Project Healing Waters

Depends on what I'm fishing. If I'm fishing streamers or soft hackles, I fish and move downstream (not always with soft hackles). When fishing dries and nymphs, I fish and move upstream. Soft hackles fish well both ways if you know how to control the slack in the line on an upstream presentation.

Well, we're talking Taneycomo here, right? Most often, I will start with an olive or rust tungsten bead midge with gold bead and wire. But that depends on where I'm fishing and what I see happening. The olive vs. rust decision is made based on seasons. My favorite fly to fish is anything with a soft hackle collar...even on Taneycomo. But I can usually get a good idea what's happening faster by starting with a bead head midge. I don't often fish early in the morning on Taneycomo. If I do, I will almost always start with a scud in shallow water or a Mohair Leech in deeper water. I START with flies that allow me to pattern and search quickly most of the time. But I would consider "go-to flies" to be the ones I "go to" when things don't seem to be working quite as I expected. THOSE are almost ALWAYS soft hackles. If not, it's probably a streamer.

Migratory birds follow the snow-cover line moreso than the temperatures. If they get southerly prevailing winds, they often move back up to places below the snow line to feed. And we just haven't had any snow. Usually one good snow that covers food for several days pushes them south and they won't return until Spring. Thirty-some-odd tornados might cause some to ask similar questions. But the reality is these are things that sometimes DO happen in winter...just not very often.

Yes, I am very familiar with the Wire Road CA, Crane, and Crane Creek all the way down to the James River. I am talking about the LOWER CA parking lot below town. (there are actually THREE parking lot accesses...two above town and the one below) I was under the impression that West of the low water bridge over Crane Creek (upstream) is private property (dairy farm) and that the owner does not allow access anymore due to litter problems. Anyone in the know have a correction to that?

Someone want to explain this? I thought everything upstream of that bridge was private property except for that little piece of woods on the corner that Little Crane runs through. Is he allowing trespass again for fishing? Or is this public ground?

The starter combo kits out nowadays are pretty good. My favorite for less than $100 is the Scientific Anglers kit that contains a rod, reel, line, backing, leader, and a beginner's instructional video for under $80. I've seen them at Wal-Marts. It's a decent set-up. The Bass Pro combo you mention is fine as well. Cabelas has the best, but I think it's about $150. But it includes flies, leaders, tippet, tools, and everything you need to get on the water except for waders, sunscreen, and a hat. You can do a lot of low-water wading at Taney with a cheap pair of hip waders. I rarely get in over my knees in Taney on low flow.

Some trout fry escape from hatcheries or get into the stocking trucks periodically. That COULD explain it. Of course, it is also possible that there could be natural propagation occurring in sporadically. That doesn't automatically make a fishery sustainable.

There are spots along the fringes that can be safe up to about 4000 cfs. But the cfs at those spots is nowhere near 4000 cfs. These are pockets...eddies...out of the faster water.

Like your b-law explained, I think it started out that way as an affirmative action program for lady comp anglers. The top men crowd out newcomers of both sexes on the funding/sponsorship issue. So...if you want more women in the mix...you have to give them an advantage for awhile until some of them get to the big leagues and establish their own "turf" on the food chain. Affirmative action programs are NEVER about fair competition. They are about intentionally changing the demographic status quo.

Went Saturday. It was still pretty gnarly then. Evidence of the flash flood was everywhere...in places I've never seen evidence of water before. Managed to hook 3, land 1. I agree with the fly selections mentioned above. And I use 4X fluorocarbon if the water is still off-color.

