Hello (My turn)..

[Leonard]

Hello Everyone..

My name is Leonard Keeney.. ( last name is said .. key-knee)

I was born and raised right here in Branson Missouri (1973). My wife just graduated from Crowder College (in Neosho) from the Nursing program. She is now a Graduate Nurse (GN).. After the first of year she will be taking the State test (the N-CLEX) thats when she will become a RN. The rest of the family is 2 great little boys (I mean MONSTERS), but they are still loveable. The 2 year (Daniel) is as mean as the devil, but he loves to go fishing. The 4 year (Bryan) is in head start and guess what... he loves fishing to. (wonder where they get it from??)

Now for me... I started fishing Taneycomo with my Grandmother when I was 5.. She was the one to how to bait fish (God rest her soul)... she pasted away when I was 20.

When I was 10 I was looking though my dads garage and found a 8 1/2' bamboo rod with and automatic reel on it... this was the first time I had ever seen a fly rod... and I ask my dad what it was he said it was his fathers fly rod. Well that summer he took my to Table Rock and showed me how to use it... that Christmas.. guess what Santa brought me... A New Fly rod.... WOW...

So I started fishing the following summer for bluegill on Table Rock with my dad... In the late 80's we started fly fishing behide S of O (now C of O)... I fished here for many years.. I got married (in 93) and Moved to Hot Springs Ark. The were same little creeks around that I fished.. and then I found Lake Hamilton and Cartherine and fly fished them for about a year and then me and the wife seperated and I moved home. Ather the move back is when I discovered River Run Outfitters. Fly fishing was at the top of my list.. As I sat and talk to them is when I heard about below Table Rock dam (you guessed it.. C&R). I started going down there with a spinning rod (didnt know what ever happened to my old fly rod) and a rapala. I fished like that for maybe a year.. Then got another fly rod and after spend a few 100 dollars on flies (yes Id loose alot).. I began tying my own. As anyone when they first start out.. I sucked at it.. But I really wanted to learn.. Maybe 4 months after I started tying I meet a guy down there catching the crap out of them and I walked and started to talk to him... What a Great guy.. he gave me flies and they really worked.. as I keep going down there I always ran in to him... As we kept talking I guess its safe to say we became good friends and he invited me over to his place to sit down and tye flies with him.. He showed me everything from sculpins to scuds to jigs... you guessed Brad Wright, your right he showed me how to tye flies. Everything else I have learned about tying is based on what he showed me.

One last thing about me... I really enjoy night fishing on Taneycomo in the fall. I think this next year Im going to try spring and summer..

But this is me... and Im almost always on the lake.