Rolan Duffield

Greg: If you want to take pictures at night, your camera must be equipped with a flash unit. Flash pictures from small cameras are most effective in a range of 4 to 6 feet. You will need to read your manual to learn the effective range of the flash unit.

Old an gray haired at 30 year reunion. That doesn't sound like Phil. You're only as old as you feel and I hope to continue Trout fishing for a long time yet if the good lord approves. We had our 55 reunion last year.

Golf anybody. Seriously, I don't see any problems in adding a hunting section. After all, many of the post sections are seasonal.

This is a proposal for organizing fly collection. Need to identify where the flies are to be sent. Each fly tier is to: 1. Attach each of the flies to an individual card. 2. Identify the fly -- name, size and how to fish the fly. 3. include name and address of the fly tyer. I will volunteer to photograph the individual flies and provide digital pictures to Phil for inclusion on this web site, if possible. Rolan Duffield

You can include me and just call the fly -- "Peppy"

Phil: Thats not unusual. I don't think they rarely wake up for good fishing until about 9:00am.

Don't be fooled in thinking you can take good pictures anytime. Daylight conditions are constantly changing and present many types of problems for achieving good results. We'll start by explaining how your everyday picture taking results is affected by different daylight lighting conditions. Bright daylight: All colors close to the camera will be bright, very colorful and have very high contrast. Areas farther away may tend to lose some brightness, especially when there is haze in the distance. Problems related to bright daylight: Expect shadow areas to be much darker than visualized. Normally expect to see very high image contrast and dark shadow areas with little shadow detail in the final picture. Under these type lighting conditions you will need to make certain there are no heavy shadows on the face of your subject. Try to position your subject so the light comes at your back or within 45 degrees from your backside. Don't forget that hats will contribute to very dark shadows. Don't trust what you see when reviewing the image in the camera. The picture, when viewed in the camera, willprobably show more detail than what will be reproduced in the final print. Learn from the results of the quality of your final prints. You'll develop an awareness of potential problem areas and learn how to make camera adjustments. We'll discuss methods to improve this type picture in the next clinic. Bright overcast day: Expect to see bright colors with good shadow detail. This is my favorite day light conditions for taking average pictures. It's the very best condition for close-ups of people as there will be good detail in the shadow areas, reasonably good image contrast and brightness of colors. Problems related to bright overcast days: Areas in the distance will lose brightness in the colors and the sky will probably show as a shade of gray. Dark days, dark areas and dark shadows: Generally you should see lots of detail in the picture, contrast of images will be softer and colors will be dull. The final picture results depends on how dark the area is and how well you control lighting and camera exposure. Problems related to dark days and/or dark shadow areas: Expect to see duller colors with little contrast in the final picture. More on lighting --- next clinic.

Phil: I changed my mind set. I change my vote to color, Color color. If the color isn't right, you won't do very well, however I could use several different sizes and still catch Trout.

Brian Shaffers WD-40s work very well. Also gray and brown scuds in size 18. Beware of the shops out there as they seem to want to sell you a variety of flies that the guides may not use. The prime flies seem to be related to midges and scuds.

We fished primarely from Lookout to Fall creek from a boat during the week. We caught a lot of trout during this time even though the strikes were very very light. I missed as many strikes as I hooked. Caught three nice browns up to 16" that were fat and very colorful. Monday Apr. 3 was a windy day though fishing was very good on scuds and small sculpin jigs. Many small trout although some very nice ones to 17." The 4th and 5th were nice days, some cloudy periods and minimal wind. Still great fishing with the scuds. Thursdat, Apr. 6th. Our poorest day as storms were expected that PM. Even so, we did well on the scuds again. Friday, Apr. 7th. Extremely windy all day long. The wind was blowing at least 30 mph downstream. About 4:30 in the afternoon the wind shifted 180 degrees blowing upstream. I've never seen a shift in winds that drastic before. We still caught them on the scuds and also stripping a small sculpin jig. Fishing is good, even though the water is fairly murky.

Flem: This is a very common occurrence within the professional Photo labs. I recommend you call the "Custom Color Corporation" in Kansas City at: 816-474-3200 or web page at: www.customcolor.com I know several of the managers there and will assure you that you will receive professionalism with your needs. They will print work for any individual. There are several professional labs around that most likely can do similar work.

Those are very good and interresting Rainbow pictures. Many thanks for sharing them with us.

Several years ago, we had a dog. It was a small, fuzzy , gray Cockapoo. His name was "Peppy". Every spring my wife, Ellen, gave him a close haircut to remove most of his matted hair. One day, I saw this hair in the trash and wondered if this could be used in fly tying. I cut up some of it, mixed it in a blender and tied it as a nymph. Looked promising though it seemed almost too dark for my liking. I tried blending it with other materials though wasn't satisfied with the color until I added some gray Antron to the Peppy fur and blended until I achieved a medium gray color. The Antron provided some sheen to the mix and lightened the resulting gray color. This blend was made into a scud pattern that has been a very effective pattern for Trout. Peppy lives on. I still have a good supply that I guard very closely. Ellen still remarks about Peppy's friendly ways and habits. So now you know.

jOrOb. I agree opn the Model A vise. It's been my vise since I started fly tying back in the 50's and I don't have any reason to change. Its a good general use vise that you can still purchase. I think I paid about $20.00 for it then. It's now $53.00 at www.dhthompson.com

This article was published in the Kansas City Star March 18,06 Can anyone tell us what is planned? Does this refer to minimun flow in Taney? Fish habitats in Ozarks to be restored. SPRINGFIELD --- The Ozarks Table Rock lake and adjacent waters willbe a test case for a national plan to save fish stocks from deteriorating habitat and water conditions. The project will be funded in part by Springfield based Bass Pro Shops, the company and conservation officials announced Friday. The nonprofit National Fish and Wildlife Foundation said Bass Pro Shops will contribute $5 million, which will be matched by money raised by the foundation, over 5 years for a national campaign to preserve and restore fish habits. Half of the $10 million will go projects at the 52,300 acre Table Rock Lake, neighboring Lake Taneycomo and the White river watershed on the Missouri-Arkansas border. Bass Pro is the first corporate sponsor of the foundations More Fish campaign.

