Randall

It sounds like a good idea but MDC may not go for it. Off the top of my head I have a couple questions which may raise policy issues contrary to the movement. 1) Is that where they capture the majority of spawning browns for the hatchery? 2) What is the possibility of a kid getting hurt while fishing there when they're running water? 3) How much new water will be opened? 4) How well can it be policed? As with any change in policy, there are concerns which need to be addressed prior to acting. It'll take a lot of effort but it may well be worth it. I say go for it if you think its a good idea but be ready for a lot of rejection.

still here

Gotta bag it, too much water. USGS showed it spike just above 4000 cfs.

Right on, thanks. I think we're meeting in Gainesville tomorrow around noon to fish the afternoon then float Saturday.

Thanks for the input. I'll be sure to holler if I see you. I really want to streamer fish so I'll probably stick primarily with that. I did really well on rubber legs in June so I'll probably keep that as my lead fly on the nymph rod and drop like princes or san juans off of it. I have some crawfish I may toss too. I have one more question I forgot to ask earlier: what is the upstream-most place I can put in and leave a vehicle and how do I get there? I am familiar with most of the paved roads in the area and I downloaded a google map showing gravel.

A buddy and I may be floating the blue ribbon section on Saturday. I'm still not familiar with this river so I'm looking for some pointers. I'm planning on throwing the generic stuff like buggers, stones, princes, etc.... I'm still addicted to the streamers so what patterns are generally the most effective? I'm thinking zoo cougars, sculpins, and mohair leeches mostly becuase that's what my streamer box is down to at the moment. If anybody has any general suggestions, I'm all ears. Thanks.

Very good. Rather than posting conclusory statements you supported your position by showing how you arrived at those conclusions. I'm going to challenge your logic though because I again must disagree. While these brothers are capitalizing on an advantage not readily available to all other anglers, I fail to see how their behavior could be compared to the use of "performance enhancing substances." I would compare it more to an environmental advantage, for example a marathon runner who lives and trains at a high altitude. In that case, the marathon runner becomes accustomed to exerting himself in a relatively oxygen-poor environment, causing his red blood cell count and oxygenation ability to increase. A runner who trains at sea level, conversely does not have that advantage. You now have two theoretically equal marathon runners, one of which has an edge over the other. Should the runner who lives and trains at a high altitude be excluded from the record books for capitalizing on an environmental advantage which is available-though not readily- to the runner who lives and trains at sea level? These brothers have no control over the presence of triploids, just as the runner at high altitude has no control over advantage provided by training in his environment. By choosing to capitalize on those advantages, the brothers, just as the runner, have an edge over their competition that any other fisherman or runner could capitalize on as well. Would you say that a person who lives in Branson and fishes Taneycomo exlcusively targeting big browns is cheating a person that lives in Salem and fishes only the Current River when both are seeking to catch a state record brown? It is apparent that you are firmly against the breeding and stocking of triploid rainbows. I'm not debating you on that point. Should triploids be classified differently than other rainbows? Maybe. I really don't care. The fact is that triploids are actively bred and stocked throughout the country. The IGFA recognizes them as a rainbow trout for purposes of its records. Granted contemporary fishermen have an advantage over those of yesterday for that reason, but then again, baseball players play more games now than they did in the days of Babe Ruth. Would you call Roger Maris a cheater for breaking the Babe's record when he played more games? I will not fault anybody for playing by the rules or being advantaged by circumstances outside their control.

I've had mixed results with streamers, but I'm really still learning the ins and outs. I've tied into some big fish and had decent numbers days as well as days when streamers did absolutely nothing. I think water level and clarity plays a big part. This last time was not streamer time and I learned that the hard way, only having one hit using that method. One thing to remember is that streamer fishing is not a numbers game. You will catch fewer fish but they will be larger and generally more aggressive. Absolutely strip set. Because you're using bigger hooks, you need more force to plant it in a fish's jaw. A lot of that force is lost in the flex of the rod. No matter how stiff the butt of the rod is, the tip is too soft to consistently get solid hook sets by raising the rod. Compare to a spinning rod which generally 7' or shorter and stiffer than a fly rod. By being substantially shorter and less flexible than a fly rod, less power is lost in the hook set. Also, a good streamer retreive has the tip of the rod roughly at the water line, providing the stripping hand with direct contact to the terminal end whereas the rod tip must travel a short distance before that force can be transferred from the tip to the hook. The strip set is therefore a quicker, more powerful hookset- once it becomes natural.

I'll definitely let you know next time I head down there. I'm in grad school in KC so I don't get to fish that much anymore. Probably be the week of Thanksgiving next time I'm down that way.

Actually, I have always considered steroids cheating because they have been a controlled substance, the possession of which is a felony, since before I was born. I would also distinguish between using steroids and targeting genetically larger fish. By using steroids, an athlete is affirmatively choosing to sacrifice his integrity and the image of the sport that he represents by engaging in criminal behavior. That athlete is also unfairly disadvantaging his opponents by playing outside the rules. The record brothers, conversely, are using legal methods to target a fish legally classified as a rainbow trout that is legally stocked by a regulating authority. They are not breaking any laws or engaging in questionable ethical behavior. They are playing by the rules 100%. As far as the comment about finding an edge over others who don't target freakishly large fish, I would have to respond by comparing the targeting of triploid rainbows to the targeting of trophy brown trout in tailwaters such as Lake Taneycomo where they are able to grow to greater size due to their habitat when compared to say the Current River. I'm not here debating the ethics of the rules (i.e. whether or not triploids should be considered rainbows). I'm analyzing the circumstances by applying the governing rules to the specific set of facts and making my observations accordingly. I would love to have an intelligent discussion on this issue though I have yet to see the logic in your statements thus far and must therefore respectfully disagree with your opinion on the matter.

