Little Red BIG BROWNS!!!

Well TOSFly readers, over the past couple of weeks, a few members of the TOSFly team have been spending a lot of time on the Little Red River. And the result? ... BIG BROWNS. That's right, this little river has been producing some big fish. And the primary reason is the spawn.

For a while before Christmas, it seemed the browns were finished spawning. However, the week before the celebration of our Savior's birth, I received word from an associate that the browns had started again, and big fish were being caught all throughout the river! This was good news for me considering I was headed to the river the next weekend. The anticipation almost killed me ... literally. I think if I tied one more fly or talked about fishing any more, my wife would have taken my life.

Anyway, after being on the river the past few days, it is true. All of it. The browns are spawning, and big fish are being caught. My father-in-law and I have torn up the browns at Cow Shoals off of a variety of flies including red asses, white woolies, scuds, and sowbugs. However, the hot fly of the week has been the Holy Grail. I have spent the past several nights tying these flies, and I am very thankful that I did because the fish loved it!

Today started off great. On the very first cast, I caught a nice rainbow while drifting nothing other than the Holy Grail. However, the fishing slowed, and I decided to move upriver to a nice deep pool. I started by stripping a wooly bugger, and BAM!!! I had a nice brown trout measuring about 16 inches. I took a pic and let her go. Second cast ... strip ... strip ... BAM!!! Another 17 inch brown (I did measurements on my rod) with a nice kype. It was obvious this guy was spawning. I laid him beside my rod and took a picture. I fished the white wooly for a while longer, but I think they started to figure me out.

I switched to a scud and caught several fish. Dean, my father-in-law, caught a nice brown with a purple haze scud. Check it out:

Then, I switched to the Holy Grail. This fly was HOT all week long! They absolutely KILLED it! I must have tied a dozen of them, and the fish tore up 3! I caught one on the first cast with the new fly ... a nice brown in the 13" range. Then, I cast a little deeper to an area where the fish were rising and the river bottom seemed to change depths. A few seconds after the fly hit the water, my indicator went under fast. I set the hook, and I thought I was hung up. I wasn't; my line was moving, and this momma fish was fighting. After about 10 minutes of battle, I netted her. Check her out!

I wasn't able to snap any pictures besides this one. She was spewing eggs, and I knew I needed to get her back in the water. As a result, I was not able to measure her. However, if the big guy mentioned earlier was 17", she was pushing 21". She was definitely a full hand's width longer than him. She was an absolutely beautiful fish. I released her almost immediately, and back to the redds she went.

Overall, we have had a blast!

Check back soon for TOSFly's trip to the Little Red coming in mid January!

Until then ... cast to The Other Side!

Seth

11 Point River Trip

One of the greatest parts of being a fly-fisherman is the chance to see places and rivers that many take for granted. In two weeks, I will be spending 3 days fishing Missouri's 11 Point River. I was invited to join the annual float trip by some buddies from John Brown University (JBU). They know my enthusiasm with fishing and were gracious enough to lend me the invite. It is going to be off the chain! This river is a blue ribbon stream and produces a wide variety of fishing. Since I have never fished on the river I am in research mode. Thomas, the trip leader, has informed me that they have a lot of their success using STONEFLIES.

I have not fished the stonefly very much, but it is amazing what you can find on the internet. Stoneflies are in their early stages when caddis flies are in adulthood. These flies live around stones and rocks (hence the name). Because of this, when throwing these flies, you are supposed to let the fly bounce its way across the bottom of a run. I will be casting upstream and mending my line as the fly works its way through the run. Apparently this river has amazing drifts that lead to deep pools at the end. HELLO BIG BROWNS!!! I am more than excited to go on the trip because it is a new river to me. I will be sure to take plenty of pictures for The Prez to put on the site!

Until then ... Cast to The Other Side!

