This river, in addition to the tailwaters in Arkansas offers some great fishing for Trout. You will need some of the following patterns: soft hackles, stone flies, caddis pupa and adults and possibly black caddis. We'll see ya down yonder!

Bonefish in Belize, guess again!

Would you believe grass carp at Busch's Wildlife?

Right in our own backyard, there are 32 lakes and over 550 acres of water that hold many challenging opportunities for the warm water fly fishing aficionado. Just a few of the species include grass carp, muskie, redear sunfish and largemouth bass.

If you time it right (almost any week day or week night after 5:00 PM) you are quite likely to have this piece a paradise to yourself.

Marvin Boyer, the fisheries biologist for Busch's Wildlife Conservation Area will be the guest speaker at our April 25th meeting. Marvin will have an extensive slide show about the fly fishing opportunities at Busch's.

The program will be at the Museum of the Dog, Queeney Park on Thursday April 25, 2002 and start at 7:30 PM. Casting will be available prior to the meeting. Please join us for a most informative meeting and find out how you can have as much fun in St. Charles as you can in Belize.

But it's also a time when buds on trees and a rising temperatures hint at what's in store in May. Trout fishing can be good if the rivers and creeks are stable and the tailwaters aren't flushing a huge amount of spring release water from dams downstream. There is even a rumor about a Hendrickson hatch on the Meramec if conditions are right. (This is really more of an urban legend than a reality). Read on about our outing planned later this month. Crappie move into the shallows of many area ponds, followed by bass and other fish get ready to spawn.

It's a time of anticipation but it's also a time of frustration. But it's that wait in April that makes the rest of the season worth it. So get the tackle ready and start looking around what the season offers. A few crappies on a small streamer or nymph can be a harbinger of things to come. From April showers spring May flowers and that applies to fishing as well.

The logo that is presently seen on our hats can be put on practically anything. Except a hat front. It can although be enlarged to go on the back of a jacket.( A price has not been determined as yet for the enlargement)

Here's how it works:

1. You buy the item to be sewn. ( shirt, jacket, underwear, ... yep, that's right, underwear)
   
   
2. Decide the color of thread for lettering (red, black or tan have been the choices so far)
   
   
3. Bring it to a meeting with a note saying which side you want it on and color, give it to me, I will have it at the next meeting or will deliver if close to Affton or any fly shop. All this for a whopping $10.00 and buy me a beer or merlot for delivery.
   
   
4. Adding your name will cost $3.00 extra, but will count for the new name tag program decided at the January board meeting.(See elsewhere) You may choose block or hand writing for your name.
   
   
5. A quick note from Jerry Jarosik. If you are a demonstrating fly tyer, consider a light colored shirt, no print, especially if being filmed.

Nita Baughn and I have been working on a few "Ozark Ideas" but she has many things that can be embroidered. Her Christmas lace crosses and angels were beautiful. Give me a call at 314-353-5619 if you have any questions.

Oh yeah, one more thing. If your spouse does not read the newsletter, PLEASE show that person this article! I nearly got strung up at the catch and release opener, when a wife (sorry I don't recall who it was) saw my embroidery on my fishing vest. "I DIDN'T KNOW THIS COULD BE DONE !" She made me shake in my already leaking waders. Please pass the newsletter on.

If you're not familiar with "Rodeos" they are a popular get-together of like-minded anglers to meet, exchange ideas, and fish together for an extended weekend. Here's your chance to experience the Missouri Ozarks tradition of float fishing for smallmouth bass on the state's clear streams. Rodeos are not fishing tournaments, or a sports show, and you don't have to know how to ride a bull to participate. Some say, knowing how to "shoot the bull" around the campfire could be an asset. Several successful rodeos have been held in the eastern states and the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance will host the first such event West of the Mississippi.

Plans are for a group BBQ dinner Saturday night, with an after dinner program by noted wildlife artist and angler, Al Agnew, and an Ozark breakfast on Sunday morning. Saturday and Sunday days will be kept open for plenty of floating, fishing and wading. Missouri Smallmouth Alliance members will be available to help with shuttles and serve as guides. Dan Kreher, National Coordinator of the National Smallmouth Alliance, will meet with anyone interested in starting a chapter in their region. Raffles, prizes, fly-fishing instruction, and a variety of fun things are in the works.

