Jack Jones

Wrench that photo is both funny and creepy at the same time. I love it. Maybe the best part of having a dog around is to clip their fur for that little extra tie-in.......

I'm sorry I missed it. Had I not had vehicle issues and a hell of a chest cold, I'd have been there. I'll plan on the 7th annual I suppose. Also will be on the lookout for any other OAF functions this year. Who knows? Maybe I will get to meet one or more of you guys on the lakes/rivers.

Fred...I sent you an email. Even if we can't fire up this forum, I'd welcome the correspondence.

I'm not a big religious guy, but I've read the Book and go to it from time to time. I'm more of a lapsed Catholic. Anyway, could one or two of you say a quick prayer for my family over the next week or so. My wife's uncle passed unexpectedly on Christmas Day (in the evening, thankfully) and just tonight my car's engine blew up (like two holes in the block with chunks on the ground). I could use a little break folks. Merry late Christmas to all. I do love this forum.

JD, I'd be interested in knowing more about your setup. I have a sit in kayak and I never really wanted to glue in a transducer, but was interested in getting a finder this spring. Care to share a bit more?

The one across from the Sheriff's station is Tri-Lakes. I don't know if it's open. The Tackle Box went out of business in the last few months and the building has a real estate sign in front of it. The Conoco Station sells lures and nightcrawlers, I believe. Can't think of anywhere else at the moment.

Just finished "Last Call" by Daniel Okrent, a history of Prohibition. I'm almost done with Blood and Faith: The purging of Muslim Spain by Matthew Carr Also close to finished with Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Staling by Timothy Snyder. And....about to start Tories: Fighting for the King in America's First Civil War by Thomas Allen Yep.....exciting isn't it?

Excellent information. You really should write your own book on this area Phil.

I woke up way too late today and had too much to do so I couldn't get to Taneycomo. I ended up just jetting to Lake Springfield and trying my hand. I fished clousers and woolly buggers. I was in waders below the dam. Then I fished in the pool on the other side of the road near the water outlet. For my troubles I got a little peace and quiet, and 1 small fingerling of a bass. But it still counts as a fish, dammit!!

Thanks for all the responses. I appreciate the posts this has generated. Ringer, I'm going to have to look at where those non-pellet ones near Springfield are so I would avoid them. I suppose the next step after taking fly tying courses will be to hit a hunter ed course. I figure squirrel won't be the hardest thing to get after with the pellet gun, but rabbit will be more difficult. Imagine its tough to find them on hunting land, especially without a dog. My wife's shih tzu probably isn't up to it, LOL.

I have been thinking about pursuing hunting to a minor extent. I would like to start out with one of the higher end air/spring/pellet rifles and simply go for squirrel or rabbit. Does anyone have any experience with this in the Ozarks? If so, where have you hunted and how did it go? There may come a time when I would want to work up to more involved hunting. However, not quite yet (due to time, money, and the wife's objection to having firearms in the house). Just looking for some input and opinions.

Didn't mean to pit this pro v. anti union. I think STLFisher has the right idea. My experience has been that the elected's always seem to find the money to fund their pet projects, while letting others go by the wayside or arguing for more money to the exclusion of their pet projects. I loved the STL county parks when I lived up there. I so hope they save them. Lone Elk was especially a treat for the children. Bee Tree was a favorite of mine on the Mississippi, and I did enjoy fishing Susson.

I work in government. The pay is less than what I could earn in the private sector. The benefits are less than what are offered in comparable jobs in the private sector. Each year, they cut our benefits, and have us pay a little more. We may get a few more holidays than the private sector, but that's it. I chose to work here because I wanted to serve the people in the community I live in. I did it because I wanted to help other people, not pursue pure profit. Please keep in mind that there really aren't too many over inflated salaries and glorious benefits for the majority of government employees. There may be for those at the top, but certainly not the rank and file. This is no different than any private corporation. As for the right to negotiate and unionize, I cannot imagine how any red-blooded American could even be opposed to the concept of a group of workers getting together to voice their desires, to pressure their employer to get what they want, and to work together to ensure their health and safety. At its core, America is founded on the ideal of people banding together to obtain their rights and benefits that were otherwise denied, or not properly awarded them. Nothing is more American that Unions. Without them, we would likely return to the days of 12-16 hour days, 7 days a week, and minimal wages. Please take some time to read about the history of wage workers around the Haymarket Era in the late 1800's and then tell me you still disagree. UNION YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've got a few in the fly box, even had a red beaded one. Never had much luck with them, so I'll be interested to see the answers here too. In the past, I've rigged them as my second fly behind a larger nymph. Wonder if there's a preference on color too?

Buzz ---- I thought about going with a black or olive bugger but for whatever reason, I didn't. What size buggers were you working?

Started out about 11 a.m. up near the Twin Falls pool and had no luck at all. Nothing on CJs, Hare's Ears, and only two hook ups on crackleback's between there and the Clearing House pool. At about 1:30 I took a break, then moved to the 2nd show hole where I was taking them in every few casts on Hare's Ear Flashbacks and PT's (both beadhead). Wind was killer though and made casting a little difficult. I ended up with a few wind related birds nests. Nothing of any notable size to speak of. Mostly just normal size stockers in the 11-14" range. Still, was a gorgeous day and had a lot of fun.

