Johnsfolly

As part of trying to catch a trout in each trout stream in MO, I fished Hickory Creek on Sat the 30th. I was fishing the park and was using a 1/64 oz tan marabou jig. I caught three goggle-eye and lost a rainbow. With this being a White ribbon stream, I had no idea how many hold over fish would be in the stream. So I hoped that this would not be my last chance at a trout. I found a couple more in the hole below the walking bridge. I fished those fish hard throwing a lot of different lures at them without any interest. I finally threw out a trout magnet microjig with a cotton candy colored body. The fish moved toward the jig and I set the hook when It looked like the fish took the bait. Instead I foul hooked the fish. As I was fighting the fish, a good sized snapping turtle took an interest in the fish as well. I had to get in the water and stood off the turtle to be able to land the fish. I didn't catch another trout. I did catch several more fish on a white 1/132 oz white micro jig. The catch of the day was an 8" 1/2 lb goldfish. That was a first for me. I had to share the picture of the Hickory Creek gold.

I found a car key in the Wire road parking lot on Crane creek on Friday. reply to this post if this is your key and we will find a way to get you your key back to you as soon as possible.

I went back out to Crane Creek on Friday the 29th to seek redemption for the two lost rainbows from my last visit in March. I was again using my spinning rod with 2 lb fluoroclear P-line. With the tight quarters on this small wild trout stream, I was not comfortable with my fly casting ability to accurately present a fly to these spooky fish. With the fish being so spooky, I was in full head to toe camo. I wanted to get more distance on the small flies, that I went with a #10 hopper dry fly and a #14 copper john nymph dropper. Through the high weeds I could see several trout with a couple that were >12" in length. I got one hit and broke of the nymph. I made a cast with just the hopper and had a big trout bust the fly. I had to fight the fish and keep the rod and line out of the weeds. Since I was on a high bank, I had to keep the rod up and slide down to the water. I was able to keep the pressure on the fish and landed my first McCloud river rainbow. The fish measured just over 13" in length. I took the picture as I started to revive the fish. Since I may be back to Crane to fish for these wild fish, I won't say what hole I was fishing. Here is a picture and if you fish this stream you might recognize it. I was successful with the hopper dropper combo later on down stream and caught a 5" rainbow. I finally ended up at the hole where I lost a big fish on my last visit. Without any weeds along the bank, I set up a trout blind that I knelt behind to make my casts (talk about being sneaky). I caught a 6" rainbow on a 1/132 oz white micro jig that still had some parr marks. Unfortunately the picture didn't do the fishes coloration any real justice. this was a trip of redemption and it was successful with fish in the net. This is such a wonderful resource that even without catching a fish it would be a successful trip.

That's a great first smallmouth. In Missouri you won't catch many as large or larger than that one. You should be hooked from this point forward. I enjoy catching river smallmouth over largemouth. They fight harder, jump more, and tend to be much mroe aggressive, at least in the rivers and creeks I fish frequently.

Thanks for th advise. I'll let you know how I do.

2Sheds - Nice fish. The reason I've asked about the hopper bite is that I'm thinking about using a hopper fly with a nymph dropper. As spooky as they were the last time I fished it, I want to use something more "natural" as an indicator. i may try to get back down there the 28th or 29th of Aug.

Oneshot, I fished below the B Springs CA access back in the middle of July and had no luck on trout. I had a couple of followers, but no takers. Once the outfitters dumped off their canoes, I went into the trout park. Nothing more recent than that.

I have only fished the Meramec a couple of times and had much more success about eight years ago with browns. I wonder if part of the issue is less structure for the brown trout to relate to like deep bluff holes. I have always found brown trout and especially big browns in areas where they find shelter, e.g., lots of wood, boulders, undercuts, to hole up during the day. I have seen several good holes on the Current river that held big browns in the past that have been covered up with sand and silt. I don't even bother fishing some of the "holes" anymore, because there just aren't fish there. Since I don't fish this river enough, I can't say that is part of what is going on with the fewer number of brown trout. i will be interested to see if the additional stockings will help the population.

I agree with the ideas you presented about trophy fish. Since last fall I have been trying to catch a trout in each recognized Missouri trout stream and I have already crossed off Blue Springs, Mill Creek, Spring Creek, Little Piney, and now Barren Fork for wild stream bred trout. I started trout fishing in Missouri on the Current river before it became a blue ribbon stream and when it was stocked a lot more than it is today. I got to a point that if I didn't catch a dozen brown trout with one over 15", it was a bad day. After fishing these wild trout streams, I definitely have changed my perspective on the idea of a trophy trout and a quality day on the water. I'm happy if I don't lose more than $15 in tackle and I'm able to come in contact with at least one trout and even more so if I land it. These streams are special places. I don't know how many I will get back to fish again, but all will be remembered.