The Gasconade River offers well over 100 miles of excellent Smallmouth fishing with water perfect for quiet wade fishing to big enough for jet boats. The Big Piney, Little Piney, Osage Fork, and Niangua Rivers are all within a short distance. Gasconade Hills is located right on the river. They have rental canoes, camping, RV sites with hook-ups, and nine cabins available. Ozark Rodeo participants will be offered a special discount on camping and rentals.

The main festivities are going to be on Saturday and Sunday, but Missouri Smallmouth Alliance members will be available on Friday and Monday to help shuttle and guide any anglers that want to fish those days.

There is a $25.00 advance registration fee to attend the Ozark Fishing Rodeo. That price includes the Saturday night BBQ dinner, Sunday breakfast, Al Agnew's program and free raffle tickets for all sorts of new fishing equipment donated by area sports shops and tackle manufacturers. There will also be a special raffle for a new Old Town Loon Kayak and a limited edition print of Al Agnew's painting "Sunlight on Bronze". Registration at the rodeo will be $35.00.

To register send the names of the members in your party to Missouri Smallmouth Alliance. PO Box 325, St. Louis, Missouri 63088-0325. Be sure to include your check for $25.00 per person and a return address. We will send you an information packet and keep you informed or rodeo activities.

Mark your calendars for June 8th and 9th. Additional information will be posted at the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance web site http://www.smallmouth.org.

1. Bill Wethington
2. Chuck Ossenfort
3. Ray Morse
4. Jim Harris
5. Richard J. Moynihan
6. Dan Maltman
7. James P. Wallace
8. Jerry Spector
9. Fred L. Adams
10. Dee Howard
11. Derek Mcguire
12. Eric Abney
13. Carolyn Hellmuth
14. Steven Birkhead
15. Lori Irvine
16. Jerry Spector
17. Donald Arther
18. Anthony Zillen
19. Kerry Hollenbeck
20. Don Bitter
21. Dennis Schwab
22. Lawrence May
23. Robert Trigg
24. Terry Paull
25. Richard Robben
26. Lee Potts
27. Michele Noble
28. Dennis R. Hammett

What to Report if a violation is witnessed, please collect the following information:

1. Description of the violation (short fish, fishing with bait, etc).
   
   
2. Date and time. (The conservation agents like to see if a trend is developing).
   
   
3. Description of the individual(s). (Height, weight, hair color, etc).
   
   
4. Vehicle information. (Make, model, color and license plate).

How to report
Any hunting or fishing regulation violation can be reported to the Operation Game Thief hotline at 800-392-1111. You may be eligible for a reward using this number, but the biggest impact - getting an immediate response and possibly catching the violator - comes from calling an agent
directly.

The Current and Meramec Rivers fall in the East Central Region of MDC. Bill Kohne (pronounced "coney") is the Regional Director Protection.

Violations can be reported directly to Bill at the Sullivan, MO office of MDC at 573-468-3335. Outside normal working hours, Bill can be reached at 573-927-5560. You can also send written reports to him at the office.Here's the address:

Bill Kohne
Regional Director
Missouri Department of Conservation
P.O. Box 248
Sullivan, Missouri 63080

There are also two District Supervisors that cover the area:
Bill Stimson 573-458-4347
Dennis Twyman 573-468-5505

They have hired some new agents in the area, so there seems to be some hope that things will improve. We can make an impact by reporting legitimateviolations to these guys. Remember: stick to the facts, and don't be critical or confrontational - these guys are on our side.

Keep a card in your vest with these numbers on it. When a violation is spotted, make notes of what you see and call immediately.

The public meeting is scheduled to be held at the Kingston K-14 High School, Cadet, MO in Washington County, located about 1/4 mile south on the east side of Hwy. 21, from its intersection with Hwy. 47, south of Washington State Park. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. with an informal period whereby people can ask questions, then the second part will be a formal hearing during which the public can make comments on the WaCo Permit to discharge wastewater into Turkey Creek and the Big River. The meeting is to end at 10 p.m. Members from SHOW-ME, MISSOURI SMALLMOUTH ALLIANCE, Stream Team and Quail Unlimited will be present at the meeting March 7, 2002.

