January 2018 Full

Have a story or photo you’d like to share?

Connect with the River Hills Traveler at

(800) 874-8423 or email jimmy@ riverhillstraveler.com or text (417) 451-3798

VOL. 45, NO. 7

JANUARY 2018

www.riverhillstraveler.com

A cold float

Serving the best burgers in SWMO

Fishing & floating the North Fork of the White River ———

By MATTIE LINK

A

‘These are the events that drive us as fishermen’

T

By Ryan Walker his was supposed to be an overnight trip. On the river overnight. The big dip in the jet stream had a different idea.

The four of us were excited about an early winter trip on the North Fork of the White River. Putting in at Kelly's Ford, we planned on floating to Patrick Bridge, some nine miles downstream.

Having seen firsthand the devastat-

ing effects of the "Great Flood of 2017," all were anxious to see how the fish, and the river, had fared.

The "four of us" included myself, Vincent Seidler (Big Vinny), Kacee Slous (Boo) and Jason Vermeiren.

This trip had been planned, discussed, and deliberated for several weeks now.

We all agreed an overnight, on the water, was our preference. Mother nature, and her wicked sense of humor,

would force us into tiny cabins, with a warm bed, and plenty of food to eat. I guess we'd make due.

Saturday morning dawned cold and clear. The external temperature reading on my vehicle told me it was a balmy 18 degrees outside. Our expected high was 30. And with a 15-20 mile per hour wind, we'd be lucky to hit 25 degrees. Perfect!!

Under cloudy skies, four brave

Please see FLOAT, 15

Trio hikes Ozark Trail in 9 sections over 4 years

I

By Michelle Turner follow various Facebook pages that support the Ozark Trail. In November last year, as I was scrolling my newsfeed, a status update by Illinois hiker Jed Olsen immediately caught my eye.

Jed, along with two of his friends, completed the Ozark Trail in its entirety by dividing the trail into nine sections,

which they hiked over a four-year period.

What started in 2013, ended in 2017 with a celebratory Facebook status that was shared on multiple Facebook pages and ended up in my newsfeed.

I knew I had to know more about this hiking adventure and that Jed’s story was Please see TRAIL, 14

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cafe in Noel, Mo., recently switched ownership, but the new owner is no stranger to the cafe, having been a silent partner for three years now.

Kathy Smith has taken over sole ownership of what was formerly named The Lodge Cafe.

“I have been a part owner for three years here at the cafe working in the kitchen and wherever I was needed,” said Smith, who changed name restaurant’s name to Cafe 59.

Smith started devoting all her time to the cafe a year-and-a-half ago and bought it in August 2017.

Before that, Smith was a certified dietary manager, making diet plans and managing diets for nursing home patients.

“I love food service. I love the comfort Please see CAFE, 14

Page 2 • January 2018

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Just a few words about the 20/20 Club

T

he winter months without a doubt limit the time that one would like to spend fishing. A person who loves to fish not only has to do battle with the elements in the form of low temperatures and snow and ice, but also with all the traditional customs that the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays demand.

Let’s face it, November and December are two very busy months for all of us and fishing has to be put way down on the list of things to do… way down there, in fact.

And after those two months are out of the way, then one has to contend with January and February, the two months of the year where Mother Nature usually throws her worst weather at us.

I do manage to Bill Oder make a few trips to ———— Montauk for the catch and release season during these winter months but only on nice days, which often are very rare.

As much as I love fishing, I’m not a fan of braving freezing temperatures and watching ice form on my fly rod.

I do own a pair of fishing gloves, the kind with the finger tips exposed, but as I have aged I have adopted a rule for myself that if it’s cold enough to necessitate the wearing of gloves, then the best thing for me is to stay inside.

I’ve fished in cold weather before (10 degrees once) when I was a younger lad but I have wised-up with age. When I was out there on that 10 degree day, I recall clearly that I wasn’t enjoying myself. Who in their right mind would?

It was brutal. That day I saw someone piling up wood on the bank of the river to make a fire, and after praising that gentleman for his ingenuity and intelligence, I got out of the water and helped him with his fire building.

So during the winter months, if I’m not able to fish, I turn to fly tying (a nice indoor hobby) or reading about fishing (another nice indoor hobby).

Recently I was at a used bookstore and found a book,” The Well-Tempered Angler,” by Arnold Gingrich, published in 1959 and decided to add it to my collection of fishing books.

In one of the chapters of the book, Mr. Gingrich mentions a club of which I had never heard… the 20/20 Club.

This club holds no meetings. There are no monthly magazines. There are no membership cards. No secret handshakes or passwords. No embarrassing initiation rituals. No monthly dues.

The only requirement for membership is catching a 20-inch (or bigger) trout on a size 20 (or smaller) fly using

light tackle and in accomplishing this feat, you will then possess the bragging rights of proudly saying that you are a 20/20 fisherman or fisherwoman.

Of course, fishing with light tackle can be very challenging but as Mr. Gingrich states in his book, this challenge can make one’s fishing experience a lot more satisfying.

The light tackle necessitates using tiny, tiny flies and yes, big trout do go for these small flies, be it dry flies or nymphs, but they do require being tied to the end of a very light leader.

A tapered leader is best with the tippet (the last 24 inches or so of the leader) being in the one- to two-pound test strength category. A short, ultralight fly rod is ideal for this type of fishing but certainly not necessary and a 7 or 8 foot rod would work just fine.

I’ve discovered that some of the new rods on the market today even have a 20-inch mark on them already so they can be used as a ruler, which makes it convenient for anyone seeking membership in the 20/20 Club.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that you are after a big fish using a very small fly and very thin wisp of a leader. A 20-inch trout will weigh around 4.5 pounds and will be fighting courageously.

The only thing that has you and him tethered together is going to be an almost invisible strand of monofilament.

Light leaders seem like they would be impossible to bring in big fish, but they do work.

I remember reading a book years ago by a bass fisherman named Jason Lucas who rigged the end of his line with ordinary sewing thread and netted a lunker bass to demonstrate the importance of carefully playing the fish, and that heavy line isn’t always necessary.

The fish can’t be horsed in like you see anglers doing in the bass tournaments on TV. There will have to be finesse and patience displayed on the part of the fisherman.

There, of course, will be breaking of leaders and breaking of hearts when the big one gets away. There will also be a lot of one- and two-pound trout caught and this is a good thing because catching them will be a ball on light tackle and though they won’t get you into the club, they will still test your skill and patience in bringing them to net and give you a lot of practice for the day when you finally set the hook into the big one.

So, I’m looking forward to trying more of this light tackle fishing on my next trip to the river. I’m not a member of the 20/20 Club yet, but I’m going to try to become one.

Mr. Gingrich said it best in his book, “…There’s satisfaction in knowing that you are doing the simplest thing in the hardest way possible.”

It’s kind of like trading in your deer rifle for a new compound bow, or continuing taking care of your autumn leaf problem with a hand rake instead of a gas blower, or refusing to learn how to text, or backing your car by looking in the rearview mirror instead of that little TV screen on your dash.

There is a satisfying feeling in facing the challenge and getting the job done.

It’s not about how many fish you catch, but how you go about it is what counts.

Oh, I’m sure I’ll still be tying on the

larger flies from time to time but I’m going to give this 20/20 fishing a try.

I may never achieve membership in the club but that won’t keep me from trying, and it’s that glimmer of hope that makes us fishermen and fisherwomen keep packing up our cars and heading for our favorite streams whenever the pressing demands of our everyday lives ease up and allow us to go fishing.

(Bill Oder can be reached at oderbill@yahoo.com.)

RiverHillsTraveler.com

January 2018 • Page 3

This success story makes Missouri stand out

A

By Bob Frakes s I write fire lookout articles here and there, I always find the feedback a great chance to learn and make friends.

After writing one of my River Hills Traveler articles I received a contact from Lawrence Buchheit, of Old Appleton.

Lawrence worked for the Missouri Department of Conservation from 1970-2001. He started there as the tower man at the Perry Tower south of Perryville.

Lawrence invited me for a “tower tour” and talk. He was able to get a key, so we were also able to check out the cab. You could see Cottoner Mountain and the location where the Coffman Tower stood at one time.

Knob Lick Tower was off the west and on a clear day he said you could even see the bridge at Chester and Bald Knob Cross. Bald Knob Cross is almost 40 miles away as the crow flies.

He noted that early on fighter jets used the area for what seemed to be low-level training, and on occasion the fighter pilot appeared to be lower than the cab of the tower.

He is also a local historian and my first questions involved the area. He noted Old Appleton was Schnurbusch and then Apple Creek, to become Appleton and Old Appleton today. Missouri already had an Appleton so that name had caused confusion.

He mentioned how the area had served as the capitol for the five local Shawnee Nations and that Lewis & Clark had stopped there on their way to set out from St. Louis on their journey of discovery.

I enjoyed the lesson and looking at the maps he shared with me.

My first questions involved his work as a tower man. Some have the impression a tower worker spent all their time in the cab of a tower. Towers were used mostly in high fire danger periods.

When the “burn index” (winds over 20 mph and humidity less than 25 percent) was high, the towers were used to “get the jump” on fires.

Being fast to the fire was everything.

A crew that got to a fire when it was small had a small problem. Part of this equation was the fire finder. By aiming and “taking a shot” on the smoke, a worker could relay readings quickly to other towers or to a dispatch board.

These numbers could be translated into an exact location to speed up the arrival of help. If it was a small fire, the worker might go themselves to put the fire out.

Tower workers also knew the area.

Even without several “shots” it could be evident to a tower worker where the

problem was located. Early on these workers were paid by the month which could lead to some long days.

Lawrence recalled that a report had to try and locate a source. On one occasion the fire traced back to a burned outhouse. It seemed the property owners had finally got their indoor plumbing just the way they wanted it and had a ceremonial “good bye” burning party for the privy.

When the fire index dropped, there was always litter to be removed, mowing to get done, and TSI (timber stand improvement).

The timber was cruised. This was done to determine what was there and how it could be best managed. For example: soil determines timber, White Oaks on the north slope, Red Oaks on the south slope, and Hickory on either.

By replacing random and unorganized growth with management, the usefulness of the forest could be greatly improved.

The use of the towers changed over the years. As more areas were brought into the MDC for hunting and fishing, this meant more areas to cover.

Many rural districts took over the work of firefighting. Cell phones made fire reports by the public easier and the public itself became more fire knowledgeable.

Trash pick-up replaced trash burning, resulting in fewer fires. The towers were used less and less, although some are still “active” and used in the dry times. Some were abused at times by

people who didn’t realize the part they had played in Missouri’s conservation success story.

We also discussed the firefighting itself. Lawrence pointed out that the “fire triangle” was heat, air, and fuel.

Fires he sighted were almost always “on the ground,” not in the crown on the trees.

However, hollow trees would burn, fall and help spread the fire. A white smoke indicated leaves and grass burning.

One fire season was February to May before the trees leafed out and the rains came. Another was from the first frost to December or January.

Strong winds would push the fire fast

in a narrow track with a hot fire head.

In lesser winds, the fire would move more slowly and spread out wider.

Fires were often fought by setting a backfire. A break line would be established by rake, road or other means and small fires set to burn back and remove the fuel part of the equation. This required a strategy and surveillance.

Fires racing up a slope were often fought when they crossed over the ridge. Blowers were used in place of rakes, at times, and water was used by backpack or truck tank. Eighty gallons of water from a truck would last about a mile. If a local source of water could be found, pumps could be used to tap the water.

Observation was important to planning and, at times, a small plane was used as eyes in the sky. Constant checking insured no flareups popped up to spoil the work done.

At times on big fires, a “dozer” was called in. Lawrence liked the John Deere 450 but there were several makes and models. Different firefighters had their own favorites.

The picture below (courtesy of Jim Parker) in this article shows Jim Parker and Charlie Younger fighting a fire south of Rolla. The dozer could dig a fire break fast, doing the work of many men. If the terrain was right, it was the right tool for the job.

In the picture of Lawrence at Perry Tower (above), you can see a feature I have found common to the forestry workers – contented pride.

Pride in the job they did over the last century in making Missouri a conservation success story that stands out among the 50 states.

Next time you run into one, give them a thumbs up for a job well done.

(Questions or comments? Bob Frakes can be reached by email at frakes2@ mvn.net or by phone at 618-244-1642.)

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RiverHillsTraveler.com

Page 4 • January 2018

Birders note 109 species during annual bird count

W

e get lots of requests for more stories about birds, and birding, in the Traveler than just about anything else.

