(Not So) Deadliest Catch

Billy Crews and Mike Gautreau
(Trip Report by Billy Crews)

DAY 1

The plan was simple enough:  Day 1 - Leave the office a few hours early, pick up Mike, load up his party barge with crab traps, bait, and a few beers, then drop the traps in the water near the mouth of Blind River.  Day 2 - Pick up traps and (hopefully) enjoy an evening crab boil.  There was no plan for the darkness that came in between the two days...

Our expenses for Day 1, which included the fuel, bait, and beer would total near $75.00, so we were hoping to catch $35.00 worth of crabs.  Loaded up, we left Matt's (Mike's brother) safe harbor in their co-owned, partially homemade party barge and sipped on a few as we cruised the Diversion Canal towards Blind River.  I worked on baiting the traps as Mike navigated the water and cranked out a few tunes.  We had heard reports of crabs showing up in the river, so our plans was to drop a full compliment just on the down river side of lower Alligator Bayou.  Mike idled the bank as I dropped each trap every 30 yards or so.  Once they were all in, we verified they were lined up with each float marking the location.

With plenty of daylight available, we decided on anchoring at the river's mouth in Lake Maurepas.  Since we had a few extra turkey necks left over, we made use of some twine and set out a few baited lines.  Over the next hour we would check the lines and haul in a small crab every fifteen minutes or so, but none worth keeping.  By 7:30PM we noticed the sky had gotten mostly hazy with a few bruised looking clouds showing up on the northern horizon.  We decided to pack it in after giving the traps a quick check. 

Neither one of us paid attention to the route as we headed back up river and we unknowingly passed up our cache of traps.  As the weather was very close to threatening, Mike was ready to keep heading in, but I managed to convince him of otherwise... (not a smart move on my part).  By the time we reached the first trap we could hear a little rumbling a few miles out.  By the time I checked the second trap we started seeing a few fireworks in the sky.  At the third trap I realized my mistake and that all hell was about to break loose...

I dropped the last trap, noting that each had one or two crabs, but none that were size worthy.  Mike made an abrupt U turn and up-river we went.  The party barge gave us all she was worth, but in the end we would fall six miles short of our goal.  We sprinted along the river as the sky hurled down bolts of
lightning over and around us.  Blowing through the NWZ at the Blind River Bar, we would only manage another half of a mile before meeting with a wall of water.  Right before the rain hit, Mike spotted a boat house on the south bank which ended up being the only shelter in a one mile stretch.  Easing her in, we lashed the barge to the pilings and then made a quick survey of our situation:  Fuel - check, battery juice - check, beer - uh-oh, we have a problem.  Although we were secure shelter-wise, we had managed to exhaust our compliment of six beers for the trip.  It was now just past 8:PM and for the next hour and a half, Mike and I sat back on a covered patio swing and watched Mother Nature display her wrath.

We would make a few phone calls and texts as the evening went on; we wanted our families and friends to know we were OK and out of any immediate danger.  We even sent a few texts requesting aid in the form of beer, but none came.  By 9:30PM, even though the rain and wind has subsided, there was still a pretty good show in the sky going on.  We verified by phone that the radar indeed showed a break in the storm cell, but another was lined up right behind it and heading our way (which explained all the lighting still coming our way).  Before leaving, Mike managed to get a burner hooked up to a propane bottle going (provided by our unknown host) and we each took turns warming up and drying our clothes.  A little drier and a little warmer, we gambled on the tidbit of radar beta and, based on our own observation, decided to make a run for home.

Although it was pitch dark, the home sites along the Diversion lit up the bank while the night sky would give us a bright picture of what lay ahead every thirty or so seconds.  Although we ran down the canal  as fast as possible, we played it safe by each wearing a life-jacket.  We finally arrived at Matt's house around 10:PM.  After lifting the barge out of the water, Mike and I headed home with us each getting in around 10:30PM.

Of course, the traps are still out there and need to be hauled in, but those plans are for Day 2...

Here's a little running in the weather vid:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuRNPovjQ0w

Day 2
With a good night's rest followed by most of the day spent working; Mike and I headed back out on the Blind to retrieve the traps.  Being it was Wednesday, we were greeted by nearly three dozen bass boats as they blasted their way to their individual fishing spots, all competing in the Canal Bank Wednesday Night Bass Tournament.

The weather was as near perfect as could be for June in SoLA and we both enjoyed being out of doors as compared to the evening before.  We found our traps in no time and Mike did a perfect job of lining up the barge as I hauled in the catch.  Except for one empty trap, we averaged three crabs per pick up with most being no. 2 in size and a handful of no. 1's.

With time and good weather to spare, we decided on navigating the entire length of Alligator Bayou.  I had not been down the bayou myself in over a quarter of a century, and nothing seemed familiar as we made our way north.  The bayou water was dark and glassy, and we had it all to ourselves until the very end.  Mike took his time cruising the smaller water-way and I occupied myself taking the occasional picture of the postcard-like scenery.

