Kyle Kosovich

An exert from USFWS Recovery Outline of Hellbenders... http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/amphibians/ozhe/pdf/ozheRecoveryOutline.pdf a) The present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of its habitat or range (Factor A) - The construction of several impoundments in the 1940s and 1950s in the upper White River destroyed potential Ozark Hellbender habitat within inundated river reaches and downstream of the impoundments, effectively isolating Ozark Hellbender populations. Ongoing adverse effects from impoundments include: isolation of the Bryant Creek Ozark Hellbender population from the North Fork of the White River, increased sediment and gravel deposition upstream of reservoirs, and increased exposure to predatory fish immediately upstream of impoundments. Wouldn't designing a way for hellbenders to populate upstream reaches be important to USFWS as a way to improve genetic diversity within the NFOW? While many hellbenders do not move much and may live under on rock their entire life they a few have been documented to move over 900 meters in one years, about the distance to the next riffle upstream (Nickerson and Mays, 1973). https://ag.purdue.edu/fnr/discover/HerpetologyLab/Documents/Nickerson_StudyOzark.pdf

My post on FB. Kyle Kosovich Are there any other the purposes of the dam other than historical aesthetics, keeping people from traveling down river in boats, and fish from migrating up river? When fixing it at least design a fish ladder and boat portage shoot when repairing it. Thus allowing increased economics through boating options and fishing opportunities through increases in biological diversity. While it is likely that a gradual widening of the hole is possible, the overall total failure is unlikely due to the current hole releasing much of the pressure imposed by an intact dam. There is also published research that highlights the benefits of opening dams to improve stream ecology. There are many successful old mill dam removal projects around the country that are largely aimed to improve the quality of the fisheries. Contrary to urban legend, there is research that shows that striped bass feed predominantly on crayfish and other minnow species and do not specifically target trout. Therefore, at the very least, allowing safe passage of fish and boats is benefiting the greater good of the river and those who enjoy it. Rebuilding totally is loosing an opportunity to implement possibly the largest improvement to the river in recent history.

No secret just a T&A leech. Though I don't think it mattered. Just big ugly and fast moving. It's more of a reflex instinct strike at that point. No time to decide if it's food. Just eat it or it will get away. Have fun! For instance I saw a guy pull a big brown like that out the day before at Blair. Big yellow spinner thing. Thru it in the back of the truck to cookem up. Justin. I'll find ya next week. Yes trout are still spawning. I've seen them since thanksgiving weekend on redds.

I, I Capt'n

Okay. It was a nasty rainy day on Saturday. Perfect for catching fish.(as I see on the elevenpoint too) There has been alot of talk on stripping the big nasty junk on the Fork. So this is my story. First few casts and hooked a sweet brown that gave the fin and thru the hook. After shaking in my waders about what just happened I didn't set it down the rest of the day. While standing in my Buffalo I shot LONG cast across to the far banks and stripped as fast as I could. Then a shadow would form below the fly and WHAM! Fish on! Caught 3 this way and got to see each strike. This was freaking awesome! Never had I had such a sore arm and had such adrenaline rushes. Well the day was winding down and I hadn't hooked the big one yet and I was loosing hope, for I felt that today would be the day. With three previous fish I thought for sure a beast would rise and eat this. As I was standing stripping and casting a brilliant crescent of of autumn yellow and orange flashed from a deep run. WAHooooooo a hog has hit! not knowing just how big but pulling the boat downstream I gave a loud Yeti cry.......Landed him shortly and this is why you strip big meat alldaylong.

Good read... I'll side with Brian. I grew up on this river and the fish here are wild. Like Justin says these fish don't mess with hangin in the "unfishy" water like stockers. (stockers that holdover for years or are born in the stream hold the same even in parks) one of the things I see with guiding people is they spend time in mediocre or poor water. Wait for it....like Taney and trout parks. Fishing in 2" of water with no structure to hold fish in the previous places. Not on the noth fork. They don't live there. The ones who try get munched by eagles,ospreys,hawks or rounded up by otters. (there's another topic huh) survival of fittest. Find the deepest fastest water and throw the biggest chunk of lead and fly you have in there and keep a perfect drift to fool these fish with a fly rod. Or cast the biggest nasty you got and strip it as fast as you can for a whole day and land one or two, pigs that is. It all boils down to the Fork is one of the best in the midwest. Strong. Fat. Wild. Trophy fish. It will keep you guessing and work down to the bottom of your wadders. You can be a US fly fishing team member or a newbie and both will get skunked on the Fork one day, catch a few the next, and then tie into one that tears you to your backing. Then one day you land a fish of your dreams and it happens on the North Fork all the time... That should keep it going....

