eric1978

Trolls make inflammatory comments only for the sake of stirring up arguments. I was responding to the accusation that guides are essentially worthless. See the difference?

Leave it to a car salesman to forget the most important question: Can you get another boat that's just as good for a lower price somewhere else? Don't get stuck on one boat...leave yourself options and you'll be happier with your decision in the end.

I haven't even bothered trying it, because I'm sure it would be a miserable failure. It might work on a lazy river like the Bourbeuse when you're drifting through a dead pool at a quarter mile an hour, but there ain't no smallies in those spots anyway, so I probably wouldn't do it there, either. Trying to fly fish in a canoe through a run where smallmouth are going to be would be very challenging, and frankly ineffective. It's definitely a get out and wade scenario with canoes and fly rods, unless you're in a tandem and one guy fishes and one guy paddles.

No kidding. Your only problem, Trav, is that people who write informational books usually have this thing called credibility. I definitely haven't seen more success from you than the guides who regularly post reports and pics here. Until you do that, sorry, I'll be paying more attention to what they have to say.

Toes. Wiggled.

My 9' fly rod does not fit well in my Guide 119. I can manage it, but I have to put a significant bend in it to curve around the molded seat. It's managable, but not practical. I'm currently working on a new seat...we'll see if that makes a difference. I'm with you, Al. I like my rods handy at a moment's notice.

Skynyrd died with Ronnie Van Zant in the plane crash in '77. It's just not the same without him. I saw them about 10 years ago, and they were...underwhelming, to put it nicely.

I'm having trouble processing all the info in that huge report. Nice pics, too.

You can C&R anywhere except the trout parks with just a regular license. At the parks you must purchase a daily tag regardless of whether or not you're keeping fish. If you are planning to keep any trout anywhere, you must purchase a trout stamp (not actually a stamp anymore) for an additional $7 to your regular license. I'm not even sure if the parks will give you a daily tag without a trout stamp...anyone know the answer to that? I believe there may be some other regulations at Taney and several other places, but I'm not sure what they are. That is the law...now who wants to talk about conservation ethics? Relax, I'm kidding. Edit: Looks like you found the answer while I was typing. I hate when that happens.

I got Mark Twain. I'm pretty impressed with myself. Too bad he was a great writer and I'm not.

I see a big red button in this thread's future.

Nice report and cool video...that was a nice cast! I gotta agree with Al. While I like hearing about creeks I've never fished, and frankly never even knew you could get to, I don't like others knowing about them, because others aren't always responsible with that info. Be selfish Smalliebigs, be selfish. A couple PMs to people who you trade secrets with probably wouldn't hurt too much. There are a lot of lurkers on this forum...you gotta figure a few of them are meat anglers. Boooo!

I remember seeing Bush make a jackass out of himself with his comments for eight straight years. McCartney definitely overexposes himself because of his massive ego...he's my least favorite Beatle in terms of personality. The man is a musical genius, though. George was the coolest, and wrote the heaviest songs, especially in his solo years right after the breakup. All Things Must Pass? One of the top ten greatest albums, easy.

If your leader is flailing around when you cast, you'll get those knots. Make sure you're letting your line roll out on your backcast...it should be needle straight. I had that problem in the beginning, too. Uh, still do sometimes. A better flycaster could give you better advice.

Also, the Guide (Discovery, whatever) 119 is $400 brand new...sometimes. It's about 12 feet, too, and cheaper than the Pack because it's made of Superlinear instead of Royalex. I think they come at 43 pounds, but if you get rid of the molded plastic seat you can shave a couple more off. http://www.oldtownca...covery_119.html

Dang, those are pretty good deals on the MH fleeces...tempting. Be aware that much of the outerwear that MH makes is designed specifically for backpacking, so often the front is a few inches shorter than the back. Some people don't like that look. Also, the pockets might be in goofy places so you can access them with a pack on. It is quality stuff though, and those are good prices.

Yep, it's good stuff. If you're looking for really quality outerwear, stick with high-end backpacking gear companies. Mountain Hardwear, Arc Teryx, Marmot, Patagonia (you'll pay big bucks for those), even North Face isn't bad. REI actually makes some decent stuff for much better prices than the top-notch brands.

I see one right away. What do you do with those rods when you're snaking through a tangled, fallen-over tree on a skinny river? You leave those rods there, they're gone, and if you lay them flat and strapped down, the tips are still exposed and susceptible to breakage. In a canoe you tuck them up under the bow and gunwales, and you slide through any obstacle like butter.

No. But I'm not fortunate enough to be able to own more than one craft at this time, so a canoe is better for me because it's not limited to day trips, and that's the advice I give to those looking for something versatile that can cover a variety of situations. Sounds like your kayak works well for you, but on Ozark streams, I think a canoe's advantages outweigh a yak's in most situations. I'm not dead-set against them, I just don't think they're as good. Why don't you do overnights? They're a blast. They really give you that feeling like you're away from it all.

Or you could buy the canoe and never rent anything.

That is a nice fish! Unfortunately you'd have to be King Kong to make that a 5 pounder. Weight doesn't really matter to me though.

Make sure the line is coming off the spool in the correct direction. Yes, lay it flat, but one way spools correctly and the other way twists. After I spool mono or fluoro, I'll go outside and let all the line out with nothing tied on. Then I'll pinch the line tight between my fingers and reel it in. That allows most of the twist to unwind. Of course you'll add more twist when you're out fishing, depending on which lures you're using. Some maintenance is ocassionally required. Good luck!

I think he may have rubbed off on you guys a little...I'm still looking forward to seeing the pic of the 5 pounder y'all boated yesterday. Maybe one too many Natty Lites? Just ribbin' ya. Looked like a fun day.

I've never met any of the pros. But Jimmy Houston always made me laugh...until he got on my nerves so bad I had to change the channel. I'm sure most of them are good guys to fish with, but I can't stand how they endorse products that they know are garbage and never use in the real world. They gotta make a living, though, so I get it.

Flukes Senkos Tubes Miscellaneous plastics for trailers I'm not fond of fishing slow-moving plastics on the bottom...unless I have to.