AZ_Trout

Google - Okuma fly reels You can see the reels, their foot (usually a 2 screw attachmet), you can open up a diagram of parts and number for the reels. Looks like part 102 is the number for reel foot. See if they can seen you a reel foot - even if you have to find someone to weld or machine different holes, it might work. Tightlines

I thought I saved the guy's name and number, but so far I have not found it. I'll keep looking. You might take the reel into an other store - Sportsman's Wharehouse - if you have one and then compare the foot to an Okuma reel, in my case they were the same - even the spools interchange. Then you can call Okuma for the part. Or find the same reel, switch the foot so you are truely using your friends reel, and have a spare spool for a wet tip line. Good Luck

I had a similar situation, broke the foot. I called Cabela's. They gave me the name of the guy that fixes the fly reels for them (he was some where in Iowa), he fixed me up with a replacement, easy to install, just like new.

Got a Float Tube???? If not a great opportunity to get one a Bass Pro!!!!! You can float the cove / creek. We stay at Roark resort every Oct/Nov, I've tubed the area under the bridges by the mall, caught lots of 12-13 inch stockers. Besides - once you have a tube you can find all kinds of places and reasons to use it.

If you were going to hire a guide - I would HIGHLY recommend Pat Dorsey! Pat is one of the nicest guys, and in my opinion the best guide I've ever been with. You would be hard pressed to find anyone who knows the area waters any better than Pat. I'm sure many other guides are excellent, but I'd always give Pat a call.

It's been a couple of years since I've been in the area. Either North of Salida - upstream on the Arkansas by Buena Vista can bee very good - I think the fly shop is Arkansas Anglers. Also on down stream from Texas Creek to Parkdale can be good. I'd go north and over to Harrsel and fish the Dream Stream between Spinney Res and Eleven Mile Res - section of the So Platte River system. Another choice would be north of Gunnison to Altmont - where the Egale and Taylor Rivers come together. Also all the way to the start of the Taylor - just below the dam at Taylor Resv. BIG fish - SMART fish - But BIG - a lot of mysis shrimp. Hope this helps

My 2 cents I live in Arizona, we get back to Taney and RRSP at the end of OCT for our timeshare in Branson. I'd pay $10-15 for a monthly C&R tag and I might get 2-3 trips to RRSP while I'm back in MO. MONTHLY Tags could be colored coded. Blaze orange for Oct. Neon Green for May- whatever. If you saw Bubba with a blaze orange tag and fish - then it would be very evident he was in violation. Make the tag just like the daily tag but have OCT 2007 -then I'd need a nice plastic holder and if I lost the tag --well I'm a big boy, I buy another. Just my thoughts I'd like to see the money go to stocking and improvements. Rod

I'll have to ditto much of the info you have received. Living Topeka Ks for many years, we went to Colorado 3 out of every 5 summers. Eleven Mile Canyon is a great start. I'd do the Dream Stream 1st! Also if you turn north at Woodland Park - about 1 hour is Deckers, Super fishing for some very smart trout. But great short line, indicator nymphing (small # 20 - 24s) some dry action too. I'd suggest a guide if possible. Pat Dorsey out of Blue Quill in Evergreen CO, also Angler's Covey in Colo Spgs. And if by any chance -- you can get on to a little lake at Cheyenne Mountain Conference Center and Resort.....DO IT!!!!!! This is just down from the Broadmoor Resort, they have a great little pond along the golf course, we have stayed there for business meetings and hooked up with some nice 3+ lbs trout. Rod Simon

My personal opinion is you can never start a kid with a fly rod too soon. My oldest - Chris - now almost 28, and I started a Thanksgiving tradition of going to RRSP for the C&R session, when he was in 2nd grade. We camped at RRSP 6-8 times every summer, and he could handle a spinning rod with most of the folks on the bank. So a winter trip seemed like a great plan, it was. Tim hooked a nice trout and handed the long rod to my son. He was addicted for life. From that point on I doubt I ever saw Chris fishing with a spinning rod - if the fly rod was an option. For some reason the young ones are gifted at using a strike indicator. It was always a blast to see some 10 or 11 year old, walk up to hole, pause, look it over, lay out a nice cast and hook up a trout. It would drive the adults that were being shut out - just crazy. Then he'd release the trout, they all but would lose it. Tightlines

The wood chip metal box - works very well. You want to soak the wood, and watch for flame ups, but all in all you get a nice smokey flavor. I throw some mesquite, cherry or hickory in when I'm doing steak, and get a nice flavor. Plus when it's cold outside - that gas grill has a big advantage over trying to get the charcoal to light.

