Ted Calcaterra

Gavin - With your understanding, Vida Slab is a legal and public place to park your car and access the river? Obviously in the creek only as defined by the purple paint on every tree surrounding the slab? I heard of folks getting run off although it hasn't happened to me. Guess it helps being 6'5".

I sure hope you can otherwise I'm trespassing. It's a navigable stream by my definition. I'm sure I'll get tested soon,

Flat Head Cicada. I can't post the picture from work computer. That pattern outfished all others for me. It kinda reminded me of bluegill fishing using too big of popper. I got many hits on other patterns but the hook ups werent there. Using the Flat Head Cicada was lights out.

I have been experimenting with cicada patterns and have found that the Idylwilde pattern found in fly shops outfishes the Rainey's pattern 10:1 although the Rainys pattern looks cooler and catches more flyfisherman. The reason in my opionion is its smaller, and rides lower in the surface. Whatever the reason I had tons of success with it and hope to try it on carp this week at busch.

I fished Westover yesterday and the cicada dry fly fishing was awesome! Today I fished the upper Meramec for smallmouth and it was a complete bust. If I had tomorrow off I would chase trout again. By the way some patterns out fished others 10 to 1. The best is a pattern with flat foam similar to a club sandwich.

Need some expert advice for those who know the river. I have a 1648 Blazer with 25hp jet and want to fish Gasconade above the Big Piney Wednesday. I am hoping the water is down enough. What should the gage read at Jerome for safe boating? I am fairly experienced and have done it in low flows in summer. I don't want to fight big water. Thanks for the help

Tried musky on the fly yesterday. It was brutally windy. Caught and saw nothing. Musky 1 Flyfisherman 0

When swinging wet flies, have about 6-8 inches of fly line under your index finger of your rod hand. This way when you get a strike you have a small "cushion" to protect the tippet. Works well and increases hook ups. I like to use partridge & orange with rabbit dubbing for thorax. I also use a march brown wet which is really a gold ribbed hareds ear with a partridge hackle. Those two work well in our ozark waters. Hope this helps.

I have been fishing both soft hackles and traditional wets hard core since I got my first bamboo rod last fall. There is something fun about catching both wild trout (which I prefer) and stockers on traditional patterns. A great book by the master is The Soft Hackled Fly by Slyvester Nemes. I learned a ton about the history, styles, and methods for using soft hackles. Just google it somewhere or order it from our local shops. Well worth the read and a great addition to ones library. The Meramec is tough. Not many good reports coming from there but...... that river goes in cycles. Who knows, it could bust open this year and some lucky angler will have many miles to themselves.

I hear their catching huge browns in River Des Peres.

If the water is like you described, I'd put all those flies away and get out the streamer flies. That river is awesome when its up and off color. I remember seeing fish come to the streamer in places I didn't think held fish. For more fish I'd cast slump busters, buggers, zonkers. For better fish, sex dungeons, circus peanuts, anything big and nasty. Just my 2 cents anyway

Drath - when you find that crap hotspot let me know. I have been looking for a long time. I have flyfished for carp in Lake Michigan and it as awesome. The water clarity was 20ft deep and you could spot carp 100 yards away. The problem with Missouri is many of our lakes have carp but visibility sucks at best. I have chased them at Busch Lake 33 with little success. I can see them tail and I sneak up on them but I don't think they can see my fly since a carp's eye sight is so poor. I have fished CCL and can catch all the gar I want. It was muddy and couldn't spot carp. Maybe I was there the wrong day. I smelled bad too. I have also tried Gravois creek but afraid I will die if I get any nasty water in a small cut on the leg. One needs a hazmat suit. That Catawissa lake looks awful interesting since I have a small jet boat and can weave in and out of the river. All I can say is that carp on the fly is sooo bad A$$.

Gavin - Is Catawissa a typical deep strip pit or shallow and sandy. Is it clear enough to target flyfishing for carp? I have found lakes such as Busch that contain carp but visibility seems to be 6" at best most days. Makes it tough for carp fishing. Still haven't found that good carp spot.

When is the optimal time to start muskie fishing? Any reports if the outlook is good for 2011?

Does anyone know when the gate opens at Lane Spring? I know it was closed for the winter but one could still park and hike in. Thanks

G - Great response. No your not a jerk and I got a chuckle. I agree I need 5 boats but would also like to stay married. In all seriousness, have you have been motoring up river and looked over the side and seen a boulder the size of a volkeswagon sitting 2" under the water? My fear is for my little fishing buddy to go flying out of the boat. I think the safer option is fiberglass. I don't need to set any speed records and if I have to walk it through a shoal so be it. There's alot of good opionions on the board and its why I asked the question. Thanks for the responses.

I know the classic river jon such as a Shawnee or Supreme works great on tailwaters but have folks tried or used them successfully on Ozark Waters? I fish the tailwaters in both MO & AR followed by the Meramec and Gasconade. Those are my 4 main rivers. Would a 2048 shawnee perform as well as my 16ft aluminum boat on the MO ozark streams? As you can tell, hitting a big rock 2" under the water while on plane is my concern. Aluminum is just brutal on a submerged rock. I have hit twice. Once on the NFOW which was dumb and my own fault. That river isn't really made for a jet. And once running up Roark creek from Taneycomo. I hit a submerged bridge pillar.

OK. All great advice. I knew their would be some good opinions. I have a different question now and will start a new thread. As you can tell I am thinking about selling / trading in my current 1648 Blazer.

I currently own a 1648 Blazer jet and love it. I have thought about someday selling/trading it in for a power drift that I could use as a jet boat and drift boat. Has anyone seen these on MO or AR waters? I am sure they would work just fine on the tailwaters but am curious on how well they draft and would compare to some of the ozark streams I fish such as Meramec and Gasconade. The manufactuer says it will draft in 3" of water. If true, thats pretty good. Thoughts. They look like alot of fun and safe to fish.

I have always wanted to write a book someday about Flyfishing Missouri. I have been stock piling photos in case I decide to do it someday. I know that Chuck's book is the grand daddy of all Missouri flyfishing books but its almost 20 years old now. Do folks think that their could be another one and what chapters would it cover to make it different? I'm curious to see what the flyfishing community thinks of the idea? I'm not a guide nor in the industry but rather just a passionate angler who loves the sport.

I have a 1648 Blazer aluminum boat with a 25 4 stroke Merc jet. I love it and wouldn't fish anything else. I live in STL and fish many of the ozark streams such as Meramec, Gasconade, and White River Tailwaters. The ony negative (there has to be one) is that aluminum sticks on rocks. That is why I would never go bigger than a 25hp jet. That "chunk rock" is brutal on a boat. It's nice to have a friend with a tig welder.

Matt - Meramec is lame right now. Drive the extra couple hours and fish the eleven point or White. Well worth it. If you really want to fish the the Meramec send me a PM and we can take out the jet boat, cane rods, and fine cigars.

Great Advice. I will check out Creve Couer Lake. The best place I've found in STL is August Busch Lake #33. There is a big mud flat where they tail all the time. Hooked a few over there. I think the reason I haven't been more successful is the past two years we got a bunch of rain and I always seemed to go following a rain storm. Needless to say visibility sucked and I think that's the key to flyfishing for them. I need a hot July day with bright soon and good visibility. I think that would be the ticket.

Thanks for the info. Your right in that the signs were from MSD. I guess with all the blood sucking lawyers out there, someone would sue the county. I am just looking for a good place to catch carp on the fly. Any suggestions?

I was doing some scouting today with the nice weather and noticed all the signs everywhere along Gravois Creek saying no fishing, swiming, etc. Is their a legal place to fish?