Jewels of Little Piney Creek

Jewels of Little Piney Creek Bill Cooper It has been said that trout live in beautiful paces. Some places, however, are more beautiful than others. The Ozark Mountains of Missouri and Arkansas have been eons in the making and in the process the Great Artist spared no effort in designing gorgeous trout waters which meander through the region. Most are grand jewels of the trout order and each harbors magnificent, tiny jewels of its own that any trout monger would trade his favorite wand to discover. Little Piney Creek is a diminutive clear water stream in the south central Ozarks region of Missouri. Arguably, it is one of Missouri’s highest quality spring creek wild trout streams. Formed by several year round flow springs, the Little Piney meanders its way through traditional spectacular Ozark topography. Rugged hills, covered with hardwood ridges that support whitetail deer, wild turkey, mountain lions and black bear, provide the perfect back drop for the adventurous fly angler who hopes to experience all the wild jewels of an enchanted trout stream. The upper section of Little Piney Creek is classified by the Missouri Department of Conservation as Blue Ribbon Waters in order to protect the wild trout population found there. Only artificial flies and lures may be used in this section. One trout, over 18 inches constitutes a daily limit. Very few anglers choose to reduce such a magnificent fish to creel. Rainbows of such proportions are limited in Little Piney Creek and knowledgeable anglers realize how long it takes for a fish to reach that size. The greatest reward in releasing a trophy trout is the fact that one may be allowing another fisherman to enjoy the same experience with the crown jewel of the Little Piney. Further downstream lies the White Ribbon waters. This section is stocked. Those who want may reduce fish to creel. The Blue Ribbon section starts near the headwaters, but the most productive area of Little Piney Creek is located near and downstream of the springs near Highway 63. There is access at the Highway 63 bridge, Lane Spring Recreation Area, Milldam Hollow and Vida Slab. Fly fishing Little Piney Creek is best during spring and fall. Both seasons provide dramatic backdrops of color. Spring brings a bouquet of splendid wildflowers and flowering trees. Columbines, tall lobelias and violets blanket the stream side. Flowering dogwood and redbuds paint the sunrise for those early risers who enjoy the bejeweled, wild atmosphere as much as catching colorful rainbows. Too, water flows are increased in spring and fall giving anglers better fishing opportunities. Rainbows may be caught in the summer months, but low water can limit trout holding habitat. Long, light leaders are required because of the intense light. Trout become unceasingly wary and only the stealthiest of trout anglers will enjoy success. Little Piney Creek supports a diversity of aquatic insects and crustaceans. Blue-winged olives and brown drakes are fairly common. Mayflies and caddisflies are abundant as are small crayfish and freshwater shrimp. Imitations of these important food items are endless, but every angler have their favorites. If you want to match the most prominent food sources, stick with generic nymph in sizes 14-18 and dries in sizes 12-16. Too, Piney Creek rainbows can be fooled with glo-bugs, woolly buggers and foam flies. The creek has good hatches and blue-winged olives, adams, tan midges, elk hair caddis and pheasant tail bead head nymphs will get you into fish. Cracklebacks and renegades also work well at times. Small grasshoppers and big ants work well in late summer. Fish them along tall banks. They can be deadly. The brown drake hatch in September can provide fast action. These big brown mayflies do not emerge in massive numbers, but do provide a short lived frenzy of feeding action. Timing is everything for this jewel of the fall. “Matching the hatch” may seem a tongue in cheek statement to many, but serious fly anglers understand the importance of the idea. Presenting fly imitations that represent something other than what is present in Little Piney creek at the time, is an effort in frustration. Aquatic insects which are found in one Ozark watershed may not necessarily be found in another. Time invested in research before tackling the Little Piney will pay dividends. Google “Ozark Hatch Charts” to find out which aquatic insects hatch in a given month. You will be well ahead of the game and the quality of your trip will improve proportionately. The rainbows of Little Piney Creek are truly stunning. Brightly colored fish are attributed to hybridization between McCloud redbands and the Arlee strain introduced by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Too, rumor has it that there may have been a private stock of another strain introduced long ago, most likely Shasta or Gila. Regardless, when you catch a stunning Little Piney Creek rainbow, you immediately realize that you have experienced the Crown Jewel of the many jewels which Little Piney Creek has to offer.