Issue 9 Southern Trout "Ozark Edition" April 2018 by Southern Unlimited, LLC

issue 9 April 2018

Souther nTr out

“Ozark Edition” CLOSE LOOK: Norfork

www.southerntrout.com

Yep, it’s just that easy with Western North Carolina’s premier fly shop and guide service. Kevin Howell and his experienced staff have been fishing the surrounding 500 miles of prime trout waters so long, they know all the fish on first name basis. And they’ll be more than happy to make a few introductions.

PISGAH FOREST, NC

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GUIDE SERVICES | ONLINE & RETAIL STORE | LESSONS

Editors’ message

n past issues the focus of Ozark Edition has been fly fishing for trout. While that will remain a priority, we well understand and appreciate the many great warmwater species and diverse angling methods available to Ozark anglers. Beginning in this issue, we will be expanding our coverage of those species (see Brandon Butler’s article on crappie fishing) and methods (see Bill Cooper’s article on spin fishing for trout) as well as the first of Dave and Emily Whitlock’s informative articles. The Ozark Edition pledges to keep you informed about where the fishing is hot and the best tactics for hooking up with great memories. Spring is a time of great renewal and in the Ozarks that has many meanings from fresh buds and flowers to the birth of a new

generation of birds, mammals, and fish species. One expression of that renewal is Opening Day of the trout fishing season at Missouri’s four trout parks on March 1st. Thousands of anglers will participate in this annual rite of spring at Bennett Spring near Lebanon, Montauk near Salem, Roaring River near Cassville, and Meramec Spring Park near St. James. The Tri-Lakes Fly Fishers of Bolivar, Missouri will host their annual Fly Fishing Expo on Saturday, April 14th at the Brighton, Missouri Assembly of God Church annex 14 miles north of Springfield just off Highway 13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be 30 fly tiers, programs, vendors and much more. The event is free to the public. You should also mark your calendars to attend Branson’s 2nd annual Fly Fishing Fair on July 27th and 28th. Recent rains have restored rivers, ponds, and lakes throughout the Ozarks. Equally important is that water table levels are recharged and able to keep our numerous springs active. The warming of all our waters has rekindled most of our sporting species’ interest in spawning. Now is the time to clear your schedule for fishing. We hope to see you on Ozark waters soon. Until then, we wish you many beautiful vibrations.

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Publisher Don Kirk Editors Terry and Roxanne Wilson Managing Editor Leah Kirk Designer Loryn Lathem Assoc. Editor Adam Patterson Editorial Consultant Olive K. Nynne

For Advertising Rates and general information please call 205-735-9500. Contributors

John Berry Dave Whitlock Bill Cooper Dave Wotton Keith Gann Bill Wilmert Brandon Butler Trent Fleming

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THIS ISSUE From the Editors

Spin Fishing Tactics for Rainbow Trout

Ah, It Was a Grand Soft Day

Trout Fishing for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ole Red Eye

Featured Fly Tier Steve Jensen

Montana Fly Company River Camo Fly Boxes

ON THE COVER

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Cortland’s Competition 10’6” Numph Rod

CLOSE LOOK Norfork

Featured Lodging River Ridge Inn

Featured Fly Shop Two Rivers Fly Shop

Featured Artist Doug Oatman

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Topwater Action on the Norfork

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Featured Guide 104 Lori Sloas

Truman Lake Spring Crappie

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Featured Rod Maker 120 Mark Pruitt of RDP Fly Rods Maribou Madness

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Spring River 140

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Hoskins Nets 148 Wapsi Fly: From the Ozarks to the World

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Streamside Furled Leaders

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Korkers: Darkhorse 168 Wading Boots www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 5

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SweetWater Brewing Company • Georgia • SweetWaterBrew.com

Spin Fishing Tactics for Rainbow Trout

Bill Cooper

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ainbow trout are plentiful throughout the Ozarks. A myriad of trout fishing opportunities exist in our streams and lakes, as well as at private trout parks. Spinning gear is the most prevalent gear used for trout fishing in the Ozarks. It is relatively easy to use and the cost to get started is minimal. Spin fishing for trout can be enjoyed by almost anyone. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need all the equipment associated with other types of fishing such a boat and motor, depth finders, trolling motors and pH meters. All you need to enjoy trout fishing is a spinning outfit and some type of lure or bait. A dip-net and hip or chest waders come in handy, but they can be added to your equipment arsenal as your interest builds in intensity. And it will. Many anglers new to trout fishing in the Ozarks often begin by fishing in one of the popular trout parks, or small streams. A Google search will reveal enough trout fishing destinations in the Ozarks to entertain a new trout angler for years to come.

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Equipment choice is key to success for trout fishing. One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is choosing equipment too heavy for trout. Most bass fishing equipment falls into that category. Ultra-light rods and spinning reels are perfect for trout fishing. Rods 6 to 6 1/2 feet provide anglers greater cast-ability. Experienced anglers often opt for shorter rods to use in tighter situations where shoreline bushes and trees restrict casting. Ultra-light spinning reels are made to handle light line. Most are spooled with 4-pound-test line, which will work in most situations while trout fishing. As is true with all types of fishing, a few trout fishermen tend to catch most of the fish. They are good fishermen. You can be, too, simply by fishing as often as you can and approaching the sport with the attitude that you will learn something new each time you make a fishing trip. Lure or bait choice is another important aspect of spin fishing for trout. Many beginning trout anglers start by using one of a myriad of prepared trout baits available on the market. Prepared baits such as Berkleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PowerBait or Lucky Lady Trout worms come in a variety of colors. The choices may be overwhelming. Counter clerks in the parks are often fishermen themselves and are more than willing to help you select baits. Watch other anglers while you are fishing. Pay particular attention to what they www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 11

are fishing, how they fish it and where they are fishing. Most trout anglers are amiable people and will often give you sound fishing advice. Prepared baits are most often fished on small treble hooks, number 16 or 18. A small split shot, size BB, is placed a foot or so above the bait. The purpose is to get the bait down into the water column where most of the fish hold. Too, a small float may be used at times. Other options for terminal tackle are spinners and jigs. After you have gained confidence in your casting abilities and can cast accurately, the aforementioned lures will add a new dimension to trout fishing for you. First and foremost lures will diminish the mess associated with prepared baits. They are often sticky and smelly, whereas lures are neither. Secondly, lures can be tied onto your line quickly, without the need for additional weight or floats. RoosterTails are spinners and are very effective for trout. Good sizes to use range from 1/8 ounce down to 1/32 of an ounce with 1/16 ounce being a favorite of most. They come either with a single or treble hook. Experienced anglers often select the single hooks varieties. The single hook models inflict less damage to the fish. Many fishermen often want to catch lots of fish, so they release the fish they catch, which allows them to keep fishing. Black, brown and chartreuse are great colors. 12 l April 2018 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

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For conservation purposes, should you want to release trout, do not touch them with a dry hand. Doing so removes the protective slime from their skin. They will then contract a fungus rather quickly and die as a result. Too, trout are very fragile fish. Squeezing them tightly is a sure death sentence. It is best to not touch them at all, if possible. Utilizing a pair of forceps to remove the hook without touching the fish is the best insurance for its survival. Jigs are another good option for lure fishing. Because of their light weight, jigs are often fished on 2-pound fluorocarbon line. Fluorocarbon sinks faster than conventional monofilament, allowing the jig to get down quicker. A wide range of colors are available, but you usually canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go wrong with brown black and olive. Jigs made with tinsel skirts rather than the normal marabou are favorites on many streams. Check out www.troutjig.com for a wide variety of jig choices. Spin fishing for trout is a fun, easy and inexpensive way to get into trout fishing. Too, trout are plentiful in the Ozarks and a variety of opportunities exist for all skill levels. Be sure to check regulations at each new destination. They vary widely. Enjoy the fabulous sport of trout fishing in the Ozarks and take a child or friend along to share the experience. www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 15

experience counts for everything Meet Brian Lynch, one of the most innovative anglers and best guides in the business. Professionals like Brian are our first call when we need boots on the ground (and in the water), and our go-to team when it comes to understanding what truly makes a great rod. Their knowledge, their expertise, their understanding is passed on to our craftsmen who strive for perfection and uncompromising performance in every rod we make. To us, Brian and his fellow professionals are our unsung heros. We salute you. Brian calls Western Massachusetts home and can be found working the Deerfield river virtually all year round.

introducing the new avantt and exocett series from t&t. remarkably light. extraordinarily strong.

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Ah, ‘Twas a Gr

bout with shingles and the resultant damaged nerve pain had kept me off the waters for several months. If you’ve ever suffered from the disease or know of anyone who has, then you can cluck your tongue and give me lots of sympathy, or otherwise, just roll your eyes and turn the page to something more interesting. Most of my life, I’ve been a pretty healthy guy, so having something that takes me out of commission for several months has been kind of unsettling. Finally, after trying a variety of pain pills, salves, anti-virus medicine, steroids and even acupuncture, I said “Enough!, Quit whining!, Tough it up!”, …and went fishing.

