Arizona Reporter Newswire http://www.azreporter.com/news/ Arizona News en-us Arizona Reporter © 1998-2007 News http://backend.userland.com/rss http://www.azreporter.com/img/azreporter.gif Arizona Reporter Newswire http://www.azreporter.com/news/ PUBLIC ENEMIES http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=593
Universal Pictures
Reviewed for Arizona Reporter by Harvey Karten
Grade: B+
Directed by: Michael Mann
Written By: Ronan Bennett, Michael Mann, Ann Biderman, from Bryan Burrough's book "Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34."
Cast: Johnny Depp, Stephen Graham, Giovanni Ribisi, Billy Crudup
Screened at: AMC 84th St., NYC, 6/25/09However Depp is not having the kind of made-for-kids fun he enjoyed in "Pirates of the Caribbean." Looking considerably different from the way his fans have known him, his Dillinger is not the folksy kind as described in John Milius's 1973 movie which starred Warren Oats but instead plays a cool, confident cucumber of a man-one who brazenly visits and casually leaves the FBI office which sports a painted door sign "Dillinger Division," a trip he might have taken to admire his pictures hanging on the bulletin boards. Though considered by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup, playing the chief in a probably accurate foppish manner) to be Public Enemy #1, he has no problem hanging out in Chicago, the center of Depression-era gangsterism.

Mann's film starts with a bang with the escape from the Indiana State Penitentiary by Dillinger and some followers in 1933. He takes an immediate liking to a nightclub coat-checker, Billie Frechette, who does not take long to allow herself to be swept off her feet. Hoover appoints Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) to head the Chicago office of the Bureau, defining the chase: it's Purvis vs. Dillinger, and almost needless to say the villain, as is true in most movies, has the charisma while the pursuers are arrow-straight.

Prison breaks alternate with bank robberies, the loud rat-tat-tats of the Thompson submachine guns light up the darkness like Fourth of July exhibitions. First Pretty-Boy Floyd is gunned down by the law, then Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham). Bank robberies are dramatic, in two cases the bank presidents are grabbed by their necks and forced to open the vaults. Not dramatized, however, is history's testimonial that crowds cheered Dillinger as a Robin Hood, partly because of their hostility to banks (sound contemporary?) which had foreclosed on their homes, partly because Dillinger destroyed records of loans and mortgages held by the institutions.

The chemistry between Dillinger and Frechette is palpable, in large part because the woman's role is handled by the excellent Marion Cotillard, who won an Oscar for her lead performance in La mome, in the role of Edith Piaf.

Filming in Wisconsin and Illinois, Dante Spinotti seems to have avoided signs of Depression. No soup kitchens here, only people enjoying themselves in night clubs, movies, all wearing fashionable suits and dresses. Some of the dialogue is unintelligible, and the project could have been better if Spinotti used real film instead of HD. Exciting as the film is, it somehow lacks the electrifying resonance of Arthur Penn's 1967 film "Bonnie and Clyde," given Faye Dunaway's startling performance as Bonnie Parker. The work appears mostly accurate historically: even the marquis of the theater that found Dillinger enjoying his last movie is authentically recreated.

The epilogue notes that the real Melvin Purvis died "at his own hand," though many believe he shot himself accidentally while trying to dislodge a tracer bullet from his gun. All in all, Mann's production does not break new ground though expensive production values make this one of the finest action movies in a season of adventure pics that has not yet come up with celluloid much better than "The Taking of Pelham 123."

Rated R. 140 minutes. © 2009 by Harvey Karten Member: NY Film Critics Online]]> Movie Reviews http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=593 Thu, 2 Jul 2009 16:55:32 -0500 "Jolly Rogers" of Strike Fighter Squadron 103 http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=592


A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer aircraft flies alongside a Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft from the "Jolly Rogers" of Strike Fighter Squadron 103, attached to the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), after a close air support mission over the Arabian Sea June 25, 2009, in support of coalition forces in Afghanistan. The Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations as part of a regularly scheduled deployment in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. (DoD photo by Lt. Marques Jackson, U.S. Navy/Released)]]> US News http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=592 Thu, 2 Jul 2009 16:39:14 -0500 Phoenix Mission Research Points to Martian Climate Cycles http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=590 Tucson, Ariz - Four papers in the journal Science this week offer new details about the history of water on Mars, gleaned from the 2008 NASA Phoenix Mars Mission that was operated from The University of Arizona.

Peter H. Smith, a scientist with the UA Lunar and Planetary Laboratory and the mission's principal investigator, is the first author of "H2O at the Phoenix Landing Site" in Science. There are 35 co-authors from six countries on the paper. Smith and his group of scientists and students used the lander to investigate the role of water and ice on Mars, as well as the changing weather patterns.

The popular mission launched in early August 2007. In May, 2008, early 10 months later, its landing trajectory was spectacularly captured by the HiRISE camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

For the next five months, the UA Science Operations Center clattered with researchers gearing themselves to follow the Martian diurnal phases, which are about 40 minutes longer than day and night on Earth and enough to throw off human sleep schedules in short order.
The landing site was an ejecta field. A comet or asteroid that crashed into the surface melted the ice below creating a sheet of dust and water that flowed across a shallow valley. Smith said that event also covered any large rocks that could have interfered with the ability of the Phoenix to safely land.

Smith and his group found patterns in the ground near the lander, multi-sided shapes about three to ten meters in size. The shapes are created when the surface contracts and the ice cracks. Sand fills in the cracks before the ice expands and buckles the surface to make the distinctive patterns.

Smith used the Phoenix lander's robotic arm to dig a series of trenches to expose subsurface ice and found that the ice in the centers of the polygons was fairly shallow, only a couple of inches deep.

"But in the troughs in between, we went down as much as eight inches and never did find the ice underneath. We weren't able to dig further down because the robot arm was hitting against the side of the lander. It was not known ahead of time that there would be changes in the depth of the ice," he said.

"We wanted to know the origin of the ice," Smith said. "It could have been the remnant of a larger polar ice cap that shrank; could have been a frozen ocean; could have been a snowfall frozen into the ground," he said.

"The most likely theory is that water vapor from the atmosphere slowly diffused into the surface and froze at the level where the temperature matches the frost point. We expected that was probably the source of the ice, but some of what we found was surprising."

One of the surprises was finding perchlorate.

"Perchlorate was not predicted at this landing site and nobody had it on their list of likely chemicals. There was a very high concentration of it, higher than the salts we might have expected like sodium chloride (table salt). As an oxidized state of chlorine, it has interesting properties including a strong affinity for water. On Earth, microbes use it as a chemical energy source."

During the mission, Mars moved from summer to winter, giving Smith and others an unprecedented look at the planet's changing weather patterns, including frost and snow.

"Frost was predicted, but snowfall was quite a welcome surprise," Smith said. "In summer there was a lot of dust in the atmosphere. As we neared fall, the dust cleared, and all of a sudden there were water ice clouds forming at about 4 km (2.5 mi.) above the surface. We could see the clouds scud by, moving through the camera field, and once we saw snow coming out of the bottom of a cloud. It was very exciting to watch the daily weather changes. No one has ever had this experience."

Smith said there are clues that thin films of water modified the soil chemistry. Unlike Earth, Mars has an unstable spin axis, which currently is tilted at about 25 degrees from vertical. Perhaps five millions years ago, he said, it was tilted much more, which would have exposed the north pole to larger amounts of sunlight creating warmer, wetter conditions during summer.

"During that previous climate, you would expect huge increase in the amounts of water vapor coming off the polar cap. If the cap goes unstable, you can have as much as three hundred times as much water in the atmosphere," Smith said.

It would have been enough for snowdrifts. On hot summer days, melting snow could have formed thin films of water.

Not enough for a lake or a river, but he said this could have been a time when damp soil provided a growth period for any microbes that learned to survive those long periods of dryness.

"Who knows? Evolution is a powerful force. If life ever started on Mars, there are niches where still it could survive." ]]> Sci-Tech http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=590 Thu, 2 Jul 2009 16:24:34 -0500 Cheri - (Miramax Films) http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=589 By Susan Granger - While 21st century older women who enjoy decadent relationships with younger men are dubbed "cougars," that cross-generational attraction has been around for many, many years. Indeed, the legendary French writer Colette (1873-1954), who reportedly had a clandestine affair with her stepson, scandalized society with the two novels on which this new Stephen Frears film is based.

Set in turn-of-the-century Paris, radiant Lea de Lonval (Michelle Pfeiffer) is a wealthy, retired, middle-aged courtesan who embarks on what she thinks will be a casual tryst with a callow, foppish 19 year-old playboy, "a graceful demon" called Cheri (Rupert Friend). His bitchy mother, Charlotte Peloux (scene-stealing Kathy Bates), a former courtesan and Lea's colleague and rival, doesn't object; in fact, she considers it an educational experience for him to become her sexual protégé. Surprisingly, six years later, the affair is still on. Lea fears growing old while Cheri fears growing up. But then scheming Charlotte announces that handsome Cheri is affianced to the lovely, virginal Edmee (Felicity Jones), an 18 year-old with a significant dowry and the daughter of Marie-Laure (Iben Hjejle), another ex-courtesan. Her lust unabated, beautifully fragile Lea retreats to the French Riviera, staunch in her refusal to give up her "naughty child."
More than 20 years ago, Stephen Frears ("The Queen") directed Michelle Pfeiffer in the far-better costume drama "Dangeous Liaisons," which was also translated and adapted by Christopher Hampton. Now at age 51, Pfeiffer's still gorgeous, as are Consolata Boyle's elegant Belle Époque costumes and scenery, sumptuously photographed by Darius Khondji. But there's a distinct unease about Pfeiffer's performance that permeates and dilutes this sophisticated yet poignant concept.

