troutchaser

I usually hunt between Jefferson City and Lake of the Ozarks, and the numbers were WAY down this year.

How do they fit? Are you stressing any of the seams? No more use than these have in them, they shouldn't be leaky unless the seams are being pulled.

Put Vaseline under the collar. It keeps the water out and it won't freeze up on you. Silicone grease will do the same thing, it just costs more.

I only fish dry flies when I a)see a hatch coming off, or b)August/September with terrestrial dries like ants, crickets and hoppers. If I don't see any hatch action, I go with swinging emergers and no indicator. I like soft hackles and CDC emergers a lot. I'd say that 80% of my fishing is this style. I do fish streamers, but I tend to save this for deep holes with the generators running (at Taneycomo). In the heat of summer, I get a real kick out of fishing foam spiders on farm ponds. Catching bluegill like this is a blast!

DUH!!!

OK, since so many others are tying the TBD I'll switch to the Chartreuse Jumbo John Variant.

Well, now I'm confused. If 800 = 4 units and 700 = 2 units, then 600 = 0 units?

Scudman, don't take it the wrong way, man. We're all looking out for everyone's best interests - it's called good citizenship. If you weren't doing anything wrong, don't get your hackles up. We've all got to protect what belongs to everyone and considering the indecent behavior in the dam area recently, fisher19 is justified in noting his surrounding as he did. Perhaps a friendly wave would have allayed his suspicions.(?)

OK, so I gather the correct answer would be yes, they work, use 2-4mm size, wear nail polish when you use them, keep them in your mouth 95% of the time so no one will think you're being unethical. Seriously, thanks to everyone for a good answer. I think I'll hit the craft store to see if I can find something that would work.

I'm in! Tying: TBD

What other methods?

I've been considering Trout Beads for Taneycomo. I know there are several folks on here who have used them in Alaska and/or Canada. Do you think they would be effective? My personal opinion is that they would really catch fish, but I'd like some input from others.

Where can I find the rules for the tourneys?

Sorry, Phil. I wasn't all that clear, was I? What I mean is that if we can prove a case of habitat destruction, such as the loss of food supply (scuds, sow bugs, midges, etc.) we could persuade the right people/groups to help and fund the installation of wing dikes, biomatter clusters, etc. Personally, I'm all for the idea. If we could provide feeding lanes, vegetation and deep pocket water, to name a few, we could really improve the upper Taneycomo area.

I think a great first step would be to get a good estimate of just how much bottom structure was lost this past spring, when the dam was running full-bore 24/7. Once we make a case for the need to replace what has been lost, we can start to recruit researchers from the university to help us with the placement of wing dikes, structure piles, bio-matter, etc.

I'll be hunting them next year. I've been helping my father-in-law establish several covey on his land in Russellville, MO. They're getting thick, but the Conservation Agent recommended holding off the harvest til next year.

I'm usually not one to discuss race or politics, but I have to give my two cents here. I don't care about Senator Obama's race or mix of races. Really, I don't. But my gut tells me something isn't right with him. I can't put my finger on it, but something tells me not to trust him. To quote my 14 year old son, "Something just isn't quite right, there."

Here's how I see it: Obama loses. Jesse Jackson opens his blowhole. Reverend Wright stirs it up. L.A., Chicago, Atlanta, D.C. and Houston all start burning - but only the African-American neighborhoods, since no one has the forethought to go burn the "white man's" houses. Obama says "shame, shame". White people get blamed for it. The government gives money to the victims. Jesse Jackson writes a book and gets richer. History books write about the "evil white people" who didn't want a black president. Disgusting.

My personal opinion is that we're seeing the consequences of "wealth redistribution." It's a ridiculous notion that has noble intentions, but it just doesn't work in our society. It's analogous to the comparison of the kid who gets a bicycle as a gift and the kid who works for the money and buys a bicycle for themselves. The bikes might have cost the same amount of money, but we all know which kid values theirs more. When someone hasn't worked hard and kept their credit in good health by paying their bills, they probably aren't going to do much better with a bigger bill, such as a mortgage. Like you said, sparkleminnow, DUUUUHHH!!

Unfortunately, I don't think there's much you can do now. Six months ago maybe you could have, but the credit crunch will hit folks just like you square in the chin. I would really encourage you to write the Missouri Attorney General about this company, though. Identity theft and "oops, we need that money back, please" both point to some shady business practices and neglectful management. Maybe the government can help you get your mortgage moved to another company.

Jdmidwest: I'm not so sure the rainbows on Taneycomo are successfully breeding at all regardless of the wading fishermen. Laker67: I'm not against sight fishing; I enjoy it myself once in a while. What I'm against is the attitude that is prevailing more and more among fly fishers. We all know the type I'm speaking about. They're the type that always have the "blacker dog". (If you've got a black dog, his is blacker) . They're the type that shout others down and belittle other anglers who catch fish smaller than their personal standard of a "good fish". They're the type that stomp into the water, intrude on others' fishing space and generally make a royal nuisance of themselves, all in the pursuit of the big 'uns! That's what I'm against. Don: I'm with you. Why keep a big brown? They taste awful when they get over about 22", and you can get replica mounts these days. mosouthpaw: I'm a southpaw, too! I'm right there with you concerning the improvement of habitat, but I don't know enough about their financial health to comment. Sorry.

I didn't mean to imply that the poll included illegal or unethical behavior. I was referring to the other posts within the topic. Sorry for being unclear on that. I voted "No" for the other reasons I listed. Frankly, I think it's a bad idea. A 24" length limit is simply to please the trophy hunters and I don't care for trophy hunters. They truly sully the fine art of fly fishing. "Bigger fish, bigger stories" is a really poor reason to attempt to change current regulations. There are big trout in Taneycomo already. If you can't catch them, improve your skills rather than asking the state to provide bigger fish. But that's just this fly fisher's bluntly stated opinion !

I'm one of the guys who voted no. I'll tell you why. Have you noticed that every time someone talks about length limits, everyone else gets all fired up about shuffling and poaching? Length limits won't stop that, folks. I think most people who bellow about limits on fish size are more concerned about sounding like high-minded "conservationists" than the true health of the trout population in their home waters, so they tie the subject to something they know is unsportsmanlike or illegal so as to give it an equally sinister reputation. I'm not accusing anyone on this discussion board, so don't think I'm cyber-bullying, I've just had a lot of experiences - both online and face-to-face - that point to this. I've found that most people in favor of extreme length limits are typically trophy hunters, and that ranks in the dregs of sportsmanship in my book. I enjoy catching big fish. Who doesn't? It's exciting. But that isn't why I fish. My personal opinion is that trying to grow more really big fish in the tailwater would simply diminish the accomplishment of catching a large trout. Then what? Start shipping in steelheads so we can catch really really big ones? Come on, guys. At some point you have to be happy with what you have. Taneycomo is a great trout fishing destination, but not because of the trophies. It's a beautiful place with beautiful fish. Finally, I do keep fish from Taneycomo. They are always of legal size and they taste wonderful with some onions and bell peppers and butter. That being said, I enjoy catching a fat pig of a trout only to release it to grow larger and give the next angler a shot at catching it. If the length limit was increased, I'd feel the need to release every one of them. That seems to defeat the purpose of the put and take fishing program currently in place.

Dang. I saw the big drop on the generation chart and got excited. Maybe it's a good omen, though.

I'll offer up a quote from my hillbilly roots for all of you intrepid opening day anglers: "All Y'all's nuts!"