If you can't attend please send another letter stating the importance of our clean streams. Comments must be postmarked by March 21, 2002 and sent to Philip Schroeder, Water Pollution Control Program / DNR, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102 for WaCo Permit # MO-0127345.

Dave is a past president Ozark Fly Fishers and a Master Certified Fly Casting Instructor who has moved to SW Wisconsin near the town of Richland Center. He and Nancy have built a beautiful log cabin home there. For the Silent Auction at the Annual Banquet they provided the club with a trip for two to their Bed & Breakfast along with a guided trip on nearby streams. My wife, Donna, bid on and got the trip for us but was unable to go because of her thespian preoccupation at SIU in Edwardsville (she appeared in The Wizard of Oz and Godspell). So I enlisted another Ozark member, Gary Wintjen, to accompany me on the trip.

Dave and Nancy were very gracious hosts and put us up for an extra night at their home and fed us very well. We fished a neighbor's pond the first evening and all caught fish but Nancy outfished us all. Gary got a casting lesson from Dave that he still talks about whenever we get together to tie flies.

The next day Dave took us to the West Fork of the Kickapoo River and we caught fish all day. It's a small stream and you basically walk the bank sight-fishing and avoiding the curious cows which will trail along with you. Dave provided a wonderful guide lunch for us (Nancy probably had something to do with it). After lunch Dave put me in one hole where I caught trout after trout on an Elk Hair Caddis/nymph dropper combination for at least an hour before Gary attempted to crowd me out of there. I have since retired that Elk Hair Caddis since it lasted all day. What a great day on the stream!

If you want more information before the meeting check Dave's web site at http://www.jacquishhollowangler.com/. Be sure to ask him about the Volkswagen hole on the Kickapoo when he's here!

25 April 2002: General Meeting (Visitors are welcome): Fishery Biologist Marvin Boyer from the Busch Wildlife Area) will discuss the numerous fishing opportunities at this area close to St. Louis. The meeting will take place at the Queeny Park Dog Museum, 1721 S. Mason Rd, St. Louis, MO 63131 ), starting at 7:30 PM. Casting instructors will be available to offer their assistance prior to the meeting starting at 6:30 PM. Look for additional information in the April Newsletter.

26, 27, & 28 April 2002: Spring Outing at Sunburst campground on the North Fork of the White River...

30 April 2002: Ozark Fly Fishers Board Meeting 7 PM at the home of Bob Temper. Board meetings are open to all Ozark members, however, please notify Bob Temper via email at or phone him at 314-894-0319 if you plan to attend.

03-04 May 2002: Bennett Spring Conclave

10 May 2002: Tying Demonstration at Coolidge Middle School, Granite City, IL. For addi-tional information please contact Lary Carli at 618-659-1579.

18 May 2002: Tying Demonstration at Kids Fishing Fair, Busch Wildlife Area, 9 am - 2 pm. For additonal information please contact at Lary Carli 618-659-1579.

23 May 2002: General Meeting (Visitors are welcome): Guide Ray Chapa is doing a saltwater program about fly fishing for redfish. The meeting will take place at the Queeny Park Dog Museum, 1721 S. Mason Rd, St. Louis, MO 63131 ), starting at 7:30 PM. Casting instructors will be available to offer their assistance prior to the meeting starting at 6:30 PM.

26 May 2002: Women's Outing at Springrise..

3-10 June 2002: NoArk VII on the White River at Bull Shoals State Park, AR

What is this phenomenon? Jet boats? Success of plastic lures? No, it seems many Meramec River watershed streams have become Thee Spot for spots. Spotted (Kentucky) bass, that is!

Spotted bass are not native to the Meramec River basin. Fisheries biologists hadn't documented their presence until 1985 captures in the Meramec River, around Pacific, and in Big River at House Springs in 1986. Populations in the lower Meramec and Big rivers became established by 1990 and began to move upstream, into other streams, most notably-- the Bourbuese. Today, spotted bass occur in portions of many major Meramec River watershed streams. Some streams, like Meramec, Bourbuese, and Big rivers have spotted bass in the lower third of their lengths.

