Project Healing Waters

What I was getting at is that carp fishing has become high sport among European (especially British and Dutch) anglers as a result of accessibility factors. But nowadays it is, indeed, what a great many prefer to do. Carp get big fast. I think that's the main draw. I've caught a few. I don't think they fight all that hard most of the time. There's a reason why we revolted against those folks.

Most of the game fish streams in the UK (and several other European countries) are PRIVATE. But there is quite a bit of accessible rough fish water in canals, ditches, sloughs, and highly impaired rivers. Thus, you fish for what you can cast to. And the rough fish such as Carp are everywhere. FYI, when you see the rough fish populations increasing in a particular spot, that is a definitive indicator that water quality is on the way down. Rough fish can tolerate far higher levels of pollutants than most game fish can. And when the rough fish move in, the game fish tend to move out. We really don't know if it is the chicken or the egg: is it just the water quality that causes the game fish to leave and the rough fish to arrive, or is it the presence of the rough fish that triggers the flight of the game fish? But we know there is a strong correlation. A HUGE amount of Europe's surface and ground water is highly polluted. And what isn't is mostly in private hands with very restricted access. Thus...CARP!

@ Eagle's Park, just pull in and set up camp. They'll come find you to collect the fee. Nice folks. And they DO keep an eye on things and keep the nonsense that used to go on down there to a minimum. Dave works for the Forest Service as well. But the Mrs. is there all the time. But they aren't much on phones and email. If you need a shower, you can go into the park and use the facilities there. It's about 1 mi back up the road. EP has showers and bathrooms, but I don't think they are heated during winter. Last time I was there was late Spring and it got down in the 40s at night. But they had hot showers then. Bring firewood if you want a fire...or buy that in the park.

Hmmm...I might just have to show up to see what all the fuss is about. Been getting a lot of PHW info requests from Ozark Fly Fishers lately.

Congrats, Dave! I know this has been tougher than usual for y'all. But you had a great REALTOR who has seen you through some choppy seas. LOL Now if we can keep the B Team calm, everything will be fine.

Here's a link to an article and video from the Project Healing Waters Regional Adaptive Casting Challenge: http://ozarksflyanglers.blogspot.com/2007/...-challenge.html

http://ozarksflyanglers.blogspot.com/2007/...local-club.html Kennebec Valley Trout Unlimited made history recently when they won the Trout Unlimited Golden Trout award for the second year in a row. This is the first time TU has ever given this top local club in the nation award to the same club twice in a row. And one of the two main reasons cited for the award was KVTU's participation in Project Healing Waters, the national program that encourages and facilitates club members who teach fly fishing and fly tying to disabled veterans and wounded warriors through VA and military hospitals across the country. Kennebec Valley Trout Unlimited started the Project Healing Waters program at Togus VAMC earlier this year, and it has been a great success.

Zack, tie up some #16 Soft Hackle Gold-ribbed Hare's Ear Nymphs as sparsely as you can dub them. You can swing them like a traditional wet fly, drift them under an indicator like a rising midge (light tippet and about 18-20" below the indicator regardless of water depth), slap on a tiny split shot and fish them as a nymph, or even strip them after a downstream cast. Very versatile and the trout all over the Ozarks love them. You can tie them in 18-20s if you love torturing yourself. Those work really well on Taneycomo.

Clear Creek has such a product. For the best price, check www.flyfishingbenefactors.com And you can check out the pack on the Clear Creek website.

I too consider $150 and under to be the "affordable" category.

I'll be having breakfast at the Ramada every morning about 1 hour before the registration table opens. Thursday morning might be the only exception, as that is my best day for fishing. I don't know if this is a free continental breakfast for people staying there only, or if they have a restaurant that's open to the public. But if it's open to the public, anyone is welcome to join me.

October 4-7.

Yeah, well...the $179 WJ V-2 Waders that they just sent me leaked badly right out of the box, too. So BOTH pair of production waders they sent me were worthless.