Sure, I love to talk about camping, floating, fishing and hunting and you're guaranteed to read about those things in each issue of the Traveler, but birding?

I really hadn't thought too much about it, but was told the other day by some MDC folks that birding is the top outdoor activity in Missouri.

I like hearing what our readers enjoy about the Traveler, and things they would like to read about, so let's start off 2018 with a nice birding story, hopefully one of many to come.

According to the Missouri Department of ConservaJimmy Sexton tion (MDC), birders ———— tallied 109 separate Journey On species of birds on Dec. 18 during the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count at Four Rivers Conservation Area in Vernon and Bates counties.

The tally didn’t top the record for a Christmas Bird Count in Missouri, which was set in 2016 at Four Rivers with 114 species. But it’s still an impressive number of species that reflects in part a wide variety of habitats at the MDC area and at some other nearby public prairies and wildlife areas.

The National Audubon Society conducts Christmas Bird Counts annually between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5 nationally in a tradition that dates to 1900. Data gathered helps scientists monitor winter bird populations and long-term species trends.

MDC staff partners with Audubon members, conservation professionals, and volunteers, for the annual count at Four Rivers and at other locations

G

Children really enjoy the interactive exhibits at the Springfield center.

throughout Missouri. The counts are set within 15-mile wide diameter circles.

At Four Rivers, people participating in the count traverse the area’s wetlands, bottomland forest, agriculture land, restored grassland, and two small remnant native prairies.

Four Rivers provides an impressive number of species for a Christmas Bird Count in Missouri, said Mark Robbins, one of the count organizers.

The wide variety of habitats at Four Rivers helps attract a wide number of species, Robbins said. Plus the count attracts some very good birding experts who are adept at identifying species by sight and sound.

But some species found in the count are related to mild temperatures in autumn and early winter.

Birds that normally would have migrated south are lingering and being tallied, reflecting unusually high numbers in the count, such as greater yellowlegs, least sandpiper, and eastern phoebe.

“You wouldn’t have seen these totals in Missouri 20 years ago or even 15 years ago,” Robbins said. “Climate

change is definitely influencing this.”

Unusual birds sighted on the count included an orange-crowned warbler and a white-winged dove. Participants counted 639 red-headed woodpeckers, which were feeding on a strong mast crop of acorns and pecans on the bottomland forest.

Topping the count by numbers were almost 27,000 mallard ducks, reflecting the focus on wetlands at the August A. Busch Memorial Wetlands at Four Rivers Conservation Area.

My son received a new pair of Nikon binoculars for Christmas, presumably for deer season. I'm going to ask him if he'd like to try them out birding here when the weather warms up a tad.

——— Last summer my wife and I, and our two remaining children who live at home (ages 15 and 9), enjoyed visiting different MDC nature centers around the state and taking part in some of their programs.

From seeing the snakes at Twin Pines (we'll be featuring this conservation center in an upcoming issue) to the turkeys at the Springfield Nature Cen-

Happy New Year in the Ozarks!

rowing up in the Ozarks, where old traditions tend to live on, I knew many people who cooked up a pot of black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day for good luck.

You probably did, too. Most folks probably didn’t really believe eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s actually brought good luck the rest of the year, and did it for tradition’s sake, but I do know one person Wes Franklin who took it more ———— seriously than othNative Ozarker ers.

A friend’s father wasn’t really a believer, per se, but he insisted on black-eyed peas because, well, what could it hurt?

If you want to take it a step further, put a dime under your bowl of blackeyed peas and wear a pair of red garters and you’re more than ensured of good luck the rest of the year. That’s out of Vance Randolph’s “Ozark Superstitions,” published in 1947 and based on several decades worth of compiled notes taken from interviews and observations.

I reference it a lot because Randolph is my favorite Ozark folklorist.

More Ozark New Year’s superstitions collected by Randolph include the following: • Always open your windows a few minutes before midnight on New Year’s Eve to let the bad luck out and the good luck in.

• It is very bad luck to hang up the new year’s calendar before midnight on New Year’s Eve. • Never allow anything to be taken out of your house on New Year’s Day. Some say it is OK to take something out as long as you bring something else back in to offset the bad luck.

Others say try to bring as much stuff into the house as possible on January 1 to ensure a year of plenty.

• Whatever a person is doing on New Year’s Day it is what they will be doing for the entire year. So try not to do anything you don’t want to be doing regu-

larly.

• Never wash clothes on New Year’s Day or it will cause the death of a relative before the year is out.

• An unexpected visitor on New Year’s Day means you will see a lot of guests throughout the new year.

• If the first person to walk through your door on New Year’s Day is a man, it means good luck. If it is a woman, it means bad luck.

• A baby born on New Year’s Day will be lucky for the rest of his or her life (I have a cousin who was born on New Year’s Day but I can’t really speak to how lucky he has been).

These are just a handful of things many people in the Ozarks, and I suspect elsewhere, really did believe at one time.

Perhaps a few still secretly do.

Happy New Year!

(Wes Franklin!can be reached at (417) 658-8443.)

On the Cover

Ryan Walker proudly shows off one of the smallmouth bass he caught during a fishing trip on the James River in Stone County back in June 2017. (courtesy photo)

ter, we had a blast.

And now, just announced at the close of 2017, there’s a new way to sign up for MDC nature programs. Thousands of people that attend hiking, archery, kayaking and other nature programs can now manage their attendance whenever it’s convenient for them.

Instead of calling the center during business hours, registrations are now made online at mdc.mo.gov/events.

The first step in registering for a program is creating a profile.!This takes a few minutes, but once a profile is created, signing up for future programs is very simple.!

Just sign in and click the ‘register’ button.!The online registration is convenient since anyone can now register at any time of day instead of waiting for a facility to be open.

Once someone creates their profile and registers for an event, they can choose to receive email reminders and additional details about each program, and they can cancel their attendance if needed.

MDC will also use the system to evaluate which types of programs the nature centers, ranges, interpretive sites, and other facilities should focus on.!

The registration program will generate statewide reports to give MDC information on which programs are needed, wanted, or unsuccessful.

(Jimmy Sexton is owner and publisher of the River Hills Traveler. He can be reached at (800) 874-8423, ext.

1, or jimmy@riverhillstraveler.com.)

River Hills Traveler 212 E. Main St., Neosho, MO 64850 Phone & Fax: 800-874-8423

www.riverhillstraveler.com Email: jimmy@riverhillstraveler. com Owner & Publisher Jimmy Sexton Managing Editor Madeleine Link Circulation Manager Amanda Harvel Staff Writers Wes Franklin • Mike Roux Bill Wakefield • Bill Oder Tom Boydston • Bill Cooper Michelle Turner • Dana Sturgeon Chuck Smick • Ryan Walker Richard Whiteside Advertising All of us River Hills Traveler, established in 1973, is published monthly by Sexton Media Group and Traveler Publishing Company at 212 E. Main St., Neosho, MO 64850. Postmaster: Send change of address notices to: River Hills Traveler, 212 E. Main St., Neosho, MO 64850. Subscription prices: $22 per year; 2 years, $40. Back issues available up to one year from publication, $5 plus sales tax & shipping.

COPYRIGHT © 2018 No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written permission of the publisher of the River Hills Traveler or his duly appointed agent. The publisher reserves the right to reject any advertising or editorial submission for any reason.

RiverHillsTraveler.com

January 2018 • Page 5

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

I

I was when you picked me up.”

About a boy who thought he was ready to make his passage into manhood but was told to wait until he was older. This did not set well for he felt he was old enough to make that journey.

So off he went – up and over the mountain he went. He passed all types of things and animals along the way.

But one spoke to him! As he stopped, he thought I am so cold. He looked down at his feet and said who is speaking to me?

Behind the rocks was a rattlesnake, and once again the snake spoke.

“We are both cold and in need of warmth and food. Will you carry me along with you until we reach the bottom of this mountain?”

And the boy spoke back, “I cannot pick up a snake, you will surely bite me and from it I would die.”

Once more the snake spoke to the boy’s sense of heart: “Please, I will surely die here, please save my life.”

The boy thought and decided he would pick him up and save his life if he promised not to bite him. Surely he would be grateful and not.

“Alright,” said the boy. “We will go and find warmth and food.”

Off they went. Soon they reached the bottom and just as the boy started to pull him out and set him down, he bit him.

Not knowing why the snake broke his promise he asked: “Why, oh why, after I picked you up and got you where you needed to go to live you bite me?”

And the snake said, “You knew what

This story and the moral of it is: do not pick up or let someone talk you into something you know is wrong.

This story made my grandchildren stop and think for years to come.

Now, to put a little spring in your window all winter long. The one thing I missed the most was my flowers fading away to winter, so here is something I enjoy doing to bring back some spring.

Buy some bulbs, whatever you enjoy the most. Get a bowl 5 inches or deeper, get a few bags of black & white rocks or whatever color you desire, layer them black-white-black.

Place the bulbs an inch down in the rocks then fill water to the bottom of the bulbs, place in a cool, dry place for two weeks; place in window for light and enjoy. Now to keep them blooming all winter long, start another one and repeat. The days of walking in the woods and gathering herbs have been replaced with growing my own and always having enough to share.

When I was young people would come and ask me for a blend just for their needs. The mixture would be given & weeks later I would hear their own stories of peace and feeling healthier.

As I got older my three sons (Wade, Kenny & Michael) all grown, I found my youngest also had the love for the blends and sharing them with his friends and with the tea house here.

So, if you find yourself in our area, stop in and say hello & have a cup of tea from his many blends at the tea house and tell them we sent you.

A good morning tea to bring the smell of flowers back into the house is Lavender Earl Grey. A brisk black tea with about half as much caffeine as a cup of coffee.

The bergamot oils gives a citrus flavor, lavender brings out a strong floral scent that is softened with marigold or morning glory blossoms. It’s a wonderful way to start the day.

I love to embrace the holidays with a cup of Chai tea. This ancient drink comes from India but nothing makes me feel more at home than smelling the sweet & slightly spicy aroma of cinnamon, cardamom and clove in my

To the Editor, n the days we live in we have to make our own tranquility, a peace to carry with us in throughout our days.

The flowers of spring, sleeping until they are awakened once again, we can bring about our own!

In these times of all-consuming hardships within the headlines, we can maintain our sense of self to still our minds and calm our hearts.

I have found in my days of herb hunting along with a good cup of tea, there are a lot of stories passed around an outside fire or within the warmth of a living room.

Many an evening spent with my grandchildren was just that way, and there is one that comes to mind:

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teapot. Traditionally served with milk and honey, it has replaced hot cocoa as my seasonal treat. A tea for any time of day.

A strong black Chai tea will brace you for the day, while a hot cup of caffeine free rooibos chai is a great way to warm up and wind down on a cold winter evening.

Chamomile has long been hailed as a tea for stress relief and as a sleep aid, but gets a special boost with herbs like valerian root, skull cap, St. Johns Wort, passion flowers or lemon balm.

Combining these ingredients from traditional European and Native American medicine turn an herbal chamomile infusion into a guaranteed visit from the sand man.

If you are interested in trying out some tea for yourself, many different kinds can be found at a shop near you like Earth Mother in Farmington or online at sites like Adagio.com.

I like visiting Cottage Rose Tea Room & Candies in Patterson, Missouri, 5 miles from Highway 67. Exit on Highway 34, go west. Their number is 573-856-4131.

Sincerely, Delores (Lois) Ward, Silva, Mo.

Missouri is the best place to fish for stripers

A

To the Editor, striper fish was caught at Powersite Dam in Forsyth, Mo. The Missouri state record striper

James Forsythe at Bull Shoals Lake.

came out of Bull Shoals Lake.

Fishermen, if you like to fish for stripers, there is no better place in Missouri.

Bull Shoals not only has stripers but it has yellow ringtail perch that are already 10-12 inches and up to 3 pounds.

It has great walleye. If you want a trophy walleye, try the famous Barker Hole, located one mile from Forsyth.

Putting in at River Run Park and going down stream, it’s also great for spotted largemouth and white bass.

The town of Forsyth has two motels from River Run going down Beaver Creek Marina, which is approximately four miles down from the town of Forsyth. That is where Beaver Creek connects to Bull Shoals Lake.

You can also fish below Powersite Dam off the bank for walleye at night.

Throwing stick baits into riffles, current fishing is better when they run water out of the dam.

For more information, I am a retired fishing guide. Call me at 417-5817887.

