eric1978

Me neither. The fish obviously need to be harvested before summer, but it would be nice to keep them in there an extra month. There would be plenty of time to clean them out if it was opened March 1st or even April 1st for that matter.

Went out to 28 today to check out the slaughter, and yep, it was underway. The ice was about 2 inches thick and the nutjobs were out walking around on it. You could hear it popping and cracking under their feet, but they didn't seem to care. Supposedly 2 guys fell through yesterday. I can't believe people want 4 trout so bad they'll risk their lives for them. Everyone left with a limit. The lake looks like a Christmas tree with all the Powerbait everywhere. Classy.

Colder air and cloudy skies are probably easier on them than being pulled out of 60 degree spring water and baked in the August sun for a minute. Unless it's a fish worthy of a photo, I usually try to keep them in the water as much as possible, and even then have them out for only a matter of seconds. Sometimes C&R doesn't go as smoothly as you would like though, and anyone who denies ever having an embarrassing fish-handling moment is just a liar. All you can do is be gentle and quick, touch them as little as possible and hope for the best. Even the most expertly executed C&Rs will result in a few fish dying. Collateral damage I suppose.

That's basically my policy. Even if you leave a barbed hook in a fish, it will usually find its way loose eventually. Anything is better than fighting a foul-hooked big fish for 20 minutes. He's sure to die that way.

Bummer. Guess it'll slow the slaughter down a little at least.

Right now I'm reading Royal Coachman by Paul Schullery, an easy read with playful and nostalgic passages. Good book. I recently gave Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler a try for a while, but it was a little too, uh, "Old World" for me with all the religious propensity.

Bump. Anyone been out there?

The only thing I've found that helps a little is the gum. By the time you chew a piece for a few minutes, you've forgotten about the craving. If you buy the generic Walgreens brand it's almost affordable (cheaper than cigs anyway). I tried Chantix for a month, and all it did was make me want to kill myself. They say depression is a side-effect for some people, and it definitely was for me. It did make cigs taste disgusting after a couple weeks, but it did nothing for my cravings. It's also insanely expensive. I also tried auriculotherapy...twice. Joke. The second time I did it, I went straight to the gas station from the doctor's office to get a pack. Nothing does the quitting for you. Like Denjac said, you have to really want to quit BAD. Doesn't matter what cessation aid you use, it's gonna be miserable either way. I can quit for weeks, but as soon as I open that beer, I'm screwed. I hate cigarettes.

Bump. I don't know either. How thick does it have to be? When I was there Wednesday morning it was close to 3/4"

An audio podcast would be awesome for those of us who can't make it down to Springfield. I'm very interested in hearing several of those seminars.

I'm a cannon ball guy, and I used one at 28 today. Pretty slow bite. Caught a few. Yesterday the lakes were wide open and the fishing was much better.

I heard a story about a big brown being caught out of 28 last August, but I have no idea of its validity. I would imagine a few browns might survive the summers, but probably not the rainbows.

I haven't been lucky enough to land one of those pigs this year, but they're in there. There are rumors of an 8 pounder being caught this year, and I heard a couple grumblings about 6 pounders and I saw a 4 pounder. I played one that may have been close to 20", but probably more like 18" but lost him, and had on what surely was a lunker from the way he pulled, but he took me into some cover and broke me off. I've had quite a few around 16" this year, which I can do all day and have a fine time. I would like to get one hog before the catch and keepers and the intolerable water temps wipe them out for the year. I'm thinking about going this morning.

It was lake 28. The massacre is coming.

Man, that looks like an incredible day. I wish I could be schooled like that. Well done.

You're never gonna let me live that one down are you? Went back out this morning and it was pretty dead. Don't know why, but they just weren't biting like they were yesterday.

