Wayne SW/MO

Nice Kee, glad it works for you. I have heard that they bought the old molds, I think it's possible, but I haven't really examined a later Tarpon to see if they have changed them. The 12' SOT is by far the best short boat for tracking and upstream paddle. Between the it line stability and the ease of paddling with a double they are hard to beat. It's also my favorite cold weather craft. Cold water kills, but with the stability of the SOTs and a pair of neoprene's for warmth I never worry about November on the rivers.

I think what you do would be the way to go in some of your waters that see a late morning aluminum hatch. I think you could make an all day, if you wanted to, on the small water. I think when time and distance allows, fishing hard at the optimum time is probably better than trying to drag out a whole day. I think it's human nature to slack off when the heat is high and a pseson has gone hard in it for a long spell.

I would avoid an indicator on a small shallow creek. Not only can they look unnatural and can make you fly look unnatural, but they can throw a shadow near your presentation. There are ways to alert you to a take, it just takes concentration.

Well there are laws about night lighting on lakes, at least where motor powered boats are allowed. As for the howl, if it is indeed the scuppers the cradles probably won't help. I would cover the scuppers with duct tape and see if it is indeed them. If not one of the fairings available to divert air up and over the boat might work.

Don't forget that weighted nymphs don't move like unweighted and real nymphs do in currents. Most flies have enough weight in the hook and the water soaked materials to get down in smaller creeks. Another option is to add a small amount of lead wire laid across the top of the hook rather than wrapped. a small piece of .010 will help without driving it to close to the bottom.

Fox it's hard to protect a river from over use if you're one of those making money from it. I'm not much for too much government over site, but the agency who's job it is to protect it renting canoes on a river being destroyed by overuse is government incompetence at the least.

We were on the PM in October when we went, if my memory is correct.

I know it is, but it always surprised me that the James didn't have much more traffic than the Gasconade in spite of being so close to Springfield. I guess the memory of their last toilet flush makes them wary. I always smile when I think of a post many years ago by a fellow in regards to some algae growth in the Pothole. He said it was because of the sewer plant at Rockaway Beach. The insane part of the assumption was that Rockaway wasn't the last town before the pothole, Ozark Beach is, Rockaway has a new plant and this clown lived in the Finely watershed, one of many in Missouri and Arkansas that are in the watershed feeding the Pothole. He took great offense that someone would think him wrong.

The James looks empty compared to the Niangua about noon on Saturday . Most of the better rivers are best fished on Thursday and Friday during the summer peak.

I don't know how many on here remember the Heddon Baby Hellbender, but it was a killer when it was dug into the bottom or in brush.

I'm sure the Pungo will be the best choice. It was designed more for stillwater and the Pamlico was more of a river design for Wilderness. The James doesn't really have anything tricky enough to require pinpoint maneuvering. I have a 13' solo canoe that will turn on a dime and is very nimble, it's also a pain to take up a long hole or paddle in a lake because it wants to respond every time the paddle touches the water. I also have a 12' Tarpon and it reacts differently and takes positive strokes to get it to respond, but it also flows smoothly on stillwater and still has enough maneuverability for most Ozark streams.

I always wonder if fish like that actually grow to that size in the river, or are washed over a pond dam during unusually high water? It always seems questionable to me that in the time it would take to grow that size that someone wouldn't get the opportunity to put a knife to it. Beautiful fish and I hope someone else gets a chance to put her in an album and send her on her way.

What was the flow like down there Joe?

There are 2 launches east of Forsyth. You can take 76 east from Branson or F to 160 north on 65. River Run COE park is on the SW corner of the 76 bridge.

Like others have said digging a lure can be very effective when done right with the proper lure. I always found that something with a wide bill worked best and in dark colors. I think the trick is in concentration and feel. If you hesitate for a nano second when you feel the lure hit bottom they will generally keep good contact without making too much of a racket. I think the idea might be to create a tick rather than a riot.

Well it's a good thing y'all weren't at Bennett over the 4th, unless you like opening day.

My favorite 5 baits when I was a youngster was a red and white Lucky 13. It was an awesome bait. The Lucky 13, the Bass Oreno, the River Runt and the Midget Digit were great producers for their time.

I think it really comes down to water depth and harvest. I don't think Missouri has either. Too many streams are filled in with gravel from too much love and there isn't a lot of attention paid to seasons, limits, or length limits.

My son and I used 7 and 8 wts and I don't see why a 6 wouldn't work. Remember its about the fly and we did best on a berlap fly that was compatible with a 6 wt. We used running line and more of a chuck and duck to handle the heavy split shot..

I don't know that 5 are even needed. Truth is for me if I'm down to #3 I'm all but stumped. 1.- Gitzit, any color as long as it's pumpkinseed or watermelon 2.- Jig, generally without trailer. Home tied with spinner skirt highlights embedded in a bucktail skirt. 3.- Shallow Shad Rap shad pattern. No shad in the rivers, but the smallies don't realize that. 4.-Sammie 85 or 100 5.-4" worm, black 5.-fluke 5.-spinnerbait 5.-Wart There are conditions though that I think warrant something for different conditions. I like a Sammie for topwater, but if you're hauling to the takeout a buzzbait is hard to beat.

Yeah, length is always an advantage on stillwater.

Al, come on, they are telling people what they will use to be legal. They won't do it for free, but will spend the money to ferret out and reprint every document using the now meaningless words and if they indeed have to go back to the 1800's it won't be cheap. Then the question is what will the people gain for the money spent? Will they gain enough from it to offset the loss of the funds somewhere else? I can't agree with you Al because I think it is petty and meaningless to bow to every chirp from someone who believes they are be treated unfairly in their mind. If this were virtually cost free it would be one thing, but to spend the money they will spend expunging all the state documents and I would assume the other governments will be required to follow suit and change all their county and municipal documents. What do the taxpayers gain?

hey Oneshot, was in your neighborhood this last week. I'll try to catch you next time we are up there, probaly week after next. What's you road again,Meadowlark?

I always seem to find myself wondering where everyone went? I thought this was about a legislative bunch of morons elected in Washington state that thought their constituents were so dumb they need guidance in terminology that they had use since they learned to speak. That these elected official thought themselves so superior that they needed to ignore more pressing problems to aid the citizenry in there daily dialect. It's these kind of "Superior beings" that slow humanity down and contrary to common belief they don't all follow one political thought. There is no two political thoughts actually, there are just two offered.

aarthur fishing here is like everywhere, it depends on being at the right place at the right time. There are no secrets, but you would probably do better paddling upstream on the James an throwing grubs worked on the bottom. Add other lures after you fell you can do all that can be achieved with the grubs. Colors should be the one you think will be the hardest for the fish to see, they don't find there food standing out.