trout fanatic

I'll give up my vest when they pry my cold dead fin...Oh wait a minute, different topic-nevermind. I love my vests!

He's a pretty good ammo salesman too. Shelves are empty!!!!

If you carefully shoot squirrels in the head (to avoid damaging their tails) you might be a trout bum. If you try to explain to the mrs that her fur coat is suffering from pre-mature balding-you might be a trout bum. When your neighbor explains his concerns of the stock market fluctuations and you voice your concerns about marabou futures-you might be a trout bum

This is nothing more than a left wing ploy. Rifled barrels already leave a signature on each bullett fired through it. The lands and grooves of a barrel are etched into a bullet as it passes through and can be traced back to a specific firearm. Anyone who thinks this legislation is actually to aid in the solving crimes (as opposed to gun control-which in my view is the real issue) is only fooling themselves.

I wasn't born in Missouri but I concur completely with what has been said. As a young boy in Ohio in the late 50's if we seen a deer from our school bus IT WAS A BIG DEAL! The driver would stop and we would gawk like freakin tourists. Amazing difference a few decades make. It seems that now when I drive to work I keep my right foot on the gas and the left poised over the brake in case a deer runs in front of me (my insurance agent wants my left foot to become more proactive).

I have gone thru many phases. Started out carryin everything but the kitchen sink. Then turned into a minimalist and carried only a few of each fly that I new produced or that I planned to fish. Now I carry everything including the kitchen sink. I just can't stand the nagging feeling that I know the hot fly is back on my tying bench or in my truck or for that matter anywhere but on my person. Now I feel better AND I even catch a fish every now and again!

Concur with Dano, plus I like small stimulators (sz 16), cracklebacks in a multitude of sizes and a little midge called a "matt's midge (just black superfine dubbing on a size 16 or 18 hook with small white poly wing and a few wraps of grizzly hackle) works very well at Bennett Springs.

Best wishes to all!!!

USAF 1967-1989/Security Police than Combat Arms Instructor

I think that crisis perhaps may be too strong a word. I have hit 7 deer since 1997 but I still don't think our population is in crisis (yet). On the other hand, my insurance agent strongly disagrees with me. I just hope we don't have to see a starving deer population before we are willing to admit that there is a crisis. I do feel that our herd has too many does. The antler restrictions and unlimited doe tags hopefully will resolve some of this. In the meantime, carry on gentlemen.

Yep, I only made it down to Bennett twice this year and it was solely due to the flooding in the first part of the year. The rest of the year it seemed like the rain waited till my days off then dumped on me. 2008 was indeed a very wet year, hopin for a better 2009. I don't even have much winter time tyin to do this year (boxes runneth over)-but I'll get over it and tie some up anyway lol

I never did quite get it. I have always heard that steelhead were among the best fighters around but in my experience they were never true brawlers. It seems that every year my trip to Ohio results in my favorite river being blown up so we are forced to fish in the tributaries. The steelhead, while fiesty, are forced to swim from one end of a 50 foot pool to the other until they tire. This year I had hoped to really experience a fresh run of fish. Vacation started on Oct 27th and joy of joys the Grand River is fishable (unfortunately it was on the rise though). My bro, nephew and myself fished all day (me the only one using a fly rod). Nephew scored with 2 beautiful fish, while bro had one get off at his feet. Guess how I did (lol). On day 2 the river was flooded so we went to a trib that provided several fish last year. Zilch, nobody had so much as a bite. Didn't see any rolling either. On day 3 and 4 we went to a nearby river that rises and falls in an amazing period of time (steep banks and few tribs). But we simply could not find the fish. We did see 3 caught however, so we remained positive. That night, the flow charts told us that the grand would be fishable on Saturday. This time I took my noodle rod and an appropriate number of spinners and spoons (note to self there is no such thing as a appropriate number of spinners and spoons-bring more next year). The river has indeed fallen to fishable levels and was still slightly off color. It took a few hours or so but a nice hen struck a #3 mepps spinner and took off. Holy cow! The grin that must have been pasted on my mug was not leaving anytime soon. Five different times I got the fish right to my feet only to have her find a second wind and blast off down river again. I hooked up with 6 different fish landing 4 of them (the smallest was 23 inches and the largest was 29). Each and every one of them put on a dazzling display and converted me to a lifelong steelheader. Truly great stuff. A tip of the hat to the steelhead and the Cleveland Metro Parks who have made river access at so many points possible. I am waiting to get some pictures from my nephew and if I can figure out how to post them will do so shortly. Sorry for blabbering on, just can't help myself.

