Zach really has a Jones on for learning to fly-fish-he has seven weeks before our trip to Alaska. He wanted to get his "chops" on some moving water today, and we ended up at the beautiful Blue River near Tishamingo Oklahoma. The Blue is a spring-fed river that eventually empties into the Red below Texoma, and is best known for it's seasonal rainbow fishery-a put and take proposition that starts every autumn. It is, however, also an outstanding warmwater fishery , almost Ozark-ian in character and appearance. Always cool, always clean, and always enough flow for a kayak or canoe, the Blue is a local summertime hangout for the Bud swilling skinny dipping kind of crowd. If, however, one takes the unmarked road up the hill from "Area 2', one eventually reaches a locked gate which marks the start of the "walk-in" waters. In the winter, this represents the so-called "quality" water, meaning the stockers are more along the twelve to fourteen inch variety rather than the eight inchers prevalent at the low water crossing, Hughes Ford. We walked in, probably three quarters of a mile or more, in the searing June sun. Wet wading in the delightfully cool waters of the Blue cooled us down. We had about two hours of casting practice, with an eight inch largemouth (Zach's) and a green sunfish of somewhat less than ten inches to show for our efforts. Wading in the Blue is quite hazardous-there are lots of limestone ledges covered with moss and algae that are almost impossible to stand on, and one should be prepared to take a sudden dip now and again. Along about seven o'clock, though-I finally hooked up with this brown beauty above a little waterfall. He got stuck in the grass, dove down in the rocks, wrapped around a stump, and eventually even swam between my legs in an effort to escape. I was absolutely amazed that I landed this fish-every bit of three pounds, in the heavy current, on a black Llano bug tied by Kevin Hutchinson his own self. Zach snapped a photo with his I-phone, and I released this bruiser back into the flow. I've caught smallies before on this body of water, but this was a personal best for the Blue. Zach has one piece of advice for anyone considering wading the Blue in mid-summer-don't wear cotton boxers.......Click on the pic for a full view.

I took this week off to get my CME's completed. So far, that's not going too well. Instead, I was up and out early this morning to try my luck on lovely little Waterloo Lake in downtown Denison. I've lived here almost seven years, and have never launched a boat or wet a hook on that little jewel. She's generally a little crowded on weekends, and I'm not much for crowds. . The day started off with the accidental impalement of my right hypothenar eminence (the fleshy part of the hand behind the little finger) with a yellow popping bug. Of course, I had no tools with me so I rousted Tam up and out-she brought wirecutters, pliers, water, neosporin and band-aids. I love that woman.
So, without further delay-off I went. Todays' choice of boat deserves a little mention. When I was about ten years old, Sears came out with the first of the Gamefisher boats. Twelve feet long, green fiberglass-about two hundred bucks. I daydreamed of owning one of those little boats my whole childhood. Like the persistent widow, I politicked my dad without ceasing. Alas, it was to no avail. I never did get a Gamefisher. A few years ago, though, I saw one for sale on the now defunct (and much lamented ) Texas Fly Report. Twelve feet, with a trailer-two hundred bucks. It's a seventy-two model, and I bought it from Charlie Decoteaux, well-known fly tyer and fisherman from Plano. Apparently, it was a Katrina survivor, and had made it's way to Plano via a series of brother-in-law trades. Anyway, now she's mine. With a little minn-kota on the stern, I can cruise little bodies of water with style and comfort. She only leaks a little.

In case you didn't know, Waterloo is absolutely full of stunted sunfish-I must have caught fifty or sixty of 'em in about two hours. The park itself is wonderful-nice ramp, good parking, restrooms, picnic tables. There is an excellent running/biking trail of about a mile and a half, and then a paved walking trail of about .6 miles. Tucker loves Waterloo-he even gets off the leash. I was home by eight thirty, made an omelet, and entered this report. Now-on to some CME.