Southern Trout Magazine: Ozark Edition Issue 2 by Southern Unlimited, LLC

issue 2

January 2017

Souther nTr out

“Ozark Edition”

Winter Midge Three Days in the Ozarks www.southerntrout.com

ATL ANTA FEBRUARY 3 & 4, 2017

INFINITE ENERGY CENTER

Fly Fishing is NOT part of the show

IT IS THE SHOW!

flyfishingshow.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF BARRY AND CATHY BECK.

Publisher’s message This issue of the “Ozark Edition” is beefed up from the November issue. It is still a work in progress. Hereto I have been the lead man on title, a job that goes to its new editor with the upcoming March/April issue. Ragan Whitlock will be a helm and is already spending a lot of time in Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. A young fellow, he brings a fresh prospective to how the “Ozark Edition” will evolve its own identity that doubtless will be different from its sister publication, Southern Trout.

Ozark Traditions Southern Trout “Ozark Edition” launched in November of last year as a hopeful ‘shot in the dark’. Its reception was better than any of us here hoped it would be. Many of the positive comments received from readers were quite humbling. No interior region of the country has a riches of a fishing heritage than does the Ozarks. People such as Dave Whitlock, Ozark Ripley and Johnny Morrison defined recreational fishing for the country, and brought into the limelight the incredible fisheries of the region. For me it’s hard to image why anyone would ever travel from the Ozarks to wet line anywhere else.

Ragan is an FFF certified fly fishing instructor. The last time we fished together, he asked me who taught me how to cast. Informing him that I was completely self-taught, he smiled and told me that a refund from anyone I had paid to teach me to cast probably was not an option. He stopped short of telling me what I was doing wrong, muttering something about you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, something I had been told many times in the past. Whitlock’s March/April issue will have the “Ozark Edition’s” first Close Look: Heber Springs and the Little Red. We’re hoping to have at least one really big announcements for the issue that simply cannot be shared at this time. The goal of the “Ozark Edition” is to become the fly fishing for trout and bass information/entertain crossroads for this special heartland of angling.

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Publisher Don Kirk Editor Regan Whitlock Managing Editor Leah Kirk Designer Loryn Lathem Assoc. Editor Adam Patterson Editorial Consultant Olive K. Nynne

Contributors

Craig Haney Steve Moore Bob Mallard Ron Gaddy John Berry Dave Wotton Keith Gann Trent Fleming

Publisher’s message (cont.) The bar is set high for the “Ozark Edition” to ever have a chance to become a part of the rich fly fishing tradition of the region. It can never happen unless we prove ourselves to readers and advertisers that the “Ozark Edition” is the ‘go-to-source’ to learn about and experience this incredible slice of angling in America.

ON THE COVER: Growing up in rural Minnesota, Jason Tako spent hours in the wetlands and wooded areas sketching and observing the wildlife and nature that surrounded him. He became known for his artistic abilities. The cover is “Soft and Silent”. www.jasontako.com

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THIS ISSUE From the Publisher

HALL OF FAME VOTE NOW

Ozark Made Blade

Midge Fishing 18 Bacon Wrapped Stuffe 26 Trout Frogg Toggs 32 The Traditions of Fly Fishing

Winter Trout 50 Bennet Spring in May

Sure Fire Flies for Migrating Browns

Hodgman Wade Boot

Three Days in the Ozarks 80 Book Review: 94 Fly Fishing on the Red

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“LEGENDS O

HALL O

The Southern Trout “Legends of the Fly” Hall of Fame is first to recognize and commemorate southern trout anglers’ historical contributions to fly fishing. On February 3rd at The Fly Fishing Show in Atlanta, Georgia a ceremony will be held to officially induct six grandfathered in anglers as well as announce GRANDFATHERED INDUCTEES

CHARLEY ELLIOTT Georgia native, Elliot was the longest serving editor at Outdoor Life Magazine and an avid fly fisherman. There is a small museum of this office at Georgia’s Charley Elliot Wildlife Center.

DAVE WHITLOCK Oklahoma native, Whitlock not only is the best known trout artist in the Ozarks, but he is also credited by many with putting Ozark trout fishing on the world stage.

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DON PFITZER Tennessee native, Pfitzer was his state’s first cold water fisheries biologist and is credited with pioneering tailwater trout fishing in the TVA system.

OF THE FLY”

OF FAME

six additional inductees chosen by online balloting. Grandfathered inductees represent the tip of the iceberg of individuals whose passion for trout is reflected in their contributions to the sport. GRANDFATHERED INDUCTEES

HARRY MIDDLETON Alabama native, Middleton is regarded by many has the most widely read and revered author of fly fishing related books in the South.

JIM GASTON Arkansas native, Gaston founded and operated Gaston’s White River Resort. He was one of his state’s most influential members of trout fishing tourism.

ERNEST PECKINBAUGH Tennessee native, Peckinbaugh is well known as the creator of the cork popping bug from the early 1900s. He also had what is believed to be the first commercial trout fly tying business in the South.

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FILL OUT THE BALLOT ON SOUTHERNTROUT.COM AND CAST YOUR VOTE! Southern Trout is humbled by the opportunity to be a part of bringing much deserved recognition to the rich heritage and tradition of fly fishing for trout in the South. This a peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice recognition program. Inductees are chosen by online balloting. Everyone is encouraged to vote for up to six anglers who names and biographic information is provided. Balloting runs from September through December. Future nominations are accepted May through August. INDUCTEE CANDIDATES

CHARLEY DICKEY CHUCK TRYON

HARRY MURRAY

HARRY SLONE

CURTIS FLEMING

J. WAYNE FEARS

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HERBERT HOOVER

JIM CASADA

JIMMY JACOBS

MARK CATHY

ROGER LOWE

WALTER BABB

JOHN BERRY

REX WILSON

NAT WINSTON

JOE MANLEY

WILEY OAKLEY

KEVIN HOWELL

JIM GASQUE

SOC CLAY

EDDY GEORGE

BEN CRAIG

DAVY WOOTON

DON HOWELL

GARY MERRIMAN RAY BALL

FRED HALL

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Ozark Mad I

spend a lot of time afield, and most of it is spent fly fishing. Sometimes Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m on the water for just a few hours, sometimes Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m out all day, and sometimes I go off on multi-day excursions. Backcountry fishing is one of my favorite things to do: I hike, backpack, camp and otherwise commune with nature while in pursuit of wild trout in unspoiled and uncrowded places.

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de Blade Bob Mallard As a rule, I try carry a knife while afield. I use it to cut cigars, tippet, spent monofilament from trees, low-hanging branches, and anything else I come across that needs cutting. I want to be able to defend myself against aggressive critters or anything else that might try to harm me. Around camp I use a knife for opening packages, cutting my food, shaving sticks, trimming ropes and cords, and other tasks. www.SouthernTrout.com l STOE l January 2017 l 11

While I rely on a knife a lot, I have never actually owned a good one. I’ll drop $100 on a fly line, $250 on a pair of sunglasses and $700 on a fly rod, but I have never spent more than $50 on a knife. I currently own five knives: They cost barely $150 between them. All of them are heavy, poorly made and do not hold an edge well. The sheaths are not compatible with everything I would like to attach them to—backpacks, daypacks, fannypacks, wading belts, etc. Tired of not being able to carry a knife everywhere I want to, blades that won’t stay sharp, knives that are heavy or awkward, and sheaths that just don’t work, I decided to bite the bullet -- or more appropriately, the blade -- and buy a quality knife that I could use for all my outdoor endeavors. I wanted a knife that was lightweight, sharp and versatile; and with a sheath that was easy to access, secure and could be attached to anything I wanted to attach it to. After hours searching the www, I found what I was looking for—and right here in the Ozarks. In fact,

when it comes to specialty knives the Ozarks are front and center. A quick internet search revealed a couple of dozen custom knife makers operating out of Arkansas alone. Missouri was equally well represented. The Moran School of Bladesmithing in Washington, Arkansas-part of Texarkana College-was the first of its kind in the world. Classes are held in cooperation with The American Bladesmith Society, a non-profit organization made up of knifemakers. The society also maintains a museum and Hall of Fame in Little Rock, Arkansas. And Little Rock is the site of an annual custom knife show. The Ozarks are also purported to be the birthplace of the fabled Bowie knife, arguably the most famous knife in American history. It is said that James Black created the prototype in the early 1800s from a carved wooden replica presented to him by James “Jim” Bowie, of Alamo fame. The finished product was given to Bowie and named in his honor—a name it still carries today. The

