Kayser

Was lookin at a college in Ft. Collins last week, and managed a side trip up the Poudre River Canyon. Had to get way upriver to avoid rafters and tubers- the rubber hatch. Managed 6 browns total, all on #8 rubberleg stonefly nymphs in the rain, largest around 13 inches. Couldn't fish for long streches, as my running rain curse caught up with me. Yes, in the middle of a drought. Just had to keep running the road and pulling over at good looking spots. Big nymphs are a lot of fun. Rob

A way to get rid of them. You will need: 1 jar crunchy peanut butter, 1 small bowl or platform, 1 plastic bucket with a flat top, a drill and spade bit, and some crushed glass. Crush the glass, mix well with peanut butter, place in small bowl or platform. Take large bucket and drill holes (2-4 together to make the hole big enough)in the sides to allow squirrels to enter, and place upside down over the peanut butter. You can also use a jigsaw for the holes. SECURE BUCKET TO GROUND, in a way that no pets can knock the bucket over and eat the peanut butter. They eat the peanut butter, and die of internal bleeding. This will work for most rodents: mice, rats, and squirrels. I would only use this as a last resort if the animals are attempting to, or have, destroy expensive property (cars and houses). Rob

I have found that fish arrows make very nice holes in the skin. Rob

Exactly right. I was down there end of June/early July for a week, and spent most of my time outside of the park, with Below Baptist being my favorite. The fish seem to hide and fight a little better, and every now and then you catch one with spectacular colors, or be frustrated by one blending with the gravel. Do rainbow trout reproduce in the Current? I caught a bow below Baptist that was 4" long with parr-marks and undamaged nose and fins. The fins were bright pink with snow white tips and small brown spots on them. Hatchery fish usually are scarred up and have dull colors, even at that size, and I was just curious about that lil' fella. Rob

It's the same for all of the stocker browns on the Current River, one of their pectoral fins is clipped, and the tail is usually rounded. Most of the fins on the stocked rainbows are worn down, and have some scarring on their noses. The prettiest fish I've caught out of the Current was a 11" bow that had no scarring, full fins (deep red with spots white tips), and brilliant pink sides. After seeing the inside of fish that have been in the river for a long time (long enough to regrow all their fins), I think that the color of the flesh is naturally orange on a natural varied diet, but is a pasty grey-white when fed hatchery food, and can change according to diet. Rob

What soft drinks are called where (from personal experience). Iowa: pop St. Louis: Soda Anywhere 3hrs or more South of St. Louis: COKE Feel free to commend or condemn this info. JCO- Why not try smoking the fish? A slow open-air hot-smoke may get you what you're after. Rob

must...go...fishing. I fished the trico hatch last year, and it was one of the best trips ive ever had, even if I was using too thin of line for the big boys. Cant wait to fish it again. Rob

MID-LAKE- crappie were schooling between 4-9 ft, shallower in the mornings and late evening and deeper mid-day. Artificials were working well, so long as they were moving. Green did well. Schools located in open water early and late, and retreated to the shade of the docks mid-day. Minnows under slip bobbers worked well for larger fish in the evenings. Caught 5 blue cats in 35 feet of water, between 2 and 6 lbs on cutbait. Caught one 17" bass late on a green lizard, in a shallow brushpile. Watched several larger bass being caught on large plastic worms, red/black, early morning. No white bass or walleye. Rob

Cool pattern, but whats the wing made out of? And would i need a burner mold to make them? Rob

D.T.- the scoring is not because the fillet is thick, its because there are Y-bones in the fillet that make it extremely difficult to eat otherwise. All suckers and minnows have them, and I think gar might also (never cleaned/eaten one). Scoring allows the bones to "fry out"- they just kinda disappear when you deep fry them, no risk of choking left at all (at least on the bones). Rob

D.T.- to score a fillet means that you take a fillet knife, and make verticle slices in the fillet 1/8" apart all the way down to the skin, starting at the front and working your way towards the tail. When you bread the fillet, make sure that you get breading in these slices, and you will be left with fish "chips" that you pull off the skin and eat. Rob