As a side note, Frances Tomelty, Sting's first wife and mother of his two eldest children, plays Pfeiffer's maid, while Keith Richards' ex, Anita Pallenberg, has a cameo as a fellow courtesan in a scene shot at Maxim's in Paris. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Cheri" is a shallow, soufflé-light 6. It's all about the wicked game of seduction and its aftermath.
]]> Movie Reviews http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=589 Thu, 2 Jul 2009 15:48:53 -0500 YOO-HOO, MRS. GOLDBERG http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=588
International Film Circuit
Reviewed for Arizona Reporter by Harvey Karten
Grade: B
Directed and Written by: Aviva Kempner
Cast: Gertrude Berg, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sara Chase, Norman Lear, Margaret Nagle, Roberta Wallach
Screened at: Review 1, NYC, 6/24/09
Opens: July 10, 2009In this documentary written and directed by Aviva Kempner-whose "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg" deals with a first-basement with the Detroit Tigers, the first Jewish player in the major leagues-we are reminded that Gertrude Berg holds a place in entertainment history by winning the first Emmy award for Best Actress. Using archival footage and too many talking heads, Kempner takes us into TV’s pioneering days after reminding us that Gertrude Berg (1898-1966) did not debut on the tube but wrote, produced and performed in a radio series during the 1930’s at a time that Jews were facing dire consequences in Europe. Her position of great wealth belied her TV character, living in a working-class Bronx community, preferring to converse with friends through the window rather than with a phone. Since the radio show, called "The Rise of the Goldbergs," moved from a weekly show of fifteen minutes to one that aired five days a week, we can appreciate the time that Mrs. Berg, married to chemical engineer Lewis Berg who invented instant coffee, had to work herculean hours to turn out the script, rehearse the show with the radio family, and put it across to the American people. In fact Berg had written 12,000 scripts! Its popularity came from its transcending ethnic and religious borders as during the Depression people are given hope that with the support of family, the bad economic times could be tolerated.

Politics rears its heads in 1950, one year after Ms. Berg moved over to TV, as the communist-baiters took action against alleged Red infiltration in the entertainment industry. As a result, General Foods withdrew sponsorship and Philip Loeb, a fine actor who played her husband, was blacklisted, forced off the program, eventually committing suicide. In 1951, the show was canceled and replaced by "I Love Lucy." When Berg moved to NBC with a replacement for the hapless Loeb, the early successes went down the tube never to be reinvigorated.

The awards competition during the early days of TV was nothing like what it is today. Given the reliance of the "Goldberg" shows on period dialogue and ambience, the times have passed this type of sitcom by.

Unrated. 92 minutes. © 2009 by Harvey Karten Member: NY Film Critics Online]]> Movie Reviews http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=588 Thu, 2 Jul 2009 10:42:31 -0500 Senate Moves to Restore Strong Protections for America's Waters http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=587
"America's waters are closer to again having the comprehensive Clean Water Act protections that Congress intended," said Jan Goldman-Carter, Wetlands and Water Resources Counsel, National Wildlife Federation. "This bill restores critical protections for our nation’s increasingly-precious fresh water resources while respecting private property rights and continuing longstanding Clean Water Act exemptions for agriculture and forestry."
The Clean Water Restoration Act would clarify Congress' intent to extend Clean Water Act protections to all the nation’s wetlands, streams and other waters. Supreme Court decisions in 2001 (SWANCC v. Army Corps of Engineers) and 2006 (Rapanos v. United States) threatened Clean Water Act protections for thousands of miles of streams and rivers and millions of acres of wetlands. These legal decisions and federal agency guidance to implement them have created confusion and uncertainty nationwide, undermining efforts to enforce the Clean Water Act. This has left millions of acres of waters vulnerable to pollution and destruction, and has creating long delays in obtaining permits for work in wetlands and other waters due to confusion over the scope of the Act’s protections.

Senators Baucus (D-MT), Klobuchar (D-MN) and Boxer clarified through an amendment to the bill that broad, existing Clean Water Act exemptions for agriculture and forestry were to be retained. While other amendments to create new and broader exemptions for agricultural pollution were offered, none were accepted by the committee.

"The bill, as amended today, represents a balanced approach to ensuring the integrity of the nation’s waters into the future," said Jim Murphy, Wetlands and Water Resources Counsel, National Wildlife Federation.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 59 percent of stream miles in the continental U.S. are intermittent or ephemeral and many of these have been losing Clean Water Act protection since 2006. These streams provide important drinking water, flood control, and aquatic habitat functions. An estimated 20 million acres of wetlands - or 20 percent of all remaining wetlands in the lower 48 states - are already losing Clean Water Act protection, and many more are at risk. EPA estimates that more than 110 million Americans get their drinking water from public supplies fed in whole or in part by intermittent or ephemeral streams vulnerable to pollution under these decisions.

"Today was the first step for this important bill. Now the full Senate and the House of Representatives need to finish the job and ensure the health of our nation’s wetlands, lakes and streams for current and future generations of both wildlife and people," said Goldman-Carter.


The National Wildlife Federation inspires Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future.

]]> US News http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=587 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:22:29 -0500 TONY MANERO http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=586
Lorber Films
Reviewed for Arizona Reporter by Harvey Karten
Grade: B
Directed by: Pablo Larrain
Written By: Pablo Larrain, Alfredo Castro, Mateo Iribarren
Cast: Alfredo Castro, Amparo Noguera, Hector Morales, Paola Lattus, Elsa Poblete
Screened at: Review 2, NYC, 6/16/09
Opens: July 3, 2009
Among the more interesting concepts is director Larrain's refusal to stick to a single tone. The film freely swivels from one inflection to another, all of which is employed in the service of illustrating a country which, under the brutal dictatorship of General Pinochet (set up by our CIA, duh), which has lost its bearing under a system of curfews, beatings and murder at the hands of the dictator's secret police. The humor is mighty dark, as you'd expect in a place in which people are out for themselves, ready to betray their neighbors to get ahead, in many cases simply to be released from the grinding affliction of poverty.

In thrall to one piece of American cinema, Raul (Alfredo Castro) pictures himself as a Chilean Tony Manero, who was John Travolta's character in "Saturday Night Fever." His aim is to get on a bottom-feeding TV contest not unlike many of the shows currently exhibited on American TV that have audiences shrieking and applauding the most banal performances by contestants. Raul has already murdered an old lady to rob her color TV and pawn it for glass bricks for a floor (like the one used by Travolta) for a show he has created in a downscale café with a supporting team of an aging Cony (Amparo Noguera), Cony's young daughter, Pauli (Paola Lattus), and a youthful fellow nicknamed Goyo (Hector Morales).

Among the most sordid scenes is one that finds "Tony Manero" unable to "perform" with Cony, then moving on to Cony's young lass who, frustrated by another failed performance from the women's "celebrity" finishes the job on herself.

The helpful press notes illustrate the director's principal worry about the suicidal, cultural destruction by countries, whose people believe that happiness lies in imitating some foreign ideal. "Be yourself," Larrain appears to say, one of the world's great clichés but one which gains interest by a film with a fair degree of originality, fine acting by Mr. Castro, tightly edited by Andrea Chignoli and photographed in Santiago's old town by Sergio Armstrong, who creates the ambience of that capital city during the late 1970's.

Unrated. 92 minutes. © 2009 by Harvey Karten Member: NY Film Critics Online]]> Movie Reviews http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=586 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:42:54 -0500 Arizona Up In Smoke? http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=585
The event is free to the public and will be held at the Columbus Branch Library's meeting room at 4350 E. 22nd St. in Tucson, Thursday. June 25, 2009, from 1-2pm.
---------------------------------------------
Want a SMOKIN' Website Name?
KB420.com
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The public is invited to join AZ4NORML, the southern Arizona chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and The Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project (AMMPP) for a presentation by AMMPP Campaign Manager Andrew Myers to inform the public of the details regarding the recently launched 2010 ballot initiative to legalize marijuana for medical use in Arizona. Following the program attendees will have an opportunity to sign the petition and find out how they can help gather signatures and get paid for their efforts.

ABOUT AZ4NORML - AZ4NORML (Arizona for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, www.az4norml.com, on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/TucsonNorml), is a chapter of the national NORML (www.norml.org) organization. We are a group of responsible persons committed to the reform of marijuana laws in Arizona so it may be legalized for medical, industrial, and personal uses.]]> Arizona News http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=585 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:42:11 -0500 Arizona Fishing Report - Updated June 12, 2009 http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=46 Rory's Tip

Here are my tips for where to take Dad for Father's Day (hope my wife and boys read this).

Don't forget that you can also get Dad out a week early on Saturday, June 13, which is our second free fishing day, so it won't cost you anything but a smile and some pocket change for bait.

