Mermac the sure thing...

Will called me and set up a quick road trip for some localish trout. He was anxious to fish Mermac Springs after I raved about the trout there and how they literally jump onto your stinger, I told him it was a sure thing and we would be done fishing within a few hours. let me clarify that I have been fishing Mermac Springs for years now and consider my self as knowledgeable about the trout as a local. Well I have fished there with a spinning set up using small jigs that I have tied myself, and have never thought that the fishing would be that different with fly tackle. Boy was I wrong.
Will and I met at Dunken donuts which I decided to to not partake in because I am on a rather strict eating regiment. long story short I eat healthier now and feel better so I try to avoid temptation when I can. Don't worry I make a huge exception for local indigenous adult beverages. We made the quick drive to St. James and arrived just as the alarm sounded the beginning of the fishing day. I decided to start with my spinning rod because this was my third or fourth time with fly tackle. I caught a few fish early on and decided to start keeping them because I love fresh trout. I decided to release a decent fish because I wanted to keep fishing. Will had trouble and could not buy a strike and I wondered to my self what was wrong. We would find out later that trout at Meramac get hammered by every fisherman in St. Louis so they are very shy about taking a fly. We left around ten in the morning and I tried to rescue the day by taking Will to an access point down river that I have caught a good number of bass and panfish.
We got into the warm water spring and this time I was equipped with my fly rod and was a little nervous to say the least. I watched will pull in some beautiful looking greens and longears and that helped me to practice my cast and just get the fly to the fish. After we traveled down a large dog leg bend i found a very shallow slack water pool on the left hand side of the river. I began to catch blue gill after blue gill and a small crappie. On our way back up river Will spotted a decent Gar and he tried to talk it into to eating his fly. I was borrowing a TSW (or Tylers secret weapon) which I failed at casting toward the Gar. Will egged me on and the next cast was spot on right in front of the fish and it opened up its gruesome looking jaw to take the fly. I hesitated not believing that the fish had taken the fly, so I set the hook and tried to land this salami with fins. The fight was on and midway through Will rather smartly asked me if I had Gar gloves. I thought about it and said, " what the hell man you know me enough to know that I did not pack chain mail gloves for unhooking sharks and other saw toothed fish". Thankfully Will took charge and tried to unhook the gar but grabbed the leader which snapped as the torpedo like gar tried to death roll. Oh well I was extremely happy with that result because it ended with out Will or I being impaled by this very angry fish. Long story short we renamed the fly the secret Gar weapon because we have never known a gar to hit a fly. I did my research and found out that Tyler happened to be a nine year old fly tying prodigy that was fully sponsored by fine outfitters such as simms. This has become a running joke which usually pisses me off because I am frustrated by this kids success. Anyways it was a great day to be on the water. This trip was a turning point for me because i am now fully converted to to all things fly fishing.