ness

Yeah -- buying sized-stuff in the Cabela's store is hit-and-miss. I've made the mistake of waiting to the last minute on several occasions and end up blowing into Cabela's only to find they don't have it in my (or my boys) size. Once I was forced to buy something online and pay $$$ shipping to have it on time. I'm cheap, and that really stung. My fault for waiting, but I've sure been disappointed in their stock enough times that I just don't count on it.

I do like the tackle craft catalog from Cabela's. But I'm like you Eric -- I wish they'd save the paper. Last year (I think) they sent this hard-bound 'master' catalog. Man, what a waste! Too big to lug into the loo. I pitched it in the recycle bin largely on principal. I mostly flyfish, and prefer Cabela's gear over BPS in that category. But now that I think of it, next time I've got a need I'm gonna check in with Tim's Fly Shop at Roaring River first. I've ordered a couple things from him over the phone or via e-mail in the past. It worked out great -- no sales tax and drop-shipped to my house. Good guy to deal with, and I'm a sucker for the underdog.

Yeah, it really does matter. Some sites just get it right, and others don't. I think some of the mail order companies really had it right back in the day, but they have struggled with the web. Funny thing is, it's not all that difficult, at least according to people I've spoken with. Could be they just don't notice the sales they don't get. I'll give a couple of the other sites mentioned a look too. Thanks for the ideas.

I've been a Cabela's customer for a loooong time. From back when they sent one crummy, skinny catalog a year. And the only way to shop there was by thumbing through the catalog or driving to Sidney. Their products were good quality, customer service was great, and their return policy was as good as they come. I gave Bass Pro several tries too. Since they're right in the Ozarks I stopped by their Springfield store many times, and even bought a few things there. Try as I might though, they would just never send me a catalog. I remember feeling like maybe I'd fallen through the cracks; like my old-style postage-paid catalog request card must have been lost in the mail. Over time, I bet I asked for a catalog a half dozen times, and I'd bet I've gotten two in the last 15 years. I figured they didn't like me for some unknown demographic reason. On the other hand, I'd bet Cabela's has sent me 15 in the last two years. Recently, I was in the market for a new bass rig, and headed to cabelas.com to see what they had. I clicked on the fishing/spinning link and was brought to a page with four "specials" prominently displayed at the top. Well, they were 0 fer 4 on that stuff, either being butt-ugly or far too expensive, so I scrolled down to see what else they had. To my dismay the dozens of options were sorted alphabetically by company with no way to narrow the field. The little thumbnail pictures were darn near useless since all spinning rods look pretty much the same from 100 feet away. I was reduced to hunting and pecking based on company and price, and quickly gave up. This is, after all, the world-wide web and you've only got me for 30 seconds. So, I surfed over to Bass Pro's website, and I'll be darned if they didn't have a nice little setup just tailored for me. Filter by brand, price, species, customer rating and a couple others. I narrowed it down quickly and made my purchases. Now, that's the way a web site ought to be! Today I was back in the market for a cooler, to replace one I had lost in a freak accident on the Current River. Habit took me to cabelas.com, but I was again put off by their clunky web site. They may have had what I was looking for, but there were gonna be too many clicks to find it. So the sale went to Bass Pro again. I like Cabela's. They've still got great products, and their service and return policies are tops. They've even got a store 15 minutes from my house, which is a little more convenient than the local Bass Pro. But, I'm changing my allegiances. I'm a Bass Pro man now. (OK, I do Walmart too, but you get the point). If they'd just send me a catalog, I'd be totally content. Cabela's: overhaul that website and maybe send me a few LESS catalogs a year, and I'll give you another shot.

I see your points, and believe me, if I were king it would be a lot tighter out there. Sure, I'd let you fish, but not too many more. But I try to look at the situation within the overall context. There is a long tradition of fishing for food, trout stocking and creel limits. If you try to go in and take that away, there's gonna be an uproar, and license sales will go down. I just don't think it's practical to shut them down, or reduce them significantly. I think the trout plan improves the overall situation by tightening things up at the Blue Ribbon sections and it also appeases the catch/keep crowd. It's a compromise, trying to keep as many people happy as possible. We got the good stuff though, so I'm pretty content. I think the Blue Ribbon section of the LP is far superior to the Roubidoux in habitat, and it's less accessible. That's good stuff.

