Bourbeuse Report

[Gavin]

Horseflies suck, and the BB just aint what it used to be. Used to enjoy some good fishing at a private access about 10 miles above Reiker but its not what it used to be. Smallie numbers are way down. Given the choice...I'd head way upstream were the smallmouth still predominate (And wack some spotted bass while I'm at it). Cheers.

[ozark trout fisher]

PS: I will wave to you while going over the river at the 44 bridge. Hopefully, you'll be tussling with a nice smallie and giving me the finger at the same time. ("I'm quite certain I've earned it" - Judge Randolph "A Few Good Men")

No hard feelings on my end of things. Different fisherman like different rivers for different reasons, which is as it should be.

[Guest P. owensby]

You are correct Ozark. The Bourbeuse is not good enough for me. I used to fish it quite often. Not anymore. Unfortunately, my time on this earth is running out quickly. When I want to go smallmouth fishing, I want to go someplace where I have the greatest chance of catching fish, in both numbers and size. The B. ain't it. I know it has smallies in it, some very large. But they are fewer and fewer and more far between than in the past. Yes I realize there are many quite pretty stretches on it, it is not heavily used and is quite convenient to urban areas. But I want to catch fish. I admire your enthusiasm for championing a lovable loser, the third wheel, a wallflower, the strange fat girl alone at a dance, a Ford Pinto or Chevy Vega, even an AMC Gremlin. I say good for you and godspeed.

I'm sure to my detriment, I don't have the will or desire to float and fish places that have marginal populations of bass. I get it. The bass you do catch are hard won and satisfying to the soul. There is something to be said about plugging away at something that nobody else wants. The pleasures and nuances of a concerted effort to suffer, however, are lost on me. I'm not a saint, nor a martyr. You can have the B.

PS: I will wave to you while going over the river at the 44 bridge. Hopefully, you'll be tussling with a nice smallie and giving me the finger at the same time. ("I'm quite certain I've earned it" - Judge Randolph "A Few Good Men")

Alot of validity to what you speak of, albeit painfull to read. I gotta say reading this, I feel a little like the Indian with a tear rolling down my cheak in the anti-pollution PSA's from the 70's, the truth just plain hurts sometimes. By the same Token, your essay is so well written and has such a element of class that I feel as though I should be in my smoking jacket with a Havanna and a glass of fine Scotch as I read through it, very nice! In all reality though, the

Bourbeuse is a tale of two rivers, below Noser Mill and above Noser Mill. Lets hope that the latter remains decent and maybe one day the former can return to it's good days of the past.

[snagged in outlet 3]

Jus wondering P.

Do you actually have a smoking jacket??

Pete

[Guest P. owensby]

Jus wondering P.

Do you actually have a smoking jacket??

Pete

Well Pete, just got fitted yesterday as a matter of fact. Thanks for asking! The Taylor said it should be in next week. Can't wait, can finally retire the old one. Paul:

[ozark trout fisher]

You are all right when you say the Bourbeuse isn't what it used to be. I never got to fish it in it's glory days before the spotted bass, but I know from all I've heard that it was much better than it is now. But you can 't go back in time, and all I can do is fish the Bourbeuse River of today and enjoy what it currently has to offer. It is very sad that a formerly great smallmouth river has fallen so far, but other than keeping the spotted bass and releasing the smallies, there isn't much I can do about it. So I just love the river for what it is, a damaged, imperfect fishery that nonetheless has plenty to offer if you're willing to accept it for what it is.

[eric1978]

Joe touches four, as usual.

There's so much superior water less than an hour from the Bourbuese, what's the point?

There are some good fish in that river though.

[ozark trout fisher]

There's so much superior water less than an hour from the Bourbuese, what's the point?

Superior... I'd say that's pretty subjective. Yes, the Meramec and other nearby waters (Huzzah, Courtious, etc) have more smallmouth bass, but they also have many times the crowds that the Bourbeuse has. The stretch that I usually fish isn't serviced by even one canoe rental, and it's a fairly long float at normal to low water levels with no intermediate accesses. That keeps folks away. In my last two floats on the Bourbeuse, I have seen exactly one person along the river, and no other floaters. That's the point.

I would rather have poor fishing and solitude than good fishing with crowds.

[eric1978]

Superior... I'd say that's pretty subjective. Yes, the Meramec and other nearby waters (Huzzah, Courtious, etc) have more smallmouth bass, but they also have many times the crowds that the Bourbeuse has. The stretch that I usually fish isn't serviced by even one canoe rental, and it's a fairly long float at normal to low water levels with no intermediate accesses. That keeps folks away. In my last two floats on the Bourbeuse, I have seen exactly one person along the river, and no other floaters. That's the point.

I would rather have poor fishing and solitude than good fishing with crowds.

You can find plenty of solitude on far better rivers pretty close to the Bourbeuse, you just have to shuttle yourself (same as the Bourb) and go on a weekday. Just did one on Wednesday. Gorgeous stretch of river, loaded with smallmouth, saw not a soul. And it was a superior river for both fishing and scenery, objectively...unless you really like slow and muddy and fewer fish.

[Outside Bend]

OTF-

You don't need to justify where you fish and why for the rest of the forum. You're having fun, and that's the whole point. Keep at it.