Blessed Waters,
Chad

Little Red River Review

Last weekend, the Prez (Seth) and Chud (Chad) went on a two-day outing to the Little Red River. Our host for the weekend was Mr. Dean Rose (Seth's Father-in-law). We arrived at the cabin around 4:00 p.m. and immediately put all of our gear on to head to the river. Both of us were pumped to get on the river considering it had been a few weeks since out last casts. Chad rigged up a 5-weight with a huge black ugly with red dumbbell eyes. His first cast yielded hopes of a promising evening as a huge flash below the water began to take chase of my fly. For the next hour Chud kept throwing that fly in the hopes that a big piggers would want to munch. Nothing doing.... The Prez, on the other hand, decided to rip some face with his own streamer (a white wooly). The big brownies came out to party with Seth. He caught two nice brownies within the 1.5 hours we were out there. Needless to say, this was a promising beginning to our fishing trip indeed.

Friday night consisted of us three gents sitting around a dinner table that was littered with fly-tying material, courtesy of Mr. Dean Rose. The conversation flowed and the fireplace stayed warm for many hours that night. Experiences of past trips were shared as well as the techniques we would use for Saturday's outing. We had a great night to say the least.

We got up early Saturday to the smell of coffee and freshly baked cinnamon rolls, also courtesy of our host Mr. Rose. It was a brisk morning; it probably did not get above 25 degrees throughout the day. We fished some very shallow runs that did not get above the knees, which made for a difficult time nymphing. Chad gave a few casts but realized that throwing a streamer seemed more plausible. As a result, he transitioned to an olive bead head wooly that he had tied the night before. Second cast ... strip ... strip ... boom. Beautiful bow. The next couple of hours were exciting because the fish seemed to just attack the various streamers that he threw at them. Chad ended up catching some good bows with a couple of nice brownies occasionally thrown into the mix. It was a good morning of fishing.

Later in the day, Mr. Rose made his way to a rock point where he had success with some dry flies and some woolies of his own. It seemed like everytime he started stripping a wooly, a fish would strike! Seth had a slow Saturday, catching only two fish through the shoals. Nonetheless, we all had a blast. Overall it was a good day on the Little Red. Chad's trip was cut short as he had to head back into Fay-town for Sunday church. It is always hard to leave the river; after all, the river is our Saturday sanctuary.

          

Sunday was a different story all together for Seth. After having a slow Saturday, he experienced a Sunday full of success at Cow Shoals. Mr. Rose and Seth began their day around 8:00. After fishing through the shoals for about an hour, the two of them doubled up by stripping some white woolies through the shallows; Seth on a bow, and Mr. Rose on a brownie. Soon after they came upon a deeper pool where fish were constantly rising to the surface. Over the next few hours, Seth caught between 12-15 nice sized fish. Most were caught on a scud tied with golden ice dubbing. This fly seemed almost irresistible to the browns. Seth caught a few more on dry flies by throwing a BWO near a fallen tree.

Overall, it was an awesome weekend complete with great food, conversation and fishing. We enjoyed our time with Mr. Dean Rose, and we enjoyed our time on the Little Red River. This is an awesome fishery that every TOSFly reader should consider.

Until next time, cast to The Other Side!

Blessed Waters,

Chud & The Prez

What are you Packing?

Vest or pack? That is the question.... Neither is per se better, but we all make the choice. As for the fellas here at TOSFly, we are all about the packs. Every fly fisherman has their own personal (and oftentimes passionate) opinion about the specific gear they use. This applies equally to the pack since it is arguably one of the most important items you have. It is no secret that the TOSFly pack of choice is one that we are pretty opinionated about. We all rock the Fishpond Waterdance Guide Pack. All of us except the legendary Chud Lee, that is, who recently sold out for the new Simms pack. Nonetheless, the Fishpond Waterdance Guide Pack is by far the most used pack by the TOSFly team, and we love it.

