Gavin

I usually toss a Madame X tied on a size 2 TMC 200R...probably similar in size to a #6 on an TMC 8089. Those are some sweat looking bugs Brian.

Hoppers can be good at times...I'll toss a Madame X if they are looking up, and they wont inhale a Sneaky Pete...the smaller profile helps sometimes. Yakfly, how big are your pencil poppers, how and were do you fish them? Sneaky Pete & Leroy work best on a stone cold dead drift most of the time...Cast it, mend it, forget it...for 30 seconds or more if you can stand it. The Coffey Grinder shines in low vis water, or at night.

The canoe & kayak deal is over as far as I know. But who knows if the tent will be up tomorrow....Thought replacing my tandem canoe...$$$$$$$. Thought again...ended up with another skid plate kit at 15% off. Some interesting boats though...the Native Mariner, Jackson Coosa. Lots of Native Ultimates. Not exactly sure about what it was...not a mink, seemed kinda long for a muskrat. I figured otter but I never really got a great look at it...WYSIWYG....

Fun family day...ran by the Alpine Shop for the canoe & kayak show, then to Forest Park for a bike ride...Saw this little otter swimming in the Grand Basin in front of the St. Louis Art Museum...go figure.

Its usually fly fishable up to 3' or so at Akers...good up to 4.5-5' at Akers with lures.

Al my comment was directed at Drew....And it looks like he deleted the post I was refering to. The guy has some different ideas...and that is good by me. I dont fish the small stuff often, even with the fly rod. If I'm fly fishing for smallies...its usually something on a #4-2/0 in the 2.5-5" range.

I dont...my friend Greg designed it, and he made a few for me...basically an inline spinner form thats tied to a hook before the foam goes over the top.

My fly selection is pretty minimal.. Topwater: Leroy Brown (my blockhead variation), Gaines Sneaky Pete, Coffey Grinder. Mid Water: Muddler Variants, Shenks Minnow variant, & Pearl Sparkleminnows. Bottom: Brown, Olive or Black Sparkleminnow Heres Leroy...and a Coffey Grinder, and a couple Sparkleminnows tied by Greg Coffey, Leroy's first victim, and a box full of em for the OA fly swap.

I dont fish for them in the winter, but here are some of my favorites Topwaters-LC Sammy 100, LC Gunfish 95, Accent B-2 buzzer, Spook Jr., Strike King Triple Buzzer...Have a couple poppers & prop baits but they dont get used very often. Floating Lures: Floating Super Rouges, Jointed Rapalas Mid Water Column: Zoom Super Fluke in pearl or glimmer blue, or a LC Slender Pointer 112 or 97 Spinner Baits: 1/4 oz double willow, or a 1/4oz twin spin Cranks: Wiggle Wart, Norman N, Wee Craws...I dont fish these much Bottom: Zoom Fat Albert Grubs, 4" Chompers Hula Grub, 3-4" Tubes, 6" Trick Worm, Eakins Jig & Zoom Super Chunk Jr. I usually have a casting rod rigged with a walk the dog bait or a buzzer, a spinning rod rigged with a fluke or a slender pointer, and a spinning rod rigged with a bottom bait, plus a fly rod in the canoe My fly selection is pretty minimal.. Topwater: Leroy Brown (my blockhead variation), Gaines Sneaky Pete, Coffey Grinder. Mid Water: Muddler Variants, Shenks Minnow variant, & Pearl Sparkleminnows. Bottom: Brown, Olive or Black Sparkleminnow Heres Leroy...

That looks great...should be quite a few nice rainbows in a year or two.

Looks like its up a foot, and the rise is slowing down...It should be great this weekend. Have fun!

Depends on what you want...I like glass lenses better, just a bit sharper and they offer more scratch resistance than the polycarbonate lenses. Polycarbonates offer better impact resistance and lighter weight..If you do a bit of shooting, I'd consider the the polycarbs. I like a copper colored lens as a good all arounder.Smith (formerly Action Optics) makes some great glasses, but any of the better brands should work. Cheers.

Here a couple things that I wouldnt want to do without.. Vise accessories: Extension Arm to lower it to a comfortable height.. Waste basket to catch your clippings Tying Tools: A dubbing loop tool..I like the turbo one that Feather Craft sells, but that Wasatch bobbin Idylwylde suggested looks good too. Hackle pliers..3-4 different kinds..English, Electrical Test Clip, a couple other varieties Foam Cutters--if your into foam flies A clean well lighted place to tie, preferably one where you dont have to put your stuff away all the time. Peg board in your work area...Keeps your hooks and materials out were you can find them.

Brian Wise & Kyle Kosovich are both very good guides...you will have a great time with either of them.

I wouldnt mind a kill them all no limit spotted bass regulations were needed...But is it really going to do anything? I try to do my part on the Meramec drainage, but I dont fish for river bass in the winter, and I hardly ever catch twelve spotted bass on a single trip...That might be different if I chose to fish the stretches were spotted bass are more prevalent.

I've never heard of J.L. Custom Bamboo Fly rods...but there are lots of hobbyists making bamboo rods these days. Post some pictures over at Pete's link, I'm sure that someone over there will know from wence it came. Cheers.

Don Paradise would shoot whiskey into his neck with a syringe...

Three Springs...is that the lot full of trailers next to the Highway in Edgar Springs? If so it doesnt look very appealing...You might try some of the canoe outfitters that serve the Big Piney (see below). Lane Spring would be my pick. Its a very nice campground with a host....but it doesnt have a shower house. If a shower is an absolute need....I'd bring some Dr. Brauners and jump in the creek, or bring your own shower gizmo. Cheers. http://www.missouricanoe.org/directory.html

I'd agree with Al's comments....that boat isnt desinged for moving water or dragging shallow riffles. You would be much better off in a canoe, kayak, or jet boat. The Bourbeuse is canoe & kayak territory for the most part. Lots of long unproductive stretches of slow water with short productive riffle areas that hold fish. The upper end is better fishing than the lower end. The Meramec in that area is much wider, but very shallow in spots. Lots of jet boats too..I'd probably go with a kayak or a jet boat in that area. The better fishing is upstream of the stretch you mentioned but there are lots of canoe rentals on the upper & middle Meramec. I'd float it a couple times in a rental boat till you decide on a suitable watercraft. Think there is only one outfitter on the Bourbeuse...Devil's Back Floats near Peters Ford. Have fun.

I'd agree with Pete...Didymo spores have been transported to Missouri before. Yet we dont have it......Banning Felts, wash stations, might slow it down a bit...but it will find a way to thrive if the conditions are right. I'm surprised that there isnt more being done about it on the White.

Sounds you had a great time too, thanks for the report. The RFSN had an orange thread collar behind the bead...Maybe they were keyed on it? I'm not sure, because I got into a couple right away and I ended up fishing the same two flies for the rest of the trip. Guess its better to be lucky than good. Cheers.

TD, thanks for returning Coldwater's vest. I guess you were in that bunch that floated into Akers around dark on Saturday? How did you do? Fishing wasnt on fire for us, but we caught enough for a fish fry on both Friday & Saturday night..#14 rubber leg red fox squirrel nymph was the ticket...9 on that on the RFSN & 3 on a black & brown Pat's rubberlegs on Saturday. Good weekend to be out. Gavin

Your timeframe might be a little early for the mountains given all the snow in the Rockies this year, but Mid-Late June is a great time to hit the Driftless, or Michigan...you might even hit the hex hatch. Cheers.

Yep...Shouldnt you be packing for your trip tomorrow? Have fun!

The park is closed to fishing this weekend...The wire down to Ashley should be a zoo...Probably a few more floaters out than usual too.