Randall

You boys are a little nicer than most of my buddies. I've kinda become a Royals fan, but it seems like the point of the games I go to is the parking lot before the first pitch. Oh well, I can't wait to go see the Cardinals for next to nothing this year.

Did they reduce the length of keeper browns? I thought it was like 20 inches.

I see the McDonalds cup... you fed it a quarter pounder didn't you? Now what do they call those things in France?

I check the river level at Montauk generally. The river is perfect for me from the park down to Akers when in the 150-250 cfs range at that gauge. When you start getting above 300 its going to get a little high and fast. I don't check the downstream gauge b/c I don't mess around down there much. If the rain holds off, the river is at 150 right now, so it'll be a little on the shallow side between tan vat and Baptist. I'd suggest wading from tan vat to baptist and floating from there. Watch out for the fallen tree downstream of Baptist. If you don't portage around it, you'll be in trouble. I don't know anything about the river downstream of cedar grove. I believe Eric is referring to the Akers gauge and I really don't know what you want to look for on that one.

Very nice. I imagine that one is going on display somewhere given the tape on the hook presumably to protect the finish from the vise. What else do you tie?

A little off subject, but how do you like that fishpond hip pack? I have a Simms pack that I really like but it gets pretty cramped in there pretty quick.

I thought it might have been. With nobody fishing those rapids I figured it was probably better to hit those than crowd in on you and those other guys. I think I'll have to be less picky about what I keep next time I get down that way b/c I could have kept a limit of those 12" stockers right there at that rapid.

Yeah, that was me... I was screwing around high-sticking that slack water on the other side of that deep riffle. I wanted to take a few fish home but didn't catch anything I wanted to keep.

Sounds like a decent trip. I bailed on my spring break trip and went to the Current instead b/c the water was at the 1800 cfs mark and I just have no interest in trying to wade that. Thanks for your input though.

Hey man, I was down there Monday through Wednesday too, camped at site 306, but I only fished from tan-vat down to Ashley creek, not upstream. I was the tall guy in the Simms waders and a hip pack. I think I ran into the same rude guy on Wednesday morning at tan vat and he was a prick. He made the same comment about it being crowded and then proceeded to low-hole me until I dropped way below him and fished the bluff hole. The best part was that I talked to everybody I saw parked at tan vat and Baptist for those three days and Wednesday was the first time I saw him or his truck. Everybody else was really easy to get along with too. I think the high water made the fishing better than I'm used to. The cloudy water probably slowed the bite but the high water made the fish a lot less skittish and more aggressive. I didn't have much luck on streamers either, though I tore them apart on bigger nymphs and talked to a really nice couple who did well swinging soft-hackles and the like. I caught this lady right below Baptist Monday afternoon. Special thanks to the math teacher from Minnesota for netting her in the stiff current and taking the picture for me.

Awesome, thanks. What are the crowds like in the middle of the week generally?

Same thing in a different way, it seems like the hour or two after dawn is less productive for me than mid-morning unless there is a trico hatch. Add a san juan, prince, and stonefly pattern to your box too. If the river is a little higher and not crystal clear, I love to fish streamers.

I'll be down for probably two days next week. I'm going to trout fish in the blue ribbon section and try for some whites downstream. Anybody know if they're up in the river? I heard they that there's some pretty good fishing below Bryant creek when they start running.

There have been several discussions about your question and from what I have picked up, only a few eggs, if any actually hatch. If you do manage to catch a streambred (for those who don't think all streambred are wild) fish you'll know it. They fight a lot harder than hatchery fish. They also generally have much better colors as well, but a hatchery fish can look identical after being in the stream for a while. Generally speaking, if you start catching baby fish with parr marks, probably gonna be streambred.

So she's DYING to try them out huh? Well tear em up.

What happened to the Meramec? If they run water, fish dirty nasty streamers and tell me how you do. Try fishing at night too... just do it all.

You are correct sir... but it doesn't mean I remember it.

Well start with a good silver-colored then after a while it won't matter what color the can is.

I know what I'm doing saturday... weather permitting.

I don't think Hamms are gold inside. Busch heavy might be but I don't know.

Wilson and Milford huh... have to check that out, thanks.

For sure. I plan on heading to Kansas at least one weekend this spring so I'll give you a little heads up before I go.

Wow... I'm impressed. Do you use lead tape on the inside of the "belly" or will the fly just ride point up? Other than that, I think that would be a white bass killer.

Not to be that guy, but I noticed the same thing as Dave plus that the pics are of the trout crack, not the crackleback.

Yup... right about where the weeds stop... what, maybe 4-6 feet out is about where we got hit. It'd make more sense if it were sunny, but I guess the warm temps had them in the shallower stuff where it was warmer. Caught a little crappie too.