                

First of all, it is not nearly as hot as a vest! Right now, in the dead of winter this may not be an issue, but for those of you who fish year round (like us), you understand that the heat of the summer can lead to some uncomfortable fishing experiences. Wearing a vest, especially the Fishpond Waterdance Guide Pack, can remedy some of this problem easily.

I also like the versatility of this pack. I am able to twist the pack around my waist for easy access while changing flies. This is convenient because it allows me to have easy access to my boxes and tools. Moreover, the front pocket is a zip down fly bench, a feature that has protected me from losing numerous flies by dropping them in the water. After changing flies, I am able to twist the pack behind my back for extra back support while fishing. If you are like me, after hours of fishing, your lower back starts to ache just a little. If you have a Fishpond Waterdance Guide Pack, there is no need for a back supporting wader belt! Just twist the pack around behind you and tighten it up while casting. I promise you will notice a substantial difference.

The room in this pack is astounding! There are three zippered pockets, and for me the pack provides more than enough room for two CF Design nymph boxes and TWO Cliff bugger barns. Needless to say, there is a lot of real estate in these things (427 cubic inches to be exact!). You can also take multiple bottles of water with you thanks to the bottle holders on the side of the pack, alleviating the need to wear a camel back.

But, better than all the info above, this pack is HIGHLY durable and VERY reasonably priced. Check out your local fly shop to put your hands on a Waterdance by Fishpond!

The pack has been redesigned for 2011, so get your hands on one today!

And until next time, cast to The Other Side!!!

- J-Ferg

LUNCH LINKS!!!

How about some Wednesday link action?

• The essential trout fishing guide for serious anglers has been released!
• Trout Pond for Tulsa will be open on the day after Christmas! All you Oklahoma trout enthusiasts need to get out there and fish!
• Here is a great article from Yahoo! on the basics of ice fishing.
• Recounting a good weekend. Despite the cold, windy winter day, John Berry and friends land several big fish!

And now, a little eye candy:

It's hump day, so I thought you could use two!

Until next time, cast to The Other Side!

- Seth

Little Red Trip Review - Teaser

Chad and Dean lit up the waters around Swinging Bridge on Saturday, while Seth blasted the browns on Friday night and Sunday morning. The full review of this trip will be posted soon, but in the meantime, how about a little teaser photo (or photos)?

Until next time ... cast to The Other Side! Check back soon!

- Seth

Flies From the Wise

Readers of TOSfly, I have to first apologize for my recent absence.  I have neglected the one thing, other than the Lord, that brings me true joy... fly-fishing.  I took some much needed time for myself in deciphering my future plans and career while dealing with school, woman problems (a life-long curse I'm afraid given my desire to be on the river during any holiday, funeral, or wedding) and the many facets of life in general. Anyway, my sincere apologies.  On to the good stuff.  This weekend the Prez (Seth) and I are spending the weekend fishing on the Little Red River.  We are super pumped to get to spend the weekend with Mr. Dean Rose (Seth's father-in-law).  He was gracious enough to allow us the opportunity to stay with him in his cabin.  It is one thing to have to rough it when it is necessary (we do love to rough it), but its another thing to get to come back to an extremely "lodgy" cabin where we can relax after a hard day of fishing.

Mr. Rose, an extremely talented fly tier, is going to be giving Seth and I some lessons this weekend and I am very excited for the opportunity to learn some new skills in this art.  There is nothing better than learning from a master fly tier ...We are very excited about the learning that is going to take place and showing you guys (the readers) what we learned.  Until then ...

Blessed Waters,
Chad

LUNCH LINKS!!!

How about a Monday pick-me-up with some lunch linkage to brighten your day:

• Field and Stream have put together the fisherman's winter reading list just in time for the holidays.
• Master the midge, become a better fly fisherman.
• Caught a few trout? Wanna make a good meal? Try this recipe at your holiday table.
• If you live in Texas and want to get into fly fishing, you will soon have an excellent opportunity! Bob Cappallo of Corsicana will be teaching a class in Athens on January 15.
• Your fishing adrenaline rush could lead to Nirvana ...
• In Arkansas, erratic flows have made for challenging fly fishing.

