Some fishing trips are just better than others. This was one of those trips.  Bill Byington, Jim Craig and I (Kenny Klimes) braved the misty, cold day for a trip to Maramec Spring park.  A leisure start time (7:15am) found just a few other fly fishers in the park when we arrived.  We decided to stay in the park and search for some big trout that we heard were roaming the shallows.  The fast water at the beginning of the park was taken so we worked our way down to the straight stretch where we found some big fish on the last FATC trip to Maramec.  The water was “boiling” in this area so small soft hackles followed by tiny Griffith’s gnats.

The strikes were hard and fast in the morning.  To my surprise big fish were roaming through this area and I mean BIG.  My first two fish were monsters.  Both fish measured over 21 inches and both caught on a size 20 griffith’s gnat.  That’s two fish, back to back, that puts me in the 20 – 20 club.  A trout greater than 20 inches on a fly that is size 20 or smaller. WOW. My first time having that happen.  Yes, I was breathing hard and my hands were shaking. The other rainbows that were in the 15 – 17 inch range paled in comparison.

Jim and Bill had great days too as both caught plenty of fish. Bill caught his trout on copper john, cerise worm, and woolybuggers while Jim did well on the woolybugger, griffith’s gnat and soft hackle.  We didn’t travel too far in the park. Bill made it down to the last “waterfall” while Jim and I stayed pretty much in the beginning of the park.  It amazes me how such big trout will eat such tiny flies but they do.  The fishing slowed in the afternoon until about an hour before the siren.  Then Jim and I had fish on with a woolybugger and a Mayer’s black leech.  We ended at 4pm and had pizza at Missouri Pizza in St James.  Don’t miss winter fishing or you will miss out on some awesome fish.