fishinwrench

The current trend seems to be going away from furnace hackle....toward various natural, and dyed, grizzly. Do you think that is an "improvement? or is it one of those "doesn't matter" or "might matter today, but not tomorrow" things. My issue is: I don't wanna carry three boxes of cracklebacks. 3 patterns (variations) would be ok though.

What for eons was a wooly worm... is now a crackleback. The original dressing of pale yellow silk and brown hackle has morphed into anything with palmered hackle it seems. Well listen, who has the time to try every possible variation, body material, color, and hackle type....this could take 15-20 years. So, what's your most productive "crackleback"? Size, Body material/Color, Hackle ? And how do you get more bites topside, under the film, or down near the bottom ? Saw one with lime green flat-braid body, and pinkish-red dyed grizzly hackle the other day....guy swears by it and fishes it on 4x with shock gum...cuz he gets big bites Do we have a "cracklebugger" out there yet ? or can I be the first? LOL

Brian, You'll need 2.5 or better here Windyville gage I sent you email

I ain't plannin on skinning him, I can hold my breath long enough to get a few snips, that'll make a half dozen for testing. LOL Any other time there'd be three on the road between my place and town.......but today, Nuthin'! Was at a shop yesterday that had "Awesome Possum dubbin'"...shoulda grabbed some. I do have a dun colored hares mask in the drawer...but then I'd have to just call it a "gray hares ear"....and that takes all the fun out of it.

A few on here just might recognize "Bo".....he guides along with Brian wise....slightly less skilled, but cheaper, and better looking

Looks like a killer ! Thanks. Now, to find a possum.......

Those are some pretty fish. I guess I'm a sucker for fly patterns though....I wanna see that "possum nymph"

higher octane "gas" certainly won't hurt it, but I don't see where you learned that the "new age" fuel will not be alcohol based....it is my understanding that it will....and is. Your '83 115 might have some problems..it's gonna depend on the frequency of use it gets. Carb kits, fuelpump diaphrams, and hoses are not a big deal. But the rubber that the older crankshaft seals were made of, doesn't last long after some exposure of alcohol. And that's a high dollar (labor intensive) repair. You absolutly CAN NOT tune an outboard to run smoothly once the C-shaft seals start loosing pressure.

Dave, Well here is this link...ethanol in outboards...... For whatever it's worth. Older outboards will probably suffer some problems with the original rubber based components (gaskets, crankshaft seals, needle valves, hoses, fuel pump diaphrams, ect.) with extended use of ethanol. But the newer compounds have been in use for quite a while now, that resist deteriation, so I'm told. I remember when the first traces of ethanol began to find their way into boat fuel tanks around here....Johnson/Evinrude VRO pumps began dropping like flys. The manufacturer was quick to upgrade the components of the VRO, but lots of folks never trusted the Johnson/Evinrude VRO system again, and many had them disconnected and elected to mix their fuel manually, thinking that the VRO was "junk"....when it is actually a good system. It just wasn't ORIGINALLY designed to withstand alcohol....but it is now, and has been for quite some time. I guess the biggest "debate" going, concerning ethanol, is whether or not it actually takes more energy to produce...than it yields. I keep hearing this...

Glad y'all had a good time and didn't get the "Dallas county shakedown" brought upon you. Not all partyers are causing trouble....So see guys, some of them even are fishermen that happen to be doing something else that particular day. It's sad that there are cranky old fishin' cermudgeons that think that everyone on the river without waders and a rod in their hand, are up to no good and should be subject to immediate arrest. Be kind to the river, polite to others, and remember that it is YOUR river too.

CC, I love the way you took that out of context....and edited it to suit you, for a nice setup at a cute little shot at me. Actually I don't love it, I take offense to it. I don't think I was unclear about my original point, but that's ok. Yes CC, I agree LOL (see how that works?)

My point was totally and completely missed here. But by all means have your way with it.

Jesus !

OMG...you inflame me with that remark...seriously ! A guy in possession of a joint is not NECESSARILY a "pothead", anymore than you are a "pin-cushion head-banger". And just pick one person you know that has done something "in favor of society", and ask them when they first tasted alcohol. Dang ! I am totally out of my league here.

Yep, you are right. "most of the time"... But if you ever are lucky enough to experience just one of those..."other times". Then the way you sing that song (pardon the pun) will change abruptly. For God sake, what's the big deal with a 19y/o sneakin' a few beers ? Or even (dare I say) smokin' a joint on a float trip with buddys. If he gets carried away and actually causes some trouble, then that's one thing...but don't go out hunting them down, and then slapping felonys on his record that will screw up his future for many-many years. C'mon guys ! Don't act so self-rightous....I'm guessing that there's a few on here that suffer a considerable amount of memory loss. JS, I really am not aware of it being illegal to paddle a canoe, or float in a tube, with a buzz on. Operating a "licensed motored craft" is a different story.

I was there last about a month ago on a weekend and did "pretty respectable" with a #14 RFSN (red fox squirrel nymph), and a #8 olive leech. Seems like I remember my partner catching several on a Pheasant tail nymph (probably a #16 or 18) and he caught a few on the leech too. We also caught a few little ones on various soft hackles, and that was all real close to Baptist access. We left there and drove down to Parker, trying the same flys in the same type of holding lies...and only caught a few chubs. Did have one decent fish hooked for about 4 seconds down there, but never got to see it. I plan to get back there soon, but it's a pretty good drive for me.

