Buzz

I am sort of new to fly fishing for smallmouth too, although I have caught several fish in the 14 to 15" range, I haven't noticed any problem with my 5 Wt in setting the hook, fighting, and landing the average size for our neighborhood. If I were to start targeting the largemouth that frequent our streams I would have to go with a 7 wt. most likely. The only difference that I can speak to is the ability to throw the bigger heavier bugs. That can and is a challenge with a 5 wt., to say the least.

I can't speak for the Niangua or the Current, but I can speak about Capps. There IS a population of "Streamborn"( I think that is the currently accepted term)trout in Capps. It may be a small population, but it is there. Over the last 2 years, I have witnessed being caught and caught myself several parr marked fish that are not of the MDC stocking variety. In the last few months I have caught at least 6 small fish that I believe to be wild. The local MDC biologist says that they don't reproduce in this creek, but I have to disagree. What is different? I don't have a clue, but if enough fish are stocked for enough years they will find a way to reproduce. I strongly believe that if they are given time and space they will do exactly what they are supposed to do, reproduce. Back in September I called the same biologist to tell him that I had been catching a lot of small trout from another White Ribbon stream and he said that they were going to survey this particular stream in a few days. Guess what? After the survey he told me that out of the 40 trout they found 17 were apparently not stocked fish ( several small parr marked fish were shocked up). He swears that they do not put fish in the stream that are smaller than 11 or 12 inches in length. When I asked if we might have a thriving population of streamborn trout he finally said that it was possible. Bottom line is, if these fish are given enough space and time they will reproduce. Don't forget the fact that some of these steams have been quoted as being "TOILETS". If there is enough of a documented wild population, I think that a Blue Ribbon section should be awarded to these streams. JMEO

Are any of these available to watch online?

Nice fish Jeremy. That brownie is a pig. I was wondering just today if they might be biting. Glad you got into some action. When I got home today at about 3:30 I heard some shooting coming from the direction of the creek. Mostly it was just BANG,BANG,BANG. Then I heard them rip off a long full auto burst. I seriously thought about making a call, but I wasn't sure exactly where it was coming from.If it had been any closer I probably would have. I'm glad you guys made it through alright.

Happy Birthday Cricket.

I have to say that it has been entertaining watching those threads. Since I am not a dolt I didn't vote. I'll keep watching this thread too.

Probably that one guy you told me about the last time we spoke about it.

Good for you TH. It certainly is a thrill to catch a wild rainbow. My first was at Crane creek. I have been catching a lot of small parr marked rainbows in a couple of streams and you would not believe how difficult is to get people to believe that they could be wild or streamborn ( your choice). I personally believe they are wild and are reproducing very well.

That sounds good. I may not have time to get back over there until New Years eve or day.

I saw your truck yesterday when I was heading home. I haven't fished that lower section for quite a few weeks and the last time I did fish it I only caught 2 fish. It does seem like they may have been taken out of there. I've had better luck up by the ballfields the last few times I've gone though.

I'm not sure what time of day you plan on fishing Capp's so I'll just tell you how I do it. I usually get there early and fish around the mill. Up above the old steel bridge and down past the new bridge. Depending on how recent the stocking is you can waste a good amount of time just fishing these areas. Usually before noon I'll head down to lower section. You'll find it to be much wilder. I usually head upstream from there and just start working the water until I find the fish. There are a lot of nice fast water runs and a few slower holes that usually hold fish. I hope this helps you out. Please post a report about your trip. Here's a map of the creek if you don't have one. Capps Creek map.pdf

TWICE Only twice, once in the Spring and once in the Fall. Although they were both costly from an equipment standpoint. I have never dumped a canoe in the winter though. I'll take the canoe and, like someone said earlier, get out and wade the best looking spots. I'll have to say that most of my better fish are caught while wading.

I still have no idea how the fish I caught got into Hickory. It was way too big to have grown up there. We had a lot of big rains the months before I caught him, so I'm guessing it washed out of someones private pond or spring. The thing about this fish is that it was caught way upstream from Shoal Creek, assuming it was an escapee that was washed into Shoal, and quite a ways downstream from the next possible location it could have come from. Hard to figure out how it got in there, unless someone put it into the mill pond and it washed down from there. I'll be keeping an eye out for more. Come down if you have time and we can hit Capps.

My last rod was 8'6" and my current rod is 9'. I haven't really noticed any difference between the two. Rollcasts are a must on the creeks I fish and 6" doesn't seem to make any difference. I think the right fly line is the key.

There is a hatchery near Ava, Mo that raises them. They are mostly for private stockings of ponds and streams. The Neosho biologist thinks it may have gotten out of someplace like that, but it had to travel upstream quite a ways to make it to where it was caught. Kansas stocks them in a trout pit near Columbus and the White River got some last year.

That's the one I go with.

I'll take Uncle Ted and any number of good old classic rock bands to get me to the river.

Great report Tim. Thanks.

Excellent slideshow. Thanks.

Or the multitude of White Ribbon streams.

Hickory Creek runs through Neosho.

Good to know. Maybe this cold weather will keep a lot of people from tromping through the redds.

CRAZY.... I bet they make really good money though. I think I would have a parachute on,just in case.

I caught a 29" Northern Pike while trolling Stockton Lake in 1970 when I was 7. Pretty cool. A 25 inch 8 lb. Golden Rainbow from Hickory Creek about 4 years ago. Very strange.

I fish a lot of midges so I use an indicator most of the time. I'll strip a few streamers now and then, but I tend to do better on the midges fished along the bottom. I'll try to remember to let you know when they stock again. If you decide to go let me know and I can tell you a few places that always hold fish.