June: Familar rivers

6/3/2011 – 6/5/2011 Discover Nature for Women. Kevin Smith, Warren Wilkerson and I spent a three-day weekend at Windermere resort on the Lake of the Ozarks. We returned to teach fly tying. We taught four sessions with each session lasting four hours. There was a spark of interest with a few participates joining us on the water to experiencef ly-fishing for crappie at the docks. We had a great weekend

6/11/2011 – 6/12/2011: FFFcertified caster school, Cotter AR, Fulton Lodge

I attended a work shop hosted by Bill Gammel and Chuck Easterling which was held at Fulton's Lodge. Our guest instructor was Lasse Karlsson of Denmark. Lasse is an amazing caster and has tremendous insights into casting. If you follow Sexyloops or keep a sharp eye on Youtube casting videos you know of Lasse. Lasse serves on the BOG and has administered CI and MCI exams in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and many countries in Europe. You cannot be around Lasse without learning a great deal. He provided insight to casting in Europe. It was a great weekend with new friendships.

6/28/2011 – 6/29/2011: North Fork… Jim Scheve and I set up camp at Petite’s Canoe rental along the North Fork of the White River near Dora. After getting the tents set up, we contacted Craig to shuttle up stream to Kelly Ford. We spent the entire day fishing a five-mile trek back to Blair Bridge. Jim and I caught a few trout but the hook ups were far and few. The next day we broke camp and packed the gear in the truck and started our day from Blair Bridge and fished past Patrick Bridge and finished the day at James Bridge. The fishing was better below Patrick Bridge with more people on the water floating. I did the best with a clouser fly by throwing it down and across and letting it swing and dangle down stream.

May: Epic Rains, high streams

5/4/2011: Jim Scheve and I had made plans to fish for white bass when we set dates our first of the year. All of the local streams were high and nearly impossible to fish.We decided to fish Roaring River. We drove to Eagle Rock and checked out the lower stretches of Roaring River before and the waters below the park before starting the day in the water. The biggest lesson, was large trout took a large fly in the deep hole by dangling it with the rod underwater.

April: White Bass, white bass and walleye

It is a pleasure when plans are made to fish and it all comes together without a hitch. Jim Scheve and I spent one day on the North Fork of the White River. Sean came down from St. Louis and fished with me for three days. My fifth day of fishing Rod Pennington spent the afternoon into night fishing the Pot Hole. The weather was near perfect, the lake and stream levels are predictable, the fish were plentiful and of quality size. April is the best month of the year to fish.


April 6: Jim Scheve and I left Springfield at 6 AM and took a drive down Hwy 60 going east. Our destination was the North Fork of the White River. We drove over Blair Bridge at 8 AM and stopped in to see Craig at Pettit’s canoe rental. The river was clear. It was low for this time of the year, the stream level was 2.85 ft and the flow at 600 cfs; it made for comfortable wading. The day was sunny with a strong wind blowing upstream most of the day. We landed 26 rainbow trout, with Jim catching a male over sixteen inches and had a break off.


On this day, no other people were seen on the river. It was a delight getting out, passing the day with the sounds of the river, wind passing through trees and birds calling out to each other. We finished the day at 6:30 PM and had the setting sun in view on our way back to Springfield. It was a good day.

April 7: Sean and I made a quick run to the Little Sac River to get a feel for the stream and to figure out where the white bass may be located. We had only a short time and had to leave the river by 3 PM since the MTFA club had a MSU class that evening. Stockton Lake level was 868.8 ft with the Little Sac River level at 3.1 ft, flowing at 180 cfs; It is very low for this time of the year. Sean caught and released two dozen white bass in a short time and we took three walleye home that afternoon. We left the river at 3 PM and made it to class on time. It would have been a great evening of fishing.

April 8: The next day Sean and I returned to the Little Sac River. There were very few people fishing, much less than expected, putting very little pressure on the fish with one canoe passing through and a boat leaving as we arrived at 1:30 PM. We found white bass in a short time and continued to pickup fish past the power line hole. I did fall into the stream, slipping on a muddy bank going into the stream and went in head first, not my first baptism and probably not my last. We figured 75 white bass released and two walleye released due to us leaving after 6 PM. It was a good day of catching fish. The Little Sac white bass spawn was in progress. The weekend was probably excellent fishing with all the fish moving into the stream from the lake.

