Wading Journal Celebrating the Things That Connect Us
ISSUE 01 MAY 2022 823 Massachussets Street Lawrence, KS
Spirit of Place: Great Blue Heron By William Stafford Out of their loneliness for each other two reeds, or maybe two shadows, lurch forward and become suddenly a life lifted from dawn or the rain. It is the wilderness come back again, a lagoon with our city reflected in its eye. We live by faith in such presences. It is a test for us, that thin but real, undulating figure that promises, “If you keep faith I will exist 20
at the edge, where your vision joins
SU NIOJ TAHT SDROW
the sunlight and the rain: heads in the light, feet that go down in the mud where the truth is.” reprinted by permission of The Estate of William Stafford.
Dear Friends, Thank you for opening the first issue of our Wading Journal! This publication has been a key part of our plan since we opened our shop last August and now we're thrilled to finally see it happening.
Bob Marsh - Great Blue Heron Outdoors
From our Founder
We are Great Blue Heron, Inc., a coffee shop and water sports store in downtown Lawrence, Kansas. We have a passion for “quiet“ water wading activities – activities like fishing, paddling, seining, or camping beside a stream, river, lake, or wetland. There is a lot to reflect on in and around these waters. The purpose of our Wading Journal is to collect these reflections and share them with our community. Soon, we will invite you to share your thoughts and experiences in the Wading Journal as well. We envision a space for our community to grow and inspire others who love the watery outdoors.
Wade on in, Bob
HSRAM BOB - REDNUOF RUO
In this first issue of our Wading Journal, we share reflections on our symbol, the Great Blue Heron, along with information about fishing in Kansas and water quality monitoring, recipes, games, and just a little about our shop. We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed gathering them for you. Now that you know who we are and why we wade, we'd like to hear from you. If you have any experiences, fantastic fishing spots, poems or other reflections you would like to share for a future issue, please send them to us. Tell us why and where you wade so that we can share some of these thoughts in a future Wading Journal. The next issue will be published in late August. Submit your thoughts to events@gbh-outdoors.com.
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Along these lines we share Spirit of Place – Great Blue Heron by beloved Kansas poet William Stafford. Since our store opening, this poem has graced our shop window, greeting Mass Street shoppers and, we hope, drawing them to the magic of the heron. For us, this poem captures a bit of what we are about and why we chose the Great Blue Heron to represent our community. We hope you will love it as much as we do. We invite you to explore more of William Stafford poems through his collection that we have for sale in our shop.
TABLE OF
Contents 1
Words that Inspire
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From Where the Crawdads Sing By Delia Owens
2
Community Involvement
06
Water Quality Monitoring Process and Procedure By Ed Church
3
Have a Little Fun!
08
Catch of the Day
09
Relaxing entertainment
4
Blackened Seafood Tacos
Simple recipes for your busy life!
5
Get Your Feet Wet Fishing in Kansas
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by Brayden Shumaker
Front Cover Photo: Bernadette Sciandra Page 15 product and Patio photos: Starra Zweygardt
EDITOR: KRISTIN SUTER
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Words that inspire...