Sincerely, James R. Forsythe, Forsyth, Mo.

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Luke 22:36

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Page 6 • January 2018

It took 8 years to get my first deer

A

s a young boy, my parents had a small amount of acreage in Newton County in the Racine area where I would hunt rabbits and squirrels with a .22 rifle.

At that time I knew of no one that hunted deer. And I had never seen one in that area. So deer hunting had never crossed my mind.

After getting married some years later, my wife and I lived in Kansas City, Kansas, where we both worked and raised two sons.

The boys loved the outdoors as much as we did. When the boys were old enough, we joined a father-and-son program called Indian Guides. This is possibly what got me interested in archery.

One Christmas my wife bought me a recurve bow.

Later, we both got Fred Bear recurve bows and joined an archery club. Then came the want to deer hunt.

Not knowing a single thing about Tom deer hunting, I read Boydston anything I could get ———— my hands on, and talked to anyone who would talk with me about hunting.

There was so much to learn, but I was excited about getting started.

One afternoon a friend of mine called. He said while rabbit hunting he came across a deer which had been shot. Obviously the hunter had not found the animal. Well, what are friends for? So I headed that way.

In the meantime, he called the conservation department and they were sending an agent to check the deer.

It was way after dark before the agent showed up. The agent allowed him to take the deer, but it needed to be field dressed right away. Neither one of us had ever dressed a deer. I agreed to do the job with instructions from the agent.

He talked me through the process and it went very well, I think, for my first time. Well, the meat was too far gone so my friend ended up with the rack and I learned to field dress a deer.

Okay, I am ready, I think. Now to find a place to hunt. I tried several conservation areas. Some areas I did see deer, and some none at all. There were some interesting happenings, though.

One morning it was very, very windy, but I had decided to go out just the same. Finally I decided it was too windy, so I headed back to camp. The wind was in my face and I heard something and turned to have a look, and coming straight for me was a real nice six-point buck.

I froze in place not knowing if I should try to draw my bow or not. As he got within six feet of me (he couldn’t smell me because of the strong wind) he looked the other way for just an instant, and I drew back my bow.

But as I did he turned and saw me. I released as he jumped, and the only thing I hit was a tree. I never did get that arrow out of that tree.

On one other day I thought I might try hunting again. As I had read, I was moving very slowly and into the wind.

When all of a sudden, not twenty feet from me, a big buck exploded from a small patch of buck brush.

Needless to say I liked to have fallen all over myself. No shot possible. Oh, well.

On another hunt I had gone back to camp for a bit of lunch and as I was returning to my tree (in those days I had no tree stands), I was sure I could a deer laying in a patch of tall grass.

I was on an embankment about six feet above and twenty yards away. I wanted to be sure it was a deer, so I worked my way behind this small tree.

As I saw that it really was a deer I made my draw, stepped out from behind the tree to aim, stepped on a rock, and as I slid down the embankment my arrow went up into the trees... and the deer went south. Boy, what luck.

I was not going to give up just yet.

Think!

Make sure you are doing everything you have learned, I told myself. I decided I was not good enough to hunt on the ground, so back to the trees.

Do not move, I told myself. I suppose I did that part okay, because an owl landed on the same limb that I sat on and stayed for several minutes. A squirrel ran across my shoulder on his way down the tree, yet, I saw no deer.

One weekend I did not go hunting.

Instead, I was talking with my uncle, complaining about my bad luck, when he told me about a fellow worker of his who had shot a 25-point buck the previous year.

Prove it, I said. So he did just that.

He took me to the man’s house and sure enough, he had the deer mounted.

I had never seen such an animal.

This man told me where he got the deer. His property joined conservation land. He told me I could camp on his property but must hunt on conservation land.

The next weekend I set up camp in an open field next to a patch of sumac.

This was about a half a mile from his house, and 300 yards across the open field to the hunting area.

Well, I was very excited and could not wait for morning to come. I was up way before daylight. It was very dark with clouds and no moon. I knew where to go and how far it was to the tree I would use as a stand, so I did not want to use my flashlight. Might spook a deer, you know.

It was a quiet morning. As I made my way across the field, I was sure I heard something following me. I stopped to listen and whatever “it” was would also stop.

I couldn’t take it any longer so I turned and flipped on my flashlight.

And right in front of me was a horse.

That startled me, or maybe it scared me for a second. I had forgotten he raised horses.

This happened one other time, and I figured it to be horses, so I turned to run them off, but no horse. It continued

to follow. This time it turned out to be five raccoons.

One evening after dark I was eating my supper when a hound dog came walking into my camp. I ran him off and continued to eat my supper. Some time later a voice from behind me said, “Have you seen a dog around here?”

Liked to have dropped my dinner!

Maybe I should find somewhere else to

camp. It had been six years of hunting without a hit. Two years at this location.

The next season I harvested my first deer. My stand was on a tree which had fallen into the fork of another tree. I could walk right up to the fallen tree and lean against the other. Didn’t know if it would be good or not since it was only about eight feet off the ground.

I hadn’t been there very long when a deer came walking down the trail. The closer he came, the bigger he looked. I counted 10 points.

Believe it or not he came right under me and stopped. I couldn’t believe it myself. I drew my bow and shot straight down. I couldn’t miss.

The deer ran down a very steep and long hill. I heard him crash into a shallow lake down below.

When I got to him I had to draw him out of the frozen water so I could field dress him. The next three hours were spent getting him up that hill.

My ride was a Jeep CJ with a rag top.

As hard as I tried, I could not lift him into my Jeep. So I tied him to the Jeep and drove across the field to a washed out area.

I drove over the bank and then rolled the deer into the back. His horns tore right through the side of the canvas top.

The next year I killed a nice sevenpoint. Both of these are hanging on my walls.

It took me eight years to get my first deer, but with all the things I experienced, it was worth every minute.

(Tom Boydston lives in Neosho, Mo., and can be reached by phone or text at 417-439-6048.)

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Ozark cavefish

January 2018 • Page 7

ENDANGERED SPECIES OF THE MONTH Characteristics What does it look like?

The Ozark cavefish is less than 2.2 inches in length. It is nearly colorless except for a slight pinkish hue that results from blood vessels showing through its translucent skin.

It has a single dorsal fin, a flattened head and no eyes or pelvic fins. The tail fin is rounded.

A

blind fish is providing experts a view of the area’s water quality.

Most area residents have never seen an Ozark cavefish. Some have never even heard of it.

But their hopes of maintaining a healthy environment may hinge on the survival of this small resident of the region’s deepest aquatic depths.

When it comes to water quality, the Ozark cavefish is the equivalent of a canary in a coal mine. Its existence in an underground aquatic environment is one indicator of good groundwater and a healthy cave environment.

Therein lies the cause for concern.

The fish that was once collected by local residents for fish bowls and was a frequent find near the mouths of springs now is a much rarer sight.

The Ozark cavefish is found at approximately 30 sites in southwest Missouri, northwest Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma. Cave disturbance have likely hurt the species at some locations, but it’s theorized one of the biggest factors in the fish’s decline is groundwater pollution.

Urbanization, mining, commercial farming and changes in agricultural practices have all had their effects on the area’s groundwater, which, in turn, have affected the cavefish.

Even in their days of greater abundance, Ozark cavefish populations were never widespread. This small (slightly over two inches in length) creature inhabits only the underground waterways in the Springfield Plateau region of the Ozarks Uplands.

Like many other creatures that live in habitats of total darkness, cavefish have degenerated nerve endings instead of eyes. They are also nearly col-

orless.

The external sense organs that are prevalent over the head, body and fins of the cavefish compensate well for a lack of eyes. Practically all activities of a cavefish are dependent on touch.

A cavefish’s diet consists primarily of small crustaceans, isopods, amphipods, crayfish, salamanders and, occasionally, the young of their own species.

Many Ozark cavefish populations are found in caves that have maternity colonies of gray bats. The guano produced by the bats is a food source for the invertebrates upon which the cavefish feed.

Many uncertainties surround the breeding habits of the cavefish, but it is theorized they’re very similar to those of the northern cavefish (Amblyopsis spelaea).

Females carry their eggs in their gill chambers until they hatch. The young remain in the gill chamber until the yolk sac is absorbed — a period of four to five months.

Breeding occurs during the highwater period of February through April. Young appear in late summer or early fall.

Because of its environmental sensi-

tivity, the Ozark cavefish has become a tool that is being used to stress the importance of good water quality.

Making the environment healthy for Ozark cavefish is a good way to make it safer for people, too.

Here are some simple guidelines landowners can follow: • Make sure your septic tank systems are installed and working properly.

• Properly dispose of all chemical and petroleum products.

• Properly dispose of all trash and other solid wastes.

• Control animal waste run-off or leaking sewage lagoons.

• Maintain forested areas adjacent to cave entrances, springs and stream corridors. These areas provide natural filters to improve water quality and trap soil and contaminants from surface run-off.

• Control access to caves with fencing or gates that allow wildlife to travel freely, but restrict human access.

• Sinkholes are usually direct routes into cave system and should be protected by a forested buffer. Sinkholes should never be used for dumping.

(Francis Skalicky works for the Missouri Department of Conservation and can be reached at 417-895-6880.)

Already gone

O

zark cavefish have been hurt by changes in Missouri’s water quality, but the state’s pallid shiner population has fared much worse. This small minnow (approximately 1 to 3 inches in length) can still be found in parts of the central United States, but in all probability, it has disappeared from Missouri.

Once believed to be common in streams and rivers throughout much of eastern Missouri, the last pallid shiners found in the state were collected in 1956. Repeated efforts to collect this grayish-silver minnow at locations where it formerly occurred have been unsuccessful, which leads experts to believe the fish has probably been extirpated from the state.

The pallid shiner (Notropis amnis) seems to be intolerant of excessive siltation and turbidity and therein probably lies the reason for its extirpation.

Though there is little definite evidence surrounding this fish’s disappearance from the state, most experts feel its demise was linked to increased siltation of streams that came about because of changing land use practices. (source: MDC)

E

ndangered species are specifically designated in the Wildlife Code of Missouri.

Here’s the text from the code: (2) The exportation, transportation, or sale of any endangered species of plant or parts thereof, or the sale of or possession with intent to sell any product made in whole or in part from any parts of any endangered species of plant is prohibited.

(3) For the purpose of this rule, endangered species of wildlife and plants shall include the following native species designated as endangered in

Troglichthys rosae

The Ozark cavefish is one of six species in the fish family Amblyopsidae; a group that encompasses the cave-adapted fish of North America. These unique inhabitants of underground waterways either lack eyes or have eyes that are extremely small.

Most fish in this family have bodies that are almost totally devoid of pigment.

Where is it found?

Ozark cavefish are found only in the Springfield Plateau, a geographic area underlain by highly soluble limestone bedrock that favored the formation of extensive, sub-surface waterways.

Ozark cavefish occur in small cave streams, most often over a rubble bottom. Most of us will never see cavefish in their natural setting, but there are places we can learn about them.

The Neosho National Fish Hatchery, a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service facility in Neosho, has a video presentation and literature on the Ozark cavefish. Information on cavefish can also be found at mdc.mo.gov. (source: MDC)

WILDLIFE CODE OF MISSOURI Missouri: (A) Mammals: Gray bat, Ozark big-eared bat, Indiana bat, northern long-eared bat, black-tailed jackrabbit, spotted skunk.

(B) Birds: Northern harrier, interior least tern, Swainson’s warbler, snowy egret, king rail, Bachman’s sparrow, peregrine falcon, American bittern, greater prairie-chicken.

(C) Reptiles: Western chicken turtle, Blanding’s turtle, Illinois mud turtle, yellow mud turtle, Mississippi green water snake, massasauga rattlesnake. (D) Amphibians: eastern hell-

bender, Ozark hellbender.

(E) Fishes: Lake sturgeon, pallid sturgeon, taillight shiner, Neosho madtom, spring cavefish, harlequin darter, goldstripe darter, cypress minnow, central mudminnow, crystal darter, swamp darter, Ozark cavefish, Niangua darter, Sabine shiner, mountain madtom, redfin darter, longnose darter, flathead chub, Topeka shiner, grotto sculpin.

(F) Mussels: Curtis pearlymussel, Higgins’ eye, pink mucket, fat pocketbook, ebonyshell, elephant ear, winged mapleleaf, sheepnose, snuffbox,

scaleshell, spectaclecase, Neosho mucket, rabbitsfoot, salamander mussel, slippershell mussel.

