fly2fish

1. the old gates are open 100% 2. at that rate of release the hatchery would be under 60 feet of water Phil, wouldn't that almost put you underwater? Maybe all this water will change the channel some by washing some of the gravel on down.

also went back to back country today and it sure is amazing how a bunch of ity bity stuff sure turns into big dollars in a hurry : Yep he's hooked, Michael has another junkie to feed on.

Also when you get half way comfortable with casting in daytime, try night fishing (or wherever you practice), you have to go almost entirely by the feel of the rod. This will help your casting tremendously anytime day or night. If you never wade fished at night don't do it alone or be REAL familiar with the area you are going to wade. Good luck with your initial investment, it only gets more addictive.

Don't forget to tie some in black also, last time up my son's friend's girl friend wanted to tie a fly because I had everything out on the table and I said sure I need some in black anyway. All I did was put a bead on the hook and put it in the vise and told her what to do and held the strip (I was using black rabbit strips I think) then let her palmer it up to the bead and tie it off. I used it the next night when the fog set in and caught 7 the last 15 minutes I fished.

I have had a Heddon Challenger Model 9789 fiberglass that was may first flyrod I think it is a 8 or 9 wt. I didn't know how much it wore you out throwing it all day until I finally got into the 3-6 wt rods. I just got a new G. Loomis 8wt reel for it and it casts like a dream with new Rio Grande line. When I got it it had a Garciamatic reel on it. I quickly realized the drags on the automatics where almost non-existent. I kept the rod for my heavy weight for Browns in the fall and saltwater fishing. I was just wondering if any of you glass masters knew when it was made and whether I should have kept it or go with one of the newer graphite 8-9wts. Henry

Duane, glad to see you are working on becoming a photojournalists. Had any offers from Flyfishing magazine or American Angler yet? I think everyone loves the pics especially the double hook up. Looks like you may have been using a BHPT and a San Juan. I thought about fishing Crane the other day, actually detoured on the back home from Branson to check it out. I will be back around March 9-12 and hope to spend one day over there. Henry

I forgot to mention that the one I use is a zinger type, just pull out whichever tool I need then let go and it retracts back.

I use one that is attached to my vest and has hemostats and a small leatherman tool. I keep them inside one of the outside pockets so they are out of the way. If I land a fish that won't shake off easily I just reach in and pull out the hemos and don't have to worry about dropping and losing anything. I did leave my first leatherman tool out in Colorado when I took it off the lanyard to clean some trout for dinner and left them on the lake bank. I believe mine is an Orvis, I gave them out as door prizes to our flyfishing club members here at work at our Christmas party one year. It only has 1 snap type clasp is the only draw back, I would probably prefer one that has 3 or more separate snaps.

I throw plastic baits on flyrods all the time in ponds and streams even on my 3 & 4 wts. I use a plain hook and not the lead head that usually comes with a pack of grubs. If I need weight I use the #6 & #8 split shot used for flys. The plastic crawfish are a lot cheaper than the tied patterns (less than a $1.00 for 4). I know the flyfishing purist bash me sometimes but I just like to catch fish on a fly rod.

Got to the parking lot last night about midnight thought it would be crowded since there was no water running, but not a single car in by #2. Headed straight below rebar and caught a bow on the first cast with an olive PMS. Was fishing with my son Joel and his friend Clint who was using an ultra light with a 2" black and gold Rapala, he hooked one on his second cast but did not land it. I caught 4 on the first 8 cast, thought it was going to be an outstanding night, but things slowed down after the cloud cover went away. Joel and Cling finally switched rods and Joel landed a few on the ultralight. Biggest fish of the night were 2 bows pushing 18" on PMS and pine squirrel and one over 16" on the Rapala. On the fly rod it did not matter if you drifted it, stripped it and once I caught one on a tangled backcast. I will be back tonight around midnight again. Henry

Got to the parking lot about midnight expecting to see a lot of cars since the water was off, not a single car by #2. Went straight to the tail end of rebar fishing with my son Joel and his friend Clint. First cast fish on with olive PMS. Clint was using a small Rapala black & gold about 2 inches long and hooked up on his second cast but didn't land it. I caught 4 fish on eight casts thought it was going to be an outstanding night, they were hitting on the drift, the strip and even hooked one on a tangled backcast but things slowed down after the cloud cover disappeared, probably should have switched colors but fingers were to stiff to tie on something else. Biggest of the night was 2 bows pushing 18" on PMS and a pine squirrel and Clint landed one over 16 on the Rapala, Joel and Clint finally switched rods and Joel hooked a few on the utlra light before we called it a night about 2:30. ICE in the guides was a big problem from the time we got there, also had a problem of the slack line that I had already stripped in, freezing together. Will be back tonight sometime around midnight again. Henry

