Small streams provide prime fly fishing spots

For years, while nearing Pomme de Terre, my son, Brad, would comment, "it looks good," as we passed over Crane Creek in Hickory County. Each year, we would go back to the creek armed with ultra-light or fly rods and fish this small stream for smallmouth bass or bluegill and were never disappointed.

We found some excellent angling for bluegill, goggle eye, smallmouth and largemouth bass in similar creeks and small streams in south Missouri and best of all, we usually had it all to ourselves.

These streams aren't deep enough to float a canoe in most places so wading is the only way to fish them properly. While wading and watching for deeper water on Crane Creek, I found a deep hole. Flipping a spinner into the middle, I had a strike that nearly pulled the rod from my hand. In a second, a nice sized smallmouth broke water and sent the spinner back to me. Two casts later, I had another fish. This time I landed it, a 2-pound smallmouth.

Before the day was over and after wading a couple of miles, we had a limit of bass, plus 17 nice bluegill and perch as well as a lot of action. All this on a day when the fishing was slow on the big lake.

Although the smallmouths are harder to come by today, they are still around for the anglers who try hard enough to find them and these small streams with deep pools are some of the best places to find them.

For anglers looking for action now that the warmer weather has slowed down lake fishing somewhat, you might want to don a pair of tennis shoes, get out your ultra-light gear or a fly rod with some small lures and try one of these small creeks that most anglers overlook. You might hook some small fish, but with light gear, a 1-pound bass will seem like a lunker.

John Mcketchen was running the state park marina at the Pomme and one day he told me about several small streams nearby that he used to fish and catch a lot of fish using light gear and fishing the deeper pools. I tried them and he was right, when the fishing was slow on the lake, I could always count on catching fish in those small streams and had it all to myself. The downside of fishing and wading these small streams is that the bugs are out there also, so be ready for the ticks and mosquitoes.

Small feeder streams off the larger rivers like the Current and Big Piney also offer some good wade-in smallmouth fishing as well as big mouth perch.

Streams like the one Brad always said "looks good," can be very good as we found out, but there have been some streams that looked good, but the fishing wasn't. Some of these streams dry up in late summer and are void of fish. However, there may be some deep spots in the stream bed that hold fish and if you don't mind walking the stream bed to find them, you may be rewarded in a big way.

When you do find a good wading stream and start catching smallmouths, remember these two things to keep your fishing good. Don't invite your fishing friends and release all the fish you don't intend to eat.

Last weekend, while fishing from the bank at Caplinger Mills, I saw a 5-year-old youngster catch her first fish, a 4-inch bluegill, and it reminded me of the many times I have seen the unforgettable sight of my children and now grandchildren catching fish.

Over the years, with eight children and now more than 40 grandchildren, the baiting of hooks, untangling of lines and unhooking fish was a common thing on a family fishing trip.

From Canada to Oklahoma, I have baited and unhooked all kinds of fish from pike to bluegill; and it wasn't so bad, after looking back.

Parents today are missing something if they don't expose their children to the joys of fishing. The fish need not be monster bass, a small bluegill or catfish will thrill them and they will be hooked for life.

A bumper sticker I saw recently, "Take a kid fishing, it will be good for you," says it all.