Gavin

I think Windrush is still open and it hasnt changed hands. Fished there last winter but I'm not sure what there current hours of operation are. If they dont return your call, talk to Tom Hargrove and see if he can get you in. As for the old "Dude Ranch", "Springrise" operation...it was sold and closed for awhile..Its know called "Westover Farm" they have added cabins & sporting clays, etc and its open for C&R fishing a couple days a week. Cheers.

Sure, jets have a negative effect on the shoals were they run..The jet of water coming out the back scours the bottom like a big pressure washer when they are running really shallow. Probably doesnt do as much damage as their boat wakes do to the stream bank, but it all adds up. Cheers.

I've always wanted to float through Ft. Wood, but its a long float and a loooonng shuttle..Slabtown to Ross, just upstream of the Fort.. is a good float, spectacular bluffs, and its a Smallmouth Special Management Area. Bring the usual suspects, buzzbaits, spooks, tiny torpedo's, Zoom Flukes, Spinnerbaits, Wee Craw's, Jig & Pig, soft plastics. Rich's Last Resort services that area. Cheers.

They could certainly use a few more agents and a few less pencil pushers. Not sure about the effects of Shocking on fish populations..I helped with the trout sample on the upper Current last year and I only recall one dead trout out the hundreds that I handled on the two days I participated. Might be different with other species though. The biologists said the electric field works better on large scaled fish than it does on small scaled fish like trout. I know that the sucker population took a beating that day...FWIW, they shocked the same stretches two days after the initial sample, and the resample rate was around 40%. Back to Randall's topic. Randall, I fished 8 to Scott's on the 29th of June..I'd concentrate on bass on your way down to the spring, break out the fly rod to fish the troutiest areas between the spring and the end of Suicide Hole, then switch back to bass fishing..Plastics are a no no, but I'd bring some buzzbaits, spinner baits, rapala's, and hair jigs in addition to your fly tackle. Cheers.

Cool...I've been playing around with a design for a paddle jon off an on for about a year know but havent had the time to build it yet. Will probably get busy on it in a couple months after we get settled in our new home.. The design I'm working on is similar to this one http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/05/outing...unner2/free.cfm but it will be skin on frame construction like a McKenzie Drifter http://gregboats.com/customerboats/boatpics/redtrailer.jpg and incorporate some features found on an Au Sable Drift Boat, fly rod racks, posibly the front catbird seat/fish box. http://www.woodwatercraft.com/AuSableRiverBoat.html Keep us posted on your progress.

No revelations there.... The first rule of Government service states that "Though shalt add bodies and programs until thy budget is gone." Cheers.

Havent seen the Griffin up close, but it looks nice...I'd also check out the Danvise and Renzetti Traveler cam jaw. Cheers.

From what I've read...I think some of you will never be happy with what MDC does for you...They could do a better job in some areas, but they are still the best Conservation Department in the nation. They have some real enemies..Farm Bureau and other Ag interests, state legislators in both parties who would love to take their money, lots of ill will from folks who wanted to buy land that MDC purchased or ran foul of regulations, property rights wacko's, folks who hate the duck parks, and the list goes on. From a brief review of their financials, the sales tax provides the bulk of their funding..around 120M a year Permit sales are 30M a year. So its obvious that the bulk of their funding comes from folks who dont hunt or fish...and the rest comes from federal grants and other sources. As for expenditures.. Looks like 70M a year goes to payroll and benefits Around 30-40M a year goes into land aquisition, capital improvements and maintenance 10-15M a year goes into travel and vehicle expenses and the rest goes to admin costs, programs,etc. There spending just about everything they take in...and if thats not enough for you, figure out how they can get more money for what you want..Bought the only way to do that would be by cutting payroll or reshuffling the mix of employees. I'm done with this topic know, bicker amongst yourselves.

No need to shoot em...just whack em with a big stick.

Tippet size usually doesnt matter much at the buzzer. A 4-5wt with a 9' 4-5x should be fine off the bat...lengthen your leader to 12' or so, and go to smaller tippet (6-7x) after they get pounded on a bit. Not much caddis activity this time of year, if you get any they will be small 16-18.. Be prepared for some mid-morning BWO & Trico activity small stuff like 22-28's and 7-8x....Afternoons,,think terrestrials, hopper, beatle, ant, crackleback type flies. Fish them under overhanging branches, bang them off the bluff faces. Subsurface mohair leaches in olive, brown, and cream. Cheers.

Looks like a Hex..... Try a Roberts Yellow Drake for the duns, or a Regan's Hex for the Spinner http://www.flyanglersonline.com/features/g...smichflies1.jpg

Sorry, but I'm not aware of a more current report..The State Auditor audits them on a bi-annual basis and it looks like it took them 14 months to complete the 6/30/04 report..Maybe they will have the 6/30/06 report out soon... FWIW, I think those audits need to be more timely...I wouldnt have any clients if it took me more than a couple months to complete a job. Cheers.