Maybe Trav needs to put down his digital scales and pull out a digital camera, seeing is believing. I have fished with Leonard many times and caught hundreds of fish with him and so has many others on this board and don't need to see pics of his fish to believe it when he says he catches a 15+ lb fish. Fishmore, hope to meet up with you again and thanks for the compliment. I know we didn't meet up until you were leaving but thanks to Leonard for introducing us. Henry

It's not that expensive when you tally up the end result Orvis waders $149 Orvis boots 49 used Sage 4wt 100 Battenkill reel 98 wonderline (ebay) 25 vest 25 _______________________ ~$450 A good night of 50+ fish = priceless The above is my normal setup I use, since I am an addict I have a Browning 8'3wt that I paid $40 with a Browing Citori reel $40, a 7'9" Berkley 6wt $28, 8' 8wt Heddon Challenger that someone gave my dad that I just added a Loomis large arbor reel $190, an extra 3wt Crystal River reel $20. Once hooked on flyfishing next comes fly tying, one addiction leads to another when will it end.

Hey you know me I would trade a calm clear night with a few fish for a cold, cloudy, windy, rainy night with a lot of fish. HC

I would try off Phils dock and if no luck go to Fall Creek dock, it is hard to find but it is upstream from Lillys. You have to turn in by Sunterra which is on the way to the dam,it is just down from the trophy area. We caught limits last weekend using power bait, there were a couple of other guys that were catching more than there limit. White/pink, white/char, white/orange, seemed to work best.

I will be getting in late but should be on or in the water by midnight. Also will be fishing on and off through Monday. HC

Hey Zach, since you placed in the money tourny on the Illinois does that make you have to enter the "pro" division? And with that budjet you should be able to fly anywhere you want. LOL HC

I was fishing with my dad and uncle of the Fall Creek dock last summer when a bald eagle caught a brown trout about 15 inches and flew up and landed in a tree just above us. The whole time he sat there small birds kept diving on him but he would not let go. He sat there about 15-20 minutes with the other birds swooping and diving until he headed down stream with the trout still in its grasp. I don't guess the eagles are subject the minimum length limit on the browns. I did take a picture with my cell phone but you have to know what you are looking at to know it was a bald eagle with a fish.

What area of the lake are you seeing this in? The upper end toward the dam has warmer water temps now than during the summer. The temps during the summer were mid to upper 40's now they are in the lower 50's. If it is temps that are trigger the spawn in the upper areas this may be the reason.

Battenkill with disc drag works great and less than $90 now. On the higher end I just got a Loomis 8wt large arbor, haven't used it much but it held 300yds of 30lb gel spun and 105 ft of WF8.

Phil, beaversbendflyshop.com has a message board similiar to this one only on a lot smaller scale. It is sponsored by Sid Ingram of Beavers Bend Fly shop on the Lower Mountain Fork river in Southeast Oklahoma, I am a member of it as well. It has forums for lower mountain fork area, other waters, general angling, fly recipes. Sid also posts a weekly trout fishing report for the LMF, this is the same report that he submits to the papers Tulsa World and Daily Oklahoman. It may be helpful for anyone planning a trip down that way. The LMF is a tailwater river below Broken Bow dam so generation is likely at some point during the day. I try and mention Ozark Anglers on it for people that say they are planning a trip to Taney or the White. Henry

Thom, looks like when I get back from Georgia I will have several weeks of tree clean up at my house. Still without electricity since Saturday night. I tried my new 8 wt G. Loomis reel that I got the day before we fished together in November, the other night mated to my old Heddon Challenger rod and it was casting like a dream until ice started freezing in the guides. Hope to make it back up not to long after New Years. Glad you are keeping their lips sore in my absence. HC

The ladder fished very well all fall LOL, just look at everyones night pics. I only made one trip during the day to look at the ladder and watch the fish jump from the lower pool into the next pool, didn't see any in the upper pools though. I guess we will see the benefits in 2 or 3 years.

If you weere thinking about an 870 go with the 870 express it goes for around $200. It is the serious hunters choice, it has the matte finish, vent rib, interchangable chokes, it just doesn't have the fancy finish of the regular 870. I never thought I would like a pump until I got one.

Thom, glad you made it back to Taney, one of these nights you, Leonard and me are going to have to get together again and do some night fishing. Henry