Ok, but is this a problem?

In streams where they are native, like in southeastern and southwestern Missouri, spotted bass do well, coexist with other black bass, and provide good fishing. However, in much of the Meramec River basin, spotted bass rarely seem to reach 12", grow slowly, and may compete with native smallmouth and largemouth bass. They also hybridize with small-mouth bass and now outnumber smallmouth and largemouth in lower Big and Meramec rivers. All these things add up to trouble, if you like smallmouth and largemouth fishing in Meramec watershed streams.

Under normal statewide regulations, few Meramec watershed spotted bass grow to legal harvest size. Their growth rates are slower than smallmouth and largemouth. Also, for unknown reasons, few seem to survive past eleven inches. In addition, since they grow slower than smallmouth or largemouth, they are free to reproduce longer, prior to being available for legal harvest. In other words, anglers must throw back most spotted bass they currently catch (due to the 12" length limit), which allows those fish to increase their numbers. At the same time, smallmouth and largemouth (due to faster growth) may be harvested, outside of existing special management areas, sooner than spots.

Do spots compete with native smallmouth and largemouth bass? In these locations historically, smallmouth bass were the dominate black bass and spotted bass did not exist. Now, spots are king and overall numbers of smallmouth are shrinking. Some similar trends may be appearing for largemouth in the middle Meramec River. Spotted bass diet is similar to that of small-mouth bass. So, competition for food and space could be happening.

Spotted bass hybridize with Big and Meramec river smallmouth bass and have been genetically analyzed. In some cases, the hybrids are fertile, which would allow them to breed with other fertile hybrids, smallmouth, and/or spotted bass to create - who knows what. Will this continue?

What brought on this invasion of spots? Why did it change now? How far will it go? What can be done to correct the change? Good questions, unfortunately, there are not many definitive answers.

Non-native critters expand their ranges for a variety of reasons (like, accidental or purposeful stocking), but the ultimate culprit might be overall reduction in the quality and amount of smallmouth habitat. Think about Meramec River watershed streams over the last 30 years. Have you noticed any changes? More gravel, fewer deep pools and chutes? More erosion? Floodplain filling? Add impacts of urban sprawl (stormwater management, erosion, non-point pollution, etc.) and you begin to see a pattern.

Habitat loss, on a watershed basis, began when the land was settled, and timber harvested. Lack of soil erosion practices allowed the Ozarks thin, rocky soils to flow into small streams. This gravel is now making its way through larger streams, filling deep holes along the way. Stream side trees were the next to go, destabilizing streambanks. Some farming practices and poorly treated septic systems helped to compromise water quality. Gravel dredging destabilizes channels and ruins habitat. Most recently, dumping of stormwater and other development practices increase erosion. Has the Meramec basin incurred enough of this abuse to encourage spotted bass to invade its streams? Its possible. Some say - probable.

Spotted bass movement could involve other habitat variables or be a simple function of building large populations in nearby watersheds that then spilled over into the Meramec. In any event, it seems clear that spotted bass populations began to grow in the lower Meramec and moved upstream from there.

In general, spotted bass seem to favor habitats that look like run down smallmouth habitat. Cut banks, slower currents, and downed trees all hold some smallmouth in the absence of spots. But, these seem to be prime spotted bass locations in Meramec streams, now. Since we are not sure why this spotted bass invasion is taking place, predicting how far it will go is impossible. But, most biologists think that stream reaches with good smallmouth habitat will continue to be dominated by smallmouth, while degraded habitats are ripe for spots.

What can be done? The most immediate and easier fix involves relaxing protections on spotted bass. Beginning March 1, 2002, all streams that flow into the Meramec River (including Big, Bourbuese, Huzzah, Mineral Fork, and Courtois and their tributaries) will have a new spotted bass fishing regulation - no length limit and daily limit of twelve. In other words, MDC is saying, "Hey anglers, take some Meramec watershed spotted bass, PLEASE!" Perhaps, increased harvest will slow this spotted bass juggernaut and help ensure native smallmouth and largemouth remain the dominant black bass in the watershed.

