5cuff

My favorite big fish/big generation/big fly/big wind rod is a 7wt St. Croix Legend Ultra (9ft) with a Lamson Velocity reel. Largest fish I caught at Taney was a 16 pound brown at night last Summer with this outfit. Normal flow I use a 8'6" St. Croix Legend Ultra 5wt w/ an Adventure reel (might be a G. Loomis?). Largest fish was a 9 pound rainbow a couple Falls ago. Both are great rods. I like a heavier rod when there is any significant generation or when I'm using big flies for big fish at night. As you can tell, I'm a big fan of St. Croix rods. Solid rods at a fair price.

Shuffling would be impossible if many Taneycomo anglers knew where they were supposed to stand. One of my biggest gripes is people who stand where they should be fishing. The chutes before and after rebar are prime examples. If you can cast at all, you should never venture too far off the gravel. Just keep walking the area with your drift and circle back to the top. People ruin it by standing in one spot all day...usually in the middle of the stream. I've caught numerous quality fish in just inches of water by keeping back from the edge and resisting the urge to wade halfway across the streambed. This is nothing to brag about, it is just Flyfishing 101 to work from the near bank to the middle and then the far bank. Although it is kind of aggressive, I like to catch fish that are close to the feet of guys who are overly enamored with their waders. Nothing is more humorous than watching a guy waist deep in the water soil his waders when you catch several fish between him and the shore...while barely geting your feet wet. They always seem legitimately shocked, as if you caught the fish on dry land or pulled him out of your hat! I believe that some of these "waders" are shufflers, and others just don't know how to fish. Maybe we should ban waders on Taney during the Summer months. At least then shuffling would have more of a cost/benefit analysis and it might keep the less accomplished flyfishermen from standing in the prime fishing areas. Tevas and shorts for everyone! (ah...the only way to wade fish) The last thing we need, though, are more people who think that just because you are catching 40 fish in an average morning, you must be up to no good. Don't be jealous, maybe this guy just knows what he's doing. In sum, I would ban the use of waders on Taney from May through September. I would also make it legal to heckle shufflers, mid-stream standers and anyone who can't catch a fish while in the possession of equipment valued in excess of $1,000. Off the subject...when someone with really expensive equipment is in the middle of a long drought, and finally asks you for advice it is a golden opportunity: Fancy Equipment Guy: "So, what are you using over there?" Me: "Nothing special, just this little home tie, but I will tell ya something...(conspiratorial look)...I'm catching them all in the exact same spot. (long pause...waiting for FEG to take the bait) FEG: "Well...where?" Me: (turning back to the water) "Right in the lip." (You can also add an insult for the FEG if he's been obnoxious, condescending or just plain annoying...as in "Right in the lip, ______.") Classic.

For fly-fishing, I strip big bunny-leaches. Fast, with lots of weight works (I wrap lead around the hook when I tie them so I don't have to use a lot of split shot), but patience is key. In the daytime, I do a lot of sight fishing, so you have to trust that A LOT of trout are watching and you're just going to have to wait until you detect the strike. Try to create a picture of the lure as it hits the "swing", because many fish hit the stripped fly at that point. I get frustrated with dry fly fishing b/c one wind knot ends up costing too much time to re-string. That's why I almost always use spinning gear at night. I use a decently stiff 7 foot Medium Action rod with 4 lb test fluorocaron line (sometimes heavier is fine, but you can land 10 pound trout on 4 lb test if you are fishing a lot...which it sounds like you do). I use Rapalas almost exclusively. Normally, just the floating F7s and F9s in gold and silver (though some guys go bigger and move up to 8-10lb test). During periods of little or no generation, I try to fish areas with some current, like the fast water by the island in the trophy area or the areas above and below rebar. The fast water gives the lure some action at lower retrieve speeds, which gives you more flexibility (I vary my retrieve speeds a lot until I find something that works). Although it is not always a fish a minute, I usually catch more solid 16-18 inch fish at night on the spinning rod, and a lot more browns. A good night is usually 4-6 good fish per hour (for me). Obviously, it is fishing, so it varies. I know there are a lot of guys who do well with jigs too, but I've never used them extensively. Other tips...Spend a little on a good spinning reel...line twist is a bear in the dark (I always throw a spare spool and extra reel in my pack at night). Also, bring a real net, not a little trout park net...you will need it eventually if you fish at night and you want to release larger trout without playing them to exhaustion. Good luck!