JobyKSU

Hey everybody I returned from a trip last night and found a delivery from the post office: Every package of flies that I sent out. Included was a note saying that they were unable to deliver packages picked up from a home mailbox, and that I would need to bring them in to a post-office. Apparently they can pick up the flies and hold on to them for a few days, they just can't deliver them to anybody. Anyway - my rookie mistake means that they will be delivered to the post office tomorrow (Monday 03/16). Let me know when you start to get them... - JobyKSU

Pat - I could not give you a fair comparison of the Launch and LST: I am a bit biased against Cabela's rods and abslutely in love with my Launch. So that's my disclaimer. I haven't spent time fishing the LST, but I seem to recall that it felt much faster than the Launch and didn't fit my casting stroke nearly as well. As far as the launch - it is an effortless rod to cast, has plenty of backbone, and yet will allow for fantastically delicate presentations. I would say that the rod is one of the most versatile that I've cast. As you can see, I have spread my addiction to Paola Cat and a few others, too. I don't think that everyone should necessarily buy a Launch, but if it's in your price range then you should definitely cast one to see if it is for you. Hope this helps! - JobyKSU

Ok, so I'll go ahead and summarize previous discussions: That being said, unless you want to jump up to a $200 rod (or more), TFO is a superb choice. I hope this was useful. I know it amused me - JobyKSU

Hello everyone... Sorry for the delay, but everyone's goodies were sent out today. Thanks for an awesome swap, let us know how the flies do for you. - JobyKSU

Phil, you're absolutely right. We've become a society of sensationalism, the media loves things like this. If only we could get some excitement or outrage at the stuff that actually makes a difference to society... Trav, the only problem I see with your Randy Johnson comparison is that Johnson's fastball hit was 100% accidental, he didn't go out of his way to throw 6 strikes at a bird that was annoying him. Of course, it was one impressive puff of feathers when he did connect...

With all due respect, Phil, I agree that it is a freak shot. But do you have any doubt what his intent was? The fact that he took multiple shots at it two separate times is the part that doesn't let me have any sympathy for him. I will, however, agree that it is disgusting how the media is going to take this and possibly destroy this man's life. He made a *very* stupid decision, and probably was trying to scare it off - not kill it. But decisions and actions like this are what I would expect from a teenager - even then there would be outrage. Isenhour is old enough to know better.

Yesterday I received an avalanch of flies - kicknbass, duckydoty, soggyfoot - great looking creations. So everybody is in on time. I will bag these up and send them out - just in time for some warmer weather (I promise it's coming!) I'll have these bagged up and sent to everyone plus a delivery to Rolan for pictures. Thanks for a fantastic swap, everybody.

We are now past the half-way point - I've received flies from Kim, and I've now finished mine. With about two weeks left, how's everyone doing?

Thom, I haven't winked... er laughed that hard in a LONG time. Thanks for brightening my day!

I'll second the smaller buggers. I actually like a small bit of weight in the head of mine Key for me is a pretty darn slow retrieve - maybe one quick 3 inch jerk every 4 or 5 seconds. It seems like I do better on overcast days or in shady pools with them. I've never had one of the fish-every-cast days that you sometimes get with other methods, but it may be because they're one of the last things to go on the line after everything else has been tried out

I've been eyeing one of the ought-weight TXL kits - that's about half of my share.

I'll second (fourth, fifth?) the breathables. With just a layer or two, they're fantastic. As long as you don't have leaks, then you shouldn't have any problems. Mine are boot-foot with plenty of room so I don't cut off the blood flow to the tootsies. I made the mistake once of thinking I needed more insulation around the feet and wore two pairs of therma-socks. It was just a bit too tight, decreased the blood flow, and my feet froze. My experiences with stocking-foot (breathables) have all lead to frozen feet which made the rest of my body miserable.

