Paola Cat

Took a minute to look at the USGS gauge ..... looks like it's blown out. Been in San Jose for several weeks .... need to get out bad! PC

Rebel Teeny Craws in the shallow and deep diver version are absolutely one of the best options for most Ozark Rivers and creeks. Deadly on SMBs, LMBs, and KYs. Also good on goggle eyes and assorted brim. Here's a tip: Come to a hole on most any Ozark river or creek. Use the Teeny craw ... catch the active fish. After the fish have seen the Teeny Craw for awhile, follow it with 4" slider worm fished Texas rigged on a long shank cricket hook. Use the smallest worm weight you can find. I like the salt-n-pepper color scheme the best and have ordered them in bulk over the years. This is usually the ticket to catching a few more good ones before moving on. I use a light action rod for the slider worm and a ultra light for the Teeny craw. 4# test is usually sufficient. PC

Exactly ... Britt nailed it. Dead drift the JD under as small of an indicator as possible. It's a decent Zone 1 mid afternoon pattern as Self stated. Most of my hits come near the end of the drift. It can be very productive when most everything else is slow. Vary the indicator depth to keep it in the fish holding zone. PC

Not a waste of time. I've had good success at BSSP (mostly in Zone 2) with Partridge and green and ..... Partridge and orange. #16s .... Swing'em in the current. Be prepared for some violent hits and a few tippet snappers. PC

If you've planned the remodel of your finished basement (with CAD drawings) to include a dedicated fly fishing/tying room complete with tying desk, computer station, hanging storage, rod tube rack etc. and actually followed through with it .... you might be a trout bum. I love the one about .... if you actually think tying your own flies is cheaper ...... PC

Flat Creek is really a great SMB stream. I have floated from Jenkins (248 bridge) to 39; 39 to EE; and EE to the takeout just above the lake multiple times. I really like the 39 to EE stretch. Never had a problem on any of these floats but did run into some freaky dudes when taking out at EE one evening. Where exactly is Stubblefield? Is that the access above Jenkins? I put in one time above Jenkins ... seemed to me that you had to wind your way back in there. PC

Bowling Shirt: Multi-colored fishing shirt covered in logos and patches Nest: An area where multiple fish are caught Fixin' to: About to or ready to do something as in .... "I was fixin' to change baits but then a bucketmouth blew-up on my spook". Perch Jerker: Panfisherman Roland (the famous fishing show host and tournament angler): Slang to describe the exaggeration of a fishes weight as in ..... "Bob pulled a Roland on that deal. I swear that fish was no more than 3 lbs. but Bob swears it was a 8 lbr." PC

I hear ya wrench. Haven't seen them in the river around the BSSP access yet. I brought to hand ony (1) right below Whistle about a week and a half a go. I did see about 1500-2000 micro goggle-eye in the Suzy Hole . PC

LWD .... I have Simms breathable waders that I would completely recommend but based on reviews, I purchased some Toggs breathables in both regular and waist high versions. These are very inexpensive (when compared to the Simms and others) but seem to be a pretty good low cost alternative. PC

I've made the trip to Huber's Lone Pine fishing lodge on the Wabigoon/Dinorwic Lake Chain in Northwest Ontario, Canada. It's real close to the town of Dryden, Ontario and is a full day's drive from the KC area. Great fishing for trophy northerns (36"+) and some real nice SMBs. Not knowing any better, my buddy and I brought our bass fishing gear with us and fished some of the nastiest weed infested waters and did real well on large northerns and a few muskies while the rest of the group bounced around in the open water fishing for walleyes and yellow perch. We also caught some large SMBs in the 20" range on husky jerks and wiggle warts near and on exposed rock piles. The cabin accomodations were great and the food was nothing short of fantastic. We did the American plan and were competely satisifed. The wildlife viewing was great and we saw black bears and moose. The carniverous airforce (deer flies and mosquitos) were tough at times but I'd totally recommend. PC

Power Rangers: 200+ hp bass boats running down the lake .... usually seen taking off or when returning to the tournament site Salad: Underwater vegetation that is an irritant and can cause a fish to become unbuttoned Unbuttoned: Condition when a hooked fish comes off during "the fight" Flier: Very small trout that flies through the air after the hook set .... sometimes ends up on the bank Rock Snot: Real slippery slime covering rocks in the stream-bed (usually encountered while wading) Tail Dragger: Foul hooked fish in the tail PTC: "Paper Thin Crappie" Old Smeller: Amongst other definitions .... large, dead, and bloated rough fish Old Yacky: Blue Herron Chasers: Those fish that chase the fish you're reeling in that are always bigger than the one you hooked. Used in a sentence: I was reeling in a suckerage and had a smallie chaser. Herds: Multiple "chasers" .... usually shouted out as in: There's herds of them! Throw something out there! Reflectors: Submerged aluminum cans .... also known as bottom bouncers. All Fish: Time when it is permissible for everyone to be fishing including the youngsters .... As in "this is an all fish". Yank-O-Rama: Amongst other defintions .... A condition that sometimes occurs when fishing soft hackles, cracklebacks, or stripping buggers. Refers to very hard hits when fly fishing. Used in a sentence: I was fishing in the river today and it was a real yank-o-rama ... you had to be there. Buzzers: Horse flies and assorted flying insects that buzz you while fishing Carniverous Air Force: Most frequently made in reference to deer flies. Used in a sentence: Looking to the front of canoe, it looked like the carniverous airforce had landed on Bob's back. River Dance: Wild hand and body movements used mostly when being harassed by buzzers and the carniverous airforce. Sometimes involves the "hat in hand technique". Can be followed by substantial hillarity. Blue Angels: Teal Blue Bully: Kingfisher PC