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knife went to Texas with Bowie, and is believed to have been with him at the Alamo. Bowie knives were also carried by abolitionist John Brown (and taken by Confederate hero J.E.B. Stuart after Brown’s

death), Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth who dropped one as he fled Ford’s Theatre, and William "Buffalo Bill" Cody who reportedly scalped a Cheyenne warrior with one in revenge for

Custer at the Battle of Warbonnet Creek in 1876. The Bowie Knife, more a style than a specific design, is easily recognized by its size—including an 8-12” blade--and the presence

of both a handguard (often referred to as a crossguard) and clip point, or clip-point. The site where the Bowie knife is believed to have been created is located near the Moran School.

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Another famous Ozark knife was called the “Arkansas toothpick.” Often confused with the Bowie knife, this daggerlike instrument, also purported to be designed by James Black, has a straight 15- 25” blade. Its design lends itself to throwing, thrusting and slashing, making the

Arkansas Toothpick a great knife for self-defense and combat. Many jurisdictions have legislation regulating the use of this type of knife, up to and including using the name "Arkansas Toothpick" to denote what the law applies to. Many of these laws were passed in the mid-1800s to prevent dueling.

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As for me, I was just looking for a lightweight, versatile, high-quality sheath knife for fishing, backpacking, camping and backcountry use—not one of the large, historic, collectable, self-defense and hunting knives the Ozarks were famous for. My search led me to Schultz Custom Knives

(www.schultzcustomknives.com) in the town of West Fork, Arkansas, just ten miles south of Fayetteville. Aptly named, West Fork is located on the West Fork of the White River, a tributary to the fabled White River—arguably the finest trophy trout river in the country, and one of my favorite places to fish. Knife maker Steve Schultz is an avid outdoorsman, hunter, fly fisherman, hiker and falconer. He started making handmade knives in 1988. While this is a part-time pursuit, his knives are some of the finest and most innovative I have found. Steve personally makes each knife he sells. He employs what is known as a “stock removal” technique in the manufacture of what he refers to as “working knives.” Profiles are cut from a bar, and then ground and drilled to attain until the desired result. Heat treating is done by a third-party that specializes in such. The knife I chose is appropriately named the Pack-Rat Backpacker Knife (www.schultzcustomknives. com/2013/08/20/skeleton-pack-ratbackpacker-knife/). It has a skeleton frame handle wrapped with forty-eight inches of Paracord 550 (as in 550 lbs. of strength) for emergency use—including affixing it to a stick to create a makeshift spear for foraging or self-defense. The Pack-Rat is made from ATS-34 Stainless Steel and heat-treated to a Rockwall hardness of 5859. It is 7.75” long in the sheath. The knife itself is 7.5” with a 3.25” blade. The knife and sheath weigh just 4 ounces, the knife just 2.5 ounces.

The Pack-Rat comes with handmade Kydex sheath. It is only 4.5” long, and weighs just 1.4 ounces. Kydex is rugged, lightweight and waterproof, making it ideal for fishing, camping and backcountry use. The sheath comes with a secure-locking belt clip with multiple attachment points. It can be worn vertically or horizontally, and rightside up or upside-down. The clip is large enough to fit most belts and easily attaches to many backpacks, daypacks and fannypacks. It can also be hung by a cord or worn around your neck. The Pack-Rat retails for $160. It comes in several cord options including black, red, royal blue, coyote brown and OD green. If you are in the market for a high-quality, ultralight “working knife” for fishing, camping, backpacking or hunting, I strongly recommend you consider one of Steve’s knives. In doing so you will be getting a quality handmade product, supporting a family-owned business, and keeping your hard-earned greenbacks right here in the Ozarks... BOB MALLARD has fly fished for over 40 years. He is a former fly shop owner, blogger, writer, author and fly designer. He writes a gear column, Gearhead, for Southern Trout’s Appalachian Edition. Look for his books 50 Best Places Fly Fishing the Northeast and 25 Best Towns Fly Fishing for Trout (Stonefly Press). He can be reached at www. bobmallard.com, info@bobmallard.com or 207-399-6270.

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g n i h by John Berry

inter is one of my favorite times to fish. There is greatly reduced fishing pressure, seasonally low water, and a reliable hatch, midges. The midge is the smallest of the aquatic insects of interest to fly fishers and possibly the least understood. In addition they mostly hatch in the winter when there are fewer anglers than any other time of year. They are often overlooked because of their size. My clients frequently ask how a fish can see and be caught by such a small fly. You have to consider a full-grown man eating M&Ms. They are small in relation to his total body size but he eats several of them at a single setting. Midges are the most available food source at certain times and the fish eat a lot of them.

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Yesterday was an incredible day for the middle of January, 60-degree temperatures, sunny skies and light winds. Lori and I started off fishing with size 20 Norfork bead heads. We immediately began catching fish. When I pumped the stomachs of the first few fish we caught all I found was midge larvae. We were high sticking the nymphs in fast water on light tippets. I was using 6X while Lori was using 5X because of her tendency to set the hook very hard. We noticed some top-water action but could not see any insects emerging. We assumed that it was midges. I pulled out my midge box and selected a size 20 DanĂ&#x201A;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Turkey Quill Emerger, my go-to fly for midge hatches. Lori did the same and we began fishing the fly by casting downstream at a 45-degree angle. As soon as the fly hit the water we stripped it back to sink it in the film. We let the line swing in the current. Rather than waiting to feel the strike we carefully observed the fly line and quickly set the hook if we saw end of the line move. Trout can be very subtle when they are feeding on midges. If we saw a rising fish we cast so that the fly would drift over it. We soon began catching fish. Lori landed a fat 21-inch rainbow that qualified her for the 20/20 club, (catching a 20-inch or better fish on a size 20 or smaller fly). I took a photo and we fished until dark.

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The next day I was fishing with my cousin Quinn and observed his midge technique. He rigged the same way I did except that he put a small strike indicator about four feet from the fly. He cast the fly up stream to rising fish. As the fly drifted down stream he carefully stripped in any slack line. When the strike indicator twitched he set the hook. He caught as many fish as I did but I think his method requires better casting skills and more attention to detail. It can however be very effective. My brother Dan, in addition to fishing with emergers, likes to fish midge hatches with dry flies. He loves glass smooth water, 70-foot casts, and is particularly fond of GriffithÂ’s Gnats. I find these and other midge dry flies to be too small to fish. If I canÂ’t see it I canÂ’t fish it. Dan sets the hook if he sees a rise near where he thinks the fly is. He has caught a lot of big fish doing this. If you want some good action in the winter watch the Weather Channel, call the dam, catch a good day and consider fishing midges. YouÂ’ll be glad you did!

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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

GUIDE SERVICES | ONLINE & RETAIL STORE | LESSONS

Drop what you are doing...

