Mid-Missouri Trout Unlimited

November 2005

Bethel Park Stocking

The winter delayed harvest season at Bethel Park will kick-off on November 1.  Approximately 2400 rainbow trout will be stocked in Bethel Lake for catch and release fishing through January 31 with harvest permissible thereafter.  A Missouri fishing permit is required for catch and release fishing, and a trout permit required to possess trout (after January 31).

    Kids can learn to catch trout at Kids Trout Outing at Bethel Park Lake on Sunday afternoon, November 6 from 12:30 – 3:00.  Kids can learn techniques for catching trout and appropriate methods for releasing trout unharmed, so that someone has the chance of later catching that same trout.  Flies and equipment will be available; door prizes will be given away.  To volunteer or contribute, contact Michael Riley, 573-817-0631. 

Photo courtesy of Clearwater Outfitters

Bryan Chilcutt - Secretary

October 4:  What’s New for 2006, Jon Deal reported on new equipment for fly fishers from his visit to the Denver Fly Fishing Show.

“Thanks” to Eleven Point Canoe Rental

Officer Slate for 2006-2007

Office elections will be held at the November meeting. 

The following slate of officers is proposed:

Pickers:

Bob Sites and Bill Lamberson pick bugs from samples collected on Little Piney Creek

Sites, Kruse and Lamberson conducted preliminary sampling in the vicinity of Vida Slab in anticipation of initiating a Chapter sponsored stream insect survey

Sagebrush Trout

by Jim Auckley

      In mid-September my wife Carolyn and I flew to Boise, Idaho to visit Jerry and Janet Conley for a few days before traveling to Bend, Oregon to see some old neighbors. Carolyn worked for Jerry  while he was director of the Missouri Department of Conservation.

     Jerry, a native of Cape Girardeau, loves to fly fish for trout, but he is also happy catching yellow perch or crappie from his boat. Knowing my penchant for trout, he wanted to show us one of his favorite spots -- the Owyhee River just over the state line in eastern Oregon. The Owyhee is a tailwater populated with wild brown trout. 

     We drove west out of Boise, passing fields of onions, sugar beet, mint and hops. The vegetation in the river canyon was desert-like, the air thick with the smell of sage. We followed the old railroad bed past Snively Gulch, Haystack Rock, the aptly-named Devil’s Gate and Kern Basin. Jerry hunts chukars in these sere hills, which reminded me of the back country of California’s Camp Pendleton.

     The river is of medium size, with smooth runs interrupted by short stretches of deep riffle water. The water is slightly milky, but very cold. 

     Jerry had been fishing the river on warm, sunny summer days and having great luck with Callibaetis duns and emergers. We arrived on a 65-degree, cloudy day with intermittent mist (you can see this coming-right?) I excitedly strung up my rod while watching 16- and 18-inch browns eagerly feeding on the surface. One scooped insects off the top with such vigor that his back was actually out of the water.

     I tried the dry fly, casting repeatedly over feeding fish. No luck. Next I tried the emerger. No deal. Jerry’s fallback pattern was a Griffith’s Gnat (we could see midges in the air, but little else). Still no luck. Next, a small brown ant. Janet and Carolyn watched as the fish ignored everything Jerry and I threw at them. We moved to a different location as dark fell, literally tying on flies held against the headlights of the car so we could see them. Zero, nada, nothing.

     Jerry was as crestfallen as anyone who has taken someone to a favorite fishing spot and then been skunked. We consoled ourselves over Mexican food and cold beers in a little crossroads town on the way back to Boise.

     The next day the Conley’s took us on a 12-hour circle road trip up into the mountains (past miles of gorgeous streams with nary an angler in sight) to the town of Stanley (think Northern Exposure, less the moose in the street). The Sawtooth Mountains were draped in snow. Next was Sun Valley, where the rich people ski, then downhill to The Nature Conservancy’s preserve on the world-famous Silver Creek where Carolyn and I saw our first Sandhill crane. On this trip Jerry guided me into no less than five different fly shops. The Owyhee? The shop gurus all advised the fly of first choice was a blue-wing olive. Hmmm. Jerry bought a lot of them that day.

     We left Boise in a rented car. Instead of taking the boring, straight-through-the-sagebrush route to Bend we struck out for a place called North Powder, then turned west through the national forests. The scenery and driving were terrific. We spent the night in John Day, then drove into Bend the next afternoon. While spending five days in Bend we hiked along mountain streams straight from heaven, stared into the transparent waters of Crater Lake, walked the lava fields, ate salmon our friends had caught in British Columbia and attended a  film festival. 

     Seeing all this grand scenery and trout water, I caught myself wondering why I live in the Midwest. Reality struck when I went out on my friend’s deck (which overlooks the upper Deschutes) on the morning of  September 22 to find all surfaces covered with frost. In truth, at Bend (elevation 3,623 feet) summer is short, and the back country is only open about three to four months a year for those lacking snow machines.

     If you are not into skiing (I’m not), that leaves an awful lot of winter days indoors tying flies. We hope to return to Bend for more visits, but probably never before the first of July or later than the end of September. Meanwhile, down in Boise (elevation 2,704) the climate is more forgiving, and Jerry Conley can fish the Owyhee year-round.  If I get back there, I plan to be heavily armed with blue wing olives in all sizes and variations.