hank franklin

There's no forum for the Saint Francis or Big Creek so I thought I'd post this here: What is an adequate floating level for Big Creek? I want to do a short float from Highway N to the park. Today the gage is rising, 1.74 feet and 108 cfs. Is this enough water? Also, is Highway N to the Park a good option? I have my own boat. Thanks.....

Thanks for the advice. I've seen Old Towns at outfitters with big patches on the hulls, it looks almost like a wax but it's hard. Anybody know what that stuff is and where I might find it, or find someone who can do it?

Chris, can you give an indication of when the river is floatable from Sutton Bluff down to Centreville, and then Lesterville? I'd like to do that stretch but am unsure of floating levels. Also, have you been on the river above Sutton Bluff? Is it floatable above there? Thanks for any help.

A jet boat on the Courtois? That's pretty bad. I've floated the Huzzah numerous times but on Friday I didn't see one boat, not even one person, between Hwy 8 and Scotia. Incredible, really. I've never been on the Huzzah where I didn't see at least one boat, winter floats included. I'm not complaining.

Thanks a lot. Yes, the fiberglass patch has cracked off entirely. It actually held up most of the season last year but cracked up first time out this year. I haven't used an epoxy yet, think I'll try it.

Hello, I got an old 17 foot Coleman canoe that has a hole on the bottom. I tried to use fiberglass patch but to no avail. I'd like to find someone that can give it a long-term patch. Problem is the hole is on the very center bottom of the boat, which gets as much pressure and wear as anyplace else. It's a keel canoe too and the hole is on the keel, futher complicating matters Anybody know where to get such a patch done? The patch I'm thinking of is similar to patches I've seen on Old Towns at outfitters. Anybody that can either do the patch or tell me a foolproof way to do it myself would be VERY appreciated. I can send photos, etc. if you need more info. Lemme know.... Hank

Hello, I got an old 17 foot Coleman canoe that has a hole on the bottom. I tried to use fiberglass patch but to no avail. I'd like to find someone that can give it a long-term patch. Problem is the hole is on the very center bottom of the boat, which gets as much pressure and wear as anyplace else. It's a keel canoe too and the hole is on the keel, futher complicating matters Anybody know where to get such a patch done? The patch I'm thinking of is similar to patches I've seen on Old Towns at outfitters. Anybody that can either do the patch or tell me a foolproof way to do it myself would be VERY appreciated. I can send photos, etc. if you need more info. Lemme know.... Hank

Al, I just came back from an overnight last night, Highway 8 to Scotia. Limited fishing as I was with my little boy but had some hot action for a spell in late afternoon. Smallies were on the attack. Fish were very quiet this morning however. We had a loaded canoe so I would've liked just a bit more water but everything else was fine. Wonderful night last night. Brown's told me they put in a few canoes last night for a midnight float. Never done such a thing but last night was bright. We were joking around the campfire that we needed to put on moonscreen.

I imagine it's okay to float Highway 8 down, but probably pretty low. Anybody been there recently?

Harvey's did a great shuttle for us this spring too. Steve, did that $100 include the canoe? Regarding folks getting in late, I was on the Huzzah last year and had just gotten in my tent when I hear some yelling coming down the valley. It gets a little closer so I decide I better get out and have a look-see. I get out and here comes four or five people walking down the gravel bar, with another walking the raft in the water. A couple of 'em come up to me and ask how far to the take-out. Just around the bend, I tell them. They were teenagers or thereabouts. I'm thinking what-the? and scrounge my watch outta the dry bag. IT WAS 12:10 A.M.!!!!!

I wonder why the MDC blows off mountain lion reports. I didn't call until I found the tracks. I took photos of the tracks, offered to send the photos. They didn't even want that.

I don't see that we'd have any interest in "protecting" mountain lions. I don't want one in my woods.

Here's a link to a story in today's STL PD about mountain lions. Story I've seen one in Franklin County, near New Haven. We later found tracks that seemed to prove it pretty definitively. I called MDC and they didn't investigate. I wonder what y'all think about this.

I heard the upper section (Prongs to Alley) doesn't get heavy use in the summer, generally due to inconsistent flows and lack of outfitters on the upper river. If water is favorable in May and we put in at Prongs, you're saying we'll be in an armada?

Hey, nice report. Where did you put in? What was the little one catching smallmouth on? We floated the Jacks a week earlier and got skunked. No flowering trees either.

