Planning First Trip To Montauk And The Current River

[tinner]

If everything goes as planned I'm planning on taking my first trip down to fish the Current and Montauk an 3/22. I have never fished either and was wondering how you would compare Montauk to Bennett Springs. Is Montauk as crowded as Bennett. I have been looking at past posts and other articles on both and somewhere it said that Montauk was the more rustic of the trout parks. I hope to fish the Current in the morning and hit the park for awhile on the way home. Hopefully you can get some elbow room at Montauk. I was looking at Weavers fishing report on their site and they had a picture of a place I was fishing this past C&R season and there were 9 guys lined up fishing that little area where I was. Nothing wrong with that but just not my idea of fun. Any input would help and if anyone is down there on 3/22, will have to say hi and put some faces to some of the names on here. I met RCGuy down at Bennett this winter and he sure was a good guy. Even though we froze to death that day.

[Paola Cat]

Tinner .... Just like all of the trout parks, Montauk can get crowded on the weekends. I mostly fish the fly only area upstream from the dam. Sometimes, I fish the entire length of the campground area down to the park exit. You should be able to find some elbow room. Also, if you're fishing the river, you can start at Tan Vat and work your way back to the park. Make sure you bring some olive mohair leeches. I'll be at RRSP that weekend and can't make it. Good Drifts! PC

[Pastor]

I have grown up fishing Montauk and it is my favorite Park. You can always get away from people if you are willing to walk. Most people are to lazy to fish a hole a hundred yards from a parking lot. I have caught some of my biggest fish wading past the campground and checking every bolder and rootwad before I get to close to spook the fish. Once you get below the pooled bait holes the water is great for fly fishing. Big wild Browns all through that strech and most people walk right by them. well they may have been stocked but there were 10 inches at the time. I have cought them up to 26 inches while still inside the park. If you want privacy try fishing below the park at day break. Even if you dont catch anything the "Current" is an awsome site when the day begins and the water is rippled with noses breaking the surface.. Good Fishin and enjoy the trip.

[Kayser]

I should be down for that weekend. I'll probably be wearing a "Here Fishy, Fishy" hat with a Royal Wulff on it, probably in camo waders and jacket. Should be fishing the Fly-only or outside the park (the Current River.)

Black and olive mohairs or woolly buggers, BH hare's ears (#16, especially), PT"S, EHC's, and Zebra midges. You might want some bigger nymphs for outside the park, along with either bead- or conehead streamers. If something doesn't produce, then either change depth, flies, presentation, or location. You should do this every five minutes or so.

Rob

[Greg]

Montauk is my favorite park as well. Partially because it is generally not as crowded as the other parks. But also because of the incredible variety of the trout fishing. In the park you can fish the regular part of the stream, stillwater - the lakes up by the hatchery, or the little catch and release area. All are awesome. And then you've also got the river outside the parks. I try to hit all of these areas on a trip to Montauk.

Greg

[Gavin]

Should see a lot of caddis mating flights at dusk if the water is clear, and weather stays warm. #16 and tan usually does the trick but I'd carry a good selection of caddis in the 12-18 range. Dries, emergers, pupa, diving caddis, softhackles.. Late May-mid April is usually one the best times of the year to stick a good brown on top. Cheers.

[tinner]

Any specific flies for the emergers and pupa? I thought about trying an elk hair caddis and some kind of dropper. Is the streamside public ground or are there some private ground around the Current. From what I've read it seems like a lot of people park at Tan Vat access. How far down from Montauk is this . I hope to park somewhere and walk along the river but I want to make sure I don't trespass on somebody's land. If anybody goes down from the St. Louis area. What is the quickest way to get down there? I looked on mapquest and it says to go down I-44 to Rolla take 63 to Licking and then Hwy.VV. Other places it says I-44 to St. James to Hwy. 68 down through Salem and then Hwy.32 to 119. It even looks like you could take Hwy. 72 out of Rolla through Salem. Any info as always is appreciated.

Tim

[Kicknbass]

Below montauk it is the Ozark National Scenic Riverway. Its a National Park. Look it up online a print a map showing the access points. There are many.

Go Rolla to Licking and follow the signs. It should take you about 2.5 hours from 270 and 44.

Good Luck.

[Kayser]

If you like getting carsick, then going through Salem is a good plan. If not, then go through Licking.

To get to Tan Vat, just take the highway (YY?) out of the park, downstream. There is a sign posted for the Tan Vat access when the road takes a very sharp left turn, and heads away from the river. There are two roads into Tan Vat, separated by a thin line of trees. Take the second gravel road (the high road) into Tan Vat- the other one is usually blocked by a pretty deep pool of water.

Rob

[3wt]

Best of the parks, no contest.

I agree with going through Licking.

You won't have any trespassing issues on the Current.

If you fish in the park, you should go for the fly only area probably. From the park entrance, take a left until you can't go further, park, put on waders, walk across bridge, take time to gawk over the railing at some of the big fish in the C&R area, keep walking, take first right, you'll be at what's called Hudson's corner (or as I always knew it, the concrete hole - there used to be chunks of an old contrete slab, to stand on on the bank, complete with rebar to hang your stringer on. There's a road that follows the stream all the way up to the spring. Fish it all if possible.