Terry Beeson

I'll post my power bait fly recipe if you'll post your cheese and marshmallow fly pattern, Dano.... My fly club in Jonesboro sponsors a "trout tank" every year at the sports show there in February. The kids are allowed to "fish" for trout during the show (the rest of them go to the city winter stocking program in Arkansas.) Maribou and clouser type flies in a 14-12 size work well... I'm thinkin' Dano is right... maybe you're not going small enough. Other than that, keep the fly in the water and twitch it periodically. I was fishing the Norfork a couple years ago and not doing too well. I started back upstream and was passing a guy standing in the middle of the river with his fly rod in his hand... I never noticed him casting or stripping while coming up to him. We started talking and he told me he had a #12 WB sitting on a stack of stockers (which were abundant in the area) and I watched him land two before he invited me to join him. We simply cast downstream to the right of the fish, let it drift into the stack, then waited... twitching the line every 10-15 seconds... Usually within the next 3-5 minutes, we would get a hit. I went downstream to watch and it was just like the trout tank. The fish would sit there and all the sudden one would break off and hit the bugger.... We had both fished our arms off using other tactics all day with no results until he came upon the sit and wait technique by accident...

BLASPHEMY!! I'm covering my ears!!!... NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA GO TO MY HAPPY PLACE - GO TO MY HAPPY PLACE - GO TO MY HAPPY PLACE - GO TO MY HAPPY PLACE - GO TO MY HAPPY PLACE!!!! But if you find out where that honey hole is, GF, let me know and I'll go help you pull some of those shell crackers out....

If you're gonna frame it and hang in on the wall or just want to "look good" in the water... or if you just have to pay $600 for a rod, buy a G Loomis or Sage.... If you are buying one to fish and want something to cast nice, go with TFO... I can buy 3 or 4 TFO rods for what you can buy ONE Sage or G Loomis... Not that there is anything wrong with ANY high dollar rod... Just seem to be too "purty" to leave in the back of my pickup and even cast it in some places I fish...

There is another thread that talks about 2 pc vs. 4 pc.... My opinion, with the advancements in technology, there is not that much difference the average caster will notice between a 2pc and a 4pc... 2pc are easier to put together and have slightly less weight, but 4 pc sure travel much easier....

Whoa!!... Where was that, Randall....? That looks like a wild one, not a stocker for sure.... I wanna know how you guys got the "thumbnail" to come up instead of the actual picture... LOL

Simon, Typical set-up for a fly rig is: Backing on the reel Then fly line Then leader (I prefer 9 ft tapered knotless but am getting really fond of furled leaders - or you can build your own) Then tippet around 18-24 inches or better. I typically install a braided loop to the end of my fly line and use a loop to loop connection for the leader to the fly line, then loop to loop the tippet to the leader. My tippet tends to run 24-26 inches due to my frugal nature and changing flies a lot... I try not to let it get shorter than 16 inches minimum... The fly is tied to the tippet. I use either an improved clinch knot or a Davy knot. (Thanks Davy Wotton...) For a two fly rig, I tie tippet to the lead fly with an improved clinch knot at the bend of the hook. Then the next fly with a Davy or IC... Are you totally confused yet? Now that I've said that, let me confuse you more.... When night fishing using streamers with an 8wt, I (thanks to Leonard) use about 6-8 ft of 4lb mono (no taper... just plain mono line) for the leader and loop to loop tippet material to it...usually 4X since I don't usually carry 2X...

Crawdad catchin' river playin' boys? Five miles may be a stretch, Wayne.... LOL.... Which cabins are you talking about? What website?

Good story, Jerod.... How much did Rick Pope pay you to post that one?... Just kiddin'... I've met and talked to Rick and I know he is one reason the company is like that. Great leadership! Rick usually brings the TFO booth to the Conclave in Mt Home every year (I think he just wants to fish the White and Norfork...) and he's always willing to work with you on what rod fits you best... price is not his issue there... And you can cast about every rod combination - wt, series, length - in their catalog at that time. From the stories I've heard and experience I've had, the customer service at TFO is second to none! And I LOVE the fact that they have the CFR program for their rods... one of my favorite charities. Hey... give me one of those rods with the pink ribbon, lettering, and sock... I'll be PROUD to use it... CFR is a great program! In fact, I've tied a lot of flies for CFR (need to start on this year's) and some of them have been pink thread midges. I'm thinking pink wooly buggers for this year... Hmmmm... it sounds like Rick should send ME a check now...

I can't vouch for the conventional rods, but TFO fly rods are some of the best for the money out there. I have three and I LOVE them... They cast and fish as good as some rods I've had costing 1.5 to twice as much. I don't believe I've ever heard a fly fisherman "bad mouth" a TFO rod. They may like another brand better, but never said TFO was "junk" or had anything wrong other than personal "feel" differences... Like I said, I don't know that much about the conventional rods, but I'm willing to be Rick Pope will put just as much into those as he does the fly rods... TFO does sell blanks, yes.

HEY russ.... I resemble that remark... Good to have another "hillbilly" on the forum... Especially one that actually knows what a "goggle-eye" is.... Welcome to the nut house!!

Been there.... done that.... got the tee shirt...

