Aeronikl

Phil's will let you stay with both, as long as the wife behaves.

Leonard is right. They leave the other gate open. It is a longer drive, but a friend of mine usuallly stays there and we return there late after fishing nights.

Leonard- Where is the Baby Registry so we can pass the word? Cabela's or Orvis? I've been looking all over for a 2'- 8 wt. and Buster Brown wading boots, but can't find either. Gary

You need to add 3 other possibilities: 1. You were 3 days before the new moon - many swear that no moon is best time for quantities of fish at night. 2. The Solunar Table shows a major feed at 1002 pm that night - taking into consideration other factors, like running water or a rainstorm it should have been good before and after that. 3. The Taneycomo Squid was "chumming" for his dinner....you may just have been lucky to get away. Be more careful next time. Seriously, sounds like a good night. Most of us have had some like that...and can't understand why it doesn't happen every time....but that's what keeps us coming back.

I tie a loop in my leader material and connect the loops just like the instructions for any of the looped leaders you buy. Slip the loop of the flyline through the loop of the leader and pull the end of the leader through the loop of the flyline and pull tight. No one has mentioned it, but the cost savings of using mono for a leader at night should be obvious. Compare the cost of a 9' packaged tappered leader with a roll of quality mono/fluorocarbon - and you can get many leaders out of a small roll...small enough to keep in your vest at night.

Try not to be confused with leader and tippet sizes. Where a tapered leader with tippet material tied onto it may be the way to go during the day, at night, there is no need for anything other than using a fluorocarbon or other good quality mono fishing line for the final connection of flyline to bug. Where tapered leaders and tippets are always referred to by 0X-7X or whatever, even though each has a pound rating, as well. Mono, as you know, is sized by a pound rating, and the diameter is listed as additional information (this can be helpful when comparing brands or material used). I know others may use several different sizes of mono, maybe starting with 20# followed by pieces of 12 or 14# with a terminal piece of 6 - 12# line to tie the fly on, the whole rig being 6 - 9' long, just like a tapered leader that you can buy ready to use. I used to always tie on some 20# mono first followed by lighter line, but I don't do it anymore. I've never had a piece of line break at the loop or in the line, but I've had knots come apart with a big fish where I tied lighter line to it. If my line gets too short after changing a lot of flies, I can always add some more, but if big fish are around, I will usually tie a new piece onto the flyline. My experience is that I don't have to change flies at night as often as during the day. More often than not, it's because the fish have torn the bug up. Not a bad problem to have. As far as length, I've seen people use as little as 3- 4' of line/leader on the end of a flyline at night. It works well, and can be easier to cast. Keep the whole rig simple, since the fish don't care at night. My rods are set-up now with 8'leaders made of 10# fluorocarbon (5 wt. rod, 12# (6 wt. rod) and 14# (8 wt. rod) for night fishing. The leader is tied to the flyline with a simple loop connection. When the really big fish aren't around, I use 6# on the 5 wt. and 8# on the 6 wt., and use smaller bugs, nothing over size 4. There are plenty of folks around who can help you with line/leader/tippet sizes when you are on the water. The conditions determine what you can use. Don't be afraid to ask. Good luck.

I agree. 5X is OK for daytime...the right fly and presentation is more important than going with 6 or 7X. Even with 5X you will have to make every effort to get the fish in as fast as you can. I use mono or fluorocarbon fishing line for leader/tippit at night, trying to keep it a single piece to avoid using knots, and use 6 or 8# with smaller streamers during the "off-season" and 10 or 12# during the fall/winter runs. My biggest fish have been on 10#, landed quickly without problems but I am prepared to use up to 14#, but doubt that it would be necessary.

JS, I understand your concerns, since I've had fishermen and boats to contend with over the years. What I usually do, even if I think they can already see me, is turn my red light on and turn my head to their direction so they can see me. It's never failed...yet. No one has walked up behind me and slapped me with a streamer. With boats, I start with the red light and only go to the bright light if they seem to ignore it, but I also make sure I'm not standing in the channel they have to use. Only 2 near misses over the years. Most waders will keep on going and try another spot when they see the red light or ask if they can join you. Nothing wrong with that, either. Sometimes good etiquette means sharing the water. Gary

Great information, SKMO. Said it better than I ever could. It is an emotional issue for me...and it will soon be a financial issue for everyone in the watershed...just as it is for everyone in the Great Lakes and other systems already infested.

