Blue River News

Keep A Weather Eye

As of this writing, area manager Matt Gamble is advising travelers to Blue River give due consideration to making a trip at this time because of road conditions.  The roads in the Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area are still iced over and extremely difficult to navigate.

The cold trend looks to continue through next week with things possibly improving around Thursday of this coming week. 

February Trout Derby

Organizers have announced the dates of the Presidents Day Weekend Trout Derby and those dates are the 15th and 16th of February, 2014. 

Chris Adams of Denison, Texas has donated a combination gas/charcoal grill.  This grill has three main burners, a side burner, and charcoal pit.  Value of this grill is approximately $270.00.  Scotty's Blue River One Stop is offering chances to win this grill at $2.00 each, or 3 for $5.00.  Anyone who purchases $20.00 worth of chances will be listed as a derby sponsor.

The sale of chances on this grill help offset the cost of putting on the trout derby.  The cost of special order trout has sky-rocketed over the last couple of events and the Blue River Association could use help in covering the expenses of these special events so many have come to enjoy.

 

Too Lovely To Litter

 

Everything needed to launch the "Too Lovely To Litter" project on Blue River is in place and in the hands of wildlife department personnel at Blue River.

 

The goal of this project is to prevent litter and trash on Blue River.  Another goal is to encourage everyone with each visit to carry out more trash than they carry in.  If all of us carry out just a little with each visit we make to Blue River, then we all will have a much cleaner and healthier river.

 

There will be six stations constructed on Blue River and visitors will find them in the main campground area, the south wilderness, the north wilderness, and the catch and release area.  We hope everyone will take advantage of this free litter bag offering. 

 

 

 



Trout Derby In February

The President's Day Weekend Trout Derby will be held on February 16th and 17th and Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area. 

$1.000.00 in cash and prizes will be awarded.

This event is sponsored by the Johnston County Chamber of Commerce and Blue River Association. 

For more information contact Scotty McCarthick at 580-371-9288.

Chapter 58 Day 11 - Trout Season

Had to go see for myself with all the reports of the condition of Blue River.  The only true way for me to describe the river's condition is to get a visual so this morning I drove down. 

The river is chocolate milk.  I did not expect it to be as bad as it is.  Tuesday and Wednesday mornings the reports were that the river was just a little blurred, but, things begin to change Wednesday afternoon. 

I do not think the river will clear by the end of this weekend so if any of you are driving a long ways you might want to reconsider. 

Still, I managed a few trout.  I first fished the Flats below the Island and managed one bow.  Ted Meador was downstream from me highsticking the riffles and I saw Ted catch one.  I left the Flats and found more shallow water and managed three more trout before leaving for the morning.

The most enjoyable part of my morning happened in the south wilderness parking area where I met the most delightful couple - Jamin (sp) and his wife Kim from Kingston.  Very nice young couple and they have been longtime fans of Blue River also.  They had an expedition planned into the south kingdom today and unfortunately they were going to find muddy water just like I did.  After a wonderful visit I bid them farewell, good luck, and the hope we would visit again on the river soon. 

Stopping at Scottys on the way to the prairie home I discover he has some Okuma fly rods for sale.  I saw several nine foot 5 weights and they come with a hard case cover.  I put one of the rods together to get a feel and I can tell you they are going to be a fast rod, but, the prices is right.  Scotty is asking $50.00 for these rods and cases and they would make for a good backup rod.

Trout derby is this weekend, but, with the river being the color it is it might be a very long weekend for this fly fisher.  Oh well... I can always visit campfires and folk I haven't seen in a while. 

Trials And Tribulations

I fixed trout with lemon pepper in butter tonight, and it was rather good.  The trout came courtesy of the river Blue and the Blue River Trout Derby.

Indeed another trout derby has come and gone and as Chris Adams noted when I bid he and Laura goodbye on Sunday, "We got another one made."  Chris and I have been friends for about ten years now, fishing together, camping together, sharing personal stories together and simply being the friends we are.

