North Fork of the White 1/28 - 1/30

The white stuff has been piled up outside my front door for going on two weeks straight and the driveway that my lazy ass neglected to shovel is just now beginning to melt enough to discover last weeks newspapers. As much as I really wanted to be a good neighbor and clear the foot and a half of snow from my sidewalk and pick up two weeks worth of soggy dogshit out of the yard, the weather guessers had my mind wandering another direction with the prediction of several 50 degree plus days coming up.

A quick call to one of my miscreant friends who I knew would have no moral issues calling in "sick of work" and hitting the water and a fishing trip was in the works. Just two weeks prior we had planned on hitting the NFOW but bad weather and other last minute issues derailed those plans , this time mother nature be damned , we were deadset on getting some river time in.

The plan was to meet down at Sunburst Ranch on Friday morning , camp Friday and Saturday nights and head out sometime Sunday. We took the pontoons with us and planned on floating the river both Friday and Saturday. I was so damned excited to get on the water I couldn't sleep half the night Thursday and ended up leaving the house around 4:00 Friday morning, pushing the legal speed laws in most of the municipalities I passed through in my haste to reach our destination. I pulled into Sunburst Ranch right about 9:00 and stopped in at the house to introduce myself.

Justin came out and met me and after getting the lowdown on camping spots we talked fishing for a few minutes. It's great to have a knowledgeable guy like Justin right on the river every day and then so willing to tell you what he knows. Standing there in the driveway looking down at the sweet riffle right below the house and hearing Justin talk about the fishing recently had me anxious as a whore in church to get down on that river.
I picked a campsite down at the far end, one with electric so we could use our small tent heaters at night. I was just finishing up with my tent and getting ready to start assembling the pontoon when Kevin pulled up. Camp was set , boats were assembled and plans were made to float from the ranch down to Patrick Bridge that afternoon.

After eating a quick sandwich and getting the boats loaded for an afternoon float we shuttled Kevins truck down to the access at Patrick. The water was lower than I've ever seen it and looked incredibly clear.

This river always looks sweet but I don't think I've ever seen the water look quite so inviting. The weather was just as forecast for once and we enjoyed lower 60's and sun while floating that first afternoon. We encountered two other fisherman just as we got to the takeout but no other boats on the water.

The fishing that first afternoon, while maybe sub-par for some, was satisfying for two guys who hadn't seen this section of water ever before and hadn't even been on the river in over a year.

I finished with seven rainbows , with about half of those being small parr marked fish. Kevin got the real trophy of the day with an 18" brown off one of the islands.

I was lagging behind but one of the gentlemen fishing up there was kind enough to snap a picture for him. His fish probably could have eaten a couple of mine! We finished the day the best way we knew how, sitting around a campfire and throwing back a few beers telling stories about the ones that got away today and the ones that we planned to do battle with tomorrow. We retired to our tents anxious to get the next day started and see what the float from Kelly's Ford to Sunburst would have in store for us.

After a quick breakfast of sausage and egg biscuits we loaded the boats on Kevins truck and headed for Kellys Ford for the second day of our adventure. The sun was already starting to crest over the surrounding hillsides and it was evident that today was gonna be a great day.

After making sure we were loaded up with everything we'd need for our 6-7 hour float we pushed off once again and got back into that wonderful mode I like to call "river time".

Something about floating down a river , self sufficient and in need of nothing but a slight current to push you slowly along, time seems to be unimportant and it's these times that I find I can truly enjoy the fishing experience.

We fished the same nymphs that'd been successful for us that first day , Rubber legs...BH Hares Ears...Psycho Princes...eggs , and fished the same type water that seemed to be most productive which were the riffles and tailouts.

We both had big smiles on our faces before leaving the first set of riffles and I don't think either of us lost them all day long.


The fish just wanted to cooperate, and between that and the unbelievable weather which ended up being in the 70's, it was the best day I've had on the water in a long time. I can't say enough about how beautiful these fish are , I only wish my photo equipment or skills could do them any justice at all.

Some of these fish had the most amazing burnt orange gill plates and stripes while others had the classic rainbow pinks and greens, but all were just the most perfect specimens with not a fin out of place.

Both of us had our best days ever on this river and lost count of how many fish we caught.


Nothing was big by normal standards (the 16 inch mark wasn't in question on that second day) but some nice fish were caught and I'm not ashamed to admit that my standards are set a little lower on a river such as this that has kicked my butt more than once in the past.

We only saw one other canoe on the water all day Saturday and then we saw a single fisherman at the Blair Bridge Access.

Neither of us could believe that there weren't more people out taking advantage of the weather but their loss was definitely our gain.
That night we dined on a homemade campfire jambalaya and washed it down with more cold beers than we probably should have.