Dad will grin from ear to ear after catching a toothy northern pike at Upper Lake Mary near Flagstaff. It's the only high country lake in the pines where you can fire up the big boat motor and "be Some-buddy" as Andy Griffith would say -- you aren't required to use those woosie single-numeral put-puts. You can troll some Rapalas, spinners or Rat-L-Traps but if you really want bug-eyed monsters, try stocker-trout resembling swim baits. You can even get out the water skiis (different type of trolling).

Old coal-burning locomotives and dads are a natural weekend mix, so head over to Kaibab, Whitehorse or Dogtown near Williams, catch some trout in the morning, then take dad to the late-morning shoot-em-up at the Grand Canyon Railroad Station (every morning).

Or better yet, conduct dad to the vintage train for a clickety-clack excursion across the Colorado Plateau. Be sure to bribe the pistol-packin galoots to take his wallet at gunpoint when they hold up the 3:10 to Williams. Then take ol dad fishing in the evening when the train comes back from Pecos Bill's giant irrigation ditch that people like to photograph so much.

Can't get out of urbania? No sweat. Rattle dad out of the sheets at O-Dark-Thirty with a steaming cup of Joe to help pry his eyelids open, then scoot over to the Lower Salt River before all the beer-guzzling tubers get there so dad can catch feisty desert river trout in the cool current. If you have a canoe, so much the better. Of course, once the sun climbs high in the sky, a tube and suds might become irresistible. Make dad feel young again (don't forget a big floppy hat and sunscreen).

There are also plenty of urban lakes to try. The Papago Ponds (near the Phoenix Zoo) are even a blue ribbon urban fishery -- pretty unique stuff (that's where my youngest boy caught his first bass at age 2).

Or better yet, load up the camping gear and treat your well-deserving dad to a mountain adventure in the high pines. Big Lake might test dad's aging lungs, but cumulus puffballs drifting lazily by Mt. Baldy while large cutthroat trout fight for the privilege making daddy-o smile will lift everyone's spirits higher than an osprey soaring in the marmalade-colored sky.

Maybe amble down to the East or West Forks of Black River for some golden therapy catching native Apache trout along quick gurgling runs. Put a cane pole in dad's hand with a wiggling worm on the hook and the years will magically peel back like shucking an ear of sweet summer corn. He'll feel like he's cavorting with Huck and Tom again at Sam's favorite fishin' hole.

It's never too late for a Powell Houseboat surprise -- he'll always remember the world-class fishing for striped bass, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and largemouth bass while experiencing some of the most spectacular sceneary on Earth. It will become a well-thumbed page in his revered book of memories.

Does dad like to fly fish? It doesn't get much better than a guided trip to Lees Ferry. That will put the twinkle back in his eyes (yours too). It's another experience for the ages.

Or go catch some trout along Casino Row in Laughlin, saddle up to a big buffet for lunch, and then sneak pops into one of those revealing show spectaculars that might make mom frown a bit (if she knows about it).

Dad might want to go fishing for crappie at night (waning quarter moon on Saturday). Three good choices: Bartlett, Roosevelt or Alamo. But night striper fishing can be a trip, try Pleasant, Havasu or Mead.

So get dad out this weekend and build some memories. If my wife reads these tips maybe I'll see you out there.

PS: Thank you to Sun City Chuck (sorry, forgot your last name) for the loan of a Zara Puppy on Wednesday morning when I found myself with a fishing emergency and only trout gear in my truck (although that white spinner got me two stripers in quick order). It was my privilege and honor to teach you how to walk-the-dog to catch marauding bass, even from shore -- it's a hoot, isn't it. Trolling live shad will never seem quite as adventuresome again. Remember, walk the dog at first and last light, then walk your bait along. Good luck guys.


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Photo: By J. R. McGowan © Copyright Arizona Reporter

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2009-10 Fishing Regulations are now available

The newly printed 2009-10 Arizona Fishing Regulations are now available at all fishing license dealers in the state, including all Arizona Game and Fish Department offices.


Central Arizona
URBAN FISHING REPORT - All 20 of the Phoenix and Tucson area Urban Fishing Program lakes are scheduled for stockings of 1 to 3 pound catfish the week of June 8-13. Water conditions and pH levels are good at all lakes and golden alga is currently under control.

Arizona’s annual free fishing days are celebrated on June 6 and 13 as part of National Fishing and Boating Week. On these Saturdays, no fishing license is required for persons fishing any of the Urban Fishing Program lakes or other statewide waters.


Fishing is good to excellent for channel catfish at Urban waters. Top baits for catfish continue to be worms, shrimp, and dough/stink baits fished off the bottom. Cats have been biting best mid morning and in the evenings. Bluegill and sunfish are biting well along the shorelines for anglers using worms and mealworms. Bass up to six pounds are biting during the pre-summer period, however shallow water fish are wary. Try small plastics presented with split shot or drop shot rigs in the evenings and early morning.


Angler reports:

I took some of my lunchtime today and walked around Chaparral Lake and watched a dad fishing with his son. Within 20 min. I saw him pull in 2 nice catfish. This was between 12:00 and 12:30. Using hotdogs under a bobber. That’s just the ones he hooked. He was getting action as soon as the line hit the water. He had another pole out, fishing the bottom, with stink bait. Not a bite.

Just thought I’d share.

Thomas Podborny

Where:
Papago Park lake

When:
05/31/09

Caught:
2 Sunfish, and 2 Catfish

Technique:
Earth Worms

Comments:
Papago park lake is great and relaxing place to fish.

Name:
Daniel Garcia Jr







Where:
Chaparral lake

When:
05/30/09

Caught:
1- channel cat, 5-largemouth bass(none keepers) 1-Bluegill(not a keeper)

Technique:
Mealworms and night crawlers and Power Bait on bottom. Between sun-up and 11am. Night crawlers attracted best. Bass bit on mealworms on the bottom. Power Bait didn't attract today. Caught 3 lb catfish with Night Crawlers.

Comments:
Watch-out for the hungry Blue Heron. He knows when you've caught a fish and is looking for hand outs.

Name:
Phill and Dylan Williams


Where: Chaparral Lake
When: 05/07/09
Caught: Channel Catfish
Technique: Crappie rig, worm on both hooks.
Name: Jenna Fjeld

Where: Veterans Oasis
When:05/03/09
Caught: nothing
Technique: hot dog
Comments: Slow - nobody was catching anything
Name: john

Where: Kiwanis
When:05/02/09
Caught: 8 average sized catfish and one 8lb monster
Technique: Believe it or not, power bait. you know the stuff for trout, orange
Comments: On the all American way road at the very far end about 20ft. out. someone illegally put in about 50 hand sized goldfish on Saturday so if you see them, take them out before they destroy the lake
Name: Andy


TEMPE TOWN LAKE - People are catching largemouth bass, redear sunfish, and bluegill. There are some nice catfish to be caught. Use chicken liver or hotdogs to entice the cats. Fish around the bridges and other structure you can get near. Get there early. Carp are hungry for corn and dough bait.

A Tempe Town Lake survey earlier this year showeda substantial resurgence of largemouth bass, yellow bass and channel catfish, black crappie and a very large increase in our catch of threadfin shad compared to last year’s survey conducted after a golden algae outbreak and a couple days of high runoff which led to the lowering of couple of the downstream inflatable dams.

An early morning angler caught 8 largemouth bass with drop shot and he trolled white cranks which produced 3 largemouth and 2 yellow bass. Most of the fish were caught near the lightrail pillars and then the rest was caught trolling back to the ramp. You got to find that structure.


Another angler caught 4 bass using a Mepps lure and an artificial white minnow with a spinner.

A fisherman who fishes Tempe Town Lakes frequently has had good success catching largemouth on Senko’s and T-rigged Roboworms and Strike King worms. Many of his fish were two and three pounders. He didn’t give any details on where the fish were but you can pretty much bet there was some structure. Cover is sparse except around the marina and bridge pillars but there are a couple areas on the West side with some overhanging trees that hold a few fish.



Individual reports:

Went to Tempe Town on Friday morning, and again on Monday morning. Friday morning was a blast. The bite wasn't the best, but I was catching fish. I was on the south side under the Rural Bridge. I caught a bluegill the size of a dinner plate on a Berkley gulp minnow. Two 11" largemouth on worms about 7' under a slip bobber, and about a 2 lb cat on the slip bobber rig also. Monday I was using shad as bait and caught 6 LM's under the bridge on nothing more than a hook with a split shot about 18" up from the hook -- Barry

Hello Rory,

I haven't seen many reports about Tempe Town Lake lately, so I thought I would help with this. My parents and I have been going about three time a week lately in the evening and the cat-fishing has really picked up. We have progressively reeled in bigger fish with night crawlers fished on the bottom. This last time we went our worms had been overheated, dead, and smelly but the catfish my dad caught must have liked it. Attached is the picture of the 6 Pound cat, he was about 25 inches long, and was thick and strong.

Thanks for your tips Rory and hope this helps for the next report,

Christopher Heath




LAKE PLEASANT - Water elevation is 1,691 ft, which is 88-percent full.


Action is sporadic: when it's good, it's great and anglers load up on stripers and largemouth, but on other days it's slow and anglers have a tough time catching fish. Or it could just be that some anglers catch fish and other don't.

