vanven

Keep us updated. I am starting to look for a 4wt as well. I love my 5wt Z-Axis but at times it feels like a bit much. A little 4wt or even a 3wt would be perfect for calm clear summer days when the water is low and the only thing I think I will hook into is a stocker. -Jerod

I voted no, not really for any reason in particular. It is a 4 hour drive for me to trout fish and I dont want to be reliant on randomposter1234 to do it. -Jerod

I have a TLS tip flex in a 9 foot 5wt that came in a similar deal 5 years ago. It came with the Orvis Battenkill large arbor reel with Orvis line. This was my first big rod/reel purchase I made when I broke my Cabela's combo in a car door during a fishing trip. At the time I thought it was a great deal. Over time I learned to hate the rod and reel. The tip flex rod is very very fast action and difficult to cast. It feel like a broomstick with a twig on the end. All of the flex in the rod is in the first two feet. It is a tip flex rod and was designed that way. I didn't realize the difference in other rods when I bought this Orvis. It didn't fit my stroke and was difficult to cast. I shouldn't have bought the rod, and to be honest it shouldn't have been sold to me either. I should have made a more informed decision and the sales person should have been able to watch me cast and help suggest a rod that fit me better. It is now my backup/guest rod. The Battenkill reel was not bad. It worked for three years but did require quite a bit of babysitting. It does not have a closed drag system so it suffers when it gets wet. Mine also had a tendency to allow gravel and silt to make a grinding noise in the gears after being dunked. It needs to be maintained and oiled/cleaned regularly. I am tough on gear and this didn't ride well with me when you compare it to some reels out there in the same price range like the Lampson Konic that are basically bulletproof and idiotproof. This rod/reel has kept me from buying gear from Orvis since. Yes I am still slightly bitter. It was also my first "grown up" rod/reel setup and taught me to appreciate the cost and care associated with owning some of the high end gear. That being said... Every person has a different casting stroke and expects different things from a rod. You may find that the Orvis rod fits you perfectly. I strongly suggest that you cast it first. Sage, Winston, and G Loomis all make very nice rods and some of their lower end rods may actually be close in price to the Orvis. They may be lower end on the scale but the same manufacturing processes and expertise go into these rods as their high end rods. TFO also makes some very nice rods that are very inexpensive with great customer service to back them up. -Jerod

I was just in Nashville for work last week and didn't take my rod. There were several tailwaters withing driving distance of Nashville.

I wish there was a standardized method for measuring rod actions so that you could qualitatively compare rods across makers. My wife has a TFO Pro in a 8'6" 5wt. I would classify the rod as fast and does not flex into the handle as deeply as my Z-Axis does. While the Sage would probably be labeled as the faster rod, it tends to fish slower because it flexes a bit deeper into the blank. The TFO is a bit more tippy. I hope that helps. -Jerod

All this talk about night fishing is really making me jones for a weekend trip down south. It is going to be a month or so before I can head down but I am definitely going to make it a priority now.

I hit Watkins Mill and Rocky Hollow over the weekend. With the nice weather Watkins was packed with people. I didnt even bother getting out of the truck. I did see that it would be about the right size for the bass buggy boat but probably too big for the float tube. I was told that it is much easier to fish on sundays and weekends after a lot of the KC weekend campers head out. Rocky Hollow - I only checked out the North side of the lake. Small and dirty little lake. I am not sure I would want to swim in the water at all, but it could be the wind blowing stuff to the shore I was on. I did manage to fish a bit until the new reel blew up into a monster of a knot. 15 minutes total. This lake does have some potential possibly. -Jerod

Last time I went to Jacomo and Blue Springs I was looking for a place to fish for carp with my fly rod. That forced me to some of the areas where the carp fisherman were on the NE end of Blue Springs Lake. Needless to say they were not really friendly nor inviting. Maybe I need to revisit both lakes with my 8 foot pontoon boat in mind. Neither seemed very inviting for the float tube. Too much timber to kick. -Jerod

I may hit Watkins Mill this weekend just to check it out a bit. I realized last night that it was less than 10 minutes from my house. -Jerod

I used to head up to Plattsburg and fish the Hartell Conservation area occasionally. The have six 2-6 acre lakes and ponds that are catch and release only. Each body of water is managed as a trophy fishery; one for bass, a couple for bluegill, etc. It is a fun place to catch bluegill on a light fly rod but there are some serious vegetation issues in the summer when the water gets warm. I may have to do some research on Tobacco Hills. I have visited Jacomo but to be honest it was very ...hmm.....ghetto and I was concerned about the safety of my vehicle. -Jerod

