Missouri Trout Hunter

Habitat Work Commencing at Lake Taneycomo

2011-10-24T13:40:00.002-05:00

Heads up tailwater fishers!

If your main gripe about fishing the tailwater at Lake Taneycomo is the unpredictability of the power generation (and how running a couple of generators makes it almost impossible to fish), take heart, because hope is on the way!

Powersite dam has requested a draw-down of Taneycomo's lake levels, and the MDC is going to take advantage of the opportunity this affords. The draw-down is already underway, and when the levels drop and the gravel sufficiently dries and hardens, the heavy equipment is coming in. MDC will be installing what the Springfield News Leader is referring to as "boulder clusters" in the upper stretches of the trophy management area, and here's what that will accomplish.

As the water moves past the obstructions, you'll see slower flow immediately upstream of each boulder and faster flow around the edges, creating current seams that the trout will use for feeding on drifting insects, crustaceans and amphipods. As the water upstream of the boulders accelerates toward the new feeding lanes, the gravel in those areas will clean out more efficiently, meaning the average rock size will be larger. That's good for bug populations, which means more food for little fish, which, of course, means more little fish to feed to the great big fish! And the final payoff is that these artificial riffles will terminate into a plunge-style pool while simultaneously providing additional shelter from the massive current changes that the fish have to fight as things are.

The payoff for fishermen will be more consistent fish populations, improved forage for the trout, and improved access to fishing areas even when Table Rock Dam is generating power.

The habitat installations are due to begin the weekend of October 28th, and fishing will still be open for the public. Of course, use your best judgment when fishing in the shadow of a backhoe lifting a boulder. I don't want to hear about your tragically entertaining death on the evening news.

Local Taneycomo fishermen: get your butts down to the lake this weekend and shoot some good photos! Email them to me, and I'll add them to this article. Don't worry -- I'll give you credit. I have to! Can't afford to give you cash. :-)

Trying to Improve Fishing Access at Bennett Spring

2011-07-01T10:31:00.005-05:00

I received a letter from the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation yesterday. When I saw the return address, my first thought was that I was in trouble (Ok, not really). It turns out, the foundation is undertaking an effort to get rid of that ugly concrete "bank" just downstream from the dam and right behind the hatchery office. Not only is it falling apart, but it's also fairly treacherous for those trying to access that part of the water -- definitely a good project to undertake. Here's the letter in its entirety:

I think you will be interested in a project that will benefit Bennett Spring State Park and trout hatchery. We have an opportunity to improve fishing access at one of the most visited areas of the park, the reach of stream below the dam and behind the MDC hatchery office. For $45,000 the Department of Conservation can replace an unsightly concrete bank with an attractive and functional fishing and viewing platform. We want to provide the funds to do this by November of this year.

Bennett Spring State Park and the Department of Conservation hatchery are two of the most popular attractions in southwest Missouri, drawing up to 180,000 anglers annually. People especially like to visit the park's scenic dam and waterfall. Anglers and viewers access this area by walking down a steep slope to a rough concrete surface. This unattractive concrete pad is deteriorating. The Department wants to replace it with a platform to improve public access and increase user safety.

Help make this project a reality by making a tax deductible contribution to the foundation, either by sending a check or visiting www.mochf.org. There is a link at the bottom of the home page, or you may go to the Donate Page. Please indicate that the donation is for the "Bennett Spring Platform". I invite you to follow this project by subscribing to our e-newsletter on our home page or by sending us an email request. Thanks for considering an investment in your conservation heritage.

Sincerely,

Dave Murphy
President

Obviously, they're "swinging for the fences" and hoping that 45 financially comfortable trout fishermen will pony up a grand apiece, but I always tend to look at these efforts from the common man's perspective. So, here's my challenge to you: If you are a Bennett Spring fisherman, set aside $5 for each day you fish at the park this season -- put it in a coffee can under the bed. Then, after your last trip to Bennett this season, dump out the can, and send it to the foundation. If the park does indeed sell 180,000 daily tags per year, that comes to just 25 cents per fisherman per day to fully fund this project. So, your $5 will carry your own freight and the freight of 19 other fisherman who don't donate.

If you want to help more, then just forward a link to this posting to all the Bennett Spring trout fishermen you know, and ask them to forward it as well. An effort like this can lead to critical mass, and we can completely blow away that $45,000 goal. If you can provide the funds, the MDC will construct a 72-foot platform that will have the fishermen literally inches from the water's edge. That giant trout that always hides in that corner will be within reach!

Thanks for whatever you do to help.

Yes, You Can Book Your South African Safari With Missouri Trout Hunter

2010-12-03T11:04:00.013-06:00

Yes, it's true -- kinda. Technically, it's Ozark Taxidermy (the other side of the family business) that has recently become an approved booking agent for South Africa-based "Select Safaris".

Before making this decision, I contacted their entire client list from the 2009 season. Yes, their ENTIRE client list. We're talking dozens of of people. And, to be honest, I wasn't expecting the uniform level of raving reviews I heard. There was only one complaint. That client really wanted to take a black wildebeest in addition to the other 4 or 5 trophies he took on his trip, but they just weren't able to make it happen on that trip. So, he's planning another safari -- how's that for a complaint? He's going back!

In other words, I checked these guys out, and they are top-notch. Luxury accommodations, gourmet food (have you ever had Water Buffalo?), and the most professional and skilled hunting guides on the continent. Add to that the opportunity to hunt some very impressive animals that, to be honest, I thought were off-limits, and you've got a true once-in-a-lifetime experience. You can hunt the traditional horned game, of course, but you can also hunt lion, hippo, giraffe, ostrich, you name it. Even the rarer animals need their numbers managed, and when the herd, flock or pride numbers have been reduced to the optimum level, the opportunity to hunt those species is withdrawn.

Select Safaris staff will pick you up and the airport, show you the time of your life for 10 days, and get you back to your plane. Your trophies will be skinned, cleaned, sterilized, dried and shipped to the U.S. taxidermist of your choice. I'm sure you know I'm crossing my fingers that you'll choose Ozark Taxidermy, but there is no obligation.

Not a hunter? Well, they also offer photograph-only safaris, where you'll see pretty much every type of African animal you could hope for in a wide variety of terrains and environments. They have access to tens of thousands of acres of land with amazing numbers and varieties of wildlife.

For more pictures, click HERE, but don't dilly dally! The 2011 season is already 70% booked!

Meramec River Frontage for Sale!

2010-10-29T13:32:00.002-05:00

Here's a rare opportunity for you trout fishermen out there, especially if you like fishing the Meramec but can't stand walking up and down Cardiac Hill.

About 20 acres of Meramec River frontage land just downstream from Dry Fork is available for purchase. As the owner, you'd down the Cardiac Hill access road, through the gate, and through the property that used to include the fishing spot formally known as "cabin hole" (the cabin is gone, in case you've been living in a cave). That property is not for sale, but there is an agreement in place to allow the owner access. To the best of my knowledge, there are no improvements on the property, but there are plenty of flat spots for a hunting or fishing cabin, if you like. There's great deer and turkey hunting, and (of course) easy Meramec River access to some great trout water -- maybe the best on the river.

For those of you who know what it's like walking up Cardiac Hill wearing waders on a warm summer day, the price of purchase may be more than worth it just to have a place to park the car!

I don't know what the asking price is, but since the property is prime, be prepared to have your first offer declined. As far as woodland is concerned, this one is going to fetch a good price. But if you're interested, I'll be happy to pass on the owner's contact information. Just give me a shout by clicking HERE.

The Fly Buyer's Club Lives!

2010-09-12T13:23:00.005-05:00

For those of you who have been following along for a while, you may remember the old fly buyer's club. It was an idea I had to help my website visitors save a few bucks by adding their fly orders to mine when I placed by big orders from overseas. Well, without going into a great deal of exposition, I decided it was time to close the club down a couple years ago. Suffice it to say that the supply chain fell apart on us. It became clear that what we needed was a licensed U.S. importer/distributor willing to cut us a deal. Guess what?

Long story short, the Fly Buyer's Club is back in business. Our licensed U.S. distributor is Greg Konar, the owner of East Branch Flies. If we the club members can put together orders of 100 dozen flies or more, he'll offer us his absolute rock bottom price -- the same wholesale price he'd offer to a fly shop. For example, most "normal" trout flies will run you $5.50 per dozen as a member of the Fly Buyer's Club (about 46 cents each).

As you can imagine, Greg's not earning much of anything on this deal, so the question you might ask yourself is "what's it in for Greg?" Well, the Fly Buyer's Club is not for folks that just want to buy a few flies here and there. The typical club members will generally have their boxes filled as well as having extra flies at home, already queued up for the next trip or two. But, we all find ourselves in a bind sometimes and need a quick batch on short-term notice. If you find yourself in that situation, be sure to visit East Branch Flies and give them your retail business as well.

The Fly Buyer's Club will probably place 3 or 4 large orders a year, and our first order will be going in very soon. So, if you're interested in joining up, here's what you do:

(1) Send us an email by clicking HERE asking to join the Fly Buyer's Club.

(2) Wait for further instructions!

How easy is that? Join the club, an you'll never again feel like you have to risk your life trying to retrieve a snagged fly!

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Rain, Rain, Go Away

2009-07-04T15:41:00.009-05:00

Well, I just have to say: "It's about damned time!"

Below, you'll see the USGS Meramec River discharge graph for the last 60 days. The graph shows how the river discharge rate has fluctuated between May 4 and July 4 of this year. If you'll notice, they had to play around with the graph lines to make sure they could get everything on the same page. If they hadn't made those adjustments, the graph would have to be more than 2 feet tall to accommodate the 22,000 cfs peak on May 9. That's not an exaggeration -- I actually dug out my son's ruler and did the math!

When it comes to guided fishing trips, I have to have a policy of maximum flow to maintain safety for my clients. Historically, 700 cfs has been the absolute maximum discharge for any client trips taking place downstream from Dry Fork Creek. At that level, the river is up and milky, and the wading can be fairly tricky. And, of course, fishing in those conditions is tough. You either have to cast a lot of weight to get your flies down deep and/or you need to have exceptional line mending skills to ensure a good deep drift. For good quality fishing, 300-500 cfs is actually pretty ideal, which brings me to the happy happy news of the day (cue drum roll).

For the first time since March 23, the Meramec River Red Ribbon Trout Area is flowing at under 500 cfs. Yes, that's almost 15 weeks ago. The low temperature that day was 36 degrees. So far this year I've managed to only get 5 client guide trips done, and we had decent catch rates on 4 of those 5 trips. HOWEVER, we've also had to cancel about 30 trips during that same timeframe due to rain and flooding -- definitely hard on the pocket book. But the river's down (hopefully for the rest of the summer), and the fishing's good once more. And to catch up on finances, I'll be opening my guide schedule to book as many trips as possible during the summer months.