On Wednesday morning, they were lots of boils at first light with striped bass and largemouth bass chasing shad at the surface. Try topwater lures, or anything white -- spinners, cranks, jerks...


Largemouth are hitting topwater lures and flukes in the northern coves.

Topwater poppers are working for some, and not others. The best surface action will typically be at first and last light, but surface feeding can occur at any time of day (or night).




Where: Lake Pleasant
When: 06/04/09
Caught: 3 catfish 1 white bass
Technique: anchovies
Comments:
Name: Andrew Althaus



An angler fished from 5:30 am to 11:30 am in the northern coves, no indication of what he used but fishing was much better when he found a water temp of 80oF.
A striper fisherman is catching quite a few of them on soft jerk baits and white super flukes when they are chasing shad in the mornings. When they are deep ½ or ¾ oz spoons work well.
Nighttime fishing for largemouth is decent using 10 inch worms near the dam.


Where: lake pleasent
When: 06/01/09
Caught: 1 large mouth 6 cat fish
Technique: largemouth are hitting little topwater lures in the afternoon and i caught some nice cats on annchovies
Name: andrew althaus


Where:Pleasant
When:05/02/09
Caught:bass, bluegill
Technique:plastic worm Texas rig
Comments:bass was 14 inches but the bluegill was just as big and weighed in at a little over a pound
Name:Michael Culbertson

Where: pleasant
When: 05/02/09
Caught: bass, bluegill
Technique: plastic worm Texas rig
Comments: bass was 14 inches but the bluegill was just as big and weighed in at a little over a pound
Name: Michael Culbertson

ROOSEVELT LAKE -- Lake Elevation is 2,150 ft (98-percent full). Tonto Creek runoff is at 9 cfs while inflow from the Salt River is at 194 cfs.

An angler caught 10 largemouth on topwater lures real early in the morning. As soon as the sun cleared the mountains the topwater bite vanished but fishing was just as good on dropshot worms after the topwater died.

Another angler got in on the drop-shot action and boated a two-pound bass before having fun on one of those big’ol inner tubes on a weekday when hardly anybody was on the lake.

Nighttime crappie fishing is still productive using crappie lights. A couple fishermen caught a few nice crappie, some large bluegills and several 10 to 11 inch yellow bass.


During the early morning hours till about 11 a.m. a couple anglers trolled for crappie and caught 6 crappies, 2 yellow bass and 1 bluegill. Then the next day the same duo fished till 10 a.m. and caught 3 crappies and 2 bluegills.

Other crappie fishermen are catching 15 to 20 crappies trolling cranks in the Salt end of the lake.

A couple anglers who weren’t afraid to impart a few details had good luck throwing topwater lures near shore and in the back of coves till about 8 a.m. They then fished near an island in the mid-lake area in about 25 feet of water with a 10 inch worm tumbling down the side walls. The fish were all about that technique. Later on they moved to the Salt end and fished in 15-25 feet of water with buzzbaits over trees, and they were able to pull in a few.



Rory:


Went to Rosy for the first time nice lake we got on the water about 230 and started catching fish right away 2nd cast! We fished till about 5 and caught 13 bass with 1 over on Rat-L-Traps and cranks the kids also caught some nice bluegills from shore; they were easily took on live worms -- Josh


Rory:
Don Stich: Thought i would give you a 2wk.report. Fishing partner Rick took 2 guys with
him Sun night of Memorial weekend. Salt River end. Fished all night. Caught well over 100 crappies using jigs & minnows. 32-35ft. of water.Fish were at 12-15ft.

The kicker was, they kept 51. All 2lbs. or over. Best trip in a couple of years. Also a number of bass-all returned & yellow bass. That got me excited so took my old buddy Roy Wed. June 3rd. Same area Salt end.

Senior moment. ALMOST FULL MOON. Final score was 32 nice bluegills, 24
crappie, 5 yellow bass: 12 of the crappies were right at 2lbs. Crappies on jigs & minnows & gills on mealworms. Same depth; 32-35ft. The moon really jinxed us. Still a good night, quit at 12:30 a.m.

Ryan Grubs: 1-18" Smallmouth at daybreak, 1-24'" channel at 8 a.m., 6 huge blue gill, dozen or so 8 to 12 in largemouth. Couldn't find Crappie or Lunker Largemouth; great time fishing though fish were active all around us. fished 3 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Another angler said drop-shotting and split-shotting plastic worms worked like a charm. Once the storm moved on the bite stopped. On Sunday morning fishing was good from about 4:30 until 7:30 a.m. Spinnerbaits, skinny dippers and drop shot worms all worked well. Most of the largemouth bass were in the slot but between 3 boats and a group of anglers they caught 10 overs and 15 unders. Bluegills were also biting.

Another angler reported the fish were very shallow, 1-3 feet, in the early morning and late evening. They went deeper during the day around 15 to 20 feet deep using drop-shot and Texas-rigged worms.

It sounds like the flathead catfish anglers are out in force, with some hauling in big monsters, but most are keeping the action pretty quiet. Try where the Salt River enters the lake. But it is possible to catch flats in just about any area of the lake.

We are not hearing much about the smallmouth action, but try the rocky areas near the dam using crayfish-like baits when the wind picks up.
The action is also pretty good for bluegills and yellow bass. Try using meal worms under bobbers in the backs of coves, or along those rocky secondary points inside the coves.

Channel catfish and carp are abundant - you can probably load up with lots of bottom feeders along any piece of shoreline, and you don’t need a boat. Although daylight fishing is viable for these bottom feeders, this is the time of year when they can also be pretty active at night as well.



APACHE - Lake elevation is 1909 ft (94-percent full). Fishing is still very good. Chartreuse lures or worms are the color bass prefer on this lake. David, my beloved Apache Lake angler, has good bass catches using chartreuse crankbait and spinners. They are hanging in the shallows.

Catfish have been active around the marina one angler caught a 13-pound catfish using a night crawler and a 20-pound catfish was caught on a chicken liver at the marina.


Game and Fish biologists sampled Apache Lake this spring and caught some nice largemouth bass, a whole lot of bluegills and a fair amount of catfish. We electro-fished and set nets and every time we e-fished near reeds, we would get some nice largemouth. The rocky sites were not as fruitful, although we did catch quite a few smallmouth bass in those areas.

The smallmouth we stocked in 2007 are now in the slot and doing real well. We caught quite a few green sunfish and every one of them looked like they just had a seven-course dinner. A couple hot spots for bass and sunfish are the Crabtree area, plus we caught a slew of catfish at Pine Cove. Another hot spot was the area around Burnt Corral. We picked up a few of the small 3-4 inch trout we recently stocked as a house cleaning effort for one of our hatcheries.


CANYON LAKE - Lake elevation is 1,659 ft, which is 97-percent full.


A few anglers who submitted fishing reports say the fishing at Canyon is a little slow right now for largemouth. Bluegills are biting well. Bluegills sure like the live bait fished near emergent vegetation. Largemouth are hanging near the vegetation and are susceptible to 4 inch Senkos with flakes in them. Larger worms will work but the fish tend to be fickle on a daily basis so provide a nice buffet for them to choose from.


One angler reiterates graphing in search of the drop-offs and using c-rigged beavers and lizards inn green or yellowish colors. Jerk baits are also good bets to try and use your graphs to locate them.


However, some anglers have reported huge shad boils at times in the main basin and up lake.

If you are looking for a place to take the kids to catch lots of bluegills, give Canyon a try. Meal worms under a bobber will do the trick.


Angler reports

Bob Dickinson: Memorial Day early fishing the shore line. Throwing panther martins and rattle traps, caught 10 largemouth, 5 strippies{yellow bass}, and 7 bluegill.All catch and release. Great morning of fishing, then the lake got real busy. Fished from 4:30am till 10:30.


SAGUARO LAKE - Lake elevation 1,525 feet at 93-percent full. No specific reports on Saguaro but it’s always a good bet to fish near emergent vegetation and rocky points with t and c-rigged worms. In the deeper spots go with drop shot worms and use your graph to give yourself an edge.

Butcher Jones is a good spot for bluegill and yellow bass with live bait and KastMasters. If you catch a small bluegill don’t throw it back, use it for catfish bait. Flatheads just may take you up on your offer.

Barry Johnston: Went to Saguaro on recently at 5 a.m., using minnows off the second pier down from the boat ramps. His first four attempts landed him LM, the smallest being 8" and the largest being 18" using a slip bobber about 15 feet above the hook. After the LM's quit biting the yellows started hitting, and he anded about 15.

Where: Saguaro
When: 05/15/09
Caught: Bluegill, largemouth, yellow bass
Technique: smallest jig I cold find with white 1" grub cut down to 1/2" cast into the shallows in the back of coves.
Comments: 2 of us fished for 5 hours from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and caught 81 fish most smaller than my hand but what a blast!
Name: Jim Lindquist


BARTLETT - This is a fishing hot spot.

Lake elevation is 1,798 ft, which is 99-percent full. Reservoir release is 250 cfs.

Fishing is excellent; a couple anglers caught 53 largemouth on C-rigs in 10 to 25 feet in depth. Topwater and Rat-L-Traps are productive as well in the no-wake area.

Bass are chasing shad at sunrise and sometimes at sunset, so get there early to take advantage of the topwater bite.

