ness

I haven't really found anything I REALLY like. I liked my old Orvis vest, but often wished it was a shorty. When it's hot out, it's a little too warm. But I don't really like the mesh style. I got an Orvis pack with the hydration bladder a few years ago. I thought it looked like the ultimate solution: pack style so it's comfortable and gives lots of freedom for arm movement; carry some water with you; room for a rain jacket and snacks in the back; nice pockets up front. But - I find myself jacking with it a lot. Here's some things I don't like: * There are a ton of zippers on the front, and they've all got a little opening in the ring where the tab joins the zipper. I seem to get my tippet caught in there pretty often. * The pockets zip about halfway down on one side, so if I forget to zip it closed, I can lose a $$$ box of flies pretty easily. It'd be nice if they only opened across the top, then I could leave them open. * The vest is adjustable in all the right places, but there are tag-ends hanging all over the place. It would be nice if there was either a pocket to hide them in, or some other kind of gizmo to tidy things up. * I don't use the bladder like I thought I would. I feel the need to clean it between uses, which for me means removing it, washing it and drying it out completely for a couple days so I don't get mold. * The tube over the shoulder always seems to be in the way. (Come to think of it - I'm just gonna take that thing out). So the search continues...

Some interesting stuff being thrown out here. I think the key to a lot of the issues we encounter could be better enforcement. The regs are about right, I'd say. It's just hard to get attention on these places for a number of reasons. First - there's only a limited number of agents. When I called to report some violations on Crane Creek a while back, she asked 'what county is that', then said they'll send 'the agent' down to check it out. I know it's a stretch to assume there's one agent per county based on that, but the point is - there's limited manpower to cover a very wide area. Add to that the size and remoteness of these locations, and the agents have a pretty difficult time policing it. But here's something all of us can do: Call the Game thief hot line as soon as possible when you see something. And, be prepared to give details like physical descriptions, license number, whatever. Be the squeaky wheel, and keep this front-of-mind for the agents. They'll respond, and though they might not catch anybody red-handed, the increased presence will encourage the bad guys to straighten up, or move somewhere else. The number is 1-800-392-1111. Stick it in your phone. As to fly fishermen looking down their noses at bait fishermen. Welp, I think that's probably overplayed a bit. None of the ffermen I know give a hoot, and most fish by other means as well. I suspect that attitude carries over to the vast majority of people.

Nicely done DADAKOTA. You had me riveted! Great start to the morning.

Are they okay to put in the water, i.e. won't rust? I can see having a lot of fun with that thing when fishing. The shot like you took, or from in a canoe - really anything where you'd like to put the camera down for the shot, especially if it's uneven.

I used Photoshop Elements for several years and just hated it. The photo organizing stuff was a nightmare, it frequently caused my computer to hang, it would 'lose' pictures from it's catalog. Always had something going on that ticked me off. I ended up switching to Adobe Lightroom, and haven't looked back. The interface is much more logical for starters. It's look and feel is completely different than PS. It's excellent at keywording, or metadata browsing/filtering - which has become a much bigger deal as my library has grown (to over 9,000 photos). Exposure adjustments - the most common adjustment you'll make - are a snap. And there are multiple ways to tackle them - sliders, curves, etc. And, if your camera shoots RAW, Lightroom will convert it and open up all the benefits of that (such as being much more forgiving when correcting exposure/white balance problems). What it's not - a full-blown pixel-level photo editor. You won't be able to chop a tree out of a picture, or paste Selma Hayek's body under someone else's head. There's clone stamp, healing brush, sharpening, noise reduction. Basically, the stuff most people need to adjust photos. Adobe offers trial downloads of all their products. Give any of them a try, but I really like Lightroom.

Hmmm.... Gorilla pod. Hadn't thought of using one of those for this. As a matter of fact, I always kinda thought they were a stupid idea. Thanks for the enlightenment. Oh, and nice fish.

I think a lot of the distinction between hatchery and wild trout applies to newly stocked fish. But any wild or stream-bred trout has already beaten huge odds, especially if they are of any size at all. They are conditioned to be more wary, so they're much more likely to know you're there, and you're not going to catch them if they're looking at you. At least in my experience. As for cutts in high mountain streams, they're a different animal for one - much more gullible. But also their habitat is significantly different than a MO trout. It's frozen 4 months out of the year, then they get a month or two of runoff (flooding), then they get to live it up for a month or two before the drought kicks in, then they start it all over again. Their feeding is packed into a tight window, and they're opportunistic feeders. The situation becomes even more exaggerated when you're talking about streams overpopulated with non-native brook trout. Now that is often too easy.

