Post by RodKneeTrouter on Mar 20, 2006 9:31:36 GMT -5
'Lo All -
Just back and don't feel like working, but have to appear to be doing something....so I'll post these pics and exaggerate fish sizes/numbers caught where plausible.
These were all taken on my recent yearly 'repatriation' trip to the US for some spring trout fishing in the southern Missouri, northern Arkansas area. The fishing is always fantastic, and the people are very friendly too.
I'm going to put in a blatant plug here for our host - Mr Myron Mckee - he owns and operates the 'River of Life Farm' on the North Fork of the White River which has excellent cabins for fisherpersons and their families at reasonable prices. Oh yes, and of course there is the matter of private access to some of the best wild rainbow (yes I did say wild) fly fishing on the planet. Check out his website and if you are down that way, tell him Mike Nye sent you.
www.riveroflifefarm.com
Unfortunately, the North Fork was completely blown out at the time that we were there due to heavy rains. So, we cancelled our float trip plans and instead hooked up with local guide and friend Kyle Kosovich who turned us onto some of the other rivers in the area. In addition to being a great friend, Kyle is the perfect guide. In his 'spare time' he moonlights as a biololgist for the Missouri DNR - surveying trout populations. Who better to know where the big fish are?
Day 1 found us at the mighty White River - home to many famous fly fishermen. In the stretch in the pic below, Davy Wotton just about ran me over in a boat he was guiding. I took it as a compliment - he must have known that I was onto the fish and wanted his sport to get some of the action.
Here's a shot of one of the good runs on the White - it doesn't look like much, (as we informed Kyle when he first brought us there) but we must have caught (and released) 50 fish between us in this stretch, including 2 double hookups which I find rarely happens with trout on rivers:
Here's a shot of a nice 10 inch bow I caught on a different stretch of the White - this was the average sized fish we caught on the White that day. In all, we had 50+ fish each that day - none under 8 inches with the largest to about 17...Cutbows, rainbows and browns.
We decided to go for more challenging fish on the second day. So we went to the Spring river in Arkansas. A very different feel with a sandier bottom. The fishing was much slower but we managed to take a few. Here is a shot of my mate Greg (left) Kyle (right) on the Spring.
On our final day we decided to hit the Current River as Kyle had 'shocked up' some big browns in there on his last survey. It did not dissapoint. Here is a shot of the river itself - it was absolutely beautiful - one of the 'fishiest' looking rivers I have ever seen: Nice sweeping bends, deep holes and cover everywhere - the type of river that has spots that look so good you are almost afraid to cast into them for fear of hooking and losing the monster fish 'that must be living there.'
Olive wooly buggers and big nasty sculpin patterns produced well here in the evening. I caught this fat 14 inch female brown, (me on left) which I was very proud of for a few moments, until I looked upstream to find Greg (my former best friend) netting this 17-18 inch cock fish.
Here's a better pic of Greg's fish:
A very nice trip. It always is. If any of you want more detail on where to go down there or how to get in touch with Kyle etc then PM me and I'll be glad to share.
Mike
Just back and don't feel like working, but have to appear to be doing something....so I'll post these pics and exaggerate fish sizes/numbers caught where plausible.
These were all taken on my recent yearly 'repatriation' trip to the US for some spring trout fishing in the southern Missouri, northern Arkansas area. The fishing is always fantastic, and the people are very friendly too.
I'm going to put in a blatant plug here for our host - Mr Myron Mckee - he owns and operates the 'River of Life Farm' on the North Fork of the White River which has excellent cabins for fisherpersons and their families at reasonable prices. Oh yes, and of course there is the matter of private access to some of the best wild rainbow (yes I did say wild) fly fishing on the planet. Check out his website and if you are down that way, tell him Mike Nye sent you.
www.riveroflifefarm.com
Unfortunately, the North Fork was completely blown out at the time that we were there due to heavy rains. So, we cancelled our float trip plans and instead hooked up with local guide and friend Kyle Kosovich who turned us onto some of the other rivers in the area. In addition to being a great friend, Kyle is the perfect guide. In his 'spare time' he moonlights as a biololgist for the Missouri DNR - surveying trout populations. Who better to know where the big fish are?
Day 1 found us at the mighty White River - home to many famous fly fishermen. In the stretch in the pic below, Davy Wotton just about ran me over in a boat he was guiding. I took it as a compliment - he must have known that I was onto the fish and wanted his sport to get some of the action.
Here's a shot of one of the good runs on the White - it doesn't look like much, (as we informed Kyle when he first brought us there) but we must have caught (and released) 50 fish between us in this stretch, including 2 double hookups which I find rarely happens with trout on rivers:
Here's a shot of a nice 10 inch bow I caught on a different stretch of the White - this was the average sized fish we caught on the White that day. In all, we had 50+ fish each that day - none under 8 inches with the largest to about 17...Cutbows, rainbows and browns.
We decided to go for more challenging fish on the second day. So we went to the Spring river in Arkansas. A very different feel with a sandier bottom. The fishing was much slower but we managed to take a few. Here is a shot of my mate Greg (left) Kyle (right) on the Spring.
On our final day we decided to hit the Current River as Kyle had 'shocked up' some big browns in there on his last survey. It did not dissapoint. Here is a shot of the river itself - it was absolutely beautiful - one of the 'fishiest' looking rivers I have ever seen: Nice sweeping bends, deep holes and cover everywhere - the type of river that has spots that look so good you are almost afraid to cast into them for fear of hooking and losing the monster fish 'that must be living there.'
Olive wooly buggers and big nasty sculpin patterns produced well here in the evening. I caught this fat 14 inch female brown, (me on left) which I was very proud of for a few moments, until I looked upstream to find Greg (my former best friend) netting this 17-18 inch cock fish.
Here's a better pic of Greg's fish:
A very nice trip. It always is. If any of you want more detail on where to go down there or how to get in touch with Kyle etc then PM me and I'll be glad to share.
Mike
But it was after the road turns to dirt upstream from wildcat shoals. Its the place in the first picture on my post - although its probably hard to tell. 
