Bennett Spring State Park, Missouri
 

I will have a coouple of evenings to fish Bennett Springs week after
next. Has anyone had any experience there they would share with me?
Thanks,
Guy

Bennett Spring State Park, Missouri
 

On Jun 27, 7:34*am, Guy wrote:
I will have a coouple of evenings to fish Bennett Springs week after
next. Has anyone had any experience there they would share with me?
Thanks,
Guy

Unless you are intending to take the kids to soak salmon eggs for soft-
bodied hatchery trout, don't waste your time.

1. In Missouri, small lead-head jigs are considered "flies", so there
will be spinning-bubble folks plunking the water beside you.
2. At the state trout parks they encourage -- ENCOURAGE -- folks to
clean their fish and throw the skin, etc, back in the stream !
3. You will be harassed by barking dogs, yelling children who throw
stuff in the water, and the ever-present boombox drivers.

In sum, find a lovely little stream down some dirt road and wade it
for some of the finest smallmouth bass fishing on the continent. Take
streamers you would use for New England brookies and some muddlers.

But don't waste your time at a MO trout park.

cheers (anyway)

oz, who loves the Ozarks

Bennett Spring State Park, Missouri
 

Guy wrote:
I will have a coouple of evenings to fish Bennett Springs week after
next. Has anyone had any experience there they would share with me?

I have plenty of experiences to share about Bennett Springs but I'll
bite my tongue and share instead a bit of advice. Look for the wet
spots on the streamside asphalt first thing in the morning. That's
where the truck dumped all the "fish".

--
Ken Fortenberry

Bennett Spring State Park, Missouri
 

On Jun 27, 7:34*am, Guy wrote:
I will have a coouple of evenings to fish Bennett Springs week after
next. Has anyone had any experience there they would share with me?


Head 150 miles south east and fish the 11-Point-River at Alton, Mo.
More better.
Frank Reid

Bennett Spring State Park, Missouri
 

On Jun 27, 10:23*pm, Frank Reid wrote:
On Jun 27, 7:34*am, Guy wrote:

I will have a coouple of evenings to fish Bennett Springs week after
next. Has anyone had any experience there they would share with me?

Head 150 miles south east and fish the 11-Point-River at Alton, Mo.
More better.
Frank Reid

Yeah...on one of those 2 evenings he has available? I will be on the
11 pt in 2 weeks and won't go unless I have 3 full days minimum.

Bennett Spring State Park, Missouri
 

Yeah...on one of those 2 evenings he has available? *I will be on the
11 pt in 2 weeks and won't go unless I have 3 full days minimum.

Haven't we all done those "evenings" at one point or another?
Frank Reid

Bennett Spring State Park, Missouri
 

On Jun 27, 10:45*pm, Frank Reid wrote:
Yeah...on one of those 2 evenings he has available? *I will be on the
11 pt in 2 weeks and won't go unless I have 3 full days minimum.

Haven't we all done those "evenings" at one point or another?
Frank Reid

Maybe so...
We left at 2:30 am to head out - my youngest son and I - to be able to
have a full day on a stream recently. Met my oldest son on the road
just coming home. I told him he was the saner one of the bunch. It
was a great day of fishing as they almost always are.

Hell, when my wife dragged me to this state I didn't even know a trout
existed within its borders. Having lived my whole life up until now in
places where I never lived more than a mile from a great trout stream
(Yampa in Colorado and Tonsina, Gulkana, and Klutina in
Alaska...tributaries of the Copper), I have had to adjust my
standards. So I get ****y when people get righteous about what
qualifies as a "fish" or what good fishing is. As soon as I stopped
bitching about being here and started figuring out what opportunities
existed, it's been good.

Bennett Spring State Park, Missouri
 

Thank you Gentleman.....hm.hm.
I apprecaite the info. Yes, I have had to lower my expectations due to
the location I live now. 3 1/2 hours to the closest stockers - 14 or
15 hours to SE Colorado. I will check out the small mouth while in MO.
I'm just a trout/steelie type of guy.
Guy

Bennett Spring State Park, Missouri
 

Thank you Gentleman.....hm.hm.
I apprecaite the info. Yes, I have had to lower my expectations due to
the location I live now. 3 1/2 hours to the closest stockers - 14 or
15 hours to SE Colorado. I will check out the small mouth while in MO.
I'm just a trout/steelie type of guy.

