Welcome to the Ozark Fly Fishers
Founded 1971
A Missouri 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation
Upcoming Events
April 25: Jenn Girardeau MDC Fishery biologist, Blue Springs + Meremac river May 23: Brian Waldrop, MDC Stream Team on midges
June 27: TILLIS PARK BBQ, 5pm
July 25: Chris Behlmar, taxidermist – fish mounts and reproductions
August 22: Jeff Trigg, redfish fishing
September 26: Michael Kidd, subject TBD
Michael will be our speaker on March 28!
SOWBUG PICTURES:
Casper, Wyoming
If you are considering heading out west to Yellowstone this summer then I hope you will consider spending some time in Casper, Wyoming along the way. Dan and I spent a day there last fall floating the Grey Reef Tailwater with the Crazy Rainbow Flyfishing outfit out of the Ugly Bug Fly Shop in Casper and it was worth every minute of it. We went in late August and the weather was rainy throughout the day. We had a chilly morning start, but it warmed up nicely late in the day. The Grey Reef is known for its Rainbows, Browns, and Cutthroat that apparently do very well with nymphing. We had hoped to hit on some dry fly activity as well, but that was not the case. We had a guide that kept us rigged and fishing hard and we seemed to do the best that day with a San Juan and a nymph dropper as I recall. There was a fair amount of bottom growth vegetation in late summer and you couldn’t sight fish as the water wasn’t crystal clear, but when they hit it was incredible. You had a sport fish on the line, and you got your money’s worth in a good fight. They would jump and run like no other fish I have seen. Dan out fished me by a long shot but we both caught Rainbows and Browns that were about the largest of any I have seen out west. They were all over twenty inches easily.
This stretch of water was once known as one of the most polluted in the state. It was an industrial dumping ground that was reclaimed in the late fifties. The conservation group that spearheaded the effort was the Two Fly Conservation group together with the city of Casper and their hard work has paid off. This is now a bucket list destination for a lot of avid trout fisherman the world over. One of the unique aspects of floating with this outfit is that they own the first nine miles of put in. Meaning you could get out and wade along the way without violating any trespassing laws and the added benefit of not being inundated with ten other boats floating with you. We had the entire stretch to ourselves for eight hours. It was a treat.
The fishing was great, the scenery fantastic, we saw tons of wildlife as well. Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Sandhill Cranes, jackrabbits, mule deer…and more. If solitude is what you’re after, this maybe it!
Cicadas are coming!
Start tying up some big dries. Last time they emerged I remember catching nice Smallies on big deer hair dry flies. Dan Curran
See this article from MDC titled Periodical Cicadas
https://mdc.mo.gov/trees-plants/diseases-pests/periodical-cicadas
Ed Heist found this Bulletin from March, 1887:
Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission Vol VII, 1887 pp. 55-56
15.—RAINBOW TROUT IN SOUTHWESTERN MISSOURI.
By Dr. J. MAYNARD.
Very great success has been gained in stocking Spring River, and this indicates what can be done in all the waters of Southwestern Missouri, from and including the Osage River on the north and the Gasconade River on the east.
October 9, 1885, I went to the head of Spring River with Dr. E. P. Hansard, of Pierce City, Lawrence County, Missouri, to classify a trout said to be found there. On beginning fishing he immediately landed a 17-inch fish that proved to be a rainbow trout, sometimes known as the California red-sided trout. Soon afterwards another of the same species was taken, weighing a little over 4 pounds when dressed. In a study of the stream for about a mile I saw over 100 trout, ranging from 12 to 18 inches in length, and about 30 of the larger size were taken. At the head of the river, which is an immense spring, and within 100 yards below, I saw many thousands of the last hatching, which were 4 or 5 inches long.Thirty or forty were caught during this last summer a mile or so below the head of the river, where the water gets as warm in summer as it does in any of these streams, which shows that these fish will thrive all over this section of Missouri. These trout are the remnants and progeny of 1,500 fry planted June 10, 1882, and their growth is extraordinary. Even if they had been planted one or two years before, the growth is surprising, and shows that with a little care and expense all these streams can be made alive with a remarkably fine game fish, which is also an excellent and delicate table fish.
It is, moreover, more hardy than is generally supposed. I have planted it in the shallow creeks of the Wyoming plains, where the water gets so warm and is always so alkaline that scarcely anything but the hardy cyprinoids can live, and the rainbow trout has done well in them.
Cheyenne, Wyo,, March 29, 1887.
OFF Spring Trip to Montauk
When: April 22nd & 23rd, coming home on the 24th.
Please join your fellow Ozark Fly Fisher friends for a 2-day weekday trip to Montauk. We will be driving down early Monday April 22nd, both fishing and lodging Monday and Tuesday. Then finishing our last casts on Wednesday morning, April 24th.
Please join us for either or both days of fishing, experiences, lies, stories and friendship. Guaranteed to have a good time and more than a few laughs.
We can meet for lunch and dinners, if desired. A group campfire will be held each night.
Note: Montauk cabins (2) are planned to be available for reservation.
Let Dan Stag (Dan Staggenborg ) know if you are interested. Contact me at danstag@att.net or via text at 314-313-8327 to reserve a spot.
Hope you can join us.
OZARK FLY FISHERS 14TH ANNUAL MISSOURI STREAM TEAM OUTING
PROMOTING THE MISSOURI STREAM TEAM PROGRAM
(THE YEAR OF THE “AQUATIC” WORM)
EDUCATION * STEWARDSHIP * ADVOCACY
“WHERE SCIENCE AND SPORT COME TOGETHER”
July 19-21, 2024 Montauk State Park
This outing is taking shape. Keep an eye on the OFF newsletter for continued information in the coming months. Various presentations on numerous topics are planned for this event. This year our theme speaker will be Cadie Olson. Cadie is an Environmental Services Program staff member of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. She will present on the three worm phyla. Contact the Montauk lodge if you are interested in a room during this event. If you have concerns / questions, contact Scott Darrough: swdarrough@yahoo.com or 314-560-1335.
- ALSO -
Sainte Genevieve Museum Learning Center Speaker Series Presents
Missouri Stream Team
Brian Waldrop, Missouri Stream Team Coordinator Biologist
Wednesday, March 20 - 7:00 pm
Long time friend of our beautiful Missouri Streams, Brian, will present a general overview of the Missouri Stream Team program. If anyone is interested in attending this presentation, please contact Scott Darrough at 314-560-1335. All presentations are free to museum members. Otherwise, museum admission will apply. All attendees will receive a Missouri Stream Team T-Shirt.