JD Fletcher

Local fishing legend JD Fletcher grew up west of Washburn along the banks of Greasy Creek where his love of fishing began.The legendary J.D. Fletcher fished Table Rock Lake since it filled in 1959 and the White River before that. J.D. owned the Devil's Dive Resort at Eagle Rock, and guided anglers on the upper end of Table Rock and King's River.

Fletchers Bait and Tackle Shop at Eagle Rock 1959

JD Fletcher

"I started my business down herein 1959. Harold Ensley started coming down here filming in 1960. Harold used to preach in our church when I was so small, I don't even remember it. I don't remember Harold Ensley until after I got out of the service in the early '50s and used to listen to him on the radio.

The first thing I started, back in '59, was a bait shop. At that time, I just sold minnows, crawdads, fishing licenses. I used to sell Sam Walton his fishing license every spring. He kept his boat up at Eagle Rock. Then, in '60, I started running float trips. And we're still running the float trips down the Kings River."

Smiley Burnette, JD Fletcher and Rufe Davis in 1966