BREAM

Bream, a “catch all” term for most species of pan fish. We bait our jug lines with, and trap, smaller bream for that.

However, larger bream are some of the finest lake cuisine that we know of.

We love to fish for large bream during the spawn. Today we did that. And we nearly struck out. Lake Ouachita had changed drasticly !

That means that since the large wide bands of hydrilla are gone, the water near the Housley Point area, is dingy and the old spawning bets we knew in the past, are not there. We had to hunt them up all over again.

Some basic things never seem to change in the bream world. Water depth and temperature, shoreline texture and exposure to sunlight are constants.

Soon we were back on them again ! There is just something about catching a one pound  blue gill, on a ultra light spin cast rig with 4 pound test line. Good fight, good food !

Maybe we will be able to go back again tomorrow !

TARPED

Our notification email that we were to be delayed getting into our campground, up high in the Rocky Mountains, because of preventative spraying for the Pine Bark Beetle, slowed us down. Packing up progress didn’t stop, just slowed down.

We managed to get in a couple of extra trips to the lake

Here we are rounding up our plunder, putting it into storage. The utility trailer has fishing jugs, bait traps, live box, small refrigerator and much more. Though it is tarped down, it will be under a shed, as is the boat.

Betty say’s that she will try to have just one more yard sale, at the old Family house place, down by the highway, before we head out to Colorado.

Looks like some serious farmin’ stuff going up for sale. Tractor, trailer, fuel cans, ect., ect. he, he. Note the antique ironing board and electric hot plate in the background.

All in all, we are on pace to be ready to depart as soon as we are notified.

It won’t be long now before we are blogging about the new campground assignment !

GATHERING

Kinfolks, neighbors, and friends, came down out of the mountains to welcome one of their own back home. It had been in the newspapers and on television as well as flyers posted around towns along the way. There were signs, posters balloon’s and ribbons all along the route. We all gathered at the City Park.

Flags and cold bottled water were passed out. A military and police escort brought Elwood Green from the Airport in Little Rock. Here is a video look as it passed through Norman Arkansas.

Elwood Green returns home

Even the birds in the nearby park seemed overjoyed at the Ouachita Mountain Boy’s return.

BEETLE

Over the years we have watched the progression of the horrible brown stain that has crept over some of the most beautiful parts of the Front range. The timber is dying as the beetle progresses. Here is a look at a forest service brochure.  Click for larger view.

We have received a notification that our campground start date will be postponed due to preventive spraying.

Instead of arriving at our assigned area around the 10th., we will arrive there nearer to the 18th.

We will stage in Norman for a few extra days. Hey, maybe we’ll get in a couple of trips to the lake !

CRASH

There are times when a laid back fishing trip to the lake, can just plain ol’ tire a guy out, even a very active teenager !

After a night of 10 PM shower, girlfriend texting and raccoon in the tent, 0600 wakeup call and pre-sunup departure on the boat to pick up the jugs, a guy will absolutely crash and burn !

Note the cell phone in his hand, waiting for that next all important text from that special girl.

Jay made it through the jug retrieval and fish landings, made it through bacon and egg breakfast, built up the campfire, then just seemed to kind of “wilt” into a chair nest with a blanket.

Poco’s dog blanket was in a chair by the campfire because it was a little chilly in the morning.  Jay slid Poco’s  chair over to his and pulled the blanket over his legs.

He is so “out of it” that the cell phone’s tone isn’t waking him up.

Here is what Poco thinks about the situation.

In the next photo, note that Jay’s “experimental” fishing jugs and his tackle box aren’t very far away.

Yes, it has been a great three weeks at the lake !

Soon, it will be time to “up anchor’ for Colorado and the Rocky Mountains !

KIRBY

Lake Greeson, Arkansas, USCOE, Kirby Landing, Weston Point, campsite # 89.

It has been 3 weeks of good fishing so far.

Senior Pass cost for a week of full hookups, $63.

We sure would like to just stay another week ! But we’ve gotta’ get ready to head West.

The national weather service has said that rough weather is on the way, so we pulled the boat out of the water.

Today’s catch was pretty good so we are fish ahead and ready for the next fish fry.

This is the front livewell and there are five fish in it, the large one is a 10 pound blue catfish.

FRY

It is Saturday and our work a day world friends and kin are hereby invited to a a fish fry ! Here is a look as we gear up to fry fish.

A single tank feeds more than one propane appliance through a distribution tree. Here is a look at the tree.

At 1400 hours, we will start eating fresh from the lake, fish that are fried up right beside the lake.

Kirby Landing, Lake Greeson, Weston Point campsite 89 ! We hope to see you there !

Here is a quick video look at the fish fry.

Fish Fry Lake Greeson 4.21.12