Kayser

Aside from the smaller ones that got completely destroyed, what towns were moved onto the bluff after '93? All I can think of is Valmeyer, IL. But seriously, the MO floodplain was designated for a water sink for levee relief. And why can't people understand that this is a plan to save not only Cairo, but a lot of other places downstream. Cairo is a good indicator of downstream flooding because it sits at the confluence of of the MS and OH rivers, which is why the plan was formed with regards to Cairo. Look at the news for Memphis, they don't exactly have it easy right now, either. Rob P.S.- Can we just blow the MO at Chesterfield? It's a disaster waiting to happen, so might as well stop it while we can.

The area in MO is DESIGNATED flood control area. And besides, Cairo is not the only community on the Mississippi that will be affected by this. All points downstream, with all the water being dumped in the Ozarks and other points in the drainage area, are also in danger. Memphis is getting pretty worried about it, and God only knows what's going to happen to New Orleans if this rain keeps us. So, if you take into account that there are other areas that will be saved by blowing the MO levee, what would you do? The River runs a long way, and it's arrogant to think that we can make this decision and only affect one tiny portion of it. Rob

I vote yes, because that water sink will help protect more towns downstream, not just Cairo, IL. And as far as ruining the farmland- the fields that were flooded from Valmeyer down to Prairie du Rocher in IL in '93 are currently some of the best farmland in the country, and only had maybe one or two off years immediately after the flood. I was only 3 when it happened, but the bottoms have had the best yields for as long as I can remember, which is all after the flood. Rob

San juan worms. I fished during some pretty big water two or three years ago (park was closed for the first day of the trip), and found that was what the fish wanted. Found most people struggling for 2-3 fish days, but those got me up to 40 by noon. Friends switched over and got similar results. Green water is good, mud is bad. Just fish deep with lots of split shot, and the slower water may produce better. I would also second the idea of egg flies, but you have to be ticking bottom with whatever you use. Hope this helps, and good luck! Rob

Most twin fawns are fraternal and not identical, making the mutation a unique event to the individual in the development process. Older does are more likely to produce twins, as well- has something to do with maturity and development to release 2 eggs instead of 1. We used to have a big 10pt albino back home (until some a-hole shot the thing), and it was one of the coolest deer I've ever seen- wish they were more common. Rob

Both can technically carry TB, but armadillos are the higher risk, I think. I did, however, watch someone eat a barbequed armadillo on the half-shell (somewhere in south america) on the travel channel just a few days ago- can't remember if it was Anthony Bourdain or Andrew Zimmern. Anyways- I don't think it's worth the trouble to make that exotic meal myself. Rob

What did you make the wings out of for that? Rob

Are there any good places to find Morels around Mill Creek? I'm in Rolla and I've been hoping to find a good spot to go out and get at least one meal (without trespassing). Haven't found any around here really, but I also haven't had much time to look- morel season is usually finals time for me. Rob

There's no minimum size on them- they're a non-game fish. Alligator gar, however, are state endangered and must be released. If you want to eat one, just remember not to eat the eggs- they're toxic. Otherwise, good luck in general. Rob

The difference between the farmer draining the pond to get the fish and you catching them is that the farmer owns the entire pond, with the fish in it, while you are probably going after a public resource. Statewide limits/lengths don't apply to entirely private waters, just public. So technically, they are his fish, and it counts as an animal husbandry practice if the farmer harvests them. And I think you only need a permit for aquaculture if you use a certain amount of water or sell a certain tonnage/year. ***I haven't researched this at all, so I could definitely be wrong- this just seems like the most sensible explanation for that scenario. Rob

Just saw an article on the periodical cicadas. If you remember the one from '98, it's the same ones, and in the same numbers. http://mdc.mo.gov/landwater-care/forest-management/forest-health/periodical-cicadas I wasn't trout fishing back then at 8yrs old, but I had an absolute blast fishing for bass and bluegill with live cicadas on the fly rod- the fish were just absolutely turned on. Climbing trees to catch them was almost as much fun as fishing with them. Never had to wait long for a fish to find it, either. Fishing was almost stupid good that year, and I can't wait for this hatch to get started. So to the entire purpose of the topic, I need some good cicada patterns for the fly rod. Both trout and warmwater patterns, please. This could be a very interesting summer of fishing for me. Oh, and also taking suggestions for an 8.5ft 8wt rod to build- I might need it for the smallmouth. Rob

