July 13, 2024

 Visited an urban creek.  Its a tributary of the Missouri River.

The Missouri River remains high, but had dropped about 7' over the previous 4 days.  Clearly it had backed up into this creek.  Where there is typically dirt and riprap/rock along the steep banks (and usually tall weeds as well), even the rocks were now mostly covered with still-wet (and slick!) mud.

Navigating along the shoreline was treacherous.  There were times I managed to slide my way down to the edge of the water to cast or net a fish....and then had to struggle my way back up the steep slick mud slope to move to the next spot.  I managed to only fall once on the slick mud slope, and I also slid off a muddy rock into the water at one point (didn't fall, just got wet). Ah....if fishing were easy, everybody might be doing it, right? HA!  Lets not get started on the hot weather!

Anyway...  I've observed the fishing get tougher in this creek over the past couple years, as we'd had dry weather, and fish were unable to migrate up into the creek from the river.  I think some new fish have arrived, which is a good thing.

I lost a Kentucky Spotted Bass that threw the fly... but managed to catch 2 Grass Carp, a Shortnose Gar, an Emerald Shiner, 2 Hybrid Sunfish, a Bluegill, a White Bass, a Goldeye, and 3 Freshwater Drum. 8 Species...not bad for this spot.  Not big numbers... only about a dozen fish landed in total... but that's also typical for this spot.

16.25" Goldeye

Goldeye

a couple of Grass Carp

Freshwater Drum

Emerald Shiner (?)

White Bass

Shortnose Gar

Hybrid Sunfish

Hybrid Sunfish

Bluegill

April 17, 2021

 Flyfished an urban creek.

Caught my first Goldeye of the year:

And my first Smallmouth Buffalo in Missouri:

Also caught 9 Freshwater Drum, pretty nice ones, up to @ 20" long.

Early October 2020

 I hadn't run across any crappies yet in MO, but did finally catch a small White Crappie from a public lake.

I took a weekday off work and flyfished an Ozark stream, Huzzah Creek. 

I caught 3 Smallmouth Bass,

A female Hornyhead Chub,

And 3 Northern Studfish (a new species for me):

I also caught a Striped Shiner, Green Sunfish, and a couple Longear Sunfish:

On the way there, I saw a box turtle crossing the road.  In the creek, I found another box turtle shell:

I also saw a Bald Eagle, 3 Otters, Comma Butterflies, and a Spicebush Swallowtail.

I returned to an urban creek I had fished a few times previously.  I had a gar on for a few seconds, but it shook free.

I caught a Freshwater Drum:

A Channel Catfish:

A surprise Sauger (first one on a flyrod for me):

Two Grass Carp:

A surprise Walleye:

And a couple of Goldeye: