Monday, October 14—The End

DATE: Monday, October 14, 2013

TIME: 8:25AM TO 11:30 AM

WEATHER: Mid 70s, partly cloudy

WATER CONDITIONS: 0 units

LOCATIONS FISHED: Norfork River, Riffle Above the Island Below Otter Creek to Mill Dam Eddy

FLIES USED: #14 Gray Norfork River Scud, #20 black/copper Zebra Midge, #14 Furnace Cockleburr, #14 Pink Cockleburr

ROD USED: 8’ 6” 5-wt Winston JWF

HATCHES: Midges, occasional cranefly

OTHER: I fished with Jerry Smith.  Jerry and his wife, Karen, are full time RVers, whom we met in Alaska.  He is a retired senior regulator/biologist with the US Army Corps of Engineers.  We waded in at Mill Dam Eddy, only to find the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission staff continuing their channelization of the Norfork River, having moved from the right descending bank to the island, the river itself, and the bar below the island.  It is my professional and personal opinion that the greatest segment of the Norfork River has now been destroyed and rendered sterile by this state agency.  They have removed practically all structure and changed flow patterns and regimes.  Areas where I caught thousands of fish have been robbed of substrate flora and fauna.  And, there is absolutely NO SCIENCE to support what is being done.  I have lost all confidence in Trout Unlimited, Friends of the River, and Friends of the Norfork Hatchery.  These groups have coalesced in "improving" the river to the point of ruining it for me.  I moved here specifically to fish this reach of the river, and we have invested a lot of money in our property; will they buy it as I now have not desire to fish this channelized river?  Will they buy all my fly fishing equipment?  Who will compensate us for our losses?  Jerry, too, was amazed at what he saw, and as a former regulator, was astounded as to how this work was permitted.  We now have a great catch and kill, channelized river.

Monday, October 7—The Beginning of the End

DATE:  Monday, October 7, 2013

TIME: 8:25AM TO 12:15 PM

WEATHER: Low 80s, partly cloudy

WATER CONDITIONS: 0 units

LOCATIONS FISHED: Norfork River, Riffle Above the Island Below Otter Creek to Mill Dam Eddy

FLIES USED: #14 Gray Norfork River Scud, #20 black/copper Zebra Midge, #14 Furnace Cockleburr, #14 Pink Cockleburr

ROD USED: 8’ 6” 5-wt Winston JWF

HATCHES: Midges, occasional cranefly

OTHER: I fished with Michael LeBlanc.  We entered the river at Mill Dam Eddy, and a sick feeling came over me as we observed a track hoe working on the right descending bank of the river adjacent to the island.  Already disturbed by the significantly high water levels and velocities from minimum flow, this was further evidence of destroying a great river.  The area where gross bank protection was being effected was one of 3 primary spawning areas for browns, and I caught hundreds of fish along that bank under trees removed by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission staff in the heavy structural bank protection.  Significant amounts of gravel were being mined by them and used for backfilling behind the newly "paved" bank.  And to make matters worse, the track hoe and heavy truck were tracking through an area where Bonneville Cutthroat eggs were placed the last two years—is this stupid or what?  This was, in my opinion, one of the most egregious water-related projects I have ever witnessed (after 40+ years as a water resources engineer).   How they could conscientiously do this while vehemently protesting less damaging work by the US Army Corps of Engineers to protect lives and livelihoods is beyond me.  And how Trout Unlimited, Friends of the Rivers, Friends of the Norfork Hatchery, etc. would allow this to happen is beyond my wildest imagination.  What they did at Cook's Island above Ackerman Handicap Access was horrific enough, but this…  And, despite the river's near magical healing powers, it won't heal in my lifetime from this debacle.

Anyway, Michael caught lots of fish, but had to listen to my tirades all morning!  He did learn how to high stick, and use other techniques for nymph fishing, though he is an excellent fisher in his own right.