Good Evening

I know everyone is enjoying the last few days of spring weather in the Ozarks.

Last Saturday I spent in the best smallmouth fishing place in the world, our very own Current River. This time we went above Doniphan---way above Doniphan. Although I don't count, I have to estimate that the two of us caught somewhere around 80 fish. What a day.

If fishing bores you skip the next paragraph or two.

The smallies are on the beds, but the beds are quite deep--4 to 5 feet of water. They are also just starting to move onto the wood--hanging under suspended logs. We caught fish on 4" straight plastic worms, swim baits and top water baits. Top water is a huge blast. The worms are more productive, but the top waters are more fun. Can't wait to go back. Every fish we caught was nice and fat and slick. Although we bring one in who was missing his whole top lip and was blind in his left eye. The will to live is just incredible. He was about an 18" fish and all of his wounds had healed.

We saw three osprey, one with a yellow sucker in its talons. I think I saw a baby buzzard--something I have been looking for all of my life. We also saw one bald eagle.

It seemed like every place you looked there was a cabin for sale. The economy pinches hard on recreation.

Sadly, we saw a clear 404 violation. Someone had bulldozed a bunch of construction debris into a creek right on the river. Happily, I did not see alot of trash along the river. I did see lots of new construction and "improvements." House way up on the bluff, half ass road, and a bunch of large rip rap. Little by little this adds to the nutrient load, and hence the clouding of the water, growth of algae and moss, changes, more changes and soon it won't be our clear flowing, gravel bottom, haven.

The ONSR is working on the General Management Plan and there will be a series of open meetings in June. You can be sure the access and recreation folks will be there--will you?

Luann