Questions are good. But most of the time when there is an invasive or exotic discovered, folks panic. In reality, a LOT of the stuff we consider quite natural and pristine wasn't the way it is now very long ago. Zebra Mussels are "native" to much of Europe and the Pacific Rim. And they haven't destroyed any tourist destinations or municipal water systems over in those places, either.

I can't really say. In theory, it doesn't bother me to have to replace my felt soles a bit more often for significantly cleaner water. But time will tell. A golf course sprinkler system? You really want us to choose a golf course sprinkler system over clean water?

Baxter County Fairgrounds in Mountain Home, but all of the Thursday activity is run out of the Ramada Inn.

I have to agree that the hopper action below the dam has slowed down. It still worked in deeper holes near the bank with some effectiveness when I was down there last week. But the vast majority of my fish were taken on size 18 rust midges w/gold bead and wire...including a 24" monster that took me about 4' into my backing on the first run. I threw blood midges, P&P midges, soft hackles in 16 and 18, and a few more experiments. But the rust w/gold in 18 was the best. Most of the time, the hoppers were getting the fish's attention, but they wouldn't strike...size 8, 10, or 12 in 5 different hopper patterns. The only one I caught fish on was a size 10 yellow dubbed body turkey wing parachute hopper.

I've never met a mussel that wasn't as you describe. Zebra Mussels, from what I've read, inhabit typical mussel habitat...where other mussels have historically been. The only negative impact to NATURE that I have ever read about Zebra Mussels is that they out-compete OTHER mussels, reducing their numbers, and waterfowl eat them, becoming toxic because the Zebra Mussel is such a spectacular filter that they are highly toxic...mostly heavy metals.

I wouldn't bet against you.

Matt, I think that would be a great test! I was sent a few pre-production products over the years. And sometimes AFTER the item was already being sold in stores. The pre-production samples are often sitting around after the tweaks and final modification for production runs. And WJ does send those out as freebies. However, these items are NOT fully tagged, bagged, and boxed. It's fairly obvious. The most recent example would be a pair of Dry-namic waders they sent me. They were pre-production samples. That is the pair I am currently wearing. The production run Dry-namics they sent me leaked like a sieve in the lower legs! And they haven't replaced those yet. The seam between upper leg and lower leg panels on the pre-production samples (the good ones) breaks mid-thigh and the quick-release buckles on the suspenders and belt were a hollow design to reduce weight. On the production waders, they arrive in a box, bag, and fully tagged. And the leg panel seam broke right at the KNEE...which I promptly told them was a design flaw that would likely result in higher warranty claims. The buckles were the traditional quick-release type that we see on almost everything. And the belt was wider and there were two belt loops...one on each side...instead of a single loop in the back. All of these changes were for the better except for the relocation of the seam between the lower leg and upper leg. But the seams on the production pair failed almost immediately from the knees down (whodathunkit). Incidentally, I recently received a pair of their W-2 waders (MSRP $179 instead of $289 for the Dry-namics). I wore them for the first time on Monday. And I fished in water over waist deep for 2 hours and stayed dry and comfortable. We'll see how they hold up after some wear and tear. But if they do, these will be a GREAT wader value. The Dry-namics are supposed to be beefier and have more expensive comfort and looks features. But I certainly wouldn't say it is $110 worth to ME! I will say that the pre-production Dry-namics I was sent are the most comfortable, durable, functional, and best looking breathable waders I have ever worn. I asked WJ about the warranty claims on Dry-namics to date and I was told by the Director of Marketing (at the time), Sherri Weaver, that they had sold hundreds of pairs and only gotten complaints about 6 pairs...including mine. In the real world of breathable waders, that isn't a bad ratio for a brand new wader product from a company that has never made waders before. In fact, it's good for ANYBODY in the wader biz. In the end analysis, I think the practice of sending out developmental products without disclosure for promotional purposes is not wise, even though it saves them money in the short run. In the long run, it is unavoidably going to result in PR problems like this one. It's smart to put those samples in the field for TESTING and FEEDBACK. But to put them out there for published product reviews and so forth and not even tell the people they're sending them to that there are some known flaws that are being corrected prior to production is just asking for trouble. As for our Gear Bags and whether they were/were not prototypes, I don't know for sure. I don't recall how that bag was packaged when I got it. And I got mine a good 6 months before y'all got yours. I would be interested in a test of one from the Sierra closeout sale. I think that would settle it one way or the other.

