SeldomSeen

Here's a good article discussing the different access points and stretches: http://www.monett-times.com/story/1737385.html Wading is a good strategy with the current water conditions. I float-fished EE to Flat Creek Road last weekend and wouldn't attempt it again at current water levels.

Thanks for the responses everyone. I decided to hold off on the PDR until better water conditions are present. Opted for Flat Creek instead, which was probably no better. Lots of dragging through the riffles.

I've never floated the PDR and was wondering if anyone had a recommendation for minimum flow for float-fishing. Considering the Upper PDR, putting in around HWY 32. Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks!

Hi all, I dropped a White River Fly Shops leader wallet with quite a few fly-fishing leaders in it at the Greenfield access fourth of July weekend. (Sunday or Monday, I think.) If anyone on here found it and would like to return it, I would be most grateful. $10 reward for return. Thanks!

Sportsman's Factory Outlet has 'em for $21.99: http://www.sportsmansfactoryoutlet.com/servlet/the-2247/MegaBass-Vision-One-Ten/Detail

Put in at Aldrich yesterday (Tuesday) at 10 a.m. and headed up river past Orleans Bridge and on to Taylor Bridge. Graph showed water temp at the ramp to be 67, which was much higher than I had expected it to be. Water temp at Taylor was 63. Water was very turbid. Caught a couple small males and that was it. Graphed a lot of fish sitting on bottom of the channel and suspended between 10ft and the bottom, but could not get them to bite. Also, saw lots of activity on the shallow bank (spawning perhaps?) but no takers.

Thanks for the input, gentlemen. At this point I'm leaning toward the FlyStick in either 6 or 8 wt. (Thanks, Flysmallie, that one had escaped my radar.) I'm not saying that I think a 4 wt isn't enough rod to handle stream smallies, but, as ColdWaterFshr said, I just don't think that a 4 wt could handle the types of flies I'd be flinging.

Man, you guys are too fast! Terry, so you got to cast the Sage smallmouth rod and really liked it?

I've been considering the Sage Smallmouth series rod (link below). It is 7'11" and casts a 290 grain specialty line. Have you heard much about these? The Sage site does not say, but I've heard they are comparable to an 8 wt rod. Seems a bit big for small streams, I know, but I'm afraid those 4wts won't turn over bulkier crayfish patterns and other bass type flies. http://www.sageflyfish.com/dyn_prodlist.php?k=83540

I am curious to hear what others believe the IDEAL fly rod configuration (weight, length, action, etc.) is for smallmouth out of Ozark streams and rivers. I've tried my 8'6" 5wt and just feel it is too long to fish most of the small, tight streams around here. What sort of outfit do use when targeting bronzies with fly gear?

Sent you a PM

Thanks for the ideas folks. Damselfly, I think the plans at the link below might be along the lines of what you're describing. Anyhow, I think I will work from this design. Need to get on it soon too. If I don't get them off the floor of the garage soon, my wife is going to strangle me! http://www.gourmetcampers.com/html/canoe_storage_hoist.html

I have two Old Town 169s that I would like to store on the ceiling of a carport via a pulley system so theat they are easy to load and unload. Has anyone built one of these? I looked at some online, but they are kind of expensive, and their maximum weight is pretty close to the weight of a 169. Any ideas/pictures would be appreciated.

Met my Iowa fishing pal for our semi-annual Mark Twain Lake crappie session over Memorial Day Weekend. The crappie bite was hot in the morning and evening on two-inch tubes. We tried 1.5-inch crappie spiders and small grubs, both of which had the occasional taker, but nothing produced near as well as the slow, tantalizing fall of a two-inch tube paired with a 1/16-ounce jig. Most all of our fishing took place in area 22 of Indian Creek. (Map of Mark Twain: Bass Pro Shop Online Lake Maps ) While we boated approximately 150 fish per day, I should warn that only 1 in about 15 to 20 fish was what I would consider "keeper" length by Ozark reservoir standards. Mark Twain has a 15 fish per day limit, but it does not have a length limit. We actually saw people cleaning crappie in the launch area that could not have been more than 6 inches long!

Hayduke, I knew you were the hippie tree-hugger type, but a snake hugger too? By golly, if one of them swarthy serpents tries to stick his pointy fangs into one of these hairy white ankles, he's gonna catch the sharp side of a piece from "the nifty fifty" collection!