strangercreek

Is this legal in Missouri? I have been fishing Bean Lake and even though there are monster common carp in the shallows, the asian carp are everywhere. I am curious about eating one after reading about it and people saying the meat is actually really good, not to mention I want to kill some of them (not that I could make a dent). I was out last thursday and saw thousands of them.

I guess in a perfect world, nobody gets hurt and the 2.4 million original acres of wetlands (in SE MO), streams, sloughs come back now that we know more about the benefits of wetlands. Interesting writing on the subject. http://mdc.mo.gov/landwater-care/wetlands-management/wetland-values As much as I enjoy chasing gar in the shallows and just spending time in those areas, I really wish there were more wetlands.

I don't get it. I don't see a trail from the road to where the truck sits. Was he driving along the bank?

I just bought a new bass hunter ex (2 man boat, 9 /12 ft) with a minn kota endura 38# motor. Can anyone give me some input or suggestion on what size battery would be best (just for getting around, no fish finders or anything else). I plan to use it to get to different spots with my fly rods, but might want to do some trolling as well.

I know some people catch them with bait or snag them. I have only chased them with a fly rod. I don't have anything against using bait or lures though, but not big on the snagging deal, I guess it just isn't my thing.

Mingo Wildlife Refuge has Alligator Gar as well. They have reintroduced them. After fishing with Craig Phillips from Flatslander Guide Service I have found that Mustad Circle hooks work well. I don't mess with rope flies. I hate it when I see gar thrown up on the bank because somebody caught it on "accident". Give me a break. Some of these people would probably throw and endangered spotted gar on the bank as well because they can't tell the difference. I spent a ton of time chasing these fish (long and short nose) and I personally think they are amazing. They can live in shallow, stagnant, water (ie the wetlands and refuges of NW Missouri), you can sight cast to them, they are aggressive, they get big, and they fight like hell in the environments where I catch them. I wouldn't call it "dumpster diving". Gar are an awesome fish.

I was sad to hear the news of Ray Fincke's passing, definitely a loss to the fishing community. I enjoyed talking with him at his shop. I walked into his shop this morning and my heart sank when I saw the sign on the door that he had passed on March 15th. http://www.kansascity.com/2011/03/19/2738610/ray-fincke-legendary-fishing-rod.html

The Wak is a fun river to fish. I finished off the year catching little Walleyes below the waterfall on a clouser. I know some big wipers and carp have been taken there also. It is still strange to me that the bigger wiper population is thought to be in Clinton yet the last two state record wipers were taken at the Perry spillway. I love fishing both spillways though. There are always gar visible in the Perry spillway as well. Regardless of being fun to catch (I have never caught one), I am not a fan of the asian carp. They seem to be a real nuisance, worse than any other invasive species. I hate to see them proliferate in the waters around here. While they might take flies they are serious plankton eaters, and due to their large numbers, that can't be a good thing. I know a couple of guys who tear them up with bows, but I doubt they are making a dent in the population. Wasn't there a company in Lousiana that was working with canning and selling them with some success? (It seems like I read that somewhere). The republican river below Milford in KS is an awesome river to sight fish for roughs (carp, gar, buffalo) and there are also nice smallmouth and wiper populations. The river is wadeable in several areas as well. I think NE and Central Kansas are gaining popularity with Fly Fisherman more all the time. You have several lakes with nice spillways, as well as large flats which are great for sight fishing. I know I have basically lost interest in trout fishing over the last couple of years due to being busy and not being able to drive to the Ozarks, yet I can drive an hour and be targeting big fish, plus it takes pressure off the Ozark Streams (I am actually less than 30 min from Clinton and Perry, also both awesome places for mountain bikers if you are into that )

I believe there is some type of outdoor program going on for a few days at Cabelas (Kansas City Kansas) in the next week or so (sort of like the Bass Pro spring classic or whatever). Craig and Sodie are going to be there putting on a couple of programs and the furled leaders might be one of them (last I heard from Craig they had not decided which ones yet). Just and FYI if anyone ones to check it out. I would say they will be doing their program on "do it yourself fly fishing the Florida keys" as well.

I have been using these leaders since fishing with Craig Phillips on his Skiff in Kansas back in September. They are cheap to make, and turn over a fly well.

Cabelas pack rat vest, medium, very nice vest, still sold on their website $35 http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fishing/Fly-Fishing/Mens-Fishing-Vests-Chest-Fanny-Packs%7C/pc/104793480/c/104721480/sc/103928580/Cabelas-PackRat8482-Fly-Vest/750394.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Ffishing-fly-fishing-mens-fishing-vests-chest-fanny-packs%2F_%2FN-1104263%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_103928580%3FWT.mc_id%3D58000000001388516%26WT.srch%3D1%26WT.tsrc%3DPPC%26WT.z_mc_id1%3D111689448%26rid%3D20 Basspro White River spring creek check pack, $18 http://www.basspro.com/White-River-Fly-Shop-Spring-Creek-Technical-Chest-Pack/product/93606/-1334769 Basspro White River wader pants, large, never worn $25 (I would only buy these if you use bootfoot waders. The ankles seem to bulky for stocking foot waders, just my opinion) http://www.basspro.com/RedHead-Wader-Pants-for-Men/product/74134/-1225405 I didn't wear the wader pants as I didn't like them with stock foot waders and I replaced my vest and pack with Fishpond stuff. These items are about half of new price. The vest was used on 5 trips last year and thats it. The chest pack has been used for a while chasing carp and gar but is very clean (no stains, worn spots, tears, etc) I will figure out the cheapest shipping possible if interested.