Fly tying is basically learning how to use different materials. I taught classes many years ago. What you should do is try to take a class in fly Tying. I don't know where you live, however, the Missouri Trout fishermans association has classes several times a year. I agree that you should purchase good equipment to start with. You'll need a good vise, scissors, bobbin to hold the fly tying thread and hackle pliers. Basically thats all you need. Buy only what you need to tie a certain fly. Believe me you won't save money as you will be collecting materials for the rest of your fishing days and really enjoying the experience. I'm sure that most of us have supplies that will never run out and yet we have reason to keep adding to the collection because of new flies we want to tie or try. I can send you a copy of a basic manual that I used to teach Fly tying classes in the MTFA. It starts with very basic tying instructions and gradually builds your knowledge. Once you have mastered the basics, you can look at a pattern and should be able to tie 90% of the flies. I would advise anyone to learn how to make a basic whip finish on the fly. Once you master this technique, you'll never go to a whip finisher tool. Fly tying is as much fun as fishing the fly, especially one that you have tied.

I vote for size. Size is the first thing that I would change, depending on the type of water I'm fishing. Color is second.

You should use Standard size "A" thread to wrap your guides. It's heavier than fly tying thread. It will be much easier to use and isn't expensive. When removing old guides, be very careful not to cut into the surface of the rod. Try taking an exacto knife and lay the blade flat against the rod to loosen the old wrap. You may be able to scrape and remove some of the residue with your fingernail. I would first advise you to test any type of removal using and old rod.

Illegal. This is simply the lack of sportsmanship. I doubt if it's controllable in any other way.

I've fished Taney starting about 1964. Prior to that we spent our weekends fishing the White River in the Cotter area. In the early days, it was common to catch and release over 100 small trout daily. Lots of changes have occurred over the years. In the 70's we expected to catch and release 3 to 4 pound trout as a common occurrence. As usual, when people found out about this great fishing, the crouds took their toll on large fish. The establishment of the Trophy area and good regulations has been the boon to maintaining this great fishing area for all to enjoy. A greatful thanks to the Missouri Conservation Commission for their efforts in providing this fishery for us. I believe all of us should respect and support the sport we love. It would be great to see an agent patrolling the area on a regular basis. I have been questioned by the creel census men several times though in over 40 years of fishing Taneycomo, I've never been checked by an agent.

Took this picture in October, 2005 near the Cooper Creek area. I used a 10X zoom lens and I was at least 50 yards from the tree. I assume the Bald Eagle has a nest close by. Lots of chances for good wildlife pictures in the Taneycomo area. Lets see yours. Rolan D.

O. K. I will try again. My last reply apparently didn't take. You should contact Cabelas and ask for "Cabelas Tackle Craft 2006 catalog." This catalog contains a full range of Rods and supplies for making Fly rods and Spinning rods. There are several selections for rods that won't break your bank account. I have been quite pleased with the rods I have built. Contact Cabelas at: 1-800-237-4444 or email at: www.Cabelas.com Rolan

When purchasing thread for wrapping guides, make certain it's size "A" thread. Normally this is made of Nylon. Do not use standard fly tying thread as it's too small, difficult to use here and probably isn't strong enough to hold the guide. You should taper the front end of the guide before using it. The end should be tapered to a knife edge so that the thread easily walk up on the guide. Also make certain you have control of the tension on the thread when wrapping the guide. Either run the thread through a book to apply some tension or use spring tension against one side of the spool. There's one in the Cabelas catalog. Part # HT-31-5950 Price $4.99 that should work. Page 36 of the above catalog.

Cabela's has a catalog with about everything you need for building Fly rods and spinning rods. The Catalog is "Tackle Craft 2006" call them at: 1-800-237-4444 or their web page is www.cabelas.com I have bought many rods from Cabelas over the years. They have several good rods that are very reasonable. Earlier I indicated they have a pamplet titled "Cabelas Rod building instructions." They include this pamplet with any of the rod kits. I did see some of these pamplets in the Cabelas store in Kansas City recently. We'll be glad to help answer your questions in this forem.

Building your own Fly Rod is a lot of fun and it's not difficult. I build all of my rods and enjoy building them as well as fishing them. Here are some basics to get you started. The first and most important item when starting to build a rod is to locate the "spline" of the rod. Start by resting the tip of the blank in your hand and press the but end against a hard surface. Press down until a slight bow is achieved. Now rotate the blank. You will notice a "jump" or what will be identified as the high side of the blank. Mark the top side of this high side as this is the side of the fly rod used to wrap the guides on. --- This is a very important detail as it establishes the alignment, trueness and improves the action of the rod. The second most important item is to identify the guide placement and spacing for the rod. Hopefully the manufacturer has given you good info for guide spacing. Cabelas has a very good handout for building their rods that includes good general details for rod building. They include thisl six page handout with their rods. I don't know if it's readily available otherwise as ther is no catalog number on it and I couldn't find a listing any where else. Another important point is to be sure to place a wrap on the ferrule end of the rod. Make certain you use good fly rod guides. My favorite is the Fuji single foot guides as they will last many years.