Fact is, most states charge more than Missouri. It makes me wonder though, where the line is. About 4 years ago I stopped hunting because it just wasn't fun for me anymore and it sucked money from my fishing funds. Haven't bought a tag since. Where is the point where others start doing the same? Don't get me wrong by no stretch of the imagination is $20 too much for a deer tag-but most folks also do other types of hunting, if you buy a small game license, migratory, fed duck stamp, deer tags/w bonuses not to mention spring/fall turkey the sting is sharper. If people stop buying hunting tags in the numbers they used to. Hunting and fishing is a privilege-but a privilege that we pay for, if we stop the lessons learned may take decades to overcome. I keep reading where the numbers of hunting and fishing licenses sold in every state is less than it was in the past. So the response is to RAISE fees? Is this likely to increase the numbers of hunters afield. I may be wrong (probably am) but it seems to me that the state should pull its head out of a very dark place and re-think this strategy.

Been incredibly lucky with fly rods so far no breakage (have a week long steelhead trip that starts tomorrow tho-so knock on wood). BUT back in the late 80's when I mostly bass fished I was in the front seat of my bass boat just cruisin down brush creek (Truman Lake) with 3 rods hangin off the right front of the boat and 2 more off the left. Ran the three on the right side dead center into a tree stump and broke all three at the same time. Took me awhile to recover from that one

Leaving monday morning at odarkthirty for my annual beer drinkin/steelhead fishin/trash talkin trip to the Lake erie tribs. Gettin kind of tired dreamin about swingin bunny leeches and zoo cougars, time to experience it again!! Woo hoo! Will let you all know how it panned out

Brought a smile to my face, Joel. Many thanks.

Just a suggestion. I think it would be great if you could get an exact copy (or perhaps one of the originals) of the crackleback as tied by Ed Story. As he is no longer with us I think it would be a great tribute to him and the fly that he created. I bet somebody on this board may have one of Ed's flies and may contribute it towards this project.

A big 10-4.

I hope the fine citizens of Carthage find who is responsible for this before the law does. Prayers go out to the loved ones, it is a real shame

Guess I have to correct my previous post because after I posted it I remember I watched the Hannity and Combs program one time and couldn't stand it. Between the repub guests screamin and the dem guests whinin I never understood a word of any of the arguments. Oh and by the way Louis Farakahn Jr calls Obama "the Messiah", is that far enough to the right for you?

Sorry to disappoint you chief but I don't watch or listen to limbaugh and don't even know the others that you speak of. I made up my mind a long time ago (just like you did) sooooooo I think I'll go puke now. Have a nice day.

I expected Clinton to lie about it (I wasn't disappointed either). Who wouldn't under the circumstances? It doesn't erase from the public record the fact that he is a bald face liar and, considering his position (at the time) makes him a very small man. sadly, I have come to expect nothing less from Democratic leadership (can you say Pelosi/Reid). Unfortunately, Obama seems to be even left of them. All this talk about how is a saviour and he will rescue to world makes me want to puke. What has he ever done in Illinois? Look at the economy of that state (with an unemployment rate of 7.3 % it seems like it would be easier to clean up there first right? I mean he is in a position that he could help right? So if he can't help in Ill, how is he going to clean up the entire country? Nothing more than political gas-if we could bottle it we could run our cars off of it for eternity. Promises are made by both parties that cannot and will not be kept and we want some of that money so badly that we vote for the one that promises the most. The future does not bode well

Anyone with half a brain knows which side of the fence rollingstone magazine sits on. The article is full of crap. I like how they make hay at the fact that McCain "pulled strings" to get into the academy. Everyone has to pull strings to get in any of the military academy's (even demoncrats). Just take the facts, spin em around, rinse wash repeat. Lord I will be glad when this garbage is overwith.

If he gets elected there will be a riot in the woods the day he comes to fetch our guns.

I have waffled back and forth over this issue ever since it first surfaced. On the one hand I say lets just start over let the big boys take their a$$ whoopin like men. The reality is however, that it won't be the big boys that take one on the chin-like in every endeavor, it will be us. It seems like it boils down to a bail out for them or no 401k's for us (once foreign investors pull out of the stock market we are toast). As much as I hate to admit it, I think a bail out is in order.