joeD

I used to bite off a slider worm on a jig head. Called it a Ned rig. My other rod was a bamboo Montague that had a leather line and I used a lure called a Spro McStick. Had 9 sharp hooks on three trebles. Had my boy set it up for me and a batch of Tom Collins'. FISH ON! Now Cecelia, get back on the veranda and do what yer told! Geez! Can't believe the cheek of women these days, not to mention the help.

Yeah, even with our idyllic and simpler past, everyone supposedly knowing everyone else and bike riding and pick up sports games and swimming pools and catching lightning bugs, certain kids still turned into miscreants and criminals and general ne'er do wells, despite the presence of concerned and able mothers keeping a tight watch over the neighborhood. It's revisionist bullshit made by people who should know better. Kids could care less if you rode around on Schwinn Sting Ray. That was YOUR (MINE?OUR) life. Not theirs. Some kids turn out less than ideal. Has nothing to do with TV and video games and staying inside without a parent. It's life. A lot of these same "sheltered" kids turn out to be doctors and teachers and carpenters and engineers and all around decent, civilized citizens. Fishing is not aging out. In fact, there are probably more fishermen competing for less productive water than ever before. So, don't take a kid fishing, take him/her to a science fair. PS: Where and when I fish, my hope actually is to NOT SEE ANYONE!

1920s: People fished 1930s: People fished 1940s: People fished 1950s: People fished 1960s: People fished 1970s: People fished 1980s: People fished 1990s: People fished 2000s: People fished 2010s: People fished See a pattern? In fact, so many people fish for so many species in so many places in so many ways with such a diverse and available and useful array of equipment, that there are literally industries and economies based on fishing. There is absolutely NO PROBLEM with recreational fishing health. Existential hand-wringing over "todays youth" and how they spend their time is just an excuse to show one's outdoor piety, and a need to be patted on the back for "taking a kid fishing."

I will quote Billy Joel, knowing I am quoting Billy Joel, because it is true on many levels. " I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints.." It's fishing. Everyone welcome! It's fun!

I love fishing F11s on the Current in the winter. It is an effective legal lure that regularly produces big fish for me. That is why I use it. Plus, and this is a big one for me, it is easy to fish, and, one is not laden with all manner of peripheral equipment and supplies. Trust me, I love stuff just like countless others. Graceful, it is not. This is about getting in the water and casting and casting and casting. I understand why fly fishermen get upset at those of us who use treble hooks on our lures. I'm sure it is frustrating to see all your hard work and money and time spent in tying flies, researching leaders and tippet size, getting the proper reel size and weight, not to mention the actual fly rod itself. Add vests and leader wallets and boxes and everything else, well, you have quite a sizable stake in pursuing your passion. Then a schlub like me comes along, with a spinning rod and reel and a lure that can be bought at any Wal Mart, and waddles through your stream like a herniated water buffalo, and consistently catches nice fish that, if there was any justice in the world, should have been yours. But, here we are. I too, fly fish, albeit occasionally. I get it. Multiple hooks versus one. Seems unfair. Yet, I can't tell you how many big browns have spit out my lure with both disgust and aplomb, trebles be darned. Remember, flyfishermen still have a sharp hook on the end of their lines, sometimes two. You're not exactly coaxing fish into your nets with charm and good looks. I am unaware of any mortality study on trout that have been hooked by trebles or a single fly. As an aside, I can't tell how many fish I, and others, have caught hooked only on one treble. The public perception that spin fishermen usually catch and keep fish illegally is not true It is a function of the person, not the equipment. I've certainly seen a few fly fishermen bait the end their lines illegally over the years. So, method is moot when comes to the illegality of fishing practices when it comes to trout. Spin fishermen also love to fish, and are just as concerned about trout water health and other matters as fly fishermen are. Basically, there is room for both types of fishing. One method is not morally or ethically superior than the other. As long as rules are followed and rights of others are respected, there is reason to believe that we can do what we love to do without acrimony. Fishing is fun.

WE ARE THE BEST PARENTS EVER! My kids don't know what technology is, for Pete's sake! They play outside, kill the food they want to eat (humanely of course), make their own clothes from animals they've trapped, support each other in their schoolwork, that is,when they attend government sanctioned schools (who knows what they are TEACHING now a days), They are ABSOLUTELY unsullied by today's LAX parenting methods from other families that seem to plague our youth of today. I am just amazed when they give excess meat from their hunting excursions to the local food pantry. While they are smelly, I am justly proud of their political stance of not bathing, supporting the poor everywhere, and not supporting Proctor and Gamble's hold on modern bathing practices. They hate TV, and don't understand why anyone would watch it when there is a WORLD of wonder outside our door. Phones? Hah! And don't get started on girls and boys who actually PLAY SPORTS. What a waste of time! My kids are just aghast at the level of UNINVOLVEMENT in nature of the modern family. The EMBARRASSMENT of being driven in a car that CONSUMES RESOURCES is an absolute soul killer to them, my precious brood. The SORROW they feel for children of all ages who don't FISH or HUNT is palpable, and spurs them on to greater efforts for non technological self sufficiency. They absolutely SCORN kids who wear bike helmets! And don't get them started on parents who actually want to BE PART OF THEIR CHILDREN'S LIVES! If people would only know how IMPORTANT FISHING AND HUNTING is to everyday life, the world would be a better place. (What? Oh OK) Sorry, gotta get my kids vaccinated. Wives. Doctors. You know how it is.

