Help!

[Brooks-e]

Hi I am pretty new to fly fishing. I started about a year ago when I stared going to school down here and I fish at Meramec Spring Park fairly often as well as other streams and rivers in the area. I havent had much luck, never more than 1 or 2 fish in a day of fishing if im lucky. Any tips on where to fish or what flies work during different times of the year and how to fish them would be awesome!

[FishinCricket]

Hi I am pretty new to fly fishing. I started about a year ago when I stared going to school down here and I fish at Meramec Spring Park fairly often as well as other streams and rivers in the area. I havent had much luck, never more than 1 or 2 fish in a day of fishing if im lucky. Any tips on where to fish or what flies work during different times of the year and how to fish them would be awesome!

The best advice would be to pour through all the posts in each forum that you plan to fish (IE go to the mermac sub-forum and read all the fishing reports). You can even pull up and read archive threads by usuing the search tool.

[patfish]

Brooks-e, if you're going to school in Rolla and do not hit Montauk and the Current river you are totally cheating yourself! Its in your back yard!

[bikehikefish]

Welcome to the forum!

A good way to learn to fly fish for trout is to fish the winter catch and release season in the trout parks. This normally opens in the beginning of November at both Maramec Springs and Montauk. Find someone who is catching fish and ask for advice. Most fisherman will gladly offer tips and even share flies with you.

[Ill Trout Bum]

I wholeheartedly agree about the winter catch and release season. Most parks have very little fishing pressure and the large fish are not shy about taking your fly. I have been taking advantage of this program for several years. During out trips, we have seen novice anglers in our group catch large numbers of fish. One 9 year old caught a beautiful rainbow that measured out at over 7 lbs. Needless to say he is hooked for life!!

[DoveTail]

If you are new, I'm not sure how much you know, but if you are only catching 1 or 2 fish per day it sounds like something is wrong. As you know there are tons of trout in the trout parks. Montauk is great and close by, then Meramac Springs is close by also. Bennett is probably just a little more distance for you.

Regardless where you are fishing, if you don't hook up fish with in a minute or so I would say you have the wrong fly on.

I'm not sure what time of year you are going or what the stream conditions are. If the water is clear you probably do not want to use tippet larger than 7x. You can probably get by with 6x with stained water. If you are using 6x in clear conditions, then this may the reason why you are missing any strikes.

If you are fishing with some swift current, the fish will be on the bottom and unless you are dragging the bottom you will not get many strikes.

Also, just watch and see what the fish are doing. If they are feeding on the surface, throw something to them that is on the surface. If they are on the bottom, give them something on the bottom. In the trout parks, you will always find fish that will hit a dry fly when all the others are on the bottom. Also find fish that will strike on the bottom when the stream is boiling the surface - those are exceptions. Go with what the stream is doing.

The other thing to try in the summer or fall when the streams are usually more clear is go small. Sizes 20, 22 - maybe some 18s.

I would also have a minimum of 9' of leader, maybe tie on 12'. Make sure your fly is a natural drift (not going faster than the stream's current or not slower - drifting at the same rate).

Some simple tips and you should hook fish on a few minutes. Hope that helps.

[Brooks-e]

Brooks-e, if you're going to school in Rolla and do not hit Montauk and the Current river you are totally cheating yourself! Its in your back yard!

Where is a close place on the Current River that is good?

[Brooks-e]

If you are new, I'm not sure how much you know, but if you are only catching 1 or 2 fish per day it sounds like something is wrong. As you know there are tons of trout in the trout parks. Montauk is great and close by, then Meramac Springs is close by also. Bennett is probably just a little more distance for you.

Regardless where you are fishing, if you don't hook up fish with in a minute or so I would say you have the wrong fly on.

I'm not sure what time of year you are going or what the stream conditions are. If the water is clear you probably do not want to use tippet larger than 7x. You can probably get by with 6x with stained water. If you are using 6x in clear conditions, then this may the reason why you are missing any strikes.

If you are fishing with some swift current, the fish will be on the bottom and unless you are dragging the bottom you will not get many strikes.

Also, just watch and see what the fish are doing. If they are feeding on the surface, throw something to them that is on the surface. If they are on the bottom, give them something on the bottom. In the trout parks, you will always find fish that will hit a dry fly when all the others are on the bottom. Also find fish that will strike on the bottom when the stream is boiling the surface - those are exceptions. Go with what the stream is doing.

The other thing to try in the summer or fall when the streams are usually more clear is go small. Sizes 20, 22 - maybe some 18s.

I would also have a minimum of 9' of leader, maybe tie on 12'. Make sure your fly is a natural drift (not going faster than the stream's current or not slower - drifting at the same rate).

Some simple tips and you should hook fish on a few minutes. Hope that helps.

Meramec is the closest for me. Ive been to Bennett Springs before and would like to give Montauk a try sometime. I go to school at Rolla so im year from August to May each year and I usually try to make it out atleast once a week. Last year during the winter catch and release season was when I had the most luck.

[trout fanatic]

Brooks: There are lots of flies that are incredibly effective in the trout parks. When I started I found out very quickly that midge patterns are some of the best. I agree with every poster here on the advise they have given you so far. 7X it is. Zebra midge (google it-incredibly easy to tie) white, red or black (hmm now that I think of it Olive kicks butt too) size 16 or smaller. I have settled on a 16 because it is easier for me to tie them on but 18's and even 20's are sometimes the bees knees. Other patterns work well too (I am very fond of the partridge and orange wet fly-not very hard to fish but it does take a technique). Dry flies work well as someone stated earlier try cracklebacks (again sizes 16 or smaller-although I have had success on 14's always keep a few of the bigger flies around for when the trout get persnickety) Elk and Deer wing caddis flies work well in almost any color phase (I know Bennett has a black caddis hatch from time to time and the other parks may too). When all else fails, egg patterns. For me this pattern is feast or famine, I catch one on every cast or none at all-don't know why that is. I am sure someone else will chime in with other patterns. Hope this helps

[edward]

Brooks: There are lots of flies that are incredibly effective in the trout parks. When I started I found out very quickly that midge patterns are some of the best. I agree with every poster here on the advise they have given you so far. 7X it is. Zebra midge (google it-incredibly easy to tie) white, red or black (hmm now that I think of it Olive kicks butt too) size 16 or smaller. I have settled on a 16 because it is easier for me to tie them on but 18's and even 20's are sometimes the bees knees. Other patterns work well too (I am very fond of the partridge and orange wet fly-not very hard to fish but it does take a technique). Dry flies work well as someone stated earlier try cracklebacks (again sizes 16 or smaller-although I have had success on 14's always keep a few of the bigger flies around for when the trout get persnickety) Elk and Deer wing caddis flies work well in almost any color phase (I know Bennett has a black caddis hatch from time to time and the other parks may too). When all else fails, egg patterns. For me this pattern is feast or famine, I catch one on every cast or none at all-don't know why that is. I am sure someone else will chime in with other patterns. Hope this helps

just wanted to ask about how you fish your midges. I have tried fishing them under indicators a couple times and have not come up with anything. I usually get frustrated a tie on a white thread jig. Any suggestions