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rand Soft Day! Keith Gann

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Bob and I drove the five hours down to a small stretch of Mark Twain National Forest water that was privately owned. We had been lucky enough to meet and befriend its owner several years earlier, and we took unashamed advantage of the opportunity and have tried to fish it several times a year. The valley that is home to the small spring creek and the narrow gravel road that hugs its side was lined with the Ozarks’ famed oaks, and on this mid-November day, many of the red, bronze, and gold leaves still clung to their branches. We parked the truck on the grass along the roadside and beside the stretch’s furthest gate, then sat on the backbumper tugging on wading boots, threading rods, and tying on flies. One of my favorite movies is John Wayne’s “The Quiet Man.” Barry Fitzgerald plays an older Irish man who is a part-time marriage broker, bar-room philosopher, bookie, and noted drinker. In a scene that has him finishing the supervising of unloading some furniture, he looks around, takes a draw on his pipe, and casually observes, “ Ah, ‘tis a fine, soft night.…..”. The quote has stuck with me for fifty years, and it’s rare when I can say the same about a day or night. But that day had come. 20 l April 2018 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

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A slight breeze rustled the oak leaves and stirred through those that lay covering the road. The shadows of the sparsely filled branches above us, freckled the roadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s graveled surface, and long fingers of grayblack crept along its traces from the low-set late fall sun. We reached over the green painted pipe gate and leaned our rods against its far side. Being careful to follow the ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s instructions, we climbed over the stronger hinge side, grabbed our rods, then followed the thin tree line down across the meadow to the beginning of the pecan grove. It stretched north for three hundred yards in evenly spaced military rows. Even so, its bottom was filled with thigh-high grass, and we followed game trails which wound down through the groveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rows with no discernable pattern.

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Reaching its end, we cut though the tall grass to the stream. Climbing down its steep bank, we entered the clear, sparkling water at a shallow riffle. The sun was shining but was slightly muffled by a haze to the south. Down between the banks, there was not a hint of a breeze. It was maybe mid-sixties, and the nylon pullover, nylon wading pants, canvas boots and fishing lanyard were all I needed to be comfortable. The stream had changed since we had last fished it, but it always does. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of the great things about wild, untamed waters. Rains come, sometimes in torrents, far banks are undercut, trees fall. Gravel bars then change size and depth and composition. What was a hazard to cross last time, is safe now, and the old safe route is now deep water. Each fishing trip is a new beginning, but somehow the fish survive. New riffles and rapids and holes appear, but the fish are always there. A new dimension was added this time. Bob saw a large otter snag a fish in front of him and swim to lay under a brush tangle to kill and eat it. It was a worry, knowing that otters sometimes kill as a pleasure and not necessarily just to eat, and it was the first weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d seen in fifteen years of fishing the stream. www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 23

But we were catching fish. First Bob, then me. Little ones, four and five inchers dripping wet with faint pink lateral lines and dark emerald green par marks. Fat, they came with splashy rises and energetic line pulls. They were healthy and unscarred, we released them from our barbless hooks, and they scurried back to the depths. Bob landed the biggest fish, a healthy thirteen-incher, which he followed with two tens and a nine. I finally landed a ten, and we moved upstream until the sun was setting on the top of the distant hills. We stopped a couple of hundred yards short of the property line, cut up a low gradient in the bank, turned and headed back along the trees and to the gate, the road and the truck. We sat on the bumper, sipped cold beers and talked idly about the day. I had used a new caddis imitation using hollow poly Tiemco Aero Wing material. It was the first time that I had used it, and I was happy with its success. Two more beers were opened as we watched the long-fingered shadows creep nearer. The day seemed to pause and rest along with us. We didn’t want to leave. The filtered sun was warm, the air still, the valley in total silence, we sat with contented tiredness creeping over us, the pain from my damaged nerves subdued and pushed aside by the afternoon’s fishing. ‘Twas a grand, soft day.

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Lefty Wilson

Just released! Check it out at thebluegillpond.com Presently available in soft cover. $24.95 soft cover Kindle $13.99 on Amazon

By Dave Whitlock Fly Fishing & Tying Journal Fall 2001

Trout Fishing for Ole Red Eye

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t’s an early April afternoon and I’m wading thigh deep in a beautiful, clear, White River shoal run. The trees on the Ozark hillsides that rise above the river are a smoky pastel green as their heavy leaf buds are just beginning to open. Ivory-winged caddis are launching up and off the surface like little popcorn kernels. Trout, ten to sixteen inches, are rising everywhere and I’m hooking a satisfying number at the surface with a size 16, cream polywing emerger, 5X tippet and my favorite SPL 3 wt. rod. Some of the stronger rainbows and browns I’m hooking zip several yards of fly line out, and I’m thinking that it’s dry fly fishing at about its best. Then it happens. As the imitation caddis emerger begins another float over the limestone ledge run, up from the dark a golden brown form materializes under my fly. After drifting beneath it for a foot or two, the long shape pokes its nose barely up out of the water and sucks down the counterfeit newborn caddis, leaving just a soft circle and a quarter

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size surface bubbles in its place. As I cautiously raise the rod in

a slow, deliberate strike, I think to myself, “that’s that special take usually reserved for ole Mr. Cool big brown!” As the leader tightens, the water erupts in a heavy swirl. Instantly the excess slack fly line between my index finger and the reel disappears forward. Hardly a second after the clicking purr of the reel begins, the bright fluorescent orange backing flashes up forward through the rods guides and then down the stream, chasing the disappearing pastel green line. For the next ten minutes, the fight is a totally onesided dictatorial display of speed, power, and jumps that grow goosebumps down my spine and on the back of my arms. Then, it jumps twice, and I must admit (disappointedly) that this fish is not nearly as large as I’d expected, leading me to believe that it’s foul hooked in the dorsal fin or tail. How else could a fourteen or fifteen-inch trout display so much speed, strength, and endurance? Finally, I manage to catch up with the fish, and then I begin wading downstream below the fish to get the mechanical advantage and put a faster conclusion to the battle of this foulhooked trout. Soon these tactics take their toll, and the fish begins to surface and roll over on its side. I could hardly believe my eyes! I guess every trout fly fisher dreams of days and places where they can fish emergers and surface flies and consistently hook fish that jump as high as their head and streak deep into their backing, rendering arms weak with long fights. Well, those times and places might be a lot closer to you than you think. It’s all possible folks if you have an attitude change about what species you fly fish for. To help you, let’s go back a little first. Over most latitudes, fish evolved to fit certain ecological niches. Obviously, in colder latitudes the trout family evolved successfully in clear, clean, healthy streams in which water temperatures annually fluctuated between the mid-thirties and mid-sixties. With these cold-water conditions, the highest concentration of oxygen was possible: between 15 ppm in the mid-thirties to low-forties down to 8-9 ppm as temperatures rise past the fifties into the sixties. Trout evolving there adapted to and thus became dependant on these high oxygen concentrations. 28 l April 2018 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

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A similar development, but with other species, also occurred in clean, clear, fast-moving cool-water streams (4575 degrees) and to some extent even in warmer waters (65-85 degrees F). A cool-water fish, in particular, the smallmouth bass, closely paralleled trout in its evolution. In fact, even in trout-like waters that are occasionally a little warm for trout, smallmouth often flourish very well. I grew up in mountainous northeastern Oklahoma where there were a number of beautiful spring creeks. Flint Creek, Spavinaw Creek, Barren Fork, Caney Creek, Spring Creek and Chouteau Creek all had springs that averaged about 62 degrees F, but all were without native trout (some occasional private stockings were done). However, in these clear, swift, cold creeks, nature supplied a trout-like fish to fill the niches provided by these streams - the Neosho Smallmouth Bass. These bass are shaped a lot like trout, colored as vividly as trout, have small scales, love swift water and act like trout in so many ways. In my early days of fly fishing, I often had problems catching them because I fished for them like bass when I actually should have been using flies and techniques that work for trout. Often where native ranges coincide, a smallmouth will occupy lower sections of trout streams that will not support trout on a year-round basis. Smallmouth have also been introduced into many marginal trout and steelhead streams that are outside their native ranges, with great success. Unfortunately, however, trout fly fishers often do not appreciate this incredible cool-water fish. But, what a revelation and exciting experience is ahead for fly fishers when they discover the joy of a smallmouth hooked on trout flies and tackle in these rivers. For decades Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve listened to many fly fishers curse the appearances of smallmouth in their favorite trout or steelhead rivers. I believe these folks may be only one or two smallmouth hookups away from praising them. In the first place, pound for pound, a smallmouth will fight harder, longer and jump higher than most trout the same size. No fish gives me a harder time on light fly tackles than a big smallmouth. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve definitely been broken off by more smallmouth than trout, and they can be just as selective to hatches as the most educated spring-creek trout. www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 31

It might be incorrect to compare smallmouth with trout when they are caught in waters not suitable for trout using typical bass tackle. But, when they are caught in the same waters that environmentally favor trout, that’s a different story! Now, let’s finish my White River story. ...There, to my surprised amazement, is not a foul-hooked brown trout, but a lip-hooked, red-eyed, tiger-striped, golden-brown smallmouth! But I’m still in a foul-hooked rod position and mindset, and the smallmouth plays its ace card. Summoning another giant burst of energy, it cartwheels out and over the water, snapping off my fly! “Smallmouthed again, I muse!” I have had many similar smallmouth trout-fishing surprises! The most outstanding in my mind occurred about ten to twelve years ago while we were conducting an intermediate fly fishing school at Grand Lake Stream in Maine. I was attempting to catch a trout or landlocked salmon to demonstrate how to catch, handle and release a fish correctly to assure the best chance for survival after release. To increase my odds of catching a fish, I was fishing a two-fly setup of a caddis larva, pupa, and a strike indicator. I got a nice take and was pleased to see a silvery, eighteen-inch salmon respond to my hook set and then erupt in a high leap and a strong dash down and across the pool. Just what I’d hoped for! Several minutes later, as the students watched, the salmon was ready to land. It made one more freedom dive away from the waiting net, then it suddenly seemed to double its strength and speed, racing back down and across the pool in a reel-screaming run! To my utter astonishment, the backing began speeding out. What was going on here? It was like some big monster had suddenly seized the eighteen-inch salmon! Then, the answer came as the water exploded with two fish! The salmon, trailing behind on the end fly, was being pulled up and clear of the water by a leaping 15-16 inch smallmouth on the second fly! There was a loud snap as the smallmouth’s vault and the intow salmon’s weight came up to fight against my inadequate leader strength. I’ll never forget that sight and the resulting deflation as the reality of the scene set in. There went my salmon catch-and-release demo show, stolen by an uninvited smallmouth. It’s well known among those of us who fish a lot for bass that smallmouth can be regularly caught on surface hair bugs, popping bugs, sliders, divers, streamers, wooly buggers, leeches and crayfish flies. However, by the physical nature of these larger, heavier flies, it’s necessary to use 6, 7 or even 8-weight fly tackle and 8-10 pound test leaders. This sort of heavier tackle, even with these tight-muscled, high-vaulting, long-winded, speedster smallmouth, can sometimes be restricting and less fun to use than 3, 4 and 5-weight trout tackles, 32 l April 2018 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