Mental note to self : when the nearest facilities are a 10 minute drive away think twice before taking that second heaping helping of jambalaya. Let's just say that when I awoke the next morning I had to hit the ground running.
Sunday dawned cloudy and blustery , a rude awakening compared to the previous days tropical influence. We disassembled boats and packed them away, broke down camp in our usual orderly fashion and cleaned up around the campsite. I needed to be on the road by 11:00 but still had about two hours to kill after getting all the gear loaded up in the blazer. Kevin had planned on fishing but the cold blustery conditions led him to decide to finish his weekend with the pleasant thoughts of yesterdays outing instead of the stocking cap and gloves that today would require. I on the other hand am a glutton for punishment and and couldn't wait to get another crack at that run behind the island. I must have gotten a little cocky cause for some reason I decided to fish without an indicator and just swing my 2 nymph rig through the runs. I know this works great for some folks , most of them better fishermen than myself I assume , but I just never really have given it a shot anywhere. Let's say the results were mixed , I did manage to land 3 more fish in just under two hours but I felt as though I missed a lot more than I would have with my indicator rig. I guess I'm still not there yet...but it's still fun to experiment.

This was one of the best trips I've had in a long time, maybe it was just the cabin fever but regardless it was one hell of a trip. I can't say enough about the hospitality of Justin and Amy at Sunburst Ranch. All of the good things I'd read about Sunburst online were certainly true and I'm going to make sure it won't be as long as last time before I'm back down visiting with Justin in the driveway again.

Neosho River 1/18/11 "Kansas Tailwater"

One last day left in my weekend and snow scheduled to start arriving on Wednesday had me itching to get out of the house for a few hours yesterday. I knew most of the smaller reservoir outlets would be frozen solid just like the lakes they held back, but there was one place where I thought I might find some open water.

John Redmond reservoir is within an hour of home and has one of the larger sluice-gate dams in Kansas , I hadn't been there in years and never with a flyrod. When I was a kid my father would take me over below the dam in the spring to fish for white bass when they were running upstream. I really didn't have much hope in catching anything , but I'd been wanting to get over and check it out as a possible option for white bass and sauger when this damn winter rolls out of here anyway.

After throwing some gear in the truck and loading up my fishing buddy I was headed South down I-35 towards what I hoped would be some open water.
I had two different locations in mind to look at and decided to start below the dam on John Redmond. Upon arriving I could see that my hopes of open water were maybe a little optimistic for January in Kansas. My first glimpse of the river was nothing but ice packs downstream for as far as I could see. On second glance I noticed that the area of water directly below the sluice gates was open for about 100 yards , not exactly what I was hoping for but at least it was in a liquid state.

I rigged up a shad pattern that I've had success with previously and walked down to the only spot that would allow me fishing access. I must have spent close to an hour casting away and wishfully thinking that I might actually catch something before my cold fingers drove me back to the truck. The fishing left a little to be desired but it was still good to be out.

There were several open pools in the middle of the river that held large numbers of ducks, geese and pelicans which made for an entertaining time watching small groups coming in to land on the ice. I also got a few pics of a bald eagle that I was able to walk up on as he watched over the waterfowl down on the ice.

Beat the hell out of sitting home on the couch and staring at the idiot box all day. I'd had enough of my first spot so I decided to head a few miles downriver to a low water dam that I could remember fishing years ago. It took a little driving around to locate the spot I was looking for but I eventually arrived at my destination.

To my surprise the river was open for a stretch of about 400 yards below the spillway and actually looked pretty good. The dog and I worked our way downstream until we hit the ice pack and then fished our way back upstream to the truck.

Various flies were tied on and subsequently lost among the rocky crag bottom.

At one point I was swinging a heavily weighted pattern through a deep hole and felt a slight tick , setting the hook I felt a tug on the other end , I might just knock that skunk off yet I thought. No sooner did the thought cross my mind than the line went slack , damn... I spoke too soon. When I retrieved my fly there was a large scale attached , presumably from a carp or buffalo. Hell at this point I would've thoroughly enjoyed fighting a foul hooked rough-fish , at least it would've been a little action.

At the end of the day the fish tally remained at zero but it was still a worthwhile trip just to scout out some new areas. I'll be back this spring to chase some white bass and sauger when mother nature is a little more hospitable.

Niangua River 1/15/11 "River Solitude"

Originally I had planned on making it a 3 day trip with some friends to do a little fishing over the MLK holiday but for various reasons , weather being a big one, those plans had fell through. It's always difficult to plan trips this time of year as it's tougher to get people to commit when the chance of bad weather is always looming. My past experience has taught me to place almost as much faith in the seven day forecast as I do in the water generation schedule from the SWPA , at best you might get a 30% accuracy rate. Even so, the forecast for possible light snow and freezing rain on Sunday at home forced me to forego any overnight plans and choose a little closer destination which limited my choices.

I needed to get away , even if just for the day , so I called my buddy Kevin and we discussed our options for a day trip. After some indecision we chose to meet up down at the Niangua on Saturday morning and see about fooling a rainbow or two.

