issue 5
July 2017
Souther nTr out
“Ozark Edition” CLOSE LOOK: The Meramec River
www.southerntrout.com
BRING YOUR KIDS TO WHERE THEY’LL
BRING THEIR KIDS
L A KE TA N E YCO M O
Vacations in Branson become family traditions. Cast a line, ride a classic wooden rollercoaster and take in an amazing show, all in the same day. Then enjoy our hospitality as your family decides what to do the next day. And the days to come, together in Branson.
877- BR ANS O N
Publisher’s message If you prefer wading, look for a place where access to the best water is more difficult than many are willing or able to fish. If float-fishing is more your style seek out a quality fishery that has less traffic and even fewer guides than more popular destinations. Another great option is targeting one of the Ozarks’ many great warmwater species like largemouth bass or maybe big bluegills. The diversity of Ozark streams and lakes offers all of these experiences, and keeping you informed about them will always be the priority of the Ozark Edition. We will also remain focused on providing the advice of the best guides, professionals, and fly fishers. We’ll see you on our Ozark ummer in the Ozarks is a time of great waterways. Until then we wish you many abundance for all fish species as a “beautiful vibrations.” smorgasbord of food is consistently available. Prolific mayfly, caddis, and stonefly hatches, the accidental dunking of terrestrial insects and newborn minnows, frogs, and crayfish ushers extreme selectivity into the fishing equation. Adding to those menu variables is the dramatic flooding that took place last May. That event has altered the substrate of all affected streams requiring that we learn our favorite waters all over again. But summer is also the time when travel is on the agenda for many, which can make solitude elusive. The solutions to overcoming these seasonal problems aren’t complicated but may require a new bucket list of summertime Ozarks destinations.
S
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Publisher Don Kirk Assoc. Publisher Jerry Davis Editors Terry and Roxanne Wilson Managing Editor Leah Kirk Designer Loryn Lathem Assoc. Editor Adam Patterson Editorial Consultant Olive K. Nynne
For Advertising Rates and general information please call 205-735-9500. Contributors
John Berry Dave Wotton Keith Gann Trent Fleming Boot Pierce Tommy DeHart Bill Willmert
Southern Trout Ozark Edition is a publication of Southern Unlimited, LLC. Copyright 2017 Southern Unlimited LLC. All rights reserved.
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THIS ISSUE From the Editors
3
Fly Fishing in the Devil’s Kitchen
8
Product Review Costa Sunglasses
16
Fishing Summer Terrestrials 20 Arkansas’ Arkansas Other 30 World Class Fishery Little Red Flies ON THE COVER
38
Jessica Callihan discovered her passion for art and fly fishing after she was injured in 2008 while serving on Active Duty in the Navy. She later used her G.I. Bill to pursue a BA in Fine Arts at Maryville College in 2015. For more information, please visit her website at www.jessicacallihan. com.
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CLOSE LOOK The Meramec River
47
Fishing in Wine Country
48
Featured Fly Shop 60 Feather-Craft Fly Shop Featured Guide Sam Potter
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Featured Lodging 74 The Painted Lady B&B
47
Featured Fly Tyer Mark Van Patten
78
Featured Fly Shop 84 T. Hargrove Fly Fishing
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100
Early Float Trips On Ozark Rivers
88
Featured Product 96 Slippery Rock Wading Pro
110
Stoneflies
100
Product Review RIO Lines
106
Night Fishing 110 for Big Tailwater Browns Rain, Rain Go Away
116
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SweetWater Brewing Company • Georgia • SweetWaterBrew.com
H
idden deep within Illinois’ southernmost region between the converging waters of the mighty Mississippi and Ohio Rivers is a fly fisher’s paradise. Southern Illinois is full of surprises, and one of its best is Devil’s Kitchen Lake. The name “Devil’s Kitchen” is rooted in the area’s rich history and stems directly from the superstitious nature of the Appalachian mountain folk that immigrated there. The native population utilized the rocky overhangs and outcroppings as dry places to cook their food. The flickering firelight and smoke created by these improvised camp kitchens created scary images, especially on moonlit nights, causing hill country travelers to refer to the location as the Devil’s Kitchen. These smoke-darkened rocks were inundated by the creation of the lake that bears the name. Devil’s Kitchen Lake is located eight miles south of Carterville in southern Williamson County. To get there, take the area’s main highway, Interstate 57, southward from the city of Marion to exit number 45. Turn west on Route 148, which angles north, then west on Grassy Road to the lake.
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De
TERRY AND ROXANNE WILSON
Fly Fishing
in the evil’s Kitchen
By Terry & Roxanne Wilson
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Rock outcroppings still dot the shoreline of the deep, 810-acre reservoir. The waters are clear and surrounded by pine and hardwood forests. There is a lot of standing and submerged timber in the lake and emergent flowering weed beds ring its shores. Small boats, canoes, and kayaks are perfect vessels to explore these fertile waters. Unlike other area lakes, float tubes are not allowed at Devil’s Kitchen. Rangers point out that the “no swimming’ rule was designed to protect people from the many underwater obstructions. Our 14½foot canoe powered by a small trolling motor provided ample mobility. It’s lightweight, and the battery can be re-charged quickly by a portable trickle charger. Warmwater species were our target, especially the largemouth bass that grow to impressive size in these waters. The Nature Center located on Highway 148 has a replica mount of a 10-pound 12-ounce largemouth bass caught from Devil’s Kitchen, and Rangers were quick to tell us that it wasn’t the lake record. All of the underwater
cover of wood and weeds gives any big fish a decided advantage, a fact we learned firsthand, but the bass were willing to rise to the surface beside shaded weed pockets and over the tops of submerged wood. Those explosive strikes make for a fun-filled day on the water. A floater/diver we tie that features a spun deer hair head trimmed Dahlberg style accompanied by a Silileg tail, Wilson’s Hula Diver, provided most of the action. Subsurface flies need to be fished weedless, but large streamers and jig-type patterns cast on 0X tippets can produce exciting action. We also targeted the panfish population and caught six additional species including bluegill (averaging about 8 inches), redear sunfish (many are 10-11 inches), green sunfish, longear sunfish, rock bass, and crappie. Small streamers in sizes 8 and 10 and a weighted chenille-bodied fly with 4 round rubber legs we call Bully’s Bluegill Spider in size 10 took a large number of panfish. This warmwater fishery would satisfy even
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the most jaded fly caster, but as is typical of Southern Illinois, there’s a further surprise. Since 1976 the lake has been stocked with rainbow trout that, because of the deep, clear water, provide a year-round fishery. Many trout in the two- to three-pound range are caught there. Three concrete boat ramps service the lake. Additional information about the lake and available services can be obtained from the visitor’s center operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Route 148 near Crab Orchard Lake. Visitors should stop there to purchase a Recreational User Fee sticker that enables the visiting angler to park and use the ramp facilities at any of the area lakes and ponds. Accommodation possibilities are nearly endless and appeal to the most discriminating traveler or the budget-conscious. One unique option is Devil’s Kitchen Cabins, offers luxury log cabin rentals located deep in the woods. Check out their many amenities online at www. devilskitchencabins.com.
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The city of Marion is a good choice to headquarter your visit. Many of the wellknown hotels are located there. South of the lake near the village of Makanda campers can look into Giant City State Park Campground. In addition to the campground, there is a beautiful stone lodge which serves family-style meals in a spacious dining room. If you are interested in experiencing a taste of Tuscany in southern Illinois, you can stay in a Tuscan villa at Blue Sky Vineyard. The villa overlooks its vineyards nestled in the Shawnee National Forest. Visit them at www.blueskyvineyard.com. For more accommodation and entertainment ideas, visit the Williamson County Tourism Bureau at www.williamsoncountytourism. com. Dining choices range from fast food restaurants to fine dining that includes some more Southern Illinois surprises. One of the unique choices is Mary’s Restaurant that features gourmet dining in an 1896 Victorian home located in the town of Herrin. Reservations can be made by calling (618)942-5130 or you can preview their menu online at www. marysfinedining.com. Aside from fantastic fly fishing at Devil’s Kitchen Lake and the gorgeous forested hills of the region, another surprise to visitors is the number and quality of area wineries. Just minutes from Devil’s Kitchen Lake are 27 (at last count) wineries. Each offers a unique setting and wine-tasting experience from the re-creation of Napa Valley with a Tuscan flair at Blue Sky Vineyard to Owl Creek Vineyard near the village of 12 l July 2017 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com
Cobden. Expect many of the back roads to be canopied by trees with open hilltop vistas. Well, let’s see. There’s great food, attractive and comfortable accommodations, incredible scenery, excellent wineries, and did we mention the great fishing in a quiet atmosphere where you’re likely to have the lake pretty much to yourself? Have we revealed all of Southern Illinois’ surprises? Not even close. There’s horseback riding, miles of bike and hiking trails, guided canoe floats through a primitive swamp on the Cache River, antique hunting in shops off the beaten path, and a whole lot more surprises that you’ll just have to discover yourself
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SUNGLASS AND
T
here are many excellent reasons to encourage all flyfishers always to wear sunglasses while casting. The first of these is protection of the angler’s eyes from an errant cast. Once while fishing for smallmouth bass, several large gars were seen chasing minnows. A cast to the disturbance prompted an immediate hookup that resulted in a deeply bent rod. In an instant, the lure came free from the gar’s boney mouth and became a missile headed straight for the caster’s eye. It became deeply imbedded in the flesh just below the eye that required a trip to the nearest ER where it was safely removed. That nearly tragic incident provides a
strong argument for wearing sunglasses, but that’s only one of the benefits they provide. We also need to be concerned with protecting our vision from the sun’s damaging rays. That protection requires both a well-designed frame to block sunlight from side entry, and most importantly, high-quality lenses. Aside from safety, there are practical considerations that serious flyfishers need to utilize. Only high-quality sunglasses lenses are capable of providing sharp, clear vision and true color. Diverse light conditions make that an exacting science. Those qualities, in combination with polarization, offer anglers a distinct advantage.