Can we get any pics? Especially of that foam hopper, I've been lookin for a good pattern for them... Rob

For Buffalo, you need to "fleece" or "skin-scale" the fish, slicing the scales off and leaving the skin on the fillet. Then just fillet the fish as you normally would, and cut the fillet into 3x3(?) chunks, and score the chunks 1/8" apart right down to the skin. Spread the slices of meat apart by holding the sides and pressing on the skin, then roll in your fish breading. With fish smaller than 12 lbs or so, the Y-bones will "fry out" of the fish, and you are left with a bunch of "fish chips" that you can peel off the skin and eat. The red meat usually stays on the skin. Oh yeah, carp should be the last of the minnows or suckers considered for eating, because they have the most red meat. Rob

Got a good one for ya: worms. According to National Geographic, all worms native to North America were wiped out during the last ice age. They were then accidentally introduced by Europeans that dumped ballast (dirt and rocks used to balance the ship) when they settled here. Does this mean that one of the most popular food sources for a wide range of animals is actually an invasive species? Rob

Actually, buffalo and carp taste pretty good, buffalo better than carp. You can get "River Fish" at a lot of places around here, always scored and deep-fried. Just because they look kinda ugly when alive doesn't mean they aren't tasty. Just look at a bullfrog, crayfish, or even a crab. Rob

Answer for how fish spread. Herons. They wade through the mass of fertilized eggs, leave with the eggs on their feet, and land somewhere else. I have a small pond near valmeyer, no fish could "wash in". Full of mosquitofish and a few small carp. Never a lack of herons. Rob

Surprisingly, grasscarp have fairly white meat. Icing them down overnight helps get them whiter. If the fish is 12 lbs or under, treat like a large sucker. If you get one over 15 lbs, filet the fish, leaving the scales and skin on. Then take a clever and take the ribs off the backbone so that they are attached to the fillet. Separate into 4 pieces. Save the ribs. When sliced individually and fried in cornmeal without the skin, you're left with a "carpcicle," the single rib bone acting as a handle as you mucnch on the rest of the meat. Not quite the same as a redhorse, but still pretty good. Rob

Redhorse are among my favorites to eat, right up there with goggle-eye. I've caught them on worms below riffles in late April to early May (think turkey season) when they congregate to spawn. Try worms on a rocky/gravel bottom to get them out of deeper holes this time of year. Rob

Think fatter, smaller/fewer legs. Also, the larva can be white or chartruese, making for some interesting patterns. Net and case building varieties available. Rob

Bourbuese below Mill Rock- 2" in the guage since last weekend, river is up 2-3 ft, chocolate brown and rolling. Not fishable in my wildest dreams. Rob

Where are you fishing at- small river, large tailwater, or lake? For a small river, drift worms, eggs, etc along a rocky bottom, plain hook w/ just enough splitshot to keep it on bottom, but still move. For a large river, same approach, only drag it behind a boat as you drift with the current. Try a bell sinker on a 3-way rig instead of the in-line rig to keep it in the right depth. Also, troll small spoons or spinners, adjusting depth and speed until a working combo is found. For lakes, throw worms and minnows along cover under bobbers, and powerbait on the bottom of coves (if a stocked lake, go to the stocking points.) Casting spoons and spinners also works. 4lb or smaller line IS A MUST! 4lb recommended for kids so that it won't break on the hookset and fight as easily, even though it might mean less bites. Thats about it, Rob

I know that the trico and EHC are old standby's, but what other bugs come out this time of year and what dries should be in the fly box to get the job done? Rob

I found that Elm saplings seem to work pretty well. But beyond that, PVC pipe works as good as anything else. Rob

http://map.cicadayear.com/article.aspx?pageId=39 Its gonna get kinda close, but it might not make it here. Anyone headed to Kentucky? Rob

Thanks a lot, I'll try it out next time I get down there. Hoping to make it in the next month. Rob