Rainbow Spawn Alert!

[tippett]

Good report Brian. The NFOW has not been stocked with Rainbows since 1976 or around there. Spence Turner was the man which strated the wild trout program in Mo. Typically all stream Bred bows in Mo spawn in the Winter time from Dec-January. I was fortunate to own a ranch in Hurley which had Stream Bred bows not Mclouds but for sure wild fish. They always spawned in Dec and Jan.

Now is a great time to fish the NFOW. the water levels are ideal the fish are active feeding on spawn and there is no aluminum hatch !!

The stretch from Kelly to Blair is great for the bows and from Blair to Dawt you will pick up some nice Browns. If you just want to wade I suggest Patricks, just park the vehicle and walk up stream along the path and heaven awaits.

Tippett

[Justin Spencer]

I don't know anything about the different strains of rainbows and would assume that some grow better than others, but certain individuals are going to outperform others in any given strain. I think that if they continue to use the largest females to take the eggs from, which I bet they already do, they will continue to improve the genetics of whatever strain is being used. I assume that growth rates of Missouri trout are more a result of how quickly a hatchery raised fish figures out how to survive in the wild, and then how abundant a food source is in it's particular environment. If you want big fish quickly you cannot stock thousands of fish per mile and expect them to grow fast, there is just not enough for them all to eat to achieve maximum growth rates. I do agree that I would rather catch a 20" fish than a 12 inch fish, but rather than blaming the strain you just have to get lucky and put in your time, those fish are there. I think we all want to catch big fish, but what I was trying to get across was that if the success of your trip is measured by the size or number of fish caught, we are going to be disappointed more often than not. If that is your goal go to Rockbridge!

[ozark trout fisher]

I don't know anything about the different strains of rainbows and would assume that some grow better than others, but certain individuals are going to outperform others in any given strain. I think that if they continue to use the largest females to take the eggs from, which I bet they already do, they will continue to improve the genetics of whatever strain is being used. I assume that growth rates of Missouri trout are more a result of how quickly a hatchery raised fish figures out how to survive in the wild, and then how abundant a food source is in it's particular environment. If you want big fish quickly you cannot stock thousands of fish per mile and expect them to grow fast, there is just not enough for them all to eat to achieve maximum growth rates. I do agree that I would rather catch a 20" fish than a 12 inch fish, but rather than blaming the strain you just have to get lucky and put in your time, those fish are there. I think we all want to catch big fish, but what I was trying to get across was that if the success of your trip is measured by the size or number of fish caught, we are going to be disappointed more often than not. If that is your goal go to Rockbridge!

You don't have to convince me that fishing is really about the beauty of the fish, not the size. I think we should leave the North Fork as is... It seems to be doing just fine. When I was talking about Kamploops Rainbows, I was talking about streams that have to be stocked with rainbows, not the North Fork. And really its not a big deal to me, it would just be kind of a nice novelty.

[Kyle Kosovich]

Good read...

I'll side with Brian. I grew up on this river and the fish here are wild. Like Justin says these fish don't mess with hangin in the "unfishy" water like stockers. (stockers that holdover for years or are born in the stream hold the same even in parks) one of the things I see with guiding people is they spend time in mediocre or poor water. Wait for it....like Taney and trout parks. Fishing in 2" of water with no structure to hold fish in the previous places. Not on the noth fork. They don't live there. The ones who try get munched by eagles,ospreys,hawks or rounded up by otters. (there's another topic huh) survival of fittest. Find the deepest fastest water and throw the biggest chunk of lead and fly you have in there and keep a perfect drift to fool these fish with a fly rod. Or cast the biggest nasty you got and strip it as fast as you can for a whole day and land one or two, pigs that is.

It all boils down to the Fork is one of the best in the midwest. Strong. Fat. Wild. Trophy fish. It will keep you guessing and work down to the bottom of your wadders. You can be a US fly fishing team member or a newbie and both will get skunked on the Fork one day, catch a few the next, and then tie into one that tears you to your backing. Then one day you land a fish of your dreams and it happens on the North Fork all the time...

That should keep it going....