Platte River

The Platte River /plæt/ (Pawnee: Kíckatusʾ) is a major river in the state of Nebraska and is about 310 mi (500 km) long. Measured to its farthest source via its tributary the North Platte River, it flows for over 1,050 miles (1,690 km). The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which itself is a tributary of the Mississippi River which flows to the Gulf of Mexico. The Platte over most of its length is a muddy, broad, shallow, meandering stream with a swampy bottom and many islands—a braided stream. These characteristics made it too difficult for canoe travel, and it was never used as a major navigation route by European-American trappers or explorers.

The Platte is one of the most significant tributary systems in the watershed of the Missouri, draining a large portion of the central Great Plains in Nebraska and the eastern Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Wyoming. The river valley played an important role in the westward expansion of the United States, providing the route for several major emigrant trails, including the Oregon, California, Mormon and Bozeman trails. The first Europeans to see the Platte were French explorers and fur trappers about 1714; they first called it the Nebraskier (Nebraska), a transliteration of the name given by the Otoe people, meaning "flat water". This expression is very close to the French words "rivière plate" ("flat river"), the suspected origin of the name Platte River.

Platte River (Wisconsin)

The Platte River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in southwestern Wisconsin in the United States. Its watershed lies almost entirely within Grant County, with only a small portion in neighboring Iowa County, and its main tributary is the Little Platte River. It is about 47 mi (76 km) long.

The name Platte is derived from the French meaning "flat" or "shallow".

Course

The Platte River rises near Montfort and follows a generally southwesterly course through Grant County. It flows into the Mississippi River about 3 mi (5 km) southwest of Dickeyville, across from Mud Lake, Iowa. It is navigable from Ellenboro downstream to its confluence with the Mississippi. At one time, steamboats could navigate the lowest reaches of the river.

The Platte's largest tributary is the Little Platte River, which rises near Livingston. It joins the Platte River 42 miles (68 km) to the southwest about 2 miles (3 km) west of Paris.

Geography

The Platte and Little Platte Rivers lie in exceptionally hilly terrain known as the Driftless Area. Many steep limestone bluffs dominate the landscape, often covered by white pine, which is uncharacteristic in the region. The vast majority of the area is covered in farmland and forest. The combination of the rugged terrain and extensive agriculture leads to significant runoff after storms, contributing to the many rapids along both rivers. One notable feature of the landscape is Platte Mound, which rises out of the relatively level surrounding terrain. This is the site of the world's largest letter M.

Platte River (Michigan)

The Platte River is located in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Its mouth is located in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and much of the rest is in the Pere Marquette State Forest.

The Platte River is about 29.5 miles (47.5 km) in length from its origin at the outlet of Lake Dubonett. The watershed area is about 193 square miles (500 km²). The land coverage is 82% forested, open lands or wetlands; 12% agriculture, and 7% urban. Approximately three-quarters of the watershed is publicly owned lands. Water in the river is clear due to extensive wetlands. Mixed conifer and hardwood wetlands give way to tamarack and arborvitae swamp near Big Platte Lake and Little Platte Lake.

The Platte River originates in Lake Dubonett flowing west and eventually turning north, flowing into Mud Lake and then into Lake Ann. From the east, additional drainage into Lake Ann comes from Ransom Creek, which drains Ransom Lake, and in turn Bellows Lake and Lyons Lake. From Lake Ann, the Platte River runs west and south. It collects the outflow of Upper and Lower Woodcock Lakes then flows through Bronson Lake. The river continues southwest. The Platte River State Fish Hatchery is on the river at Platte Creek, Michigan and Brundage Creek joins the river just to the east. The main branch receives Collison Creek just east of Honor, Michigan. At the Platte River Campground in the state forest, the river turns north west flowing toward Platte Lake.

North Platte River

The North Platte River (Arapaho: Bei'i'iiniicie ) is a major tributary of the Platte River and is approximately 716 miles (1,152 km) long counting its many curves. It travels about 550 miles (890 km) distance. Its course lies in the U.S. states of Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska.

The head of the river is essentially all of Jackson County, Colorado whose boundaries are the continental divide on the east and south and the mountain drainage peaks on the east—the north boundary is the state of Wyoming boundary. The rugged Rocky Mountains surrounding Jackson County have at least twelve peaks over 11,000 feet (3,400 m) in height. From Jackson County the river flows north about 200 miles (320 km) out of the Routt National Forest and North Park (Colorado basin) near what is now Walden, Colorado to Casper, Wyoming. Shortly after passing Casper the river turns to the east-southeast and flows about 350 miles (560 km) to the city of North Platte, Nebraska.

The North Platte and South Platte River join to form the Platte River in western Nebraska near the city of North Platte, Nebraska. The Platte River flows to the Missouri River which joins the Mississippi River to flow to the Gulf of Mexico. The river provides the major avenue of drainage for northern Colorado, eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska. It is only navigable over most of its length at high water by canoes, kayaks and rubber rafts.

Fly fishing

Fly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial "fly" is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or "lure" requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting. Fly fishermen use hand tied flies that resemble natural invertebrates, baitfish, other food organisms, or "lures" to provoke the fish to strike (bite at the fly).

Fly fishing can be done in fresh or salt water. North Americans usually distinguish freshwater fishing between cold-water species (trout, salmon, steelhead) and warm-water species, notably bass. In Britain, where natural water temperatures vary less, the distinction is between game fishing for trout and salmon versus coarse fishing for other species. Techniques for fly fishing differ with habitat (lakes and ponds, small streams, large rivers, bays and estuaries, and open ocean.)

Author Izaak Walton called fly fishing "The Contemplative Man's Recreation".

Fly Fishing (book)

Fly Fishing, first published in 1899 by English author and diplomat Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon (1862-1933) is a book about fly fishing English chalk streams and spate rivers for trout and salmon. It includes reminisces about the author's fly fishing experiences on Hamptonshire rivers. The book was in print for nearly 50 years and has been extensively reprinted in the 21st century.

Synopsis

The work deals with fly fishing for trout, sea trout and salmon. Grey places presents fishing for sea trout as the pinnacle of fly fishing and describes the challenge of fly fishing for Atlantic salmon. On trout, he was the first writer of importance on the dry-fly who really knew what the wet-fly meant. Grey was an expert angler and he detailed much that is useful and instructive in prose that is clear and vigorous.

Author

Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon KG, PC, FZL, DL (25 April 1862 – 7 September 1933), better known as Sir Edward Grey, Bt, was a British Liberal statesman. He served as Foreign Secretary from 1905 to 1916, the longest continuous tenure of any person in that office. He is probably best remembered for his remark at the outbreak of the First World War: "The lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them lit again in our time". Ennobled as Viscount Grey of Fallodon in 1916, he was Ambassador to the United States between 1919 and 1920 and Leader of the Liberal Party in the House of Lords between 1923 and 1924. He also gained distinction as an ornithologist and angler.