Trout Commander

If you are bass fishing the results would be similar to putting bacon on your favorite food. I don't have the experience with carp to know how they like rubber legs though.

Handy, eh?

NFOW comes to mind...

I have the White River Fly Shop breathable chest waders with stocking feet and chest pockets. The chest pockets are worth the money no matter the brand in my opinion. Regular price on the WRFS waders is around $150 I think but can be found on sale for $99 or in the outlet for around $60. Mine developed a few pinhole leaks and before I repaired them I took them in without my receipt and asked if there was anything that could be done about it. They said sure and sent me back to grab a new pair. My wading boots are Simms G4s with Vibram soles. I wouldn't have bought based on price alone had I not gotten a killer deal on them and I haven't used mush else to compare them to but I love them. I feel confident enough to wade where I really shouldn't on slippery river like the NFOW and 11pt.

And that is what, 2 or 3 times the amount of smallmouth trips Drew has taken in his entire life? By your logic he shouldn't even be allowed to read this thread, let a lone post in it. Point being, the amount of time you get to spend chasing a smallmouth obviously doesn't have any sort of relative proportion to how much you might care about them or even know about them. Also, I would venture to say that much like you and I, Chief, that Eric spent exponentially more days chasing smallies in years past than he has at his current point in life (read as before wives, kids and less demanding jobs).

Hard to beat a day like that on many levels.

Thanks. I've played with tying the Sili-Dad some more and I like it even better now. I'll post some more pictures when I can.

What I am trying to figure out is why I should pay more for Franks when Tobasco flavors my food just as well. So far I've seen: shape - that's a valid reason. I like the baitfish head profile, Light weight - that's why god made alminum and plastic dumbbell eyes. I've also used my context clues to figure out that they are probably easier/quicker to tie on than dumbbells. You guys almost have me sold. A couple more valid reasons and you might hear my wallet creak open. Maybe.

I'm still not sold on these yet. For the extra money they cost over dumbbell eyes, what are the benefits on say those of the patterns above that are basically Clousers? I DO like the profiles of the Sculpin Helmets made by the same company.

:picks jaw up from the floor: Are you kidding me, Ron Kruger?! As a guide, you of all people should want to conserve this resource at all costs. The fact that you have the power to guide and profit from strictly c&r anglers only and choose not to is frankly appalling. By giving people free photographs for releasing the smallies you acknowledge that the fish have value and by not making releases mandatory on your trips you tell the world that the value of those fish is less than the buck you make on your guide trips. I know I will get bashed for this post because what Ron does is legal. I know it is legal, but it is not ethical.

That sounds like work and getting up early. But, thanks for furthering the point about more economical eats.

Having spent the first 18 years of my life in such a community very near the Big Piney and close to the Gasconade and fishing them more often than most, i totally, 100% agree with Eric. On the other side of that coin, I will say it is a generalization and that I am not accusing your family and friends of of being said Hoosiers. There are those of us from/in these such areas that are not Hoosiers, Unfortunately we are the inverse of a much larger population.

I know neither of which you speak, but with a name like that I am staying tuned.

I would stay away from the Intruder combo. The rods are serviceable and the tubes are fine but both my five and eight weight reels died a very early death. Both unfishable and BPS won't warranty them. They are a little large for paper weights.

Obviously people with that sentiment are not that bad off. For the last 3+ months I have sacrificed my lunch 4 of 5 days a week eating ramen noodles instead of more expensive food from the store or even more expensive take out food. The only exception being the occasional left overs that were already paid for. This was only to help support my fly fishing habit, not to keep from starving.

Did someone say fly rod Jig n' Pig? Wrench has me hooked on Sili Legs.

Apparently my point about people not having that ability to learn to properly handle firearms was over your head. Maybe you missed it because you just skimmed this thread? That would explain your thinking that I was trying to win an argument that I wasn't in. I was just stating that most people who CCW shouldn't without more training. At a point, a person exercising their right to bear arms through CCW without a competency of handling the firearm begins to infringe on other citizens right to safety.

It looks like if there were a competency test to be passed before the CCW was issued, the spelling portion would keep a lot of idiots from carrying. If you couldn't learn to spell in K through whatever grade you completed, what confidence does that give the rest of us that you were able to learn to properly handle your firearm in the short CCW course?

Nice! Was the musky on the fly?

Can you also please direct me to the law outlawing whiskey on rivers? If you can, I've broken the law a lot. Even with my cheap whiskey in plastic bottles I suppose.

Can you point out where the law says this? Didn't think so.

This technique catches fish consistently. What is your definition of a "good bass fisherman"? Also, "backbone" has more to do with taper and action than it does weight rating. My 6wt smallie rod has more backbone than my 9wt and the two 10wts I have cast. One of the most common mistakes fly fisherman of all experience levels continue to make is selecting a rod based on the fish they want to catch, rather than the flies they want to cast.

I may have to try that on a couple and see how they compare. Thanks.

Do things really get that slow during the winter????

How well do you think the hot glue will hold up? Shoe Goo seems to be nearly indestructible, even when I have thinned it to make it more workable.