BruteFish83

I strongly believe that trophy trout fishing can be improved if we simply harvest legal fish. I think that too many legal fish are being caught and released with the belief that they'll get even bigger for next time. While this is probably true, the pecking order by which the trout live remains the same. I think that we as anglers need to disrupt that pecking order by harvesting an occasional legal trout, resulting in larger, faster growing fish. Again, I'm no scientist. Just very interested. Thoughts?

The confluence of Hurricane Creek along with Turner's Mill are good spots to camp.

I honestly haven't felt the need to draft a letter to MDC about this issue and feel that their brown trout management is pretty good, especially on the Current. I am certainly willing to help with any future issues though.

Here's some more lit http://www.sekj.org/PDF/anzf27/anz27-119-130.pdf

Literature showing that brown trout are territorial and compete for habitat?

Again, I don't think that's the answer. We'd have too many smaller browns competing and not being able to reach trophy sizes. Given the stocking numbers, we need fish to be taken out.

I'm no fisheries biologist, but after doing some reading, I think I can shed some light on the MDC's stocking strategy. The park and upper section comprise a healthy spring creek rather than a river. The food source and prime holding water is limited. Studies show that brown trout are aggressively territorial and that social hierarchies are even formed where the more dominant fish reside in the better water. Now look at this way, you have 3 18" browns eventually sharing one pocket of nice water, all the while, they're killing each other over the best food and water. A limit of one 20" fish would not help this. You figure, with the current 18" limit, one of those fish would be taken out and the other two would likely be able to grow to a trophy size. Just trying to convey a thought here.

Great photos! Pretty sure that pink granite is one of the oldest formed rocks on Earth.

Sounds like an awesome day for bronzebacks but I wonder why the trout fishing was off. You think it was the air pressure? water?

Welcome! You'll definitely enjoy this forum. Friendly, knowledgeable people

That I don't know. I'd think they would to keep the property value.

Yah, the lake draining didn't spoil it. The pollution and the 670 condominiums around the lake did. You must figure, the spring flow depended on the ridges and hilltops in Wildwood to remain undisturbed. Well, that's where everyone wants to build their castle-like homes, and they did. I don't know what they did with the 23 acres where the lake used to be, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter. The spring depended on much more land than that for a healthy flow.

I ventured back to my old stomping grounds today in Chesterfield to take some photos and throw a line in what was once a thriving spring branch. Lewis Spring(s), now consisting of only two prominent springs, emerges from the base of a limestone bluff carved out by the now dried Caulks Creek watershed. The stream bed is primarily silt, but also holds a fair amount of sand and gravel and is completely shaded by trees. As recently as the mid 90's, the springs gushed a healthy flow year round, revitalizing Caulks Creek and providing a suitable habitat for rainbow trout and other aquatic life. The stream also carried a high oxygen content as it tumbled down from the highlands to the Missouri River Bottoms. An unknown person(s) evidently transported and stocked rainbows at some point, creating my beloved, secret playground. The stream actually looked more conducive to brown trout, although I never caught any. I have such fond memories of getting off the school bus at around 3:45, grabbing my fly rod from home, and yanking 15" bows by 4:00. I can vividly recall my euphoric, joyous state of mind, looking around in disbelief that nobody else seemed to know about this little paradise. As the years passed, development and pollution decimated this little gem. It was sometimes possible to sniff out a trout in the deep pools of Caulks Creek, but instead I began focusing more on other Ozark waters. Interestingly enough, one Summer day in 2004 I was fishing Caulks creek just below the confluence of the spring branch (due to the cfs dropping because of massive development over Wildwood, which is the springs recharge area) when the water began flowing heavily and lime green in color. I posted the news link below which answers why in addition to some photos of the spring branch. http://www.msnbc.msn...e/#.T16g9hGPWaU

It doesn't get much better than that. Nice slab!

Sounds like a great day of fishing in solitude! Those bows can be tough to get off the surface. I usually have to wait a second or two before setting the hook.

Good to have you on the forum. I'm an avid trout fisherman myself. You ever go to Roaring River? That's one MO trout stream that I'm itching to try.

Hey Guys/Gals- I checked out Missouri Botanical Gardens the other day and brought my camera along. They have the orchid show going on until March 25, which was pretty neat. MBG is said to have one of the world's best orchid collections. The Climatron and Temperate House are also worth seeing. I was really amazed by the Japanese Garden, which spans 14 acres and is one of the largest in North America. I shot mainly waterscapes in this area along with some HUGE koi fish begging me for food. Hope you enjoy! http://andrewwl28.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d4orl9t http://andrewwl28.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d4oromq http://andrewwl28.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d4orq79 http://andrewwl28.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d4os1c4 http://andrewwl28.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d4oruv9 http://andrewwl28.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d4orrg8

Man, that water looks nice. If it weren't for the leafless trees, I'd think those were pics from the Caribbean. I hear you on the Point though. It's like fat camp for smallies. Great post!

Looks like an excellent day!

Great to have you on the forum. I'm also looking forward to getting some WB action this Spring. Tight lines!

Thanks. You didn't miss much except some nice blue bird weather on Saturday.

Great videos!

Thank you all for the nice welcomes.

Thank you much!

I use both and it's not that bad to switch the housings. You could, however, just use the flat lens for OOW and underwater. I used the flat lens to record all of my youtube videos except "Current River Highlights" and the video quality seems fine. I switch housings only to avoid water spots and keep scratches off.