gavin poppen
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Toons are great on a relatively fast fast water…They move allot slower than a canoe or kayak, and the wind really plays heck with them on slow or still water…they are also kind of wide…not well suited to marginally floatable waters were you have to snake through narrow channels and logjams…..
I’d probably go with a canoe and some stabilizers for still water fishing, maybe a small trolling motor, and an anchor system…for moving water I’d take the stabilizers off…unless its a big wide river with nothing to hit…Cheers.
Curt, I have a 17′ tandem canoe and a 14.5′ solo canoe that meet my needs…I usually camp on the river so I like canoes for the excess gear capacity..Hard to fish out of a solo canoe or kayak though…Toons rock for solo fishability….but you have to choose the right kind of water…Kayaks…nice…very stable…but heavier than a solo canoe…good beginners boats, but no real advantage once you learn how to paddle a solo canoe…
A couple shots..Top shot is the Current River January 2010. Bottom shots are from the Eleven Point…February 2005. Cheers.
Thats it…..The six miles of water from Greer Spring confluence to Turner Mill is the blue ribbon trout area…Flies & Artificials only, 1>18″ limit. The fish are mostly stocked rainbows, but there are some wild fish to be had. 13-16″ fish are pretty common, but 10lb rainbows are caught occassionally…Good smallmouth bass & chain pickeral fishing too…No fishing in Greer Spring Branch, but its well worth the hike in to take a look at the spring. Its one of the must see spots in the Ozarks.
You’ll have a real adventure down there, thats for sure…The Eleven Point is a big river by Ozark standerds, hard to wade, and impossible to cross on foot in many places and it flows through rugged country. Expect a difficult trail, and difficult access to the water. I usually float it & camp on the river…because its much easier to fish that way…
Canoe Rentals, guide services, & fly fishing supplies, are availble at Eleven Point Canoe Rental just up the road in Alton, MO if you want to go that route.
In contrast, the Blue Ribbon trout area on the Upper Current between Montauk State Park and Cedargrove is very wade fisher friendly…mostly a brown trout fishery with a few rainbows mixed in…plenty of 12-17″ fish, but they get allot bigger than that…its allot easier to get around down there due to all fisherman & horse trails.
Check out the Current River & Eleven point forums over at http://www.ozarkanglers.com Lots of knowledgable folks over there willing to help out. Cheers.
Brian, I fish the Ozarks often…that time of year…youll want to hit the spring holes for smallmouth because the water is warmer there…usually 56-58degrees……… a small crappie jig under a float is all you need….but they will hit buggers & streamers too.
That said….I’d probably go trout fishing instead….The upper end of the Current and Eleven Point have some very good trout fishing…and
Bamboo has its place. I wanted a new hobby about ten years ago, so I tooled up and made a 8-9 bamboo rods..Mostly light line rods 2-4wt…a couple 5wts & a 6wt…..Most are very nice, one or two of them are dogs..I have a couple more in the works but I havent done squat with them since my daughters arrived(18 months & 3.5years).
Its not about better, best, or anything like that…Fly rods are like golf clubs…..There is no do all…cuz if there was I wouldnt have 17-20 of them in the basement ;).
Bamboo rods are just alternative tools to fill a niche in your rod locker and add to your fishing pleasure.
I love to fish bamboo rods…Its great fun…but…if the situation calls for a 50′ casts on a consistant basis..Indicators, Split shot, etc…….You will find graphite in my hand 100% of the time. Cheers.
I agree with Matt…Good Chili uses good meat and I prefer meat that is not ground…I usually use cubed sirloin…
Lots of different styles of chili out there..
Matt’s recipe sounds really good for a bean chili. Thanks Matt…
But my favorite style is a Texas Red (no beans, ever)…There is a good recipe for a texas red style chili on any container of Gebhardt’s Chili Powder. Follow it, and add or subtract as needed. Its good and an absolute no brainer. As for secret ingredients…one of mine is Cocoa Powder…give it a go…Adds a little sweetness & some depth..
I dont usually toss pork in a Chile unless its a Chile Verde (green) but I may give it a go sometime.
Cheers
They arent trout…they are Whiting, or silver hake…we call it Jack Salmon here in St. Louis.
It’s usually served at church fish fries and accompanied by ketchupy spagetti, mayo coleslaw, red potatoe salad, and white bread. Different, but still good eats!
Gaston’s is OK but I’d probably stay someplace else…Dont eat there…the food sucked last time I stopped…memorably bad and I havent been back..178 club is good but call ahead…
The places Zach mentioned are great, and I’d add at Rim Shoals to the list…the cabins are right
Small Plano boxes for streamers, big nymphs, poppers & big dries..C&F boxes for small stuff. I rarely wear a vest because I canoe and fish most of the time…Water Proof fly boxes arent important at all, flies, tippet, shot, indies, P&S camera, wallet, keys, phone, etc…. gets stuffed in a Pelican 1430 box that clamps to the gunnel of my canoe. Cheers.
http://www.flytyer.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=124&Itemid=85
Looks allot like a Dalhberg Diver but the deer hair is stacked, not spun to get the color separation. But that probably doesnt matter all that
Night fishing can be allot of fun…but dont just stick to black…sometimes lighter colors can produce as well or better. I usually do better during the new moon phase, or at times when the moon is off the water. Cheers.
No kayak…but I have a couple canoes…Wenonah Spirit II tandem when I want to bring the kitchen sink, and a Wenonah Vagabond Solo for short trips.
Here’s a couple shots of my Tandem..Top is on the 11pt a couple weeks ago…bottom is on the Current over the New Year.
Zach, I’m glad you enjoyed your trip to the NFoW. Its one of my favorites but a tough place to fish….The Current and 11pt offer better fishing if you ever get up this way again.
Dusty, check out OzarkAnglers.com and ask your questions on the Taneycomo forum. I’m sure that you will get plenty of help.
You probably wont need a guide on Taney if the water is off…If its off, head below the dam…Its stoopid with fish down there, but it will probably be crowded. Fish a small midge, scud, or nymph on light tippet and you can usually catch fish until your sick of it.
Watch the water level…and if you hear the horn, get the heck out quick. It can come up 5′ or more in a matter of minutes. If they are running water, hire a guide. Cheers.
I use a large plastic milk crate to haul my boots, waders, and misc fishing junk to the river….Its not suitable for air travel, but it works great in the car, and for keeping stuff off the bottom of my canoe. For travel, I use a large Patagonia duffel with a wet & a dry side. Cheers.
Used to have a really nice little 7.5′ 3pc Winston IM6. It was a great little rod but I sold it years ago when I decided that I wanted to build bamboo rods.
I dont have the time to build rods these days, but there are plenty of hobby builders making quality cane rods for reasonable prices. Check em out, you just might like what you find. Cheers.
