June 19, 2005

Looking The Part

 

Sailing days sure take up a lot of good fly-fishing time but sail we must.  Yesterday was the longest single voyage to date.  Eddie Money is on the radio and “Two Tickets to Paradise” surrounded us.  Yep, my ole buddy Bruce and I have two tickets to paradise!  Hendrix and Dire Straits were on the voyage with us yesterday – good company for sailing.

Highway 23 in Arkansas takes a traveler through some beautiful country – lots of greenery and mountainous. Highway 23 is also like a winding slithering snake. Along the way yesterday I developed one of those log-splitting headaches and Bruce threw anchor at the Mulberry River Outfitters located right next to Mulberry River. 

When we stopped Bruce remembered we forgot to get ice for the galley reefer.  So toward the Mulberry River Outfitters we went.  There was a group of biker’s that really gave us the eyeball.  They were probably eyeballing us because of the way we looked.  Bruce hasn’t shaved in a week.  I haven’t shaved in four days.  It’s been two days since either of us has had a shower.  Bruce looks like a welfare case tropical tourist and I got that dirty ole cowboy hat and a bandana around my neck.  The Prairie Schooner is painted with white shoe polish in big letters announcing Trout Bum 2005, Fly Rod & Reel, Blue River Bummers.  Maybe we are starting to look the part. 

So what do you do when a gang of bikers is eyeballing you?  You say Howdy-do…what else would you do?

 

It was 6:30 p.m. before we sailed in to Bull Shoals State Park.  Originally our navigation called for us to visit other tail waters of the White first but we changed course in the middle of the prairie ocean. 

Howdy-do Bull Shoal Tail Waters!  We checked into the park office to see about securing a campsite.  My goodness…the trout bum God must be looking after us.  There is one, let me emphasize one, campsite that was reserved but the folks never showed up.  We got us a place to drive stakes.

 

While checking in Bruce talked to a fly-fisher that reported they have been generating for 48 hours, which is not real good news.  The fly-fisher also said he had fished all day and battled one trout.

 

We sailed a little down the road to Cane Island Fly Shop but discovered the shop is closed.  As we get ready to leave a lady came from the side of the shop and it turned out she is the owner.  Meet Rebecca Ralls.  Rebecca is quite a story I have to tell you.  Not only is she a fly shop owner she is a river guide.  Although we didn’t ask her age we will go as far to say that she is mature and has learned wisdom over the years and Rebecca has been guiding since she was seventeen years young.

Although she is in a hurry Rebecca took the time to give us a guided tour of her place and some much needed and appreciated information about flying on this tail water.  Our hats are off and mucho gracias to you Rebecca.

We went back to the campsite to throw down stakes and set up camp and as we pulled in the couple across the way hollered at us.  “You the trout bum guys from Fly Rod and Reel?”,  they asked.  Meet Jerry and Frances Ross from Lowell, Arkansas and Jerry is a brother of the angle!  What a nice couple and once again kudos for Fly Rod and Reels fun and game department.  If folks are recognizing the trout bum tournament this easily then you folks at the magazine have a good thing going.  Congratulations! 

 

Jerry and Frances wanted their pictures taken with us and we said okey-dokey.  The attention seemed a bit much for me but this couple was a really sweet couple so a few pictures is not going to hurt a thing.  Actually, it’s a compliment for us.

 

Now our neighbors just down wind from us are from Missouri and we really don’t know what to think about these folks.  Most folks when camping and they must have a pet along… take their dog.  But these folks are a little different for they have in their tent… a pig.  Hey, we not pulling your leg…it’s a dadgum pig!  If that pigs name turns out to be named Arnold Ziffel Jr., I’m just going to stroke right here.


Morning came at 5:45 for me and once again the songbirds are announcing the beginning of another wonderful day.  Bruce stays in the bedroll until a little before six.  We walk down to the tail waters and discover they are not generating.  Holy tippet Batman, get rigged up!

We trot back to camp and start rigging up and at about the time I’m finishing my clinch knot there is a one heck of a terrible sound.  They blow the horn.  Ten minutes later they blow the horn again and then ten minutes later the horn sounds once more.  Three generators running – that equates to fast high water. 

So what do you do when you can’t fish the tail of Bull Shoals?  You simply go to the Norfork tail waters; it’s as easy as that.

We’re still wondering about that pig next door.  Little fellow sure does sleep sound.  We never heard a word out of him last night.  It’s about the time we are getting to shove off the pig shows himself, along with his owner.  We have to ask you know, what the pigs name is - that is.  Piglet is his name, not Arnold Jr. not Babe – just Piglet.

 

 

Goodness, it’s going to be nearly eight o’clock before we can get on the water. On the way to the Norfork tail waters we decide to fish the White at Cotter.  We know where to go but we can’t seem to find the right road for some reason.  Kind of like being dazed and confused  

Also we discover the ponies are running a little lean so we pull in to a station to strap the feedbags on.  At the station is Officer D. Hudson of the Gassville, Arkansas police department so we ask him how to get to the White.  In return he asks if we are fly-fishers and when we say yes he says load up and I’ll take you to a good place.  How cool!  We now have us a police escort complete with flashing lights.  Too cool!  So…Mucho Gracias Officer Hudson, you’ll be getting a big Christmas card from the Bummers.

 

At the White we have to walk down a steep embankment to get to the river.  Once on the river I discover the water at this particular spot looks pretty much the same.  All of the water is primarily riffled and not a lot of structure such as boulders.  I always look for pockets in water but I’ not seeing any today. 

It proves to be a hard day of fishing.  We spend five hours here and since we got such a late start we decide to wait until tomorrow to go to the tail waters of Norfork.

Did we engage and battle trout today?  Yes we did.  Did we battle a whole lot of trout today?  No, we didn’t.  Did that make a difference in how our day was?  Absolutely not, time spent on the river is always wonderful.  All in all we battled twelve Rainbows today.

 

Aquatic life we saw today included crawdads, a sculpin that had to be on steroids, and Sulphurs. 

On the way back to camp we stop at Blue Ribbon Fly Shop for a visit and maybe some more stuff.  Jerry is behind the counter and he is really helpful to us.  He also tells us where the public library is in Mountain Home and I guess we will be there tomorrow to see if we can send our reports.

We had been noticing a couple of gray squirrels hanging out at the campsite and today we found out why.  The little fellars helped themselves to some of our only desserts – nutty bars.  Bruce said squirrel stew sounds pretty darn good right now.

In the Dutch tonight Bruce is coming through on his promise and fixing Dutch Oven Apple Crisp.  What a special treat it will be.

So how do we rate this day?  It rates real high on the yeehaw scale!

Today’s Reflection:  We know that somewhere there are barstools with our names on them.

For the Blue River Bummers

Barry & Bruce

Sail On With The Bummers