I Need Some Help

[ModernTroutCowboy]

I have been reading the forums on Current River and where to go and what to take. Everyone here is really helpful in where to go and what to look for. I am planning a trip with my wife to go there and fish in the next week for her birthday. I know I know what a sweet guy! She really loves to fish and we go every year on her birthday. This year is a bit different, one she has never went trout fishing before and never used a fly rod before, second she is a big catfish fisherwomen and are is to catching catfish. So here in lies the dilemma. I need to teach her how to fly fish. Done, I showed her clips and training videos online. Ok I have that covered. Now where to go? Well we have both been to current river about four or five times, not to fish.. So I was reading all the regulations and where the white, red, and blue ribbon spots are. Wonderful I almost have the complete trip mapped out. Ok here is where I am in trouble. I also have been tying my own flies for her and I to use on this trip. I guess what I need to know is what works and what doesn’t. I know there are some forums that get into this subject but I really need to catch her attention on fly fishing. Reason being is if all this works out wonderful and she really likes it, we will be planning a trip to Montana in August!! So please an advice or help would be wonderful. I am also looking into different rivers/creeks to go. I guess what I would like to know also is what are some of your favorite river/creeks to go? My future trip depends on you!

[Gavin]

I'd hire a guide and let them show you the river, especially with a new fly fisher/wife in tow. Sam Potter or Norm Crisp are both good at what they do. Cheers.

[Thom]

I'd hire a guide and let them show you the river, especially with a new fly fisher/wife in tow. Sam Potter or Norm Crisp are both good at what they do. Cheers.

Gavin gave you the best advice you could get. Spending $ on a trip being ruined by a bad experience would bea big bust. If you could afford a guide you would never regret it and it could be a trip to remember for a long time because it was productive as well as educational

[Randall]

I have to echo Gavin and Thom. At least spend half a day with a guide and pick his brain. It'll shorten the learning curve for your wife and provide insight that you wouldn't be able to get without spending a lot of time on that river. When you go to Montana, definitely hire a guide. They know the river and depending on where you go, fishing from a drift boat is a great experience.

[ModernTroutCowboy]

Great Idea guys!! I was planning to start up in the state park.

We do have a canoe that we are planning to launch around Tel.

I am not sure if we would be able to afford a guide but I am willing to look in to it. I think that we both are not worried about not having a good time. We both love the outdoors and love fishing. I just want this to be a good time for both of us and not just me . She has run into a little string of bad luck fishing last year. We live in Central Illinois and the Trout management in Illinois is not that well put together. I called them up when trout season opened the first weekend in april. I asked " how many trout are they stocking this year?" and I quote "60,000" yep ! that is all ! Anyways we havent been to current in a few years and was looking up spots to go around this region to prep for Montana. "Bing" Missouri ! So we are headed off the 23rd! I have been tying some eggs, nymphs, and worms for us. anything else that seems to work ?

[Nortrad]

PT nymphs, HE nymphs, rubber leg stone fly nymphs, and of course caddis dries, various colors #20-14, streamers too, but that's specialized. I've heard buggers work, but I've not used them that much.

Good luck!

[ModernTroutCowboy]

thank you all for the input.. I am super excited, and she is also. Any other helpful hints or tips would be great !! I just tide some new fly's for our trip. I know this wont be our last trip, just the beginning. I would like to go to some more streams/creeks. I know that Bennet Springs is popular and Crane, but looking forward to atleast hitting a couple of different places this trip. I will have plenty of pictures and video on this trip

[ozark trout fisher]

Great Idea guys!! I was planning to start up in the state park.

We do have a canoe that we are planning to launch around Tel.

I am not sure if we would be able to afford a guide but I am willing to look in to it. I think that we both are not worried about not having a good time. We both love the outdoors and love fishing. I just want this to be a good time for both of us and not just me . She has run into a little string of bad luck fishing last year. We live in Central Illinois and the Trout management in Illinois is not that well put together. I called them up when trout season opened the first weekend in april. I asked " how many trout are they stocking this year?" and I quote "60,000" yep ! that is all ! Anyways we havent been to current in a few years and was looking up spots to go around this region to prep for Montana. "Bing" Missouri ! So we are headed off the 23rd! I have been tying some eggs, nymphs, and worms for us. anything else that seems to work ?