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I’ve found that good smallmouth can be caught regularly using the smaller trout flies, tackle, and techniques. That’s because smallmouth love insects as much as trout do. They’ll key in on a hatch and move right up into the run and riffle areas of a stream to feed just like trout do. There they’ll take drifting and emerging nymphs and surface adults. You just use the same natural drift techniques you would for trout. Smallmouth, being bass, prefer the larger species of aquatic insects, so flies with hook sizes 16-6 are best. These could imitate mayflies like hexigenia and isonychia, ephorns, brown drakes, green drakes, caddis flies like zebratum and limnephilidae, damselflies, megaloptera (fish flies), crane flies, and dragonflies. So when you’re after those larger smallmouths on dry flies, try to time your trips when the larger aquatic insects are hatching. After the major hatches occur, great dry fly fishing can still be had by using terrestrial insect imitations. Smallmouths absolutely love grasshoppers, crickets, spiders, Junebug beetles, cicadas, and moths. I get excited just writing about this sort of fishing. Over my lifetime, many of my best fly fishing memories are the results of fishing for smallmouth

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in the clear, cool streams of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Maine, North Carolina, Oregon, Idaho, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Virginia. Ok, having said all this, here’s my challenge to both you trout and smallmouth addicts. Take a 7 ½ to 9 ft - 2, 3, 4, or 5 wt fly rod, a floating WF line, and a 9-12 ft, 4 to 6X trout leader to a river that holds smallmouth bass between May 1 and October 1. Fish the riffles and runs with flies that match the hatching aquatic insects or size 6 and smaller terrestrial insects. Now, fly fish this river just like you are trying to catch trout. I predict you’re going to be very pleasantly surprised at what you’ll experience and then you’ll wonder like I did, why it took so long to discover the excitement and pleasure of this type of fishing. I hope you won’t wait another season to discover trout fishing for the ‘noble and independent’ smallmouth. More than likely this sort of excellent fly fishing is much closer to your home and far less crowded, except with smallmouth, than your local trout or steelhead rivers. What a great opportunity! www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 35

Featured F

Steve

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Fly Tier

Jensen B

orn and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Steve Jensen spent his formative years fishing with Bob and Jim Petersen and their extended family. Trips to the Provo and Weber Rivers, Fish Lake, the Strawberry Reservoir, and many small lakes in the Uintah Mountains. All of these trips were in pursuit of trout with spinning rods. Upon entering college at the age of 18 Steve no longer had enough time or money to continue fishing. After earning his PhD. in Aquatic Entomology from the University of Utah and accepted a position at Southwest Missouri University (now Missouri State University) in 1972. Dr. Jensen became acquainted with a serious tournament bass fisherman. That association led to Steveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s involvement in bass fishing using heavy rods and baitcasting reels while learning to build his own rods. His rod-building components were purchased from Johnny Morris, the founder of Bass Pro Shops from a counter in one of the Brown Derby Liquor Stores owned by Morrisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; father.

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Around 1982 Jensen was invited to present a program about aquatic insects at a fly fishing club, The Hillbilly Fly Rodders, at Bennett Spring State Park. Although having lived in Missouri for ten years at this point, Steve had never seen Bennett Spring. The visit proved transformational as he met Charlie Reading who at that time worked for Spring View Tackle Shop near the park. As Steve recalls, â&#x20AC;&#x153; It was Charlie, more than any other person, that influenced me to start fly fishing.â&#x20AC;?

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Soon after his fly fishing beginnings, Steve began tying flies. He credits Tom Schmuecker, owner and President of Wapsi Fly in Mountain Home, Arkansas with teaching him about selecting and caring for quality tying materials. Fly fishing and tying icon Dave Whitlock impressed Steve with his depth of knowledge and his artistic skills. The first fly he learned to tie was Whitlock’s Red Fox Squirrel Nymph. Jensen also credits the late Wayne Moore with teaching him to hand craft the fly tying bobbins he now uses and for which he is also well known for donating to many fly fishing fundraisers. They are highly prized as functional heirlooms.

An accomplished and well-traveled fly fisher, Steve Jensen is equally respected for his beautifully tied flies. He has been chosen as “Fly Tyer of the Year” by the Southwest Missouri Fly Fishers and the Southern Council of Fly Fishers International. He was also chosen as the first recipient of FFI’s Darwin Atkin Memorial Award For Fly Tying Excellence. Jensen offers would be fly tyers this advice: “First, don’t believe for one minute that you can tie flies to save money. You tie flies because you enjoy ti and because you can tie them better than those that are available commercially. In my case, if I only had 10% of the cost of hooks and materials that I’ve purchased over the past 20 years, I could purchase all the flies that I would need for life. Second, there is the temptation to buy every possible material needed for tying every possible fly. In doing so, the tier becomes more of a hoarder than a tier (I speak from experience). Buy the materials to tie one or two different patterns, perfect them, and then buy materials for an additional couple of patterns. In that way, your materials accumulation becomes more reasonable.” www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 43

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Steve Jensen is a popular demonstration fly tier at many local, regional, and national events. He is equally adept at teaching his techniques to others. He prefers to focus on a specific area rather than entry-level tying although he admits to enjoying teaching young people to tie their first fly.

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Trout Fishing Capital of Oklahoma 60 | Southern Trout | February 2013 | www.southerntrout.com

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O\ ¿VKLQJ LV DQ DUWIXO H[SUHVVLRQ $SSUHFLDWLQJ D WLJKW ORRSHG FDVW D FODVVLF EDPERR URG RU D PLVW\ PRUQLQJ RQ WKH ULYHU LV XQLYHUVDOO\ XQGHUVWRRG 2FFDVLRQDOO\ D SURGXFW FRPHV DORQJ WKDW HQDEOHV XV WR H[SUHVV RXU LQGLYLGXDO IHHOLQJV DERXW WKH À\ ¿VKLQJ H[SHULHQFH 7KH 0RQWDQD )O\ &RPSDQ\¶V ³5LYHU &DPR )O\ %R[HV´ GR WKDW DQG D ORW PRUH 7KHLU À\ ER[HV FRPH LQ WRXJK LPSDFW UHVLVWDQW SODVWLF DOXPLQXP DQG ERDW ER[HV www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 49

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Is Swain County NC a Fisherman’s Paradi Hundreds of miles of native mountain trout streams flow

through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park above Bryson City and Cherokee — freestone creeks with native rainbow, brook and brown trout. Most streams offer all three species.

Trout are also common in our four rivers – the Oconaluftee,

Great Smoky M National

Little Tennessee, the Eagle Nola Chambers Twentymile Hazel Creek Forney Cre Creek Creek Creek Tuckasegee and the Creek Fontana Dam Fontana Nantahala, one of Fontana Cheoah Lake Lake Lake Lewellyn Trout Unlimited’s top Fontana Branch Fontana 129 Lake Boat Village Alark 100 rivers. And now, a 2.2 Cable Ramp Marina Boat Do Cove 28N Boat mile section of the Tuck Ramp Almon Lemmons Boat Pa Branch through Bryson City has Boat Ramp Stecoah 143 been designated delayed 19 Wesser 74 Needmore harvest waters, and Road For more information, Nantahala River promises to have one of contact the Bryson City / the highest trout counts Swain County Chamber of Wayah Road (NC 1310) of any stream in the Commerce 800-867-9246. Upper Nantahala southeast. River Public Access

Public Access

rn on at Weste g in o g is g y “Three “Somethin ake that ma L rivers j a n ta n o F ust ou na’s li ro a C p h o rt o tside A pular n N uth o S e th in merica a g in tional h s fi t u o tr ’s most d p t r a o to r u a k just sen e t, suite are tee d id o o g a e b d t ming w for bot t migh angler ith h wad into orbit ...I n o s ry s B , in i a n nd sur g and stay to e c la p r a fl ounde best sc oating book you d by so enery leep in s to e v a h m i ’t n e of th Southe don e City so you rn App ” r. e b I f m e y v o o N a u in l a h re c e aven’t hia. fished your truck th produ t h e quai ctive r nt and ivers o Carolin f W e s tern N a, you orth don’t k missin n ow wh g.” at you ’re

Public Access

ise?

Upper Raven Fork

Straight Fork

441 Clingmans Dome

Mountains Park

Deep Creek

Indian Creek

Raven Fork Trophy Section

Lakeview Drive

19 Tuckasegee River

Public Access

ka ock Alarka Creek nd ark Alarka Road

28S Little Tennessee River

Bryson City

Whittier Whittier Boat Ramp

EBCI Hatchery Big Cove Road

441 Tuckasegee River

Public Access

Conleys Creek

Heintooga Ridge Road

Blue Ridge Parkway Cherokee Indian Reservation Cherokee

and eek

Old 288 Boat Ramp

Raven Fork

Oconaluftee River

You be the Judge.

