Indicator Beetles

[MarkinKC]

I have learned so much from all of you that I wanted to share a little experiment that I conducted. I fish Bennett Spring and Roaring River each maybe twice or so a year, and especially enjoy the catch-and-release season. I like hopper/droppers during the summer and catch fish on both flies. This time of year I still prefer something I can see well, so I have mostly resorted to a brightly-colored indicator. I hate it when trout hit the indicator, and they especially like my dime-sized thingamabobbers. After a few futile hooksets, and of course some where I managed to actually foul-hook the fish, I learned to lay off those "bites".

I knew I was missing fish, so I decided to try the indicator beetle made by Orvis and finally ordered a few to try at RR last Friday. The beetles are bright orange foam, kind of pinched to form a head, with 3 little rubber legs on each side of the body, and more importantly - they have a hook! They come in two sizes. The beetle floats well, but I added a little floatant just to be sure. Mine easily held up smaller droppers.

I waited until about 12:30 until I saw a few fish taking something off the top. I was using 6X tippet if that matters. I tied on an Indicator Beetle and dropped a zug bug about 18 inches from the bend of the hook. I kept careful track of what I caught fish on. I brought 9 fish to the net in about two hours, taking 5 on the zug bug and 4 on the Indicator Beetle. I'm convinced. So if you too are tired of just watching as trout inhale your hookless strike indicators, give one of these a try.

Mark

[mhall02]

Someone may beat me to this but catch and release season is fly only and this is a quote directly from the MDC site:

Editor's note: Conservation Department regulations are a permissive set of rules. That means that they tell you exactly what is allowed. Anything not specified is not legal. Our Wildlife Code defines a fly as "A lure constructed on a single-point hook, of feathers, tinsel, chenille, yarn, fur, hair, silk, rayon or nylon thread or floss, with or without a spinner." This definition has been in use for many years and until it changes to include such fly making materials as rubber legs or leather, you could be ticketed for using a fly constructed with these materials on flies only waters.

From the following site:

http://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/1999/02/reflections

4th one down.

This is from Feb. of '99, has anything changed on this?

[mhall02]

OK, a little more research, this is the latest off MDC's website:

Trout Lure Definitions

Fly

an artificial lure constructed on a single point hook, using any material except soft plastic bait and natural and scented baits as defined below, that is tied, glued or otherwise permanently attached.

Artificial Lure

a lure constructed of any material excluding soft plastic bait and natural and scented bait as defined below.

Soft Plastic Bait

synthetic eggs, synthetic worms, synthetic grubs and soft plastic lures.

Natural and Scented Baits

a natural fish food such as bait fish, crayfish, frogs permitted as bait, grubs, insects, larvae, worms, salmon eggs, cheese, corn and other food substances not containing any ingredient to stupefy, injure or kill fish. This does not include flies or artificial lures. It does include dough bait, putty or paste-type bait, any substance designed to attract fish by taste or smell and any fly, lure or bait containing or used with such substances.

Any takers on foam of rubber leg definition? I'm leaning more towards this being a fly, since it doestn't seem to fit the soft plastic bait catagory and definitley is not a natural or scented bait.

[MarkinKC]

Hmmm. I thought catch-and-release season in the trout parks was "artificial lures" only. I see many spin fisherman using assorted artificial lures, not flies, and thought I was on solid ground. I wouldn't want to violate the regulations.

[eric1978]

The reason that plastic or "rubber" lures are illegal is because of a fish's tendancy to swallow it quickly. Rubberlegs on a fly does not have the same effect. The use of rubberlegs is to cultivate a certain look, not a feel...the same as thousands of other materials used to make thousands of flies, so it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me that they would be illegal.

I've heard conflicting stories about what agents have said, some saying they will ticket you for it, and others saying they wouldn't. I'll take my chances if the fish are gobbling up stoneflies and the only nymphs in my box they'll look at are Pat's Rubberlegs.

