Gavin

Meramec is a weird one...It is good in the winter as a midge and small scud fishery, not very fly fishing friendly. Used to be an old poacher named Bosco who hung out there. He would chum a run then fish while declaring Bosco Bait, is the best there is! Think it was a mix of bacon grease and trout park pellets from the feeders.

It looks like a Green Spored Lepiota. It's called the Vomiter. because it will make you wish for death but not kill you. It is also similar to the Destroying Angel...Amanita sp. which will kill you. Toss them in the trash. Chanterelles are really abundant now if you want to forage for something. Look in oak hickory woods.

Your are probably fine on most water. If someone is fishing off the dock....then no take a pass. If nobody is fishing it, fish it w/o making a nuisance of yourself and let them come out to complain. If they complain, laugh and tell them to call the police on you.

Nope, but I do remember

I have hooked a bat on a large dry fly. It was during a hex spinner fall late in the evening in Ontario. You will win. No big deal. The Owl I hooked on a Jitterbug was complete chaos.

I forgot to renew for two years once. Just did today, and I've been fishing a bit. With small game, fishing, trout, and bird permits...it came to $72. That's not bad, it's cheaper than a good dinner out for two.

Go w/o the license and take your chances. It will probably be OK.

That is a heck of a deal for AK! Glad you are having fun!

Yes, you can cut, measure, and fabricate ferrules with unknown results. You may ruin the rod.

Heck man you can catch like crazy when a plug of drunks roll through. They stir up the bottom and fish feed.

You will be in a sea of beer and drunks in rafts. The fish wont care. Cast to the root wads that folks avoid, and the deep shade lines where the drunks are not standing. Those fish are used to it.

Walker is just a small shallow old pond. I’m sure they need to rehab it or fish will die when it gets really hot or cold.

I did pick some Lil George’s a couple weeks ago. Henkel’s Hook & Arrow in Carlyle, IL. They make them.

Kastmaster spoons are great for covering water fast on the river, so is the Little George on tail races for whites.

Congrats! Keep on keeping On! Wishing you many more!

Dogs Bluff, Mason Bridge. slabtown, Ross, East Gate, and Jerome on the Gasconade are developed MDC access. Most of it is Mark Twain Forest, so any FS road that hit as the river is fair game if you want to cut some distance. . Scetchy, but fair game. OnX hunt will show you. I’ve never floated the fort stretch between Ross and East gate. The Army will let you, but the logistics are crazy.

I've had some great days on the NFoW, and LOTS of stinkers. It is always a fun float and we enjoy the area. We usually float 2 days, toon & tube on Norfork one day, and spend our last day sight seeing, followed by trout fishing & dinner at Rockbridge.

Float it, then pick your spot to park and wade. 6x to Peck's is the Zoo stretch, so avoid that on the weekend.

Hammond to Sunburst is their most popular day float. It moves pretty well, 3-4 hours if you want to move, or all day if you choose to stay, fish, etc.. I usually do Kelly to Sunburst, then Sunburst to the Landing. The conditions do not look great. https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/07057500/?agency_cd=USGS#dataTypeId=continuous-00060-0&period=P7D&showMedian=true I like it in the 800-1300 cfs range. It's tough to wade at any level, but you can hammer if you know how to chuck some big nymph rigs when the water is up. If it drops below 750 it gets air clear and the fishing gets really tough. Good luck!

Stipers are in there year round. The flat below Kelly Ford holds a bunch. Below McKee Bridge, Elephant Rocks below ROLF.. 6' deep with a slow current...probably stripers...But they don't bite often. Ask Brian Bade at Sunburst Ranch. He can tell you where they are.

Congrats on a successful build! Go scratch it up!

Last time I broke was at 45i and it lasted about 3 weeks. Sounds like you might have just popped one out of alignment. My chiro fixes that in 1 visit mostly, sometimes a follow up 2-3 days later. Good luck with it..

The Big Piney runs faster & clearer and you will see fewer jet boats. If hitting the Gasconade....you wont see many jets above Hwy 28 during low water, but you may see a few at this level. Gasconade Hills, Boiling Springs are fine. Buddy used Froggy's said they were fine. Route 66 would be my first call for a lower B. Piney float. Haven't called him in a couple years....if not in biz Boiling Springs on the Gasconade is just 2 ish miles downstream.

They are really good rods, and they have been durable. I wrap most of my rods on North Fork Composites blanks.. Love them..

It would be hard to put the toothpaste back in the tube at this point. On the other hand, my buddies nephew Trey just qualified for the Bass Master Classic.