Straight Fork Road

Bradley Chasteen Kephart Fork Creek Prong

74 Conleys Creek Road

Dillsboro

441

Visit GreatSmokiesFishing.com for profiles of all 26 Swain County fishing locations on this map. All are just minutes from Bryson City, NC.

Two mountain lakes The 30 miles of trout offer trout fishing streams on the The 29-mile long, Cherokee Indian 11,700 acre Fontana Reservation are the Lake and its smaller downstream neighbor Cheoah Lake both have strong populations of trout, particularly near the mouths of streams flowing out of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Cheoah is regularly stocked by the State of North Carolina.

longest privately-owned and stocked fishing waters east of the Mississippi. The 2.2mile Raven Fork Trophy section is home to the biggest trout in the Smokies. This specially regulated section is fly fishing only and catch and release.

CORTLAND’s Competition 10’6” Nymph Rod

The Rod’s Got 58 l April 2018 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

pon hearing the word “Cortland,” most anglers automatically believe the subject is headed down the familiar course of where conservation is going with respect to the virtues of the company’s fly lines. A maker of fly line for over 100 years, the Cortland name is synonymous with the modern fly line. For a number of years, I believe, the old lime green colored Cortland 444 level fly line was a pretty standard issue. The odds of you knowing much about Cortland’s interludes in the fly rod making business are not so well ground. Over the past 50 years, the company has flirted with making fly rods. Most of what they offered was decent enough to very good, although lacking any real cutting merit. These rods come and when. Despite periodic attempts at carving out a niche in the highly competitive marketplace, it appears that after promising starts the New York-based company pull up stakes on fly rod making to return to the safety of making quality fly lines, another environment that has become increasingly competitive

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Modern fly fishing has become increasingly competitive. Who would have quested twenty years ago there would Americans running around Tenkara fishing in a Japanese Kasa, much less looking to the Europeans to redefine nymph fishing. Euro/ Czech style nymphing has caught on in the US like wildfire. Why? Because it works! While this style of fishing may look intriguing it is hard to do on just any single hand rod. Enter the Cortland Competition Nymphing Rod, one of the first of its kind to be made and readily available to US customers. The guys in Cortland set out to design a rod good enough (if not better) than the rods used in the style of fishing throughout Europe. The result is a long ultra sensitive rod that will pick up on the most subtle of strikes. If you commonly nymph for trout using a dead drift technique you are most likely familiar with that small flick of the wrist mend that most of us absolutely dread performing. And for good reason, it is tough, a little too much power and your whole drift is ruined, too little power and the whole drift is ruined. www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 61

What we really like about these rods is the way the tips are built to specifically flip just to tip section of the rod making mending during a dead drift much easier. Not only that but this rods are 10 feet 6 inches long. I know after a few hours of Smoky Mountain “high stick” holding my rod as high in the air as I can to obtain that perfect dead drift my arm tends to get dead sore. Having that extra length on the rod not only improves the dead drift technique but will allow you to bring your arm down to a more comfortable position allowing you to fish longer and with less agony.

probably not for you. However, if you're more interested in performance than aesthetics, I highly recommend it The afternoon that my Cortland 10' 6" 3wt Competition Nymph fly rod arrived, it derailed my initial my thought process. I've been fishing the 10' 6" 3 wt since the beginning of December on a wide range of waters from Dukes Creek in Georgia to the mighty White River in Arkansas. Simply state it is a joy to fish. I suppose I have transcended into a hillbilly euro nymph/soft hackle, bornagain fly fisherman, whatever the hell that means.

When I heard that Cortland’s retreat from rod making and they were offering rod called the Competition 10’6” Nymph Rod, I was fascinated. Hereto my only experience with 10-feet plus fly rods had been from collecting old cane and experimenting with St. Croix’s already legendary Bank Robber fly rod. The Competition 10’6” Nymph Rod is available in two sizes; 10'6" 3-weight and 10'6" 4-weight. It is a four-piece rod that comes in a protective tube. The rod includes hook keepers and fighting butts with hard cork bottoms. If you value the aesthetics of a rod highly then this rod is

Among the qualities of a Euro, nymph rod includes length: 10' or longer, and light to balance with a reel. Without a 10' or longer rod, casting Euro rigs is tough. A balanced rod is critical for reducing fatigue and to be sufficiently elevated the rod through the drift. It needs fast blank overall for casting accuracy and loop manipulation, yet it must have a soft tip to dampen hook sets. Too many 10’ plus Euro rods flex collapse near the middle ferrule feeling like the rod maker took a fast graphite rod for the first two pieces and attached a fiberglass rod for the last two pieces.

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The result is in poor accuracy as well as missed fish in deep water. The Competition nymph rod is the first Euro rod longer than 10' that uses single foot guides, as opposed to snake guides to reduce the number of thread wraps and the epoxy used. Cortland also added a fighting butt to the rod which shows its best utility in counterbalancing the tip weight of the rod due to its length. It braces well against your forearm during long drifts. The rod was most effective on big water. To my surprise, the Competition proved to be a little difficult on overgrown,

headwater creeks of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. If you are a dedicated blueliner, a better choice is a fly rod in the 10' to 9' 6" class is a better choice for similar small brushy streams. However, overall I'm impressed with the 10' 6" Cortland Competition Nymph rod. At $220, there is not another rod I've seen that performs anywhere nearly as well without jumping into the $700 and above range price range

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Southern Trout Ozark Edition

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Norfork - Featured Lodging

River Ridg

he River Ridge Inn, lovingly restored and operated by Jim and Liz Smith, is unique. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a premier fly fishing destination located on the banks of the beautiful Norfork River with over a mile of river frontage. The equally scenic and famous White River is only several hundred yards downstream. Lake Norfork, known for record-breaking Striped Bass, is located

4 Â˝ miles upstream. The water is so clear there that scuba diving is popular.

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ge Inn

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The location of River Ridge certainly recommends it as a premier fly fishing destination, but it’s their attention to detail and remarkable staff that truly set it apart. They have the finest instructor/guides, maintenance staff and housekeeping supervisor that the Smiths believe are at the heart of their operation. Originally, only the house with a history as a bed and breakfast was available. They remodeled a “cottage” that had been a workshop, built a 2-bedroom cottage, a greenhouse, two sheds, a hot tub gazebo and landscaped their 2-acre grounds. Next, two chalets were constructed with views of the gardens and the Norfork River. All of the units have large decks. All are observed externally via security video for guest safety. Amenities include a private boat dock on the Norfork River, a pavilion with a huge smoker grill, a gazebo with a hot tub, numerous professionally manicured gardens, a

guest laundry, wader room and a well-organized exercise room. Jim and Liz wanted to dedicate a large portion of the 25 acres to the memory of Jim’s parents, Len and Doris Smith, because it was they who taught them that “we are only using, renting, and borrowing things that we own, and when we leave it people will recognize that we left it better than we found it.” For this reason, we placed nearly a mile of Norfork River frontage and the 14 acres just above it in conservation in perpetuity.”

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Imagine for a moment the advantage of staying in beautifully comfortable accommodations located right on one of the world’s most heralded trout fishing rivers. At any time of day or night you have but to wade into the river and fish. If you at all familiar with tailwater fisheries you don’t even need a guide. Many a flyfisher has found that wading into the river in front of the dock and from their meadow to find fishing as productive as any part of the Norfork or White River. There are even natural stone stairs spaced out along the bank for emergency exit so anglers won’t be caught in the rising tailwaters. www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 71

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To learn more about this remarkable flyfishing destination go to www.riverridgeinn.com or contact these nice folks at jimsmith@riverridgeinn.com.

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Full Service Outfitter Fly Fishing Trips Rentals Clinics & Classes Apparel Sage . Winston Rod Co. Orvis . Redington Yeti . Rio

79 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009 . 678-762-0027 AlpharettaOutfitters.com . Alpharettaoutfitters@yahoo.com

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Norfork - Featured Fly Shop

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wo Rivers Fly Shop is conveniently located on Highway 5 South near Mountain Home, Arkansas at the confluence of the White River and Norfork River in scenic Norfork, Arkansas. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a quaint Western-style fly shop located right next to some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most outstanding trout waters. Two Rivers is a full-service fly shop Established in 1999 and under new ownership as of 2012 that is known for that famous Southern hospitality. In addition to carrying most major fly fishing brands including Simms, Orvis, Korker, Patagonia, Yeti, Sage, and many others, they offer a professional guide service. All of their guides are professionally trained, experienced, licensed, insured, and most importantly, fun.

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Norfork - Featured Fly Shop

Both half-day and full-day guided trips are provided with all flies, leaders, and tippets without extra charge. They also provide drinks and refreshments for half days and lunch on full day trips. Any of their ten guides are capable of providing an unforgettable day on the water. They are patient, knowledgeable instructors who know their waters and its finny residents intimately. One of their

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Norfork - Featured Fly Shop CLOSE LOOK

guides, Richard Ramsey, specialties in guiding 2-hour trips for children under the age of 16 on Dry Run Creek with all equipment furnished. This nearby stream is restricted to disabled and young anglers and is stocked with gargantuan trout. It is the perfect place to introduce your youngster to the joys of trout fly fishing.

