An Urban Creek, 10/10/2020

[FishnDave]

The variety sure has been good! I've caught more species this year than in any other year. 33 so far, all on flies/flyfishing. I've been in Missouri for a little less that 3 months, and I've already caught 28 species here in that short time. 

So...Today I flyfished an urban creek. I added 3 more species for the year, and 1 new flyrod species.

No gar or grass carp were visible near the surface. I did have a gar on for a few seconds, though, but it got off before I could land it.
Long story short...I caught a Freshwater Drum, a Channel Catfish, a Sauger (!), a Walleye (!), 2 Goldeye, a Bluegill, and 2 Grass Carp.

On the very next cast, I caught the Channel Catfish.

I thought I was onto a great spot at that point...but I couldn't get anything else there.  I moved on.

I had not caught a sauger on the flyrod before...this was a big surprise!


And the next fish from the same hole was a walleye!  Equally surprising!

Again, I thought I was on to something with these two fish from the same spot....but again I couldn't get anything else, so I moved on.

The Goldeye on the right is the biggest one I've caught of these so far...but I didn't measure it.

There was soft mud between me and the water when I caught the first grass carp...so I had to quickly drag him over mud to land him.  Thats why he's a bit dirty.   He spooked all the others, so I had to move downstream a bit.  Lucked into a second grass carp that hit in water too deep for me spot him. He got the "white glove" net treatment.

[Johnsfolly]

Awesome! Excited to see those big darters 🤣. Congrats!

[Ham]

That’s Great Dave!

[snagged in outlet 3]

Did you wash up, Dave?

[FishnDave]

20 minutes ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

Did you wash up, Dave?

I scraped the slime off on any rock or log nearby.  Good enough, right? 😝

[moguy1973]

A sauger and a walleye on a fly.  That's crazy!  In a creek no less!

[curtisce]

Congrats, quite a variety.

 

[FishnDave]

So, I reached and surpassed the "30-species on the fly rod" goal for this year.  It didn't shake out at all like I thought it would, but that's ok.  I think I could maybe still add at least 2 more?  Thinking Black Crappie and Rock Bass?  Or maybe a Brown Trout?  Who'd have thought Rock Bass would have been so elusive?  I've fished 3 MO streams that should have them, but haven't scored one yet.  MDC says a number of streams got hit pretty hard with floods and drought over the past several years, which affected the Rock Bass populations.  But they are still around...

[tjm]

5 hours ago, FishnDave said:

Who'd have thought Rock Bass would have been so elusive? 

Don't know why and have never really  thought about it but all the rock bass I've caught have been in the spring months. For a month or so I catch several every trip to the creek and then no more til next year. Now that I've thought of that, I'll have to target them rather just taking what comes.

[FishnDave]

5 minutes ago, tjm said:

Don't know why and have never really  thought about it but all the rock bass I've caught have been in the spring months. For a month or so I catch several every trip to the creek and then no more til next year. Now that I've thought of that, I'll have to target them rather just taking what comes.

That is a very interesting and useful observation!  Maybe I should put off the pursuit of a MO rock bass until next season.