1st Trip To Current, Any Tips?

[OKFlyFisher44]

Some friends and I have a trout bum trip planned for next Friday-Monday (17th-20th). The original plan was to start in Arkansas on the White and Norfork, then work our way north back into missouri. Well, with the recent rains we've got...all the major dams have been generating lots of water during the day which could possibly rule out fishing the tailwaters.

Our back-up plan is to come fish the Current River and then work our way south down I-44 probably fishing Mill Creek, Bennett Springs, Taneycomo (if possible at night), Crane, and then finish at Capps.

I've been doing some research on the Current but its somewhat hit and miss on the info....

What are some good flies to have in the box for this time of year? For both the Current and Montauk?

Also, how do you get to Tan Vat access coming from Montauk State Park? I've looked at different maps along with GoogleEarth and I can't figure out the roads to get there. Is it the first turn-off after you leave the park?

I'm thinking we're going to drive up friday morning, arrive around 1ish, and start fishing in Montauk State Park. Then finish the evening around the Tan Vat access point. Then looking at doing a 1-day float on saturday, probably Baptist to Cedar Grove? Or is it Baptist to Akers?

What do you guys think? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

[Gavin]

http://home.nps.gov/applications/parks/oza...ps/OZARmap1.pdf

There's some decent maps on Ozark Chronicles.com...The most popular access points are Tan Vat, Baptist, and Parker Hollow off of Hwy YY just follow the gravel road heading out of the downstream end of the park. If your gonna float, call Jadwin Canoe if you want to float the blue ribbon area (Baptist to Cedar, 7 miles), or Akers Ferry Canoe if you want to float Cedar to Akers around 7 miles.

For flies...bring lots of Caddis patterns, mohair leaches, nymphs, and streamers for the river. For the park..tiny tailwater type flies and light tippets work really well under a small indicator if they wont hit a mohair leach.

[Poke 'Em]

Tan Vat is right off the road coming out of the park. You don't really have to turn "off" the road to get there. You can't miss it.

[XP 590]

Just stay on the gravel road leaving the park and you'll come to Tan Vat about a mile past the cabins at the edge of the park, It's right across from Eagles Park Campground. Don't overlook that hole right in front of the parking lot, I've caught lots of browns there in the last few weeks. To get to Baptist, stay on the gravel road another mile or two, it goes uphill then when it becomes paved, there is a sign for the turnoff to Baptist. To get to Parker, keep going past the Baptist turnoff about 1/4 mile or so and turn on RD 6520 (or 6250?), it's the only road there and marked with the little green county road sign. It's about two miles down to Parker but it's beautiful territory, very remote with lots of good water above and below. My best luck has come on either big olive wooly buggers deep in the current or size 16 soft hackles, brown, grey, and green, swung right under the surface. I hear the Current is a great dry fly stream for Caddis like the other guy mentioned, I'm just not that skilled with dries, but I think they slam that soft hackle thinking it's a little caddis or midge that is about to get away from them. Let us know how the trip goes, trout bums!

Also, if you read back on this forum to all the previous posts, it's loaded with info on fishing the Current.

[OKFlyFisher44]

Thanks for the input guys...I think we've got it all lined out on what we're doing on the Current. I'm really excited to fish this river. I just hope the rain doesn't mess the water up too much...