3wt

Pretty much all summer you run a good chance of hitting a daily Trico hatch. The spinner fall usually hits 8-9am or so. The bugs are like a #26 (good luck finding flies, much less hooks that small...and then you'ld have to tie the microsopic things) black mayfly with clear or white wings. For stocked trout I find that #20-22 grey bodied white winged, grizzly hackled flies work pretty well, and you can actually see them on the water if you squint. Aslo in or below riffles drab colored soft hackls seem to work well during the hatches. I would definitely bring something that could imitate a hopper. I have luck with a #8 stimulator fished in the afternoons with a nymph dropper. You probably even stand a chance of an evening hatch. I would guess that a hatch would be something close to a PMD in a 16-18. Elk hair caddis in a 16 or 14 even can work even when you don't see any caddis out. And then the normal montauk streamers and nymphs.

Good point. I guess trout guys get used to hiking along the current or eleven point without problems, and just assume the Mermeac is in the same category.

I've had my eye on the Tyron book...or both of them. I'm sure he points out the legal entrance points etc. As far as navigable goes, I think the general going rule of thumb is if the stream is capable of passing a boat (canoe even) without "undue difficulty" then you can be in it up to the high water mark if you access from a legal place (public access, bridge easement, private property w/ permission of owner.) I love that in Missouri we have to be lawyers to know what our rights are. How about a freakin statewide statute that defines without question what navigable means. Anyway, the way I see it any creek capable of holding smallmouth would have to be navigable - if it holds smallmouth it is probably capable of being floated - regardless of somebody that tries to chase you out thinks. But the politics of a 12 guage in your face change things every time. Regardless, if it's obvious who the property owners are a friendly knock on the door is the best bet. I know most cool owners would be happy to let you access and even park on their property for a fee.

I really wasn't sure what to expect from the title of this post...

I know of Joachim. Are the others "navigable" and legal to be on?

Stupid high water. My fall back one-day spot lately has been the Mineral Fork for smallmouth. I just wish I new how to catch smallmouth on a flyrod...it's a lot like being 15 again and having a new rod and figuring everythign out again.

I agree with the trespassing thing down there. I've never really understood the militant "get of my properety" types, but If people were always tromping through it would get old. It would be nice if the typical run in with property owners was not angry and threatening. People expect a public river, especially one that's a national scenic riverway to have some public access around the banks. If they take a trail instead of tromping through the river and unintentionally trespass, then owners should politely let them know that they're on private property and need to leave. Especially guys down fly fishing - maybe it's only obvious to me, but if I see a guy with a flyrod I know I don't have to worry too much about him littering or poaching. I guess at some point if you want a lot of privacy, you'll have to live somewhere that's not a popular public summers destination. And I wish the dang water would stay down for more than a week at a time. That river is so touchy with rain. It's at flood stage for months, then borders on too low, then one rain and it's flooded again.

I've been wating for that news all freakin year. I haven't been but I plan to ASAP...which means I probably won't get a chance until it's too low (seems like a fine line on that river between flooded and too low and hot to get trout to move.) I wish I wasn't so busy, but get down there and bring back some pictures. Those fish probably haven't seen a fly in about nine months. Could be really good.

Also note that the stream itself is not private property. Fishing the huzzah in that area is legal if you're floating or wading from a public (or legal) access. As of a couple of years ago I know trout could still be caught on the Huzzah right at Dry Creek. Fishing Dry Creek however would not be legal.

I hope he got the recommendation about black/yellow maribou jigs. Probably the #1 of all fish catchers in the fly only area. Definitely no to rapalas. Try them in the anything goes area though. Definietly yes to wooly spinners. They call them the Montauk Special down there. Whatever makes them feel special I guess.

My friend's got one. Very cool for the ultra minimalist. I'm not one...I can't seem to leave anything behind ever and my back pays for it. If you wear it without a shirt it looks like some crazy S&M torture device.

Was down at montauk over the weekend: 0 hoppers to be found. Probably too early. Tried a stimulator/idropper setup, almost no interest in the big chicken of a fly. Later in summer when hoppers are out it usually gets some hits.

