Chapter 58 Day 13 - Trout Season

Derby Sunday

Today, I took my time getting to the river.  Leaving my prairie home about an hour later than yesterday I hit the river Blue and the sun was peeking over the eastern horizon.

I was telling my friend Michael Mercurio that I would have went to the wilderness area yesterday to escape the crowds, but, I didn't have the legs for it.  After a good night's rest I felt good enough to make the wilderness trip and did.  My thinking was the water might be a little clearer.

After a good mile and half walk I quickly discovered how wrong I was.  The river in the wilderness was as muddy if not more muddy.  I fished about twenty minutes landing one bow and decided to walk out and go join the crowds. 

Actually, I learned that the crowds were very thin today.  About half the people that participated in the derby yesterday didn't even bother to show up today which serves as a testament on the river's conditon and how tough fishing was. 

The river is trying to clear along the fringes, but, my experience tells me it will be a good two days before the river is good enough quality for successful fly fishing. 

4th And Goal

Ted Meador is a fine fly fishing gentleman from Denton, Texas.  I come to know Ted personally a couple of years ago during a derby while in the wilderness area.  Ted knew I had lost my wife Susie to cancer and he struck up a conversation about Susie and her cancer.  I could tell he was looking for information so I shared Susie's story.  It turns out Ted was asking for a reason - his wife had just learned she also had cancer.  Today, I asked Ted about his wife and the wonderful news is she is doing remarkably well in her battle.  I always love to hear a success story when it comes to cancer.

The reason I am mentioning Ted is because he, like many of us, had experienced a tough weekend of fishing.  At 11:30 a..m. today, Ted had managed a total of three small trout all weekend.  But... then his luck would change.

There is a seasoned angler named Floyd (we call him Wally) and Floyd ties a lot of flies.  He had just given Ted a special fly he ties and Ted had just tied it on and plopped it in the drink.  I had just stepped in the river at this spot when I heard Ted holler, "I've got one and I think he's a good one." 

I got to watch the whole battle, from hookset to net - a battle that lasted almost thirty minutes.  This fish, when first hooked, didn't move more than a foot one way or the other.  I swear the fish acted like it didn't know it'd been hooked.  After five or so minutes the fish started to move, but, again not much.  After another ten minutes the fish started upstream and Ted found himself  "walking the dog".  About fifteen minutes later the fish had worked to more shallow water and about thirty seconds before the net went on the fish I got a glimpse of it.  Not wanting to excite Ted (anymore than he already was) I simply said, "Ted, that's a huge fish... you got to get him to the net."

He did. 

Ted's fish would have tied the state record for Rainbow trout if the wildlife department had done the stocking... but they didn't.  The derby organizers stocked these fish. 

Take a look.

Ted's trout weighed 10 lbs. 4 ounces.  In the 4th quarter, with only three small trout to his name, Ted Meador got the football and scored a touchdown. 

Chapter 58 Day 12 - Trout Season

It was a tough, tough day on the river today.  Not just for me... for everyone.  The river was as muddy today as it was yesterday and looks to be extremely slow in clearing. 

Today was the first day of the trout derby.  Things were so tough, many participants had given up and left the river by noon.  At 12:30 I had to quit fishing because of my nagging back.  I had managed four trout, one perch, and one smallmouth... and I worked hard for all of them. 

The derby organizers put some really large trout in the river and some will go eight or nine pounds.  At the weigh-in today I saw only four trout weighed in that would go three pounds or better.  So... there is going to be a lot of large trout left in the river after this derby weekend. 

As far as fly fishers weighing in there were few that had fish to weigh in.  The young lad I speak so much of, Kody Young, weighed in a stringer one pound more than mine and that puts young Kody in the lead.  Kody is long overdue for this award and I think he has an excellent shot.  Other fly fishers were a pound or better behind my stringer, so tomorrow is really anybodies game.  Hopefully in the morning my body will tell me I can return, but, if it doesn't... then it doesn't. 

Everything I caught today came on buggers.  Use dark color buggers in dark color water.  May not make any sense... but, it works. 

It was good to see an extra fly fishing presence at this year's trout derby.  Jerry Hammon with the Red River Fly Fishers set up an information booth about his group and Jerry also had a fly tying station going on. 

The river, besides being muddy, became severely choked with leaves today.  Rather brisk winds arrived about mid-morn and when they did they dislodged the golden and brown hues of nature's wonderment. 

One notable fly fisher was absent today.  Chris Adams is always a heck of a competitor and he is the one that makes the trout derby competitions always interesting.  And... Chris is my friend. 

Today, I missed my friend.  

Chapter 58 Day 11 - Trout Season

Had to go see for myself with all the reports of the condition of Blue River.  The only true way for me to describe the river's condition is to get a visual so this morning I drove down. 

The river is chocolate milk.  I did not expect it to be as bad as it is.  Tuesday and Wednesday mornings the reports were that the river was just a little blurred, but, things begin to change Wednesday afternoon. 

I do not think the river will clear by the end of this weekend so if any of you are driving a long ways you might want to reconsider. 

Still, I managed a few trout.  I first fished the Flats below the Island and managed one bow.  Ted Meador was downstream from me highsticking the riffles and I saw Ted catch one.  I left the Flats and found more shallow water and managed three more trout before leaving for the morning.

The most enjoyable part of my morning happened in the south wilderness parking area where I met the most delightful couple - Jamin (sp) and his wife Kim from Kingston.  Very nice young couple and they have been longtime fans of Blue River also.  They had an expedition planned into the south kingdom today and unfortunately they were going to find muddy water just like I did.  After a wonderful visit I bid them farewell, good luck, and the hope we would visit again on the river soon. 