Butt Wrinkle: The condition resulting from untreated "Swamp butt" Hole that's not a Hole (HTNAH): That area of the stream that you've walked or floated by for years and by chance one day cast into it and start hooking them one after another. Bank Runner: Those 8-10" bass that live inches from the bank Christmas Trees: Those beautifully adorned trees lining the banks at the trout parks year round

Mongolian Cluster: (3) definitions: (1) Opening day at any of the trout parks (2) Major backlash that needs cut out, and (3) Dusk on summer Sat. nights at pretty much any boat ramp in the Ozarks Floater: Amongst other definitions ..... that dead or dying trout that floats by you while your fishing in the trout parks Biff = Jim Dandy: "A well-adorned flyfisherman sporting all the best in gear, gadgets, and khaki" Skippy = Stomper: "The guy who feels like he has to wade thru the middle of the hole just because he is wearing waders" Soup Kitchen Line: Standing in line at any of the trout parks to buy your daily tag Gut Gang: Those pods of fish at BSSP that feed soley on fish entrails

Here's a few: 2nd Cut: The errant cast when "hitting the bank" that ends up not just on the bank but in the timber. Main Lake: The area of the lake or casting direction that should be fished by someone who has mastered the 2nd cut. Brimmage: Assorted micro panfishes that are caught by flies/lures that are as long as or longer than them. Suckerage: Assorted stream/river fishes that fight more when removed from the water than while in the water. Sleeper: The fish that accidentally hooks itself while your not paying attention. Launch: As in "I sat my new Loomis rod down on the deck of the boat and watched it launch into the lake ... never to be seen again". Dunk Tank: Reference to the hole above the dam at BSSP Bill Dance: Any of the Fat Free Shad crankbait series PC

KC ..... I agree with the comment on Flat Creek. There's some real nice SMBs in there and quite a large population. I've floated it many times and consider it one of the best. My favorite stretch is 39 bridge to the EE access but all the floats are good. PC

Wrench .... I hear ya on it being slow. I fished the park on Friday and it was slow there also (see BSSP report). I was kicking myself for not making it down to the river .... sounds like I didn't miss much. It's been a struggle so far this winter. Something's not right ..... not sure what's going on in the "home waters"? I can't seem to find the concentrations of fish (in the river) that we can normally find. I don't know if they're not there or if it's just me! PC

KSBass and I headed down to BSSP hoping that the action would improve from several weeks ago. Made it down for the siren. Simply put, the action was slow. Brought to hand somewhere between 25-30 for the day between us. Fished all 3 zones. No consistent action and no consistent pattern. The crowds were huge again. Right now, BSSP is fishing tough ..... unless you're fishing for SMBs and goggle eyes in the Suzy Hole. PC

I just found out that T. Hargrove is advertising a 6th addition .... 2006. PC

KBS .... The one I caught below dry hollow in the C&R was in the 6-7 lb. range (6X). I caught that fish real early .... probably within the first 10 casts. I also had her twin on for awhile a couple of casts later, before the tippet broke. I should have re-tied after the first fish. The one I caught in the afternoon (on the white bunny) was 4-5 lbs (5X). The crowds were huge. Looked almost like a normal "in-season" weekend. In the afternoon, I walked down from dry hollow and couldn't find a place to fish without crowding in on anybody. I turned around and walked upstream all the way to the "lodge". Didn't do much on the dries this time. Took maybe three on a crackleback in the C&R, and a few on griffiths and cream midges for the day. BTW: Those browns I caught were chunks probably around 15". Looks like the weekend is going to turn off chilly .... I'd let to get out another time before getting back to work. PC

Started at the siren this morning and fished the whole day. Had to wear the neoprene gloves early ... it was a little chilly ... but warmed up well later on. Did well early in the C&R area on chamois worms, brown SJWs, and apricot supreme eggs (w/red dot). The water's up a bit from last week but still clear. Brought to hand 4 browns today ... nothing giant but some nice quality fish. Caught (1) in the C&R and (3) up closer to the "lodge" (store). Ended up with (2) lunker rainbows (20"+) for the day .... (1) in the C&R first thing in the morning on a chamois worm and (1) in the late afternoon upstream from dry hollow on a 4" white bunny .... big dude with a major kype .... took me over the "falls" and into the next hole downstream. That was kind of a freaky deal .... never happened to me before. I was sight fishing with the bunny at the tail end of the pools and crawling it deep at the head of the pools. Not the numbers of last week but the quality was better. Big crowd today. In the afternoon, you couldn't walk the C&R area .... lots of guys trying out what Santa got them I guess. Had a good time and looking forward to getting out again before I've got to go back to work. PC

Dano ... Right on! I had forgotten .... Mr. Agnew did the smallmouth artwork in Chuck's "200 Missouri Smallmouth Adventures." I also have a signed copy of it. It's a great detailed and descriptive read. I wish it included the smallmouth country closer to the southwestern part of the state .... my own selfish desire .... with me being from the KC area. PC

There is a revised third edition .... it was published in 1999. I've got a copy ... signed by Chuck #780154 ... with lots of handwritten notes on the maps providing much more detail on accessing the wild trout management areas. Not exactly sure who made the notatations. Awesome and invaluable resource. PC

Right on ... 18s and 20s ... in black, red, brown, and olive. PC

It's deer .... no reason it couldn't be elk though. Body is Z-lon or antron. PC

JJ .... that's it. I was fishing them in tandem. I used a black one on the top and a red one on the bottom. KS .... I used red SJWs and brown SJWs ... both worked. I'd like to get down there again over the holidays. Once the surface activity started I pretty much stayed with the dries. I fished from dry hollow up to the road and down from dry hollow to the bend (I didn't wade). PC