So while putting my 3wt together last week, I noticed the butt cap (not sure what else it would be called) on the reel seat had gone missing. Must have happened last time I used it. So the good news is that it's a St. Croix LU and they're cool with sending me the part to reglue, but I wanted to try to do it correctly. It's a friction ring uplocking system on a birdseye maple reel seat. I'm thinking i just need to sand the old epoxy off w/ a block to avoid rounding the edges, then reglue with some 2 part epoxy. Any thing else I'm missing? Can I use some hardware store epoxy? Any special cleaning I need to do? Thanks in advance.

Wanted to add that the finesse and teeny seem like polar opposites. I would first try to decide what I was going to use it for. For me, the 4wt would be an all-arounder, so I'd opt for the teeny. If you're mostly thinking that it would be fun to fish dries, small wets, nymphs - basically stuff with little or no weight - AND you like a slower feel and have a more open casting style, then the finesse might be your rod. I'd consider a RIO selective trout line or something set up for a slower rod. To me this would be a little more of a specialty setup that I wouldn't want to be my goto. If you want to go all around, or do a lot of nymphing (Teeny is a nymph expert after all) then maybe the teeny. I think it would pick up the heavier streamers a little better. I don't know just how fast the Teeny really is, but I tend to like mod-fast actions for all around. I like the TFO pro 4wt for the cost. But they I'd say figure out what you're going for, then cast them.

Tan Vat was packed on Thursday? Fun...I'm glad I won't be down until next weekend. Can you shoot a link to the Pat's stonefly? I've never really fished stonefly nymphs, but it sounds likeit works down there.

I think for most non-tailwater trout situations you will make a 4wt your primary rod. Probably the best all around weight for the typical stream wading trout situation, so you might need to rethink the "part-time" rod thing depending on what you're out to catch and where. Then asking what to buy is like asking what beer is the best...and the only answer is yes. I personally am in love with the LU series. I have a friend that fishes the LU 4wt 8'6" (I think) and loves it. BUT I personally think I could avoid spending over $200 on a new rod ever since TFO, ECHO, Cabelas etc. started making real quality cheapish rods. It's a tough call but I honsesly would keep your primary rods higher end and fill in with the lower priced stuff.

Can't catcha break. Well at least camping will be unbearably humid...

And then it rained another inch last night.

Here's what an engineer (nerd) does to figure out if the weekend fishing trip is a lost cause... So I got all the data USGS had, put it into excel, noticed that (based on two flash floods this year) the water falls to the same level in roughly 24 hrs regardless of the height of the peak. So I did some number massaging and created an interpolation for when the water will reach certain points. Here's what I get. Friday at 11:15 am water is at 2.27 ft or 295 cfs Saturday at 6:00 am (roughly buzzer time) water is at 265 (I think we're high but wadeable) Saturday at 10:15 PM water is at 2.15 ft or 250 cfs Sunday at 6:00 am water is at 243 Floating may be a reality for you...based on pretty rough guestimation and interpolation...but I'd wait and see if my numbers come close by tomorrow morning - it's all mathematical modeling and not reality.

Unless the campground floods I'll at least be camping. I'm holding out for at least a couple hours on the spring branch, so if you see a guy with a orangish Ross Reels hat say hi.

Nevermind. The last reading was 1400. I wouldn't plan on anything on the Current for the weekend. Anybody know at what point the campground at Montauk gets flooded?

Looks blown out. I'd guess if the rain holds off it might be floatable. I'm not so sure Montauk will look fishable this weekend, which is what my plans were.

A few years ago this would have been a much easier discussion. The recent influx of moderately priced quality fly rods is very cool, but makes decisions tougher.

This might be too good to pass up. My original rod is an old 5wt Sage discovery (old version of launch) from when I was 15. Great all around rod, fairly moderate-ish fastish action. This special is the price from 15 years ago when I got mine, but back then they came with a reel...still this could be the best rod for your money.

What he said. Olive mohair leeches. If I could only bring one fly this would probably be it. And Use 6x. Learn to fish 6x and save the frustration of trying heavier tippet unsuccesfully. Go as light as you can manage without breakign off. You shouldn't need real stout tippet to turn over any fly you would use at Montauk.