Dave Cook

I'm curious if the CAFO was within the area that received up to 5" of rain yesterday. And if so, did they keep all their poop?

You are going to have to scratch me from the list. Hopefully, I'll be back on schedule next year. Have a happy and warm New Year's Day!

If the bottom line of the minimum flow is to improve fishing for everyone, then this wader will adapt and love the results. I just hate saying goodbye to so many good spots that will become inaccessible to waders. I just hope there will be data from MDC to show how it goes. When they changed the rules at Taneycomo to create the trophy area, my impression of the fishing was that it was greatly improved and that was before any empirical data was published by MDC. It was that noticeable. So let's hope for a similar boost in the quality of fishing.

I just can't get over the feeling the minimum flow levels are designed to benefit boaters over waders. Maybe it's because I'm a wader.

A lot of words and a bit hard to digest. A hot July does not mean a hot annual (12 month) temperature increase. Spring temperatures tend to reflect the annual average temperature. If you want to see what a hot July can do to a spring feed stream, we've had several hot & dry summers here in Missouri over the last 10 - 15 years. Plenty of data and stories to sample from. I get the impression that TU wants us to jump on some global warming bandwagon. I don't know enough about TU to know if that is the case but if it is, they can start their parade without me. One should be able to make a case for good conservation practices without waving their gloabl warming flag.

I'm a big MU fan. The first game was close. The second game was tied at the half but it didn't seem close. OU's defense seemed to be in control of the line of scrimage and in the end they whipped MU. It was a good game and the best team won. OU gets my vote for #1 in the country. Too bad they don't have each other scheduled for next year. So here's hoping both make it to the Big 12 championship next year.

They do have electric. I assume it's on but sometimes it gets shutoff at the main junction if no one is there. Better check with the owners. The water system is drained for the season. You have to go to a restroom to get water.

You might want to try your winter camping at Circle J campground, it's between the two park entrances. I started winter camping there about 15 years ago and eventually turned into a year round camping resident. The camping on the hillside is warmer than down in the valley and if you want to pick up some local TV you can get reception up there. There is a restroom under the cafe and the cafe is open this winter. Their number is 417-532-4430.

Congratulations, that's a beautiful little keeper.

I sent a premier rod into them a few years ago. I had broken the tip section. They replaced it and sent my rod back. I followed the instructions on their web page. I even wrote them letter and told them how I acidently broke it and it was all my fault. You do have to send them shipping and handling money to get it returned but their charge is a lot less than most rod makers. http://www.stcroixrods.com/content.asp?id=...esources#labels

Thanks for the posting. I was rather discouraged from the fact that the 911 call from the night before didn't seem to have any results.

The giggers were back Saturday night about the same time 7 pm. I would guess they time their trip to the evening release from Table Rock Dam. If there were a number to call that would do any good, I would.

I would hate to see any dredging if they do it like they do in the trout parks. The job they have done there is like taking a chainsaw into surgery. Now doing something to help the DO, that would be a great benefit.

As Leonard said, no weight, just squirrel and hook for the weight. For colors, I like anything that is olive. I also like natural and brown but this one was olive.

I fished early Sat from 4:30 - 7:30 am with the pine squirrel sculpin (unweighted, size 8) from the rebar hole to the big hole. I was using an 8wt rod with a 3x tippet on a 9-10’ leader on a floating line. Most casts were quartered downstream. I would let the fly hang a long time directly below me. I picked up one rainbow at the rebar, and then two more down through the narrows. They were the “average” size in that 14- 15” range. I waded on down at the big hole and I picked up another 12 rainbows, still the average size and one brown that was about 12”. Morning came and I tried a glowball. This was after I snapped off my sculpin on a hard strike from an average fish. He was nice enough to come out of the water and give me a grin before he disappeared. I Should have checked my leader and retied my fly at some point before it was lost. Anyway, first cast with the glowball, the cork went down like it was a big fish. I set the hook and the fish felt heavy. It fought hard staying close to the bottom for a while but I wore it out and brought up this beautiful brown 20 inch ... redhorse. I was sure it was a brown trout. I then tried a crackelback for about 20 minutes and caught another small brown and a rainbow and then it was time for me to call it a day and rejoin the family for the non-fishing Branson tourist attractions. Taneycomo is already full of big brown trout. They were jumping out of the lake all night but at first light they put on quite a display. I saw many fish in the air that were in the 20 – 25 inch range.

John, thanks for the flies and all the fishing information you share. I was fishing the North Fork Sunday morning and fishing was slow with my wooley, so I tried the green butt and had a brown hit it right away. Unfortunately it wasn't a bragging sized fish but I did get immediate results. Your gaurantee is intact.

Congratulations Jeremy, maybe Summer will take you fishing more often. Thanks for posting such a detailed report. I was at the conclave this weekend and saw your pictures at Blue Ribbon. I'll have to print this off and take it to our club meeting tonight. We may all be tying wooley buggers tonight.

The Missouri Trout Fishermen's Association (MTFA) Kansas City Chapter is starting it's fall fly tying classes for beginners, Monday, Sept 10, 7pm at Fleming Park meeting hall. Classes will run for six consecutive Monday nights. Fleming Park is a Jackson County park located between the cities of Lee's Summit and Blue Springs. For more information, here is the web link http://www.geocities.com/kcmtfa/flytying.htm or you can email me (cookd@umsystem.edu) if you have questions. The cost is only $10 a person which includes your membership into the MTFA - Kansas City Chapter. MTFA was founded over 50 years ago in St. Louis. There are currently chapters in Springfield, Kansas City & St. Louis.

Don, that was the first Egg I'd seen. It's an impressive cooker and I understand about the weight. I plan on bringing a pot of chili. That fits the slogan of "less time cooking, more time fishing".

Wild seahorses couldn't keep me away. Will the "Egg" be there again?

Yeah, primacord, I got that part but you didn't say which color. Dave

Dooh!!!!!!! Treble stinger in a wooley; there goes another secret.

Thanks for meeting up with us Leonard. I was a little rusty on the night routine, this was my first trip since March. So fishing for me Friday night was a little slow but a lot of fun. Saturday during the day, Darrell and I did pretty good down by the MDC boatramp. Saturday night we fished the big hole. You could hear a lot of fishermen in the area landing fish. We landed about 18 fish at the big hole then took a break and tried the riffle between outlet # 1 & 2. We picked up another 7 there. All our fish were rainbows and all of them were fat and good fighters. No lunkers, but a nice size on average. Just a couple of nice nights of getting back into the groove.

There are many acres of debris (trees) resting against the Truman Dam. If you are into driftwood - here's your chance.

I like those micro-lite rods too. For close-in or sight fishing a short (5 1/2 - 6') spinning rod is what I use. For long drifts I have a custom made 7' ultra lite that I had made just for Taneycomo. The long spinning outfits that Phil has are the closest thing to it. If I were shopping for a rod now, Phil's rods would win - hands down.