Montauk Fishing Report, Oct 12-13

[Phil Lilley]

I arrived at Montauk State Park on Saturday shortly after noon for a noon meeting with representatives from Trout Unlimited, Mid Mo Chapter, Gateway Chapter and the Missouri Council.  John Wenzlick, Garry Teeple, Jeff Witten, Bill Lamberson, Matt Tucker and Spence Turner were there at the lodge cafe.  We took care of T.U. business and adjourned about 2:30 p.m..

I headed up the hill to Reed's Cabins and checked in to my cabin, visited with Kelly and Dakota at the fly shop and then drove back down to the park to meet Darrell Bentley who was fishing just above the dam.

There was a fair number of people wading in the area but room to step in.  Trout were all over the place, cruising the slow moving river and taking small insects under the surface and on top.  Darrell handed me an olive Caddis Emerger which worked well.  I varied my retrieves from dead drift to stripping fast/pause and they took both.  Nothing big but it was fun.



The next morning we met at the lodge for breakfast at 8:30 and headed to the upper springs about an hour later.  We walked up from the hatchery parking lot to where, Darrell said, the Current River starts.

If you haven't been there, Pigeon Creek meets the springs and forms this very nice trout stream, one like you'd see in Colorado.  The first fast riffle was full of rainbows.  Darrell spotted a couple large bows holding close to a log laying in the fast current.  He tried for them, drifting several bugs by the pair to no avail.  I drifted a combo of flies- a #18 Primrose and Pearl and a #16 Green Butt soft hackle using 6x fluorocarbon tippet, no float and a small split shot.  I caught 7 rainbows before losing the flies on a stick on the bottom.  They took both flies equally.



Moving down, I switched from nymphs and drifting with and without an indicator to using a #18 brown or olive Elk Hair Caddis, depending on how I saw the trout moving and feeding.  If the pools were slow and deep, I'd tie on something I could dead drift.  I did well using a #24 red blood midge as well as a #24 black thread midge.  I also caught rainbows on a Miracle fly (egg pattern) and a Mega Worm (white yarn worm) under an indicator.  I followed Darrell's instructions and let the fly sink to the bottom, then move it slowly and the trout would pick it up.



We had hatches all throughout the day including blue wings, brown caddis and midges.

This whole stretch is fairly east to wade and there were trout throughout.  Darrell said it was awesome to fish during the catch and release months.  Might have to go try it!

[stlfisher]

I love parking at the dam and making the walk up to the spring and then fish my way back down. Always lot's of fish to play with and super fun during catch and release

[Jeff Tief]

Nice report with photos too! We fished the Monday after the Derby and saw a lot of small rainbows in the campground plus a pair of browns in the 3-4# range in the same area.Thought we would have seen more browns moving upstream but still a great day at Montauk.

[Idylwilde]

Phil it was a great day with a very good angler. As you know I had a long Saturday morning guiding four anglers that had never held a fly rod, but left being hooked on the sport. They caught several fish on Magnum worm's. That afternoon it was a pleasure fishing next to you and watching you catch all them fish. Then Sunday was like a vacation day for me while we spent hours easing down the Current River watching fish and putting the puzzle together on how to catch them.

I know some folks do not like a trout park and think the fish are dumb and easy to catch. It's is that way in some areas of the park but as you saw not all of the park is that way. We fished areas that other anglers wade past and areas that were shallow and fast current. Some were heavy with overhang brush that steal your flies. We had to fish hard to catch fish all day, but as I see it that's fishing. We went hours and didn't have but a few anglers move by us, some of them complaining about the fish were not biting. I would open my box up and give them a couple flies that would catch fish for them. One of them even came back by to thank us for the help.

I knew you would be bored to death fishing the so called good water in the park that is easy to catch 50+ fish a day, so I was glad to show you my fun areas and hope you will return for the Catch & Release Season. That is a time you can fish those areas all day and never see another angler. Again it was a pleasure to fish with you! Trout Park's are not all bad. LOL

[jdmidwest]

Looks like you missed Rose Holland.

Nice writeup. It is a gem when the crowds are not banging you in the head or walking in front of you.

[Phil Lilley]

I was impressed with the stretch I fished and the trout were NOT dumb. I threw some small stuff at them using 7x FL and most didn't pay attention to my offering.

[stlfisher]

Montauk can be tough at times and IMO I don't think trout park fish are as easy to catch as people make them to out to be. Try fishing a weekend, in low water, with 100's of people fishing too...those fish just stop eating. It is some of the toughing fishing you can find.

IF you can find the right fly though...it can be a game changer...

[10pointer]

Great writeup Phil and love the pictures. I hope to get back down once before the end of the season and will definitely be down several times for C&R. I cant put into words how great the fishing is during C&R it really is something you should experience at least once. Hope you have made it down to roaring rivers C&R as it is equally as great.

Im really hoping that this whole govt fiasco ends soon and I can get back outside the park. Numbers definitely down as far as big browns go as Jeff said but praying for a comeback soon. Shame they are kept out there and in the park but thats another story all together.

Sounds like you had a great time! Look to be heading your way and taney soon been neglecting it being so busy the last couple years

[Jeff Tief]

Fished Sunday mid-morning for 6 hours and close to the same on Monday with my better half this week.Caught lots of fish thru the campgroung area on fox squirrel nymphs and zebra midges while wife,Susie caught a bunch on scuds,zebras and egg patterns.Could have each took a limit of nice fish along with the smaller stockers.As usual wife wanted to the fly zone in the afternoon and as usual it was tougher than the bait zone.Monday was a little tougher as there didn't seem to be as many fish thru the campground area.Did manage to pickup a rainbow each day in the 3-4# range plus fished for several good fish in and out of the park both bows and browns. Was a nice time to be on the water in the Ozarks in the fall.