Fishing The Spring In A Couple Weeks...

[jgrdhs]

Will be heading down with a couple friends in a couple weeks; wa sjust wondering how the flood of 2012 has impacted the river. I have been coming to the river since i was a child, and i realize that the water levels don't fluctuate as much due to the spring, and I do monitor the guage readings in Hardy; but I wonder what condition it's in? Specifically, we will be hitting Saddler Falls (if open), Many Islands and Spring River Oaks.

Also, since it will be the final weekend of the month, and i know a few places close on Oct. 1st, I was wondering if there is one last explosion of ridiculouss canoers and partiers that hit the water? I am usually there in the early spring, before Memorial Day, and have only made one fall trip in the past.

-James

[jdmidwest]

I don't know about the flood of 2012, I have been there 6 times this summer and have not noticed any difference other than is has gotten lower each time I was there. I was there this weekend and it was low and clear, but did not get to fish it due to rain all day yesterday. We sit on the porch of the cabin and watched it rain waiting for a break that never came.

Fishing has gotten slower all summer also. Fisheries usually float the stream and stock it from time to time with trout from a boat. With the low water, stocking has been limited to major accesses and fish are not scattered well.

The crowds should be light unless there is an event like fall break or something. Fall is a good time of the year for the Spring.

[Idylwilde]

I spent two day's on the Spring River last week and had a ball catching stocked trout. The mid day fishing was slow & I moved around a lot First in the main river at dam 3. I caught 6 fish on white woolley's and that was about all. I moved to Laseter and took 4 better sized fish on a white Trout Magnet. I finished the day at the falls and deep holes at Mammoth Spring Campground.

About 5:30 in the afternoon a black Caddis hatch started. They were huge and this is when the fun started. I did not have a fly in the box to match the size of the hatch, but I tied on a #12 yellow and black crackle back. I hooked up with 14 fish in 30 minutes. If they didn't hit it on the dry drift I just pulled it under and stripped it back. Most of the time it only took about two or three strips and the fish took it. The fish were just about 25 yards above the falls and laying over and around the big rock's.

I have noticed that this section of the river has some what less pressure as other sections above and below. The wading can be tough but if you move slow your ok. There was a huge brown trout feeding just below the falls but it was not interested in any thing I had to offer. Mammoth Spring Campground is about the only access to this section of water as a wader, When I say Mammoth Spring Campground it's not the big campground just across the Highway 63 bridge. You drive across the big parking lot at Goose Neck island and look for a road that goes down the hill just after the log building. Nice quiet place.

[jgrdhs]

In looking at my original post; I noticed that I mentioned the "flood of 2012". I usually come in the spring when there has been much more rain; obviously, I meant to ask about the DROUGHT of 2012. Hillarious.

Thanks for the heads up, I was not aware of a campsite called Mammoth Spring Campground. The only place i knew of up there around town was the RV park area immediately downstream from the spring.

Cant wait to get down there next Wednesday; I hope all the ignorant partiers are long gone.