Rob G

Fred, the Middlefork is too low at the moment for a reasonable float but the Salt Fork may be high enough. I'll have more info in the next day or two so check back and I have no problem with running shuttle service if at all possible. Wading will be no problem on either branch. Event Date: 18-September 11 (Single Day Event) This will be a Central Illinois fishing event open to all to be held on the Salt Fork and Middlefork Rivers near Oakwood, IL. We will be meeting at the Oakwood Truckstop Restaurant on the southwest side of the Interstate 74 at 8:00 AM. For more information, please contact Dave Franklin or Rob G

Quick tidbit from Simms saying that they're going to continue producing felt soles Hooray! http://flyfishing.about.com/b/2011/07/02/simms-going-back-to-felt-soled-wading-boots.htm

Well I'll be darned if they don't work after all. Have caught a lot of green bass on them this season but I haven't yet connected on the smallies much using them. One thing I have learned using these unique poppers is that because they can move a ton of water and really pop loud enough to be heard in the next county if you so desire, I think they should be the ticket with moving water and/or windy conditions when you normally would have to work hard at getting your offering noticed. On low water, clear water or still ponds or lakes like this, I have done much better when I baby the blockhead back at me, being careful not to tug too hard or long so that I create a much more mild pop or gurgle. If you get too aggressive with this baby, only the biggest beasts below will not run for the hills. I give it two fins up.

Ron, was your experience a somewhat recent one and do you remember the model of the boot?

Looking at some Chota wading boots with felt soles/optional studs, anyone have any experience with them? As always, thanks for your input.

Mike, I have to hand it to you, you had me rubbing the "tongue" of several fish during the last two evenings. Two nights ago when I caught the Skipjack Herring (thank you Andy), I caught three more spots, not from the same hole but in the same area of the river that was slow and wide with little current. All their tongues were rough as you stated but the "spot" sure wasn't very obvious. Tonight I headed to a little 6 acre pond and caught more than a dozen largemouth at dusk and well after dark on a black popper and found that you were correct in that their tongues were smooth. Amazing what one can learn on the intra web.

It seems Andy is correct and our judges were wrong. Thanks for playing Andy and your prize is in the mail.

Ok, so tonight's version of "Name this fish" Is this 14"er an Indiana trout? Bzzzzz, I'm sorry but that's incorrect but thanks for playing. Is it a Spottie? Pause, Judges??? Ding! That is correct sir, we would accept Spottie or some kind of Shad! Tell the gentleman what he has won.

Mike, though I do often give the fish a quick peck on the cheek before releasing, I don't really make a habit of feeling the tongue of a fish so I can't tell you if it was rough but the spot was very small and very faint and that's why I asked. I have caught Spots on different rivers than this one but their mouth and jaw extension came much closer to approximating a largemouth. Just curious.

Is this a spotted bass or some hybrid? Smallmouth body shape and mouth but the lateral line demarcation of a largemouth. It did have a faint small grayish spot on his "tongue". A very agressive fish, missed my topwater fly 4 times on 4 casts before he finally connected on the 5th. Normally you might get a second strike but rarely a third strike from the same fish in these clear waters. Thanks

An easy fly that has worked for Northern Pike for me is a double bunny. One long piece of rabbit zonker tied in on the length of the shank and a second piece of cross cut rabbit tied in and wrapped around the shank. Very easy to tie and will hold up well to the toothy critters you're after. I would not advise try throwing it on a lightweight rod and line though. These are just examples below and you don't have to put a head on the front

And so does a wet sock fly with heavy dumb bell eyes like a Harry Fodder but many put up with it in order to achieve a specific goal, such as catching fish at or near the bottom in deeper water. Every fisherman has to decide for themselves how much gimmickry that they will tolerate and I drew the line at using a swivel on my leader. Call it silly, but somehow using a heavier leader would be more acceptable in my mind's eye but that is just me and I would never impose my self-imposed limits in fishing "hardwar" on someone else

I thought I was using 8 lb fluoro tippet but maybe it was only 6 lb so I could try again with 8 or 10 lb test stiffer mono and see if it twists. Have you seen a spinner minner? A gentleman I know who works in a fly shop is really a fan.

I tied up some of those Pistol Petes a few years back, nothing more than a wooley bugger with a propeller on the front, but my problem was that they twisted my leader up so badly that I gave up on them. I'm sure they would be effective but I wasn't going to use a small swivel in order to eliminate the leader twist. Anybody have other suggestions?

Agree with Phil if you're looking to get below the low level dam behind the county jail. Be careful if you're traveling at night, the water is pretty low at this time and I was recently on the Wabash where the Vermilion merges and it was very low and a lot trees and other obstructions including a lot of sand bars exposed. I would want to go by the light of the day.

How does it float after a few hours of use? Does it continue to float high or become a sink tip? Thanks for your review.

I say, I say, son that is some mighty interestin' chicken history, ya know my daddy was an Aracucana chicken and he always said......

Thanks for the info on the J knot, will definitely give it a try. Tim mentioned that he too thought that a surgeon's knot wouldn't be as straight but I really haven't noticed a significant difference than when I use blood knots. After I stretch them out, they all seem fine.

Mike, I was told by some that once I started tying my own leaders that I wouldn't go back to "store-bought" tapered leaders and I think they were right! I've thrown a ton of big bass poppers and Crease flies over the past few months and love the way they turn over these big bugs. I tried several different designs and this is what I'm finding has worked well for me, your results may vary. Simple double surgeons knots work well and are easier to tie than blood knots on some of the mono. I was afraid that a couple of additional knots would dramatically increase the amount of junk that would attach itself to my line and that hasn't happened, even fishing moss filled ponds and lakes like tonight. The Berkley Big Game line in moss green makes for some really nice and inexpensive leaders while tying in a perfection loop makes for easy change outs. Still playing with a couple of leader formats but both work quite well for my bassin flies. 50% 30 lb, 25% 15 lb, 25% 8 lb Simple but effective 50% 40 lb, 25% 30 lb, 12.5% 20 lb, 8 lb tippet Slightly heavier, still undecided if needed Also, this past May for the bluegill, red ear, and crappie, made up some lighter leaders which also worked well: 20 lb, 10 lb, 4 lb and 25 lb, 12 lb, 6 lb Timothy and I plan on making up some furled leaders with his furled leader jig board but it seems difficult for me to believe that they will perform much better than these simple mono leaders which are so easy and cheap to make. Anyway, that's my take at the moment.

Not so fast Mikey G, right at 22.5" and touch over 5.25 lbs, another green one as well. Take a look at the fly on the rod. Alright, alright, I confess, I didn't catch it on Lefty's vanilla popper but on a Crease fly,..... but had I thrown that popper in front of her, I'm sure she would have taken it. So there it is, I still owe you one

Ron, maybe it is not of appearance that you speak, as in twin sons of a different mother, but rather as wordsmiths that Norm and I seek, or be it something other?

Ron, that is not I but tjtroester, the Master builder of "boo" rods and model of finer fishing hats.

That does look good on ole' Timothy, wish I could wear one with that same panache.

As Stan would say, "Nuff Said"

Mike, mine is tied on a Mustad popper kink shank hook, 33903, size 4, total length is about 3". I've got it now in all white, all black and all olive so we'll see how they do as the water clarity gets better and water temps heat up.