3wt

Thanks, Leonard Sounds like mixed news. In lower generation a few years back I was disappointed in the lack of channel and 'stream structure.' But I also don't wand to end up swimming. I tend to stay less than waist deep down there anyway, since I really don't know the lake well.

I'm no expert, but my understanding is that the EPA would still be the approver/disapprover for standards, but implementation would be left to the states. If so, this would be a far cry from the free-for-all mentality being alluded to. There's a reality that large federal organizations through "rule making" can essentially be lawmakers when that is not really allowed. Thuse the efforts to allow them to regulate but not legislate. We've seen it already, if you can't get a bill passed, just use the EPA to make a new rule in lieu. We can argue about whether the new rule is right or wrong, but this type of process allows the executive to stack his deck in the EPA or whichever administration, and then get the rules he want's passed out there without debate. And it could go both ways. A less environmentally minded president could stack the EPA up any which way and go to town slashing rules. I know that regardless of how the EPA runs, this will be the case, but for the sake of checks and balances, it might be a good idea to let them be in a cooperative relationship with states and other government entities, and not centralize them with more power than actual elected officials.

makes me want to learn to be a bettery nymph fisherman.

Lets see if this works. http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=203571178288705967402.0004a7e0956139d6fb53c&msa=0&ll=37.422884,-91.639066&spn=0.009066,0.018711 Map of the upper river w/some of the landmarks. You can find the good sandbars. it's public if anybody feels like fixing it.

If you're not looking to fish from the boat too much, this will be your kind of water. One of the tough thigns about plannign a fish/float in this stretch is fishing from a boat in fast water, and passing the whole thing way to quick. No really legal camping AT baptist camp access. Just up and across the river you could camp on a gravel bar if it's still there. Small and rocky, but you could get a tent up - I don't recommend that anyway. There are at least two nice camping gravel bars within a mile downstream. I'd do one of those - definitely within wading distance up to baptist and beyond. If Friday's in play, then maybe put in at Tan Vat (I think like 1 mile up from baptist) and fish/float down past baptist and set up before dark. Oh- one nice thing about the sandbars below baptist is that you're close to decent water for night fishing if you stake out the spots. Might be the best chance for a big brown. I forget exactly where the water gets slack, but I recall that if you get in at parker and go up, you generally hike a way before bothering to fish. Same goes as you go down nearing cedar. I don't think there are too many major deep spots that are unwadeable in the blue ribbon. The slack water I recall was about waist deep in summer - just a bummer to try to wade through. In general there are plenty of gravel bars to camp on. I know there was one big one at ashley, and parker is a popular party sand bar - don't camp there if you don't potentially want company. Past that I'm just not too familiar, but I'm sure you won't have too much trouble. Sometimes you can go on google maps and find likely sandbars. Kind of fun to try but it helps to know the river. You'll at least see if there's an abundance or total lack. I'm trying to plan this kind of trip for my friend's 30th birthday - lots of wading, floating just as transport for the stuff and to get through slow spots. When you do it, let us know how it went / what you'ld do differently.

anybody?

I'm still a little fuzzy about what's wadeable and when. I'm heading down in a couple weeks and want to wade the upper area in the mornings. It's been a couple or years, but I thought that 1 unit was pretty much wadeable up there. Is it kind of marginal for wading around the outlets and rebar? Thanks

If I find myself over that way I can grab one for ya and shoot you a PM.

Pauls Bait and Tackle in south St. Louis city. Probably not too convenient for the southwest crowd, but they had several new tins of the stuff, probably been there since the 80's.

I know of a place to get the old-school red tin mucilin, just in case anybody's interested. Last I checked it was pretty tough to find in the classic tin instead of the new plastic container. Big downside of the stuff is that it's very temperature unstable. It can turn to liquid on a hot day and pretty much become just a big greasy stain on your vest. But the tin is cool vintage fly fishing gear.

So you just use it to hold them still in the water and not to lift them?

Probably not great for trout though, if that's what you're after. I used to be a no-net guy, then got sick of loosing the chance for a quick picture by loosing bigger fish whne they were right at my legs. I just use a cheap cabelas c&r style net. They're much better at not snagging brush and your fly when you get a fish. All that said, I found a big hole in the net last time I used it. So if you find a good option, I'm in.

Is part of the blue ribbon area really private? If its private shouldn't they take it off the trout area map and definitely not provide any stocking?

I second this. I keep a pair of fingerless wool rag gloves as backup. They suck in the wind, but better than nothing.

Just make sure you give them the correct mailing address. In their early days my brother had a warranty claim, they didn't have a form to fill out, so they said just stick the check in the box. He was finishing college and his address on the check was his college address - and they decided to go with that over the return mailing address. So somebody in an apartment in cape girardeau got a free TFO pro - and after having to wait for a supervisor to return, TFO no questions asked sent him out a brand new rod. At least they made it right, but at first the office lady wasn't going to accept any blame for the screw up. I'm sure they're better now - this was back when the web site was a one page deal, before they got the momentum they have now.

What he said. Expect it to be brushy this time of year. As a rule I don't generally wade donw that far unless I'm making a day of it. Pack a lunch and enjoy the river, or stay closer to an access if you're only in it for a few hours.

By the way, is this for sure legal?

Alright, alright. I'm not trying to be a jerk. I just hate the tournemant mentality and I hate having a trip screwed up by a tournament - make no mistake, it will upset people that spent their time and money trying planning a trip to find this stuff going on.. Flyfishing (troutfishing for that matter) is not a tournament friendly sport - not on a public access stream. I appreciate that it's for a cause. I still think it's utterly inappropriate on this river. Find a lake that can handle the pressure. Like I said have fun, but realize you will be ruining somebody else's good time.

Suggestion GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. This river is absolutely not appropriate for tournaments. Have fun at everybody else's expense by all means.

You probably won't do better on mileage vs hp or torque than the tdi. Just a heads up, they hold their value and are sought after used. In my opinion they're the best fuel efficint vehicle idea on the road.

Agreed. Just saying that there is a difference between cathing bass out of their season and catching spoonbill out of their season.

No way the economic impact would be less if an urban area flooded. Just no way. A lot more structures, much higher concentration of expesive things like cars. I feel for anybody loosing their house or property, but let's not pretend like the corps is choosing the greater devastation. Just no way. That doesn't even take into account the chances for loss of life. I don't have too much sypathy for people that won't heed the warnings and evacuate, but there will be more people to get out of a city than farmland. The traffic might make it impossible in some cases, and there will be a lot more elderly, poor and disabled that will need assistance. One hospital at risk would be a much greater disaster than probably everything in the spillway. I don't like these situations, but there is just no decision to be made once the water's coming up. You go by the plan that has been in place for years. We should think about these things before it's emergency time if we want change. But since the emergency is on, then these are the right decisions to make, no contest.

They used to have a daily C&R tag like the normal tag. I think it was more expensive to pay the guys to sit there and sell two or three a day than they were brining in. So they went to just having a 'stamp.' And keep in mind that you have to have a stamp for taney even if you C&R. I guess it's special - just ask the guys that fish there.

If we as sportsman don't operate with integrity even if we can find a legal workaround to doing the right thing then the concept of conservation fails. Hey, who cares if the threatened fish dies, I probably won't get in trouble.

And hiding in the woods is not entrapment. You know cops do undercover work and stakeouts all the time right? Same thing. I wouldn't go hiring out your lawyer friend.