Blog Archive

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I took a walk up the spring branch on May 20th, 2008 and was taken by the quietness and peace.

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They were there, in good shape, and the store opened in 1964-1965 on an early 2 week North Fork Float. Picture taken May 20th, 2008. They were probably built 1910-1920.

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These picture are at approx. 1600 CFS. May 21, 2008.

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I took and walk to the river after 7:00 PM to try to catch another wild rainbow trout. Landed and released unharmed a beautiful 17″ wild rainbow. No doubt, one of the top trout streams in the USA.  What a thrill on an 1950 built Jim Payne 97 with a Leonard Model 44 reel, silk line and 12′ leader and a size 14 Prince Nymph (bead-headed).

This Google Earth is of the North Fork from just above Rainbow Spring looking upstream to Highway “C” out of Dora (at Hammond Mill). Show the rugged topography and forested nature of the watershed. You barely see highway “C” at the top of the picture.

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A common sight when floating this river. We must have seen 500 turtles that day. The float was a short Hammond to the Falls float.

Spatterdock is found in a few places of the North Fork; these about one mile above Rainbow Spring. Sometimes called pond lillies in Missouri.

One of the bats of Missouri that sleeps in trees. This one I saw at ROFL in May 2008.

This bid inhabits ROLF in fair numbers. I have seen many, oftentimes digging in the ground like a squirrel. I think they spend a lot of time rooting around for grubs, then fly to a nearby tree with the prey. The Flicker is a handsome bird with a wild jungle like call.

Pretty much a winter visitor to ROLF that is also attracted to nectar and suet feeders.Adults are black on the back and wings with white bars; they have a black head with white lines down the side and a red forehead and crown, a yellow breast and upper belly, a white lower belly and rump and a black tail with a white central bar. Adult males have a red throat; females have a white throat.