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Norfork - Featured Fly Shop

Two Rivers Fly Shop also offers Ron McQuay’s beginner fly fishing classes. It’s a personal, hands-on learning experience guaranteed to give the student a working knowledge and applicable skills sufficient to fish these and other rivers on their own. Ron’s classes include everything from rigging the rod, knot-tying, fly selection, aquatic entomology, to casting and presentation. In addition to these services, Two Rivers offers a freshly remodeled private cabin for rent. Located just minutes from the Norfork and White Rivers, the cabin offers two bedrooms, living room, kitchen, bath, and mudroom and is surrounded by the beauty of the Ozarks. The 52-acre property is bordered on three sides by the Ozark National Forest. Two Rivers Fly Shop is open from 7 am until 5 pm, Monday through Saturday, and 7 am until 2 pm on Sunday, but shoppers are also able to order merchandise online by going to www.tworiversfly.com and clicking on “online store.” The website will also provide information on all of their services including biographical information about their guides. You can also call these friendly folks during business hours at 870-499-3060.

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Trout only live in beautiful places.

Fly Fish the Trout Capitol of Georgia. With over 550 miles of beautiful rivers and trout streams, Blue Ridge and Fannin County have the richest, most diverse all-season fishery in the state.

For a free Visitorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide, call 800-899-mtns

BlueRidgeMountains.com

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Norfork - Featured Artist

Doug Oa

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Featured Artist - Norfork CLOSE LOOK

atman D

oug Oatman’s love of fly tying came at a very early age at his family’s lake property. Summer days were spent exploring their 100 acres and fishing the 50-acre lake. He enjoyed catching grasshoppers, throwing them into the water, and watching them kick across the surface. Eventually, those hoppers became the bait that produced a 1 ½-pound perch. Inquisitive, he wanted to figure out a way to use the pheasant feathers from his uncle’s hunting trip to design a hopper imitation. Thus began a lifelong journey into fly tying. At seven his mother enrolled him in a fly tying class at Fink’s Fly Shop which sustained his interest.

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Oatman’s research into fly tying led to the discovery of “the amazing work” of Michael D. Radencich, whose work he admired and techniques he copied. As a birthday gift, Doug’s wife Laurie gave him one of Radencich’s salmon flies. That thoughtful gift prompted an invitation for Radencich to consider teaching a tying class in the Oatman home. Doug reveals, “I was thrilled when he agreed, and I invited four guys who were also interested in learning the art of salmon tying.” Two full days of intense tying enabled the learning of a number of techniques, and the completion of one fly. It was transformational for Oatman as he exclaims, “What a weekend!” www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 87

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One of the most challenging aspects of tying salmon flies is

finding good raw materials. Doug acknowledges that one good source for materials is a website operated by Ron Lucas, Sr. ronlucassr.com He further recognizes that Lucas hand-forges some of the most beautiful blind eye hooks made in America. 88 l April 2018 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

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For the past 20 years, Oatman has spent thousands of hours at his tying vise practicing and creating patterns of his own. As a professional photographer, he then began capturing his original creations on film and produced prints which were hung in his home. Much admired by family and friends, they were eventually requested by others which enabled the opportunity to share his flies and prints of them with a growing number of interested patrons. Doug says that the price of his flies â&#x20AC;&#x153;range from $50 to $250 depending on the materials used and whether it is framed or unframed.â&#x20AC;? According to him he likely sells as many prints and canvas prints of his flies as the actual flies themselves.

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Norfork - Featured Artist

In addition to prints, Doug offers a unique item. It is an image of one of his flies printed on six free-hanging 12-inch square plates connected one to another and hung from an aluminum rod.

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Doug Oatman advises beginning tyers to take a class to learn the basics, then apply their individual style. When it comes to creating patterns he believes simple is always best. For more information about viewing or purchasing Doug Oatmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art contact him at www.photobug5-do@gmail.com.

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Norfork -

TOPWATER ACTION BY JOHN BERRY

s spring approaches, I begin to think about the spectacular topwater action on the Norfork. There is no other stream in our area that has the variety, quality, and abundance of topwater fishing. When I talk about topwater, I mean all techniques that take place on or near the waterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surface. That is dry flies, soft hackles, and midge emergers. The absolute most popular topwater technique is fishing dry flies. There is something exciting about watching a good sized trout rise to the surface to take your dry fly as it drifts perfectly downstream. With its slow, consistent flows at low water the Norfork is a perfect river to fish dries. 96 l April 2018 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

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N ON THE NORFORK The first major harbinger of spring is our Rhyacophylia caddis that usually begins in mid-March. It is a bright green size-14 caddis. I always carry size-14 green elk hair caddis in case I get a chance at them. The secret to success is a perfect drag free drift. I have had some spectacular days fishing this hatch. I remember one day where I set the hook on a solid fourteen-inch rainbow when it took my elk hair caddis. As I raised my rod, the trout slipped the hook, and the fly sprung over my shoulder and softly landed, on the water behind me. It drifted about six inches before an eighteen-inch cutthroat took the fly. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize what happened until I attempted to cast my line only to feel the cutt on the fly.

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The caddis last until the end of April and the sulphurs start in early May. They are a solid size-14 yellowish orange mayfly. They are best imitated with a size14 orange sulphur parachute. I have had my best dry fly fishing in the Ozarks with this fly. While these insects hatch in the spring, it should be noted that midges hatch every day on the Norfork and supply some of the best dry fly fishing throughout the year. The only problem with this prolific hatch is its diminutive size. The bigger ones are size-20, but most are much smaller. I generally fish this hatch with parachute Adams in size22. This was my brother, Danâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, favorite hatch. He tied size-32 dry flies for it. His favorite spot was a section of glide water upstream from the Ackerman access. There were always trout rising there. Dan was an exceptional fly caster (the best I have ever seen), and he consistently fished this area with a seventy-foot cast. My eyesight is corrected to 20/20 but I still like to work close, and generally fish dries within twenty feet or less of my body. The thought of fishing a size32 dry with a seventy-foot cast is totally foreign to me. To fish a dry, I have to see it. I asked him how he saw the take. He said that he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see the take but set the hook when he saw a rise where he

thought the fly was.

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While fishing dry flies is the most popular technique topwater fishing soft hackles is the most effective. I generally fish soft hackles before hatches of caddis and mayflies. That is when you see rises but do not see insects. I will begin fishing soft hackles as soon as I see rises. I cast them downstream at a forty-fivedegree angle to the bank. I strip the line back a foot or so as soon as the fly hits the water. That sinks the fly into the film. I let the fly swing in the water and wait for a strike. I fish this as a searching pattern. I generally cast about five times before I take a step downstream. If I feel a bump or catch a fish, I begin my count all over so as not to miss any fish. Not only do they work before and after a hatch but will often fish dries during an active hatch. My signature fly is the green butt which is a soft hackle that is a great imitation of an emerging Rhyacophylia. I also find the partridge and orange to be a great imitation of emerging sulphurs.

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I like to fish midge emergers when the trout are keying in on emerging midges. They are much smaller than the soft hackles (sizes 20 and smaller) but are basically fished the same way. My favorite midge emerger is Danâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s turkey tail emerger; my brothers go-to fly. I have taken some pretty big trout on this small fly. My best was probably a twenty-five inch brown. As spring arrives, I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to get out there on the Norfork and hit the top. John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over thirty-five years; John can be reached at (870) 435-2169 or http://www. berrybrothersguides.com.

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Full Service Outfitter Fly Fishing Trips Rentals Clinics & Classes Apparel Sage . Winston Rod Co. Orvis . Redington Yeti . Rio

79 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009 . 678-762-0027 AlpharettaOutfitters.com . Alpharettaoutfitters@yahoo.com

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Norfork - Featured Guide

Featured Guide

Lori Sloas What is your guide service? My guiding business is Berry Brothers Guide Service which I run with my husband John Berry. I guided for Blue Ribbon Fly Shop before it closed.We have two websites http://www.berrybrothersguides.com and another http://www.blueribbonguides.com. Our mission statement is Fly Fishing for Trout. We also say, “It’s your day.” I was featured on the television show, Adventure Guides, on the Versus network (previously known as OLN) and was the cover story in Living Well magazine. Most recently, I was featured in Garden and Gun magazine as one of the top ten guides in the South and was the International Federation of Fly Fishers Southern Council’s Woman of the Year for 2015. Where do you conduct your guide service? We guide on the White and Norfork Rivers and Dry Run Creek and Crooked Creek. The White and Norfork are tailwaters that are on everyone’s bucket list and offer some of the best fishing in the United States. Of the two, I prefer the Norfork; it is smaller and more easily waded. It is known for big trout and topwater action. Dry Run Creek is a small catch-and-release stream that is set aside for children under sixteen and mobility impaired adults. It is loaded with trophy trout. 104 l April 2018 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

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Norfork - Featured Guide

What got you started guiding? I got into guiding about fifteen years ago. My husband had been guiding for many years and taught frequent fly fishing classes. I began helping him with the classes and it was natural for me to begin guiding with him and then on my own. Over the intervening years I developed my own clientele and progressed as a guide. 106 l April 2018 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

Featured Guide - Norfork CLOSE LOOK

How would you characterize your guiding? I consider myself a teaching guide. My clients should expect to learn something like how to improve their cast, learn to read water or how to tie basic fishing knots. There is an emphasis on comfort and safety. In addition, they can expect to have a great time. Tell about what you offer. I offer fly fishing and fly casting instruction to my students. I consider it my best draw especially my casting instruction. I have taught fly casting and fly fishing at Arkansas State University Mountain Home for the last seven years. I have also taught at Mississippi Valley Community College, Sowbug Roundup and the Southern Council Fly Fishing Fair to name a few. I supply fly rods, reels, terminal tackle and flies on all of our trips if required. I can supply waders in certain sizes. For my full day trips, I supply a simple but good shore lunch (fresh bread, cold cuts, cheese, chips, cookies, soft drinks, and water). With prior notice, I can supply special meals (diabetic, kosher, etc.). All of my trips are wade trips. I do not use boats. My most popular trips are on Dry Run Creek. I relate well to children and love to teach them to fly fish. My fifteen years of experience guiding on the creek allow me to consistently put my young clients on trophy trout. I have parents bring their children to fish Dry Run Creek time after time. What would you like your clients to know? I would like my clients, especially the women, to know that wade trips can be physically demanding. They should be realistic in their appraisal of their overall physical condition. Also, since I guide mostly on tailwaters, all trips are subject to generation. That is, the United States Army Corps of Engineers may run water on the rivers making them unwadable. In this case, I would arrange for my husband to take them out in a boat. www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 107

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Truman Lake S A

t 55,600 surface acres, Truman Lake is the largest reservoir in Missouri. It is an amazing fishery with standing timber scattered throughout. Surrounded by more than 100,000 acres of public land, Truman is a very special destination for sportsmen and outdoors enthusiasts.

