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.