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So I went out again to the Highland trout lake, but this time was after the first catch and keep weekend. You could tell the fish were getting smarter because fishing was tougher. I started where I left off fishing woolly's, but no luck. I still ended up with quite a few fish. The nymph of the day was a simple size 16 peacock herl nymph with a gold bead under a wool float. They only took it on the fall, didn't seem to want it on a finger retrieve. I realize some of you Ozarkians laugh at me and my pond fish, but that's what I got. I hope to be back on the rivers soon. Hope to see you there. Tight Lines

Your right. This recipe with bread flour gives you large air bubbles... a rustic loaf. It is best to warm the pot in the oven and very carefully put the risen dough in the pot with parchment paper sling. GP flour and the cold pot will give you store bought bread crumb (texture).

I’ve been making bread for five years now, and this is my best, most consistent recipe by far. You will need a dutch oven pot for this. If you don’t have a stand mixer, make this a no-knead loaf. Simply mix the ingredients with a chop stick or a metal spoon, form it in a rough ball, cover, let rise for a couple to four hours and then put in the fridge for a total of 24-30 hours. If you want the same day bread you will have to hand knead. It is a sticky dough so keep your hands oiled, and probably add a touch more liquid if you are flouring your kneading area. If you want wheat bread mix in a ¼ to ½ percent wheat to white flour. There is a lot of steps here, but it actually an easy build. Almost No Knead Bread 1. 1.5 teaspoons of salt 2. 3 cups (15oz) of all purpose flour 3. ¼ teaspoon of instant or rapid rise yeast 4. ¾ cups water – Room or skin temperature 5. ½ cups of mild lager beer 6. 1 tablespoon of white wine or plain white vinegar · Best to start very first thing in the morning for same day bread, afternoon for next day · Set cooking spray uncapped or a very small bowl of oil in your work area · Set up your stand mixer and put salt at the bottom of the bowl · Add flour on salt · Add yeast on top of the flour · Add water, beer, and vinegar · Stir at low speed with dough hook until ingredients are mixed together. o If needed in very small amounts, add beer until all the flour is just incorporated · Leave alone for 10-15 minutes to allow for the flour to absorb the liquid · Set mixer on ¾ high speed. On my mixer it is level six of ten · Knead for 2 minutes · This is sticky dough so wet your hands and pick up dough and form into ball, but hold in your off hand. Spray the mixing bowl with cooking spray and replace dough ball back into the bowl seem side down. Spray the dough lightly to keep from drying · Cover with saran wrap, and set aside for eight to ten hours for same day bread and six hours for overnight bread · Overnight bread, put in the fridge after six hours · Pull out dutch oven and get a sheet of parchment paper that just barely fits over the top. Crumble the parchment paper in ball, uncrumple and put in the dutch oven · Drop the dough on a lightly floured or oiled counter and punch it down flat popping any big air bubbles. · Then form into a dough ball again. If you don’t know how, there are lots of videos on youtube. · Put ball seem side down, spray lightly to keep moist, rip a second peace of parchment paper lay across the top and cover with the lid. · Set timer for 45 minutes · At the end of timer, set oven to highest setting 500 or 550, and reset timer for 15 minutes. · After second timer, check to see if dough is ready. Keep checking every 10 minutes until it is. If you don’t know how, again check YouTube. · Score the bread with a very sharp knife, a razor blade, or best a scoring tool (find them on Amazon) in a cross pattern · If the parchment paper basket sticks way out of the pot, cut is down. Save the top piece for another day. · Spray water into the pot to add moister and put on lid. · Put in oven for 10 minutes, and then lower to 425 for ten minutes more · Take the lid off and continue to cook until desired color, I like golden brown, but some like it darker · Bread should have an internal temperature of 205 or higher or when flipped upside down and tapped sounds hollow. · If you want a quicker recipe, change yeast to 1.5 teaspoons and give it a full knead o Set timer for one hour and forty-five minutes o After timer set over to 550. When oven is ready, check your dough and follow cooking instructions

I listened to them on the Orvis pod cast and said the same thing.

Got out yesterday to my local trout pond in Highland and it was stocked. Catch and keep doesn't start until Saturday so I should have a few days of good fishing. The stocked golden trout again and some REALLY small stocker rainbows. Was in a rush so I fished what was on and brought in a handful on woolly buggers. Tight lines.

Interesting. For nymphs... I thought the secret sauce was all the fine feathers threads (sorry don't know the technical term) where fine enough and meshed in a way they trapped air bubbles. However, I see where oils would make that work better.

What colors and size were you using if I may ask for the secret sauce.

With some learnin' from books and people, I found you have to pick one or there other. Either your focus is on dry, and you only use the lightest of light droppers like a midge. Or... your focus is solely on the nymph and the dry is a boober with a hook. If you "fish" them both, neither works well. I have had a lot of luck on tough days with a midge, or lately a simple peacock nymph under a elk hair. I started it because my indicators kept getting popped when started fishing at Blue Springs Creek. Sometimes I will hang a size 20 or 22 dry off a larger dry also.

