brittsnbirds

Be careful how you interpret the Castle Law. SECTION 563.031 In addition to other restrictions on the use of physical force, a person is also prohibited from using force against another to defend him/herself or a third person if such person was attempting to commit, committing, or escaping after committing a forcible felony. In addition to other circumstances when deadly force may be used, a person may use deadly force against an individual who unlawfully enters, remains, or attempts to enter a dwelling, residence, or vehicle lawfully occupied by the person or to protect himself or herself against death, serious injury, or any forcible felony. This section states that a person does not have a duty to retreat from a dwelling, residence, or vehicle where the person is not entering or remaining unlawfully. It specifically talks about "occupied" by the person (victim).

What are you wanting to re-load rifle/pistol and or shotgun?

laker- It is hard to measure 07 to 08 as the water conditions were totally different. I know I was at Bennett or Montauk at least 4 days out of each open month in 07 due to the better fishing conditions. However in 08 the season was changed due to 7 different floods. Personally the high water caused me not to go as often. The gas crunch did not affect my decision to go down. It just caused me to work more side jobs to off set the difference. I wonder if the other trout parks were effected as much? Pat

When I was down at BSSP the last day I stopped in the shop and asked Eric what the final counts were. There was a noticeable decrease in ticket sales from 2007. I found the count on Weaver's website the other day and thought I would do the math. The numbers below are based on Adult tag sales down 8930 and children sales down 1770. Total loss of sales 10,700 tags. 2007 Adult $408,068.00 Children $48,694.00 Total sales $458,162.00 2008 Adult $382,278.00 Children $45,214.00 Total sales $427,492.00 Loss Adult $26,790.00 Children $3,480.00 Total loss 2007 to 2008 $30,670.00 I wonder how this will affect the 2009 trout stocking. I asked one of the hatchery managers last year how they determined how many fish were released. He told me it was based on the previous years tag sales. If that is the case we are in trouble for 2009! Makes you wonder what the future holds. Pat

techo- I have the same problem, I also have AT&T. I looked at the GZ hoping they offered one with my service. AT&T actually is offering a phone similar to the GZ if not their version. I'm not able to get an upgrade until February but probably will go with it. They claim is will sustain abuse. Check this out http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-ser..._sku=sku3000243. Let me know what you decide as I am in the market. Pat

gunner- I hunt east of KCMO on a family farm. Bird numbers vary on the 153 acres, some days I can put up 3 or 4 coveys other days we are lucky to find 1. When I was a kid we had a dairy operation with a lot of lady's running around keeping the brush down. Now without the girls tromping everything down you would think you were woodcock hunting. Very tough shooting with all the brush. And the little suckers are smart they know they can hit the cover and escape. I usually hold off until the second or third week of the season due to the heat. Depending on the weather this next weekend I may sneak a morning hunt in. Need to get the pooches out and run some fat off. Pat

FYI, I got schooled. PC kicked my butt down there on the river. I caught 1 while he was hooking up every other cast. I was using a true olive MHL as he was using a yellow olive unit. He felt sorry and gave me one but it was too late he already ripped their lips off. He definitely had the pattern and presentation. It was rather entertaining watching him. Pat

edward- In regards to the RS2, I rig it just like a scud or zebra midge pattern. bma turned me onto them this past spring. His instructions were to give it just enough weight to bounce off of the bottom but not enough to hang up. It will hang sometimes but the key is to watch your little bitty indicator for the most suttle un-natural movement. Then "rip their lips off!" I use the putty tungsten paste for weight as you can take or add what little bit you want to get just the right drift. Natural drift is the other key, be sure to mend your line to keep the indicator and line from pulling the fly down river as it will not get down to the bottom. If you watch trout when they are feeding on the bottom or in a seam they catch stuff that comes to them for the most part. However I have watched them move 4 feet to the side to get the RS2. As far as indicatiors go, I use the smallest that I can tolerate. I like the Lightning (I think) round balls with the rubber band. The rubber band allows you to slide it up and down depending on the area you a fishing. Sometimes I will slide the indicator way up and sight fish. Depending on the depth of the water. Don't forget you can always use it as a dropper under your favorite attractor or behind a soft hackle. Last week I used it with a PT and a rusty midge pattern in some riffles. I read that fmf (who is bma's brother) is going down on the 14th. If you located him he probably has the RS2 in his blood also and would be happy to show you how to "rip some lips". Good luck! Pat btw- charlie reading has his own RS2 pattern and sells the dubbing at his store. I think it is a gray color, maybe off green. I tie them both ways.