It's the 2005 version that bag, Terry. The Gear Bag. The 2007 version is the Apex. Mine and theirs are identical. The new one is quite a bit different in detail, but similar. And I haven't seen one in person. WJ sent me one to field test probably about 6 months before they got theirs as part of their Trout Bum sponsorship package...if memory serves. But the Gear Bag is now discontinued and you can find it on sale all over the place. I saw it yesterday on Sierra Trading Post for about $70, which is still way too much money for a boat bag that doesn't protect your gear from the rain.

I didn't take it as you "throwing me in the fire." You posted the truth of your experience and you cited my review as being misleading. In retrospect, it WAS misleading due to an oversight on my part when field testing the bag prior to writing the review. I learned something from this: ALWAYS think carefully through the WHOLE list of usage requirements and design the field test to test them ALL. Not that I haven't TRIED to do that, but I got sloppy that time. Your report and citation of my review will make me more thorough in the future. And that's a good thing. Yes, I am glad that you didn't lose any gear over this (assuming your GPS unit is OK). The greatest concern to me is that the "waterproof compartment" that forms the lid failed so miserably in ALL THREE cases. While one might argue that if you don't put your valuables/electronics in a dry bag before sticking it in the main compartment of such a bag that that's "on you," this compartment was marketed specifically AS a waterproof compartment, ie. dry bag. If I stuck my sensitive electronics in there and they got ruined, I would definitely expect them to replace them. Hey, if anyone is looking, I know where you can get 3 great WJ Gear Bags...lightly used...dirt cheap!

Matt, I'm sorry if you felt misled by my review on F3, but I never tested it in a driving rainstorm. I've had mine out all day in light rains and never has anything gotten wet. As I said in the review, I floated it with quite a bit of weight in it and it didn't leak. After reading this and watching your video today, I decided to put mine in the shower for 5 minutes and see what happened. I got the same results you demonstrated: the "waterproof" compartment was full of water, the main interior compartment had about 1/4" of water in the bottom. WJ did, indeed, market the bag as 100% protection for your gear...including from water. And as we see, that just isn't so. If it won't keep your stuff dry in a driving rainstorm, it isn't much of a "boat bag." I've been in contact with WJ executives about this today. As of now, they are not ready to comment. I do know they have looked at your video and read the feedback from my hasty shower test today. And I plan to follow up on this. I sort of feel like an idiot for not thinking to test it in the shower before I wrote that review a couple of years back. But I was focused on the "float with 50 lbs of gear in it" claim. And that it actually does. Ken Morrow

Welcome from yet another Parrothead. We've stayed at Ozark Mountain Resort. You're right across the lake from Port of Kimberling, which has a TON of water sports rental options, charters, etc. OMR has a pretty decent rec center for rainy day activities and such. You're about a 5 minute drive across the Hwy 13 bridge from Kimberling City and a 20-30 minute drive from the heart of Branson. Most of the condos at OMR do not have a lake view. You can request one, and if they can accommodate you they will. It's a pretty quiet resort for that part of the lake. October is a great time to enjoy fly fishing for trout on Taneycomo. If you want to hire a guide for that, contact http://www.riverrunoutfitters.com

I knew there was something backwards about you. FYI, Lefty is a WW2 vet who was wounded at the Battle of the Bulge and is a HUGE supporter of Project Healing Waters.