Bluegill Longear sunfish Click to Enlarge   Seek a Creek! by Bryan Hendricks If you want a place to fish Of all the great places to fish in Missouri, small streams and creeks are some of my favorites.They're fairly narrow and mostly shallow, so you don't need a boat to get to the best spots.You can wade, or you can fish from the bank. Actually, there's no way to avoid wading. You can't help it. A creek demands to be waded, and it's useless to resist. Come, young Jedi, and surrender to the "wet side!" Creeks are also great places to brush up on your rock throwing skills, but more about that later. Depending on where you live, you probably don't have to go far to find a good fishing creek. The creek running through your farm or neighborhood might be a hotspot if it flows year round. Best of all, the fishing can be great! My love affair with fishing started on the small creeks near my childhood home. They were mysterious wonderlands that provided endless adventures for my friends and me. There we fought and won many battles with imaginary foes. We stalked dinosaurs and reveled in days we hoped would never end. Of course, we also caught a lot of fish. One of the nice things about creeks is most people don't fish in them. Therefore, the fish aren't overly wary. You can catch them pretty easily with a variety of baits and lures. Mostly you'll catch bluegill and green sunfish, but you'll also catch some nice catfish in the deeper holes. Every once in awhile, you might even catch a bass or two. Even though creeks seem small compared to lakes and ponds, you still have to know where and where not to fish. Some parts of a creek are good for fishing, and some aren't so good. Some are no good at all. Learning to "read" a creek is the key to catching fish. A creek is basically a series of small, still pools separated by narrow, shallow stretches where the water moves faster. These areas are called rapids or riffles. A riffle is a narrow reach where the creek channel quickly drops in elevation until it reaches the next pool. A rapid is usually a dramatic drop where the creek falls very quickly over a longer distance than a riffle. You won't often find rapids on small creeks, but you will find riffles. The degree of slope over a distance is called gradient. In the Ozarks and in the river hills region of northern Missouri, gradients are fairly steep. Rapids and riffles there are usually rocky and swift. In the prairie regions, creek gradients are much gentler, so they really don't have obvious riffles. Instead, they usually have short narrow constrictions, or bottlenecks, between pools. The downstream point where a rapid or riffle enters the next pool is called the tail of the riffle, or the head of the pool. There's almost always a deep hole or pocket there, and it's one of the best places to fish in any creek. That's because the current brings in lots of food. That attracts fish, which wait in the pockets to eat any morsels that wash down from the riffle. From there, the creek channel hugs one side of the bank or the other until it reaches the next riffle. That's the deepest part of the pool. The other side is shallow. Your creek might have fallen trees, logs or rootwads in the pools. These items make excellent fish habitat, and they are also great places to fish. At the end of the pool, the water gets shallow before it enters the head of the next riffle. Sometimes the fishing is good there, but not always. The only way to find out is to try. Another nice thing about creek fishing is that fish aren't picky about what they like to eat. Crickets, worms and grasshoppers almost always catch fish. As for tackle, you don't need fancy rods and reels. Even a cane pole will work well. Tie a hook to the end of the line, pinch on a small split shot, and then clip a bobber onto the line for the depth you want to fish. When you find a good spot, just flip the line to the water and let the fish do the rest. I once bought a spool of monofilament line from a variety store. For a long time I just fished from the spool without a rod. It was hard to play fish and reel them in that way, but it worked until I found a broken rod to use. After you've fished a pool thoroughly, you'll be tempted to take a dip. Know how deep the water is before you enter. If it's over your head or you can't swim, don't get in. Also, never enter a stream if you're alone. Of course, there are almost always a lot of rocks on a stream bank. Some of these rocks have a high need to be in the water, and they look to you to get them there. I used to like to break sticks into various lengths and throw them into the water, where they magically transformed into battleships, destroyers and aircraft carriers. I became a shore artillery battery and tried to hit and break as many as I could before they entered the next riffle and escaped to the safety of the next pool. Whenever you go creek fishing, you'll have more fun if you take a friend or two. It's safer if you're in a group, too. Always tell your parents where you're going. If the creek crosses someone else's property, make sure it's OK with the owner for you to be there. There's no place better to spend long summer days than a cool, clean creek. There's certainly no better place to go fishing. Free Fishing and Free Info! Missouri residents 15 years of age or younger (or 65 years of age or older) do not need a permit to fish in Missouri waters. Regulations concerning methods, seasons and limits apply to all anglers, however.Youngsters must obtain a $2 daily trout tag to fish at the any of the four trout parks in the state. For more details about how to find, catch and prepare fish, request a free copy of "An Introduction to Fishing" from the Distribution Center,Missouri Conservation Department, PO Box 180, Jefferson City,MO 65102-0180 or email <pubstaff@mdc.mo.gov>.You can read the booklet online at <www.mdc.missouri.gov/conmag/1997/05/4.html>.