12th Annual Derby City Fly Fishersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Kentuckiana Fly Fishing Show January 28, 2017 Shepherdsville, Kentucky

Bacon-wrapped

Stuffed Trout

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emember those New Year’s resolutions to lose weight? Well, forget it. We immediately went “off the wagon” when we came across this scrumptious idea and we are unabashedly reveling in it. For the holidays we dressed up our houses, our kids, our trees, so why not our trout? And what better dress-up than bacon? Not only does the salty smokiness of bacon match perfectly with the sweet, delicate flavor of trout, but wrapping bacon around the trout helps to keep it moist during cooking. Add to that a simple stuffing on the inside and you have a beautifully moist and well flavored fish. Use thinly sliced streaky bacon and fresh trout; if buying fish scares you check out Sunburst Trout’s line of easy to use fish and filets. Ingredients You will need 1 trout per person, cleaned and gutted, and you may keep the head and tail. 2 to 3 pieces of bacon per trout should suffice, depending on the size of the fish; you are going to stretch them before wrapping the trout so that they become longer and thinner. For the stuffing you will need a couple of handfuls of fresh breadcrumbs, 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, the juice and rind of 1 lemon and 4 slices of butter. Sea salt and fresh black pepper for seasoning, and you are good to go.

L. Kirk

Preparation Mix the crumbs with the parsley, lemon and a twist of seasoning. To stretch the bacon, hold one end and pull the back of a large knife down its length. This makes it more pliable and easier to work with. Divide the stuffing crumb amongst the fish, pushing it loosely into each cavity and adding a slice of butter to each. Wrap each fish from head to tail with the bacon slices. Lay the fish on an oiled baking tray and bake for about 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven. If at a campfire, of course you can place these in your Dutch cast iron oven. Do not set right in the heat, but over the heat works fine. Just make sure you check on them to make sure they are not overdone; you may need to turn them. www.SouthernTrout.com l STOE l January 2017 l 27

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Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go home empty handed! www.sunbursttrout.com

Sunburst Trout Farms Is located below the Shining Rock National Wilderness in the Pisgah National Forest. Since 1948 they have been growing rainbow trout, and the farm is now run by third generation brothers Wes and Ben Eason.

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

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Swiss Straw HMH Vises Frog Hair Fluorocarbon Leaders Books, Rods, Reels

Buy Online - SAVE BIG!

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product review

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s it a good thing that fly fishermen have access to high quality rainwear that when you buy them, they set you back $250 to $350? We suppose elaborate, top drawer products such as a Rolex watch or Grey Goose vodka are readily available for those with money to burn. However, on the other hand, a Timex watch keeps time well, and Smirnoff vodka makes an excellent breakfast drink. There’s too much Scottish blood in me to not look for incredible value in the things I choose to indulge. If your 2017 “must buy list” includes new rainwear, then you will be bowled over with Frogg Toggs’ Pilot Guide Series Rain Gear.

Based out of Anniston, Alabama, Frogg Toggs have been around over ten years, establishing itself as the “top value” rainwear and wader manufacturer. Frogg Toggs’ new Pilot Guide Series Rain Gear rates among the absolute top-of-the-line rainwear on the market today. The Pilot Guide Series is not only waterproof, but it is submersible, something fly fishermen prefer to avoid testing to see for oneself but is nice after a tumble when you resurface for air. This nearly bulletproof rain gear is perfect for the person who wants to have confidence that rain will not ruin their day and that is tough to meet the demands of an active fly fisherman. The Pilot Guide Series Rain Gear is made from 3-layer submersible wader material features ToadSkinzTM Technology, a newly developed, steeltough hybrid fabric that was engineered by the Frogg Toggs research team. This unique new material has the look

and feel of a traditional polyester rain suit but has a non-woven inner layer that provides guaranteed water proof and wind proof performance in a lightweight garment that also delivers great breathability. This cutting edge technology is offered exclusively through the ToadzTM product line. This fabric is frog leap forward and is augmented with Frogg Toggs’ C3 DriPoreTM technology provides the ultimate in submersible waterproof material that is lightweight and provides a high level of breathability all at an affordable price.C3 DriPore performance can stand up to the test against any of the high priced brands. This technology can be found in a variety of wader styles which are designed to meet your needs. Two things that jumped out at us was the roomy fit. Too often a size XL is really a size X. Our description of a Frogg Togg size XL is that to us it was more like a size XL+. Even with a thick fleece jacket

underneath, there was lots of room and casting with ease. The overall lightness of the Pilot Guide Series Rain jacket was even more impressive. There is zero extra water weight when casting in the rain. Water exits the surface of the jacket as though it were Teflon. 100% seam sealed, Frogg Togg removed the seam booby traps that so often plague breathable rainwear. The Pilot Guide Series Rain jacket comes with a dazzling array of well thought out bells and whistles. The list of goodies includes Water-resistant zippers, with internal/ adjustable neoprene cuffs, and Zzppered chest storage and hand warmer pockets. We really like the full-cover, adjustable and concealable hood, and the shock cord adjustable waist. MSRP is under $140. For more info visit www.froggtoggsraingear. com

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Davy Wot World Class

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The Traditions of Fly Fishing Davy Wotton

oft hackles and Spider patterns have a long history as evidenced by fly fishing literature going way back.In 1676 Charles Cotton friend of Izaac Walton wrote a chapter in the Complete Angler with reference to such fly patterns. In later years particularly in the hay days of fly fishing evolution in the 1857 W.C. Stewart wrote the Practical Angler no doubt a very influential publication related to tying and fishing wet flies in particular his techniques related to the upstream presentation skills for fishing soft hackles and spiders, which was more in contrast to those who chose to fish downstream. All be it many others also penned publications during this period it is considered by many that T.E.Pritts influence was by far a milestone. In so far as its content related to what is known world wide as the North Country style. The publication called North Country Flies. 1880 Edmonds and Lee wrote the publication called Brook and River Trouting. All be it it referenced much that had been written by the likes of Stewart and Pritt Here in the States the interest was furthered by the publication The soft hackled fly addict by Sylvester Nemes, 1981, all be it much of what was written is related to the 38 l January 2016 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

already published works of Pritt, Edmonds and Lee and other in the UK. Regardless this publication almost certainly instigated further interest here in the States for both tying and fishing soft hackles and spiders.

Note. The original publications of Stewart/Pritt, Edmonds and Lee are not that easy to obtain, all be it some of them have been re-published in recent years. I would urge any angler interested in the history and evolution of wet fly/soft hackles and spiders to obtain the publications of Stewart/Pritt Edmonds and Lee. By and large the UK mainland, which includes the lands of England, Scotland and Wales geographically is very different so far as its many different waterways that Salmon-ids habit, particularly brown trout being the species that generated the interest so far as fly fishing with soft hackles and spiders. Rivers in the SE regions of England are typically the slow flowing chalk streams, while the majority of others are free stone, which may be large slower flowing rivers to the fast shallow rivers of the North Country of England and those found in Scotland. These are mainly the rivers that generated what is known as the North Country style, typically sparse spider/soft hackled fly patterns which suited these fast flowing shallow streams and rivers. Trout in these waters have but a very brief time to see and take the natural fly in its various stages of emergence, not to mention the stillborns, drowned duns and spinners. This being the case a team of soft hackled spider fly patterns had proved over time the most productive way to catch these wily fast taking wild brown trout. Either by upstream and across dead drift presentations or controlled downstream drift Which is still the case today for any water that trout are known to habit. Regardless if it be a large river to a small creek, both ponds, lakes and manmade reservoirs. www.SouthernTrout.com l STOE l January 2016 l 39

Soft hackles and Spiders. The Fly.

Often as not the evolution of these fly patterns was related to the geographic location of the river and known species of insect that was abundant for that particular river or region. The availability of natural fur and feather to some extent was also regional. Back in the early days there were no laws that protected bird species which is why such species as owls, all manner of songbirds, wading birds, game birds, and woodpeckers procured feathers for the fly tyer. Poultry feathers could be obtained from the local butcher and those that raised game cocks for fighting or those that were generally kept for personal use. Also same for animals that provided fur for dubbing such as rabbits, hare, stoats, weasel, mink, badger, family cats and dogs were also included. The soft hackle or spider is neither a nymph, dun nor dry fly. It is a fly that generates a semblance of life imparted by the nature and color of the materials used and the manner in which it is presented to the trout's eye. All be it materials used are often related to species orientation and used as such during specific hatches. The general hallmark of a soft hackle or spider fly is its sparse tying, the hackle known historically as legs which served two purposes, the resemblance of both legs and wings. That said there is no question of doubt that certain fly patterns will out fish any other during a specific hatch if the angler is of that understanding.

