Current (River) State of Affairs
Kevin and I decided we needed to get out - so we planned a quick trip to the Ozarks for a quick weekend trout trip.
We mulled over where we should go, but decided we really wanted to wade some water in the Current River, near Salem, MO.
Most of our trips are planned less than two weeks out, finding time in our busy schedules to coordinate an escape from the metro, the noise, the business of traffic and schedules that drive us all over the place has become a priority - even if they are last minute.
We booked a hotel in Rolla, MO for a couple of nights - getting in late on Friday, so we could get a head start for an early morning of fishing. We rolled in late, and after talking with the gas station clerk, we learned that they had just restored power to most of Rolla due to significant damage caused by a tornado that ripped through town just a week prior. We would see the evidence of this in the daylight on Sunday on our way through town again.
We set out early to head to the Current River, with 10x too much gear for the length and type of trip we planned, and arrived around 7:30a. We decided to drop in at the Nichols Cabin Trailhead, and worked our way downstream as the sun rose. We’d not fished the river down this direction, so we wanted to see if we could find a few riffles and holes with some fish.
On arriving, we saw signs of the extreme effects water had on the area from last November, when several inches (5+) fell in the region in a matter of hours, and brough significant flooding to the valley. There were huge trees pushed over, huge piles of debris stuck in between groves of trees on the outer edges of the canyon, and evidence that water had flowed twenty feet over our heads with matted mess stuck in high branches. It was telling, that we might not find some of the big fish we were hoping for, or any fish at all for that matter, but we were going to try. After all, we chose this spot as a scouting opportunity for the guys trip we were planning to take in late April.
We worked the deep channel at the Tan Vat drop in where we’ve caught browns and bows on previous trips, and Kevin hooked up on a couple of rainbow trout right away on the pompadour egg pattern. I had no such luck with a pats further down.
However, we moved down stream, and found some pockets with a few fish, nothing more than 12-14 inches, but was a beautiful morning to catch some fish on olive streamers and nymphs. Fairly certain these were all stockers as the MDC has been working hard to replenish fish populations after these wild weather events.
Little brown stocker from the Current River - even the little guys are aggressive!
We decided to call it a morning, and headed into Montauk State Park for a snack, some hydration, and the obligatory “what are they biting on?” conversation with the locals in the shop. After a refreshing break, and a nothing new “try the white mop” or “powerbait” recommendations, we shook our heads and shifted our focus to our trusty fly selections and drove to the Baptist Camp Access to finish out our day.
The widespread evidence of a significant flood event was prevalent here, where huge mounds of sand have been moved by excavators to clear the parking lot, and areas around the paved/concrete walks were washed out underneath, and this area is easily 10 feet above water level at normal flows. There were quite a few cars in the lot, and the weather was beautiful, so we got our waders on and headed downstream.
We worked our way a little over a mile down stream, and caught loads of fish on many different patterns, finding many of our favorite holes had been demolished by the storms, but entirely new opportunities created by downed trees and washed out banks. We caught a couple small browns and more rainbows than we could count. The fish were clearly hungry! It was good to know that we were going to be able to report to our friends that the fishery was in pretty good shape for our trip about a month later.
We left at about sunset, and rolled back up the road to Rolla.
After a less than good ‘continental breakfast’ and a drive through latte, we headed down the road to fish one of the most romantic spots in Missouri for wild trout fishing - The Little Piney.
Lane Spring Access to the Little Piney.
We arrived early - there had been a bit of rain through the night, and the sky was overcast. We though this might serve us well, with the water a little cloudier than normal, providing a bit more cover so we wouldn’t have to be as stealthy, or run super fine tippet.
We met a couple on our way up stream from St. Louis, who we had a wonderful conversation with, discussing their passion for fishing, our passion for the outdoors and family. We discovered we shared an affinity for tying flies, and we swapped a few, and went on our way.
We only caught a couple here after working it fairly hard for a couple of hours - but took in the sights, sounds, and incredibly beautiful landscape this pristine water provides as a backdrop for our hobbies.
Wild McCloud Strain Rainbow Trout - with beautiful red band and par mmarks.
Taking a long walk back to the truck, Kevin and I discussed how much we loved this place, and how we may need to bring the families here for a weekend of camping in the summer.
All in all, this was an INCREDIBLE trip, and another one for the books. There’s something magical about being in the woods, on wild water, and hunting for that piece of nature that doesn’t want to be caught.
My continued recommendation to you - is to go outside, go away, and find the adventure that awaits. The more you experience, the more you have to share with someone else down the road.
#RiseAndFly
