strangercreek

Might have been bigfoot...

Folks are probably already aware of this, but for those who are conflicted about it (including myself), you can have replicas made from photographs (in specific details to the actual fish). There are several of them but one is http://americanfishtaxidermy.com/. Personally I have not landed that trophy yet (trout anyway), but that is an entirely different issue

That is sad. There is a reason people should not have exotic animals. I guess they think its cool. If you have the facilities, expertise, etc, then I guess I could excuse it, but it seems that is usually not the case. The people from Turpentine Creek could probably back that up. just my .02

There is someone selling a White River (Bass Pro) CV2, 7'9" #3 # Piece rod on Ebay for $20 (that is where the bid is right now anyway, shipping is $10). Someone in Plant City, Florida is selling it. The rod looks good in the picture. This is a $150 rod retail. Auction ends tomorrow. Just an FYI for anyone looking... http://cgi.ebay.com/LOOKS-NEW-WHITE-RIVER-...1QQcmdZViewItem

Thanks. I also stopped by Cabela's and looked at some blanks and I see what Dano is talking about.

If I purchase a graphite rod blank, are the ferrules already built into the blank? When looking at rod components in catalogs and online, I don't see them listed anywhere. I have not taken a close look at any new blanks so I am not sure. I am going to use a TFO TICR 9' 5wt blank.

Kansas state record is 22.39. Perry Lake spillway on a jig. Last summer. Lots of big Wipers in NE Kansas lakes.

I don't subscribe to this particular magazine anymore but I look at their site sometimes and found this article today. I thought some others might like it. http://www.flyfisherman.com/skills/jmnymphing/

I do a great deal of this out in the field and have been using a product called "Ontrack Recovery". Unlike some of the other programs, it restores files and folders under their original names (it also performs some other functions). There should be a trial version available, otherwise the main product is around $1,000. It does a very good job though. www.ontrack.com

I disagree about the free enterprise thing. I don't believe the oil industry resembles free enterprise at all...

Here is a link you might find interesting, or might already know about. http://www.flatslander.com/

The only size I have been tying is 1/124 oz, black, olive, white, ginger, and coral (I use the coral mainly in warm water around home for bluegill, crappie, rockbass, etc)

hitting on Gonefishin's comment about being sneaky putting it on a statewide ballot. This is a good point. I was down that way last weekend and recall a billboard that read "We voted for yours, now vote for ours". I assume this is geared to the Missouri side KC crowd....

I haven't tried that. When you pull the ends are you actually breaking the maribou or just pulling out altogether?

cool pictures. This is a little off the topic but I was setting up a network at a client's home office the other day and he is apparently an avid hunter. He had a framed illustration of past duck stamps on the wall. It was really cool, they went all the way back to the 1940s. Same type of deal, each one had a very distinct image on it. I would like to find something like that with the trout stamps.

I have been tying micro jigs and wanted to get some opinions. Last trip down to Taney I was using a /124 oz when the water came up and not getting many bites. I trimmed the maribou at the bottom to just below the hook (straight across) and it seemed to help. Is there any general length guideline to go by when tying these things?

good luck. Whites/stripers/hybrids are a blast. Feel free to ask me any questions... I don't know that I will be any help,(I might hinder your fishing) but I'll try.

Same here, once I decided to use micro jigs, tungsten beadheads etc., I am more successful during generation. Saturday afternoon I took a nice 17 in rainbow on a 1/124 oz white micro jig (I don't usually fish jigs but have been trying them more after reading some of Phil's posts).

I don't want to see it happen either, but where there's big money, there is corruption, payoffs, etc. If the big money slobs want it bad enough they will make it happen unfortunately. Same thing happened in KC years ago. Some people don't realize that the actual monetary "social" costs are more than the revenue generated (even if given to the schools). When I say "social" costs I am still talking about actual dollars: increased crime, lost work time, bankruptcies and financial hardships faced by the families of gambling addicts, law enforcement, drugs, whores, etc. etc. etc. (saying the costs are more might be exaggerating, but very high none the less). Just what SW MO needs to go along with the ever evolving meth war!

I went to Bass Pro Sat. evening after fishing just to check it out and could not believe the arrogant parking jobs. Walking into the store I counted 6 cars and trucks that were blatanly doubleparked. These were vehicles that would easily fit into one parking space. That lot was crowded to begin with and then these folks decide they need to take two spots. An open comment to anyone that parks this way... if you are worried about door dings, then park down at the end of the lot and make the long walk, it is not going to kill you. The only good excuse would be a handicapped person that could not find an open handicap spot, otherwise there is no excuse for parking like an a...hole.

I can find Wipers in creeks around home after there has been a great deal of run off from local lakes.

I am looking at breathable waders and wonder how they are in cold weather. My 3.5mm neoprene's keep me warm (besided the trapped moisture thing) but they are almost miserable in the summer unless I am wading waste deep which helps me stay cool (once out of the water they become an inferno). Is it possible to stay warm in breathables during sub 50 & 40 degree weather? I have heard they are alot more comfortable and that one usually doesn't want to go back to neoprenes. Thanks

jOrOb, I believe I have the same exact rod (South Bend Trophy Tamer 8 1/2 6/7). This was my first fly rod I did make some modifications. I agree with Flem though. A lighter line will definitely help (this rod is slow enough that a 4wt is realistic). If you look at the pic I posted, I removed the old downlocking plastic reel seat and replaced it with an uplocking graphite reel seat from Cabela's. I believe the kit was around $20. I used a small hack saw to cut a vertical line on the old reel seat until it broke loose, then installed the new reel seat. You need a spacer to go over the butt to make the new parts fit (I used a small piece of plastic tubing). The kit includes the fast setting epoxy as well. The ring at the top of the reel seat will be exposed (designed that way) when you finish, but I hand carved a another cork ring and placed it on the end of the handle, covering the top of the reel seat and lengthening my handle by one cork ring (this rod has a pretty short handle to begin with). I use this rod mainly for warmwater fishing (bluegill, bass, etc). If you look at the pic closely you can see the slightly different cork ring at the bottom of the handle.

Thanks for the tips. That is a good point about the fly actually being the weight. I never really thought about it like that. I know it makes casting easier.

I used to fish bead head scuds (vinyl ribbing with tungsten bead) with much success but haven't had much luck with that lately so I have been tying scuds with dubbing, raffia, etc. My question is, do they work better unweighted with a splitshot or weighted with lead? I seem to have a slow streak on nymph fishing lately.