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I’ve found that pretty much any fly that takes a trout will take a gill. I really like a Montana Stone in black/chart or black/red. Drowned cricket patterns work well too. For the merit badge they have to tie their own fly too right? The classic “first fly” IMO has to be the wooly bugger. However, if you want to go the easy AND inexpensive route you could teach ‘em the wax worm or meal worm. All you need is a scud hook, a strip from a latex glove (cream), thread, and a light brown or pink sharpie (for highlights). And yes, the panfish will nail ‘em. Also, if you need to, I’ve seen plans on the internet for a $5.00 homemade fly vice using a weighted block and an Exacto knife. Just Google Exacto fly vice and I’m sure you will come up with something. Have fun! -D

Nice work Gavin, thank you very much sir. That is exactly what I was looking for. I was all over the St. Louis County Parks web site looking for something like this. When I called the County Parks Department, the lady that I talked to didn’t sound very confident with her answers so I posted here when I saw this thread. I knew someone here could confirm. Thanks for the link. -D

Smalliebigs, I’ve heard that the ramp at Unger is permanently closed and that it’s bank fishing only there now. This was via a phone call to St. Louis County Parks and Rec. There is always the chance that she didn’t know what she was talking about. I was making a list of places to take my float tube and had this one scratched off. Are you sure it's still OK to put a canoe, yak, or in my case float tube, in there? If so this is good news. Thanks -D

I bought and printed mine on line. They couldn’t have made the online purchase any easier if you ask me. -D

When using small droppers in slow water I’ve had a lot of luck with a reverse para emerger as my indicator. This style Para emerger You can tie them with a small piece of bright foam at the top of the para for extra visibility. In shallow water I’ll tie my dropper on a long tag end of the emerger knot and deeper water (when I need more tippet) it’s easier to just tie it on the hook bend. For big heavy nymphs like a #8-10 Montana stones and the like: In fast-ish water I’ll use ducky’s “tight” technique. But if it’s slow water and I need a good dead drift with a heavy nymph I have to break out the strike indicators. I have a hard time getting a quality, deep, dead drift without one and still “feel” the strike. I use the smallest one I can get away with and I do like the thingamabobber when I have to use a strike indicator. I always try to avoid this when going after wilds. I’ve recently purchased my first snowshoe rabbits foot. I’m planning on tying some indicator flies with that. I hear the snowshoe rabbits foot is very buoyant. I use a variety of furled leaders, uni, mono, and 100% fluoro for a fast sinker. 5-7X tippet. -D

Yeah, awesome! Part of me can't wait for my boy to get big enough. At the same time I find myself saying, "Oh my God you're getting too big too fast." Great video Mic. Ya put a smile on my face. -D

Show Me State boy Brian Snowden! -D

Here's a pic of my tube from the companies web site. -D

Al, thanks for the advice. While I’m very new to float tubes I do have some experience on moving water in canoes (Current/Jacks Fork, Huzzah etc; spring, summer, and fall) and once or twice on a friends yak. My tube is a “U” style so, in case of emergency, I can get out of it easier than the “circle” or “doughnut” styles. It also rides pretty high. My bee-hind should be right at or slightly above water level and my knees should be at the same height. Nonetheless, I’m going to get some experience on lakes and/or ponds before trying the rivers. Other than the possibility of losing some gear, I currently don’t see how this will be that much more dangerous than the folks that party float on truck tubes. At least I’ll have some control/propulsion with my flippers. If I need to bail, I should be able to easy enough. When it’s cold enough to need waders, keep my wader belt as tight as possible. Thanks for the gauge numbers. The cfs numbers mean nothing to me without a point of reference. I’ll be sure to check ‘em out. -D

Ted- Will do. The best I've come up with for sight fishing carp is not close to home. Lake of the Ozarks when the water warms into the 70's the carp and drum come up around a seawall in front of my parents condo. Good times! But I"m always looking for something better, closer to home. That .pdf of Catawissa may be a little misleading. I google mapped it and the two bigger lakes that look like they connect to the Meramec don't. At least not in the "Satellite" view that I was looking at. Maybe they took the pic during low waters and the map was made picturing normal pool or something. Just thought I'd mention it. I didn't want you to take your boat down there and be stuck in the lake with the ramp if you were planning on getting out to the river. -D

Thanks everyone. This thread is moving in the right direction. Please keep the ideas coming. SIO3-In regard to the Page Canal at CCL. Is that supposed to be a carp hotspot? I've been looking for a place to chase carp with my fly rod. Carp, Fly rod, float tube, sounds fun to me. When do they start patrolling the shallows? I'd assume the water temp has to be in the 60's-70's? Aftershock- Thanks for the tips on the smaller ponds at Catawissa. Reminds me of a few strip mines outside Columbia MO when I lived there in the 90's. I never saw anyone fishing the little ones but I caught a lot of BIG bass. There's prolly not much room back there in the woods for fly casting. Would it be worth packing my tube back there and pumping it up pond side? Thanks Again -D

