Paola Cat

Trav .... "her voice annoys me" .... nicely put. Sends shivers down my spine. PC

Budget --- I hear that! The boss has me on a use some of the stuff you've already got or sell it before you get anymore plan. PC

I rig it exactly like Thom. I use the dropper primarily when nymphing. Larger and/or heavier attractor nymph or egg on top .... smaller pattern on the bottom. Occaisionally I'll use big dry as an indicator (Stimmie, Humpy, or EHC) and use a dropper midge/nymph. I use some sort of dropper rig about 1/3 of the time. PC

Good luck guys .... It'll be a wild one since it's on a Saturday. I'm with RC on this .... I'm staying away for awhile. PC

I dead drift the ants and give them an occaisional twitch. There's nothing subtle about the catfish take. They hit them hard. In some of the clearer waters, you can sight fish with this pattern. I've done this at Flat Creek. This is also a good all around pattern for other species as well as catfish. PC

Wooly Buggers are one of my go to patterns. I either dead drift them or strip them. They seem to be more effective for me in some MO waters than others. I don't know why, but for me, buggers and leeches are real effective at Montauk and RR and you can get into that "every cast" thing .... but experience tells me that they're not as effective at BSSP .... but what's odd is that they're effective in the Niangua. I've never been able to understand why this is. It's probably because you get into rythm fishing a bugger in a certain type of water/conditions and you get comfortable with it. PC

I've caught them on large weighted ant patterns. #10 or #12 weighted black ants work real good in still waters. PC

I wet wade most of the summer. I used to wear an old pair of sneakers. A couple of years ago, I bought a pair of those felt sole wading sandals. I love them. PC

Kingfish ... Did you get the Litespeed. I have a LS-2 and it's great. Another reel that I like is the Okuma Helios. I have a 4/5 and love it. PC

My current set-up is similar to FFM's. I own (1) pair of chest high neoprene stockingfoot waders. I haven't used them in (2) years. They are such a hassle to get on and off. I own (1) pair of waist high stockingfoot breathable pants and (1) pair of chest high stockingfoot breathable waders. I like the pants the best also. When it's cold I layer like Dano. PC

In extreme conditions, I use a pair of Glacier gloves under a pair of Hodgman full fingered neoprene gloves. The Hodgman gloves are a full size larger than the Glacier gloves. Everything stays dry with the (2) gloves. This can be a bit bulky and you definitely lose some "feel" but is warm. PC

I like the SA Mastery "Trout" DT-5-F. Works great. Great for roll casts and fishing with an indicator. I also like the RIO lines. PC

Took a day off work to fish. Really nice weather but kind of windy. Fished Zone 2 only. Fishing was good but had to change flies frequently. Variety was the ticket today. Started in the riffles below the stone arch bridge and worked my way down to the bend. Consistently caught fish all day on: peach eggs, olive slump busters, white G-Bugs, and red glass bead midges. The last hour I fished a #18 white humpy and caught a few on top in the fast water. No giants but lots of fish. PC

A reasonably priced or cheap Winston is very hard to find. I've been eyeing EBAY for a year. Haven't found one yet. Good luck. You might give the guys at Feather-Craft a call .... they might be able to hook you up with something. PC

Andy .... I see most of the spinning tackle guys using Glo Balls (white, peach, red, apricot), Egg Paterns (same colors as the glo balls), (Fur Bugs (same colors as the glo balls), Mini Jigs (john deere, brown roach, bedspread), and Marabou Jigs (1/100 and 1/80 black-n-yellow, olive, white). Use a split shot to get them down in areas of current. Can be used with/without strike indicator. PC

Used the new Launch for the first time last Saturday. Used it with a SA Mastery Trout DT line. Nice rod for the price with a good "feel". BTW: Ordered the rod from F-C (taking advantage of a customer appreciation discount). The rod drop shipped directly from Sage and arrived very fast. Great service. Contacted Lamiglas on the busted Appalachian. I sending it in to see what they can do. PC

This is a real mixed bag for me. From a fly fishing perspective, it depends on what I'm throwing, how crowded it is, and the current. I tend to fish streamers, leeches, SHs, and cracklebacks quartering downstream. I most normally fish nymphs directly upstream. Everything else I pretty much fish quartering upstream. I've made the mistake (many times)of wading downstream for a long way and then had to wade upstream all the way back (duh!). Once, I saw some guys on the Osage Fork of the Gasconade actually put their canoe in at a downstream takeout and watched them paddle upstream to the next take out. PC

Big win for the boys ... they got it done! Good to see the "streak" snapped. Let's see if we can maintain the momentum. PC

1. any boat of aluminum construction (no problem, canoes, kayaks, dingies, rafts, inner tubes, belly boats, jet skiers, water skiers, party barges ... bring'em on) 2. any clothing of denim construction (I like jeans and jackets) 3. stringers (kind of comical at the trout parks, prefer a live well or a 5 gallon bucket) 4. domestic beer (unless it's a microbrew) (doesn't matter just as long as it's cold) 5. wind (like it most of the time unless I'm in a aluminum boat) 6. calm (like it!) 7. cold (love it! I wear jeans and jean jackets) 8. heat (like it!) 9. too much current (love it!) 10. no current (like it!) 11. spinfishermen (no problem, as well as cane poles, baitcasters, grabblers, snaggers, giggers, archers) 12. other flyfishermen (depends, don't care for shufflers or crowders) 13. locals (OK with me) 14. tourists (I am one) 15. people like me who hijack threads ninja.gif (doesn't matter) PC

Flyphsh, Over the years, I've fished zonkers, clousers, and various sculpin streamers from Montauk to Baptist Camp. Have brought some nice fish to hand ... and have lost almost as many. Most of the big fish action has always been around Tan Vat for me. Looking to tie and try some of those newer patterns myself. PC

69%. Messed up on most of the larva.

Good to have you on-board .... welcome!

Hey Tim ... great report. Your report validates the C&R season at Bennett for me. A slow day has been around 20 ... a good day, you lose count. Glad the fish were hitting for you. The egg patterns have been hot. I've been fishing peachy king ... your apricot is pretty close. Pretty sweet stretch of water you fished isn't it? Below the stone arch bridge until you get to the slower water is pretty nice. There are some giants in there ... I've got taken into the backing twice during the C&R. The hatchery outlet is pretty popular and I seldom get down that far. I usually skip it completly and go on down to Zone 3. How long of a drive is that for you? PC

3 wt ... That sounds good to me. I've only been able to get it down to (4) things I've got to load in the truck. Gear bag, Plastic tote with all the wading gear, Plastic tote with my vest and wading jacket/clothing layers, and my rod bag. PC

RC .... sure no problem .... I think my C&R season is about over. I've got to go to India for work and will miss the weekends of the 2/9 and 2/16 (would like to fish the river). Since I'm leaving on 2/9, the wife's got a list of stuff for me to do on 2/2-2/3. I might try to sneek down on 2/4. Also, I might be in for a river trip on the 2/23. Once the "regular" season starts, I'll switch my routine to going on weekdays. Could probably work something out then. The weather was much better than the last time you were down. Man that had to be cold. PC