"wondrin' Aloud"

[Smalliebigs]

Dunno...the last couple of years have been great, IMO. I've seen more 20"+ fish caught on that river in the past two years than I have in the previous five.

You have to have realistic expectations though. Are the crowds are bad? Spring through fall they are. No worries though......Most of those anglers will never have more than a random chance at any of the better fish down there. Most dont have a clue about how to fish for them, others have different objectives, and many wont expend the effort.

I'd say that 24" is about the upper end of the range though...which isnt bad for a small freestone river anywhere in the US of A..Cheers.

I agree with you Gavin....We float from Tan Vant to Cedar Gove in September, October, and November every year since about 1995.We saw no one on the first two floats last year and I think two guys on the November float.we float Wedensday thru Friday so I don't know if that has something to do with it????? As Gavin said we have noticed and caught more big Browns in the last three years than all the rest combined.So that beeing said my experience makes me think the river is killer.You couldn't pay me to fish in the park though, that's a joke!!!! you might as well fish in the kiddie pond at the boat show

One thing I have noticed about trout fisherman at all the rivers and streams I have fished in Missouri is that they are not affraid to move right up next to you and fish???? especially if you are catching some fish. I will never understand the "trouter" mentality. I shouldn't generalize because I have had some hoosier river bass fisherman do the same thing.

I love the Current and will continue to go but, it will only be three float trips in the fall....I won't quit a good thing.

[ozark trout fisher]

I tend to agree that the Current is about as productive as any stream it's size can be. I have done a lot of fishing in Western water, the kind of rivers that Missouri anglers dream about, and I can tell you that you'd be hard pressed to find a river just about anywhere that averages about 100-150 CFS of flow and has as many large trout as the Current. I don't get many of the really big ones, but that's because I'm usually either using dries, small nymphs, or egg patterns-and not the streamers or plugs that you need to really get at the big big browns with. But I do see them and I know they are there-even if I didn't believe the electro-shock reports.

If it isn't good enough, then I think it's time to change your expectations or else give up trout fishing. Because it doesn't get a whole lot better for big fish and lots of them short of a tailwater.

[snagged in outlet 3]

I don't think the fishing is bad, I think the crowds have increased quite a bit in the last 25 years though...

Smallie makes my point. I won't walk in on somebody on a small river like the Current. When there are several cars in the lot, I leave. I mean what's the point of walking in on them and putting fish down. Although that same thing has happened to me.

Never seemed to see many people down there in winter before ten years ago.

Maybe I'm selfish, I have pictures from back in the day when we were the only guys fishing Taney between Rebar and the first outlet. On a nice winter day no less. Of course it was probably the late 70's early 80's. Winter fishing hadn't caught on like it has now.

SIO3

[Gavin]

Fall is good...but winter is the time to go for the big ones we stay out for 3-4 days usually. Never a guarantee of a good fish...but someone usually sticks a nice one during the trip.

[BrowningFisherman]

I will personally admit to being "one of the park guys" that have invaded the river. I am in college and I am still exploring water. As a kid I was raised fishing the parks and I have to say its almost too easy and even more than that they are too crowded. In the past 5 years I can admit to introducing no less that 10 new people to trout fishing and more specifically fly fishing. More people in the park = a more crowded park, that means that people start looking elsewhere. I got tired of battling for my spot in the park and that "trouter" mentality (by the way I agree completely with this trouter theory). So naturally like everything else in nature we look for balance. I went to the river to avoid people, there are less people there than in the park so my goal was accomplished. I don't have much historical knowledge of the area but I will say that the immediate holes by the parking lots have more people than they did a couple years ago. However, a wise man once told me that fisherman don't like to walk and walkers don't like to fish, so to be the best fisherman you gotta do both. It is definitely a tough stream but I wouldn't have it any other way. So say so long if you want because like you say we have overpressured them and that is the perfect remedy... ... for the rest of us.

[laker67]

Maybe I'm selfish, I have pictures from back in the day when we were the only guys fishing Taney between Rebar and the first outlet. On a nice winter day no less. Of course it was probably the late 70's early 80's. Winter fishing hadn't caught on like it has now.

SIO3

I miss them good old days Pete. I wish I had been a little smarter at catching big fish back then. They were certainly there with very little crowd to run them out. For about 4 years, Dave Betherm, Doc, and I were the only flyrodders at night. We caught big fish because they were there and not because we were skilled. I caught my first limit of lunkers during the night at taney way back then.

[laker67]

Gavin, those are some dandy current river browns. Makes me want to load up my gear for a trip down.

[Ill Trout Bum]

Point taken Gavin. You must learn how to fish this stream. I do not fish it like I did when I first started. It's challenging, no guarantee's, that's what makes it a great stream.

I wholeheartedly agree!!! If it were easy everyone would be doing it.

To quote Tom Hanks in A League of Their Own, " The hard is what makes it great".

[snagged in outlet 3]

I hear ya Rick. We would go to McClellans and fish at night. Nobody around for years!!!!

I guess my buddy bought his condo at Point Royale in the early 80's and we would fish at night hanging buggers in the Redar hole and drinking beer.

I thought JoeD was moving on to smallie fishing as a seasonal thing, not forever??

Pete

[ozark trout fisher]

Smallie makes my point. I won't walk in on somebody on a small river like the Current. When there are several cars in the lot, I leave. I mean what's the point of walking in on them and putting fish down. Although that same thing has happened to me.

As far as the crowds go, I think that is really dependant on where you are fishing-both at what access and how far from the access you are willing to go. Everybody seems to fish just below the Park, at Tan Vat, or at Baptist. But there are other accesses on the Current's trout water that see a lot less pressure-and the fishing is really good around some of them too. Also if you are willing to stretch your legs and walk a half-mile or so from whatever access you're starting at, you'll find plenty of good water much of which won't have fisherman on it.

The really great thing about the Current below the park is that it has 17 miles of trout water. But for some reason most people only use the top 2 or 3 miles even though its all public. Explore further downstream and you'll find a few less fish and a lot less people.

Not a bad trade-off all said.