I have Rio, Orvis Silver Label, and SA Mastery. When I replace the line on my 5wt, it will likely be with Rio. It's definitely the workhorse of my lines. A close second is the SA Mastery Trout series. It coils a little more than Rio, and feels a touch stiffer but has performed wonderfully for a full season. If you are looking for a multi-tip, then SA is the way to go. Likely you won't need this, but if you decide to go for one, the Mastery is great.

Steve - I'm still quite the amature when it comes to two-handed rods, so take my personal experience with a grain of salt. The Meiser blank seems fantastic. It loads smoothly and has a surprising amount of backbone for a "fairy wand." I could have gotten quality blanks for a bit less somewhere else, but Bob Meiser spent a little over an hour on the phone talking to me about the advantages of this rod vs. that rod - including good recommendations for rods that were from other companies. He's very generous with his time. Further, if you can ever find a used Meiser rod for sale, the price is often nearly that of the new ones. That being said, if I ever get another Meiser, I am definitely having him build it for me. Bob is a true artist and is able to turn rods into something you can hand your wall. I have not cast the Batson switch, although the 6/7 wt is quickly becoming the sweetheart of switch rod builders. I have built on a couple of Batson blanks, however, and even at twice the price they make fantastic rods. The Batson family is also very accessible if you have any questions or problems. Good reviews combined with good service and low price is hard to beat. Hope this helps!

Not sure why I missed this the first time, but I was considering the same so I'll give you my input. I identified three different approaches: 1) Standard fly rod blanks - Dorber manufactures some nice feeling blanks. 10 ft 2 piece rods in 1,2,3, or 4 weight. I'm pretty fascinated by these blanks, and at some point I'll likely build one. About $60 2) Switch rod blanks - There are a number of good choices out there, and you don't have to break the bank to do it. Batson makes a 10'8" 4 piece 5wt switch blank that is under $90 and that builders have been absolutely amazed at. It's light enough you could build it up as a one-hander, but if you built it as a true switch then you might be able a little bit more versatile for you. 3) Build a true light spey - There are a number of good light spey rods and blanks out there. I went a bit more expensive route, but I got a 12'6" 3/4/5 weight trouter from Meiser. There are a few specific spots that I'd like it for both throwing streamers, long distance indicator nymphing, high sticking, and of course swinging wets at places like Rim Shoals. This option is probably the most costly and time consuming (learning new casting style), but signs point to it becoming more and more popular. Let us know what decide to do, especially if you have a build report on those Dorber blanks!

It really is unfortunate that their hasn't been much of a rivalry developed between KSU and MU. When you're good, we're not, when we were good, well... you get the picture. All in all, it doesn't matter if Mizzou was playing KSU or anyone else - showing up for that game and playing like they did regardless of the recent "problems" is impressive. Adding in the suspensions just makes it phenomenal.

That fish was definitely a high-point in my day. I've never actually cast anything and then have it sit on the top of the water in a pile. Silly ice. It was awesome that he put up a nice fight. One thing I've learned at Beaver - you can't judge the size of a fish based on the fight. The ice-dweller put a nice bend in the rod, made a couple runs, and did a couple cartwheels. The big fish of the day, on the other hand, was like hooking into a clump of weeds. Not much fight, but it did take a while to drag the sucker in. Anyway, if you can handle the cold - it's worth it to get out there a little bit earlier. Not necessarily day-break early, but just in time for breakfast

I'll stay out of the argument, and this is at best an aside: but the source you are siting is the head of "Fish Research" At Berkley products - as in powerbait - not "University of". From what I've gathered from the scientific research, very little is actually known about fish intelligence, and Doc Jones hasn't actually shared any results. The only actual results I've been able to find of his are in regards to bass avoiding bait they've been exposed to a month or so earlier. I'm not saying he's wrong, I just don't necessarily trust someone who is trying to sell me something That neither changes your point nor addresses your question, so feel free to disregard!