Sparse tied soft hackles and spiders are not flies that generally should be fished pulled against current. They are most effective fished more so in a dead drift mode either during a hatch or when fish have a interest to rise and take close to or from the waters surface. In other words assume that you were fishing a single or team of dry flies, the only difference is you can see the dry flies on the surface, in the case of fishing dead drift soft hackle spiders you learn to recognize by other means a trout has taken the fly which requires concentrated focus and attention at all times to at times the slightest indication of a take.

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visual rise to surface food, sight of the fish underwater or known resting position. That said the angler should if at all possible proceed upstream. It would be general practice not to cast a long line, rather more short line presentations which allows far better control for accuracy, line and dead drift control. Further upstream progress is far less likely to spook fish in shallow slower water flows and will present the flies in a more natural manner

Presentation skills. In the Traditional way. The most effective manner to fish sparse soft hackles and spiders is to present the flies in a up and across angle to the known or assumed position of the trout, which may be indicated by

to the stream flow. The presentation cast should result in both fly line, leader and flies to be delivered in a straight line and not a jumbled mess with little or minimal surface disturbance. Unfortunately few anglers master the techniques of upstream presentations and resort only to fishing across and downstream which is by far the easy means, granted it may well catch you fish, but it will also spook many more and often as

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not result in many lost fish due to ineffective hook holds as the angler is more likely to react to feeling the take of the fish and react with a fast hook set thus pulling the hook from the trout's mouth. Ideally the fish should take the fly in such a way as it would a natural and not feel instant resistance. That gives the angler plenty of time to recognize by visual the fish has taken the fly and gently raise the rod to tighten the line for a good hook hold. Take Recognition. Make no mistake that mastering fishing in the upstream mode takes practice not only to develop good casting presentations skills but also being able to know a fish has taken the fly.At any time from the instant the flies have touched the water the angler should know exactly where they are and as such his eyes should be intensely focused at that point during the downstream progression of the fly or flies. Take recognition can be seen by a number of ways. The obvious is when a trout is seen to rise and disturb the water surface as it takes the fly.Other means require that you recognize movements of your line or leader which may be indicated as a short jerk, a pause or a slow down of movement related to the stream flow rate. It is important that the fly line is greased so that it floats on the surface and not in it, a common mistake that many fly fishers fail to take notice of at any time a dry line is used. I use Mucilin and l know of no other product that is better for this purpose. This allows not only for way better line movement recognition it also allows for the fly line to be lifted off the water surface with very little disturbance, and not drag the flies. A sunk line will not allow same. 42 l January 2016 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

Rods/Reels/line and Leaders.

The rod is a integral partnership between the angler and the fly and never more so in the case of fishing soft hackle spiders. Historically rods of up to 18ft were used to enable the angler to dangle and present flies at range. Once the principle

of casting lines came into practice so rod length decreased. That said rods of 10 or 11ft are more so desirable than short rods for the main reasons of being able to control at range flies in a dead drift mode. The longer rod

allows for way less fly line to be on the water, drag is your enemy and the more you can eliminate that the better you are for it. The ideal rod should be in the region of 3 to 5wt, with a soft tip, mid flex action. Fast action rods are not desirable for fishing

at close range with light leader/tippet configurations with small fine wire hooks. Fast hook sets are not needed either, the rod is the means to allow the angler to lift and create tension in order to set the hook and not tear it from the trout's mouth.

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Lines.

What is most important is you can see the line in any prevailing light condition. That said often as not dark colored lines will limit your ability to do so. Personally l use a white line as l do not believe that the color of the line makes any difference so far as spooking fish. What will spook the fish is what you do with the line, casting over fish will create shadows, causing the line to splash and create surface disturbance are issues to be avoided, it has nothing to do with line color. I also have no use for nymph tip fly lines. Those with a short front end section of highly visible color. Often as not you eyes will be fixated to this end of the fly line and that is not what you need to do. It is the continual section from the end of the fly line to the flies that your vision should be concentrated too. So far as line profile, l do prefer a DT, or at least a long belly profile, certainly not a short WF profile. We are aiming to deliver a accurate cast with the fly or flies turning over in a direct straight line from the fly line and not a jumbled mess with little or none surface disturbance. In the case of a longer forward taper this will greatly facilitate this. More to the point heavy WF profile lines cause excessive drag and are not easy to afford good control over drift and mending when needed. Your line and flies should land on the water surface with as little possible surface disturbance. The flies to land like thistle down.

Leaders/tippets.

In the case of this style of fishing l generally do not refer to the use of tippet. It is the definition of the overall leader. 44 l January 2016 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

Which may be either a manufactured leader to the fly line or a butt section built to the fly line which is what l prefer. To that l build my leader to suit what l need by way of length and breaking strain. There is generally no constant so here as the fishing situation at the time will determine how that leader configuration should be constructed. Overall leader lengths will be min 10ft more in the region of 12 to 14ft if droppers to accommodate 2 or more flies are required.

Line.

I use both regular nylon and Fcarbon generally in combinations of 4/5/6x. Often as not based on hook size. 4x for flies larger than hook size 14. 5/6x for flies size 16 and smaller.

The Flies The essence of a good soft hackle/spider is that the fly should be tied sparse and create animated movement subject to the natural movements of the water. Heavily dressed flies will not do this. Many of the fly patterns innovated in the past 200 years are as good today as they were then. The only issue is many cannot legally be tied same as the materials used are no longer legal. That said many of them are. I list here 10 of the best to which materials can still be procured 1 Partridge and Orange 6.Waterhen bloa 2 Snipe and Purple 7.Grey Watchet 3 Grouse and green 8. Half Stone 4 Black spider 9. Partridge and hares ear 5 Spanish Needle 10.Dark Watchet The above generally to be tied on hook sizes 14 to 18. www.SouthernTrout.com l STOE l January 2016 l 45

Additional. Today Fly fisherman have many more options than those of the past. Here in the US fly fishing allows both for wade fishing and boat fishing rivers, which is still not generally the case in the UK due to riparian ownership of fishing rights. In the UK no such thing as a float fished guide trip on the river. This allows far greater options for fishing soft hackle/spider flies either from a drifting boat or when it is held at anchor or oars. It also allows the angler to fish water otherwise he is not able to access. Fishing both soft hackle/spiders at depth with the use of or not a indicator which may be a dry fly, yarn or other can be and is at times a very deadly method to catch fish when other methods such as dead drift nymph is not so productive. Often as not l will use in combination a nymph at point and a soft hackle/spider fly as dropper, at times l may also use 3 flies if that is legal. Other options may be used such as soft hackle/spider as point fly with a nymph as dropper 18ins to 2ft above the tail fly. There are many species that the above techniques can be applied too such as Salmon and Steelhead, and many warm water species. The combinations are endless.

46 l January 2016 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

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Winter T

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Trout by John Berry

hen I woke up this morning it was nineteen degrees. The high today is forecast to be thirty two with snow expected tonight. I called the dams and noted that there was one generator on at Bull Shoals and none on at Norfork. This is the weather I have been waiting for. Nothing clears my favorite spots like a little cold weather. I gathered up my wife, Lori, and my Yellow Lab, Ellie, and headed for the Norfork. When we arrived, we were pleased to note that we were the only anglers there. We did have a little company. There was a group of three biologists from Fayetteville there doing research for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission on food sources in the river.

