Bman

" At MSSP are you allowed to fish all 7 days of the week, unlike BSSP, MSP and RR where it is Friday - Monday" Thats true. MSSP is the place to go! Really don't know why anyone would go anywhere else...

Rick, Thanks. I put in at the Rt 66 State Park ramp and run up from there. That ramp is 5 min from where I live. Wondering if we've seen each other on the water. I run a 1752 jet jon w a 90 hp 2 stroke yammie.

Phil, Very useful info, thanks.

Thom, I am unable to go, but if I was, I would use eggs, I tie them from #14-20's. 'Tis the time of year. Otherwise SJ Worms, Chamois worms. WD 40'S # 22-18 I would use dropper rigs with any combination, big attractor fly first, then the piece of candy. I would stay up in the park for sure, you will have fish left over from Derby Day! I look forward to C&R at the park!

Scuds, scuds, scuds... It isn't so much the fly, but how you use it, drift, presentation, size, shape, color. Read, Datus C. Proper, "What The Trout Said" Regards, Bman

JJ, Thanks for posting, great article. A fishing buddy's power window broke the tip off a rod Charlie Reading built for me in '87...ouch! I hold the rod high as possible on big fish with a lot of line out only.

The chains are destructive to the bottom, and potentially dangerous. Hope the kickers don't get any ideas... to go out by boat. One thing to note, ever notice that the kickers always catch chinass trout?

Rick, Where on the river did you fish? What were ya catching?

Awesome, would love to see that pic. Will you give us a fishing report? Are you a long way from home or what?

yup

What a great shot. Did he make it???

FFM, Yes! I have looked up there and drool at the thought of fishing C&R up there. I have no idea if the powers to be have dealt with this issue, but it is a great idea. Maybe some of the fly fishing organizations would have some ideas on how to suggest this idea. Regards, Bman

Yes the park is pretty quiet compared to normal, except maybe the 1st day C&R is open.

This was posted under Meramec River, by an Agent, but it deserves repeating. http://ozarkanglers.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=14098

Isn't the reason because they are still dumping Beaver?

Looking for lunkers. Was a nice day to be at the park. With the sun at a lower angle makes the window of opportunity smaller to properly hunt lunkers. I walked around the entire park, doubling back sertain prime holding parts. What I found were some awesome Smallmouth. Three I would put in the 20" range! Forgot to bring my Smallie box... Found bigger trout in numbers, below the suspension bridge at the end of the park. But with the numbers of people fishing from the bridge, I wasn't about to go there. There is a log on the streambed that spans the width of the stream that is around the end of the upper third of the park. Just below the log the stream is pretty wide and has three large boulders in it. In and about those rocks lie some good fish, but I wasn't able to figure them out this day. Had some luck swinging a version of a soft hackle fly there. But I dislike "fishing the water" and prefer targeting individual fish. That is a tough place to do it. By 4 pm there were bugs swarming, but I didn't see many trout lips sipp'in. Think I will wait on a return trip 'till C&R is open. Bman

Mr Agent, Thank you for your post.

If they are going to appear anywhere, this time of year, it will be upstream. Below the park, in the park... The Rainbows will be dropping thier hormones, eggs, milt. This helps in calling the Browns upstream. Browns are masters of moving up and lying/hiding in deep swift cuts in the stream bed. So they can be very hard to spot. In my opinion, fall and winter are times to stay closer to the springs. There are springs(small flow) coming up through the stream bed between the Dry Fork creek and Maramec Spring Park as well!!

Chuck does it again. This time a 33 inch long Brown with a 21 inch girth... almost 20 pounds! Way to go Chuck and client. What a hawg. Check it out. http://www.anglersandarchery.com/

WOW!!! Talk about eye candy

Phil, Good meeting you on the water. I am looking forward to our stay at your place early next year. By The Way, At one time of the evening you were right abouve me drifting your boat, with the sun setting behind you, making long casts with your flyrod...AWESOME! wish I would have had the right set up for the camera. You would load your rod with a lot of line out and let the rod do the work for you. Would have made a nice pic, beautiful casting Phil! Guess you've had some practice lately.

Nice fish Jack, I've seen Jack Buchschacher spot fishing Bennett since the 80's when I first got into flyfishing. Jack has perfected the art of spot fishing to a fine art. Jack can find, stalk, put his name on a fish, catch and release as good or better than any I've seen. He treats the fish with respect and insists that others do the same. I don't know about new rules. I used to tie a nymph with some rubber, or plastic on it and fly ish in the middle of zone 3. I think it's the prettiest spot on the whole stream, and no one hardly ever fished it. It was explained to me at the time that if you wrap a rubber band on a fly, it would be legal. Tight lines, Bman

I am looking forward to the C&R season. Lets hope they stock it up good.

I ran across Captain Chuck Gries, guide and mentor,owner of Anglers and Archery, just up from the MDC boat ramp today. He had just put his client on this awesome Rainbow.

Awesome Smallie! thanks for the report, and pics.