Just a quickie from the Ozarks

[Shoeman]

Well we should be on our way back to Michigan, but do to conditions beyond my control, our stay has been extended another week. I can't help the fishing is borderline phenomenal not to mention the scenery. No real goood'ns yet, but they do average around 14" with some 16's and one fat 19" brown for good measure. In the morning hours the fish are looking up and are easy targets for our caddis patterns. By 10am it's deep work with bead heads and wets or stripping Foxey bitches and clousers, depending on generation. 5 kinds of weather each day. Starts out cold by Arkie standards (low 70's), then the steam starts, by noon it's time to seek shade or head for the pool. Nights are generally accompanied by welcomed storms. We did end up with 14" of rain the first week. It trashed the river down by us (30 some miles below Bull Shoals), but luckily they're holding water back at the dam to minimize flooding down below. that gave us about 12 miles of low fishable water . Somehow "stupid fishing" comes to mind . A couple of days ago we rented a 24' pontoon on Norfork and I spotted some HUGE bream (that's bluegill for us Yankees)......lol Some of these must have been close to a foot long. Needless to say I have to make a trip up there in the river boat and see if they'll bite some poppers and spiders. Got conned into some cliff diving by my wife Nothing like a 50-some year old buzzard jumping off a perfectly good cliff into 60 fow from 40' above. Anyway, off to Branson. Not what you think. Sue needs some gifts and I wore out my 2wt line, besides another day in the sun and my skin would resemble some of the calf skin I'd use in the real world (back at work ) See y'all back home in a few

[ESOX]

I was wondering how you were doing. Every time I tried to call you my phone started playing Dueling Banjos when I hit "Send".

[Kelly Johnson]

Hell wif da troot...I want pics O' Giant Gills

Sounds like fun.(Accept for that cliff diving part)

[gunrod]

You'll probably be still picking your swimmin' trunks out when you get back. Enjoy.

[Shoeman]

Originally Posted by ESOX

I was wondering how you were doing. Every time I tried to call you my phone started playing Dueling Banjos when I hit "Send".

Quite possible! No cell coverage for about 5 miles from the resort . Pretty cool though, WiFi at the pool. I see it's a "hot'un" back home. The fish down by the Buffalo are getting stressed by the lack of water. Temps went from the usual low 60's to 73 last night. Still managed 6 over 12" in about an hour. it was a good way to relieve the Branson insanity I guess a run up to Rim Shoals is on the menu for the day. Man that stretch is full of heartbreakers. I must have lost 4 over 20" and one that could have been measured in pounds. Not much you can do with 5 and 6x in a boulder-filled lumberyard. Trout'n the Mo just won't be the same.
Somehow I can see a few of us down here for Thanksgiving. What's 800 miles among friends?

[Shoeman]

Finally made it back after extending the trip another week. Difficult to leave a bite. . Stopped around Christopher, Il on the way back to visit some relatives on my wife's side only to find out about some monster crappies that her uncle targets. Well that's another trip...... Some on his wall are measured in "pounds"
Got some pics that are mind-blowing that I will post over that next few days.

[MSUICEMAN]

wish you made this trip when i lived in arkansas, woulda been some good times and i could have showed ya some streams in oklahoma to try out not too far away.

i mean to make it down there again sometime, but everything is on the back burner for a bit.