The Slams

When Cody Diehl heard about the two marathon fishing challenges offered by MDC, he knew he was up to the task.

Unlike your typical fishing tournaments, there are no standings associated with these fishing challenges. Rather MDC and its partners, the MOKAN chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance, cast out a challenge in the form of two “slams.” The challenge — see if you can complete the fishing marathons.

Each slam is a daunting test, to be sure.

To capture a gold medal in the Blue Ribbon Trout Slam, an angler has to catch at least one trout of any size in each of the nine Blue Ribbon trout streams that support naturally reproducing populations.

To go for the gold in the Smallmouth Slam, an angler has to land a bronzeback in each of the 12 streams and rivers designated by MDC as special management areas.

Diehl, an avid fisherman and a conservation educator and fisheries technician for MDC, was one of many who accepted the challenge.

“This was perfect for me,” said Diehl, 28, who lives in St. Peters. “I’ll do what I call a ‘suffer fest.’ I’ll sit on the bank of a lake or river and stay there all day and night waiting for the fish to bite. I love to fish, and I love a good challenge.”

Today, Diehl is one of a few who has completed both slams and has the gold medals to prove it.

In the process, he got a memorable tour of some of Missouri’s most beautiful streams, many of which he never knew existed before taking part in the slams.

“Fishing at some of these streams, I really got the feeling of ‘I am alone,’” Diehl said. “I love long hikes and putting in work to catch fish.

“I found in some of these places, I had to walk at least a mile past any other people I would see to stand a good chance of catching fish. But it was worth it. I have some great memories of taking part in these slams.”

A Tour of Special Places

Off the beaten track. Breathtaking. Hidden gems. Unspoiled.

All have been used to describe the special qualities of the streams on the Trout and Smallmouth Slams.

These aren’t tourist attractions, where you encounter full parking lots and dozens of anglers in boats and on the bank. These are wild areas, the type of waters often so secluded that you have to use GPS to get to an access point.

Stretches of the streams are open to public fishing, though participants have to be careful not to trespass on the parts that are private and off-limits. That’s one aspect that makes the slams challenging. Another, especially on the trout side, is that you are dealing with wild fish. Forget the hatchery-raised trout you fish for at Missouri’s trout parks. The wild fish are wary and have fine-tuned senses.

“Most of the wild trout you catch are smaller than 8 inches,” said Ed Heist, a professor at Southern Illinois University and an avid fly-fisherman who completed both slams. “The real challenge is that they are very skittish and will take off at the slightest sign of movement.

“You have to use stealth and present something that looks natural to them before they are aware that you are there.”

Heist completed the Trout Slam twice — first as part of a research project to determine the genetic origins of Missouri trout, the second as purely a passionate fly-fisherman.

Heist used a fly rod to accomplish that goal. For the trout, he often used a dry fly with a tiny No. 20 midge on a dropper. 

For the smallmouth, he used a Clouser Minnow fly for mid-range fish and a fly with a unique name, Meat Whistle, for smallmouth holding in deeper water.

“I love fly-fishing because you’re trying to imitate natural food for the fish,” Heist said. “When you fool a wild fish on something you’ve tied, there’s a sense of accomplishment.”

Life-Changing Fishing

There was an extra sense of accomplishment for Diehl. He terms fishing as his “lifesaver.” And he’s not exaggerating.

Not long ago, his life was in a valley. After years of playing in a rock group, he turned to the party scene and became addicted to alcohol.

“During those times when I was struggling, I would go fish because it was the only thing that brought me peace,” Diehl said.

After he lost his place in the band because he wasn’t well enough to go on tour or attend practices, Diehl went to a rehab facility. There, he used fishing at a pond on the grounds as part of his therapy.

With nowhere else to turn, he concentrated on his fishing. He returned to school and studied fish and wildlife management.

That eventually led to a job with MDC as a conservation educator and fisheries technician in the St. Louis area. His message to those he meets — fishing can be more than just a casual pastime. It can be a lifeline during difficult times.