It does help Tim. That is exactly what I wanted to hear about the float from 21 to Washington State Park. I was thinking of that float first after a test run in a lake/pond. Many thanks! -D

Does anyone ever float tube on the Big River near Washington State Park? I’ve never been on it. Would that be a decent spot for a tube in the spring? I hear it holds some smallies. -D

I’ve recently won an ebay auction for a new float tube (Creek Company ODC 420). I’m new to the whole float tube thing but I know I want to get it out on the water ASAP. If there are any float tubers in the St. Louis area, where do you go close to home? Lakes, ponds, streams, warm water, cold water, bass, crappie, gills, carp, trout, spinning, casting, fly rods, anything. I’m just looking for a place to literally, get my feet wet, close to home. If you want to share any other information with me please feel free. Areas not so close to home, rod holder mods etc. Thanks -D

Maybe I’m wrong but I find it hard to believe that there are many people out there searching every nook and cranny of the internet looking for a tiny creek, with no casting room, which can’t hold more than 4 anglers at a time, in which they may be able to catch (and release) a handful of spooky 4-7 inch rainbows. If I showed pictures of my trips to BSC to the guys in my bass club they’d say, “You drive an hour and a half to catch 7 of those?” No offense folks, but we’re kinda weird; even as fisherman go. I have a feeling that this creek could run through the shadows of The Arch and not see much more pressure than it already does. I totally see both sides of this topic and to be honest; I don’t know where I stand on advertising honey holes. But I simply don’t think that there are many people out there that would consider BSC a quality fishery. Those of us who do, have a little gem to ourselves. However, I’d be willing to bet that a good portion of people drive to that creek for the first time, look at it, can’t find a 4ft. deep hole, get skunked, assume it holds no fish, and call the drive a waste of time never to go back. Or catch a few 4-6 inchers and think, "Big Whoop!" I had the creek all to myself on a beautiful, sunny, 40 degree Saturday in January. Why? Everybody and their brother should have had cabin fever yet I had the creek to myself. I guess it was because no one read Mic’s reports? That creek has been there for a long time. It’s listed on several web sites, MDC maps, books, magazines, and yet it’s still surviving with a decent population of wild bows. I don’t think Mic’s reports are gonna kill it. In my opinion, people just don’t “get” what we “get” about that little brook. Reporting how hard it was to catch ten to twenty 6” bows ain’t gonna change that. Now, if you report that you nailed three 17 inchers we’ve got a whole ‘nuther story. -D Side note: Man, this thread took off like a rocket!

Nice report Mic. I'll bet that was a blast. I should have made it down there this weekend. Somehow I let my friends talk me into a round of golf. Big mistake on my part. I don’t know what I was thinking. -D

Snagged, Gotcha! Google maps is calling it County Road 64-999. It ends at a circle "turn around." Looks like there are a few pull offs/parking areas along the river. Sweet! Thanks

Hehehe good advice! Hey mic, I see you have a woodworking interest. I enjoy my woodworking hobby almost as much as fly fishing. I’ve made a nice fly tying bench for myself and a bunch of fly boxes. Most of my fly fishing friends have one of my boxes (Christmas presents). Next on my list of fly fishing related woodworking projects is a maple and walnut octagonal rod case. -D

I pulled this pic off Google maps and circled the areas that I’d assume provide access near the Spring Branch. If anyone knows, please confirm. -D

Hopefully Fishin’ Cricket will chime in and give us some “out of the park” advice. I believe I’ve read in some other threads on this board that he fishes outside the park pretty regularly. However, I may have him confused with someone else. -D

Yes, Trout Commander is correct. Sorry , I wasn’t trying to be difficult. And JD= John Deere -D

Tight Lines RC, have fun. Hope you get nice weather. -D

Great report. Sounds like fun. I can't wait till my 10 month old is big enough to go with me. -D

Oh yeah, I'll prolly throw in a few scuds (gray, tan, and olive) for good measure. -D

I’m hoping to get down there that same weekend, well , that Sunday and Monday actually. I started thinking about my “to tie” list the other day. So far this is what I have on the list by category then order of importance (most are already tied up from previous trips): Wets: A wide variety of Zebra Midges* Small(ish) Woven body stones, like a Montana Stone with a woven body (blk/brn/chart, olive/grn/chart, and brn/tan/yel)* Copper John Soft Hackles (red, olive, copper)* Hares ears Partridge and Olive Partridge and Yellow (I never leave home without ‘em) PTN’s Woven body soft hackle nymphs (variety of colors, mostly olive and something) (I really like softhackles) Drys/emergers /indicators: Paraloop emerger (hares ear and BWO pattern)* Midge clusters (Griffiths gnat, renegade*, and the like) EHC’s (black and tan) Foam caddis (black and tan) Foam ants/beetles BWO’s Foam Little Yellow Sally Traditional Bennett Spring Files: THE Crackleback JD’s Marabou jigs White floss Glo bugs *=My favorites Love to hear ya’lls feedback as I don’t get down there in April very often either. Thanks -D