Nick, what are your odds of taking this trip? My take is 0%. Tell me I'm wrong, so we can get to the nitty gritty of your trip.

Try calling outfitters in the area you want to float. Easy enough to look up, as you have a computer and know how to use it.

One has to brew beer with a beard like that. Add selvage jeans, Red Wing boots, wool lumberjack shirt from Pendleton....Bingo! More cowbell!

1. Chinatown 2. Rushmore 3. Sixteen Candles 4. North by Northwest 5. Blade Runner For starters. 1. Alien 2. Marathon Man 3. The Maltese Falcon 4. A Christmas Story 5. The Terminator First Course. 1. Amacord 2. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead 3. Double Indemnity 4. Raiders of the Lost Ark 5. Pulp Fiction And so on...

So, did you see nice fish rebuffing your offerings? Did you even see nice fish in there ? In other words, did your streamers not elicit strikes? Or, did nothing happen while you fished streamers? Nice pictures. Pretty stream. splendid minnow. At least someone is getting out and doing something. The LP is a puzzle to me.

Thanks for the update! I will studiously avoid the upper Meramec for the time being. Sounds unproductive. Cheers!

Three words: Mmm Mmm Mmmh!

Conclusion: Some people like and fish the Ned rig. Some don't. The rest don't know and probably have no friends and live with their moms.

Good grief fellas, this is about a lure. Not YOU as FISHERMEN. The Ned Rig. Go ahead and fish it with my blessing. Make sure you have a beetle spin for a back up.

So, lets talk in 7 days, and see what's what.

Ned rig + Go Pro + bluegrass music = hours of 12" smallie fun. If you want to catch a bigger (18" and above), smallie on an Ozark stream, put away your ned rig. Simple as that.

Greens Canoe is still in business. Exactly nine days from now, you have absolutely no idea what the upper Meramec will look like. Or any other stream. Forget the Bourbeuse. Basically, at this time of year, water level and clarity dictate everything, on any stream. Sorry, but that is a stone cold fact.

"As I suspected." Meaning, my negative reservations have become true, and I will tell you about it.

Jesus smallie guy, who cares what other people have confidence in. Plus, the Great Lakes is not the ozarks. I can tell you how to catch many and big fish on our streams, but you wouldn't believe me.

What a douchebag. I feel so much better that he'll defend me through thick and thin, and keep democracy alive in America goddammit!

One cannot catch smallmouth bass in a swimming pool. Therefore, one cannot draw any conclusions about the effectiveness of a lure based on how it looks in a swimming pool. Tube jigs are effective in certain situations on Ozark streams. Lakes or ponds, I don't know. There is no brand or color or design that is more effective than any other when it comes to tube jigs. If you like it, throw it. Ned rigs will reduce your chances of catching a big smallie. I respect do it yourselfers and your molds and colors and desire to do it your way. But, really, how many iterations of a crawdad can there be? Which, as usual, begs the question: What is more important to you, the process or the result?

1. Have heard Eastern Washington can shoot lights out 3s. Enough to beat Georgetown? 2, SF Austin sexy pick to beat Utah. Not quite buying though. 3. I have Wichita State beating Kansas. Wishful thinking? Maybe. They say guard play is key in winning tournament games, and Fred Van Fleet is an experienced stud. 4. I always take the Zags. I am always disappointed. Is this the year? 5. If UCLA and Indiana win their first games, I will be pissed. 6. Why am I still shaky on Virginia? They have done nothing wrong, yet, 7. The committee thought they should (most likely) play Michigan State in second round. Geez, talk about no respect. 8. I always pick Butler. 9. My wife always picks Duke. (homer) 10. After Kentucky wins, I wonder if Ashley Judd will still show up at games when they are not so dominant?

I know Lancer. You are correct. The original question however, was about brand, not skill. However, I think an 8 wt is too much, Yet, if you are comfortable with that rod and have confidence, then by all means... My point being, effort and stick to it of ness is more important than brand and size.

Has anyone talked to Rep. Ross?