brittsnbirds

Steve, Thanks for the good info. I appreciate your experience and comments about the usage. One other point that hasn't been brought up is the care of the waders. I know if you just throw them in a corner and leave them they will degrade. Maybe that's why my cheap-o Bass Pro Shop's waders are still in good shape after 4 years. I have hung them up and taken care of them. My biggest complaint is my sweating in them. On cool to warm days I come out of them looking as if I took a dunk! That is what I am trying to get away from. I know they aren't leaking, I've checked they just aren't breathing! Your info has helped me narrow my search! Thanks again.

Ok Terry you got me. I have to admit, one of my shotguns is a little up there. I had an oppurtunity to get a Benelli Super Black Eagle a few years ago. But it's synthetic black like my Savage. No pretty stock, just a Pheasant and Turkey killing machine. The price was right. Plus, being a Police Officer, we have Benelli Super 90's in our cars. One day while we were training with them at the range we pulled out the bird shot and thrower. I was breaking everything they put in the air. Not only are they easy to shoot but the recoil is minimal. Especially after slinging 3 1/2" mags through my 870 Super Mag. That convinced me to look for one. Our range officer is a certified Benelli and Sig Sauer smith (yea I've got a couple of the Sig's too!). That helps in case of a problem. You asked about my little Stoger. It is a 12/20 S/S combo, English stock, extractors (not ejectors) it's pretty sweet. And yes I would part with it.

lilly, those are good ideas/suggestions. Too bad a lot of people don't read these posts. Some of things that I have observed especially at BSP are what I call the "yuppy" fishermen. Their entire family are all decked out in the most expensive waders, vests, hats and fly rods. Some of them have no idea what manners are on the stream. They let their kids run around like it's an amusement park. I find myself moving frequently to get away from the crowd. Personally I don't see it getting any better. Just take a look on our roadways. People are getting ruder every day. My wife suggested we sell everything and move out to Montana, Utah or Arizona and get a place in the Mountains. I'm still thinking about that one!

I am in the market for a new pair of waders. The pair i have were fairly cheap from BPS. They do the job but on warm/hot days the sweat makes it feel as if they are leaking. I know you get what you pay for but I want to get the best bang for the buck! Any suggestions?

As a kid growing up every summer down on the ole Osage we caught smallies in the Little Pomme river. We also caught them in Hogels creek. It was upstream about a mile or so. But they put Truman/Kassinger dam in and that went away. Have you tried the Niangua River? My father in law hits the Niangua every spring with his brother. They put in somewhere near the LOZ and Niangua and go upriver. They usually catch many smallies, whites and crappie. Also I've heard there are some if you fish the Niangua from BSP. I fished it last year a little, no smallies but I did catch browns and bows. I think you would have a better chance if you floated rather than just wade like me. Living up here in KCMO (south) is definately 2 1/2 hours from any good trout stream. I would give anything to go south but work, family, all of those other adult responsibilities restrict that. That's why I have the pop-up and a sleeping bag! Oh yea an understanding wife!!

Well Lucky Fly here is my thoughts. Keep in mind this is coming from a low income public servant. I hunt pheasant and quail with a cheap Stoger side by side. I camp in a well used Jayco popup that I got cheap. I kill all the dear I want with one shot with my cheap Savage .270. If your looking at a TFO you obviously are in the same market that I was. I am not a great trout fisherman. I don't own expensive rods/reels. However I love the sport and embrace the challenge of tying my own flies and catching fish with them. I own a couple of Cabelas fly rods and decidede to try the TFO. I use my 4wt, 4 piece TRO over the Cabelas. This past summer I found my TFO broke in the back of my truck. I sent it back to the factory and 25 bucks later it returned with a new insert. Yes, had I broke the Cabelas rod they would have exchanged it no questions asked. But I choose to use the TFO. It feels and casts much better then the others. I'm sure the Sage, G Loomis and others probably cast better than the TFO but I don't have the occasion to compare, and I won't. Morale of my story; if it is in your price range, you learn to use it well and you catch fish, who cares?

