Capps Creek
Encyclopedia
Capps Creek is a 13.4 miles (21.6 km) stream in Newton County, Missouri. It is a tributary of Shoal Creek
, and its water flows from there into the Spring River
, then the Neosho River
, the Arkansas River
, and ultimately the Mississippi River
. Capps Creek is best known for Jolly Mill
Park, located at the old township site of Jollification.
The creek is also known for trout
fishing, as it is a White Ribbon Trout Area managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation
. White Ribbon Trout Areas are stocked periodically with rainbow
and, occasionally, brown trout
. The fishing regulations are generally relaxed and allow anglers to use any live bait and keep up to four trout per day. However, a good number of visiting fishermen venture away from Jolly Mill into the Capps Creek Conservation Area to try their hand at catching the wilder resident trout, most commonly caught on a fly rod
. These resident trout are known to grow to respectable sizes, with 20+ inch fish being caught throughout the year.
Jolly Mill
and the former town of Jollification have a history reaching back into the mid-19th century. The mill was the anchor of the town, and the town survived on its success as a grist mill and whiskey distillery. The town was destroyed during the Civil War
and rebuilt, but it ultimately died when the railroad bypassed the town. Jolly Mill is now managed by The Friends of Jolly Mill and The Ozark Highlanders as a public family-friendly park, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Shoal Creek (Missouri)
Shoal Creek is an stream in southwest Missouri and southeast Kansas. It begins in northern Barry County, Missouri and flows west through Newton and Jasper counties in Missouri before emptying into the Spring River near Riverton in Cherokee County, Kansas....
, and its water flows from there into the Spring River
Spring River (Missouri)
The Spring River is a waterway located in southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas, and northeastern Oklahoma. It begins in northern Barry County, Missouri south of Aurora, flows north of Verona and turns west across Lawrence and Jasper counties, passing through Carthage, before crossing into...
, then the Neosho River
Neosho River
The Neosho River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in eastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma in the United States. Its tributaries also drain portions of Missouri and Arkansas. The river is about long. Via the Arkansas, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed.- Course :The Neosho's...
, the Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
, and ultimately the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. Capps Creek is best known for Jolly Mill
Jolly Mill
Jolly Mill was built on Capps Creek at Jollification, Berwick Township, Newton County, Missouri, USA in 1848 by Thomas Isbell and his son John to serve as a whiskey distillery...
Park, located at the old township site of Jollification.
The creek is also known for trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
fishing, as it is a White Ribbon Trout Area managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation
Missouri Department of Conservation
The Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Conservation Commission were created by Article IV Sections 40-42 of the Missouri Constitution, which were adopted by the voters of the state in 1936 as Amendment 4 to the constitution...
. White Ribbon Trout Areas are stocked periodically with rainbow
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
and, occasionally, brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
. The fishing regulations are generally relaxed and allow anglers to use any live bait and keep up to four trout per day. However, a good number of visiting fishermen venture away from Jolly Mill into the Capps Creek Conservation Area to try their hand at catching the wilder resident trout, most commonly caught on a fly rod
Fly fishing
Fly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial 'fly' is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or 'lure' requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting...
. These resident trout are known to grow to respectable sizes, with 20+ inch fish being caught throughout the year.
Jolly Mill
Jolly Mill
Jolly Mill was built on Capps Creek at Jollification, Berwick Township, Newton County, Missouri, USA in 1848 by Thomas Isbell and his son John to serve as a whiskey distillery...
and the former town of Jollification have a history reaching back into the mid-19th century. The mill was the anchor of the town, and the town survived on its success as a grist mill and whiskey distillery. The town was destroyed during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and rebuilt, but it ultimately died when the railroad bypassed the town. Jolly Mill is now managed by The Friends of Jolly Mill and The Ozark Highlanders as a public family-friendly park, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.