Best Blue Ribbon Strem In Missouri?

[laker67]

Laker, Im not sure that is true. The last stcking of Crane Creek was in 1960. Yes, majority of trout streams in the US are not native, but there is alot of streams that the population of trout come from natural reproduction of the trout in the stream. To me, a wild trout stream is one that the trout in the river naturally reproduce and the population is not reliant upon stocking. This is a subjectional definition, but if we were to consider wild streams as those of only native fish, then no brown trout stream could be classified in that category.

tgard27,

I will have to backtrack on Crane Creek. I went to the missouri conservationist archives. Jan 2000 featured an article on Crane Creek. According to Chris Vitello, the last known stocking of Crane Creek was around 1920. Originally stocked by railcar in 1890. I read somewhere else that the Federal hatchery at Neosho raised the original McClouds. Does anyone recall the elderly lady who owned the property that the spring was located on? It was just north of wire road. She had a hatchery of sorts and raised trout. She was more than happy to give you a guided tour. Several rainbows in her rearing pool would go 6 to 7 pounds. Back in the mid to late 80's I fished Crane several times. On the upper end, near wire road, it was common to see lunker sized rainbows. Charlie Reading caught one about 4 pounds and I think he still has the picture in his shop. The stream ran under ground for a ways, then resurfaced near the railroad bridge above the city park. I imagine it is possible for trout to migrate from RR through Tablerock, because during that same time period I caught about an 18 inch brown right at the tressel bridge. Mike Hedrick and Kerry Daniels were witness to it. Unless MDC is secretly stocking, then I would have to say that Crane is self substaining.

[ness]

Welp laker, tgard,

You've got my head spinning now. I've never heard anything about a stocking as late as 1960 at Crane - and my Googling hasn't turned up anything. Brown trout there? That's a new one to me too. But hell, not everybody that dumps a fish in a stream writes it down somewhere where we can read about it.

You can find countless places that say the McCloud rainbows in Crane are pure. I've always felt that angle was a little bit exaggerated. For one reason, not even the rainbows in the McCloud River are pure - so who's to really know? Also, like I mentioned before, not every stocking is official and documented. Who's to say some local didn't dump a bunch of Missouri strains from a hatchery in there to give the stream a little boost when the populations were down? Of course that's speculation, but saying anything with certainty about those fish is too.

[fishinwrench]

I've never been 100% clear on why trout don't (or supposably "can't") reproduce sucessfully in more of Missouri's rivers.

Is it the temperature/climate thing, or what exactly ?

I used to put a lot of stock into the whole wild trout / stocked trout thing, but as long as they have all thier fins and have been in the river long enough to know their way around and be weened off hatchery food, I find the same degree of sport involved.

Wild fish are said to be prettier...and I've seen some pretty bleached out, beat up, and dull looking hatchery fish in Minnesota and in Georgia, but our hatchery's put out some pretty nice looking fish I think.

Wild fish are also said to be harder to catch and fight harder than a equally sized hatchery bred trout....but I haven't noticed that. I still get skunked occaisionally and I get my tippet broke plenty often enough to suit me, in the put and take rivers.

What makes catching a wild fish born of wild parents, so much more cool ?

[ozark trout fisher]

I've never been 100% clear on why trout don't (or supposably "can't") reproduce sucessfully in more of Missouri's rivers.

Is it the temperature/climate thing, or what exactly ?

I used to put a lot of stock into the whole wild trout / stocked trout thing, but as long as they have all thier fins and have been in the river long enough to know their way around and be weened off hatchery food, I find the same degree of sport involved.

Wild fish are said to be prettier...and I've seen some pretty bleached out, beat up, and dull looking hatchery fish in Minnesota and in Georgia, but our hatchery's put out some pretty nice looking fish I think.

Wild fish are also said to be harder to catch and fight harder than a equally sized hatchery bred trout....but I haven't noticed that. I still get skunked occaisionally and I get my tippet broke plenty often enough to suit me, in the put and take rivers.

