vanven

I always offer to net fish for people I see fighting fish. 95% of the time they say no and continue to fight for 20 more minutes. Taking the risk of letting someone else break off what might be the fish of a lifetime is too much for most people. -Jerod

I would like to see them, but only after a detailed ecological study proving there addition would not adversly affect the ecosystem.

That is exactly why the first thing I do when I pull out of my driveway on my way to Taneycomo is put the wedding ring in the ash tray. I also dont want my hands to get cold and have it fall off due to shrinkage. -Jerod

Grats Phil. I saw the pics on Facebook.

I am headed down to Taney to fish 9/10 through 9/13. I will be fishing most days and definitely every night. Feel free to stop by and say hello or drag me down to your favorite fishing hole at night. I drive a black F-150 with the CnR Troutbum tags. -Jerod

Last year it was the early rain that really messed up flows all year. The weather has been odd this year. Summer seems to be winding down and fall will be here very soon. Does anyone want to make any bold predictions for the brown run this year? Earlier than usual due to cooler weather? Anyone think it will be more consistent than it was last year? I am planning a 4 day trip down to Taney in mid September and then again in late October or early November. The early trip will probably be several weeks before we start seeing bigger fish moving. I hope the second trip gets me closer to some big fish up in the trophy area. Anyone else eagerly awaiting fall and digging some bigger streamers out of the back of the fly box? -Jerod

I would not buy a box that is not waterproof, or at least supposed to be waterproof. Last year I went about 2 months between trips. The second trip I got down to Taney and got all geared up, got the fly rod put together, etc. When I opened my cheapo fly box to pick out a fly I was horrified to see about 40 flies rusted and corroded. Apparently the last trip I had let the bottow of my vest get wet and some of the water had made its way into the fly box. I had to drive to the closest shop and purchase a whole new lineup of nymphs and midges. Expensive lesson. I don't know who makes them off the top of my head but there are fly boxes out there that have filters built in to extract humidity. They were not expensive either. May hav eto look them up. -Jerod

Sneaky Sierra Trading Post. I ordered two of the boxes. One arrived exactly as I ordered and is the box mentioned in the original post. The second box was not the box that was pictured at the time I placed the order. The box I intended to order had three compartments on one side and rows of foam on the other side. The picture has since changed (see above picture) and now reflects the box I received. The new box is not bad, i just would not have shelled out $20 for it. It is cheaper, not waterproof, and has 8 compartments that are held shut by a tiny magnet. It is still going to work for holding indicators. The magnet is so weak I wouldnt put a bunch of midges in the compartments. I would hate to see it pop open and dump 50 midges into the water. -Jerod

At least it isnt the output line!

I went ahead and ordered two additional boxes. They also have another C&F box with the clicky compartments and threaders for midges. I could use one of those and a backup 8 row box that my wife can use when she tags along. I will throw all the pink and pretty blue flies she makes me buy in her box. -Jerod

That is a nice thick brown. I am jealous. It might be time for a trip down there soon!

I have 3 of the boxes. They are waterproof. I like them a lot and have a similar complaint about the size of the flies they will hold. They do not hold very many large streamers and it gets cumbersome to carry more than a couple of boxes. Small flies can also be a pain to get in and out of the foam, although one they are in it does a great job of holding them. I have resorted to carrying tweezers when nymphing. -Jerod

I can't compete with 20 years of experience in a city. I can comment on my experiences of roughly 100 "days" i have spent in Branson over the past 4 years. I am still surprised by the lack of diversity in the food choices. I do realize that the nature of Branson caters to certain demographic portions of the population. I don't expect to find a high end Brazilian steak house wedged between the McDonalds and a t-shirt shop. Maybe it is the seasonal nature of the tourist crowd at work. I am definitely not saying any of the restaurants are bad. They are doing something right if they are staying open year after year. I am just pointing out that for the sheer amount of dollars that get dumped into the local economy specifically by tourists coming to see shows, eat, and shop, I would expect to have a couple of place I look forward to eating at when I am in town. Apparently I need to stop fishing all night and drag myself out of bed early enough to try a couple of the breakfast places you mentioned. Nothing that a good breakfast and hot cup of coffee. -Jerod

I have always been amazed at the lack of good food in Branson. For the number of tourist dollars that are dumped in such a concentrated area there isn't much to choose from. There are two good burger places that arent chains, no decent BBQ (keep in mind I am from KC), and a few average mexican places that can't seem to stay open. Dana's - burgers are good, bbq average, fries are bad Luigi's has great cheap pizza, pasta, and sandwiches Billy Bob Dairy Land - best burger in the city and homemade malts/shakes Those are my standard haunts. -Jerod

If you want my nonexpert opinion: Radius > Velocity > Konic Amazing that follows the price of the reels as well. That does not mean any of the reels are bad. It does take into consideration weight, machined vs. cast, etc. I love my Velocity and am already looking forward to my next Lamson reel. -Jerod

Lamson closed out their Velocity reels in 2008. At that point it was very easy to find a new one in the ~$125 range. Chances are that you are looking at an attempt to clear the same reels out of inventory. I cant comment on the Radius although I wouldn't be suprised if they are doing the same thing. I purchased a Velocity last winter when they initially dropped in price and I love it. At that price point there is no competition. Lamson uses the same sealed drag in all of their reels. You will not find a better reel for the price. -Jerod

