“THE LAST OF THEIR KIND? | THE LAST OF THESE RARE TROUT LIVE HERE | FLY FISHING MISSOURI WILD TROUT”

Producer: FLY ALL SZN

“This is a Missouri trout fishing legend that holds a great deal of controversy throughout the ranks of avid anglers. For those extra fishy folk who like to nerd out about lineage and strains of trout, this is a mystery for you. One that will land you deep in Southern Missouri on the Ozark Plateau. Crane Creek is one of many Blue Ribbon trout streams here in Missouri that boast a thriving population of wild rainbow trout. Now all the blue ribbon streams in the state are special to me, but this one has a bit more to it than meets the eye. If you scrounge through the internet long enough researching Missouri wild trout, the name McCloud will no doubt pop up. This is the name of a world famous river on the West Coast of the United States. This extremely beautiful river in California was once home to the “Rainbows of the World”. The rainbow trout that once swam in this river were the main strain used when stocking cold water fisheries all over the world. From Argentina to New Zealand, the McCloud River Rainbow or Red Band was once the poster child for stocked trout across the world. So we should not be surprised that a few managed to get dumped into some backwoods creek in the middle of Southern Missouri at the turn of the century. But it may come as a slight surprise that these little trout could very well be the last of their kind.”