What makes catching a wild fish born of wild parents, so much more cool ?

I just think that the idea that the fish was born inside the very stream it lives in, and has never seen the concrete walls of the hatchery, or been "domesticated". I think that just appeals to some people myself included, but I see your point. I like catching hatchery trout a lot too. And as to the fact that wild trout are harder to catch, I don't believe that wild fish are any harder to catch than resident hatchery trout. Fish some high mountain streams with wild cutthroat in Montana, and you will find that wild trout can be almost too easy to catch. But resident or wild trout just about anywhere in Missouri could be pretty tough to catch I would guess, because they see so much pressure.

[ness]

I think a lot of the distinction between hatchery and wild trout applies to newly stocked fish. But any wild or stream-bred trout has already beaten huge odds, especially if they are of any size at all. They are conditioned to be more wary, so they're much more likely to know you're there, and you're not going to catch them if they're looking at you. At least in my experience.

As for cutts in high mountain streams, they're a different animal for one - much more gullible. But also their habitat is significantly different than a MO trout. It's frozen 4 months out of the year, then they get a month or two of runoff (flooding), then they get to live it up for a month or two before the drought kicks in, then they start it all over again. Their feeding is packed into a tight window, and they're opportunistic feeders. The situation becomes even more exaggerated when you're talking about streams overpopulated with non-native brook trout. Now that is often too easy.

[ozark trout fisher]

I think a lot of the distinction between hatchery and wild trout applies to newly stocked fish. But any wild or stream-bred trout has already beaten huge odds, especially if they are of any size at all. They are conditioned to be more wary, so they're much more likely to know you're there, and you're not going to catch them if they're looking at you. At least in my experience.

As for cutts in high mountain streams, they're a different animal for one - much more gullible. But also their habitat is significantly different than a MO trout. It's frozen 4 months out of the year, then they get a month or two of runoff (flooding), then they get to live it up for a month or two before the drought kicks in, then they start it all over again. Their feeding is packed into a tight window, and they're opportunistic feeders. The situation becomes even more exaggerated when you're talking about streams overpopulated with non-native brook trout. Now that is often too easy.

I know. I was just pointing out that wild trout aren't always super wary mysterious creatures that spook at the sight of your 7x tippet. They are a different animal in Missouri for sure, in my opinion mostly due to the heavy fishing pressure. I also agree that resident hatchery trout are just about as game as wild ones.

[tgard27]

Allright, since I brought up some stocking issues here is a good one to read for those who are interested : <http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/Documents/11939.pdf>

This is a good one on Crane Creek:

<http://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2000/01/10.htm>

Now this document states that the last known stocking of Crane was in the late teens to 1920. I didn't mean to come across that crane might be receiving stockings, I just thought that the history of Crane is interesting. I don't know how i found that 1960 stocking info looking back I have a feeling that it was false. Check those two websites out and see what you think.

[ozark trout fisher]

Allright, since I brought up some stocking issues here is a good one to read for those who are interested : <http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/Documents/11939.pdf>

This is a good one on Crane Creek:

<http://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2000/01/10.htm>

Now this document states that the last known stocking of Crane was in the late teens to 1920. I didn't mean to come across that crane might be receiving stockings, I just thought that the history of Crane is interesting. I don't know how i found that 1960 stocking info looking back I have a feeling that it was false. Check those two websites out and see what you think.

Tgard, how did you find this? I tried typing in the url listed, and nothing came up. In case you don't remember, what did it say about possibly new Crane Creek stocking? I think it would be a shame if they stocked trout that would dilute the genes of the Mcloud rainbows, as they are a pretty rare strain, and I believe Crane is the only stream that supports a pure strain.

[steve l]

Try copying the URL and then pasting into the address line. Should work

[ozark trout fisher]

Try copying the URL and then pasting into the address line. Should work

I think it is just my computer. I tried that and it didn't work.