My oldest daughter and I hit the twin Lakes Coffee Mill and Davy Crockett in far North Texas this morning in search of Bluegills.

Davy Crockett was a bust. We could not find water that could be fished from the shore. The lake has been sadly neglected by the US Forest Service. The shoreline is overgrown, the fishing pier is sinking, and the rest room facilities have all been torn down. It was doubly sad because I have fond memories of the lake 50 years ago with a thriving marina and a well groomed shoreline just chock full of black bass, crappie, bluegill and redears.

We moved on to Coffee Mill. The water was chocolate brown and a breeze from the west made it cool. We found some nice bluegill near a fallen tree in four feet of water. They were hugging the bottom. At first we caught them on a slip bobber rig, but as the morning wore on we had to remove the bobbers and fish on the bottom. The bait was small chunks of night crawlers. All in all we caught about a dozen fat bluegills and about the same number of smaller fish.

Both these lakes are in the national grass lands administered by the US Forest Service. It is a crime that they have been neglected because 50 years ago they were prime fishing lakes.

The local park here was so over grown you couldn't even see the river and no way to get to it. Last summer they hired goats. Those things will clear a stretch of underbrush in no time.

It's a shame officials will not take care of their parks. If only the government would stop wasting money they would have plenty to keep up our federal parks and then some.

Glad you found some fish. Good job to both you and your doughtier! At least you made it out there and that is what matters.




Side Note: Hate to read about the park/lake condition. May be a letter or email to the Federal Forest Department should be sent. As if it would matter!