Welcome to the Ozark Fly Fishers
Founded 1971
A Missouri 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation
Bennet still a mystery . . .
As we published earlier, the Bennet Springs Construction is suspended. Here is the web address.
Https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/bennett-spring-fish-hatchery/bennett-spring-construction-updates
When asked for the status and time frame, one MDC official stated "I cannot comment because of potential litigation." The lack of transparency is frustrating.
Still Casting for a Leader
Fellow club members,
As the seasons shift and we enjoy the long evenings on the water, it’s time to turn our thoughts toward one of the highlights of our club’s year-the Annual Banquet. It’s an evening we all look forward to: great food, fine company, raffles, live auctions, fish tales, and maybe even a few lies about the one that got away.
But, here’s the thing- we need someone to help make all this happen.
We’re currently seeking a volunteer to step into the role Banquet Chair. This position isn’t about doing everything yourself; It’s about helping guide a team of willing hands to bring the banquet together. If you’ve ever enjoyed an evening of laughter, raffles, and community thanks to this event, you know how important it is to our club culture.
The Banquet Chair is responsible for:
Helping organizing the raffle, auctions and donations. The venue, food and bar options are taken care by other volunteers. Between all the other help, it promises to be a smooth, fun, and memorable evening.
You’ll have plenty of support-past chairs are happy to share their wisdom, and the board is ready to help every step of the way. Whether you’re a seasoned organizer or just someone with a passion for the club and a knack for getting things done, this is a great opportunity to make a big impact.
If you’re interested or even just curious, please reach out to me. Stepping up for a role like this is how we keep our club strong, connected, and thriving.
Steve Antonic
President. Ozark Fly Fishers
314-401-8874
sjantonic@charter.net
BANQUET REMINDER
Dear Members
The time has come to mark your calendars, saving the date for our annual fundraising banquet.
As you know, our annual fundraising banquet is our clubs largest fundraising eventof the year, providing us the opportunity to sponsor our many events throughout the entire year.
Next year’s banquet and silent auction is on Saturday, January 17th, 2026.
The banquet will be held at the same location as years past. Andre’s at Sunset Hills 13366 West Watson Road Sunset Hill, Missouri 63127
This year’s cost will remain the same as last year, $40.00 per person which includes a nice meal, desert, and open bar. The event will include raffles, silent auction as well as a live auction.
We encourage all of you to bring your spouse, guest and even friends, who might not be club members, to join us for a great night out.
Please mark your calendars, make plans to attend and support your club. Reservation forms will be made available in the near future.
Thank you and hope to see you there.
Montauk Mid-week
Ozark 2 day Summer Meeting of the Minds at Montauk
It was getting to be late summer and the Ozark guys hadn’t had a “meeting of the minds” on a (relatively) local trout stream in several months. The weather was moderating.
Sure, guys had gotten out here and there. But it was time to organize a club trip. We needed to get out and fish as a group, dang it !
So we set up an informal 2 day trip to Montauk in mid-September with an option to fish one or both days. The plan was to meet at the parking lot near the Naturalist Office each morning, spread out and reconvene for lunch to compare notes and tell stories.
The first day Bill Grelle, Dan Rasch and Dan Stag fished near the powerlines at in the morning and picked up a few fish each with most being 1 or 2 on each pattern, the BSK and various Cracklebacks worked well. We met for lunch and caught up with Steve Antonic who had fished above the dam and caught several stripping Cracklebacks.
After lunch Dan Rasch headed back to the powerlines and did pretty well on midges.
Dan Stag and Bill Grelle went to the boulder area and caught a decent number on nymphs, BSKs and stripping cracklebacks.
Bill Grelle had the memorable experience of catching his first fish on a dry fly in the water above the boulder. In fact BIll caught 2-3 up there. Seems he’s hooked on dry flies.
The 3 of us stopped at 5pm. and drove into Salem for the pizza buffet. Tuesday night was senior discount night at the Pizza Inn. What luck !
The next morning, Wednesday we were joined by a number of Ozark friends who came down for the day.
Dave Haas, Paul Jackson, Jeff Cohen, Glenn Bish, Chris Friesen joined Bill Grelle, Dan Rasch and DanStag.
We all caught up at lunch and exchanged notes as always.
Here’s the individual reports:
Glenn Bish: Zebra midge was best although caught fish on other flies: Beetle, big hurt also. Mostly indicator fishing and dry. Quit a bit early due to knee & back “barking”
Chris Friesen: Definitely zebra midges, Larry fly, and one at the end on a Big Hurt. Morning above the dam yielded 7, then got 2 more near the 2nd set of steps (the blue hole). Barking back, yuck !