Interesting thoughts to think about. Thanks. I'll let you know.

What are your favorite top dry flies when you are focusing on fishing the dropper?

Dear Tiers... You may have seen my other threads on simple nymphs. I had luck on a tough day with a plain peacock hurl nymph so I tied some up with a permanent spot in my box. I think I would like to tie some up with CDC. Got suggestions? I was thinking about making a collar like a wet fly or a dubbing loop collar. Anyway... would like to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for sharing. I hope to make it down this year.

Great report. Thanks for sharing. Nice fish.

Great pics.

Spent 10 hours on the river minus a small lunch break. There as very large hatch (to me anyway) of what I think were tricos, and they were everywhere. I'm pretty sure the trout were focused on emergers as they sipping or jumping, and not hitting my normal go to's. I tried a bunch, but simply didn't have a good morning. I lost three... two on a small wet fly and one on small leach (thanks to a bad knot, ugg). The afternoon the Tricos were still active, but at a lessor rate and small brown caddis (size 16 maybe) were hatching also. I did much better in the afternoon bringing 10 or so. There was a gent down on my section of the river that just looked the part, and he was the only one catching in the morning. In the afternoon, I caught him in a break and asked his secret, he was dead drifting a wooly of his making. I think he said size 6, but maybe 16. I kind of regret not asking to see it, but figured I interrupted his day enough. So, if the elderly fly fisher with the great pointed beard is reading this... please what was the recipe. I was trying out a box of simple flies. You can see the post in the fly tying forum. However, the savior of the day was a simple peacock nymph with a hot orange hop spot. Second place goes to a simple thread midge w/CDC puff. I caught both under a small foam caddis, which brought in one as fish hit all around it. My fishing buddy did decent in the morning on a red worm and a red midge pattern. I don't know if red was the secret or just coincidence.

Well I didn't make it to Bennet, but did make it to Montauk and spent 10 hours on the river minus a small lunch break. tjm, funny you should ask about hatches, there as very large one (to me anyway) of what I think were tricos, and they were everywhere. I'm pretty sure the trout were focused on emergers as they sipping or jumping. I tried a bunch of my go to dries and wets, but simply didn't have a good morning. I lost three... two on a small wet fly and one on small leach (thanks to a bad knot, ugg). The afternoon the Tricos were still active, but at a lessor rate and small brown caddis (size 16 maybe) were hatching. I did much better in the afternoon bringing 10 or so. There was a gent down on my section of the river that just looked the part who was the only one catching in the morning. In the afternoon, I caught him in a break and asked his secret, he was dead drifting a wooly of his making. I think he said size 6, but maybe 16. I kind of regret not asking to see it, but figured I interrupted his day enough. So, if the elderly fly fisher with the great pointed beard is reading this... please what was the recipe. Back to the subject at hand. I'm not going to discount any of the flies because it was a tough morning fishing. However, the savior of the day was the simple peacock fly and second thread midges w/CDC puff. I caught both under a small foam caddis.

That's funny, as that is what I do. Since Montauk and Bennett are 3 and 3.5 hours away... I mentally build a check list of things I want to try. This week it was these flies and a reach cast.

Bennett Spring is only the fourth biggest spring in the state, but it pumps out, on average, 100 million gallons a day. I think but am not sure, Montauk and the river it feeds, the Current, is really a collection of springs... at least from what this layman sees. Meramec Spring (also 100mg a day) feeds the trout park there, but one cannot fish the area of the springs. At Bennett it is common to see people standing around it wadder deep fishing over it. You can actually get a feel for the size of it from this video of divers exploring the entrance.

Thanks. I'll give it a try.

I have bunch of cracklebacks, but not blue. Are you using blue thread or tensile. I want to go out with a really good woolly fisherman. I've tried and not had any luck. Everyone says it is easy, but I must be doing something wrong.

Agree... probably the biggest difference is a strong spring creek and freestones. Water temp pretty constant in the trout parks.

Slightly off topic, I read it is not the temp, but it is the pressure change that caused the front. I also read that isn't true also. I've heard the air temp affects the hatch which affects the fish. Who knows. Still better then a day at my job.

Your killing me... I'll blame it on the book then.

Thanks... I'm hoping the cold front doesn't shut them down.

I've been working on simple flies after being motivated by a book on that topic. I have a thread on that book in fly tying. Starting bottom right: 1. Pheasant tail with gold wire and hot orange hot spot 2. Going right... badly done pheasant tail made with wire instead of thread 3. Simple hairs ears 4. Second row from bottom: tinsel midges holo and black wire 5. Simple peacock nymphs with hot spot 6. Brassie 7. Thread midges with CDC dubbing 8. Third row: Tinsel midges with rootbeer and black thread 6. Different color goose biots with peacock 7. Fourth row: simple mayfly dries made with biot strips 8. Top row: couple of experiments, but sometimes ugly flies work 9. Peacock bodied caddis dries with CDC puffs, two with no hackle two with. Making a road trip to Bennett from STL on Saturday. I plan to try them all.