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Costa sunglasses maximize both objectives with style, and they are made with the unique demands of fishermen in mind. It’s good advice for anglers to protect their eyes as well as gain an advantage on their quarry in various light conditions. Choosing the right Costa lens depends upon understanding in which degree of light intensity they are intended to be used, from full sun
SES: EYE PROTECTION D A WHOLE LOT MORE to low light conditions. To select the frame style and lens for your pair of Costa sunglasses simply go to w w w. c o s t a s u n g l a s s e s . com. We tried the Fisch Style with blue mirror lenses and liked them very much for fishing as well as driving. Our guide on the Spring River swears by
Costa’s quality and prefers the gray silver mirror lenses for all day fishing. He has been a Costa user for 10 years. Costa can provide these angler-friendly sunglasses in any form that meets your individual needs. If your vision allows, a regular pair will fill the bill.
For glasses wearers, there are further choices. One is the same lens choices in fit over style. Be certain to order a size that fits your prescription glasses. Another great option is a pair of Costa prescription sunglasses. Again, the website above will guide you through that process.
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FISHING SUMME
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ER TERRESTRIALS TOMMY DEHART
S
urface fishing of any kind is a fun and exciting way to catch a fish. Trout fishing, in particular, is known for its surface bite when massive bug hatches lead to fishing so incredible it must be seen to be believed. Dry fly fishing, hatches, and rising trout are what this sport is known for, but these circumstances are also relatively rare. Instead a good fisherman is constantly fishing according to the given conditions. As the cooler spring air turns to summer mayfly and caddis dry fly fishing slows and terrestrial fishing speeds up. www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l July 2017 l 21
Terrestrials are like aliens to fish; bugs that are born and live on dry ground before falling into a watery new world. As far as flies go, a good terrestrial fly box is broken into three simple categories that represent the majority of the trout’s terrestrial diet. First, and probably most notable, are grasshoppers simply known as “hoppers.” Smaller flies like ants, beetles, and worms combine to form the second category. The third and final group, called extra-terrestrials (E.T.’s), are flies that don’t necessarily represent anything specific but instead get the fish’s attention sometimes drawing strikes from nothing more than curiosity. Each category of terrestrials has its time and place; the trick is figuring out when and where. The most common terrestrial is, of course, the hopper. During summer, grasshoppers are everywhere, and fish love such an easy meal. Hopper imitations can get incredibly complex, but simple patterns that don’t take much skill or time to tie work fine. The Hopper Juan (by Juan Ramirez) tied sizes 14 through 8 in olive/tan or brown/tan is a go-to pattern. When the dull colors of the Hopper Juan aren’t getting much attention switching to something with a little pink on it, like a Pink Pookie, is a good bet. The pink belly seems to energize trout, often coaxing fish in deep pools up to the surface. Other great grasshopper flies include the Improved Unabomber and Crease Hopper. It isn’t necessary to have tons of hoppers stuffed in a fly box. Chances are if the fish want it a couple of different imitations will get the job done. 22 l July 2017 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com
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To effectively fish hoppers focus on locations where a grasshopper would be likely to fall or jump in the water. Overhanging limbs, half sunk logs, and below grassy banks are all great places to try. That being said, trout at any point in a river may decide to strike such a big meal. Leader wise, monofilament tippet in eight- and six-pound test will suffice. Using a bead head nymph, midge, or weighted San Juan Worm in a traditional “hopper-dropper” rig is a great way to double your chances with wary fish. Great dropper patterns include the Rainbow Warrior, Bishop’s Dynamite, and P&P Midge. Fishing hoppers isn’t just a summer game; they can be extremely effective up to the first major freeze even if that comes late into the fall. Throwing big grasshoppers is a blast, but ants are more versatile and consistent. A simple pattern plainly called “the ant” consists of two thread-wrapped bodies separated by two or three wraps of grizzly hackle on a size14 hook. This ant is both easy to tie and among the most effective flies for summer trout. For beetles, anything tied with a wide, black foam body and short rubber legs should work fine. The Japanese Beetle is an excellent and consistent imitation. www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l July 2017 l 25
For the most part fishing an ant, beetle, or worm on the surface is the same as fishing any other terrestrial; shade, current, cut banks, and rocky pools should be best. These are also traditional favorites for fishing under overhanging trees and limbs. Furthermore, ants can be fished under an indicator to reach trout hiding in deep water. This is a particularly deadly technique when heavy rain washes tons of food, including ants, into streams and rivers. They can even be swung or stripped with some success. Typical bugs are great, but the odd, weird, out-of-this-world type of flies that give terrestrial fishing its reputation are better. Patterns like Chubby Chernobyl Ants, Stimulators, and Goofballs represent bugs only found in nightmares. These gross things are fun to tie and fish. Among the best extraterrestrials is a Lake Taneycomo classic known as the Big Ugly. It’s tied with nothing more than a little black foam and a lot of big grizzly hackle. Although it may not look like any bug that’s ever crawled on this planet the fish love it. Other must-have “alien” bugs are brown/tan and black/orange Chernobyl Ants, Stimulators with or without rubber legs, and the uniquely named Hippie Stomper. Terrestrials like these are known as attractor patterns. When nothing else seems to be working a Big Ugly with a dropper can always pull fish out of the deepest, most shaded pockets of the river. Fishing E.T.’s is exciting because trout could rise to one anywhere and everywhere; that’s the idea. Like hoppers, using a dropper will draw more interest from feeding trout and, in turn, more strikes. These crazy bugs can tease any eager trout into striking, but as usual there will be more fish to trick in shaded areas and deep pools. 26 l July 2017 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com
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It’s important to remember that spotting rising fish isn’t necessary for a successful day of terrestrial fishing. Trout will come up from some of the deepest holes in the river for a hopper if they really want it, so it’s okay to fish there. Once again, as in any summer fishing undercut banks, shade, and deep water is where most of the fish will be. Covering lots of water is key because not every fish will want a surface offering in the heat. Changing up and trying lots of flies is sometimes necessary to get the right pattern, color, or size going. There are always options when trout fishing such as different flies and techniques to try, but few are as effective as terrestrials in the summer. Hoppers, ants, and beetles are everywhere constantly producing a threemonth long “hatch.” When the food is there the fish will be too, and in summer the food is always there. Surface fishing doesn’t have to end when the hatches end; getting a trout to rise again is as simple as looking around and adapting.
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Arkansas’ Other World Class Trout Fishery TERRY AND ROXANNE WILSON
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I
t’s the Ozarks good fortune to have an abundance of great trout fisheries. One of the best has a name so common that it’s often confused with streams in other locales that bears the same name. As a result, North Central Arkansas’ Spring River may well be the region’s most overlooked bucket-list quality trout destination. One of the world’s largest springs named Mammoth Spring located within a village of the same name emits nine million gallons of clear water an hour at 58-degrees year around. That creates a remarkable trout environment with abundant insect hatches, but because the water temperature is constant hatches are regular but not seasonal. On the morning of our float trip, there were massive clouds of caddisflies hovering over the water at 9 am. Wandering schools of several minnow species were visible in the shallows, and we learned crayfish in the Spring River are often so large they resemble lobsters. Not surprisingly the Spring River trout, which includes rainbow, brown, and cutthroat, are fat, broad-shouldered and energetic fighters with a bad attitude. The Spring River is picture-postcard beautiful, and wildlife sightings often occur. A Bald Eagle soared overhead as Mark Crawford, the area’s only full-time guide, expertly maneuvered his Hyde Drift Boat into casting position. Mark’s an area native with 14 years of guiding experience on the Spring. A trip with him is a guarantee of a fun day on the water. He admits to not being a very good singer but has a great sense of humor and likely knows the Spring River better than anyone. He’s on the river nearly every day including the rare days he’s not booked. Mark’s love affair with this beautiful stream directly translates into better fishing opportunities for his clients.