April 9: Sean and I were invited to a fish fry by Norm Collison and his family at Kissee Mill park on Beaver Creek. We heard about all the fish on James River from Norm’s brothers. Every one caught limits of large white bass with a large number of boats and fishermen at Galena the night before. We ate lunch and bid farewell at 1:30 PM and looked at fishermen’s nose and slough hollow, fish were seen with fishermen tethered to full stingers of white bass. Beaver Creek was low and clear. The day was breezy, full sun and air temperature in the mid-eighties. I was sure evening would bring on a many fishermen and provide combat fishing if we stayed. We moved on and fished Bull Shoals Lake in an area above Swan Creek. In a short time we had people all around us with no hook ups. We decided to look at the Pot Hole. The fishing conditions were less than favorable; bright sun, no generation from the powerhouse and low water, the lake level was at 652 feet. The one and only advantage was a strong breeze from the west blowing over the dam chopping the water surface. Sean and I walked out to the gravel bar and threw across and caught nine walleye that afternoon, three of them save for the icebox.
I hooked a 24-inch carp that was released after a picture, a large-mouth bass was released.


Sean picked up a rainbow trout and several white bass. Dave Cook and Darrell from the Kansas City MTFA came over before sunset and fished with us. They came down from KC to fish the weekend for White Bass and night fish Taneycomo for trout. They were very satisfied with the number of trout caught at Taneycomo Friday night and again Saturday morning. Dave caught a few fish with Darrell having a time fighting and releasing a large drum. One never knows what can be found at the end of a line in the Pothole.

We caught several white bass over sixteen inches with the largest measuring 19-inches. We took a limit of white bass that were filleted and saved for the club fish fry in June. It was an unexpected good day to catch walleye and large white bass. We left the water at 9:30 PM


April 10: This is my fifth and final day for the long weekend of fishing. I picked up Rod at 1:30 PM. We decided to return to the Pothole and fish it into dark. The sky was overcast with threats of severe weather after 10 PM. This day had fewer people on the banks of the pothole with a few boats drifting close us as we fished. We found white bass and walleye in the same area as the day before. Rod landed a 19.5-inch walleye before sunset; this was his first walleye on a fly.

We picked up white bass throughout the evening and into dark. The horn blew at 6 PM and the water can up six inches. We marked the shore to monitor the lake level and continued to fish, finding a few white bass in the pocket water behind the gravel bar. It was a good night of fishing and a great five days of fishing. Warm water fishing can be quite productive, catching many different species of fish. I am very fond of walleye and learning more each time I fish for them.

wb we lm c t
- - - - 11 NF
14 3 1 - - LS
75 2 - - - LS
15 9 1 1 1 BS
19 2 - - - BS
123 16 2 1 12
30 7

April 14: There was time to fish before the MSU class. The closest water for white bass is the little Sac River. I packed the kayak and left Springfield before 11 AM. I paddled my way up stream to familiar and productive waters from recent trips. There were a few small male fish and I took a limit within a few hours. There was time to walk the stream banks and found a few moral mushrooms; sautéed mushrooms with fish. It does not get any better.

I left a little later than planned and had fish to clean. Back in Springfield, finished filleting the fish and made it to MSU on time. I did not have time to change clothes or clean up, the smell of fish was not over powering (for me) but a few comments were made of my presents.

April 19: Rod Pennington and I planned to fish the Little Sac. We watched the weather throughout the day. There were storms lining up in Kansas and Oklahoma with some severe weather forecasted to pass through the Ozarks in the afternoon. We decided to wait until evening and fish the Pothole instead. Rod, his son (Keith) and I left after 6 PM and slipped behind a 40,000 ft thunderhead making its way east along the Arkansas – Missouri border the pavement was wet and the backside of the storm was in view after sun set. There were tornado warnings given for Arkansas on our drive to Forsyth and later a warning for Tecumseh Mo. Our evening was calm with a few distant rumblings of thunder. The lake level was up a few feet when we arrived, there were 15-20 fishermen lining the banks and considerable signs of fish in the water. We fished the north side and caught a few white bass. It was not the number of fish we hoped for but it was a good night of fishing. We stayed until 9 PM and left to clean our fish.

4/28/2011: The MSU class went to Mountain spring near Highlandville for an evening of catching trout. The MSU class is an ongoing activity of the MTFA Springfield club. We have taught a PED 135 class for the past six years. It was suggested by past students that we teach landing big fish. Larry made the arrangements for us to meet at the pay-to-fish facility. The trout were large and gullible with many of the students hooking, landing trophy trout and getting a picture before releasing them back to the water.  It proved to be a success evening for the students.

