Brian Wise

What was that $75.00 rod in 1952 compared to a $280 rod now? I have had some nice debates with people over the last couple of years about this. It's the same with distance casting a lot of people just don't see a point in it but there are undeniable points for both distance casting and a "quality" fly rod. "To each his own" is thrown around a lot. I personally have an OLD bamboo rod that is pretty rough but I don't want to fix becuase of the history of that rod, a '70's model Fenwick 7 1/2' glass 6wt FF756 along with a couple graphite rods....I love them all. For most people I really do have to say it isn't an ego thing, you really don't hear that many people boasting about the $600 rods they fish.....shoot I have known Greg for a few years now and had no idea he had a nice Sage I just really like to fly fish. Brian

I know too well what you are talking about Terry! At least we could buy a gallon of gas with less than $2.85 now.....and I do believe that would be enough gas to get me to the river! Brian

No, no worries. I know exactly where you are coming from. Brian

Hey guys, I am on the edge of being on the market for a Digital Camcorder. Just wanted to get some reviews and to see what I really needed to look for in one. Thanks! Brian

Guys for real, as a Loomis "Pro" I am going to be the first to say that that post was more of an "About Time" kind of deal. Loomis has run low end rods and high end rods for years and years with very little in between, they just expanded their market bigger than it has ever been this year. At least the market that we see around here. This is the same thing that Sage, Winston, and other rod companies have done. TFO has put some rods out in the past couple of years that are WAY higher than they originally started....it's a market thing. Just a friendly heads up for those who are interested. Brian

RYKER is the MAN!!! Geez that kid can fish.... Brian

Finally ran my wife up to fish the upper Blue Ribbon at ROLF on Sunday. We got a nice break from the kids, and Jennie got to land her first wild 'bow. We started off at Jack's Riffle in the evening so I had her throw a bead-head Crackleback and she got hit on her first cast. The Crackleback did ok, but not the bite I was hoping for so I had her nymph a RFSN and she did pretty good....seriously proud of her. Also, not long before we were getting ready to head to the cabin she hooked a fish that almost ran into her backing. She fought it really, really well to find out that is was a freakin' SUCKER. I was thinking "Nice brown, Nice Brown" during the whole fight....I hadn't had a fisherman hook a sucker like that since my first ever guide trip. She had fun fighting it though. Sporadically a little bit of everything came off. We had caddis in our cabin along with a BWO. Brian

Nice Job Zach! I was really hoping to run into you on Friday. I didn't even make it to Conclave Saturday, spent all day on Dry Run having WAY too much fun helping out. Brian

Hey guys, Thought I would let you know that Loomis has finally put out a couple of lines of rods that are coming on to compete with other lower priced rods that are on the market. I played around with a 9' 5wt 4 piece Xperience last weekend. A super smooth rod that I would call medium action. I really liked it and with a price-tag of $285 it is super sweet. And at a price range that is just above the Streamdance Metolius but below the Streamdance GLX is another new rod. Now to match the other super-distance casting rods on the market is the GLX Max or too sweet streamer rod as I would like to call it. Check them out here: Loomis Fly Rod Page They have finally met all price ranges which I think is #1 good and #2 about time. Too cool. Brian

Jeff, Fishing is pretty good right now. We are catching a ton of young of the year so be ready to catch more 4-6" fish than bigger ones. They are gorgeous fish though! I really would suggest floating at least one day. The float from ROLF to Blair has been fishing better than any place on the river....more consistant at least. Brian

Jmill, Yes, great fishing around Patrick. I would suggest going to the end of the campground and following the trail to the islands above the bridge. Browns? There are no browns up there. Brian

Oh yeah! We did have that one crazy chaser take that Bugger--forgot about that one. Brian

Hey guys, Tim at Feather-Craft took some up close and personal photos of the line.....it is crazy awesome stuff. See the photos in the link below ONLY PLACE ON THE INTERNET (I think ) Ozark Chronicles Forum--SA Shark Line Photos Brian

Don't get me wrong....I was fishing the White last weekend, I love the tailwaters! They defenitely have their time and place, I have to say it is really nice being so close to a nice Missouri trout stream and the tailwaters of Arkansas. Could I live in a better place?!?!?!?! Brian

Besides fishing and looking like western waters I guarantee you won't run into the crowds you will see at the tailwaters...nice getaway. Brian

EXACTLY!! Thank You!! Brian

Tim, Actually what you are seeing is the spawn has gotten better over the last few years so there are more young fish in the river. In the middle of the bad drought there just wasn't enough water to have the spawns that we have been having the last few years so depending on how you look at it I guess you "could" say the average size has gone down---but give it a few years, all these young fish will get there. Brian

Tucker....dude, there is a front seat and a back seat. Phil, I hope you get to come still haven't met you in person! Brian

Brian, Unless I book a trip between now and then I am there...seriously can't wait to fish that river! There will be one or two drift boats coming, if you can sneak away for a morning of fishing I'm sure one of us can row you. Brian

For Sale: 2003 Old Town Discovery 169 (Dark Green), includes paddles. Maybe 20 trips taken in this boat.... Will post pictures asap. $450 Click Here for more details.... This was NOT my guide boat...not used for guiding, just family fun. Contact info: (417)683-0516 Cell Or email bnwise@gmail.com Thanks Brian

For Sale Outcast PAC 1000FS Pontoon boat msrp $1,200 Also a link to the boat Click Here for more details..... comes with -minn kota 35lb thrust trolling motor -battery -casting platform -pump -rod holder -oars -repair kit -saddle bags about 1800 with all the add ons asking $800 Fished only a few times and has been stored clean in a garage Contact Tim at beez41 at gmail dot com

