jdmidwest

Life is short, new water is always good. Sometimes.

Stocking foot waders run large at the foot. Its the boots that take up the slack. They are sized larger to allow for foot + neoprene bootie. They shrink after wet and dry. Boot fit better after you wet them. I tend to like cloth or cordura boots vs leather when wading with stocking foot waders. Boot foot waders tend to run a little large, extra socks or thicker ones take up the slack. They seldom lace up tight. Less ankle support. Stocking foot waders tend to come with booties only, boots and laces optional. You can size them accordingly. Find a shop that lets you try them on for size. I have wore them with croc's in the summer. Don't know how much swelling you have. My work boots get tight at the end of the day sometimes, but never too much to loosen the laces and retye.

I would check it with factory chokes first. Benelli knows a little about shot loads and chokes.

Buy a handful and see how it patterns.... Have you shot it yet with factory chokes yet? Turkey full, waterfowl far, modified, waterfowl close, improved modified or improved.

Never saw one of those, must be scientifically out of my range. Hope they stay there too from what I am seeing.

My Drake Neoprenes have done well. They are nice and comfy when I am sitting on a ice shelf after busting out a hole in some timber on a teen night. I don't really worry about being rough on them. My Orvis Goretex ones, I still watch out for beaver sticks and briars.

Most goretex waders are generously cut above the ankles. The neoprene booties are to fit a boot. Everything above wears like pants.

Rather slam a personal part in a screen door than deal with the crowd at a trout park on a holiday, opening day, or most any Saturday all year long. Montauk is in a suppressed valley, air does not circulate. When they stack in the campers and the campfires, the stagnant air, dogs barking, and diesel engines, camping is ruined for all but the city folks. For that matter, any holiday weekend is a bust in any public place.

Not saying you have to be Mr. Orvis, but they are the best waders I have ever wore. I have a pair, my first pair of Goretex, Orvis Silver Labels that I bought in 2000. They still shed water after streams, boats, brush, and ducks. They were my only pair until 07. But I still wear them floating in a kayak. They let a little moisture thru now. I think the neoprene boots will fail before the goretex part. My daughter and wife wear them fishing when they need them still. I blew thru a pair of Drake Goretex ones in a year, they replaced them with a heavy duty Neoprene. Orvis came out with a pair of Goretex a year later and I bought them. Still going strong. You get what you pay for. Quality comes with a price.

Floating the whole thing is pretty impressive. I have been on the 11 Pt from Thomasville to the MO State Line and into Arkansas. I have waded it above Thomasville and a couple of its tributaries, Hurricane and Frederick creek. Castor River from 72 to below Greenbriar. Then from Block Hole to the confluence to the Mississippi. The only part missing really does not have good access and is slow with mud walls. St Francis from Saco to Wappapello Lake. Waded and floated other portions above but never done the upper parts much. Big Creek from Brunot to St Francis and waded around Des Arc. Black River from above Lesterville to below Poplar Bluff and the tributaries of Cane Creek, 10 Mile, Fourche, and Little Black. Whitewater and Little Whitewater. Current River from Tan Vat to MO State Line and below. Most of Jacks Fork from 17 down. Big River from Belgrade to Leadwood, then a few portions below. Cedar Creek. I have been on parts of the Meramec, Huzzah, Courtois, Little Piney, Big Piney, Gasconade, and Niagua. Many others that were not that memorable. Spring River, Warm Fork and South Forks too in Ark. Buffalo, Crooked Creek, Parts of the White River and the Norfork from Dam to White River. Strawberry and Mulberry Rivers too. Several streams in KY and TN. Kenai River in Alaska. I too have rubbed my butt raw several times with canoe butt. My river miles are far more than lake miles. I prefer flowing waters.

I have fished Hamilton, the next one down. Trout below the dam at Ouachita at head of Hamilton during winter months. Bass are there but boat traffic keeps them skittish. Ouachita is more of a fishing lake.

Water table has dropped on all streams in this neck of the woods. What used to be floatable 15 years ago barely gets your ankles wet now.

You could access at the river bridge in Irondale unless something has changed.

Back in the 80's, we were doing a graduate study of fishes in the Whitewater River system. Our findings extended the range of a Pirate Perch and a Lamprey we found attached to a Smallmouth Bass during our collections. They may be still preserved in formaldehyde at Semo U. But our science was fully documented in a research paper. Sorry that I did not collect the venomous reptile as proof for the doubter. There would be one less in the world. Any other place than a public boat ramp, his story may have ended with a bang.

TDL requires a permit to park there. Private subdivision, they will ticket a vehicle without a sticker in window.

How is the water thru there now? Years ago, cattle pollution had it messed up.

I think the 12 ga pump is only for cripple fish.

From what we had to choose from, it looks like we may be forced to microfish. Streams are getting smaller and shallower in my neck of the woods. Ten years ago, I would be floating a kayak on this one. Not now.

Its been almost 3 years since I waded a stream, fishing for the warm water species. Since the cancer and treatments, my fishing has been boats and a yak trip or two. My strength and stamina, balance and agility, and overall trust of my capabilities have been weak. But this summer has been the closest I have been to being normal. The rivers and schedule just would not let me do it. Hot weekend with not much going on, spending time with the oldest Grandson. We hit the local stream at 3 for a little walk and fly fishing. He had been chomping at the heels to try out his flies we tyed back in the winter. We had a good time, hit a stream that I had not been on since 2015. Floods had changed it. We waded around and caught a few small ones. But he was excited. This is his new favorite way to fish. And it has always been mine. His mind was more on the wading and getting wet part, picking up mussel shells, finding a swimming hole, or skipping rocks. But flyfishing is his favorite type of fishing now. And he wants more of it.

I think its partly the elitist part about trout and the fact that they are a renewable resource. In England, Trout were reserved for the Nobles and protected by wardens. Trout and fly fishing has always been a step above, something for the upper crust. Peasants would raid and steal the trout from the elite. Then the renewable part, the fish trucks will dump another load next week. Better get them quick before they die off since they were not supposed to be here in the first place..

That's the part we were talking about.....

Depends on what county. Normal behaviour in some backwoods MO areas.

Seems longer than that. Dad can barely walk now and fading fast. I have only been in a yak one time this summer. I have been wanting to hit the St. Francis but things keep coming up.

Crickets and Katydids were in full chirp this weekend camping, slept like a baby. But the better half, it kept her up.

I simply meant, there is a pattern if you can find it, it takes time and casting.