If that thing had an internal GPS, a sonar graph, and an infrared digital thermometer in it I'd be all over it! LOL

A few years ago during a trout tourney on Taney I was fishing with Phil Surat from his drift boat. We were not...of course...in the tourney. I don't know if this was Phil Lilley's tourney or not, but it was during the winter. Fishing tiny soft hackles, I got into a mess of BIG Rainbows just upstream of the MDC ramp (we all know the spot). About 4 fish in rapid succession above the slot were boated and released by me and another one or two by Phil S. As we were doing this, several guys in boats who were fishing the tourney approached us and either criticized us for releasing these fish (assuming...I guess...we were entered in the tournament) or asking us to GIVE THEM the fish so they could weigh them in as their own. Of course, we refused. When the bite died in that hole, we moved on downstream, but not until. The vultures were circling closer and closer the entire time...of course. Here's the moral of this story relating to trout tourney strategy on Taneycomo: 1. Don't be THAT guy! 2. Not every boat angler is in the tourney...bad assumption. 3. Paying to fish a tourney does NOT give you right-of-way. 4. Bad behavior above Fall Creek will increase pressure to stop these tournaments. 5. Catch your own fish. 6. Don't pretend it's C&R when there's a day's end weigh-in. Lying is lying no matter what you call it. And most people know that. Besides, Taney is NOT a C&R fishery. The way the tourney rules are set up, anglers are disqualified for violating ANY MDC regulations. And that's perfectly legit. But keep the fish, process them, and make sure somebody eats them. THAT is good sportsmanship/conservation practice.

The way I see it, focus on politicians and it's a contest of who spends the most money 95% of the time. Focus on the courts and...while money is a factor...it comes down to rules of evidence, facts, and legal principles (in a non-jury trial) 90% of the time. But politicians, by the very nature of politics, are corrupt. Where judges are elected, this muddies the water considerably...pun intended.

The ag lobby in this state isn't a R or D thing...not a conservative or liberal thing, either. It is deeply embedded across the political spectrum and steamrolls most everything else it encounters. BUT...let us make no mistake that it is our so-called "conservative" Governor and HIS appointed Director of DNR who are pushing this sort of devil may care natural resources agenda. At a town hall meeting at Bass Pro Shop back in the middle of last year, the Governor's daddy (Congressman Blunt) stood side by side with the CEO of Mo Farm Bureau as he said regarding an environmental impact statement, "I don't worry about things that MIGHT happen. Let's build this thing and if there's a problem down the road we can address that then." They were talking about the proposed ethanol plant outside Rogersville that the Blunt family OWNS and the EIS that says the ground water in the area will be depleted in nothing flat if that plant goes into operation. While we're on the subject of clean water and CAFO's and other development along our streams and rivers, take a look at THIS. The fisheries biologists in MO and AR have been telling us some very unsettling things about preliminary water testing right here in our backyard that looks about like this report from Montana. http://troutunderground.com/2008/01/03/mon...ighbors-prozac/

...before the hearing date set for review of the permits, MO DNR expedited the permits for the CAFO chicken farm just above Roaring River State Park and allowed them to open. The place is now full of chickens and making chicken poop. The group from Cassville that is fighting (unsuccessfully so far) this huge chicken farm in the Roaring River watershed adjacent to the state park spoke to MTFA in Springfield last month and we received an update letter a few days ago. The group hired an environmental lawyer, who has brought in two expert witnesses for the appeal hearing. Nobody should really need more scientists to testify at this point, since DNR's own environmental impact report details what will happen to Roaring River and Table Rock Lake as a result of this CAFO. DNR just made it clear they didn't CARE. Now it goes to court. MTFA donated money to the legal fund. Anyone concerned about Roaring River SP and about the proliferation of CAFO's in MO under the current administration in Jeff City needs to get involved. We can all start by writing a check of whatever size we can afford to the legal fund. This won't be cheap. FYI, there is a MUCH more serious HOG CAFO that has also been approved and is under construction adjacent to another state park in south-central MO. And there is at least one more of a similarly egregious nature somewhere in the state that DNR also approved preliminary permits for. Even though the senate bill that would have given the CAFO lobby a nuclear option was defeated in 2007, it will be back in 2008. And the CAFO's are still being built and going into operation. So...in the end...the damage we hope to prevent is still happening anyway.

I can't believe I forgot the International Hunting Land Association. I was a founding member and the first EVP of the board of directors. But they've never targeted land in the Ozarks.

If the goal is to buy threatened Ozarks property to preserve it for the public trust, there are several EXISTING and CREDIBLE organizations you can do that through: The Nature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, and an array of conservation charities have land programs. There are a couple specific to Missouri as well. There is no reason to re-invent the wheel...unless there's some ulterior motive involved (like...perhaps...one of those "leadership consulting fees" or something).

