Missouri rules prohibit rubber and vinyl in flies.

[tjm]

The upside of this is all you guys that want t fish Z3 at bennett can just use a rubber legs beetle.

[slothman]

10 hours ago, tjm said:

The upside of this is all you guys that want t fish Z3 at bennett can just use a rubber legs beetle.

🤔I can see that working out REAL well for people...not. 😕

[tjm]

39 minutes ago, slothman said:

🤔I can see that working out REAL well for people...not. 😕

Foam stretches and rebounds, rubber silicone  legs stretch and rebound so under this interpretation foam beetles, hoppers ants etc. are classed as soft plastic bait (unscented) and therefore legal in Zone 3.  Can't work any other way, they either are soft plastic in Z3 or they are not soft plastic in Z1.  Same is true for Squirmy Worms and all that variety of stuff.

This also presents a problem with the "never had an agent ask to look at my  fly" line of thought- he can see from 50' away if you are using a rubber leg hopper/ant.

[slothman]

I understand that. I can just see an agent being a jerk and interpreting the rule to work against someone in either situation. 

[tjm]

Yes , that is why laws should not be interpreted, they should be starkly plain. (and this one is actually, imo) I have requested a farther clarification  using  that situation as an example, I would hope that some one in the protection side can read or that they ask their legal counsel. He kept the last email a week so this may take a few days.

[bkbying89]

7 minutes ago, tjm said:

Yes , that is why laws should not be interpreted, they should be starkly plain. (and this one is actually, imo) I have requested a farther clarification  using  that situation as an example, I would hope that some one in the protection side can read or that they ask their legal counsel. He kept the last email a week so this may take a few days.

A week! I had two responses on the same day. I keep reading the reg as meaning any rubber at all is prohibited. If you think about it, what's the deference between foam rubber and soft plastic? I have been looking up new ant and beetle patterns using deer hair. They may not be as durable but they aren't any harder to tie.

 

Bill

[tjm]

I keep reading the reg as only those things specified are soft plastic baits and elastic components are legal.  Someone in MDC  that can't read interpreted the reg to you and this guy is covering  it.

[tjm]

Followup question

Quote

Thanks for the follow up question!

“For further clarification, a foam beetle with rubber legs or a Chernobyl Ant would be soft plastic bait (unscented) and thus illegal in Bennett Springs Zone 1 and legal in Bennett springs Zone 3 where flies are prohibited?”

As I understand it, materials that are soft, pliable, and snap back from stretching are considered soft plastic bait and therefore cannot be used in lures defined as a fly or artificial lure.  Therefore they must fall into soft plastic bait (unscented) or Natural and scented baits.  The distinction between the latter two definitions hinges on whether the lure has scent or not.

So, you would be correct that lures constructed of materials that are soft, pliable, and snap back from stretching would land in Zone 3 at Bennett Spring.  Zone 1 is fly only and Zone 2 is Fly and Artificial lures and under the current interpretation and definitions neither of these two types of lures can be constructed of soft plastic bait.

 

 

 

[fishinwrench]

This is becoming painful.  Please stop.

[tjm]

Wrench, it's a learning opportunity and proof that MDC deserves all the crap you throw at them from time to time, what?  Obviously the protection  Division is writing their own version of the rules without reference to the Code. I'm done. I don't fish Bennett any way.