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Early experimentation resulted in the discovery of the trout’s choice of menu items. That fly was one of Mark’s original patterns called Grandma’s Brownie. It’s a size-6 brown woolly bugger with a gold bead head, 4 white rubber legs, and very special reddish brown saddle hackle. The hackles are plucked from a rooster named “Big Red” that, as we visited, wandered in and out of Mark’s Fly Shop located about 3 miles south of Mammoth Spring on Route 63. Legend has it that Red’s beautiful hackles possess a ‘magic’ quality that attracts trout. We sure can’t dispute that claim. The most effective presentation was casting slightly upstream, making only one mend before high-sticking until the drift was even with the caster, then simply lowering the rod tip and allowing the line to straighten in the current. This method caused the fly to rise toward the surface in a fashion similar to the Leisenring Lift which provided the position of most hookups. In a lifetime of float trips, we can’t recall any that were more pure fun. That’s the hallmark of any guided float with Mark Crawford. We swapped fishing stories and laughed a lot as we fought a great number of trout on 4- and 5-weight rods armed with floating line. We missed too many, lost some including one estimated at 6-7 pounds, but landed and released what many would describe as an obscene number of 12-16 inch trout. It was an action packed 4-mile float. 32 l July 2017 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com
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Your trip with Mark Crawford can be scheduled by calling (870) 955-8300 or visit him online through his website, mark@springriverfliesandguides.com. It’s good advice to reserve your trip well in advance on this spectacular year around fishery. Avoid summer weekends and holidays as the river’s many fast runs and falls make it a canoeing favorite for large groups. The village of Mammoth Spring is charming and very hospitable with a wide variety of accommodations including a motel and camping facilities. Another choice we heartily recommend is The Roseland Inn. It’s a twostory home built in 1904 and lovingly restored into a Bed & Breakfast by longtime Mammoth Spring Mayor Jean Pace. Any trip to this enchanting community is enhanced by an encounter with this dynamic lady who can only be described as an Ozark treasure. Her enthusiastic love of community and encyclopedic knowledge of all things Mammoth Spring would enhance the experience of any visitor. To make a reservation, call her at (870) 625-3378 or visit roselandms@centurytel.net. There are many meal options in Mammoth Spring. At the turn onto Main Street from Highway 63 is Wood’s Riverbend Restaurant. They serve 3 meals a day, 7 days a week, and diners have the option of sitting on their large outdoor deck which overlooks Spring River. Reservations can be made and carry-out orders placed by calling (870) 625-9357. Just over a block away on Main Street is another
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great dining option. Fred’s Fish House offers great fish dinners as the name implies but their menu is diverse, and it’s all excellent. For carry-out orders call (870) 625-7551. Across the street is the Palace Café. This unique venue, featured in Taste of the South Magazine, was named as one of the top soda fountains in Arkansas. They serve healthy lunches as well. You can call them at (870) 625-3222 or go to www.palacedrug.com. There are other interesting eateries in town and nearby. The centerpiece of Mammoth Spring State Park is a beautiful spring and a 10acre lake that plunges beneath the Highway 63 bridge to become the Spring River. Also within the park is the 1886 Frisco Depot Museum. Guided tours are available to see and hear a bustling turn-of-the-century train depot. Another interesting entertainment option for the whole family is located at 77 Music Hall Lane. The music hall is located south of Mammoth Spring and east of Highway 63. Local resident George D. Hay created the popular live music show which became known as The Grand Ole Opry in 1927. The theater presents local and regional bands nearly every Saturday night with occasional visits from Nashville artists. You can call them at (870) 625-7330. More information about this beautiful town is available by calling the Mammoth Spring Chamber of Commerce at (870) 625-7364 or (870) 625-3235. Their website is www.mammothspring.org.
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bamboo for you
Little Red
H
ere are some favorite flies for the Little Red. Almost all of these flies are designs that have been fished for some time. The freshest fly in this group is John Wilson’s terrific Trout Crack. Don’t let your familiarity with some of these patterns curb your enthusiasm for fishing them. These patterns have been time tested and have become staples precisely because they are great patterns. They will work as well today as they did when they were first fished. SOW BUG Hook: TMC2457 or 2497, sizes 12-18 weighted (optional) Head: gold, nickel, copper or black (optional) Thread: color to match body, 6/0 or 140 denier Body: sow-scud dubbing or Whitlock's SLF, best colors are tan, olive and gray. Back: Scud back or clear plastic strip 1/8" (optional) Rib: clear monofilament or tying thread (optional)
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Flies BILL WILMERT
KELSO RED ASS Hook: TMC 5262 or 5263, sizes 12-18 Thread: Red 6/0 or 140 denier Body: Peacock Herl Hackle: Partridge feather www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l July 2017 l 39
F-C CRACKLEBACK: Hook: Dai-Riki # 300 or TMC 100 or 101, sizes 12-16 Hackle: Dry fly Furnace Saddle (ginger with black stripe down it's center. Body: Section of pale olive or PMD turkey-round. Turkey-rounds are the widest feathers on the wing of a tame turkeys. The feather fibers are strong and make beautiful dry fly bodies. Pale Olive Superfine dubbing is a great substitute and is much easier to work with. Body Shape: Made with thread wraps to enlarge the thorax-area of the hook shank.
Soft Hackle Brassie Hook: TMC 5262 or 5263, sizes 12-18 Thread: 8/0 Red Body: Copper Wire Brassie Size Thorax: Peacock Herl Hackle: Partridge feather 40 l July 2017 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com
TROUT CRACK: Hook: TMC 2457 or 2487, sizes 16-20 Thread: Tan 8/0 or 70 denier Body: Tan Antron Rib: Tying thread Back: Tan or brown Micro larva lace or D-rib. The larva lace is tied in behind the hook eye, stretched over the back and the tying thread (rib) is over it; the fly is whip finished at the back of the body.
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BWO Emerger: Hook: TMC 2457 or 2487, sizes 18-22 Thread: 8/0 or 70 denier, color to match body Tail: Natural Mallard flank or Lemon duck fibers Body: Olive Goose Biot Thorax: Olive Superfine dubbing Wing: Olive CDC puff
Elk Hair Caddis: Hook: TMC 100, sizes 12-18 Thread: Thread to match body color, 6/0 or 8/0 or 140 or 70 denier Body: Olive superfine dubbing or Peacock Herl. Hackle: Blue dun or natural grizzly Rib: Gold wire, counter wound over hackle. Wing: Brown deer or yearling elk hair
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By Lefty Wilson
Branson Fly Fishing Expo The first Branson Fly Fishing Expo, sponsored by the Missouri Trout Fisherman's Association, will be held July 28-29 at the Lions Community Building. It will be a collaboration between the Springfield Chapter and the Branson Group/Chapter and it envisioned to continue on an annual basis. This will be similar to the Sowbug Roundup or the Tri-Lakes Fly Fishing Fair. The event will include fly casting and fly tying demonstrations, raffles and silent auctions, plus many local exhibitors including a crew representing Southern Trout Ozark Edition Magazine. Held at the Lion's Community Building, food and drinks served by the Branson/Hollister Lions Club. Admission is $2 per person or $5 per family. http://www. bransontourismcenter.com/events/2408 www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l July 2017 l 43
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Natural State Fly Shop is located within walking distance of the fabled White River, just up the road from the Cotter boat launch and public access. A full-service retailer and outfitter, Natural State Fly Shop offer flies, tackle, rental driftboats, shuttles, guided float trips on the White and Norfork Rivers, and guided wade trips on Dry Run Creek. Featuring products by Winston, Ross, Galvan, TroutHunter, Catch Fly Fishing, and many more; Natural State Fly Shop offers everything that the visiting fly fisherman needs. Natural State Fly Shop Shop: (870) 471-9111 Shop: 870-471-9111
3392 Cotter Road Mobile: 870.321.2792 Mobile: 870-706-0820
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Southern Trout Ozark Edition
CLOSE LOOK MERAMEC RIVER
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CLOSE LOOK
MERAMEC RIVER
FISHING IN
THE
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MERAMEC RIVER
CLOSE LOOK
N WINE COUNTRY:
E MERAMEC RIVER T
he Meramec River is one of the few undammed major river systems in Missouri stretching over 218 miles in length and having nearly 1.3 million acres of drainage. It boasts the highest biodiversity of any stream in Missouri with over 125 species of freshwater fish. While some of those flooded in the St. Louis area may disagree, the lack of a dam and free-flowing nature of the river is what makes it such a treasure of the northeastern Ozarks, an area known for rugged terrain, cold springs and beautiful streams like the Meramec.