Normally, I only book 10 trips per month before closing the month down for additional trips, but for July and August, I won't be enforcing that limit. So, if the day is available, and if you can give me at least 2-3 days notice, I'll take you fishing. Summertime trips tend to be 5 hours in length, so we'll probably be done by noon -- just about the time the heat and drunk float-trippers chase us off the river! The fishing is still good during the summertime, but it's not "rip-snort" like it can be in the spring. The fish tend to be more spread out, so we'll walk more to cover more water, and it will be important to make good casts and mend the line properly to get a good drift. If you need help fine-tuning those skills, I can certainly help.

If you like to find out more about Trout Hunter Guide Service, click HERE.

2008 Flooding Hurts Trout Fishing in 2009

2009-03-17T08:37:00.004-05:00

Fewer Trout to be Stocked This Year

The good news is 2009 should not be nearly as wet as 2008. In fact, last year was the wettest year in Missouri History, with some areas receiving almost 6 feet (yes, FEET) of rainfall. The unbelievable amounts of moisture certainly affected the fishing last year, but it looks like we're going to be feeling it this year as well.

In 2008, Lake Taneycomo arguably bore the brunt, as it's headwaters (Table Rock Lake) collect the runoff from miles around. The flow of flood waters being pushed through the turbines and flood gates at one point reached over 47,000 cubic feet per second, a full 53% higher than the dam's previous record. This added flow not only decreased the ability to fish, but it also raised the water temperature significantly. Those changes are going to continue to hurt trout fishing for at least the next season.

For brown trout eggs to be successfully fertilized and raised, the water temperature needs to be 53 degrees or so. The temperature of the water flowing through Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery was in the upper 60's, causing a significant decline in their brown trout success. Every stocked brown trout in Missouri comes from the Missouri Department of Conservation's Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery, so those of us who like to target that species will notice a difference in the next few years.

Small brown trout (8-9 inches) are generally stocked in the springtime. Some rivers receive an Autumn stocking from the same brood, making those fish perhaps an inch longer. In many of our brown trout streams, the survival rate for those first-year residents is less than 20%. And since it takes at least 2 full years for those runts to grow to the "keeper" size of 15 inches, that's likely when we'll see the first notable difference in our brown trout fisheries.

In addition to poorer spawning results, water quality at the hatchery declined as well, meaning an increase in disease and parasitic infections. MDC reports that Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery lost more than 30,000 pounds of fish to these issues -- more than 4 times the normal annual loss.

Rainbow trout were affected as well, however. Shepherd of the Hills also raises rainbows, of course. And the hatcheries and rearing pools at Bennett Spring State Park and Maramec Spring Park also suffered significant losses, both due to the flood waters and diminished water quality.

Bottom line is that stocking numbers are going to be off by about 10% this year. The trout parks will be stocking 2 trout per anticipated fisherman (compared to the normal rate of 2.25), and all other stockings across the state will have to be decreased by similar percentages. This should not effect Stone Mill Spring on Ft. Leonard Wood or the winter trout lake program, since those trout are purchased from private hatcheries. MDC states they are cautiously optimistic that they'll be able to return to normal stocking rates in 2010.

March 1st!

2009-02-26T11:46:00.003-06:00

March 1st! Does anything else really need to be said? Probably not, but I'm a talker, so here goes.

March 1st is on a Sunday this year, so Missouri's four trout parks are going to be crowded to overflowing. Traditionally, Sunday trout openers represent the biggest turnouts, so get yourself into the right frame of mind. But definitely don't miss it! The big benefit of fishing on March 1st is the higher than normal chance at catching a real lunker. During most of the year, the hatchery staff will drop in a whopper trout here and there and from time to time, but each of he parks will be putting in A BUNCH on Saturday night. We're talking 40, 50, 60 or more trout that all measure 20+ inches. AND... they're all stupid. March 1st is the kind of magical day when 6-year olds catch fish almost as long as they are tall. I'll say it again. Don't miss it.

But how would one go about actually targeting a trophy-sized trout? Well, there are a couple of secrets. Secret #1: big fish require LOTS of calories, and they can't generally afford to burn the calories required to chase down food that's hard to catch. For the fisherman, this means you can increase your chances by (a) using baits, lures & flies that look like they have lots of calories -- meaning BIG, and/or (b) by making your baits, lures and flies EASY for the fish to eat. That usually means putting it right in front of his face and not making him chase it. Of course, if you can drift a little tiny bait to a giant trout's nose, they'll probably eat that, too. But big baits will often get them to move a few extra inches to grab it.

Serious trophy hunters will wander the river searching the for the specific fish they want to catch. Once they see it, they'll work on drifting their bait directly to that fish without spooking him off. If you don't have the patience for that style of fishing, then the next best option is to cover a lot of water and target the spots that LOOK like a trophy fish would want to be there. Drift your baits past boulders, downed trees, into the foam under the dams, deep into the holes, etc. Work a spot well, and then move on to the next one. Sooner or later, a whopper fish is going to see your bait. If you can drift it to his nose, you're in business.

Be sure to bring that big fish to Ozark Taxidermy for the best quality trout mounts around. And, if you a catch-and-release kinda fishermen, we do great looking reproductions, too!

Trout Season is Coming!!

2008-02-16T11:09:00.010-06:00

March 1st is going to be a big day! Not only is it the day that Missouri's four trout parks open for the catch & keep season, but this year March 1st is on a Saturday! Now, this may frighten you off -- crazy-big crowds and all. But think this through for a moment.

Since the hatchery managers KNOW the turnout is going to be HUGE, they're going to stock an incredibly large number of fish -- including a great number of real whoppers. And when they stock big trout, we're talking BIG TROUT. They'll certainly stock a bunch of 3 pound fish left over from the Fall '06 hatching, but they'll also be stocking the trout that have been set aside for brood stock but have gotten too old to be productive. We're talking about fish in the catagory of 2-1/2 feet long weighing 8 pounds and up. Want to know the secret to catching these monster fish on opening morning?

Catching a lunker on March 1st requires a specific gameplan. First, you have to expect and accept that you won't be able to wander the bank right off the bat. At the morning siren, you'll be fishing with a few thousand of your closest friends. If you step out of your spot for a second, your spot will magically disappear. So, to start off with, scout your location the day before, if possible. In this case, you won't be thinking like a fish. Instead, think like a hatchery worker. Where will they put the highest concentration of the biggest fish? Probably in the deepest water with the best oxygen levels, so look for deep holes below riffles or rapids with a BUNCH of whitecaps. Also, you might think that the crowds gravitate to a spot, because there are a bunch of fish there. Yes, this is true. But, hatchery staff also stock certain spots more heavily, because they know there will be a bigger crowd there tomorrow. Just something to keep in mind. On March 1st, crowds of fishermen actually DO mean tons of fish to go around.

So, pick your spot out the night before, and get there extra early in the morning. And when the siren sounds, do NOT be the first one to cast out. Wait a few seconds. The first 10 seconds of fishing will yield dozens (if not hundreds) of crossed lines and tangles, including fish that get tangled in other's lines and break off. Let this happen without your line in the water, and you'll find you have more breathing room to fish while everyone else is quickly re-rigging and cursing under their breath. The only other tip for morning siren fishing is to get your bait deep, and give it some good action without moving it through the water too quickly. If you're lucky, you'll get your lunker right off the bat. If not, it's time to adjust your tactics.

Once the initial frenzy dies down and fishermen start heading out to get some breakfast, it's time to become a serious lunker hunter. The secret trout park tactic is sight fishing. Sight-fishing is how true trophy hunters keep coming home with lunkers. They fish less, walk more, and stare at the river until their eyes start to cross. They find a spot that should have a big fish in it, and then they stand there and study the water closely until they eyeball the fish. Once they see him, they cast directly to him. And they keep casting until he takes their bait, lure or fly. It's not hard, but it takes self-discipline. And the most popular method for catching monster trout-park fish? Spin fishing with marabou jigs. If you position yourself correctly, you can cast jigs so they'll suspend right in front of that monster fish. Keep twitching the jig around him, and he will eventually eat it.

Of course, there are many methods of catching big fish, and we see plenty of trophies come in the shop (Ozark Taxidermy) that are caught on a variety of bait, lures and flies. So here is my last bit of advice to help you get your trophy. Watch the water temperature. If the water temp warms into the 50's, the fish will be more active and will be more likely to chase down little things that run away. That means you'll have luck casting spinners, trout worms, crankbaits, and stripping in big streamers. If the water temp stays in the 40's, the fish will be more lethargic, meaning you'll have to drift your bait, lure or fly to their nose. They'll still eat, but they'll be more likely to feed on food drifting past them rather than chasing minnows and whatnot.

When you get that trophy trout, be sure to bring it in to Ozark Taxidermy. You'll be thrilled with the results. And if you prefer catch-and-release, we do darn good reproductions, too! Just take a good picture or two before you let old Bluto go. Now go get 'em!

How to Avoid Voting Stupid

2008-01-24T08:46:00.000-06:00

Greetings all! This is one of those rare non-trout related blog articles that I throw up from time to time. I hope you indulge me and read it anyway.

The title of the article probably can give you some notion of my opinion on the state of American politics. Simply put, we Americans have allowed ourselves to become suckers. I remember in social studies class as a kid reading about how propaganda was used on other parts of the world to effectively rally citizens to do crazy things or allow crazy things to occur. We students all shook our heads in amazement that anyone could be so gullible. Well folks, Americans are just the same. We are gullible, and this primary season really shows it in spades. Here are a couple of examples.

Hillary Clinton is losing in the polls by a notable margin, gets teary eyed on camera, and then pulls away with a victory 24 hours later. What changed? I'm not suggested she faked it. I am suggesting that it got a TON of airplay. Here's another. In New Hampshire and Michigan, John McCain WON among voters that OPPOSE the war. At the same time, he LOST among voters that SUPPORT the war. That is the exact opposite of what you might think should happen, since McCain has been a very vocal supporter of the Iraq war from the beginning. The vast majority of registered Democrats feel VERY strongly that taxes should be raised to the moon for the wealthiest Americans, and John Edwards is the only remaining viable candidate that agrees -- while he hangs in third place. What's going on?

Americans have a great strength that I believe other countries often lack -- heart. We are intuitive, compassionate, loving, supportive, and we wear our hearts on our sleeves. Much of the rest of the world hates us, because they view us a too proud of ourselves, too greedy, and so on, and perhaps they have a point on some level. But no other country's citizens give as much of themselves financially and physically to the rest of the world as we do. This emotional strength, though, has always been tempered with intellect. This is why you don't generally see many riots in this country. We work hard on not getting swept away by the emotion of the moment.

As I follow the primaries, I'm continuing to be amazed at the rationale people express when promoting their candidate. It saddens me to hear that people are voting for a candidate simply because "he inspires me". It freaks me out when I hear someone say they'll vote for a candidate "because he's a Christian". I'm a Christian, too. Most of us are Christians in this country. In fact, all of the candidates are Christians. Are you the best person to judge which one is the "best" Christian?

