Little Missouri Fly Fishing

A good friend is fishing the Little Mo this week.  He called me yesterday and said he was at Albert Pike Wednesday and the stocking truck put some 600 fish in.  Don't have information as to stocking numbers on the lower river but assume they stock both locations on the same day.  I believe the 600 number is the number published for Pike.  Hopefully the lower river numbers will coincide with the published amounts.  He said the lower river is still somewhat clouded from the lake turnover.

Just a quick up date on the river. A few days ago, when we had the 5 degree temperatures lake Greason turned over!!  It’s now flushing out really dirty water into the river every time they generate. It usually happens earlier in the year when the lake hits 50 degrees and the algae dies. Hopefully the coming rains tomorrow will help settle it out. Fish still bite, just break out your attractor flies. Water temp is fine and oxygen level seems to be ok, I haven’t seen any dead fish because of the turn over.

Hen, please feel free to pass the rod and reel along to someone who might appreciate or need it or keep it.  I certainly do not want it.  Thank you.
Oh, happy New Year!!!

After checking today and seeing no evidence of a fresh stocking, I texted this to Melissa at the spring river hatchery:  Merry Christmas Melissa, will we get our Christmas stockings put out this year?😂😂. Here is her exact reply: “Hi Mike, Merry Christmas to you as well. We’ve wrapped up all of our 2022 stockings for the year, so it will be 2023 before we head south again. Thanks” I texted back “Wow, seems like we always get the short end of the stick down here on the Little Missouri!!” 

They stocked once in November and once in December on the 6th. No way we got the 5520 fish in November or the 5480 fish in December we were scheduled to get!!! (That’s my opinion)  Kinda sad. Don’t know why the Arkansas Game and Fish are wasting our money doing a creel survey on the river when they don’t stock any fish??  If you have any clout with a state Senator or Representative or someone on the Arkansas Game Fish board I wish you would use it and make our case for this river!!  I don’t or I would be calling.

Your up to date, guess good news is it’s too cold to fish here, (for me anyway!) it was 5 degrees here this morning. I’m not gonna bother giving you water temps, they are fine!!!🥶🥶🥶  They also have quite a bit of generation scheduled, next weeks schedule has been posted. There are some fish in the river, you just have to hunt them, it’s fishing not catching.

On another note, no one has come forward to claim the rod and reel that “Flyfish” found at Hinds Bluff. You can come by the house and get it if you want it FlyFish, you found it. To ease your minds, since I’m sure most of you went and checked your equipment for a missing rod, it’s not a fly rod!! Appears to be a $19.99 Walmart spinning reel combo special!!  Not much rod or reel. Maybe they left it on purpose?😂😂.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 🎆🎊🎈 to all. Tight lines. Mike.

Thanks for the updaye Mike, The fish were friendly and fiesty at Hinds Bluff last Friday! John D