Bass are taking spinners and lipless cranks around the yellow cliffs and towards the riverine section.


With the moon in its last quarter Saturday night, this should be a picturesque and productive time to fish for crappie, bass and catfish at night.


Reports:
Bartlett last wed after the storm 2 of my buddies boated 100 bass in 4 hrs topwater bite & jigging was the ticket

That’s all I’ve heard good.



Thanks

De Wane Tabbot, AGFD Mesa Regional Office



Hey Rory - Went to Bartlet last night,Sunday, fished from 8 p.m. til 3 a.m. Caught 15 largemouth, mostly Texas rig, a couple on crankbaits, rattletrap type. Nothing big 1 to 2 pounds. They weren't hitting hard real subtle, lost several at the boat. My friend had one to the boat that would have gone 5lbs. at least. Broke his line. Take care

Bob Dickinson

An angler caught largemouth on swim baits and had some bites on spinnerbaits and lipless crankbait. Drop shots worked very well on some graphed fish; most of them were small but a few keepers were in the batch. White jigs were enticing the bite as well. The fish were between 2 and 22 feet deep.

Another angler fished in the rain and all the fish were hanging around rocky areas 10 to 20 feet deep and crankbait and jerk bait were enticing the bite.
Crappie fishing has been sporadic, with some anglers doing well and others having trouble finding a bite.




Angler reports:

The Post Spawn Blues are over. As some of you have mentioned...Training Wheels aka Spinnerbaits are now the bait of choice, Bartlett Bass love green and Chartreuse colors. Also, Crankbaits and Carolina-rigged Zoom Lizards off points are landing good bass. Anything with a wiggle is working well.

My partner Rich and I caught our limit this weekend averaging about 2 lbs a piece: Catch-and-release. By the way, for the Newbies to fishing ...no boat was required as we fish from the shorelines. And for those of you who can appreciate a lil exercise while fishing...Bartlett has some of the best hiking trails.
Bassman

Harvey Nelson: 2 of us fishing at Bartlett on 5/6, caught 7 nice bass using spinnerbaits, shad-colored crankbaits, and the go-to bait-- Carolina rig with a Senko worm. Most fish caught 15 feet deep in the sandy bottom coves with 2 caught shallow off points where there was a lot of shad visible. All fish 2-3 lbs., no small fish were caught.


Rory,

I fish Bartlett a lot and will try to keep my reports coming in regularly. I read the reports all the time and they often help me find good patterns. One pattern that I used a lot last year was after it gets up to 100 F outside I like to Carolina rig fish the lower lake islands bouncing Carolina rigs down the slope of islands to the 16-20 foot depths. It usually works great but one part of the pattern is wind. It has to be windy or it just doesn't work. The wind pushes shad schools up onto the island slopes and the fish follow. No wind-- no shad schools- no bass.

We tried it this week but couldn't get the wind and it just did not work--so we went into the points and rock piles in the coves and found nice quality fish there.
Maybe that info can help somebody else too.

Harvey


HORSESHOE - Lake elevation is at 1951 feet, 0-percent full. They are releasing water at 150 cfs.



Hey someone fished Horseshoe from safe light to about 11:30 a.m. and caught three healthy largemouth bass using the drop shot method. They ranged between 1.5 and 3 pounds. The launch ramp is out of the water by about 10 feet and with the water release so high the lake will be back to river status real quick. Don’t forget there are still some real nice catfish behind the spillway according to one knowledgeable catfisherman.




VERDE RIVER - Verde River flow at Tangle is 126 cubic feet per second. Release from Bartlett Lake is 250 cfs.

SALT RIVER - Salt River into Roosevelt is 194 cfs, and Salt River Canyon is 190 cfs. They are releasing 1225 cfs out of Stewart Mountain dam from Saguaro.


The upper Salt has quite a few flatheads that readily take live or dead red shiners and sunfish caught via live bait or in the case of shiners cast nets while you are out there. Chicken liver will work as well.


A 47.9-pound flathead catfish was caught in the Upper Salt River real close to Roosevelt Lake two weeks ago. A live sunfish caught at that location was used as bait.

LOWER SALT RIVER - Stewart Dam release is 1,075 cfs. Trout were stocked last week at Water Users and Blue Point. Expect lots of other recreational users (tubers) along this stretch of river. Flies are working as well as live worms. The fishing is best at first and last light. Largemouth are holding around the overhanging vegetation.

Where: Lower Salt
When:05/06/09
Caught: big grass monster
Technique: fly rod
Comments: tough day. Plenty of strikes but just not hooking up. Water way down (about 500 cfs) Anglers advised me the river was VERY busy last week for fishing. Big grass monster (algae debris, etc.) is growing by the hour. Anglers beware... the recreators are out in force. See ya next time.

Where: Lower Salt River
When: 04/22/09
Caught: Rainbow Trout
Technique: Fly Rod and spinning rig
Comments: Time again? Fished midday. Started slow. Picked up nicely and tapered off around 4 p.m. Spin anglers having a tough time with the big grass monster (algae) a bit tough with the spinners. Small jigs produced some fish. See ya next week.

CREEKS - All the streams are still fishing well. Early morning and late evening still have the best bite. It’s time to try hoppers with a nymph dropper if you haven’t already. Ant patterns are also worth a try. Nymphs are working well, specifically caddis flies, pheasant tails and hairs ears. Terrestrials like hoppers are also producing.

HORSETHIEF BASIN LAKE - No new reports. It’s a pretty little lake that is worth visiting as part of a Bradshaw Mountain experience, but it is pond sized water where the fish are small; great for kids on a camp out. Bring night crawlers or meal worms and fish them under bobbers.






Colorado River Northwest
LAKE POWELL - Note: There are now mandatory boat inspections at Lake Powell to ensure you are not Moving A Mussel or other invasive species. Mostly, the inspection stations are open dawn to dusk, but you cannot launch without one.

Best bet is to make sure your boat is quagga free to begin with. Clean, drain and dry your boat following each outing, and be sure to wait at least five days before launching your boat on any other lake (if you are a day user).

June 2, 2009, By Wayne Gustaveson. Lake Elevation: 3,630. Water Temp: 70- 75F
Inflow has dropped from 110,000 acre feet per day to a paltry 85,000 acre feet. The large inflow brought the lake up another 5 feet in the past week. Rapidly changing shoreline features confuse both fish and anglers but there is more. The layer of dead brush that succumbed when it was covered last year has been completely covered once more. Green brush that was only partially submerged last year is now wet again. Largemouth bass have moved into the welcome green tamarisk and willow boughs. Flooded cover is probably as good right now as it has ever been in the life of Lake Powell. Bass love it, fishermen just have to deal with it.

Smallmouth fishing is steady on main channel and main canyon rocks and points. Main lake areas are better fishing than the backs of canyons where new brush has been covered. Target small rock slides on slick rock shorelines for a predictable catch of bass.

Walleye are still being caught trolling and casting in the northern half of the lake. Some walleye are caught in the southern lake but numbers are much higher in the north. Walleye havce reverted to feeding mostly during low light periods at the ends of the day. During daylight hours fish muddy water and shade pockets on the main channel for best results.

Striped bass are at best - unpredictable. The spawn is almost complete. Schools are forming and searching for food. When anglers and schools come together results are immediate with many stripers caught in a short time. One day a large boil will be seen in a random location only to be absent the next. A school of fish will be enticed with bait along a deep canyon wall in the middle of the day but will be somewhere else the next.

The best striper fishing strategy is to move from one good spot to the next trying to intersect a moving school. Try bait on steep canyon walls. If no fish are found move often and try again. Then troll in shallow water. Keep rotating techniques and locations hoping to locate an agreeable school. Some days no stripers are caught but then 20-40 stripers can be placed in the cooler in short order. Always have a top water lure tied on and placed in an accessible spot ready for action when the big boils pops up right in front of the boat.

If I had to choose a spot for the best fishing trip possible it would be the lake midsection from the mouth of the San Juan to Escalante. Smallmouth abound in the breaks and cracks lining the steep main channel rocks. Walleye favor the rocky points. Striped bass are schooled at the mouth of the San Juan near Jacks Arch. They boil occasionally but are accessible to trollers working the brushy shoreline edges.

Catfish are getting more active now as temperature is consistently in the 70s. Fishing is more challenging now than it was in the spring. Improvement will come as lake level stabilizes, surface water warms to the summer temperatures and fish begin to feed consistently on the surface.



LEES FERRY - Fishing Report Courtesy Lees Ferry Anglers: Report by: Ted Welling, Fly Fishing: Today’s fishing was reported as good.

With the new flow pattern for the month the water is coming up rather slowly. Fishing has been reported being better in the morning hours and slowing down just a little after noon.

Mid May brought some rather warm weather and with that the midges were just as thick as could be. In every back eddy you could see fish sipping midges from the surface. Top water fishing was incredible.

The end of May we had some rains here in the desert and cooler weather and some wind and the back eddy areas became vacant. I have had my eye on these areas for the past week or so and have seen nothing. I bet as soon as the sun shines and the breezes stop these areas will come to life once again. When this happens I will be sure to let you know.