Word on the street is there will be a large contingent of drunkards on the 11 Point this weekend. If anybody's got a score to settle with fishing legend/forum provocateur Paul Dallas, this would be your chance. Lots of places to hide a body down there.

Gotta agree with Eric, as much as it pains me , this survey debate is mostly semantics. Bottom line is most of the stocked trout either get caught, meet some other fate (or learn to avoid the surveyors somehow). A few survive, and they grow bigger over time. Just like I woulda thought. The White Ribbon areas serve a need, and while it may not be an ideal management strategy, there are some positives. As mentioned before, they give the bait fisherman/trout eater a place to go. And that increases the base of outdoorsmen buying licenses, keeps our outdoor traditions alive, and makes for a more conservation-minded population. If you don't like them, there are lotsa other places to go.

hmmm. I've never flipped anything that quickly, so I've never run into it. I generally take a longer-term approach, and I hate the thought of ST capital gains as it chews up a lot more of the profits.

I'd definitely file a report. Not sure who's got jurisdiction there, but that'd be easy to figure out. It may not help you, but it may help somebody else. Thieves suck.

I think the White Ribbon areas are fine. They do serve a purpose -- providing a trout opportunity for those that want to catch and keep with any kind of tackle. I think they do help redirect people away from Blue and Red Ribbon sections to a degree, and I'm all for that. They also give the giggers a place to go without interfering with self-sustaining populations of trout. I'd be curious if they generate enough license sales to be pay the costs, but even if they didn't it wouldn't mean it's a bad idea. That said, I wouldn't mind seeing Capps split up into White/Red. Don't know much about Hickory.

Great advice there, stock-man either.

Actually missed most of the game, but what I saw looked great. Cassel seems to have had a decent game. McCluster, Jones, Charles, Moeaki, Flowers, Hali -- All lookin good

Welcome flygirl. Feel free to join in, post a fishing report, ask a question, whatever. If you've been reading for a while, you're probably up-to-speed on topics to avoid too

I kinda thought the same thing. The choppy editing made you wonder what really happened. I'd bet it wasn't pretty. But a cool video none the less.

Can't tell you where to head FROM Big Cedar, but while AT Big Cedar head to the Buzzard Bar and listen to Clay Self -- a real live singing cowboy and funny guy.

Probably fall, followed closely by spring. Fall's a great time to be outdoors in general. Cooler weather and beautiful colors make it a real treat. Leaves on the water -- well, not so great. It's also the prime time for some of my other interests including bird hunting and photography. The summer chores start to wind down, and I've got more time for the good stuff. Spring -- well, it's warmer weather and just great to be outdoors more. Beautiful things to see, eat and photograph. I've always got a garden going, so spring's a busy time and fishing doesn't always happen so much. I love the Ozarks in spring. And now, it's off to the strip pits...

Two very-closely related subspecies of cutthroats around there -- the Greenback and the Colorado River cutt. Greenbacks are native to the east side of the divide and the South Platte and Arkansas River systems. Colorado River cutts are native to the west side and the ? River drainages....anybody??? That one would have been a CR cutt.

Oh, man. What a gorgeous CR cutt! What's that hunk of lumber in the picture??? We you at the hatchery or something?

Crap -- the web filter here at work won't let me see the picture.... You talking brown/rainbow/brook/cutt grand-slam? Love that area! Fished the east side back in July. (BTW -- that avatar pic was taken on a CO River trib at about 9,000 feet, and there was a Colorado River cutt in that little pocket there that fell for a dry a few seconds later).

They got largemouths right there in Douglas County, Andy! Just no picture, right? Can't help you on your list, but that's a cool goal you've got set for yourself. I'm kinda doing the same thing with trout. It's a much shorter list, and I'm not making much progress the last couple years.

Hope you had a great trip -- been keeping up with it here and there. Hope to see pics and a write up someday soon.

I think it's more than more than likely. Guy owns the land, you gotta have permission to be on it. I get what you're saying, but it's awful hard for me to find fault with cwc87. He owns some land, a river runs through it, and he can make a buck from it. I don't like to see a flotilla of canoes spinning through my trout water either, but I know it's part of the deal until I've saved up enough dough to buy 10 miles of stream of my very own. In the meantime, I'll work around the obstacles.

Great post Al.

Those males are incredibly colored! You've got some great shots there. Any bears? It looks like bear country to me.

Good stuff there, fly guy. You nailed it.