DaddyO

With the drought the water is in pretty bad condition, right now. If Chance sees this post, he can give you all the info you need to get on the Stripers. When the water is right, the low water dam, in Tulsa, is a pretty good spot for Stripers. Look at the posts in the Arkansas River Section on the Forums for more info.

Holy Cow. Nice fish! A #20 Streamer?? What does that look like? I don't think I could see them to tie them that small. Do you weight it with a bead, lead wire or split shot on the line?

Thanks for the feedback on that, Phil. I tied up a few using Burnt Orange thread. I have a Fire Orange thread that I use for hot spots on some of my nymphs, but I thought that it might be too bright.

Right picture, however, you are correct on the hybrid. I didn't take pictures of the others.

Guys, Thanks for all of the advice. I used the Epoxy. It worked great! I used the fly rod yesterday at one of the neighborhood ponds. I appreciate everyone's input.

Can you be more specific on the Orange thread for the Mink scuds?

This topic caught my interest. I looked up the McGinty fly online and tied up a version on a small (1/100th) jig head. I didn't have any red hackle so I used some red crystal flash (8 strands) for a tail. Peacock herl for a body. Yellow floss tied on in the middle of the body over the herl. Added a Yellow Marabou wing. The bluegill and bass, in my neighborhood pond, loved it. I caught this big bruiser on it. He was bigger than the largest bass that I caught on this fly.

Phil, do you hand blend the antron and mink or do you put it in a coffee grinder?

Well, while all of those replies were entertaining, , I'm going with my wife's response of Fall Break for some of the school systems. BTW, I liked the Corvette response.

I just tried to make my reservations for the Oct.12th - 17th. I have endless bonus time at Holiday Hills resort and Ozark Mountain resort. I have never been unable to reserve at least one of these locations. For the first time, both of them are booked. The weekend before and the weekend after are both available. Is there something going on in Branson during that time frame?

Well, my eyes aren't as good as they used to be. I have to use the strike indicator because I can't see the line anymore.

Guys, I got this response from the OWDC regarding the Lower Illinois River. Dear Mr. Curtis, Thank you so much for your concern for the lower Illinois River. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) is very proud of the fishery and the economical benefits the trout stream provides. It has been a year round trout fishery since 1965 providing anglers a unique opportunity to catch a specie of fish otherwise not available in this part of the state. The trout stocked in this stream, for the most part, are provided as mitigation for the loss of the warm water fishery and other project impacts created by the construction of the dam and associated facilities. Unfortunately, congress never had the foresight to appropriate water for the continuation and support of the stream. There has been numerous studies, one even before completion of the dam, that recommend a minimum flow to sustain the fishery and downstream water quality. In spite of these studies, no water has ever been provided for this fishery. As you can imagine, management of a fishery without water is a challenge. The economic impact of the stream is a concern as well. ODWC contracted with Oklahoma State University to assess the economic benefit of the trout stream to the local economy. It was estimated that the stream is responsible for bringing upwards of $4 million to the county. Some say that the City of Gore is the Trout Capital of Oklahoma. Loss of this stream as a year round fishery would have substantial detrimental effects on the residents of Sequoyah county. Several things have lead to additional complications in managing the trout stream. This year’s drought certainly has not helped the situation by intensifying evaporation and not replenishing water to the lake to offset hydropower release and waters released to help maintain stream water conditions. Compounding things is the Corps of Engineer’s (COE) dam maintenance which has resulted in stopping most of the leakage that historically helped to support the fishery. ODWC has been loaned water to use as a minimum flow by a corporation for the last 15 years. That water is not enough to support the stream on a year round basis. We have currently depleted that volume of water and now must rely solely on sporadic Southwest Power generation to provide any water for the stream until which time the lake is once again filled. Future use of the borrowed water is now in jeopardy as other municipalities are being granted use of this water. Perhaps the largest hurdle is that all of the storage of water in the lake is permitted for other uses. To provide water for the trout stream water has to be taken away form someone else, loaned to ODWC, or lake elevations have to be raised providing additional storage for water that could be used for the stream. Unfortunately the stocking program remains in limbo. ODWC will resume stocking as soon as water quality conditions improve to a level where trout are likely to survive and thrive. Efforts have been made to work with constituents, political representatives, state, federal, and other entities to develop a solution to the problem. No long term solution has been reached. We are continuing to negotiate with all parties involved to reach a satisfactory resolution. It will likely take congressional authorization to finally resolve the problem by authorizing the COE to make releases to support downstream water quality. Many trout anglers have taken it upon themselves to let there congressional delegation know of their concerns and their desire to see the proliferation of the trout stream continue. Their efforts have helped to bring this issue to the forefront. Hopefully through their efforts and our continued negotiations with federal and state authorities we can find a solution that will fulfill the long term needs of the stream. We are hoping for a speedy solution to a long term problem. Thank you again for your interest and support. Sincerely, Jim Burroughs Regional Fisheries Supervisor Jim Burroughs E.C. Region Fisheries Supervisor 9097 N. 34th St. W. Porter, OK. 74454 918/683-1031