We finally hooked back up with the Blind and continued our trek north, noting that the number of bass fisherman was also increasing in the same direction.  Halfway down the Diversion, we made a short stop to visit at a friend's home while making small talk with some fishermen competing in the evening's tourney.  Although the sun was close to setting, the bass fishermen were beating the water pretty hard, all hoping to pick up that one extra largemouth.  With nothing to do but clean up the barge, Mike and I decided it would be fun to go to the weigh-in at Canal Bank.  We did just that, and a little more, by inviting ourselves to the chicken stew prepared for the tournament competitors.

DAY 2.5
A picture is not worth a thousand taste buds...

Two for the Road

Billy Crews and Shawn McKee

(The following are the post-BNR 2011 emails regarding this year's trip.)  As Shawn and Billy were the only ones to make the pilgrimage this year, one is inclined to inquire:  Where the hell was everyone?!?

BUFFALO REPORT TO CORE COMMITTEE:

Ok, it was tough not having you two with us this year on the Buffalo. We did honor the core and place another year in the books. When we finally realized that we weren't going to find royster at Kyles with a hugh compound, something cooking, and smoking a cigar, we resigned to the fact that no one had reserved us a site the night before. So we left Kyles and talked to a ranger. Steel creek full, Ozark full, Lost Valley closed, we headed to Erbie. The road was fixed that week, best its ever been. The sites were freshly bush hogged and raked, private, enclosed by bamboo that had been under 15 feet of water the week before.  Found a great spot, set up camp. Once I realized that the good beer was disappearing from the cooler at the exact rate that I was drinking the good beer, then and only then did we relax and decide we really did not need you two to get us through the buffalo trip this year.  

We did miss y'all on the river. Billy's not much into frisbie. And I forgot to put ice in the cooler on the second day - had to bum it from a nice couple on the river.  But we survived.

So, here's the report. Bill can annotate.

1. water was perfect. 18 inches on Saturday, probably 22 on Sunday. Lots of class 3, haystacks, logs, debris from the big flood. 

2. fishing was good to very good, I would say. I enjoyed it. Lots of current and places to gather the food

3. people generally behaved. Lots and lots on saturday, one tenth as many on Sunday. Lots of kayaks, rafts. 

4. Erbie is a fine campground. I don't know why the outfitters hate it. The road is better and quicker than kyles. Spots are great. Close to Jasper. Will do that again. 

5. We did double shuttle because of one car. This works fine. No problems. Did not walk more than fifty feet either day.

6. Nalgene of Sierra Nevada Pale on Sat, Sam Adams Cream Stout on Sunday. Good west/east mix for the menu. (along with a few of Billy's GD 64s)

7. Lost Valley Canoe is now fully run by siblings of Larry and Jo. Jo retired, Larry is a bad topic. Chris and Brian, Larry's brother, alone with Emily and Bret do a fine job. First class.

8. Great meals this year including full breakfast every morning, full dinner every night, specialty coffee on the way to the boats. Excellent and cheap and fast and easy. ((ozark cafe))

9. Roy's cabin was awesome. Just can't say enough about it. Perfect. Great way to conclude the trip. 

10. Interstate barbecue and Roy's hamburgers with Johnie and Jace bracketed the travel. Really enjoyed visiting with you guys. 

There you have it. We decided, without quorum, that the water should determine the upper/lower thing every year. Like all the unpredictability of the Buffalo that we love, the water is the ultimate guide. Going to the upper was so perfect this year that it can not be missed. But in low water going do to Rush is the answer, staying on the river. Staying at Roy's on the final night is perfect.

ps. crown royal and pink floyd and 3am is a tradition.  -Shawn

Haha, nice report.  Glad to see you kept up the all night Floyd vigil.  Good stuff!  -Andy

Excellent summary!  There is nothing to add to the BNR part of the experience, but, I will say that the effects of the Great Flood of 2011 are far reaching and still viewable.  The flood waters in the delta I expected; the amount of standing water that has been pushed up and is still surrounding Little Rock was quite a shock.  'nuff said.

(I suppose I'll expand upon Shawn's treatment and SC blog it w/pix...)

PS:  I've concluded the following:  It's not Devil's Walking Stick (which is a small, ornamental tree) or "Fire Weed" (which is a perennial herb/flower that propagates really well in the wake of a forest fire).  It's Stinging Nettles:  Ouch, they burn.  I'm curious - I'm suffering from an allergy attack that started late Sunday afternoon, which is usually symptomatic of histamines being released in excess in the body.  I got branded by Stinging Nettles on Sunday afternoon, and part of my research found that part of the toxins released by the plant are histamines.   Hmm, any opinions on the relationship...?

