jdmidwest

"cides" could also be used to treat the algae growths or fungal diseases, algaecides, fungicides. The harsh chems could also be used to sterilize the runs when they move fish out of one area to another. Most hatchery managers and employees are more than happy to take the time to explain the operation to you and answer any questions you may have. If you are spending some time at a trout park during the week, visit the hatchery. Most have tours and feeding times allotted. Ask them any questions you may have, they know their jobs pretty well and are proud of what they do. Always remember, you are their "customer", and they are providing you a service. Your tax dollars and license fees keep them in business.

MDC does not do the monthly stock if an area has too high of a water temp. I know in the past Lane Spring got skipped several times because the water temp was too high. Fisheries will check stream conditions before they toss fish in a stressed stream. Has anyone dropped a thermometer in the water and seen what the temps of these streams really are now? What are the actual temps of the streams now?

My Yota is still running fine.

I have an 8' Creek Company ODC with the rocker pontoons. I fished the Norfork with 1+ generators no problems. I launched out of the boat ramp at the dam and the water came up shortly after. I took my time and fished the rising waters and had alot of fun. By the time I got to McLellan's, the water was dropping fast. By the time I got to the pullout that afternoon at the handicap access, it was low water. I had a blast and was never worried about the boat. Just pull back along the edges and stay out of the main flow to fish. As always, my only anchor was my feet. The ODC with the rocker pontoons is rated for class II. I doubt if it ever got over class I. Round or flat pontoons perform different in fast water, they are for flat water or lakes. I have been on the Spring River in falling flood stage. I run the waterfall above the Bayou on the East Side near the rocks and was sucked under to my waist, then popped back up. It was great. It would have swamped a yak without a skirt. As far as the rowing in swift water, you have to plan ahead if you intend to cross. Mine has the old cordura covers that "stick" to the water. Newer PVC covers are slicker and paddle easier.

Thats funny, my favorite poppers are a chartreuse Round Dinny and a Chartreuse Slider. I also use chartreuse in my blue gill flies, foam bugs, and trout eggs. I use white, gold, purple, yellow too with much success. I also toss a White/Chartreuse Rapala this time of year that works great too. You might want to dig it out and try some different colors locally, you might be surprised.

Most trout will stop feeding when the water temps reach 70 degrees. Given the shallow runs and low spring flows of those streams, the water temps should soar over that on the hot summer days we have had lately. Catching a trout should not even be an issue if this is the case. All fish are experiencing some stress this time of year. The lucky ones will drop off into deeper pools and shady spots. Feeding is best of a night or the hours close to it. The sun is not heating things up and the cool water source cools things back down.

It is like any other sport hobby, you get out more than what you put in to it by the personal satisfaction of making something yourself and catching a fish with it. You could compare it to reloading, making your own boat, building a kit gun to hunt with, etc. Or you could look at it another way, will you ever catch enough fish to pay for the fly rod and reel you bought? It is just another expense of fishing. The only way it will pay for itself is if you buy only the materials needed to tye the flies you actually use all of the time and use 100 percent of the materials you buy. In the long run, that would pay off. If you decide you have to have the premium tools and vices, then the payoff would be alot longer down the road. If you buy a hackle cape and only tye size 12 flies, then you will waste all of the feathers in the other sizes. In the long run, the cost is minimal if you enjoy the time you spend doing it.

Or if you wear glasses, a nice pair of clip on magnifiers work great. I am getting ready to mount them and tye a few tonight.

The trout are pretty tasty off those streams right now, kinda like boiled salmon..... Most streams here locally are like wading in bath water. But they are not spring fed and fast running.

Wild trout are not shoved into a concrete run packed like sardines, only fed a few times a day, eat each others fins and poop, stressed by all of this, and have a trout next to them get sick. Once one gets it, it spreads pretty quick. Wild trout get sick, usually by introduction of disease from hatchery trout.