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Lori was wearing everything she owned and I was similarly dressed. It had been sunny earlier but it was beginning to get cloudy and the wind had picked up. It was definitely getting colder the longer we stayed there. Ellie didn’t know the difference. We walked far upstream and began fishing. Lori started with an olive woolly bugger but had no luck. I started with a size 20 scud and caught a fat 15 inch rainbow on the first cast. The splashing fish flipped Ellie’s switch and she jumped in the frigid water to retrieve the errant trout. After some spirited conversation with my dog, I was able to land the bow. I thought to myself this is going to be easy. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Though I fished the fly for some time, all I caught ‘tafter that were some small, recently stocked, cutthroats. They were so small Ellie didn’t even pay much attention. She has become jaded and only gets excited over good fish. Lori moved over near me and began nymphing. She picked up a few nice fish but nothing spectacular. I tried a few likely spots nearby being careful to not disturb some spawning rainbows or walk through the redds. Nothing! We decided to work our way down stream. I walked to a favored run and tried the small scud. There were no takers. I tied on a lime trude (chosen based on my ability to see it). I immediately started to pick up some small stocker cutts. This was a gas and I was really having a good time. Then a trophy Cutt hit my fly and I was having a great time. Ellie heard the reel screaming and went berserk. I was fighting the fish and screaming at her at the same time. She relented and allowed me to land the fish, a gorgeous fat nineteen inch male. It was all I could do to keep her from taking the fish. I removed the barb less hook and released the trout after carefully reviving it. 52 l January 2016 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

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Meanwhile Lori was nymphing a nearby run. She tagged a few decent trout. Then she hooked a really good fish. It fought like it was possessed and she thought it was a large brown until she brought it in and realized that she had just landed a trophy sucker. The fish flounced just as Lori tried to release it snapping her 6X tippet and taking her fly in the process. To add insult to injury she got her gloves wet in the process. I traded gloves with her as she is more sensitive to cold than I am. (Note to self: put an extra pair of gloves in jacket.) Lori carefully rigged and tied on a size 20 Dan’s Turkey Quill Emerger. She walked over to the run I had been fishing and began casting. She quickly picked up a few small cutthroats. Then she felt a strong take. Her reel started whining and Ellie perked up. The Lab scanned the run and saw a large Cutt jump out of the water in a vain attempt to throw the small hook. She dove in and immediately began swimming toward the swirl. I called Ellie back and held her by the collar while Lori fought and landed the trout, a fine twenty inch Cutt. We took a photo and carefully released the fish. She fished a while longer and landed a nineteen inch rainbow. By this time it was getting late and we began walking out. We got to the car at sunset. By the time we removed our waders and packed our gear, it was dark. We hadn’t let the cold bother us and we had a good day. We caught some nice fish and had a pleasant outing with Ellie. We tried several methods of fishing and most worked. The next time you are watching the weather and it looks a little foul outside; don’t let it prevent you from catching some nice fish. www.SouthernTrout.com l STOE l January 2016 l 55

Bennet Spr

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ring in May Trent Fleming

ennett Spring is one of several Missouri trout parks that offer great opportunities to a patient angler, especially during non-peak hours. One May afternoon I was working in the area and had the opportunity to visit Bennett Spring sometime after 5:30 PM. The park officially closes at sundown so my time was limited. While I was disappointed at not being able to fish into the night, my favorite time for trout, I was determined to make the most of the time I had. Preparation is so important. I get that, I really do. But on this day, I realized that my felt sole shoes were no longer allowed in Missouri, so I had an excuse to visit the local fly shop. Luckily, they had some nice new Simms stud soles in my size, as well as a nice Orvis fishing shirt, so that I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to fish in my button-down dress shirt. Turns out I also needed a license, and a trout stamp. And a permit to fish the park. Only two of those were available at the fly shop, so I also had to make a trip to the commissary in the park to get that permit. Now it is closer to 6:15 PM, but I am more determined than ever to fish. Finally having all the gear in hand, and the necessary paperwork, I parked in the spacious lot, noting with pleasure that it was mostly empty, and began rigging my gear. As I walked toward the water, I noted that the flow coming off the low water dam was forming a nice pool that seemed deeper against the far bank. There were two anglers down to my right where the stream narrowed, so I waded in closer to the dam, giving them a wide berth, and began to cast, letting the fly drift near the far bank. www.SouthernTrout.com l STOE l January 2016 l 59

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As you know by now, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to start with a sow bug or a wooly bugger. Today i tied on a bead head sow bug, about a 16, and a strike indicator about 2 feet above it. This is a smaller stream, so the casting was easy and I enjoyed the rhythm of cast, drift, mend, and cast. I took two small rainbows, one that fought completely underwater, and the other that gave me one nice leap against the pressure of the rod before succumbing. Neither required the net, and a quick flip of the barbless hook sent them flashing on their way. As a warm day gave way to a pleasant evening, I noticed a hatch coming off. While I drifted the sow bug again, I studied the emergers and thought about fishing a dry. Certainly didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect this opportunity! I brought my tackle to hand, looped my rod, and shuffled through my fly box for a dry. I found a #20 Caddis, and tied it on. My fellow anglers downstream were regularly catching fish on light tackle, but I wanted the challenge of the dry. I began casting against the far bank where the pool widened out, a place I had observed numerous trout feeding. I finally found a spot where I can somewhat realistically drift the fly over an active area under some overhanging brush. After my first drift, I back cast, and paused for a few minutes to let the water settle, then cast again. This time, my drift was adequate to fool at least one trout, and the ensuing tie up rewarded me with a nice fish, which I quickly released. For the next few minutes, I took a fish on one out of three casts, as the feeding frenzy seemed to peak. Soon enough, I began to lose the light as the sun dropped behind the trees of the far bank and shadows spread. Even though these were hatchery fish, there was a great satisfaction in bringing them to a dry. I headed to my car, satisfied and eager for supper. The experience was complete when I was able to compare notes on Tilley hats with a fellow angler who was also calling it a day. www.SouthernTrout.com l STOE l January 2016 l 61

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Sure Fire Flies for Migrating Browns

Keith Gann

he title of this article is not necessarily a statement of fact about a guaranteed way to catch big brown trout. Remember “The only thing that is absolute, is that nothing is absolute!” Also keep in mind, that I’m normally a small stream fisherman. Eight and ten-inch brookies are BIG fish to me. I admit that I’m casting in unfamiliar waters! Recently, I’ve intensified my reading on the subject, and the vast majority of “experts” mention brown trout and streamers in the same breath. Weighted streamers to be exact, on sink tip lines, fished deep, stripped in from the head of the pool to its end, stripping in an erratic fashion so the trout will be fooled by the action and not end up dancing to a two-step Texas Bob Wills’ beat. Like all folks supposedly in-the-know, they hedge their bets by giving instances where folks have caught big browns on dainty dry flies in the middle of a snow squall in the dead of winter too. Hack Patterson of Hack’s Fly Shop in Sarasota, Wyoming sums it all up by saying, “Trout do what they want to do!”

