MDC Blue Ribbon Trout Slam

[snagged in outlet 3]

2 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

It's a natural progression I think.  Every fly fisherman in this part of the country goes through a phase where they get all misty-eyed about little stream bred rainbows.   

When I went through it I built a sweet little 7'6" 3wt and had a special waist pack loaded with gear for chasing "wild rainbows", and even carried a flask of Dickle's sippin' whiskey and a pinch hitter to celebrate every catch.   I used to smoke alot of Columbian Gold back then 😎

Not me.  Never understood it.  Bigger is better.  More big ones even better.  

[Al Agnew]

3 hours ago, FishnDave said:

Its a participation trophy.  In an age where participation is reportedly on the decline, it can't hurt.   It might encourage some folks to go visit places they wouldn't otherwise bother with.  MDC already has the patch deal where you collect patches from 4 locations if you catch an 18" or bigger trout from them.  Similar to the program in the first thread entry, but tougher to earn.  Everybody is different....this will be fun for some, just like tournament fishing is fun for some, or sitting on a cooler with an adult refreshment watching your line or bobber is fun for some.  Whatever gets you outside, do it.

Yep, if you caught an 18 inch or better trout out of all those locations, then it would be an accomplishment...though come to think of it, I've caught 18 inch or better trout out of four of them as it is.  Does that qualify for anything?

[fishinwrench]

13 minutes ago, Al Agnew said:

Yep, if you caught an 18 inch or better trout out of all those locations, then it would be an accomplishment...though come to think of it, I've caught 18 inch or better trout out of four of them as it is.  Does that qualify for anything?

It qualifies for kicking MY butt.   In the BR streams I can only claim a couple of 18+ inchers from NFOW, and a 22" from the Current (but I know the Current river fish wasn't stream bred). 

 

[Gavin]

Have caught an 18” trout out of seven of those streams, 20” + out of 5 of them.. Used to chase those trout allot harder than I do now though (60+ day’s a year for 15ish years). Fish for bass, and hunt more than I trout fish these days.

[Al Agnew]

Let's see...20 inch rainbow from the Eleven Point, 22 inch brown from Current, 18 inch rainbow from Little Piney, 21 inch rainbow from Mill Creek.  Also add in a 22 inch brown from the Meramec.  Haven't caught anything big from the North Fork, though other guys in the boat with me have.  Biggest I got from Crane was 13 inches, but I only fished it once.  Biggest from Blue Springs Creek was 8 inches.  Fished the trout section of the Niangua once, caught a couple 14 inchers.  Have fished Taneycomo once, nothing over 12 inches, and have only fished the White incidentally when floating into it from the Buffalo, and have caught a few average trout there.  Caught a couple big ones during the winter season at Maramec Spring and Montauk, but that's kinda cheating.  Caught some that were probably 18 inches at Spring Rise (Westover Spring) and in Dry Creek below it, also kinda cheating.  Also caught a couple trout in Huzzah Creek, probably from Dry Creek.  I think that's the limit of my Ozark trout catching.

[fishinwrench]

1 hour ago, Al Agnew said:

21 inch rainbow from Mill Creek. 

Now that's an award winner !

[Gavin]

Mill used to produce some big trout in the 1980’s-1990’s. Same with the Little Piney. Drought in the late 1990’s killed Mill Cr. MDC started stocking the L Piney not long after and fishing declined rapidly. Dr. George put the nail in the coffin on Mill when he donated his land to the MDC. The fish get too much pressure at both places now.

[tjm]

On 2/7/2020 at 7:21 PM, jdmidwest said:

Big promo to sell more trout stamps.  Feed the cash cow.

As it reads there is no reason to buy a Trout Permit. It says needed if you keep the fish but that keeping the fish is not required nor are pictures. From the requirements stated,  the only thing they can "verify" is that you filled out the application correctly and that you have a fishing permit or exemption,  and your Conservation number.  Open invitation for the liars club types.