Heading south

I ended up sleeping at a truck stop, but with beautiful clear skies was able to see the blood moon!  I left very early, sleeping in the cab of a Tacoma when you are my size is a painful and frivolous venture.  After I headed due north into the ozark mountains.  

I was able to watch the sun rise over this area and I must say it is a beautiful place!   Tight winding roads, constantly climbing and descending.   One of the places I really wish I had a motorcycle.  

I stopped in at a local fly shop to get some info on the river.  Willie, a big grizzly man entertained me with some fly suggestions and fish stories.  He also warned me of the fairly inconsistent water flows.  Apparently they let water out of the damn according to the power usage of the area.  So wade fishing was pretty much impossible until one ish, after the water flow was cut down.  I took my time getting to the camp ground below the damn because of this.  

When I arrived I stopped at the guard station and just my luck they were closed Tuesday and Wednesday!  Another campground freebee!!!  I set up shop right next to the river and saw how high and fast the river was.  It was also funny to see a different type of fly fisherman. On this river most people use a long skinny flat bottom boat with 25hp outboards. When the levels are high it's all nymphing. There was a constant buzzing of boats traveling up the river and drifting down.  I figured the fish must not be too timid with that racket going on constantly. Back to the fishermen/women themselves; unlike the pretentious patagoochi filled rivers of the west, most of these people seemed to be of the lower middle class.  Beat up boats, raggedy camo jackets, most smoking cigarettes, but with fly rods in hand and having a stellar time.   I got a feeling of relief that this sport wasn't as 1% as I had stereotyped it from my experiences out west.  

The water level eventually dropped and I headed out on the water.  And it really dropped!!! About four feet, revealing a river that was easy to wade and spot fish. They were rising all over.  Hitting very small midges. I caught two nice browns then it died down.  I tied on a dry dropper with some of the killer zebra midges willie recommended and got into a bunch of rainbows. 

My fishing buddy for the day was this guy, who almost caught as many as I did. 

The sun began to set and I heard the sirens for water release, so I headed in. 

That was on one of the many rock islands that be way under water in about fifteen minutes.  

It was a fairly chilling and windy evening and I called it in early for the night.  

The next day I decided I was tired of sleeping in the cold and high tailed it for the gulf coast.  

Crossing the mighty Mississippi near Memphis.  

Mile after mile heading south, it got warmer and greener!  I didn't think I could make to the coast before nightfall so I set my sites on desoto national forest in southern Mississippi.   When I arrived in the little town of Brooklyn Mississippi, I asked the gas station attendants if there was any campgrounds or primitive spots in the area.   Both had lived in the area their whole lives and had not a single clue.  They told me it wouldn't be wise to just camp down a trail in the woods but reccommended sleeping under the town bridge.  Their baffling comments on the woods made me a little nervous so I headed towards the town bridge.  Once there I immediately recognized it as the designated drinking spot for all the town degenerates.  I knew this because it looked like a spot that I would love to hang out and drink at. I was considering sleeping there until I came upon a sign that said "keep out, the rebles tertory", spelled exactly that way in very sloppy cursive.  They teach cursive here I thought!!  Then decided this was an unwise place to camp.  

I ventured into the forest and that was not any more appitizing.  It looked as though all scary movies were derived from this one national forest in Mississippi.  I told my dad that with the windows down I could actually smell skunk ape, the down south version of Bigfoot that apparently emits a pungent stench.  I decided that even if I hit the coast in the dark it would be a better if not safer place to lay my head.  To paraphrase what  my buddy joe told me, you don't have to worry about animals; people are a different matter.  

I got to a state park in deloxi MS around eight and made camp.   Again the office was closed.  It was the first night I broke out my thirty degree sleeping bag and it felt great!!  I got in contact with a fly fishing guide who gave me some pointers for wade fishing in my next destination, pensicola Florida.  

When I left the guard station was still empty, so I snaked out of paying for another campground!  I headed east on i10 towards the sliver of Alabama then onto Florida.  After passing mobile I was on a long bridge where I spotted a real World War Two battleship.  I hit the next exit to go check it out.   It was the USS Alabamba and was a memorial park/museum.   There were plenty of planes and tanks set up on display as well so I had to go in and check it out.  You can tour the whole battleship unassisted!   I spent a good hour wondering above and below deck, a great experience for a war buff such as my self.  

16" rounds! 

You could go in everything!!  I truly wished my brother and dad were there to experience it with me.  

They also had an air museum as well as submarine you could walk through.  That was tight and a bit frightening.  

They had just rolled out this puppy as well. 

I headed to fort Pickens state park.  It's a long, white sand island just south of pensicola.   I had to pay for a campsite this time, but it was worth it for showers!!   It was an overcast day but temps in the seventies, so no complaints!  I spent day fishing in the flats but with no luck.   I had one fish flash my fly and I assume it was a sea trout, but no bites.  I will dive in again tomorrow!