I had a wild hair because of the nice weather over the Thanksgiving holiday. I thought I would popup down to BSP and do a little fishing. Then it hit me. Was the park closed to camping due to #1's renovation? Got on the internet site and checked. Yes sir it was. I have never stayed anywhere else but the park. I know there are other private locations but due to my lack of planning and spontaneity I missed out. Any one have suggestions. I will dry camp if I have to but would like to have electric.

Actually I have! A kid I was fishing next to at Bennett one day was using a small barrell swivel between the leader and tippet. Like me he was stripping cracklebacks on a full sinking line. I switched to the barrel swivel and noticed that the line twist was pretty much gone. It didn't effect my cast or catching of fish. The only thing it effects is the sink rate.

I wonder if a fine tip soldering iron would work? I think I will try it!

I'm glad to hear their customer service was great. I had the unfortunate luck of finding my broken TFO 9', 4wt, Professional in the back of my truck at Bennett this past weekend. I have no idea how it broke however it was at the 2nd section, right at a ferrell. I bought it at Cabela's, I'm going to see if they will exchange it for a new one. If not I guess I will spend the $25.00 and send it back.

I started fishing Friday afternoon once camp was set up. I started with my version of the Pemrose and Pearl midge. Then switched to my stand by, olive and gold Crackcleback. Overall I tried several midge patterns but ended up using a red, gold and gold wire midge (blood) and the pemrose pattern. I switched between the olive crackle to the "original" crackle on sinking line. I did best yesterday morning just letting the crackle settle and wait for the strike. Overall the trip was a B plus. Would have been an A if the crowd wasn't as heavy. But I knew there would be a good number of people going into it. Pat

Once upon a time I thought I read a recipe for the Disco Bugger. Anyone tell me what it is?

Greg, I usually catch mine in the deep holes just below the spring, above the stone falls.

If you have sinking or full sinking line go up to the handycap access just below the spring. Get in the pocket just below, cast straight out to the other bank with a green crackleback. Let it float down and across. Push your rod tip down as far as you can and wait, wait, wait, then start stripping the crackle. You are getting deep, to pull them out of the hole. Also do the same just above the little falls just downstream. Have plenty of white minijigs and drift them in the same spot. I've caught 50 plus fish in this area including brown's. Also check this web-site http://www.missouritrout.com/weavers/report.html

I usually catch 1 or 2 during a trip. However it is when I am stripping Crackles with full sinking line. I've caught several 15" fish. I have also caught some outside the park on the Niangua.

Kayser- How bout you e-mail me with your "ant pattern". Thanks

I've been re-thinking my presentation after reading MTM's posts. I may have to try another technique. One thing did cross my mind. I've noticed in some trout parks when you are wadding, kicking over stones, the trout downstream lineup behind you. If they are feeding, as I think they are, then why not wade downstream. Kind of chumming them into a feeding frenzy? I've been re-thinking my presentation after reading MTM's posts. I may have to try another technique. One thing did cross my mind. I've noticed in some trout parks when you are wading, kicking over stones, the trout downstream lineup behind you. If they are feeding, as I think they are, then why not wade downstream. Kind of chumming them into a feeding frenzy?

I've been using Vanish for leader and tippet since last year. The breaking strength is much better than Rio or one of the other tippets. Plus it doesn't seem to pigtail as bad. I don't plan on changing! I catch as many fish as I did, if not more!

I just noticed it is 103 degrees in the shade up here today. Not much to do but keep cool and talk about fishing. Most of my trout fishing has been at Bennett. I went down last Thursday, stayed till Sunday then ran on over to Montauk (1st time). What a differance, it reminded me of Colorado in Missouri. I did Ok, considering I was trying to figure Montauk out. Took off outside of the park on the Current Monday afternoon, as several neighbors in the campground suggested. Long story short, I ended up hiking back to civilization at 1030 pm to get a ride to camp. The fuel pump went out on my '03 Chevy truck on a sand bar. I ended up getting a tow the next morning. Got it repaired at the Chevy dealership in Licking. At this point I was pretty much bummed. Probably would have felt a little better if the other guys that were coming down would have made it. So I loaded up and headed home. I definately plan on going back but it is a 4 1/2 hr. trip for me! I have a couple other friends that want to fish the White River sometime. We will see.