Midges are the fly of choice as of late, zebras, lasers, and brassies, in short, a lot of small stuff will do the trick. T

Walk in: Had a report just this morning that the walk-in section is fishing very well. From the boulder field all the way down to the confluence. The largest fish was 17 inches and very healthy, he had also reported that these fish are feisty even the smaller fish have a good fight in them.

Everyone I talk to comments on how beautiful these fish look and what great shape they are in. Hope to see you soon!

San juan worms, and zebra midges were the flies of choice. T

Spin Fishing: Fishing with glo bugs and San Juan worms on the bottom seems to be the trick.

BE SURE YOU CRIMP THE BARBS.

If you have some news you would like to report about fishing lees ferry, the walk-in section or up river please e-mail your report to: anglers@leesferry.com Attn. Lees Ferry Fishing Report


Angler report

I just wanted to mention that I had one of the most unbelievable fishing experiences of my life. It was my first trip to Lee's Ferry, and I thought that I was not going to have a successful trip on the Colorado due to a bad experience on a kayak on Sunday (50 mile per hour winds in the canyon), but I ended up making peace with those clear cold waters before the trip was over!

I fished the walk-in area with spinning gear and caught 15 of those beauties in about an hour and a half. I put my waders on, walked in up to just above my knee, found a nice little hole, and cast after cast I was either reeling one in, or missing one!

I used a Black and Gold Panther Martin with a gold blade and red treble (GO STEELERS! Sorry Cardinal Fans!). It was a simple fishing trip, didn't need much gear, just crimped the barbs, and didn't even need to use my pliers at all! Attached are a few pictures of the rainbows!

I look forward to getting back up to the Ferry in the coming months for sure. I am "hooked!"

B.G. Davison
Scottsdale, AZ



LAKE MEAD -Lake Mead water levels are dropping at about one foot per week. The current level is 1,096 feet above msl. The striper bite has been great. Both trolling and fishing under lights at night yielded large numbers of fish. The lights are more productive when used around the new moon, on dark nights. The next new moon is on Monday the 22nd. Two pound stripers are not uncommon.

Launching conditions at South Cove will continue to deteriorate as the water level continues to drop. The concrete ramp the National Park Service completed last year is one lane with cones marking the edges. Use caution not to go off the sides of the metal extensions at either side. National Park Service is working to keep the ramp open. Temple bar launch ramp is two lanes. Launching conditions in general are better at temple bar than south cove.



Important notice: With the discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see.


For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department's web pages at azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.



LAKE MOHAVE - The lake level is around 643 feet above msl. Fishing for stripers seems to be pretty good in the southern portion of the lake. Submersible lights are very effective for stripers when used on dark nights. The next new moon is on Monday the 22nd. The new fish cleaning station at Katherines landing is operational. Bass are located on fish habitat in 15-20 ft. As the water warms look for the fish to become more active.



Biologists from both Arizona Game and Fish Department and Nevada Division of Wildlife with the help of volunteers, National Park Service and Bureau of Reclamation personnel have continued to install fish habitat in Carp Cove, Box Cove and now Shoshone. Fish habitat consists of PVC structures, wood pallet structures, Tamarisk bundles, and some Christmas trees. The largemouth, bluegill and catfish are really utilizing the new structures. Additional habitat will be added at several locations over the next two years. These structures are fish magnets.



There is a wheelchair accessible fishing pier just south of the main launch ramp at Katherine's Landing. If you fish Mohave and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.


Important notice: With the discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see.


For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department's web pages at www.azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.


WILLOW BEACH - Trout are stocked every Friday. Fishing has been pretty poor. Not much word on the striper bite.


Important notice: With the discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see. If you fish Willow beach and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.

For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department's web pages at www.azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.



TOPOCK MARSH - The water level is up and the bite has been pretty good. Both bass and catfish are biting well. Catfish are biting on anchovies and night crawlers.



You can access the marsh by boat at the North Dike, Catfish Paradise, and Five-Mile Landing. All three also provide plenty of area for shoreline fishing too. For more information on the marsh, contact the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge at (760) 326-3853 or go to http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/arizona/havasu/index.html.



Important notice: With the discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see.



For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department's web pages at www.azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.



COLORADO RIVER BELOW DAVIS DAM -The striper bite has been pretty good. I have not heard about the rest.



Water levels on the river fluctuate, so be careful. You can check the Bureau of Reclamation Web site for flow predictions http://www.usbr.gov/lc/riverops.html before you go. If you fish the river below Davis Dam and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.


Important notice: With the discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see.



For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department's Web pages at www.azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.



Southwestern Arizona
LAKE HAVASU - Striped bass bite improving during the morning hours using blue/white 3/8 to 3/4 Stump jumpers with 4" hyper tails cast or trolled in the early twilight hours. After sunup switch to
trolled anchovies with fish seekers or 2 oz. banana sinkers. Still fishing cut sardines or anchovies producing numbers of small limits throughout the Windsor basin south to Black Rock.

Smallmouth bass hitting red 8 to 14ft diving crankbaits, wacky rigged finesse worms in oxblood, junebug or red craw colors with a 1/4 oz. drop sinker fished near rocky or gravel bottomed shorelines where bass are preparing to spawn in 4 to 15 ft of water.

This report was provided by John Galbraith of Anglers Pro Shop Lake Havasu City

Fish report from www.captdoyle.com. The Topock Marsh is devoid of news this time round, but the Topock Gorge hasHowever, the line-sides continue to be reasonably plentiful. Anglers have been averaging 7 per day. Working deep in the heart of the Gorge, a Texas couple caught six stripers weighing between 2- and 7-pounds, one 2-pound cat, and a 2-pound smallmouth. They released the cat and all the stripers one of which was full of eggs. Three 5-pounders and one 7-pounder from the shore under the pipeline on a 3:00 pm bite. The fish were taken on anchovy with a three ounce weight. All the catching took place even though the water was churned up by a wealth of boat traffic
Thanks,
Georgia



Report Provided by: www.HavasuFishing.com. The warmer weather has heated up the water and fishing is greatly improving for almost all species.

Fishing Outlook: Fishing for largemouth bass, as well as smallmouth bass, is expected to be good to excellent this spring. The size will range from 13 inches and up, with an occasional fish greater than 5 pounds. Striped bass fishing has been problematic this year, with catch rates far below what has been experienced the past couple of years.

Striper fishermen report that they can see schools of striped bass on their fish-finders, but have had poor success getting them to strike, and have not been seeing the boils on shad that they are used to seeing. Shad numbers are probably lower this year, which affects the striper fishing, as striped bass tend to concentrate mainly on shad.

Remember, shad schools move around, and populations tend to fluctuate, so spots that have been “hot” in the past may no longer be so if the shad have moved elsewhere, or are in lower numbers. The majority of striped bass in Lake Havasu tend to be smaller fish of 1 to 2 pounds, but the occasional 20-30 pound fish is caught. Channel catfish as well as bluegill and redear sunfish will be good to excellent.

Lake Havasu is well known for large (2-3 pound) redear sunfish, and with the proliferation of the quagga mussel in the lake, we may see larger numbers of large redears. Redear sunfish are also known as “shellcrackers,” due to their preference for eating clams and mussels, so they may actually benefit from the presence of the invasive quagga mussel.

There have also been reports of crappie fishing picking up, a species that used to be sought after in the lake, but has declined in recent years. Flathead catfish fishing should be fair at the lower end of the lake (Bill Williams River Arm) through the spring, although surveys in the fall indicated that they are taking up residence farther north in the lake than in the past. Flathead catfish can reach as high as 40 pounds or better in Lake Havasu. When fishing for them, select the interior points in the coves and the areas where artificial structure has been placed.

The warmer weather causes the bite to increase making crankbaits and topwater lures a good choice. Also, spinner baits, jigs, cut fish, live shad, etc. should work depending on the species you are looking for.

Take precautions to make sure your boat and equipment is clean before leaving the water to make sure you don’t spread quagga mussels to other waters by accident. This invasive species certainly has profound effects on water delivery and control structures, boat engines, and likely on fish populations. Quaggas are abundant and widely distributed in Lake Havasu, but are absent from many of our interior lakes. Help keep those lakes quagga-free. Make sure your boat and trailer are free of the mussels, drain all bilge and livewells before leaving the area, and most importantly, let your boat bake in the sun for 3-5 days in the sun before you launch it at another lake.

ALAMO LAKE - Report Courtesy Mark Knapp, Alamo Lake State Park. Well folks, in a nut shell fishing is pretty good.

Prescott Bass Masters held a 7-boat night tournament here this last weekend. There tournament started at 7 p.m. and weigh in was at 7ish a.m. I was only banging on one cup of coffee when I got the results so I hope I get this right. Total winning weight was a little over 13 pounds. Big fish was a little over 5 pounds, and was caught on training wheels ( crankbait) right before dark. Lots and lots of slot fish were caught all night long using plastics and training wheels. They did pretty good considering a cold front was blowing through at the time.

I have not heard any crappie reports this week. There's a full moon going on now so it's probably a hit and miss thing. I'm sure things will get back to normal this week and the night bite will be back on. Anglers have reported catching some decent size catfish in the upper end of the lake using night crawlers.

