Trout Fishin in Missouri!

I had the fortune to spend two great days with my grandson, fishing at Bennett Spring State Park in Missouri, the state's best trout stream.  We always have a great time, and catch fish, but this time we learned something new.   I nymph, when I have to, but have always used an indicator and weight, partly because of the level of comfort I have had with that system.  I observed an angler fishing a nymph without weight or indicator, so I figured, what the hey?...I'll try it.  So, I put on a BH Prince, and worked it cross-stream, with a slow strip.  Within four casts, I caught two 16" trout where others were catching none.  The rest of the day, it was the only way I fished, and I lost count of the number of trout I caught!  Try it sometime, you'll like it.
...keep the rod bent...ed


trout swimming...

Pink scuds rule...

On a business trip to northern Montana this week, I had the chance to fish the Missouri River near Great Falls.  Word had it that the pink scud was the trick.  I have never really gotten into pink scuds, typically I'll fish olive, tan, grey, brown...just not pink.  I don't know if this is a man thing... So, I'm fishing, and I catch a nice rainbow on an RS2.  I spotted some large trout hanging out in a turn, so I decided to slap on the pink scud, since they come so highly recommended.  I had tied some based on a recommendation from a guy I met on the South Platte in CO, that he ties them with a red body, and it 'bleeds' through in the water, looking like blood to the fish (his supposition).  I also dropped a small midge off the scud.  I sneek up, and pull a textbook case...target the fish, cast upstream far enough so as not to spook the fish, watch the drift...and he took it!  18" of strong rainbow, a lot of fun to catch.  I managed to catch several more throughout the day, including another 18", all on the pink scud.  I'm a believer!
keep the rod bent....ed