Here's the bottom line. I really don't care what your beliefs are, what party you belong to, or who you vote for, as long as you don't vote stupid. I hope everyone will follow this advice. First: find out which candidates you agree with the most and why. You can do this very quickly and easily by visiting Glass Booth. Glass Booth is a non-profit non-partisan organization simply dedicated to helping Americans sift through the propaganda of politics and learn exactly which candidates they agree with the most. After completing their 5 minute quiz, you'll be able to click on candidates to see how much you agree or disagree with exactly what the candidates believe based on what they've said they believe. Second: now that you have that information in hand, by all means think about who inspires you, who you trust, who shares your religious beliefs, what your intuition tells you, etc. We're still Americans, and we've learned to trust our gut. Just don't blindly follow your gut without getting some cold hard facts first!

Super Tuesday is coming! VOTE SMART!

Catching Wintertime Trout

2007-12-29T13:06:00.000-06:00

I've been getting a lot of emails recently asking for tips on wintertime trout fishing. After basically rewriting the same response 4 or 5 times, it occurred to me that this might make a good article. Duh… The emails I've received all ask for "bottom line" advice, such as "what fly should I use?" That is, of course, a valid question, but I'd rather focus on HOW you can guess where they are and how they'll behave.

My first tip is to take all the stuff that you think you know about trout, and view it with skepticism. There are dozens of old wives tales that were invented by folks who grew up fishing for bass and catfish in ponds and lakes, only discovering trout fishing later in life. I'm constantly getting into arguments with trout fishermen who are either unable or unwilling to let go of these myths. Perhaps I'll cover more of this phenomenon in a future article, but this time we're going to talk about why wintertime trout fishing can be so challenging.

There is a belief that trout LOVE cold water -- the colder the better. That's why the winter fish-for-fun seasons at the trout parks are so successful, right? FALSE. Trout do not care what the water temperature is. No, really. Fish are cold blooded animals, meaning their body temperature varies with their surroundings. In other words, they DON'T CARE what the water temperature is -- their bodies simply adjust. That raises the question, though, why cold water? The shorthand answer is oxygen.

The real difference between warm-water and cold-water fish behavior is in how much dissolved oxygen they require to thrive and survive. Bass, catfish and sunfish all require much less dissolved oxygen than trout. Since water sheds its dissolved oxygen as it warms and gathers oxygen as it cools, it makes sense that colder water will be more oxygen rich. So, since trout require much more oxygen than bass, for example, it makes sense that they'll require colder water. So, in the hottest of the dog days of summer, when the trout fishing shuts down, its not because they don't like warmer water, but because the oxygen content has dropped so low that they can't catch their breath. It would be like taking you to the top of Pike's Peak and then challenging you to a foot race. In fact, trout "like" warmer water. Huh?

Yep. Since trout are cold-blooded, the temperature effects their metabolism. The colder the water, the slower their heart rate, and the fewer calories they burn. The warmer the water, the faster their heart rate, and the more calories they burn -- meaning they are hungrier. So, in the hottest part of the summer, the oxygen content is exceptionally low, and their metabolism is exceptionally high. They are literally starving and suffocating at the same time. This makes August a very tough time to catch fish, but January has it's challenges as well.

In January, the oxygen content of your favorite trout stream is very high. It's important to note, though, that this didn't happen overnight. Water has to have oxygen ADDED to it, which can be a bit of a process. As the wind blows over the water's surface, some oxygen is added. Riffles with white-caps add even more oxygen. The best way to add a ton of oxygen quickly, though, is a good rainstorm. By the end of August, the oxygen content is probably at it's lowest, due to the high water temps. Then, usually in late September, we'll get our first cold rain, which is vital to fall spawning and migration activity. A warm rain doesn't help, here -- oxygen in, oxygen out. But, if we get back to back cold fronts, and the second front brings some rain, get your gear and gas up the truck! The frustration, though, is that the temp goes up and down as we transition into fall, so the oxygen levels are going to fluctuate as well. The fish will feel good one day, crummy the next. They'll swim upstream one day (as they do WHENEVER they are feeling good), and they'll get pushed downstream the next when the oxygen drops. Grrrr! This can make it very difficult to find the fish. Eventually, though, the oxygen content stabilizes in the higher range, and the fish are feeling good (meaning they swim upstream). We've now entered the pre-spawn. If Autumn cools early, we have a great pre-spawn fishing time. If it cools late, pre-spawn will only last a couple of weeks, the fish start spawning, and the fishing stops before it really gets started.

After fall spawning, those fish that tried to spawn (the browns and half of our Missouri stocker trout) are exhausted and weak, and they begin to sag their way back downstream. Their muscle tissue is degraded, and they don't have the endurance to hold their position in the current. As the water gets colder and colder, the remaining trout also begin to sag back downstream, because their heartrate and blood flow is decreased, causing their muscle activity to decrease as well. This downstream "migration" is simply weak and lethargic fish being pushed downstream by the current. As they move down, they'll try to set up housekeeping in areas sheltered from the current. Since they are no longer feeling competitive, they will not crowd each other -- if a sheltered spot is taken, the other fish will keep sliding downstream. In effect, this causes the fish to spread out along the entire length of the river. They'll keep spreading out until the last trout finds the last sheltered spot at the furthest downstream edge of their range, and that's where they'll stay throughout the winter.

Fast forward to January. You've got cabin fever, and we've been blessed with a few sunny days with highs in the 50's. The river is calling, right? Well… I would certainly never try to talk you out of fishing, but now is certainly not the best time of the year to go. Here's what you'll find when you venture out. The water will likely be in the low 40's, meaning low metabolism (read "not hungry") and lethargic fish due to slow blood flow. You'll also find that the fish appear to be scarce. Actually, there are just as many fish as you'd expect, but you'll have to walk 10 miles to see them all. Since they're not hungry, they won't be motivated to move much to eat. In fact, they can probably get enough calories to survive on accident, by simply allowing random stuff to drift into their mouths. Since they're lethargic, their reaction time is also slowed, meaning that what hits you get will often be short strikes. So, what's the solution?

Even though you won't find crowds of fish anywhere that isn't being stocked regularly, you need to find the warmest water you can find. The spring water will be 55-56 at the discharge, so the fish at the spring will have the highest metabolism and will be eating more. As you move downstream, though, you'll find the oxygen content increases -- meaning more aggressive pursuit-style feeding (i.e. streamer fishing) -- but the water is also decreasing to match the air temperature, meaning lower metabolism and slow-moving fish. The trick is finding that magic zone where they're still kinda hungry and also have good oxygen. The colder the air temperature, the closer to the spring you'll have to get to find this area.

If you start at the far downstream edge of the trout range, you'll find slow-moving fish that will only be caught drifting smallish nymphs & wet flies pretty much right into their mouths. As you move upstream, you'll eventually find fish more willing to also take slow-moving streamers and drifting dries. The best advice I can give, though, is this. (1) Don't expect to tear them up, because you'll only be disappointed. Instead, go fishing to spend time on the river, and consider a caught fish to be a bonus. (2) Don't get married to your favorite fishing spot. Plan on walking a lot, because each decent spot will probably only hold a couple of fish. (3) Constantly look for the warmest water. Fish the areas that get the sun first. Fish later in the afternoon into twilight. Fish closer to the river's spring. If you can find water in the 50's, you should find some actively feeding fish. Unless you get close to the spring, though, don't expect to find water in the 50's.

My last tidbit of advice is this. Nothing will screw up a wintertime fishing trip more than falling in the creek. If the air temp is below 55, you're in serious risk of hypothermia and death. If your vehicle is more than a few hundred yards away, don't try to walk out. You'll be disoriented and confused before you get there, and who knows where you'll end up. Instead, gather some wood for a fire, and use that fire to get dry and warm. Nothing would be worse than getting skunked on the river, and then also dying!

Good luck out there!

Late Summer Trout Tactics

2007-09-04T18:26:00.000-05:00

Get ready! I'm about to pull back the curtain a bit. I just hope the other fishing guides don't beat me up.

The transition from summer to fall feels fantastic to most sane human beings, and trout are much the same. There is a difference, though, and this difference often makes trout fishermen want to pull their hair out. When the water temperature starts cooling off, the trout should bite, right? Not necessarily.

Most folks know that fish are cold-blooded, meaning their body temperature takes on the temperature of their surroundings. Did you know that this means that fish DON'T CARE what the water temperature is? It's true! Trout are perfectly happy in any water temperature, as long as it doesn't freeze them solid or cook them into a flakey entree'. Mmmmm... flakey....
Sorry -- it's getting close to dinner time. What trout DO care about is oxygen. Cold water has a higher oxygen carrying capacity than warm water does. In other words, as water warms, it sheds oxygen. Trout need a lot of oxygen -- more than bass, bluegill, and catfish. So, when the water warms into the upper 70's, the oxygen drops like a rock. Trout don't die of warm water. They suffocate.

Water temperature DOES affect trout in one very important way, though. It affects their appetite. When their bodies are warmer, they burn more calories, so they need to eat more calories. Makes sense, right? So, why are trout harder to catch in the summer? Because they can't breathe. They won't move 3 inches to take your #16 pheasant tail, because there aren't enough calories in a bug that small to make it worth the effort. They'll eat pretty much anything, but it almost has to drift right into their mouths. So, how do you catch 'em?

As the water warms, it stays coldest longest in the deepest sections, meaning there is more oxygen there, meaning that is where you'll find the fish. If you can drift big meaty flies that look like they have a lot of calories down to those fish, you'll get some. They're willing to move for a bug that looks like a real protein power snack -- not much, but they will move. As summer progresses, even that deep water will warm and lose oxygen, and you'll find fish closer to the surface, where the last bits of oxygen will be found -- at times you'll even see them sip air directly from the surface. They still need calories, though, so a big meaty dry fly will often pull some fish from the surface. This is a great time of year for hopper fishing, in fact.

In the next few weeks, we'll begin to see water temperatures slowly drop. Your favorite stream's riffles will gradually add oxygen to the gradually cooling water, and the fish will gradually begin to feed more aggressively. If we get a rain storm along with cooler water temps, the oxygen level will jump, and the fish will start feeling frisky. During this transitional time, though, you'll probably have to do some sight fishing for the best results. Get those polarized glasses on and find a fish. Stalk the fish, tie on something meaty, and present to him without spooking him. If you can get it close to his mouth, his need for calories will take care of the rest.

Good luck out there.

Proposal for Changes in Management Practices for the Meramec Trout Waters

2007-07-28T19:52:00.000-05:00

My apologies to all for such a long layoff from blogging activity. Most of you know I own Ozark Taxidermy in Rolla. Well, this past winter included a number of complications to my family's life (i.e. deaths, weddings, ice storms, illness, etc.), putting me 10 weeks behind on taxidermy work right off the bat. I must also admit that I didn't do a great job at estimating how long it would take me to complete incoming mounts, so I'm even FURTHER behind on work than I was at the outset. This, of course, has taken away from the Trout Hunter side of the business. I'm slowly but surely gaining ground though, so Trout Hunters take heart. You won't be neglected indefinitely!