Spent the day in the garden yesterday, tilling, cleaning and redoing. Planted beans AGAIN. Planted a few more squash, cucumbers, lettuce and spinach. Tore up a strawberry patch and moved some to the garden and replanted the rest in the patch I tilled up. They needed thinning out. Picked a couple of apples. Watered it morning and night, this heat and dry spell is not doing much good.

Yes, you will know it when you cross the first waterfall above the Bayou access. Riverside Campground is pretty easy to spot on the left and then you will have a series of long slow pools and runs to fish for the smallies. I have only been to Many Island once on a float, we usually pull out below the party rocks at Riversides Pullout. You should have a good float, most schools start around here that Monday. Most crowds should be gone on a Mon-Tues.

I'd rather see a little of that snow now....

Nice thing about the Spring River, it has a series of falls on almost every stretch of the river above Hardy, and maybe even below that, that prevents operation of a motorized boat. When I say "falls" I am referring to Rock Ledges 3 to 5 foot that water flows over. It is essentially a float stream only. There is Cold Springs access at Mammoth that lets you motor around in a lake created by Dam 3 at the fish hatchery. I have floated and fished it, caught some large mouth and goggle eye in that stretch. Otherwise, I would check out the lower river around Imboden Ark for motorized fishing, it would probably be your best shot to run a boat, although I have never been there,

I have started picking them up above the first set of big falls above the Bayou Access. They really get good below Riverside on down as do the goggle eye and walleye. I even pick up a few largemouths. Go on the weekday, weekends are crap till schools get back in session. We have a trip planned the weekend of the 20th.

The Lodge used to be ok, don't know now as it has changed hands and have not tried it this year. My suggestion would be to go to Licking one night. Follow the road out of the park, make a left at Old Cahills store, follow it out, make another left at the next intersection and eat at the Olig's BBQ on the left. We hit that back in the winter and the food is great. There is another place on south of Licking on the left that is pretty good too. Great breakfast. If you want to travel a little more, Houston or Rolla is a good option too.

I assumed it was probably one big ranch. I will contact the MDC in the area, maybe they can send out a landowner liasion that could work with them to stop alot of the stream bank damage and help the water quality. Locally, most cattle farmers that have to use our rivers for water just fence in a gap for access. They also fence in fields away from river banks and leave trees along the river to prevent erosion and keep the stream in its banks. I did notice alot of erosion of banks and cutting away of fields. Trees along the river were few and far between, fields came all the way to the river.

Eric, I have been an "anti-baitite" when it comes to creek fishing and river fishing for about 25 years now. I also practice catch and release and have for the same amount of time. I will keep longear sunfish off some of the local streams, for the simple reason that they are a major predator of smallmouth beds in my opinion. I will keep trout out of put and take areas to eat from time to time. I flyfish when I wade and toss plugs when I float with a spin rod. If you look at most of my pics, you will probably see a F7 Gold and Black Rapala Minnow, a Crawdad Shadrap, or a twin tail mister twister jig as my go to baits. They have produced more fish over the years than any other I have fished. There are times when I go with the larger Rapalas, Sonic Roostertails, and other lures. At no time will you see a live bait unless I am sitting anchored on a lake fishing for a lake fish.

Whoa, such language... I am always happy, I lead a charmed life.

The chute around the rock ledge on the east side of the river is filled in with gravel and trees and almost dry (just a trickle). You have to run the rocks if you want to go thru there. All of the river flows over the rocks now. Good news is that you can run it with a canoe or kayak easier now.

Eric, that too was a quick little one line joke, I did not think anyone caught it till today.

If you can't take a joke, don't read my posts.....

Honestly, it was all in fun, as you could tell by the jokes at the start. I just brought attention to an article about a fellow OAF angler.

Then why did it show a pic of a middle age balding man holding a smallie with a caption of "Kurt Kirchmer with a Castor River smallmouth caught on a live crawfish." if you have not baitfished since you were a kid. I would look into the article a little deeper, it may be a misprint.