BOOT PIERCE
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MERAMEC RIVER
The Red Ribbon Trout fishing area, located in Phelps and Crawford counties, begins at the Highway 8 bridge and continues downstream about 9 miles to Scott’s Ford. While the Highway 8 Bridge is the uppermost point of the Red Ribbon area, the first two miles are considered a cool water fishery rather than cold and much better smallmouth water. The true trout fishery on this river begins below the confluence with the Maramec Spring branch. The effluent of the spring branch lowers the water temperature considerably and about doubles the flow of the river. The river holds MDC stocked Brown and Rainbow trout. The browns are stocked once or twice a year, and the rainbows are originally stocked in Maramec Spring Park and either escaped or washed out of the spring branch. In the fall, the browns can be found moving out of the river and up into the spring branch to spawn. In this Red Ribbon stream, only flies and artificial lures may be used. Soft plastic baits, natural or scented baits are prohibited when fishing for any species. The legal creel limit is two trout over 15 inches. To stay dry you will need a pair of chest waders, but wet wading is possible in the warmer summer months. As with all coldwater streams in Missouri, the use of porous-soled shoes, boots, or waders is prohibited by MDC regulations in an effort to prevent the spread of Didymo. 50 l July 2017 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com
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On the Meramec River, Brown Trout and big streamers just go together, and you cannot go wrong with big leeches or sculpin patterns. There is something about that big bite of food that the fish just seem to love. Hatches are neither large nor predicable on the Meramec however they do happen, and it pays to have a variety of caddis and mayfly imitations on hand when they do. The trout can be a bit fickle from season to season, as water temperature and flooding seem to have a big impact. Lack of consistency leads the crowds to often overlook the Meramec when they are choosing where to fish. That can be a mistake. If you are a wade fisherman, there are several access points to the river, but they do involve walking. To reach the uppermost trout holding section of the river parking at Maramec Spring Park is recommended. There is a $5 daily parking fee, but the walk is flat and by following the west side of the spring branch downstream you will find a bit of solitude and wonderful water. The next two accesses, Cardiac Hill and Suicide Hill, are a bit steeper in nature. To reach these access points take the Highway F/ZZ exit off of I-44 at mile marker 203. Turn right onto the south outer road to Rosati, take Highway KK south for 3 miles then turn right onto Brennan Road, also known as CR3620. Follow that road for a short ways then make another left onto Besmer Road. The first parking lot you come to is “Cardiac Hill.” Just before this parking lot, there is a gated MDC drive that leads to the river. The long walk down to the river is a pleasurable stroll in a beautiful Ozark valley. The walk back to your vehicle is a different matter. They don’t call it “Cardiac Hill” for nothing. A little further down, Besmer Road will dead end at a parking lot known as “Suicide Hill.” The walk to the river is much shorter, but it is considerably steeper and more treacherous. It is recommended that you keep your rod cased as you scramble up and down these slopes. www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l July 2017 l 53
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Many people fish the Meramec River from a canoe or kayak. The MDC Highway 8 access is a great place to put in and the float to Scott’s Ford makes for a perfect day of fishing on the river. If you are looking for canoes, kayaks, or a livery service, Mark Dessieux at Adventure Outdoors is a great place to start. They are very nice people, and you can find their office at the Scott’s Ford crossing or online at www. adventureoutdoorfloating.com. The city of St. James is located just a few miles west of the river at the intersection of Highway 8 and Historic Route 66. The town has three fabulous wineries, a brewpub, and several great restaurants. Located along the north outer road you will find a shared venture between St. James Winery and Public House Brewing Company, called The Gardens. It is an outdoor patio which offers wine and beer products from both establishments as well as pub food and great appetizers. Downtown on Jefferson Street is a neat little wine bar called Just a Taste. They offer local, Missouri produced wines and meads as well as a full menu. The area has a couple of hotels located in town, but if you prefer a slower pace, the Painted Lady Bed and Breakfast is located along Highway 8 on the southern edge of town. And if you prefer camping, Maramec Spring Park offers both tent and RV camping from March through October. www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l July 2017 l 55
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The upper Meramec River is well worth a weekend getaway to go and spend a couple of days on this beautiful northern Ozark stream. Provided you don’t mind a walk, there is a degree of solitude that is not found on other Missouri trout streams as this river is mistakenly all too often overlooked by fishermen.
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Davy Wot World Class
www.davywotton.com
tton Fly Fishing American International Schools of Fly Fishing Outfitter and Guide Services for the White River region Custom Flies and Fly Fishing DVDs
Office: 870-453-2195 Cell: 870-404-5223
davyfly@ozarkmountains.com
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MERAMEC RIVER - Featured Fly Shop
H
ave you ever walked into a fly shop that was new to you and wondered if you belonged in there? Shelves and rows of fly fishing “eye candy” all there to make your salivary glands work overtime. Everything looks “tasty,” but which do you choose? Bob Story owner of Feather-Craft fly shop in St. Louis, MO, will never let you wander the aisles. His company motto greets you on the front of every catalogue like the handshake of welcome you receive when you visit. It reads, “Twenty-two people devoted to your fly fishing success through honest, knowledgably advice, great service, and a complete selection of the finest products available to our sport.” Both the motto and the handshake welcome “folks” to the great fishing available in the Ozarks.
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Six
Featured Fly Shop - MERAMEC RIVER
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Days a Week!
“We have well over a hundred signature ‘house’ products that include a variety of items for both fly tying and fishing” Story explains. “Our F-C Exclusive Furled Leaders are the most popular, best performing furled leaders in the country. Along with our own signature products, we stock all of the major fly fishing brands. And when I say stock, I mean in-stock. Customers can come in and cast and compare twelve different rod brands side-by-side on our five position casting yard.” www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l July 2017 l 61
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MERAMEC RIVER - Featured Fly Shop
Of course it’s important to note that fly tying is the foundation of Feather-Craft. “My father, Ed Story founded the company in 1955 supplying the fly tying trade. We have dozens of our own signature fly patterns, including the famous F-C Crackleback Dry Woolly, created in the mid 50’s by Ed Story. We offer one of, if not the largest selection of fly tying materials in the country.” One can almost hear the smile on Bob’s face when he explains what makes the Ozarks a such a special place to ply the trade of fly fishing. “I’ve travelled the country, and the world, there is no place like the Ozarks. Massive springs, world class tail waters, hundreds of miles of clear water to wade or float, all coupled with excellent conservation management. The Ozarks are a hidden gem here in the Midwest.” Over the last few decades in fact, Bob notes that interest in flyfishing has surged in the Ozarks. Many believe as Bob does that the interest
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in fly fishing in the Ozarks and fly fishing in general surged in the 90s, fueled in part by the movie A River Runs Through It. Pretty much since around that time, according to Bob, “… we’ve seen steady growth since our first shop opened in Saint Louis 37-years ago.” And, he couldn’t be happier. Overall there is immense interest in flyfishing in the Ozarks. Yes, Feather-Craft outfits customers every day to travel the world and fly fish, but the vast majority of their
customers are in the Saint Louis area and spend a major part of their free time fishing the Ozarks. It could be said that there is something there for everyone; many great destinations can be fished in a day trip. And, as Bob points out, “That’s a big plus for fly fishers with family obligations, heavy work schedules, or just have very busy lifestyles.” Because of the high interest, Bob acknowledges how important is it to actually be a full service shop in the Ozarks? “It’s
important to the sport, and to ongoing conservation efforts,” Story explains, “to keep recruiting new fly fishers. Fly fishing takes you to the most beautiful places in the world. Places most folks that don’t fly fish would never see. Recruiting new fly fishers and introducing them to these places and experiences encourages participation in fly fishing clubs and all of their conservation efforts. It’s important to keep that cycle going for future generations.”
Featured Fly Shop - MERAMEC RIVER Feather-Craft is aware that fly-fishing as a sport is constantly attracting novice fishermen and people trying their hand at it. To address the need for instruction, Feather-Craft offers free fly casting lessons to give folks a jumpstart. “We literally see dozens of new fly fishers walking through the door each month, particularly in the springtime. We offer free fly casting and fly tying lessons the year round. Of the 22 team members working at Feather-Craft, we have over a dozen expert
fly fishers on staff that fish locally here in the Midwest, and around the globe. Our collective knowledge is at every customer’s disposal, whether it be teaching knot tying, explaining rigging and terminal tackle, help with fly selection and where to fish… you name it, we’re at your service.” Yes, Feather-Craft’s motto is on the front of its catalog, but Bob also wants everyone to know, “I’m here six days a week if I’m not fishing. If I can ever be of assistance, please do not
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hesitate to stop by and talk, call or email me personally at bob@feather-craft.com.” Maybe that could be the next motto. You can checkout Feather-Craft Fly Fishing at 8307 Manchester Road in St. Louis, MO 63144. You can also reach them by phone at (314)- 963-7884 or (800)- 659-1707 and also on their website at www. feather-craft.com or by email at orders@feathercraft.com.
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MERAMEC RIVER - Featured Guide
Sam Potter
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Featured Guide - MERAMEC RIVER
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W
inners understand the concept of winning. Great fishermen understand the concept that fly fishing is not always just about catching fish. Sam Potter of TightLine Fly Fishing Company (Tightline.biz) understands that his job is about helping clients reach their goals, whatever they may be. To make sure his clients are winners, he uses his 36 years of experience in education by asking each client, “What do you want to accomplish with this trip?” because his mission statement is based on providing the exact service the client requests. If enthusiasm is one of your requirements for a great experience with a fly fishing guide, you can find it with Sam. One cannot help by absorb the joy he feels with what he does as he explains all the fishing learning opportunities he is able to provide. “What makes the water I guide on unique is that we have dry fly opportunities twelve months out of the year, a variety of water types, a variety of species, and I believe the best micro dry fly fishing in the Midwest. “I started fly fishing when I was 17. Over the years I would occasionally teach some of my students how to fly fish and every now and then a friend how to fly fish. At the end of my teaching career I wanted to do something besides sit at home and vegetate so I came up with the idea of starting a fly fishing guide/instruction business.”
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So, after retirement, Sam moved toward establishing himself as a top tier fishing guide. He analyzed the separate aspects of fly fishing, and began to teach the concepts one-by-one to seekers of fly fishing success. As any educator knows, a student’s lack of the proper equipment, impairs learning. So, in addition to instruction, Sam also makes sure clients are not impaired by a lack of equipment. “I provide everything except waders.” He also supplies lunch and water for all his day trips and a snack and water for the half day trips. Sam uses a 15-foot Stealthcraft for two clients, and he also uses a 16-foot Coleman Scanoe for single clients. The most popular trips he provides include wade fishing for trout. “There is something special about standing in moving water that really appeals to people. It is a refreshing experience, that sooths the soul.”
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When asked what he would like potential customers to know about guided trips before they book, Sam stated, “We will discuss their needs and wants prior to the trip. I am very flexible in my approach with each client. I cater to the individual’s wants and needs, and I will do everything I can to meet their expectations. I have had clients that have never fished before much less fly fished and I have had clients that have fly fished all over the world. It requires flexibility and patience to meet the needs in a range of that magnitude.” ‘Nuff said. You an book a trip with Sam Potter by contacting him at sam@tightline.biz. or go to tightline.biz to learn more about their guided trips.
