Greasy B

Astonishing Facts: 1. Wild brown trout in the driftless area of Illinois. 2. An avid, outspoken, outdoorsman not having a tattered, worn and shared copy of A Sand County Almanac much less never having heard of it. Dude, this is the book that started a movement and inspired generations of enlighten citizens to work toward a future with wild place and creatures.

Thanks for the reports Marty. You're doing an excellent job avoiding people while finding fish. Not such an easy task when many of the fishing destinations out west are more congested than those at home.

Yeah, what fun. Just goes to show that communication is not so simple after all. I think all the Big Muddy's are worthy destinations.

Yes it's governance of the people by the people. Problem is the people are idiots.

This morning my truck is dirty, bug encrusted and due for an oil change, the house is a mess, my check book unbalanced, the fridge is empty, he lawn needs mowing and I’m two weeks behind on laundry, but by god my brother and I both have our canoes washed and waxed, fresh line on our bait and spinning rods, fly lines have been cleaned and dressed, our hooks are sharp, our bags are organized and packed, the menu is planned and the coolers filled, priorities indeed.

Yea you can float through the fort but the shuttle is very long and you will need to portage around a water supply dam (big pain). If your camping you would need to not do so around fort recreational facilities. East Gate is not a safe place to leave a vehicle. it all adds up to alot of hassle and few people do it. You would think the the section through the fort would be relatively untouched but in reality it gets pounded pretty hard by the meat keepers.

Twice a day for the last 6 years I have been looking at the Big Muddy (Missouri River big muddy) as I cross it. I believe the canoes and kayaks out number the barge tows. If your experienced, competent and respectful paddle craft work fine.

Will the real Big Muddy please stand up?

I think the browns are about as thick as ever above Cotter. When I fished the Rim Shoals area three weeks ago the water was warm enough to be comfortable wet wading. I didn't have a thermometer with me but by late afternoon it was real comfortable, maybe 70. I figured the fish down river were either stressed or migrated.

Thanks for the report. I have been hearing about Gar fly fishing forever and have always blown if off. Now I'm getting inspired.

Sometimes when I release a fish I wonder if or when it will be caught again and what will become of it. I'll keep this story in mind as the perfect outcome. Thanks for sharing.

Yeah, that would be my idea of hell for sure. There is one lake at Busch W L that I have been fishing for about 35 years. Every time I'm on it I imagine my dream home on the gentle bank over looking it, All mine. Well that will never happen and you know what, I'm fine with that. I still consider it my dream lake I just have to share it.

Location, location, location. Good Bass, walleye and trout water are fairly easy to find. Folks on this forum are always carrying on about this or that hot spot but good Bluegill water now that's a different story. Heck I can count one one hand the number of publics lake I know of where good size Bluegill are accessible to fly fishers. For what it's worth I wouldn't share that info with my own mother.

Maybe another positive result of the low water, let's hope so. From my experience this has been a pretty good Smallmouth season. If the drought ends late winter the overall effect might be more good than bad.

I'm fond if either the middle river between Sullivan and Onondaga or far upstream where the river is not floatable most of the year. As far as bass fishing goes the whole river down to Allenton can fish well. If you can go on a week day just go where it's convenient. If your going on a weekend best to get on the water at dawn to get out of sync withe the party floaters.

Good rule.

18" Fine fish.

Your right Phil, the big rainbow is much more interesting than this thread. When I was young I woke up one day in terrific pain. I called my health insurance referral service and described my problem. They gave me a specialist to see. Mid afternoon I was diagnosed with an ailment that needed immediate surgery. Arrangements were made for surgery at 6:00 that evening. At 5:00 I got a call from the hospital, they informed me that my employer had missed his insurance payment and I could not be admitted. WTF. I was twenty years old, broke, in screaming agony with nowhere to go. Who would have eventually paid for the EMT to scape my half dead carcass off the floor and perform the much more expensive surgery anyway? Would that had happened if i were a Canadian citizen? Single payer is the only answer.

Yea, heck of trip and a good report. Fair warning your going to run into some skeptics about a 23"+ fish. I bunch of Ozark lifers on here including myself who have never broke the 21" mark. I really don't need to see a picture because I take your word and think it's very possible. Whether the truth is part of a fish story kind of takes the story out of the fish story. Did that make sense? I hope not. The truth belongs in marriage and the on witness stand. Truth in the rest of life is often an illusion anyway. Congratulations.

Hillbilly, Redneck, Schindleria Praematurus ? I Didn't think hillbillies or rednecks had good taste in Prog Rock. Great report, great pictures, thanks.

Good advertising should be a two way street. The advertiser entertains us a bit and we pay attention a bit. Now days most advertising is just an in your face irritant, especially Internet advertising. Their foolish mistakes may be the only thing that entertains any more. Enjoy a chuckle at their expense, they deserve it.

Taking guide trips is expensive, especially in the acclaimed angling tourist areas. The only way I can really justify the cost is by limiting myself to one or two trips a year. When a guides primary focus is just to get through the day and be home in time for dinner they usually don't show you the best a trip has to offer. When a guide works his butt off to make a day as successful as possible he deserves to be compensated well, 20%.

All the reference materials mentioned are essential but each has limitations, best to use several in combination. One practice that has served me well is to look up my destination on Google earth prior to my trip then again after the trip, doing this will give you a good feel for the lay of the land and the riverscapes.

Mid September for wading because the water levels will be much more predictable. March would be your best bet for larger fish but wading would be a crap shoot.

Gosh, so many rivers so little time. A couple of years ago my brother and spent a week floating up and down paradise valley in our one man pontoons. We caught a bunch of fish and had a blast. That week convinced me that a drift boat or raft is the only way to go. Even if we took turns rowing we would have fished effectively more than fighting the wind in our personal pontoons. This trip I'll have to do my best at balancing fishing with sight seeing so I don't torture Linda with my usual combat fishing style. The brother and I are planning a trip for mid September. That trip will be gonzo balls to the walls fishing from dawn till dark. The last several years we spent two weeks on the North Platte around Saratoga. With the drought coditions in southeast Wyoming we will probably seek out a tail water. Maybe Green River or Big Horn. I would suspect the Yellowstone would be one of the few freestone rivers that would have enough water to float and fish well in September. Still need that drift boat though.