8-4-2010 Cardiac Hill

[Flyflinger]

I fished hard from 6:00am till 1pm..by that time it was hell on earth hot. The bite was very very sloooooooowwwww. I brought just 3 fish to hand and had 2 shake off. 1 nice smallie and 2 trout. The fish are pradictably holding in the deepest pools close to structure. You have to use the heaviest split shot you can get away with and get those flies to drag the bottom. if you have the percistance to suffer the slow bite, you can catch a few fish. As for me, I won't be goign back until we get a nice cold front to move through.

I only had floaters come by at the end of my day...and only a few at that. There was no other anglers...I guess I am the only one crazy enough to brave the heat.

I know this water gets alot of bad press....but for me its to close to home to pass up, and i always catch fish. i have never fished it in the fall...does the bite pick up then?

I got a pic of one of the trout...he was the biggest one.

[Stoneroller]

yes the bite picks up as the weather cools off. I think they stock more heavily when its cooler, but I could be wrong. I've fished there in recent years where literally every other cast was a fish and not all were stockers, some were good sized fish.

[Gavin]

The bite picks up in the fall, but come September 15 youll start getting allot of jet boat traffic from the giggers & deer hunters.

[ozark trout fisher]

I fished hard from 6:00am till 1pm..by that time it was hell on earth hot. The bite was very very sloooooooowwwww. I brought just 3 fish to hand and had 2 shake off. 1 nice smallie and 2 trout. The fish are pradictably holding in the deepest pools close to structure. You have to use the heaviest split shot you can get away with and get those flies to drag the bottom. if you have the percistance to suffer the slow bite, you can catch a few fish. As for me, I won't be goign back until we get a nice cold front to move through.

I only had floaters come by at the end of my day...and only a few at that. There was no other anglers...I guess I am the only one crazy enough to brave the heat.

I know this water gets alot of bad press....but for me its to close to home to pass up, and i always catch fish. i have never fished it in the fall...does the bite pick up then?

I got a pic of one of the trout...he was the biggest one.

I'm guessing the water temps are getting a bit on the high side down there. Dry Fork is probably dumping in some extremely warm water. That might have something to do with the slow fishing.

As for fall fishing- that's my favorite time of year to fish it. That is the one season of the year for me that the Meramec is really a lot of fun-just wait for the first cool rain of fall, and head down, and you'll have some really good fishing. When it's as hot as it is now, the only really good trout fishing is between the spring and the Dry Fork confluence. Of course you'll have plenty of company up there though.

By the way, nice fish. I bet you did better than most folks are doing in this heat.

[3wt]

How wadeable was it? I've been waiting for wadeable levels all dang year. I'm not as close as you, but for a few hours on a trout stream, it's my best and most doable bet.

[Gavin]

Its 266cfs on the Steelville Guage today....Thats about perfect for wade fishing around Cardiac/Suicide, IMO.(I wont wade down there if its over 500cfs, but your mileage may vary). Getting close to white fly time too... Cheers.

[Bman]

I know this water gets alot of bad press....but for me its to close to home to pass up, and i always catch fish. i have never fished it in the fall...does the bite pick up then?

Cardiac is a long hot hike if you're wearing waders. In my younger day I always went up/down suicide.

Fall fishing? Remember that Trout are called upstream during that time of year.

[Flyflinger]

How wadeable was it? I've been waiting for wadeable levels all dang year. I'm not as close as you, but for a few hours on a trout stream, it's my best and most doable bet.

It was an easy wade.