4/30/2011: MSU class traveled to Roaring River state park. There was a significant rain a few days before the outing with the water up a foot and dirty. Earlier in the week there was some flooding in the camp areas with some areas still closed. Fishing was difficult due to high and dirty water. Both of the students fishing with me did find a few trout. A dry fly worked in shallow water and a wooly bugger worked in deep pools. It was a success day of fishing with catching somewhat challenging.

March: Bull Shoals, Beaver Creek, Swan Creek and more...

The Whistle Bridge in Slough Hollow water gauge 3.0 ft

March 8, 2011: There are days when fishing is tough; you’re not able to find a fish to catch and the keys to the truck are locked inside with a spare on its way from Springfield. This is a making of a fishing adventure.

Earlier that day, I called Ty Ingram to get a fishing report and decided to try Beaver Creek. It was late in the afternoon. I drove to fisherman’s nose access; a tree fell across the road and I had to drive around it in slippery mud. My heart raced a little with the spinning of the tires to get back on the gravel lane. All happened without getting stuck with the truck. Beaver Creek was at (3.1 ft) with a high water event (7.0 ft) six days before. More than likely the walleye eye moved up stream. I checked out the whistle bridge in Slough Hollow and decided to fish around the bend and into the broken water below the rocks.

As I was getting into waders, watching the water for movement, hoping to see a fish; I shut the doors to the truck and then realized the keys were in the ignition. The spare key was with Ann in Springfield. Lucky for me, the phone was in my pocket. I called her for help. Ann answered the phone and I explained my dilemma. Ann was not happy, she went on line with the computer to look for Pop-a-lock or any one in the Kissee Mill area to solve the problem. She did not find a service, and concluded an unplanned trip to Beaver Creek was coming. Deep in thought, and going out the door. Ann locked her keys in the house. The spare key was given to Julie a friend who occasionally watches our cats when we are away. Ann called Julie and she came to our house to let Ann in to get her keys. Ann figured this was God’s way to humble her to her thoughts and my situation.

Julie asked to join Ann, so they stopped in Branson for dinner and rescued me at 8:30 PM. I fished from the bend at fishermen’s nose to the water across the whistle bridge. I did not hook up and see any fish. Again, it would probably be wise to kayak this area to get an idea to the structure and look for fish in the holes.

After, I sharing Ann’s keys and unlocking the truck. Julie and Ann returned to Springfield. I stopped at Shadow Rock Park in Forsyth to survey Swan Creek. There were fish moving with a fish near my feet as I began to cast a line. I did see walleye moving behind me while fishing the gravel at the mouth of the creek. The lighting is almost too much, with the sodium and mercury streetlights burning bright in the area. I was able to see walleye porpoise out of the water. Bull Shoals was up from my last trip; the lake level was 649.4 ft.

I fished until 10:30 PM. My next trip will be Sunday afternoon into the night.

The Whistle Bridge with low water 2,5 ft 3/13/11

March 13, 2011: Made my third trip to Bull Shoals. There was some rain on the drive from Springfield. The lake level was 650 ft; up a little from the last trip with some passing water through the powerhouse: a good current was flowing in the pothole. I did not see any fish moving the surface. A bald eagle did pass over going down stream and 15 minutes later returning passing over the dam on he way back to Lake Taneycomo. I did not catch a fish out of the pothole but a saw a few fishermen catch pan fish. The generation stop an hour later, and it seemed everyone jumped in their vehicles and left. I followed a short time later and drove to Beaver Creek.

The phone gave an alert for a severe thunderstorm warning for Lawrence County. The sky was overcast with a little rain. Beaver Creek was at 2.5 ft, down from last Tuesday (3.2 ft) and clear. One could see most of the bottom of the creek at the whistle bridge. I walked up the creek where I know a safe crossing and fished the other side. I walked the bank for about a mile. After sunset, the air cooled with a cold front moving in a few flashes of lightning was seen.

My first White bass of 2011

There were at least twenty fishermen below the maiden hole. I managed to catch six white bass will all but one small. They were caught in a span of an hour. I fished until 8:30 PM before retracing my steps back to the truck, which was parked at the Whistle Bridge. There was lightning in the area and I made a few phone called to get a computer up to possible cells in the area. After, getting an all clear, I drove to Swan Creek to finish the night of fishing. Last trip, I saw a few walleye moving in the shallow water. On the night I saw nothing. There was a boat half way to the dam from Swan Creek with extremely bight lights, I am curious to know if that was the MDC doing their annual survey and capture of ripe walleye for the hatchery?

