| the weather was too cold in Chicago, we decided | | | | this was a productive pattern, and It quickly |
| we needed a short fishing vacation. After all the | | | | produced at Bennett Springs. We caught a bunch |
| planning, the chosen weekend quickly approached | | | | of trout with the largest near 2 pounds, and lost |
| and we were heading to the Ozarks to fish for | | | | many more. There are certain sections in the |
| rainbow trout. Our destination for this short | | | | stream where the fish are holding, so you can be |
| weekend trip was Bennett Springs State Park in | | | | catching fish on almost every other cast, while |
| Missouri. Bennett Springs State Park is 175 miles | | | | your neighbor will be skunked. Your location is |
| southwest of St. Louis, and 10 miles northwest of | | | | very important, If the action slows then move |
| Lebanon, Missouri. Travel time from Chicago with | | | | and cover more water. Keep moving until fish are |
| stops was about 7½ hours. The park is state | | | | located. Trout can easily hold in depressions as |
| operated with cabins, campground, RV hookup, | | | | little as 6 inches deep. In flatter sections of the |
| tackle shop, restaurant and rainbow trout stocking | | | | river, this might be their only cover. Proper drifts |
| facility. There are three zones of fishing at the | | | | are also very important. The ability to present a |
| park. Zone # 1 is restricted to single barbed | | | | natural fly relies upon mending the flyline so the |
| hooks. Zone # 2 is artificial lures, but no bait or | | | | fly drifts naturally with the current. Flyline caught |
| plastic, and Zone # 3 is all baits allowed. We had | | | | in fast current will pull the fly out of the strike |
| our focus on Zone # 1, and planned to spend as | | | | zone, and give an unnatural appearance. Though, |
| much time as possible fly fishing. We had arranged | | | | there are situations when this is the exception |
| for this fishing weekend several months back, and | | | | when fishing emerging flies. As with bait fishing, |
| the travel day approached quickly. | | | | the idea was to have the baits float with the |
| The weekend arrived and by Friday at 1:00PM we | | | | current, but directly off the bottom. The sow |
| were on Interstate 55 heading south to Missouri! | | | | bugs and glow-balls were used in the same |
| We pulled into the campground about 8:30 PM, set | | | | manner only using a small pinch weight. The water |
| up the camper and planned our fishing strategy | | | | this trip was very muddy, with visibility less than 1 |
| for the morning. With all the rods prepped, all we | | | | foot. Usually the water clarity is excellent with |
| had to do was get up at 6:00AM, buy a trout tag | | | | visibility down to 5 feet. After a long morning of |
| and start fishing. With trout tags displayed, | | | | wading the river, I relaxed for a while on shore |
| (requirement at the park for anglers) we waded | | | | and watched a woodpecker search for food. In |
| into the river at Zone # 2, and waited for the | | | | the mornings you can also hear wild turkeys up in |
| horn. I planned to start fishing with a weighted red | | | | the hills while you are fishing. We did drive 7 |
| glow-ball, while Steve purposely used a different | | | | hours, but the ozarks has great scenery as well |
| color. We were both using Sage 9ft -5 weight | | | | as fishing. For anglers not interested in wading, |
| rods with a 5WF line and a 6x (3lb) tippet. Its best | | | | there is plenty of shore access along the 1½ |
| to use different colors when starting out to | | | | mile spring. There is also plenty of room at the |
| better determine what will actually work. If one of | | | | bridge at Zone # 3, here anglers can still enjoy |
| us starts catching fish the info is quickly passed | | | | quality trout fishing from the convenience of a |
| on. With several minutes left before the horn, I | | | | stable location and not fight the current. On |
| set my float about 4 feet above my fly and | | | | Sunday morning we fished from 6:30 to 10:00AM. |
| stripped off some casting line. Within minutes | | | | We kept several trout, and lost many more. The |
| after the horn, fish were being caught all over. | | | | weekend went very fast, but we had a lot of |
| The current was slightly fast, and I missed | | | | fun. |
| several strikes. I had too much slack in my drifts, | | | | I cooked my trout the day after I returned |
| and I was unable to set the hook on light hits. By | | | | home. We cooked the trout in my secret beer |
| shortening up the length of line to the fly, catching | | | | batter and breaded the fish with corn meal. That |
| percentage greatly increased. Sometimes trout | | | | is my way to keep the trip memories going. The |
| were caught with only 10 feet of line drifting. At | | | | fishing and camping is great at Bennett Springs |
| times it seemed the trout had turned off, but | | | | State Park, and you can enjoy the beauty of the |
| switching colors would start up the action. Our | | | | Ozarks. The Park Lodge has great food, and with |
| primarily patterns used were salmon eggs and | | | | a good camp spot, you can even walk to the |
| glow-balls in different colors. | | | | river to spend your day fishing. Give Bennett |
| After a while my action had completely stopped | | | | Spring State Park a try this year for great Ozark |
| so I switched to a tan sow bug. On other rivers | | | | trout fishing. |