Nestled in the trout fishing mecca of Kansas, my opportunities are limited. I’ve caught rainbows and brookies and even a golden hybrid in the past. However, I want to make the attempt at my first brown trout this summer. I’m 4-5 hours from the Missouri fisheries, and 8-9 hours from the front range of Colorado. Any ideas about where my odds might be best?
I’m considering the North Fork of the White, or Taneycomo.
Night Angler might be getting a call before too long, too. I’ve always wanted to try his guide service.
Definitely call Leonard!! He really knows that area … plus, he’s fun to be with.
Bennett Spring and Roaring River are two of the closer trout parks, too, if you get really desperate!!
But, I’d call Leonard!!
<guess I could add that we’re headed to South Dakota, “Land of NO trouts”, on Monday for a couple weeks. That’s always an option for trout mecca Kansans’! It’s not THAT far away!!>
north fork of the white gets my vote!
Tim,
What are you asking here for? Keith and those other folks you work with will give you some good advice. Most years I would say to leave, right now, tonight and drive out to the Ark at Salida for the Mother’s Day hatch. (it’s only a day’s drive ;)) Over the last few years it has been reported a little earlier than Mother’s day but this year everything seems to be off due to the high releases coupled with excess run-off this year. At any rate I can’t think of a river that will better guarantee a brown since that is most of what you catch in that system. If you are willing to wait until July or August the Ark, the Lake Fork, the Gunnison, the Rio Grande–all have great populations of Browns. (and so do many of the smaller high streams) Just can’t beat trout fishing in Colorado. I’ve also enjoyed good brown trout fishing in northern New Mexico.
I find it amazing but I seldom catch Brown’s down at the MO trout parks–can be done but I probably catch 100 rainbows for every brown. Leonard would surely be a good connection but I think I would call ahead and see how things are running with all the rain and run-off they’ve had–all the reservoirs are above conservation pool…
BW
If you’re going near the Springfield/Branson area, like everyone has said, look Leoard up. You’ll catch fish. I think Leonard pays some guy in a SCUBA outfit to put fish on people’s fly. We caught fish like crazy one night while they were generating.
If you do decide to head to the North Fork of the White, look up Brian Wise. He guides ont he river. Great guy…enthusiastic, great caster, and he knows his stuff. The NFOW is a pretty tough river to fish. (Not a great number of places to access.) It’s a challenging but rewarding river.
…just my thoughts…
Brian
Thanks. What I’m trying to find is a place to fish that is somewhat close that would give me a reasonable chance to catch brown trout. I’m not interested in a fish farm, though. The trout parks are as close as I’m really interested in getting to that.
I’m willing to head for Colorado, and I’ve been to Bennett Springs, and caught rainbows only. I’ll probably go back in another few weeks to catch some more, but I really would like to catch a brown. North fork of the white is probably terrific from what I’ve heard, but I’ve never been in the area.
P.S. I’m not Tim, though, and my co-workers are more into airplanes than flyrods. 
Betty, how come everywhere you vacation is a place sans trout? I hope that you and Cary have a great time and come back with pictures and stories.
Ed
I agree that that Arkansas River in Colorado is a good choice. I’d be surprised if you caught anything but brown trout there. I prefer the section between Leadville and Twin Lake. Its a quite a bit smaller there, not as many rafters in the summer, and easy access. In the same area, you can also go over to Taylor Park and fish above Taylor Reservoir on the Taylor River or Texas Creek. It’s just a jump over Cottonwood Pass from Buena Vista. You probably won’t catch any large browns, but they are plentiful. In Taylor Park, about all you need is Renegades. Dead drift them and then let them swing under at the end. The fish will often take them right when they go under the surface.
That sounds terrific. I camped at Twin Lakes several years ago, but didn’t get a chance to fish the area very much. I need to go back, I guess.
Bennett has been flooded, just did again this week. I would try Tanneycomo, there are good browns in there, I have fished it a few times, but never as long as I wanted to. Leonard is a good guy, try him out at night, I have been tempted to do that, but havent had the chance.
Drew
oops–my older brain processor somehow transcribed “Ol Blue” into “Bluegill222”—my apologies…(I wondered what Tim was doing without a Brown)
Being from Wichita–I’d definitely head out to the Ark. The flyshop folks in each of the towns will be very helpful. But it depends on the flow. Most years, you’ve got some pretty challenging wading–at least until fall. There is a map of the River that you can probably call up one of the flyshops and get a copy that will outline the public waters for you along the entire watershed. The other thing you need to cope with is that when the flow is high so is the rafting traffic.
Like I said before, I’ve had a really nice couple of times fishing in New Mexico–and that is just about as close for you. There are a number of great small rivers, there. The Cimarron may be fishable before the Colorado rivers this year. It’s a very small tailwater stream and very popular with the folks from Texas. The flyshop in Taos is great. We hooked up with them to take a bunch of biology teachers out on their first flyfishing expedition–every one caught fish and had a good time. I guarantee they will put you on a brown.
Still, if it were me, and I was trying to catch a brown, I’d probably add a couple of others to the list—like Rio Grande cuthroat and Colorado cuthroat–if I was going to try and maximize my diversity I’d head out to Lake Fork.
BW