Trout Capital News | |||||
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Number 56 Good things are happening in Cotter, Arkansas; it’s a great time to be here! May 2005 | |||||
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Ladies' Fly Fishing Class
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A natural caster, she brings intensity to the stream that produces fish for clients in the most adverse conditions. A lifelong angler, Lori now devotes all her efforts to fly-fishing. She is a popular speaker who has presented programs for Federation of Fly-Fisher clubs, sport shows (to include the Cotter Trout Festival and Sow Bug Round Up), and corporate groups throughout the region. Lori regularly assists ladies’ fly-fishing groups in the area. The course is geared to the beginner or novice angler and is designed to give you confidence on the stream. Subjects covered: · Equipment requirements and selection. Learn what you need to buy and how to avoid what you don’t need. · Learn to cast a fly rod in a relaxed non-threatening manner from an experienced instructor. · Learn to easily tie the three knots you need to know to fly fish. · Find out the insects that trout feed on, how to identify them, and the flies you need to imitate them. · Let Lori show you four easy strategies that can produce trout anywhere, and how to rig your rod for them. · Learn how to read the water and determine where the fish can be easily located. · See how to fight large fish and even how to release them. · Learn the safest way to wade and where to go for easy conditions. The cost of this course is only $75. This includes lunch, and all equipment is provided. You don’t need to bring anything but curiosity about this exciting sport and a willingness to learn all about it in one day. To register or ask any questions, stop by River Bend Trading Company, call Lori Sloas at 870-435-2169, or email her at berrybrothers@infodash.com. This could be the opportunity you have been waiting for to take up fly fishing in the heart of some of the best trout waters in the United States. |
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 Mayor’s Minute
by Bill Jennings From the sounds of my last few columns, one would think that the mayor hates all dogs and cats. The fact is, I love all animals, but I’m growing a great distaste for the pet owner who has no regard for the safety of their pets or their neighbor’s property and allows their pets to run free. At least 50 percent of the calls received at City Hall are complaints about dogs or cats harming property in some way. Why is it such a problem for some pet owners to show some responsibility and
do the three things for their pets that the law requires:
When the County Animal Control Center is completed and the county-wide program goes into effect, there will be Animal Control Officers making unannounced patrols of the city and collecting all animals running loose on public property. The officers will not go on private land, except at the request of the land owner. The animals will be taken to the Center at Midway, where they can be retrieved upon payment of the fine and boarding fees, and proof of rabies immunization and city license. A license does two things: it proves the pet has valid inoculations and it identifies the owner. Licenses are renewed annually. The first time the animal is picked up, it is identified and returned to its owner. The second time, it is taken to Midway. It seems to be just smart thinking to get your pets vaccinated, buy your pets licenses, and keep them under control so that you won’t have to drive clear to Midway and pay a bunch of money to retrieve your pet. Remember to go to Big Spring Park on May 6 and 7 and enjoy the annual Cotter Trout Festival. Sonny Sharp and his committee come up with bigger and better programs each year. Gary Flippin and his crew will again produce a fine fish dinner Friday night, complete with some great music. Remember to bring the kids to the fishing derby where they will be shown how to catch, handle and clean our White River trout. As you drove around town last week, you couldn’t help but notice the huge piles of junk in front of a large number of homes. We have been having “Large Item” trash collections each six months for at least fifteen years. This Spring collection has to be the largest ever. Our trash contractor was overwhelmed and had to make several more trips than normal to get it all cleaned up. Our town is looking good because it has lost so much weight. | ||
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Community Calendar May 6 Fish Fry and 2nd Annual World Championship Shore Lunch Contest May 7 4th Annual Great Cotter Trout Festival, Big Spring Park May 12 Council Workshop, 6 p.m., City Hall May 17 Chamber of Commerce Meeting, 8 a.m., White Sands May 21 Saturday Club, 2 p.m., White Sands May 23 Book Club, 10 a.m., Rainbow Bridge Treasures May 26 City Council Meeting, 6 p.m., City Hall Add your community event to the calendar in City Hall and it will be included here. | ||
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One Bag
