism helping you deal with the after-effects of over indulgence. So food will often help you feel better.

"Bread is high in carbohydrates and bacon is full of protein, which breaks down into amino acids. Your body needs these amino acids, so eating them will make you feel good."

Ms Roberts told The Mirror: "Bingeing on alcohol depletes neurotransmitters too, but bacon contains a high level of aminos which tops these up, giving you a clearer head."

Researchers also found a complex chemical interaction in the cooking of bacon produces the winning combination of taste and smell which is almost irresistible.

The reaction between amino acids in the bacon and reducing sugars in the fat is what provides the sandwich with its appeal.
Ms Roberts said: "The smell of sizzling bacon in a pan is enough to tempt even the staunchest of vegetarians. There's something deeper going on inside. It's not just the idea of a tasty snack. There is some complex chemistry going on.
"Meat is made of mostly protein and water. Inside the protein, it's made up of building blocks we call amino acids. But also, you need some fat. Anyone who's been on a diet knows if you take all the fat from the meat, it just doesn't taste the same. We need some of the fat to give it the flavour."

She explained that the reaction released hundreds of smells and flavours but it is the smell which reels in the eater. "Smell and taste are really closely linked," she said. "If we couldn't smell then taste wouldn't be the same."

Diary of a Trout Murderer

Yes, I did it. On Sunday April 5, 2009 I ended the lives of 4 rainbow trout for the selfish purpose of enjoying smoked Trout. Since you are interested I will describe the events as they played out. It all started on a Sunday morning after a wonderful Turkey Trout 2009 outing. You see it was a Turkey Trout like any other, there was beer, liquor, stories of yesteryear, a candy bar draft, and many other fun things that you would find on a Turkey Trout. I had it set in my mind that morning that I was ready to fuck some shit up, and the easiest target was trout. I stepped into the cold heartless waters of the rock hole with the purpose of destroying the helpless bastard fish that lie within. I started with the fly of choice for the weekend, the deadly "Pat's Rubber Leg's" however it's efforts to trick the hapless trout were thwarted. Fly after fly brought the same result and then it struck me that I would destroy them with the deadly size 12 Crackleback, Immediately it brought the first to it's doom, and 2 more soon thereafter. My limit seemed within reach, but I decided to spare the rest of the trout at the rock hole. I quickly moved up river changing flies frequently until I decided that it was time to put the Hammer down, and so I did. Hudson's Corner size 4 "Pat's Rubber Leg's" is where my last victim met his demise. The rest of the story can be described in the video below.