Sounds like you're having a great time. Keep it up and enjoy the rest of your trip. Like everyone else said....you're hooked now.

I can highly recommend the Arkansas, above and below Salida. I have a friend who guides in the area for ArkAnglers, and right now he prefers below Salida. He lives in Hartsel, so in addition to the Arkansas, I've also fished the "Dream Stream" with him, but my favorite trip is hiking-in to wade from shore on sections of Spinney, where the fishing is excellent with streamers for large rainbows, cuts and cutbows. He also fishes at Antero, recently reopened. Here's a fish from this summer at Antero. I think you'll enjoy any of the places mentioned. Good Luck

I agree with Luke that Zebra mussels are a serious pest, not to be taken lightly. Any statement that they helped clean up Lake Erie is so wrong that it is laughable. As someone who lived along the south shore of Lake Erie in the 1950's through the '80's, with a background in chemistry and waste treatment, I know what caused the pollution and the reported "death" of the lake, and what was responsible for the clean up....and it was not the Zebra mussels. Areas of the lake that are "super clear" in the shallow western basin of the lake are now wastelands, with the bottom covered with Zebra mussels, where nothing else lives. FYI, these areas have always been the nursery for the young walleye pike as well as a world class small mouth fishery. As for the "burning" stories...they are only that. There was oneincident where wooden ties on a railway bridge over the Cuyahoga River, near downtown Cleveland were set on fire by vandals. Burning pieces falling into trash along the bank started a fire along the shore. With poor land access, a tug/fire boat was used to fight the fire. The photos and reports that followed in the national media (read, New York city) about the "river that burns" in Cleveland. All of it was BS. The Cuyahoga River was no worse than any other river I studied in the industrial cities at that time. Lake Erie had no chance of ever being clean again until pollution and discharge standards were in place long enough for the water sources "upstream" - namely Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron. Being the smallest and 4th in line, and considering the impact of cities like Detroit and Windsor and the fact that the St. Lawrence Seaway controlled the natural flows, it took years for the lake to return to the condition it is today. It was a wonderful fishery when I was a boy, and with better regulations on commercial and sports fisherman and continued improvement in water quality throughout the Great Lakes Basin, it is even better today, despite the loss (extinction) of the Blue Pike...and in spite of the Zebra mussel. With all the problems with these mussels in the Great Lakes, most people forgot the original invasive species up there after the seaway was completed....the lamphrey. Millions of dollars are spent every year in efforts to keep them under control, but at least they have been successful. All of the millions spent yearly on Zebra mussels is just to clean up boats, structures and other equipment. Oh, one final note. A local golf course here in Oklahoma gets raw water for irrigation from Lake Oologah, a main water supply for many cities and towns. Since it has not been chlorinated or treated in any other way prior to pumping it into the supply line, the Zebra mussels have invaded the system and clogged most of the irrigation piping and all of the sprinkler heads. A large filtration system had to be installed to remove them, and lines and heads are being replaced. Just another idea of where they can end up. "Zebra Mussels...coming soon to a town near you."

I'm bringing my bigger net, a folding ruler and the digital camera I use for fishing when I come in October. It works good at night. Got you covered! Great fish. Gary

I've heard and seen them for the last month here in Oklahoma, but didn't know there was a pattern for them! We get so many that my wife is used to them, but it can be very wierd when they strike the outside of the house at night. I tell my wife it is the guy with the hook from lover's lane. Has anyone ever fished with the dead ones below the trophy area, skating them on the surface? I'm going to collect some and throw them in my pond and see what the bass and 'gils do.

Don't you mean WAS a member?

Great fish. Thanks for getting the photo up.

