ness

Today

That's interesting. Those look nearly identical to my Wenenoh. You sure they're not just hijacking the truck, and scraping off the decals?

Ohhh. I get it KIMBERLING City. I was thinking the other KC. Now this all makes more sense. )

Not familiar with RAM-X. I guess it's some super tough material? Not sure what you're really looking for in a canoe, but I'd offer the following: Look for a canoe that will paddle well for you. If you're going to be solo in it, restrict your search to solo canoes. I would suggest you avoid very wide/flat bottomed canoes that are often billed as good fishing platforms. That sense of stability is a bit of a false sense of security -- get the thing tipping, and there's no turning back beyond a point. A rounder-bottomed canoe my not feel as stable, but your margin of error is greater when you tip. Just takes a little getting used to. And a thinner profiled boat will go where you want it without as much effort on your part. Royalex is an excellent material for Ozark canoes. It's lightweight, slippery and has some give to it. You'll slide over rocks rather than stick on them, and the hull will pop back into shape. I wrapped mine around a tree a couple years ago, and it bent into a wide-V. Snapped back, and but for a couple creases in the sides, it's fine. A more brittle material wouldn't have made it. My 16-1/2 footer weighs under 60 pounds. We-no-nah's web site and catalogues used to have a really good discussion about canoe design and materials. Probably worth looking at that even if they're not in the running. Edit: Just looked, go to Wenonah/resources

I've got a U-shaped Buck's Bags Mustang that I bought many, many years ago. I think you're right about going for that U-style -- they're easier to get in and out of, more stable, and most have a back rest that make's them more comfortable. I'm not up on who's good and who's not now, but I would suggest you look them over for quality construction. You want a good, durable bladder. Check out the mechanism for holding the U open. Mine has a bar across the front, and the pockets the bar ends rest in are really tough. Some just hold the sides apart with the seat -- may not work for a heavier guy. Finally, get some good quality fins -- not the swimming pool variety -- and some straps to hold them if one falls off. I've seen Fish Cat and Outcast tubes that look really good.

I love to tube, but just don't seem to get around to it as much as I'd like. It's an extremely comfortable way to fish. To me, the key in a tube is to restrict the use to smaller areas, and not try to cover too much ground too quickly. There's a nice 5-6 acre pond I fish, and I can do the circumference in an hour or so with a leisurely kick. It's a 1/2 mile walk in, and the tube is on my back. I've never done a pontoon, so I can't speak from first-hand experience. But, it seems to me the pros are higher platform, more stable, able to cover more water, more storage. Cons are wider profile due to oars, more involved to transport and assemble, higher and wider profile means high winds push you around more, and cost. There are definitely times I wish I had one, but I've got a canoe that fills the bill on larger water, or when I want to cover ground. Plus, I only get so many toys.

Nobody gives a rip what I'm up to. (sniffle) Seriously, I can see its usefulness in some situations. It's certainly the 'hot topic' lately - I heard 4 different stories in the media today that referred to it - like it's something new. I'm too 'connected' as it is. Everyone will just have to wonder.

So....... how 'bout them Tigers? Not to change the subject, or anything.

Holy crap Trav. You're single handedly screwing up the whole evening for a lot of folks. Folks that didn't read what Phil said, that is (<-hint). I see he's signed in and undoubtedly thrilled to see what you've stirred up.

Wilkommen, Joe. Don't know exactly what it is about St. James, but I've always liked it. Quaint little town, coupla good home style restaurants I like. And, like Brian, love the wine at St. James Winery, especially their Riesling and Norton. Made the mistake of coming down to fish one weekend years ago - - turned out to be opening day of deer season. Lead was flying everywhere.

I'd agree - Tim's is a must if you're at Roaring River, or even close. It's an excellent fly shop, with just about everything you'd need for fly fishing, fly tying and spin fishing too. Tim's always eager to help you, but it's not in the way so many of the big-time fly shops do it: based on how much you spend, or how much you look like you can spend. He's got good information - - and the business sense to know that purchases aren't a prerequisite of good service, they're a byproduct of it. I'll always remember the two pairs of forceps Tim gave to my boys, just because they were interested in them. I know they remember it too. We're always down there in October, and I try to restock when I'm there - - even though I've always got access to the web and a Cabela's 15 minutes from home. I'd much rather patronize a place like Tim's.