PPS:  Roy & Johnny:  Thanks so much for the hospitality.  Both, the cabin and visit/burgers, really made the trip special.  We really appreciated it.  -Billy

I always thought it was fire weed. Maybe that's the local mary jane and poison ivy mixture. 

we also met some cool folks from kansas, baton rouge, texas, little rock, tennessee. bacheler party, viking party, india party, drunken party, cpa bikers, ex-pat from new orleans, first timers who grew up in harrison, canadians, unknown languages, kids on scavenger hunts, scouts, church groups, weird groups, hikers on the bnr trail, horses crossing the river, folks getting arrested, locals in ozark with no idea where they were or which direction to kyle's landing. the usual stuff. 

we found a cave. It goes, but not on this trip.  -Shawn

Anytime bud.  I just wish I could have joined you guys.  Maybe next year.
-Andy

Guys,
It's good to know I was missed.  Can't think how many mornings I've been
asked one or both of the following on the river:


McKee: Dale, are you getting coolers together?  Oh, yeah, you're already on it.
McKee:  Dale, are we taking nalgenes?  Oh, yeah.... uh, how many you got?  Okay, I think I can find some more over here somewhere...


(Mac, sorry good beer had to disappear from the cooler on a one-to-one ratio.  My bad.)
I only beered up one nalgene this weekend, but I discovered how to carry it to the pool on my bike (it hangs on my gps bracket--glad I finally found a use for that thing), so the weekend wasn't totally wasted.


Still, missed being there with you guys.  Although I know y'all had a great trip, just the two of you and 9,000 other people on the river on Saturday.


Hey, did y'all canoe "Ponca" to Pruitt?  Or do "Ponca" to Kyle's twice?  Did you catch up with the Andrewses at the cabin, or in L.R.?


P.S. Roy, I really missed seeing you (and the family)--not those guys, since I'm gonna be stuck with McKee and Crews for a week in a couple of months.  -Dale

Steel Creek to Kyle's (NPS won't let the outfitters launch at Ponca on that weekend), then Kyle's to Pruitt.  And we invaded the Andrews' at their "hangar" in Li'l Rock.  -Billy


Billy,
Thanks.  I knew about Steel Creek (I just couldn't think of its name)--that's why I put "Ponca" in quotes.  Billy, had you ever met Roy's crazy Portuguese dog before?  I think he and Brian Pope are related.  -Dale

Well, I met some kind of dog while visiting the L'il Rock gang, but he didn't look like Pope.

BTW, the river got a little smaller just below the Steel Creek launch:  Last weeks torrential rain and flash flood caused an "enormous" landslide on the south-side bluff.  I estimate that the debris field came from approx. 200 feet overhead and looked to be about half of an acre in surface area.  The pile along and in the river was unbelievable.  Trees that were a foot thick near their base were snapped like toothpicks.  I wish I could have been there to see it, but was glad I wasn't...  -Billy

yes! that slide was impressive.  Yosemite-ish.  It will be a clear hillside for the next 20 years.  Very efficient tree and land removal.  The new slabs of rock in the river slipped silently beneath our canoe looking no different from the other slabs except for their fresh clean virgin rock faces minted from formally solid cliff.  New sunlight will cultivate that section of river into something unlike the dark passage it was before.  We were told it happened within the last week.  The locals seem impressed also.  It actually closed the river for a few days.  -Shawn

Wow!  Glad you didn't see it too, Billy.  Did y'all take a photo?  Do you think it dammed/backed up the river pretty good before the new channel was cut?  -Dale

No, I purposely didn't take a pic (knowing I should have anyway), b/c the beginning to end "event field" was too large, and we were up close and personal w/it.  My pix would have done it no justice, turning an act of God into a ho-hum event.  You would have to see it to be impressed.  But I don't think it totally blocked the river; I seem to recall the new obstacles staying pretty much to the south side of the river.

But have no fear - the results from the event will be lasting for years to come.  -Billy

Thats because we shaved him Dale LOL.  -Andy

BTW... Shawn, would you please extrapolate the following data (you gotta know where to look, brother...).  We concluded that Saturday, 05/28/2011, equated to:  Damn perfect!  (My guess is 18 inches of air at Ponca.)  -Billy

I would concur with their red line 2.5 ft equals 24 inches of airspace.  I might set the bar a little lower at maybe 28 inches as the cut off but this could certainly be used. The drop rate for that river is pretty constant, I imagine, from storm to storm.  

If we had looked at this on midnight the night before driving up may 26 we would see 3.5 feet of water. But, even the next day would have been good canoeing if we had done Sunday and Monday, so the real indicator is 3.0 feet of water. 

Rule: If you look at this gage at midnight on Thursday night and you have 3.0 or better, you call Roy and tell him to head for Kyle's Landing. If below 3.0 you call Roy and tell him to pick up steaks for the cabin. (canoe the lower).  -Shawn