St. Louis February Fly Fishing Opportunity

 

Click to see this Adventure on our YouTube channel!

 

I love finding opportunities for fly fishing while traveling for business.  This week was an epic success for me as I was able to catch my first trout on the Meramec River, about 90 minutes south west of St. Louis, but I was also able to find some smallmouth bass.  Last month when I traveled in this area for business, I had an opportunity to check out another section of the river.  I will definitely be returning this summer.  YouTube video found @ https://youtu.be/sNZVnGIojJg or by clicking on the picture of the smallmouth above.

PRE-TRIP PLANNING:

This trip, I connected with a local guide, @cardicriveroutfitters (https://www.facebook.com/CardiacMountainOutfitters/)  they were booked up, but gave me some great advice on where to start fishing.  They suggested I start by driving to Meramec Springs Park. I walked down a nice trail (no Suicide or Cardiac Hill here) to where the park ends and the Meramec begins.  

Packing up for this trip, I was told by the guides that waders are a must, so I got my carry on as lean as possible.  I also printed out two lists of 15 people to call on my 90 minute drive to the water, and 90 minute drive from the water, back to St. Louis for dinner with a client.  I love being productive, and it's frankly not possible to sneak out for little adventures while traveling for business if you don't stay productive.  I also had a feeling I'd be fishing some streamers on this trip, so I got a few new deadhead sculpins.  Side note, after fishing these streamers, I've ordered a bunch more.  I'll show pictures of my new ones soon.  These flies fish GREAT!  I don't check bags, so fitting everything in carry on luggage can be a little tricky.  I needed the jaws of life to get my bag out of the overhead on the way home, I can't wait for spring!

GEAR LIST:

Rod: El Cinco, Travel Fly Rod & Reel Combo, by Pescador on the Fly

Pack: El Bolso, sling pack, by Pescador on the Fly

Waders & Boots, by Pagagonia

Net: Carbon Prototype by Pescador on the Fly(Coming Soon)

Polarized Sunglasses, by Costa Del Mar

Flies: Dead Head Sculpin in Black

Tippet: 6X

Insulation: Long Underwear & Layering by Patagonia

Any questions about other gear, message me.

 

Waders, boots, El Cinco, El Bolso, sunglasses, gloves, fly box, tippet, net.

 

THE FISHING:

My trip this week included an early flight to St. Louis, connecting in Minneapolis, and a block of phone calls after I got my rental car.  Then on to one presentation in Lake St. Louis, and a discussion with a customer back in the western suburbs.  Wednesday, I had a breakfast meeting, and two other meetings, which ended right about lunchtime.  A quick change in the hotel, and I was on my way southwest.  That's where I knocked out a solid marathon of proactive phone calls.  It's amazing how fast a 90 mile drive can go when you are super productive.  

 

All of the sudden there was all these gorgeous tall trees, and I was in the park.

 

I arrived at the park right around 1:20.  I spoke with a couple of people in the office that told me where to go and where to park, which was super helpful as it was my first time there.  They also encouraged me to go after their own version of a grand slam, one rainbow, one brown, and one smallmouth.  Sounds like I have a new goal.  Fishing in the park was actually closed but it looks like a nice little trout park for those that are into that kind of thing.  I walked past a bunch of stocked trout swimming about. It did look like a great place to take kids fishing, however not quite my style, but to each their own.  I'm in it for the challenge.

 

Here is a olive deadhead sculpin. The rocks and trees got my black ones!

 

Click the map to link to the park's webpage if interested.

 

 

Park Map, Green Arrow shows where I parked and walked to fish.

 

I walked to the end of the park where one gentleman appeared to be fly fishing.  I rigged up a black deadhead sculpin, and began throwing it into the current.  Due to the high water, I needed to stand under some trees, which claimed one of by black sculpins.  A rock claimed the other.  Grrrr.  When fishing streamers, I like to throw the fly about 45 degrees up river, allow the fly to sink, and then begin stripping when the fly and fly line swing or become tight in the current.  I hooked up within the first few casts.  After a bit of a fight, a pretty smallmouth bass jumped acrobatically out of the water.  I haven't caught a smallmouth in several years, THIS WAS AWESOME!  

 

Meramec River Smallmouth via El Cinco

 

I brought around 7-8 smallmouth bass to net in the next 50-60 minutes, the one above was the average size for the larger ones.  I also brought in around 4-5 really small ones, but they are still fun.  The gentleman across the river told me he got one around 5 pounds earlier in the year.  Wouldn't that be awesome on a 5 weight fly rod?  I was also able to catch a couple of rainbow trout that afternoon. They didn't have the best colors, perhaps they were recently stocked.  The gentleman also let me know that he caught an 18 inch brown that morning!  This seems like a legit river.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After my fishing session, I packed up the rental car, headed back to St. Louis, and hit the phones for another round of calls.  The next morning, I navigated in the middle of an ice storm, had a couple of meetings, and headed to the airport.  

SUMMARY:

With catching this many fish in an hour and a half, and with the water being this high, I can't imagine how good this river can fish under better circumstances.  No Meramec River Grand Slam today, but I've got something to work on for my next trip.  90 minutes from St. Louis isn't super close, but close enough to get a couple hours of fishing in while in town for sure.  I can't wait until the days are longer and I can get an entire evening in on this water.  This will be a MUST return river and I look forward to sharing more with you throughout the year.  I hope to connect with Cardiac Mountain Outfitters on my next trip down and concentrate on finding some brown trout.  Thanks for checking us out, and be sure to check out our YouTube video for this adventure.  Please subscribe & share our blog and YouTube channel to help us spread the word that there is ALWAYS time to get out on the water with proper planning.