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Nobody in all of the research articles that I read mentioned worms (red wigglers to be exact), but most bait fishermen tell me that they can catch anything on worms. “Feathers and tinsel?” they smirk, “Okay, if you just need some exercise, use yer flies, but if you need supper, then worms it is.” Okay, I can partially agree with them, but I saved enough for a good retirement income so that I can buy all my necessary food at the local grocery. Fishing for me isn’t a food source, so it shouldn’t be a walk-in-the-park, and it needs to be mostly fun and normally challenging. And tying some flies that will improve my challenge is what this article is about, but its origin goes a little deeper. What this comes down to, is that for the past month, I’ve been reading, researching, discussing, and ….finally tying some flies that the consensus tells me that my chances of catching some big browns on my planned Yellowstone trip will be vastly improved. www.SouthernTrout.com l STOE l January 2016 l 65

The deeper origin is that over a month ago, my fishing partner called me and planted the Yellowstone/Big Brown Trout seed in my brain, and I’ve thought of little else since then. Yep, we are going to Yellowstone beginning the last week of September, and fishing for six and a half days. The focal point will be the brown trout migration up the Madison River from Hebgen Lake. Oh, we’ll stay on the East Side for a while, and fish the Lamar River and Soda Butte Creek too, but that’s just a warm-up for the main course. It will be a big change from our normal southern Missouri Ozark small spring creek fishing. After pouring over several books written by men who have fished the brown trout migration for years, I find that they all seem to agree on a number of things: 1. Bigger is better! Big streamers, big hoppers and even big (we’re talking tens, eights and even sixes) Royal Coachmen, Humpys, and Royal Trudes. Streamers in the size four, six and eight class, and hoppers in the six and eight sizes too. Nymphs? Definitely some size ten Zug Bugs and Princes…all weighted, of course. 2. The migration is heaviest during the two weeks that we will be there, but, depending upon the weather, water temperature, and water flow, it could start as early as late August. That’s the great thing about the migration. It isn’t enough to have to worry when the fish will start coming up the river, you also have to contend with Grizzlies storing up fish fat for winter, fishing for the same browns, or bull elk and buffalo bulls in full rut wrestling all around the river banks. You also have to give some thought to the predicted cataclysmic volcanic eruption of Yellowstone’s caldera, an event whose aftermath is predicted to cover most of the west with several inches of dust and lava, shut out the sun for months on end, and bring life in the USA pretty much to a halt. Yellowstone has a way of making my Missouri trout parks look pretty tame. 66 l January 2016 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

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3. The migrating browns don’t seem to like lots of light, and fishing is better on gloomy days, or early in the morning or in the evening. After saying that, as the water temperature lowers in the late evening and early morning, fish tend to slow down too, so Good Luck with that information! If you have to fish during the day (we do because we just drove twelve hundred miles to fish for six days and we aim to get our money’s worth.), look for shady spots along the river, i.e.: under overhanging trees, overhanging rocks, etc. 4. Weather lows seem to affect them. A dropping barometer usually causes a corresponding drop in the catch rate too. If a front moves in, your best bet is to go back to West Yellowstone and catch a nap or maybe hook a few beers at one of its many saloons. 5. If it seems that you are doing everything right, and are still not catching fish….GO DEEPER! A sixweight line with a sinking tip carrying the fastest sink rate that you can find (six ips at least), a heavily weighted nymph or streamer, and extra spit shot, if nothing else. Here I might add, that lead is not allowed in the Park, nor are barbed hooks. The Rangers will check you, so tie everything with brass or tungsten eyes, no-lead wire, and no-lead split shot (if it even exists), and pinch down your barbs thoroughly. I’ve had one Ranger in the backcountry, stick my dry fly with the pinched down barb, through his uniform shirt. If it hung up on the retrieve, I figured that I was in trouble. I passed his inspection but not before some beads of sweat rolled off my nose. 6. Now, about those worms that I mentioned earlier. The experts mention trying San Juan Worms too. Try weighting them with about twelve to fifteen wraps of no-lead wire, in the middle, painted with red nail polish. The closer to the bottom, the better. www.SouthernTrout.com l STOE l January 2016 l 69

So, decision time. What am I going to take? What am I going to tie? Years ago, I worked in a fly shop, and we played a loop tape on the overhead television of Jack Dennis and Kelly Gallop on a float trip down the Big Horn, up river from Thermopolis, Wyoming. Kelly was working hard, throwing big streamers towards the rushing shore. He finally hooked a big brown, brought it to the boat, showed to Jack, and said, “Black Woolay, Black Woolay!”, drawing out the “ly” sound. So, Black Woolies it is, in sizes six and fours as a main first effort. Because I’ll be fishing deep, all of my streamers will have brass eyes on the top of the shank so they will hopefully drift along with the hook point up, Clouser Minnow style. While I’m at it, I’ll tie some olive Woolies too, and add some flash in the tail too. Probably some flash in the chenille too, since many of my references emphasize that “the more flash, the better”. Next, some Clousers in the same sizes. Probably some white/silver, and some green/silvers After that, some Zonkers, both copper bodied and silver bodied. I’ve become enamored with the hopper/ dropper system on my small Ozark spring creek trips so why not hang a big nymph (Zug Bug) off a size eight or ten Humpy? Just by chance that we see a Blue Wing Olive hatch, I’ll tie some up in fourteen and sixteen of those also. The following is just a sample recipe of one of the flies that I’m tying. My first effort looked more like a rooster that a bugger, so that’s what I’m calling it. 70 l January 2016 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

Olive Wooly Rooster Materials: 1. Hook – 4 and 6 Tiemco TMC5263 2. Thread – black or olive 6/0, or 140 3. Brass Eye – size 3/16”, Spirit River “I-Balz” with permanent eyes, nickel plated brass. The further back on the hook shank you tie the eyes and weight, the less dip the fly has of the retrieve. So, the no-lead wire needs to be back towards the hook bend to oft set the heavy eyes up front. 4. Optional additional weight .025 lead free round wire 5. Body – black or green chenille, or better yet, try some Estaz or Estaz Metallique in olive or black. 6. Tail, - Black or olive maribou 7. Flash – Rainbow Flashabou So there you have it. Copper and silver Zonkers, black and olive Wooly Bugers, Heavy Clousers, weighted San Juan Worms, big Prince and Zug Bug nymphs, large Humpys in various colors, and of course, some #14 and 16 Blue Winged Olives. As I mentioned in the first paragraph, none of these are guaranteed to catch any big browns, but the “experts” agree that my odds have been improved!

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Aesis H-Lock Wade Boot w/BOA

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odgman Aesis H-Lock Wade Boot w/BOA are anything but your daddy’s 197080s wading boots. In fact, we’re willing to wager that Neil Armstrong would preferred these high tech submersible when he took his “one giant step for mankind”. Yeah, these wading boots are that good. When we field tested these boots, we immediately wondered if perhaps they have been swiped from Inspector Gadget. As it turned out though, far from being unique, they were but a pair Hodgman’s boots that everyone can buy, and we might add, as top drawer wading boots go these days, they are pleasantly affortable.

significantly improved comfort and durability. BOA closures are light weight, fast and convenient to operate. They are designed to provide a “dialed in” fit unlike that found on any other wading boot. Hodgman’s H-Lock interchangeable sole system is a revolutionary approach to providing waders with optimum traction and secure footing. The Hodgman H-Lock Locking Interchangeable Sole System Hodgman Boa provides a wading boot system that anglers can trust, knowing they possess the ability Hodgman’s principle is that you don’t to attack any terrain using the wade boot sell waders or apparel until it has been system. This innovative and intuitive wading field tested and beat it up to the point boot allows you to swap soles for maximum everyone is absolutely sure that you can’t traction control in any aquatic environment. find a better wading boot. Hodgman calls The dual lock system holds the sole securely if “gear with grit”. We reason that even in place. Once engaged the sole will not John Wayne would be impressed with the come off unless both the front and rear locks company’s iron clad development process are disengaged simultaneously – rendering that yields performance day after day, all other removable sole systems obsolete. year after years. Hodgman is one of the Soles are available in felt, studded felt, world’s oldest and most respected names WadeTech® and studded WadeTech. in waders. In fact the company started in These boots are constructed from 1838 Hodgman manufactured what was abrasion-resistant synthetic material, and for probably the very first pair of waders ever added durability sheet rubber protects high made. wear areas. An innovative draining system Prominent among the special of the sole drains water from the bottom of features of these Space Age wading the shoe and cleans the track system free of boots its innovative BOA M2 closure debris. These boots are saltwater ready with system. With over 25 million BOA corrosion resistant hardware and the D-ring powered products worldwide, this awardon the tongue provides a secure location winning closure system has reinvented for attaching gravel guard hooks. Additional wading boots are made. The BOA closure replacement soles sold separately include: system of steel lace, nylon guides and felt, studded felt, WadeTech and studded a mechanical reel that is superior to WadeTech. Each stud is tungsten carbide traditional closure systems from laces tipped. MSRP starts at $149.95. to buckles, and ratchets to hook and loop systems. With the simple turn of www.hodgman.com a knob, free of the stretch, weight, and hassles of old-fashioned closures, you get

