brittsnbirds

And the hot sauce!!

I can swing my big TV around to the window and pipe it to the outside speakers. Works great!!

Thanks for the report. You definately chose the 2 that I would have tried. Hopefully mother nature will calm down enough for the water to decrease, but it doesn't look like it this week.

Jerry, he said it's not a tourney?? Right, have you ever fished next to him and it not be a competition? Oh yea and that little giggle he makes when he hooks up when he's catching 3 to your 1 on the same fly (midge). Right, no competition. I'm planning on putting in for it this year as I am getting re-assigned to another squad. Big dog's are suppose to get the schedules out by mid May. My cousin and I will more than likely be in CG5 as usually up in the woods. Did he say fire? Will be sure that Danny brings plenty of firewood as usual. As far as the report, looks like mother nature isn't going to cooperate at all. Another front coming through this week, water will go back up. Noticed on a previous post that Wornica didn't do too well. Would of thought the SJW would tear them up as it is my go to for high water. However I tie mine a little different. As said before hopefully by August the water will be settled down and things will be "normal". Hope to see you. NoLuck who was that Hose Dragger from Kansas that was there last time? He supplied the "fish porn". I definately need some more of that.

After messing with all my fly tying stuff and fly fishing paraphernalia over the last 8 weeks, I have decided to get myself a little more organized. Realizing that I had fly's in a million different boxes I came to the conclusion I need to get control of this situation. Was wondering if anyone has a "neat" system out there to keep inventory of their fly's and accessories for their fly fishing outings? I currently use many boxes, some are stashed in a small Cabela's bag that is stashed in a big tote box. All the remaining boxes get stuffed in the tote box. As well as fly reels, and anything else I need to take. Would appreciate your input!!

I caught this one down in the high bank area just up from the discharge tube couple years ago on your secret weapon NoLuck!! May have some of the fillets left?

How many of these bad boys do we need??

I thought so. He's a lurker!! I will start working on getting some channel cat's. Made up some pellet fly's for the 8wt. Need to go get some fish food and get started fattening up the hogs!!

?? did I make a deal with you or something? Maybe I had too many cervasa's??

Found the attach thing. The one on the left has no wire, neither one have any weight. The weight will add body bulk as well and sink them better. As RC suggested I did use a .22 cal. brush on the body's to give them a buggier look. If you have trouble hurling the body after tying down the tail. Snip the excess off, grab a couple 2 or 3 more pieces of marabou, tie them in by their tips at the base and hurl them up to the front. That seems to work better for me. Now that I have figured out the pic thing I may post a series of steps.

I wish it was warm enough to sit on the porch. Hopefully will make it down for NoLuck's informal tourney in August. Have to get with my new boss to see what schedule/squad I'm working on and put in for it. May try and take off sometime in May but will be hamstrung with a boot on. I'm hopeing by the end of June I will be 95%. I tie a similar unit like you posted. I put a little crystal or flashabou in with the marabou. Trying to post a pic of the leech that I tie, but due to my ignorance I can't figue it out. NoLuck told me hit the attach button but I cannot find any such thing. PM'd u.

No prob. Jerry. I usually use lead, it helps build the body up. I've started using tungsten putty instead of split shot. Works pretty well until the fish pick it off. And yes I do pick them out either with the brass .22 brush or a piece of the sticky side of velcro on a stick.

The one on the left is without wire. Disregard can't figure out how to post a pic.

RC if you tie some up I would recommend all 3. The pattern that I tied was from an article I read some years ago. It uses a size a size 10-12, 1x straight shank hook, 2-3 clumps of maribou, and matching thread. I get the mairbou positioned so it is all laying together (wetting it with saliva or water makes it more managable). I dress my hook with the thread and stop at the hook gap. Measure the maribou (or just a little short) the length of the hook shank. Tie it in at the start of the gap. Position the thread to the eye of hook and half hitch. Hang thread on the thread stand (rotory vice), then I take the butts of the maribou and give them a couple of twists. Not too much as you want the feathers to splay out for next step. I then wrap (hurl) the maribou to the front of the hook using my Peak rotary vice. I tie it off as you would a normal fly. Whip finish a nice head, pick the body out a little trimming the long stringers out making a fuzzy, buggy body. One year we started using them under an indicator on a size 12 hook. OMG it was the new sensation. Especially the olive. As the fly was being demolished it appeared to get more takes. We were using them in one of your favorite holes. That stretch at the island. Position the indicator so the bug was just above the weed bed. One problem you do have is they tend to grab the tail and you miss a few. Eventually I started counter ribbing mine with fine gold wire. As the trout start hammering it their little teeth tend to break the maribou strands. Doesn't effect the performance of the bug as it tends to make it buggier. Colors that I have tied were the rust, olive, yellow-olive, and black. Olive by far was the biggest producer. One day and older fella was fishing near me and noticed that I was struggling. We struck up a conversation and I finally asked him what he was slaying the fish on. I don't remember what he was using at the time but his comment was "as long as it's green, you can't go wrong down here". Will try to post a picture of one if I can figure out how to do it. If you ever find any in a trouts mouth with a fl. orange head it could possibly be mine. I like the red heads!! Pat

Do you tie your leeches with just marabou? I just use a simple tie for them.

