jdmidwest

Personally, I could do with out the jet boats on the river anywhere above 2 Rivers. Jacks Fork is usually too low to run them on there anyway and have not really seen any on there during the summer. Current River would be better without them and safer for the floaters in that area without them. I don't really want to see more horses and trails, their little hooves do alot of damage and the manure leaves the pristine country looking like a barnyard. And then there are the flies that always seem to ruin the camping around the stable areas. Closing accesses to launch is the interesting one, they really don't say what will go. Williams is one I wonder about. All of the upper river accesses give you choices based on how you want to float and for how long. Less access would lead to less choice. And that illustrious representative is the Federal Government, working to protect the state he represents. Maybe let the state take over and run the land within its border.

I hear catch and release season is open at Meramec Springs.

Duck Dynasty quit being about ducks when they hit the big time TV. Nothing like the actual hunting videos.

Thats what I am afraid of. Too early to start freezing stuff up around here. We don't need any skim ice till Thanksgiving weekend at the early point.

They managed to keep people off the river for a few days last month. Maybe nightly runs up the river to write tickets on the bars. Group camping usually leads to trash and unsightly riverbanks. The nature groups are seeking to make it more natural, like it was before man invaded it.

In light of the recent shutdown of the ONSR system because of the Federal Government, along comes more possible restrictions. Shutting down accesses. Limiting camping to organized campgrounds and eliminating gravel bar camping. Roads removed and replaced with hiking trails. http://www.stltoday.com/news/state-and-regional/missouri/plan-calls-for-new-mo-riverways-restrictions/article_defdfb7a-cafa-55c8-a1f8-19844c83da46.html I have a proposal, let the State of Missouri take back the land and kick the Feds out of it. I honestly believe that the MDC could do a better job. I am glad to see their major purchases of land parcels along the 2 rivers over the past years. Could be be lucky enough to get a "No Action" vote and keep things the same?

If you are fishing for other species, keep 3 fish on the stringer. Release till you are done fishing and keep your 4th. Same rule applies in the trout parks during put and take season, once you string up the 4th fish, you are done for the day by the rules. You can not keep fishing and releasing, you have to quit after you reach your daily limit.

It is the aggravation of fishing a perfectly matching hatch imitation during a good feeding frenzy and watching them run up then snub it. Moments later, they take a cigarette butt floating down.

Nice. I would like to get in a bunch of them.

I just dropped 6 sliced breasts in some marinade to make some duck jerky for the blind this weekend.

So what was the mills demise?

I took the drive back from Montauk on Monday a little early to enjoy the colors, winding back thru Bunker and Lesterville. Hickory and sumac was good, the oaks were not much. I was a little early. Later in the week here and a little rain really brought out the color. My pin oaks actually have some color now. Hard rain and some windy hail brought down a lot of leaves last night.

This one is a hard one. I love a good airshow. The Angels came to town a few years ago and you could not keep me away from the airport. I sit down there on the practice sessions and attended the show both days. Plenty of warbirds and of course the awesome raw power of the F18.

Almost a copper john.

Pretty impressive structure for the day. What was its demise, fire or flood?

Its a new meaning to chuck and duck. I tried them a few time when I first started flyfishing, then never thought about it again.

Flocks of snows were going over all day yesterday on this side of the state.

A crackle back fly comes to mind. You fish it dry or wet, as a streamer or a nymph. It is a good fish catcher but does not really imitate anything.

Funny thing about mine is that she will not eat most wild game I bring home to cook except for the tree rats. She loves fried squirrel. I can make venison many ways and she won't touch it. She will eat duck from time to time. Loves the fish. She will eat turkey, I just never seem to get them any more. I was giving deer meat to my x wife when I killed one, that way my daughter could enjoy some of it. Now that the daughter is out on her own, I will stock her freezer this fall with one so she can have good fresh meat for the winter.

The fireplace birds look great. My main bag I carry have a dozen G&H mallards, 4 resting mallards, 1 duck butt, 6 woodies, and 5 pintails. The ones in the pool were a bunch of teal dekes that I found on clearance a few years back. I spray painted a dozen black and made coots out of them and left the rest teal. I have another bag of bluebills I made out of some Flambeau Mallards I bought on clearance, spray painted black and white, when I need some divers. I like to mix brands of mallards so I don't toss out dekes that look all the same. I have 2 dozen Carrylites that I bought on sale and 2 dozen Greenhead Gear cheapies. Another bag has a dozen Flambeau mallards in it. Most of the time, I stick with the main bag and keep it down to about 2 dozen ducks with a goose floater or 2 and a robo duck.

The Tennessee River has some great fish. I like it up a ways at Pickwick. Sauger was the first fish I went after in that area, but now I go for the bass. I know of several bass fishers that say the smallie fishing is really improving in the KY dam area. Good flows are scouring the bottom well and encouraging their growth and habitat. Nice fish.

Yep. I might even kill a few this year. My buddies get aggravated when I let the bad shots pass and wait for clean kills. I hate chasing or crippling and loosing them. I do love hunting them.

And it looks like she enjoys it too. I tried to make mine an outdoors person but fishing and hunting was too much. I tried to teach and she was mad because I was telling her what to do!! Mine loves camping, floating, and the outdoors in general, we have that time together. No need to aggravate her with the rest, she needs her alone time too while I am gone some weekends chasing game.

Cold weather is here and time to think serious about the ducks. Garden is done and bees are in hibernation mode. It is T minus 8 days and counting till opening day for me. Pulled out the dekes and was going to check the lines and paint jobs. Decided to give them a good bathing first. They pick up alot of dirt riding around on the back ot fhe hitch hauler on the 4 runner on the gravel roads of refuges. And they get stained from the nasty water that ducks like to come into. Pulled out the kiddie pool and filled with soapy water. Got the scrub brush out and gave them a good cleaning. I use flat decoy weights cut in half and a piece of inner tube between the line and the weight to clip the weight on the keel of the dekes. Some of the rubbers have dry rotted and need to be replaced. Some need some touch up paint. Bags need the cockleburs pulled out of them. After the wash job, walked over to the neighbors and saw a ringneck swing the pond and curl out. The fall migration is on.

I always wanted one of them, but you need some alone time every now and then. My hunting and fishing is my alone time. Congrats.