2sheds

Did not notice the scupin fillet on your breakfast platter. Are the Ozarks wonderful ?

Anyone camped at Lane Springs lately ? Is the campground flooded out ?

I've made the 5-Day float from Baptist Camp to VanBuren many times (solo, with my son from age 12 to 18, with Boy Scout crews), as well as shorter trips. There's a wonderful diversity to enjoy as the river grows from a creek into a (well) river. My recommendation would be based on: your son's age what types of activities you two plan to enyoy what percent time he wants to be fishing what types of fish you would like to catch Smallmouth fishing is fine from Two Rivers downstream. Some nice big bluffs and plenty of wildlife. Definitely more jetboats downstream, but clustered near the River Access points and also pick up after 3pm when the work-day ends. I like to pick camping spots that are NOT CLOSE to the access points (quieter). More history, more springs, and more caves to explore streamside further upstream. Last potable water before VanBuren is at Two Rivers. Avoid the weekend if you can - VERY IMPORTANT to me. One more comment - The Current River is fantastic. But if you son is older and can handle bigger water, you should also check out the Eleven Point River - see this forum & contact Brian Sloss at Eleven Point Canoe Rental in Alton for up-to-the-minute details.

FYI Alley Springs - Scouting Magazine 2015.pdf

Excellent !

Brandon & Tony - 12 to14" are outstanding fish for this creek. Keep having fun. ... and if you see any of those funny beer cans, take a photo and then pack them out. That's my policy anyway. But first I often to check to ensure they are completely empty.

All true, BUT ... the Wire Road Conservation area (Crane Creek) is an excellent habitat for venomous cottonmouth water moccasin snakes. Experts from the university come down all the time to gather pregnant females for study, then return them home again afterward. I have observed this on multiple occasions and have enjoyed discussion with the SMEs.

FYI - I understand that guides are prohibited on MODC waters. Depending on conditions, I find that I need to move up or downstream. Regardless, its stealth all the way !

Haven't made it to Roubidoux since the big flood a few years back, but have had plenty of mid-summer luck - long after stocking had ceased for the year. So I believe I would give it a try along with a few other nearby creeks.

Wonderful !

An Elder's Rule of Thumb - I consider it an outstanding campground if I am the rowdiest occupant.

For new-to-flyrod fishing, I encourage you to follow up on Al's recommendation for trying some poppers (cork flies that float on top). These will catch sunfish, goggle eye, bass-of-all kinds, and anything else in places where the water is not running fast (ponds, creeks, streams, etc). If you are trying to get a newbe interested, there is nothing so heart-stopping as a topwater take. Popper casts don't have to be perfect. Don't need to sweat "the drift". Great opportunity to practice casts and managing slack. A great way to learn the joys of flyfishing.

Rivers in Missouri with Walleye & Trout is a very short list. Next time, recommend you try the Eleven Point. Twenty miles of outstanding rainbow trout from Greer, MO to Riverton, MO + twenty miles of catchable walleye from Riverton, MO to Pocohontas, AR. Excellent smallmouth bass fishing from Turner Mill (Surprise, MO) all the way down. See the Eleven Point River page in this forum - contact Brian Sloss at Eleven Point Canoe Rental for all the RBT & SMB info you will ever need. Contact Mike Jones at Hufstedlers in Riverton for walleye advice.

Johnsfolly has it all figured out. My next Wild Trout Quiz will have to be more devious. Roaring River makes a nice final campsite on my drive back to Texas. This year was the first time I noticed this CCC/WPA Tribute. I have enjoyed their work at Babler, Bennett, Cuivre, LOTA, Montauk, and RR, but was surprised to not seem them acknowledged at Big Springs.

Nice campable river bank bluff across the river and 1/4 mile downstream from Blue Spring. Driving access. On the Ozark Trail. Compared to the other "managed" Current River campgrounds, I think Two Rivers is far superior to Cedar Grove, Akers-Jasons, Pulltite, Round Springs, or Big Springs in terms of likelihood of quiet. Always best to avoid the weekends.