Being 48 and well out of shape I concur about taking along a buddy. I love the parr marks on your trout. If you end up going back down to that section of stream, the hole that I was fishing was 100 to 175 yards downstream of the undercut tree you have pictured. There was an "S" curve in the stream and I was fishing in the middle of the "S". As I mentioned I waited several minutes before making a cast after I got into the water and I hooked into fish both downstream and upstream of my position.

Tha bass is a pig. Congrats on that one Mitch.

Looks like you had a great time. Were you using just white or mostly white globalls?

Nice fish. Good luck to everyone going out soon. I have yet to land an honest 18+" smallie in Missouri. Been stuck on 17.75" as a Missouri best (see picture of last 17.75"). I don't have a boat. So I'm stuck wade fishing most places and I don't hit the bigger rivers.

I agree that it is ridiculus to try for the hero shot by holding the fish out so far that it's impossibly large. Look at this trophy brook trout I caught in Wyoming. It took both hands to hold that one up.

If you look at the MDC map of the trout area for Barren Fork creek, I parked on CC at the bend just above the Rt CC identification on that map. There was old logging activity that left some trail like openings going about 3/4 of the way down to the creek. I really can't call it a trail, but enough openings to be able to piece a route along deer trails and the logging areas to find your way out. I did hit a dry creek that went into Barren fork and used that as a guide on where to go back into the woods. Good luck if you get out that way.

It took almost ten minutes to land that fish. It kept dogging for the brush. I have had some of the best fighting fish on the wild trout streams lately.

Ollie - Nice fish. Here are a couple of brown trout that I caught in Capp's creek back in the middle of April. I missed a giant (>20 inches) brown and lost another big brown on that same day. I fished through driving rain at times and lost a fair amount of tackle to the overhanging brush. All in all a good day.

I'm trying to catch a trout in all of the MDC recognized trout waters. I fished Crane back in Feb with a lot of luck catching pickerel and minnows, but I broke off two trout with one of them being at least 14 inches in length (see the picture of the hole where I lost it). So this creek haunts me. I live in Columbia and have yet to return for another try. Does Crane get a good hopper or terrestrial bite in the summer? I have seen firsthand how spooky these trout can be and want to try with a dry and a nymph dropper if possible. I fished the upper end of the MDC CA. Would there be any better spots further down stream that would hold some deeper/cooler water?

See my post about my trip to Barren Fork Creek back in June

Corb90 - I only fished Blue Springs once and that was back in January. I spooked at least three trout above Blue Springs road and lost a lot of tackle to the brushpiles and trees along the creek. I did finally catch a 13 inch male rainbow using a 1/16 oz white jig in a pool above a beaver dam on the stream before it crosses back under Route N.

I went out Saturday June 14 to try out fishing Barren Fork Creek in Shannon County. I began fishing on Sunklands CA just above the confluence of Barren Fork and Sinking Creeks. The creek was flowing well and clear. I was fishing spin tackle with 2 lb P-Line fluoroclear line. I caught several long-eared sunfish on 1/132 oz white microjigs. I also caught several dace and chubs on cinnamon and black/olive 1/64 oz jigs. I only saw one trout that I spooked before getting to the border of the public property. I fished the deep bluff hole back above the confluence and caught a nice smallmouth on the black/olive jig. Looking over the MDC map for Barren Fork creek, I felt that it was likely that more fishermen would fish just below Twin Springs off Route A. So I opted to take the half mile hike from a pull off on Route CC and down to the creek just below Roaring spring. I fished a couple of undercut holes with the microjigs and an olive mohair leech without success. I found a deeper run with approximately two and a half feet of water depth between a cedar tree and another downed log. I slid down the bank and sat for a couple of minutes and then eased into the water between that run and a hard turn in the creek downstream. I waited at least eight to ten minutes to let the fish acclimate to my presence before making a cast. I had switched to a #16 grey Gold ribbed Hare’s Ear nymph fished about 18 to 20 inches below a small yellow float and a tiny split shot just 4 inches above the nymph. I fished initially downstream below the run and had a rainbow hitting my float. As the fish circled around the float, I moved the float slightly upstream. That slight movement caused the nymph to come off of the bottom and the trout hit it. Unfortunately, I had my drag set too tight and the trout broke off as it ran towards the bluff rock at the bend of the creek. I retied on another fly and cast into the run upstream from my position. After the first drift, two trout came towards me from above the run. I was able to cast just above them without spooking the fish and one turned and bit the fly. The fish fought both upstream and downstream trying to get into the brush to knock out the fly. I was able to land this 15 inch wild rainbow. I didn’t think that I would be able to top that fight, so took the long hike back up the ridge to the car. I had a great day.