When was the last time MDC asked anglers to harvest MORE fish?!? Well, here is your chance to help bass fishing and enjoy a meal of fish at the same time.

For this regulation to succeed, anglers must be able to identify spotted bass and be willing to harvest small ones. Spotted bass do not look like smallmouth bass, but do resemble largemouth bass. Both are green fish and have a dark horizontal stripe on their sides. However, there are several differences largemouth and spotted bass which can be easily learned including: jaw length, rows of spots, cheek scales, and tongue patch.

A largemouth's jaw extends well past the back of their eye, unlike the spotted bass' jaw which only extends to the back of the eye. Spotted bass have rows of disconnected spots along their sides, under the dark horizontal stripe. Largemouth do not. Scales behind the eyes of largemouth bass are nearly as large as those behind the gill openings. On spots, the scales are much smaller than the ones behind the gills. Finally, all spotted bass have a small, rough tongue patch (like sandpaper). If no tongue patch exists, it is a largemouth bass. Using all these characters will ensure good identification. But, if you are unsure, you can just release the fish.

The larger, more permanent fix involves improving the habitat. That can be most appropriately handled by putting together a watershed plan to address the concerns listed previously. Throwing in a few boulders or other habitat improvement structures won't get it done. This planning process would need to involve everyone: anglers, floaters, developers, farmers, municipalities, agencies, etc.. The plan would identify the watershed's problems and devise solutions. Obviously, that's a much larger effort.

Spotted bass have made their move into the Meramec watershed. And they seem to have a pretty good foothold; making the Meramec and its tributaries the Spot for spots. However, anglers will be given the opportunity to help slow or reverse this trend. All anglers need to do is: learn how to identify spotted bass and warm the grease in the fry pan.

A reminder.... used fly tackle may be advertised in the newsletter at no charge. This service is available to members only.

The new and diverse programs are great! Take advantage of some of these now. The outings, the smaller meetings all have quality benefits for our members.

Due to the timing of the publication of this issue, the article and call to action on the Big River meeting is somewhat out of date. You may respond by letter however, with the information provided.

What a great show Jason Borger put on! Well worth the price of membership alone!! And thanks to club member Dave Barron on his informative Alaska presentation.

Don't forget, our newsletter is now available on line at our website. Save the club money by accessing it there rather than with a paper copy. www.ozarkflyfishers.org

METHODS AND RESULTS: 43 fishermen were surveyed on Saturday evening November 9, 2001 during the social hour. The results for this year (2001) are compared to last year's survey 2000 (Table 1). Table 2 is the actual survey data.

This year's results were very similar to last year. The most popular fly was the crackle back used by ten fishermen followed by the wooly bugger used by seven fishermen. The single most productive lure was the pheasant tail, with which one angler caught 145 fish near the hatchery outlet. The Griffith gnat was the most productive based on catch per person. This fly produced an average of 27 fish per rod by three people; followed by the wooly bugger averaging 16 trout per rod; followed by the crackle back with 10 trout per rod. Morning was the most productive period of time. The best fishing location at Bennett Springs during this survey was Zones 1 and 2. Zone 1 extends from the spring downstream to the dam. While Zone 2 extends from the dam downstream to the Whistle Bridge, and Zone 3 from the Whistle Bridge to the Niangua River. 23% of the anglers used fluorocarbon. Last years survey can be found in detail in the January and February 2001 issues of the Ozark Fly Fishers Newsletter (www.ozarkflyfishers.org). Table 3 is line information from Orvis catalog with size and diameter comparing nylon to the fluorocarbon. Table 4 is a reprint of Prognosticators for Favorable Trout Fishing Productivity A Grading System that was published in the original article from last year.

It is of interest that one person caught 145 fish near the holding outlet. Was it skill, luck or high concentration of fish trying to return home via smell? A great chapter (10) bringing to life "the life cycle of Salmon" is found in Alaska by James Mitchener, 1994.

In summary, the results were similar to the last survey. However the average size of fish was smaller but the average number of fish per angler was greater in the current survey.
"If you wish to be happy for an hour, get intoxicated.
If you wish to be happy for three days, get married.
If you wish to be happy for eight days,
kill your pig and eat it.
If you wish to be happy forever, learn to fish."