Stopping at Scottys on the way to the prairie home I discover he has some Okuma fly rods for sale.  I saw several nine foot 5 weights and they come with a hard case cover.  I put one of the rods together to get a feel and I can tell you they are going to be a fast rod, but, the prices is right.  Scotty is asking $50.00 for these rods and cases and they would make for a good backup rod.

Trout derby is this weekend, but, with the river being the color it is it might be a very long weekend for this fly fisher.  Oh well... I can always visit campfires and folk I haven't seen in a while. 

Chapter 58 Day 10 - Trout Season

Fascination With Flies - Estate Sale Fly #2

When I first saw this pattern from the trove of estate sale flies I recently required, I knew I had seen it before in a magazine or maybe at a fly shop, but, for the life of me I couldn't recall the name. 

I asked a fly fishing friend for help and with great ease he told me the name was Tellico.  Of course, the bell in this cobweb head of mine went off and I immediately recognized this pattern.

The Tellico is an old pattern having originated sometime shortly after the 1900's came to be.  I understand it gets it's name from the Tellico River. 

It certainly looks fishy, but, I've never fished this pattern.  I will soon. 

So, here is the skinny on this fly.

Name of fly is the Tellico.

Will it catch trout?  Haven't fished it, but if I were a trout I'd bite it. 

How to fish it?  I'm going to fish it like a nymph and see what happens. 

I plan on fishing it soon and hopefully the Tellico will produce.  

Chapter 58 Day 9 - Trout Season

Brown Buggers

Without a doubt, olive or olive and grizzly are the favored color of bugger selection on Blue river.  Coming in second place, I would say that black is the next color of choice when fishing a bugger.  However, there are times that an olive or olive and grizzly or black bugger couldn't bribe a trout to get on the hook. 

I have found, over a good time, that when the trout are refusing the favored colors it is time to try brown.  Now, as to why brown sometimes works when other more used colors won't, I do not have a clue.  However, with that being said, I am convinced it is usually water color or clarity.  In certain water conditions... brown just works. 

With this being another non-fishing day, I tied up a couple of brown buggers tonight and am hopeful to try them soon.  I like to tie skinny bodied (dubbed body) buggers.  I tie the tails different ways including sparse, full, short, and sometimes long (a perfect invitation to tormenting myself with short strikes).  I never know which variation is going to work the best and that is part of the chase... keep changing brown bugger patterns with different tails and see what happens.

I was within six miles of the river today, but, still couldn't manage a way to steal borrow the time to get there.

Maybe soon.  

Chapter 58 Day 8 - Trout Season

Fascination With Flies - Estate Sale Fly #1

Going through my recent acquired treasure trove of flies, I quickly realized I didn't know the name of many of the patterns.  With recent help from the likes of Harold Beck and Donny Carter several flies were identified, but, still there remain some that are strangers - like this one below.

With these estate sale flies my questions will be the same.  The questions being (1) What is the name of this fly? (2) How do I plan on fishing it?  (3)  Will it catch trout.  So... here we are. 

What is the name of this fly?  I have no friggin' idea.  I would consider it a hairwing fly with a tailing shuck... but, as far as the name somebody has to help me. 

How do I plan on fishing it?  I'm going to throw it in the drink in the film and fish it like a wet.  May work, may not. 

Will it catch trout?  Dunno - haven't tried it yet, but, hope to do so soon and will publish the results whether good or not.  

Chapter 58 Day 7 - Trout Season

WEATHER

Last night, here near my prairie home and the whole of Murray County in Oklahoma, we received nine inches of rain. 

Rock Creek come over the banks at the place Charlie and I call Honey Hole - a favored place for us to pursue the carp.  The golf course lake filled quickly and violently ran down the drainage way that leads to Rock Creek destroying the baseball field fence. 

The weather forecasters said the band of rain ran all the way to the south of Ada and that tells me that is part of the Blue River watershed. 

Although, I haven't been to the river today there may be a change on the way as far as her complexion and flow. 

Chapter 58 Day 6 - Trout Season

This morning it was back to work for a couple of hours.  Tomorrow I am officially back to work, but, have more vacation days scheduled - hopefully I will be able to take them.

Decided to go back to the river since the weather was so nice.  It was an almost balmy morning with temperatures being in the low sixties. 

Having yet to travel into the wilderness area it only made sense that this would be my designation this morning.  At the beginning of the trail I could tell something was different.  Usually as we begin the trek down the steep road we can hear the loud voice of the river.  Today though it was loudly quite - a hush to Blue's voice - a testament of the low flow due to this summer's exceptional drought.

I hiked under an completely overcast sky and there wasn't a hint of wind.  Not getting to the river until almost 9 a.m. there were already a good number of anglers that had made the trip in. 

The experience was great this morning, but, the catching was not.  Staying for a little over an hour I would only find one trout.  During the entire time I fished near a spinner fisherman and he too would only find one trout.  And, Chris Adams was fishing and Chris only found one trout. 

I guess the lack of willing trout is due to only one stocking and heavy, heavy pressure on this area.  More and more people are choosing the wilderness areas because of it is such a beautiful open area. 

On the way back to my prairie home I decided to stop and take a look at Blue's little sister Pennington Creek.  Pennington is faring good like Blue, but, not her usual self and again it is due to the drought this past year. 

The weather is fixing to change.  Forecasters are calling for heavy rain Monday and Tuesday and the river's complexion may change.