fishinwrench

You think you're sick of your current career ? Just wait and see how badly you hate boat shows and tackle trade shows in a few years

Mongo, Where (and what size flies) are you fishing that you feel the need for such delicate tippet ? Just curious. Wasn't it ozarktroutfisher that was fishing #4 crawdad flies on 7x last year? That's just crazy IMO...but TETO.

The guy that now owns Virgil's old blue custom Ranger 360V / Johnson GT150 is a customer of mine, I've been servicing that rig for 11 years and she's still running strong.

I dunno, Gavin. I think the big snows we used to get when we were younger, were memorable because they were FUN... Whereas NOW that we are all grown up, consumed with more serious things, and basically more boring....big snows are a PIA Heavy snows (12-15") crushed roofs of docks and condos by the hundreds here at the Lake in 1995, 1999, 2007,and again in 2008 What I don't remember getting so much of when I was younger though is ice storms, and we used to love to skate so I know I would remember an ice storm like the ones we seem to get at least twice every Winter now that I'm too fat and lazy to go ice skating.

Dennis, were you island hopping last Friday ? I thought I saw your truck.

Does this mean I won't get a "E78 Sinister Stone" ? I'll tye mine on Justin Allen's hooks...just so everyone can sample them Sorry Justin, but darn...

Easy Now ! I'll be sending SJW's if it gets much bigger

Unless they deviate from the norm, whatever trout are in the river now is all there's gonna be until Feb.- March. They are running a bit small now (too small to eat) but that's a good thing. They'll be alot more sporty and stand a chance at getting BIG if they do their growing up in the river. I haven't fished the Barclay area all year, I need to get down there.

Sup Homey ?! Just stirrin' it. WTH you been ?

Yep, my daughter goes to a lake area high school...nobody else she knows at school fishes or hunts. Who ever heard of a kid raised on a lake...that doesn't fish ? They all swim real well though, at least that's a plus.

The allure of easy money will continue to spawn bad decisions The vessel must be grossly underpowered.

That was good, well put together. The transitions are really cool, love the zoom and fade thing.

Turned over a few rocks Friday. Lots of "life" down there.... clinger mayfly Golden stonefly and caddis cases Big caddis larva or cranefly larva ? (not sure...anyone know?) variety of little mayflys and aquatic worms (stonefly food !) I saw a few big black stoneflys also but it's hard to catch them without a net, they jump ship pretty quick as soon as you pick up the rock. The smaller golden stones were pretty thick, I could have filled a bucket with them if I'd kept at it very long.

9/10 You really know trout! We're guessing you can lay down a pinpoint 40' cast in a stiff wind and tie a blood knot with your eyes closed. In fact, we think it's safe to say... You DO Know Trout — and you've been entered in our grand prize drawing to win a Dream Fishing Trip and fly fishing gear package from Orvis! I missed the stupid Alaskan salmon question. I bet Phil and Babler could ace it.

Dude that was top notch ! You got it goin' on so tough it ain't even funny, and that boy of yours...Total fishing machine in the making, and a true character !

ok

Justin, seriously ? Do I need to come down there and hand you your butt on your own river..... without a bobber And I bet you have preferred stretches there, and would be disappointed enough to bitch about it on here if they installed an outflow pipe in the middle of it.

Does anyone have a theme in mind, or is it just totally open ?

Now would I do that ? The reason I started the thread was because when I saw it I said "Aww WTF, what a darn shame", and I knew that there's some guys out there that would feel likewise. I don't fish the park much anymore, matter of fact last Sunday was the first time I'd fished it in over a year, but I have always used that stretch to learn or perfect techniques. Trout park fish bite just like wild'er trout so a little practice in the park where you're likely to get alot of bites is excellent sparring practice for learning to detect strikes, experimenting with weight placement, setting the hook, and testing all types of flys that also work elsewhere. The High Bank is the only stretch along the Spring branch where you have complex currents and actual "lies" where fish hold in current seams and overhanging branches demand some casting skills. It is a good place to learn, and then later practice "real flyfishing". Plus, the weedbeds there never got trampled through so they hosted excellent hatches of baetis mayflys, midges, and little brown caddis at certain times...and YES the fish get darn selective to them. The weedbeds are also loaded with scuds at times and that section never sees the weed cutting boat. Another plus to the High Bank was that (if you kept an eye out for copperheads, and hikers on the trail) you could duck into the woods on the river-right and take a leak without having to stop fishing completely and hike a darn 1/4 mile. So, when I said that the HB was the only "natural" stretch of the Spring creek.... those are the type of things I was referring to. For myself and a bunch of others it holds some fine memories and it was always comforting to know that it was there. I taught my oldest kid how to flyfish there and I have another one coming of age in a few years that I hoped to be able to do the same. Big blue plastic tubes spewing hatchery overflow, concrete stairs, walkways and pruned trees take alot more away from that stretch than it adds. Especially since the only plus to that disgusting modification is cheaper trout for the city mudholes during the Winter.

It certainly isn't. Nice job, Brother. I love it !

So according to that article this is all about stocking the St.Louis area mud puddles during Winter. No mention at all of improving the Niangua fishery management. Are you St.Louisans getting the message ? "Please don't come HERE, we'll just bring the trout to YOU !" They could have done this at Meramec Springs... since it's closer and all. I'm sure the James foundation could use a financial boost.

Awesome ! Keep us updated on the progress, I love to see a boat being built. I believe I'd tweek the plans a little and make the hull width about 40" in the center, if it were me. Do the plans give an idea of the weight of the finished boat ? I've thought about building one too, but was afraid it would be a beast in the weight department. Are you planning to fiberglass the hull ?

I wonder what they plan to do with all the additional trout that the newly expanded hatchery will surely produce ? I hope that this "new and improved" hatchery operation will result in much improved management of the fishery BELOW bennett. Because if it doesn't I consider the whole thing a disgusting waste of time and money, over and above the undesirable altering of a section of the spring branch that should have been left alone. I mean after all...how many more fish could they realistically put into the spring branch for Christ sake ?

If you were down there recently it is where the big trac-hoe, bobcats and big mounds of dirt were setting.

The gravel shoal on the far bank at the mouth of the little dry branch, basically the beginning of bluff hole