Sunday the 20th, 1st Day of SPRING!

I'm picking up the tree branches that came down in last nights wind storm. We've been powerless several times since midnight. Just got power back so I thought I'd check in. Spring, Bah, Humbug!

REE

Diane,
I didn't see you in any of my classes. Thought maybe you heard they were no good? Nah, they were GOOOD. But not as good as Bill Kessler's. I think that we had a few over 200 people. Hope they got the fish to the pond ok. Hope tp see you tomorrow evening.

Ol' Bill

[flymaker2]

LF-Today was day two(2)of a Spey Casting clinic that I took instructed by Simon Gawesworth. Ever heard of Simon? He is pretty much one of a handful of Spey casting Gurus; arguably one of the best casters and teachers as well. So I spent the first day of spring in a pond making hundreds & hundreds of casts(got maybe a dozen right) and discussing spey casting and gear all day long. I am bushed !

Thanks for asking.

Rich

[Mike Murgida]

Wishing I was Fishing!

------------------
"GET THE DRIFT?"

[LadyFisher]

We've known Simon for many years - besides being a fine caster and teacher, he is just a terrific person. We saw him recently at the fly fishing show over in Bellevue WA.

We had power out here too - and it fried my power supply on my puter, so JC had to arrange with our guru to meet him at his shop so we could finish tonights issue. Thanks
Omega Computers *S*

We lost one large tree, no terrible damage, just clean up in the next couple of days.


------------------
LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL

[David Parker]

Happy spring everyone! Had to work the last 12 hour stint of my 3 day stretch today, so the coming of spring was missed for me.....snowing here in Canada anyway! Off for the next 2 days, so with the promise of +4 C and sun tomorrow, I hope to catch some rays while I sit wetting a line thru the 22" of solid blue ice that remain on my favourite honey hole. Maybe the fish will come out and play!

------------------

[Pete Hiatt]

Eating birthday cake. No one sent me a Kusse Quad or a Purdey shotgun. Oh well, maybe next year!

[Gnu Bee Flyer]

Spring ? Not yet . But just the thought that the first day of spring is nigh , gives me a warm feeling inside , I hope the trout are trembling in their fins because this year I'm gonna get em!

------------------
Time is the fire that we burn in .

To ?celebrate? the first day of spring for 2005, I reread Ladyfisher?s article of January 24 entitled ?Why Bother??. I have it printed off and laying beside my desk.
Crooked Creek, here in North Central Arkansas, gained and exemption and is free to dump phosphorus (fertilizer runoff) into its waters via politics and lack of action by local interests.
I grew up wade fishing Crooked Creek and one of it?s feeder Creeks called Clear Creek.
My family moved from California to the banks of Clear Creek in 1964. My father and I brought our fly fishing gear with us at a time when there was fly fishing nothing in this neck of the woods. The absolute happiest times of my life were those years slogging the waters of Clear and Crooked Creek and pitching whatever at every fishy holding spot in every hole in every stretch of running water. Stringers clipped to a belt loop of cut off jeans, being intimate with every submerged boulder and eddy, knowing where underwater root wads held Green Sunfish.
In the early 80?s, long gone from the Creek, I returned for an all day hike to rediscover it. It wasn?t there. Land development had rearranged Clear Creek into an unrecognizable flow of water. There?s a Bed and Breakfast that resides on the bank of Clear Creek and touts the stream?s pristine attractions. For someone that wasn?t here in 1964, the term ?pristine attractions? will manifest when they walk down to the gurgle and swish. There are still Smallmouth there, the Ozark Bass version of Rock Bass, Green Sunfish, Suckers, Redhorse, many varieties of turtles but all in pale comparison to the numbers and vigor of yesteryear.
Treasures can be lost.
Clear Creek now versus Clear Creek then is lost.
We can now pump Crooked Creek full of phosphorous runoff.
As an individual, I was active during this atrocity. Being local, I?m aware or the social and political interests that were worming in the background. Right piece of land, right name ... done deal.
Now, Crooked Creek has a death sentence.
I wasn?t enough voice on my own. But who should I join when the verdict is clearly decided years ahead?
Smallmouth will still course the waters of Crooked Creek. A HairBug dragged against the current at the edge of a shoal will still get you a hit, and you better hang on but you better not count on it happening with the vigor and frequency of days past.
Clear Creek is no more.
Crooked Creel is lined up to follow suit.
Of course, it?s legal and all.

[Tup]

Celebrated by changing the angle of the solar panels, watching lambs being born and then last evening as we took a break with the first adult beverages of spring a group of five blue herons flew right by the deck! With 18 inches of slushy ice covering this part of the lake I don't know where they'll find heron-like conditions, but more power to 'em! Pantry and freezer are stocked for eight weeks, if needed, so bring on ice-out!