Niangua Trip Coming Up

[KC Bass Fanatic]

Guys, I'm going to be on the Niangua this weekend with my son. We're doing a new section of river this year from Bennett access to Maggards private take out. This is the 1st time we've done this strectch of river and I'm looking for any advice - river conditions, lure recommendations, etc. Also, any idea of about how long this will take? Maggards told me that it is roughly 10 miles.

Thanks!

[zander]

I was there yesterday. Water is pretty low, but you should only have a couple of spots where you might drag a little. Water is very clear right now. I can't tell you how long it will take, but I was doing ok yesterday using popper flies with 5x tippet.

[Wayne SW/MO]

It will be crowded. I wouldn't look for a good experience if you're going Saturday. If you're using Maggard you might want to consider Corkery to Oldhams, I think he probably still does that stretch. He's a little liberal with his mileage so I wouldn't worry about being in a hurry if you get on the river at a decent hour.

[KC Bass Fanatic]

It will be crowded. I wouldn't look for a good experience if you're going Saturday. If you're using Maggard you might want to consider Corkery to Oldhams, I think he probably still does that stretch. He's a little liberal with his mileage so I wouldn't worry about being in a hurry if you get on the river at a decent hour.

We're actually floating on Sunday and we're getting on the water at 8:30 (that's the earliest they'll let us). I have floated portions of it before and learned to go on Friday or Sunday to avoid rowdiness!

I was wondering how accurate the mileage estimate was. I was worried about time. Thanks

[KC Bass Fanatic]

It will be crowded. I wouldn't look for a good experience if you're going Saturday. If you're using Maggard you might want to consider Corkery to Oldhams, I think he probably still does that stretch. He's a little liberal with his mileage so I wouldn't worry about being in a hurry if you get on the river at a decent hour.

Crowds aside, which stretch has the better fishing?

[Wayne SW/MO]

Well I'll have to give you an educated guess on that one. The upper gets hit hard, the lower not so much. There should be more water lower, at least in theory, because of the springs. There are only three accesses feeding it, Barclay on the west and Ho Humm, Mountain on the east and I've never seen many launching at Barclay. Oldhams would be a long shuttle for Ho Humm or Mountain Creek. That would be my reasoning.

The trout fishing will be thinning as you go down river and there is, or was, a tricky split right above Prosperine that you might have to walk through.