Well there it is folks. That should be more than enough to keep you busy this afternoon. If not, spend some time surfing to find yourself a new reel. For ideas, check out Justin's gear review page. Now, enjoy a little eye candy. 

Late Fall White River Trip

Well TOSFly readers, several weeks ago the TOSFly team had the opportunity to take our annual late fall fishing trip. This year, we went to the White River. It was a great trip complete with time around the fire, great stories of monster fish, and of course a lot fish catching. For evidence of that, just see below:

So, as you can see, there was no problem catching fish. As far as I can remember, we hooked up with brookies, brownies, and rainbows (and that's just what I remember). There may have been more!

We had the opportunity to take an experienced angler along with us: Carter McLeod. Carter is a close friend of the TOSFly team, and it was a great experience to have him along with us. Between Carter and Justin, who you all know from our regular gear reviews, we had our very own Simms catalog right there on the water. Just check out that picture to the right. Those guys had everything Simms has made in the past 2 years: pullovers, waders, hats, boots, gravel guards, gloves, toilet paper ... Well, maybe not that last one, but you get the point.

It was truly a great trip. I'll walk you through the details. We all arrived at different times on Friday evening. Justin, Carter, and I arrived last since we couldn't get away from the office before around 5:00. As soon as we got there, it was time to build a fire and spend some time just kicking it. As you can imagine, this lasted well into the night, but we all finally got to bed.

Day 1 of Fishing

We started our Saturday morning early, very early, which is something you have to do on the White. If we wanted to get into Rim Shoals before the rest of the crowd, we had to act early. It wasn't an easy task navigating that boat in extremely shallow in the pitch black of night, but we finally made our way to the hole and began fishing as the light of the morning crested the horizon.

Immediately after getting out of the boat, it seemed Luke, Chad, and Carter were hooking up after only a couple of casts. They were both throwing streamers and using a quick strip to entice the big boys. The rest of us wandered into the shoals to see if any fish were waiting in the shallows. Sure enough, it wasn't long before we were all hooking up and bringing in fish.

The fog was thick and the fish were hitting hard. After several hours of fishing, we finally decided around 11:30 to head back to the cabin, not because we weren't catching fish, but because we were getting worn out. Not to mention we were having some problems with wader leakage. After a couple of hours fishing, it was obvious that Luke was having some problems staying in the extremely cold water with a huge hole in his waders. In order to warm him up, we attempted to start a creekside fire. This idea did not work as well as we expected. Before long we were in the boat on our way back. A good lunch break would do us all some good.

After arriving at camp, we prepared some dogs and sandwiches and took a little break. After the great morning we had, I think we all deserved it. After a couple of hours, we prepared to head out again. This time, we were going to have to go without Luke. The cold water had gotten to him, and he was coming down with a cold. Because Luke is a worship minister here in Fayetteville, AR, he decided it would be best if he stayed behind and rested. He needed his voice to lead worship the next morning. We didn't blame him, but we sure did miss him. The afternoon was a blast!

Saturday afternoon was also full of fish-catching fun. We took to boat upriver just a little bit, and parked near what looked like a hot spot. There were varying depths around this area making it perfect for both streamer fishing as well as nymphing. We began again. It wasn't long before the team was hooking up with fish again. The fly of the afternoon? A white shad pattern tied by our very own Chad Lee. He stripped this thing in with varying speeds, and the rainbows loved it. Everyone was catching fish out of the same run!

After fishing for several more hours, the water started to rise, and we decided to head back. We got to camp, showered, and planned for the night. Luke and Chad had to head back to lead worship on Sunday morning; Zack and I decided to drive into Mountain Home to watch the Razorbacks battle Mississippi State, while Justin and Carter decided to try their luck at night fishing (and what luck they had).

