1/22 Report

[Phil Lilley]

I saw this water for the first time today. Very impressed. Have to go back and fish it someday.

Thanks to Darrell Bently (Idylwilde) for the tour. You know- they have an excellent fly shop there!! Tons of flies, apparel and lures.

Gray day but I got some good pics and videos of the stream. They'll be posted on the Montauk and Current River sites in due time.

[Addicted to Creeks]

I don't see why they close that section down anyway. If they say it is too protect the browns that migrate upstream during the late fall and early winter I might flip after the massacre that took place this summer.

Sorry, what happened this summer at montauk?

Also on topic the only reason i could see them not flipping the FF and bait areas would be that alot of the bait fisherman probably enjoy having stream right behind the campsite

[ozark trout fisher]

Sorry, what happened this summer at montauk?

With the hot weather of late summer, many brown trout were seeking cooler water in order to survive, and moved from the protected Blue Ribbon water into the bait section of Montauk Park. There they were pretty well slaughtered by bait and jig fisherman, and a few fly fishers who were apparently allowed to keep 4 brown trout in one day, even though the fish were from the Blue Ribbon area where the regulations are much more restrictive.

[Addicted to Creeks]

wow.....thats just....wow

any population reports on how many browns we lost?

[ozark trout fisher]

wow.....thats just....wow

any population reports on how many browns we lost?

I don't know of any figures(although I believe the MDC sampled the river in September after most of this was over with, and maybe someone knows the results?) But I think it's probably fair to say that a considerable percentage of the 15" plus browns in the upper part of the Blue Ribbon area were lost. It almost certainly had some effect on the rainbow trout population in the Blue Ribbon area as well, because they would have the same need to move to cooler water. But the rainbows are a bit easier replaced, with the more or less constant stream of them coming down from Montauk Park.

In my recent trips down to the Blue Ribbon stretch, it's all been rainbows and little 8 and 10 inch browns. I'm not usually catching the really big ones anyway, but most of the time I'll at least hook into a couple of 16" plus browns in a decent trip. Not so lately. I know there are still good browns in there, but there sure doesn't seem to be as many of them as I've come to expect. But there are more big rainbows than usual it seems, which makes up for it at least a little bit.

[Idylwilde]

A question! Do the posting of fish above 3# on so called Lunker Boards in the tackle shops, and lodges cause or promote the taking of big trout illegally? If so what could be done to lessen it without completely doing away with them? They are great for the kids and first time catches of 3# or bigger. Some anglers have over 20 catches posted on these boards. The weight of the fish seems to be object of the competition on these boards. Would limiting the number of times an angler could post on the boards help, or not placing the weight of the fish? I realise that this will not stop anything between anglers who compete for big trout but just looking for a way to slow it a bit. Every angler is proud of catching a big Rainbow or Brown Trout, Bass, Crappie, what ever, and deserves the privilege of letting others know. But where should it come to be something that shows or suggest something is going on other than good angling? Just Saying!

[Gavin]

I've always thought that Lunker board was kinda silly, but it appeals to some folks. I figure most legal sized fish are going to be harvested in the park, "Lunker Board" or not. Who knows how many 15"+ brown trout are harvested in the park. A 15" brown might weigh 1.5-2lbs so those fish wont be on the board, and I'd bet that allot of people take 18"+ 3lb fish without reporting them.

[stlfisher]

I agree I think the Lunker board is kinda silly, as it is mostly about acknowledement and accolades and I kinda laugh when I see a 2lb fish is considered a lunker. I don't ever pay much attention to them, but they do seem popular to some. Why not have a C/R lunker boad as well? Maybe if enough people new saw some pictures of big ones that are being released it might encourage them to release in the future. Maybe make the C/R lunker board really nice and big with big print and the other board small print in the corner so it is hard to see.

[laker67]

I think the multiple listings are a personallity issue. Ones that like to have their name on the board several times are more likely to do the illegal thing when all else fails. Cash prizes used to be awarded at derby events and would lend to snagging by individuals. It is pretty common for people catching their first lunker, or their largest lunker, to have their name on the board, and I think they should. Overall I do not think that the lunker board encourages illegal activity. The multiple listing people are going to haul those fish out of the creek no matter what.