fly2fish

After having my styrofoam strike indicator engulfed several times by large fish when fishing during the day I switched to something that had a hook in it, mainly a foam hopper. I have only caught a couple on it but have only fished during the day twice in the last 3 years. Now I need to work on a hopper pattern that can accomodate a glo stick....... F2F

Anyone having much success with their gardens this year? With no new post I would say most are like mine, last year I was picking 50-75 tomatoes a day from 18 plants, this year I might not even get 50 all year. I planted 24, 9 died and 2 or 3 more are still questionable if they are going to make it or not much less have tomatoes. Squash and cucumbers only thing doing any good. Watermelon and cantalope plants doing well but just now starting to bear little ones. Haven't planted okra yet waiting for the beans to get done. F2F

And in case of an emergency you can tighten up the waist belt, fart and have a PFD from a SBD.

One thing for sure you won't see him when it is lightening, the last time I saw him it started lightening and he was heading home with his big flathead (catfish that is) . Also, he is scarce when the beavers are roaming around. F2F

The Baxter Bulletin reports 3 dead and 2 injured. The plane apparently barely was airborne before crashing through the fence at the end of the runway and into some trees. A person that saw the plane being loaded thought they might be overloading it with 5 people and a lot of luggage. Have to check the density altitude on hot humid days. Thoughts and prayers to the families. F2F

Friday night between 11:00 and 1:00 should have been ideal conditions, surely someone was in the right spot with the right fly. Saturday night doesn't look like they ran enough water early to make for a great night number wise (any night out with low water is great). F2F

Come on Leonard 5 or 6 of them aren't so bad, we would let them into the Friday night strip club.

World's Shortest Fairy Tale Once upon a time, a guy asked a girl 'Will you marry me?' The girl said, 'NO!' And the guy lived happily ever after and rode motorcycles and went fishing and hunting and played golf a lot and drank beer and scotch and had tons of money in the bank and left the toilet seat up and farted whenever he wanted. The end

AMEN TO THAT. The things we have to put up with to learn new things. Is that highlighted enough F2F

Here are the pics from Sunday night. The first few are from outlet 2. You can see the egg fly still in their mouth. and this is one of the little guys from down by Big Hole. F2F

Heres the catfish that Leonard noodled Saturday night beside my "wimpy" 4wt. It is 31 1/2 inches from the end of the handle to the first guide. F2F

I don't think it was the 4 wt and I wasn't missing them, I think I was just trying to bring them in to fast thinking they were the usual average size and they weren't should have played them longer. Shoot I could have landed that catfish with it I think the only difference between Saturday night and Sunday was they ran more water Sun. (3 units) vs. Sat. (1 unit). When it is high and they shut it off completely, you can't have better conditions for a couple hours than that. Going to try and plan on coming back on July 24th if not sooner but pretty busy between now and then. F2F

Sunday headed toward the dam about 9:45 pm from Big Cedar, called on the way and it said 3 units and lake level 706. D@m now I have more choices ,drift fish outlet 2 or jig fish outlet 1 (706 is perfect for that). I thought I would decide when I get there, if no one is at 2 then I would fish it, it there was I would go up towards 1. No one in the parking lot except that white car that has been sitting there for the last 3 or 4 days. I rigged up with a bead head scud, red san juan worm and pink/orange egg, top to bottom I also put 3 split shot about 4 inches above the egg. It looked like the water may have been less than 706 when I got down there because the rock at the bottom of the stairs was out of the water. Had my first fish on the 3rd drift, notice the water was dropping fairly quickly, I would be standing ankle deep and 15 minutes later on dry rocks. I called the gen number again and when it got to the no. of units running it would be garbled but the level was like 704 point something, then 704 about 11:30. I caught 9 between 10 and 12 o'clock, 6 on the egg and 3 on the sj, all were between 14-24 inches, 1 brown the smallest, to get this a 24" sucker. When I got it up and the light on it I could see its head was about 3" wide and long and thought I had a good brown since it didn't ever break the surface, then I got it up and it rolled on its side and I could see what it was, caught it on the egg too. I have pics of several rainbows caught at outlet 2, plus the catfish that Leonard the Noodler and I got Saturday night. I brought the camera in this morning and thought the cable I have here at work was the same for my camera but its not. About midnight I noticed that the 3rd rock just down from the stairs was out of the water so I knew it was time to head down to the point above Big Hole. Called from the parking lot and this time heard "0" units running and 703.4. Rerigged the 4 wt with a black and purple Hibenator and headed out across the gravel bar water was about shin deep but not moving much. Got to where I thought the point should be and started casting and it was ON, unlike the last time I hit it when the water was dropping the first dozen or so where all 15-20 inches. I had a problem not with LDR's but with MDR and SDR's I would get them over half way in before they would pull loose, one fish had me bent double and headed slowly up stream and I don't think it even knew it was hooked. In stead of following it up I just put more pressure on it because I had 8 lb. leader but it pulled loose. On a cast that I thought I should have had a strike after 15-20 seconds I would give a quick hard strip and would have a fish on. After about an hour the fish started getting smaller down to where about every other one was a silver bullet. I was going to keep 4 of them for a guy here at work and at 2:00am I kept the first one (number 50 of the night) it took 17 more before I had 4 in the bag, either they were over 12" or I would drop them getting them off the hook, I forgot my net. Finally at 2:30 I got the 4th and headed back. I had totaled 67 for the night since no one else was around to talk to and loose count, I was able to keep count of just the ones that I at least got my hand on the leader, all but the first 9 coming between 12:30 and 2:30. I had at least that many MDR's and SDR's and if it had not been for that it would have easily been a 100 fish night, but that is what keeps us fishing, the ones that got away. If you can hit it just right when it has been up and can get in there when it is between 703 and 702 it will be non-stop for about an hour and half. I didn't move more than 50 feet from that one spot, when the water got about knee deep I moved a little closer to the south bank. I used the same fly all night and it is still in good shape after at least 200 fish over the last several trips and the hook is still sharp. Will post pics tomorrow. F2F

