Above highway 8- Kayak or Wade?

[Kayser]

Going to try fishing above Highway 8 in late August- should I take my kayak, or can I get by on foot? I just don't want to get halfway, then have to crawl through a poison ivy thicket on the bank to keep moving. I'm OK to walk/wade a couple miles, though, if the water doesn't get too deep on both banks.

[Greasy B]

Kayak, float and drag.

[Al Agnew]

What Greasy said...you CAN wade it, but there are pools deep enough and wide enough that wading isn't the optimum way to reach the good fishing water. Check the USGS river gauge for the Meramec at Cook Station. If it's flowing more than 30 cfs, dragging a kayak won't be too much hardship. Right now it's flowng 24 cfs, but the way.

[Kayser]

I'm 2-3 weeks from being in Rolla and being able to look at it in person.

I don't mind dragging- I normally either beach it to fish riffles, or put it on a leash if I'm fishing a big pool and kind of "walk it down" as I fish. My normal river is the Bourbeuse around Mill Rock, so low water and dragging through every riffle is how I learned to float. That river is just a bit too much to effectively wade-fish, or even swim the holes to where you can wade.

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. Now I just have to make it back.

[joeD]

So, where are you going to put in? Cedar Ford is 9 miles up from Hwy 8. Are you putting in at 8 and paddling up? Going from Cedar Ford down?

[Kayser]

Bushwhack at the most upstream portion of Woods CA--1.75 river miles to the hway 8 parking lot. 1.1 road miles back up. Security at the landing will be handled like a bike on a college campus.

Short float, leaves time for bbq and fish fry in the evening.

[joeD]

Are you trout fishing? I wouldn't bother above the park. Smallmouth rule.

[Kayser]

No, definitely not after trout. Goggle eye, hopefully.