It never even crossed my mind that I would be fishing the James River near Nixa this fall. I have read about the river for years, and see plenty of instagram photos showing some great fish caught from there. It’s just a bit of a drive from St. Louis and trying to tackle such a…
This year, I have been participating in the MO Trout Slam. This program, put on by the Missouri Department of Conservation as well as the local chapter of Trout Unlimited, rewards anglers who successfully catch trout in Missouri’s Blue Ribbon waters. There are different award levels for catching a trout out of five streams, seven…
In the past six months, I have begun exploring the Blue Ribbon trout streams of Missouri. The Missouri Department of Conservation classifies Blue Ribbon Streams as, “excellent trout habitat and smaller streams that support naturally reproducing Rainbow Trout.” These streams include; Crane Creek, Spring Creek, Mill Creek, Blue Springs Creek, Little Piney Creek, Barren Fork…
I’m always a big fan of lists and an even bigger fan of competition. When I heard about the Missouri Blue Ribbon Trout Slam, I was immediately hooked. Finding ourselves with an open Saturday in February, Billy and I set out for Little Piney Creek to chase some wild Missouri rainbow trout and get to…
When you think of trout fishing, often your thoughts lead to some winding stream rushing through a mountain valley. While that may be accurate and something worth day dreaming about, we have some great angling for trout close to home. The St. Louis winter trout fishing program provides ample opportunities to catch beautiful trout in…
If you enjoy chasing smallmouth bass and sunfish on small creeks, then carve out some time to try your luck fishing the Mineral Fork. This small, clear Ozark stream is located in Washington County, MO. The lower portion of the creek is located on state-owned land with one public access that I am aware of….
The Red Ribbon trout section of the Meramec River ranges from the Highway 8 access downstream about eight miles to Scott’s Ford, with numerous access points in between. This stretch of river holds both brown and rainbow trout. I have always wanted to give it a try, so on my winter break I headed down…
Again this year the family vacation found us settling in for a long weekend in the cabins at Echo Bluff State Park. And again we opted for a Friday Current River float trip. This year, however, we decided on the next traditional leg and launched from Pulltite Access and ended the float at Round Spring….
January can be a slow time for a tree guy. This is especially true when its been colder with more snow than we have had the past few years. So, once I caught wind that Billy had a Friday off from school I knew that I would be taking a day off from work for…
Every winter the Missouri Department of Conservation stocks Rainbow Trout in several ponds in the St. Louis area for the urban winter trout program. The first stocking is usually around November 1st, and they continue to make supplemental stockings in some lakes until February 1st. After February 1st all lakes become open to catch-and-keep fishing. From…