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My fishing bag is a wet/dry duffle. It has a dry side that contains everything that I want to keep dry and a mesh side that contains every thing that will get wet. Between the two compartments is a floating liner that allows the bag to be all wet or all dry. It has straps that can be converted from handles to shoulder straps to backpack straps. I use it as a shoulder strap so that I can carry it and have my hands free to carry my rod case or a cooler. Lori carries a slightly smaller version of the same bag. In the wet side I carry my waders, my wading boots, a wading belt with a wading staff attached to it and my flexi-flask filled with water. When I return from a fishing trip, I carefully dry everything and inspect each item before putting them back in my bag. If I have a leak or a loose felt sole, they are repaired at this time. I also refill my flexi-flask with water. In the dry side I carry my vest, a rain jacket, fingerless gloves (in the winter I carry wool gloves and in the summer I carry sun gloves), a hat, a net, a digital camera in a waterproof case, a walkie-talkie in a waterproof case and a small rigging bag. In the rigging bag I carry a back-up of everything that I carry in my vest. This includes tippet spools, leaders, forceps, nippers, etc. In addition, I carry a wader repair kit and a reel repair kit. In a small accessory pocket I carry a pair of polarized sunglasses in a hard plastic case. This still leaves room for trip specific items like a pile jacket or a thermos of coffee. When I return from the river I go through my vest and restock anything that I used on the trip and repair anything that was broken. I also dispose of any accumulated cigar wrappers or trash I picked up on the river. I leave my bag out until I have finished this process. I do not zip it closed or put it away until everything is dried, replaced, or repaired. My wife, Lori, who has several degrees in psychology, thinks that I have an obsessive-compulsive disorder. I prefer to think that I am organized. All I know is that if I get a last-minute client or a sunny afternoon with a good hatch I can quickly go without running around the house trying to find my stuff. One bag---give it a try! |
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Book Club Now Forming
If you like to read interesting books and would like to discuss them with interesting people, come help form a book club. Everyone is welcome. All ideas are open to discussion: format or lack of format, frequency, time and place to meet, how to choose books, etc. Please come to Rainbow Bridge Treasures (2nd and McLean) on Monday, May 23, at 10 a.m. and put in your two cents. Questions gladly answered: Sharon Peters, 435-5555. | ||
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Submission Deadline The deadline for contributions to the Trout Capital News is the 25th of each month. Please send submissions to 914 Combs Avenue, Cotter, AR 72626 or to troutcapitalnews@hopkinswoode.com. | ||
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Board Retreat
The board of directors of the Cotter Area Chamber of Commerce recently held its first retreat at Hopkinswoode. The beautiful environment helped everyone clear their minds and concentrate on the challenge ahead. The chamber has had a lot of success in the past few years but it was time to prepare for the next level. They needed to determine where they wanted to be in ten years and how to get there. The meeting was facilitated by Lori Sloas of People Skills Training and Consulting. I assisted her. The attendees were Beverly Pence, Chamber President, Gary Flippin, Vice President, Gail Major, Secretary, Dianne Doughty, Board Member, Denis Dunderdale, Board Member, and Tina Berry, Board Member. The morning was spent learning to communicate. Participants learned how to better deal with others both within the organization and outside it. They learned how to become better listeners and speakers, how to distinguish between different personality types, and the best way to communicate with each of them. They concentrated on improving management skills and team motivation. After lunch, the first order of business was to develop a mission statement. After a bit of discussion they came up with: Promote and Support Economic Growth and Commercial Development in the Cotter Area This reflects the direction the chamber wants to go and gives us a clear understanding of what it is about. They then set about identifying the strategic objectives that would support the mission statement. The first strategic objective was to promote Trophy Trout Management. They determined that the major business potential in the Cotter area was recreation and retirement. They think that our location on the river gives us a unique opportunity to capitalize on this first class fishery. The greatest use of the river is to produce trophy trout. This is what anglers are searching for when they visit or move to the area. They would rather catch the fish of a lifetime than a bunch of stockers. The chamber will work with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to accomplish this goal. The second strategic objective is to develop a comprehensive marketing plan. They need to let the world know that we are here. This means a major overhaul of our website. They need to develop new brochures that help sell the Cotter area. The chamber needs to look at an effective signage program. The marketing committee is currently developing these products with an emphasis on revitalizing the website. The third strategic objective is to forge alliances with local government and other civic organizations. All of the various groups need to pull together. All of us are working for the good of the Cotter area and it is vital that we work together. We must share goals and not work against each other. The final strategic objective is to retool our festivals. The chamber has been holding the Trout Festival and Fall Festival for several years. The festivals are a little tired and it is time to critically look at them and determine how they can be improved. What aspects of the festivals are working and which are not? What can we do to draw more visitors to the Cotter area? This will be a major area of board emphasis in the coming months. All of the participants left the retreat with a clear understanding of what needed to be done and were motivated to accomplish it.
