Current River Help

[flyfshn]

A friend of mine and I stayed in his cabin in Salem on Fri/Sat and fished the Meramec at Short Bend and caught several fish. We decided to head to the Current on Saturday afternoon, since neither of us have fished it and have heard good things about it. We started at Baptist Camp and headed up stream, but quickly learned the water was shallow and we did not see any fish, so we turned back and fished a couple hundred yards down stream of the boat ramp. We used a green tungsten bead head nymph, crackleback and a red soft hackle, but we were skunked.

Did we fish the wrong area - use the wrong flies - fish the wrong time of day?? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[fishinwrench]

The better fish along that stretch can be pretty cagey. You've gotta get your fly to drift back in, and under the overhangs and stuff, and be prepared to finesse them out of it when/if they do bite. I would have started with considerably different flys...but that's just me. I think mastering the right drift is the real key, and it can be pretty tricky.

The riffle pocket water will be pretty trampled through by Sat.-Sun. and the slick-water holes are a crapshoot...sometimes you'll get a few, other times...forget it.

Did you see many fish ?

Best thing you can do is keep tryin'. They ARE in there.

"Parker" is the stretch that I couldn't figure out...drives me nuts. LOL

[Gavin]

Its a good area, but its often crowded, you fished it mid-day, and you didnt cover much ground. Second hand water near an access point is rarely productive on a warm summer Saturday. Spend some time getting to know the place, get there first, be there last, or lower your expectations. Cheers.

[flyfshn]

Fishinwrench, what flies would you have used (have only been fly fishing for a few years)? Yes we saw fish, but they were mainly darting from one hole to another. Gavin is also probably right....we fished it from 2-6 pm, probably did not travel down stream far enough and by then they were probably skittish.

I really appreciate the help!

[fishinwrench]

I was there last about a month ago on a weekend and did "pretty respectable" with a #14 RFSN (red fox squirrel nymph), and a #8 olive leech. Seems like I remember my partner catching several on a Pheasant tail nymph (probably a #16 or 18) and he caught a few on the leech too. We also caught a few little ones on various soft hackles, and that was all real close to Baptist access.

We left there and drove down to Parker, trying the same flys in the same type of holding lies...and only caught a few chubs. Did have one decent fish hooked for about 4 seconds down there, but never got to see it.

I plan to get back there soon, but it's a pretty good drive for me.

[brownieman]

Go down to parkers ford, wade straight across the river, be real sandy for a bit, and follow the road about 75 yards or so.

There will be a trail to the right...take it and just walk that trail (stay on the most obvious trail, it's an old river road ) till it runs you into the river...probably a mile and a half or so...the trail will end at the river at the lower end of a nice bluff hole, start fishing up from right there.

You have to get away from the accesses, you will pass up alot of water but your passing by heavily fished water...about 9:00, 9:30 the canoes will come beating through so you might as well hoof it back to your rig...the canoes will spook most nice fish from my experience and I never have caught many nice fish fishing downstream.

Also this time of year I have caught several nice fish just below welch cave...it's about 7 miles below cedar grove...due to the spring the river doubles in size at the spring and the trout seek the colder water in later summer and they stock bows on that strech...welch cave strech is a gem if you know where to fish it,and not many do by wade fishing.

hope this helps

[BrowningFisherman]

I caught a few fish last weekend fishing just outside the park and just above tan vat access. I saw several nice fish at tan vat but just as previously menitoned it gets fished hard and the fish were no fools. I saw 4 nice browns in one small riffle but they werent interested in anything I floated by them and then drunks from down at the swimmin hole litterally walked right through the riffle while I was fishing it.

[brownieman]

and then drunks from down at the swimmin hole litterally walked right through the riffle while I was fishing it.

tell me it aint so...drunks on the river, lol...spoils it as far as catching big fish...and then as mentioned in another post they are behind the wheel shortly after that...sounds like 'shakedown' time to me, lol

[flyfshn]

Thanks Fishinwrench! It is a 2.5 hr drive for us, but since my buddy has a cabin and he now has the fly fishing fever, we have a place to stay.

Brownieman, what flies do you throw?

BrowningFisherman, ran into a couple of drunks too. I think it was a combo of fishing late and not knowing where to fish....but the hunt/exploring is fun too!