NOREH EULB TAERG
"...A great blue heron is the color of gray mist reflecting in blue water. And like mist, she can fade into the backdrop, all of her disappearing except the concentric circles of her lock-and-load eyes. She is a patient, solitary hunter, standing alone as long as it takes to snatch her prey. Or, eyeing her catch, she will stride forward one slow step at a time, like a predacious bridesmaid. And yet, on rare occasions she hunts on the wing, darting and diving sharply, swordlike beak in the lead." Where the Crawdads Sing Delia Owens
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Great Blue Heron Outdoors: Water Quality Monitoring By: Ed Church Great Blue Heron Outdoors has teamed up with the Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program (LMVP) and the Kansas Biological Survey (KBS) to develop a program to analyze the condition of water in area lakes and ponds. The results will be added to regional and national databases which are used to determine the effects of land use practices on water quality and find ways to protect our precious water resources. There are several levels of opportunities for volunteers from the very basic to quite sophisticated quality analysis. Most sites are from shore or docks and require from 5 to 30 minutes on a regular schedule, ranging from once a week to once every three weeks through the warm seasons. Some of the tests are:
GNIROTINOM YTILAUQ RETAW
1. Using a simple Thermometer to determine the temperature of the water at various levels, from recording surface temperature to tracking the temperature of water layers in the lake with an instrument such as a Fish Hawk. 2. Use of a Secchi Disk to measure the clarity of the water. This involves lowering a sighting disk in the water and measuring the average depth where you can see the disk. 3. Collect samples and prepare them to be sent to a laboratory for chemical analysis. These determine the presence of nutrients, chlorophyl, nitrates, ammonia, and dissolved solids. 4. Collect samples to test for the presence of cyanotoxins. These are the toxins that are generated by “algae blooms.’ These toxins can be fatal to animals. Humans have become ill and dogs have died from being in contaminated water.
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If you live on or close to a lake, this is can be an ideal way to help determine the safety of your water. We are considering supplements to the LMVP plan which will give more immediate feedback on the condition of the water of “your” lake. We are going through the great response we had to our solicitation for volunteers and will be contacting some of you directly to set up a plan for your lake. We hope you will take the plunge and contact Ed Church (ed@gbhoutdoors.com) or call the store at 785=856-5656 to expand this valuable service. Thanks! We will keep you posted in later journals on the results of this drive by Great Blue Heron Outdoors to understand and improve the Quality of a precious resource.
GNIROTINOM YTILAUQ RETAW
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Have a little FUN! In line with our philosophy of stillness and patience, try your hand at this Word Search and a peaceful photo with a secret!
What do you see in this photo?
HAVE A LITTLE FUN!
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Blackened Seafood Tacos INGREDIENTS 10-12 TORTILLAS CORN OR FLOUR
1.5-2 LB. WHITEFISH AND/OR SHRIMP CLEANED&DEVEINED
BLACKENING SEASONING RECIPE TO FOLLOW
12 OZ SHREDDED CABBAGE 1 CUP COJITA CHEESE - CRUMBLED VEGGIE TOPPINGS
AVOCADO, CILANTRO, CORN SALSA
FISH TACO SAUCE
RECIPE TO FOLLOW
LIME WEDGES
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SUPERB SEAFOOD TACOS
Directions 2
1 MIX A SIMPLE SEASONING MIX The best part about mixing your own blackening seasoning is you can adjust it to your own taste! Mix 1T each of onion powder, garlic powder, black, white and cayenne pepper, ground oregano, ground thyme, and salt with 4T paprika. Keep this in a shaker jar in your spice cabinet.
BAKE SEAFOOD AT 350 FOR 20-25 MIN Drizzle fish with a little oil and sprinkle with blackening seasoning and place in a baking dish. Add a little white wine to the dish to reduce the fishy smell in your house!
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3 HEAT TORTILLAS IN A DRY SKILLET
MIX UP SOME SIMPLE FISH TACO SAUCE
Tortillas are pretty simple to make from scratch, but if you don't want to go that route, heat your store-bought tortillas until they're hot and a little crisp.
Mix 1/2 Cup Sour Cream and 1/3 Cup Mayo with Juice of 1 lime, 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp onion powder. Add Sriracha to taste - it gets SPICY!
Helpful Hint Keep some simple white wine on hand for cooking seafood. A little in the pan will keep your house from smelling like fish! Keep the rest of the bottle refrigerated for your next seafood recipe!
