Barney’s Flyfishing Ranch opened along Hwy 395 about three or four years ago, right next to Johnson Lane. A couple of acres of pastureland were bulldozed into a small pond, and stocked with trout. You could then pay to stand on the shore and cast your line into the stocked waters, and you were almost assured of getting a bite. One reviewer said it was “like fly fishing in a miniature golf course”.
Barney’s didn’t last long. There must not have been as much demand as they anticipated, because soon the sign came down, the website shut its doors, and the pond was left to become overgrown with reeds. A For Sale sign went up on the property, and stayed there for over a year.
But now, it looks like there might be life at the old ranch again. The For Sale sign is gone and the Barney’s sign is back in its place. Whether that means there are new owners willing to give it a shot, or the old owner figures he might as well do something with the property if it won’t sell, I don’t know. But it seems like Barney’s is back. It’s become less of a pond and more of an algae-filled swamp, and it’s hard to say if any of the fish have survived, but it’s back.
You can still buy Barney’s sweatshirts, and I dug up this old commercial for the place.