Thanks for backing me up Gallagher so I don't feel totally foolish. Leonard, I loved it! That is definitely a Rooster Cogburn style answer. Thank you. I will likely stop at Tim's, but always nice to have an idea of what I'm going for before I get there. It's just so darn easy to get into a buying frenzy. Like going grocery shopping when you're hungry!

I'm planning on fishing Zone 2 this winter. I've never been in it. I've usually been content to just stay on the banks of Zone 1. Gonna throw those waders on though and see what I can get. Can someone share the typical depths in Zone 2? If want to know generally how far up my leader to set the indicator. As a new nymph fisherman, I plan to use this season to gain the experience in detecting strikes/setting my hooks. Also, what's some of the more productive late fall/winter nymphs and sizes to use? I don't think I have anything in my box that smaller than a size 16 and I'm curious if I should stop at Tim's to pick something smaller up?

I got the day off from work due to the Holiday. With all due respect to our Veteran's, I'm thinking I might go fishing!!!!!!!!

Time for a Cops River Edition from the glorious Ozarks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've had some of my best luck on Taneycomo with cracklebacks. I use them on floating line, let them drink, soak, and sink, then strip them back. I've tried them once on a Versileader but came up empty. It was a tough day all around that time, so it may not be representative. I'd definitely use them there. Full disclosure----I don't own any sculpin patterns, and haven't tried them yet so can't say how good they are. I'll throw in with Gallagher and hope someone answers his questions.

My banger is a 2000 Ford Focus with 212k on it. For those who read the auto post recently, thankfully there were no transmission issues, just a really worn clutch. I hadn't figured it would be worn since it only had about 50k on it. That's fixed now. It supposedly has a towing capacity of 1000lbs so a small boat, trailer, and trolling motor/mini outboard shouldn't be a problem. fishbait --- I've looked at those. I'd have to have a trailer since I don't have a truck bed to put it in. And probably a dolly. My other thought is to just motorize my kayak with a simple trolling motor. I've been taking measurements on how I would fit a battery, a mount, and what kind of trolling motor to get. It's a Perception Prodigy 10 sit in. I'd just hate to pay for trolling motor and find out it doesn't do what I want. I keep browsing the used ones on Craigslist for a cheapo one. Has anyone ever done that? If so, what was your experience?

That's for all this info and experiences. When I was a kid in Connecticut, my grandfather had an aluminum v-hull. I would say maybe 12-16 ft that had an outboard on it. I can't remember the horsepower. It also had oars underneath the gunwales on either side. He used to just putter around on Candlewood Lake in the coves and what not. That's what I'm aiming for and was just trying to figure out which lakes and bodies of water would be best for something like that.

I'm looking towards getting a small 10 ft jon boat or 12 ft aluminum v-hull since that's probably the limit I can tow with my little banger. If I do, other than the James River, where would that size boat be appropriate? Can I do most lakes if I boat within a 100-200 yards of shore?

SPEND a day with noted fly fishing author Dave Hughes in Mountain Home on Saturday November 12. Hughes, the author of more than 20 books and fly tying, is highly regarded as an entertaining and knowledgeable speaker. Thanks to the North Arkansas Fly Fishers and the Trout Nature Center the seminars, held in the Mullins Lecture Hall on the ASU campus in Mountain Home are free to the public. The day’s program includes: 9-10:30: Reading water/break. 10:30-12: Match the Hatch Simplified. 12:00 – 1:00: Lunch 1:00-2:30: Nymph Fishing Simplified/break. 2:30-3:30: Tying nymphs. 3:30-4:00: Q&A. Dave Hughes is author of more than 20 books about fly fishing. They include the classic Western Hatches with Rick Hafele, American Fly Tying Manual, Handbook of Hatches, Reading Trout Water, Dry Fly Fishing, Nymph Fishing, and the massive reference Trout Flies. His latest book, published in 2009, is Nymphs for Streams and Stillwaters. His next book is Pocketguide to Western Hatches, due out in fall of 2011. Born in Astoria, Oregon on the 4th of July, 1945, Dave worked his way through college at jobs specializing in the Three Ds–Dirty, Difficult, and Dangerous: mink ranches, tuna canneries, and shrimp boats. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 1967, from Army Infantry Officer Candidate School in 1968. Dave served one-and-a-half years in Viet Nam. Dave is an accomplished amateur aquatic entomologist. His hobbies include collecting, identifying, and photographing the aquatic insects that are fed upon by trout, as well as tying and fishing the flies that match those insects and fool those trout. His articles on fly fishing have appeared in Field & Stream, Gray’s Sporting Journal, Outdoor Life, Sports Afield, Fly Fisherman magazine, American Angler, and Fly Tyer. Dave served as editor of Flyfishing & Tying Journal for eight years, and is currently Elements of Success columnist for Fly Rod & Reel, essayist for Northwest, Southwest, and Eastern Flyfishing, and Minor Notes columnist for Flyfishing & Tying Journal. Dave was founding president of Oregon Trout in 1983, and was awarded life membership in the Federation of Flyfishers in 1985. He was awarded the Pete Hidy honorary life membership in the Flyfishers Club of Oregon in 1992 for his literary accomplishments. Dave received the prestigious Letcher Lambuth Angler Craftsman Award in 2008 from the Washington Fly Fishing Club. He is also a life member of his home club, the Rainland Flycasters in Astoria, Oregon. Dave lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, Japanese fly fishing writer Masako Tani, and their daughter Kosumo.