SilverMallard

Okay, boyz! Let's whip 'em out. I'm always looking for some better topwater action. Feel free to include topwater terrestrials in here as well. But include your RECIPES, not just the names...if you tie your own. My big 2 are: size 16 Crackleback and size 18-20 Mosquito Midge. Since these patterns are so common, I won't include them here unless someone asks.

My favorite (because it seems the most versatile) is olive w/gold tunsten beadhead and gold wire size 18. BUT! P/P is REALLY good when it's on! And the "ugly zebra" is good and versatile too. FYI, anytime Carolyn names something "ugly," it's gonna be tied with that irridescent "bug green" uni-stretch that is almost chartreuse. It's a killer color in Spring and early Summer.

OK. That sounds a LOT better. The way it was originally told, it sounded pretty odd. I'm glad Brian was situationally aware enough to realize what was going on. And I commend him for taking appropriate action. While "spending the night out there" might seem sort of....hmmmm...appropriate punishment to some for not heeding the warnings and using good judgment, some people could have real problems in such a situation: dehydration, diabetics who need food/meds, etc. So it is prudent to render assistance. The first time I fished below Norfork Dam I was wish a guy who had fished there a few times before. We were too far downstream to hear a horn. We got caught by rising water. We took a dunk trying to get to the side our vehicles were on. We got out by not losing our heads. We lost/damaged no gear. But we were wet and stuck on the wrong side of the river. A guide w/clients came by and asked if we were OK. We asked him to ferry us across to the parking area. He did and we were very grateful. So I sort of know how this dude must have felt. Man, that water down there comes on FAST if you can't hear the horn!

I only know about this situation what Brian typed. I don't even know Brian. We've exchanged greetings a couple of times and that's about it. But Brian's account of Brian's actions bothers me a lot more than any account of some guy getting stuck out there ever has. To summarize what I got from it: 1. I KNEW the guy was in trouble. 2. I goofed around for awhile before doing anything. 3. I'm a super-stud waterdog hero lifesaver and everyone knows me. 4. I called the water patrol way too late, but it's their fault they didn't show up until it was over. 5. Someone else rescued the guy while I sat there watching the show, but I'm sorta taking credit for it anyway because I DID go tell the dam operator what was happening. 6. They should give this poor accident victim a ticket for being dumb because interfering with power generation is a crime. Yeah? Well so is standing idly by and watching someone drown...which, by your own account...is almost what you did. Just a suggestion: next time you "know" someone is in trouble (and I agree, sometimes you just get that feeling even though the facts aren't in yet) how about you call the water patrol on your cell phone (or ask someone nearby to do it if you don't have one) and THEN holler at the dam operator. FYI, that phone is there for emergencies. Don't be afraid to use it in a real emergency. And...don't brag about it. Just post, "another guy almost died yesterday below the dam because he didn't heed the horn. Luckily, some good samaritans came by and rescued him." I'm sure you're a decent chap and all that jazz, but based on what you wrote, I would say you weren't your sharpest self that day or when you typed this. Phil, You're right. Once you type it...it's out there! There's no taking it back.

Nope, Phil. It won't let me use my avatar here. So...if you want to see it...you're gonna have to fix something.

I couldn't get it to upload, Phil. But I'll try linking to it from another site where it's hosted tomorrow.

Do they catch fish? Do you have fun? Then who cares if somebody thinks they're "real flies" or not? I use them some during generation for trout, but mostly use them for panfish...on a fly rod. You know what? If you're catching twice as many fish as the other guys, they're not likely to make fun of you to your face.

I just tie a single overhand know where i want the shot and pinch it on above that on fluoro tippet. With mono tippet I never have this problem and never break off at the shot either. I pinch them on pretty good.

I follow the general color rule: In low light or dingy water, I go dark...try black first. Under most conditions on Taney, I find that olive works as well as anything. Occassionally, red or rust is working better than olive. In Spring and early Summer, the "bug green" seems to turn them on during normal daylight. I have found I prefer the gold beadheads to the black ones.

Well, many of you probably know me already or have read my articles. I write the Ozarks column on another very popular fly-fishing website. I am a Branson local. Been here since 1998. I am almost exclusively a fly fisherman nowadays. I also do all of my own tying...unless I run out of something on the water. Then I might buy a few. I also do a bit of bird hunting...upland and waterfowl. We own a small company here in Branson that we founded in 1999. And my wife is the #1 Coldwell Banker agent in town. So, if you need real estate help, give us a shout. I now fish mostly TFO rods. I use TFO and Okuma reels. I use SA lines, leaders, and tippet. And I carry a lot of William Joseph gear. I am almost always wearing a Bass Pro floppy green fishing hat when on the water and wearing a WJ chest pack. If you see me, don't hesitate to say hello. I mostly fish below Table Rock Dam, Powersite Dam, Bull Shoals Dam, and Norfork. I'm probably on Taney 80% of the time that I fish.