Snap, Back in my early days of fly fishing with my wife's cousin (Native American) in Montana, he instructed me to NEVER walk downstream fishing for trout. The reason was as you explained. It's common sense, they see you coming and they hide or lock up. Even though they are in a Trout Park they still have the instinct of survival. And one of their survival techniques is sight. The other thing he instructed was to walk the bank when you can. They feel the unnatural vibrations in the water. If I had to wade, I should do it slowly and in segments. Wait a minute or two before presenting the lure. I agree with you. Walking up stream is definately an advantage!

I really hate hearing that. When I was a kid with my dad down at Bennett once, i had a similar experience. My pop got sideways with the guy and it pretty much ruined me from going down there. That was along time ago and I have noticed that things have changed. My kids are pretty much grown now and I do everything I can to help other kids. I've given up my spot, given away lures etc. Just to watch the exitement. For me it's as much a spectator sport as anything. Maybe this "tubby" guy needs an little attitude adjustment. I wouldn't have any problem at all signing a complaint against him for disorderly conduct (if they have that statute). Wouldn't that just make his day to have him hauled away to the Sheriff's office in cuffs. Heck I'll provide the cuffs, usually have a couple of pairs laying around. I have to deal with people like that at work on a daily basis. The last thing I want to do on the stream, in a place I refer to as "Heaven" is go to work!! I think the best suggestion is the snake routine!!

Kyle, I checked out the on-line reservation thing. Doesn't look like the days I want to be there are available. I plan on arriveing on Sunday the 31st and leaving that next Sunday. What are the chances I will get a first come-first serve spot on Sunday for the entire week? I know I will get one at Bennett but Montauk doesn't have as many. What do you think? Pat

When I started fishing BSSP as a kid with my dad I didn't have anyone giving me any hints other than dear ole dad. Now that I'm back into Fly fishing, tying flies and camping I have made many contacts down there. One primary pattern that I use is stripping Cracklebacks, Renegades, Grizzlys, Streamers and woolys. My technique is a little different depending on the time of year. If I were down there now I would use my fullsinking flyline, on my 4 wt. 9 1/2' rod. I use a 6x fluorcarbon leader. I cast directly across the stream to the deep channel. Let it drift down current until the line runs parrallel with the stream. I let it settle down deep and wait a few seconds. Then I start making short strips back. I get strikes either at the time the fly hits the water, on the drift, while it settles to the bottom and during the stips. If I'm not getting deep enough I shove my rod down into the stream to get it deeper. I change my flies frequently. If I make 6 or 8 casts and don't turn anything I change colors of crackle or to a differnt fly. Another thing I do different, a hint a local showed me, was to use BIG Crackles. I tie my own on a 2x long (and longer) size 8 or 10 Mustad hook. Not too many people will reveal this technique. My dad told me when I was a kid to stay away from "those flyfishermen", they are grumpy and rude. Well I'm 50 years old now and think it's time to prove dear old dad wrong. I've found they are a very friendly lot, and will help anyone trying to break into the sport. Hope this helps. If you see a guy in the hole at the handicap landing just below the Spring adn is beating the water to a foam, stripping deep, it could be me. Stop by and say hi!

I think I will run down to Montauk the first week of August. Never been there before. I mainly fish Bennett and the Niangua. I have a popup and would like to find a secluded shady area to camp. I usually use campground 5 at Bennett mainly for the first come/first serve thing. I usually fly fish with Crackles, Griffiths, Renegades and drift scuds, etc. Any suggestions?