Steve Smith

I'll pitch in too. How about some black woolies and I'll throw in some leaders too?

Dano; I will be at the river all day most likely. Those fish haven't been bothered for ten days now, and they'll be ready to fight. I always put aside opening day for C&R. We catch fish until we're just sick of catching them. I'm sure Tim will have his shop open tomorrow, so if he goes to Taney, it will be early. I think his shop will be open 10 - 2 PM. If you ever get the opportunity to fish with Tim, you'll never regret it. That guy is awesome on the river. In about five minutes, he had me in fish on Taney. He set me up with a dropper fly setup that was just the ticket. I'll show you when I get a chance.

I've never fished Bennett during C&R, but bead head Ginger on ginger woolies do well along with green San Juans, chamois worms, and white thread midges work well for me on Roaring River. I start with cracklebacks first just to see if they are looking up. There are several fly shops around Bennett that probably post the best flys to use. I'd start by Googling up some sites.

Dano; I'm fishin' man. I put in for vacation that day months ago. There will be a couple of friends with me, and Tim Homesley from Tim's Fly Shop maybe. Well, Tim's a friend too, but he may be heading for Taneycomo for a while that morning. He's been catching some nice fish, and I mean lots of them. When he says he caught 30 -40 fish on Taney, it's the truth because I've seen him do it too many times. He's been helping me do better on Taney, but he's got that sixth sense. Come on down if you can. Gonefishin'; my gravy ain't got no lumps, but it will stick to the walls. It'll do the same in your belly.

Phil; the horn goes off at 8:00 sharp, so I would guess 7:45 or so. Stop in if you're around

Terry; after slaving over a hot stove makin' [canned] biscuits and sausage gravy Friday morning, I don't think I'll have the strength to deliver. Seriously, if you can make it, I'm sure we would enjoy your company. I can't make homemade biscuits, but I can throw together some mean gravy that makes up for it. You can use it for construction glue to build a house. It must be good 'cause there never any left, and that's a good thing. The last thing I want is for that stuff to setup in the skillet. Tell the boss you have to visit Dr Smith.

At Roaring River, some of us local folks will be down by the old dam in the Fly Only Zone with biscuits and sausage gravy at 7 AM this Friday morning for the opener. We’ll have bowls, napkins, salt & pepper, and utensils. There will be plenty to eat for anyone that wants to come down and join us… just let me know with a PM. All you have to bring is an appetite and something to drink. If it’s raining or threatening rain, we’ll switch to one of the shelters in the trophy area. Anyone from the OAF that will be in the park is welcome to join us. Look for a cream color Explorer with “OGRAT1” plates in campground #3. I stopped down by Roaring River Park at lunch time today and the water is low and really clear with the lack of rain. There are a lot of stockers right now in the upper end, and I will check out the lower fly only zone tomorrow and report. I didn’t see many brooders like last year when construction was being done on the hatchery. Of course, they may release some big bruisers tomorrow… don’t know. The water is really low along with flow, so the leaves are thick and stagnant on the water. Light 6 – 7X tippets and the aggravation of hooking leaves will be a given.

Yes, everyone regardless of age has to have a trout stamp to fish during the C&R season. Under 16 does not need a license, but they do need a stamp.

A couple of things… 1. It was announced last week in Cassville’s paper that Roaring River will be open Friday through Monday this year for the Catch and Release season [four days] starting next Friday November 10th from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. 2. Anyone who fishes during the C&R season in any Missouri State trout park will be required to have a trout stamp regardless of their age. I saw too many family outings ruined because they thought a trout stamp wasn’t required for those too young or old to need a fishing license. That’s not the case.

That’s pretty good Terry. I had a relative that saw some ducks on his pond one day, and snuck down to the bank to pop one for supper. He was successful in sneaking up, but when he jumped up and shot he realized the kids had taken his best wooden decoys to the pond. He got two of them with one shot. The decoys that is… not his kids. Now, talking about things that go bump in the night. Several years ago, I decided to go bass fishing at Big M one evening. Launching my bass boat, I noticed the water patrol and several rescue boats searching the water. Some poor soul had fallen from his boat, drowned, and they were searching for the body. When I asked if they needed help, the patrolman said the body would probably not surface until after dark. I fished until almost midnight, and decided to call it a night. I was just rounding the bend at the marina when I hit something with the boat thinking “my God was that the guy that drowned that I just hit?” I dropped the trolling motor, got the spot light and saw something very big with an eye looking back at me so I slowly eased up. Within a few feet I leaned over, and the water exploded. I had hit and stunned a big catfish that came back to life just as I leaned over the gunwale. Terry, if you think you can fill your jeans, you should have been with me that night. Oh yea, the guy was found alive and well in a cove after I had left.

