February: Small Streams and Blue Ribbon waters

February 6, 2012: I decided to try another small creek for trout. The nearest trout stream to Springfield is Crane Creek, about thirty miles from my house. The stream is very small with gin clear water. Much of the stream is no more that 6-10 foot across; during the summer with little rain, a portion of it is a losing stream. I drove to Wire Road Access upstream from the town of Crane and walked the bank and path upstream 0.6 miles before see trout.

I used a 12 ft spey rod with fly short line (3 feet) and ten-foot leader; my intention was to reach with the rod to fish the waters for trout. Working my way upstream with a weighted fly, was not productive.

It was after 4 PM and I turned around and went back down stream, tied on a dry fly and dabbed it on broken water.

It finally scored three small rainbows. It was after 6 PM, I was walking back to the truck and saw a near full moon coming over the trees. This mild weather has been great, how much longer? It is almost time for walleye.

FEB 12, 2012: This was my final day to fish the Catch and Release season at a Missouri State Park. Rod and I returned to Bennett Spring S.P. There were 15 fishermen in Zone 1 as we drove from the dam to the spring. We saw fish activity in the handicap hole above the Holland Dam around the aquatic plants; trout were coming head out of the water for pupa. Upon closer inspection, we saw many white adult midges on the water as they emerged. We tried dry flies with a few trout willing to take them. Rod stayed in the area most of the afternoon. I worked my way upstream to the spring looking for trout along the edges.

The day was clear with a very bright sky. It remained cold with the guides on the fly rod freezing through out the day. I fished midstream and dropped a fly on both banks. I made it to the low-water bridge on river left. There was activity most of the afternoon with trout taking an occasional dry fly. I released a dozen from hand with Rod having an outstanding day. I will start to migrate south, to fish the Pothole for walleye and waiting for the return of white bass.

Feb 16, 2012: The catch and released reason for trout has ended at the state parks, for me this is a signal to look south and fish Bulls Shoals Lake. My target fish is walleye; I tie large buck-tail streamer flies and get serious to fish after sunset and fish into the night, and fishing to 10 PM. It is throwing an 8 Wt fly rod, with a large fly for distance with a slow strip retrieve. I became more serious for walleye after the passing of Paul Henry; we did not fish much after dark. He did tell of his adventures when he was younger and he had a few interesting tales fishing the Pothole. We did over the years find a few walleye during the day light hours fishing for white bass.

I returned to the Pothole, the lake level was 654, which is six feet higher than last year this time of the year. The day was bright, slight wind from the north with little effect on the lake. There was some generation moving through the power house. It was 2:30 PM and I decided to look at Swam Creek and then drive to Beaver Creek to get a look. I parked at Fisherman’s Nose and walked up stream to the bluff hole.

Much of area changed from the high water, the banks have been scoured, trees missing most of their branches and look dead. Beaver Creek was up 7 inches from the recent rains and had a good flow. I fished through bluff hole and moved down to fisherman’s nose. At 5 PM, I saw some shad moving on the surface. I fished until 6 PM without a strike, and retreated back to the Pot Hole.

The sun was down in the west across the Pothole, an eagle was perched in a dead tree just over my shoulder. I was able to a quick picture of it flying off.

I decided where to fish and moved into the area. My first and only fish on was at 7:30 PM, the fish came up, rolled like a walleye and I was leading it to a gravel bar. Before I could get the flash light out of my pocket, the fish released himself, all I could say was damn. It did fire me up and I fished until 9 PM. My schedule will allow me to fish next week.

November: Winter fishing at Bennett Spring S.P.

I enjoy Bennett Spring State Park in the winter. There can be an outstanding mayfly hatch that appears in the afternoon and at times will last several hours through mid-January. The trout have been in the stream long enough to recognize these insects as food and will actively seek them out along the edges and near the aquatic plants.

The number of people fishing may be a crowd of twenty on a Saturday afternoon in zone 1 or a stretch of water all to you on a Friday or Monday. A snowy day may find you all alone in the park with a few eagles perched on the Sycamore tree over the stream.

A mayfly hatch is common with a #20 BWO; imitating celery green body, a white tail and white legs Baetis emerging from the slough or back waters near the concrete access structures. I use a 4 wt 10 ft rod with 6X or smaller tippet. You will find me wading upstream looking for trout hunting these insects. Even if you never tried to fish a dry fly, these trout are blind to the many mistakes a fisherman starting out may make.

