Grant Miller

Thanks for the good stuff guys. I understand what you're saying about not trying to fish myself. We've been out several times each of the past two summers on farm ponds etc. I didn't even take my rod and it's a constant battle to say the least!! My thought was to have something rigged up in the event that they head for the playground with my beautiful wife. Maybe I'll get a cast or two in!! Any other info is certainly appreciated....

I'll be at Roaring River next week if the weather is decent. I'll have my two sons ages 6 and 7 with me and really want them to enjoy their time so that we can make many more trips in the future. I was thinking of rigging their spin casting equipment with a bobber and attaching a two pound tippet to their 6 pound main line and then whatever fly/jig seems to be working at the time. As far as areas to fish, I would like to stay near the two playgrounds so that they can switch off as they see fit. Hoping to keep them from getting bored at any point. I'm open to any advice from those who have been in a similar situation. Would you use Powerbait instead of artificials? Any other better ideas for rigging? My wife will be with us, so each boy will have some help. Any comments or ideas would be most appreciated!

What was the lure? Nice Fish!

The White and Norfork tailwaters are great, but the San Juan tailwater in NM is better due to the stable water levels IMHO. There are my top three.

Oh yeah, and good luck at RR!!! Hope you catch a FEW big ones!

I can't tell from the post whether or not you've met Tim before. I just wanted to say a few words about Tim for those who have yet to meet him as I'm sure that folks will come across this thread in the future. If you've met him already, you already know what I'm about to say is true. Any trip to Roaring River really should start out at Tim's place. He not only knows exactly what you need to do to catch fish at any given time and in any given conditions, but he'll tell you without hesitation. He's just one of those super nice people who treats you like he grew up next door to you from the first time you meet him. If you want to catch fish at RR, all you need to do is ask Tim and heed his advice. I'm sure Tim will read this and wonder who I am. I'm sure he'd never in a million years be able to pick me out of the crowd down there, but suffice to say I am any one of the thousands of good folks who have passed through his shop over the years and left thinking how great it was to talk to him for a few minutes.

I'm with ness on this one. I am still looking for something I REALLY like. I had a full sized vest and then went to a shorty before going to a Bucks Bags pack vest thingy. Maybe I'll never find what I'm looking for, but the over the shoulder deal sounds pretty good. This brought up a memory from one of the popular flyfishing magazines from 20 years ago or so. It was a short article that detailed the contents of Lee Wulff's fishing vest. Interesting (to me anyway). He had so much stuff in there, it was unbelievable! One thing Lee said (tongue in cheek I'm sure) is that it's OK to have a lot of stuff in your vest because the extra weight makes you more stable when wading in heavy current! Tight lines everybody.....

I've stayed there before, and I'd say it's good for the price. I stayed in one of the older rooms, and it was clean and reasonably priced. The pictures of the new cabins look great.

What about Charlie Reading at Bennett (Lebanon)? Does he still do rod building?

I have tentative plans to be there in two weeks. Maybe I'll see you on the stream! I'm coming from KCK, how long is the trip? (I don't trust the Google Maps time)

My only carping experience was in a clear pool in a lake spillway. The carp would spook and head for deeper water, but would always come back to cruise the shallows for food. After I spooked the fish casting and figured out their pattern, I cast my fly in the shallows and waited for them to come back.( 3 - 5 min) As the carp got within a few feet of my fly, I gently twitched it. It got their attention and I was able to hook up. I used this same procedure on several fish until it got dark. One key issue here is that the fish really had no place to go. I'm thinking that they would have been long gone if they could have escaped the pool. Any way, fun stuff!!

Thanks for the input Greg. I wondered about the casting of a line with the loops holding the tip to the main line. The price wouldn't bother me too bad if it really worked though...... Anyone else?

I'm wondering if the fly lines that have several tips (floating, intermediate, slow sinking tip, fast sinking tip) are any good. Who has used them? Do they cast well? Any problems? It seems like a killer idea to save on buying 4 lines and 3 spare spools, but I don't want junk. What say you?

For the Ozarks, I have always done well on the Red Squirrel nymph in sizes 14-18 (both regular and bead heads), Olive Wooly Bugger sizes 6 & 8, Pheasant Tail nymph 14-20, midge pupa 20-26 (various patterns), and I love soft hackles of various colors sizes 14-18, especially bead heads. I'm not much of a dry fly person, so I just pick up a few of whatever the locals tell me is working.

I'll second that one. I've never met a rude person on the stream. I've not only received a lot of tips, but have had the privelege of giving some as well. The guys at the fly shops will talk to you all day between customers and anyone walking near the stream with their fishing gear will stop long enough to let you know what is working and where. Don't get discouraged, it'll come to you......

I used to make it to Bennett a couple of times per winter when I was in college. Now that I have the money to go, I don't have the time. Two stories stick out in my mind. First was a trip that started in Emporia, KS. We left on a Friday night and we had freezing rain. As we headed down I-35 between Emporia and the turn for Burlington, there were bunches of cars in the ditch. Like the idiots we were, we kept going. We made it to Larry's just fine and had a great weekend of fishing. On the way home we got to about Iola, KS and hit a horrible snow storm. It was blowing like crazy and we had near whiteout conditions. Like the idiots we were, we kept driving. Finally made it home without killing ourselves but is was VERY late. Totally worth it! Second was a trip that started in Pittsburg, KS. Headed over on a pretty cold day and there had been some bad ice at Bennett. The roads side roads were covered in a layer of ice that was about an inch thick. The storm that had produced the ice made the stream really high, so the ice was melted close to the water and the main roads had been cleared with salt. I was fishing alone and did pretty well, but keeping the guides clear finally got too difficult and I was frozen to the core. I went back to the pickup and was going to head into town to find a cheap motel. It was then that I realized that I had a problem. My fingers wouldn't work well enough to untie my wading boots! Furthermore, I couldn't get out of my vest or my coat etc.... I did manage to get my keys out of a pocket and get the pickup started. After a while with the heater on, I was able to get undressed and in to town. I sat right in front of the heater in that motel room for several hours and still couldn't get my core temperature up. I cranked it as high as it would go and slept in my clothes to stay warm that night! Totally worth it!