Fly guy

I honestly haven't tried live bait. I don't know why but I don't use bait, I've always preferred artificials. I have caught crayfish just for fun but I always let them go.

Your right Al, fly fishing casts on smaller waters aren't near as far. Generally a 9-12 foot leader plus 5-30 feet of fly line depending on casting room and other factors. I don't generally cast from in the water though. Especially on Missouri's wild streams, I treat them like small NE brookie creeks. I am usually casting from my knees or behind any brushy cover. That has been my approach to smallmouth so far, to stay out of the water unless moving across a riffle to the next piece of dry ground. I will definitely try your approach casting from the riffles a bit farther back.

Thanks for the tips! I've honestly have been avoiding the larger rivers as I can't wade above my waist because of a medical device. I like the little piney near lane springs, the courtois and huzzah I have yet to fish, but plan to soon. There are a couple of creeks that are close to me and the bourbeuse that I've been frequenting.

I'm changing because I want to learn more. I started fly fishing at a young age after the standard zebco push button. Having a northern east coast father, we mainly chased trout. Being 40 years old I thought it would be nice to change things up. Learn some new techniques and presentations, as well as target fish I'm not used to targeting. I definitely plan on fishing some of my articulated and larger streamer patterns. I definitely agree with the baitfish and crayfish patterns being able to elicit some hits.

I feel out of my depth when targeting smallmouth. I've flyfished for trout for years with decent success. I've caught rainbows, brookies, browns, and cuts and had great days doing so. Not bragging just going off of fishing with friends and experiences across multiple states. Recently I've decided to change things up gear wise and target species wise. I've picked up a couple spinning rigs, an ultralight and an medium action rod and have begun stomping around some decently close (1 hour or so) rivers and creeks. Baitwise I've been throwing everything but the kitchen sink at them. Ned rigged craws and worms, rebel craws, jerk baits, worms rigged everyway possible, poppers of every variety, frogs, square bills, and a few different spinner baits. Yet, to date the only smallie I've ever hooked up with was on the meramec downstream from the cardiac access while nymphing for trout and that was 10+ years ago. I will give that I am restricted to wade fishing as I don't own a boat of any variety. However, I've learned from waters like Mill creek, Crane creek, and Blue Springs creek to stay out of the water as much as possible and give the pool a few minutes before casting at a prospective fish. I'll see fish feeding and cruising as I did the other day, yet am as adept as a one legged man in an butt kicking contest at enticing them to strike. All this to say, what else can I add to my arsenal or change when targeting these fish? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Interesting I'll give it a go. My father was big into lures and artificials so I never fished worms and transitioned to a fly rod pretty quick as I can't cast a bait caster or spinning rig worth a darn.

So lately I've been trying to nymph more without an indicator and I find that with a good flow of water it works well. The issue I find is when fish are holding in the frog water behind a rootwad or other obstructions my nymphs do not move unless I suspend them via the use of an indicator. Do any of you fellas have any tips for fishing slower water and seams without the use of an indicator?

I've always seen some but never that many at one time.

Nice appreciate the response. Was thinking about fishing below montauk but figured it'd be chocolate milk so figured I would head towards the base.

I went to check it out in the winter didn't fish just took the dog to hike around. Anyway there were black snails covering the entire stream bottom everywhere upstream of the N bridge is that still the case?

Hey fellas, recently moved back to missouri after traveling for work the last 2+ years. I am wondering if anyone who lives near lane springs can say if it's blown out or not. Been itching to fish since I've been back but levels of everything trouty within 2 to 3 hours of stl have been nuts lately.

Jdixon has a good point a lot of the trails upstream are faint and full of thorns and brambles if you can call them trails, it can be very simple for one to get turned around. Either way there is good fishing.

I usually fish Baptist up to tan vat. The parking is better at Baptist. Tan vat can fill up quick on the busy weekends. You can wade up to tan vat take lunch and wade back down in a day and not be rushed. Make sure you bring some midge patterns juju baetis and zebra are what I tie for the area usually red, black, grey, tan, and olive.

Are you wanting to float or wade? Yes you will need a trout tag.

Been searching online and a few books I have on stones and caddis no luck. As I said there were little clouds of them bright white moth like flying making circular patterns and such just above the waters surface. The back end of the wings do not widen out like a caddis fly though. Also when you flipped them over their body's were tan fading to olive at the butt end, funky little things. Fish loved them but wouldn't touch an x-caddis or ehc.