Weather cooperating for Fall floating and fishing

Nevada Daily Mail

Last Sunday was a good day for floating and fishing. The changing color of leaves was just getting started, the temperature was good and the river in good condition to float.

Ken White/Daily Mail/ Chris Scanlin, with a rainbow trout he caught while floating and fishing the Niangua River.

The lack of a breeze made for an easy float as late summer turned into early fall. Within the next few weeks, the glow of autumn in the Ozarks should see the peak of color. A floating and fishing trip on any of the Ozark float streams is an experience never forgotten.

"October is a favorite time to float and fish," said Como Crockett as he cruised down the Niangua River. " I have fished this river many times over the past 20 years. Its fun to fish at nearby Bennett Spring, but to me, the river is more fun, its not like shooting fish in a barrel. it is also not as crowded. I love it down here"

The Niangua is home not only to trout, but offers some good fishing for smallmouth bass and rock bass. It is popular with floaters, especially on weekends, but during the week, anglers can find it peaceful and the fishing good.The 125 mile-long tributary of the Osage River is formed in Webster County by the confluence of it's short east and west forks, then flows north through Dallas, Laclede and Camden Counties, going past Bennett Spring before flowing into the Osage River as an arm of the Lake of the Ozarks.

The river is level 1 water, but some floating experience is encouraged before taking to its water. Rarely is the Niangua low enough that it isn't navigable although in a very dry year, low water may create some shallow water which floaters might drag a little in spots.

Crockett likes to fish for trout, he said," I fly fish mostly and like to fish North Fork River, it has some great trout fishing, but this year it was flooded so we hit the Niangua instead. I also like to fish Lake Taneycomo. My largest trout was caught in Russia it weighed 8 pounds, but my largest Missouri trout weighed just over 6 pounds.."

Ken White/Daily Mail/ A pair of floating fishermen cruise down the river as fall color is just starting.

The trout angler said the pontoon trout boat behind him contained Larry Moseacher who had a trout if I wanted an angler with a fish, but when Moseacher came into the boat ramp, he said the trout he had on his stringer had gotten away. He said, " I guess I will have to catch another one. "

The next floater/fisherman passing by was Chris Scanlln, who had a trout on his stringer. He said, " It isn't a big one, but it is a rainbow. It's a good day to be on the river even if you don't hook a lunker."

Rainbow trout are the glamor fish in the cold water below Bennett Spring. As with other trout, color can vary from one body of water to the next, but rainbow trout have a characteristic broad red slash from head to tail. The rainbows in the Niangua average less than a pound, but 2-to-4 pounders are caught often. Back in 1987 at Roaring River, Kenneth Smith, Springfield hooked a Missouri record rainbow trout while fishing at Roaring River State park. The fish weighed 16 pounds 13 ounces.

Ken White/Daily Mail/ Larry Moseacher jokingly shows how big the one that got away was.

All the floater-fishermen I visited with had nothing but good things to say about fall floating and fishing. Bob Weaver, St. Charles, said, " I make the trip several times during the year to float the Niangua, but I like the fall best of all. I usually practice catch and release fishing. One day, in early October, I hit a trout hot spot. I must have caught 30 rainbows, about one every cast. As long as you release the fish immediately, you can catch a lot. The largest trout I have caught in the river was an eight pounder that gave me a real battle. It was one of the few trout I have kept. It now hangs on my office wall. In the fall the river is less crowded, fishing for trout and smallmouth bass is usually good and the color later in October is excellent. I remember a late October several years ago when it looked like the color in the Ozark hills went for miles in every direction. I took some photos that I had framed and hung in my den to remind me of how colorful it can be in the fall. The fun of floating and fishing in fall is hard to beat. Anyone who loves to float an Ozark stream in this time of the year knows what I mean."