Bruce and Matt, you guys are my heros. I'll be over to Taney the 12th through the 16th. Until then, I'll be dreamin' of fish that size.

I also use Tungsten beads on my nymphs. All of the info above is good info. Watch your indicator closely. It should move at about the same speed as the water around it. If it stops, bobbles, goes under, twitches or makes any other movement, set the hook. I tell all of my newbies that hook sets are cheap. They don't cost a thing. The more you do this, the more you will recognize what movement of your indicator means. You'll know if it's a fish or if your just bumping the bottom. Now, as far as keeping it on the bottom goes.... You'll just need to try different depths. Sometimes you'll have better luck with the fly within 6 or 8 inches of your indicator. Also, if you feel like you made a good drag free drift through a section of water, and you see fish holding in that water, make a couple of more drifts over them. If you don't get any looks or takes, change the fly. Maybe even put on a couple of different flies and see what they like. Most of all, keep at it. Once you get the hang of it, you'll catch fish wherever you go. Good Luck.

From Tulsa to Lee's Summit. Wouldn't the Roaring River be closer? I know it isn't the same as Crane, but, it would be closer. (I think). Hey! Don't laugh, I'm just throwing out options.

I took my Dad there, once. It's on his bucket list. He got into a couple and lost them both. He wants to go again. It may be worth a try on this trip if he is up to it. Thanks,

Guys, I'm planning my trip for October 12th through the 16th. I'll be staying in Branson at Holiday Hills. I plan on fishing Taney during the day and at night. I'm also planning on fishing the Norfork and the White. However, I'm open to other suggestions. This is a trip that I take with my Dad and Brother on an annual basis. I've invited a couple of other guys this year also. None of us are new to the sport, however, we don't get to fish the ozarks enough to know how these rivers have changed since last year. I'll plan on fishing Taney during the day to get a lay of the land for night fishing. Norfork, I'll plan to fish the quarry park area and below. White, I'll probably start in bull shoals park or the trophy area. All of this is dependent on the water being right for wading. If the water isn't wade-able on any of these rivers, is there anywhere that they can be wade fished during generation? Thanks.

Very Nice. Keep'em coming.

Thanks for all of the info. I have my epoxy and plan on applying the fix within the next day or two.

Consider it done. I used the following website http://www.oklegislature.gov/ to find my legislative representatives and Senators and sent them the above email. If everyone that cares about this river system does the same, maybe we'll see some action. Thanks for posting the letter JW.

I've never seen any gates on the entrance into the area. We always use Riverside Resort and rent canoes from them and that is where we put in for the 6 mile float. My guess is that they would workout a shuttle arrangement with you if you asked. They are pretty nice people.

My Sister-in-law trains labs, but we're in Owasso, Oklahoma, just north of Tulsa. She trains for obedience, field trials and Duck Hunting. I don't know what she charges. If you are interested, I'll find out. However, if you have the time to spend with the dog, I agree with the others advice, that it is best done by you. If there is a Dog club close to you, I recommend taking your dog to Puppy Kindergarten. Usually, they insist that you have crate trained or house trained your dog first. It keeps the messes to a minimum. This class helps socialize your dog and teaches you how to train your dog. My wife teaches the classes at the Companion Dog School in Tulsa.

I was gonna say the same thing JC. Chance, the water between the Chewey Bridge and Round Hollow is pretty good water, although, it's not as good as it was a couple of years ago.

From one Phil to another, Happy Birthday.

Gavin, Thanks for the quick response. It slid off the end leaving a couple of inches of the rod blank exposed. Is it best to apply the epoxy to the blank or is it better to apply the epoxy to the inside of the seat and then slide it on?