Terry Beeson

I've drooled for two years every time I cross that bridge. I remember someone telling me that the Riverdale access was now private, so you can't go in there. But I see people parking on the upstream side of the bridge. Can you wade down from there? Is that "legal" in MO?

I would disagree about "lots of industry" as this town is more service oriented. Yeah, you have French's, Kraft, and a few more factories, but there are lots of "slow downs" showing up as well as a few "close downs" (as I can attest to first hand...) For the size of Springfield, it has very little manufacturing actually. Again - big service... St John's, Cox, and Bass Pro are the big three employers here. I'm surprised every Sunday with the News-Leader employment ads... If it were not for St John's and Cox, they would not have a section at all... Just my opinion though... for what it's worth... and that ain't much... I was discussing this with someone not long ago and he agreed. We theorized that Springfield is just not in a good "spot" geographically to maintain much manufacturing. And if you notice, most of the cities that have a lot of manufacturing are near three things - a major airport, an interstate or two or three or more, and a navigable river. Springfield has a pretty small airport and I-44 (no, 65 does not qualify. Too much "two lane" to be a major vein.") and I've not seen many barges on the James River. By the way, after our debate and theorization, we cured cancer, stopped global warming, and found a way to make cars run on seawater... Oh... and actually there are THREE universities in Springfield - MSU, Drury, and Evangel... even though the latter two are pretty small. I guess you could count University of Phoenix, too... Soggy - Don't tell anyone, but I'm waiting on John Berry to comment on the "big bucks" comment...

"Tortured data will confess anything." - Old Statistician's motto...

Soggy, Ranger is in Marion County and really the only "major" employer there. You have a couple of plants in Baxter County (Mountain Home) that are "major" employers along with the hospital, and between these, they draw from about 6-7 surrounding counties for employees. The turnover is not very high and competition for those jobs is fierce - even though they are not at a wage you might think. Of course, you can always be a guide down there and make the BIG BUCKS....

I don't disagree with you, Trav, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt in this case and hope for the best. At 50, I'd probably run up the steps (OK.. OK.. OK... WALK up the steps) and show a "biggun" off to my 81 year old mom myself.

Like THAT'S gonna happen... I'm still waitin' on you, Michael, and Ronnie to show my all those spots... I still can't figure out why people still go through town instead of taking the "bypass." One problem is the layout of streets there. It's very similar to Branson in that if you don't know the back streets, "you can't get there from here" without taking 62B. Luckily, I know a few of the short cuts... I STILL think he's a cranky old guy... (Couldn't resist, Trav....)

Well, that question is a tough one in a few ways... I hear you talking about "jobs" so Mountain Home would not be my FIRST choice unless I had a job there. If you want to talk just where I would live if I could live anywhere, it would be in the Mountain Home area, I suppose. If it comes down to employment, I really like the Springfield/Branson area. I live in Nixa, which has good schools, a few good restaurants, and close enough to Springfield and Branson to make it a good place to make a living... As well as Ozark. (This from a guy who is currently unemployed by the way...) My wife has a place a few miles east of Mt Home that I would move to in a second if I could make a living there... Uh... RSBreth... If you want to be neighbors with Dave and Emily, you better be looking in eastern Oklahoma... They moved a couple of years ago. Oh... and Soggy... a common mistake, but I assume you are talking Mountain Home, AR.... Unless you are talking Mountain Home, Alaska (AK)... (Can't help it... my dad was with the Postal Service and those abbreviations were a stickler at my house... Of course MO should be Montana...)

PHIL!!!... DON'T DO IT, MAN!!! Not unless you're ready to change your lifestyle altogether... I once gave my now ex-wife a golf lesson... Remember I said "now ex-wife...." I think Cindy would take a fly casting lesson if the timing were right, but I am not going to encourage her. I'm going to let it happen naturally. You going down to Ol' Al's place for a lesson? One of the best, in my opinion... But I'd love to do the couples lesson with John and Lori. Maybe if I accidently leave that post on her sewing table....

OK... got here late... but was gonna say it was your firewall settings... Working OK for me... Hey Phil... Go outside and wave at the camera...

Hey Pat... It's that stuff those Lance Armstrong types wear... as well as those pear-shaped women on food stamps shopping in Krogers... OH... WAIT... that's spanDEX..... Spanflex is a funky durable stretchy rubber leg/ribbing/tail/feeler/body material from Wapsi. It is available at the best fly shops (your welcome Tim, Phil, Michael..) Brian and Jeremy - Do you tie any with one-color chenille or all verigated?

Al, I know you are right, but I've had a BUNCH of people call the fish in the first picture a "chub"... There is a big confusion there I guess. Could you post pictures of an actual Chubsucker to clarify it a bit for me? You are also right that the striped shiner readily strikes at flies. I've had 100 plus fish days due to them...

I bet we ALL have a story similar to that. I know I have a BUNCH of stories about big fish on blind casts or when not paying attention. Several deer hunting and turkey hunting stories as well... Nice pheesh!!! I hope to have a back yard like that some day...

Which one of you guys is Crowbar? Good video... I gotta get out and go after some of them Whities...

I switched to Choatas last year. I talked to too many guys who had worn everything from ElCheapo brand to Simms then switched to Choatas and swore they would never go back. I was in BCO last year and asked Michael about them. He just went and got a pair, gave me some neoprene socks, and stood back while I slipped on the Choatas... SOLD!!!! I will say that Simms has some great looking boots and have a couple of nice ones that just came out this year. But you'll have a hard time getting me to give up my Choatas.

Web - it's tied on a size 12 dry fly hook... mAngler - It's more of a mayfly dry than anything, but could be tied to mimmick several flies. OR as Dano said, a Damselfly... Mike - I'm thinking more of the TB-POS... zsmith - I'll take those thoughts and work on them. I agree on the thicker thread. It was all I had with me...

I was at the farm this past weekend and noticed a pile of hay string just begging to become fly tying material. I had seen a pattern I wanted to try and this looked like it would make a good material for it. Well, this is what I came up with... It's a prototype because I didn't have all the materials I needed - such as moose mane for the tail fibers - with me... Plus, I need some help on how to tie the segments more properly on the tail. Anyway, here it is... comments? suggestions?

Of course, Phil... More presents that way... Happy Birthday guys... Hope you find some skinny water to celebrate on...

Good pics... Thanks for posting... Was that a foursome I saw on no. 4 at Rivercut?

Welcome to the forum, Mongo... Ever slap a horse?

Welcome to the forum... Hey... I remember when you wrestled Haystack Calhoon for the belt back in... well.... a... uh... few years ago...

HEY YA'LL!!! WATCH'ISS!!!!! YEEEEEEHAWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That looks like Calico Rock and if it is, there was also a house that ran through there and sheared the roof off. I don't think I'll be crossing the White at Calico for a while... Mountain View ain't that temptin'....

Nice video, Phil... Hey Bill... Can you teach me that "pirouette release" you use?

www.dorber.com hands down...

The Finley was on the Today Show this morning - live picture from the bridge at the park at Ozark. The water was up to the beams and ready to go over the bridge...