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ÂŽ
Don’t go home empty handed! www.sunbursttrout.com
Sunburst Trout Farms Is located below the Shining Rock National Wilderness in the Pisgah National Forest. Since 1948 they have been growing rainbow trout, and the farm is now run by third generation brothers Wes and Ben Eason.
Sunburst has a long standing commitment to quality. Their fish are hormone and antibiotic free, and the feed is made especially for them containing no mammalian by-products. All trout are cut to order in small bathces, mostly by hand, thus ensuring all products are of the highest standard. In addition to Sunburst’s flagship fillets you can also find their award winning caviar, as well as trout jerky, hickory smoked trout, cold smoked trout, smoked trout dip, trout sausage, and even some non trout products, pimento goat cheese and smoked tomato jam. Be sure to stock up on their Original Jennings Jerky! It’s shelf stable and perfect for those long days fly fishing. To order go online to www.sunbursttrout.com
314 Industrial Park Drive Waynesville, NC 28786 828-648-3010 • 800-673-3051
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MERAMEC RIVER - Featured Lodging
The Painted
I
t’s ironic that so many times we put a lot of thought into where to stay, but then, we rarely stay there. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to stay somewhere and want to actually stay there? St. James, Missouri, has such a place called The Painted Lady Bed and Breakfast. As their website touts, “We are a Victorian Dollhouse with all the amenities, decorated throughout with wallpaper and lace.” “We are the only B&B in St. James,” says owners Sandy and Wanda Zinn. Friendly, accommodating, and one of a kind hosts, they’ve been in business since 1995, which is much longer than the average for B&Bs. The Painted Lady is a twostory Victorian home decorated with designer wallpaper trimmed in lace and crystal chandeliers. They also have a two bedroom, private cottage with a small kitchenette, fireplace, and jetted tub for two.
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The rooms in the main house hold queen and king beds with private baths. A covered deck and porch call your name for sitting a spell. The full country breakfast with fresh flowers and chocolates invite guests to relish comfort food in comfy surroundings. The cottage has an option of a delivered breakfast basket delivered to door. Hospitality abounds throughout the clean, relaxing setting. Cable TV is in each room with free Wi-Fi. The Painted Lady’s quiet country setting is close to many attractions and is located on the southern
d Lady B&B edge of St. James, one and a half miles from I-44 on Hwy. 8. Trout fishing is nearby in the Meramec Spring Park. There, one can find remnants of the old iron works days, picnic areas, walking trails, and an agricultural museum. Also, around are numerous award-winning wineries with tastings available. Activities such as canoeing,
horseback riding, and musical theater abound. If antiquing is an interest, one can peruse several shops where treasures await your finding. A beach, public pool and a golf course are also nearby, and for explorers, you can visit the Meramac and Oondaga Caves that are roughly 40 miles away. Any time is the time for the Painted Lady. Open
all year round, the Zinns await a chance to share their home and hospitality. After a full day of fishing or other excursions, come home to The Painted Lady to rest your bones and fill your soul. Their friendly, accommodating atmosphere will make you want to stay again and again. Visit their website at www. paintedladybandb.com.
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BLUE R FLY S
WWW.BLUERIBBONFL 1343 E 9th St, Mountain Hom
RIBBON SHOP
Blue Ribbon Guides is a group of dedicated river savvy guides that have been involved in the guide business for a number of years. We provide a high level of service and quality angling experience that the fly fishing public has come to expect. Blue Ribbon Guides is the official guide service for Blue Ribbon Fly Shop located in Mountain Home, Arkansas. We are dedicated to providing the fly fishing community with one stop for guides and information. We look forward to assisting you with your next great fly fishing adventure. Our guides are licensed and insured as well as CPR and First Aid trained.
LYSHOPAR.COM me, AR 72653 (870) 425-0447
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MERAMEC RIVER - Featured Fly Tyer
“...With a Fly Rod i
Fly Tier--Mark Van P
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in My Hand”
Patten
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t the ripe old age of age of twelve Mark Van Patten left his family on the west coast to live with his grandparents in Missouri. Like a handshake, his grandfather welcomed him by, figuratively, passing off a fly rod. As they drew him into the fly fishing world, Van Patten recalls his mentors, “Raised me with a fly rod in my hand, fishing in any Missouri stream with trout.” His grandfather was, as Van Patten states, “a dry fly purist.” Respectfully, Van Patten expresses his admiration for his grandfather’s skill when he said, “He is the only fly fisher I have known that could get trout to rise to a dry when there was no hatch and not a dimple on the water anywhere.” www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l July 2017 l 79
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MERAMEC RIVER - Featured Fly Tyer So, at age 12, with his grandparent mentors, he began to collect his favorite streams to fish. Those included The Current River, The Meramec, and the Niangua. “We fished the three state Parks Montauk, Bennet Spring and Roaring River as well as the James Foundation’s Meramec Springs. We would frequently fish the small lesser known wild trout streams, Mill Creek, Crane Creek, Capps Creek, Roubidoux Creek and Blue Spring Creek.” Later Chuck Tryon, author of the book Fly Fishing for Trout in Missouri became a mentor. “Over the years I have picked up techniques from many dedicated fly anglers who were willing to share their craft with me.” It wasn’t just fly fishing that Van Patten’s grandfather inspired, but also fly tying. “My Grandfather started me tying when I was twelve to keep me from going nuts on the farm. Our nearest neighbor was an elderly couple that lived nearly a mile away. There weren’t any kids my age living close by. I was a city kid
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from the west coast and pretty well a handful for my grandparents. He had me tie wooly worms and nymphs. After tying a few flies that turned out okay, I started to find myself enamored with the art. I found myself dragging out the tying materials right after school and tying until I had to get the chores done then tying before going to bed. I was hooked.”
Featured Fly Tier - MERAMEC RIVER
“I first tied black and yellow wooly worms and hares ear nymphs,” he recalls, “because my grandfather tied his own flies (Renegades mostly) and he wanted me to tie for my grandmother. Those were her favorite flies. She generally only went fishing with us when were either going to Bennet Spring or Roaring River State Parks and those were her go-to
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flies for the parks.” When it comes to materials, Van Patten often uses commercial materials, but has been known to cut a tail off a roadkill squirrel now and then! “Because I was taught to tie by a predepression era Grandfather, I learned to tie with whatever materials were available. I still practice that philosophy. I will substitute newer synthetics for hard-to-find
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MERAMEC RIVER - Featured Fly Tyer
materials. The most difficult materials are not hard to find but hard to afford. The cost of some of the excellent grade genetically bred capes and saddles are a bit out of the ‘average joe’ price range. But, since I tied my first dry flies with hackles my Grandfather and I plucked from the neck of his favorite roosters (which by the way harbored hostile attitudes after each plucking) I am happy to use lesser expensive capes and saddles.” Van Patten has been teaching the art of fly tying for decades, 30 years in total to be exact. “After the tying bench, I continue to teach fly tying and fly fishing classes on a regular basis in a local fly shop in Salem Missouri and at Montauk State Park, a trout fishing park near Salem. Before my wife retired from teaching middle school science, she and I started an after school fly fishing club for 7th and 8th graders for seven years. The format included fly fishing, aquatic entomology, and fly tying. Students joined the club in 7th grade and continued through the 8th grade. The 8th grade students then took on a mentorship role for the new 7th graders coming into the club. It was a very successful endeavor. Many of the students took up the sport seriously and continue to practice the sport.” When asked about his experience with commercially fly tying, Van Patten responded, “I don’t know of this qualifies as commercially or not. I hosted a fly tying weekly nationally syndicated PBS 82 l July 2017 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com
Featured Fly Tier - MERAMEC RIVER
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television show on fly tying for 13 seasons. I tied flies in an educational format for 200 episodes. The show was called The Tying Bench. I retired from filming in 2015, but reruns are still airing in some states.” Van Patten continues to be available to teach tying classes. He also will present to groups with programs such as Aquatic entomology. “We take a detailed look at the aquatic insects that make up the diet of the trout and the flies we tie to imitate them.” “My advice for would-be tiers is to join a local fly fishing organization that has regularly scheduled fly tying get-togethers and learn from other tiers. It will save you years of frustration as you gain insights into new and different techniques. And one more thing, tie, and tie a lot.” Mark Van Patten can be reached by email at flyfishers.school@gmail.com in regards to classes and presentations on the subject of fly tying and fly fishing.
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MERAMEC RIVER - Featured Fly Shop
T
he “honey hole” to fly fishermen is as the “holy grail” to the Knights Templar, Well, maybe that is a little bit of a stretch…or maybe it isn’t. Ozark fishermen have a wealth of opportunities for finding that “honey hole,” and according to Tom Hargrove of T. Hargrove Fly Fishing, Inc., there are a wealth of opportunities for trout fishing: small spring creeks with wild fish, state managed trout parks, and a world class tailwater fishery in the White River chain of lakes. Since one can fish year round for trout in Missouri, there the “honey hole” is certainly not a myth. There has always been a strong tradition with trout fishing. Spring starts on March 1st with the opening of the Trout
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Park season. I notice more fishermen with fly tackle every year,” says Tom Tom’s shop, was, as he says, “…a dream that came true…” After finally earning a BS in Agriculture (Wildlife Conservation and Management) it seemed that the only job that he could get was in tackle sales. So, after a couple years with Bass Pro, it was time to get something more permanent. “Moving back to STL (St. Louis) [and] managing a specialty outdoor shop’s fishing department helped me decide that I could do this on my own. So, I started T. Hargrove Fly Fishing, Inc. in an old dentist office the winter of 1987,” Tom relayed. The typical fisherman at T. Hargrove is a repeat customer. Yet, many new customers come in every week. The longer they are in business, the more word-of-mouth encourages people to check out what T. Hargrove has to offer. So far, their best advertising has been happy customers.
