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The Ozarks tailwaters and spring creeks
are fishing quite well this winter. Our
weather this fall and winter has been wetter
and milder than usual. On New Year's Eve I
was out fishing on Lake Taneycomo below Table
Rock Dam in breathable waders, a pair of khaki
slacks and a polo shirt. It struck me that
there just isn't a lot of good trout water in
the United States where that is possible. A
fishing trip to the Ozarks may be just what
the doctor ordered to cure the cabin fever so
prevalent among my northern fly fishing brethren.
Keep it in mind.
In 2004, the White River Basin was listed among
American Rivers' "10 Most Threatened Rivers."
We nominated the watershed for inclusion again
this year, but last week I was informed that we
would not be listed again for 2005. Nothing has
really changed that much for the White River in
the past year, but the contest is about who can
present the best nomination package more than it
is about which rivers are the most threatened.
I do believe our efforts to inform the public
about the threats facing the White are beginning
to pay off though. 2004 brought two developments
on the Arkansas side of the border that look very
encouraging. Local anglers are volunteering and
organizing "Stream Teams" in conjunction with area
school districts to assist regulators in water
quality monitoring on the White, Norfork, and
Little Red Rivers. This effort not only improves
the quality of the data for regulators, it also
serves a vital public awareness function by getting
the school kids involved in the effort to protect
our water quality. Most of the municipal wastewater
treatment plants in the Upper White River Basin on
the Arkansas side have also come into voluntary
compliance with a much lower rate of nutrient
contamination in their effluent discharges into
the White and it's tributaries. On the Missouri
side, similar (but more stringent) reductions
were effected a few years ago. These efforts
have resulted in a sharp reduction in phosphorous
and nitrate pollution in the system of lakes and
rivers.
Another development we saw in 2004 was that
the federal government decided not to fund
the Minimum Flow Initiative for the White
River System. While there are some detractors
regarding Minimum Flow, every major conservation
organization, both the Arkansas Game and Fish
Commission and the Missouri Department of
Conservation, and most other stakeholders
favor the proposition. The major detractor
is the Southwest Power Administration, which
controls the hydroelectric production of the
dams. So that fight continues.
All in all, the Ozark tailwater fisheries
are fishing better than they have in several
years. Various improvements in fisheries
management techniques that have been instituted
since the mid-nineties seem to be working to
improve the density, size, and health of our
trout. Missouri will be implementing a new
system of trout fisheries management in 2005.
The model consists of Blue, Red, and White
Ribbon designations for all the trout fisheries
within the state. Blue Ribbon fisheries will
be those where trout reproduce naturally and
no stocking occurs. They will have the strictest
harvest and tackle restrictions including the
harvest of no more than one trout daily and a
prohibition against natural and artificial bait
fishing. Red Ribbon fisheries will be those
that also provide excellent trout habitat, but
where some challenges to the long-term
survival/reproduction of trout also exists.
Two fish per day over fifteen inches can be
kept in these waters. White Ribbon fisheries
will be the remaining cold-water fisheries
where trout are present throughout Missouri.
Harvest and methods restrictions will be generous.
These changes go into effect on March 1, 2005.
If you've been thinking about planning a winter
fishing trip to the Ozarks, I encourage you to
commit. We're pretty friendly, hospitable people
who...for the most part...love tourists. And our
fishing is world-class. Be prepared for cold
weather, but don't expect it to be freezing.
It can get quite cold here in January and
February, with night time temperatures dipping
into the teens. But daytime temperatures rarely
stay below freezing and generally run from the
mid-forties to the high fifties. You probably
won't experience the seventy-plus degrees we
enjoyed this past week, but it'll probably be
a might warmer than Minnesota! ~ Ken (Silver Mallard)
About Ken:
Ken graduated from Southern Methodist University
in 1988, and spent the next several years serving
in the United States Navy as an intelligence analyst
and Russian Language translator. He is a veteran
of Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Leaving the
nation's service in 1993.
Ken is also a published outdoor writer and historian,
having penned articles and stories that have appeared
in several national hunting publications like North
American Hunter magazine, on GunMuse.com, in regional
and local newspapers, and historical and literary
journals. He also provides hunting and dog training
seminars for Bass Pro Shops and other sporting goods
retailers nationwide and works with other outdoors
businesses and conservation organizations in the
fields of public relations, promotional marketing,
fund-raising, and advertising. He also is a partner
in Silver Mallard Properties, LLC. He currently
resides with his wife, Wilma, their Weimaraner,
Smoky Joe, and their Labrador Retriever, Jake, in
Branson, Missouri, where he founded the
Branson/Tri-Lakes Chapter of Ducks Unlimited in 1998.
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