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Natural State Fly Shop is located within walking distance of the fabled White River, just up the road from the Cotter boat launch and public access. A full-service retailer and outfitter, Natural State Fly Shop offer flies, tackle, rental driftboats, shuttles, guided float trips on the White and Norfork Rivers, and guided wade trips on Dry Run Creek. Featuring products by Winston, Ross, Galvan, TroutHunter, Catch Fly Fishing, and many more; Natural State Fly Shop offers everything that the visiting fly fisherman needs. Natural State Fly Shop Shop: (870) 471-9111 Shop: 870-471-9111

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Three Days

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Keith Gann

in the Ozarks L

iving in Kansas City, and being eleven hours from the nearest western mountains, most of our resident flyfishermen experienced their first trout fishing in the Missouri Ozarks. The folks in the “Show Me” state voted many years ago to levy an eighth per cent sales tax strictly to support their outdoors. It’s been a constant struggle to keep the state legislators from dipping their hands into the pie, but to date, the money continues to be well spent, and jealously guarded by the population. Land acquisition, park maintenance, expanding trout stream access, and stocking programs have all added to a trout program that is becoming well known throughout the country. Best known for Lake Taneycomo and its thousands of lunkers, and for the four trout parks that have a growing attendance, Missouri’s other 120 miles of trout waters often take a back seat. For the past eleven years, my fishing partner Bob Sadrakula and I have sought out all of the other less famous spring creeks in the Missouri Ozarks, and have made it a quest to discover and fish them all. One of our most fun short trips is what we call our “Quad”. It involves four different pieces of water in three days, Spring Creek, Mill Creek, the Little Piney River, and the Current River. Our “Lesser Quad” drops the Current River and includes Roubidoux Creek. Roubidoux is close to a heavily populated area, is directly accessible by a state hi-way, and gets a lot of pressure from meat fisherman, so we normally by-pass it for the longer and more difficultto-access Current River. However, if you have limited time, the “Roobydoo” has smallmouth and goggleye besides rainbows and browns, and lodging is available close by in either Waynesville or St. Robert. Leaving KC at 5:00am, and following some of Missouri’s twisting back roads, we can be on Spring Creek by 9:30am. Many of the Ozarks state and county hi-ways still follow the ridges on the same paths as did the early wagon roads, and they also still cross the many creeks and rivers at most of the old fords. Many of the roads were originally Indian trails, and the Indians figured out quickly that trails down in the www.SouthernTrout.com l STOE l January 2016 l 81

valleys were muddy, soggy, and full of brush that grew quickly in the fertile soil, all of which made travel difficult. It made sense to stay on the high ground until you were forced down the mountainside to cross a stream. and the crossing had to be at a shallow place where you didn’t have to swim for it. So, from US 65 south of Sedalia, we turn on Missouri 52 and follow it to Tuscumbia, where we find Missouri 17, and wind it down to Waynesville and I-44. It’s a great drive, especially in the spring when the valleys and woods are alive with lavender Sweet Williams, pink Red Buds, and the lacy white backdrops of Missouri’s famous Dogwoods. The way to Spring Creek, our first stop on the Quad, takes us past the “Roobydoo” on Missouri 17, and it gives us a chance to see how high, and how clear the water is. How goes “Roobydoo”, so goes the other four! At St. Robert, we pick up I-44 and head east for a few miles, then take a right on to Missouri “J”, which crosses one of the original stretches of U.S. 66, then drop down into the valley of the Big Piney River. At eight miles, the Crossroads store is a lonely sentinel at the intersection of “J” and “M”. If you need directions, it will be given with a smile at the store, where you can also stock up on ice, beer, or light groceries. Another quarter mile on “J” and you cross the Spring Creek Bridge. The lower access point is on the bridge’s east end and a road cuts south into a fisherman’s parking lot. We, however, prefer to cross the bridge, and take an immediate left turn on to CR6410. South on this another half mile will lead you to another access road that cuts off to the left, and leads you to a crude parking area that is about half way up the stretch of public water. We fish this stretch up to the well marked end of the public section, then hike across a brushy meadow to CR6410, then back down to the truck. At this point, we’ve chewed up about two hours. Spring Creek’s fish are wild fish, with no stocking having been done for several years. Everything has to be immediately released, and although barbless hooks are not required, the fish are so few and far between, that anything you can do to help them survive will be appreciated by all of us regulars. This is small rod water, nothing bigger than a seven and a half-foot, three weight is required. I use the water to test some six foot four weight bamboo rods that I build. For flies, Bob sticks to a small Elk Hair Caddis, while I use some sort of attractor like a #12 Stimulator or a #14 foam bodied Elk Hair, with a #16 beadhead nymph dropper, usually a Flashback Pheasant Tail. If the water is up, fishing is tough. In the late fall and early winter, with the water much lower, but much clearer, hookups improve, but don’t expect anything over ten to eleven inches. My biggest in ten years has been an eleven-inch rainbow, but it was a rainbow that put all hatchery fish to shame. 82 l January 2016 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

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By noon, we are back on the road, backtracking up “J” to “P”, then left on FR7550, and south a couple of miles to the old Mill Creek Campground. From Spring Creek to the campground, you’ve traveled about thirteen miles. The old campground has seen better days. We could never figure why it fell into disrepair, had the access road blocked, and eliminated camping until we heard about he wild keg parties held by a local university. Right now it’s a picnic area, but is still a great place to stop and park the truck, have a beer, don your waders, and access the stream. Right in the middle of the campground stretch is an old set of steps made from railroad ties that lead down to the water. Recent floods have undermined them and they look frail, but use them anyway, cross the stream, and hike down the far side as far as you want. The public water stops somewhere down stream, and might be marked, but I’ve never found the sign. Fishing is a mix of short pools and riffles. Twitched caddis patterns on top, and the normal mix of 84 l January 2016 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

nymphs (pheasant tails and hares ears) on the bottom work okay. Again, you will have to work for fish. Mill Creek’s glory days ended about ten years ago after massive flooding, but there are a lot of five and six-inch rainbow fry in it now, that will attack a small rod with high energy. Currently, the stream gets very little pressure. Fish all the way up to the low water bridge above the campground. This is Kentucky Hollow Road or FR1560 and you will soon be on it. If you’re having fun, it’s okay to fish above the bridge. As a matter of fact, you can wade another mile or two, but keep in mind that access to the road is a bit tricky, and soggy, and sticky, plus any other negative adjectives that you can think of. Back at the old campground, drive south to the bridge, cross it and follow the road up to the intersection with the “T.” This four-mile drive is true Mark Twain National Forest/Ozark stuff, ---turning, twisting gravel roads pock marked with seep springs, no houses, and usually no people either. Continue across the intersection, and the road number switches to CR7460. This is another scenic drive, but is mostly private land so a few houses start to dot the landscape. After a couple of miles, you will cross the Vida Slab Bridge. Since it’s a slab bridge (a slab of concrete poured over some big concrete culverts) we simply call it Vida Slab, not really knowing what a real bridge builder would refer to it as. Anyway, on the far side of the slab, a sand beach stretches up river for several hundred yards. It’s well marked with “Private Land” signs, but a guide friend of mine, claims that half the population of the county was conceived here anyway. You can half believe it when you start to notice the old bonfire pits filled with beer cans. Word is that on Friday and Saturday summer nights, its Party Central for the local teenagers. Just to be on the safe side, park on what you think will pass as the road’s shoulder, although it’s hard to tell, and enter the water right at the end of the slab. This is the Little Piney River. Once not a highly rated fly fishing stream, the MDC guy who stocks it, does so from a www.SouthernTrout.com l STOE l January 2016 l 85