Featured Fly Shop - MERAMEC RIVER
In service to their customers, T. Hargrove offers a listing with the local daily water levels and fly choices for those areas. Also, individual fly casting instruction is available by appointment, and they also offer rod repairs. Yet, T. Hargrove is not just about helping customers. According to Tom, “Fly tying season is not just for winter! We try to stock most everything for beginning to advanced fly tier’s, special material orders a specialty. I believe the art of fly tying is another creative outlet for stress relief and should be considered supplemental mental health care. I have several customers that
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don’t even fish, they just enjoy the craft. The local Healing Waters program has helped many veterans and has given them an opportunity to get out and enjoy life again.” T. Hargrove also offers fly tying classes in several levels of proficiency. Although he is mostly a self-taught tyer, Tom encourages folks to come in and take a class. They also have dozens of books and DVDs available for purchase. In addition to the resources that the internet provides, at T. Hargrove there are many devoted customers who are also eager to help newbie fly tyers.
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MERAMEC RIVER - Featured Fly Shop
“We are a dealer for many major lines: SIMMS, Patagonia, Scientific Anglers, Hatch, Abel, Ross, Waterworks, St. Croix, Sage, Winston, Seaguar, and Gamakatsu. We have over 10000 flies on hand at any one time, with a library of over 200 books. We can outfit you for almost any destination. T. Hargrove is a completely different experience from the big box tackle giants that are prevalent almost everywhere. At T. Hargrove, individual full service can be offered by people who know fishing in the Ozarks. Often, big retailers can’t hire people who have a high level of experience to work for a retail wage, but at T. Hargrove, experience and a love of fishing is where they high level of service begins. As Tom
says, “We use the tackle we sell, and can get you ‘in the game’ to fish for everything from bluegill to tarpon. “What sets us apart from other shops, I think, is our superior service. I believe this is a service industry, and you should be able to help customers with all aspects of service related issues. We had the first web-page in STL for fly-fishing, not as an on-line catalog, but more like the ‘Yellow Pages’ to the world.” As far as trends in the industry, Tom sees more anglers targeting the “non-game” species with flies. Often overlooked species like carp and gar can, as Tom states, offer excellent sport and new challenges.
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Featured Fly Shop - MERAMEC RIVER
Overall, T. Hargrove wants to convey to its customers that even though there are many answers to fishing questions, “We will not steer you wrong. It is not always the fly, but the way you fish it that makes the difference. You need to keep your fly in the water to catch fish.” Sounds like T. Hargrove is the real “honey hole.”
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T. Hargrove Fly Fishing, Inc 9024 Manchester Saint Louis, Missouri 63144
Tom@thargrove.com Phone - 314.968.4223 Fax -314.968.0272 www.THargrove.com www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l July 2017 l 87
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Early Float Trips KEITH GANN
I
n July of 2010, Gassville, Arkansas fishing guide Mike Flippen, pulled an old sunken wooden boat out of the White River above a hot fishing spot known locally as Rim Shoals. Flippen thinks that the recovered boat is one made by the Barnes/Galena Boat (or Boating) Co. sometime in the late 1920’s, and is taking steps to preserve it. The owner of the Barnes/Galena Boat Company, Charlie Barnes, started his guide service in 1905 and built his first boat soon after. Adding to his boat building and guide service, he soon was the Ford dealer in Galena, a Missouri town located on the banks of the James River. Sometime after 1914, he moved his boat building and guide service enterprise into a building next door to the Ford dealership. He didn’t call them “John boats” then, they were just float boats. How the boat became a “John boat” is a story in its self and is a story filled with mysteries and false credits. Charlie, when asked, was quick to deny any credit for the name. Built of five each twenty-foot by one-foot pine boards, (three for the bottom and two for the sides), the boats finished out at twenty feet long and three feet wide, weighing about two hundred pounds. The bottom boards were tongue and groove and sealed with hot pitch. To make them even more leak proof, they were filled with standing water for several days to swell the wood and joints. When finished, they were painted green and contained only about three dollars’ worth of materials. The boats, when loaded, had two fixed seats, but guests could sit in two director’s chairs which gave a softer ride via the chair’s canvas swing seats.
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It’s hard to imagine the total weight that one of the boats could carry, but two heavy fishermen, plus a guide, plus gear could easily top 600 pounds, and the boat could carry far more. Barnes had started his boat building/guide service in 1905 and by 1910, was the largest commercial outfitter in the Ozarks. Before he closed out both operations, he had built over five hundred of the sturdy craft and guided hundreds of clients down the James and White Rivers. A trip from Galena to Branson took five days and covered 125 miles, only 24 miles as the crow flies. Another 250 miles and two more weeks, took the clients all of the way to Cotter, Arkansas. Along the way, guests fished for smallmouth bass and goggle-eye from the boats then ate the fish for lunch and dinner at noonday stops and overnight camps on the many sandbars that dotted the rivers. Guests slept on cots and warmed themselves with campfires and coffee. The Powersite dam had been built across the White River below Branson in 1913, forming the then warm water lake, Lake Taneycomo. Going on to Cotter required hauling the boats around the dam. By 1904, The Missouri Pacific Railroad came to Branson, and the boats were accumulated from the down-river runs, then placed on a flatcar and hauled back to Galena. Barnes sold his Ford dealership and moved to Branson in 1932, where he hooked up with his biggest competitor, Jim Owen. Owen, the consummate promoter, had been the Mayor of Branson and didn’t hesitate to do what was necessary to put Branson on the map. Owen rounded up the clients, and Barnes made the boats. Under Owen’s guidance, Barnes’ John boats carried writers, stars, and famous outdoorsmen, including, Gene Autry, Smiley Burnett, Forrest Tucker, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Robert Page 90 l July 2017 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com
MERAMEC RIVER
CLOSE LOOK
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CLOSE LOOK
MERAMEC RIVER
Lincoln, and probably Ozark Ripley. By the mid 1950’s dams were being completed on the White River, and the death knell sounded for the long-distance float trips. Smallmouth bass were gradually replaced by brown and rainbow trout. Table Rock, then Beaver, then Bull Shoals dams all blocked the flow of the White and also the flow of John boats and their occupants plus the flow of cash to the boat’s owners. Of course, down the James to the White and on to Branson and points beyond was not the only float trip in the Ozarks. Fred Dablemont introduced the float boats on the Big Piney and Gasconade Rivers during World War l. Flat bottomed boats floated down the Current River and on to the Black in Arkansas. In Missouri trips were made down the Elk, the Little Piney, the Meramec, the Bourbeuse, Tavern and Bryant Creeks, the North Fork of the White, and the Osage Fork of the Gasconade. Again, in Arkansas, the Little Red, and Little Missouri, and across the border in Oklahoma, trips down the Illinois became famous for its Indian guides and smallmouth bass. Lois Bear, in a 1953 column in the Chicago Tribune, told of her overnight float down the White. “…I found one of the pleasant events of the adventure, a stop off on the river’s bank for a picnic. Freshly caught fish, fried a golden brown and cooked over an open grill along with the Arkansas’s favorite hush puppies and coffee—a feast fit for a King. Only interlopers to the quiet scene are cows who wander down to the bank from nearby farmlands. ….Very often, a river sandbar will be filled with cows and their calves, lapping up the clear, clean water.” Today, float trips can still be taken on many of these same pieces of water. The long wooden boats have been replaced with ones of aluminum and Fiberglas and on summer weekends, families, Boy and Girl Scouts and college kids jam up the rivers with a cavalcade of canoes. But in the quiet weekday mornings, fishermen still ply the waters, still looking for the same smallmouth bass, but more often rainbow and brown trout. The waters are still there, but now, bigger, deeper, wider, more rushing, and more controlled, but continuing to offer the same excitement and pleasure as they did 150 years ago. 92 l July 2017 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com
MERAMEC RIVER
CLOSE LOOK
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wo decades ago a wade along a precarious rocky bottom resulted in a misstep and total immersion in deep, fast water. After being swept downstream a hundred yards, a grab for bankside brush provided an escape. The fishing on that day was over, but the incident could have been much worse. That dunking transformed a selfadmitted high-risk wader into a more cautious one with renewed respect for the power of water and slick substrate. Fishpond’s Slippery Rock Wading Pro is a lightweight, yet extremely stable staff. Anglers can tether it to their wading belt and keep it in the shortest position while not in use. When wading becomes more treacherous, it’s easy to extend the length to the most comfortable position for the individual. The staff’s sturdy aluminum body telescopes from 29 ½ inches to 57 inches, which allows the angler to lock it securely into place with a levered locking system. The thick foam grip is tough and very comfortable in the hand while the enlarged cork knob allows the fisherman to probe the path forward to determine the depth and substrate content. The Slippery Rock also has an adjustable padded neoprene strap designed to keep the staff firmly in hand. Another great feature is the tip, which is interchangeable from hard rubber to carbide. That makes it capable of a quiet approach when the substrate is filled with rocks or to be very surefooted on rough terrain.
slip The Slippery Rock Wading Pro’s many features make it a great choice for wading safety and allows anglers to wade into some of the stream’s most difficult positions. That makes it possible to cast to the most difficult lies where the biggest fish are. Those features surely make it the most expensive wading staff on the market, right? Wrong. It’s not even close. It’s priced up to 22% lower than most of their competitors. When big fish and beautiful waters are the objectives, safety often takes a back seat. That’s a serious mistake that can be remedied with one piece of equipment: a wading staff. Moreover, it allows access to remote lies. That’s a pretty powerful recommendation for Fishpond’s qualityconstructed Slippery Rock Wading Pro. Shop here at Fishpond USA.