This entry will be a simple one, however it is quite wordy. Some time ago I posted an article discussing the complaints that I have routinely heard from many of you concerning the fishing at Maramec Spring Park and the Meramec River Red Ribbon Area. With a plan of submitting a proposal for changes to the MDC, I roughly outlined the complaints and asked for feedback from you. A number of you responded on the blog, and even more of you sent me emails -- bashful, I suppose. So, I have developed a proposal for management changes to both fisheries based on what I've heard from you, and based on what I've seen during my time fishing the park and guiding clients on the river. Please look over this proposal and forward your comments by clicking the COMMENTS link. Once I've developed the final proposal after reviewing your comments to this initial draft, it will be posted in petition form to allow you to sign your name. The proposal petition will then be forwarded to the Conservation Commission for review and response.

Proposals for management and/or regulation changes for the Maramec/Meramec Trout Fisheries

Problem #1:
The rock dam at the lowest boundary of Maramec Spring Park adversely affects fisherman success and satisfaction. Maramec Spring Park fishermen note that they catch almost no brown trout, while Meramec River fishermen note that rainbow trout populations are much lower in certain sections of the river than what can be found in other Red and Blue Ribbon waters around the state. As a comparison, the Current River starts in Montauk State Park, which receives daily stocking of rainbow trout. The park waters flow into the Blue Ribbon Area which receives seasonal stockings of brown trout. The Blue Ribbon Area then flows into the White Ribbon Area which is stocked with rainbow trout every 3-4 weeks. This management practice allows for free migration of both rainbow and brown trout between all three trout management areas, and it insures that fishermen who frequent any of the three trout management areas will have good opportunities at catching both rainbow trout and brown trout, including a large number of trophy-sized fish protected from harvest in the Blue Ribbon Area. The Meramec River and Maramec Spring Park do not enjoy this benefit. The rainbow trout found in the Meramec River Red Ribbon Area are all escapees from the park. In order for these fish to escape, the park waters need to flood, washing trout over the rock dam at the bottom of the park. At best, this happens only a few times each year, usually in the springtime.

Proposed solutions to problem #1:
(1) Enact a White Ribbon Trout Area at the lower reaches of the Meramec River near the Scott's Ford access. For example, MDC could provide six monthly stockings (i.e. March through May and October through December) of 500 rainbow trout using the Maramec Spring Park hatchery stock. This will encourage improved rainbow trout populations throughout the length of the trout management area, rather than the current situation where lower reaches are often devoid of trout during certain times of the year. It would also discourage poaching in the Red Ribbon area. This proposal would likely work best in conjunction with proposal #2, below.

(2) Stock brown trout within the park boundaries. When the hatchery trucks from Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery come to the area to stock the Red Ribbon Area each spring, a portion of the brown trout they would normally stock in the River could be added to the Maramec Spring hatchery stock. The number of brown trout added to the park stock should be approximately the same number as the rainbows removed for stocking in the proposed white ribbon section at Scott's Ford.

(3) Another option would be to remove the rock dam from the bottom of Maramec Spring Park to allow for the free migration of rainbow and brown trout into and out of the park.

Problem #2
The series of rock dams within the park boundaries concentrates the fish and therefore concentrates the fishermen. The addition of 1/2-ton boulders in certain sections of the park has helped with offering additional habitat and spreads the fish population out somewhat. Even so, there are still just ten or so primary fishing spots. This frustrates visiting fishermen, as they generally must choose to fish in a crowd or fish in sections of the spring branch with very few fish.

Proposed solution to problem #2
An unrealistic option is to revert the spring branch to a normal flow. This would entail removing the rock dams and the concrete walkways in order to allow a natural river to re-emerge, with riffles transitioning into pools, and then runs, and then back into riffles. This would likely be prohibitively expensive, and there is every liklihood, of course, that the James Foundation would not allow it. However, the idea has merit. By removing the artificial channelization and restructuring the rock dam materials to narrow the river's flow in certain areas, a hydrologist should be able to tailor the spring branch's flow to mimic a more wild trout stream with fish spread throughout the length of the park's waters. Even though this entire proposal will certainly not be enacted, any action in this direction would help the situation. A few boulders here and there have not changed the fishery in any substantial fashion, but we do see that there are pockets of fish now associated with those boulders. Continuing in this fashion to narrow the channel into notable riffles, for example, would continue to yield positive results. Likewise, altering the rock dam construction to incorporate chutes would allow for better trout migration between river sections would also help solve this problem.

Problem #3
It is difficult for bait fishermen, lure fishermen and fly fishermen to fish the same waters without conflict. Socially, park fishermen are generally gracious to one another. However, the fact that these three styles of fishing are not compatible leads to a higher than normal amount of crossed lines, increased frustration, and decreased fisherman satisfaction.

Proposed solutions for problem #3
(1) Institute zone fishing similar to the other three trout parks. Admittedly, this would be difficult due to the issue addressed in Problem #2, above. With such a limited number of fishing spots, you would likely receive more complaints from fishermen who are no longer allowed to use their preferred fishing method at the one primary spot they like to fish.

(2) Institute a catch and release fly fishing area from the spring pool dam to the bridge. This area is home to a large population of trout stocked by the MDC for harvesting purposes, but these fish have migrated out of the fishing area and are now protected. The water in this area is the best looking fly fishing water available in the park, and most of it is only accessible by wading. This would eliminate potential conflict between the needs of the fishermen and the needs of pedestrians viewing the hatchery and spring pool. If this area were opened to catch and release fly fishing, a majority of fly fishermen would spend at least some of their time there, easing the pressure on the rest of the spring branch and decreasing conflict with bait and lure fishermen. This would also make it possible to set aside the rest of the park for a bait fishing zone and a lure fishing zone. To be clear, the spring pool area would continue to be off limits to fishing, since it would not be safe for fishermen to be casting from the sidewalk among pedestrians.

Hickory Creek Clean-up Scheduled

2007-03-06T07:43:00.000-06:00

As most of you know, the Ozarks ice storms in January did a massive amount of damage. The Southwest portion of the state got hit the hardest, and many of our little creeks in that part of the state are clogged with downed trees and limbs felled due to more than an inch of ice. Well, the Branson chapter of Trout Unlimited and stepped up to the plate to do something about it, and they're calling on you for help.

This movement started here on Trout Hunter in late January when Britt Graber (Neosho) sent us a fishing report for Hickory Creek. In that report he described how bad the creek looked and asked a fateful question: "I was wondering if any of you here would like to get together this spring get some of this out of there?" That prompted Leonard Keeney of Taneycomo Nights Guide Service to take the reins and make this happen with the help of Branson TU. He's also been in contact with Missouri Dept of Conservation, so efforts can be coordinated. Isn't it beautiful when a plan comes together? If course, it never would've happened without Britt and Leonard, so we all owe them our gratitude.

So, if you're interested in getting together for a little macho, chest-pounding hard work, meeting some new fishing buddies, and helping our state's newest managed trout stream recover, here's what you need to do:

(1) If you have any of the following items, gather them up: Branch Clippers, Chain Saws, Logging Chains, Ropes, Trash Bags (construction grade would be a plus), Waders, Work Gloves, Trucks & Trailers. If you have a sturdy canoe, that might come in handy, too. There will be a cook-out for lunch, so feel free to bring grillable food, coals, chips, pop, etc. It would also be nice if someone took a digital camera. If you burn wood for heat, this is also a fantastic opportunity for you to stock up for next winter by simply coming to haul off the debris.

(2) Show up at Hickory Creek on March 24th. The staging area will be Morris Park, and the gang will start gathering at 8:00am. The park is pretty big and spread out, so you may have to drive around a bit to find the action.

(3) Call Leonard Keeney at (417)-779-8061 if you have any questions. Leonard has been keeping me informed of changes, so I'll update you here, if needed.

My thanks to all of you who have pledged to get involved. Be sure to send me some pictures!

Walt

Trout Hunter to Propose Maramec Spring/Meramec River Regulations Changes

2007-01-20T09:18:00.000-06:00

Brrrr...

First, my apologies for not responding to emails recently. We've been without power for about a week -- it finally came back on for real Friday 1/19 about mid-day. We had a little burp of electricity earlier in the week, and I managed to check email at that time as well, but the power was fairly short-lived. With the storm coming through tonight (3-6 inches of snow + 30mph winds + broken tree limbs hanging by a thread), I expect we'll be in the dark again come Sunday morning. I'll get emails responded to and fishing reports posted as quickly as possible, and I appreciate your patience.

Now, on to the business at hand. If you're a regular visitor to Missouri Trout Hunter, you've probably noticed that St. Louis area trout fishermen tend to be much more active contributors of fishing reports than our visitors from the other urban centers of Kansas City, Springfield and Columbia. For this reason, sometimes 75% of our fishing reports come from the St. Louis lakes, Meramec River and Maramec Spring Park. Of course, along with the reports come emails with comments, questions and complaints, and I've noticed something over the last few years. The Meramec River gets its fair share of complaints, and Maramec Spring Park gets a LOT of complaints -- at least I hear a lot of complaints.

The primary complaints about the park and the Red Ribbon area can be summed up in this manner:

(a) There are only 5 or 6 decent fishing spots along the entire length of the park's spring branch, because the river's been channelized. What this means is that the normal transition of riffle-pool-run-riffle-pool-run has been eliminated. This causes the 5 or 6 decent spots to be over-crowded with fish and fishermen, and this causes increased frustration and appears to be deterring fishermen from wanting to return the park. I base this judgment on fishermen simply telling me they won't return to the park. In all fairness, MDC is trying to address this issue by planting a large number of 1/2-ton bouders throughout the park as structure designed to develop new fishing holes. We're all anxious to see how well this works. The next complaint is related but slightly different.

(b) The dams discourage fish movement between different areas of the river. Now while this can be good if you get "the spot" where the trout are crowded together, the main complaint is that crowds of fish cause crowds of fishermen. There's a second complaint about the dam at the bottom of the park, which some believe is meant to keep fish from escaping to the Meramec River downstream. The original intent of the dam may have been to slow the water flow, however. This effects the Red Ribbon area downstream from the park by decreasing the numbers of rainbow trout in the Meramec River, and it effects the park by decreasing the numbers of brown trout in the park's spring branch (rainbows are only stocked in the park, and browns are only stocked in the Red Ribbon section). The other three Missouri trout parks are wide open at their lower boundary, allowing free migration of trout into and out of the park, giving both park and river fishermen greater access to both species of trout.