Tackling the Trout and Smallmouth Slams certainly added purpose to Diehl’s life. He turned 2022 into one giant fishing trip. When he wasn’t working, he was on the road fishing.

He started the Trout Slam on Jan. 23, 2022 and was done by April 2. That same year, he started the Smallmouth Slam in March and completed it Aug. 21.

“When I got started, I would go to a stream, catch a fish, then drive to the next one,” he said. “The most I did was three (streams) in a day.”

He kept records to illustrate his quest. For the Trout Slam, he drove 1,819 miles and spent 31.5 hours travelling. He spent 18 hours on the water and 28 miles hiking to preferred holes. He didn’t keep as detailed records for the Smallmouth Slam, but he estimates they would be similar to the trout quest.

One constant — he waded in most spots, used spinning gear and used one lure, a Joe’s Fly inline spinner.

“I watched a guy catch fish on that lure one day on a lake in St. Louis when no one else was catching fish,” he said. “I went out and bought some, and now it’s my favorite bait.”

In Memory of Dad

When Adam Guerich set out on the Blue Ribbon Trout Slam, he was on an emotional mission. He used a fly rod that was gifted to his father, who passed away before he was able to use it.

“I decided I would carry on the torch for him,” said Guerich, of Desloge. “We fished together for many years, and he talked about getting into fly-fishing.

“His friend gave him a nice fly rod and reel, but he was too sick to use it.”

When Guerich inherited it, he made sure it was put to good use. He learned to fly-fish with the outfit, then he set out on the Trout Slam. He made sure he was fishing on Sundays, a special day for father and son.

“That was always dad’s day,” said Guerich, who is an IT systems administrator. “That day was always reserved for fishing with dad.”

Living in southeast Missouri, he was able to knock off many of the close-to-home streams and rivers on the list. Then he hit the road and expanded his adventures.

Guerich encountered many challenges along the way. He had to fish the North Fork of the White River three times before he finally caught a trout. And he had to figure out ways to catch wary rainbows in little streams such as Barren Fork, Blue Springs, the Little Piney, and Crane Creek.

At each stop, he would take a picture of the fish he caught and release it.

Once the Trout Slam was finished, he moved onto the Smallmouth Slam. Again, using his special fly rod, he caught and released an 18-inch bronzeback on the Current River and a 16-inch fish on the Big River.

But there were some frustrating days as well. He had to visit Mineral Fork Creek seven times before he could catch a smallmouth.

Nonetheless, he completed his quest and dedicated it to his late father.

“I felt like he was with me,” Guerich said. “He would have loved this.”

Mission Accomplished

The Trout Slam started in 2020 after a member of the MOKAN chapter of Trout Unlimited approached MDC and suggested that the agency establish a program similar to what other states had. Fisheries officials agreed and opted to co-sponsor the slam with the nonprofit conservation group.

Some voiced concern that the small blue-ribbon streams on the list would be adversely affected, but MDC biologists decided the strict regulations already in place would protect the waters.

Several years later, officials are overwhelmed with the response from the two slams.

“They generated a lot of excitement from the start,” said Andrew Branson, MDC fisheries program supervisor who oversees the slams. “We started getting comments like ‘These slams are getting me back into fishing again,’ and ‘I’m fishing streams I never knew existed.’

“But the best ones are the people who say, ‘I’ve never been so excited to catch a 5-inch fish.’ This isn’t about catching the biggest fish. They all count.”

For more information about the Blue Ribbon Trout Slam or the Smallmouth Slam, visit mdc.mo.gov/fishing/trophies-certificates. ▲

Brent Frazee is an award-winning writer and photographer who was the outdoors editor of The Kansas City Star for 36 years before retiring in 2016. He continues to freelance for magazines, newspapers, and websites. He lives in Parkville with his wife Jana and two yellow labs, Millie and Maggie.