Floated from the Prongs to Bay Creek 3-24 to 3-26. Gage height 2.04, 151 cfs on Thursday, dropped to app. 1.8 and 138 by Sunday. River was flowing nicely even in upper stretches, though a little less flow would have made for some dragging and tight spots. No problems at all getting through with a loaded canoe however. River was spectacular, fishing was basically non-existent. Didn't hear any owls at night which seemed unusual. Otters, a bobcat, myriad turkey vultures (no eagles) and many other critters in the area. Numerous kingfishers. A few great blue herons in upper section. No green herons at all. Some wood ducks in lower sections. Kingfishers appeared abundant. Saw a few smallmouth but caught only one. Oh well. River very quiet, cold at night, frost everywhere. etc...

Nice report. Used to float that stretch quite a bit. The gravel bar at the Dry Fork Creek confluence is one of my favorite spots. Always catch fish in and around there. Caught a huge smallmouth one year in that long straight stretch just below where the spring enters. We've never had much luck beyond Cardiac, either for trout or smallmouth. Section just above Scott's in particular has always kind of dragged. Still a great float though....

As I understand it, the reason for selling is to generate money for rural schools. This point alone is weak at best. Who funds Missouri schools? The state of Missouri. Some federal money flows into districts but mostly it's targeted at special ed and technology. A true and lasting rural school funding initiative should come through the state, NOT the feds. Secondly, what kind of market value are we talking? Those of you living near MTNF areas know better, but we're probably not talking a lot. $2,500 per acre? That's probably the high side for so-called "isolated" parcels. 10,000 acres at $2,500 per gets you $25 million. That's chickenfeed in Missouri education spending. And it's ONE-TIME money. When it's gone, it's gone. Third, this idea that the land would be redeveloped and start generating tax revenue sounds like total BS. What, so we're gonna start seeing subdivisions and Wal-Marts sprout up on these "isolated" parcels? Crazy. The tax benefit in the great majority of cases would be negligible. Taxes on undeveloped land in the Missouri Ozarks in most cases is probably a few bucks an acre (if that). Again, I don't know the details but this thing on the surface smells like a big bad wolf in pretty little sheep's clothing. Good to hear the Mo congressional delegation is calling BS on it.

Thanks Al. It's a little less than 200 cfs today. This weekend looks nasty so we're postponing until maybe next weekend. We'd like to do a little fishing but mainly we're looking for a good ride. Looks like rain early next week might get the river pumping. If you don't mind, what's a good floating guide for Big Creek? We're going down there late April. I think the concessionaire down there (forget his name, Mike ___?) said 2.0 feet or better. I checked the streamflow page and there's no cfs data for Big Creek today. I also wonder about Sinkin Creek. Ever been on it? We'd love to get on the JF. Run some grubs or jigs deep in the pools, maybe a Wiggle Wart, gurgle a little topwater in the evening. We've never been particularly good at catching early season bass, but the ones we've caught often have been rather big. We only caught a few fish in spring '97, but one in particular was a beautiful 18-incher. Last year we floated the Niangua this exact time of year and I only caught one smallmouth, but it was a fat 15-incher.

Hey Al, (and anyone else), What would be a good floating level for the JF? The Mountain View gage is at about 2.9 feet today. We're looking at floating the Prongs down to Bay Creek or Alley. I've been on the JF only once, in spring '97, and it was the most beautiful float I've ever been on. If we get down there again I'll write a report on it.

Thanks. We're looking at an April trip. Maybe we'll hook up. Sneaky Pete's is still my standard. I like to throw poppers on top and streamers, minnows, etc. subsurface. I've never been on the North Fork. I assume we wouldn't be crowded on an April weekend, huh?

Brian, A friend recommended the North Fork for fly fishing for smallmouth. I enjoy fly fishing but it's tough to float fish with a fly rod on most smallmouth rivers. A friend said the North Fork is perfect for smallmouth fly-rodding. I assume we'd float above the trout area, does ROLF service this? Any input would be appreciated. Hank

Thanks Gavin. One thing that's surprising to me is the lack of high quality info on the Ozark NSR. The NPS website doesn't even have regulations (at least that I could find.) I know there's no glass but have heard there's a new reg that all coolers must latch. The NPS site is silent on any of this. The PDF map there is great but lacks detail that serious stream anglers need. Parker isn't even shown on that map! I really don't get it. I suppose I could call someone but we know that can be unreliable as well.

Just a little update, we ended up going from Cedargrove to Akers. No problem floating in that stretch, though river was definitely low. Abundant sunshine made the fish spooky, but a few managed to get hooked regardless. Want to try Baptist to Parker next. Can you park overnight at Parker?

6.5 miles in 5 days, yr my kind of floater. Maybe we'll get up on the upper stretch anyway.