rc- I just shot November fishing in the foot, unless it is after Thanksgiving. The kids will be in for Thanksgiving and the boss has a ton of stuff for me to do around here. They both cannot take off work for Christmas so we have to do that on Thanksgiving with them. Would love to meet up with you all. Pat

DT- Good pics, wish I could figure out how to put pics on this site. I agree with the lightning, I ran up to Charlie's when all that started. Went back down when it appeared to move out. All in all the fishing was a C+ to B- for me. I stood just below the arch bridge after the rain and swung a FC CB just above the first rifles. Rolled around a dozen and only hooked up to 3. They seemed to be striking right at the tip of the fly. Tried some emergers in there also and did the same. Had no takers to the dry in the 3 days I was there. Used some #20 PT's and Hare's ear tandom did ok in the rifles just below Holland dam. If there was any one thing that was common is was size. I found I did better if I used very small patterns. Patience was the name of the game. On Friday evening I was just above the Holland dam below the handicapp acess. Only 1 other guy in there so I pulled out my original pattern FC CB with floating line and threw it over to some rising fish on the far side. No takers but on the strip I caught 6 or so in an hour, missed another 6. Several were keepers. The nice part was there was only 2 other gentlemen that joined me doing the same thing. Had nice conversation and enjoyed watching the Kingfishers (pic) out fishing us. Everything was nice and peaceful, mother nature at her best! What a great way to end the season. Pat

edward- Thanks for the report. Ditto, you sure can't beat it when your hurting for a fish. Did you try Y2K at all? Last time I was down that was the ticket on finicky fish. Hopefully I will figure out what the ticket is tomorrow. Pat

PC- That's my thought, hopefully it won't be too bad. Considering this is one of the few times this year that the bssp has been normal. My boss was grumbling that he has only been down 2 times. Neither were very good conditions. I've been numerous and have had 1 time that I can think of that the water was normal. Just look for the Dixie truck with the OAF sticker in the back window of the cover. Pat

PC- Dixie and I are headed down tomorrow morning. Hopefully stay till Saturday. Wrench- Thanks for the report, may try and hit the river if the stream is crowded. Anyone use any streamer patterns on full sink. Cadilla was telling me that he was tagging them on crawfish style baits. Thanks again. Pat

JJ- 2 years ago, my first 3wt. Backing out of the camper in the morning slight wind with the 3wt in hand. Just as I get out of the reach of the door the wind grabs it and wham the tip is snapped. Lesson learned? Anytime I am moving a fly rod(s) into the popup I disassemble them. Last year. Propping the 4wt TFO against the rear of the truck with the rear window open on the cover. Got in a hurry and forgot about the rod. Slammed the window down and snap. Lesson learned? Keep the rods away from the tailgate and windows on the cover. 6 months later, same TFO. Fishing with a large fish on. Snap, unknown reason for the failure. Lesson learned? None? So far I have (knock on wood) not broken another rod. I have read several articles about the care and use of graphite rods. Now that I am more intelligent about some of the causes I break my rods down more frequently. I don't leave them crammed in the back of the truck and wipe them of debris at the end of the day. One other thing I have done is purchased rods that have life time warranty's. Pat