BY KRISTIN SUTER
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Enjoy! Photos: Kristin Suter
SOCAT DOOFAES BREPUS
super simple corn salsa 1 can sweet corn, drained pinch of blackening seasoning sriracha to taste sprinkle of red onion and scallion
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Fishing in Kansas Fishing in Kansas tends to be thought of as “limited” to man made ponds, lakes, and reservoirs. It’s rare to find water that hasn’t been dammed up and trapped somewhere along its stretch, but the streams and rivers of our state are worth discovering. The small streams with blue-green hues and beds of limestone and shale, as well as the massive rivers with sandbars and islands are all hidden treasures in Eastern and Central Kansas. Fly-fishermen and fishermen in our home state can reap great success fishing for popular species of bass and panfish, while also finding themselves entwined with wilderness and immersed in both the story of our state and the historical record of our planet, just by venturing a bit off the beaten path. While the Kaw River doesn’t fit the description of a clear, limestone bottomed stream, it is quintessentially Kansan, and any canoeist or fisherman can find profound remoteness on its wide berth and mile long meanders. As the longest prairie river in the world, the Kaw is vast, shallow, and very silty. Sandbars and gravel bars abound as the river twists and braids across the prairie of eastern Kansas. There are very few obstructions on the river, just a few small weirs and a low head hydroelectric dam. Coincidentally, the only rapids on the river are around these diversions and the fishing is astronomically better in the river’s rare moving water. White bass, wipers, walleye, crappie, and even gar are species of fish targeted with a fly rod on this river, but the most popular species of fish is rarely caught on a fly. BY BRAYDEN SHUMAKER
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By Brayden Shumaker
Catfish abound on this river, and they can grow to absolutely monstrous sizes. I caught a flathead that was 46 pounds, but blue cats upwards of 100 pounds have been caught below Bowersock Dam in Lawrence. There is a local legend of fish upwards of 200 pounds dragging men to their deaths in the swirling water below Bowersock when it was still a grain mill. In the present day, fish don’t get that big, but they do still grow very large. Flatheads fatten themselves up on the invasive Asian carp that have made their way up from the Missouri River, but also enjoy the shad that get washed over the dam. Flathead and channel catfish can be caught with large and lively bait, such as panfish, while the blue cats tend to prefer fresh cut bait. Disregarding fishing, the Kansas River is absolutely beautiful. In mid to late October when the leaves become auburn and red and the prairie turns to rust, the Kaw quietly tells you that it still deserves to be the state’s namesake. To paddle this river is to take a step back in time. Fossils and bones are scattered across the sand bars, while the banks are lined with the ever more rare native Kansan tree growth. Cottonwoods, sycamore, and oak trees line the muddy banks. Bald eagles are commonly seen, perched in lofty branches as they survey the river for vulnerable baitfish. Rolling hills, billowing native prairie, sandbars miles long, and a reminder of what Kansas looked like before farmers ran their plows through the Earth and the American Bison were nearly run extinct, all encapsulate a crisp Autumn day on this river.
White Bass. Photo: Brayden Shumaker
The Flint Hills region is home to rich ranching history and the largest remaining expanse of native tallgrass prairie. The steep and rocky hills make it hard to grow Kansas’ famous row crops, but ideal for raising cattle. With very little agricultural runoff and well preserved prairies, the creeks and streams in the region are as beautiful of a sight as any. Many of the smaller ones run nearly clear, with the only pigmentation being the blue hue caused by the calcite-rich limestone that lines the stream bottoms. These streams tend to hold mostly bass and panfish, while the larger, muddier streams hold more of a variety of fish. The Cottonwood and Smoky Hill rivers are my favorite of the larger rivers in the region to fish. They hold catfish and white bass, as well as just about any fish that can possibly be washed out of any of the surrounding farm ponds.
