Report Of The Last 2 Days Drifting From Patrick Bridge To James.

[Arofishing]

Yeah Zeke and I really hatched this plan and flew by the seat of our pants. I need to get you on the driftboat before an institution swoops you up for a few years of doctoral punishment!

For real. Sadly, I'm trying to get my fill of MO before I leave for (likely) California. I don't know if I'll be very active on OAF after August or so. I doubt even more I will have become a decent trout fisherman before then, but at least there is always smallmouth .

(I undersold the Ozark Trail hike above, I had a fantastic time. But no good fishing took place, and it was strenuous, which is one of the things that made it great. Afterwards my friend said (this was his first multi-day hike), "People ask me if I had a good time, and I'm not sure I had 'fun,' but I'm glad I did it!" That pretty much sums up how I feel about it, but I am already making plans to do it again too).

[eric1978]

For real. Sadly, I'm trying to get my fill of MO before I leave for (likely) California. I don't know if I'll be very active on OAF after August or so. I doubt even more I will have become a decent trout fisherman before then, but at least there is always smallmouth .

(I undersold the Ozark Trail hike above, I had a fantastic time. But no good fishing took place, and it was strenuous, which is one of the things that made it great. Afterwards my friend said (this was his first multi-day hike), "People ask me if I had a good time, and I'm not sure I had 'fun,' but I'm glad I did it!" That pretty much sums up how I feel about it, but I am already making plans to do it again too).

55 pounds without water? Dang partner, you need to leave half your gear at home and upgrade the other half. That's too much weight unless you're heading off for an expedition in Antarctica. What trail did you hike?

Oh, and California has trout, too...just drive in the opposite direction of the beach.

[OKFlyFisher44]

Awesome trip it sounds like it! Glad to hear you got some driftboat time Andrew! Not much better than floating an Ozark trout/smallie stream in a drifter with a fly rod in hand....and you probably floated the best trout stream in the Ozarks for fishing from a drift boat for both fishing and floating. You have just as much fun on the sticks as you do fishing. We are gonna try to head down there this weekend if the river drops enough but its not looking too promising.

[Arofishing]

55 pounds without water? Dang partner, you need to leave half your gear at home and upgrade the other half. That's too much weight unless you're heading off for an expedition in Antarctica. What trail did you hike?

Oh, and California has trout, too...just drive in the opposite direction of the beach.

I wonder if the 55 lbs was accurate. I didn't weight it myself, but I had some experienced hikers and my friends who weighed their packs "ball park" that number. Funny enough, I didn't end up with too much excess stuff, and what was excessive didn't weight that much (e.g. clothes). The gear I have is pretty nice, but it's not the *nicest*, no doubt I'd lose some weight going from a synthetic sleeping bag to a down etc...

In any case, we hiked the Current River section of the Ozark Trail. Had a fantastic time, just wish there would have been better fishing. Do you know of a hike where you can camp overnight and fish for trout in MO? From what I've gathered they just don't exist...

[eric1978]

Do you know of a hike where you can camp overnight and fish for trout in MO? From what I've gathered they just don't exist...

Hmmm...honestly, no, I can't think of one. Go to the Rockies or Appalachians. If you haven't hiked the Buffalo River Trail in AR, you need to before you leave the Ozarks. The most impressive hike in our region, IMO. No trout, but prime wilderness and terrain and incredible views.

I have a synthetic bag...you don't lose that much weight with down, and down is worthless when wet, so that's a coin flip. I think people pack most of their excessive weight with food and cooking gear. I take a few dehydrated meals, a titanium coffee mug to heat the water in, and a titanium spork. Few granola bars and some trail mix. That's it...and water of course...minimal water (two Nalgenes) and a filter if there's definite sources on the trail. Canned goods and pots and pans are super heavy. And a distant second...I think people take too much clothing. And a distant third..."survival gear." I take a headlamp, multitool, lighter, tiny first aid kit. The only excess weight I allow myself to carry is an extra Nalgene full of tequila and a lime.

Sorry for the derail, OP and joeD.

[ozark trout fisher]

In any case, we hiked the Current River section of the Ozark Trail. Had a fantastic time, just wish there would have been better fishing. Do you know of a hike where you can camp overnight and fish for trout in MO? From what I've gathered they just don't exist...

Can't think of any real good options along trout streams. There is some nice "off trail" hiking that I've done along the upper Current River, but that's better in the cooler months minus the poison ivy and other thick vegetation. And that window is about closed now.

Lots more options for hike-in smallmouth fishing though. The trail in Paddy Creek Wilderness is one you should check out if you're interested in that. Absolutely beautiful, wild country and the Big Piney has some nice wade fishing in that area given the right water levels. Lots of other places like that, just check out about any of our wilderness areas or the big conservation areas in south-central MO. Most have some sort of hike in fishing for smallmouth or goggle-eye in beautiful country...The sky is pretty much the limit.