On the night fishing trip, Carter was stripping in a big ugly black beast when all of the sudden he felt a HIT!!! It was a strong pull that caused his spool to sing! Carter was sure that he had caught a world record trout. He battled this monster for about 15-20 minutes before finally wearing it out. After getting the fish in, Justin turned on his headlamp and saw this monster:

That's right ... he pulled in a big ole hybrid bass! This guy must have gotten pushed through the dam and made a living swallowing up the fingerlings in the area. He fattened himself up, and Carter caught him looking! What a fish!

Day 2 of Fishing

The second day of fishing was left up to Justin, Seth and Zack. Carter left early on Sunday morning to see his wife and kids. Family first. The three of us remained. We decided to head down to rim, and on the way we did a little sight fishing. Zack spotted some lunkers hanging out under a tree, and we decided to park the boat to see if we could hook up. Sure enough, on the first cast I was hooked up with a rainbow who took a san juan worm (Ole' Faithful). At first I thought I had surely hooked up with one of those big boys, but as it turned out it was just a little guy. But hey, any fish is a good fish when you are on the river. The experience is what it is all about. Remember that. 

We then made our way down to the shoals, and spent the rest of the morning there. The day was a little slow, but that doesn't mean we didn't catch fish. We pulled in several, and had a blast doing it. Justing even hooked up with a nice brownie about an hour before we decided to head back. Check it out:

Man ... it was an awesome, action-packed trip. I wish I could share all the pictures from the weekend, but I guess you'll just have to enjoy the slideshow below:

LUNCH LINKS!!!

Alright all you fly-fishing enthusiasts, we are back in action with a brand new name. Welcome to the TOSFly LUNCH LINKS!!!! How about some Link love on a Friday afternoon?

1. Christmas is right around the corner. Tell your significant other to check out these fly-fishing holiday gift ideas!
2. Bowling for Trout and Fly-Fishing with Worms. When it comes to ice fishing, to each their own!
3. It is Break the Ice Weekend at Bass Pro Shops in Denver! If you are in our Colorado readership, check out this seminar!

Well ... that's about it. More to come on Monday. Now for your week's end eyecandy:

This picture was taken on the Team's last trip to the White. Beautiful fish from a great perspective.

Urban Fly Fishing

Unless you are one of the lucky few who can make a living elsewhere, the majority of us work an 8 to 5. The problem with an 8 to 5 job is that you are forced to miss out on a few hours per workday you could spend on some water! Yeah ... you could go on your lunch break, but lets get real, your closest trout river is at least an hour away! Good luck swinging that lunch break!

So what do those of us who are die-hard trout bums fall back on? Well, the answer is simple: Find that lake or river we drive by everyday, drop our issues with trout being the only true fish worth catching on a fly, and get our fix! I'm here to share some inspiring stories about my urban fly-fishing adventures, and I hope to inspire some of you to get out in your local lake or river and catch whatever may bite your fly!

Wanna know what I caught it on? A CDC CADDIS DRY FLY!!! Some of the most difficult fish in the world (and I've tried my luck at the large browns in New Zealand) are these fickle grass carp. The fly-fisherman's only real option for catching these buggers is to catch them when they are "clooping" for cotton seeds on the surface. I guess it is possible to catch one of these guys on a grass fly, but hooking him off the top is much more fun!

The lake I frequent is one block from my apartment, and is honestly not much of a fishery except for these large grass carp. But, on the bright side, I don't know of anywhere else in the state of Colorado that I can catch a 32-inch fish in the evening after a hard day's work. That day I caught 5 fish all over 28 inches, and I caught them all on 5x and 6x line. It was a real joy.

This is what these fish look like when "Clooping." This bad boy was about 3 feet from the bank!

I understand that not everyone can get into this whole carp thing ... you're crazy in my opinion, but I understand. So, for those of you purists, let me come at you from a different angle: TROUT.