By Brandon Butler

110 l April 2018 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

Spring Crappie

When most southern reservoirs were impounded, the trees were logged. Not Truman. Here the trees were left standing. This is great for crappie anglers and boat repair shops specializing in lower unit replacements. With a rocky shoreline and many bluff walls, the trees are only part of the structure that makes Truman a special crappie fishing lake. Unlike many other Ozark reservoirs that have very clear water, Truman is normally stained and often muddy. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a deep lake, with the average depth around 20 feet.

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Truman Lake is an excellent destination for a number of fish species, including largemouth bass and catfish, but it’s the crappie fishing that really sets this place apart. These hard-fighting panfish are fun to catch and great to eat. Using minnows under slip-bobbers is a common tactic for catching crappies, but jigs often work just as well. This time of year, you’ll catch fish shallow in less than 10-feet of water over solid bottoms around brush or near drop-offs on ledges. The crappie bite might be strong, but you have to know where they’re at. If you don’t have a boat, there are many options for fishing from shore, but you can also rent a boat from one of the marinas on the lake. It’s always great to learn from real professionals when you can, and a couple of years ago I had an opportunity to jump in a boat with a couple of crappie fishing pros on Truman. My wife was out of town, so my two young daughters had no choice but to come along. Kevin Jones and Jon Gillotte compete as a team on the Crappie Masters tournament trail. They compliment each other well. Kevin’s specialty is big, open water crappie fishing. Lake of the Ozarks is his home water. Jon is more of a Truman Lake kind of guy. He excels at fishing brush. When it comes to fishing, I know a fair amount. But every time I get around professionals, I feel like a little kid again, because these guys know so much more than average anglers, like me. I was expecting some elaborate crappie tactics to be unveiled. I must admit, I was quite relieved when Jones handed me a long B’n’M “dipping” pole with nothing more to it than a sinker, hook and minnow.

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“Fish this minnow down about 8 feet next to that tree on the shady side,” he said. “If you don’t get one, drop it by the tree next to it.” I asked if it really matters to fish on the shady side of the tree. “Oh yeah,” Gillotte said. “You’ll catch way more fish in the shady side of the tree than you will on the bright side.” Just then his theory proved true. A nice 11-inch crappie slammed my minnow. I couldn’t believe how aggressive the bite was. I dropped the fish in the livewell and put on another minnow. A minute later, I was dropping another keeper in the box. Now the girls were interested. Jones helped Bailee catch fish after fish, while I worked with Annabel. Gillotte maneuvered the boat through the standing timber. Over the course of the a few hours, we compiled a real nice mess of fish.

These timber filled flats are productive all spring,” Gillotte said. “The fish are aggressive on jigs. You can also use minnows.” Another good tip I picked up during this trip is how well the Engel Live Bait Cooler with an aerator works for keeping minnows alive. You need to keep minnow water cold and oxygenated. This contraption does both. Adding a shot of U2 Pro Formula water conditioner to stabilize the minnow water will also help keep your minnows alive.

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When it comes to cast and blast opportunities in Missouri, Truman is right at the top of the list. There are plenty of places in Missouri where you can go fishing and hunting in the same day, but few offer the quality youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find at Truman. All at once, crappie fishing catches fire, turkey season opens and morel mushrooms start popping up in clusters. You can experience all three of these rights of spring in the same day.

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Just like crappie fishing, turkey hunting is a passion of mine. The turkey population around Truman is really good. And with so much public land, you can hunt almost every bird you hear gobble. During Turkey season, keep a shotgun in your crappie fishing boat. If you hear a gobbler go off, pull your boat up on the shore and go after him. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so cool to be able to combine hunting and fishing passions. While youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re fishing, also keep in mind you can pick a bushel basket of morel mushrooms from the sprawling public lands surrounding the

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lake. Good areas to look for morels include south facing slopes, around fallen logs, and around the bases of elm trees, especially dead ones. South facing slopes are prime spots early in the season because they warm up first. Truman Lake is quite different from Lake of the Ozarks. There are no megaresorts to stay at, but there are multiple options for lodging. Plus, you can camp or rent a cabin. Bucksaw Resort and Marina offers a lodge and nice cabins. They have all the amenities you need on site, like a boat ramp, bait, ice and even a restaurant.

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Truman isn’t just a lake. It’s a nature experience. River otters, osprey and bald eagles call this place home. It’s wild and scenic. You can hunt, fish, hike, bird-watch, paddle and more. Plus, Truman Lake State Park offers campsites with modern amenities and many activities. This is a destination to take the whole family, because there is something for everyone to enjoy.

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www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 119 www. uniproducts .com Capt. Mark Goodwin • tygerforge@gmail.com

FEATURED ROD MAKER

MARK PREWITT O A

t the age of 13, Mark Prewitt began wood carving and recognized that working with his hands was very satisfying. When his best friend received his doctorate in 2006, Mark decided to build matching fly rods to commemorate the achievement. Then his brother asked him to build one for his use as well. As Mark said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It went crazy after that, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never caught

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OF RDP FLYRODS

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Requests for more fly rods resulted in the founding of RDP Flyrods named in honor of his father Richard Dean Prewitt and his brother Roger Dean Prewitt whom he lost in a tragic accident at the age of 18. Mark now averages “around a hundred or more” rods every year, and in addition RDP rods sells about 150 blanks each year as well. The blanks are custom made exclusively for Prewitt to embody the feel and action he desired and are the result of talking with “everyone I could find” about what they wanted in a fly rod. Fortunately, after being armed with that information, he met an engineer that had helped start a major rod company and described the precise action he wanted in a fly rod blank. The engineer recommended a specific type of graphite to use for the blanks. When Prewitt tested the prototype, he knew that “he hit it right on the head! The feel and action, I think, are outstanding.” Mark is proud of the fact that he has received calls from customers complaining that they were upset with him because they had a bunch of thousand-dollar rods now left in the closet collecting dust because they always fish their RDP rod. That brings a smile to Mark’s face as he says, “I can take that kind of mad.” According to Prewitt one of the best parts of his business is the people he meets. As a “people person” Mark enjoys the relationships he has with people from all over the world including those in the United Kingdom to Ukraine and Brazil to Tasmania. RDP also sells many of its custom rod blanks in Japan. “The hardest part for me,” Mark says, “is keeping track of everything from who ordered what, to where to ship it, to how they want their custom rod built.” That becomes easy to understand when you realize that even at this point Mark Prewitt’s RDP Fly Rod business is just an avocation. He still works a full-time job and has three daughters that keep him “pretty busy” as well. www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 123

Mark Prewitt prefers graphite rods over rods built from other materials because they are lighter in weight, he likes the feel of the blanks, and they are more affordable. “I always wanted a nice rod, but the cost was always out of my price range.” RDP rods are “steered more to the average person” who prefers to fish with a nice custom rod with great feel and action but is affordable. These are rods that are personalized with your name or whatever you’d like written on it and yet is a rod you’d be proud to pass on to your grandchildren. RDP rods is “ultralight heaven.” Mark is proud to be one of only four people in the world currently making 0-weight rods and smiles as he states, “Building rods can be hazardous to your health. You have all these ideas you want to try, but your family might want to hurt you because you are always out building.” For more information about RDP Rods go to www. RDPflyrods.com or visit with Mark via email at mark@ rdprods.com 124 l April 2018 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

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Maribou

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Madness

Dave Wooton

tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very long time since l tied my first fly in the late 1950s and then later in the 60s became a full-time fly tyer or at least during the fishing season. Back in the UK, there was a period of time that the rivers closed for salmon and trout fishing, all be it today that is a different matter. Back in those days, l was indoctrinated with fly patterns that had been around for a very long time. They were the fly patterns well known from the likes of Halford, Skues, Dunn and then the flies of North Country origin known today as soft hackles and spiders. I would say that back then the greatest demand for trout flies was for the traditional winged wet fly all be it there were palmered hackled versions. That was it, save for a few known nymph patterns created by Sawyer and Skues. www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 129

It was also in the 1960â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that things began to change, mainly due to the fact that both private and public reservoirs became stocked with rainbow and brown trout. Within a few years, the fly fishing world experienced a dramatic change. New flies came into being when observant anglers realized that imitations of the food base found in those waters were important to increase the catch rate. Granted many anglers then still argued that the fishing of the traditional wet fly was the way to go, and to a large extent, l would and still do agree with that, as many of those fly patterns do have a very close resemblance to the naturals be they caddis, chironomids or species of mayflies. 130 l April 2018 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

Here is the USA we also saw changes as fly fishers started to move away from what was the older more traditional ways of fly fishing. The main difference here is that the majority of fly anglers fish moving water. There was a greater interest to innovate fly patterns that were closer imitations of the naturals particularly in the case of nymphs, emergers, and dries. Some of you may remember that long ago very few synthetic materials were used, flies were constructed of natural materials be it bodies of dubbed fur, hackles of different bird species and hair and feather taken from different species to form wings. In many respects, and l guess it’s because of my early days of tying flies in the more traditional way, l still favor the use of natural materials for my flies. In some cases, such as seal fur which is not available here, one must use synthetics. That’s one of the reasons why l developed the SLF dubbing products in the late 80’s. www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 131