As it is with most people that enter the trout derby, the goal is to catch one of those big derby trout.  However, there are some that simply come for the experience - the good food, fellowship, and spending of quality time with one another.  Unfortunately for me, I feel like I missed out on a lot of the really good stuff that comes with the trout derby and I'm terribly disappointed in doing so. 

Chris and I avoided the derby fishing crowd and a chance at catching one of the lunkers placed in the main campground area.  We opted to travel to the kingdom of the south wilderness and take our chances of catching a decent or good stringer of Missouri trout.  The fishing was good at the south wilderness, but the larger Missouri trout were simply not there for us this derby. 

I got to the river Friday afternoon and as it would seem to be for me... problems started right away.  Fishing for some ten inch trout with a partridge and orange, one trout came up and ate my bug.  With the hookset came the next sequence of unbeliveability.  As my rod tip went up in the hookset, the rod tip and half of the third section went down... into the river.  Now, I refuse to believe a ten inch trout broke this rod and evidently it had some stress on it to begin with.  Most likely the stress came courtesy of you know who... you know, like bumping a tree limb or throwing it up on the bank trying to climb a steep incline.  Anyhow, the broken rod certainly wasn't a day maker.

Pitching a tent and little more, I planned on sleeping on the ground with no mat, air cushion, or anything that resembled some kind of body comfort.  I really don't think that would have been much of a problem if I hadn't been required to toss and turn till midnight because my neighbor next door left his loud-ass generator running.  The dog-gone thing finally ran out of gas, and when it did their was a loud collective cheer from the rest of the campers at the end of Area 1.

The next morning came early at 4:45.  I met Chris and Laura at the wilderness parking lot at 6:30 and we began our walk.  Twenty minutes later we arrived at the fishing hole when a sudden awareness hit me straight in the face.  That awarness was the fact I forgot to bring a stringer.  Stringers are required when one is fishing the derby.  The thought of walking back to the schooner and retrieving said stringer was not all that appealing, as I stood on the bank huffing and puffing from the just finished hike.  

Having a hoodie on... one like a gansta wears, I decided to sacrifice the draw string to save a walk back to the schooner, not only possibly saving the day.  The first two trout I catch are small and they go back, but number three is kind of nice at a pound plus.  He goes on the makeshift stringer and it goes on my wading belt.  Five minutes later I check the hoodie cord stringer and it's just fine.  So was the trout... because he was free - guess that knot I tied wasn't real secure.

By 10:30 I have five trout on the hoodie stringer and I'm also feeling the effects of a broken rod, sleeping little on the hard ground, the hike in, the forgotten stringer, and some darn hard wading.  I decide to get one more and at eleven o'clock I tell Chris I'm done, as I leave him and Laura to the water.

Sunday I got a little later start having to catch up with Chris and Laura.  By now, the soreness had started to set in.  The winter storms had kept me off the river for two weeks and although I hate to admit it, when I don't fish regularly and then try to do so, it's a toil on my body.  The fishing started off like gang busters with the first two casts producing two one pound trout.  The third fish was a small one, but having damaged the fish I had no choice but to keep him.  After that third fish the catching died for me, but Chris was sore lipping tons of fish.

Although I was done with the fishing part of the derby and tried no more, I did have the opprotunity to visit a little.  I got to watch Donny Carter do what he does best - dry fly fishing, visit with James Webster a little, and watch Susie's brother James present her memorial award to the overall fly fishing winner.  The smile on James face told that whole story. 

The folks from CPASA (Citizens For The Protection Of the Arbuckle Simpson Aquifer) were on hand encouraging the outdoor community to get involved and be concerned over the aquifer and the many things, like Blue River, it makes possible.  CPASA is a good organization and I'm proud to be a small part of the effort.