(c) Not having bait vs. lure vs. fly zones can be a problem, because the different styles of fishing are not always compatible with one another. For example, if a bait fisherman casts out dough bait and lets it sit on the bottom, it cuts off a wide lane of fishing for those that cast to allow their baits to drift, whether it be someone fishing dough under a bobber or fly fisherman drifting a nymph. It also causes problems when other fishermen want to cast and retrieve spinners or streamers, as crossed and tangled lines become troublesome. We're not blaming bait fishermen for these problems. Afterall, its spin and fly fishermen that are cutting off fishing lanes for bait fishermen as well. Having seperate zones like the other parks would seem to be a possible solution. HOWEVER, with only a handful of decent fishing spots, how would you divide up the river into zones without banishing a group of fishermen to a less productive area?

(d) The fish sanctuary makes fishermen wimper and whine with desire. It's understood that the fish sanctuary is part of the deal struck with the James Foundation. They own the property, so they get to call the shots. Of course, it's completely understandable that they don't want people fishing from the sidewalk that meanders around the hatcheries and the spring pool. But, the water downstream from the spring pool dam is absolutely the best looking fly fishing water in the entire park. Also, when the water temperature makes the fish feel good, they swim upstream. Therefore, it's only a matter of time before the rainbows stocked in the fishable areas move up into the sanctuary. Those that move back down generally only do so in the hottest times of the year. This loss of catchable trout is also frustrating to the MDC -- they are raising trout to be caught, after all.

I think that pretty much sums up the gripes that have been passed on to me. I've spoken to the MDC about these issues, really just to pass on your concerns. At that time, I was encouraged to submit a proposal of regulation changes for consideration by MDC officials. Before I make the move to do this, though, I want to hear from you. What are your opinions of the complaints I've summarized above? Do you have another complaint that you'd like to share? What regulation changes would you like to see? I only ask that you be realistic. Remember, the MDC's goal for the trout parks is to get as many people fishing as possible. Any suggestions that will decrease the number of fishermen will not be taken seriously.

So, to clarify, here's what I need your help with. My plan is to submit a paper that outlines (1) what trout fishermen DO NOT like about the Meramec River and Maramec Spring fishing experiences, and (2) specific recommendations for solving those problems. If I can submit this paper with a few hundred signatures attached, it would certainly add some weight to it.

Lastly, if you would like to see any other changes made at any other Missouri trout areas, feel free to share your opinion.

Thanks folks. Stay warm out there.

Changes to Trout Hunter Retail Efforts

2006-12-07T09:54:00.000-06:00

Hello all!

Of course, it's no secret that Missouri Trout Hunter is a business endeavor. While the website is free (does anyone even try to sell website memberships anymore?), it's designed to pay my bills, in addition to spreading the trout fishing gospel. Missouri Trout Hunter is marketing vehicle for Trout Hunter Guide Service as well as Ozark Taxidermy, and both businesses continue to grow rapidly -- thanks for spreading the word.

In addition to our two primary business endeavors we also offer website advertising and have a .99 flyshop online. Neither is what you might call profitable. In fact, between the two, we basically earn enough to pay for the web-hosting bills. Every little bit helps, I suppose. Well, we've decided to ramp up the sales side of things (hopefully). Here's what's in the works.

(1) Trout Hunter Flyshop will be changing it's name and it's focus. Our original intention was to have a full-service flyshop online, but we've found that wholesale distributors do not want to supply flyshops that don't have a brick and mortar storefront. This is the reason we've only been offering flies. HOWEVER, we have identified a few distributors who are willing to stock us, so you'll start seeing some additional items soon. These items will include a few fly-tying supplies as well as supplies to help you when you're on the river. It will also include items for our bait and lure fishermen as well. THEREFORE, the flyshop will be changing its name to Trout Hunter Tackle Shop immediately! Er, well, ok... as soon as I get around to it.

(2) You might have noticed that we still haven't launched our custom rod building service, as promised. It's becoming more and more unlikely that we're going to do this, and it's for a couple of simple reasons. First, we're already fairly buried with taxidermy shop work, so adding more labor-intensive stuff to mix doesn't hold a lot of appeal right now. Second, we're having the same wholesale distributor issues we had trying to stock a flyshop, but its mainly a volume issue. We want to offer customers a wide variety of options, but buying such a variety of parts in such huge numbers is just not possible for us. We have found some retail suppliers that are willing to offer us deep discounts while selling us smaller quantities, but we'd still be paying more for our rod building components than many competitors, forcing our prices up. We're considering purchasing rod-building components for resale, which might make things more feasible, but this is a long ways off. In other words, Trout Hunter Custom Rod-building is off the table for now.

(3) HOWEVER, we have launched something new that we're pretty excited about. We have a line of gift items for sale, including caps, mousepads, coffee mugs, T-shirts, baby bibs, etc. Now, this isn't one of those things where every item says "www.MissouriTroutHunter.com" on it. I've never thought that was kosher, asking someone to pay for the privilege of advertising your company. HOWEVER, if someone were to ask where you got that cool hat or shirt, we trust you'll tell them! Click Trout Hunter Gifts to take a look.

That's it folks. Keep warm out there, and go fishing. Yes, I know it's winter and its chilly outside. Stop your whining, and go catch a fish!

Winter Trout Seasons Begin!

2006-11-10T09:38:00.000-06:00

Winter is a fantastic time to trout fish for almost any type of fisherman, and it's already rolling!

It appears that all of the urban trout lakes have been stocked, and it sounds like the MDC and private hatcheries have once again put in some real beauties, including fishing in the 2-foot long range -- that 6 pounds of fury, folks.

PLEASE BE MINDFUL OF THE LAKE REGULATIONS. Most of our urban winter lakes across the state are flies & lures only and catch & release until spring time. It's your responsibility to make sure you know the rules and abide by them. I'm getting a good amount of emails filled with downright anger expressed at trout poachers. The game thief posse is out there, and they are watching. If you are tempted to put that big fish on a stringer, expect there to be witnesses armed with digital cameras and cell phones. Hate to sound so self righteous, but fishermen who care about maintaining our resources are not going to continue to allow this to happen. If you'd like to help stop poaching, please visit our Handling Poachers page.

Ok, enough of that grumpiness. Back to happiness. The trout parks are also open for business again, allowing strictly fly fishing catch and release efforts. Maramec Spring Park will again be open 7 days per week, while the other trout parks will be open Friday through Monday each week, with the season continuing until mid-February. I can't speak for the other 3 parks, but I was able to witness the work going on at Maramec this past Wednesday (11/8). They've been installing a good number of boulders throughout the length of the river to improve the habitat. It won't be long before each boulder will build a hole behind it full of fish, and you'll find fish in front of those boulders as well. This is fantastic news for Maramec fishermen, because a primary complaint of the park has been lack of structure and habitat. Prior to these new boulders being installed, there were really only 5 or 6 decent places to fish, each spot would crowd up early. I also noticed at Maramec a bunch of mongo huge fish swimming around -- 2 feet long was fairly typical. I asked the hatchery folks about this, and they confirmed that these trophy-sized fish had been put early that day strictly to make the catch & release season more fun for you guys!

Of course, fishing at our other Missouri trout streams will continue to be fair to fantastic all winter long. Hickory Creek and Stone Mill Spring both have catch and release seasons over the winter, but the other rivers will be fishable under normal regulations. If I'm wrong about this, click the "comments" icon and correct me. It won't hurt my feelings. I'm sure we're also all very interested in hearing what kinds of improvements are happening and Bennett, Roaring River and Montauk. Post a comment with what you've seen.

Urban Winter Trout Fishermen, We Need Your Help!

2006-11-04T20:42:00.000-06:00

Well folks, urban winter trout lake fishing is finally back. St. Louis still has the crown for the most lakes with 16. Kansas City is back up to 4 lakes, after losing Bowlin Rd. Lake, but adding Plover Lake. We also have a trout lake in Jackson, one in Jefferson City, one in Columbia, one in Mexico, and (allegedly) one in Sedalia. The trout lake in Sedalia doesn't have much information out there, so we're somewhat worried that it may just be a rumor. The Mexico program is starting its second year, and it is finally listed in the Missouri Department of Conservation fishing regulation book.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am so unbelievably impressed with our Conservation Department. We have amazing trout fishing opportunities, a fantastic deer herd, and 650,000 wild turkeys living in our state. They've done a fantastic job and continue to do so. HOWEVER, I still need your help. The information provided by the MDC on our winter trout lakes is pretty darn slim. Some might even say its anorexic. So, our urban winter trout fishermen must band together to get the word out!

Sedalia and Mexico trout lake fishermen, we need to know where your lakes are, when they are stocked, fishing regulations, etc. Sedalia fishermen, we don't even know the name of your lake (hangs his head in shame). But even beyond this, we need to hear from all urban winter trout fishermen regarding anything you can think of that will help your fellow fishermen find the lake, fish the lake, and enjoy the lake. If you have a map, put it in the mail to us (Missouri Trout Hunter, 10571 County Rd. 2020, Rolla, MO 65401). If you have photos, send them in. Of course, the most important thing you can do is submit fishing reports.

We've consistently had good participation from our St. Louis visitors. So here's my challenge to the rest of Missouri. Come on, guys! You gonna let those Cardinals fans show you up? Get involved!

Many thanks, in advance.

Walt

Come on Winter!

2006-10-27T14:16:00.000-05:00

I don't know about all of you, but was October weak or what? Many of you who have been around a while have commented that the fishing seemed slower than normal this fall that during previous Autumns, and I have to agree. There have certainly been some fish caught, and when you're on the water, you're probably seeing plenty of active fish swimming around, but they just don't seem to be feeding, do they?

Here's the deal. That mini heatwave we had the first week of October did screw things up for us fishermen. How so? Well, once the water temperatures get back into the trout's comfort zone, they start feeling frisky. They don't actually start getting hormonally active (read "horny") until the water temps fluctuate, though. In other words, a brown trout likes 61 degrees, but that's not enough. The temp has to cycle up and down while staying within his comfort zone of 54 to 68. Once that happens, POW!, you have hormones. The same is true for our Autumn-spawning rainbows. That little heat wave and the following cold spell zipped the water temperature up so high and then back down so quickly that their hormones kicked into high gear. The trout pretty much skipped the pre-spawn gorging that we all look forward to and went straight into spawning mode. This is why we've had success sight fishing attractors to fish on the flats while having only spotty success with streamers in the pools. Dag nabbed fish are always throwing a curve ball at us, aren't they?

So, here's the payoff. With the earlier than normal start to active spawning behavior, we really don't know what's coming. Will they return to the pools early, or will we continue to find them on redds into mid- or late-November? Just keep your eyes and your mind open, and send in those fishing reports to let us know what's working and what's not. We'll get through this together!

Walt

Autumn Heatwave Throws a Wrench in the Works!!

2006-10-05T14:17:00.000-05:00

Man, oh man! Things were just beginning to look really good. The last 10 days of September brought us nice cool air temperatures and winds from the North. The river water temperatures across the state started cooling down, and people were reminded that "yes, Virginia, there are brown trout in Missouri waters". And then the evil weather man reared his ugly head.

