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Since I'm not on that part of the river on a daily basis, I don't know if 4 jet boats on a September Sunday is normal or not. But I do know that the Meramec has remained consistently full all season, more water on average, on any given date, than in years past. That's why you saw jet boats that high up (probably launching from Scotts Ford). As for them removing tree obstacles with a chainsaw, I'm glad. They may have done a public service for canoeists. Your lack of success had nothing to do with jet boaters. It was your fishing locale choice. I just don't understand why people go to Cardiac and/or Suicide and expect to catch trout with any consistency. They just aren't there in any appreciable numbers. But fisherman still go there in droves, fish hard, then leave disappointed, puzzled with their futility. If you want to catch trout, you have to go where the trout are. They sure as hell ain't at Cardiac.

The easy answer is: YES, I would pay for private access to a stream I desired to fish. But only if that access afforded me an advantage that public accesses couldn't. But that's not what you're asking now, is it? You are asking an Econ 101 question of: At what price point does the supply curve(private access) meet the demand curve(potential fishermen)? In other words, if you charge too much, some will balk at the price and not go, charge too little, and you have a no-longer-private mess, where the advantage of privacy (exclusivity) is lost. Which brings me to my next point. What do you want? Do you want people to know and use your private land, thereby making you money. But losing "privacy." Or. Do you want exclusivity? Letting a select few know about it, charging them accordingly, thereby keeping your access, in reality, "private?" As a privileged land owner, I trust you'll make the correct choice for your loyal serfs.

Good, solid, info fellas. Let me lick my pencil point and carefully cross off Crooked Creek as a possible fishing destination. Too much uncertainty. I will definitely NOT be fishing there in the foreseeable future.

So if they take out the slab, then what does the river physically look like where the slab used to be? Waterfall? Concrete detritus? Big rocks thrown in? Mudhole? Just curious. If memory serves, I thought there was quite a drop-off between the upstream and downstream sides of the slab.

This thread is a microcosm of Washington D.C. A question is posed, opinions are aired, listening and consensus halted, camps divided on party lines with an US vs. THEM or WRONG vs RIGHT attitude, then comes name calling with barely contained hostility toward others with opposing views. Nothing gained but bad feelings. Gridlock. Seven pages of it. Good thing we're not talking about Social Security, taxes, military spending, etc. etal. All people are born alike - except Republicans and Democrats. Groucho Marx

Waders? In August? Hopefully you brought a muffler too, to ward off the chill.

So how did Bluewater do? Bluewater? Bluewater? Bueller?

Good luck.

I'd be ashamed to admit something like that, Trav. Yikes.

Razorback football? Last time I heard about Arkansas football, Steve Little was busy getting drunk then paralyzed after being drafted by the Big Red.

Fuckin' Ryan Franklin.

That's easy. 1. TV Remote Control 2. Bourbon 3. Cigars 4. The Simpsons Just off the top of my head. I won't mention all the good drugs.

Remember. It is human nature to destroy what we love. Just ask my wife.

Whew! I just got back from a monthly party held at a secret location in St. Louis. The action was almost unspeakable and the pleasures many. Unfortunately, you weren't invited, as I was. Though this is a public forum, I feel I should share with you my experiences. Would you like to read about them? Exactly. If you have a secret spot, then keep it a secret. I could care less what kind of day you had on an "unnamed stream." Then again, if I found the mother lode, I'd be quiet too. Watch "Treasure of the Sierra Madre." Somebody explain the Current River between the end of the park and Ashley Creek. EVERYONE knows about it and EVERYONE fishes it. Every week of every year. So, if increased knowledge (of a stream section) leads to increased pressure, and that pressure necessarily leads to diminished success, how do you explain the Current? Huzzah? Courtois? Meramec? Exactly. Our discussions of our smallie streams have absolutely no negative impact on the streams. After all, if everybody on this forum is ethical like we say we are, and our fishing buddies are too, then what danger does the give and take of this forum pose to those streams? That's the funny thing about fishing. We want to tell everyone who will listen when we're successful on the river, yet, when pressed for details about where and how, we become cagey poker players, reluctant to reveal too much. White fluke.

At what gauge height does CC become too low to float and fish enjoyably (some dragging-OK, lots of dragging-not so much)? I was there last month around the 24th. Gauge height was at 12.5 with pretty fast flow. Fishing was superb. I'd like to come down late September or early October if the water's right.

Ooof! The only thing that's 9 pounds is my left breast. Gawd, I gotta lose weight. That is positively shameful. Seems the only way I can lose weight is to look at old pictures of myself. I used to be thin, single, and happy. "I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day." Lyndon B. Johnson

Gavin, what are you doing up? Milk and cookies keeping you awake? You're right though. For some reason, a lot of my big fish pictures have me barely managing a grimace, even though I'm well stoked. Too worried about getting it "on record" I guess. My wife says "at least you didn't have a cigar in your mouth."

Mhall- Correct. I'm glad someone is paying attention. Thirty years later and that movie still holds up, nay, is BETTER than alot of current sci-fi/space/thriller/alien movies. Then Ridley Scott made "Blade Runner" right after. Don't get me started on that. As for you seedubbyasee, do I detect a little resentment from my teacher? Has the student ventured out on his own and become a competent angler, therefore making you and your wisdom somewhat inconsequential? Then again, you think Miley Cyrus rocks, and listen to her all the time. So... As for Alex, last time we fished together, I was more the guide, and didn't fish as hard. He wound up catching more fish than me, and caught the biggest fish. Not this time, though. The gloves came off and I gave him a thorough thrashing, son or not. He did catch alot of fish though. BTW CWC, give me a pm and we'll get that fish picture out.

The water in that section has been up for much of the season. The water level has fallen and cleared lately, so the sunlight has been reaching the bottom and has ignited the algae growth (or whatever greenery that is). But I fished last Monday with excellent results. In fact, the water temp is still cool and the cfs (flow rate) remains above normal. That's why the fishing has been so good. I think.

I wouldn't go up there. It's not worth it. More and bigger fish downstream, without the obstacle hassle.

Might be better sized.

A pearl white super fluke. As usual.

Right year, wrong movie. I gave you the answer in my post.

First, I make no apologies for the masculine torso that your eyes are "feasting" upon. It's not my intention to make any gentlemen jealous. It was brutally hot Monday, so I had to remove my shirt. You don't have to like it, but you have to live with it and respect it. As for the ladies, take a number, get in line, because you may not be first, but you might be next. Anyway, my son and I floated this past Monday from Riverview to Bird's Nest. We caught a lot fish, many good-sized, in extremely hot weather. (Sorry Catman, but we slayed'em). This one was caught around 1:30 in a good hole that I know, though the hole is rather innocuous looking. On my yellow MDC ruler I have afixed to my thwart, it was at least an inch past 18. So, I'll call it 19", but it was very heavy. For those of you noticing the white stuff on my body, it actually blood AND sweat. I get it from my father, who was a scientist named Ash. He died in 1979 on a space-cargo ship named the "Nostromo." He was controversial, to say the least.