If you're in the black hole formed by Kansas, Nebraska and SW Iowa,
then you have my sympathies. Otherwise, I can probably find you
something just as fun as trout/steelies.
Frank Reid

Bennett Spring State Park, Missouri
 

On Jun 27, 8:34*am, Guy wrote:

I will have a coouple of evenings to fish Bennett Springs week after
next. Has anyone had any experience there they would share with me?

Like the others, I personally say stay away but after 3+ years in SW
Kansas I can emphasize with you. However not far from Bennett Springs
is a small spring creek with McCloud Rainbows that has not been
stocked in a generation.

Even though it's not secret and published in at least three guide
books it is a little fragile, email me and I will share it with you.

Bennett Spring State Park, Missouri
 

Family-Outdoors wrote:
...
Hell, when my wife dragged me to this state I didn't even know a trout
existed within its borders. Having lived my whole life up until now in
places where I never lived more than a mile from a great trout stream
(Yampa in Colorado and Tonsina, Gulkana, and Klutina in
Alaska...tributaries of the Copper), I have had to adjust my
standards. So I get ****y when people get righteous about what
qualifies as a "fish" or what good fishing is. As soon as I stopped
bitching about being here and started figuring out what opportunities
existed, it's been good.

If anyone here is guilty of righteous "fishism" it's you and Guy.
In elevating the trout, even flaccid, stupid, phony trout, to some
revered status you're dissing some really fine fly fishing right
in your own backyard.

I fish for trout because trout live in beautiful places. Trout
fishing for me is as much about the gorgeous places it takes me
as about the fish itself.

As for that "****y" thing you've got going, try Midol.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Bennett Spring State Park, Missouri
 

On Jun 29, 7:40*am, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:
Family-Outdoors wrote:
...
Hell, when my wife dragged me to this state I didn't even know a trout
existed within its borders. Having lived my whole life up until now in
places where I never lived more than a mile from a great trout stream
(Yampa in Colorado and Tonsina, Gulkana, and Klutina in
Alaska...tributaries of the Copper), I have had to adjust my
standards. *So I get ****y when people get righteous about what
qualifies as a "fish" *or what good fishing is. *As soon as I stopped
bitching about being here and started figuring out what opportunities
existed, it's been good.

If anyone here is guilty of righteous "fishism" it's you and Guy.
In elevating the trout, even flaccid, stupid, phony trout, to some
revered status you're dissing some really fine fly fishing right
in your own backyard.

I fish for trout because trout live in beautiful places. Trout
fishing for me is as much about the gorgeous places it takes me
as about the fish itself.

As for that "****y" thing you've got going, try Midol.

--
Ken Fortenberry

I agree about enjoying the beautiful places that trout fishing can
take you...but you could go wipe your candy ass in any of those places
as well as fish it, so it does have something to do with the fish or
fishing at least.

Who said I am missing that fly fishing (assuming you meant smallmouth)
anyway...I just don't enjoy it as much or write about it. Besides
Ken, as you should know having once spent a fair amount of time in
this area, during Summer months, the Current and Meramec are complete
madhouses (equally redneck and obnoxious as the bait area of a trout
park) and at least in my opinion, not much fun to fish. If fishing
for smallmouth, even the Jacks Fork is pretty bad this time of
year...and that leaves the Niangua and Eleven-Point that come to
mind. I am fishing the Eleven-Point in a couple of weeks which I
already mentioned and in addition to trout, I will fish smallmouth.

I think you meant I should try Preparation H because what's making me
****y is a pain in my ass:)

Bennett Spring State Park, Missouri
 

Family-Outdoors wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
Family-Outdoors wrote:
...
Hell, when my wife dragged me to this state I didn't even know a trout
existed within its borders. Having lived my whole life up until now in
places where I never lived more than a mile from a great trout stream
(Yampa in Colorado and Tonsina, Gulkana, and Klutina in
Alaska...tributaries of the Copper), I have had to adjust my
standards. So I get ****y when people get righteous about what
qualifies as a "fish" or what good fishing is. As soon as I stopped
bitching about being here and started figuring out what opportunities
existed, it's been good.
If anyone here is guilty of righteous "fishism" it's you and Guy.
In elevating the trout, even flaccid, stupid, phony trout, to some
revered status you're dissing some really fine fly fishing right
in your own backyard.

I fish for trout because trout live in beautiful places. Trout
fishing for me is as much about the gorgeous places it takes me
as about the fish itself.

