ness

I grabbed a copy of the mag yesterday. Not what I expected at all. It's not really spotlighting the area, and it's not really slamming it either. Kinda poking fun at it, at least at the beginning. I never thought of the area being 'nestled between Branson and the Mississippi River' -- more like Cassville and Doolittle, but I spose that doesn't sell magazines. Brian, I really got a chuckle from the author's description of you. Crew cut, soul patch puffed out by Cope. But - good job with the Czech nymphing and all the rest.

I can tell you what I own - all 2-pieces. I've built a couple of them and didn't want to do 3 or 4 pieces. The others are 2-piece for whatever reason. If I was going to buy a rod today (and I'm not) I'd be hard-pressed to find a reason to go with a 4-piece pack rod. I just don't hike long distances that often. But once every coupla years when I do, I wish I had one. So, to summarize - hell, I don't know.

There's a general perception out there that anybody can drive a canoe and a life jacket will protect you. Of course, both are wrong. Unfortunately this mistake cost them dearly, and somebody's going to have to live with that decision the rest of their life. Sad, sad, sad.

I gotta pick up a copy of that mag -- some of the comments above make me wonder just what they talked about though. Brian, I'm sure you made a fine ambassador for the region. It's always a little bittersweet when this kind of thing happens. It's great for the people that make a living from the tourists -- and I have absolutely NO problem with those folks. As a matter of fact, they're often the best friend the resource has. And it's often interesting to see the outsider's take on a place you know. Sometimes it's laughable. But, some of the things I truly enjoy are peace, quiet and solitude in the outdoors -- so I flinch whenever one of 'my' spots gets highlighted. I won't worry too much about it though. They great majority of people are looking for the most pounds of fish per minute spent fishing, so we naturally end up in different places.

$3 strap and you never have to set them down, bro. Just sayin'

One of the things I like best about my Smith's is they aren't toooo dark to begin with. So, I can wear them in low light. I've caught myself driving at dusk numerous times - headlights on - and still with the glasses on.

Nothing to add, just thought that was worth repeating!

One of the good things about expensive sunglasses is the anxiety that comes along with them. It helps you develop some good habits like actually being careful with your sunglasses. Like: putting a strap on them, using the case, storing them properly, not setting them face down, etc. I suspect a lot of the reason people burn through $10 sunglasses so quickly is that they don't give a rip what happens to them, and they treat them that way. I'm a pretty frugal guy, but I don't scrimp on this critical piece of equipment.

Kinda nice to hear from 3 smokers who DO take care of their trash. Guess I tend to focus on the ones that don't. I'll try to keep in mind there are some who do care, and dispose of the butts properly.

When you use deception for financial gain, it's against the law. But, $200 isn't going to get too much attention, even if you've got rock-solid evidence. Like Phil said - you reap what you sow, one way or another.

I don't like it, and it wasn't brainwashing that got me there. For some reason, many smokers feel like that little bit of trash is under the limit, and it's ok to drop them where ever you are when you finish your smoke. Twist off that filter and stick it in your pocket. I'm with Fly_Guy on this one.

Cabelas has some very nice beginner's setups. You could probably find something cheaper, but if you go too cheap, you may end up with crap. I got my boys a couple setups last summer, both around $100 (give/take). I remember one rod was a Traditional II (or close), can't remember what the other was. It has a nice moderate action, and is trimmed out nicely. The reels were fine. One was plastic, the other metal.

Sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing.

What do you guys think about the current administration's economic stimulus plans? (Just trying to steer this into a little less controversial subject).

I don't know what your threshold for pain is, but I'll tell you what I see are the advantages. First, I wear glasses and cannot wear contacts. So, I NEED prescription sunglasses. I've got a pair of Smiths copper photochromatic (lighten/darken with sunlight). They are glass, and extremely clear -- I always notice how much brighter they are than my day-to-day plastic glasses with all their micro scratches. I really like the fact that they change density. When the sun starts to fade, they lighten up and that's a real plus to me. They're not particularly dark at the other end, which I like since I'm in the shade a lot of the time. I mostly fish for trout in streams, and can't imagine being without polarized glasses. To the original poster -- it's already been said, but give Smith a call. They just replaced my frames for free, and they're about 8 years old. Free. I asked them for a case (the original case finally blew up) and they threw in a new one of those too. So, Randall -- that's what comes with the extra $$$ you spend.