(G) Other Invertebrates: American burying beetle, Hine’s emerald dragonfly, Tumbling Creek cavesnail.

(H) Plants: Small whorled pogonia, Mead’s milkweed, decurrent false aster, Missouri bladderpod, geocarpon, running buffalo clover, pondberry, eastern prairie fringed orchid, western prairie fringed orchid, Virginia sneezeweed. (source: MDC)

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Page 8 • January 2018

RiverHillsTraveler.com

January 2018 • Page 9

Fishing • Kayaking • RV camping • Cabins • And more!

84 Cat Hollow Trail, Lebanon, MO • (417) 532-4377 www.FORTNIANGUA.com

We bagged enough ‘stories’ to keep us entertained all winter long

W

aterfowl hunts always have the potential to become exciting. On the other hand, if the birds are not flying they can be as boring as hunting can get.

When you do have targets and there are several hunters in the blind, things can get interesting. So it was last January for me and my buddies in West-Central Illinois.

Luke Terstriep, of Quincy, invited me to join him and his sons, Luke, Jr. and Lance on a goose hunt. They have a nice set-up near the river and had room for me, so I accepted.

It was an afternoon hunt and we arrived about 1 p.m. and put a few dozen decoys out on the ice. This was their Mike Roux first hunt since their pot———— hole froze over in the last cold snap.

They had taken a few geese from a field set-up the evening prior, but tonight they wanted to try the blind.

We had geese over the field as soon as we got in and got ready. The big birds came in small flocks, large flocks and singles and doubles. Regardless of the number of geese, they all flared just outside the ice.

We rearranged the decoys with no change in results. None of us could figure out why the geese did not like our set-up. But we did

The “Terstriep Trio” show off the results of our West-Central Illinois goose hunt.

know staying put would be futile.

The “Terstriep Trio” made the decision that we should leave the blind and make the best of it in the field. Three of us scattered like a covey of quail and picked spots that we each thought might give us low passing shots at the incoming birds.

I picked a spot with head-high foxtail, Luke Sr. went to the closest tree, Lance chose a weeded road bed and Luke Jr. decided to stay in the blind, just in case.

Luke Sr. drew first blood. A flock of seven

swung close to his spot and only six flew away. Next it was time for Lance to have a turn and he took his turn in fine fashion.

Four geese were flying right down the road where Lance was hidden. As the birds approached I saw his gun barrel stick up above the cover.

On the first shot a goose folded in mid-air.

His second shot also knocked down a goose and I fully expected a third goose to fall.

Lance missed his third shot but his double was classic and I was tickled to have gotten

to witness it.

It was great to watch all the action but I knew Luke, Jr. was getting bored in the blind so I motioned him over to sit with me for a while. He slid the 100 yards across the ice to my side and sat side-by-side with me as we watched for incoming flocks.

As the geese closed on our position, we raised our guns and I began to figure my lead. The birds were flying right at us so the sight picture should’ve been be easy, just swing through the target, lead and follow through. That is just what I did.

My first target was crushed and I moved to find a second goose at which to shoot. I heard Luke shoot at least once. I missed my second shot and was preparing to adjust my lead for a second at it when something really weird happened.

As I readied my third shot, Luke jumped into my lap. That is not totally accurate.

Luke Terstriep, Jr., was crawling over me very rapidly and yelling all the way.

Before I could process what was going on, the goose I hit with my first shot hit the ground right where Luke had been sitting.

I cannot adequately describe the sound the goose made when it hit. I can only tell you the approach and the crash were very loud.

“That thing was going to hit me!” Luke yelled. “It was coming at me like a missile.”

“If that had hit you, it would have killed you,” I said. “It was like a kamikaze goose.”

We both laughed as we relived the en-

counter. We were still laughing about the near-death experience when a single large Canada goose set its wings and glided to a slick landing in front of the blind in the decoys. Luke got up and made a great sneak on the goose in the flooded, iced-up standing corn. The bird took wing and died right in front of the blind.

The decision we made to leave the blind and do a wildcat hunt paid off. We all four had at least one goose.

With about five minutes of shooting time left I began to make my slow trip across the ice to the blind to start picking-up decoys.

There were now hundreds of geese in the air in all directions. I was dragging my big bird across the ice when a honk got my attention. As the goose got right in front of me I decided to take the shot. I lead the goose two-and-a-half body lengths, slapped the trigger and kept my gun moving after the shot was fired. I actually heard the tungsten shot hit the goose. It folded-up and was dead as it fell for what seemed like two minutes.

Both Lance and Luke Jr. saw the shot and were yelling congratulations before the bird ever hit the ice. We ended the day with six Canada geese and enough stories to keep us entertained all winter.

(Mike Roux is the Midwest Regional Director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Outdoor Ministry.!To become a Home Team Member of this new ministry, call him at 217-257-7895.)

Critter of the Month: Little brown bat

• Species: Little brown bat.

• Scientific name: Myotis lucifugus.

• Nicknames: None.

• Claim to fame: Little brown bats are among the most common bats in Missouri. They’re beneficial to humans because of their high consumption of mosquitoes and other insect pests.

• Species status: Little brown bats are common throughout Missouri.

• First discovered: The first scientific description of the little brown bat was written in 1831 by the naturalist John LeConte.

• Family matters: Little brown bats belong to the family Vespertilionidae. Bats in this group have simple, unmodified muzzles. Within this family, little brown bats belong to the Myotis group of bats. This is the most numerous and most widely distributed bat group in North America.

• Length: Three to four inches.

• Weight: One-fourth to one-third of an ounce.

• Diet: Little brown bats are strictly insectivores, feeding predominantly on winged insects. They feed heavily upon

mayflies when available. Mosquitoes are also part of their diet, particularly before mayflies emerge.

Little brown bats also consume beetles, flies, caddis flies and some species of moths. Little brown bats can catch up to 1,200 insects in a single hour during peak feeding periods. Bats consume one-half their body weight in insects in one night. They must eat a great deal of food to replenish the great amount of energy they expend while flying.

• Distinguishing characteristics: The upper surface of a little brown bat’s body is yellowish-brown to blackish brown. One of the more fascinating features of little brown bats – and other bats – is their method of flight guidance and prey location.

Most bats do this through the technique of echolocation.

The bat utters sounds at frequencies above the range of human hearing. When a cry is given, a small muscle in the bat’s ear contracts momentarily.

This prevents the bat from hearing its own cry, which might interfere with the reception of the echo. The ultrasonic sound strikes an object and the echo is received by the bat’s inner ear.

By analyzing the echo, bats measure the distance to a

given object, the direction it is from the bat, whether it is moving and can also discern facts about the object’s size, shape and its surface characteristics.

Despite flying in the dark of night, bats are adept at avoiding obstacles in their paths and are also highly efficient at pursuing and intercepting prey. Bats capture small insects in their mouths or cupped tail membranes and feed on them while flying.

• Life span: Little brown bats commonly can live up to 12 years. Some have been known to live as long as 30 years.

• Habitat: In Missouri, little brown bats hibernate during winter in caves and old mines, mostly in the Ozarks Highland region. In spring and summer, the females live in nursery colonies which may be in crevices in cliffs, in hollow trees, under loose bark of trees, in attics, towers or other inaccessible parts of buildings. Females are seldom found in caves during summer.

Males are solitary or may live in colonies of up to 20 during summer. After the nursery colonies disintegrate in late summer, both sexes roost together in a variety of locations.

• Life cycle: Bats mate in the fall before hibernation. The sperm remains dormant in the female during winter hibernation until the following spring when the egg is fertilized.

Most young are born from late May to early July. The young are able to fly by the age of three to four weeks. By the age of two months, they have attained adult size. (source: MDC)

Washington State Park Thunderbird Lodge 13041 St. Hwy. 104 (south of DeSoto on MO 21)

(636) 586-2995

3 & 7 mile floats • Cabins • Camping Swimming pool • Kayaking/Tubing open April thru November!

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Page 10 â&#x20AC;˘ January 2018

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January 2018 • Page 11

VINTAGE OZARKS:

Arcadians at Camp Clark

S

eekers of idyllic relaxation posed beside the rustic cabins at Camp Clark, Galena. Were middle class Arcadians with automobiles contradictory? This variety of primitivism was not radically anti-technological.

Photographer George Hall began his career photographing characters and scenes relating to Harold Bell Wright’s 1907 novel, “The Shepherd of the Hills.” The book described a romantic and idealized version of life in the White River Hills, and became a huge bestseller.

Curious tourists rode the new railways to the rugged country believing

its inhabitants were characters in the book. Later automobiles delivered travelers to what became known as the Shepherd of the Hills Country. Both Branson and Galena benefitted from this publicity.

The way geography influences land use and culture fascinates us. The landscape of the lower James River and its parent stream, the White River, has deep hills which have demonstrable consequences.

In our James River book we have explored these differences between the gently rolling landscape of the upper James, and the rugged lower river.

(This feature is courtesy of Leland and Crystal Payton at Lens & Pen Press, publishers of all-color books on the Ozarks. Their new book, “James Fork of the White: Transformation of an Ozark River,” 354 all-color pages,

has been published and is available at www.beautifulozarks.com ($35, postage paid) and on amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. Their earlier river book, “Damming the Osage,” can be at seen www.dammingtheosage.com.)

Include spending more time outdoors in your 2018 plans

A

re you ready for a new year?

Ready to explore the outdoors?

Missouri has a lot of natural treasures.

There are plenty of trails on public lands to hike, bike and horseback ride.

There are several places to camp, to picnic, to fish, and to hunt.

There are historic sites all over this state to visit. There is so much history here from the Civil War, Native Americans, old historic mills, old building sites of old churches or schools and historic landmarks.

Missouri also is blessed with several rivers, streams, creeks, ponds and lakes you can float by canoe, kayak or Dana boat.

The southern part Sturgeon of Missouri offers ———— four beautiful rivers, Eleven which are: North Point River Fork River, Eleven Point River (purest in Missouri with 30 springs flowing into it), Current River, and the Black River.

There are plenty of fish to go around for everyone to enjoy, or if you just want to float down the river.

What are your plans for the new year? We have 24 hours to a day and 365 days out of the year. Life is so short on this earth.

Every moment counts. You either choose to live or choose not to. And what better way to spend the new year than to be outdoors enjoying God’s beautiful creation!

Plan a new year in the forest watching for birds, hiking, hunting, visiting historic sites, fishing on the river or a lake, floating down one of our beautiful

rivers or simply relaxing out in your backyard watching the squirrels run up the trees. Have a blessed, healthy and happy New Year everyone!

(Dana Sturgeon lives in southern Missouri. She can be reached at mo_dana@hotmail.com.)

AROUND the WORLD with the River Hills Traveler

Jaden Heien and Autumn Osia, of Washington, Mo., took the River Hills Traveler to Dallas while attending the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in November 2017. They posed for this photo at the Dallas County Historical Plaza. Jaden’s great-grandfather, Dennis, is a regular reader of the Traveler.

——— If you're going on a trip or vacation, please take the River Hills Traveler with you and have someone photograph you and the magazine in front of a landmark or particular setting. Then email the picture to us at jimmy@riverhillstraveler.com and we will publish it an upcoming issue. You can also text photos & info to (417) 451-3798 or send them to us via our Facebook page.

Thank you very much and we look forward to seeing your family’s adventures!

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Page 12 • January 2018

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RiverHillsTraveler.com

January 2018 • Page 13

REMEMBER WHEN From the January archives of the River Hills Traveler: 5 years ago • Their month’s cover subject, Al Agnew, one of the country’s most respected fish and wildlife artists, has supplied many cover illustrations for Trailer over the past 30 years.

Agnew is a man who is blessed to be able to earn a living doing what he loves.

Agnew, who was born in Desloge and now lives near St. Genevieve, has been interested in the outdoors and art his entire life. He has successfully combined tho two in his art career.

• Every aspect of our society has become so pigeonholed, we all have became victims of the cookie-cutter syndrome. If we see it on TV, or in a slick magazine, we copy it. It is called mass merchandising. And it works on the masses to relieve us of our hardearned money. (Bill Cooper) 10 years ago • Well over 100 concerned citizens from Shannon County and the surrounding area gathered at the Eminence High School gym on Saturday evening, Jan. 19.

Voice of the Ozark, founded in midOctober, 2007, held its first official meeting to discuss how to go about protecting area citizens’ right to access to rivers and lands in the Ozarks that are owned and managed by state, federal and private agencies. (Bill Cooper) • Even a rough day fishing the Gasconade River is memorable. My favorite fishing stream has giving me some of my best fishing memories, and some of

my oldest.