I fished until 10 PM and called it a night, will return on Friday.

Twenty fishermen set up below maiden Hole

Note: Beaver Creek came up 3 ft 3/14/11 to 5.5 ft. It is on the fall as of this morning 3/15/11 10 AM.

March 18, 2011: I made a trip back to the Pot Hole. With an early run of white bass, I assumed the James River and Beaver Creek would be saturated with boats and bank fishermen. The Pot Hole had a few fishermen with a minimum generation flowing through the powerhouse. The lake was at 650 ft. The day was overcast, temperatures in the mid-fifties and a strong north wind that calmed after sunset. The moon was not visible but you could see some light coming through the cloud cover.

The three tree hole at 650 ft 3/18/11

I packed the kayak on the truck with intentions to search the water near Silver Creek. Most of the gravel is under water, a hazard for powerboats and waders if the water comes up too fast. I hooked three walleye with the largest measuring 23-inches. The other was 18.5 inches and a returned fish 17.5 inches.

Hope to get back next Friday.

Powersite Dam at 650 ft, no generation... Paul would say move on

March 25, 2011: Again I packed the kayak and returned to Bull Shoals. There was no water coming through the powerhouse in the afternoon with the lake level at 650 ft. The area below the dam did not look fishy. There were a two boats running in the skinny water. I decided to try the old boat dock area. Paul always made a point to give this area a try in the springtime. I unloaded the kayak and made it ready for a trip up the lake. After covering this water with a buck-tail streamer for an hour, watching six boats moving about without any action and observing some action on the surface. I decided it was time to move up the lake and fish below Silver Creek. There were fewer boats in this area with several groups of people moving in and out from the water near Silver creek. I fished until 9 PM before packing up and cleaning a few fish. I managed a pair of walleye and a few white bass. The largest walleye was a spawned out female taped at 27-inched.

This walleye measured 27-inches, a spawned out female

March 31, 2011: Sometimes you have to make changes to fit in several activities. Early spring fish is best in the evening, the water being the warmest, failing light provides cover for fish, allowing them to move and feed. With the day off I wanted to fish the evening, but had committed time to the MSU class from 6-10 PM. So, I decided to fish sunrise. I woke at 3 AM after working several hours before, made a pot of coffee and on the rode before 4 AM. The kayak was set into the water and I made a trip to the spot were fishing had been good. The Pot Hole was up (about 2 feet) with a level of 652 ft. I found the spot and started to work the water. The horn from the powerhouse sounded at 6 AM, with moving water a short time later. It was all coming together for a good morning of fishing. A little later, a flashlight was seen coming down the trail from above and it came down the trail to where I was fishing. I turned on my light to let my presence be known and this individual continued to move my way. He stepped over my kayak, passed behind me and sat a bucket within rods length. It was still dark. I made a comment to the new arrival that I was fly-fishing and I feared for his safety, since he was sitting in the path of my back cast. He moved a short distance. He proceeded to fish for the next couple of hours, watched me cast and wanted to talk about fishing. I am not a social fisherman and usually like to move and cover water. In the dark one is confined to how far one can see. So, I had only a limited area to fish. Needless to say, I did not hook up, with the higher water maybe the fish moved, too many lines in the water, who knows. Later that morning when I returned to the truck to pack up and leave I saw activity on the surface from gizzard shad and wonder if the walleye and whites have enough water for cover and were feeding on these bait fish. Next time maybe, with the next trip Wednesday to the North Fork and then four days chasing white bass.

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.

January: New Year at the State Parks

My plans for the weekend changed several times. I had considered camping with Kevin Smith Saturday night at Montauk State Park. He had a change in mind and went to Table Rock Lake State Park to fish Taneycomo and some of the small creeks around Branson. With Kevin’s new destination, I considered going down to fish Taneycomo after work Friday night. Then I saw the weather forecast, temperatures falling below twenty degrees after midnight to early Saturday morning; too cold to night fish.
Kevin had to leave his campsite Friday morning due to tornado warnings and torrential rains.

He gave an account of his trip in his blog: flywatersedge.blogspot.com

So, I decided to return to Bennett Spring. The day was cool but remained above freezing for the afternoon. The day was bright as the high-pressure wave moved through the Ozarks. I started below the stone bridge and worked my way upstream. There was a significant midge and BWO mayfly hatch. The catching was steady throughout the afternoon with fourteen to hand and released. Two eagles were spotted, with a dozen deer seen at three different locations and a rafter of turkeys were seen in a field off of HWY 65. Hope to fish Montauk next week with Rod.