L to R: Lori Sloas, John Berry, Gail Major, Beverly Pence, Tina Berry, Dianne
Doughty,
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Chamber Chat
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WHAT A TREAT FOR A RETREAT! The Cotter Area Chamber Board members met at Hopkinswoode Bed and Breakfast for our retreat. This was an all-day retreat and we were very diligent in our work. The Chamber of Commerce committees are off and running, fueled with new and continuing goals for the upcoming year. The Chamber has streamlined its mission to reflect a part of the planning initiatives that began as a result of the Board's hard work in assuring that the Chamber was in alignment with its institutional goals. The new mission reads “Promote and support economic growth and commercial development in the Cotter Area.” I wish to thank all of our Committee Chairs for their leadership efforts, and their committee members for the good work they perform every day. Our volunteers make a positive difference in our community and I appreciate their good work and spirit. At our Chamber meeting April 19, we were honored with four young men and women
from the Cotter School Choir and Band modeling their new uniforms. They were beautiful.
I was honored to receive pictures of the entire choir and band. We have a lot
of talented and beautiful young people in our band and chorus.
We are working constantly now on our Trout Festival, which will be May 6 and
7 in Big Spring Park. Everyone please remember to place on your calendars and
make arrangements to attend. The fish fry Friday night at 5 p.m. is delicious. In addition to all his wonderful talents, we have one of the best
cooks doing the fish fry, Gary Flippin. Also, we are working hard on planning
the 2nd Annual World Championship Shore-Lunch Contest May 6. The first-place winners
from last year, Rusty and Suzie Linquist, will be trying to retain their title
as “Best Shore Lunch Cooks on the White River.” We have many returning contestants
as well as new ones. This is a great time to watch the contestants prepare their
on-site meals and sample some of the cooking they do for their clients as guides
on the beautiful White River. I expect this event to continue to grow each year. |
Cotter School Choir and Band | |
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Cotter’s Newest Housing Development Needs a Name
Have you noticed the rising roof tops to your right just before you pull up to the eastern intersection of 62B and 62/412? Have you wondered what they are? Thom Embach of T & E Contracting filled us in on all the details. Thom’s father, also Tom Embach minus the “h”, of Leisure Homes is the developer of the senior living property. The sixteen units, four per building, are government subsidized and available for rental to individuals fifty-five and older. Rent is based on individual income. The development is currently on schedule to open in August, 2005 and a model will be available for viewing prior to opening. The units have a common floor plan and have been built in conformance to the American Disabilities Act. There will be a club house in the center of the site for use by residents that will include a small kitchen, an office and a community room. Thom is considering using a train theme in the community room as a tribute to the railroad’s importance in Cotter history. When we asked Thom the name of the development, he immediately stated that he would like the involvement of the community in the task. Please send all suggestions to troutcapitalnews@hopkinswoode.com or come by the Saturday Club’s booth at the Great Cotter Trout Festival and fill out a suggestion slip. | ||
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Cotter Kids’ Corner . . . This month, a local celebrity in the Guinness Book of World Records! Lurch the Wonder Watusi
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It’s Lurch the Wonder Watusi! He lives with Janice Wolf at Rocky Ridge Refuge on County Road 1123 in Gassville. His amazing horns, which on a normal watusi grow out and up, are too big and too heavy to curve. They grow straight out, weigh 100 pounds each, are 38 inches around (normal is 18!), and measure 7 ½ feet from tip to tip. And they’re still growing! Lurch is an African Watusi, a breed of cattle once considered sacred and owned only by kings in Africa. Today, Lurch lives a happy life in the Ozark Mountains with his friends Zebiscuit the zebra, Wade the water buffalo, a Nilgai antelope named Garth, Noogie the llama, mini donkeys and cows, lots of sheep, horses, dogs, cats, and a ram. Almost every animal at Rocky Ridge was rescued by Janice from an abusive situation and nurtured lovingly back to health. You can now walk among this big peaceful family in their pasture, touch Lurch’s famous horns, feel Wade’s prickly hide, get a kiss from Noogie, pet soft little Tater the lamb. Watch out or Zebiscuit will nibble on you! To visit Rocky Ridge Refuge, call Janice Wolf at 870-430-5783 for an appointment. Find more info and some amazing photos on her website: www.rockyridgerefuge.com. Visits are free, but donations are welcomed and appreciated so Janice can continue to care for her animal family and rescue others in need of her help. If you can think of advertising jobs for Lurch or any of his friends, Janice would be grateful for the referral.
Lurch the Wonder Watusi |
Jordan Tapang of Cotter riding Lurch
A meeting of the minds between
Kirby, Zebiscuit, Tater, and Tyrone having a pool party. Can you see Lurch in the background?
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One of the biggest problems that I face as a guide is to remain organized. It
is important that I arrive on stream with all of the equipment that I or my client
will need to fish that day. When I first started I carried a wader bag, a tackle
bag and a small duffle for clothing. Since then I have organized my gear into
one medium-sized duffle bag. The idea is to put everything I will need into one
bag. When I’m ready to go fishing, I just grab it and my rod case and go out the
door.