If the grasscarp are the main problem, you might try fishing for them with corn, or sight fishing them with flies. Bowfishing works well, too. They have firm, white meat and taste great, but a lot of people are opposed to that because they paid so much for them (if it was triploids). If it's not triploids, I would recommend learning how to cut the bones out of the fillets- not too hard, just takes a little time. Rob

1- Bass taste fine. I know of a few lakes where they were overpopulated, and had an awesome day fishing, followed shortly by a fish fry. 2- Carp aren't that bad when cleaned/cooked right. Buffalo, grass carp, and asian carp are a little better, though (about in that order, too). It's just the whole mentality of that they can come out of muddy/slack water and were preferred food for the lower socio-economic classes (and immigrant ethnic groups) way back when, and people just can't be open-minded enough to get past that. The smell of the slime probably doesn't help with that, though... Rob

Wait, so how long is that rainbow? Pretty sure I had a run in with him this past weekend, but he wound up winning this round. Have an estimate in mind, just want to see how long he actually is. And as far as there being fewer big fish in the River, I've only been fishing it for about 5-6 years, and the big ones definitely seem to have disappeared, both size and numbers decreasing compared to when I first started going. Used to be able to find several 18-22" fish in a particular hole, and at least one good one in almost every hole, but no more. I haven't seen any otters or otter tracks (plenty of raccoon, though) along the upper stretches of the river, but have found plenty of bait containers and footprints compared to the past. On a side note, do the stocker browns seem smaller this year? I caught a few in the 4-5" range, and saw a lot more like them. Thinking they'll only be food for the remaining trophy browns within a couple months... Rob

They may have come from loch leven way back when, but these are technically sheep creek fish now. Reference- http://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2003/11/missouris-brown-trout-fishery?page=0,2 Just sayin...

You can control the size of the muskie population by stopping stocking. Northerns could get out of control if they start reproducing naturally, and will eat pretty much anything they want. Rob

Orange poly-yarn is my favorite for these indicators. Almost thinking I would like to try white so it would blend with foam better. Can't remember what size o-ring I use, though. Well, I guess it's time for a trip to Lowe's. Rob

Just make sure you have chest waders and not hip boots for the LP. Some of the pools at Lane can be a little tricky. Rob

Last time I went to the Current, I couldn't find a parking spot at Tan Vat, and saw at least 8 fishermen from the parking lot. I decided to fish from the cable down, and passed at least 5 headed back up as I was headed down. Caught three fish, worst trip since the first year I fished outside the park. The first two years I fished these stretches, two or three other fishermen was a crowd. And while my numbers of big browns haven't gone down, I don't see nearly as many of them as I used to- so my sight fishing has kinda suffered. While the increased pressure hasn't decreased the number of fish in the river, it seems to me like they are constantly spooked and not nearly as interested in eating as they used to be. Except when I can sneak out on a Wednesday afternoon. Rob

For big drifts and depth control- indicators. I like poly-yarn indicators because they float high, land soft, and are removable without retying your rig. They're also cheap and easy to make. For fishing close, shallow water or mostly upstream (less than about 30 degrees off the current direction) I'll take them off. Especially if I want to get my fly under a tree or rootwad. Rob

Woolly buggers of all sizes, colors and weights work well on them- just gotta match them to what the fish want. Mainly weight and color are the two big ones. I was using big unweighted marabou streamers (looked like tarpon flies) for them last spring in the spawning flats (less than 2ft deep). Black with a chartreuse collar was working well, as was white/purple. Also have had luck using poppers when they're sipping chironimids around dusk in the late spring/early summer. But other than that, minnow imitations will work the best. Just remember, you can get a better presentation with a longer sink count than using a heavier fly. Rob

Absolutely no problem paddling upstream in the frog water. Just attach a rope with a handle to the front of your canoe so you can drag it up the riffles easier. Also helps to thread it through the deadfalls that can block the river. I paddle about a mile up the frog water every time and just paddle and fish back down. Rob

Sounds about right. I fish below Mill Rock access (downstream from what is described), and there are a lot of LONG SLOW pools, not necessarily deep, with a spotted bass under every log. There are still smallmouth in the areas with current, though. Rob

Just out of curiosity, what line/leader setup are you using? I'm gonna be hitting Kinkaid hard for crappie over spring break in a couple weeks, but would also like to try casting at muskie if I get my limit early, or can't find them at all. Thanks, Rob

Lane Spring is not open to camping until April.