ozark trout fisher

I'm heading down to fish early June, and I'm kicking around the idea of doing it a bit different this year.Last time, we floated the entire trout area (from Greer to Riverton) and that was a lot of fun. But still, there was just a bit too much paddling and not quite enough wading for me doing 20 miles in three days. So instead, I'm this time I'm thinking about paddling to a gravel bar on a nice looking run that's wadeable, setting up camp, and fishing there for two or three days. I know I won't see as much territory that way, but I figure I might be able to get to know a nice stretch pretty well, which sounds like a good idea. Is this a decent plan? If so,should I do it in the Blue or White Ribbon area that time of year?

Sounds like a great time. I love that river, just for the reason you say... It's real pretty and its not too crowded. The fishing's alright too. I went down last summer, and have now decided to make the 11 Pt an annual trip.

Nice fish. Rock bass are pretty fish, and those are big ones too.

That water is awesome down there. One thing I've noticed down around Baptist is that the fish I catch are often where you wouldn't expect them-shallow riffles, slow tailouts, etc, and the awesome looking deep pools can be a little tough. I see big browns sulking at the bottom of them, but I haven't been able to give them want they want yet. One time the guy I was fishing with did hook up with a massive brown down there, but it broke the 6x before he could do much.

Great fish. I don't know what those fish eat down on the North Fork, but they sure eat a lot of it.

Nice browns. I've never been able to ge into fish that large down there. Maybe it's where I fish, and maybe I'm just a bad fisherman.

Try Woolly Buggers(#10 Olive is my favorite), Pheasant Tails (#14 or 16), Hare's Ears and Scuds (also 14s and 16s), and the smaller egg patterns, preferably beadhead and orange, peach, or tri-colored. Fish them under a small indicator, with the fly about 2x farther down from the indicator than the water you're fishing. Try the catch and release water just below the brood stock tanks. It's not exactly scenic up there, but it's about the best place I know of to learn the basics of fly fishing for trout. They can be hard to catch occasionally, but at least you can see your mistakes, and the fishing isn't a guessing game. Also, you don't really need to cast far at all. It is best if you stay low though, at least up on the C&R area. Use at least 9ft of tippet no larger than 6x, and have a good time. I apologize for the rambling response, and I hope it helped at least a little.

I originally planned to fish the Bourbeuse on Saturday... But before driving up to Mill Rock, I took a look at the river at Union. It looked fishable, but higher than I wanted for wading and fly fishing. I had some things up I was supposed to do upon getting back, then I decided it could wait until the next day. So on to the deep Ozarks and the Current River. I got down to Baptist and got in the water around 1:00. There was a sparse caddis hatch in progress, but no fish were rising. I tied on an emerger pattern. It didn't work all that well, but I was able to pound up a few fish anyway. Towards evening (starting about 6 P.M, the hatch picked up quite a bit. There were Caddis, various Mayflies, and I don't know what all from size 12 all the way down to #20. I tied on a #16 Adams and caught a couple, but despite the heavy hatch, the fish just weren't rising all that well. It was still a very nice day on the water. Note: If you plan on floating down from Baptist, there is a fallen tree downstream maybe a half mile (a wild guess on the distance) that blocks the entire channel. You'll have to beach the boat on the gravel bar and go around.

What a beautiful stream! It looks like something you'd be more likely find in Colorado than Missouri. That one just jumped to #1 on my to do list.

It sounds to me like you hooked Walter, or at least that's what I named the big old rainbow on the slow pool of the C&R. Caught him once, but he broke my tippet twice before that, and once after. Glad to see he's doing okay though. Sounds like a great trip. The catch and release water at Montauk is always capable of giving a great time. It kinda reminds me of a little English chalkstream.

I bet he was all you could handle on a flyrod.Those smallies fight.

That sounds like a lot of fun, despite being a little slow. I know a fish in the 15" to 16" class is always enough to make my day. What did the water look like (clear, off color, etc?)

Pretty fish. There's nothing quite like a smallie with the deep coloration that this fish shows.

Eggs, scuds, Woolly Buggers, and all the usual nymphs, nothing is really any different than usual. You can definitely fly fish the bait area. There are some awesome riffles down there the bait guys usually ignore that always hold fish. Forget about the deep holes in the bait area or anywhere else for that matter unless you like combat fishing. Good luck!

The Jacks Fork is one of my favorite rivers... Sounds like a great way to spend a couple days. I've never been on the upper reaches though. I may have to give that a try before the water gets too low for the summer.

Thanks. I just don't quite have the time this weekend for a float, but I might take along the canoe and paddle up to more productive water-that's the one good thing about slow rivers like the Bourbeuse-you can paddle upstream if you want.

Thanks, I know what you mean about the Bourbeuse. If someone turns on a garden hose anywhere in the watershed, it becomes muddy and unfishable. I've spent some time wading at Mill Rock... I realize it's not perfect for wading, but I do know of a few spots around that are usually good for a smallie or two. I just hope it drops in time.

I was thinking about a wading trip this weekend up around Mill Rock. Does anyone know what the water conditions are like, mainly, do you think it's clear enough to fly fish?

I respect you're opinion also. I guess it strikes me as a little different when the state, who stocks the fish and enforces the regulations charges a small fee of $3 for a day of fishing, than a ranch owner in Colorado who charges say, $100 a day for an access fee (which is what the ranch in question charges). The difference;just about anyone can afford a $3 fee, while only a few can afford to pay $100 a day on anything like a regular basis.

I see what you're saying, but guys like the one who ones this ranch on the Taylor River are huge problems out west. I do not care that the man owns the property around the river-navigable water should be public, so I have no sympathy for the guy whatsoever. I also think that the idea of charging folks to fish is fundamentally wrong-the fish belong to the people, not the landowner here in the U.S, so how can you charge someone (who by rights already owns the fish as much as anyone) to catch them? It reminds me of the Spring Ridge Club debacle in Pennsylvania.

This thread reminds me of a guide I fished with once down on an Arkansas stream. He must have urinated off the boat at least 10 times. One only had to wonder why he kept guzzling water.............

I agree. Rafters have as much right to our rivers as fisherman. Closing access to anyone using a river for a legitimate cause is wrong. I don't care if he paid big bucks to fish his little private dude ranch stream. Guys like this one are exactly the reason I never would consider fishing a private fee area.

Fish can be caught there most of the time, but it's better a bit further down.

I'd float Baptist to Cedar or Baptist to Parker. If you wade, I like the water around Baptist more than Tan Vat, but that's just me. As for fly selection, nymphs usually catch more fish than other techniques, although they do tend to be smaller. Hare's Ears, Pheasant Tails, Princes, Scuds, Eggs, and San Juans are all good. I also like to fish a #10 woolly under an indicator. I like to have the Hare's Ears, Pheasant Tails, Princes, and Scuds in sizes 10-18. #14 seems to work most of the time, but sometimes they will want something smaller or larger. As for dries, expect some caddis hatches, so have plenty of Elk Hare's along. Bring some big old streamers as well if you want to go after the big browns. There have been lots of fish right at the ledge where the riffles dump into the deep holes. Tight-line a copper john or some other quickly sinking nymph through those areas and you'll catch fish. Good luck!

Not to split hairs, but Little Piney isn't likely to have a canoe rental on it anytime soon. Some streams are just too small to be commercialized. The LP and all those other wild trout creeks are definitely not a "tourist spots" and probably (hopefully) never will be. They are remote, quiet, and pretty, and I'm just hoping they stay that way.