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ppery rock wading pro
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any species of insects that trout eat tell the fly fisherman it’s time to get out there on the water. One such species that generates interest is the Stonefly; albeit many consider the Salmon fly hatch as the time to be on the water to catch a trophy. That may well be true as stoneflies will often as not bring about major interest from the rivers’ trophy trout.
STONEFLIES
DAVY WOTTON
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Not all rivers contain stoneflies as this species does require certain conditions in that particular river, typically, well-oxygenated water with clean rock and gravel bottoms and good, consistent flow rates and riffles. That said, l have seen some reasonable hatches here on Arkansas’ White River, which is not known as waters that stoneflies inhabit in any numbers. In most cases, most anglers never see them because they are not on the water in the early daylight hours when the insects are more active. On the other hand, the North Fork of the White River in Missouri does have great stonefly presence.
There many species of stonefly ranging from the larger Pteronarcys, which may exceed 2 inches, to the much smaller, common species known as the yellow sally. The interesting thing about stoneflies is that they do not emerge as do most other water born species in the river. They crawl to the banks or other structure to emerge, in the case of the larger species, usually during the hours of darkness. That at least gives them some protection from birds during their emergence, and by early morning they are winged and ready to fly. Damselflies and dragonflies likewise emerge by the same
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process. Stonefly nymphs can be fished at any time; it is during the period when the nymphs are more active before the hatch that the fish will key onto them big time, as also the winged adults when they return and are blown onto the water’s surface. In many respects, it is important to have knowledge of the species known to habit the waters you fish because that will also give you clues in so far as the best imitations to use. That said, l know from experience that is not always true as l have fished large stonefly imitations, both nymphs and winged adults, when the imitations l used did not represent the
species known to inhabit those waters. In particular, large brown trout will often as not fall for this deception. In the case of imitations of the nymph for the smaller species of stonefly nymph, generic patterns such as Hare’sEears, Pheasant Tails, and Prince Nymphs will be good choices. In the case of the larger species of stoneflies, changes in both sizes and colors may be needed with black and golden being the two most important. The stonefly nymph imitation has always been a pattern that accomplished fly tyers imitate as more anatomical representations of the species. I am guilty of tying them,
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too. Just go check out the array of fly tying material available to represent the appendages of the species, which may also include cutters to form the stonefly body, wings, and wing cases. In the case of fishing the nymphs, they generally must be fished close to the river bed. That being the case when fishing rock-strewn waterways, fly losses may be high as weight will be needed to get the fly down to the productive zone. Typically zones to look for are in and below fast riffles, and where there is good fluctuation of water flow around structure. The nymphs, which are not good swimmers, are subject to the influence of water movement and likewise, a zone that the fish will be looking for them. In the case of the winged adults, you will find that there are periodic times that the fish will become very active, particularly if there is an abundance of the species on the water at the time. That said, it’s always worth fishing imitations after the
main surface activity as odds are there will be trout still looking for them. Keep nymph imitations simple. A chenille, peacock herl- or dubbedbodied fly adorned with rubber legs can be a killer. If you want to go further, then add some wing cases or biots to represent the tails and antenna. You might also add bead heads or lead under bodies. In many cases, but not all, l do prefer not to use a weighted fly but instead use added weight for the amount needed to fish the zone of water l want above a stop knot tied into the leader/tippet. That way l can adjust what l need at that time. It largely depends on whether l am wading or boat drift fishing. Short presentations while wadefishing are a little different from long, maintained drifts. As for using indicators or not, both have merit. In fact, l would say in the case of wade-fishing free line drift or EU style rolled nymph fishing are likely the more productive ways to fish stonefly nymph imitations. When fishing dry, I have caught fish feeding imitations. l am not saying on adult stones with that is the only way to go, black crickets and hopper by all means, you choose.
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Today many dries are tied above more traditional which you may also form using foam bodies to allow natural materials. Just add from the wing cutters now good floatability over and rubber legs and wings, available.
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RIO LINES: A BASIC 3-SPOOL SYSTEM
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oday’s anglers are blessed with a myriad of fly line choices. These lines are constructed to meet the needs of fishing for specific species under specific conditions including wind and diverse water temperatures, different water types, and presentations to differing levels of the water column. All of those variables can make line selection confusing. To simplify anglers can begin with a basic 3-spool lineup of fly lines then expand their choices as needed.
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The technological advances incorporated into Rio fly lines provide persuasive reasons for choosing their lines. One, called ConnectCore provides line with ultra-low stretch which enables enhanced feel, more instinctive casting, longer pickups and precise mends. It also allows muchimproved sensitivity to subtle strikes and sure hook sets. A second advancement is what Rio calls MaxCast which provides the chemistry that repels water from the line. This innovation results in improved floatation as well as reduced dirt adhesion that allows for easier and quieter line pickup. Another technological innovation called Extreme Slickness replaces the old PVC/silicone formula. The resulting slicker line achieves greater line speed which provides greater casting distances and better line control. Armed with those very significant advantages the versatile flyfisher should focus on a basic 3-spool lineup of fly lines that permits the angler to target the surface, mid-depths and deep portions of the water column. The first reel spool can be loaded with floating line. In Rio’s Trout Series a good recommendation is In Touch Gold. For those that prefer an extra fast action rod, the Rio Grand floating line may be a better choice because it’s one line weight heavier and therefore capable of loading stiffer rods.
A second spool might be loaded with In Touch Sink Tip Line. The 15-foot sinking portion of the line designed to sink at 3 i.p.s. (inches per second) enables mid-depth presentations. Another viable choice for the second reel spool is Rio’s Lake Series In Touch Camolux line which sinks at 1½-2 i.p.s. The third reel spool can be loaded with a full sinking line. A good choice is the Lake Series In Touch Sinking Line designed to sink at 5-6 i.p.s. This line enables bottom-contact flies and retrieves that are most effective when it’s desirable for the fly to remain parallel to the substrate. The 3-spool system loaded with these Rio lines are capable of most stream and Stillwater situations you’re likely to encounter. Specialty lines that are species specific or presentation specific can always be added or incorporated into this basic approach. Check Rioproducts.com
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aster fly tier Dana Lindsey grew up bass fishing near his St. Louis, Missouri home, but watching fly fishing shows on television fostered an interest in fly tying. Initially, he simply wanted to catch fish on flies he had tied. Fly tying classes taught by the Missouri Department of Conservation through its urban fishing program proved to be a life-altering experience. “They were very helpful in getting me started,” Dana said. Woolly Buggers and Scuds dominated his early efforts because “They were easy to tie and always caught fish.” Eventually, he was able to customize his flies to his specifications and perform his techniques the way he wanted. Lindsey now calls Nixa, Missouri home where he established Lindsey’s Custom Jigs and Flies in 2000 and supplements his income by guiding. He also teaches fly tying classes at River Run Outfitters in Branson.
Night Fishing Tailwater Bro
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ig Brown Trout choose larger prey instinctively as it provides more protein per portion. Of course, the range of aquatic insects remains in play at all stages and the venerable sowbug deserves its reputation as a trout food. Many an observant angler has seen a larger Brown ramming into a mat of weeds or moss to dislodge multiple sowbugs to gorge on. Terrestrials are also sought-after food sources, including ants, hoppers, and the periodic hatch of “katydids” (cicada). Big trout will also eat smaller fish, including those of their own species, as well as leeches. Crawfish patterns will regularly catch Brown Trout and the largest fish will also eat small rodents, even small birds or fowl. No doubt the amount of protein offered here is attractive. Because trout hunt as much by feel as by sight, fishing for them successfully requires a lure that will move water ahead of it, activating lateral line sensors. Trout’s sensitivity to motion and pressure waves also means you want to minimize wading and movement once you begin fishing.
