Don

Troutchaser, bring some more pine squirrels...just kidding of course. I'll look for you if we're not froze out. I'm gonna be more into the fish this this time than into the food. Regardless, I'm still looking forward to seeing a few more familiar faces again and I'm really interested in helping out a beginner (blind leading the blind). Don May

Hey Muleball, Good to meet you last Friday night. Both you and Leonard had big smiles on you faces. Was it 1) You just caught a slab brown? 2) You were catching lots of fish that night? or 3) You were on your second helping of the special coffee? I attribute to a combo of all three. I fished one hour that same Fri night from 11:30-12:30. I hooked up on a dozen fish but only landed 4 stocker bows. The next night was my best night trip so far. I fished Sat night from 11:00-2:00. I turned my cousin on to pine squirrel and I caught 18 and he caught that many or more, all stocker bows. We were the only ones there and the bite was hot in the flats below no 1. The weather was warm where I only needed sweatshirts instead of a coat and the water was like glass beacuse it was the only time all weekend the wind did not blow. The highlight of the night was when three deer crossed Taney in shallows above chute 2. How awesome. Good Fishin.....Don

I'm rooting against the blue chickens. Hogs over LSU makes them both look good. Don

After two hours of unsuccessful bowhunting this chilly morning, I regrouped and took the flyrod to Taney this afternoon. I fished two hours Veterans day evening at the boat ramp because it was crowded on the upper part. I caught 4 on an unweighted black barred pine squirrel and caught 11 off Platte River Specials. Green wire body with brown dry fly hackle behind the eye. I bought mine at Anglers And Archery. They knocked the snot out of red and green that day. Job stress made me seek solitude at the boat ramp again today. I fished 2 hours again, 1:30-3:30. Platte Rivers yielded only 4 fish because there was not alot of dimpling/midging going on. I saw alot of flashes near the bottom so I used tandem GBugs in olive and ginger. I netted 9 more during a rather breezy afternoon. Biggest was 15" and I lost one lunker. It was a day to be thankful that I could go hunting and fishing. Don

Happy Thanksgiving to all oafers and families. It will be a wild time at Arrowhead on Saturday. By the way, I won't be rooting for the blue chickens. Don

Dang Dutch, That's some hot action. I've logged many hours on Stockton in my day and have never done anything like that. Do you eat any of those whites? Way to go....Don

Favre is one of the greatest QB's of all time. He definately has my respect. I cheered him on as the Pack beat Denver last Monday but I'll have to go against him this weekend. Don

Green Bay is a good team this year but I think the Chiefs will beat them in Arrowhead tomorrow. I'll be sitting 16 rows up in the end zone. Go Chiefs!

Steve, This a hot topic. You might be making gravy all day. Beason stated he wanted a pic of the gravy from last year's event. Please take one this year. I want to show but I'm booked. My biggest trout was an 8 pounder during RR catch and release last year. It was the day I met you last year and I caught it sight fishing a small egg pattern. I'll make it before the season closes and hope to see some of y'all. Don

Pvspmo, Your facilities make my tent camp look like hobo village. I usually don't gun hunt anymore but I will cave in at times. I just started bow hunting for the first time in in many years, but I'd hate to let my 30-30 rust. I'm getting the bow out at sunrise tomorrow. I hunt my parents' property here in Christian County. Good Luck.....Don

Zach, What kind of net did you break in? Don

We knew it was coming. How awesome! My prayers are to you and your family. Is she a 20 incher? What a lovesake ( and keeper). Wish you and family all the best. Don May

Tim, How could you tell that 8 pointer was on his way to work? I saw a 6-8 pointer in the middle of the road by the house today. I've only been to the stand once this year. The stand was downwind from my location so I drove to the downwind side of the stand. While driving, I saw 2 does and a buck crossing the road. I only spent 2-3 hours in the stand and saw nothing. I'll have better views after more leaves fall. Don

Fished the wading area for the first time in a couple of years. The best fly was an olive mohair leech. I only saw one lunker and it was a brown about 22 inches, my best guess. Fished the fly only area after I lost my only olive leech, the best fly was a green holographic crackleback. Fishing was tougher than expected. I had alot of strikes but only brought a half a dozen or so to the net. Don

I hear ya Dano, Even though I'm preaching, at times I'm still guilty of going in too deep too quickly when I'm excited about getting on the fish. Don