Like others have said, it's not too difficult to do. But I'd add that doing it *well* takes some practice. You can get by without a rod wrapper by cutting a couple v's in either side of a box, setting the blank in. Drop the spool of wrapping thread in a glass behind the box, run it through the pages of a heavy book and up onto your rod. (I don't know if you understand what I just wrote ...) I did a couple like that, then built a wrapper out of scrap oak and a few wing-nuts, screws, springs, etc. The guide wraps are fairly straight-forward. First file down the tips so they taper nicely to the blank. Start the wrap by looping the thread around the blank, then secure the tag end by wrapping over it. As you near the end, place a separate loop of thread down (loop out), put on 3-4 more wraps then cut it off. Put the tag-end in the loop and pull it back up under the wraps. If you screw it up, cut it off and start over. The key to epoxy is to resist the urge to put on too much too fast. Warm it to thin it, and do multiple thin coats. Your patience will be rewarded. Place the rod back into the v's between each coat (thin, remember?) and rotate the rod 1/4 turn every few minutes until it sets up. This prevents the wet epoxy from sagging and creating a thick spot. I've never jacked with turning my own handles. I just buy the preformed ones. Use a round rasp to expand the hole so your blank fits through. Build up the circumference where needed with rings of masking tape. Reel seats run the gamut from aluminum/plastic cheapies to nickle silver beauties with burled-wood inserts. It's a really rewarding hobby. And, like you said, you can get a quality blank and the hardware for a fraction of the retail cost of the rod. Many of the top-end manufacturers give lifetime warranties on blanks as well as their rods. Bamboo blanks are becoming easier to find too. I did one a few years back and really like the rod. It's got pretty sexy hardware: nickle-silver sliding-band reel seat with a burled ash insert; n.s. ferrules, silk wraps, agate stripping guide. Rod Building Forum is a great resource with tutorials, photos, helpful folks. Angler's Workshop is a good source for stuff.

Looks like fun. Thanks for the report.

Phil, There are pros and cons for individual forums IMO. If you want specific info, they're nice. Maybe some of the less popular /slower forums ones could be grouped into an 'other' category and the good descriptive info pinned at the top of the forum. The new additions are fine, but maybe get lumped into a non-Ozark category or something like that. You're right - - it's hard to keep everybody happy. I appreciate the effort you put into this, and I'm sure a lot of others do to.

Good perspective Al. It's always easiest to pick a bad guy and blame the whole thing on him. I suppose a guy with a pond ravaged by otters has options besides killing all the otters and stocking more fish. Which, by the way, sounds like a way to go both crazy and broke.

Big water. Big lures.

Sure is easy to blame the MDC and their otters for everything. Consider these tidbits: More and more people are fishing. We've had several years of drought. There's more and more information readily available on where to fish. There'd be significantly fewer trout in MO but for MDC stocking. Man's been tinkering with his environment, and permanently altering things, for centuries. The scat I've seen has had more crawfish parts than scales in it. It's easy to complain. It's easier to blame. There wouldn't be any trout left if it's as bad as some say. I'm not thrilled about the otters, but then again, I'm not thrilled about all you humans out in my spots either. . But that's the way it is, and I'm not gonna bust a vessel over it. A couple years ago I fished a small creek for wild trout and while I was standing there 3-4 otters came bobbing and weaving downstream towards me. I just stood there and watched until they realized I was there. They were actually right on the edge of my comfort zone when they bolted. I didn't have any luck for about 200 yards upstream, but caught fish above that. And have many times since then. I'm sympathetic to folks who stock a pond and have an otter move in and mess it up. And I'm sympathetic to folks who have bad luck fishing. But the crying and moaning is over the top sometimes.

Kyle, Ditto Okie's comments. But to add: those pheasant tail feathers are the main ingredient on a pheasant tail nymph, which is a great dark mayfly nymph pattern, and a really good one to tie if you're spreading your wings a little.

Assuming you're talking about something to keep you dry, I agree the Cabela's Dry Plus is good. Breathable (I hate plastic) and small enough to roll into a small ball so it's easy to stuff in a vest or pack. Mine's a mushroom color, not the two-tone one in the link above. I like to keep the colors pretty muted.

I'm curious if you guys went downstream from the park area, or concentrated on that part. I don't recognize the section in the picture for sure, but it looks like just down from the bridge. The most I've done is about 1/4 mile down from the old bridge, but I understand others fish below that.

Yep - I think it's an example of the marketing guys writing the copy. 'Fast action' is what they think folks want to hear, but it's not fast.

You forgot about the "at times" part. Longer rod allows more line in the air and the ability to cast farther, all things being equal. I fish warm water from a tube or canoe much of the time, and it's a help there too. A shorter rod is more suited to tight surroundings or short casts. But - both are generalizations. I thought his description of fishing Taney and warm water warranted a longer rod. I'd venture a guess that there are far, far more who are not 'trout snobs' and will fish for warm water fish. You might be running with the wrong crowd.

I bought a Traditional II for my son last summer. First, I was really impressed with the fit and finish for a rod at that price point. And, it's a very nice casting rod - a moderate action, which is what I prefer (and therefore, so shall he ). The Prestige Plus reel is pretty nice too. I like that it's aluminum rather than composite. You should be able to get setup with a rod, reel and line for under $200.

I think I'd focus on the rod. No significant difference between 8-1/2 and 9, all else being the same. If you plan on fishing bigger water, like Taneycomo, or bank fishing for panfish, the longer rods will help and a shorter rod (say, 7-1/2 foot) would be a hindrance at times. A good, generic rod for what you're describing is an 8-1/2 foot 4 or 5 weight, and I'd probably go for the 4. You don't mention what your budget is, but you probably already know rods are priced all over the board. The guys at Cabela's in KCK are usually quite helpful. They stock everything from rod/reel combos at around $100 to the high-end stuff from Sage, with a lot in between.

LL Bean has a lot of fly fishing stuff that folks don't seem to know about. They've got a modular chest pack, waist pack thing that looks promising, and is prices pretty good. There stuff is always good quality, and everything they sell has a lifetime, unlimited, no questions asked, warranty.