Well, there are a few. But the lakes are still frozen. Broke a hole and caught 18 in a couple hours at one of the C & R lakes. Thought we might be in business by now, but the lakes are still entirely covered and there's more freezing weather coming next week. They were tearing up an orange Glo-ball. Caught a few on olive buggers and brown leeches, too. If you plan to go anytime soon, bring a rope and a weight with you to break the ice.

Oh, you wanna go Ronnie? No, I hear what you're saying, and generally I acknowledge and appreciate that problem for retailers. But in this particular case (and I believe it's been mentioned), Cabela's had Rio line on sale for 50% off a while back, so I doubt that it was manufacturer guidelines that was the issue. It sounded to me like: "That guy doesn't deserve to earn money, and this guy does. So you should buy from this guy even though he charges more because he has overhead."

Yeah, it happens. That's business, and it's like that in EVERY business. If you don't keep your prices competitive, you won't make sales. If the manufacturer tells you they will no longer do business with you if you discount their items, yet you can't sell them at MSRP, then I guess you should look into selling a different product. Competition makes the world go 'round and allows for true market value, which keeps prices reasonable and fair for buyers. Why do you think so many people go bankrupt and lose their homes over medical bills? No competition in the health care industry. If you had it your way MK, fly shops would have a collective monopoly, and fishermen would only be able to buy equipment at a few select places that would set their prices however they wanted. (And there would only be two fly shops remaining eventually, called Cabela's and BPS). You want some fly line? Okay, that'll be $300. If you don't like that price, we suggest you go buy some kite string because you can't get this product cheaper anywhere else. Prices should be set according to what consumers are willing to pay for an item, not according to how much a retailer can inflate it and gouge a buyer. I always try to patronize local businesses if I can, but if their prices are not reasonable, I'm going somewhere else because their business is not as important to me as the thickness of my wallet. Every penny counts these days, and just because you took on the liabilities of owning a shop, doesn't mean that anyone owes you their business. If a small local fly shop has an item I want for the same price as BPS, I'm buying from the small shop. But if another fly shop in Idaho has it for half-off, or a guy in the parking lot for that matter, you bet your butt I'm buying from them. If that means I'll potentially run into warranty issues, then that's a risk I will consider before making the purchase. If you want to complain about how hard it is for small-business owners these days, I suggest you start pointing your finger at giant corporations like Wal-Mart, and more specifically in your old business, Cabelas and BPS, because they are the problem, not a guy with a case of fly line he bought at wholesale prices and is trying to turn a few bucks profit. No one is claiming you're a bad guy MK, I just think some of us caught a whiff of entitlement in your post. And in this dog-eat-dog economy, putting food on the table is all that matters for many, and loyalty is thrown out the window.

Yeah, what Drew said. This attack on Brian is preposterous. Why do you think monopolies are illegal? Get off your high horse MK.

I think it might be Tuesday or Wednesday before there are any openings out there. We're supposed to get some rain late next week, and that should help. I'm jonesin', too, so please report back if you go check it out.

In late spring you might actually be able to get away with a drift boat as long as we had normal spring rainfall and you were really good at maneuvering it, but a canoe would be more ideal. If the water isn't up for some reason, expect some dragging even in the canoe.

Amen to that. And Amen to that. I've always been fascinated by whales and sympathetic to them because of the history of brutally inhumane and exploitative treatment. But after seeing them up so close last summer, I realized what a majestic and incredible creature they are, and the people that continue to selfishly slaughter them for financial gain knowing full well that their populations are in danger can burn in hell for all I care. I'd like to see them harpooned and chopped up into pieces. Just because we are running the show doesn't mean that everything on the planet is ours for the taking. Good for the Ady Gil and the people who spend their lives fighting for what is right.

There are some, though not many official campsites up on the higher stretches. But it's gravel bar galore, and as long as there's no threat of major rain, I always camp where ever I fancy on Jack's Fork, and there's plenty of spots to pick from. You won't have a problem finding a campsite at normal water levels. Great stream. Have fun.

NICE Tito! Great pictures. Looks like a really cool trip.