BilletHead

Good job Seth, OAF members getting it done!

Nice job John! Thanks for sharing.

Way to go you two. The famous team of Dutch and Jeff. Serious men having fun.

YEA Ryan! Well done and thanks for sharing your hunt with us. It will be a week from this Friday before we can try again because of one of our volunteer programs. As warm as it is today here (81) it might be like summer when we get back at it.

Thanks John

Thanks man.

Thanks David 😄.

With the rain we got I wasn't even looking forward to everything soaked this morning. It's like walking in a a swamp. Actually waited until good lite before walking in. Lite enough no gobbling on the roost if they even did. Squish, squish, squish were splashed along to the field behind the house. Got into a cedar grove thinking it may be dry to sit down and listen. We had gotten in this last few days 4.3 inches of rain. Nope wet under the cedars. I called a bit with no answer. We slipped out of there and hit a tree row along the field we were in. We stuck tight to the edge of that in and out of multiflora rose. Ahead two hens I could see heading our way. I told Pat duck in and we did. We squatted down. Mistake could not even see the field. Back up and standing with persimmon trees to lean up against. No calling involved. Why possibly mess up a good ambush? This edge was so thick with brush. It's was about impossible to see anything. Then a Tom head. All I could see and Pat couldn't. It stepped into the open and I shot. As it was flopping around a second Tom ran over to see what happened to his buddy and Pat shot it. Ha! I picked up mine and it was heavy, like really heavy. Nice spurs on both. I walked back to the house for the four wheeler. After picking up Pat and the birds we measured the beards and spurs. Mine 10 on the beard and inch and a quarter on one spur. Other did not make that it was a tad shorter. Pat 9 and a half on the beard and inch Spurs. Now to get a weight on the big one. Holy mackerel I had no idea. I remember @Seth got a big one last year or the year before but wow. VID_20250421_075025175.mp4 This was a good deal. We aren't trophy hunters. We are about the groceries. Last couple of years it has been tough for us. Only one last season. We love eating wild turkey.

Hey @Quillback, there is one coming to Bentonville . Date TBD. Here is the listing for all upcoming events. 2025 USA Schedule - Fly Fishing Film Tour

Scroll down here Jeff. Global - Fly Fishing Film Tour

I did not see any Jeff.

Yep, she is getting good at that. You know that old saying paybacks are heck. Well, I think it's her time to get even.

Great bunch of films. Gave @curtisce a call while we were down there and invited him to join us at the deal. He showed up, what a hoot. We met a young couple that live not too far from us. Pat won two items in the intermission. I drew a blank. So I asked her if she put my name on half of the fifteen tickets we purchased. . Her answer yes on one of them 🙃. Go figure. Great club that gives back. Asked for volunteers for the woman's clinic this June at Bennett spring. I told Pat to sign herself up and I would fish the park as she helped. As we walked out tonight one of the organizers said hey thanks for signing up to help. Guess I'm helping on that one.

One is. It's got a chartreuse tint to it. I'm the fly swap thread I have pictures of it under a UV light.

Reporting from the Alamo theaters in Springfield Missouri. The tour has arrived. VID_20250419_173137114.mp4 Put on by the south west Missouri fly-fishers. You don't have to be a member to attend. Gathering now films start at 7. 17 bucks a ticket. There are drawings during the intermission. Last year Pat won a yeti water bottle. If you can there is still time if you are in the area.

I would say that they would work fine Keith. My rabbit hole isn't that deep. I might trip and sprain an ankle but It won't swallow me up.

You have twice as much as us Jeff. This is very accurate. I zoomed way in to where we are. It is the same as what we have in our gauge. Pretty neat.

Actually, grass fed beef. I did not hunt or gather it, but I did take it to the slaughterhouse to meet its demise. I try really hard in some form to control all I can what I put into my body.

Today,

Prep is about as easy as can be Jeff.

Well @Quillback, When you say baked we say fish scampi. Lots of butter though,at least no frying involved. That's what we ate today. Really good. Sides of a baked potato from the trager pellet grill. Cesar salad with dressing made here in the house.

Yeah it is. Had to mess with them getting into the way.

They are quite useful for a quick slide them in and out. Inch markings. It actually goes to 12 inches but as you can see those crappie won't go in. And get stuck.

I ordered five skins yesterday evening from the ugly bug fly shop in Casper Wyoming. I think 1/8th to a bit smaller strip. These things are getting really pricy. Many, many moons ago I was able to get them for 10.99. They were shipped today. Free shipping and no tax being out of state. Cheapest I can find now. I have two purple, one each of crawdad orange, light olive, sculpin olive, and olive. WAPSI PINE SQUIRREL SKIN ZONKED You can get just a few here, Wapsi Pine Squirrel Zonkers | FishUSA

This time took the little 12 foot duck boat without the mud motor . Put in the two seats we use just to fish this craft. Tight quarters but we have fly fished this way for years. Use trolling motor for this boat pond hopping. The wind was down early but got crazy later on. We each strung up a rod each and put on what worked yesterday. Grinch bug sculpins. Pat used the last purple and I put on a crawfish orange one. We would fish a section anchored then move and repeat the bank. Had to weed through those stinkin green bass to get to the crappie. Bass averaged two to three pounds plus and we caught a bunch. Lots of big bluegill also. In four set ups were kept 31 crappie that beat 12 inches. Even those 12 inch fish with deep bodies are thick shoulders would not go into a crappie measure device. They would get stuck before bottoming out. Have you ever gotten a crappie thumb? It was getting really windy so we loaded the bank and drove along the dam and fished the shore where we caught yesterday. Kept another 9 fish giving us a total of 40. We had ice in a cooler and loaded the fish in it. Close to town we got more and dumped on top of those, got a drink and snack and headed home to fillet. Pat and I have a good system. Using an ironing board I fillet them and pass her the sides and she cuts off the ribs. We completed that task in 39 minutes for 40 fish. Not bad at all. Pat washed and dried those fillets and weighed them. 13 pounds of boneless fillets. Good eats!