Brian Wise

I wouldn't worry about it too much....Psyco Princes look like absolutely nothing in the insect world and they slay. Rainbow trout are kind of like High Maintenance Women, they see something shiny and it will get their attention. Tie red, black, rust, olive, and brown zebra midges and you will catch all the midging fish you want.

Nope, straight up Maxima Ultragreen, 4lb test.

I haven't used "fly fishing specific" tippet in probably 5 years. I went to Maxima for anything 4lb test or heavier and Seaguar for anything under 4 (which I never use). 10-15+lb test for big streamers, and the VAST majority of the time 4lb Maxima for my nymphing rigs. There is a give and take obviously as Maxima in the same weight is slightly thicker but I haven't seen a day of fishing where I thought ".001" would have caught us more fish. But, I am fishing a river where the fish aren't tippet sensitive but when I venture out to other streams I don't change my setup at all and catch fish.

I am almost done!!! Waiting on eyes.

You have my attention.......

Agreed.

I have been in contact with DNR and Corp. The repair will be up to Dawt Mill under the authority of the Corps of Engineers. Corp is VERY up-to-date on the Hellbender situation and, like it has been stated above the water directly below the dam (basically at the foot of the downstream side of the dam) not only holds one of the largest populations of Hellbenders but is also where they see the best reproduction of them. What it sounds like is that the Corp does not want water to stop flowing over the dam (like it is now) because of the Hellbenders. I'm sure studies would have to be done to figure out how much of a dip would still allow water to flow over the dam and still allow "safe" passage of boats. I am not personally worried about Stripers in the river...period. Like Rusty said, it isn't an issue of them "Decimating" the trout population like we have heard so many people say in the last few years. We have found out that in no way does having resident stripers (stripers that have spent more than 6 months in the river without leaving) even touch the number of Rainbow Trout in the river. Actually, the vast majority of the stripers that stayed in the river that long in 2011 were in the heart of the Blue Ribbon Water in the pool directly above McKee Bridge. We counted over 50 stripers in that hole....and they stayed there all the time--our trout numbers went up the next year after the survey. So it isn't a "decimation" problem that stripers will bring to the river. Sure, they could probably decimate the crayfish population in a certain hole when they stay that long, agreed. It's really kind of funny.....when the stripers were in the river, we saw the best streamer fishing for LARGE brown trout that I can ever remember. We hit a point were 22" browns were "cookie-cutters" and I had a guy land what, at that point, was probably the top 2 biggest fish in the river at 28". Just kind of a funny little tid-bit.

Absolutely. I have a bunch of strung Ostrich so I have done that too.

I have only gotten 1 per plume before you get to the thick part of the stem.

The second fly in the Nick Granato Series.....The Ghetto Tramp. Built on a 3-5/0 platform, this large streamer is the real deal. Obviously a musky based fly, this thing can also be stepped down in size to chase anything that eats. Recipe: Hook - Gama Rubber Worm Hook Tail - Flash Blend Flash - Flashabou Over Tail - Flash Blend Flash - Flashabou Body - Polar Chenille Wing - Peacock Herl Rubber Legs - Bass Skirt Head - Ostrich Herl (palmered) Eyes - CCG Eyes Topped off with CCG Thick and CCG Hydro.

Story of my life....

I can't speak for the Niagua by any means, but ANY rise in the NFOW is a good thing and always helps fishing.

We hit 10,000 cfs again last night.....I am betting the hole got a little bigger but here is a screenshot from my phone of Dawt's Twitter photo:

I think I'm in love.... #helmetadvisory

I completely forgot...... If you are wrapping them for just a head usually 2-3.

We had a similar situation (minus the outfitter angle, which is absurd in my opinion) in Ozark County a couple of years ago. A popular swimming spot (not on a main stream by any means and I swam there a LOT as a kid) had been marked private property by new owners. Thing is, it is located at the end of a County Road, the County Road stops at the gravel bar itself....double easements. A rough family is down there partying, an illegal alien drives an atv down there to run them off, words are exchanged, illegal alien gets punched, illegal alien pulls gun and shoots an 18 year old. Illegal alien gets convicted and deported, land/stream rights don't get taken away from anyone, and the manufacturer of the ATV doesn't get a finger pointed at them the whole time.

Thanks! One of my fisherman made it for me. It definitely isn't necessary....but it is awesome.

Hey guys, After I posted the Sasquatch Tying Video I got a LOT of questions about how to make the Craft Fur Dubbing Brush that is used for the head of it and a lot of other Nick Granato patterns. So I thought I would make a video:

GREAT shop. I stop by every time I am in Springfield.

Barely......but I will.

Haven't had Long Strange Tripel....definitely need to try it. I didn't know they bottled Tank 7 in 12 oz bottles until recently, I had only had the 750ml.

Tasty.

Yeah, I made the brush. Going to make a short video (in my way) about how to make them.

It is easier to wrap them around your thread first and then wrap the thread and legs around the hook at the same time than it is to lay the rubberlegs on the hook and then wrap thread to bind them (I am not sure if that made any sense, but I see it in my head. ) Tank 7.....mmmmmm...... It gets a LOT skinnier in the water. Half the bulk that you see in the video is from Marabou so it gets skinny REAL quick. Don't get me wrong, it is still a big, gnarly mess in the water.....but it is SO sexy. Sink-tip or not depends on the water you are fishing, it does sink, but not 'too' fast. It has just the right sink-rate where it darts when stripped rather than only jigging when stripped.

Hey guys, The first video in the Nick Granato Series is his Sasquatch. I hadn't had a chance to fish this fly a whole lot until recently and, I have to admit, I hadn't given this color-combo very much water time for trout.......now I wish I had used it a long time ago! Recipe: Hook - Gamakatsu B10s #1 Eyes - Real Eyes (or Clear Cure Weighted Eyes) Tail - Bucktail Tail - Marabou Tail - Flashabou Tail - Flash Blend Tail - Marabou Tail - Crystal Flash Tail - Peacock Herl Tail - Rubber Legs (Spinnerbait Skirt!) Hackle - Barred Saddle (or Barred Schlappen) Head - Craft Fur Dubbing Brush colored with markers.