VanBuren to Big Spring is a very short float (4 miles = 2 hrs) in a canoe, but just right for tubes or a short spin in a canoe with lots of attention to your fishing. To see more of the river, consider putting in at Waymeyer (7 miles north of VB on Highway M) and taking out at VB (7mi) or Big Spring (11mi). But in my opinion, the most interesting sections are those furthest upstream. Someday, you need to find the opportunity to see the upper river. If I were near VB and wanted more solitude and fishing, I would spend the extra time to drive to Alton and spend some time on the Eleven Point River.

Quiz Followers - Many correct answers so far, particularly on the hardest photos. I've updated the original post with an 8A & 8B to see if that helps any. Also haven't seen comments regarding "logical order" and "color contrast" (also significant clues to locale #8). To Johnsfolly: 1) I did not make it to the Northfork this summer. I suspect there are wild (streamborne) rainbow, but I have never caught any with parr marks during my floats from HammondCamp or KellyFord to RiversideCampground. Plenty of debate on this forum concerning that subject - many believing that all rainbows caught there are escapees from Rainbow Springs stockers. Northfork has consistently been the toughest challenge for my limited experience & skill-level. My opportunities have been summer only, so I can't really advise on the best seasons - strongly encourage you to post your question to that forum page where Brian Wise and others will have excellent advice. 2) Eleven Point has always been a highlight on my mid-summer visit to the Ozarks. Fished there the week of July 21-24, primarily near Greer Crossing, Surprise (Turner Mill), and Boze Mill. Good success for trout, but fewer+smaller smallmouth than prior years. Have never caught one here with parr marks either, but have it from good source that it is possible in favorable spawning years. I can report some nicely-colored smaller-sized trout without clipped fins, possibly a clue.

LP was fishing very well in mid-to-late July. I used the Lane Springs campground as a base of operations for day trips to adjacent MDC areas and hit LP every night after dinner plus a few all-day hikes upstream and down. Did not make it to Roubidoux this year.

This summer I had the wonderful opportunity to fish 6 of the MDC Wild Trout areas. Photos are posted below. Clues: Photos are organized in a logical order. One location has 2 photos. One location is not actually a Wild Trout area, included for purposes of “color contrast”.

A great spot indeed. If I am seeing this correctly, the 1st hole used to be guarded by two giant snapping turtles when the root wad hole was deeper. Beautiful fish, all. Congrats on some excellent stealth !

I believe a hopper would be fine in many sections of Crane. The fish seem to roam the larger pools and I think they see everything in the water. When I was sight casting, I did find a highly visible difference from removing my strike indicator while fishing nymphs. Strikes were strong enough to feel - no problem.

Hey King, Growing up in StL, I used to float ONLY the Current. As an adult driving up from Texas, I would budget a week-long float trip every year. Only complaint was the party floaters. I could work out strategies to minimize our interactions, but never found a way to escape. Then a shuttle driver told me to try the Eleven Point from Alton down to Riverton or The Narrows. Its a longer drive, but that also dramatically limits the party crowd. Check it out. Contact Brian Sloss at Eleven Point Canoe for current river conditions and fishing trends. Beautiful wilderness float ! I would also rate the summer-season fishing two clicks better than Current+Jacks Fork.

I agree very much on the thrill of the wild trout experience - regardless of size. Its wonderful knowing that river conditions, plus our stewardship, are allowing natural reproduction in these special creeks+streams. This summer's trek included: Little Piney, Mill, Spring, Blue Springs, 11 Point, Barren Fork, Crane, and Roaring River. Not certain that I caught any wild trout from my 11Pt fishing upstream of the Greer Bridge, but several had all their fins and were certainly not recent stockers. Definitely all stockers at RR. Did not have the chance to hit Northfork, and am not sure if prior year's RBT caught near Patrick Bridge were natural or perhaps escapees from Rainbow Springs. Do have one question - I see that the MDC felt sole ban includes "Dry Fork" (near Maremac Springs) - Does this creek support natural production ?

Some of the details concerning each of the sheds have been covered before on this forum: Suffice it say we were hooking some nice ones at Mary Decker

Fishing very well right now. You need to get Brian to set you up with a canoe and run at least down to Riverton. While you're at it, check out the Greer Mill restoration - very cool !