Brian Wise

I catch you, I just kind of forget to include any spin fishing in the reports because I really don't feel I have a great grasp on what the fish are doing as far as spin fishing goes. Generally, crawfish crankbaits, spinners, and some spoons are going to do good for you. The "regulars" will catch fish...period. Watch the regulations though, no soft plastics or bait from Rainbow Spring to Patrick bridge. Brian

Greg, Sounds like you guys had a good time, good to hear. As far as the "norm" for Rim, you pretty much hit it. Don't get me wrong there are some big fish there but a lot of the time you can catch a ton of stocker to a little bigger than stocker sized fish. There are times when you will almost catch 1 to 1 Cut to Rainbow and then other times you won't hook a cut...go figure. When are you going to come over and fish the NFOW with me? Brian

Hey all, The rains that came through last weekend (April 1st) brought the river up another 100 cfs, it is now running 665 CFS. Still good water for fishing.... Golden stones in the lower Blue Ribbon have been doing really well along with Red Fox Squirrel Nymphs. Streamers are doing fairly well if they are deep enough, ideally having two rods one with a sink tip and the other with floating line is the best bet right now. Caddis are still coming off in waves in the mornings and afternoons and soft hackles and Cracklebacks are catching fish fairly well. EHC along with small Stimulators are doing well during the hatch. Brian

Those are great! I swear I saw the one going over the tree in the Missouri Conservationist Magazine.... Brian

Hey Steve, You drift a low-pro don't you?? I'd say either way it would be a squeeze, but it is dropping steadily and within probably a week you could easily get through. The upper part is fishing better than say from "Old House Riffle" down to Blair, but the good Caddis hatches are down below "Old House" mainly so it works out. Brian

See, that's what I want to hear! Good to hear you had a good time, glad someone got into them on streamers. Brian

Hey guys, The NFOW is still running in the high 500 cfs, with a great green color. Immediately with the higher water I was thinking streamers, streamers, streamers.....not so much it turns out. We started off throwing woolies and mohairs, nothing in 1 prime fishing spot so we switched. Went to one person throwing the regular set-up, nymphing super deep with a stone and a dropper, the other swinging a Crackleback since there was some bug activity. Swinging the Crackleback got little results with the swing only so I had him nymph into a smooth swing...instant hook ups. Nymphing was picking off a fish here and there so we kept that up and used the swing at the end of the drift, worked great. In the afternoon we ran into a spot that was loaded with fish that were working on a decent little caddis hatch. Most of the fish still were not taking anything from the surface but were working hard just under the surface. Did catch a couple small ones on a dry, only for the reason that neither one of these guys had EVER touched a fly rod and I thought they really needed to experience a surface take...they liked it. Swinging Cracklebacks was producing great sized fish in a spot were we usually don't stick that many good fish, one of the guys hit at least 3 18"+ fish. Basically if you hit the NFOW very soon don't go without Cracklebacks, Teal Princes, and RFSN's. Brian

Fast moving low water too Dano, they work great. My #1 fly at Wildcat....#12 TC. Brian

I use the small on everything smaller than a #14, my 12's I use the Med.....yes I use 12's I honestly wish there was a size in-between the small and medium or at least something just a touch wider than the small. Brian

I couldn't agree with you more! It is really something when you can float the Bryant on 4th of July weekend and maybe see 5 other canoes all day......nice. Brian

How many people are you wanting to row? Brian

I've used Grey with kind of a pinkish vinyl rib(it's more clear than pink though), looks good, fishes good too. Haven't tried the olive....need to. Brian

Millers is the gas station, honestly I doubt they would shuttle you though. Cooks is 5 minutes from my house and my in-laws live about 3/4 of a mile from the access.....it's nice. My family homesteaded the land at the turn right before you go down the hill to the river (the house with the log siding), unfortunately it was sold years ago. There is also another access upstream at the end of a dirt road that most people don't know about (I'm sure Riverside would know though.) It's about time some outfitters are covering the Bryant, for a while NO ONE was. Twin Bridges is covering the upper part of the Bryant. If you put in at Cooks paddle upstream to the first big, long hole and make sure to fish where the little creek comes into the river just below it. I have stood at the feeder creek and caught a walleye on the first cast, 4lb smallmouth the next cast, and a little white bass on the next. Small rebel craw crankbait. Brian

I'll keep an eye out for it Lizard.... Brian

Good to see you again too Dano. Parker was getting pretty ready to go home or I would have talked to you more The rod Dorber had in the case was a really nice looking rod, wood handle and so on. Don't know if I would want a wood handle to fish with but it sure did look perty. Brian

Good to hear you had a good trip. Did you stick any of the big ones? Brian

Great to meet you Leonard! You already have me tying the 'roo bug!! Thanks Man... Had a good time too. Coolest thing, casting a Harry Boyd 'boo 100+ feet...I've definitely never done that before!! Didn't get a chance to cast the Dorber rods, but did check them out and they are pretty nice. Brian

I got ya. Makes sense to me too, like SKMO said the grabbing could easily take it's toll. To tell you the truth I have never fished the Bryant after dark....plan to though, but now not for Walleye. Brian

Tim, I have never heard that, might be something to check into though. I have been checked on the Bryant with a limit of Walleye though. Wayne, I forgot to mention Hybrids, most of the time they are more fun to catch than the Stripers themselves....better fight. Brian

Michael, Thanks, you guys have a great club and you meet at the perfect spot. How is the Conservation Center after the storm?? For the walleye and Stripers, when the walleye run up from the Norfork lake they have a couple of different options to pick from at the headwaters. The North Fork of the White usually has a pretty decent run of walleye as does the Bryant. This run can be anywhere from late January to the middle of March it seems, the later in the year they make it up there it usually means the fewer the numbers though. The white bass usually run anywhere from early March to late April, I have seen them run as early as mid February and well in to May though. All of this is mostly dependent on water, if the water is down real low the fish don't have to go as far to find moving water because the head waters of the lake are moving enough for the "spawn." It seems the White bass are as weather oriented as they are water oriented, if you see a few days (and nights) that are really warm you can usually count of catching some whites, if you see a few days that are warm and there is water a lot of the times you can REALLY get into them. The stripers are usually just ahead of the White bass but they are really the harder to judge than the walleye or the whites (for some people....including me .) There used to be a pretty good population of walleye that were in the Bryant year-round. It seems like in the last couple years those numbers have dropped though, probably lower water and a hard temperature rise in the river during the summer would be my guess. The Bryant is really cool, name a fish in the lake....you'll catch it in the Bryant, smallmouth, largemouth, kentucky, crappie, catfish, white bass, stripers, walleye, and all the bluegill you can catch! Brian

lilley, We have caught little stripers as far up as Douglas county on the Bryant, crazy. A lot of the time the Walleye and a few White make their runs up and stay in the river for the summer. Brian

Hey all, Just thought I would let you know some Walleye are being caught in the lower Bryant (close to the lake.) With the rain that is coming through hopefully the White won't be far behind and they will move up into the Bryant too along with hopefully some stripers. Brian

I'll be speaking to the SWMFF's tonite...Topic, North Fork of the White River. Thought surely someone on the board may be in the club so if there are any come up and introduce yourself. Brian

I suppose you only have to register for the classes correct. Did he say anything about registering for the casting games?? Brian

It was at Springvalley Trout Ranch here in Ozark County, kind of like Rockbridge (if you are familiar with them) but a lot less "commercial" and Springvalley has bigger fish. Brian