Kayser

That and it was caught on pole and line. It's legal to keep, just not to sell (or possibly give) to someone else. Rob

For the longer rods, I would use them in/around brush for jigging with marabou jigs or soft plastics (sometimes tipped with a minnow). Perfect for close quarters and delicate presentations. I also use some 7'-8' rods for slip-float rigs, set up with minnows for flipping into brush, or drifting open water. Rob

I caught a logperch on the Bourbeuse River while fishing for redhorse last spring. I have kept him in my fish tank, and have been keeping him alive on small worms (storebought.) I was wondering what little treats I could give him, to give him a break from the worms? I know I wouldn't want to eat the same thing for 6 months straight. Thanks, Rob

Not really an urban area, but same type of fishing- Randolph County Lake near Chester, IL stocked trout mid-October. Caught about 12 in 2 hrs using a #12 Hare's Ear 1-3' under a small indicator. I focused on small depressions where I knew they would be at. Some chases on streamers, but no hits. Nice little fix for the trout fishing. Rob

What does a coyote pelt run? Things are getting pretty thick around here. I think there might be two or three large packs around my house. Rob

Try using the coon for traditional hair-wing streamers. A few patterns call for coon tail, and quite a few call for woodchuck and badger, too, so its all fair game. I'm surprised no one has wood duck feathers off of ducks they've shot. I think I have two or three one-gallon ziplocks full of flank feathers. They are VERY plentiful on the hill ponds here, and I have seen many on the various ozark streams I've fished. Rob

Almost a shame that it stood out, I mean the only one to have colors like that. But if every trout looked like that, would this fish seem as beautiful? Rob

I haven't caught a trout since Labor Day, and July 4th before that, and have no trips in sight. This isn't helping with the addiction, but I guess it'll have to do. Nice fish, Rob

Nice fish Al. Haven't seen any that big up there (but I'm only 18, so that's not saying much). Yeah, they're getting kinda plentiful, so I'm trying to do my part for the smallmouth. Besides, the spots taste pretty good- grilled, fried, whatever. Rob

Unfortunately, yes, there are a fair amount of spots in the river towards Mill Rock. On the last trip, reduced 8 to limit- 2 at 10-12" and 6 at 3-7" from the seine. No, none of them were largemouth- didnt have any over 12", and they are easy to tell from the spots if you know what to look for. Rob

CP- Looked on a map, and its the same river. You probably took 185 out of Beaufort through Spring Bluff and down to AC, and then fished where AC crosses Boone Creek. Creek wader- I think it's mostly private access to the river, except at the MARKED access points, like Mill Rock, Champion City and Wenkel Ford. I would definitely recommend a canoe, unless the river is rollin, when you should just stay on the bank and try for catfish. Rob

Do you mean the Bourbeuse River that runs past Gerald, between Mill Rock and the Champion City access? I have a cabin towards Mill Rock, and hooked about a 16-18" smallie in late Sept on a big shiner. Yeah, its not fly-fishing, but I really don't like to leave dinner to chance while I'm up there. (I don't keep smallies, just spots, catfish and panfish.) Rob

With the cooler air temps and rain cooling the water down, I decided to try for some crappie at a local pond. Caught 25 black crappie, 10+ inches each in about 2 hrs. Lost 6 or 7 at the bank. They would either hammer an orange/yellow paddle-tail bait (1.5") or take a small jig tipped with a mealworm. They were hanging about 5-10' off the bank along a shallow dropoff, where the wind was hitting. Waves made a mudline to about 6' out, and it was full of small minnows. When i cleaned them, their bellies were full of the minnows. Rob

Thanks Dano. Rob

Have heard a lot about soft hackles, yet have never fished them. I'm just curious as to what they should look like- how far back to start the dubbing, how long the hackle fibers should be, should I use wire, etc.. Thanks in advance, Rob

Anchored 1500 ft from a hydro-electric dam is not a good idea, ever. Even anchoring in the main current of any larger river is dangerous. The risk of the water rising on tailwaters, or of debris in larger rivers (Meramec, Kaskaskia, Mississippi) is too great to safely anchor anywhere other than an eddy or a slough on a larger river. And not having the lifejackets accessible is just asking for trouble in a high risk area like that. Rob

Looks a lot like a brown. Does europe have different subspecies of browns, like the American west and cutthroat? Or are there just different species of trout? Rob

I'll second 3wt's description of all. The only thing is to keep the rod tip about 1-2' off of the water when swinging flies, so that there is a belly of line to absorb the shock of hard strikes (common with wooly buggers, but I don't know about cracklebacks). Try the streamers where there is 2-3' or more of water, and it is still moving fast. The only other advice that I can give is to get a pair of polarized sunglasses. They help a lot when trying to spot fish, and are sold at walmart for about $10 (some are $20-$25). Rob

TH77- I know the boat that you're in. I'm 18, and I've only been fly-fishing for about 5 years. Kind of tough and frustrating starting out when the fish don't bite. Try pheasant tails and hare's ears (beaded and regular), zebra midges, and scuds. Wooly buggers or mohair's in black and olive are a must. White or tan also. Remember to keep the nymphs close to the bottom. Dries don't produce nearly as many fish, but are fun to use. Elk hair caddis, adams, and stimulators might be considered, but aren't necessary to catch fish. If you are just starting out, I would suggest staying in the park. Yes, there are some bigger fish outside, but the river is harder to fish. I have had 100+ fish days in the park before, and I got skunked outside the park over the summer. Just hone your skills in the park for a while, and maybe move outside if it gets too easy. Rob

CP- By the trophy area, do you mean the Meramec River outside of the spring branch? If so, is there public access on the river, or is it all private with the exception of Cardiac and Suicide accesses? I'm going down there on the 22nd for a day trip with some guys from school, and was just wondering where to hook into something other than the stockers. Thanks, Rob

I agree that this day should never be forgotten. I didn't fully realize what had happened, being in sixth grade, but I remember watching as the second plane crashed, and as the towers fell. And as I remember it, I can only think of "Today is a day which will live in infamy" Rob And does it seem to anyone else that the attack on the pentagon has been forgotten?

Nice flatheads. How'd you get them? Rob

Your "hybrid sunfish" is not a hybrid, just a fairly uncommon type. It's called a warmouth, and I've caught them up to 12 inches before from creeks, farm ponds (dammed creeks), and a few from Lake of the Ozarks. Absolute blast to catch, but I like to release them because of how uncommon they are. Warmouth pic & info Rob

Looks way to much like a carp to me to fish in a lake that doesn't already have them. I can't see a minnow doing anything worse than what carp do. Rob

It is the Mighty Mississippi- The Big Muddy River is over here in Southern Illinois, it was dammed to create Rend Lake, then flows into the Mississippi. The fish are safe to eat out of the Mississippi- I do fairly frequently (carp, buffalo, catfish). The only ones that I would try to avoid would be Sturgeon, Largemouth, and very large catfish (20+lbs). And if you want to float the River, it's your own business so long as it doesn't break any major laws. Just tell us when you go, so we can start looking through the obituaries. Rob