2sheds

Caught these last week at RRSP. The bottom one is definitely a rainbow. What about the other two ?

Also - That river bottom contains lots of big flat fault slabs. Can be surprisingly slick. Be careful wading in the current. Hope it's a good outing !

It is my belief that a crawdad provides more calories of nutrition per calorie of exertion than anything else in a river. Trout can bexsmart about this. (Also heard that more hatcheries are including crews in their menu.) I recommend "Don's Crawdad" pattern - similar to those tasty photos.

Redbird was our go-to water hole during college summers in the late 70's. Lots of great memories.

My understanding is that its accepted to be OK if you stay in the water, but has not been tested in court for such a small creek (might fail the "Danforth Navigatability Doctrine") where a single landowner holds both sides. Great trout for that stretch of water. Interesting coloration - Any chance it's an escape from the private enterprise downstream ?

I love watching that small stream turn into a river - floating Baptist to Van Buren. Too many years since I've had the chance. Love your pix !

Next time you might want to consider a night at the Morgan Spring Float camp (downstream of Riverton) with takeout at Myrtle (at AR line). One of my favorite campsites. Plus a nice walk up to the spring and also up the hill to the Narrows Overlook.

Gravel Bar vs Float Camp - I stand corrected. It's been a few years.

If it hasn't been said, there are generally fewer capable gravel bars on the 11 Pt than on other Ozark Rivers. Check out those float camps, but you may need a good map to find them.

Gavin - Thanks for the map, very helpful. Please name me a better campground that I can drive into.

FYI - Lane Springs Rec Area will be closing for the season on September 26 (normally end of October). The reason is to begin construction work that converts 4 of the "Basic" camping sites into "Electrical" sites. While I'm glad to see more access for the folks that require electricity for medical equipment to enjoy this wonderful park, it has been my experience that electrical hookups bring more of the issues I camp to avoid (lights, noise, folks that are trying to avoid what the outdoors has to offer). Just my 2 cents on this part.m, but wish they had added some new sites with electricity and built the in a separate area (maybe downstream of the parking lots).

Hey Ollie, WOW. That post must have been very hard to write - documenting the sad situation where a town doesn't realize the irreplaceable value of such a magical resource. I have read on this forum how much you enjoy trout fishing, so I can imagine it hurts to report on the state of affairs. I dream of retiring to a place where I could walk to a trout stream, even if just to stand in some cool water and cast around a bit. So I guess Neosho is off my list. Hope things turn around there because clean spring-fed water is disappearing.

Wondering if the Creek is currently amenable to some gentle wade C&R fishing ? I see the Galena gage on the James is crazy high, so don't know if that means similar conditions ? Many Thanks

I spook more than my share, but slowly learning the requisite patience.

Gorgeous trout. Glad your new #4 6-6 has proven itself. Will be looking forward to some reports from Crane.