I've heard stories like that about the Irish Wilderness. Supposedly, there are Leprechauns about and they love to mess with campers and take their food, especially in the spring. They're known to love toast and jam, so I'm not surprised they took the bread. Did you see any fairy rings?

I'd recommend one made of Royalex. It's a plastic laminate with a foam core. It'll slide over rocks, rather than stick to them like aluminum (usually). It's also flexible and will return to the original shape. I wrapped mine around a tree a couple years back. It snapped back with nothing but a couple wrinkles in it. They will scratch and can be cut, but they're easy to repair if you gouge one too deeply. I've got Kevlar skid plates epoxied on the bow and stern. I think it's the ideal solution for Ozark streams, where you're pretty likely to encounter rocks. My 16-1/2 foot Wenonah weighs in at something like 56 pounds. Their website has a good bit of information about canoe choice, materials and hull designs. Plus, they're excellent boats.

No. 2 son with a rare Greenback Cutthroat in Colorado No. 1 son with his first fly-caught trout -- a wild brown in CO Not big fish, but they were caught well. Great memories for them and me.

Well, first of all, we're awfully friendly folks over here in Kansas. Tolerant of other people's opinions, etc. You won't catch any grief from us, unless you come over here burning down our towns again. Then we'll kick some arse, just like we did in The War. Wolf Creek is still there. It was privately owned by KCPL (used as a cooling reservoir) up until the late nineties then it became a county lake (still used for cooling). Fishing's still good from what I hear, though I haven't been in a number of years. Wonderful fishery with good populations of small mouth, large mouth, walleye, crappie and others. I think the nuclear power plant might have something with the size of the fish.

You're spot-on, in my opinion. I read this whole thread, then went back and reread some of the original comments that sparked the trouble to try to understand the arguments a little better. I don't regularly visit this forum and never go to TR, but I do fish (mainly trout, but also bass) and practice C&R almost exclusively. Have I learned anything from this thread? Sure - I'll be more aware of spawning bass and avoid them like I do trout redds. But there was sure a lot of extraneous nonsense in the thread that didn't really add to the discussion. It's ok to be passionate about something -- in fact, it's good. But, you're far more likely to get people to understand or adopt your point of view using solid, reasoned logic and polite dialogue, rather than with a personal attack. Just sayin'.

Ahhh yes. Erica Elaniak (sp?). So often overlooked because of the trashy one. And along the Marianne line, though more obscure would be: Bailey Quarters (whatever her name was) and Markie Post. We're talking in their prime, right?

Before I go to the article, I'm gonna post a quick top ten. Now, I may not be able to convince you of this, but I would have had Closer Minnow and Pheasant tail nymph even if I hadn't read the two previous posts. Probably wouldn't have done Griffith's Gnat - just don't think about them, but I know it's a great fly. Here goes, and these are in no particular order: 1. Wooly bugger 2. Adams 3. Stimulator 4. GRHE 5. Elk hair caddis 6. Gray Wulff 7. Partridge soft hackle 8. Madame-X 9. Clouser 10. Pheasant tail nymph

A well designed hull won't need a keel, and will float in a straight line -- especially if its load is balanced properly. But you're right -- a lot of canoes perform like you suggest, especially with the bow up in the air.

I think on the majority of rods, the 2 versus 4 piece isn't a BIG difference. Especially on the high-end stuff. But, to satisfy yourself, you may want to try casting one of each. Personally, I don't have any 4-piece. Most of my rods are blanks I finished myself, so I took the easy route. Sadly, all my fishing travel happens in a car.