Flyfisher for men

I'm doing a little planning for a day excursion around June 10th, and might stop here if the water discharge at the dam at Taneycomo prevents wading for trout. What sort of fishing can I expect? I'll be armed with flyrods, spinning tackle, and could even sling some bait.

This is precisely the sort of thing I like to learn. for instance, the blue hole is new one as well. I once heard of a map or drawing they used to make of Bennet Spring and these very spots--the sort of thing you frame and put up on the wall as art. Wish they still made it.

I'll have to look for a sycamore. Whereabouts was it? The place definitely has evolved.

Thanks for that. I've actually been gathering bits and pieces of information about BSSP regarding things like that. Also looking at old photos, albeit online.

Can you explain what the rock hole is? I've not heard that name. Where exactly is that?

Absolutely will do on this. I use a life jacket on tailwaters as a precaution.

Great information. I'd seen those links, but wasn't sure how to read them. That nails it down in my mind.

Thank you for this. Your post got me investigating Taney's generation. That's a potential issue. One thing I'm not seeing is a way to tell if the generation is getting into the "too high to wade" category. Does anyone have a rule of thumb or a figure for that?

In June, I'll be at Bennett Spring over a long weekend, but anticipate a day excursion either to Taneycomo or Montauk/Current. It's about the same drive either way. I'll have to wade, and hope to fly fish, though I have spin tackle, too. Any thoughts? I've never been to either place.

I've read time and again people saying the classic Michigan trout experience is the hex hatch on the Ausable's "Holy Water" stretch. Crowds would be the issue of concern. Gates Lodge gets excellent press.

A thank you to all who gave insight on a couple of my threads. Hidden Valley Outfitters proved excellent. This advice served me well: As for the trip, the fishing Friday to Sunday was fair overall. Friday was good, Saturday fair, Sunday was terrible (only one fish, and two got away). I had a hard time establishing a pattern;A few on a crackleback on the surface, a few on a crackleback with a sink tip, a few on a John Deer, a few on a caddis, etc. Most of my fish came in zone two. I had to keep switching flies to get hook-ups, which is not unusual for me at BSSP. I was using 6x tippet. Again, many thanks.

That's a prudent way to handle something like that, Daryk. I had an example of this last summer directed to me on an out-of-state trip. We trolled by a guy who made statement in the way you suggest: "You're really not supposed to troll on this lake, so be careful about the game wardens." He was mistaken, as it turned out, but I appreciated the heads up that I might be fishing illegally. You're right. It can be confusing for people, especially if they got their information off the internet. I've seen websites say that zone 1 was fly only, zone 2 was flies and lures, but zone 3 was "all baits." Someone reading that might conclude that each zone got progressively looser on what was allowed, and they were allowing anything, flies included, in zone 3. The other parks also have areas where you can, in fact, throw anything, and that can't help. I don't know if you'd run into it much at Bennett, but I've fished in locales with a lot of immigrants before who might be struggling with the language or they're relying on their kids to interpret.

I happened to spot this in Weaver's fishing report and thought to pass it on. "Please remember, or in case you were not aware of it, zone two had some excavation done to it over the winter. Where you have been used to gradually working your way in to deeper water - there is a drop off. Several anglers have stumbled and fallen into the deep water. So Angler Beware !!"

I had not had a chance to look at this in awhile. I always had a good experience at Oak Hill, but that was a couple of years before it became the KOA. It was fine for me, and the owners (I recall they were named Bruce and Kathy), were always nice to me. We met a time or two to fish at the park. I can't speak at all about the KOA. I'd certainly be using Oak Hill if it were under the owners from my previous stays. I normally was the only person actually tent camping there, aside from an overnighter or two. They seemed to rely more on longer term residents.

Got the reel. An option I was not aware of. I will keep that one in mind. This is all helpful. thanks very much.

Stripping these on sinking lines is very productive. Is there any advantage to this or will a simple split shot work just as well. I'm trying to figure out if i want to invest in a new line. My use of cracklebacks at BSSP has been the old style--a fast strip as soon as it hits the water, or let it drift dry and then retrieve it back.

This is all very helpful. Many thanks! I'll admit to doing a lot of lurking of this site the last few years, all the while trying not to be jealous.

I'm thinking about camping in one of the private campgrounds near Bennett Spring in June, and it may be an issue getting reservations for the weekend. I used to camp at Oak Hill, but it's became a KOA a few years ago. I'm tent camping and camp alone. I'm hoping for a family atmosphere, reasonable quiet at night, and a clean bathroom/shower. Fishing available at the campground is nice but not necessary. Thanks for any help. I love Bennett Spring but have not been able to get there for several years.

I'll give that a look, too. All of this is telling me I have options. Hopefully, the schedule permits the trip.

This opens up options quite a bit. It might give me reason to purchase a kayak, too.

This is exactly what i want to know. Smallies would do the trick for me.

Not so concerned about wading per se, but want to be sure that there's some decent fishing if wading isn't possible. From what you and flysmallie say, it looks like there's be some options. All very helpful.

Thank you, Mr. Lilley. If the money is there for the boat rental, I'd come knocking at your door in an instant. Can anyone speak about this: someone with a spinning rod pitching spinners, jigs, plugs, etc. from the bank in the high water? I've done it many times in tailwaters for warmwater species, and rather enjoy fishing that way. If it works for trout, I'd do that.

I wouldn't mind taking a trip to Taneycomo this summer or fall, but I would not be able to rent a boat. If the generation takes the water level up, what are viable options for an angler with fly rod or with spin tackle? As far as set up, I'd be tent camping and could have a float tube tucked away. I wouldn't be averse to heading to some other nearby water and fishing for other species while waiting for water levels to drop. ( I'm presuming the float tube is not an option for the river but useable elsewhere).

I may be in the area the last week of July and was thinking of hitting the trout water. I'd be coming in late afternoon/early evening on a Sunday and maybe stay Monday night, too. How likely is it to find a campsite in a busy park like that without a reservation? I don't need electricity, just a place to pitch a tent.