I fished with my wife a bit this last weekend and had to carry a net to help her out. I actually just hooked the net release to the X in my wader straps between my shoulders and it worked out well. It would occasionally get a bit hung on the pack but it was very manageable. I am really liking the hip pack. -Jerod

I was down over the weekend and fished a bit Friday night. I fished from 2pm Friday until about 8pm and had a whole 2 takes. The water was flowing high and the fish just weren't all that active. I saw a bunch of really nice rainbows holding up close to the cable near the old outflow. They just werent interested in sowbugs, scuds, nymphs, midges, or sculpins. I came back right at 10 pm and they had dropped from 2 generators to 1. The water was slowly dropping. Leonard was just heading down to KOA. I sat up near the pavilion and chatted with a couple guys until the water was off at 11pm. We started at outlet 2 and worked our way down to rebar. Before long I noticed I was all by myself. Not a ton of action. There was no interest in the pine squirrel sculpin patter I started with. I moved to a purple egg sucking leech and picked up a few takes, but no fish to hand. At 1:30am I caught my first fish and headed to the truck. -Jerod

I tried to make that comment direct without being rude, it was not my intention to be anything but helpful. I consider it a common courtesy. It is also the reason I want to pull my hair out when I read myspace and facebook pages. I think Phil works very hard at maintaining a helpful and open forum. I think treating this forum like a myspace page is a disservice to those of us that expect more out of it. Of course I am a fly fisherman it explains my eccentric nature and strict attention to detail. -Jerod

Please, if you are going to take the time to post something and ask for someone's time and advice, take the few extra minutes to make it readable. Deciphering a non-punctuated wall of text is not enjoyable. This is a big pet peeve of mine. -Jerod

Digging this post up for an update. I went out and bought the pack I talked about in the opening post a couple of months ago. I have fished with it for a grand total of 2 days so far but it is enough to start forming some solid conclusions. Usability: I really like the hip pack idea and so far it has transitioned into practice fairly well. I have been able to move most of the stuff from my oversized and bulky vest into the pack. It rained off and on last fishing trip and it was very nice to wear a rain jacket comfortably and still have it keep my gear dry. I still havent figured out a consistant way to comfortably wear the pack. I generally wear it around my waist like a fanny pack, but occasionally would use the neck/shoulder strap to sling it over my shoulder. I still had the ability to spin it around behind me and out of the way while still being comfortable. It does offer a lot of flexibility which I like, but i do find myself wanting to move it around all of the time. I do feel a bit limited in how deep I can wade and still keep the pack dry. Normally that is not a problem, but a few time I did have a feeling where "I could reach that seam over there if I could only take a couple more steps out". I really miss have a place to hang a net on my back. The pack does have some gear loops, but I would end up with the net dragging in the water constantly instead of between my shoulder blades. I generally fish without a net, but it is convenient when the water is cold and you just dont want to get your hands wet. When fall comes and there is a chance at a once in a lifetime fish, I dont want to be netless. I generally carry 2 CnF fly boxes at all times: a large one for streamers and a mid sized box for hackles and nymphs. Both boxes in the pack makes for a tight fit, but I am worried that I may miss the perfect wooly bugger opportunity if I leave the box in the truck. I may have to consider breaking the boxes up into smaller boxes or carrying a smaller selection. At least when I fish at night I know I only need one box. I also need to figure out a better arrangement for my zingers and hardware. There are loops for clip on zingers inside the pockets but it is cumbersome to dig them out from under a fly box. I may need to look at some of the Simms zingers that mount with a pin so my nippers and hemostats will be more accessable. Convenience This is where I notice the biggest change. It is so easy to take off, sit down, put back on, etc. I feel a lot less encumbered and a lot more mobile with the hip pack on. I can layer clothes now and easily remove layers while fishing. I can also relieve myself in the bushes without stringing gear everywhere. Those are my thoughts so far. -Jerod

The wife and I are heading down to Taneycomo for a weekend away from parenthood. Of course I will spend most of it fishing. I will be fishing Friday and Saturday nights rain or shine. I drive a black F-150 with a catch and release license plate cover. I generally night fish by myself and am always game for a fishing partner or a friendly fly swap. -Jerod

I have never fished a fly rod with less than 4 pieces. It is basically a requirement for me. It is a long drive to trout water and pack-ability is very important. A rod case for a 2 piece would be at least 4'6" long and would have to ride in the bed of my truck due to the size. I don't think my wife would let me move the car seat to the trunk instead.... I have read quite a few articles that state there is no difference in feel and durability when comparing rods of 2, 4, or 5 pieces in modern graphite rods. -Jerod

I have thought about doing this as well. There is a C and R conservation area about 20 minutes from my house that's goal is supposed to be trophy sized bluegill. It is not all that fun with a 5wt rod. I want to find something in maybe a 3wt to use there. It would be a nice filler when I cant drive 4 hours to the nearest trout water. -Jerod

Which area of the state? -Jerod