jdmidwest

I think California banned lead bullets for hunting already. Buzzards were getting dumber from eating lead infested carcasses left by hunters.

What did you rub on the white chenille to keep it stiff?? Did the Bob and Tom show today. Bob's place, Feathercraft produced my orange uni and micro chenille with about $30 other misc stuff. Tom's place, T Hargrove drained a few more dollars. Did get to visit with Tom, did not see Bob around. Lots of empty bins, guess they are having trouble getting stuff too. Lead wire is getting scarce. Johnny's bass boats are getting scary high, a Tracker 175 with a 40 Merc is a 25k boat now.

Looks like a "hair bug" to me. Good scud, bluegill, trout pellet imitator. Heading north to St Louis today for a few tying supplies myself. 10 thousand dollars of hooks, materials, feathers, beads, and flashy stuff sitting in front of me and no 8 orange Uni thread or orange micro chenille

Lead used to be the cheapest source for the ammo. But our EPA has driven most lead production overseas. Herculaneum Mo.was the last lead smelter around USA and it shut down a few years ago. Most mines ship ore out by barge now. One reclaims lead batteries and other products by Bixby. All have paid heavy fines for cleanup in areas the operated in for 100+ years. And the price if lead has skyrocketed.

The MDC has to be invited to mange properties. Local cities have let them take over stocking of their ponds and then they regulate the put and take of the fish. Some parks do it themselves and buy private fish, then regulate. Some parks allow MDC to build a ramp on a stream for river access only.

The State of Missouri owns the land, its a State Park. The concession is sublet by the DNR and the State thru a bid process. DNR manages the Parks part. The fishery is managed by the MDC which is also part of the State. The overall reason for the parks condition is the management by the State. If you have a concern, your State Rep or Senate would be the good first step. If you are worried about the poor quality of the fish or the conditions of the stream, then MDC would be the contact. DNR plays a part in the stream and its banks as they are part of the DNR. Lucky, there is not a Federal part of Bennett that I am aware of. They have control of the Scenic Riverways and NFS systems, which over lap the State in some parts of Missouri, causing more confusion. Bottom line is they all get paid from our tax dollars, both State and Federal.

Bennett Spring hatchery system would be the MDC, the Park and grounds would be the DNR. Concessions at the lodge and rentals would be private concessionaires by a bid process and contract awarded. Camping is DNR. Fishing regulations enforced by the MDC, traffic and park rules would be the DNR. Its a tangled government weave to confuse all.

Believe it or not, Lead is bad for you. But this has been coming for a while. The industry has had a chance to come up with alternatives. Unlike the waterfowl lead shot ordeal that took years for tungsten and bismuth and better steel shot and killed the use of older barreled shotguns. The bullet manufacturers have been working with all copper for a while and it works. And the all copper pellets are pretty fast and accurate. And they really can't jack ammo up much higher. They will not do away with lead till they choke the last lead mines out of existence. But they will do that soon. Not that copper mines are any cleaner.

I have not been on it past Myrtle at State line but have crossed it. Deeper and more colored, bass and a few walleye down there. Mud banks and slower water. Spring River is in same area.

You are skirting the forum with the f'd up abbreviation. Watch out for that one. I know u mean fuk

Leaf blower would not make a dent in my sleet. I did skim the snow off, about 3" of fluff on 3" icy sleet.

Nice job. All the trapping I have done is for wildlife control. Fur is not worth the effort now, not like it was in the past. I keep the possums and coons in check around here. At the farm I will pop a coyote with a restraint from time to time. Like to catch one of the bobcats running around there.

Looks like I get a snow day to the flies and watch the birds on feeder.

I hope to have many more on the stream, I have 4 more to train now. At the time, he was the only one. Next one was born the day I found cancer again, he will be 5 this month. Next two born on same day a 14 months later and will be 4 this April. Then my little straggler that is 8 months old now. I keep busy with them, they live close.

You made that ant out of that plastic dumbell? I want to see the pattern sheet for that. The legs have the real claspers like nature made them on the ant.

It was one of those weekends to remember. Montauk is what it is, a trout park. But for me, its the third place I ever caught a trout. My best friend and old roommate from College introduced me to trout back in 1986 on an 11 Pt trip to Greer. Not long after I hit Meramec and have been forever disappointed by it. The third trip was to Montauk and it became our rotation between 11 Pt and upper Current River. Then one day, 11 Pt was blown out by high water and we tripped over to Spring River in Arkansas. Arkansas license opened up Norfork and the White River. I never like the crowds in the park and plan trips to avoid them. The Park Staff have been nice and friendly always. Its comfortable and in a good location. You have the Upper Current River, many acres of wilderness to hunt, all of the little trout streams like the Little Piney, Mill Creek, Spring Creek, and not far Roubidoux. You can be at Bennett in a hour. Salem, Rolla, Licking, Houston, and the surrounding area have lots to do if fishing sucks.

At least the sets were probably froze up. They are pretty hairy when they unload.

I have been in Rolla the last few weekends and enjoying the local yeast and hops. Low and behold, on a little can of Public House Dry Fly Session IPA is the artwork of our famous Al Agnew. A Stimulator Fly. I bought the variety pack. The Headshot Helles Lager and Among the Willows Pilsner were my favorites. But the IPA is good too. My lack of taste buds make the Cream Ale pretty bland.

My oldest grandson caught his first trout in Oct 2015 during a camping trip with my wife. It was about 2 weeks before my Cancer diagnosed. We had borrowed a pair of kids waders and he was using spinning gear. Just a little feller of 6. We raised him for the first few years as his Mom and Dad got their young lives together and figured things out. He has been like my son. We had not been back till now. I had him this weekend. We took out Saturday and spent the day exploring things in the cold windy day. We did not fish, just touring and learning. The mountains of the St Francois chain, the wilderness between Arcadia and Salem, the Huzzah hatchery ruins, and Montauk itself. Spent the night at Rolla in a motel and enjoyed the Sirloin Stockade buffet. Sunday morning, we hit Montauk below the place in the campground where he landed his first trout. I bought him a little blue Cabelas starter rod a couple of years back and we have been out on ponds, lakes, and streams catching warmwater bream and bass. This was his first trout trip with it. He pulled this one out on a San Juan worm I tied. Several more during the day and a chub. During those 6 years, he has changed a little. He wears my stuff now. That is a pair of my waders and boots. He can tye some flies. He can kill a deer. And I am back up to almost full strength to keep up with him. It was a beautiful winter day in the park. Over the two days, we learned again about the trout hatchery and the runs, the springs, the geology of the whole area. We enjoyed the wildlife and the history of things. And the experience of it all.

Me too, but better goggles may help. Buddy makes fun of me wearing safety goggles running at speed in a boat in rain. It keeps my vision open to see what is going on and prescriptions clear.

In Alaska, I pegged beads above the hook on the line. You actually snag the trout going for the egg in the mouth. In Missouri Trout areas, that would be a no no as far as a fly. There has always been some thoughts as to them being truly flies if mounted on a hook by themselves. But they will work here in unrestricted areas.

They make side by sides now with heaters and cabs.

Nice slick coat of sleet and freezing rain of a 1/2 inch here going into darkness. More coming.

COVID?

Johnny and Academy get all my tackle business. Can't wear that jersey with a straight face.....