Additionally, the Neosho river is home to paddlefish, as well as the Neosho smallmouth, an endangered strain of bass. The smaller streams are really the bread and butter of the region. Picturesque, quiet, and full of fish, streams such as Deep Creek in Riley county can make any fisherman marvel at the natural beauty of the area before even making a cast. Unfortunately, access is much more limited when it comes to these waterways, but there are ways to get in without trespassing. Kansas’ Walk-In Fishing Access program (WIFA) provides public access to areas of land that would otherwise be private. There are numerous areas in Chase and Lyon counties, as well as a few in Riley and Geary Counties. Of course, permission is often granted if one were to ask the landowner politely. Fox Creek in Chase County has about two miles of public access within the Nature Conservancy’s Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, and is home to spotted bass and largemouth, as well as panfish and catfish. Only a half mile walk lies between the parking lot on Kansas Highway 177, also known as the Flint Hills Scenic Byway, and this beautiful piece of stream, making it perfect for an evening wade trip in the doldrums of summer. I’ve had most of my luck casting a fly, but any light tackle would do just fine. Keeping in mind that many Kansans feel a special attachment to the national preserve, it is important to be respectful of this river. The land the stream runs through is 11,000 acres of pristine tallgrass prairie, preserved solely for the appreciation of the public. Being such a well preserved piece of land, the stream is clean and healthy. Deep blue pools, gravel bars, and cottonwood trees hanging over the bank make the stream an angler’s paradise. 13
FISHING IN KANSAS
In the rare chance the fishing isn’t good in the Flint Hills, a good day can still very well be spent outdoors. The national preserve near Strong City boasts 40 miles of hiking trails, which are all open 24 hours a day. When the prairie recovers from the annually prescribed burns, the Flint Hills are reminiscent of the Irish countryside. Rolling hills of green, topped with white chalky limestone, combined with the image of a herd of bison grazing, the National Preserve is a Kansan paradise. Of course, any season is beautiful. Autumn is my favorite time of year as the grass rusts and the prairie turns into a wide array of oranges and reds. The top of one of these hills is arguably one of the best places in the country to witness a sunset. With very little light pollution, Chase County, as well as any part of the Flint Hills should be a destination for anyone looking to experience the night sky. Kansas is often associated with miles and miles of farmland and little to no topography, which admittedly there is some truth to that conception. But there’s also more to our state than that. The sensation of wilderness is found in the sight of the mighty cottonwood tree, the sound of a small stream lapping over limestone cobbles, or the smell of fish on your hands after your 15th white bass of the day. Rivers and hills abound in central Kansas, and in these hills and rivers lie history. Formed in a prehistoric sea, the limestone and shale beds in the region record what life was like hundreds of millions of years ago. Prehistoric clams, corals, and fragments of crinoid stems are often found on small streams’ gravel beds. To move further on in the Earth’s history, one should explore the Kansas River. FISHING IN KANSAS
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Trout in Kanopolis seep stream. Photo: Brayden Shumaker
The vertebrae of prehistoric bison can be found, as well as fragments of other prehistoric animals. Along the river, there’s also evidence of the peoples who once called the valley home. Flint tools made by the Kaw Indians, such as arrowheads can be found on the Kaw’s many sandbars. In the Smoky Hills of Kansas, petroglyphs can be found in the sandstone and limestone bluffs that make up the hillsides of the region. In the state of Kansas, both history and scenery have a tendency to converge, whether it be in the hills of Chase County or the woodlands of Douglas. The state of Kansas will forever be considered irrelevant to the rest of the country, and ironically I’m happy about that. Scenery and tranquility abound on the prairie, but the peace and solitude one can find here will forever remain a secret to outsiders. I have no problem writing this article and advertising our state’s little known natural wonders, because the misconception of our state being “flyover country” is just that strong. Nonetheless, we Kansans appreciate and love what we have here. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and to us, both the simplicities and complexities of the prairie’s ecosystem and its history is beautiful.
Around the Shop
Crisp Original Limeade Perfect for a Hot Kansas Day!
At Great Blue Heron Outdoors, you will find kind, knowledgable staff whether you're looking for new fishing gear, a cup of the best coffee or limeade on Mass Street, or advice about your outdoor adventures!
Jayhawk Limeade! Cherry Limeade with Mixed Berry Topping
We strive to help you create a memorable experience. Great Blue Latte! Quiet Reads on the water
Photo: Krisitn Suter
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AROUND THE SHOP
Our Quiet Patio
Perfect for coffee or a meeting!
Wade On In!
Great Blue Heron Outdoors 823 Massachussets Street Lawrence, KS