Gavin

The NFoW is self sustaining for rainbows...but the browns are stocked. The last time it was stocked with rainbows was in the mid-1960's...and they are still there. Its the best opportunaty to catch a 20" wild rainbow in this State, IMO. Most run in the 6-12" range, but the 15" bows are real bruisers. The 11pt seems to have better size and numbers of rainbows, but many of those are stocked fish. There is a bit of natural reproduction on that river, but the biologists have told me that it is allot less than what they find on the NFoW. Its heavilly stocked these days and stocked fish will grow their fins back & look wild in a short time....Sometimes you catch one with no sign of a visable fin clip but your never certain on that river. Our other wild trout fisheries usually hold an abundance of small 6" trout, some 10-12", and a few bigger ones. They are fun fish to stalk, but you dont go there to catch big fish. You go their to enjoy catching wild trout from small waters. I like to float more than most, so I do fish the White Ribbon Areas occassionally. Cedar to Akers on the Current is always a fun float...great scenery, fair trout fishing & some smallmouth. The White Ribbon on the 11pt is even better. I'd fish it more often, but its a real haul from St. Louis so I tend to head to the Blue Ribbon area on the 11pt when I visit. I dont mess with the White Ribbon on the Niangua very much...The scenery is nothing to write home about, and the fish dont seem to have a chance to spread out from the stocking locations..Makes for allot of unproductive dead water in between places were a stocking truck can drive to the water.

I asked the biologist about how they came up with the Red, White & Blue designations when they proposed them several years ago. The main driver for Blue, Red, & White designation was habitat....but other factors were considered as well. Geography, local input, nearby trout fisheries, etc.. Streams were wild reproduction occurs & most of the best habitat is under blue ribbon regs now. But there is some great habitat in the Reds & Whites too. Current from Cedar to Akers or Pulltite might make a great blue, red, or white ribbon area...but..lots of hurdles to jump through with the Naional Park Service. The Meramec has good habitat from the Park down to Suicide Hill....and poor habitat below....but its a popular float stream...and splitting it into blue & red would make it hard to regulate...therefore red...The Niangua...has summer time temperature & other issues...Not sure about issues at Hickory or Capps...but I've never visited, and probably never will. It would be wonderful to have enough wild trout to allow a slot limit in this State....not likely though...We are truly dependant on the stocking truck in all but a select few locations.... I'd consider the North Fork of the White to be the most productive wild trout fishery in this state, and youd be surprised at how low the fish counts are....Maybe 400-500 rainbows per mile in the Blue Ribbon area....Sometimes its been allot less. When the 11pt was under wild trout management...the counts were often less than 200 rainbows per mile and quite a few of those were feral fish that swam up from the stocked waters below...Not enough trout water to go around in this state that is for sure, but what we have is pretty good and it appeals to a wide variety of anglers. Cheers.

Looking for a couple new 2000 series spinning reels, price not an issue....I want something smooth & reliable that can hold up to canoe use and that is not prone to major malfunctions. (Save your breath if your a Shimano fan......I've had too many binding problems over the years)...Any suggestions?

The 10' Greys are really nice rods. Wish the Grey's rods were available before I popped for a 10' 5wt Sage Z-Axis.......I also liked some of the Missionary 6 models. Had one of the new Hardy Sintrix rods in hand a couple weeks ago...Really fast, & powerful, but it just didnt float my boat. The new Sage VXP's are really nice.Cheers.

Cane to Greer is a nice float...but it might be a drag-a-thon at this water level. We did pretty well with Flukes & Green Pumpkin Plastics on that stretch a couple months ago....I've never floated below Riverton, but I'd expect a bunch of frog water stretches. Have a great trip.

135 replies...and only 22 responses to the poll, and the poll is split 10 for happy and 12 for not. I'd call that a draw considering that most of the responses appear to be from C&R only fly fishers. Gavin

Nice write up...the Beartooth Highway is spectacular...definitely a must do if you are in that area.

No camping at Tan Vat or Baptist....but you could camp above or below Baptist...take the trail out of the gravel parking lot upstream of the main access, or look for the two road markers just up the hill opposite the gravel lot, hike down there and camp...its about a half mile down to a couple nice gravel bars...I'd probably opt for Eagles Park or Ozark Mountain Ranch instead...Stayed at Ozark Mountain Ranch with a bunch last weekend and we had a great time. Gavin

I'll take a fire ring and some scorched gravel over a bunch of toilet paper balls scattered in the tree line....bring a shovel and bury it.

Let em say what they will. I've released allot more legal trout than I taken over the years...probably 95% or more.

They trout feed heavilly on craws on the 11pt that's for sure...And a unique little crayfish to boot...The coldwater crawfish is the predominant species and its not found anywhere else that I know of...I cleaned a fat 18" bow for dinner on my last trip and it had about 6-7 of them in its belly...wonder why it ate a glo-ball? Still catch smallmouth on the 11pt, but the trout numbers have been insane at times since they resumed stocking it...We used to fish all weekend for 5-10 trout, some smallies, and some pickeral. Did the trout run the smallmouth out? Mabye...Maybe not. Email MDC & ask. I think John Ackerson is the biologist.....They shock it every year so I'm sure they have plenty of creel census data. Trout are certainly there in abundance now...not so in the past...Mabye the smallies are still there, but harder to catch due to all the trout. Seems to be plenty of food for both in that river.

