Tailwater Tickets and Finicky Fish

Yesterday's outing to the Beaver Tailwater was a very eventful occassion. On the way to the river we nearly smoked a 6 point (instead of us taking the buck's life, the car in front of us tagged him with only enough force to hurt him, not kill him). Don't worry, the big guy scampered away with only a scuffed hide. He'll be killed in a week anyway by a hunter (gun season opens today). Further, we fished hard for 3+ hours seeing fish all around us. Chad caught one. I missed one (I was a little rusty on my hookset - don't judge me). But these things aren't even close to being the most memorable (albeit for bad reasons) event of the day.

Thursday, November 11, 2010 is a day that will forever live in infamy. It was supposed to be a good day; one filled with bro time and big fish. However, this otherwise pleasant day on the river enjoying the blessings of our Creator took a drastic turn for the worst around 11:30 A.M. It was then that Chud and I heard the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission officer order us to come up and speak with him "for a minute." I know what you all are asking: "Did you run?" Well, I thought about it. My deliberations did not last long, however, since I was fully licensed, had purchased my trout tags, and was doing NOTHING WRONG (at least I thought). We therefore complied with the officer's request and began walking up the shoreline.

If you have never encountered a game and fish commission officer on one of your trips, you are lucky. I honestly think that these encounters are among the worst feelings in the world. Think about it. You are enjoying your favorite pastime, desperately trying to get on some  pigs, when the 5-0 makes you stop in your tracks. Seriously? I'm not hurting people. I'm not stealing anything. I'm fishing. What the freak could you possibly want with me? Now you understand my level of frustration by the time we reached the officer's truck.

So what was our offense? Fishing too close to the dam. Really? The officer then proceeds to tell us that the restriction is in place for the sole purpose of protecting anglers in the event of a water release. Well great. That means that I wasn't really doing anything "wrong" per se, there was simply a misunderstanding about where I was and was not allowed to fish. I thought, "surely in a situation such as this I will get off with a warning." WRONG. This guy proceeds to tell me that he was forced to issue me a citation since "he has a job to do." Give me a break. If your job is to enforce a restriction that exists solely to protect the anglers, at least entertain the idea of issuing a warning. IT SERVES THE SAME PURPOSE!!! You want anglers to know not to fish too close to the dam, then warn me and I won't do it again. Holy Moly!

On top of all the garbage referenced above, the fact that I didn't catch a single fish in our 3.5 hours on the river simply added insult to injury. The only bright spot of the day was Chad's catch, a 13 inch bow. Overall, not a good day of fishing, but no day on the river is a bad day, despite receiving a citation for an offense that is complete garbage. Chud and I got to spend time together; we got to spend time on the river; and we got to spend time with the Lord. I would say in the grand scheme of things our day turned out pretty good.

So, the moral of the story? Don't fish too close to the dam, and run when you see the warden (I am only kidding. Never run from a law enforcement officer). When you get out there this weekend, remember this, but more than that, remember to cast to THE OTHER SIDE! See you on the river.

- The Prez