As for that "****y" thing you've got going, try Midol.

I agree about enjoying the beautiful places that trout fishing can
take you...but you could go wipe your candy ass in any of those places
as well as fish it, so it does have something to do with the fish or
fishing at least. ...

What you call "candy ass" I refer to as "conservative wading".
Ken's cardinal rule of wet wading: "Thou shalt at all times
keepeth dry thy family jewels". But you're not the first one
to call it candy ass although you're the only one to do so
without first having fished with my candy ass. What I'm saying
about beautiful places is that if carp lived there, I'd fish
for carp.

I think you meant I should try Preparation H because what's making me
****y is a pain in my ass:)

Too much information, *WAY* too much information. Please keep
your rectal problems to yourself.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Bennett Spring State Park, Missouri
 

On Jun 29, 12:02*pm, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:
Family-Outdoors wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
Family-Outdoors wrote:
...
Hell, when my wife dragged me to this state I didn't even know a trout
existed within its borders. Having lived my whole life up until now in
places where I never lived more than a mile from a great trout stream
(Yampa in Colorado and Tonsina, Gulkana, and Klutina in
Alaska...tributaries of the Copper), I have had to adjust my
standards. *So I get ****y when people get righteous about what
qualifies as a "fish" *or what good fishing is. *As soon as I stopped
bitching about being here and started figuring out what opportunities
existed, it's been good.
If anyone here is guilty of righteous "fishism" it's you and Guy.
In elevating the trout, even flaccid, stupid, phony trout, to some
revered status you're dissing some really fine fly fishing right
in your own backyard.

I fish for trout because trout live in beautiful places. Trout
fishing for me is as much about the gorgeous places it takes me
as about the fish itself.

As for that "****y" thing you've got going, try Midol.

I agree about enjoying the beautiful places that trout fishing can
take you...but you could go wipe your candy ass in any of those places
as well as fish it, so it does have something to do with the fish or
fishing at least. ...

What you call "candy ass" I refer to as "conservative wading".
Ken's cardinal rule of wet wading: "Thou shalt at all times
keepeth dry thy family jewels". But you're not the first one
to call it candy ass although you're the only one to do so
without first having fished with my candy ass. What I'm saying
about beautiful places is that if carp lived there, I'd fish
for carp.

I think you meant I should try Preparation H because what's making me
****y is a pain in my ass:)

Too much information, *WAY* too much information. Please keep
your rectal problems to yourself.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Half the hillbilly fishermen I run into on Ozark streams think waders
are a pair of walmart tennis shoes and cutoff jeans. The last time I
fished Little Piney my oldest son had to wade past two lesbian whales
(I believe his fantasies were instantly dashed) to get to the riffle
he was after.

I am rather pleased that most of those beautiful places are sans
carp.

Sorry about the reference to my ass discomfort, but I believe you know
what I meant. I am sure I'd enjoy fishing with you but it's a whole
lot easier to call a guy a candy ass over the internet:)

Bennett Spring State Park, Missouri
 

Family-Outdoors wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
Family-Outdoors wrote:
I agree about enjoying the beautiful places that trout fishing can
take you...but you could go wipe your candy ass in any of those places
as well as fish it, so it does have something to do with the fish or
fishing at least. ...
What you call "candy ass" I refer to as "conservative wading".
Ken's cardinal rule of wet wading: "Thou shalt at all times
keepeth dry thy family jewels". But you're not the first one
to call it candy ass although you're the only one to do so
without first having fished with my candy ass. What I'm saying
about beautiful places is that if carp lived there, I'd fish
for carp.

Half the hillbilly fishermen I run into on Ozark streams think waders
are a pair of walmart tennis shoes and cutoff jeans. ...

When I was a twenty-something I lived on Lake Guntersville in Alabama,
a great largemouth fishery. My wading uniform was a pair of cutoff
bib overalls and a pair of high top Converse All Stars. The pocket
in the bib was perfect for holding flies, tippet etc. I brought the
uniform north and wore it trout fishing in Minnesota until the day
I got out of the stream and found 16 leeches on my legs. I only wear
waders in cold weather, never in the summer, but now I wear long pants
made of quick dry nylon for wet wading. I just don't understand wearing
waders when it's hot outside. I've never met a pair of waders yet,
"breathable" or not, that didn't leave me wet and clammy with sweat.
The nylon dries in five minutes and is much more comfortable for me.

--
Ken Fortenberry