Fishing has been great this week. The weather has been much more favorable than it has been for a while. The stream is murky, but continues to clear up and recede back into its "normal" depth, day by day. There are a bountiful amount of trout in the stream that are just waiting for you to catch them.
Due to the recent rainfall there have been changes to the stream, which make wading somewhat of a challenge for seasoned and novice anglers alike. Wading can be quite treacherous when you are unable to see your usual landmarks, like your feet. Because of these changes in the stream, several anglers took a swim this past weekend,. There is a saying among experienced anglers that, if you haven't fallen in the stream, you haven't fished. This is pretty much true. Experienced anglers will also tell you that one of the simplest and most under used safety features available is the wading belt. Most waders come with one, and they are a very important safety feature that should be utilized in the best of conditions. Please be careful and err on the side of caution when wading your favorite spot in the stream, regardless of water conditions.
In Memory
We have suffered another loss to our Bennett Spring family. Richard Rehm, an avid angler, loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and good friend to so many of us, passed away on March 21, 2019. He wrote stories about his experiences of fishing at Bennett Spring for the Trout Talk magazine for many years. We will remember his great fishing advice, of course, but more so his love of Bennett Spring State Park and Missouri that he brought to life through these articles . In his article entitled, "Days Gone by, New Lessons Learned From a Willow Branch to a Fly Rod" he observed: "Great people enjoying the great outdoors in the greatest park in Missouri." He wrote this after taking a drive through Bennett Spring State Park and observing people living for the outdoors, existing in the moment. He captured their moments with his amazing gift to bring an everyday occurrence to life. He was one of those exceptional people. He may not have spoken to the people he observed on the stream that day, but he knew each of them was great in their own way, just as we know he was.
Water Conditions
Bennett Spring
March 24, 2019
Gage house level is 2.4 feet
Daily Discharge levels:
All discharge numbers are in Cubic Feet per Second
minimum was 86.0 in 1934
25th percentile is 130
Current level is 265
Median is 176
Mean is 212
75th percentile is 266
Max was 526 in 2012
Niangua River
March 24, 2019
Gage House reading (water level) is 2.12 feet.
Discharge levels in cubic feet per second:
Minimum was 43.0 in 1996
25th percentile is 143
Median is 279
Today's reading is 269
75th percentile is 518
Mean is 357
record high max was 1110 in 2012
What's Working?
From the Fly Case
RGN's-Size 14 golden olive or dark brown
Griffiths' Gnats
Blue Wing Olive
Pale Evening Dun
Red Zebra Midges
Black Caddis
Copper Hot Shots
Red San Juan Worms
Zone 1 or 2
Gray Mopflies
white mini jigs
John Deere
white megaworms
apricot supreme red dot glo-balls
chartreuse glo-balls
Jimi Hendrix glo-balls
marabou - black and yellow, gingersnap, ginger, white, chartreuse and black, chartreuse, black and olive, shell (peach), pink and white
Rooster Tails - Bumblebee, Cop Car, Snow, and Metallic Gold Black
Zone 3
Chunky Cheese Trout Nuggets
Yellow Powerbait
Bubblegum Powerbait Worms
Grasshopper Atomic Tubes
Pink Lemonade Powerbait
Salmon Peach Powerbait
Orange Scale Powerbait Eggs
Bentley's Secret Bait with Garlic
Fishing Times
BEGIN
END
MARCH
7:30 A.M.
7:00 P.M.
APRIL
7:00 A.M.
7:30 P.M.
MAY
6:30 A.M.
8:15 P.M.
JUNE
6:30 A.M.
8:30 P.M.
JULY
6:30 A.M.
8:30 P.M.
AUGUST
7:00 A.M.
8:00 P.M.
SEPTEMBER
7:30 A.M.
7:15 P.M.
OCTOBER
7:30 A.M.
6:30 P.M.
Weather Forecast
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 56. Northeast wind 3 to 5 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 65.
Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 69. Breezy.
Friday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 51.
Windyville MO
37.72°N 92.92°W (Elev. 1024 ft)
Lunker Club
3/24/2019
Nathan Brock from Sedalia, MO 2 1/4 pounds in zone 1 on a peach marabou
Calendar of Events
The Mayfly Project Fly Tying Night at the Bennett Spring Church of God Annex Building - www.TheMayFlyProject.com
April 5, 2019 6-8 P.M.
Weed Cutting- April 10-11
Veterans' Free Fishing Day - April 27, 2019
Kids' Free Fishing Day - May 4, 2019
Weed Cutting-May 22-23
State of Missouri Statewide Free Fishing Days--- June 8th and 9th
Weed Cutting- June 26-27
Weed Cutting- August 7-8
Weed Cutting September 18-19
Women's Free Fishing Day - September 28, 2019
There is a list at https://mostateparks.com/events/park/bennett-spring-state-park that gives all the details of other activities, such as hikes that are going on at Bennett Spring State Park though out the year.
Quote of the Week
If all the fish in the world suddenly disappeared, I know of many fly tyers who would go right on tying flies as if nothing had happened, myself included!
Author:
Jimmy D Moore
Published:
Outdoor Memories 1999
Thanks for reading,
Devin