I fish scuds under an indicator - as small as you dare. Depth depends on water depth and speed. For unweighted scuds, and most scuds for that matter, place a #4 shot (very VERY small) about 6 inches up from the scud. I use a small football styrofoam indicator or a couple of palsas. I like white because my brain tells me orange spooks the fish... (and yes... I've seen fish take on orange, yellow, black, white, pink, purple, neon, etc. indicators... LOL...) The trick is to not use a round indicator as they will not show subtle takes like a football shape or two palsa set-up will. One thing I learned recently is to cast upstream and make sure your fly lands upstream or across stream from your indicator. There is some argument over this, but my contention is that it will keep the fly in contact with the indicator. The most important word here is "MEND"... proper mending can make or break a good scud drift. Be sure to not lift the indicator during the mend, but it is OK to move the indicator slightly... turning it a bit. Any "weird" movement or stop of the indicator, set the hook! Most of the time the takes will be very subtle and you'll just see the indicator stop or move left or right slightly... Drift them in seams - fast next to slow water. If in an area with grass beds, drift in holes between grass patches... The best scud fishing I've done has been casting into a grass bed, letting it drift down the edge for a few feet to the end, and drift through a bare hole before the next grass bed. Fish will set up at the edge of these beds and just below them in the hole. They are just waiting on a scud to break loose from the grass and move into the current... Oh, yeah... fish with a 3 or 4 wt rod... It's a blast! OK... if you're into bigger fish, you better go up to a 5-6 or 8 wt....

As you said, both have their advantages. Kayaks don't seem to be stable enough for my old fat body... But if I were to get one, I'd look very close at the Hobie... Steve at BDS should chime in on the Hobies... I've fished a couple of pontoons and like them. My purchase will be a pontoon for myself, but that's just my preference due to versatility, stability (for me), and would fit what I would want one for....

My, what big hands you have, CWF.... One of those "big ol' browns" that didn't get away.... http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a344/tbeeson/bigfish.jpg' alt='bigfish.jpg'>

A Crackle Back is not suppose to resemble any bug in particular. It most represents a "midge ball" or a bunch of midges wadded up together... So looks like a big snack to a trout. When used with sink tip or sinking line, this should produce strikes for that reason. But my best catch on a crackle back was actually fishing it "dry" in some slow water. I'm not sure what the trout were thinking it was, but they seemed to like it... That was on the Spring River in Arkansas by the way...

Click here... Field and Stream has a new web log on conservation issues. Interesting reading...

There was a good thread on this on John Wilson's forum a couple of months back... wish I could find it. Mainly the "pros" indicated it was any number of things, but that you will see that in stocked waters occasionally. I'm sure it's not any disease. Were any of them over 15-16 inches Ryan?

Hey... I THOUGHT about bringin' you a caffiene free diet dew.... Just lookin' out for your health, Leonard...

Shades of Kurt Russell as Wyatt Erp in Tombstone...

Low voter turnout compared with Conway County... my "back home"... Voter registration was held at the local churches... those with cemetaries out back anyway.... In fact, several years ago after the former county clerk died, they found some suspicious looking boxes in his attic.... Looked a lot like ballot boxes.... hmmmmmm.... filled with pieces of paper.... HHMMmmmmmm.... From "unfriendly" precincts..... HHHHHMMMMMMMM.... If you get a chance, pick up a copy of "How I Stole the Election" by former Sherriff Marlin Hawkins of Conway County Arkansas... At least he admitted it in the title...

I might be there... but you'll not know... until... you least expect it... and....... MMUUUUHHH-HUUUU-HUUUUU-HUUUUU-HUUUUU-HAAA-HAAA-HAAA-HAAA-HHAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!

I don't know about that... some cave dwelling creatures in the Ozarks come to mind that are now protected for that very reason. As I have stated on some forums... Until we actually get into the pocketbooks of the local businesses and individuals, this is not going to go much of anywhere. Most people who do not trout fish have no "vested interest" (or so they think) in sustaining a trout habitat. But if you prove that the lack of a trout habitat were to reduce, say, lodging revenue by an arbitrary figure like 20%, then you might get some non-fishing motel owner's attention... Water quality that kills fish also drives 50% of the ducks to the east and west... I think DU would chime in then. This is an issue that affects SO many of us... it's just a matter of educating EVERYone on how it affects them... and their pocketbook....

CP... it's OK... Leonard has tracking devices on those big boys and girls... and he has this special whistle... You won't see him blow it... you can't hear it... but when he blows it, those fish come "runnin'".... and with his super secret agent tracking monitor on the end of his flashlight, he knows where they are at all times...

RiverRunner... check your PM in box... Advances in technology have made 4 pc rods almost equal to 2 pc. I have both and don't see a lot of difference except when putting them together. I know the 4 pc take up a lot less space behind the seat of my truck and are easier to transport. I love TFO rods myself. I have 3 of them and every one is a jewel for the money. My priority for a "new first real fly rod" would be - Line - Rod - Reel... in that order... Just don't get the cheapest reel on the market...

Arkansas' voter motto prior to 1990: "Vote early, and vote often!" The ID check has slowed that down significantly...