Gavin

I've always thought that Lunker board was kinda silly, but it appeals to some folks. I figure most legal sized fish are going to be harvested in the park, "Lunker Board" or not. Who knows how many 15"+ brown trout are harvested in the park. A 15" brown might weigh 1.5-2lbs so those fish wont be on the board, and I'd bet that allot of people take 18"+ 3lb fish without reporting them.

Guilty too....I've run around between the NFoW, Arkansas, and the 11pt on lots of trips when we didnt clean squat...Things change.

Fire your douche bag lawyer and go to court.....will put a Franklin in the mail if you need it.

Nice bass there Chief!

Nice report....I'm sure that you cleaned your boots, boats & waders before you came back from Didy infested Arkansas ;>)!

There are still a few nice browns down there...but the population of big fish in the blue ribbon seems to be a bit lower than it was last year..A 1 brown trout statewide limit would really help out. I wrote MDC's regulation committee about it earlier this year and got a "Thanks for your letter" response. I cant see a good reason not to do it. There is already a 15" statewide minimum length limit on brown trout, so anglers at Montauk, Bennett, Roaring River, and Meramec are already required to know the difference between a brown and a rainbow trout and carry a measuring device if they choose to harvest a brown trout inside the parks. Decreasing the park brown limit from 4 over 15" to a statewide limiit of 1 over 18" or 20" is a no brainer IMO. There is no significant new education or enforcement burden.

Good looking flies Eric!

Silly isnt it?

Drone pilot hobbyist? Thats scares me more than blood draining out of a meat packing plant!

Think Al got a Watermaster raft... http://www.bigskyinflatables.com/WM_Models_and_Specs.html I'd take one of those over a toon anyday. Packable, lightweight, and no frame to mess with...the only downside is the price.

RIT will work, but you can buy one thats already dyed for $5. Seems like more trouble than its worth.

Solo canoe........or that Jackson Coosa SOT kayak....Toons are nice but very limited.....better to borrow or rent...do not own.

I couldnt care less....If you have the desire to toss that thing, have at it....It has no appeal to me because it looks like more work than fun...

Mitch, Jeremy, TC, FS, we usually do kids day at Montauk in the spring...C'mon down...bring the family.....fish fry on Saturday PM if interested.

Finally got around to reading Joe Heywood's Death Roe...5th or 6th in his Wood's Cop series...easy read...need to pick up his new one.

Yep...might add some lead under the tinsel but that's it...Scott Darrough put it in the Ozark Fly Fishers Newsletter a couple years ago and it used to be on the website...Couldnt find it on the new one though.

Pickeral tend to congregate in spring holes in the winter time...There are a few on the blue ribbon on the Current, but they are few and far between as I've only seen 3-4 of them caught in the past 5-6 years. Plus they run pretty small in there. They are more prevalent down below Welch Spring. The Eleven Point has a bunch of good sized pickeral. and McCormack Lake just a couple miles north of the Greer Access of of Hwy 19 has a bunch too. Noblett Lake near Willow Springs used to a good pickeral lake, but some yahoo drained the lake earlier this year.

2011 was a great year...started off with a 23" brown trout on the January winter float trip and just got better..Did lots of fishing with the girls at Montauk & on the Current, some in N. Illinois, floated 25 miles on the Gasconade with Al, PD, Jeremy and got to meet Mitch & Cricket, 11pt with Grandma Ruth, and a trip to the NFoW with the guys from Hargroves to round it out....2012 is looking good too.

Know idea about the Meramec...they are supposed to be there...but you will need a boat...I'd probably head over to Illinois and fish at Alton, or the spillway below Lake Carlyle. Cheers.

Not really a fan of crawfish flies...there are two types that work...some that look like wooly buggers...you can fish those with motion....the other kind...you nymph under a bobber...Bill Miller craw, or a Clouser Craw is a good nymph fishing craw. A Pat's Rubberlegs does a good job too.

The Russel Fly? Gold tinsel body, olive hackle on a wooly bugger hook.

Justin traps down there a bit...give him a call before you go..

Sounds like a good hunt...hit em again in the AM.!

Heck of a fish! Good for you!

Looking great...but by wood & canvas I was refering to a classic Maine style boat...steam bent ribs, planked, then covered with canvas and painted...kinda like this. http://www.wooden-canoes.com/gallery/canoebuilding/