For more information of these mayflies check out: http://www.troutnut.com/hatch/180/Mayfly-Baetis-Blue-Winged-Olives

Nov 14, 2011: Rod Pennington and I made plans to fish Bennett Spring S.P. I called Frank Moran and invited him to fish with us. Since, I have not been at the park recently, there was concern if the BWO hatch would be present. Monday morning, I woke at 6 AM. Started some coffee and tied a few flies hoping to match the hatch of the day. I met Frank at 10 AM, with Rod driving alone since he would have to leave early. We fished Zone 1, just above the dam. The water level was normal for this time of the year with some changes due to erosion and the holes in front of the dam filling in. There were a few BWO seen throughout the day, with a minimal hatch event. The trout seem to be looking for duns. There was a mild breeze blowing upstream, providing some cover for the trout with a cloudy day. Frank’s first cast of the day, brought to hand a nice 14-inch rainbow with others to follow much smaller. Rod and I had a good day with a total of 25 trout released. Rod left early, Frank and I stayed until 4 PM. An eagle flew into view at 3:30 PM and perched on a limb over the stream. I was able to walk to him and capture a nice video of this eagle in flight.

It was good to get back to the stream and hope to get back at least once a week.

Nov 21, 2011: Rod and I made our plans and returned to Bennett Spring S.P. There was a light mist with a dark sky. The wind was light with a smooth stream surface. The temperature was in the mid-forties. There were few a fishermen around with no one in close proximity. I returned to a pattern of habit and started at the dam and fished to the concrete access ramps. A pair of eagles were seen near the spring on our drive in and later sat on the Sycamore tree across the concrete access ramps.

There was a sporadic hatch with low numbers of mayflies. The dreaded white midge was present and we saw a few black adult caddis. We released from hand twenty trout with most of my hook ups on a #20 parachute BWO. We saw a few groups of turkeys in field on our drive with the deer in hidingsince opening day for gun season.

February: The end of Winter Catch and Release

Feb 7, 2011: Bennett Spring State Park had a little more snow than Springfield (more than a foot). The Red-tail hawk made his rounds. No eagles, turkeys or deer; they must be hunkering down. The wind was blowing up stream, which is a challenge. Some mayflies were coming off, but the size of the hatch has diminished in numbers. I saw the typical BWO and some different mayflies, same size but different colors. Some light colored midges almost #16 seen on the surface

The first hour near the dam was good and caught a few along the edges working my way up stream. After 2 PM, hooking a trout was tough. It was a good day of 15-20 trout.

The wind was raw and I had to keep the hands covered in mittens most of the afternoon. No other fishermen in sight, I did see a fisherman walking towards his car after the horn blew, he was below the dam.

Not many tracks of fishermen in the snow above the dam, I did see Rod tracks from his trip on Sunday. He had a very good day on the water.

One more trip, plan to fish one day next weekend.

Feb 13,2011: It is not often that one can witness such a seasonal change. That is what happened this weekend with the ground covered with a foot of snow and ice from recent snowstorms, followed by cold arctic high pressure that left most of the Midwest in subfreezing temperatures for past ten days.

This past weekend, the temperatures climbed into the sixties. The snow covered hills and pastures in the morning had all but disappeared with the spring like day full of sun, warm breezes and people flocking to the park for the final days of catch and release trout fishing at Bennett Spring State Park.

Rod and I arrived the park at 11 AM, and had a difficult time figuring out where to fish due to the number of fishermen. We finally slipped in the area above the dam and were able to work up stream. The bright sun on the water made it difficult to see trout and the shadows from the birds flying over, fly line on the surface and fishermen rambling about put the trout on alert.
The MDC left the aquatic plants in the stream and did not cut them until after the catch and release season. The plants were the places for the hatching activity through out the winter.

Needless to say, Rod managed seventeen trout and I released fifteen. For me I considered these numbers good with sun and moving fishermen.

This will be my last trip to Bennett to fish for a while. March 1 will start soon with more fishermen and the sense of serenity fishing the winter catch and release season will vanish.
My next trip will be the Pot Hole waiting for the walleye.