I hear the "Hand fishing" is picking up on the Osage.

How was Sat...did you do any fishing on the river? Wasn't this weekend the annual "Gay float" out of NRO ? Bet that was interesting.

The better fish along that stretch can be pretty cagey. You've gotta get your fly to drift back in, and under the overhangs and stuff, and be prepared to finesse them out of it when/if they do bite. I would have started with considerably different flys...but that's just me. I think mastering the right drift is the real key, and it can be pretty tricky. The riffle pocket water will be pretty trampled through by Sat.-Sun. and the slick-water holes are a crapshoot...sometimes you'll get a few, other times...forget it. Did you see many fish ? Best thing you can do is keep tryin'. They ARE in there. "Parker" is the stretch that I couldn't figure out...drives me nuts. LOL

I dunno Oneshot, just try to find a campsite, or a motel room on Friday evening. Seems to be a good season for the tourist trade, far as I can tell.

Excellent advise. Dave, I doubt that it was MDC or WP agents packing assault rifles....they were most likely county deputys.

I would pull the cylinder head and have a look/feel. If the score is on the intake side of the cylinder(s) you prob have a carb passage clogged that needs to be rectified before you run it anymore. If the score is on the exhaust side of the cylinder then your cooling system may be substandard. Damage to the #1 cylinder only is usually caused from overheat (farthest from the water pump, and heat rises). My recommendation is to have the cylinder, and what caused it to happen in the first place, repaired, before it gets any worse.

"Under scrutiny"...That's a playful term. Is it possible that you served as a town Judge only, and not a prosecutor, or attorney first ? If you spent 25 years in county justice, and you remain unaware of anything like that....then I wanna move my family to your county. Crooked law is rampant in alot of county's....just figured it was that way everywhere, to a degree. A small town judge might remain in the dark, and be content with the mushroom treatment.....but to deny any knowledge of such goings-on would require anyone else on the docket to be completely blind....or scared. BTW, What I meant about the pharmacueticals was...there is no "market" for them...KWIM? Again, I'm not trying to start an argument here...I carry a chip on my shoulder concerning this type of thing because of a past experience that cost me dearly. I got an education that I never even wanted, and what I learned created a huge amount of distrust in the justice system, on all levels. I like you Dano, and respect you because we share a common interest. I don't think we need to further this debate, especially not on here, so I'll make this my last entry concerning it. I just know that this "sting" they did on the river was "not to my liking". And although I certainly don't condone drugs and drunks on the rivers...there should be some descretion in the way these laws, and many others are "enforced". Setting up a checkpoint on a gravel bar around a bend, and shaking down every canoe that passes...doesn't sit well with me because I know darn well why they did it. Sorry. Think they'll do it again during gigging season ? Bet not. Peace, Wrench

"On the books" yeah, court costs and the resultant fine is piddly...but Dano.... lawyers buy off prosecutors, and they buy them off with money from the accused. And the stuff they confiscate....a "little bit" goes for evidence, the rest (DRUGS, GUNS, ALCOHOL, ECT.) gets liquidated back into cash. So it's no "suprise" to me Dano, when a person gets busted with a pound of marijuana...and a lawyer gets the charge reduced to "under 35 grams", where the rest of the pound goes. Lets all be law abiding citizens, and raise our kids likewise...but by no means allow yourself to be nieve, upholding the "law" is big business...and only a sliver goes on the books. You'll seldom see "a sting" at a bingo hall parking lot, targeting people driving (at night) who can't even come close to passing an eye exam.....and have pharmacueticals in their possesion that aren't prescribed to them. Know why ? not much money in it. there's no market for old pharmacueticals, and elderly ladies wouldn't bother to fight the charges...they'd just pay the piddly fine. Gonefishin', Yes, show some control of your actions, but if your actions are not bothering anyone or anything...you should be treated kindly, your time, YOUR PRIVACY and your property respected, and you should be left alone. That's my only point Sir. They were not ONLY shaking down wild crazy drunken idiots....it was a "checkpoint". Similar to a Mexican patrol checkpoint...and it ain't cool. That's all I'm sayin'.

The thing is, the law dogs are only out there doing that stuff to build revenue. It is an easy arrest that helps feed the county. Report your car, truck, or canoe stolen from a river access sometime and watch how hard they work to locate it, or the individual that took it. Give me a break. They might show up at the scene later that day, fill out a the standard report sheet.....and will likely not even offer you a ride back to town. More than likely though, they will tell YOU to come in and fill out the report...LOL Don't mistake their intentions. They aren't out there for the purpose of righting wrongs, they are out there on the river "pickin' berrys". Seeking out random people to arrest with out prior complaint is not cool guys, and if you think it is, Just wait....someday, one of you that thinks this is a bravo deal, might not like it so much when they disrupt your outing because of some piddly (no harm/no foul type) infraction. I'll bet that at least 50% of you aren't as "legal"...(down to the letter of the law), as you think. I'd much rather get to chuckle at a few drunken fools, and accidently see a pair of hooters, than go through a 20 minute shakedown by the county law. But that's just me.