Welp laker, tgard, You've got my head spinning now. I've never heard anything about a stocking as late as 1960 at Crane - and my Googling hasn't turned up anything. Brown trout there? That's a new one to me too. But hell, not everybody that dumps a fish in a stream writes it down somewhere where we can read about it. You can find countless places that say the McCloud rainbows in Crane are pure. I've always felt that angle was a little bit exaggerated. For one reason, not even the rainbows in the McCloud River are pure - so who's to really know? Also, like I mentioned before, not every stocking is official and documented. Who's to say some local didn't dump a bunch of Missouri strains from a hatchery in there to give the stream a little boost when the populations were down? Of course that's speculation, but saying anything with certainty about those fish is too.

Ahhh. The canoe v. kayak v. 'toon debate. Stability of a pontoon is superior, but where do you dump your canoe? Unseen rock, sure - but also in a fast bend. Think about working through one of those in a 'toon... You've got three feet of oar on each side, and it's tough to change direction of a 'toon. And whoever mentioned slow water is right on. It's a real workout to get through the big, slow pools. Also, a bit tougher going upstream. Yes - pontoons hold a lot of weight, but the actual storage space is somewhat limited, and a little harder to access. Plus sides: A little higher fishing platform, more stability in many situations and more comfortable. They're best on bigger water, where you're not dodging obstacles. Also better for big folks. Canoes offer the most versatility. Plenty of storage, speed, maneuverability, ability to take someone along, stealth.

I just eye-ball them. I've been quite happy with the results.

I'll throw in another vote for Smith. They're excellent quality, and they offer prescription/photochromic lenses. Also, I've got a big head (save the comments ) and the frames fit very well. I've got amber prescription photochromic glass Padre model. Some things that make these stand out, and in my opinion, worth the money: - Glass. Man, they are so much clearer than plastic. More durable - don't get the micro-scratches. - Amber really increases contrast. - Photochromic. They lighten or darken depending on the sunlight. They're not real dark at the dark end, and fairly light at the light end. I primarily fish for trout in streams, so I'm in and out of shade a lot, so that's a real plus. - Wide sides cut light coming in. - I've broken the frames twice, and they've been replaced free of charge both times. Same pair have lasted me about 6 years.

I'd really like to see ME on it. (Never been).

I'd agree with your logic on canoe v. kayak. Each have their benefits, but from what you're saying canoe fits right. One thing to consider: If you're sure you'll always be solo - be sure consider a solo canoe rather than a tandem. Sitting in the middle means it's balanced better, handles much better and you have the opportunity to stow stuff both in front and behind you, which makes more things more accessible. I've got a We-no-nah Solo Plus, which is a 16-1/2 foot model that has three seats and works as a solo or tandem. Like many things that are all-in-one, neither one works as good as the specialized version does. It is a very good (though long) solo, but loses stability with two people. And I just wouldn't put anybody in front over about 175.

Laker76: Mill Creek, Blue Springs Creek, Barren Fork and Crane are not stocked. Rainbows haven't been stocked on NFOW for many years, though they do stock browns. There are no documented stockings on Crane since the 1800s. They're not native, but they are wild in that they're stream-bred, and have been for many, many years. Rainbows will reproduce in MO. Browns go through the motions, but don't reproduce. The bulk of the fish are smaller on the small streams because that's what the habitat dictates. Yes, there are larger fish than 12, and a lot far smaller than that. Again, it's dictated by the habitat, and even the small creeks can support a few large fish.

No need to edit your posts, man. From now on I'll just subtract 3 from any number you post and we'll call it good.

Heck, they're all good in one way or another. Depends on what you're looking for. If it's big browns, some rainbows, ability to float with plenty of opportunities to camp along the way that you're looking for (and you don't mind a lot of canoe traffic, and all that goes with it), it would have to be the Current. Big, wild rainbows and big, wild, floatable water? Eleven Point. Want good pizza too? NFOW (The Antler in Gainesville). Challenging, small stream? Crane or BSC or Barren Fork. Kinda middle-of-the road: Smaller stream, generally smaller fish? Little Piney, Mill.

I do that myself. I keep two of them in the bag that stays in the car. One for wet and one for dry flies.

Don't know about that particular blank, but some are finished, and some are not. And, if it's not finished, you get to decide whether to finish it or not.

There wouldn't likely be anything suitable for dry flies, but could possibly be of use for streamers, bass bug, or something like that. Honestly, I think he'd be lucky to find a buyer at all, and if he did it would probably be a buck a piece max. But hey - what do I know??

Yep - it's a great book. Good general information about flyfishing, and a good outline of the trout waters in Missouri. Some of the info in mine is a bit dated, in part due to the trout plan, but it's good for getting you there. Mine's all marked up, dog-eared and taped up where pages have worked their way loose, but I still keep it handy. Wasn't aware there's a 2005 edition out there. Amazon sells used books, and there are a few available out there now. In around 1995, I was pulling up to fish Mill Creek, book on the dashboard, and a car pulled up next to me in the parking lot. It was Chuck, and I held up the book and smiled. We chatted for a while, and he steered me to a couple locations along Mill. Good guy. As far as I know, he's still around. I guess it's only been a couple years since 200 Smallmouth Adventures came out.