If you are going to just fish the state park, you won't need a guide in my opinion. Just get there when it opens in the morning, and you could probably catch fish on a piece of cardboard. I would reccomend throwing egg patterns, san juan worms, 1/128 ounce white marabou jigs (i know marabou jigs aren't flies, but they work on a fly rod if you jig it as you would on a spinning rod), black woolly buggers, and various nymphs size 16 or 18 (Prince, Hare's ear, or Pheasant tail work fine.) You might bring a spinning rod and some Powerbait for emergencies, but I know some people would rather not do that, so whatever. If you are going to float, I would suggest short float from Baptist to Parker, or a bit longer from Baptist to Cedar Grove. You should do fine without a guide, but I would go to one of they fly-shops near Montauk and see what's up before you go, if anything is hatching etc. The same flies would probably work in the area below the park.

If you do hire a guide, I have heard Sam Potter is good.

Little Piney is my favorite trout stream, about twenty minutes north of the Current. It can be tough, but it can be rewarding too. My favorite way to fish it is to wade downstream from Lane Spring Camground, but there are other good places to fish too. Wild trout in the upper creek, stocked trout in the lower section. I like size 18 nymphs using a hopper or some kind of big dry fly as an indicator. (A foam indicator will kill you here). I like Pheasant Tails personally, but I've done well on Hare's ears and Prince Nymphs too. San Juan worms are also good most of the time. But to be honest I spend about half of my time fishing here with a size 0 mepps spinner on an ultralight and do just fine. I first fished this stream in November, and never caught a fish for four trips, until a trip in mid-January where I finally figured out how to fish. I caught three trout that day in the 7 to 12 inch range. I was just using the wrong flies the first few times I went, I mostly relied on streamers, and I didn't do a thing. Tiny nymphs are really the key for me.

This site tells a lot about it and every other public trout stream in the state. Just click on the Where to Go icon. [url=http://www.missouritrouthunter.com/WhereToFish.htm]

No matter where you fish for trout in Missouri, do not forgot the 7x leader. It really helps me catch fish.

[ModernTroutCowboy]

Yeah I plan on going to a couple of spots off of I44. I have watched a couple of videos and blog on some of the creeks and rivers around this area. Roubi is one that I have heard that alot of people like. I am wondering what other spots people like.

I think this is one of the best sits ever !! Congrades to everyone that runs this forum !!

I am looking forward to going to some of the shops that are in the area and seeing what is going on. We are going to camp

till sunday and leave then. I know this will not be the last trip. I want to hit all of the spots in Missouri for trout parks to see what are the best for future trips.

[ozark trout fisher]

Yeah I plan on going to a couple of spots off of I44. I have watched a couple of videos and blog on some of the creeks and rivers around this area. Roubi is one that I have heard that alot of people like. I am wondering what other spots people like.

I think this is one of the best sits ever !! Congrades to everyone that runs this forum !!

I am looking forward to going to some of the shops that are in the area and seeing what is going on. We are going to camp

till sunday and leave then. I know this will not be the last trip. I want to hit all of the spots in Missouri for trout parks to see what are the best for future trips.

Ruby can be good.............. But it's not really a high quality trout stream in my opinion. It has good habitat, but because it's in the middle of Waynesville, the fishing is pretty compromised. If you do hit the Roubidoux, unless there has been a recent stocking I would focus on the Red Ribbon Trout Area, where there are some decent resident brown trout, and more restrictive regs. The White Ribbon part is put and take, and catch and release is not often practiced there. If youre gonna travel all the way from Illinois, I'm not sure I would give this creek too much time. You'll do better in surrounding streams like Little Piney, Spring Creek, and the Meramec River/Spring Branch in my opinion. But who knows, it does usually get stocked pretty heavily this time of year, so you could get lucky.

By the way, you're gonna like Montauk. Best of the four trout parks in my opinion.