In the heat of the summer, many of our trout streams suffered through water temperatures hovering around 80 degrees. Both rainbows and browns get lethargic and inactive in warm water, but they deal with it differently. At 69 degrees or so, browns start shutting down, and they crash hard. One day you're catching them, then suddenly they've just disappeared, not to reappear until the water cools back into the mid-60's. Rainbows also get down in the mouth, but they'll at least continue feeding. Even so, the dog days of summer are generally the slowest times on the river. But then comes fall!

A few nice cool days quickly drops the water temperatures in the 60's again, and the trout come alive. We start seeing some surface feeding on terrestrials, a few fish begin chasing down streamers again, and we begin seeing some fish move into riffles, a sure sign they're getting more competitive with each other. And then the roof caves in.

September 30 got pretty warm, and the weather man warned of some real heat coming. October 1-4 were all topping out in the 90's, and the water temperature jumped as well. The fish reacted poorly to this, the sissies. I can always tell when the fishing hasn't been so great in a certain body of water, because no one sends in a report. When the fishing improves, the reports start coming back in. This makes perfect sense. After all, who wants to take the time to write a fishing report that says "didn't catch a darn thing, but I got a doozy of a sunburn on the back of neck!" So far, we haven't received a single fishing report from our little hot patch. The fishing areas closest to the springs wasn't affected nearly as much as the rivers downstream, so I imagine we'll hear about some decent action at the parks. The other areas, though, were downright infuriating.

On the Meramec River, I am perhaps too proud of my fairly consistent success. I'm on the river at least 5 times per month every month and often 10 or more days, depending on my taxidermy work load and number of booked guide clients. During the year between 10/1/05 and 9/30/06, I was personally skunked exactly once. I had a couple of clients that got skunked or nearly skunked during that year (Jerry and Patrick, I still owe you guys a free fishing trip. Please call!). This last little heat wave truly humbled me, though. For the first time, I was skunked twice in a row (gasp!). I took 2 clients out on 10/1 (skunked), and I took an individual client out on 10/3 (skunked again). We saw some floating fishermen both days and asked how they were doing. "Well, we're actually spending most of our time just floating", they'd say. Yep, it's been tough when a fellow fisherman can't even work up the gumption to lie to you about his catch rate. You might be surprised that a fishing guide would admit his failings, like this. Well, I know for a fact that you struggled last week, too. I just want you know that I share your pain.

Today is the first of a series of cool days, and I've got more guide trips planned for next week. Don't worry, fellow trout hunters and future clients. Things will get better. And if they don't? Well, I guess there's always smallmouth bass.

Good luck out there.

Merchant Circle Cheeses Me Off!

2006-09-27T15:05:00.000-05:00

My apologies fellow trout hunters, but this entry has nothing to do with trout fishing. It has to do with unethical business practices, and I just had to sound off.

Yesterday (9/26/06) I recieved an automated phone call on my Ozark Taxidermy phone line which basically said, "this phone call is to alert you that a customer has logged on at Merchant Cirle dot com and left you negative feedback. Please log on to www.merchantcircle.com to review your feedback." Of course, that's not an exact quote, but it's fairly close. I absolutely rely on word-of-mouth advertising for my taxidermy business to flourish, so I jumped online immediately to check it out. I found absolutely no feedback, positive or negative, associated with my business at all. So, in other words, they lied to me to get me to visit their website.

I did a google search for "Merchant Circle" and found a blog apparently run by a consultation company working on behalf of Merchant Circle. Click HERE to visit their blog. There was a comment that there was no security to make sure only the business owner laid claim to his company's listing, so I quickly went back to Merchant Circle to "claim my listing" to make sure no one else did anything goofy with it. I then returned to the blog and posted my own complaint regarding the "negative feeback" phone call I received.

I went back to their blog late last evening to see if there was a response. There was no response from the company, but there were about a dozen more complaints just like mine. I guess that means they had just started this little tricky marketing campaign of theirs. I went back to visit their site this afternoon (9/27/06), and discovered three things which just blew me away. First, they deleted every comment that mentioned the "negative feedback" spam phone calls. Second, I am now blocked from placing additional comments -- I'm assuming the others are, as well. Third, they posted their own article implying that I and the other complaintants were either lying or fictional characters. They even mentioned me by name (I'm so proud).

This article is linked from "comment 12" on their blog, which is where my comment originally appeared. You can read the complete text of the article by clicking HERE and it's titled "I Smell a Rat: Fake ‘Complaints’ Re Merchant Circle". In the article, the author writes

"The commenters typically have return email addresses that have different ISPs and domain names, and have different IP addresses. They are good spoofers, but most tend to be “too interesting.” None responded to my requests for verification. Moreover, few have phone numbers or websites attached to them. Most of the comments also have the same “voice” in them.

I can't speak for the others, of course, but this guy never tried to contact me to verify anything. And my comment had my name, phone, website and email address attached -- I actually LIKE publicity, after all. They deleted the comments and authored and posted their article less than 24 hours after I posted my comment, which is pretty fast to draw the kind of conclusions he's apparently made. Or, I suppose the other possibility is that he's simply not telling the truth.

In a nutshell, I'm amazed at this company and their client. I sent them an email that pretty much mirrors what I've written here. I ask that you pass this on to any interested parties that these two companies should not receive our business. It's like living with a two-year old. If he throws a fit and you give him a cookie, you're training him to throw more fits. Please, don't give these people any cookies.

Again, my apologies. I promise the next post will be about trout fishing!

Walt

We're Calling You Out!

2006-09-10T18:26:00.000-05:00

WE NEED YOUR HELP!!

If you've ever reviewed the fishing reports on Missouri Trout Hunter before hitting the river, but you've never submitted a fishing report of your own, WE'RE CALLING YOU OUT! Our counter program enables us to see not only how many visitors we have, but also which cities and states they're from. So, it's easy to see that while we have a bunch of visitors from Kansas City, Springfield, Columbia, and also from Kansas and Oklahoma, 90% of our fishing reports come from the Eastern half of the state and Illinois. What gives guys? We rely on all of our visitors to help us keep our fishing report pages up to date with current information.

If you visit us looking for a recent fishing report and don't find it, you could be helping the situation by submitting a fishing report as soon as you get home! You'd be amazed how quickly this improves the situation. When one report is filed, it prompts more people to file reports on that stream after their fishing trip, and suddenly I'm pulling my hair out trying to find the time to update the site! So, if you've gotten bent out of shape, because there haven't been very many reports from Hickory Creek, Capps Creek, Crane Creek, Lake Taneycomo, Bennett, Niangua, Roaring River, etc., we're calling you out to help us fix the problem! Stop being so shy! Even if you got skunked, we still want to hear from you, and so do the rest of our visitors. A report that the fishing's been tough is just as valuable as a fishing report that boasts of fantastic results.

And, if you're a business owner, here's a little perk for you. Every time you file a legitimate fishing report for an actual fishing trip you've taken, we'll include a link and contact information so our visitors can reach you. Please note I said "legitimate". We have had some problems with folks filing false reports trying to increase traffic to their rivers (i.e. campground operators saying things like "we caught 50 trout in 3 hours, including 10 fish that went over 20 inches!"), and obviously, we can't have that. But, if you own a restaurant, motel, campground, canoe rental, flyshop, bed & breakfast, flyfishing school, guide service, or WHATEVER, go fishing, send us reports, and see your business exposure increase. If you'll help out our visitors, we'll be more than happy to return the favor.

Many thanks in advance.

How the Recent Rains Will Affect Your Favorite Trout Stream

2006-08-28T08:34:00.000-05:00

People all over the state are saying prayers of thanks for the recent rains, except for those of us who have suffered storm damage, of course. River fishermen are often confused about heavy rains and rising waters and what it means for their fishery. On the one hand, we all know that some of our favorite rivers are not just low, but are dangerously low. Some favorite trout fishing areas of a decade ago are darn near dry, today. So, obviously, we welcome all the rain we can get. However, we all still want to fish, and high water does not necessarily dampen our enthusiasm.

The first thing you should do is check the gauge levels of your favorite creeks on our Water Levels Page. You then need to analyze the data. I'm sorry to say this will require some math skills. It's generally at this point that I search the house for my 3rd grader to come and explain fractions and percentages to me.

After you find the graph you want to review, grab a calcuator. Of course, you can determine how many inches the river is up by simply subtracting the recent low number from the recent high number, but that's not the number we're interested in. We're more interested in the percentage of increase. For example, the Meramec River went from a gauge height of 1.38 feet to 1.90, an actual increase of 6-1/4 inches of so, which doesn't sound so bad. That number is misleading, though. Instead, divide 1.9 by 1.38 to get an answer of about 1.376. Read that as 137.6%. In other words, the new level is almost 138% of the old level, which means the Meramec River is up by almost 38%, or more than 1/3. That's a bigger deal than a mere 6 inches.

Now that you have that number, consider the change in current. It's tempting to assume that a 38% increase in water level will mean a 38% increase in water speed, but this is also misleading. As the river gets deeper (by 6-1/4 inches, in this case), it also gets wider. So, to be safe, you should assume that the percentage of increase in height only represents about 1/5 of the actual increase in water volume. In fact, if you were to take a look at the second Meramec River graph titled "Discharge, cubic feet per second", you'd see that the volume of water increased from about 100 cfs to about 280 cfs. 280/100=2.8 or 280%, meaning the new volume is 280% of the old volume, meaning it's an increase of 180%. 38% x 5 = 190%, so our 1/5 estimate was fairly accurate this time. And bear in mind that water volume measured in cubic feet per second is the same thing as speed. The higher the discharge, the faster the current.

Okay, we're done with the math. Apologies. However, I just want to make clear what we're talking about. With even a modest 6" increase in gauge height, a river can be unfishable and certainly unwadable due to depth and speed. Just how much weight are you prepared to put on the end of your line to get your fly down deep? And just how strong are your legs? So, hold off until the river's current is more managable. That's rule number #1. Rule #2: get ready, cuz the fishing's gonna get good!

Right now, as the river's are swelling, the fishing for the future is changing. We all know the water temperatures have been high recently -- sometimes into the 80's. Trout lose their swimming endurance when the water is that warm. Then, when the current jumps from 100 to 280, they just can't keep up with it. Therefore, the trout are being washed downstream even as I write this. So, think about looking farther downstream when you go fishing next week. Also, with poor physical endurance, the trout will have less energy for pursuit feeding, meaning they'll rely almost entirely on feeding on drifting food: mostly aquatic insects and crustraceans. And lucky for them (and us), the increased flow is going to be rolling the rocks over and getting the bugs really moving. The last perk is that the fish will be hugging the bottom of the river seeking shelter from the faster current, so the food will be floating right in their faces. They're going to be hungry due to the excess energy consumption, they're going to be collected together in the most sheltered spots, and they're going to get hooked on nymphs (sorry for the pun). So we fly fishermen are going to have a great time as soon as the water settles a bit, as we just might find trout competitively attacking sub-surface flies in a feeding frenzy type of atmosphere. Then, as the recharge spring pool continues to cool the river, we'll see perkier trout begin to respond to streamers, spinners, crankbaits, and such.

