Warm Winter Day on the Niangua

[WestCentralFisher]

Spent a pleasant, if absurdly warm winter day yesterday on the Niangua. I fished down by Barclay, which when I do that, it's usually more for the scenery (which in my opinion is much nicer than around Bennett) than the catching. This proved true on all fronts yesterday.

I spent a very pleasant day in a beautiful spot and caught two trout in perhaps 4 and 1/2 hours of fishing. One rainbow of the usual stocker size, one small brown. Not to mention the usual compliment of creek chubs this stretch of river seems to have more if than any other I'm aware of.

It was easily the slowest day of fishing I've ever had as a grown adult on this river, but after all the chaos of holiday season I think a quiet day without much happening is sort of what I needed. I did go up and check out the Bennett Spring Access, and it was hopping with people, so I opted not to fish there. Hard to blame them on a 70 degree winter day that most people have off work/school. Planned to go back out today, but I woke up sick. Ah well. At least I got some fishing in first. 

[Ham]

Tremendous numbers of Creek Chubs and Striped Shiners in that section of the River. 

[WestCentralFisher]

1 minute ago, Ham said:

Tremendous numbers of Creek Chubs and Striped Shiners in that section of the River. 

Yup. There really is an impressive amount. And they're quite aggressive too. You have to size up lures/flies quite a lot to mostly lose their interest, but short of throwing musky lures you're going to catch some. 

[Flysmallie]

It’s a beautiful place to fish but the catching has sucked this year.