timsfly

I've been in touch with a Dept. of conservation biologist I know, and ask him just that question, if they had been seeing pickerel when they do there surveys. Water is a little low right now, not as bad as the past few years, the temps are staying in the low 60's except in a few spots where I have recorded temps in the high 60's but that was on those 100 degree days in the late afternoon, I wasn't fishing just taking temps and walking the stream bank. Fishing has been good.

I have fished crane for over 20 years, and have never caught grass pickerel before, I caught one on wednesday and one on thursday, anybody else ever catch one over there. I have caught several on flat creek, but never on crane, they fight pretty good for there size and their teeth are sharp. I caught one in the lower conservation area and the other one further down. Here are a couple of pics. http://s171.photobucket.com/albums/u294/ti...nt=goodpick.jpg http://s171.photobucket.com/albums/u294/ti...2ndpickerel.jpg

Hey can you guys give some prayers to a dear friend of mine, I know some of you already know him, he owned Backcountry Outfitters, for about 10 years and then he sold it to Michael. He is having a 4 bypass heart surgery friday afternoon, so all the thoughts and prayers you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

When are they supposed to have the visitor center open in Neosho ?

This is a good read, if you are interested in out missouri type of trout and how they came to be like they are. http://www.mdc.mo.gov/areas/hatchery/roaring/strains.htm

we tied some cracklebuggers years ago for the park (roaring river) they worked fine, my favorite crackle back is tied on a #14 or #16 dry fly hook, dry fly hackle, holographic green body and of course the peacock pulled over the back for the crackle. I put the moss green tail on my crackleback and it made a nice bugger.

It is a hellish little creek, but isn't it quite over there? The spiders have been bad this year. Not so many snakes but plenty of other stuff, how far down did you go?

In missouri you will find a lot of rainbows with cutthroat charcteristics, because they breed rainbows and cutts togeather quite often. I was told once they do it to make them grow faster, kind of like black angus crossed with herfords, makes them bigger faster. I was told by a conservation worker once that several kinds of rainbows and cutts are used for breeding

When I was growing up, grandpa would skin them, and grandma would pressure cook them for about 30 minutes, skim the grease off the water, and then she would roll them in flour and fry them, they wern't bad, I think groundhog is better taste like rabbit. Groundhog tail sure makes a better caddis wing anyway.

Yes Awesome Possum, is still out there, you can get it from any shop that sells Wapsi. It is great stuff, I don't use it for my possum nymph, I use the natural colors and I use the guard hairs and soft underfur right off the hide, works better for me.

I use this a lot on small streams that have a wilder type of trout, they seem to like a meal, so I usually tie it in a #10 or bigger. http://s171.photobucket.com/albums/u294/ti...rent=possum.jpg I tie it on a nymph hook(heavy wire) and use a 1/8" tungsten bead and I tie some .020 wire behind the bead, 5 turns usually, I like to get down in those riffles fast. I rib it with copper wire most of the time, I tie the whole thing out of austrailian possum.

I fished a few hours in the park today, up near the lodge, water is very clear and very low, made for some good midge fishing, I caught 10 trout on a #22 brown thread nymph, with a little crystal flash tail, and caught 3 on a #18 sow bug, and caught 5 on a green crackle back #14. Had to fish 7X, I started with 6X and caught a few, but when I switched to 7X it got a lot better.

This is the possum nymph I tie, a guide in New Zealand showed one to me years ago, and I have been using them since then, they work great for me, they may have a name, but he just called it a possum nymph, he told me that was all a possum was good for. I use a tungsten head 1/8" on a #10 nymph hook, the tail is made of possum guard hairs, the body is the soft underfur, I usually rib it with copper wire, and the collar is just more guard hairs, I put them in a dubbing loop, twist and palmer them just behind the bead, I sometimes put 5 or 6 turns of .020 lead wire just behind the bead, some of those holes are small but the current is pretty quick. http://s171.photobucket.com/albums/u294/ti...rent=possum.jpg

It is a Ross Colorado 0, I like it on my 6' 5wt, it is my favorite crane creek rod. You are right, I thought you were looking at todays pics, that is a F-2 I use it a lot also, it is on my 6'10" 6wt Scott G series.

Water is in great shape, I fished a bit this morning on the way to work, the water is in good shape, down a bit from last month but still not bad for august, here are a few I caught nothing big, but there were plenty of them, I caught 4 out of the same hole, and saw a nice one chase one of the smaller ones I had hooked. http://s171.photobucket.com/albums/u294/ti...nt=DSC00010.jpg http://s171.photobucket.com/albums/u294/ti...nt=DSC00012.jpg http://s171.photobucket.com/albums/u294/ti...nt=DSC00011.jpg http://s171.photobucket.com/albums/u294/ti...nt=DSC00008.jpg Caught all of them on #10 tungsten headed nymphs tied with possum hair, natural color. Good luck.

Water is low and clear, it is best fished early in the morning, I plan on fishing it tomorrow morning, I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow. By afternoon the water temp in areas is reaching close to 70 I don't fish for them then it is to hard on them.

Yep, DT for me also. especially for close up work.

My wife and I were in aruba a few years ago, I took a fly rod and fished around the beach were we were staying, I caught a few fish, but didn't know exactly what species they were, we did go to a place called baby beach, and saw a few bonefish, but they were few and far between, but there were plenty of sharks out in the deeper water. And take a 9wt or heavier if you go, the wind never stops blowing over there. I don't think I would go there just for the fishing, but it is a nice little Island country.

That is a good looking site, good luck, and bring on more pictures of the hog browns

I fished crane today with my 6'10" 4wt scott, it always works well for me over there, I almost always fish 7' and shorter at crane.

Don't know how far it is from K.C., but it is 35 miles northeast of cassville.

That is a nice fish to start a trip on, maybe you should be giving seminars down at the Dam. Can't wait to see the pics, those pine squirrel streamers are real good flies.

You are right, I was on my knees and in tall grass when I hooked that one the other day, he hit the fly just feet from where I was kneeling, he never knew I was there untill it was to late. I was a big suprise for him, but he is waiting for me to come back, I'll not disapoint him, I'll be back in a few days. He and I are regular combatants, and he is in one of the eaiser holes to get at.

The park is very busy, but the 4th being in the middle of the week, has made it seem less busy than usual, there are plenty of people fishing. Call 417-847-2430, (this is the hatchery #) and they can tell you how many people are fishing each day. I have been very busy at the shop, I fished a bit this morning and it will be worth your time to come down and fish, lots fish in the river and there are several 15" fish, and of course for bigger fish, the C&R area will be much less crowded than the other areas.

that is a good deal, how many flies to the gallon do you pay ? Next time I'm heading down that way I'll holler at you, or you can come to billings and, and ride to work with me(they are running taney to much for me right now) You could fish the park and I'll take you back to billings, but you'll have to fish all day, a lot of tourists for you it could be to much shock for your system, it sure ain't colorado.