[Buzz]

OK, a little more research, this is the latest off MDC's website:

Trout Lure Definitions

Fly

an artificial lure constructed on a single point hook, using any material except soft plastic bait and natural and scented baits as defined below, that is tied, glued or otherwise permanently attached.

That's the one I go with.

[Jason R.]

That's the one I go with.

I my experience at Roaring, people get away with using pretty much anything in the flies only section- I only use flies but I definitely count foam and rubber-legs. The agents need to focus on the snaggers and the little kids throwing power bait in the wrong zones- not to mention the d-bags taking a limit back to their truck and then catching a few more. Of course, I'm an Arkansan so my fly definitions may be a little lax.

[Justin Spencer]

The reason that plastic or "rubber" lures are illegal is because of a fish's tendancy to swallow it quickly. Rubberlegs on a fly does not have the same effect. The use of rubberlegs is to cultivate a certain look, not a feel...the same as thousands of other materials used to make thousands of flies, so it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me that they would be illegal.

If rubberlegs are not legal here then they probably wouldn't be in a blue ribbon area. That would make probably 90% of the fishermen on the NFoW and Eleven Point(guides, clients, included) guilty at some point and time. Not anything I will worry about, they can take my life, but they'll never take my RUBBERLEGS!

[Newbie Fly]

Still have alot to learn about trout fishing,,,,, But working in a highly regulated industry, being married to a lawyer, having been a ref and an umpire for years rules are what I do know ......

The definitions from the Wildlife code that gentlemen quoted are really old and not current, there have been many revisions to it since '99.

The MDC Summary of the Wildlife Code is correct with current Wildlife Code ...... I listed those defintions below

Chamois, leather, foam, rubber, hard plastic translucent beads are all good.

I guess someone will pipe in now and say those little thingambobbers they are making small and calling unibobbers and putting on the back of dry flies are soft plastic as they are squishy and they are not allowed

Now with everything written down trying to be clear as possible there is always "word play"

Now if an old timer MDC agt wants to be a stickler he possibly could extrapoliate the definition and say that a "hopper dropper rig "is not a fly because its not a single point hook.

As Catch and release is fly only

if one wanted to interpet the publication "Trout Fishing Regulations at Bennett Springs Park" one could argue as a sentence states in the winter catch and release section

"Only flies are permitted during the winter catch and release season. "

So I guess one could argue its says "flies " not fly

Some other interseting curiosities:

Trout fishing is permitted in Missouri in accordance with the wildlife code and posted restrictions..........

So at anytime MDC could change, well not change/ but add to the code by posting a restriction for day/ or for a season /or whatever.

It always pays to just look at the bulletin board every once in ahwhile just to make sure something nothing has changed

One needs to remember that in Missouri that the Wildlife code is a permissive code. So when reading/ applying you need to take that into

account.

A permissive code doesn't include long lists of things prohibited or say what you can't do, it speaks to what is allowed or waht is permitted.

So enforcement activity around it is different

You won't usually here from authorites that" you can't do this or you can't do that, as thats prohibited"

You will hear you did this and you did that, and thats not permitted.

Trout definitons

Fly

an artificial lure constructed on a single point hook, using any material except soft plastic bait and natural and scented baits as defined below, that is tied, glued or otherwise permanently attached.

Artificial Lure

a lure constructed of any material excluding soft plastic bait and natural and scented bait as defined below.

Soft Plastic Bait

synthetic eggs, synthetic worms, synthetic grubs and soft plastic lures.

Natural and Scented Baits

a natural fish food such as bait fish, crayfish, frogs permitted as bait, grubs, insects, larvae, worms, salmon eggs, cheese, corn and other food substances not containing any ingredient to stupefy, injure or kill fish. This does not include flies or artificial lures. It does include dough bait, putty or paste-type bait, any substance designed to attract fish by taste or smell and any fly, lure or bait containing or used with such substances.

[eric1978]

they can take my life, but they'll never take my RUBBERLEGS!

Classic!