Local fishing venues

Like many FATC anglers, I, Al Harper, enjoy grabbing a fly rod on a whim and getting in some casting when weather conditions are favorable.  I’ve found that if I’m willing to exercise some flexibility in how I go about it, I can augment longer trips to trout parks and rivers and streams by frequenting a couple of local venues.  

For instance, on November first the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) began stocking 70,000 rainbow trout in 31 urban-area lakes around the state for winter trout fishing.  In addition to catch-and-release fishing through Jan. 31, many of these lakes allow anglers to harvest trout as soon as they are stocked. Others allow catch-and-keep fishing as early as Feb. 1.  

One of these lakes is in Union, MO only 15 minutes from my home in Franklin County.  The Union city lake was the recipient of 2,000 trout and the infusion of the fish has meant some real fun fishing for me and other locals, some of whom don’t get an opportunity to pursue trout in more traditional places. 

Leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday when this report was submitted, I visited the Union lake on about four occasions and caught trout each time.  In fact, while the fish are becoming acclimated to their new environment, they seem to be in an extended feeding frenzy.  My observation showed that most of those fishing at the lake are observing the catch and release policy in effect and are having a good time.  

I’ve enjoyed success mostly on dry flys and emergers in November.  On occasions when the wind was subdued, I witnessed surface strikes all over the lake, which is only about five acres in size but fairly deep in places.  If one studies those strikes, a pattern slowly becomes apparent and reveals where trout tend to congregate.  

The action on dry flys is a great way to try out hook setting techniques.  And fishing emergers and streamers present other set of issues to work out as well.  It might seem that a couple of thousand fish in a five acre lake would make the odds of landing them pretty good, but it can still be very challenging.  For instance, while many of us are accustomed to fishing with a current and using the water flow to animate our flys, lake fishing — also called still water fishing — forces us to shift gears a bit.  

Even a moderate breeze on an open body of water affects how a bug drifts on the water’s surface.  After initially catching a few on a dry fly I experienced refusals by trout that seemed on the verge of an “eat” but then shied away at the last second.  This meant I had to analyze line drag, add floatant to the fly or even introduce subtle movement to mimic a healthy food source.  Another challenge involves long distance casts from shore.  While using a watercraft might be something to consider later, for now, a dry fly hurled at the far limits of one’s casting range makes hook setting a real challenge.  Fortunately, the density of fish provides a chance to cast to a different location and try again.  The frustration of missed strikes leads to lessons learned.  Of course, the trout seem to be learning as well.  

A local newspaper article of early November quoted a conservation employee as saying that by the time catch-and-keep period begins, many of the trout had become “educated”.  I take this to mean that they begin to wise up to at least some of the flys, lures and techniques anglers have been using.  At any rate the fate of the trout in 31 urban-area lakes throughout the state is sealed by May or June when water temperatures approach 70 degrees.  Hopefully most will be caught and kept by then.  

But not all the stockers are small.  In fact most of the fish I’ve managed to land in Union were at least 12 inches or longer and in good fighting trim.  Another thing to keep in mind is that the lakes are also stocked with bass and panfish.  Before the trout were added, I was lucky enough to catch bass and panfish there and on an older city lake just a few blocks from my home.  Lions Lake in Washington was created in 1955 and although it sees heavy fishing pressure with annual fishing events and recreational spinning rod fishermen, I’ve had success there with a fly rod as well.  

Some readers of this website will recall that FATC members have tried winter stillwater fishing at August A. Busch Wildlife Conservation Area near St. Charles, MO.  We’ve had varying results with the fish but the fellowship was always excellent.  Granted the small stocked lakes might not enjoy the ambiance or historical significance of our trout parks but their close proximity makes them worth considering for a quick cure for a bout of cabin fever and the familiar feel of a fly rod in your hand.