Feb 28, 2011: My first trip to the Pot Hole since last April, it is amazing how much it has changed. The lake level was 648 ft in the tail-waters below power-site dam and no current. Last year, I fished it out of a Kayak and noted a level around 660 ft. A difference of 12 ft. The holes I fished are now a gravel bars and dry with the lake, Bull Shoals low and clear. I did not start to fish until sun set and waded some distance. There was no shad activity or fishing breaking water. I found the bottom several times losing flies to the sharp rocks on the bottom. I eventually tied on a 12 lb leader to prevent quick break-offs and abused the fly hitting the rocks. Needless to say, no takes, spent the evening watching lightning moving in from the west. I have some ideas where the fish may lie, need to take a kayak trip to cover more water during the day to figure out a few things and note new structure in the water.

December: Finally Back to the Water

I have not fished since my return from Alaska; it has been eight weeks. Where does time fly? I have been working on a project at work, with several ongoing chores around the house and then there is the birth of Desmond. This is Jennifer first child and our first grandchild. My days off have been filled with activities and traveling to places other than a fishing destination.

DEC 5, 2010: I finally found a day and arranged a trip with Kevin Smith. We found out and were given a tip from another club member (Dan Ditzler) of a recent stocking of rainbow trout on Capps Creek I followed Kevin to Jolly Mill where we started our day before noon. The sky was clear, with cool air with a high in the mid-thirties; there was ice in our guides for most of the day. We did find small trout near the bridge; actually the trout were in the four-five inch range. I plan to talk with the MDC biologist to get an idea to the planting Strategy for Capps Creek. Kevin caught a respectable trout below the bridge. We made a move late afternoon and drove to an access downstream. We found a few holes and found a few fish larger in size. Overall, it was a satisfying day of fishing

DEC 10, 2010: I made a trip to Bennett Spring. The day was full of sun with a light wind. The high temperature was in the high forties. I took some time in the morning before the drive to tie a few flies. I went back to the #20 BWO hoping for the Family Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olives) to hatch late morning or noon. I drove into the park before 11 AM, with a moderate winter crowd. The area, zone one above the dam had only a few people in the places I wanted to fish. The hatch was light; there were a few BWO in the air. They did not spend much time on the surface. The midge hatch was more significant with swarms seen throughout the day. There were many trout seen in the water with a few willing to take a random dry fly. A pair if bald eagles flew over me at 3:30 PM, waiting for 4 PM for the departure of the fishermen, leaving the stream to them to fish. On the drive back to Springfield saw eight deer in a field off of I-44.


DEC 17, 2010: This would be my last fishing trip for the year. A cold, cloudy and winding day at Bennett Spring State Park; the wind was blowing up stream, making it difficult to fool the fish with the downstream drift. There was a light crowd and for the most part, no one fished within 50 yards of me. The ice formed in my guides most of the day, with a quick dip of the rod in the spring creek to free the line. I had hoped to hook a bunch of trout, but my #20 BWO was not the fly to fool many trout. I managed 15+ with most of the trout taken below the stone bridge with a #14 Adams dry fly drifting the right bank late afternoon.

There is progress on the new hatchery building, with the exterior almost finished and the roof shingled. I spoke the Mike Mitchell; he hoped to have the project fished by May of this year. He will be a guest speaker at the MTFA club meeting next year to give an update,

January fishing with Ice in my guides

January fishing at the state parks can be challenging. The mayfly hatches have diminished, fishing on the sub-zero days hauling and casting with wool gloves/mittens test your patients. The rod guides will freeze with the best option to de-ice the rod by dipping it into the spring creek. The trout having seen your flies on previous trips are quicker to refuse your offerings. The small dry flies on the water are hard to see, almost impossible at times, due to the formation of fog on the water during the coldest of days. For me, it is a glimpse to the future with possible impaired vision due to cataracts. I will place the fly twenty or thirty feet up stream of me, not able to see it, reacting to a splash, a ring formation or any movement of my line. It can be frustrating, but it is not the number of trout to hand. For me, it is the solitude and serene beauty of fresh snow on the ground with the sounds of silence and heightens senses detecting any movement. One can detect the change of wind moving through bare trees or see a kingfisher’s flight to another perch.

The advantage to winter fishing is a peaceful park with very few people; eagles perched on branches above watching over you, with deer on the opposite bank browsing the ground for scant food. You can take your time fishing, walking up stream at a snails pace looking for feeding trout or finding a trout willing to strike a #20 dry fly.