Welcome to the forum. I envy any time you've been able to spend on the saltwater flats. Earlier this fall I got to chase some seatrout and red fish in the Indian River near Cocoa Beach (I think it was the Indian River?). No reds, only trout but what an awesome experience. I am hoping to go back a couple more times this winter. Gee, since seatrout spawn from april to september, maybe I should not have been fishing for them (kidding).

I'm not the person to ask but I know there is a wealth of info from Al Lindner (from fishing shows, pro tournaments, etc). I have seen him on alot of fishing shows finding smallies and walleye in big lakes. It looks like he might even have some books on the subject. Here is a link that might help http://www.amazon.com/dp/0929384504/ref=asc_df_09293845041318520?creative=395261&creativeASIN=0929384504&linkCode=asn&tag=section_book-20

There are very few situations in life that would not be improved by adding more cowbell. I think you would agree.

I missed the mention of Iron Maiden there. I have been listening to the Flight 666 double live CD. They still have a larger than life sound. Pretty cool that Bruce Dickinson flew the 757 (as captain) all over the world with the crew and 12 tons of equipment.

Widespread Panic, Legendary Shack Shakers, Ben Prestage, Ray Wiley Hubbard, Skynyrd, APB, John Lee Hooker,

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Very cool. They are definitely challenging and sight fishing is really rewarding (and different)

Well, should we start an argument about burning shoes with synthetic materials and the effects on the environment? (Just giving you a hard time Wheatenheimer)

yawn

A little off topic or out of your area but... I fished with Flatslander guide service at Milford Lake in Kansas a couple of weeks ago from a flats boat. We did see a couple of fish but I spooked them both. We then headed down to the Republican River (Milford spillway) on foot and sight casted lots of carp, gar, and drum. I also caught a few wipers and a decent smallie (decent population of them in that lake and river). It was similar to being in the Merrit Island area in Florida a week before, casting from a platform, the guide polling and helping to spot fish. It is definitely worth doing, and very reasonable. Their website is www.flatslander.com. I fished with Craig Phillips. He is a great guy. He said they have found carp up in the shallows clear into November depending on the weather, how early winter comes, etc.

Has anyone actually used one? I am curious about the drag. I just bought a 6 wt for warm water and was looking at a Sage 1800 (same drag I believe) or a Konic. I have two Lamson Radius reels I really like but I've heard good things about the Sage reels also. FYI, there is a listing on Kansas City Craig's list from a lady who was a warm water guide and she has a bunch of rods for sale. I bought a brand new 6wt Ticr with full handle/fighting but from her for $150. She lives in Lawrence KS.

I found this auction on Ebay to add to my collection of old leaders (all my old ones are gut leaders new in the package but these are dupont nylon). This supposedly came from a hardware store that was storing them, possibly dating back to 1940s (this seller still has two of them available). I have done some research on "The Weber Lifelike Fly Co" and have found little info other than they started in the 1920s and ended in 1985. Even though this item has "vintage look" packaging I am wondering if it is actually late 70s or early 80s. I'm hoping to hear from someone on here that has been around a while that remembers seeing this style of packaging in tackle shops back in the day (70s 80s). I did purchase on and the item is flawless, very little discoloration and perfect other than the adhesive on the back being dried out. I did some checking and it looks like nylon leaders started coming about in the 1938 time frame. http://cgi.ebay.com/Vtg-1940s-Weber-Du-Pont-Fly-Leader-Line-Ad-Card-MINT-/160487601146?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item255dce73fa There are some flies, rods, from this same company for sale out there I managed to find this also, which is VERY tempting, http://www.prices4antiques.com/country-store/display-showcases/Display-Case-Weber-Lifelike-Fly-Co-Countertop-3-Drawers-Glass-Top-27-inch-A095274.htm I hope someone has some info or has researched some of these old companies, or likes collecting old fly shop stuff that is still in the packaging like me.

I think you just eventually gravitate to what feels best for you personally. I went through the fast rod stage and last year went back to more moderate rods. I got a St Croix Avid and a Sage Launch....I'm happier with these two rods than I have been with any other piece of gear. I decided to work on casting and double hauling correctly and I find I'm able to beat the wind with them and make long casts when needed. They just feel right for my casting style.

likewise on the Launch. I have an 8 Wt that I used the flats around Cocoa Beach this weekend and it was windy, casted nicely...not as mushy as some people make the rod out to be. I don't understand the problem with the color either.