Below is a pretty broken up email that I received from AJ Pratt our fisheries biologist on the North Fork of the White. >>> John Ackerson 08/10/07 11:11 AM >>> Biologists, FYI from the US Forest Service on didymo. We better watch out for this in our rivers. John Didymo, a.k.a. "rock snot" is formally known as Didymo geminata - a diatom which is a type of one-celled, microscopic algae. The nearest occurrences to Missouri are in four nothern Arkansan lakes. Here is a map of its current distribution: http://www.epa.gov/region8/water/didymosph.../na_dis.map.pdf How it gets started It is primarily transported via fishing gear such as boats, canoes, kayaks, waders (especially felt-soled), trailers, bait buckets, life jackets, etc. Diving gear is also problematic. Since it is one-celled, this microscopic algae can be spread very easily - even in a single drop of water. Furthermore, Didymo can remain viable for several weeks if kept moist. Didymo is generally a northern circumpolar species, where it is found in colder, low nutrient, high clarity streams (similar to the Eleven Point and Current Rivers here in Missouri). However, it is now being found in warmer waters with less clarity. Impacts Didymo is not a human health risk, though people in contact with water containing D. geminata might notice itchy eyes or irritated skin from the silica in the algal cells. Since one picture is worth a thousand words, here is a picture of a Didymo infestation in the Mararoa river in New Zealand (go to bottom of the website page): http://www.geocities.com/ken_sims_98/nzffa/didymo.html The main adverse effects come from the organism*s ability to smother the riverbed, thus changing the bottom appearance, structure, and food web of a the stream. Didymo forms dense mats, which can cover up to 100% of the available bed to a depth of 8 inches or more. These mats can kill aquatic insect life and essentially starve out fish populations in the area. In addition, ecologically common macroinvertebrates (such as crayfish) found on the bottoms of well-oxygenated streams will change to more worm-like and snail populated communities. Such reductions of available and preferred food have seen trout populations severely reduced or disappear altogether in some overseas streams. In some parts of the western USA, fisheries have declined by 90% in 2003 and 2004. There have also been reports of trout and salmon parr absent from traditional rearing areas due to gill irritation or clogging, or to the changes in food availability. Didymo is also suspected to be the causal agent in weight loss of trout ( http://www.hoaff.org/newsletters/NL2007-04.htm) in Arkansas. The relative weight of brown trout below Bull Shoals dam in November 2006 was the lowest that has ever been recorded. Relative weight for both brown and rainbow trout have been falling in Bull Shoals tailwater since 2004, which coincides with the appearance of Didymo. This decrease in relative weight has been documented in other trout waters around the world where didymo has occurred. It is believed that blooms of didymo in upper Bull Shoals tailwater have had the predicted detrimental effect on trout forage and trout foraging. Didymo carpets the bottom of the river and makes it impossible for native macro invertebrates to colonize or survive. Further, trout cannot forage efficiently in didymo and get no nutritional value from ingesting it. There have also been reports overseas of the dense mats blocking water intakes, irrigation intakes, and the intake screens on hydroelectric dams. Prevention/Control Effective prevention and control techniques should include the cleaning (check-clean-dry) of any item that is transported from one water body to another. For example, i n 2004 didymo was discovered in New Zealand, the first time it was found in the southern hemisphere. To restrict its spread, the whole of the South Island of New Zealand was declared a controlled area in December 2005. All items, such as boats, fishing gear, clothing, and vehicles, that have been in a stream, river or lake, must be cleaned before they enter another waterway. Recent experiments have identified a copper-based compound that may be an effective and safe weapon against the invasive alga didymo, although further tests are needed to determine its effectiveness in rivers ( http://www.niwascience.co.nz/ncabb/abb/2006-19/copper). Here is a good synopsis of Didymo: http://www.des.state.nh.us/wmb/exoticspeci...didymo_faqs.htm Here is the US EPA website information for Didymo: http://www.epa.gov/region8/water/didymosphenia/ David Moore Forest Ecologist (Plants) Mark Twain National Forest 401 Fairgrounds Road, Rolla, MO 65401 ph (573) 341-7457; fax (573) 364-6844

Thanks for the report Muleball. Glad you had a good weekend! Brian

Hey guys, Decided to take the boat out for the first time Saturday (25th.) Me, my wife, and a buddy of mine floated the Bryant for some smallie action. Fishing was incredible, but even with rain that morning and cloud cover most of the day we didn't catch many on top-water rigs which is what I really wanted to do. I was the only one that threw a fly and I only did that when we stopped to wade a little for fear of throwing a big Sneaky Pete into the back of someones head. Spin fishing we caught the smallies on Red Rooster Tails, Yellow Panther Martin Spinners, Chug Bugs, and small craw crank baits. On the fly I caught fish on Pine Squirrel Crawfish, Near "Nuff Crawfish, and a Sneaky Pete. We really didn't do very well with big fish, actually my wife caught the two biggest fish, a 15" smallie and a 16-17" catfish. On to the real story!! The boat is awesome....period. After I put it in the river I walked it out loaded with our gear and just gave it a little push at the bow and it spun like a top, would have went in circles until I stopped it for sure...responsive. I compared this boat to a Ferrari and the Old Town Predators that I have rowed for a couple years to a Tank. ONE Scissor Stroke totally loaded (2 people, one if which is really big and all gear) and I can spin 2 complete 360's. My buddy told me that this trip was the most comfortable he has ever been floating the river...'nuff said. Check out some photos here: Click Here for photos Brian

I am working the youth conclave this year. I cannot wait! My wife is also going to be behind the lens for the kids at Dry Run so we should have some photos for you guys after Concalve. Brian