Big Fish Dec 20

[Wet Dreams]

I got my biggest fish ever, of corse with help from my net man Center Punch.He spotted the fish as I was working my way up to him, letting me know it was a monster!The fish was 30in with a 18 gerth, 12lbs. {Pictures below}

About 1 hour later I saw what I thought to be 6 pounder kinda deep hooked into a fish and it took off like a rocket up stream jumping twice and darn nearly getting me into my backing.{8-10lbs fish maybe same size as I caught 1 hour before}Than it took a U-turn shooting back downstream so fast that I couldn't reel quick enough to take the slack out of my line.Thought he got off but still had him on for another min, than the he spit it. I have never been OWNED by a fish like that on my fly rod before,he had total control. Gave me a new meaning to the word POWER when fighting a fish! I thought about staying home because of the rain and cold, glad I didn't. (but I did sleep in, got there about 11:00)

[troutgal]

Hey guys! Has the water cleared up at all? Dad and I might come down Saturday morning after we drop some folks off at the airport. Hoping to see some good action.

Gretchen

[Kansas Fly Fisher]

NICE fish! And a lot of fun I'm sure. Congrats!

John

[Center Punch]

allright wet dreams, you had your fun. now its time for my story and the real story. first of all, i caught this exact fish or twin of this fish before wet dreams even woke up(he may have been having a wet dream of catching this fish ) i actually caught it which i had another guy snap a couple pics and i caught it one more time when wet dreams was there. (at least i think)

the picture of the fish that i caught when wet dreams was down and the pic i got when he wasnt down almost look like 2 different fish. i measured the first one at 30 inches even and 18 inch girth. i didnt measure the 2nd one because i thought it was the same fish. it still may be but now we will never know. nonetheless, i am going to post a couple pics. i know this sounds nuts but my day was far from perfect. i ran out of tippet and patience in a hurry.

about every dang fish i hooked would spit and throw me right up in the trees.

(sometimes i wander how in the heck does a guy get so tangled up???)

anyway after about 10 tippet, weight, fly, and some times indicators got stuck in trees i finally got in the groove catching about 4 fish in the 4-5 lb range and about 30 other fish between a lb. and 3lbs. i will post pics tonight

oh yeah.

myself, jrbhc8, and wet dreams are going to be down tomorrow. i am out of 6x fluorocarbon so dont accidentally leave any laying around or i might take it

when like to meet up with some people but i know its christmas eve and all

later

oh yeah! since wet dreams failed to mention. the fish spit because his inexperience of fishing put his fly line right up in some tree limbs. even i know that you cannot catch fish in the trees(do not read above post)

hey wet dreams, do you think i should post my 37 inch brown that i caught the same day??

[drew03cmc]

I apparently need to take some lessons in presenting the fly to the fish because I only saw one big fish all day Friday, and he hit my Griffiths Gnat and then just as I was stripsetting he spit it. I was furious.

Does the park have any bigger fish in the spring or summer? I might come back down around March or so (after baby is born) to do some fishing, and would love to know. Thanks guys.

[Center Punch]

drew, during the catch and keep season, this park is a total different animal.

everybody keeps everything and these big ones will either hide or get caught and kept. you can find big ones, but they spook easily and are harder to catch.

it is more crowded. everything goes from live bait, power bait to flies.

and also the obvious that the fish are kept. unfortunately you dont usally see the big ones that time of year, but every once in awhile you might find one especially in the trophy area.

in my opinion, they should extend the fishing area upward past the cable. there are some very nice holes and water above the cable toward the spring. they should allow fishing in that area down to the cable and make it for catch and release only. the park is just too small to have specified zones like benett has.

here are a couple pics from wednesday

another

one other

[drew03cmc]

Wow, I would love to spend some time in the trophy area with someone who knows where, what, and how...NOT ME! haha...Yeah, I look at fly fishing faster water like someone with no legs looks at running a marathon. I have no idea how to do it. I am guessing the trophy area is the area just below the cable...I do not really know. Like I said, that was my first trip there, and I am considering making the trip again in a few weeks with my fiancee who spin fishes. I would appreciate any help you can give. THanks Jared.

[Center Punch]

drew

just let me know when you will be down there again and we may meet up.

having fished this park/river alot, i know alot of the ins and outs that this place has to offer.

[drew03cmc]

I am going to try to get down there in about 2 weeks if I can talk her into it. She loves to take pictures. Thanks.

[MoTroutHunter]

...I am guessing the trophy area is the area just below the cable...I do not really know...

Drew,

There is no real "trophy" area at Maramec Spring Park, or any of the parks for that matter. You may be thinking of the Red Ribbon area, which is the Meramec River outside of the trout park. The parks are all generally managed to allow fishermen to harvest a few trout that are slightly larger than average. Of course, there are trophy fish there, but they were generally stocked that size. For a trout to survive the kind of fishing pressure you see at the parks to grow to trophy size is pretty much impossible. During the first week of November, Maramec Spring stocked a good number of monster fish culled from Montauk's brood stock, simply to make the winter catch & release season more fun. What a sight it was. They're also stocking a small number of normal-sized fish each week throughout the winter. The Red Ribbon area has plenty of big trout to chase, but right now the park is crazy with giant fish. That will probably change sometime in March.