One of the newer materials that l became familiar with back in the 1960’s was marabou. This material fascinated me as prior to its availability to the fly tyer there was no other material like it for many reasons. It is a fluffy feather that pulsated and moved, very unlike bucktail, squirrel or calf tail. “Marabou” is really just a general term for a fluffy feather. The origin is related to the Marabou Stork. Back in the 1700’s and 1800’s the plumage of this bird was used for the millinery trade and as decoration for clothing. Interestingly, some old fly patterns used the fluffy feathers found on the legs of the Golden eagle. (Of course, those species are now protected.) The majority of marabou feathers are obtained from domestically raised turkeys from generally Asian sources, washed, cleaned, and dyed in a multitude of different colors. 132 l April 2018 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

It was largely the still water anglers that realized the potential of this feather and numerous new fly patterns came into being. One particular pioneer, a friend of mine by the name of Bob Church, innovated a number of very effective flies to represent bait fish and just general marabou streamer patterns that attracted fish. I know some of you may think that fishing large streamers for trophy Browns is a new age thing, but Church had a number of patterns back in the 60â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that were very large streamers. They were constructed by tying in tandem or triple-long shank hooks to imitate the size of the baitfish the larger trout would eat. They were simply very large marabou winged lures. That said, there were fly patterns way before the use of marabou that were tied with tandem hooks to increase the overall length of the flies. Those generally incorporated the use of long hackles. www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 133

I will never forget the day when l fished with my friend Taff Price, author of many UK publications related to fishing flies. To say the least, we were having a slow day. It seemed as though the fish had no interest in taking the more imitative patterns of chironomids, at least at that time. Taff, for the hell of it, decided he would fish this 3-inch long, all black marabou streamer. In no time he had banked his limit of big rainbow trout, as l did after doing the same thing. Why the fish reacted that way l have no idea as there was nothing in that water that resembled our flies. 134 l April 2018 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

I would say looking at fly boxes, and in the fly shops today the most common use for marabou is for the tails of wooly buggers and maybe some of the muddler patterns. That said, do not dismiss how effective marabou lures can be. For the warmwater angler, marabou is often used for jigs which are very effective. www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 135

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My tying tip to you is this: strung marabou is not especially good quality, okay for wooly bugger tails, but if you want material for good wings on streamers then you need to buy the select grade of feather which is the entire feather. From this you can select fibers of long length to build up bulk for the wing and, if needed, build wings of different color combinations. For low cost use chenille for the fly body, maybe some hackle for the tail and throat, ribbing tinsel and a marabou wing you can produce a whole bunch of different and very effective fly patterns. Davy Wotton

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Sunburst has a long standing commitment to quality. Their fish are hormone and antibiotic free, and the feed is made especially for them containing no mammalian by-products. All trout are cut to order in small bathces, mostly by hand, thus ensuring all products are of the highest standard. In addition to Sunburst’s flagship fillets you can also find their award winning caviar, as well as trout jerky, hickory smoked trout, cold smoked trout, smoked trout dip, trout sausage, and even some non trout products, pimento goat cheese and smoked tomato jam. Be sure to stock up on their Original Jennings Jerky! It’s shelf stable and perfect for those long days fly fishing. To order go online to www.sunbursttrout.com

314 Industrial Park Drive Waynesville, NC 28786 828-648-3010 • 800-673-3051

Spring River Trent Fleming

ark Crawford cranked his Hyde drift boat off the trailer and nodded to me to hold it steady while he parked his rig. We planned to float a section of the river, from Dam 3 down to Bayou Access, about 3.5 miles. Our goal was to find some larger Brown Trout. It was a cool morning as we pushed off into the side channel that flows from the hatchery, with temps in the upper 20s under a bright blue sky. The river was up, carrying the burden of recent rains, and certainly faster than normal. The riffles in front of us sparkled in the morning sun, as we merged into the main channel, and began to fish. We moved quickly, working streamers into the bank and back out into the channel, trying to cover as much water as possible. Mark is interested in some new techniques using larger, unweighted flies with a sink tip line, so we experimented some, casting with 4-weight rods. A little over three hours earlier, the waning gibbous moon hung in the sky along with Mars, as I left Tennessee to make the trek from Memphis to Mammoth Spring, Arkansas. It was a quiet morning, with only a little traffic as I approached downtown Memphis, and again as I drove through the brief rush hour of Jonesboro, Arkansas.

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Most of the trip was through farm country, the last section rising into Ozark foothills. The four-lane gives way at the Black River to winding two lanes, with the occasional passing lane. One day, the four-lane will extend all the way to West Plains, Missouri, but Mark says that will be “for our grandchildren.” Mark tells me that he grew up around the Spring River. His grandfather, a Native American, often spoke to him of the value his people placed on the “water that was always cold.” They assigned it mystical powers for peace and healing. As we floated, he showed me stone bluffs that marked favorite gathering places; some refuted to hold ancient drawings, though we did not see any today. In the January 2017 issue of Southern Trout Ozark Edition, I penned a piece that goes into some depth about the source of the Spring River. That source, when the area suffers heavy rains, can sometimes create less than perfect water clarity. That has been the case for the last couple of weeks. Mark had warned me that the water was stained, but I told him I wanted to fish anyway, as different conditions are a challenge, and in this river, which I had only fished by wading until now, challenges abound. www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 141

For the last 15 years, Mark has devoted his life to guiding on this river, potentially a world-class fishery that gets none of the attention that Arkansas’ White River system gets. Mark’s calm easy-going manner ensures that his clients will enjoy themselves. For Mark, it is all about the experience. He’s thankful for the beauty of the river and surrounding area and strives to build the fishing experience around that. He knows where the Bald Eagle nest is, pointing it out to me as we float by. He knows the history of stocked and native species in the river, telling me that while a few Grass Pickerel are still caught, he believes the last of the Tiger

Muskies, previously stocked in the river, are now gone. For now, Mark is focused on the upper section of the river, basically the 7 miles downstream from Dam 3, as a trout section. Below that, he’s extremely interested in the potential for smallmouth all the way downstream toward the town of Hardy. We picked up a couple of decent rainbows through the first stretch, but none of the hoped-for browns. Mark and I have many things in common, one being an affinity for Olive Woolly Buggers. So we switched out to a bugger with a little flash in it and began swinging a drift. The fishing was slow, but the scenery provided a nice distraction. Again, even with the Olive Woolly Bugger, we only managed a

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Spring River Landing Mammoth Spring, AR

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couple more trout, both rainbows. Clearly the stained water was impacting the fishing, as we had feared it would. The good news is, the flow from Mammoth Spring, the 7th largest spring in the world, would finish clearing the river up in a few days, and things would be back to their normal, spectacular status. Just above Bayou Access, where we were to take out, we fished above a waterfall that held a goo d number of fish and took a couple more nice rainbows. Even on a day when the water was not in great condition, we took a good number of nice sized rainbows. Think about what the fishing is like under good conditions! While we fished, we talked. We discussed how adverse conditions, like high water, might affect the fish, perhaps pushing them further downstream as opposed to causing them to seek deeper holes or bank cover near their standard haunts. The Spring is a freestone stream, unlike most of Arkansas’ tailwater fisheries, and features a wider variety of food sources than tailwater environments. This can be good and bad for the fisherman. Good in that there are lots of options for “matching the hatch,” but bad

in the sense that it might take more tries to find out what the fish want on a particular day. Another interesting belief of Mark’s is that he doesn’t believe in starting out at the break of dawn. He likes to be on the river by 8 a.m. or

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Spring River Flies and Guides

so, and he tells me that he has caught most of his large fish in mid-day, roughly 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. I want to encourage you to explore the Spring River as an outstanding trout stream. There is no better way than to float the river with Mark Crawford,

In discussing the size and availability of fish, Mark tells me of his concerns that there are no trout management plans for the Spring, other than the normal creel limits. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been pushing for a management plan, feeling that it will take the river to the next level regarding the size and quality of fish available to anglers. He tells me excitedly that Arkansas Game and Fish plans to conduct creel surveys over the coming year. Fishermen will be approached and asked a series of questions about their experience on the river. This is an important first step in a potential trout management plan. Mark encourages anglers to emphasize to the surveyors their interest in a formal trout management program for the Spring. Says Mark â&#x20AC;&#x153;if they ask you, tell them you want more and larger trout!â&#x20AC;?

