nice morning of flyfishing...

[Al Agnew]

Well, we had our twice a year get-together on the Meramec this past weekend, and Saturday morning several of us gathered on the trout section to fish. Sam Potter, our buddy Tom, and I parked at Maramec Spring and hiked through the incredible crowds on the spring branch to get to the river (it was kid's fishing day at the park, and crazier than the average opening day). Once we got to the river, there was nobody else on it, and Tom caught a nice rainbow on his first cast. It took me a few drifts with a rubber-legged hare's ear to find a stupid fish, but once I got the right amount of weight to get a good drift, the fish came regularly. I think Sam was after big fish, but I didn't see him catching quite as many as I was, and especially as Tom was. Tom figured he averaged about a dozen fish an hour, and I probably averaged 8-10 an hour on a variety of nymphs. I'd say that some of these were fish that had moved down from the park after the heavy stockings to give the kids better fishing, but there were some rainbows that had obviously been in the river for a while.

We waded down to where some of the other members of our group had started fishing at Cardiac. They were also catching fish. Other than our group, we saw only two other anglers all morning, and the first canoes and kayaks and rafts didn't show up until late in the morning, and there weren't many of them. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and the contrast between the hordes of people at the park and the nearly deserted river was amazing.

No really big fish were caught, though Tom got a nice 18-19 inch rainbow on a streamer. And brown trout were very scarce. I'm wondering when the last time was that MDC stocked browns, since usually you'll catch at least a few 10-12 inchers. Tom saw one big one, 24 inches or better. I didn't even see one.

We quite early in the afternoon, and I wasn't ready to stop fishing for the day, so Sam graciously agreed to shuttle my vehicle for a short Meramec smallmouth float in the evening. The fish cooperated well, hitting surface lures, and I caught about 35, with two of them around 18 inches (though one of those I probably shouldn't count, since the hooks slipped out just as I lipped it and then it wriggled out of my grasp before I could lift it from the water. At least I touched it!)

[Kicknbass]

Thanks for the report. I spent the weekend at graduation parties just a wishn I was fishn.

[troutgal]

My dad and I were at the park on Tuesday, and spoke to the conservation employees there. They told us that they actually stocked a whole mess of browns in the river on Monday. I only hooked into one...a nice one, but he got away just before I could land him.

You thought kids day was nuts, be glad you weren't there to see Tuesdays spectacle. Literally 700 kids from St James school district 6th grade thru high school with what seemed like 3 chaperones! We were in the river below the park when we heard what sounded like the bridge falling down... four high school boys jumping off the bridge into the water on the downstream side! This was downright disrespectful to the 2 older gentlemen fishing right there! Not to mention the loud mouths foul language that could be heard all through the park.

I have no problem with kids being taken to the park for a field trip or what have you, but it should be used as an opportunity to teach...you know things like respect, stream ethics, how to use a trash can, etc. It was ridiculous.

I'm tempted to call the School district and report the distruction to administration.

[ToPwAt'R GuY]

That's horrible troutgal. People need to learn how to be respectful.