Hello Jim,

Hello MajorOz,

On Nov 7, 8:15 pm, Jim Edmondson wrote:

Hello Halfordian,
On Nov 7, 10:26 am, "Halfordian Golfer"
wrote" Jim, post a trip report!

Well, here goes. This was my first trip to the Lower Mountain Fork
River
in Beaver's Bend State Park in Oklahoma and my fourth "real" fly
fishing
trip ever (other trips have been to RMNP, Fryingpan, Smokies, and
Pecos River).
Beaver's Bend is known as a "resort" park and is geared to the
summer
family
getaway with a minature train, stables, paddle boats - you get the
idea.
I went during the week to avoid the weekend crowds. In the winter
(Dec
- Feb) the crowds are significantly reduced and the trout fishing is
still
supposed to be very good. The park has cabins, RV, and tent sites.
Up on
the lake is Hochatown State Park with a decent looking lodge. It is
within
10 miles of the upper river fishing areas.
This is obviously not a wilderness solitude adventure for wild trout
- so
you purists out there, please don't flame me! However, it is a
great
place
for a Texas trout fishing junkie to get a quick fix (6 hour drive
from Houston
and 3 hours from Dallas).
The state of Oklahoma and local fly fishing groups have done a
significant amount of re-engineering of the stream channel in an
attempt to create better holding habitat for the stocked rainbows
(and a few browns). This includes "Lost Creek", a diversion creek
from one deep hole to another with a cobble bottom and various
habitat structures. This 1200' "creek" is fly fishing only. (My
wife asked "if this was like a golf course for fly fishermen".)
Further plans include the installation of diffusers in the lake to
increase the amount of deep coldwater drawn into the spillway
intakes
and ease summer distress on the fish. All in all, I think that they
have done an excellent job given the conditions they have to work
with. The park waters are stocked every two weeks with fish ranging
to over 20" long.
I fished mostly in the Spillway Crrek going upstream from the Lost
Creek parking area. This is fairly rapid water with plunge pools,
runs and some pools. The terrain is limestone and there are a lot
of clefts in the rock where the fish like to hang out. There are
relatively few riffled sections, which I have most success fishing
elsewhere.

At this time of year, the trout are mainly caught on nymphs. I saw
some
surface action, but could not entice any to strike. Most of the
fish
that
I caught were dead drifting a tandem nymph rig using BH red fox
squirrel
tail or BH breadcrust (#16's) as the point fly with an unweighted
red
San
Juan worm trailer. Most of the fish were caught on the worm and a
few on
each of the nymphs. I also fished with an olive Wooly Bugger (#8)
that was
the first fly I tied myself and did quite well with it fished down
and across
above the tails of the pools. All of my catch were rainbows ranging
from
6" - 18" and all were released.
That's all that I can think of for now, besides that I plan to try
to
go back a couple of more times this winter.
Sounds like a good outing. The satisfaction of catching your first
on a fly you tied yourself is quite a thrill -- congratulations.

cheers

oz

Yes, catching those fish on "my fly" was exciting. I now have the
tying bug and am looking forward to putting together a small box for
future trips - Jim.


I just remembered a major learning that I had from this trip:

It was about 11:15 am on Friday morning, checkout is noon, the wife is back
at the cabin probably beginning to wonder where the hell I am. Well, I am
coming very quickly downstream Spillway Creek trying to decide the best spots
to take a few final casts. I made some good decisions - in the tail of small
pool, I hook two on four casts; behind a boulder in a riffle, I hook four
on about eight casts. Unfortunately, every single one got off. A few I
played almost to hand, but not quite - rainbowitis interuptus bigtime.

It was not until I got home and was cleaning and stowing my gear that I tested
the sharpness of the hook of my lower nymph - it was quite dull. Fishing
deep and snagging alot of limestone apparently dulled it. From now on, I
think that I will remember to check the sharpness of my hook points periodically
while nymphing!