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om Hoskins is a retired teacher who decided to take his SDVVLRQ IRU Â¿VKLQJ WR D QHZ OHYHO E\ SURGXFLQJ Â¿QH TXDOLW\ ODQGLQJ QHWV DW Dá&#x201A;&#x2021;RUGDEOH SULFHV +LV QHWV DUH carefully and expertly constructed DQG EHDXWLIXOO\ Â¿QLVKHG )RU 7RP the process has become a labor of ORYH 2QO\ WKH PRVW EHDXWLIXO KDUGZRRGV VRPHWLPHV LQ XQLTXHO\ VW\OHG FRPELQDWLRQV are selected to craft into classically styled ODQGLQJ QHWV 7KH QHWV FDQ EH DWWDFKHG LQ HLWKHU D WUDGLWLRQDO RU VSLUDO ZUDS (DFK LV FRQVWUXFWHG VR DV QRW WR FDXVH KDUP WR WKH JLOOV RI WKH QHWWHG Â¿VK ZKLFK HQDEOHV WKH VDIH UHOHDVH RI WKH FDWFK ,Q DGGLWLRQ WKH net is marked in one-inch increments to allow an accurate PHDVXUHPHQW RI \RXU FDWFK ZLWKRXW KDQGOLQJ WKH Â¿VK

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Hoskins Landing Nets www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 149

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very great fly fishing guide has a mission. Jenny MayrellWoodruff, it is to introduce new people to fly fishing, improve the skills of more experienced anglers and work hard to insure that the Lower Mountain Fork River continues to improve as a trout fishery. “The Lower Mountain Fork River has a healthy population of wild trout and also gets supplemental trout stockings every 2 weeks year-round,” says Jenny. “This tailwater River has a variety of water types from fast and rocky to smooth and tranquil. Unlike other Southern tailwaters, there is quality water that is not affected by power generation releases.” Located in extreme Southeastern Oklahoma, the Lower Mountain Fork River below the Reregulation dam is a popular recreation

spot. At medium flows, this is an excellent river for whitewater kayaking. Water quality in this clear, rocky stream is very good, with water temps kept at or below 70 degrees to support a healthy trout population. “I started out guiding for a local fly shop in 2010,” says Jenny. “At the time I had no intention of becoming a full time guide, much less making a career

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Terry and Roxanne Wilson

Wapsi Fly: From the

uiding a fledgling industry to become the largest fly tying company in the world would require long hours, a pioneering spirit, and innovative thinking. Fortunately, Tom Schmuecker was up to the task. The Wapsi Fly story began when Lacey Gee returned to his home town in East Central Iowa from the Second World War and started a new tying materials company. He named the company for an excellent nearby smallmouth bass stream, the Wapsipinicon River. Gee operated there from 1945 until 1973 when he sold Wapsi to an enterprising, college educated, young farmer named Tom Schmuecker and his wife Ann. The Schmueckersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; farm had been breeding a high quality strain of grizzly chickens and sold the feathers to Wapsi. When Gee decided to sell, Tom seized the opportunity. Always an enthusiastic fly fisher and fly tier, Tom eventually gifted his chickens to Joe Keo whose nephew is Bill Keough of Keough Hackle. The original chicken flock was sold to Ewing Feather Birds which remains in Iowa today.

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Ozarks to the World In 1978 Schmuecker read an article written by fly fishing legend Dave Whitlock that described the enormous trout being caught in the waters of North Arkansas. A visit to the area revealed not only a trout haven that included the famous White River, Norfork River, Crooked Creek, and the nearby Buffalo River, but also multiple impounded lakes and warm water streams that harbor nearly every North American warmwater species. That cinched it. Mountain Home, Arkansas, became the home of Wapsi Fly, Inc., and it remains a perfect fit. The demands of rapid growth quickly turned Wapsi into a family enterprise. Ann Schmuecker sacrificed her teaching career to play a critically important role in the company’s success. While raising four sons, she helped manage the business including human resources and personnel training. It’s hard to imagine Wapsi’s rise to become the world’s largest fly tying company without her invaluable contributions.

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Tom utilized innovative thinking to design and repurpose machinery required to produce mass quantities of fly tying materials. Wapsi’s first dyeing vat offers a case in point. It was a porcelain babies’ bathtub that held only 16 bucktails at a time. Today’s stainless steel vats that Tom designed dye 500 at once and, with over 400 colors in their database, several are in constant use. In 1987, after just completing a major expansion of their facilities, tragedy struck. It was the first weekend of October and Tom was demonstrating his fly tying skills at the Southern Council Federation of Fly Fishers Conclave held annually in Mountain Home when he learned of a massive fire at the Wapsi plant. One building was nearly a total loss and smoke and water damage was significant throughout the facilities. “A faulty fluorescent light fixture was responsible. It was devastating, of course, but in that situation we learned how valuable our employees, friends, and family really are. They all pitched in and did whatever they could.” Remarkably, Wapsi was back up and filling orders later the same month. A month after the fire loyal customers pushed sales to one of the highest months in their history. The misfortune had another beneficial outcome. The Schmuecker’s eldest son Karl, an engineering graduate of the University of Arkansas, returned to Mountain Home to help with the recovery. Eventually he would become Wapsi’s General Manager after what Tom describes as “my 20 years of micro-managing.” Applying the same creativity as his father to practical problem solving, Karl has an encyclopedic knowledge of all things Wapsi. He knows and understands the machines, the processes, inventory, the inner workings of each department, new materials, new products, and maintains relationships with those in related industries around the world. www.Southerntrout.com l Ozark Edition l April 2018 l 157

While Tom is still the owner and company President and Karl is the General Manager, it remains a family operation. Brother Joe is the Production Manager and younger brother Eric, the family’s most talented fly tier, also helps with the company. A visit with any family member quickly reveals their passion for fly tying and fly fishing. Each is a skilled fly tier and their relentless promotion of fly tying, including many charitable efforts, is extensive. The impact of Wapsi’s generosity on our sport is enormous and ongoing. Even after 45 years, Tom Schmuecker still spends about 60 hours a week at the plant. Clearly, his is a labor of love. According to Tom, “A fair amount of that time is spent in my shop.” That, of course, is where his genius is truly unleashed. Only one example is his invention of barbell eyes. Wanting to add weight to his smallmouth flies, Tom began by filling bead-chain eyes with solder. That effort morphed into a summer-long process of creating masters to make molds for their manufacture. Can you imagine Clouser Minnows or any of a thousand other fly patterns without barbell eyes? New synthetic materials are introduced into the marketplace every year and all must be handled, in some cases modified, and dyed in bulk. Fifteen hundred kilos of ultra chenille, for example, is just one shipment. Natural hides like rabbit, mink, raccoon, and pine squirrel (pioneered by Joe Schmuecker) are precisely cut into zonker strips and dyed in a dazzling array of colors. Every 158 l April 2018 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

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product must be packaged in the correct amount then shelved in a warehouse so that orders can be filed and packaged for shipping. Wapsi has two separate shipping departments; one ships only to fly shops in the United States while the other ships to over 60 foreign countries in every corner of the globe. Wapsiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s product offerings will expand again in 2018 with powder paints for fly tying. Look on your favorite fly shopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shelves for products from Wapsi Fly, Inc. Theirs are quality materials offered at a reasonable price made by fly fishers and fly tiers who understand the intricacies of our sport.

Streamsid

Furled Lea

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aders

asting accuracy is easily the most important ingredient in fly presentation. Most often it is the difference between a strike inducing cast or an ignored fly, and nothing turns over a tippet and fly like a furled leader butt section. Of course, the construction of the furled leader is the critically important factor. Streamside Furled Leaders are handcrafted so that they are the tightest and strongest furled leaders available. This enables them to be the most accurate, best casting leaders you can find anywhere. Streamside Furled Leaders add a minuscule corrosion proof metal connector ring to the end of each leader. It’s so tiny you won’t know it’s there while you’re casting but it facilitates tippet changes. There is no direct contact between the furled leader and the tippet, so the life of the leader is greatly extended. Streamside leaders simply bring your fly fishing to a higher level by providing the ultimate in presentation performance, and accuracy you likely never realized was possible.

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The size and length of your furled butt section depend upon the line weight to which itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s being attached. Generally, the smaller, shorter leaders are to be matched with lighter lines while longer leaders perform best with heavier lines. Each package of Streamsideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s furled leaders indicate the line weights to which it should be matched. Their Mystic Creek Guide Series Leaders are furled with three legs instead of the traditional two legs. This enables them to be rounder, denser, and smaller in diameter which results in a better ability to cut through wind as well as retain floatant better. There is an infinite number of color combinations from which to choose. Some are highly visible while other shades blend into the surroundings better. For more information or to order your Streamside Furled Leaders go to <streamsideleaders.com>.

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Where Affordability â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Meets Superior Quality

skimmerskiff.com Info@SkimmerSkiff.com Skimmer Skiffs L.L.C., 2764 Navigator Ave., Bld 138-S, Sanford, FL 32773, P: (407) 402-8295

Float Wade Trek

Experience Exposure Executon Engagement Georgia-North Carolina-Tennessee Guided fly-fishing and conventional fishing for bass, trout, stripers, panfish and more across the waters of the southern Appalachian Mountains

www.ReelAnglingAdventures.com Toll Free: 866-899-5259

DARKHORSE W

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WADING BOOTS

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A Museum for the Southern Fly Fisherman

The Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians — originally

located in Cherokee, NC — has a new home in neighboring Bryson City where it shares a building with the Bryson City / Swain County Chamber of Commerce. It’s centrally located on the town square across the street from the visitor center. The Museum is open Monday thru Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm and admission is free.

The scope of the museum covers an

area with more than 14,700 miles of accessible trout streams — the nine Southern Appalachian States of North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama; the Qualla Boundary, home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; as well as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Bryson City, NC

PHOTO BY JIM HEAFNER

Through exhibits and videos you’ll

learn about legendary “Stream Blazers,” the evolution of rods and reels, basic knots, fly-tying, types of gear, types of gamefish, regional fishing waters, and the history of fly fishing in the Southeast. Whether you are a long-time fly fisherman, or have only attempted or never tried fly fishing, you will find something to enjoy and to learn from in the museum.

FLY FISHING MUSEUM

OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS

Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians 210 Main Street Bryson City, NC 28713 800-867-9241

FlyFishingMuseum.org

Moose Creek Rods and Knives *Classic Bamboo Fly Rods *Custom Sheaths *Bamboo Display Rods and Reels *Handcrafted Knives *Custom Fly Tying Tools *Bamboo Rods *Restored and Repaired kmgann@sw bell.net 913-299-960 w w w.moosecreekrodsandknives.com