Fly guy

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.

Caught it flying. Large numbers of them too.

I was out on the meramec over the weekend and saw quite a few of these flies. I am wondering if this is a caddis, as all the caddis I have come across have been tan or brown in color not bright white like this fly. Sorry about the picture quality. https://www.dropbox.com/s/gp6botrr56znjlh/20141018_175617.jpg?dl=0

So I decided instead of fishing bsc yesterday to hit up cardiac to suicide on the meramec. Bad idea, I did manage to catch one fish on a streamer early in the day, after that it became the tour of the power boats between suicide all the way up to the springs. I saw a total of five power boats on the river yesterday with three of them being pretty decent people. The other two are the reason I hate powered boats being allowed above suicide. The first was some guy who thought he was gods gift to the river as he tore up and down the river between dry fork and cardiac three times just to dip a bucket in the water. The other one was even more annoying, he decided his boat was perfect for getting him above the piles and when I came across him he was leaving hitting every tree along the way and then he fouled his prop on the bottom in a particularly shallow area and then grabbed his oar to continue on from there. Hilarious as it was I had just come up on a hole that had quite a few fish in it and after he bounced his boat off the tree in the hole those fish took off. Just really frustrating.

Thanks for the heads up fellas and my apologies to joeD, I'll remember to take his posts with a grain of salt from here on out.

darn, my bad Lancer. Always so hard to gauge humor from the typed word.

I don't understand why you seem so upset by some one saying if the creek is blown out or not. I have fished this Creek a lot but it is a bit of a drive for me and as someone had asked the question of if the creek was blown out, I was wondering the same so I posted as much so I don't waste time driving to a blown out Creek on my only day off. I know and understand that this is a small and fragile fishery and have never and would never keep our harm a fish from this area so relax man.

I was also thinking about hitting up bsc this weekend. any news on it being blown out or not?

I like to fish the meramec red ribbon area usually you are by yourself, or maybe only one other angler you run into. I was thinking about fishing it tomorrow but if they're gigging I will head elsewhere.

I always see a good mix of Browns and bows where I fish. I do tend to hike a couple miles downstream then fish back up though.

Check this out Justin. http://www.rioproducts.com/blog/locating-stillwater-troutcomfort-factors-by-phil-rowley/ I know a lot of people follow the 68-70 degree rule, but i have always felt for the wild reproducing rainbows it's better to lay off of them a little sooner. Plus I figured a little less of a drive and fishing for a new species would be a lot of fun.

That's exactly what i meant al something a little closer until the weather cools down. When I was at bsc Friday the water temp was 65 degrees, getting a bit warm to be putting that much stress on those fish I think.

Well I appreciate the reply I guess I'll just have to keep driving.

Thanks man, all I have seen of the meramec seems like you need a canoe or are there wadeable areas near saint louis as well?

Since my favorite trout waters seem to be getting warmer, I was thinking about chasing some smallmouth on the fly. Most of the streams and rivers I read about online are a bit of a haul since I won't be going after trout. I am wondering if anyone knows of any decent smallmouth streams under an hour from saint louis. I am not asking for your favorite holes or sweet spot just a place I can wade and catch and release a few fish.

Started the day out at Blue Springs creek. Hooked one decent twelve inch trout on a olive bugger but he spat the hook a few inches in front of my net. Super disappointing. Other than that saw no other trout in those waters lots of rv campers swimming up and down the creek though. So I headed to tan vat for the afternoon I fished from 3-6pm and caught three fish 10-13" range all on x-caddis. The wind got really strong and then rain began, the fish stopped rising so I headed home, not a bad day. Sorry no pictures with this report.