One trip was a 4-pound largemouth I caught that had a huge lamprey attached to its side. Another time it was an eagle that swooped over our heads as we waded.

The only hellbender I’ve ever observed in the wild was on the floor the Gasconade. The best, most frantic 45 minutes of smallmouth fishing I’ll ever have came here.

Last fishing trip we took on the Gasconade, in September, was our least successful. But there was enough action, and some surprising catches, to ensure I won’t forget it. The Gasconade is a bit on the fringe of River Hills country. For me, living in the St. Louis area, it’s the farthest I drive for padding. The fishing keeps me coming back. (Bryan Dent) 15 years ago • This will be the third year of a creel census on Lake Wappapello. And last year’s results may be twisted a bit by extremely high water in the spring. But Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) biologist Mark Boone has some preliminary data.

The creel survey is being carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in cooperation with MDC. A major find so far is that the bulk of the crappie being harvested are 7-9 inches long.

The question is, is this a function of

FINES & VIOLATIONS The Missouri Conservation Commission met on Friday, Dec. 15, and suspended or revokedhunting, fishing, or trapping privileges of: • Ryan S. Bomar, Jackson, all sport, one year.

• Dakota L. Carter, Piedmont, all sport, one year.

• Cole B. Childress, Lebanon, all sport, one year.

• Leon R. Chitwood, Centerville, hunting & fishing, one year.

• Dean E. Fletcher, Garden City, fishing, one year.

• Colton M. Hensley, Mountain Grove, hunting, four years.

• Danny L. Mackey, Cameron, all sport, one year.

• Skylar E. Parker, Cherryville, hunting, one year.

• James A. Penrod, Patterson, all sport,

additional one year.

• Sopheak Prach, Columbia, fishing, one year.

• Chung K. Quan, Columbia, fishing, one year.

• Kent W. Ritter, Clinton, all sport, one year.

• William L. Walker, Salem, hunting, two years.

• James M. Witt, Brumley, hunting, one year.

Commissioners also suspended or revoked all hunting and fishing privileges of 297 individuals not in compliance with applicable child support laws.

They also suspended or revoked hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges of 354 people in accordance with the terms of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, and reinstated hunting privileges for two people.

the crappie population, or is this the point at which fisherman crop off the crappie population. (Bob Todd) • I was driving home from deer camp this past season after spending five nights and six days out in the woods camping. I had just driven through the town of Cabool, Missouri, and was heading north on Highway 63.

I was daydreaming about all the things that would be waiting for me at the office on the following Monday when I went back to work, when I happened to notice an extremely large bird perched in a tree right alongside the highway.

(Howard Helgenberg)

20 years ago • It wasn’t much comfort to Bo for me to tell him he was lucky his line broke.

We’d both seen the bass. Six pounds or better. Huge for a river largemouth.

With a great swirl, it had taken Bo’s buzz bait less than 10 feet from the canoe. It turned just enough that Bo could set the hook. And then it charged.

Right at Bo, right under the canoe, it jerked the rod under the water and wrapped it against the bottom of the canoe. The the rod sprung back at the line parted. (Bod Todd) • High water last spring made it difficult to continue the sampling/tagging of walleye in Black River below Clearwater Dam, but the project continues.

Paul Cieslewicz, biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation, has been attempting to catch and tag walleye in Black River for the past few years, but last year was not a banner year — less than 100 reward tags were placed in fish.

(Bod Todd)

30 years ago • You don’t get nothin’ for nothin’, but from time to time you do get a very good deal. And apparently outdoorsmen will be getting more hunting and more ducks due to expansion of Otter Slough Wildlife Area, southwest of Dextor.

Expansion offers more opportunities for fishing, upland hunting, nature study… but the main benefits are for waterfowl. (Bod Todd) • At the head of these “Traveling Into History” pieces is a logo of a paddlewheel riverboat. This is appropriate because the era when the steamboat was queen of the Mississippi is the most romantic of our history.

The ornate packet boats were more magnificent than anything in the midwest and everything about them took on a glamour that had never been seen before.

40 years ago • Even though the treaty of 1825 had been harsh on the Osage, it did lead to a period of comparative peace for this tribe that once controlled southern Missouri as well as northern Arkansas and the plains to the west.

Now their domain was limited to what is today southern Kansas and opened out onto the plains of Colorado. But for the most part, they were at peace, even through the Civil War. (Bob Todd) • A new year is here. One more spring with its show of life has passed. One more fall, the spectacle of nature, has passed. We are in the grips of another winter with promise ahead. It is the time of reflection. (Jack Leiweke) (compiled by MyraGale Sexton)

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Page 14 • January 2018

CAFE from 1 that food brings to people,” said Smith.

Smith was a resident in Gravette, Ark., for 30 years before moving to Pineville, Mo. After moving to the area, Smith joined The Lodge Cafe near the end of 2014.

“It has always been my dream to have a cafe. I love making people happy with food,” said Smith. “If someone is having a bad day, give them a brownie.”

Plans for Cafe 59 are simple for Smith.

Before it was The Lodge Cafe, it was the old Dairy Lane.

“My plan is to restore it to the old diner look and give it new life,” said Smith.

There will be no menu changes, no staff changes. The only change is the name and the theme.

“We have made a seamless transition since I took over. And we’re right on Highway 59 so why not call it that?” said Smith.

Smith will be re-painting the walls and adding new desserts, and once summer rolls around they will be adding more shakes and malts.

“We are not changing, but rather adding to the services we currently offer,” said Smith.

For Cafe 59 the busiest time of the

business so far is the people, while her hardest thing is having a soft heart.

“I meet all kinds of people and I love that, but I also have a big heart and being a business owner sometimes you have to make hard decisions,” said Smith. “I try not to let compassion cloud my judgement.”

Cafe 59 attracts people from the Neosho, Joplin, and Gravette areas as well as many others. The restaurant also has a steady list of “regulars” each morning for breakfast and coffee.

“We laugh, we joke, and we have a good time. I invite you to come have a good time with us,” said Smith.

The cafe’s hours are 6 a.m.-9 p.m., seven days a week, and they can be reached at (417) 475-3663. year is the summer due to all the traffic from the floaters.

“Our most popular items are the Haystack, Cody Burger, and the biscuits,” said Smith, adding that the restaurant offers breakfast (served all day), lunch and dinner specials.

Cafe 59 is located on the north side of Noel, about a mile south of Two Sons Floating as you enter town, on the right side of the road. Elk River flows through Noel and sees thousands of campers, floaters and fishermen every year.

TRAIL from 1

MT: How did you and your friends celebrate reaching that final step to end your adventure?!

JO: It’s not like running a marathon when the winner breaks the tape or running track with a crowd cheering when the race is over, it’s the internal feeling of, “We backpacked 240-plus miles with everything we needed on our backs.”!

Tradition, though, is stopping at Waffle House to carb up.!I made it special with an extra waffle.!

There will be a get-together for the three of us, and our families, at a later date.!When finishing the River to River trail, I had a celebration party with food and a slideshow in the background showing pictures from the trip.!

We reminisced, although I am not sure the wives enjoyed it as much as we did.

one I wanted to share with the readers of the River Hills Traveler.

Thankfully, once I contacted Jed, he was more than happy to answer my questions.

MT: What possessed you and your friends to tackle the Ozark Trail?!

JO: We completed the River to River trail in Illinois from Grand Tower to Elizabethtown in the spring of 2013 for a total of 160 miles. It is easier to plan trips on established linear routes.! You know where you end, making it easy to know where you start.

After completing River to River trail, it was only natural to keep the same program with the Ozark Trail.!

Again, it made it simple to plan.!We drove two vehicles. We would drop a vehicle at the end of our planned trip, then drive the second vehicle to the beginning of the trailhead.

MT: You mentioned on social media that there were a few trips to UrgentCare thanks to chiggers and poison ivy. Even with those setbacks, what kept you going back to complete the trail?!

JO: Setbacks are all part of the experience, adding excitement to the trip and the stories to tell.! I’ve not had a bad backpacking trip since I started in 2006.!

Each trip has its own challenges and triumphs.!Fortunately, there were no broken bones, although there were certainly sore feet, knees, and legs after a handful of the trips.!

Many of these people seek out a local eatery, especially after they get off the water from a long day’s float, and Cafe 59’s double cheeseburger and tots combo is legendary.

Since taking over ownership, Smith has made it her mission to serve as many people she can in whatever way she can.

“I am 65 years old and it’s time for me to give back,” said Smith. “And through the grace of God, I can provide more things for more people.”

Her favorite thing about owning the

We were fortunate the only real challenges were weather.!The trips consisted of sleet, snow, all-day rains and cold weather, but we managed.!

A few times water was scarce, but we planned properly so that the next day water was available.

MT: Which section of the trail sticks out to you as the most memorable?!

JO: Each section had its own beauty, in addition to the enjoyment coming from the season.!I’m sure that if we were to switch to where we started in the spring instead of the fall, that each trip would be very different, but if I had to choose one section I would choose the Eleven Point with its stunning views.

MT: Looking back, would you do it again? Why or why not?!

JO: I would do it again if it was the only option, but because there are other sections that are not linear on the Ozark Trail, we have another 150-plus miles to complete.!

This is the next goal — complete ALL sections of the Ozark Trail.

JO: Be prepared!!Also, choose good hiking buddies that enjoy it as much as you do.!No complainers among my buddies!!

Let your family know your starting and end points, along with a time deadline to call for help if they haven’t heard from you.! This was not an issue, but friends and family need to know where you are.!

When hiking the River to River trail, the city police showed up at my house in Illinois at 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning because a Giant City State Park Ranger noticed my truck was parked in a hunting parking lot.!

It was opening weekend and my truck hadn’t moved, increasing concern that I was a hunter in trouble and unable to hike.!

Fortunately, my wife had my itinerary.

(Michelle Turner lives in Union, Mo.)

MT: What tips do you have for anyone who is wishing to tackle the Ozark Trail?!

SPORTSMEN'S BANQUET • Saturday, February 3, 2018 Fellowship of Wildwood 17770 Mueller Road, Wildwood, MO 63038 Doors will open at 11 a.m.

Guest speaker is St. Louis Cardinals Manager Mike Matheny.

Great BBQ lunch. Live and silent auction items include Cardinals and Blues sports memorabilia, vacation packages, fishing equipment, hunting supplies, compound and crossbows, guns, grills, and more.

Tickets on sale Dec. 1 at fellowshipofwildwood.org/sportsmen Individual tickets $30, table of eight $200.

For more information, email sportsmen@fellowshipofwildwood.org.

RiverHillsTraveler.com

January 2018 • Page 15

FLOAT from 1 souls slipped into the cold, clear waters of the North Fork.

Anticipation is around every bend, behind every rock. Trout are the quarry of the day, and this river has provided me with more memories than I can speak to.

One of the group, Jason, has never been on this river. I try to put myself in his place and remember the excitement of a new river. Especially a new river you've heard about all of your life.

These are the events that drive us as fishermen; new waters full of promise.

The trip started in fine fashion. I'm fishing a double nymph rig and my first drift results in a fat, 14-inch rainbow that fights with all of the vigor wild trout are known for.

The second drift produces a similar outcome; another fat, beautifully-colored rainbow takes the bottom fly and heads for cover. Well, this is promising.

The 'Fork has changed dramatically in the past year. The 2017 floods altered its course in such a way that I almost didn't recognize holes and runs I've fished hundreds of times.

Water always wins, and even some of the car-sized boulders below the Blair Bridge access were moved downstream.

As always, most of the fish managed to find safety. Although, more than a few found themselves in unfamiliar territory.

We managed a few more fish on that first day, all taking nymphs fished deep, and only one minor mishap: a sniper rock grabbed the bow of the canoe we were using as a barge and turned it wrong-side up. No major injuries and only a minor soaking.

Luckily, we were less than a mile from take-out and all had packed dry clothes for this eventuality. As a good friend once said, "Spend enough time

on the water and you end up in it now and then."

The cabins at Rocky Top were a perfect place to rest, dry off and get our minds right for Sunday's float. Deer steaks, backstraps and fresh pork steaks with all the fixings replenished our energy and an adult beverage or two lifted our spirits.

I had so psyched myself for sleeping on the ground, in the cold, that the comfy bed and pillows felt that much better.

Sunday's forecast high was in the low 50's, a veritable heat wave compared to Saturday. Fresh bacon and eggs were served and it was off to the river!