canoe, and makes sure that the fish are evenly distributed. Since his take over, we’ve noticed a definite improvement. We’ve waded up stream at least two miles, and have found fish in every riffle, every hole, and several four-inch rainbow fry on the shallow gravel bar runs. Although the largest fish has been ten or eleven inches, we know from discussions with guides that some big eighteen and twenty inchers lay at the bottom of the deeper holes. A word of caution. Missouri has those old antiquated laws that allow the landowner to own the bottom of the stream. You can float it, but you really can’t wade it with out permission, especially if the same landowner owns both sides. Up stream about a half mile, a horse/cattle operation is set up on the right hand side (west), but the landowner owns the pasture on the left too. You are there because of the owner’s graciousness. Don’t mess it up for the rest of us. Treat her land as sacred land, and don’t trespass! Stay in or about the stream for this stretch. The same flies apply here as at the other streams. Nothing says you can’t try streamers in the deeper holes or what ever you’ve found to be effective elsewhere. Trout are trout, and these aren’t too sophisticated nor do they see a lot of fisherman. You can always fish below the slab, actually for another five miles. We don’t, preferring to always fish up stream and to stay in the Special Trout sections. This stretch of water extends four or five miles up stream, all the way to the US 63 bridge. By now, it’s somewhere around six PM, if you stuck to a reasonable schedule and didn’t fish too far up stream and then have to wade all of the way back down. Back at the truck, you are about thirty miles from Licking, Missouri, where you will spend the night. The first few miles on CR7240 are more of those twisty/turney gravel roads. Turn right on to US 63, and then south to Licking and the motel. Depending upon where you stay, high dollar or low dollar, (we go the cheap way), you can still access the Sonic drive-in south a few blocks from the main intersection of 63 and 37 (it has a stoplight), and if it’s seven o’clock or so, you can still have supper, grab a shower, and enjoy CNN for a hour along with some bourbon and water before you fall asleep. Fourteen miles to the east lays Montauk State Park, and the springs that create the Current River. The next morning, grab a cup of coffee and a roll at the motel’s front desk, or cross the hi-way to P J’s Café. They’ve got big, stomach filling breakfasts at a good price, or just go east through Licking from the stoplight. Turn right (south) on Main Street, and follow it out of town to state hi-way VV. Signs will point the way to the State Park, twelve miles to the east. Montauk is one of four “trout parks” in Missouri. Obtained by the state in 1926, it has developed a loyal following, but still has less pressure than the other three parks, which are much closer to dense population centers. For us, its main attraction is it’s proximity to the upper Current River and the seventeen miles of trout water that are accessible 24/7. The Current was the first stream entered into the National Scenic Rivers System, and as a result is considered a national park and is managed by the 86 l January 2016 l STOE l www.SouthernTrout.com

federal government. The first nine miles from the state park boundary down to the only bridge on the river at Cedargrove are special trout waters where no live baits are allowed, and only one eighteen inch fish per day can be kept. Below the bridge and on down eight miles to the end of the trout management area at Akers Ferry (a real river ferry!), fish are stocked monthly and normal regulations apply. The river has only five main access points.

There are, of course, others but they are our secret, and you will have to really dig to find them. Parking is available in the campground in the State Park, and it is an easy walk down to the north boundary of the federal area. The next access point is at Tan Vat Ford, maybe another 1.2 miles down stream. Tan Vat’s name is selfexplanatory if you know your early history. Settlers used the deep hole at the ford to rinse cowhides after soaking them in huge

vats of tannic acid solution (ground up oak bark mixed with spring water). Another mile or so brings you to Baptist Camp Access, then five miles further down is Parker Ford, and finally another mile and a half brings you to Cedargrove and a low water bridge (another one of those slab things). A net work of horseback riding trails and fisherman’s paths follow most of the river, but don’t count on them being easy to find, or being able to stroll along

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on them wearing shorts. Most are heavy with wild roses, poison ivy, and downed logs. Recent spring floods have left the trails are in poor shape, so plan on staying in the river as much as possible. The fish can be anywhere. You will have to use your water reading skills. At last count, the shocking boat that normally shocks a section between Baptist and Parker recorded only 350 trout per mile. The first nine miles are stocked each spring sometime between the middle of April and the middle of May. Only browns are stocked, usually averaging nine inches, and once in a while, a small experimental stocking of larger fish occurs in the fall. The stream has a good population of rainbows. Some believe that the rainbows spawn in the river, but biologists believe the fish are ones that work down from the park, or are fry that have washed out of the rearing ponds. Anyway, we have found rainbows over the entire nine miles, and they are active fighters. Browns up to twenty-four inches are pulled out of the river on a regular basis. We find that the river fishes best from September to December, slows from January to the end of February, and then picks up fast from March through June. We stay off the river during the summer months because of the canoe traffic from Tan Vat on down. During the nine months that we fish it, we seldom see more than one or two fisherman, due in part because we only fish it on weekdays. Talk to ten guys and you will get ten different favorite flies. Bob and mine are Elk Hair Caddis, Stimulators, and Pheasant Tail nymphs. Others are Madame X’s, Mohair Leeches, PMD’s, Crayfish patterns fished deep and Wooly Buggers. We make our caddis patterns work, twitching them as they drift down, then twitching them at the end of the drift, often pulling them under for a sub surface retrieve. As for most spring creeks, we find the rainbows more in the faster water and the browns in the slow. Don’t be surprised if you hook a smallmouth bass when fishing deep in the holes. Dorman Steelman Lodge in the middle of Montauk State Park has sleeping rooms, a restaurant, and a small grocery/flyshop. We often spend the entire day on this river, in the warmer months up to ten hours. The drive back to Licking gets us there in time to eat before the Sonic closes, and still catch up on the news on CNN. The next morning, we are on the road by 5:30am, and get back to KC in time to mow the grass. All in all, this isn’t as busy a trip as it sounds. Since we’ve been doing it for several years, several times a year, perhaps we just don’t realize that it’s hectic. We know that we fish hard, catch a fair number of fish, and sleep well at the end of the day. At our age, throw in a couple of cold beers, and maybe that’s all a guy needs to say that life is good!

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BOOK REVIW

Fly Fishing on the Red by Bill Willmert and John P. Smith

ooner or later just about every title on southern trout fly fishing winds up on my desk. To date, most all of these books have been good reads, but Fly Fishing on the Red by Bill Willmert and John P. Smith really caught my eye. Self published in 2007, and followed by print runs 2008 and 2009, this 160 page volume is packed with sage advice from Little Red River’s top fly fishing experts. It’s a virtual “who’s who” on this famous tailwater fishery. Just a few of the familiar faces include Duane Hada, Tom Hawthorne, and Jamie Rouse.

Written an interview style template, Willmert and Smith do a great job of condensing a lot of information in a no fluff format. Each of the 16 fly fishing/fly tying experts not only reveal their secrets to catching trout on the Little Red, but also their favorite flies. The authors did yeoman’s work in providing tying recipes along with great photography of the flies featured in the book. Fly Fishing on the Red is an unpretentious presentation of so much information with none of the baloney we fly fishing writers cannot resist injecting into prose. In short, this book is refreshing beyond my ability to put into words.

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Fly Fishing on the Red is a must for any who are even mildly interested in getting an insider’s look at this fascinating fishery. Even if the Little Red is not on your bucket list (and it really should be), this book is great peak into the Ozarks’ unique fly fishing culture.

F LY F I S H I N G ON THE RED

b y B i l l Wi l l m e r t and J o h n P. S m i t h www.SouthernTrout.com l STOE l January 2017 l 95

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