North Fork 2010

Hank's New Rod

Henry and I went to the "country" this weekend with his new fly rod. We started at the park on Saturday morning and then went to Carol's pond after dinner. He managed to hook and fight a nice rainbow on a foam beetle. However after putting it on the reel he struggled with which direction to wind and did a long distance release. There was another guy there fishing a big sculpin pattern that we saw land at least three pigs including a big arse brown. So after dinner we went to the pond. We had done some scouting earlier and saw one of the big bass patrolling the shallows by the dock. We went back and he got into them right away, impressing grandpa with his casting skills. He ending up landing 5 sunfish. I got into one nice sunnie and one of the beasts made an appearance. We had a little discovery channel inches from shore. It was quite a show. No luck later with a big baitfish pattern but hope remains.

Missouri's 51st State Park

Please watch the video from "Living St. Louis" if you have 10 minutes or so. This one of the guys from Kim's Naturalist program. Pretty deece story.

North Fork Pics

Hot New Fly Pattern

I really think this is going to be the go to fly on the North Fork trip.  I'm not sure if Hargrove will have all of the materials though.  

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.