Now, I realize this is one of the many perks I get by living in Colorado, but this is one river that is right in town and on the front range! Boulder creek has been my home creek for many years due to its proximity to my living location and the fishing quality. I've never come across a another river that provides as much dry fly fishing year round. Further, the number of quality fish this river produces is remarkable.

But, the best news of all: It's in town and less than 30 minutes from downtown Denver! Guys (and Gals) this is not an anomaly. There are countless lakes and rivers within a stone's throw that offer productive and rewarding fishing for those who just take the time to explore. I've had 40 and 50 fish days on dries and nymphs, and I've caught fish as large as 17 inches in my home creek. And the best part: It is all fishable in between classes or before and after work.

Lets face it, we are all addicted. We all want to fish that favorite spot every day, but when you only have an hour or two, don't let the fact that you can't drive an hour keep you off the water. Spend that time tossing a fly! I promise, you will not regret it.

So now it's your turn to explore the lake or river you have been thinking about during this article and catch some fish. When you do, remember to send you stories to TOSFly!!!

Till next time, toss them long and toss them well, then come to TOSFly.

~Dry Fly Or Die~

Allen Gardner

Allen Gardner is a Colorado Fly Fishing enthusiast who also spends some time writing articles. He is a guest contributor for TOSFly.com. Stay on the lookout for more of his articles soon!

The Search is Over

If any of our readers like to nymph fish for those large and sensitive brown trout, then you have looked far and wide for the right indicator. My friends, the search is over. I have tried all kinds of indicators, the stick on indicators were an industry wide tradition 10 years ago, but the sticky residue left on the leader after the indicator either falls off or you have change depths leaves your leader prone to wind knots.

Then I discovered the balloon. The balloon seemed to be the answer to your nyphing needs. You could blow up the balloon to the correct diameter for the correct floatation to fly ratio, and it allowed for natural casting. There were to draw backs to the balloon. First, it would pop when it came into contact with anything sharp, which on windy days is usually your fly. Additionally, you could not change your depths easily.

When in our local fly shop, I stumbled on the Thingamabobber. Reluctantly, I decided to purchase this cheesey little contraption, and the inaugural day of fishing with the Thingamabobber changed my nymphing life as I knew it. The Thingamabobber comes in three sizes to make your flotation to fly ratio versatile and allow for a natural cast. I was worried that the plastic design would cause larger loops in your back cast, but to my surprise it was just the opposite. The biggest advantage to this indicator is the ability to move it up and down on your leader. The simple overhand loop makes it easy to put on your leader and move throughout the day as you enter different water levels. They are CHEAP Too.. I have had one thingamabobber for over a year and it cost me just over a dollar.

Next time your in your local fly shop, ask about the Thingamabobber, as I am sure it will sooth your indicator woes.

White Shad Pattern

So here we are on the Monday after a great weekend trip to the White River with the crew. I had a very slow morning on Saturday. I was trying to catch some bruisers that were swimming in some slow moving water above the shoals where everyone was fishing. When there is low water, I often go to an area where the water is moving slowly so that I can see the flashing of big brownies feeding below me. It is quite a fantastic scene that can go from exhilarating to frustrating in a matter of minutes. I tried everything to catch these guys. I tossed some big uglies ... nothing; threw on the delicate nymphing setup ... nothing; I then tried a double quarter pounder with extra mayo ... NOTHING! I was getting a little frustrated to say the least. I began my day at 8:00 a.m. standing on a fallen tree in the middle of the river. It was now 11:00 am, and the only fish that showed pity on my soul was a little 11’’ Bow. Thank you little fella for your sympathy. Oh well, on to the fly that made the day great ...