That's her! Sure would look good setting next to a 28' Wildwood down there in CG5! Awnings out, fire in the pit, a few frosty Trout Slayers in the cooler. Now that's liv'n!!

Yea, blame it on the water! You had your mind on your new "baby" . In that rising water a good red and brown san juan worm in the flooded grass always worked for me! Glad you mentioned the "flo orange salmon egg". I need to tie some. U use tungsten? What size?

Not when I was last down there. They still were working on several raceways. I want the thing back up 100% so they gave enough fish to stock all of your St. Louis lakes!!

Roger that Wayne

I'm excited about Bennett's additions and renovations to the hatchery. Anyone know when it will be 100% with all the runs fixed and new building fully functional? Last time I was there the new building appeared to be running, to what capacity I have no idea. They were still repairing some of the runs. Curious about when they will start punching out stockers and if they will ever return to the size they had before they started the remodel?

Grizz your right, I do have the ability to go to more rustic streams. My preferance is the more rustic, isolated streams. One of my bucket list items is to fish more of those that you refer to. But, I have turned many friends on to trout fishing and migrating to fly fishing. Bennett has been a great training ground for that. As you also said is the conveniance factor. It's not that far for me to pull my trailer down for 3 or 4 days. Granted if I had my druthers I would go to Montauk as it has more of a rustic attitude that I desire, but it is a tad further and much harder on the gas mileage. As far as the fishing report, it's mainly for sales purposes, I get that, for the anglers that don't tie their own flies. . As I said before I have friends that were introduced to this sport and I do take them to Weavers and Larry's. Mainly for their glo balls, mini jigs, and gut bait lures. Once they get over that hurtle and move to the next level if they want (some are fine with where they are), I introduce them to the fly rod and go to that level. And I agree Bennett is somewhere you can be social. What is good about it if you don't like the huge crowds just hang around till the first of the week and usually it will dwindle down. I have made some great friendships on the stream. I look forward to seeing some of the people that have helped me along in my fly fishing experience. You wouldn't have that if you were out west. Now I know that NoLuck is going to be on the stream in the next few days. What do you say we hold his toes to the fire and challenge him to punch out a good, daily fishing report for his time on the water? What do say Rich? Pictures, fly's used technique, holes fished, etc.! Also tell me how that Czech nymphing technique is going with those indicatiors I sent you!! Good luck to all, and if anyone runs into me on the stream I will offer up my go to fly's, just don't hog my hole!!

That's why I check this wonderful site out. Numerous readers and plenty that are happy to report on their experiences all over the state. Best part about it is you can decide where you want to go by checking the different reports and help you make a better decision. The particular report that you are referring to Rich is just a side post that I check. Mainly for the pics of the water, like the troutcam. What they post as the "hot" flies usually are not what we use! Actually I don't think I have ever observed them post your preferance as a hot fly (good thing)! And you can bet that the yellow and black jig, john deere, white mini jig, bedspread, red and green Cracklebacks (never post the color of hackle), power bait, etc. etc. are always on there. No use looking at what the top producers are because they are usually the same every time. What I would like to see is a report that talks about the hatch, what type, when it occurred, where (as they occur in different spots of the stream) and possibly what was used to replicate the hatch. Several of the "ole timers" know what, when, and where the hatches are. I don't get down there enough to remember. Maybe we need to start our own journal of BSSP hatches and create a hatch chart?? Might have to start working on that this year!!

It was above the bridge by a long shot and just below the last concrete walkway area , believe me I couldn't believe it. Blew my fricking mind. When I asked someone about it they said "yep, been like that for years".

Still not as bad as RRSP. Talk about commercialized. I was down there a couple years ago for the first time since college. Ton's of obvious changes, but the biggest was the "vinyl hatch". OMG, standing in the stream in the Park working some holes and here they come. SWIMMERS on rafts, tubes, etc. in the same stream that I was trying to fish in. I thought it was a State Trout Park?? I would understand it if it was below the bridge but not in the park for god's sake!! I guess the Niangua is the same way but your not actually in the Trout Park. What scares me with all the concrete that they are putting in is it will eventually look like RRSP. I agree with you NoLuck on the water conditions. This site is the most up to date that you can hang your hat on as long as someone posts the conditions. The other sites that I use is the USGS water data site and the trout cam. However until June that will not be an issue.

NoLuck, chill dude. Your in the mid-west again. We don't act like those people out west!! You've been underground too long, acting like a caveman. Just kidding. I'm actually with you. If your talking about a report that I "use to use faithfully" your right. When the previous owner posted the report I felt like it was for all types of fishing. But now its mainly for spin and gut fishermen/women. I guess those of us that fly fish also tie our own fly's so there isn't any $$ in it for them. FYI, I put your package in the UPS today.