Look me up. I'll be down on the Fork around that time and maybe swing a streamer with you. Should be a fine time. If a cold front moves through and its clear and cold afterwards wait at least 3 days.

its after their spawn so they are HUNGRY and not messing with crunch little stones. they want meat. Olive is the only color I carry in mohair Great video!

Justin, Thats great! Glad to hear that he'll be around still. Sounds like he'll have to be conservative with his bullets with a lower equipment budget. To comment on the trash situation on the NFOW, it is nearly zero. when we participated in the stream clean up this summer (4 boats) we only found 6 bags of trash and it was mostly cans. NO tires, old cars, or any double sided purple dildo, like the Finley River one year. Yes, believe it, all of those were found in the river a few years ago. It's the craziest thing I've ever heard of being pulled out of the river....

The browns should start to do their thing NOW that the water is down. I'm not sure how to get them to take a fly off the redd but would want a big rod, heavy line and a super sharp hook. Sad to say though I think it will flood again by the weekend and that will be the end of that. Lets hope I am wrong....

Wow, that is a sweet rainbow! look at the crimson gill cover....

Thanks Phil for the great pics and the report. It was a great day on the North Fork for Sure! (No fish can resist the Marabou Jig style that Phil possesses.) Yes the drift boat and longboat are way different. The longboat handles between a drift boat and a canoe. I've ran the longboat on water from the size of bull creek to North Fork tail waters and the Gasconade. As long as you don't get it sideways you can travel any water that is over 2 inches deep and 34 inches wide.

If it were me and I had that chance to spend a week alone with the North Fork, I'd go as far up stream as possible and make it an epic journey all the way to Dawt Mill or Tecumseh at the Forks of th North Fork Lake. Put in at Twin Bridges at the least, perhaps even farther up. Around Hebron you will have to get out and drag but if your dragging then there isn't going to be any canoe rentals shuttling people up that far either. Or if your there during the week it will be less traffic as well. Fishing would be great I suspect. Once your on the water that long you are bound to strike gold. Thats my suggestion.... Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions.

If your looking for a guide on overnighters check out my site. Its my specialty... I would definitely vote for the eleven point in October over the James. I float it myself with family every October because it is so beautiful. There are trophy smallmouth and rainbow trout in the entire river so anything is possible. early October is going to be beter for smallmouth though and the rainbows happen anytime. Good luck and I'll have a report on the Eleven point after this weekend. A few photos from the Eleven Point last year.

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I don't think it matters what you throw at them, it only seems to matter if catch one feeding and not looking up for you. Once you spot one feeding and you can get close enough you'll get only one or two casts before its spooked. In a stream setting carp feed heavily on crawdads, minnows, and macroinvertebrates. just like our speckled friends in the cold water. They are supper fun to sight fish for and can double and eight weight so don't bring anything less than that unless you don't mind loosing them and playing them for 20minutes or more.... good luck and let me know if you need someone to run a boat for you. This is from my first carp fishing trip....

True Brian I lose way less flies due to the moss...I get use to it then go to the Elevenpoint and donate a box and a half of flies to the rocks there. yet the fish seem to know what the moss means too, they go right for it when you stick'm, got to watch your droppers or you'll loose the fish...4x usually pulls free though. Finally I'll get to fish for myself this weekend!

I have not found a way to keep the moss off...sometimes I fish with a lighter fly set with a heavy anchor fly and a lighter dropper up from that. It takes longer to reach the bottom and longer casts and precise line control is needed for a effective drift. There is no way to completely keep moss of though. It seems that during the summer the fish are either hitting or they are not and doesn't matter to much what you have on. The weekend before last I had a chance to fish and there was nothing until 6:30pm and the dinner bell seemed to sound and fish attacked. This was on a pheasant tail and prince nymph. Yes I think the moss is worse this year that last. one reason is that we had really high water last year and it washed the moss out during a July flood as well last summer. This kept it at bay for the most part. this year it is about normal with previous years. Of course I always think it gets worse, but there is really no good way to tell unless you took pictures same time of year every year in the same location. or some other sampling method to measure algae biomass. I don't believe it is a normal cycle but I'm not sure how long it has been this way. I have notice the algae starting at Double spring just above Rainbow. earlier this spring when the moss first started the hole of water from DBL to RBW was completely covered with filamentous algae. Some where in the spring's recharge zone it is gaining excessive nutrients and once it hits the clear water of the NFK the sunlight and nutrients cause a algal explosion. not great news for the benthic invertebrates that feed our trout. In the fast riffles though it doesn't seem to grow as much, yet it still floats freely down stream and fouls your hooks. The weekends are by far the worst time to fish because of all the canoes disturbing the moss sending lots of chunks floating downstream. I'll be down there this weekend and let you all know what I run into....