Be patient, my fellow anglers. Some good times are coming.

Summertime Trout Tactics

2006-08-18T16:38:00.000-05:00

This time of year, it's common that I start getting a flurry of emails from folks asking me to diagnose what they're doing wrong. They're just not catching fish like they were in June and July. They're seeing plenty of fish, but they're struggling to hook them. Streamers, rooster tails, crankbaits, and rubber worms were tearing them up just a few weeks ago, and now the trout are just ignoring me. What do I do?

It's not so bad, really. The sad truth is that these are the dog days of summer, and cold water fishing just gets tougher this time of the year. If you close your eyes and try to put yourself into the mind of the trout, it will make sense. Follow me on this.

Picture yourself living in the wilderness. The weather and temperature are perfect -- let's say 72 degrees, partly cloudy, light breeze. You're dressed appropriately for this weather, perhaps some jeans and a T-shirt. You're feeling good about life. Your appetite is good. You start eye-balling the local family of squirrels and begin to plot their demise, fantasizing about making a pot pie out of them. Suddenly, the temperatures begin to climb. Within a couple of weeks, daily highs are ranging from mid-90's to mid-100's, and you're downright miserable. What do you do? How do you respond?

Your first thought may be to run inside where the air conditioner has it cooled down, but you can't do that. You live in the wilderness. The best thing you can do is look for some shade, a spot with a cooler breeze, and maybe even a cave. It doesn't fix everything, but it helps. This is what trout do, of course. They find shade under overhanging trees, downed trees, along bluffs, and so on. They move into cooler breezes by settling into the very bottom of the deepest holes, where the water is a bit cooler. And if they can get under a cut bank or a big boulder, they will. Another thing to consider: if there are other people around, they're going to congregate around the coolest spots, right? If there's a shady cave with a nice cool breeze blowing through it, you'll probably have some company, don't you think? How would the crowding affect you? It affects trout by making them edgy and nervous. Especially when the water levels drop and they cooler spots get even smaller.

How will this hot temperature effect your appetite? The last time you were mowing the lawn in the summer sun all afternoon, did you run inside and wolf down a deep dish pizza with all the toppings? How about a slab of BBQ'd ribs or a big thick cheeseburger? Nope. You ran inside and had an ice-cold drink, maybe two. Food was simply not important to you, because you were so uncomfortable. Of course, you'll eventually get hungry, but if you're forced to eat when you're this overheated, what would your diet consist of? First off, you'd eat light. You'd only eat enough to stop your stomach from grumbling. Secondly, you'd only eat the stuff that's easy to get, wouldn't you? Nuts & berries, for example? If one of those squirrels fell out of a tree and hit his head, you'd probably pick him up. Then again, maybe you wouldn't. Who wants to build a campfire in this heat?

These parallels are fairly simplistic, I'll admit. The advice is sound, though, so here's a quick summary. (1) When I'm mowing the lawn and it's 102, don't expect me eat anything at all. Translation, avoid fishing when the water is at it's warmest: 2pm to 6pm or so. You'll often be wasting your time. (2) When it's 92 degrees out, don't expect me to eat pizza or cheeseburgers, and don't expect me to chase a squirrel. If I'm going to eat, it's going to be nuts, berries, or other small items that I can get easily. Translation, fish small baits and work extra hard to drift it right to their nose. Pursuit baits like spinners, streamers, crankbaits, etc. will often get skunked. And don't expect to find a fly that is the "it" bait of the day. Instead, plan on having to change flies frequently to appeal to the rapidly changing tastes of the different trout you're casting to. They're not actively feeding, so matching the hatch may make you lose your religion. (3) If I'm hunkered down in my nice cool cave with the big tree shading the entrance and that amazing cool breeze blowing through, I am not going to leave it to chase a squirrel, even if he's carrying a big cheeseburger. In fact, I'm not moving from this spot, if I can help it. Translation, excessively warm water shuts off pursuit feeding almost entirely. If you fish a trout stream that usually has good streamer or spinner fishing, you'll probably still have good results at sunrise, when the water is coolest. As soon as the sun hits the water, though, put them away and forget about them. Instead, focus on nut & berry fishing with extra focus on getting the baits to fish's hideout, in the cave, in the shade and in the breeze. This means fish DEEEEEEEEP, along bluffs, around boulders, and around downed trees.

Seems easy, right? Nope. It's still the dog days, and trout are still cold water fish. A trout fisherman that uses the proper summertime tactics will catch fish, and he'll certainly outfish those around him, but he's going to have to work for every fish he hooks. And the edgy nervousness I mentioned before? Well, you're going to have to deal with that as well by making longer more delicate casts and/or dropping your bait a good long distance upstream of the trout -- anything to avoid spooking the exceptionally spooky dog days trout.

Good luck, guys.

Muscle-bound Trout Hits 70 Homeruns!

2006-06-09T09:28:00.000-05:00

There have been a number of studies over the last several years investigating the endurance of trout, how it effects their feeding behaviors, spawning behaviors, migration, etc. In essence, They take a trout and put him into a tube with screen at both ends. That tube is placed in a constant current, and they measure the time until the fish allows the current to push him against the back screen. In past studies, they've altered the speed of the current, the water temperature, the oxygen content, the amount of daylight the fish receive, and also what the fish are fed. Our very own University of Missouri has taken things one step farther.

Perhaps the idea was "spawned" (sorry) from the controversy surrounding Mark McGwire a few years back -- St. Louis is only a couple hours away, after all. Regardless of the inspiration, MU professors Eric Berg (Animal Science) and Rob Hayward (Fisheries) came up with the idea of feeding rainbow trout a hatchery diet that is entirely normal except that it's been suped up a bit with a 5% blend of Creatine. What?! That's right. The very same substance that professional athletes have used for years to speed recovery from injury and increase muscle mass. The same chemical that helped Mark McGwire hit 70 home runs in 1998. And the results have been phenomenal.

First, let's be clear. Creatine is not a steroid. It is an amino acid, one of the building blocks of protein. When you introduce extra creatine into an animal, it simply elevates the body's ability to use that building block to build muscle mass. Thus far, there are no indications that it is dangerous in any way. In fact, you can go down to your local vitamin store and buy a jug of it today. Be this as it may, it has not yet been approved for use in feeding hatchery fish that are to be consumed by humans. So any excitement you may be feeling right now is certainly premature. However, the future of trout fishing or even sport fishing in general, may look very different in the future.

After more than a year of studies, the researchers discovered that a diet supplemented with 5% creatine increased a trout's ability to swim in a current by about 500%. Imagine the ramifications of this discovery. Yes, it means that these trout will be stronger and fight harder, but how else would it effect the pursuit of the fish? Brown trout have greater endurance than rainbow trout, and there are many theories that reference this fact when trying to explain why mature browns feed differently, sit in different lies, migrate differently, and feed more nocturnally than rainbows.

Consider this, if you're a rainbow trout forced to swim in a current, you'll eventually get tired, and you'll have to use your energy efficiently in the pursuit of food. You probably chase down a minnow occasionally, but you generally must resign yourself to finding a lie sheltered somewhat from the current but near a quality feeding lane. There, you can conserve your energy while allowing the current to bring you little bits of food on nature's cafeteria line. Mature brown trout feed like this occasionally, but they are more likely to be pursuit feeders and are also more likely to have a stomach full of minnows, sculpins and crayfish. Why? Better endurance. They can afford to expend the energy needed to capture bigger prey. This also makes them more difficult to catch -- wild animals don't generally eat unless they're hungry.

So, would a muscle-bound rainbow become more like a brown? Would nymph and dry fly fishing end, replaced almost entirely by streamers, spinners and crankbaits? And how long would the effects of creatine last after stocking? Would stocked fish that avoid being caught for a few months revert back to normal behavior patterns, or would they starve to death by using up their energy reserves in pursuit of bait fish? Hmmmm. Sounds like more research is needed.

Click on the comments link below to, uh...you know... leave a comment!

Kid's Trout Fishing Days Coming Soon!!

2006-04-20T23:59:00.000-05:00

JEFFERSON CITY-Missourians looking for a chance to introduce youngsters to fishing can mark their calendars for May, when the Missouri Department of Conservation and the state's four trout parks will host Kids Fishing Days.

Events will be held May 20 at Montauk State Park near Licking, Roaring River State Park near Cassville and Maramec Spring Park near St. James. Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon will hold its event May 13. Each event will feature fishing instruction, games, contests and other activities to ensure an enjoyable fishing experience. Sections of each park will be set aside for exclusive use by anglers 15 and younger.

Bennett Spring State Park's Kids' Fishing Day event will last from 6:30 a.m. until 8:15 p.m. The area from the Hatchery Outlet through the Suzy Hole will be set aside for young anglers. Volunteers will be on hand to help youth anglers follow fishing zone regulations. Activities will include instruction in fly tying, fish cleaning and cooking, a virtual fishing simulator, shooting trailer, stream table and a display by the World Bird Sanctuary. Awards will be given for the first fish and other contests, plus random drawings for door prizes. For more information, call 417/532-4418.

Montauk State Park's celebration will run from 6:30 a.m. until 8:15 p.m. Free trout fishing tags will be available at the hatchery office starting at 2 p.m. May 19. The section of the spring branch from the CCC Spillway to the Social Hole is reserved for young anglers. Volunteers will help new anglers and their parents get the hang of trout fishing. Anglers need to bring their own fishing equipment. A free lunch of hamburgers, hot dogs and soft drinks will be provided from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for participating children. Fishing seminars, exhibits, demonstrations and prize drawings will be held throughout the day. Organizers are seeking volunteers to help run the event. No fishing experience is needed. For details or to volunteer, call 573/548-2585 or e-mail Tom.Whelan@mdc.mo.gov .

Roaring River State Park's celebration will include dozens of fishing and other outdoor-related classes from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Youngsters who attend at least two classes will receive prizes. A section of the stream will be stocked heavily with trout throughout the day for youths. Drawings for other prizes will take place at 5 p.m. Those who attend a fly-casting class will be entered in a drawing for a fly rod and reel valued at $300. Prizes also will be awarded for the biggest fish and biggest stringers in boys and girls divisions.

The girl and boy who catch the biggest fish at Roaring River will get free taxidermy mounts. Free hot dogs, chips and soft drinks will be served from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Some equipment will be available for loan, and volunteers will be on hand to help kids fish. Free youth fishing permits will be available all day May 19. Roaring River State Park also will hold a Back to School Kids Day Aug. 19. For more information about these events, call 417/847-2430 or e-mail Jerry.Dean@mdc.mo.gov .