Sorry for the late post, but the computer didn't work until I got home. Really enjoyed meeting Snagged, Terry and Flextime Friday night at the club. Only wish fishing had been better. The fog was heavy most every night and made me thankful that I knew the water so well. On Friday night it had a strange color and pecular odor (wonder what caused that ). Fished 5 nights last week, and never landed more than 12 fish in a night. Many short hits and the biggest fish was a 17" brown pulled out of the Big Hole. Biggest rainbow was 15". Some nights only landed 6 fish. Veeeeerrrrry sloooooow, as Terry would say. Had to work hard and cover a lot of water. The fishing was better in the daytime last week, from all the reports I heard. It was great to be on the water after a long break, and finally meet everyone. Leonard even let me try out the new PMS streamer and it did produce. Hope to see everyone next trip.

There may be other ways to change the size and file size after you download the image to your computer, but this is how I do it to post photos here without using the photo posting sites. I assume you want to do it to post photos that open up faster, etc., when posting to a web-site. The easiest way I've found is to simply open up the file in Windows Explorer, which opens it in Microsoft Photo Editor. Do a "save as" and change the file name, I just add s for smaller, or whatever you choose, after the file name, before the extension (.jpg or whatever)and then do an "Image", "Resize". Take one of the dimensions, usuallly the larger, and scale it down to 25% or so of the original, and the other dimension automatically goes to the correct ratio. Save the image, again, and you will see that the file size is now much smaller. Experiment to see what is needed to open fast enough for you. I normally get a 1+ meg file from a 5.0 camera, and you still get a very good image for posting when going to about 25% or smaller in size, and the file size will go way down. One example was 1.71 meg down to 122 kb. Remember not to do this to the original file, or it will be changed forever. I hope this is helpful.

I noticed the metal case he was wearing too. It looked strange, but it must work for him. I use a vest at night. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been fishing long enough to have more than one vest, so I keep one just for night fishing. Things I only use at night are kept in it and the few items that do double duty, like certain fly boxes, license container, cell phone, camera are stuffed in before I go. It is easier for me to have a small assortment of the cheaper, normal items, floats (lighted/unlighted)or shot, etc., in the night vest than to keep taking things out of the other. I try to keep it lean and light, since there are enough safety related items to carry, like extra batteries and back up lights. I also have a larger net attached to it, for obvious reasons.

I don't know who else watches this show, but the premier episode each week is Friday nights at 9 pm on VS network (used to be OLN network)and is repeated several times during the week. It is channel 608 on DTV...anyway, this week's episode is night fishing for big browns on the Little Red tailwater. A very "experienced" fisherman and a local Arkansan guide scout the river by fishing during the day and return to fish at night, trying to catch a new record brown. I'm sure some of you will know/recognize the guys and they might even be on the Forum, but it was an interesting show, especially since it was about a local resource. I know it was filmed in the fall, probably last year. Leonard - and the rest of you I've fished with after midnight, it made me homesick for October at Taneycomo. It's just coming up spring, and I'm already dreaming of fall! Watch the show if you can, I won't give away the ending here.

Road...that's not a road...that's a 4 ft high retaining wall

OK, Leonard...I see how this works. As soon as you send me my favorite pine squirrels and bunny leeches, you go and change something. Anyway, it sounded like you had a great morning. I hope you still tie your little one to the log at the water's edge when you're letting him reel in the big ones like that.

Leonard, I hope the price of the "light olive, almost a tanish brown" pine squirrels I ordered from you earlier in the week hasn't gone up. Gary

It's beautiful. Never seen anything like it. Did he find a pattern for it or just design it himself? I could find a place for one myself, if he ever decided to sell them.

We had several jars of the Peter Pan varieties here and all had the correct product code on the lid. If you feed birds at your place, do not throw the stuff away. Mix seed in with it and let them eat it like suet, or mix it with suet if you make your own, 1:1, adding some seed to it. The woodpeckers and other "good" birds love it and they won't get sick from it like humans might. I buy 50 lbs. of the cheap stuff every year just for bird feeding. I just can't imagine how many tons of this stuff is going to be wasted as they throw it all away. Hopefully, some of the birdfeeding suppliers will get a deal on it to make their products, or they can find a use for it in animal food, or something. Remember, you only need the lid to get a refund, but ConAgra's website says that only they will issue a refund, and only if you mail them the lid. It didn't say you need a receipt or how much the refund will be.