Jeff Cohen: Started out above the powerlines hole drifting and lightly stripping soft-hackles. Downsized to about a size 18 or 20 and caught about 6-7 fish in the morning using that method.
In the afternoon Dan Rasch and Jeff went just above the big dam. Dan R reported he got nothing but too hot and thirsty fishing from the sunny side. (Dan, just because you are suffering, doesn’t mean you are going to catch fish…)
So Jeff crossed over to the shady side above the dam caught 4 using an elk hair caddis w/ a #16-18 nymph dropper, mostly close to that bank. Then caught 3-4 more using the BSK, casting to the stream center and lightly stripping at 90 degrees perpendicular to the stream. For Dan Rasch, he caught fish in brief bunches. 3 or 4 on a pattern then nothing. The BSK worked a little. Flies were soft hackle, a white grub, egg sucking leech (olive at first, and then blonde later), the Big Hurt, and black+silver Zebra midges.
Paul Jackson said he had a great time, although a bit disappointed his euro nymphing didn't work. ( Paul tried going all “George Daniel” on us). He thought perhaps the water was too slow for that technique but bravely tried it anyway. He did have luck fishing a rusty brown soft hackle, a green mohair, and a brown mohair leech, in that order. The mohair worked with or without a float.
David Haas fished a crackle back and a Whitlock hopper netting several nice fish.
DanStag: had a super fun day. Caught a bunch and never had an indicator on all day.
The fishing (and the fish) were both definitely looking UP ! Over the course of the day, Caught 15 on dries (headlight caddis); 16 on a beetle (terrestrial) before losing it in a tree. Fell in trying to retrieve the fly and got water in the waders. Fished the last 2 hours in wet waders landed 9 on soft hackle to numerous rising fish as it was getting darker. Hooked, played and lost number 10 while the siren was blowing and had to laugh out loud at the whimsy of getting “oh so” close to the goal and not achieving it which brought the conclusion of an eventful day !
Pretty safe to say the guys all enjoyed invading Montauk for a day, hanging out & joking with our good fishing buddies, and exchanging intel, stories among ourselves.
Hope the other OFF members who couldn’t make it THIS time, will be able to go with us NEXT time.
Another day trip before start of C & R season: Bennett Spring, maybe !?!?
Classic Crackleback
While fishing Montauk and the Current River this past summer, I was staying the park for a few days and got up early to hit the river below Tann Vat. Apparently, I was not the only one with that idea so I was not the first one on the water – more like the 4th or 5th. The water was low and clear, but the water temperature was good due to the unlikely cooler weather that week.
With no evidence of any emerging insects, I threw my usual go-to nymph rig with limited success. I started changing up going deeper and slower, smaller and lighter, EuroNymphing the deeper runs, and even throwing some small streamers. I caught some fish, but not what I usually do. I spoke with five different guys returning upstream one by one around 10am and they reported similar luck doing the same things I was doing. They started out fishing in the dark this morning, and were going in the reverse order as me – streamers, big nymphs, then little nymphs.
I took a break in the shade and watched the river go by and calm down after the parade of fishermen passed by. I looked at my now full fly patch to review what had not worked. I pulled out fly boxes and went thru the usual progression of decisions, Then I remembered the bulk box tucked away in the back pocket of my sling pack.
There were all of my Plan C, D, and E flies that were once Plan A and B flies. With the limited success from the morning and the warming temperatures, I was losing my focus a little so I started looking for a fly I didn’t have to think too hard about fishing. There it was – Ed Story’s Crackleback. Not the sparkly tinsel-bodied blue, or green, or whatever color. Not the slick, spiffy over-hackled commercial-looking pattern, but one of Ed’s original flies. Furnace Chinese saddle hackle, peacock back, and light olive dubbed body tied on an old #12 Mustad 94838 short-shank dry fly hook. I stripped all my leader down to a dry fly leader and tied one on.
Within a few casts, I was catching fish both on top as a dry fly and stripped back down and across the current. Turns out they were all looking up despite no real bugs on the water. After a decent number of fish, I started switching out to hoppers and other terrestrial patterns to see if I could raise some bigger fish… I did not. Switching back to the Crackleback, I went back to catching again. The bigger fish came by throwing to overhanging cover and undercut banks but all on that same Crackleback.
