The first Steam Team Event of 2026 was held Saturday, March 28th.   Eight FATC members met at Babler Park to check out water conditions at Bonhomme Creek, located outside Babler Park.  Bob Born, Chris Beahm, Steve Baker, Ken Welter, Chris Roth, Kenny Klimes, Alan Hautly, and Harold Bates all suited up and went to the creek .

The morning was cool and the creek was found to be in good condition. We dropped the kick net three times in the creek to collect the macroinvertebrates out of their hiding places and all  the members started separating them out into the water trays.  Huge mayfly nymphs, big sow bugs, caddis, water pennies, aquatic worms, scuds, a few snails and leeches were caught and counted. The score after adding the total of all the bugs gave the creek a “GOOD” rating.

Chris Beahm took pictures;  Chris Roth, Steve Baker, Bob Born and Alan Hautly  handled the stream discharge data for water flow; Ken Welter and Kenny Klimes recorded the visual survey data, Steve Baker policed the area and gathered trash, and Harold Bates performed and recorded the chemistry data.  All the information collected will be sent to the Missouri Department of Conservation.

We ended with an impromptu fellowship breakfast  at Letty Lou’s.

Thanks to all the FATC members who volunteered to make the morning a successful event and a great time.  Remember, It’s Not Just About Fly Fishing.

I urge all FATC members who have not been on a Steam Team Event to join one, learn about the water monitoring, aquatic life, and the ecology.  It all focuses on the health of the water, without it we would not have the beautiful trout rivers here in Missouri for fly fishing.

Harold Bates