This was a short float, less than four miles, so we could take our time and enjoy the scenery, fish and float along, talking about past trips and future adventures.

A few fish were caught, eagles were viewed, deer were spotted and life was as it should be.

As we pulled into our take-out point at Patrick Bridge, I asked Jason what he thought of the river.

His response was, "The fishing was great, the catching was not. But the trip was epic! Finally got to see the 'Fork and spend it with good friends. I'll be back."

Mission accomplished. As fishermen, we tend to forget it's not the fish we seek, but the experience.

I'll be back, indeed.

(Ryan Walker can be reached at info@ozarkssmallmouthalliance.com.)

The cold weather didn’t stop Vincent Seidler from catching trout.

❏ $22 for 1 year ❏ $40 for 2 years (most popular & best value option!)

❏ Online edition only for $15 per year please fill out this form & mail it to:

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LET’S GO FISHING SHOW

January 2018 • Page 1

LET’S GO FISHING SHOW January 5-7, 2018

RODS • REELS • TACKLE • FISHING BOATS • RESORTS GUIDE & CHARTER SERVICES • FREE SEMINARS • LIVE DEMOS • DISPLAYS

Vincent Seidler and Kacee Slous enjoy an early winter trip on the North Fork of the White River.

Page 2 • January 2018

LET’S GO FISHING SHOW

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Lake Ozarks guide gives cold weather bass tips

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By Bill Cooper he thermometer read 22 degrees when I left the house at 6 a.m.

The weather report the night before predicted 41 degrees.

Regardless, I headed toward Lake of the Ozarks to spend the day with bass and crappie fishing guide Jack Uxa. We planned to put together a video about cold weather bass fishing techniques.

“The wind is out of the east,” Jack pointed out right off the bat.

“Wind out of the east, fish bite the least,” I chimed in.

“I don’t put much stock in that old saying,” Jack rebutted. “Winds are supposed to reach 40 mph, too. It may get a little rough out there, but Lake of the Ozarks has a million coves. We will find some out of the wind.”

Uxa has been guiding on Lake of the Ozarks for a couple of decades and he knows its waters like the back of his hand, another old saying. I had fished with him a couple of times previously.

His performances proved impressive.

Despite the fact that I believed in the out of the east wind theory, I had confidence that Jack would find fish before the day ended.

Jack has earned a good reputation as a guide, spending about 290 days a year on the water.

“Geez,” I gouged. “You should know a bit about the lake, having spent that much time out here.”

“I feel I know the lake very well,” Jack rebounded. “But, there is always more to learn. Every day is a new beginning. Conditions can change quickly. When conditions change, the fishing patterns change, too.”

A pro staffer for Bass Pro Shops, Jack launched his Nitro boat at a wellhidden boat ramp. It was armed with all the latest devices, which, according to him, gave him an edge for locating fish for his customers and in turn gave them ample opportunities to catch fish.

Uxa began searching familiar spots for largemouth bass. Within minutes he swung a chunky 13-incher into the boat.

“The jerkbait bite has been pretty good recently,” he said.

I immediately asked what bait he was throwing.

“It’s a Megabass jerkbait,” he responded. “They are a great bait and easy to cast.”

I noticed that Jack had several rods rigged with different colors of Megabass baits. He certainly had confidence in them.

We eased along the shoreline.

“I did very well yesterday,” Jack

Lake of the Ozarks guide Jack Uxa shows off a chunky largemouth bass he tricked into striking a jerkbait during cold weather.

added. “I picked up several nice fish.”

We had not picked up another fish in the last 100 yards.

“The wind has shifted dramatically from yesterday,” Uxa said. “Wind that hit these steep banks and points yesterday, is now coming from the side or away from them. It definitely changes how bass relate to them.”

Jack changed colors of his jerkbaits as different structure types appeared.

He continued to pick up a few smaller bass, but nothing to write home about.

We eased up near a boat dock and Jack picked up a crappie rod. He “shot the dock,” a tricky maneuver of grasping the jig, bending the rod heavily and slingshotting the jig up under the dock.

He caught crappie steadily.

I dropped a hint that I’d like to take some home. He filled a limit rather quickly.

Next, it was back to go bass fishing.

“It’s clouding up,” Jack said. “That will help the bass fishing.”

He headed the boat slowly across a point that normally produced fish for him.

“The wind is not perfect, but we

should find fish here,” he stated confidently.

“One of the biggest mistakes winter time bass fishermen make is fishing too deep,” he related. “Tournament fishermen started a trend years ago by fishing deep to get the big fish. That’s ok, but you are only going to get one, or two, if you are lucky. I like to catch numbers and I can do that by fishing steep banks with deep water nearby.”

Jack also pointed out that he does not fish his jerkbaits as slowly as tournament guys, either.

“I tend to fish them a little too fast at

times, but if I don’t get a bite, I slow down a little more.”

The way to fish a jerkbait, according to Uxa, is to cast, reel the bait down and let it suspend for a long few seconds before twitching it slightly. Repeat repeat, repeat.

Jack paused in mid-sentence, when his rod arched.

“Good one,” he whispered. “They are picking up now that the cloud cover has moved in.”

As the hefty 4-pound bass rolled into view, we both noticed that the fish was barely hooked. Jack lipped it quickly and swung the red-gilled bass into the boat.

“I won’t be surprised if we find more of these now,” Jack said.

A few minutes later, his rod arched heavily again. We had traveled only 20 yards down the bank. Through the viewfinder of the video camera, this fish appeared larger.

“These certainly aren’t the largest bass in Lake of the Ozarks,” Uxa said.

“But, if I were in a tournament today, I would be very happy.”

I picked up my bait-caster, which Jack had rigged with a silver and black Berkley Skinny Cutter. Within ten minutes, I felt a jolt.

“Fish on,” I laughed.

I slid the respectable 3-pound plus bass back into the cold waters of the lake. I resumed filming, while Jack added a few more bass to the files.

“One key to our success today lies in the fact that I use 8- to 10-pound test line for jerkbaits, while many guys use 12-pound and above. You lose too much sensitivity with those heavy lines,” Jack said.

“Today was a perfect example of how cold weather bass fishing often is.

Temperatures and weather patterns can change quickly. A key to success is to stick with it until you find a pattern for the day.”

Jack Uxa may be contacted at (573) 434-2570 or check him out on www.lakeoftheozarksfishingguide.com.

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RiverHillsTraveler.com

LET’S GO FISHING SHOW

January 2018 • Page 3

Native Missourians used familiar fishing tools

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his year’s “Let’s Go Fishing Show” held at the Collinsville Illinois Convention Center will again feature a popular attraction put on by the National Fishing Lure Collectors Club.

Visitors will see displays of old fishing lures, rods and reels, and other antique fishing equipment. Experts will be present to explain the origin of the lures or give you a history and appraisal of that old, favorite lure of yours.

Fisherman, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts will also get a chance to view hundreds of new fishing products, including lures, fishing line, rods, reels, boats, electronics, clothing and an assortment of other items to help catch fish and enjoy the experience while you are Bill Wakefield doing it.

———— There will be resorts offering a place for you to stay and professional guides that promise you that they can help you catch fish.

In the 1800’s, 1700’s and even earlier the native residents of Missouri also used an assortment of tools to catch fish. The two primary tribes that occupied the state of Missouri during this time were the Missouria, from which the state is named after, and the Osage Tribe, which is a part of the Sioux Nation.

The Osage occupied areas south of the Missouri River, spreading into northern Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma. The many large and small rivers, along with the creeks and the many natural springs, made fresh fish one of the main staples of food for the Native Americans.

For them fishing was a year-round occupation. It is important to understand that this was not sport fishing: it was a subsistence activity which was vital to the survival of the people.

The focus was on harvesting as many fish as possible in a relatively short time. To accomplish this, the various tribes used an assortment of tools, such as fish hooks, nets, spears, traps, lures, and bait. The most successful fisher-

men among the American Indians were the most patient of the tribes; this is how many Native American boys learned the art of patience.

People are familiar with American Indian arrowheads and there were certain styles of arrowheads that were designed specifically to be used as one of these American Indian fishing tools.

This type of arrowhead was similar in shape to a harpoon, and they would shoot the fish with their bow and arrow with rope on the end of the arrow so they could pull the fish in.

Many tribes used nets for fishing.

Working with basswood, nettle, and other natural fibers, the women would fashion mesh nets. The men would then make cedar floats for the net and they would cut grooves in small stones which would serve as sinkers.

The nets would then be washed and

cleaned with a sumac leaf solution to get rid of any odor. Herbal medicines would then be applied to the net to attract the fish.

On the rivers, the Indians would often fish from a canoe using a dip net.

Two men working from a canoe could harvest the fish. The man in the bow would handle the net while the man in the stern would guide the boat in a backward drift downstream.

One individual would then stand up and thrust a dip net deep into the water to catch the fish.

Another way the Native Americans caught fish was by!spearfishing. There were different methods of spearfishing employed depending on the time of year.

In the winter when the water would freeze over, a hole was cut into the ice and a lure made of bone was used to entice the fish toward the hole. Then a spear made of wood for the shaft, and copper or bone for the tip, punctured the fish.

Fish would also be speared at night using a birchbark or pine pitch torch.

The light from the torch would draw the fish to the area around the canoe where they could be easily speared.

Fishing weirs are essentially traps built by rock or wood that would lead fish migrating up or downstream to a corridor built to be narrow and ultimately trap the fish.

American Indians also used fish traps which consisted of rocks piled across a small stream to form a “V.” This would form a trap to bring the fish into the small area of the “V” where they could be easily caught.

It is fascinating how things change but remain the same.

(Bill Wakefield runs the Traveler’s St. Louis office and can be reached at w3@charter.net.)

Page 4 • January 2018

LET’S GO FISHING SHOW

RiverHillsTraveler.com

There are still more fish to be caught

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here she blows!” I exclaimed.

Well, not exactly. Being as I was standing in a small creek that eventually feeds into the White River, and not on the forecastle of an 1800’s whaling ship, my words were probably closer to “That’s a nice one!”

The love of my life was several minutes into battling a quite respectable trout on an ultra-light St. Croix rod with Shimano reel.

Every time she would have it up close enough to almost net, it would cut another shine in the shallower water and head back downstream to the deep hole where it had been hooked moments before.

The fish took no less than six of these twenty to twenty-five yard runs before finally becoming the first of a stringer that would average a little over three

pounds per fish.

Judy’s first fish of the day would later weigh in at just a smidge over four-and-a-quarter pounds. Before evening she would add one just over three pounds and a couple just under the three-pound mark.

During the afternoon and early evening, we would also watch several large salmonids try jumping an old four-foot waterfall, some squirrels playing on overhanging limbs (perhaps checking out their Rick Mansfield own reflections in ———— the crystalline Reflections stream?) and obfrom the Road serving a committee of hundreds of buzzards break from a nearby ridge and momentarily almost blacken the clear blue Ozark sky as a kettle in flight.

I love this time of year and wonder why we all don’t take more advantage of all it has to offer.

There are several opportunities to harvest game — dove, squirrel and deer all in season. Gigging is even at a point where one can venture out without worrying about ingesting a large quantity of bugs. And there is fishing!

Watching trout rise to a fly remains one of those iconic outdoor pleasures; as enjoyable today as when Izaak Walton praised the occurrence nearly four centuries past.

Viewing a whitetail buck whet his antlers on the trunk of a shortleaf pine quickens the pulse of any who has ever pursued this magnificent game animal;

possibly a behavior engrained in our DNA from our survival as tribesmen a millennium ago.

We’ve recently added the bugling of elk to the oak strewn hills that surround; enabling the ear to enjoy while the eyes appreciate the muted pallet of pastel leaves shortly before their fall to the forest floor.

A sound absent from our ridges and hollows for more than a century and a half.

There are trails to be walked or ridden. Lakes to be traversed; streams to be floated. Small town parades and festivals to be enjoyed.

Amidst all this wonder is tremendous opportunity. There are the woodpiles of neighbors that can be replenished; perhaps a porch rail replaced or a carport re-organized. A fish-fry shared. A generator tuned up. A letter or card written and mailed.

Meanwhile, stripers and largemouth bass are beginning to feed on top.

“Ahoy! There they be — feasting.”

With or without a forecastle, there are still more fish to be caught.

(Rick Mansfield is a seasoned storyteller and writer, and is always looking for new audiences. He can be reached at emansfield2004@yahoo.com.)