You’re going to get all kinds of opinions on this one. I agree with Terry on intentional snagging going against my grain. I just don’t see the sport in that at all, but that too just my opinion. I don’t think there will be any hard set rules, but if the fish is big and has to struggle, I break it off. If the fish is small enough to manhandle quickly, I remove the hook. A good friend, Tim Homesley [Tim’s Fly Shop] will break off any fouled fish immediately. Tim is one of the best fly fishermen I have ever met, and he can flat catch them. I saw him foul hook a BIG brown once. As soon as he realized the fish was fouled, he immediately broke it off despite the fact it was a nice sized brown. No questions asked. Again, it is personal preference. I only used barbless hooks, so it is going to come out really quickly. And, there won’t be any more line than when you break off a fish caught conventionally. The bottom line is I don’t think Okiefly or Terry is wrong as long as the fish is unharmed or if you’re going to keep it. There’s my two cents.

Terry; don't you dare stop the comic relief stuff. You crack me up man.

I don't have a problem at all with the site. I just click the "View New Post" button, and pick out what post I want to read. As far as "drama", any site open to the public will bring with a host of people with different viewpoints and interest. I think Phil has done a great job with this site, and I personally appreciate his work. Being in the technology field since mud, maintaining a site as nice as this one is a full time job, and a good one at that. Don't change a thing

You will only lip a big brown trout once.

I don't know about that Terry; the wife finds very little humor in finding loose hairs in her Starbucks grind. However, red fox expresso does sound interesting.

If you take the kid's to one of the trout parks during C&R, be sure you get a trout stamp for everyone. One is required during "no creel" season regardless of age. The seven bucks for an annual stamp is cheaper than a ticket. People often think that if a licenses is not required, neither is the stamp. That's not true.

Go to Walmarts and pick up a coffee bean grinder. It would be in the same area as the coffee pots. I believe the last one I purchased was under ten bucks, but you don't want to use it for anything but dubbing. I have mine clearly marked so by coffee beans are fuzzless [if that's a word].

July 12, 2008

On the subject of suckers... if the trout aren't cooperating, flyfish for those suckers. Use a Clouser crawdad pattern in tan or light brown. My size 10 work best for me. You want to fish shallow water with little current so you can sight fish them. Suckers for the most part won't hit and run, so just let the clouser drift to the bottom. When a sucker swims over the clouser, you have to guess if it has sucked up the fly. Lift the tip of your rod, and if you feel weight, set the hook and hang on. A two pound plus sucker will make your day. As a plus, browns like the clouser crawdad too.

Don; there is plenty of wading on the Beaver tailwater. The Dam store near the tailwater is a complete source of anything you need to know. Check out this site: http://www.beaverdamstore.com/

There have been a few times this year that I’ve had to go to 7X when there were blue bird skies and the water is slow and low. However, since I fish mostly early and late [before and after work], I do well with a furled leader and 6X Frog Hair fluorocarbon tippet. If I am fishing mid-day with a high sky, I switch to a mono leader and 7X green Maxima tippet. Since I use loop to loop connectors, changing leader types between the furled and mono just takes a few seconds. Working the shade will provide some forgiveness too as I cringe just thinking about 8X. To add to Tim’s fly suggestions, be sure to add San Juan’s in bright colors and chamois worms.

Have a good one Dano. Just 29 right? Again?

Put my name in too. I'll tie my version of G-Bugs.

Thanks for the recipe Don. I tried one last weekend and it was great. Just an extra tip... if you flatten the sausage out between a layer plastic wrap, it will keep the thickness even. After spreading the filling, just lift one edge of the plastic, and roll the sausage layer back up. A little PAM helps too.

My best friend and I were heading for a three day fishing incursion on the Mulberry in Arkansas for smallies. Just as we turned off on a dirt road at Ozone Arkansas, the radio broadcasted that there was a plane crash in New York City… that was it. Shortly we had dropped down in the Mulberry bottom and poor radio reception. We fished all morning at Wolf Pen access without any clue of what had just happened. At noon, we decided to grab lunch and a few flys at the Turner Bend store, and everyone was huddled in front of the television watching CNN. For whatever reason, it made me think of my Dad talking about his experience at Pearl Harbor, utterly helpless in an unprovoked attack. Our first thought, almost un unison was that somebody was going to get their butt kicked.