The entire upper half of the spring branch at Maramec Spring Park will be set aside for youths. The James Foundation, which operates the park, will waive the customary parking fee for cars with young anglers. The Conservation Department will stock the youth section of the stream with rainbow trout throughout the day. Kids need to bring their own fishing gear, and volunteers will be on hand to help those who need it. Fishing contests will run from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. A casting contest will take place at 11 a.m., and the winners will receive trophies. Free hot dogs and soft drinks will be provided, and prizes-including bicycles, rods and reels, fishing equipment and savings bonds-will be given out all day long.

Maramec Spring Park will have exhibits and activities, such as making fish-print T-shirts, critter stamping, taxidermy, flyfishing demonstrations, classes and games, will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors also can view up to 25 species of native fish and educational seminars at the 3,200-gallon Show-Me Missouri Mobile Fish Aquarium. Free youth permits will be available May 19 at the reception center and May 20 at the Millfield Shelter next to the fishing area. Kids will receive free fishing goody bags with their permits. For more information call 573/265-7801 or e-mail Paul.Spurgeon@mdc.mo.gov .

FYI: I will be at the Maramec Springs kids fishing day on 5/20/06. If you see a guy getting into or out of a blue truck with "Ozark Taxidermy" signs all over it, stop by and say "hi".

One Year After the New Trout Regulations

2006-03-24T19:09:00.000-06:00

It's been a year since the new trout regulations have gone into effect. Judging from the fishing reports that have been submitted recently, it sounds as if the fishing has changed somewhat in response.

The regulations were changed in order to spread the harvest among more fishermen and to improve the chances of catching true trophies, but the instigator of regulation changes was most certainly drought conditions adversely effecting the state's hatchery output. The Missouri Department of Conservation found itself fighting a losing battle, and they needed to ensure that a higher percentage of the state's trout would be caught more than once.

We're anxious to hear your opinions about how the new regulations have changed things. Better, worse, same, or just different. Time for you to sound off.

Crane Creek Trash Pick-upScheduled for 3/18/06

2006-03-01T09:11:00.000-06:00

The City of Crane has contacted Missouri Trout Hunter to inform us that there will be a trash pick-up for Crane Creek on Saturday 3/18/06. This is a perfect time for an effort of this type. The trout should be done actively spawning, the water is very VERY low, and the weather should be mild. The city would love to have some trout-fishing volunteers to come help out with this clean-up. If you are interested, please let us know. We'll make sure you get the details you need.

College Students to Creat Fishing Poles for Quadraplegics

2006-02-17T16:58:00.000-06:00

This article was published on Newswise.com

Students Angle for Win at UMR Competition

Just days after trout fishing season opens in Missouri, students from across the country will try to snag the top prize in a fishing pole design competition at the University of Missouri-Rolla.

What’s the catch? The student-designed poles must allow quadriplegics to use their breath to accurately cast and retrieve a fishing lure without assistance, and land a “fish” on at least one cast. The contest, sponsored by Boeing, is one of four student competitions planned for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ (ASME) District C Student Conference, hosted by UMR March 3-5. Students will also try to impress the judges with their oral, poster and web presentation skills.

“The conference will give students the opportunity to network with those at other universities and find out what their student chapters are doing,” says Dr. Brad Miller, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and advisor for the ASME UMR student chapter. “They’ll learn about what it’s like to be a mechanical engineer from several distinguished professionals and gather great experiences from the competitions.”

More than 400 mechanical engineering students from across the United States and Canada are expected to participate in the conference, which will include guest speakers, workshops and a mini job fair.
Greg Maryniak, executive director of the X Prize Foundation in St. Louis, will present “Upcoming Breakthroughs in Space Travel and Inhabitation” at 11:45 a.m. Saturday. An instrument-rated commercial pilot with more than 30 years of flight experience, Maryniak was the flight director for Erik Lindbergh’s “New Spirit of St. Louis” flights in 2002. In 2004, he received the Lindbergh Foundation Medal for his role in igniting the personal spaceflight revolution.

UMR graduate Jorge Ochoa, vice president and chief technology officer of Archus Orthopedics, will also address the crowd Saturday evening. Prior to joining Archus Orthopedics in 2004, Ochoa was vice president of research and development at DePuy Orthopaedics, a Johnson & Johnson Company where he was responsible for research and development in the joint reconstruction business.

Workshops will include “Codes and Standards,” presented by Don Frikken of Becht Engineering Co. in St. Louis; “Engineering Ethics Education,” presented by Dr. Robert Seidel of the University of Minnesota; “Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Economy for Clean Cities,” presented Dr. Fatih Dogan of UMR; and “Emerging Biofuel Technologies at the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center,” presented by Dr. Rodney J. Bothast of the National Corn-To-Ethanol Research Center and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.
Sponsors to date include the UMR mechanical and aerospace engineering department, Caterpillar, UMR School of Engineering, the Academy of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineers, the MSM-UMR Alumni Association, John Deere, Guardian Industries and Ash Grove Cement Co.

ASME District C includes more than 60 schools in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Mutant Rainbow Trout Caught in Nebraska

2005-12-24T13:04:00.000-06:00

Pulled this story from "Yahoo News" at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051221/ap_on_fe_st/mutated_fish.

LINCOLN, Neb. -

This fish didn't have a chance. A rainbow trout pulled out of Holmes Lake last weekend had double the chance to get hooked: It had two mouths.

Clarence Olberding, 57, wasn't just telling a fisherman's fib when he called over another angler to look at the two-mouthed trout. It weighed in at about a pound.

"I reached down and grabbed it to take the hook out, and that's when I noticed that the hook was in the upper mouth and there was another jaw protruding out below," said Olberding.
He said in his 40 years of fishing, he's never seen anything like it.

Don Gabelhouse, head of the fisheries division of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, said a two-mouthed fish was new to him, too.

"It's probably a genetic deformity," he said. "I don't think there's anything wrong with it."
The second mouth didn't appear to be functional, Olberding said. He has plans for the fish, which don't included mounting.

"I'm going to smoke it up and eat it," he said.
___
Information from: Lincoln Journal Star, http://www.journalstar.com

Can We Fix the Trout Park Crowding Problem?

2005-11-30T10:21:00.000-06:00

I'm hoping for some serious discussion on this topic, because crowding issues at the trout parks appears to be getting worse. Not only does this make the parks more difficult to fish, but crowded park fishermen then spill out onto the trout waters downstream, making the Meramec River, the Current River, the Niangua River, and Roaring River more crowded as well. I am hoping that your posts will be solutions-based rather than simple griping. We all already know the horror stories of how people misbehave in crowded situations, and fishermen are no different. But what can we do to fix the problem?

Should the Missouri Department of Conservation change the daily limit (again), set a minimum length limit, change the tag prices, change the season, set a cap on how many daily tags can be sold, set up more catch & release areas, or do you have another idea that has merit? There are likely pro's and con's to every option, so let's get a conversation going.

Golf Junkies and Trout Bums

2005-06-05T18:05:00.000-05:00

They say obsession is generally a bad thing, and I can understand that philosophy. After all, obsessive thoughts can distract you from what really matters: family, health, happiness. Hell, it can distract you from things like eating, sleeping and even bathing, and it can be seriously distressing to you and to those around you.

I remember an elderly man I once knew who bragged about how he chased after a particularly pretty girl for months and months before she finally gave in. He followed her everywhere, sent her flowers several times each week, even camped in her front yard. He won her heart, and they were married for more than 60 years. As you already know, that type of obsessive behavior is now known as stalking, and it’s generally viewed as somewhat frightening, not to mention illegal.

So, knowing it’s generally considered unhealthy, why do people allow themselves to become obsessed? Simple: it feels good to focus on just one thing, one all-encompassing object of interest, especially when it seems that most everything else in our lives is awash in uncertainty. For most of us, money is often tight, job security is often questionable, and protection for our family may not be guaranteed. You’re stressed out. Imagine if you could focus all your mental energy on one enjoyable fixation for several hours at a time, thinking of nothing but what you are doing right at that moment. Would the daily stressors go away for a while? Sure they would. If you’re suffering from a lot of daily stress – "I hate my job", "I hate my boss", etc. – would a break to engage in the recreational obsession of your choice make it easier for you return to your stressful life? Of course it would! You need something to obsess about – just make sure it’s something that’s good for you and won’t get you arrested.

I am personally obsessed with fly-fishing. I prefer trout, but thoroughly enjoy chasing Ozark spring creek Smallmouth and panfish as well. I was once on my way to becoming a true "trout bum" when I first met my wife. Gosh darn it, love stole that dream from me. Now, I’m a respectable family man with responsibilities and a mortgage. I suppose I simply traded one dream for another.

About 16 years ago I met a man in Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado by the name of Ed Bennett. He was the proprietor of a little shop called Riverside Flies. I coveted Ed’s life. He worked out a deal with the local hotel’s owner. He would work in the kitchen and make beds, and in return, the owner allowed him to use an exterior storage room to set up his little fly shop. The front door to the shop was about 50 feet from the water’s edge of the Colorado River, just downstream from Byer’s Canyon. He tied and sold flies to visiting fisherman, and chased rainbows everyday. His net income in 1989 was $3500, and he was the happiest man I’ve ever met. He is a true trout bum in every sense of the word. I got to know him fairly well, and visited him every June until the hotel owner decided to kick him out. I’ve no doubt he’s settled on the bank of another river full of fish, selling flies, guiding yuppies onto the water, and maybe washing dishes in a diner to support his obsession. I envy him still.

I’m sure you’ve heard of people like Ed but have probably never actually known one. You may have heard the somewhat common story of a "golf junkie" with a college degree who works as a groundskeeper (or pool man, dishwasher, etc.) at a local country club just so he can golf for free every evening. People who live this lifestyle generally have very little stress. They have focused on a simple life objective, and they pursue it without apology. Good for them, I say.

The purpose of this article, you ask? Two points. The first point is directed at you. If you are obsessed with fly-fishing, as I hope you are, then good for you. Do not be ashamed of this obsession. Stop apologizing to your spouse. Embrace your love of the art. If you're not already obsessed, find something fun that you can become truly obsessed with. Golf and fly-fishing are the two biggest recreational obsessions out there, but choose anything that appeals to you and immerse yourself in it. Try gardening, woodworking, photography, anything. Subscribe to magazines on the subject. Join a local social club that is dedicated to the subject. If you decide you cannot become obsessive about that interest, try another one. When someone asks, "what do you do for fun", your answer should jump out with fervor and passion. You’ll be shocked at how much happier your life will be.

My second point is directed at my wife and all the spouses of obsessed hobbyists out there. When you hear yourself saying, "Good Lord! Tell me you’re not going fishing again today," remember one thing. At least I’m not stalking anyone.

New Trout Regulations Now In Effect

2005-03-05T19:33:00.000-06:00

As previously mentioned on this blog and also on our webpage, March 1, 2005 marks the beginning of new trout regulations. The old trout water designations are gone, and your local waters are now either white, red or blue ribbon trout streams. Get to know the new regulations, because ignorance of the rules is not a defense! The new state regulations can be found at http://www.mdc.missouri.gov/documents/regs/fishsum.pdf.