While the Niangua isn't even usually mentioned in conversations on Ozark trout streams, it's the closest coldwater fishery for me and I've grown fond of it's waters for reasons other than the fishing.

For three months of the summer the Niangua takes on a party atmosphere that can only be related to a combination of Animal House and Water World with a little Mardi Gras thrown in. If you head to the river during these months the aluminum hatch is epic. A handful of cheap Mardi Gras beads is highly recommended to enhance your on stream entertainment during slow fishing periods. I've even found that having a "rough day" of fishing can get you a sideshow if your supply of beads has already been depleted! While this whole scene doesn't lend itself to the making of a quality trout stream it does have one benefit , even after the party crowd is long gone the majority of fishermen seem to avoid this river, instead choosing to fish one of the more well known Ozark waters.

Granted the fishing is at best mediocre here even on the best of days , but for me there are days where all I want is a chance to swing a streamer through a riffle and hear the rushing of the water over the rocks.

I know there're at least a few fish in the river and the chance to relax all day and not meet another person on the water is just the fix I need after the everyday ratrace spits me out every week. To be honest I never have to leave dissapointed in the fishing simply because I go in with modest expectations unlike when I visit some other rivers. This in itself can make for a relaxing day of fishing, no pressure....no expectations.
Kevin and I met up around 8:30 and geared up in the parking lot. We both decided to throw small streamers today , Kevin choosing a Pine Squirrel Sculpin and myself a white wooly bugger.

Joe and I headed slightly upstream to work our way through the riffle out in front while Kevin dropped down to the bottom of the run to a small deeper pool.

The water was low and clear , testament to the fact that the Ozarks could use some substantial rains. While the fishing was far from fast and furious it took less than 20 minutes to land the first small bow on my white bugger.

I worked my way fairly quickly downstream swinging and stripping my fly through every piece of water I liked the look of while Kevin chose to hang around our starting point and work several pools thoroughly. A small group of wood ducks were the only company Joe and I encountered as we worked our way downriver from pool to pool.

Before I even realized how much time had slipped away it was already 12:00. I had managed to land 7 small bows (none of them would have had any problem fitting in a 12 inch skillet for dinner) in a few hours fishing which was just about an average day on this river.

My stomach was growling and I needed to see how Kevin was fairing so we headed back upstream to the vehicles. After finding Kevin we decided to take a little break and hit Reading's flyshop up the road before changing locations.

Charlie has one of the best flyshops around in my opinion , you just never know what you might find if you spend a little time wandering around. Close to an hour later and a few dollars shorter of pocket ,we got headed toward our second destination several miles downstream of our first stop. There was a section of water that I hadn't fished before in this area and this seemed like a good time to check it out. The three of us took off through a field headed towards water that we hoped would look fishy.

After a short hike we arrived to find some pretty good looking water and best of all we again had the entire river to ourselves. We fished our way upstream slowly , taking time to enjoy the peacefullness of just being on the water (that's another way of saying that we just didn't find many fish down here!). We each missed a fish or two and I managed to land one more small rainbow before we called it a day. While the fishing might have been a little slow , there are those times when slow is just what we're looking for. I got just what I needed out of my day on the water.....sometimes less really is better.

Bugs from the Bench...."Hares Ear Variant"

With winter hitting full force here in the midwest my fishing reports are getting further and further apart it seems. While I wish I could be on the water more this time of year, the facts are that I have to drive 200 miles to be on the closest coldwater stream to my home and my local waters are no longer in a liquid state. As with most fly fishermen, tying flies keeps me going through the off times.

I'm not an expert tyer or even a good tyer for that matter, but I do enjoy sitting down at the bench for an evening of relaxation. To fill some empty space on the pages of my blog I've decided to post a few fly patterns. These flies aren't patterns that I've developed, although I may have tweaked some of them to perform better on the waters I fish. Last night I had some time to sit down at the vise , and after looking through the nymph box decided to fill some vacancies created by my last couple trips. My selection of GRHE flies always takes a hit when nymphing as they're universally productive on practically all waters. One of my favorites is a Hares Ear Variant tied on a curved caddis hook.

This fly isn't pretty or difficult to tie , but it's been highly productive for me. Following are a few pics and the recipe for tying my version of this fly (still trying to learn the best ways to photograph flys so pics kind of suck!).


Recipe : Hares Ear Variant
Hook...Mustad C49S (sz 14-16)
Bead...Gold Tungsten or bead of choice
Thread...Black 6/0 or 8/0
Tail...Wood Duck flank feathers
Rib...Small copper or Gold Ultra-Wire
Body... Hares Ear dubbing of choice
Shellback...Mottled Turkey tail feather
Thorax...Hares Ear dubbing and Tan UV Ice Dubbing mixed
Collar...Light Ginger Hen Saddle feather palmered