Don’t take this as a complaint but over the last few years it has gotten increasingly difficult to find time to fish at the end of March with all the KU basketball success. Late March used to be my favorite time for overnight canoe trips in the Ozarks but I have yet to find a TV on a gravel bar. With the unseasonable warmth I really wanted to get some more time on Missouri’s Blue Ribbon Trout Streams so I gave Randy a call to see if he could work in some fishing for the last weekend in March–depending on how KU did in the tournament. He was gung ho and we decided we were heading out. I thought it was possible they’d make the final four [size=50]but I didn’t think it was likely [/size]
As you know KU ended up in the final four and Randy still wanted to go fishing. Hard to work this dilemma out. Many years ago, Randy started me out flyfishing for trout in Missouri. I think he was looking for someone as crazy as he is for fishing all day–no matter the weather and only stopping to refuel with a sandwich. He didn’t quite find that person but we are compatible. I really didn’t want to let him down because we simply don’t get to fish together enough these days. Finally, we decided on sharing a hotel room so we could watch the semi-final on a TV—good choice on the game and the fishing was great too.
We motored down Saturday morning and fished the till sundown. The stream was beautiful and the fish were cooperative.
I left Randy here to fish back upstream.
I went a bit further downstream and was going to follow him upstream so he would have the first shot.
I immediately caught several fish here.
Took my time and really enjoyed these runs.
After quite a few small trout on a dry I decided I’d best check in on Randy and see how he was doing.
He was just where I’d left him and unfortunately he was catching some but not as consistently as the hole just downstream where I was fishing. I was using an EHC and catching lots of little ones. He was using nymphs. I really felt bad. He ended up catching fish but neither of us caught fish the rest of the day like I did in the first area. Kind of strange.
We moved up and down the stream all day. I eventually changed over to a mohair leech and while I caught fewer they were larger. It was a good day with a lot learned by both of us about fishing this stream.
On Sunday we tried another stream. Catching wasn’t as good Sunday but the fishing was still sublime.
Here the fishing wasn’t as consistent as we had the day before. Still there was a lot learned. By one o’clock we were ready to pack up for home knowing that we’d be back.