Returning to the park for the late afternoon and evening, I went straight to a Bob’s Fly – pheasant tail body and ginger hackle tied on the same Mustad #94838 in #14. I fished that fly throughout the fly-only section until dark and landed countless fish. That evening, I made room in my Plan A fly box for some Cracklebacks and Bob’s Flies. Next time you are poking around on Feather-Craft.com, click on the “Experiences” tab, and open “Primers”. Among other articles of interest, you will find “The Ultimate Guide to the Crackleback.’ Give it a read and remember where it all started.
Mike Ott
Michelle Gabelsberger
Michelle has resigned her positiuon with CFM,. She reported:
"Yesterday I stepped away from my role with Conservation Federation of Missouri, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude. For the past 7.5 years, it has been an honor to serve alongside you in advancing CFM's mission and strengthening conservation efforts across our state.
What I will carry forward most are the relationships built there, the friendships, the teamwork, and the shared passion for protecting Missouri. CFM will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will continue to cheer on its success from the sidelines.
Thank you for trusting me, supporting me, and allowing me to be part of this incredible mission. It has truly been a privilege. My next chapter is with the Missouri Chamber of Commerce."
We worked with her closely on several occasions, and wish her the best.
New Meeting Location for 2026
Looks like we have a new home for 2026 at our previous location, Holy Cross Lutheran Church. Our meetings go from 7 to 9 pm. The dates are as follows:
March 26
April 23
May 28
July 23
August 27
September 24
October 22
December 10
Thanks,
Paul Jackson
636-236-1977 cell
Jim Rogers article in Rural Missouri Magazine
Rogers fishes for a legacy
by Kyle Wayne Stewart | info@ruralmissouri.coop
photos by Jim McCarty | jmccarty@ruralmissouri.coop
When it comes to the legends of fly-fishing, the typical names that would likely come up in conversation would be international celebrities of the sport, such as Lefty Kreh, Flip Pallot and Joe Humphreys, among others. However, one of the most influential ambassadors of the sport resides right here in Missouri. If you’ve ever been to one of Missouri’s trout parks, chances are good that you’ve seen this man in action, too.
Just like any other fly fisherman, Jim Rogers had to start from scratch. Back in the 1950s when Jim was 10 years old, his father would pack up the family and their camping gear and make an annual trip from Oklahoma to Roaring River State Park near Cassville. It was there, along the banks of the trout-filled stream, that Jim discovered what would become a lifelong love affair with fly-fishing.
“I would see these old men casting with fly rods and it intrigued me,” says Jim, who is a member of Laclede Electric Cooperative. “They were catching fish and I wasn’t, and I wanted to learn their secrets.” After that, Jim was hooked. On each consecutive family camping trip back to Roaring River, he would practice and practice with a fly rod until it became second nature and the fish became seemingly effortless to catch.
But his connection with Roaring River State Park didn’t end there. In fact, those early vacations were the genesis of what would become a long-lasting relationship that would see him running the southwestern Missouri trout park for more than 40 years.
In 1975, while he was working for Drury Hotels in Springfield, Jim heard that the concessionaire contract for Roaring River was coming up for bid. He jumped at the opportunity to throw his hat in the ring and he got the job.
“My beginnings were at Roaring River as a young man. Then my wife and I started camping there after we got married, and then with our first daughter once she came along,” Jim says. “It was like God designed me to do this.”
After five years at the helm of operations for Roaring River, Jim was offered the opportunity to manage another trout park, Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon. Never one to shy away from challenges or excellent fishing, Jim said “yes.” He went on to simultaneously manage concessions for both parks until 2023 when he decided to let Roaring River go and focus his full attention on Bennett Spring and the Jim Rogers School of Fly-Fishing.
That marked almost five decades spent at two out of the three Missouri State Park trout parks, so you know this man knows his stuff when it comes to fishing for trout.
Over that span of time it is no exaggeration to say Jim has instilled the love of fly-fishing for many and helped thousands of Missourians learn to fly-fish through his fly-fishing school. Perhaps no Missourian has had a greater impact on the sport than Jim.
“Since I started teaching in 1976, I believe I have taught over 4,000 students to fly-fish through the school and private lessons,” Jim says. “And I’m proud to say that at least seven of them learned how.” He laughs with his congenial spirit on full display.