Yes, fewer and smaller fish are better than more and bigger. Slow boats with polluting 2-strokes are better than fast boats with much cleaner and quieter 4-strokes.

And just WHY is this on the conservation forum?

Yeah, Johnny Morris ain't the guy who's gonna get laid off Jan-Mar in Branson, is he? Who does? THE LITTLE GUYS who make up the entire work force of Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Marine, etc. This is just normal business in Branson. The small shops close up and the owners go on tropical vacations Jan-Mar. The large employers cut back hours and lay people off. And they try to do it in ways that minimize the unemployment compensation claims. It's been this way for a LONG, LONG time. The guy's just asking folks to consider the new Tracker/Arctic Cat dealership at Branson Landing if you need any work done, parts, etc. to help HIS family make it through the winter. Why turn it into some political statement or ad for other boat/motor companies? Some of you guys are just BRUTAL.

Land development causes siltification and pollution. And litter is a form of pollution as well. So I did not put pollution in my top 3: development, rec watercraft, and litter. Couple points of explanation: when I say rec watercraft I am including ALL motorized watercraft...including boats. I don't think they should go away, but that wasn't the question. When I say litter I don't just mean paper, plastic, and glass. I mean discarded fishing line, weights, hooks, and so forth as well.

Yes, Brian, but thigh-high water to YOU is ankle-deep to most of us. LMAO!

Actually...no...I am not a fan of guide schools, either. I think it is a way for some large outfitters to take money from their trainees and then pick the best to offer jobs. Not very ethical if you ask me. But that's my PERSONAL opinion, and not an answer to the question the young man asked. I DO know some guides who got into the biz by going to schools, but not many. Generally, the kids they hire out of their guide schools are hired as "assistant guides." That means you work FOR a guide. That means you are a sherpa. You have to pay your dues somewhere/sometime! You don't just walk into anything as an automatic expert. Frankly, the only ones I can think of who went to school(s) and then started guiding are women. One went to the Orvis Fly Fishing School, a guide school in CO, and then was offered a sherpa job with the Orvis outfitter who owned the school. The job was seasonal, of course. But it was a good way for HER to start. Another went to the Orvis FF school, the Joan Wulff school, then got her Orvis endorsement by working for a CO Orvis outfitter for quite awhile, and then went to the Hyde rowing school. Now she's an independent guide in CO, on the Hyde Prostaff, and is quite successful. I also don't really understand the "glamour" remarks you always hear/read about guiding. As Brian says, you're a butler who knows how to fish/run a boat. And at least 1/2 the work doesn't occur on the water. Nothing glamorous about carrying someone else's gear for tips. The primary two tasks of a guide are transportation/navigation and managing gear. So it's not unlike being a taxi driver and a bell hop. Yeah...that's real glamour! LOL And make no mistake about it, that is how MOST of the clients and outfitters view fishing and hunting guides. The trip is about the client and the business is about the outfitter. And that's how it should be. Where does that put the guide? I've had many people make statements along the lines of, "Man, you have my dream job." I gotta tell you that always made me nervous. I knew these people had ZERO idea of what my job was as a guide or outfitter. And I always said, "No, YOU have MY dream job." Every time, they would ask what I meant/why I said that. I would look them dead in the eye and quickly explain with a slight smile, "Your job provides you the income and free time to take these trips/be a member of these clubs. I do this because I HAVE TO in order to have quality places to hunt and fish on private property AND make a basic living." What they REALLY meant when they said I had their dream job was that they didn't think my job WAS a job. And that was very, very bad for me. They thought I was getting paid to "play." Well, the reality is my own hunting and fishing time was very limited due to the fact that I was taking care of others while they did it all season. The rest of the year, I was getting their properties ready for the NEXT season. I made more money as a hunting/fishing club manager and trip guide than ANY guide and most outfitters (when you actually figure the take-home). And I had almost no investment/overhead that was MY risk. I had great corporate-style benefits, company trucks/ATVs/boats/etc., an expense account, and I got paid an average of about $75k/year. I loved it for several years. Then the attitudes of my clients/members and the impossible expectations they had began to wear on me badly. When I became disabled, I was burnt out anyway. It wasn't because of the WORK. I loved the work BECAUSE it was very hard. It was because: 1. While I had GREAT PLACES AND GEAR to hunt/fish, I didn't get to hunt/fish very much. 2. I got tired of the unrealistic expectations born of willful ignorance. I was killing myself trying to do the undoable. THIS...in my experience...is the life of a guide. I first began guiding backpacking and white water trips in the summers between my junior and senior years of high school. I then guided some deer and hog hunters during the fall for about 3 years. Then I guided bird/waterfowl hunts and evaluated waterfowl outfitters for the Orvis Endorsed Lodge program. Then I developed/rehabilitated hunting and fishing properties and did some trip guiding. As Brian says, the true reward is when you get to introduce someone successfully to something new or teach them a new skill/technique that works for them. Great days of hunting/fishing success come in a close second, but they don't happen much more than 50% of the time as a general rule.