JAN 8, 2011: Ann was invited to make a trip to Michigan with Jenn, Desmond, Sean and Sarah, spending time with my parents. I was not able to find more days off from work. So, I stayed home with the cats. I had the weekend off and went fishing. On Saturday, Rod Pennington and I drove to Montauk State Park to spend the day trout fishing. When we arrive the park, I gave him a tour since this was his first visit to Montauk. There was a light snow flurry, with an overcastted sky that left ice in our guides most of the day. There were a dozen fishermen seen throughout the day. We fished zone 1 working our way upstream with dry flies. We found a few cooperative trout, taking fifteen rainbows with caddis patterns, a # 16 Adam dry flies. One eagle did fly over-head midday. Late afternoon, a fog formed over the spring creek and we finished the day at the spring. Rod seemed to enjoy the day, and his first fishing trip to Montauk.

We ate the park lodge that evening, they have winter hours serving hot meals with a few cabins open for the winter catch and release season.

JAN 9, 2011: Every once and a while you are given a day of fishing in which everything comes together: a overcastted day with a variable wind, a great hatch of mayflies and midges, and best of all, many trout actively taking a dry fly for three hours. The day remained sub-freezing with ice forming in my guides the entire day.
When I arrived the park, I saw two fellows at the outlet in zone two, a fisherman at the handicap hole; a total of four fishermen in the water for the day. I fished from the dam in zone 1, working my way upstream. I found an eagle perched in a sycamore across the handicap access ramps when I was getting ready to jump into the waders. So, I took the camera down to the waters edge to get a few photos.

I was in the water at 11 AM; the trout were forming rings as far as the eye could see. There were no other fishermen in sight, the trout were not alarmed, and they were on the hunt for insects on the surface.

The first three hours was bliss, taking trout was easy, spot one taking an insect and drop a dry fly in front of him, set the hook, over and over and over. I caught and released trout without counting; a pair of eagles would periodically fly overhead. A beaver was spotted in the water near the opposite bank; fresh signs seen below the Holland dam. this fishing at its best. I did see four deer and turkey while driving. It was a great weekend to be out and enjoying our state parks.



JAN 16, 2011: The weather turned out better that predicted, with a mild NW wind, freezing temperatures and high cloud cover with occasional sunshine. There were fifteen to twenty fishermen fishing the spring waters from the spring to the
Whistle Bridge. Rod and I fished in zone 1 above the dam. Rod fished a favorite spot he discovered many years ago and had success pulling one trout after another on a dry fly.

I repeated the same trek as past trips fishing upstream from the dam, wading around the deep holes throwing a dry fly to the weeds. The trout were taking top water with midges and Baetis mayflies emerging most of the afternoon. Rod and I released a total of forty plus trout for the day. The eagles flew over high in the sky; they did not perch near the water’s edge this afternoon. A red tail hawk sat on a branch across from me the on the right bank.


He flew off to pick up some weeds near the hatchery and spent twenty minutes picking through it looking for a tasty morsel. I took a few photos, with only the hindquarters in view. I was not able to get a good frontal picture. Rod and I fished to 4 PM. We saw a few deer along the roadside on our trip to Springfield. My next trip will be Friday with a high of 26°F predicted as a high. It should be a quite time at Bennett Spring.




Again, I return to Bennett Spring. The weather was predicted to be very cold after a winter storm passes through on Wednesday. I-44 was clear with the country roads still covered with ice and snow; the maximum driving speed was 40 mpr. It was after 11 AM when I drove into the park. The day was overcast and warmer than expected. There were a few cars passing through the park with no one stopping to fish the water. I stopped at the bathroom facility near the Holland dam and put on the waders; it is dry with a bench. I drove back to the dam and parked the truck in view of the river cam.

The spring creek was very active; a hatch of midges and mayflies were coming off with trout dimpling the water in all directions. I recorded action on video. I slipped quietly into the water above the dam and worked my way upstream like the previous trips. The trout were not picky taking my fly again and again, with a rate of 10-12 trout an hour. Most of the trout were normal in size with a few near fifteen inches. The time between noon and 3 PM was very active with the final hour, no hatches and the trout resting.

I did see an eagle upstream of me; it perched on a Sycamore limb over the water for an hour. A Red-tail hawk flew in and sat above for a few minutes; I was able to get a good photo of him looking at me.

Paul would say, you only get a few memorial days of fishing each year, I have had several for 2011 and it’s only January with three more weekends left. It is enough to return again and again…. Tight lines kds

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,