KC Angler

Thanks, Dkman. I hope your upcoming Crane Creek trip is successful. I can't wait to get back. I might be able to pull it off this fall/winter.

Thanks for the advice. We will fish down stream of the bridge next time. I did fish some of shallower riffles and runs, but didn't get any takes. I fished the riffle run pictured thoroughly-certain it held fish--but never got a strike. The middle access water looked small and slow - at least what we saw hiking down the trail. I will adjust my approach next time now that I know the stream a little better. Thanks again.

Me and a buddy arrived at Crane Creek the morning of May 8th, starting at the Lower Access bridge. About 100 yards downstream at the first bend in the stream we each landed our first McCloud. The reputation of these fish as strong fighters is well deserved. I was fishing a prince nymph and my friend had on a sow bug. He caught another one a little further down at the next major bend in the stream. We ended up fishing a few hundred yards further downstream, which required some bushwhacking, but turned back at a point when the stream go much wider, swifter, and more difficult to access because of steep banks. After a short break, we drove into town and parked at the baseball fields. From there, we walked the railroad tracks to the trestle and started fishing our way back upstream. We came across a few nice holes, but didn't have much action until my friend hooked a really nice 14 incher a short distance downstream from the ball field. It put up a considerable a fight and quite a bend in his 7' 4wt. I caught my second fish of the day directly behind the baseball field on a bead-head crackleback. We got a few more bites in the park area, but the only other fish caught were fingerlings. We also scouted the middle and upper access areas, but the water was much smaller and we weren't up to the task of walking significant distances to find fishable holes. It was a hot day and we were both exhausted. So five McClouds between us for our inaugural trip to Crane Creek. We bother agreed it was a successful day of fishing and we would return. Thanks to everyone who contributes to this forum and who answered the questions I posted prior to my trip to Crane. The information was very helpful. This post has been promoted to an article

I will be in the area of Crane Creek the middle of next week. Any reports on the water conditions through the weekend, especially after the recent storms, would be much appreciated. I'm guessing water that is a bit higher and swifter can improve fishing in some instances. The last time I passed through Crane, MO the creek was very low. Thanks.

Nice fish! It's good to know many of the flies in my trout park fly box will work at Crane. I'll make sure to have plenty of larger beadhead and buggers on hand for fishing deeper holes and runs..

Thanks for the advice, fellas. It sounds like a short 3wt or 4wt is preferable, and presentation over patterns is key (as is often the case). I plan to dedicate an entire day to fishing Crane Creek, so I can take my time and cover several sections of the stream. I'm a large, lumbering guy but will do my best to be stealthy. Anyone fish a dry-dropper there? I assume that would be preferable to a nymph and indicator rig, which is more likely to spook the fish?

I attempted to fish Crane Creek a few years back while traveling through the area, but arrived late in the day and ran out of daylight before I located fishable water However, I will be staying at Table Rock Lake in early May and plan to make a return trip to Crane since it will only be a 45 minute drive from my location. My question for those of you who fish the stream regularly: what would be an ideal rod length and weight? I have several options, including a 7'3 3wt, 8' 4wt, and 8.5' 5wt. I'm thinking the 4wt would allow for a light presentation while also being able to keep larger fish out of structure, if one would be so gracious as to accept my fly. I also have a tenkara rod which is very effective and great fun on small streams, but the 10.5' length can be limiting in areas where there is tree overhang and tight spaces for casting. I'm also curious about must-have patterns in the fly box when fishing Crane in the spring. I normally carry an assortment of prince and hare's ear nymphs, copper johns, zebra midges, mini-jigs, and woolies. I'm guessing a dry-dropper rig would be effective at Crane Creek? Any tips on fishing this stream are much appreciated. Thanks!

Anyone in the BSSP area who give an update on the water levels and stream conditions? Anyone fished the stream since the flooding?

I have yet to make it down to Bennett since flooding affected the area late last year. Some reports I’ve read mention that the flooding changed the landscape of the stream considerably, that holes and structure that were once there are no more. I primarily fish the middle of zone 1 down to the dam. Can someone provide additional details and possibly some photos that illustrated how that stretch of water has changed since the flooding? How does it fish differently? I usually visit Bennett Spring a few times during the winter C&R season and would like to know what to expect when I get down there. Thanks, Jeremy

You are correct podum. I was exaggerating...the bite was actually slow, no trout to speak of, and nothing but dead water all around. The fishing was MUCH better in the park!.

I was at Bennett Spring last Saturday with a buddy, and we decided to try our luck at the Niangua in the afternoon because of the crowded conditions in the park. The water level was very low and wadable. We began by fishing the riffle area at the Bennett Spring Access. Right away I caught a 15" and 17" bow on a purple zebra midge. The fishing was also quite good a little farther upstream near the bridge, where we caught 5 or 6 each (including a couple of browns) on midges in a variety of colors (purple/ruby/rust). The Niangua side trip provided some relief from the crowds, as well as good fishing. Except for a few families fishing from the bank, we had that stretch of the river to ourselves for a few hours. In hindsight, we wish we would have spent more time on the Niangua and less at Bennett (the bite in the park was okay, but not great).

Me and a buddy were planning a trip to Taneycomo this Fri. or Sat. Is wade fishing an option during the day near the dam? It seems like power generation has only stopped a night. Thanks, Jeremy

Thanks for the input, John. The Traditional II is advertised as a fast action rod, but the person I spoke with a Cabela's thought it more a medium-fast action (more moderate than fast, and a good starter rod for a novice). After reading your comments, it sounds like you would concur with his assessment. Hopefully I can get over to The Legends soon and try it out for myself. Thanks again, Jeremy

I appreciate everyone's advice. My budget is $150-$200 for a rod and reel. I’ve already done some research online and talked with several people at Kansas City-area fly shops. K&K carries a Redington Red.X outfit for roughly $180, and Cabela's and Bass Pro have several combos in my price range. I've cast a Cabela's Three Forks rod and liked it fine. However, a very friendly gentleman at the KCK location recommended the Traditional II rod--paired with a Prestige Plus reel--over their other entry-level combos. I’ve also been looking at Echo rods, though I haven’t had the opportunity to cast one yet. I noticed there are good deals to be found on the Echo Classic since that model is being discontinued. Also, the new Echo Carbons look great and are within my budget (barely). I’d welcome feedback from anyone who owns or has fished one of the above rods--especially the Red.X and Traditional II. Thanks,