No reports on shore fishing. The lake level is at 1122ish I think. The releases are kind of goofy due to a broken valve inside the dam. The minimal release you can get when you crack open a gate is about 1000 cfs. When releases are below 1000 cfs they use what is called a by pass valve. The by pass valve is a 2 to 3 ft diameter pipe and can be controlled by turning open a gate valve to set the releases at 50 cfs. It's like using your water spigot to turn on your garden hose. Anyway, there having trouble with something leaking around the valve and have it turned off. In the meantime they wait a few days then crack open a gate and make up for the flows that way. This is whats called a "pulse release". You will hear me referring to "pulse releases" until they get the by pass valve fixed. The fish are getting used to this and it really has not affected fishing that I can tell. On average the lake drops about a foot a month due to evaporation and man dated releases. The bummer about pulse releases is that the lake will drop more at one time then with constant releases. We're keeping a close eye on our ramps and do not foresee any problems at this time. Bigger boats are encouraged to use Cholla Ramp.

Now that we have covered fishing, let's take a moment and go over a couple of things to check before heading out to any lakes. It's that time of year to check the water levels in your batteries. Two of our last three boat rescues have been over dead batteries. In both cases the batteries had little to no water in them. If you need to add water to your batteries then make sure to use distilled water only. Make sure you not only have life jackets on board but make sure there still in good shape. Look for tears and holes in them. Also look for dry rot and mold. If you find any of the above break down and buy new ones. Make sure your boat registration is current. I have spent some time helping out at Lake Havasu State Park and you don't even get to launch if you don't have current registration. It's takes a matter of minutes to go online and get up to snuff. Make sure you have the drain plug and it's in good shape. Now lets move on to the trailer. Check the tires for right amount of tire pressure. If the trailers been sitting all winter then look for dry rot on the tires. If anything on the tire does not look right then the odds are good your going to have a problem with it. A good spare tire saves alot of head aches. My spare tire on my Ranger trailer has never been used on my trailer, but has made several trips around Az to help out fellow anglers. Be sure to take a minute and squirt some greese into the wheel bearings. I'm hear to tell yah that taking a minute and going over all the above will save you alot of money and grief in the long run. On a final note, take a cell phone with you. I hate cell phones but have learned through the school of hard knocks that they have a purpose in life. A cheap track phone can be purchased with minutes for around 20 to 30 bucks. You break down on this lake and have a cell phone WITH you, you just increased your odds of me coming to help you by 98%. There is a 2 % chance you might not be able to get service, and thats up by the dam.

Well, it's Sunday afternoon, nippy 98 degrees with winds out of the west, and the fish are callin my name. I blow this popcicle stand at four, go home, dump the monkey suit and should have the boat on the water by 4:10 (Alamo time). First cast is scheduled at 4:16 with fish to follow. Hmmm! Six minutes from No Wake zone to first honey hole. I might have just gave up a key piece of information here followed with the word "point." I'll try to do a follow up with this before sending it on to Rory. Follow up: Caught 10 bass total on plastics hiding behind windy points. One over and the rest were dinks. All caught in 5 foot of water and in the brush. Be sure to to put you stuff away. Out of site out of mind. I'll go into this in more detail next week. Mark.






Angler reports:
Rocky Priddy: Fished 5/16/09 from 7:20 PM to 1:45 AM.
Caught 50 bass and 32 crappies. Fished in main lake tied to tree...used minnows on a slip bobber 12 feet down in 30 feet of water. Largest crappie was 2 lbs and largest bass was 2 lbs.
Matt G.: Lake is on fire -- Went out 5/13 pulled out 30 lmb biggest 4#. Any cove is a guaranty hot spot mostly on south End of lake in clearer waters. Caught most on Swim baits and poppers

Spring Outlook:

Colorado River (Parker Strip Area):

Fishing for smallmouth bass over two pounds in size is expected to be good to excellent. In addition, redear sunfish should also be good in the pound-plus sizes. The Parker Strip is well known for its smallmouth bass fishing, especially in the area from the dam to several miles downstream. The Parker Strip is also home to some really impressive, dinner-plate sized redear sunfish of two pounds or larger. Channel and flathead catfish fishing is always fair in this section of the Colorado River. Below the dam, striper fishing should also be fair, using live shad or anchovies. Largemouth bass are abundant, especially in the downstream portions of the Parker Strip. Channel and flathead catfish fishing will be fair to good in this section of the Colorado River as the weather warms up.

Take precautions to make sure your boat and equipment is clean before leaving the water to make sure you don’t spread quagga mussels to other water by accident.

Colorado River (between Palo Verde Diversion Dam and Walter's Camp):

This area should be fair for both smallmouth bass (in the channel) up river from the I-10 Bridge and largemouth bass (in the backwaters) throughout the entire area. Channel and flathead catfish are always fair to good in this section of the Colorado River. Most of the flathead catfish will be in the 2 to 5 pound size range with an occasional fish over 40 pounds. The time for fishing for both species of catfish will be late spring and throughout the summer. Generally, when fishing for catfish, the hotter the weather, the better the fishing.

This section of the Colorado River, all the way down to Yuma, is where the invasive vegetative species known as Giant Salvinia is located. Quagga mussels are also found here. If using a boat, make sure that boats, live wells, engines, and trailers are clean before leaving the area. The last thing that we want to have happen is the movement of invasive species to other waters.

Colorado River (between Walter's Camp and Picacho State Park):

This section of the Colorado River is relatively remote and can only be accessed by boat from either end. Fishing is expected to be good to excellent for flathead catfish with sizes over 40 pounds. The best time will be late spring and on into the summer (the hotter the better). The various backwaters will be good for largemouth bass and other sunfish (bluegill and redear). Other species available in the main river are smallmouth bass, channel catfish, and striped bass.

This section of the Colorado River, all the way down to Yuma, is where the invasive vegetative species known as Giant Salvinia is located. Quagga mussels are also found here. If using a boat, make sure that boats, live wells, engines, and trailers are clean before leaving the area. The last thing that we want to have happen is the movement of invasive species to other waters.

Colorado River (between Picacho State Park and Imperial Dam):

This area is expected to be good to excellent for largemouth bass, channel catfish, and flathead catfish. Bass and channel catfish in excess of 5 pounds are present along with flathead catfish as large as 40 pounds. Other sunfish such as bluegill and redear are also present in the various backwaters. Occasional striped bass will be caught in the backwaters and main river channel.

This section of the Colorado River, all the way down to Yuma, is where the invasive vegetative species known as Giant Salvinia is located. Quagga mussels are also found here. If using a boat, make sure that boats, live wells, engines, and trailers are clean before leaving the area. The last thing that we want to have happen is the movement of invasive species to other waters.

Colorado River (between Laguna and Morelos dams):

This area will be good for largemouth bass and flathead catfish. Bass in excess of 5 pounds are common and flathead catfish over 20 pounds are a good bet. In this area, accessibility to the river is dependent on the amount of water being released. Usually shallow draft boats are a must. The lower end has had some dredging work done and a larger boat may be able to get on the river in that area.

This section of the Colorado River, all the way down to Yuma, is where the invasive vegetative species known as Giant Salvinia is located. Quagga mussels are also found here. If using a boat, make sure that boats, live wells, engines, and trailers are clean before leaving the area. The last thing that we want to have happen is the movement of invasive species to other waters.

With the increase in border issues and illegal activity on the lower end of this area I would avoid that area (Pilot Knob to Moreles Dam).

Regional Hot Spots:

Alamo Lake will be the hot spot for largemouth bass and channel catfish. Since there appears to be an overabundance of small bass and channel catfish in the lake at present, we recommend keeping as many of the smaller bass and catfish as you can legally possess in order to try and reduce the population a little. Next choice would be Lake Havasu for large and smallmouth bass and redears, Parker Strip for smallmouth bass and redear sunfish, and the Colorado River below Walter’s Camp for flathead catfish. Our spring surveys indicate that there is a very impressive population of flathead catfish in the lower Imperial Division between Picacho State Park and Imperial Dam. Expect many in the 5-10 pounds size class, but we know of at least one state record lurking in those waters.

If you need any additional information or additional don't hesitate to contact the Yuma Regional office at (928) 341-4051 and I will be happy to accommodate you.




North Central Region
WILLIAMS LAKES:

KAIBAB LAKE - Campground is open. Fishing was fair-good on Power Bait and worms while we conducted a free fishing day clinic on the lakes on Saturday. Scheduled to be stocked this week.

Angler reports:
Robert Bonnewell: 05-23-09, Fished from 9 a.m. till noon from the bank. Caught 10 trout, 4 bluegills, and 1 largemouth bass. Used Power Bait and worms. Trout size ranged from 7-12 inches.

Garrett: After getting skunked at Kaibab Lake, went over to Cataract Lake, shore fishing next to the dam. Hooked into three nice trout in 30 min....5/6/09

Darron Khan: Hit Kaibab today (5/9/09). Water temps are rising and the fish have turned on. Campgrounds are now open including the east end which provides good access to some nice bank fishing spots. Anglers are catching trout on Power Bait (all colors) and night crawlers under bobbers and on the bottom. Water clarity is still chocolate milk but the fish are still biting. Good luck all!


CATARACT LAKE - Campgrounds are open. According to the few anglers I talked to fishing is good.
Scheduled to be stocked this week.

CITY RESERVOIR - Road is open. Stocked last week.

DOGTOWN LAKE -. Campground area is open. Scheduled to be stocked this week.