I will post a pic of the catfish plus some trout for Sunday night and a report, it was well awesome 67 fish with at least that many MDR and SDR not LDR these weren't missed strikes but fish that were at least half way in before getting off. F2F

Soggy, it was nice talking to you Sat. night, really Sunday morning. After I left I remember what I had talked to you about a year or so ago, it was about Bluegreen and you having some problems getting in when you wanted. Hope things are better we have not had any problems getting into Falls or Big Cedar even within a month of going. Hope to meet we can meet up and fish later. F2F

Many of us 'Old Folks' (those over 50, WAY over 50, or hovering near 50) are quite confused today about how we should present ourselves. Feeling 'young' , we try to conform to current fashions and present a youthful image. Contrary to what you may have seen on the streets, the following combinations DO NOT go together and should be avoided: 1. A nose ring and bifocals 2. Spiked hair and bald spots 3. A pierced tongue and dentures 4. Miniskirts and support hose 5. Ankle bracelets and corn pads 6. Speedos and cellulite 7. A belly button ring and a gall bladder surgery scar 8. Unbuttoned disco shirts and a heart monitor 9. Midriff shirts and a midriff bulge 10. Bikinis and liver spots 11. Mini skirts and varicose veins 12. Inline skates and a zimmer And, Most importantly AT SOME POINT YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP THE DAISY DUKE SHORTS!

I think Tippet is talking about a Fly rod. How many more rugrats do you need? F2F

Sorry to hear that again, but I heard there might be a fly shop for sale in Springfield soon

I'M THERE SATURDAY & SUNDAY NIGHTS. WHITE MURANO BUT I WILL PROBABLY BE WITH LEONARD ANYWAY, UNLESS IT IS STORMY THEN I WILL BE BY MYSELF F2F

No don't know him, I remember a Peggy Daniel from Vinita a long time ago. I know you fish with Zack on the Lower Illinois but do you fish the upper part and Barron Fork any for smallies?

I live between Claremore and Pryor and work in Tulsa. Yes at night you need to upsize, I throw a size 6 & 8 PMS and pine squirrels on a 4wt Sage without much problem. You can also go with a 6-8lb. leader at night. I am making a quick trip this weekend because we had reserved a condo at Big Cedar for my wifes cousin and his wife and now they can't go so we decided to use it ourselves. Just talked to Leonard and he is tying something that he says needs a 7 or 8 wt to throw it, I am up for that just put a new Loomis 8wt reel on my old Heddon 8wt rod

Here are a couple of pics of turkeys in the yard when I came home one day. My son pulled up in the truck and stopped by them and the toms walked over and gobbled right in front of it. We started off with one tom that hung out with a flock of guineas then a hen showed up one year and we had 11 then 24 and finally after about 5 years we had over 60. The OWD came in and trapped some and relocated them. They would mess your yard up just like flocks of Canada geese will. F2F

If you got hooked on catching a few at night wait til you have one of those 50+ fish nights! I see you are from Oklahoma around my area. I usually make at least 2 trips a month to Branson (wifes business) and fish almost entirely at night. Send me a PM next time you plan to go and maybe we can meet up at the dam. I will be there this weekend fishing Saturday and Sunday nights. F2F

Ever since paying about $15 for a zonked (stripped) squirrel hide for tying I look at them in a different light. I am learning how to make my own and dye them too. When I get it down pat I will post the instructions. Some of the how to's online don't work so well, seems they are geared to just tanning the hide and not preserving the hair. Now I have friends calling and texting me that they found a squirrel ran over and if I want it. F2F