Lastly, as it is with each derby, there is one guy I'm always on the lookout for.  He's a young man that, not only I, but so many people have come to love and admire.  Kody Young is one fantastic young man with a great sense of sportsmanship and stewardship.  When I look at Kody... I know I'm seeing the future of fly fishing at Blue River.  His fishing etchics are so highly held by himself... there is no chance of Kody doing anything but right.  That's something that can't be taught and can only be owned.

Kody certainly owns it.    

Kody Young - always excited by fly fishing.

Derby Sunday

2009/2010 Trout Season - Day Eight Fishing

Miss Carol and I broke camp on derby Saturday because she had to work Sunday plus rain was predicted for Sunday and there's nothing worse than trying to deal with a wet tent.

At home Sunday morning Carol's alarm clock sounded like a siren from hell at 3:30 a.m. as I literally pushed myself from a horizontal position. I was still wore out from derby Saturday.

After several cups of coffee I loaded myself in the Prairie Schooner and headed for Blue arriving shortly before six o'clock. Chris Adams was up so being the true bum I am at times I was able to panhandle a good cup of coffee from this brother of the angle.

At six-thirty I had found a vacancy and believe it or not... it was just above the crossing. I quickly threw down stakes claiming my wellspring of good fortune that no man would be so bold to try and take.

By seven...I had my six derby trout...all twinkies...no remarkable size to any.

I now found myself with about six hours of time to kill on the river so I drove back to Seventeen and had myself a little beauty nap. I'm told that nap was a waste of time as far as cosmetic therapy...but it sure felt good. Had me a beer about mid-morning and then drove to Scotty's to counter the effects of the beer with a cup of his coffee. My poor body doesn't know what to expect.

I decided to fish a little more and before derby Sunday was said and done I must have caught thirty or more bows.

The rains came about eleven and that sent many people a-packin' and the attendance at the final weigh-in was light.

There was 190 participants in this November's derby which is a light crowd compared to the record of 283 set back in 2002.

Scotty did say he would like to see a bigger crowd for February, so stayed tuned folks...I figure we'll be working on that goal.

Back To The Fly Rod

2009/2010 Trout Season - Day Seven Fishing

It was a good twenty minutes before day break on derby Saturday and I found myself standing on the bank at Seventeen trying to reserve a spot for Miss Carol.

You see, Miss Carol picked up the fly rod early last season and actually done quite well with it. However her concerns being in the water and wading unfortunately sent her back to the bank and the jars of Power Bait and salmon eggs. She had decided to bait fish for this year's derby.

At the first sign of light she came to the river and took her position that I had been squatting on and I went about my way entering Seventeen and drifting flies through the pockets and runs.

Within thirty minutes I had my derby fish in the basket and was pretty well through with that part of this derby thing. Two hours later I looked at Carol standing on the bank...fish-less, looking rather sad so I gave her a holler asking her "Why don't you get your waders on and try the fly rod?"

Almost eagerly she replied "Okay!"



Coming back to the river at Seventeen dressed like any self respecting fly angler Miss Carol entered in the middle and we crossed over to Sam's Rock. It was here she started to drift...yes drift...an olive/yellow split-tail bugger through the run directly in front of her.

Although she missed a number of takes and most likely got sick of hearing me say "Mend, mend, mend!", she took two bows in fairly short fashion. The action then slowed and it was time to try something else.

Out came the Partridge and Orange and I tied it on as a trailer to the bugger. Three more bows came to Carol's hand and now she needed only one more trout.

After a break Miss Carol struggled to find bow number six so we headed for the Island below the crossing. Here in this sweetest of sweet spots she had number six on four different times but never brought any to hand. Carol would end her day with five bows under the belt.



For me personally this derby Saturday was the best derby experience I've yet to have. There was no hurry or rush to capture fish, the weather was absolutely perfect, and I got to spend some wonderful time with Miss Carol...time that reminded both of us that we truly are each others best friend.