The 870 would be your best choice IMHO. Look at the Law Enforcement Field, most started with 870's. Believe me Cops are hard on guns, they throw their riot gun in the trunk in a case or in the rack and very seldom service them. I have seen 870's that have been abused and still work as well as they did the day they were made. We had a couple Mossbergs that did not last as long as the 870's. In the last 5 years we have switched to Benelli's. Granted they are expensive but they are great guns. I've pheasant hunted with a guy that wore a 870 out 2 times. He got it as a kid, used it up into his adult years. The thing was having trouble so he took it in and had a gunsmith overhaul it. He hunted with it for many more years and finally wore it out. When he bought another gun he could have spent any amount (he is a doctor) but he bought another 870. He found a like new used one that was the same age as his old one. No frills, just a gun. He is a bird killing machine. The only thing that I would encourage would be sure to get choke tubes. They give you more hunting capabilities. Pat

Hmmm that sounds like a legal term for "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours?" Don't take any offense to their humor -dilla, they don't mean any harm. They are just jealous cause they would flip your Jon boat end for end as you appear to be a rather slender young fellow. Plus don't you have a dress code in your boat. Assuming FFM is similar is stature as bma and they still dress alike? No scheming necessary, plenty of river for all. We can get the dilla barge to shuttle us from hole to hole to hole. I would love to watch you and bma in the same feeding lane. I would even settle for same stream. pat

Thanks Hoosier, I thought I had it in my phone but apparently not. I am hoping to camp, hate to pay for hotel rooms. 18 per night vs double that at least. I don't use that much fuel pulling the pup down. Would like to stay till Saturday afternoon, I hear there is a guy down there that is trying to break into the guide business and has offered a demo (right Cadilla) on Saturday. Thanks again.

hoosier- what number did you call? pat

I am thinking about going down to BSSP early the 29th and staying until Saturday the 1st. Plan on camping in #5 like usual but with the end of the season on the 31st I don't know if they expect me to pull out that night. If so I guess I will try and get one in CG #1. Hopefully all the big trailers won't make fun of my little PUP. Knowing that I will not be able to fish the park on Saturday I plan on hitting the river. Plenty of fishing there. Anyone have any ideas? Pat

bma- Wish I would have made it. Sounds like you did some serious "lip rippin". Trying to put something together for the 29th thru 31st at BSSP. My boss is headed to Texas so it will be just me and Dixie. Thanks for the report! Pat

Bryan- I'm booked solid this weekend, thanks for the offer. Taney, always wanted to fish it but know nothing about it except what I read. Let me know when you are thinking about going I will hit the boss' up. Pat

So I was axing the wife last night after seeing all of the ads on tv. What is with all the guys with the problems? Are there that many guys that are dysfunctional that it creates that BIG of a market? My wife doesn't understand it either, must be a lot of women out there that are saying Yes. :blur:

bma- Missed you and your Britts at BSSP last week. Lucky you to go to Montauk in a couple. Was hoping to get down there this year but haven't. BSSP has been a bust this year. Need to get a trip together to Taney. Never been there but sure would like to do it. Good luck. You taking FFM with you? Pat

Kind of off topic but does have some bearing on quantities. I spoke with Eric at the store on Friday night. Asked him how many tags they were down since same time last year. He looked up last years and said they were 9600 tags (including children) down since last year. Wonder how that will effect the release numbers next year. When I asked one of the workers at the hatchery about how they figured how many fish to release he said it was based on the previous years tag sales. Not by what was being sold this year. I don't know if that is right but if it is next year might be interesting! Pat

Rio Grand Max is an overweighted line as is SA GPS. They both rate them at 1/2 weight over the rod size. I use both on my 5wt Cabelas and 5wt Sage. In fact Sage recommends the Rio Max but that might just be a marketing thing. I will attest that is makes a difference. Next time I will go with the Rio as it shoots a little smoother. Hmm maybe it is the Sage that makes it smoother. My thoughts Pat