Jan 2: I drove to Bennett Spring and arrived before 11 AM. Kevin Smith and Jeff House, a friend of Kevin’s were already fishing. Kevin drove up while I was getting ready to fish. The temperature was in the upper teens and predicted to hit twenty for a high. There was a persistent wind blowing upstream. There were six to eight people fishing in the area above the dam with a dozen or more below the dam. Kevin and Jeff had fished other areas with some success. The fishermen in view, wore too many clothes and appeared uncomfortable, not able to move freely using unenthusiastic roll cast with limited lines lengths. I managed to find a place to fish near the dam, hoping to work my way up stream as fishermen left for the day. The trout on the day were larger than previous trips. Many of the fishermen retreated and left the water. I had some time in the afternoon, a found a few trout fooled and taken on the #20 BWO. There were a few white midges on the surface. Kevin left at 2 PM. I talked with him a few days later; he said was cold and at 2 PM decided he had enough for the day.

Jan 8: I drove to Bennett Spring late morning; the temperature was zero in Springfield when I left and warmed to a balmy 8 degrees. The park was covered in snow with ducks and geese in the slough above the dam. There was a thick fog over the water whirling moving in the direction of the variable winds. The fishing was poor, difficult to see the fly due to the heavy fog on the water. Manage to bring a few to hand, and missed many more. A pair of eagles watched over me for several hours from their lofty spot in a sycamore branch on the bluff with deer working the bluff for forty minutes browsing on the ground for enough food to keep warm. I still enjoy winter with the peace and solitude covered in a white blanket of snow.

Jan 16: It is Saturday, I considered going to another park to fish, but decided to return to Bennett spring. It was an overcastted, temperate day with a mild wind. There were nearly 100 fishermen in zones 1 and 2. There was an outstanding hatch of mayflies, black caddis and the white midge. Due to the many fishermen in the water, I took to the waters near the dam. I had planned and did work my way up stream, but only covered a small portion of water. I did not have the correct fly this day with the dry fly taking only a few trout. Later in the day, with a longer line and pulling the dry under the surface found the trout more willing to take a fly. Probably a small soft hackle would have been a better selection.

Since there was a break in the cold, there was abundant wild life in the open fields. I saw sixty turkeys divided in five groups and a dozen deer on my drive home at dusk.




JAN 22: It was overcast, above freezing; I was on my way to Rolla to meet Jenn. There were several groups of deer and turkey in the field during my drive. There was a concern for a poor day of catching due to the high and muddy water in the Gasconade River and Little Piney River. Jenn and I met in the Wal-Mart Parking lot and commuted to Montauk for a day of fishing. We arrived shortly after 11 AM, Jenn purchased her 2010 fishing license and trout stamp at the park store. The proprietor at the store said it had rained 2.5 inches the night before. The stream was up 3-5 inches with some cloudiness but it was fishable. Jenn and I parked in our usual spot, changed into warm clothes and waders. There were a dozen or more cars parked, but there was plenty of room to fish with everyone on this day respecting each others space. We started fishing with jigs and weighted flies with little success. Later in the day, there was some surface activity near the banks
in protected pockets. A #16 fly worked to take a few, with a few mayflies emerging. We fished almost to 4 PM; Jenn finally gave in saying she could not feel her feet. We returned to our vehicle, when the horn went off, sound ing the end of the day to fish. We drove back to Rolla, had a meal together before retuning to St. Louis and Springfield.

JAN 31: I had the weekend off and made plans to fish on Saturday. After my drive home from work Friday night, it was clear that a sixty miles trip to Bennett spring would be fool-hardy. I spent Saturday shoveling snow and hanging around the house. The roads and streets cleared, that evening I decided to make the trip and drive to Bennett on Sunday. Sunday was just above freezing with a clear sky. I drove into the park near 11 AM. It was surprising the number of people and cars in the snow covered park. But, I had no competition in the area I normally fish. The stream level was up a little and the water was cloudy. I was not able to see three feet to the bottom. (I checked the gage after the trip and noted the stream peaked on JAN 24 to 3.75 feet, on JAN 31 descended to 2.6 feet with a normal stream level of 2.5 feet). Most of the fishermen I saw in zone 1 stayed out of the water, allowing me to fish in solitude and work my way up stream to top water
fish along the weed edges. There was some surface action, but the trout were picky and hard to fool. I did manage a half-dozen. There was a modest mayfly hatch, with black caddis and white midges seen on the water. An eagle made his way up stream at 3:30 PM, with many of the fishermen calling it quits for the day. I have one or two more trips left before the end of the winter catch and release season.

