Greasy B

I'm with wrench more or less. If they wouldn't have built the big settings pond at Warsaw we wouldn't need a hair brained hatchery to make more spoonbills. For that matter I have no use for sterile trout, Frankenstein Bluegill or tiger Char. Good lord we have bigger problems, hasn't anyone noticed that there are almost no mussels in our rivers anymore. We are poisoning our own water supplies and nobody seems to give a darn.

Beware, the Ozark tailwaters are big scary SOB's that go up and down without warning. Once you learn them you'll have a great time. Another option would be to embrace the native Smallmouth, by doing so you will find inner peace and serenity.

Those north country bass rise to flies like trout. Early evening in the tails of pools the rises are subtle. Any medium size bug will match the hatch.

Good fun but if you do light em up don't do it like those knuckle heads.

Yep, when you drive though town every other driveway will have a Lund in it. The locals love to fish and eat them but if it ain't a walleye it's not worth the time to heat up oil.

I've had a WTD and a buzz bait tied on all season and it's been more miss than hit. Last weekend the leaves were already bad enough that the dog didn't want to walk. My faith is not shaken, maybe next time cooler temps and will make them shine.

Yes I paid a ridiculous amount of money for my RX sunglasses but I also paid nearly that much for my every day glasses. I’m tired of the cumbersome wear overs, I already spend many years wearing contacts and off the shelf glasses and I’m definitely not having my eyes worked on. I look at glasses like a prosthetic, if I needed one for a missing limb your darn right I would pay any price for the state of the art. I also look back at other things I spent way too much money on, vehicles, boats, a good time; they all cost a bundle.

You know if you wanted to invite me to dinner and take me on a fishing trip that sure would be swell, oh never mind.....

Thanks for the tip on glasses for golf, that’s on my list. (post edited to clarify comment)

I know it sounds silly but how do you clean the little cloth? I'm going to ask the folks a Ferguson Optical the same question when I pick them up. Being a victim of the script scam brings to light another issue, I'll need to change my behavior and treat them like my regular glasses. No more setting them down or flipping them up on my cap when I tie knots or wipe my brow. They'll need to be on my nose or in a case in a duffel bag at all times.

Yep. After years of hem hawing I broke down an ordered prescription Oakelys. The cost was sobering, if I can keep from dropping them in the river I think it will be worth it.

My first big Smallmouth was the summer of 1981 (I think), on the upper Gasconade between Adams Ford and Black. At that time I was making the transition from ultralight rods with 4lb line to fishing heavier lines and bigger baits. I think the bait was called a funky chicken, basically a black curly tailed worm with a couple of wings. I remember the cast like it was yesterday, I was being swept down tight right hand bend. The left bank was undercut with a partly submerged tree. I made a couple of draw strokes to keep from hitting the tree and tossed the funk chicken just above the tree. I didn’t have time to feed slack to the bait so a passed the rod to my left hand and tried to keep the rod tip in the same place as long as possible. I was reaching as far back as I could when the line came tight. I don’t remember what happened next but I imagine it was chaos. I do remember eating that fish on a gravel bar later that day. It might have been the last Smallmouth I ever ate. A couple of weeks ago I was rummaging around in an old Plano box and found a black funky chicken, the bait that changed my life.

Another way to deal with high generation is to plan your trips in the dry season. I fish the BS tailwater from October to February, sometimes I can go years without high water.

I seen a bull frog last night, first time in recent memory. I never hear them along the rivers anymore.

I found that Identifying the size of the spook zone is a small stream is pretty easy if you watch the suckers react to your advancing profile. Suckers are a better indicator than bass being much more numerous. I agree with your reasoning but It's seems contradictory that I see fewer fish fleeing my spook zone in deeper water, maybe their just not very spooked.

Yes, a few, Linda got some applause too.

Last fall Pete a.k.a. snagged in outlet 3 posted a report on fishing the Colorado River near Glenwood Springs Colorado. The area had long been on my list of must see, must fish rivers. This winter when Linda and I were looking for a vacation destination I looked up the Pete’s report and options for renting a house and the trip just fell into place. We had a great time last week visiting family in Denver, fishing the Frying Pan and Colorado Rivers with a little golf and R&R mixed in. For me the highlight of the week was a float trip on the Colorado with the guide Pete recommended, Dustin Harcourt. Dustin has a lifetimes worth of experience on the river and is an excellent boatmen. The brute force type of fishing was right up my alley, when the sun was shining we tossed hopper dropper rigs, when the sun went behind the clouds I went to a streamer rig, three very large flys on 10-12lb line. There is so much good fishing in the area I would need whole summer to really sample it, as it is I’ll have to bide my time until I can go back. Thanks for the advice Pete!

Good, now we can look forward to getting snagged again.

Great fish, is that an HD Hellgrammite?

That's interesting, when I'm on a river and I hear I distance sound I usually ask myself, is that an airplane or a boat coming? My next thought is typically why did I come here?

I certainly don’t wish harm on anyone but give me a stretch of river with a shoal that can’t be passed without kissing a rock or a tree that you must slide under or jump over and I’m in paradise.

Our eclipse party went very well, everyone gathered in the front yard just before totality and for about a half minute we could see the corona without glasses. It was wonderful but brief. Just after totality we went looking for the pin hole affect under shade trees. The first picture was taken in St Charles County the second my sister took near her home in Denver Colorado.

I think many in the media that are hyping the event have never looked up, couldn't tell the difference between a star and a planet much less find a star. If you think its going to be awesome because someone on the television says so you might be disappointed. If you appreciate the subtle beauty of starlit night or a setting Jupiter and autumn moon it will indeed be a wonderful thing.

Wow, what a trip. I wish I had my copy of Robert Behnke's Trout and Salmon of North America handy as I read along. Thank you.

We took a Jon boat down from Hazelgreen last month and didn't run into any log jams we couldn't get through.