I have never fished Taney in October on a weekend before. I've never seen that many people there in my life. I fished directly across the boat ramp from about 8 AM till around noon because there was nowhere to park at the top. Caught 15 stocker size on scuds and GBugs. Came back later and fished a couple more hours between chutes 1 and 2. caught 5 more on the same, then caught 5 on a light colored sculpin in 6 inches water or less. I fished Friday night and caught 6 on pine squirrel. Biggest was 19" brown drifting a mink sculpin/leech. Fished Saturday night a few hours on the flats below chute 1 and picked up ten stocker bows. I left when a couple of guys hit the water just below me like the Budweiser Clydesdales were crossing Taney. Five minutes later, someone with a 2 million power headlamp entered just above me and walked all the way out with the northern lights a blarin'. I knew my chances for the big guys were drastically reduced by then so I walked out. I'm still a beginner at night fishing and I'm not being judgmental or critical but I do know and want to pass along some helpful advice that if anyone wants to catch a big brown at night they need to approach with stealth and with no lights on or else those big ones are long gone. Good Luck.....Don

I was sitting around wondering who was down there the first cool night of the year. I should have known better. Good to hear you had some good action. Don

I'm not a Yankee hater but I keep thinking of a storebought alll star team so I'm a Cleveland man in this situuation. Don

Keep the post if you are awake. No cable or dish here. Thanks.....Don

I'll be there after work in the evening. I hope he's still tying some good patterns for those of us who have to work during the day. Every time I stopped by his station at the Conclave people were usually seated in front of him so I plan to be inspired during the session at Back Country Outfitters. Don

Mine is catching 20 inch fish with Carrie Underwood in cutoff jean shorts and hip waders. By the way I mean on her and not me. It doesn't really matter where we go. The pond down by the house will do just fine. Don

Good summary of the clave, I can't add too much more. We made Fred's later than expected (Got lost but don't tell anybody) but I didn't see you as well. It was packed but the food was really good. The reason you didn't see me was because I was curled up and passed out in the corner after ordering too many seconds of the Granddaddy catfish patter. By the way, that tomato relish is awesome mixed in the coleslaw. P.S. If you heard rumors that the tall waitress was sweet on me, it just isn't true. Instead she was looking real hard at my friend Steve because he was the only man at the table that had the guts to order the hot and spicy cajun fries. Don

It was a good trip, Good to see all of the familiar faces and meeting a few others. Deepdiver and Flyfishn, it was a pleasure meeting you guys and I'm looking forward to more fishing trips. Conclave was cool. I'm not a fly collector but some collector flies were amazing. I noticed two tyers Saturday tying right next to each other. One was 95 years old and the other was 14 years old. How cool. Zach, thanks for expalining the smallmouth pattern to me. John, thanks for the green butt. The TFO reps fielded alot of questions for me. Project Healing Waters and Casting For a Cure were both there for real good causes. There was too much there to digest in just a few hours. As far as fishing goes, I didn't tear em' up so to speak. I waded the White and pick up a handful for a few hours Friday and Saturday during generation. Only a dozen yesterday and a half a dozen today on the Norfork. Fished handicap today for three hours. Things were tough until I picked up three quick fish on an olive mohair leech until the storm blew through. Terry, did you hunt any more since Friday? I need a story. Time went too fast the last four days. Don

John, It was a pleasure meeting you and talking fish with you for awhile. Thanks for the tying tips on the green butt. I'm sure we'll be reading some more good White/Norfork reports from you soon. Thanks again, Don

Mike, There's still quite a bit of truth in your statement. Most people have never fished a soft hackle with an indicator and a 6 or 8 sinker 8-12" above it like a nymph. Trouts want it that way sometime. Don If you don't get a strike at that point, begin to strip the fly back to you. I use this rhythm. short strip, stip, strip, pause, short strip, strip, strip, etc. Hope this helps. I love the soft hackle for its versatility, ease of use, and the tradition. Dano Dano, As an amateur soft hackler, I have mostly fished them as you described. Something I was taught on the Little Red one day: When stripping patterns don't work while bringing the fly back try this. When the line is fully straightened out downstream after the swing, start with the tip near the water and sloooooooowwwwly lift the rod tip upward creating an emerging effect. I have also had results with a small finger controlled gathering strip by pinching the flyline between your thumb and index finger and bringin home one inch at a time. Don