Good for you....sounds like your having one heck of a trip!

Wow! Thats one toad of a rainbow...good for you!

They usually stock around election day..I think they have a stocking hotline...give it a call in that time frame and good luck. There are usually a few trout to be had till the lakes ice up. Cheers.

I usually dont go smaller than 4x unless I'm park fishing, or fishing a tiny fly..Seagur Flouro or Rio Mono gets the nod most of the time...as for leaders...Nymph's & Streamers usually get a butt section of 30' mono..6-10ft of 8lb spinning line (take your pick), then tippet...For dries & poppers I usually go with a 3' butt section, then a 9' 3x Rio Leader, and add onto that if need be...A long 12-16' leader can really up the number of stikes on your dry fly sometimes. Cheers.

Good for you, and thanks for the report. My dad & I used to float that stretch allot when we had a camper down at the Bluff's..My step-mom still owns a lot down there, but camper got robbed & burned out along time ago. Might have to head down to see whats left in the near future. Cheers.

No prize, but here you go...Cheers. Its always fun to watch the bikini's come off! Cheers.

Mark, I'm glad your out having fun...I've got no concerns about white ribbon trout areas...They provide a good option for those who want to fish bait in less crowded surrounding..maybe float a bit..have a gravel bar fish fry..You cant float & expect enough legal fish for dinner in the Blue & Red trout managment areas, and you cant always do it in the SMA's...Better bring some food just in case....Some of the smaller ones White ribbons would benefit from more restrictive regulations, but thats isnt what its all about. We have plenty of trophy trout fisheries with very restrictive regulations...Its nice to have options. Want to go catch big Brown Trout...head to Taney, the Current, or the Red Ribbon's on the Meramec or NFoW...Want some to float and eat some stockers...head to the White Ribbons on the 11pt, Current, Niangua, or Taney below Fall Creek. We dont have allot of suitable trout water in Missouri, so its great to see that what little we have is managed for a wide range of fishing opportunaties and experiences... Allot of thought went into the Blue, Red, & White regulation structure, and is allot better than what we had in place before that. Plus there is a still a place for everyone right now. I like that.. Heck, my 3 year old loves to fish, and she fishes with bait. I cant wait to take her on her first float next year and I'll probably take her an unrestricted section of water to do it so she can dunk worms & minnows...It takes time to develop the skill set needed to lure or fly fish successfully...and its great to have places were that doesnt matter so much w/o a buch of trout park slobs trying to crowd you out. Cheers.

Cant say I have a favorite...its just a priveledge to see fish rising and have an opportunaty to match the hatch.

The trout didnt PUSH any smallmouth out of the White River System......Dam construction took the smallmouth habitat away...its not suitable now or they would be there....plain & simple. Not sure about other streams, but I bet they compete...still catch plenty of smallies on "trout" water though...Rarely a memorable one though because the water is too cold. Cheers.

Good eye and Happy B. Day! guess it helps to have young eyes. Looks like one smallie in that net...maybe 14" one of the bigger ones we sampled...the fish in the net are from a very good spot on the lower section of the river...(lack of rainbows), and some very nice fish in there. Norm Crisp & I had a wager on who's favorite hole would shock up better fish...and mine one by a good margin;>). We measured hundreds of trout on the two days I helped with the sample, plus maybe a 5-6 smallmouth in the 8-15" range, plus one largemouth 17" or so. Its hard work to boot....my back & hands were sore from grabbin fish out of that net & clipping fins all day long......... The big brown that Jake is holding up was a 23.9" male from the lower stretch..We measured one a little bigger from around Tan Vat...24.3" or so...saw one allot bigger that jumped out of the net. 2006-2007 was a good big fish year..low fish count, but 15% of what we sampled was 18" or bigger..Biggest was a rainbow up by the park, but it was obviosly a stump finned trout park "lunker" that escaped the onslaught. Humbling experience really. Everywhere you catch fish, and think there is a big fish....There probably is at least one big fish, and probably more than you would ever expect. Cheers.

What is wrong with a put & take trout fishery outside of a trout park? It serves a valid purpose and offers a different outdoor experience...The option of put & take w/o trout park crowds for one thing.. MDC stocks em, people go fishing, take em home & eat them...Folks who keep fish pay for there license, trout stamp, & 1/8 cent sales tax too...Usually fish the blue ribbons, but I venture to the reds & whites occassionally...Usually catch trout there too. Its just stocked trout fishing after all is said & done. Cheers.

I dont see a need for additional bait bans...Its already banned on most quality trout fisheries and banning bait on smallmouth water would be unfair to the folks who want to fish for catfish. I'm pretty happy with the trout regulations here in Missouri...Anyone remember how miserable the trout fishing was under old set of regulations(The regs we had before the "Ribbon" designations came into effect)? We've got it allot better now IMO. Cheers.

Fall & Winter is a great time to fish the NfoW...The summer time snot moss is usually gone by then and so is most of the weekend river traffic. I'm planning a trip on the 27th-30th, FWIW. Cheers.

Solunar theory was advocated by a fellow named John Alden Knight, who was a sports writer back in the 1940's & 50's......he is also the originator of the Mickey Finn fly. I have a couple of his books in my collection......His "Black Bass" is a good one..Lots of color plates of old timey bass flies... Anyway, I put about as much faith in the solunar tables as I do his Mickey Finn fly. Still have a couple someplace, but I cant remember catching a fish on that fly. Cheers.