The school is designed to benefit both beginner and advanced anglers with their casting and overall knowledge of the sport, leaning on Jim’s nearly 50 years of teaching and 70-plus years of fly-fishing. Based out of a small classroom on the backside of the park store at Bennett Spring, Jim walks his pupils through the essentials: learning the different parts of a fly rod and reel and how they work in tandem to accurately cast for hungry fish. They’ll also learn the mechanics of basic casts, such as the roll, overhead, single-haul and double-haul casts. Depending on the class, additional topics can include fly-tying; reading the water; fly selection; and how to play, land and safely release a fish.
Then, it’s time for the students and the teacher to head outside in the grassy courtyard between the classroom and the park’s dining lodge. That’s when Jim gets the chance to show his stuff. As one of the few international fly-fishing instructors to hold a Masters Certification from the Federation of Fly Fishers, now Fly Fishers International, Jim is exceptionally adept at casting for distance and accuracy, both skills that have earned him awards and accolades in competitions over the years. And he’s picked up a few other impressive casting tricks along the way.
But perhaps his most impressive skills are his ability to engage, entertain and encourage all of the students throughout each class session. Jim has no shortage of captivating stories and funny anecdotes, which he shares freely not only with his students but any and all guests at the park who get a chance to talk with him.
In addition to learning from a master, if participants aren’t already rigged for trout fishing, they are welcome to use the park’s rods, reels, waders and other gear, free of charge during the class. Additionally, students receive 25% off Jim’s signature line of rods, reels and fishing sling packs. Students also are encouraged to fish before and after class to maximize their experience and practice what they’ve learned. Talk about having a great day at school!
The basic school costs $100, and children under 16 enrolled with an adult can learn for free. Private lessons are $75 for one adult and $110 for two adults. Available class dates for 2025 are: May 11; June 15; July 6; Sept. 14; and Sept. 28.
If you are interested in learning more about the Jim Rogers School of Fly-Fishing you can either stop in at the camp store at Bennett Spring State Park and ask for Jim, call 417-532-4307 or visit www.JimRogersFlyFishing.com.
Stewart is a freelance writer from Jefferson City.
reprinted with permission of Missouri Rural Editor, Sara Schafer
The list of upcoming events:
October 9-12 Taneycomo Outing
October 23 - Joe Oelke - Urban fishing in St. Louis
November 14-16 - Bennett Springs Catch & Release Outing
December 11 - Christmas Party
January 17 - Banquet
February 21 - All Day meeting with Son Tau
Thanks,
Paul Jackson
Lake Taneycomo Outing
October 9th, 10th and 11th 2025
Ozark Fly Fishers fall outing will be held at beautiful Lake Taneycomo the second weekend of October. Lodging has been arranged at Lilley’s Landing Resort. This has always been an enjoyable outing with the chance to catch some really large fish. We have reserved four cabins for Thursday, Friday and Saturday night October 9-11, 2025.
Lilley’s Landing has its own trout dock with jon boats that can be rented by the day. For those interested in renting boats or guide services, you can reach out to:
For those interested in renting boats or guide services, you can reach out to:
River Run Outfitters
Historic Hwy 165
Branson. MO 65616
1-417-332-0460
https://www.riverrunoutfitters.com
Lilley’s Landing
367 River Ln 2626
Branson, MO. 65616
1-(417)-334-6380
https://www.lilleyslanding.com /
Thanks, Ed!
Fly Casting Tip October 2025
Continuing a discussion of Lefty Kreh’s principles of fly casting. As a reminder the principles are:
1) “You must get the end of the fly line moving before you can make a back or forward cast.”
2) “Once the line is moving, the only way to load the rod is to move the casting hand at an ever-increasing speed and then bring it to a quick stop.”
3) “The line will go in the direction the rod tip speeds up and stops—more specifically. It goes in the direction that the rod straightens when the rod hand stops.”
4) “The longer the rod travels on the back and forward casting strokes, the less effort is required to make the cast.
Regarding principle #4 – Said another way – the farther one wants to cast the greater the stroke length needs to be in order to cast farther most efficiently. With a short stroke only the tip of the rod bends, (unless an enormous amount of speed is produced). The tip has less ability to add power to a cast than the butt section of a rod. Therefore, if casting any distance, the caster should get the butt of the rod to bend in order to add power. While increasing the stroke length is key another essential is to maintain the correct arc of the cast. That is, one should maintain a straight line path (SLP) of the rod tip. A big arcing cast is not an increase in stroke length.
Also, Lefty adds that a longer stroke is needed to make several of the special casts (e.g. – side arm casting in windy conditions). It pays to practice changing stroke lengths to improve practical on stream casting.
Bill Armon