Yeah, that was me. The conditions were less than optimal but I was off my game. Chalk it up to paying dues.

Yeah, I really don't see how that's cheating. If they were growing them themselves and then "catching" them, I'd say that would be cheating but the fact that they are able to dominate the books by playing by a set of rules outside of their control in a way that any other person could really does not seem like cheating to me. According to the rules, a rainbow trout is a rainbow trout. If you want to set a record, what sense would it make to target average fish? You don't build a football team by recruiting flute players, you find the biggest, meanest boys around. As far as having triploids in Taney, I don't know enough about the potential impact or the ecosystem of taneycomo to make an informed comment. I know I sure would love to catch a 40 pound rainbow though.

You said you were using a 7-weight rod with 6x tippet? I'm not sure where the thread is but there is one on here somewhere where they were talking about using smaller weight rods for lighter tippet so that you get a better fight and don't wear fish out as badly. The jist was use like a 3 weight or smaller for 7x, 4 weight and down for 6x, and so on. The idea was that the lighter rods allow you to use the rod more to fight the fish because you can put more pressure on the tippet without it breaking thus making the fish fight harder for a shorter period of time. Think of it like sprinting for a hundred yards vs running for 2 miles. It doesn't take nearly as long to recover from the sprint plus the lactic acid buildup is significantly less than the run. Another factor is that with a 7-weight, when you put more pressure on the fish, it will be more likely to pull the hook than with a lighter 4 or 5 weight. I haven't done much as far as testing the theory, but it is logical.

Neat shot. I've gotta say I like photos you post.

I think I saw you after I got off the water, talking to a buddy of mine named Derek in a red Chevy. Glad somebody did some good... I couldn't make anything happen, almost like I forgot how to fish.

Correct me if I'm wrong but that looks like a female. From what I understand its the males that usually get bigger. I can't believe how long that fish is either; it seems like the monster browns you generally see are a lot fatter. What a pig.

In response to the questions about why the "DCIs" will be on the river after school starts back up, the first few weeks are a cake walk and it is pretty fun to take one of those weekends after everybody gets back, plus it's easier to track down a bigger group because they're all in one place and there are less excuses for not going. Of course, if the temps don't jump back up you probably won't have to worry about it.

I've got it too, its kind of a sampler box for me and I love it. I generally carry that box, tippet material, indicators and shot. Its only weaknesses are not being waterproof and not being good for flies bigger than a 10. Of course as weaknesses go, those are pretty insignificant. They make another model I'd like that has the interchangeable inserts that allow more versatility regarding fly size. All in all, they make a great box for minimalists but the price can be a bit prohibitive.

I would expect them to file a host of charges against him including trespass, destruction of property, and theft of the boats that he technically stole. The fact that he abandoned them may be irrelevant because he converted possession with no intent to return. I would also imagine that there is some statute regarding his setting the boats adrift and creating a safety hazard on the water. As for the three strikes law, I interned for the local prosecutor my senior year of undergrad and I don't recall there being a three strikes statute. I do know that there are some Constitutional issues with the 3 strikes laws too.

I can't believe they're only charging him with recieving stolen property. Unless that is his plea, its not nearly enough... it is a felony though.

Back to the cable lock topic... I had a climbing tree stand stolen last fall that was cable locked to the tree. The prick used bolt cutters to cut through the cable. He even left the name tag on the tree to add a little insult to injury. Over the Thanksgiving 07 week somebody I clearly knew and trusted enough to allow in my house burglarized the house of every student who went home with a list of what they wanted from each house. They were after my guns but didn't get them so they destroyed my room instead. They got two rifles and a shotgun from my roommate though. They left everthing but those three guns. If we'd have found out who it was I can promise they'd have run screaming confessions out to the police or wished they had. I hope Karma bites every theivin S.O.B. out there right in the a$$. Glad that guy got nabbed... he deserves everything he's going to get and more. I just hope he doesn't get plead down to a misdemeanor. With the amount of stolen gear and MO he probably will get stuck with the felony.

Or if you don't get caught.

Are they that difficult to tie? I know they aren't cheap but I don't think they're much more than a bucktail or streamer hair tail and a folded foam body. Never bought or tied one so I don't know for sure. Anybody want to post a recipe?

Hey, thanks. Night fishing will probably be out b/c I'll be hanging out with my brother. I found a few fly shops in Navarre I think I'm gonna check out. I figure if I buy 50ish in flies and maybe some other gear I'll get enough info to at least get a few hookups. I'd love to hire a guide but the whole broke student thing really limits my options. As far as traveling goes, I'm gonna have about a 30 minute drive time max. I'm mostly going to see my brother so fishing is not priority 1. I've heard that reds, snook, and small tarpon are an absolute blast and I figured I'd give it a shot while I've got the chance.

I'm making a trip down to see my little brother who's stationed at Hurlbert airfield near Ft. Walton Beach, FL and I want to do some saltwater fishing. I'll probably only be able to fish for one day but I want to chase redfish and maybe some snook. Does anybody know of some good fly shops to go into for some advice... a guide is probably not gonna be in the budget so I'm gonna be going pretty much blind.