Ouestion?

[Bill Babler]

Boy's is a Chernoble Ant or any of the new foam or rubber or soft plastic dry's legal in the restricted area?

I think not, but would like other opinions.

Had a customer that fished up there last week and used a rubber dry that I had never seen, for a strike indicator, on a dropper rig, the day before he fished with me.

Claimed it floated really high and it was a size 16. Looked like a small segrated ant with legs. Entirely soft rubber. Red and Black. Said he had 30 fish on it wading the clay banks area, with several nice browns.

He eventually took off the scud dropper, as they hit the dry so well. I was afraid to let him use it when he was with me, but out of the restriced area we tried it and it would float any nympth I put on below it. You could really add action to the fly and never have it get wet or heavy. What a weapon.

I need a ruling, but I think I already know the answer.

[Phil Lilley]

With last year's "new language", these materials are legal in the trophy area, as I understand it.

[Bill Babler]

Would a sluggo or a soft plastic swim bait such as a Castic Shad then be legal? If these baits were unsented? What whould be the difference?

I am really confused!!!!!

[Kicknbass]

The MDC regs allow flies and artificle baits only in the restricted zone. The MDC has 4 definitions:

Natural baits, Soft plastics, Artificle baits, and Flies.

I would say from what I have read in the regs, that the slugo would not be allowed. still unsure about the foam bodies. They are "soft" but not plastic. I think it would be permited if not scented.

[Phil Lilley]

I gotta an email into Chris Vitello... we'll find out soon- it usually takes a few days.

I did search MDC's site and couldn't find the actual code language- that's what I was hoping to quote.

[Kicknbass]

I did search MDC's site and couldn't find the actual code language- that's what I was hoping to quote.

The code is in the Missouri Statues in a PDF file. The is a link on the MDC website.

[jim murphy]

The information I have been told, from MDC Officials, is that Sili-skin and Chewballs are fly tying materials that are illegal in the Trophy area of Taneycomo, and flies only and lure zones of the State Trout Parks, because they are considered SOFT PLASTIC. The agents in that area may consider these products legal in the Trophy area. Before the new rules on flies and materials used to construct them were revised to have a STATE WIDE STANDARD, somethings that were allowed at one place were illegal in others and vise versa. Laws and Regulations are written in black and white and everyones interpretaion is a different shade of gray.

Sili-skin is an adhesive backed soft plastic material used to make the Gummy Minnow series, and the Chewballs are soft rubber egg imitations that can be tied to a hook.

Castaic, Bulldog and other injection molded soft plastic baits of that type are? or should be illegal in the Trophy area of Taneycomo. No matter how indestructable they may be, and they all have a scent to them, fish atractant or otherwise. If the MDC considers these high-tec soft plastics to be legal in these ares, then they will need to rewrite the Definitions, Laws and Regulations, and may as well include, the currently illegal fly tying materials for those areas. I hope that not to much of my TAX money is wasted duing this, rather than being spent to improve our fisheries.

At the Trout parks, there are people, who are always, trying to find a loop in the Definitions, Laws and Regulations to catch more fish or to at least think they have some advantage over the fish and other fishers, no matter how unethical they are. It is terrible to see that people are trying to do this at Taneycomo, but then again, Taneycomo is labeled as the State's largest Trout Park by some MDC Officials.

jim

[twosets]

Is this the same material that Bill is referring to?

I'm not sure.

George

[Phil Lilley]

No- it's semi- to hard foam material, not soft plastic. I'm just not sure. Waiting for a reply.

[Kicknbass]

The MDC regs clearly state scented baits are illegal, as are soft plastics.

The artifical flies can be constructed of any materials not containing scent or soft plastics. I would think foam being soft, but not plastic and w/o scent should be legal anywhere in the state.