Headed To Current 12/13

[Pat Magee]

First time poster

A friend and I are headed down to the CR a week from today and I was wondering if anyone has had any reports from down there lately. I am in my second year of fly fishing so I still rely heavily on tips from the seasoned veterans to steer me in the right direction. I always stop at Hargroves to get an idea but I figured I would try the forum as well.

We plan to enter near the wire outside the park and see where the day takes us. I appreciate anything that you guys want to share with a rookie like me!

[jgentile]

Hello,

I'll be down there too either Wed or Thu. The first thing you want this time of year is some "ice-off" in your bag/vest. The air temps are looking to hold above freezing late this week, but ice in guides is a real pain in the butt.

If it gets sunny and noticeably warmer you may get an insect hatch. I believe you may see Baetis "bwo" and midges. With the extended cold we have had I would not expect to see too much surface activity. I will still pack a number of emerger patterns with me as well as the venerable Griffiths gnat.

This time of year I like to drift a small midge behind a heavy point fly. I usually tie an un-weighted midge off of my point fly and let it dangle 18-24" behind. Slow and deep is my mantra.

Layer up well as you can always take it off, but can't put it on if you don't have it with you. I do not wear the traditional vest/bag in the winter months. I like to wear a small back pack with a few articles of dry clothing (base layers) in zip lock bags, fire starter and a thermos of hot tea. I also keep the amount of extra fishing gear I usually carry down so I have room to stash the jacket, etc. if needed. Fly boxes, tippet, nippers, etc... all get stuffed into wader pockets or pinned/clipped to my outer most layer for ease of access.

[Pat Magee]

Very nice suggestions. Where do i get this "ice-off," i usually just throw it back in the water to get rid of the ice but obviously it will keep coming back. I will be praying for a hatch but I am not holding my breath. The weather report sounds like we will see upper 40's by the afternoon so who knows?

I also like going the backpack route in the winter. I takeout my camel back water bladder and put everything I may need in there. It is really light and the pockets can hold quite a bit. I usually keep my vest on because I like to have everything at my fingertips. I haven't yet found the middle ground between too much and not enough though.

[jgentile]

http://www.riverbum.com/Loon-Stanleys-Ice-Off-Paste/

I got mine at Feather-Craft.

[Gavin]

They were rising steadily to tiny olives #28 maybe smaller, and some small caddis flies #20-16 over Thanksgiving weekend. Usually better bug activity if the night time air temps stay above freezing, but you can always pound up some on subsurface flies. Good luck.

[Ted Calcaterra]

Gavin - your right. I was there and the little blue winged olives were so thick one needed to keep their mouth closed. I wish I took pictures of the mats of bugs floating on top. Caught plenty of small bows on the upper part of the river. I think the browns were pretty spooky given the low clear water and bright sun. Good times

[Pat Magee]

The weather Friday looks a hell of a lot different then it was Thanksgiving weekend. It looks like we may get some rain and freezing rain at some point. What do those weather guys know anyway!??

As a bass fisherman we always fish the spawn. It seems like it is more frowned upon with browns and bows......why is that? As a rook, it is my understanding that stocked/hatchery fish lay eggs but they cant actually reproduce, any truth to that? I also don't understand how you can see if they are bedding without being right on top of them and ruining your chance of catching whatever is in that hole.

I have so much to learn....

[MaxDrown]

As a bass fisherman we always fish the spawn. It seems like it is more frowned upon with browns and bows......why is that? As a rook, it is my understanding that stocked/hatchery fish lay eggs but they cant actually reproduce, any truth to that? I also don't understand how you can see if they are bedding without being right on top of them and ruining your chance of catching whatever is in that hole.

Because the trout in MO are struggling to naturally reproduce for the most part. We leave them alone to do their thing so we have natural, wild trout in the future.

[Muddler4]

There is certainly natural rainbow reproduction by stocked fish but not as much as most would like to see. The beds are quite easy to see from a distance in the river bottom. Fishing the beds is considered by many unethical (and not just for trout). Mostly it's a conservation / stewardship issue.

Link to a post where someone has done the keyboard work already.

[Pat Magee]

Thanks for the share Muddler. I am sure all of my questions have been answered at some point in this forum so I appreciate you posting.

It appears that the weather doesn't want us to hit the water tomorrow. They are predicting rain, freezing rain, and snow most of the day so I doubt we will make the trip from Saint Louis with that in mind. I guess it will give me some more opportunities to scour the forum for some helpful tips.