RiverHillsTraveler.com

LET’S GO FISHING SHOW

January 2018 • Page 5

Winter fishing secrets & saving lives on the highway

I

know something about winter fishing that needs to be kept a secret, so please keep this close to your vest.

I met this fellow by the name of Don Lewallen, who has owned a nice little resort on Norfork Lake for several years.

Don and his wife lived most of their life in Joplin, but they are sure tickled they are now living down on Norfork.

The Three Oaks boat dock sits so far down a steep bluff below the resort that guests go down and up on an electric tram, which hauls them and their gear to that dock.

That dock is unusual in that it sits over about 50 or 60 feet of water off that steep incline.

If you want, you Larry can rent a boat or Dablemont dock your own boat ———— there and then head Lightnin’ off out into the lake Ridge to find some good fishing.

But the secret is… the best fishing you can find is right beneath that dock… at night, all night long. I know all about night-fishing beneath submerged lights. I have done that on Missouri and Arkansas lakes for more than 35 years, in the spring and early summer.

It is a great way to catch all kinds of fish... crappie, walleye, smallmouth and largemouth bass, white bass, stripers and big bluegills.

In Bull Shoals and Norfork, there are millions of threadfin shad, perhaps the favorite food fish for all of those species. And so you would figure that in the spring and early summer Lewallen would have a good number of fishermen come down and catch fish from his dock.

It is constantly lit up by bright dock lights, and when visitors are there Don puts the submerged lights in as well.

His bait nets hang down below them, and the threadfin swarm around and get

hung up in them so that bait is easy to obtain… and nothing beats those little three-inch shad.

So heck yow, you can catch some dandies there this coming spring.

Everyone knows that.

But the secret we have to guard, and please don’t tell the Lewallens I spilled the beans on this… results from a conversation I had with Don last summer when he and I sat there on his dock for three hours one night and never had a bite one night after he caught a dozen or so.

“I reckon I should have been here a few weeks ago,” I said. “I guess April and May are the prime times?”

Lewallen was quiet for a moment and then he replied… “Actually, if you want to see some real fishing, you need to come in the winter, from around mid-December to early March.”

Upon my questioning he told me that during those times, especially in the dark of the moon, he catches giant crappie and walleye and even some big stripers, right there in the depths below his dock.

What I figured at the time was that he was just joshing me. But it didn’t take long to see that he was serious. So we got to talking about the why-for of such a thing. Neither of us could come up with a logical explanation. But he swears it is the truth.

If you can sit there until the wee hours of the night and stand the cold, you are liable to catch who-knowswhat and big ones at that. If you don’t believe this article, call Don Lewallen at the Three Oaks Resort near Gamaliel, Ark., and ask him. His phone number is 870-467-5283.

Maybe you can go down there on one of those winter nights when I’m there and fish with me. But again, keep this under your hat. We don’t want a bunch of folks down there catching fish that don’t deserve that kind of luck.

——— How many thousands would the Missouri Department of Transportation save if they paid attention to just sprucing up the highway medians and lim-

ited the outside mowing and tree-hacking to half what they do now?

Along highway 160 from Poplar Bluff to Springfield, you will notice they have cut almost every little shrub, cedar and pine up the sides of the steep cuts as if they pose a real problem.

You will also see the many places where steep inclines beside the highway barren of vegetation are bright orange with eroded, washed clay which every heavy rain takes a few more inches of, carrying that sediment down

GUIDED

OZARK IN STYLE MOVIES

into the little creeks which eventually carry it into rivers like the Current and Jacks Fork.

The highway department could work at covering those eroded banks with some kind of vegetation, and surely make tourists think that highway was a little more beautiful.

The little pines which sprout up in that poor soil on those highway inclines above the ditches pose no problem to anyone at all.

If given a chance to grow, they would stop the erosion and add green to the highways instead of the color of eroding clay.

Having a thicket of cedar, pine and sumac along our highways just might save a life or two if they are situated on ground sloping down into gullies, where they can stop a car hurtling toward the rocky ground below, or provide a windbreak for blowing snow.

(Larry Dablemont lives in southwest Missouri. He can be reached by email at lightninridge@windstream.net, or by phone at 417-777-5227.)

AERIAL PARK L HIKING SHUTTLES

Page 6 • January 2018

LET’S GO FISHING SHOW

RiverHillsTraveler.com

GEAR REVIEW

Saddleback’s fold over canvas gear bag

W

By Mattie Link hen it comes to bags, I can be rather picky. I need a bag that can hold my wallet, makeup bag, sunglasses, keys, and the random junk I stuff in it daily.

Now I will say, I was skeptical of this bag at first, but upon further investigation, I found it to work very nicely in a variety of ways.

It may have forced me to be more organized than I have ever been when it comes to a bag, but let's face it, I needed it.

My bags have been very organized since then.

Saddleback Leather Company has always been a big part of my family’s life. We have had Saddleback products for the majority of my life and I personally have had several bags, bracelets, wallets, and bible covers.

The company's Fold Over Canvas Gear Bag is the bag we are reviewing today. Canvas was added to the Saddleback collection (which previously had been all leather) in Spring 2016 and this is the first one I have personally gotten to use.

While the company calls this a "gear bag," it really can be used for a variety of purposes by both men and women. I used it as a purse/carryall, while my husband put tools in it and carried back and forth from work.

My grandfather used it as a range bag for his Sig Sauer handgun and ammo, and some of us around the office used it just for everyday items such as a wallet, sunglasses, Field Notes and pen, keys, iPhone, etc.

With the flap folded down, it measures about 9 inches tall, 9.25 inches wide, and about 1.5 inches deep (without anything in it, though the canvas will expand). It weighs about two pounds.

First of all, I love the waxed canvas!

It's light, flexible, and very, very durable. My stuff weighs a bag down on its own, so I don’t need a fivepound bag doing it for me.

But I do need a durable bag that will keep up with all the weight I put in it, and this bag is it.

Saddleback says they used the best materials they could find: super-tough 24-ounce waxed canvas from Scotland, old bull leather, marine-grade polyester thread (the kind used on ship sails), marine-grade stainless 316 steel, and copper rivets pounded by hand.

The bag features thick old bull leather pieces for the closure and the back pocket. It’s a great combination of canvas and leather, and the dark coffee brown color really brings out the green canvas.

The closure is unlike any that I have seen before. It’s a pad-eye closure.

There is a piece of leather with slits that gets pressed through the top on the

pad eye, then a thin piece of leather that goes through pad eye loop (on top of the first piece of leather) to secure it from opening.

It sounds really complicated I know, but I promise it’s super easy and I can do it one-handed. And if I can do it with one hand, you can do it blindfolded, with one hand, balancing on one foot.

The bag also has a waxed canvas shoulder strap with a thick bull leather shoulder pad, and the back of the bag features a piece of thick bull leather to prevent items in the bag from poking you while carrying it. That back panel also acts as an outside pocket, held on by rivets.

Moving onto the inside of the bag, it's very simple. No pockets, just one open compartment to put your stuff in, which I liked. I didn’t have to go

through several pockets to find what I needed.

Another cool thing about the bag that I really liked was that the closure allows you to make the bag however small or big you need it. Mine was always on the bigger end, but if I ever just had my wallet, I could close it up super small.

It’s a one stop shop because you make it smaller or bigger. How many bags do you have that you can say that about?

This bag is perfect for the outdoorsman. Light, easy to carry, can withstand any type of abuse or beating you throw at it, and would be a welcome companion on your fishing, camping, hiking or hunting trip.

All in all, I really enjoyed this bag and I was able to make it fit everything I needed in a very simple way.

And it helped me get organized, which is always a plus!

If you want more information, the bag retails for $165 and can be found at www.saddlebackleather.com.

(Mattie Link is managing editor of the River Hills Traveler. She can be reached at mattie@sextonmediagroup. com or 800-874-8423, ext. 1.)!

AROUND the WORLD with the River Hills Traveler

"Our family just traveled to Yellowstone National Park and we took the River Hills Traveler along with us on our road trip (good reading during driver breaks)," said Mark Stagner, of Fent, Mo. "We happened to stop at Mount Rushmore along the way — it was breathtaking! My son Ricky and I decided to get a photo of ourselves with the Traveler while we were there. We always look forward to our next issue in the mail. Keep up the great work!"

If you're going on a trip or vacation, please take the River Hills Traveler with you and have someone photograph you and the magazine in front of a landmark or particular setting. Then email the picture to us at jimmy@riverhillstraveler.com and we will publish it an upcoming issue. You can also text photos & info to (417) 451-3798 or send them to us via our Facebook page.

Thank you very much and we look forward to seeing your family’s adventures!

RiverHillsTraveler.com

LET’S GO FISHING SHOW

January 2018 • Page 7

Kayak fishing tourney coming to the Ozarks Open tournament with $75,000 in cash/prizes to be held Sept. 22

K

ayak fishing in wild waters continues to grow in popularity, thanks to the abundance of eager bass, awe-inspiring scenery, solitude, and the childlike anticipation anglers feel while exploring these waters.

The River Bassin’ Tournament Trail not only allows fisherman of all skill levels a chance to fish these wild places, but do so competitively.

The 2018 grand finale will be held in the beautiful Ozarks, at Ruby’s Landing in Waynesville, Mo., on Sept. 22, 2018, and is an open tournament for all to enter.

Despite nearly $75,000 in cash/prizes on the line, the tournament has a laid back festival feel to it. Spectators and anglers attending the event will experience great food, music, have a chance to demo kayaks, play yard games and win numerous random prizes.

Some may get the chance to spin the River Bassin’ Prize Wheel, where participants can win big or even lose a fishing lure of their own.

There will be two Jackson kayak door prize giveaways, with proceeds benefiting local nonprofits.

Anglers can choose to enter several divisions besides the mandatory Individual Division ($50) - team (two anglers) plus $30 per person. These include: a new Super Team division (five anglers) plus $20 per person; Youth $30; Top Lady Angler $50; College Kayak Anglers $30; and a new Fly Fishing division plus $20.

Aside from the championship, anglers can get involved during the entire 2018 season by fishing in three tournament categories: 1) River Bassin’ Club Series tournaments (approximately 30 events) that are held throughout the country by various kayak fishing clubs.

2) River Bassin’ Online Regionals (5), which are season-long events (Feb. 1-Sept. 16) where anglers compete against those in their own regions.

3) The final National Championship tournament in the Ozarks. Anglers vying for the coveted River Basser of the Year (RBOY) or River Bassin’ Team of the Year (RBTOY) titles, and prizes, will be earning points as they fish these tournaments throughout the year.

Club Series events are worth 100 points to the winning angler/team, while the Online Regionals carry a 200-point total for a victory. An angler’s top Club Series score will be combined with their top Online Regional score heading into the championship, which is worth 300 points for the win.

The angler and team with the highest combined point total after the championship will be the 2018 RBOY and RBTOY champions, and will take home over $15,000 and $8,000 in cash/prizes, respectively.

“I got into kayak fishing to be able to catch fish in less-pressured wild places, such as rivers or creeks, that my boat couldn’t get to,” said Drew Gregory, River Bassin’ founder and president.

“Large reservoirs and lakes already have plenty of competitive series, so I wanted to give kayak anglers a chance to have fun competing in the locations where the kayak really excels.”

The Friday before tournament day, there will be a non-mandatory “meet & greet” and rules Q&A, lead

by Gregory, tournament founder and host of the “Hooked on Wild Waters” TV show.

This is the perfect chance for anglers to socialize, ask questions, get some last-minute advice or just hang out and talk kayak fishing with Gregory and other pros in attendance.

Gregory said Pulaski County was chosen due to its river-rich resources, the abundance of healthy bass populations living in these scenic waters, and being geographically centralized with easy interstate access.

For these reasons, anglers are expected to flock from all regions of the country to attend.

River Bassin’ is an eco-friendly catch, measure, photo, release tournament, in which anglers kayak in rivers within a specified radius targeting black bass.

They then measure and photograph their fish via smartphone, release them, and upload the photo to the live leaderboard, where fans can follow along with their favorite anglers in real time. The top three bass (inches) will be the winner.

For more information or to register, visit riverbassintrail.com or call (706) 540-4280.

Top sponsors include Under Armour, GoPro, Jackson Kayak, Orion Coolers, Z-MAN Lures, Bending Branches Paddles, Smith Optics, 13 Fishing, Thule, Power-Pole, Plano, Buck Knives, Tackle Warehouse, Suspenz, Mountain Khakis, RAM Mounts, SPRO Lures, Gator Guards, local non-profit Ozarks Smallmouth Alliance, and retail sponsors Ozark Mountain Trading Company, the Alpine Shop, and many more.