Bennett Spring State Park in December

I look forward to the winter catch and release program at the Missouri state parks. The BWO Mayflies emerge late morning with dry fly action from noon to 2 PM. I have targeted these insects for several years and understand them a little more every year. If the water above the dam is left undisturbed the trout will move into the shallow water near the slough where the aquatic plants grow. The mayflies will emerge from this area in moderate numbers. The trout will set up in favorite spot to take the duns. A #18 or #20 fly will usually work to take these trout. After they have been caught a few times; they become more particular giving chase often refusing my fly. All in view with polarized sunglasses and high anticipation. This is one of the few places in the Ozarks with the opportunity to fish a dry fly for trout. Plan a day to give it a try. Be sure to dress warm.

Monday Nov 30: I called Frank Moran on Saturday. The weather looked good for Monday with moderate temperatures. I drove by at 10 AM on Monday and met Frank at his home. We drove on to Bennett Spring and arrived a little after 11 AM. There were a few fishermen fishing the area where Frank and I planned to fish. We did not see much activity on the water or the fishermen. We walked and started near the dam and worked our way upstream. It was afternoon before we started to see duns on water. My fly was a near enough to take a few trout, with many of the trout taking it short. I missed three fish for every one hooked. Frank and I fished until 4 PM, with the sound of the horn telling us to quit for the day.

Saturday Dec 5: I returned to Bennett Spring and fished the same area as the last trip. There were more fishermen this day, it’s Saturday…. Imagine that. There was a full sun on the water with light variable winds. I decided to use 8X tippet instead of the typical 6X, since the sun was so bright. Fishermen wading through the shallow waters were constantly disturbing the trout. Many fishermen do not realize the trout feed in shallow water when there is a hatch. Many of the trout moved to mid-stream to shelter themselves from all of the movement. The duns continued to be seen until 3 PM with only a few taken by trout. I managed ten trout with less interest for the #20 BWO fly. I should find another day other than Saturday to fish. …Too many people.

Friday Dec 11: It had been cold for several days with the temperatures dipping into the twenties. I drove into the park to find two fellows fishing in the handicap hole above the New Holland dam. The waters above the dam left alone, no other fishermen in sight. This continued through out the day. I had the waters totally to myself. Again, I started at the dam and fished my way up stream.

The morning started cool and warmed in the afternoon. The sun was in my eyes most of the day and probably made it difficult for the trout to see my fly. There was a hatch of BWO that came on schedule. The trout moved into the shallow water. I still had a difficult time getting the trout to take my fly. It seems with the bright sun on the water, the trout had trouble seeing. For the first four hours, I managed six trout. I decided to walk back to the dam. I was looking for pods of trout and if none were seen, move below the dam to fish. As I approached the dam, I could see many trout up and in position. The sun was below the trees, the water was shielded from the light and the trout were ready to feed. Every time the fly hit the water there was interest. The fly even lost its tail and it continued to be used with many takes. An eagle flew up stream at 3:30 PM and flew over me thirty feet above my head. I was still the only one fishing with a few fellows below the dam, fishing near the bridge. The last hour was a delight and convinced me that the BWO fly I tie and use was near enough to fool trout.

Thought for the day: The problem was finding a place with diminished light. I have fished this area on bright sunny days, with the trout looking into the sun. It is difficult to find a place to present the fly to the fish in these conditions. The game is presenting the fly without spooking the trout. I look forward to the next cloudy day.

Dec 28: This is my last day this to fish for 2009. My daughter Jenn had planned to fish with me but the cold weather cooled her enthusiasm to fish. She and her husband Brent stayed in Springfield spending the afternoon at a movie theater with Ann.

The day started over-cast but the sun did peek through the clouds in the afternoon. There was a fog on the water, making it difficult to see the fly. The trout have wised to my fly, with many short strikes. The trout will approach the fly quickly, only to turn away at the take. There were few fishermen about making their move down stream, but for the most part I had the waters in front of me to present my dry fly.

The eagle did make a pass over head late afternoon, with deer and turkeys seen on the trip home.

My plan is to fish at the state parks for the next six weeks for the catch and release season and return to Bull Shoals in March.