My Memorial Day tradition is being upset a little bit this year. Normally we all go to Bennett Springs State Park (see pic) for the weekend. But this year I will stay behind and preach Sunday morning, before joining the rest of my family at Bennett on Sunday afternoon. Also, I will not go to my grandparents' graves at Plato this year, because we are going there in July for a family reunion.
Tomorrow I will rise very early to take part in the opening day of smallmouth bass season, another tradition of Memorial Day weekend. Going early allows one to fish at the best time of day, and also beat all the drunks to the river. I was hoping to take a five mile float on Beaver Creek near Brownbranch, MO. But when I called the canoe rental there, they informed me they had no access to my desired put-in because a local landowner had gated off a county road to block access to a public low-water bridge. The canoe rental had started a petition to re-open the road but, as of now, the Douglas County commissioners are looking the other way. I'm guessing the landowner has some money and/or influence in the county seat. Not only is he hurting a local business that depends on the access, but he is preventing the public from using their road and their bridge to access their stream. As my Grandpa Hall would say, "I'd be ashamed." Regardless of this setback, I will find a place to fish tomorrow, and I will try to post some pics.
On the topic of accessing streams, there was a nice article in this month's Missouri Conservationist on floating the Finley River. The pictures with the article look like the section of the stream between Linden and Ozark. That's my best guess anyway. I wish someone at the Conservation Department would read my previous post about opening up some accesses on the Finley. This nice little stream runs through one of the most populated areas of the state, yet has practically no access points.
Okay, I am done venting. Let's go fishing.
