As a fly-fisherman, I always enjoy getting away to the Little Red River in Arkansas. Two hours and change from downtown Memphis, and I’m standing in a cold, crystalline stream surrounded by abundant birdlife, beavers, chirping frogs, and circling dragonflies. Occasionally, I even catch a rainbow or brown trout.
For the past few years, I’ve been staying at a place called Fat Possum Hollow, owned by a former Memphian, Maurice Lipsey. A few years back, Lipsey left the city life behind and purchased a couple hundred acres on the Little Red near Heber Springs. In the intervening years, he’s built cabins (nine, at last count) that he leases in various short and long-term time-share arrangements that depend mostly on how much time you want to spend on the river each year.
The cabins are great, close to the water, but Lipsey added another touch: He built a BYOB “bar” in the ramshackle old barn on the property. It’s filled with Memphis Tiger memorabilia, old Press-Scimitar and CA clippings, old Memphis photos, etc. If there’s a Memphis game on television, it’ll be playing on the TV at Maurice’s place.
In the evenings, the place is filled with fly-fishermen and their families. Kids and teens play pool and ping-pong or run around outside while the adults crowd the bar. And everyone, it seems, is from Memphis. As one woman told me: “This is the new Destin.”
To me, that’s not a compliment, but I knew what she meant: FPH is a Memphis-centric vacation spot. I’m sure Maurice wouldn’t mind if I mentioned his phone number, so if you’re interested in checking out the place, call him: 501-362-7738.
Here are a few pics I shot last weekend: 
Maurice at the ‘bar’