Let’s translate these food preferences into flies. As a creature of habit, I will pick a woolly bugger first. When probing for larger fish, I’m going to tie on a larger fly, size 6 or larger and use black at night. While larger fish may often take a smaller offering, there is a point at which smaller fish will shy away from larger flies. So an important concept for me is to fish with a larger fly to discourage smaller trout. I like a bead head because of the extra weight. I believe it is worth it to use a sinking-tip line instead of split shot because I don’t like the way split shot makes me cast (we all need something to blame poor technique on, right?). But I know that under some conditions a split shot or two is invaluable, especially in helping your fly to stay close to the bottom as you try to bump a fly through deeper water. My woolly bugger technique is simple, drift and strip back. The rate and speed of the strip are varied to cover more of the water column, slower for deeper and faster as you attempt to work the middle and top of the water column.
g for Big owns
Trent Fleming
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Larger, even oversized terrestrials are also useful. Most often these are fished on top with the plop of the fly on the water serving as a dinner bell for feeding trout. Observing the stream and fish activity before fishing is an important step in selecting the right fly. Mouse patterns are often used for larger fish, and big Browns are notorious for eating rodents. A good mouse pattern is lobbed over a likely spot and skated back to you to simulate a swimming motion. High sticking works well, as the
tight line allows you to not only stay near the surface but to impart some side to side motion. You might practice this in a pond or backyard pool before hitting the water to observe and critique your efforts. Finally, you could choose a fish pattern, the various streamer and minnow concoctions that seek to mimic the younger of the species. Some anglers use a “drop jaw� streamer that produces a larger wake in front of the fly. I fish these similar to a woolly bugger, drifting and stripping at various levels of the water
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column to ensure that I’m reaching all areas that might hold fish. Where are the large trout? Trout will choose the portion of the water column that provides a suitable hunting ground. Too often, anglers focus on the surface instead of the speed and direction of the current, actively feeding fish, seams that indicate changes or confluence of currents, and visible structure including logs or rocks. These are important but are only the start of effectively reading
the water. Just below the surface, conditions can be quite different. Water may move more slowly and there may be fish cover that, while harder to see, directly impacts the feeding habits of fish. Consider large rocks or boulders in the stream. Those that emerge out of the water are easy. You know that they provide a lee side where fish can hold out of the current watching for food then easily slip out to feed and return to less turbulent water. Drifting the right fly past that rock
is often an effective tool for catching fish. But what if there’s a boulder there that you can’t see? Perhaps only two to three feet above the bottom, it provides the same shelter from the current, in a much calmer environment. The bank is another opportunity for larger trout habitat. The limb or tree that has fallen into the water brings additional opportunities for those seeking large trout because there is not only cover at the surface but likely branches extending downward into the water, perhaps far enough
to provide shelter for larger fish which are sifting the current for food. Care is needed here, and perhaps a stripping approach, as too much drifting near these deadfalls will result in your contribution of a bauble to adorn the branches. Man-made structures can also be holding spots for larger fish, including bridge footings, extended aprons of boat ramps, and even boat docks that have been in place for a period of time. Of course, access to these may require a boat, rather than wading, except
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in periods of low water. Treat these structures as you would boulders or branches. They will provide cover and protection from current, attracting fish seeking to minimize effort and maximize protein intake. The larger fish seem to be nocturnal and the lack of fishing pressure is also attractive, which gives you better access to desirable portions of the river. Don’t forget to take time to enjoy your surroundings, from the splash of an otter to the blazing trail of a shooting star or the glow of a rising moon. Take time to learn about the water you are going to fish at night before it gets dark. Doing so will help you to understand the water and the habitat, and help you to plan your night fishing. Plan a day trip to your desired stretch of water, and do some fishing while observing the habitat for signs of large fish cover. While wading is possible most of the year, winter may be a better time due to less generation. In summer under normal conditions, your best bet is fishing from a boat, except for the coveted periods of no overnight generation.
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CONTRIBUTORS
BOOT PIERCE
JOHN BERRY
DAVY WOTTON
Boot Pierce is a geologist by trade and has been a fisherman all of his life. In the early 1990’s he ditched his spinning rod and began fly fishing all the crystal clear trout streams that the Ozarks had to offer. He now travels the Midwest demonstrating fly tying and speaking about fly fishing techniques and destinations. Boot is the owner of Rainwater Fly Fishing, which features fly fishing and fly tying classes, guiding, and public presentations on the sport. He calls the Blue Ribbon trout streams of Missouri home.
John Berry is a fly fishing guide on Arkansas’ White, Norfork, Spring, and Little Red Rivers for trout and Crooked Creek for Smallmouth Bass. He teaches fly fishing and fly casting for Arkansas State University and has been a seminar presenter and fly tier at the Federation of Fly Fishers’ National Conclave and many other venues, and served as a guide for Hooked on a Cure. John is a fly fishing columnist for the Baxter Bulletin in Mountain Home, Arkansas and wrote three chapters of the highly successful fishing guide, Home Waters. John was recently awarded the Charles E. Brooks Memorial Lifetime Award by the Federation of Fly Fishers.
Davy’s professional career began in the 1960’s as a professional fly tyer from his home in Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom. From that he progressed into the mail-order business and in the 1970’s began to both develop and manufacture fly tying and fly fishing products and further the knowledge of fly fishing through written articles for publication. Home now to Davy finds him near the pristine waters of the White River System which was first introduced to him by his longtime friend, Dave Whitlock. Davy engaged now more than ever in the world of fly fishing as the Managing Director of the America.
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Rain, Rain Go A
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Away
BY JOHN BERRY or the past few months, we have been enjoying one of the longest periods of low, reliable, wadable water that I can remember. It was so low this past February that it all but eliminated our traditional streamer season. You need high water to push the big browns to the bank to target them with the big streamers, and we had low flows all winter. The low water has been a boon to the caddis hatch. The low flows have been a perfect delivery system for dry flies this spring. The wadable water has rapidly come to an end. We had a heavy rain that flooded Crooked Creek and the Buffalo. In addition, the lake levels on Beaver, Table Rock, Bull Shoals and Norfork lakes all rose significantly. Then a couple of days later we had what has been described by the Weather Channel as a hundred year rain. It rained for two days. This time the ground was super saturated and we had significantly more runoff. All of the lakes in the White River system rose even more. Beaver, Table Rock, and Norfork are at or near the top of flood pool, and all opened their floodgates in an effort to draw them down quickly. Bull Shoals rose thirty-four feet in a week. As I write this, it is raining again, and over two inches are expected. What does this mean for fishing? With all of the lakes at or near the top of flood pool, we will have high water, for the rest, of spring and well into the summer. I do not expect wadable water until fall. The fish are still there, but you will need a boat to fish the White and Norfork.
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We’ve got true McCloud trout
Outcastinn.com Come have a
new fishing adventure! Owner James Burgener
Newburg, MO (573) 762-0196
The best way to fish during the high water will be to fish nymphs under an indicator. You will need to fish deep. I generally set my nymph rigs at about four feet from the indicator to the bottom fly. I then add a foot of depth for each full generator (roughly three thousand cubic feet per second). This is a rough estimate, and I will make adjustments for depth and current at specific spots on the river. If I am hanging the bottom, I reduce the depth and, if I am not getting fish, I increase it. Weight is also a key factor. I use heavy split shot. My favorite for this type of fishing is AAA (.8 grams). I use a lead-free egg shaped split shot as it hangs on better. I attach it above my tippet knot to keep it from slipping. I also prefer to use heavily weighted flies particularly bead heads tied on jig hooks. My top flies, for this type of fishing, includes pheasant tails, hare and copper, copper Johns, prince nymphs and ruby midges. I favor double fly rigs and fluorocarbon leaders and tippets as they sink more quickly than monofilament. Casting these rigs is difficult at best. Open up your loop and be sure and not rush your cast. Do not false cast, as this is an invitation to tangle. Now is also a good time to fish streamers. Heavy sink tips fly lines, big streamers and larger fly rods are the norms here. Here again, the casting is tough and a lot of work. This technique does not produce numbers but can attract a trophy. Fishing high water can be very productive. Give it a try! John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over thirty-five years. John Can be reached at (870) 435-2169 or http://www.berrybrothersguides.com.
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CONTRIBUTORS
KEITH GANN
TOMMY DEHART
TRENT FLEMING
Keith Gann is a retired manufacturing executive who lives with his wife Martha in the Kansas City area. When not fly-fishing or quail hunting or shooting on the local range, he is building and restoring bamboo flyrods, or making hand-crafted hunting knives. He has been a freelance writer for fifteen years. He and his wife have three adult children and six very active grandchildren.
Tommy DeHart is an engineering student majoring in Mining Engineering at the University of Missouri: Science and Technology in Rolla, Missouri. He is the lead author and owner of fishnflies.com, a proactive fly fishing blog and website. He is also the recipient of the IFFF Southern Council “Junior Fly Tyer of the Year” award and the Sowbug Round-Up “Best Warmwater Fly”. .
Trent Fleming has decided that places where trout live are places he wants to be. When not chasing trout with a fly rod, he is likely advising bankers on matters of strategy and technology. Find him online at trentflemingoutdoors. com or trentfleming.com
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A Museum for the Southern Fly Fisherman
The Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians — originally
located in Cherokee, NC — has a new home in neighboring Bryson City where it shares a building with the Bryson City / Swain County Chamber of Commerce. It’s centrally located on the town square across the street from the visitor center. The Museum is open Monday thru Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm and admission is free.
The scope of the museum covers an
area with more than 14,700 miles of accessible trout streams — the nine Southern Appalachian States of North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama; the Qualla Boundary, home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; as well as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Bryson City, NC
PHOTO BY JIM HEAFNER
Through exhibits and videos you’ll
learn about legendary “Stream Blazers,” the evolution of rods and reels, basic knots, fly-tying, types of gear, types of gamefish, regional fishing waters, and the history of fly fishing in the Southeast. Whether you are a long-time fly fisherman, or have only attempted or never tried fly fishing, you will find something to enjoy and to learn from in the museum.
FLY FISHING MUSEUM
OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS
Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians 210 Main Street Bryson City, NC 28713 800-867-9241
FlyFishingMuseum.org
Moose Creek Rods and Knives *Classic Bamboo Fly Rods *Custom Sheaths *Bamboo Display Rods and Reels *Handcrafted Knives *Custom Fly Tying Tools *Bamboo Rods *Restored and Repaired kmgann@sw bell.net 913-299-960 w w w.moosecreekrodsandknives.com