O Kayaking on Bernard Bayou in Gulfport, Mississippi: My home town. Wanted to be hopper fishing today in AR, but I'll have to be satisfied with the salt.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Widespread Panic, Stoneflies, Bouncers, and Gurus...

Image
Widespread Panic is one of my favorite bands. Their unique blend of eclectic jam music is contagious. Now that I've moved to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, my tailwater adventures involve a ten hour drive (one-way) which allows plenty of time to scan the iPod.  My musical tastes involve almost every genre of music, so if you are listening to my iPod on shuffle, you never know what you're going to hear next.  For whatever reason, Widespread Panic has become my Spring River "theme music."  On my last trip, after a long dry spell of not being able to fish, I was in "Panic mode."  As usual, the USACE was running water on the Norfork, White, and Little Red so those options were off the table.  I managed to score a couple nights with a good buddy of mine at his cabin in Mammoth Spring which is always a good time.  My friend, whom I'll call "The Bouncer" for reasons I won't discuss in this posting, is always a breath of fresh air.  His wife is cool,
Read more

I Love It When A Plan Comes Together...

Image
Once in a while, the planets, The Army Corps of Engineers, and the Weather Man get together and allow a fishing trip to be successful.  If there is one thing I have learned from years of planning fishing trips: the more you plan, tweak your plan, and anticipate every aspect of your plan, the faster you set yourself up for disappointment.  This trip, however, was a spur-of-the-moment affair.  Randy, my friend from Wisconsin, was traveling south to visit relatives in Texas, and asked if I'd like to meet in Arkansas for a couple days fishing.  Of course, I was more than happy to accommodate him as my teaching semester had just ended.  What transpired, was an epic two-day trip where we caught more big browns and rainbows than you would believe.  Randy is a fantastic fly-fisherman and guides in the UP.  We met three years ago at Montana State University in Bozeman.  We were there to defend our Master's theses.  By coincidence, he attended my defense where it was mentioned in my in
Read more

Little Red Fly Shop R.I.P.

Image
Jed Hollan is a true hero. He managed the Little Red Fly Shop in Heber Springs, AR for several years, but sadly, this Arkansas landmark is no longer in business. This shop was one of the good ones, located on the banks of the Little Red River at the Swinging Bridge Access. I can't tell you how many times I've stopped in to say hello to Jed and his wife Pam and they always greeted me with a smile. They had great gear, great coffee, and great conversation. Jed had an "open vice" policy and was always willing to show you how to tie any pattern pertinent to the Little Red River.  In addition to being an expert on local entomology, Jed was alway willing to show novice or veteran alike how to tie knots, or how to tighten up the loop on your double haul.  Bottom line:  Jed Hollan was an educator, a man more interested in making a legacy by passing on the wonderful passion of fly fishing than making a buck.  The Little Red Fly Shop was heavily involved in community philanthro
Read more