Don't be afraid to try those eggs on other waters too! My kid and I always fished eggs back at RRSP - and have used them in Colo, out here in AZ. My kid even gets good hits when fishing in the lakes - dropping an egg, and a slooow fingure rolling of the line. We figure the trout are imprinted with a basic code that tells them this is food. The egg becomes a releaser, sends the signal to the brain telling the fish to eat. If these eggs were real and developed into fish - then there is more competation for food. Makes sense to remove the competation.

You can also check out parks like this link. I've never been to the park - only online. But it would save some driving and as you built skills give you the opportunity to hook fish. http://www.windrushfarms.com/index.shtml

LMW You have received tons of great advice - let me add a little more. Don't rule out the Trout Parks --It's catch n release season - you will find some good nymph fishers there. You can always use an egg - glo bug and an indicator. Second - check out the local -St Louis area for winter trout stockings in the local lakes. Not the same as at Taney - But practice is practice, and some times these trout will have a very soft subtle take. You can stripe a crackelback, or some beadheads, wooly worms, even small micro jigs under an indicator. This helps to develope the feel of a take. If you can put a float tube on one of these lakes - then you just opened up to a whole new trout fishing. I've spent many a good day Winter fishing back in Topeka, KS area. And just spent 3 hours today playing with some cooperative little dinks here in So. AZ. Rod

about 1+ hour to the west,Hwy 65 south to Hwy 86 to Eagle Rock - Hwy F to the park. If you go this route you will pass Dogwood Canyon - you pay to fish here - but it might be a good learning location. I have never fished it, thought about fishing it, just haven't. FYI When we were in Branson the last of Oct - I drove over on Sunday to fish the afternoon. So it's not a bad drive.

LMW If you and your wife are going to So-MO to fish over Thanksgiving, I'd suggest a trip to Roaring River State Park -- or Bennett Springs State Park. It's the winter catch and release season. Less people --BIG fish. If you went to RRSP stop in at Tim's Fly Shop - Tim can point you in the right direction. Many flies will work very well. Eggs, San Juan Worms, many nymphs When we lived in Topeka - my oldest and I made it a tradition to go to RRSP every Thanksgiving. We started when he was in second grade - and by the next year he had a fly rod in hand 1st and formost. Taney's great - was just down the last of Oct - Nov 5th. Nice fish - But I really like the catch and release season. If I didn't live in AZ now I'd be there. Rod

Hi; I was hoping to become member 1111, I liked the idea of 4 ones, sounded lucky. But I was too late, and it’s not worth waiting for 1123 I grew up in Missouri, moved to Topeka, KS after college, and as we raised a family of two boys, spent many camping weekends at Roaring River State Park. My oldest, now 26, had a fly rod in his hands since about 2nd grade. We would come down for the catch and release season, every Thanksgiving weekend. Tim of Tim’s Fly Shop fame handed a bent rod to my 8 year old and at that point he decided that he needed to learn to fish with the long rod only. We lived in Topeka for about 20 years and then transferred to Tucson, Arizona. Surprisingly we found Arizona to have some very respectable trout fishing. The White Mountain Apache Tribe has done a wonderful job of developing some quality waters on their reservation up by ShowLow , Arizona. At a local level the AZ Fish & Game does a good job of put and take stocking of winter lakes. Granted our winter is 55 degree highs and 34 degree lows. Mostly I just browse this forum to keep current and entertained with stories of Missouri Trout fishing. But thought it was time I at least sent out an introduction. We have a time share in Branson and still get down to Taney every fall so I’m always keeping an eye on what is going on, where I want to go, and what to have on the end of my line. Take Care and Tightlines Rod .aka AZ Trout