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Page 8 • January 2018

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Comfort & style away from home Reservations can now be made for the yurt at Table Rock State Park is completed and they will start taking reservations with occupancy starting on May 1, 2018. Dishes, pots and pans, and linens are provided, as well as great air conditioning.

Check online at www.mostateparks.com for availability and rates.

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LET’S GO FISHING SHOW

January 2018 • Page 9

Working in dark spaces with wildly weird wildlife Researchers experience ‘whole different world’

T

he title “fisheries research assistant” might not sound exciting on its own, but to Sindupa De Silva and Wesley Sleeper, there’s more to the job than the title represents.

They work for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) to help manage Missouri caves, which is an experience they enjoy.

“Imagine being on a planet like earth but there’s no light, except for your headlight or flashlight. It’s eerily quiet, all you hear is the flowing water and water dripping from stalactites to stalagmites,” De Silva said.

“Some places it seems like you’re walking – and sometimes crawling – down a tunnel, others it’s like being in a cathedral.”

De Silva described the thrill of the unknown and knowing that he’s deep underground without any form of communication to the outside world as very exciting aspects of his job.

Sleeper agreed with De Silva that working in caves is a unique and fun experience.

“Being in a cave is like entering a different world,” he said. “They’re dark, humid, and full of sights and organisms that simply cannot be seen above ground.”

These two MDC research assistants aren’t just going into caves for fun.

They’re part of a team of researchers collecting information for MDC’s Grotto Sculpin Population Study.!

Part of their job is to look at microhabitats, a tiny portion of habitat, in the underwater stream system and to collect

grotto sculpin to improve understanding of the current status of the endangered fish.!

Grotto sculpins are small cavedwelling fish that live in and around five cave systems and two surface streams in Perry County. Like their more pigmented relatives, the banded sculpin, they are bottom-dwellers.

“We study the numbers and sizes of the sculpin in different caves,” Sindupa said. “Then we observe any trends in the numbers and sizes over seasons and years and look for any changes in the environment, such as the water quality and sediment.”

This information is valuable in helping biologists make decisions that protect the species. Land use around sinkholes has a profound impact on ground water quality and grotto sculpin health because sinkholes supply water to cave streams and groundwater sources.!

Jason Crites is the MDC fisheries management biologist who leads the grotto sculpin research team. He said De Silva and Sleeper both had to have a background in math and science in order to pursue their career.

“They have a good understanding of fish species identification and fish sampling techniques,” he said. “They have to use and calibrate various instruments needed in the collection of data such as flow meters, turbidity meters, cameras and seines, and they also must have physical and mental toughness.!

“Working in confined dark spaces is not for everyone, and they are exceptional.”

Physical and mental toughness are important because of the rugged terrain below ground and the strength that’s required to move in those dark and sometimes very confined conditions.

Crites said the team’s work is very important because managing Missouri’s wildlife, whether above or below ground, is the mission of the agency.

Caves are very sensitive environments and can show signs of problems based on what’s occurring above ground.!

“Changes in wildlife populations below ground can be an indicator of a much bigger problem, so protecting grotto sculpin and managing the wildlife

in caves helps us to improve conditions above ground that affect both environments,” Crites said.

De Silva said working in caves has given him an appreciation of what he and others can do above ground to help the wildly weird wildlife underground.

“Our actions can have an influence on cave life,” he said. “We have to be aware that trash can easily end up in these caves and release contaminants which can harm the endangered grotto sculpin and other wildlife.”

Sleeper asks that people be cautious of entering caves, as they’re fragile and sometimes dangerous environments.

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LET’S GO FISHING SHOW

Page 10 • January 2018

RiverHillsTraveler.com

The right tool for the right job

F

or the past several issues of the River Hills Traveler I have written about bait shops, their owners and the types of bait and equipment that they carry for their customers.

I have described the most common bait minnows and what fish species that they will attract.

Another important piece of equipment for the fisherman who uses live bait is the fish hook. This little piece of metal is the centerpiece for a successful fishing experience.

If tied to the fishing line properly it will hold and present your bait in a way that will entice a fish to bite and when they do bite, it will hook (pin) the fish.

There are literally hundreds of different types of fish hooks but for this Bill Wakefield article I will discuss ———— some of the very basic hooks to use for live bait when fishing in the local lakes, rivers and streams.

There are four basic items to think about when selecting fish hooks — the size, shank length, eye type and hook style. Size is determined by a number that reflects the size of the hook’s gap, which is the distance between the point and the inside of the shank.

Shank length is designated as extrashort, short, standard, long and extralong. The length you need depends mainly on the size and shape of your bait. A long-shank would work well for grasshoppers, crickets or a glob of worms.

Eye types include a straight-eye hook, turned-up eye hook and a turneddown eye hook. Most fishermen prefer the straight-eye hook. There are many styles of hooks, including the round bend, Aberdeen, baitholders, circle hooks, Kahle hooks and the Carlisle hook.

To help in selecting the proper hook and other appropriate equipment, consult the bait shop owner. He or she will have the experience and knowledge to guide you in the selections of bait and the tackle that goes with it. He or she wants you to have a fun and successful experience when you go fishing.

I have listed five popular hook types that work well with live baits. Again work with your bait shop owner for the proper hook style that will correspond

Aberdeen hook

Baitholder hook

Kahle hook

to the bait you are using and the fish that you are after.

You can also use them with worms and minnows that are hooked through the lips, back or tantalizingly through the tail to allow the bait to swim freely.

The Carlisle extended shank makes it easier to unhook even deeply-hooked panfish.

The round bend hook has an extralong shank and a straight offset point. It is especially designed to keep the bait on the hook and is great for minnows or night crawler baits.

The Carlisle hook works great when fishing for panfish or bream.

hooking fish in the corner of the mouth or lip and are great when you’re dealing with aggressive perch, green sunfish, or rock bass that often swallow other hook styles.

Aberdeen hook Aberdeen hooks are among the most widely used panfish hooks. Their lightwire construction makes them a fine choice for presenting live minnows and leeches.

A slim Aberdeen is adept at piercing the bony jaws of perch or bluegills, without tearing up the soft mouth tissues of crappies, plus the long shank makes for easy hook removal.

This hook has a slightly squared round bend. The extra width between the point and shank of the Aberdeen makes them the perfect for baiting with minnows. Its light wire avoids excessive puncturing, which helps to keep bait alive and swimming longer.

Aberdeens are specifically tempered to bend before breaking, making them ideal for fishing in brushy water for panfish and crappie.

Baitholder hook Baitholder hooks!are a timeless panfish option. They’re characterized by a sliced shank that helps prevent baits from slipping down the shank and off the hook.

They’re ideal for use with worms, bits of a nightcrawler, and small pieces of cut bait. Baitholder hooks are typically too stout for threading on delicate baits such as minnows.

Carlisle hook Carlisle-style hooks!are another popular live bait design. They feature an elongated shank that’s perfect for securely impaling crickets and grasshoppers while leaving the bait free to kick its legs.

Kahle hook The Kahle hook is one of the most versatile hooks on the market today.

Some may know this hook as a wide gap or a shiner hook. This hook is so versatile it can be used with either live or chunk bait.

Kahle hooks come in a wide range of sizes and colors and can be used for bass, catfish, trout, or panfish.

Those with circle designs are adept at

Carlisle hook

Circle hook The circle hook is used mostly with live and chunk bait and is great for beginner anglers that may not have a lot of experience “feeling the bite.”

These hooks can be used for freshwater or saltwater and are the official hook of billfish tournaments coast to coast.

Circle hooks aid in the conservation of fish in catch-and-release fishing and can significantly reduce the number of fish that die because the hook’s design prevents deep hooking by helping it slide to the fish’s jaw or mouth corner, not its gut or throat.

(Bill Wakefield runs the Traveler’s St. Louis office and can be reached at w3@charter.net.)

Circle hook

RiverHillsTraveler.com

LET’S GO FISHING SHOW

The day I killed

January 2018 • Page 11

my last smallmouth

I

was sitting one evening at an access point on one of our Ozark streams waiting on my shuttle ride back to where my truck was parked up river at a put-in.

It was wintertime, and the stream which is otherwise busy in the summer was resting for the winter from all the summer hoopla. My favorite time to be on the water.

My thumbs were raw from thumbing many smallmouth from the past few days. Being well below freezing and having similar temps the past week, was right down my alley.

The main channel’s water temps plummet during periods of cold weather such as this.

The big springs that feed into our streams provide a steady and constant temp of right under 60 degrees. In the summer these springs feel cold to the touch but in the winter the 59-degree temps are way Richard warmer then the Whiteside main channel’s ———— water temp.

That warm constant surge of 59-degree water is very appealing to fish in the cold days of winter. Bait fish congregate at the mouth and downstream from these springs and kind of creates a perfect opportunity for smallmouth to fatten up.

More times them not, smallmouth girth measurements are nearly what their length is. Fat bellies to say the least. At times bloated and miserable looking, they’re so fat.

I put all this together one night laying in bed at 2 o’clock in the morning. I specifically went and targeted these sites and would use a variety of methods and at the end of the day, my go-to bait would end up being a black mariboo jig with 6-pound test line.

The bass this time of year do not commit like in the summer. Very often it’s just a tap. Being able to distinguish what you felt and setting the hook is vital to catching smallmouth in the winter.

The trip had been a solo trip and one for the books.!!

As I sat there waiting I noticed the board at the put-in and saw a stapled MDC smallmouth regulations page on the board. On the page were the requirements.

I thought back to when I followed the requirements. It had been way over 10 years since I had killed a smallmouth.

Feeling the guilt, I tried to imagine the

smallmouth I had killed and how big they would have been by now if I had of just released them.

Is harvesting a smallmouth wrong?

No. Is harvesting a smallmouth permitted? Yes. But the guilt was there and will always be there.

I feel that each outdoorsman that enjoys the thrill of fishing and hunting is always maturing. And I also feel that we all mature at different paces and speeds.

One day long ago I was fishing with family on a river in the mountains of Arkansas called the Big Piney River. It was the first time in a long time that I had been with my uncle.

After a long day of fishing we were resting and eating super at his house and planning the next day’s float. I, at that time, kept everything that was legal to keep but not on that trip. My uncle was strictly catch and release.

Before bed I spoke up and said that I wanted to have a fish fry the next night and asked if he minded if I keep some smallmouth. The look I received was one of disappointment and understanding.

He said yes, it was fine.!The next day the fish were on the stringer and back at his house. When we began to fillet the fish he walked away.

That night I thought about it all. The next day I drove back to Missouri and thought about the experience.

I felt guilty. If you have never been in a canoe when a 21-inch smallmouth slams a PopR in the Ozarks then you will not understand this. It’s an experience that’s second to none.

If you have, then you know very well the feeling one gets while your canoe is turned by the weight of a heavy Ozark smallmouth making its first run for the cover.

What does it take for a smallmouth to reach 21 inches? How old did the smallmouth have to be before it reached this size? No longer will the fish I had killed bring joy to a little boy’s face.

No more would the big smallmouth I harvested roam the depths of the Ozark rivers. The rivers were much more special with the fish in them rather then dead.

I felt horrible. I felt like a jerk.

I made the decision right then and there that I would never kill another smallmouth.!

These days I don’t do much smallmouth fishing. Them days are long gone. For several years I continued plugging the Ozark streams for smallmouth and each and every fish was a trophy. Releasing them came with a sense of pride and joy.!

I will never make a person follow

these guidelines. It’s something they have to figure out on their own.

Next time you decide to slide your fillet knife into the side of a beautiful 20-year-old smallmouth, think about what you are doing. Think about the worth of such a game fish as a smallmouth bass in an Ozark stream.

We are blessed to have what we have here in the Ozarks. These fish we love to pursue depend on you and I for their existence.

Think of the joy it will bring to a young boy or girl when they catch their

first smallmouth, all because you released her back into the water 10 years earlier.!

The regulations were no longer for me.

Be the influence that preserves what we are blessed with.

Be that outdoorsman that puts a smile on a young fisherman’s face.

(Richard Whiteside lives in Doniphan, Mo., and can be reached at rlwhiteside72@gmail.com. His blog can be followed at www.ozarkriverman.wordpress. com.)

Page 12 • January 2018

LET’S GO FISHING SHOW

RiverHillsTraveler.com