Good work Brian, You nailed it!

Thanks for the complements and yes it was a Frosty Budweiser

If any of you are interested I just got a new promo video on my site. It's from this spring on the North Fork. We floated Twin Bridges to Sunburst Ranch camping on gravel bars and at River of Life Farm. "Click Here" to view the video on my website. The trip was a roller coaster ride to say the least. Something like this, we go down-trailer bearings go out-up-awesome smallmouth and campsite on the upper N.Fork- down - highwinds and no fish- up- morel mushrooms for dinner- down- dumped a boat and lost gear- up - double rainbows with one over 20'' - down- broken fly rod -up- 18'' brown trout- down - removing hooks from fellow angler- up- finally off the water and the roller coaster leveled out...so if I sound a little flustered in the beginning it was because I was and it was the only time we set aside to do it... Hope this helps illustrate what kind of trip I like to put on... For the fishing report section of this post-the big bow we sightfished for, catching 4 small bows on all sides of her before we landed her on a #16 caddis larva!

Yes. I am familiar with the Abandoned River Ranch. They are my neighbors as a kid. Jerry and Connie Prescott. Connie unfortunately just passed away with cancer.... The business has been closed for years now though.

Okay I'll try and answer a few questions here as well...or start a few...either way 1. It is very unlikely that the rainbows get into the truck with the browns. The brown come from below taney (shepard of the hills hatchery) and I have had to cut fins from browns to ID them as a certain year class of stocking. The fish are segregated and sorted by hand...each...and...every...fish. This "tagging"enables biologist to ID what fish made it from what year of stocking. Since they seem to change their stocking time( i thought they did it in the fall but may be wrong) to the spring. Now they more than likley they are missing a certain fin that ID them to this year. Then this fall when they sample they will be able to estimate how many fish made it from a spring stocking vs a fall stocking. Now fish grow their fins back so this only lasts a short time...but this year keep an eye out for that and let me know. I'll try and get a picture if I catch a stocker.... 2. Don't tell anyone the brown are reproducing, BRIAN....Sshhhhh 3. In the hatchery setting or trout park you may well catch a colorful fish but it did not come from the tanks. it more than likely was born in the stream. there are hold over fish that make it in a park and successfully spawn. As time goes on though and a stocked fish is in the stream it is harder to tell if it is stream born or not, they get more color and fins tend to reshape themselves. All the big piggy browns look an awesome golden yellow with bright spots in the Fork and they are all stocked pale grey... 4. Zach...good to hear you got into some fish. If you did a kick seine in the Fork you would see why the trout feast on stones all day long. They are everywhere.... My cents worth on the subject.....

I finally got a chance to float the Bryant last weekend! As luck may have it the N. Fork flooded the night before a guide trip and I got to float it three days in a row! Day one was a guide trip of a husband and wife from the home town of the "Throw'd Roll"....You know... It was a surprise guide trip gift from wife to husband for his birthday. But since the Fork flooded they were interested in floating the Bryant. They had never held a fly rod so with a few cast from shore they seemed up to the challenge. Fishing was fair. It sprinkled rain and was cloudy all day and the fish never really lit up like I had hoped if the sun came out. We did catch smallmouth, rock bass, and some entertaining longear sunfish that day though. We had a great day and had a great shore lunch and surprise birthday cake with candles and everything. They said they were expecting cold sandwiches...not in my boat I don't! Day two was and overnighter! 95 to Hodgson. Keep in mind you will have to take your boat under and over logs on this stretch of water...luckily the longboat doesn't stand high above the water so it slipped easily through all obstacles. You will have to get out of you boat for this. The fishing was good, smallmouth, goggle eye and sunfish kept us busy in every hole of water. No monsters, but thats not what we were after anyhow...peace and quite is what we caught and it was the mother load. Not another boater, floater, or fisherman on the river the two days we were fortunate enough to be on the Bryant. We camped out and had grilled salmon, salad, potatoes, and corn on the cob for dinner. Entertainment for the night was provided by the river...fireflies danced, whip-or-wills, barred owls, and American toads all sang their song. Next morning we had coffee from our French press, and a campers breakfast with sausage, hash browns, vidalia onions, green peppers, eggs, and melted cheese....mmmm...making me hungry just typing it. (almost dinner time as I write) The last day was hot and we cooled off with refreshing swims in the river and a iced watermellon from the cooler at lunch. Now summer has officially started in my book! It was a great time, great friends and great river. Can't wait till this weekend to do it all again on another stream! Here are a few Photo's by Jay Nicholson who went on the trip with me...I'll have a few of mine up soon...