Bikerafting the Lower Meramec
Any good day excursion starts with a degree of excitement especially one that involves a new way to float down a river. Some of the best trips start off in unforeseen ways. This trip idea was born from a conclusion to a long drawn out work issue that finally settled, and a governmental furlough. Sometimes it is these unexpected events that a new trip idea is planted. With Alex and myself, the get out of town prospect doesn't need much germination to grow into at trip, although those were two big reasons.
Alex excels at thinking outside the box when it comes to trips. He was the one to introduce me into packrafting. This combines my love of floating (and an excuse to go fishing) with an added outdoor experience such as hiking, or in this case, biking. This opens up all sorts of new water that you cannot easily access with a car. You are only bound by your creativity on how to get from A to B. It’s also a great way to avoid crowds.
The plan was to float middle/lower Meramec River. We'd get to see new water at a late summer flow. We picked this section due to close proximity to home. We packed all of our gear for the day including the boats in our backpacks, and embarked on a 4 mile bike ride to the put in. The bike route had a little elevation but nothing that would induce a heart attack. The only soul we saw was a fellow who looked suspiciously like Father Time. He is a good reminder that, even at 41, one needs to warm up before doing any sort of activity.
The premise was to stash and lock the bikes in the woods, pump up the rafts, tie down the gear, string the rods, and hit the water. This can all be efficiently done in ten minutes. The only unknown was what to tie on. I've fished the Meramec all my life, but I still stumble into what is the fishing equivalent to a writers block. A guide friend says to fish what you have confidence in. When packrafting, you are only bound to what you can carry. So you do your best to make an educated guess on what will work on new water. That helps solve the lure conundrum by choosing confidence patterns.
This section was low and slow, but surprisingly clean and clear. The river bank had a few houses but for the most part free of urban blight. Lots of downed trees provided cover. We found Kentucky and smallmouth bass in the usual places one would suspect. With the water level in a low flow you'd look for shady areas, holes with depth, and in a current would be where you would look. You'd have a pretty good shot if you got tight to cover and got your lure down deep.
We ran into two fisherman on a jet boat. There were a couple of odd looks and a few head scratches about our packrafts. You exchange the usual pleasantries when you run into other fishermen. How’s the day? Catch any and what on? Usually they end with simple one liners. This one ended with a story about a dead body. After prying for more information we found out it occurred twenty years ago. I'm not sure why that story was considered relevant, but my guess is that they saw two unfamiliar faces that were not from the area and decided that this was the best way for a less disturbed fishery. We are all guilty of hiding waters when talking to friends and family members, let alone strangers. So you give a chuckle and add it to your long list of inside jokes that make memorable trips.