With the second kiddo on the way it is time for me to consider fishing closer to home more frequently and take a few less weekend trips to trout water. The good news is that this means I got to buy a new spinning reel (US Reel 240SX) and a new rod (taking suggestions). I need some suggestions for spots here in KC where I can get my float tube or my little pontoon boat wet. I love about 10 minutes from Smithville but access is limited without a real boat. The Missouri lakes around Lees Summit are options but again access is a bit limited. Shawnee Mission Park gets pounded with fishing pressure. Any other suggestions of places I may have overlooked within an hour drive of Liberty? -Jerod

I am in the KC area. This reminds me that I really need to get out and make friends with a few more farmers with nice looking ponds on their land. The public parks here seem to get hammered all year long. I need to find a nice little private lake to get my float tube wet occasionally on the weekends or after work. -Jerod

We were at the Pomme marina when I was around 12 years old for lunch. You could see the gar swimming all over the place. There was a mother duck and 10 ducklings swimming around the dock eating bread crumbs. All of a sudden the water exploded and the ducks scattered. There were 9 ducklings left... -Jerod

I agree with this 100%. I am a bit amazed at some of the crass comments and opinions here. I have a feeling many of them wouldn't be said to someone's face, but it is easy to hide behind a keyboard. Fishing is a privilege we should protect and preserve, not a god given right. Taking care of the natural resources is a very important part of that. -Jerod

I have a Trout Unlimited Togiak and love it. I like the V shaped hull and the fact that you sit a bit higher in the water in a stadium type seat. I typically bass fish out of it on small watersheds and ponds. I haven't tried fly fishing but it does have a nice stripping apron that covers your legs. I would personally recommend a V shaped hull. They seem to cut through the water better and with less effort. There is a downside though, they tend to catch a bit more air on windy days and can be a bit harder to handle when it is windy. Tons of pockets and D-rings and straps to carry a ton of gear. I usually toss a small water tight cooler behind the seat with a few drinks and snacks in it. Beware that the area has a mesh floor so anything you put in it will get wet. I use the standard strap onto your boot fins. They work but I would like to try a set of the scuba fins to see if they give a bit more oomph. Get some leashes for your fins, you dont want to be in the middle of a pond, kick a tree limb, and end up kicking back with one foot. It is frustrating I love fishing this way on hot summer days. Easy to dip your hat in the water and much cooler on the legs. I typically wear light waders because muddy water is , well, creepy. There is nothing better than a nice 8lb bass taking you for a pull. I would love to find a place in the KC area to try mine out catching carp with a fly rod. -Jerod

I will admit to using the flipper style fins in my float tube. I hate them and have ended up sprawled out on a muddy bank several times. They are great for moving around in the water but a curse getting in or out of the tube in shallow water. -Jerod

I fished Friday and Saturday. it was cold and the fish were not super cooperative but all in all a good time. Bright egg patterns in the deeper holes without an indicator worked well. At this point these C&R fish have seen just about everything. Not a lot of luck on midges, scuds, buggers, pheasant tails. -Jerod

What is the weather forecast for tomorrow through sunday looking like for the Cassville area? Not getting much from the weather websites. -Jerod

I love my 5wt. I have been considering a 4wt. A 3wt is a bit of a stretch, I just don't fish enough small water. Great rod at a good price! -Jerod

Did you sell the Lamson Lightspeed yet Paola Cat? Discounts for K-State grads? -Jerod

I am going to try and make it down from KC this weekend as well for the final weekend, Friday-Sunday. It looks like there might be some more weather moving in Thursday night and Friday morning. I will have to make a last minute call on the drive. Meh I am very excited to get some fishing in this winter. -Jerod

Never been a fan of the Frog's Hair tippet materials. They seem to have a very high memory compared to the Saegur and Orvis competition. I know a lot of that can be corrected with a straightener but it always made tying knots a pain initially. -Jerod

Great pics guys and I am glad to hear that fishing for some folks in the community was productive. I found this year extremely frustrating for trout fishing. I did manage a couple days at Rim Shoals on the White and had a blast although most of the time it was pouring rain and I was dodging tornadoes and running back to the cabin. The fishing was still good and it was nice to visit a new river. For someone who has spent most of his life in the middle of Kansas visiting the White was a very amazing experience. I am not used to seeing rivers more than 50 feet across that aren't mud brown and worthless to fish. The spring rains ruined most of my fishing this year. I typically make 6-8 fishing trips down from KC to the Ozarks every year. This year I managed two. Between flooding and high water flows it was very hard to find free time to head south. I had a great week at Taneycomo in late September but it was really too early in the winter for larger fish. Then the water started generating and it is just too cold now. Hopefully the weather will ease up in a month and I will find more time in the spring. -Jerod

I agree 100%. I plan ahead and dress appropriately and I never seem to get cold, yet my days always seem to end early. I get frustrated breaking ice out of my guides before I leave because I am cold. -Jerod