It's official: flyfishmaster has submitted flies in record time. Beautiful crystal scuds, looks like size 20. It's a good thing they weren't here before I left for fishing today ;-) Just a reminder - please attach a small tag of paper to the hooks of your flies with the name and size attached, so we know who to credit when I send them out. I'll try to fill in for anyone that forgets, but I can be a little bit scatter-brained

I fished Saturday 02/02 below Parker. I was early enough to be the first one on the water (no tracks in the snow). The fishing was amazingly fast and furious. I probably had 20 fish to hand in the first 3 hours, and 5 or 6 for the next few after. Most fish fell in one of two groups: 14" and over, or 8" and under. I had easily the largest 'bow I've ever pulled (or personally seen) out of Beaver, but in the excitement and reviving effort, I did not get a photo of it, nor accurate measurement, so I'll just say he was 13" to avoid the nay-sayers Successful flies included fuzzy nymph (zebra tied with dubbing - I'm sure there is another name for them, but the fish absolutely loved them! ), a couple of bright purple zebras, soft hackles, and during the hatch small soft hackles (size 18 or 20) were very productive. Story time: I started off fishing the usual nymphs - zebra, ruby, cadion, and no luck. I could see one nice fish (see photo) right up next to the bank, and every so often he would dart out, grab a morsel, then run back to the bank. I cast over to try and get a drift past him, and found my indicator sitting on a crystal-clear shelf of ice which extended about 3 1/2 feet over the water. After a number of unsuccessful attempts at drifting to him, I switched to a soft hackle. After a few excruciatingly long swings, I finally got it to slide just under the shelf and twitch right in front of his nose. With a little patience, I finally saw him dart forward and I felt the take. Unhappy with the new-found hook in the corner of his mouth, he quickly left his icy safe-haven and put up a very spirited fight. To commemorate the victory, I snapped a picture of him and my rod laying on the protective ice shelf. You've got to love cold-weather fishing (although it did end up getting into the 50's).

I love the idea - I can think of some fantastic carp water (elsewhere) that would be good for. Are there any flats holding carp in Taney? If so, you might be able to get some Euro-traffic through...

Jeez... reading OAF has made me want to go fishing before, even in the middle of the cold, cold, night. But this might be the first time I've come away drooling and hungry.

I've received both of these books since I last posted them. They're pretty fantastic. The art is good, they're well written, and its got a pretty good message. If you want to know more, then read the book! (couldn't help it, sorry...)

That sounds tasty! I always make dip for tortilla chips ... if you aren't careful you won't get any (it disappears fast) Ingredients: 1 bar of cream cheese 1 15oz can of black beans (or 2 depending on size of baking dish) about 1/4 cup of raspberry-chipotle sauce (estimate) *** Place the cream cheese in an oven-safe dish - I use a 1qt square corningware (about 5x5x1.5). If I use the 2-quart (5x5x3) then use 2 cans of black beans. 1. Pour some rasberry-sauce over the bottom of the dish and over the cream cheese - you do not need to cover it completely. 2. Rinse and drain the beans well. Place enough in the baking dish to cover the bottom about 1/2" deep. Pour more sauce over the beans. Place more beans in dish, pour more sauce. Repeat until all beans are in the dish and the cream cheese is covered. Optional: sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the top of the dip. 3. Bake the dish, covered with lid or aluminum foil, at 350 for 10 - 15 minutes: just long enough to melt the cream cheese. Eat, and enjoy! *** - Raspberry chipotle sauce (not marinade) can be found in many grocery stores. If you can not find it, either of the following will work: 1 - Mixture of raspberry jelly and jalapeño jelly 2 - Raspberry jelly mixed with pureed chipotle peppers (found canned with adobo in the international isle).

As someone that is currently covering the entire range of forum membership (some I only lurk, some I post very occasionally, and some I'm fairly active), I'll chime in. First - the forums aren't selling the information, exactly. The successful sites that I have seen have a fairly strong community feel, and that's the hook for members. It may take a while for a new person to notice it, but that is what keeps people coming back. I think the best way to keep people coming back (as in, non-contributers) is to allow them access to what they're looking for. Eventually they may join (just look at the introductions threads and see how many people state they've been visiting for awhile Even if they don't, you have given them no reason to not visit the site - which is what required membership (even in limited areas) would do.