Fly_Guy

Not a bad place, but still miss the Ozarks! Brook trout here though

Imagine my surprise when I open a thread on climate change and find that it hasn't been shut down due to the usual name calling! It is vital to have this discussion in the fashion that y'all have been having it - like civilized human beings. And puppies never hurt either! Interesting points. I have never been able to drive behind a truck belching smoke and think "this is nearly choking me - thank goodness it has no effect on the environment!" However, climate science is very very sketchy - it is a highly complex model to try to claim 'expertise' on...

I was reeling in a catfish at fellows when a muskie came out of nowhere and mauled it. Thankfully the cat stayed on, but my subsequent casting with a large jerkbait proved fruitless. Go in the morning before sunup by the culvert under the road, and cast topwater. I've seen massive rolls out there. MISSING THE OZARK FISHING living here in N.C.

The worm contraption is called a "squirmy wormy" - made out of neon squirmy wormy material by Spirit River, tied with a bead for weight. They may not qualify for use in Taney and other areas where soft plastic is banned - they are "flies" here though. And they surpass the san juan worm in effectivness by a factor of 20. Phil or others may know the regs better about what is a "fly", and what qualifies as soft plastic, but if they were used on upper taney, you could have an amazing day. The brookies here seem to enjoy them - I cast and strip in short, sharp strips. They don't have to have much weight, because the water here is very small - the area of the stream I had the best luck on was about 9-10 feet across, and maybe 1.5 feet deep. In areas where soft plastics are allowed, they would be a great alternative to the san juan. Spirit River Squirmy Wormies http://spiritriver.net/materials/bodies-parts/squirmy-wormies%E2%84%A2 Finished "Fly" https://www.outsidebozeman.com/spring-2011/fishing-worms

Greetings from North Carolina. We've lived here for over two years now, and I'm still missing the ozark fishing. Dusted off the fly rod for the first time in about 7 or 8 months (new baby ), and fished the upper Jacob's Fork river yesterday in the South Mountains State Park. Walked several miles of trail, and ended up with 8 brookies, and 1 rainbow. Used pheasant tails, large silver scuds, and a little bead-head worm contraption that is popular with the local fly fishermen. Largest brook trout was around a foot long - and very pretty.

on tough, sunny low water days, I used 20-22 gray and brown scuds for best effect. Also size 22-24 black ants on top. Back when we lived in the ozarks... Miss Taneycomo!!

If anyone is interested in seeing one, there was one at Missouri State University in Temple Hall (the natural and applied sciences building), 2nd floor. It has a large aquarium to itself (or at least it did last spring - I haven't been back since). Word was that it was on loan to us from Wonders of Wildlife, and I heard talk that that biology department was probably going to end up keeping it and taking care of it. It can do some damage on crawdads when they feed it. Amphibians are always one of the first casualties of a polluted environment - their skin easily absorbs harmful substances. It is heart-breaking to think that the hellbender may someday be gone...

price one pays with those weedless frogs. But the fun of topwater usually makes up for it

You could just shoot your McDouble with a slingshot. I know it would make my trip to McDonalds feel a little more like a jungle safari...

They have a system in N.C. where certain waters are termed "delayed harvest". Basically, trout are stocked in the fall for C&R, and when spring rolls around, you can keep them all through the summer. Limit is 7 per day, and considering the size of the streams, most trout are all fished out by the time fall rolls around. Some waters are 'wild trout' waters, which is all C&R. Considering all the streams and how they connect, the regs on which areas are which are mind boggling. However, they do have legitimate 'wild trout' here (brookies). Y'all need a stream that is all C&R, no exceptions. But just one. the rest (besides Tailwaters and trout parks) need to go back to doing what they did before we brought trout in - supporting smallmouth. Any trout that do get into other streams will be eligible for harvest, and will be a pleasant surprise on your trip. My 2 cents, but I don't live there anymore. (oh yeah - the subject of the post - my opinion is still snagged)

Closing in on the red X of destiny

I wouldn't shoot that thing in emjay's picture with anything less than a rpg - it looks tooouuugh!

+1

Beefy - the lesser read childrens story

My gut says snagged. I would say 85% likely. Big browns don't get that big because they are stupid, if what you say is true and they haven't been stocked in years. And if I was catching them like that, I'd be releasing such fish (just me). 15% says he found a really unique pattern that no one in years has tapped into (but surely more people have figured out the white jigs=fish guts than just him)

Agreed. And no matter how small the pen you put the trout in, you can't force him to bite (unless you have my natural fishing ability ) It really cheapens it for people who go on an actual African safari and risk their lives hunting a wild water buffalo. From now on, when I see an exotic trophy, I'll wonder where it came from, and will not hesitate to ask the owner. There are places where you can catch monster pet farm trout however, and get a good photo to tell the friends back home. Perhaps that is a little closer than a put and take river.

Mash w/ Leatherman on all size hooks. I like barbless for bass worm hooks - those suckers do enough damage w/out the barb added. The only other thing I always de-barb are trout hooks when I'm fishing w/ powerbait (whether I'm keeping or not).

echo the live bluegill - flatheads are much more predatorial (sp?) than channels and blues. I've only ever caught two, one on a crankbait, and one on a live crappie minnow.

Hear hear. I don't personally hunt at all, but I respect hunting as a means of population control and acquiring food. I respect hunters who view themselves both as sportsmen looking for that trophy, and providers of food for their families. But you have to wonder about the guy that needs to drive down to Texas so he can shoot a yak...

This site is nuts - http://www.texashuntlodge.com/zebra_hunt_package.asp I think it's a good topic to bring up - One could have a lively debate comparing and contrasting hunting for a water buffalo/zebra/Nilgai in a pen and fishing in a put-and-take stream. I like the site's line "there are no seasonal restrictions on hunting zebra in Texas". Really - ya think? Just as long as the pen that they keep them in is narrow so the hunter gets a side shot without having to do to much maneuvering. Haha - under the Hunting packages section, between Fallow Deer and Red Stag Hunts is "Father-Son hunts". Is that legal, and who is hunting whom? This guy just retired from the IRA and fancied a sika deer hunt w/ an assault rifle. Only in Texas... http://www.texashuntlodge.com/sika_deer_hunt_package.asp

Like flytyer, I've done about the best on large bass spinnerbaits - I prefer white. I've caught em on inline spinners and spoons too - my personal favorites are the Mepps spinners with the minnow on the back. I have on that I took on a Canada trip - the minnow is tore to pieces from all the teeth! If it has flash, it'll work. We always used braided 25lb steel leaders. Target shallower weedy bays, or any beaver dam you find. We never failed to catch at least one pike off of a beaver dam. If you're going in the morning too, throw a topwater prop bait or a buzzbait along the edge of the weeds.

Seems a little cowardly to me. It only seems fair to the deer to finish it off as soon as possible. If that means it gets a shot at you, that's a chance a real man takes. The Piler becomes the Pilee

Just wanted to add that this is the fanciest reply I have ever seen on OAF forum. The legislation should be in the business of making laws that allow us the rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of property (and generally the fewer the better), not pretending to be conservation biologists. Good civil discussion guys!

Why do we argue the way we do? Cause we ain't fishing 'nuff

Now is the time to be hitting Taneycomo - after the massive rain a couple of years back, I was catching nice smallmouth that had likely been staging on the dam. Throw a jerbait or spoon. Sorry about all the rain too - i've seen pictures and it looks bad. There are only two things that I hate in this world. People who are intolerant of other peoples cultures... and the Dutch!