JD DAM - Road is open.

RUSSEL TANK - Has been stocked.

SANTA FE - Lake is full. According to the few anglers I talked to fishing is good. Stocked last week.

WHITEHORSE LAKE - No report from anglers. Campgrounds are open. Stocked last week.




FLAGSTAFF LAKES:

LOWER LAKE MARY - Fishing is good for trout. This lake was stocked liberally in late winter, but stocking has ceased for this year. Those stocked rainbows are not fat and feisty.

Fly anglers have been doing well in the evenings on dark colored surface flies.
This is a very shallow lake and water quality will deteriorate rapidly once summer conditions prevail, so fish it now.

R. Jenkins: My wife and I fished at Lower Lake Mary Saturday, May 9, and had no problems catching our limits, plus we were able to teach a couple kids fishing there how to catch the fish. They ended up with more fish than their parents.

Fishing 2-pound test line with the bait about 30 inches under a bobber got me limits within 20 minutes of arrival. My wife fishes 4-pound test and the fish do not take it nearly as much. She switched to 2-pound test to finish off her limit. Fishing anything heavier than 4-pound test is a waste of time there. The fishing is wide open with the right bait but night crawlers, Power Bait and corn is not it.


UPPER LAKE MARY - The lake is full. Anglers are catching some nice sized northern pike. Try spinners, crankbaits or swim baits.


Hey Rory, Upper Lake Mary is on Fire



6/6/2009 From a boat Mike and I got an early start in an attempt to beat the wind advisory forecast for the area. Morning on the water is a special time. Everything worked in our favor as the first of many voracious Pike were caught and released. One highpoint of the day came when a super-sized Northern crushed a silver and black floating Rapala stick bait cast to shore. The Pike hit the lure with such vigor that I guessed the fish would have attacked nearly any lure thrown near it. This fish was bigger and stronger than any other I have landed so far this year. The fight was on. The Northern ripped off line in powerful runs revealing surprising speed. My tackle was up to the battle and the big fish tired surrendering to the net. The Pike at first glance looked as long as a yardstick and surely weighed 10 pounds or more. No question, this was the nicest Northern so far this season. We snapped a few pics and had her back in the water in just a few short minutes. The successful boating of the Pike epitomizes what has become an amazing season at Upper Lake Mary. Quantity and quality are possible at this fishery. Lots of fellow fishermen took advantage of the "free fishing day" despite the wind and cool temps -- Jeff Bierer




Robert Bonnewell: 05-25-09 -- Fished from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Caught 15 northern pike all on silver spinners. Caught one nice 6.2 pounder. Big ones are starting to bite.

Mike Bright: My dad Gary, son Levi, daughter Ella and me were fishing Upper Lake Mary at dusk on May 15 and the morning of May 16 by the dam from shore. We caught 1 largemouth bass, 4 Yellow Perch, 1 crappie, and 6 Northern Pike. We used silver KastMasters for the Pike and worms with bobbers for the other fish. It was the best fishing I have had at that Lake and a beautiful mini trip out of the valley of heat.

Where: Upper Lake Mary
When: 05/25/09
Caught:one small northern
Technique: Rapala jerkbait
Comments:people were catching them on just about everything here just had to find the right spot I guess
Name: Andrew Althaus

Dennis Stuhr: Fished from 1600 until dark again for Northerns 5/08/09. Caught a dozen little Northerns & 1 small Perch. Largest Northern was 17" long. An Osprey had pretty good luck plucking fish at the shore line. Did not see anybody else catch a single fish except for the Osprey.

ASHURST LAKE - The lake is full. The lake is full. Fishing was fair on worms fished below a bobber. Scheduled to be stocked.Trout anglers sometimes hook into monster northern pike here this time of year.

Where: ashurst
When: 05/25/09
Caught: 4 rainbows
Technique: worms from bobber and one on yellow power bait
Comments: fishing was good till wind got strong
Name: Andrew Althaus


Where:Ashurst
When:05/25/09
Caught:4 rainbows
Technique:worms from bobber and one on yellow Power Bait
Comments:fishing was good till wind got strong
Name:Andrew Althaus


FRANCIS SHORT POND - Scheduled to be stocked this week with trout. Fishing was fair on hotdogs for catfish and worms for trout.

KINNIKINICK LAKE - Road is open. A 2lb brown trout was caught on a worm recently. Scheduled to be stocked this week.


Hey Rory;
Last night at Kinnikinick Lake around 11 pm, I caught a 5 pounds brown trout and 17.5 inches long with a worm and on the shore. I got some pictures attached so you welcome to post it online. This fish was a beauty!!
Gary Pace

PS: Hey Rory,
I just had the fish verified by Game and Fish and it was only 2.04 pounds and 15.75 inches long (but it felt like a 5 pounds :). Anyways it is the biggest trout I've seen.

I caught it close to shore so it wasn't very hard but this fish was fighting hard all the way, I actually thought it was a catfish when I pulled it up.
Gary Pace

- Road is open and the lake has been stocked. This small lake will not be stocked again this year.




MARSHALL Lake -- Road is open and the lake has been stocked. Stocking for the year is done. Fishing was fair on Power Bait or midge patterns

LONG LAKE - Lake is open. Water level is good. Has been stocked. Some nice sized trout are being caught at times.


Angler report:


Where: Long Lake
When: 05/31/09
Caught: First Pike EVER - lost about 8
Technique: Super light tackle and Rooster Tails.
]]> Blogs http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=46 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 07:00:00 -0500 MY FUHRER (Mein Fuhrer): The Truly Truest Truth About Adolph Hitler http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=582 My FuhrerThe subtitle of this film will clue viewers that "My Fuhrer" is not the truest truth about the Nazi leader, but then again, writer-director Dani Levy, who states in the production notes that comedy can make dents in an evil person's character better than drama or tragedy, does not avoid the truth either. Using elements from Hitler's background to subvert not only Hitler's adoration by his right-hand men and the huge crowds that gathered for his vacuous speeches, Levy does succeed to prove the hypothesis that the best way to deal with authoritarian jerks is not to project laundry lists of evil doings but rather to laugh at the preposterousness of their personalities.

First Run Features
Reviewed for Arizona Reporter by Harvey Karten
Grade: B
Directed and Written by: Dani Levy
Cast: Helge Schneider, Ulrich Muhe, Sylvester Groth, Adriana Altaras, Stefan Kurt, Ulrich Noethen, Lambert Hamel, Udo Kroschwald
Opens: August 14, 2009He succeeds only to some extent, however, given the weaknesses of the script as translated by English subtitles, which rarely do justice to the original language, and the fact that Germans are not especially known for a sense of humor that travels well across the Atlantic. Scripters, directors and actors who are not of the Teutonic persuasion have elicited laugh-out-loud stories, the best examples being Roberto Benigni's 1997 film "Life is Beautiful," Mel Brooks's 1968 work "The Producers," highlighting the song "Springtime for Hitler," and Charles Chaplin's "The Great Dictator," made in 1940 before the real horrors of the Holocaust were known.

Director Levy, whose "Go for Zucker" explores the problems of a Jewish journalist in 1989 Berlin and whose "The Giraffe" looks into a murder whose roots can be traced to Germany, is intent on telling us more than we already know, using fantasy to punctuate the basis of Hitler's madness. (Hint: he was physically abused as a child.)

The film mixes some generous moments of archival film from the 1940s with the current look behind the scenes, though a bevy of extras is used to simulate Hitler's adoring masses. The story takes place in Berlin in December 1944, when everyone except Hitler (Helge Schneider) knows that the 1,000 year Reich is about to collapse after just five years. Hitler is to give a New Year's Day speech to hundreds of thousands of flag-waving spectators, but he is depressed, no longer enjoying the confidence he felt when he danced a jig on the Champs Elysees. Herr Goebbels (Sylvester Groth) conjures up a way to restore his boss's mojo. He hires Adolf Gruenbaum (Ulrich Muehe, "The Lives of Others"), a Jewish actor who now resides in Sachhausen concentration camp, to give Hitler lessons in speech and relaxation.

The best laughs stick in the throat, particularly Goebbels' assurance to Gruenbaum that he should not take his punishment personally. He also gives the prisoner a ham and cheese sandwich, forcing Gruenbaum to hide the ham under the carpet where it is sniffed out by Bondi, the fuhrer's German Shepherd.

Crowd scenes aside, the real drama and comedy come from one-on-one interactions between teacher and student, and in this case the teacher actually takes on the role of disciplinarian though his authority over the student is hardly that of the traditional instructor. For sight gags, watch Himmler (Ulrich Noethen), who wears an arm brace that is frozen in a permanent Nazi salute. The concluding scene will remind lovers of classic theater of Edmund Rostand's "Cyrano de Bergerac."

Helge Schneider does not resemble Hitler, taking away some of the gravitas of the story, but Ulrich Muehe, a German comedian who looks like a cross between Rod Steiger and Harry Truman, excels. Sylvester Groth is perfect as a Machiavellian "producer" who smiles and engages Gruenbaum but who doubtless has unkosher plans for the acting teacher after New Year's Day.

Unrated. 91 minutes. © 2009 by Harvey Karten Member: NY Film Critics Online]]> Movie Reviews http://www.azreporter.com/news/index.php?itemid=582 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:25:15 -0500