Sorry, but not all answers are simple or soundbyte worthy..Sometimes you have to think about it for awhile..They really are subject to a fair amount of oversight..The governor, the conservation comission, the state auditor, plus the Dem's, Republicans, Farm Bureua, and property rights folks are always looking for a way to stir up scandal and snatch their 1/8cent sales tax money or find a way to make them impotent like DNR... Heres a link to their most recent audit.. http://auditor.mo.gov/press/2005-74.pdf Most of the report lists the state auditors findings (stuff they did wrong, stuff that needs improvement, etc.), follow ups on prior findings. Scroll to the last couple pages for the numbers..cash on hand etc...there are some big line items that would draw a lot of scrutiny from the State Auditor.

Nice...how did you unhook that toothy critter? Any shots of torn up appendages?

The weed is probably from the park..they cut it back from time to time to make for easier fishing in the park. Human and float traffic contributes to it too. Cheers.

Access to the information you want should be available, but it sounds like your expecting to much from their annual report. I'm a CPA by trade, I've done my share of auditing, and written more than a few annual reports..Annual reports are just a summary of what the organization did that year, nothing more..If you want specific details you need to ask the right people. A inquiry to a clerk on the MDC website isnt going to get you much, most employees dont have a clue about budgets, expenditures, etc..If you want hard facts, make inquiries to the bosses.. MDC is organized into several departments. Fisheries, Forestry, Enforcement, etc...And the managers of those departments are the ones you need to talk to if you have specific questions about what they spent on fisheries, forestry, etc...I'm sure they would be glad to forward you budgets and financial statments for whatever you want. They arent hiding anything...you just havent expended the effort to get your questions answered. Cheers.

The "Lots of Money Drawing Intersest" objection is pretty much a myth..Sure they earned $1M in intersest but that not much when you consider they have $160M a year budget..that $1M in interest amounts to less than 1% of annual revenues. I'm not sure how yall manage your finances, but I think that everybody needs a decent sized cash reserve. Businesses, Governments, Individuals..Personally I like to have at least 3-6 months worth of expenses in cash and readilly available at all times...Makes your life a lot easier if something unexpected happens (lose your job, illness, magor home repair,etc). Cheers.

There seems to be a lot of animosity towards MDC because they have a lot of money...They do. They have the third highest budget of any conservation department in the nation, but spending per state resident is heads and tails above any department in the country.. Do they have to much money? I dont think so.. Do they always spend it well? For the most part, yes, sometimes no.. Do I want there funding to go away? No Sometimes I wish that they were a little bit more accounatable and responsive to my own interests, but for the we are pretty spoiled here in MO...Go to any other state in the country and see what kind of services, fishing access, and public lands that are available to you from the state "conservation" department. You wont find much.

A mohair leach..catches trout, bass, blue gill, you name it.

Thanks, here's another survival recipe. Dinty Moore Beef Stew open can,eat.

I'd take a legit 5lb smallmouth over either...but I'd take a 5lb rainbow over a 5lb brown. I've caught quite a few browns that would have weighed at least 5lbs but not that many rainbows. They dont seem to get as big plus they jump. Cheeers.

Kelly to Blair...approx 6.5 miles Kelly to Sunburst....approx 7 miles Kelly to Patrick..approx 9 miles. I average around 1.25 miles per hour if I'm floating & fishing. Cheers.

I think Al is drawing the distinction between navigable, non-navigable float streams, and private waters..Navigability really doesnt have much to do with it because most of our float streams have a well documented history of public use and lots of public accesses points..Access at road crossings above the first "official" public access point is the issue, and its not well defined..Best to ask permission or avoid areas that say keep out.. For example...There is a long section (at least 10 river miles) of the Osage Fork that flows through a piece of property called the Empire Ranch. I've floated skinnier water on many occasions, but all the bridge access points in the Empire stretch make it VERY clear that you are not welcome.I'm pretty sure that you would get arrested if you went fishing there, and I'm not sure that you would win in court...Joe Schmo fisherman v. Well Connected Wealthy Local Landowner....Not worth the bother. Cheers.

Kelly to Patrick can be done in a day, but it you want a shorter float, float Kelly to Blair or float Blair to James Bridge. Blair to James bridge doesnt get pounded as much, and there is usually less moss in the water. Not many trout between James Bridge and Dawt Mill, but I've caught a few bass down that way. If your looking for a place to camp and a shuttle, I'd recommend Sunburst Ranch. If you want a nice cabin, stay at River of Life Farm. Cheers.

It depends..access at bridge crossings really depends on the mood of the local landowner and police department. Most landowners tolerate some public use from bridge crossings some dont..Your always safe if you enter from a public boat ramp, and your usually pretty good if there are signs of public use, if there dont appear to be any signs of public use, its probably best to ask permission. It doesnt hurt to carry a stream team bags and fill it with trash while your floating or wading from a low water bridge..If folks see you picking up trash, they are less likely to run you off. Cheers.