UAK squirrelpie

Went to the lower Little Piney White Ribbon area today. I parked at the USFS parking lot about 1.5 miles downstream from Milldam Hollow and saw something interesting. It looks like someone took one of the signs from upstream in the Blue Ribbon area and put it down here. I know for a fact it wasn't here the last time I was at this access. Just to give them the benefit of the doubt I checked the regulations (including the new 2010 additions) and the boundary for the white ribbon zone is still Milldam Hollow. Must've been some militant vigilante fly fisherman, ha ha ha. Here's a legit sign closer to the stream that must've been too high for the dope-fiend to reach.

do yourself a favor and get a lawyer if you haven't already. 1st degree trespass is a class B misdemeanor which means it's a criminal offense and unlike a minor traffic citation it will show up on a criminal background check if you're convicted.

here's the low down. Mill creek that time of year is going to be very small and the fish are going to be very small too, largely. There is a picnic area here (click) you can park at to fish. Note that the picnic area was CLOSED TO CAMPING years ago. Then there is a MDC (Missouri Department of Conservation) access here (click). Note that this a "new" access and that's why you can't see it on the satellite photo, again no camping is permitted here I think. Then farther up there is a MTNF (Mark Twain National Forest) CAMP SITE. It is here (click). Note that there is a low crossing over mill creek on the forest service road that can be either bone dry (the most likely case in july) or flooded and impassable (after a heavy rain). The roads leading to yelton spring are good, but yelton spring is an intermittent spring and will probably be bone dry in july, most of mill creek's flow in the summer is from wilkins spring (which feeds into dewitt pond). Here's a good article about mill creek (click).

The actual spring branch of lane spring isn't that long, and the times i've fished there I don't think I've caught anything out of the actual spring branch. The fishing is much better in the creek immediately below. The spring branch is indeed public and is contained within the USFS Lane Spring Recreation area, which is a day use/camping area with a $2 or $3 day use fee.

I used to fish LaBarque quite often. It can really be a blast fishing for panfish and small spotted bass (lots of those) with a flyrod and small nymphs. I've caught largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass there, with spotted the most frequent, then largemouth, then smallmouth only occasionally. The biggest smallmouth I've caught there was about 12 inches, but most were much smaller. The most excited fishing I had at Young Conservation area was when I caught a bunch of minnows on my flyrod in the creek and then fished in the ponds on the property with them, they were full of pretty nice largemouth!

I'm a sophomore comp sci major at UMR(well at least it was still UMR this time last year). I went fishing like 9 out of 10 weekends last semester and got a 4.0 (then again I did have really easy classes). Distractions are good, they keep you sane. Rolla can drive you insane if all you do is school work.

Was the interstate there just shut down for a short period of time? Because according to MoDot's website, it's open right now.

Doesn't feel so good to be excluded, does it? With all the places that bait fishermen are excluded from in this state, don't you think that it's fair to let them have their own little stretch of water? You can go fly fishing on every mile of public water except here (correct me if I'm wrong). I've actually never fished zone 3 at bennett before, I've got to try it some time. Sounds like a great place to drown some minnows!

i believe we've met before. you're mr. v, right? we shot the dung a couple times at the bridge and you gave me your blessing to keep a couple fish once (thanks). haven't seen you down in a while, you come down much anymore? I think the new management at westover is really making sure not nearly as many fish get out as it used to. fishing around your place has been very poor lately. see ya later jimbo.

just out of curiosity lizard, is your property near cherry valley rd.?

Took a couple pictures when I went down to Little Piney near lane spring last sunday. Unfortunately I didn't take my fishing stuff, because I took the weather channel flood advisory a little too seriously. I figured I'd just be taking pictures of a flooded creek (we did get pounded in Rolla a couple days before), but it turned out to be in pretty good condition. The only thing about bare leg wading this part of Little Piney is what I call elephant grass. its that couple foot high grass that grows around the banks, in the water. when it brushes up against your leg leaves a nasty cut. Anyone else fish this part of LP? I shot a with my camera as well...

hi andy, I sent you a PM with the directions. As far as fishing is concerned, don't come there with expectations of catching a lot of fish. Because then you'll most likely be disappointed. There are fish in that creek, but they're mostly small and anything of size is very hard to catch(from my experience anyway). if you decide to go, then good luck!

Fozzy, are you sure you don't work for the corps' PR department?

was it a headshot?

i found it interesting that they were trying it on bluegill too, as if they need it