Burp; Yawn; I had my fish- fry

Well, I really did it: first time in my life I bought fish. We celebrated Mom's and Baby Sister's birthdays ( and Earth Day too, I guess). The store- bought catfish were good too... and cheaper and a whole bunch easier and more convenient than the ones I caught. As it turned out, I would have had plenty catfish without the purchase. I could have also thawed some other fish from the freezer so I wouldn't run short, but they were not large ones and I didn't know how well the bony game fish would go over.

I was pleased with the outcome... thanks, sisters for your marvelous dishes. I also fixed Corn Maque Choux and some black- eyed peas perked up with a hint of oregano. Fish fries often include hush puppies and french fries, but that seems an overload of fried stuff; more grease than we need. Also, fix- ahead side dishes released me from the deep- fryer... all I had to cook was the fish.

Fishing Report

Here' s my boy with a catfish. The bass and brim are still not cooperating with me. I have made the threats... multiple times. Well, I finally broke down and set a trotline; took my son to Butte La Rose after work last night; got off at 9:00. I set a short line out just after midnight, ran it once during the night and again at first light. It's good for a kid to learn about such things; trotlines don't seem very sporting but can be productive when needed. I suffer no great moral pangs about line- fishing; just don't feel it confers the bragging rightsI seem to relish; it's a food- gathering technique. I much prefer to take my fish on fly tackle, and pursue them almost exclusively by that method. I have a sense of guilt about my other old fishing gear being neglected and unloved, but I guess everyone must make choices and compromises.

This morning, we cast bass bugs and and tried a variety of smaller flies but only caught a couple small brim.

Happy Easter, everybody

I had a pleasant visit to City Park Lake this morning; slipped over there early for a few casts. I put a new fly line on my reel yesterday and just had to try it out. I had won the new line in a raffle at the flyfishing conclave and it's a fancy one. I never would have bought such an extravagance for myself and it turned out to be very satisfactory. My Dad liked double- tapered fly lines, but I never cared for the ones I tried and was skeptical about this one. It is a double- taper, super- premium, high- floating, teflon- impregnated, 7- weight wiz- bang, high- price job. Well, it handles nicely, floats plenty high, it's limp and lays out straight; those are particular areas that my previous trials fell short. This line is a little heavy in the belly, but that loads my little fast- tip rod well, and seems to add a bit of wind- bucking punch, so I'll make up my mind to like that heavy feel. There in my City Park new- product- testing laboratory, I found good performance with several sizes of flies, wet and dry. I even gave the line a stretch- test on a nice little bass, about a two- pounder.

Took my boy to Butte La Rose yesterday and we caught nothing. Nobody else was catching fish either, and I hear the same from other locations. A few fish hit our flies, but they were very small. Seems the bigger fish are not moving into the shallows and edge structure... I don't know!

River trail at Tickfaw

These signs are at the far end of the park... at the canoe put- in. The proclaimed 17- mile wilderness trail seems a long daytrip to me, and I don't think they will let you camp (I may need to ask). I'm amazed that the river winds that much!

Trail damage at Tickfaw

One of the fallen trees had been cut off of the boardwalk. Another forest giant, toes- turned- up, lies in the background. There is surprisingly little litter on the forest floor.

Pretty morning at Tickfaw State Park, but no fishing

I took my canoe this morning for a visit to the Tickfaw river. I'm trying to catch some fish to fry, and Tickfaw was my choice to avoid crowds and powerboats and stay out of the gusty winds that have been so prevalent. It was a lovely morning, cool and clear and low humidity. When I got to the park entrance, they told me that I wouldn't be able to reach the river. The water in Gum Bayou was too low to access the river, and there were branches and treetops from the storms blocking the way. I spent a couple of hours walking the trails and boardwalks. The trees are leafing out and blooming; the birds are really busy. I walked out to the canoe launch at the far end of the park; the river was low and very clear. The understory was relatively free of fallen limbs, but there were many large trees down. I watched some hawks for a while... some kind of kite, I think. There were three of them, and I couldn't quite figure out the situation. The female was preening and calling from a high perch and the male flew in several times and mounted her. The third one looked similar to the female and just sat there, in a nearby tree. Perhaps it was a juvenile; I am doubtful whether that male would have several mates at the same time. I will try to post a few pictures later... still can't make them work from the home computer.

Atchafalaya explorations

I went back to Bay Begnard... just had to have a look at that cut into Bayou Loin. I believe that this picture is the connecting water. Notice the "gate guardian" perched on that snag. I didn't remember that blue herons were so brightly colored... guess it's their breeding plumage. I saw lots of them! The garfish were making huge splashes all around me, mostly under bushes and limbs. They must be spawning, too. I saw a few small sacks of eggs attached to underwater sticks, but not the large balls of them... different species, perhaps. I was excited to locate that cut, but it was choked with a mass of grass that I couldn't get through; exotic species are the bane of the Basin. There was a likely- looking campsite right at the juncture; I must check the maps, but I think it may be OK to camp there.

Nobody was catching fish; there were lots of people partying and boat- riding... even back in my "secret" spots. The gusty wind was really troublesome, although I even took extra gear along for ballast. I gave up the idea of spending the night and came on back to town. The Interstate was a parking lot again, stretching west of the river... same as last trip... maybe that's a pattern and my forays should be eastward or south. I had sworn off fishing the Basin on weekends, but make exceptions because I need the fish. I'm glad to have Daylight Savings Time back; now I can launch some weekday ventures. All things considered, it was an interesting trip, if not very productive.

Springtime has come to the Tunica Hills

The countryside is really blooming since my last visit. The roadsides are alive with color of wildflowers. Purple vetch has a pretty hue and I especially like the stretches covered with dense stands of red clover. The air holds a heavy perfume of everything blooming. The woods are filling out with new leaves, with white petals and catkins scattered throughout. I like the autumn, but the resurgence of new life in the spring always amazes me. I was on a quick mission this time and can't play, but this has really fired up my spring- fever.