Yep - those were some good points too, Mark. I also wanted to mention Poke em's sentiment: I'd agree - I see nothing to gain, and plenty to loose by talking about it. Funny, I fished with a guy earlier this year. We're both active in a e-mail list and he posted a pretty generic report about our weekend. I knew when I started reading it that I had nothing to fear, and sure enough - he artfully glossed right over the very best part.

Hey Jefly, No offense intended, man. I wasn't lumping you or anybody into anything based on spin fishing. I spin fish too - it's a method, and as Tim said - it's often more effective that others. Now, if you're 'seedy looking', I apologize. My point was (and I know this is a bit of a stretch) these guys just didn't look like the types to worry too much about following the rules. I'll leave it at that, before I get into any more trouble. Tim: Ok - I see what you were getting at about the TV shows, magazines etc. My point was that I guarantee a couple posts here could really increase the traffic. For example, say I blew in here bragging about catching 40 fish, with 3 of them over 20-inches. You know the word would spread, and traffic would increase. And it wouldn't just be clean-cut, hard-working, conservation-minded, upstanding, principled men like Jefly, would it? Fact is - Crane is some tough fishing, and it will always be a small stream with smaller fish and that won't appeal to nearly as many people as some other places. An when you factor in the man-eating (rabid) otters, rattlesnakes, disease-carrying ticks...oh, and that meth lab down on the lower part, it's really not worth it to fish for those 6-inch trout. There's much better fishing over at Hickory Creek in Neosho. But, that's for another thread.

Tim: That's good that you have notified the authorities. I did too, earlier today, and her response was that they would put out the information and ask them to increase patrols out there. Will they, or will it help? Sure didn't hurt call. Squeaky wheel, you know. Not sure what you meant by 'many have tried' screwing up the creek. My only point was that internet posts can affect things, in ways we may not think about. Redbird: You make several excellent points. Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part that a good thing can be kept secret for too awful long. But I'm an optimistic guy. Greybear: My tummy tells me you're right about the locals being the biggest threat. Last time I was there, a couple seedy looking characters were fishing spin tackle, and although I didn't get close enough to see what was up, it was pretty big stuff they were launching. If I had to guess, it wasn't single-barbless. But...I wouldn't go so far as to say what gets said here has NO affect. Not everybody who reads posts. And this stuff lasts forever. I fished with a guide out in CO several years ago, and we went to some pretty sweet water in a National Park. Three years later I fished with him again, and he said he had been forwarded a link to a post I'd written on the old Conservation Cafe telling a guy where we fished, including where to park. It had been forwarded to the guide because I had mentioned his name. I didn't even remember writing it until I thought about it. So, something that I'd written in passing, with only a few minutes thought, lingered out there all that time. He wasn't pissed, but his point was clear. He blames me every time there's a MO license plate in the parking lot, I'm sure. So, like I said earlier - to each his own, just follow the rules. And if you enjoy some success, maybe think twice before putting it on the Wide Wide World of Web. I'm not trying to change the world, but if a few think twice about the effect a post here might have, I'd consider that progress. Happy holidays all. John

I'd rather have Conservation Agents police it - not fishermen. But agree with you that legal fishermen are preferable, and more likely to report something illegal when they see it. Depends on what you mean by overfish, I suppose. To me, one guy a hundred yards ahead of me and it's overfished. But, I'm selfish. But seriously - what is overfished? Always?? That's not a sure thing at all. I'd wager I could screw that creek up for you and everybody else, from right here in this chair... How about we worry about all three, and add poaching to the list? A few phone calls to the local CA would get the place front-of-mind. As a matter of fact - as soon as I post this, I'm gonna call the Game Thief hotline - 1-800-392-1111 - and tell them I've seen evidence of bait fishing there and see what they say.

Hey guys, New to this forum, not new to fishing or the internet though. I wanted to weigh in on the subject of talking about fishing spots on the web. Those of you that say it's a public place and well known are spot-on. That being said, anybody that has been there and given it any thought, probably realizes it's a fairly fragile place, and really couldn't take a lot of pressure. Of course posting a fishing report is going to increase awareness and most likely increase pressure, especially when there are big numbers tossed out there for all to see. In that regard, Poke em was also spot-on. Crane is some of the most difficult trout fishing there is in MO, so it won't ever end up looking like a trout park. But, it wouldn't take too much to ruin the place. Not being critical at all, Greybear and Tim - to each his own. Follow the rules and talk about it all you want. But my advice (and I know no one was begging for it ) is this: if you find a place you like, and part of the reason you like it is that you didn't have to deal with other people, you may want to weigh that into your decision to talk about it - especially on the internet.