How do you compare a fabulous bluegill pond on a family farm to Table Rock Lake, or Crane Creek to the White River? How do you compare the Missouri River in Missouri to the Missouri River headwaters in Montana and North Dakota? How does one compare a coastal estuary during a salmon or steelhead run to the upper Rio Grande in Southern Colorado? Taneycomo is a stretch of the White River between two dams that destroyed most of the warm water fishery for about a 20 mile stretch of the river. And it runs right through western Taney County...one of America's most developed tourist destinations. Fishing was rehabilitated artificially by MDC and the federal government as mitigation for the losses created by Table Rock Dam, the construction of which changed VAST riparian habitats of the upper White River both upstream and downstream. To me, Taneycomo, Table Rock, and Bull Shoals are models...gems even...of of modern wildlife management and ecological mitigation/rehabilitation in the wake of devastating development. Taney is essentially an URBAN fishery. And it is one of the very best urban fisheries that I am aware of in the world. I can drive up within 50 yards of the bank and park on asphalt, use a pretty good modern restroom facility, fish all morning, and then drive less than 10 minutes to a variety of about 50 different restaurants for lunch. I head back to the water after lunch, rent a boat, and head dowstream to try and catch some bass or crappie. That evening, I head down to Branson Landing for some live entertainment and a nice dinner. If I want to take a break during the day, I'm never more than 5 minutes drive or so to a store or fast food joint to buy a drink. And my cell phone works everywhere. So my wife can drop me off, take the car and go shopping, and come back and pick me up when she's done. Just call me on the cell and tell me you're coming and I'll tell you where to pick me up. You can't do this with quality fishing very many places. But you can on Taneycomo. If you want full contact fish catching in a "fish bowl" at outlet #1 or #2, you can have it. But if you want to fish unmolested all day long you can do that most of the time, too (on weekdays). I don't fish Taney anywhere near all the time anymore. It's not even my favorite trout fishery in the Ozarks. But I have great respect for Taneycomo for WHAT IT IS. And I do enjoy it for that when I'm in the mood or that opportunity is the only one that makes sense. Sometimes, I get a kick out of just catching as many 12-15" rainbows as I can in 3-4 hours. Taney and the trout parks are good for that if you can fish when the crowds are not there. Sometimes...most of the time...I'd rather stalk an undeveloped river all day to catch a few quality fish in a much more typical habitat and fish density environment. Sometimes, I would rather fish all day to catch one wild fish if that's all I can manage. Sometimes, I want bass. Others I want to catch a mess of crappie for a fish fry. But the urban or wilderness experience...an artificially high fish density or a similar density created by an anadromous run of mostly wild fish in an estuary...these things are DIFFERENT. I don't see them as "better" or "worse."

Stop! PLEASE...no more! Let's keep the lower lake subculture off the Internet, please. We don't want every Bass Pro sponsored guide in mid-America sitting in the backs of those coves after a rain in $50k bass boats with TV camera crews alongside. For the love of God, man! Have you no shame?