The WHITE SHAD is a fly that is very popular in striper circles. I had tied a few the week before our trip for times when the water is flowing and leads into some stagnant water. I have found that tossing the fly in the moving water, letting it drift down, then stripping up current makes for success. It was noon thirty when the guys and I had just gotten back on the water after our lunch. We found a nice current at the end of a shoal that led into some slower moving water. I tied my SHAD, which consists of a size 8" streamer hook, some red dumbbell eyes, some white marabou/rabbit fur, and some brown deer hair on top, and tossed using the technique described above. First cast, nice 15’’ rainbow… Second cast, beautiful 14’’ brown… I went on to land multiple fish with the fly and loved every second of it. Feeling the tug of the fish is simply amazing. I loved throwing this fly because it is very versatile and the fish, when it is the right time, seemed to go off on the fly. The fly was absolutely torn up by the end of the day.

In conclusion, if you want to make your experience of fly-fishing aggressive, throw on a White Shad pattern and get to streamer fishing. Nymph fishing can lead to some great numbers and some nice fish, but there is nothing like the tug of a brownie hitting your streamer.  Ole’ Mac Mcleod streamer fished all day and did very well. He caught several nice fish both in the morning as well as after noon. It can lead to some big fish, but will always lead to a worn out shoulder and a calorie-weakened body. So here's a word of advice for you: Get ripped next weekend with the P90 Streamer Workout! Take a White Shad, and show that lady of yours that going to the river every weekend will benefit both of you with some eye candy. The fish for you, and your new rock hard body for her.

Blessed Waters,
Chad

October TOSFly White River Trip

October fly fishing in Northern Arkansas can provide some of the most ideal fishing conditions one could ask for. The Other Side Flyfishing Crew went to the White River in October to hone in on some pre spawn brown trout action. On this trip, we brought rookie fly fisherman, our featured angler, Hunter Hibbard. Hoping for low water opportunities, we came prepared for sight fishing and small nymph patterns. The Corps of Engineers did not cooperate with out longings for low water, and instead tainted the weekend with fluctuating generation and water levels. Over the course of our 3 day trip, the Corps of Engineers ran between zero and three units, with the number constantly changing.

A General Rule of Thumb: Fish Rising Water and Falling Water
As a general rule of thumb for those who are fishing tailwaters, some of the prime fishing opportunities is rising and falling water. As the water levels drop from high to low, fish begin to move from their shoreline structures to the mid-river feeding zones. During this "migration," fish are on the move allowing anglers to fish all sections of river for decent numbers of fish. The same applies for rising water. As the fish migrate from their mid-river feeding zones to find shelter behind shoreline structure from the strong, high-water, currents.

This rule of thumb does not apply to consistent water level fluctuation. Every hour the Corps of Engineers was turning generation either on or off, throwing the river and the fish's feeding habits out of balance. We managed to land quite a few fish over the course of two days, but we had to earn every fish we caught. We were constantly digging through the deepest parts of our fly boxes to find what patterns would unlock these fish's jaws. Oddly enough, during the higher water periods, we had great success on size 18 olive scuds, once again breaking the rule of thumb of "bigger water, bigger flies." We often had to break the rules of fly fishing to find patterns that would generate strikes as the water level plagued the two days.

We spent most of our weekend at the Rim Shoals area, as this is our favorite trout water in Arkansas. Olive scuds in size 18 produced fish, and the saving fly of the weekend was the RAY RAY (Ray Charles). In my experience, the Ray Charles is the secret weapon on Arkansas tailwater trout. This fly ALWAYS produces fish.

When you're fishing the Arkansas tailwaters, NEVER rely on the voice recordings to tell you what the water is doing. Safety is the first priority, and the best way to keep an eye on the water level is to get a FIXED point of structure in the water and make mental notes of the water level every hour or so. The water can rise QUICKLY and can leave you in very dangerous situations. When you are experiencing fluctuating water levels, and you know you're in a section of river that holds fish, do not be afraid to try flies that you generally do not use. Sometimes it takes some trial and error to find that PERFECT pattern. For us it was the olive scud and the Ray Charles.