Day two of my Missouri trip found me back on the spring at Bennet Spring State Park a little after 8am; this time I would be fly fishing Zone 2. While in catch & release season, Zone 2 is flies only. During the regular season (March to the end of October), Zone 2 is flies or artificial lures.
The water was clear, air was crisp at about 28 degrees as I stepped into the spring just feel below the main bridge and Zone 1. I have had lots of luck using a black or dark olive wooly in the section so the night before I tied a pair of olive woolies in size 6; tied under 3X tippet the combo made for a lethal pair as I started picking off trout as I worked my way down Zone 2.
To have the stream to myself was a special treat and the trout were up and receptive as they chased and ate my wooly. Zone 2 really feels a lot like a small western trout stream with a ton of boulder cover providing areas for the trout to lay in wait. As I hit the first 90 degree turn to the left I had landed about 10 trout; ahead of me lie the big stone wall that really defines Zone 2.
By the time I had moved below the inflow stream from the hatchery my shoulder was starting to act up and I had enough gusto to make a few long casts across the spring just above the whistle-stop bridge … which provided a couple of nice, chunky rainbows to finish up the 90 minutes I had spent on the stream.
If ever in Bennet, don’t overlook Zone 2 as this small stretch provides lots of exciting action. Remember that if you have any questions you can contact me below on this page or by emailing me at flyfishingwithjeff@gmail.com.
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