April 2, 2024
The Arkansas River – The Tailwater (The Bridge Hole to Tom’s Run).
Flows: 317 cfs. (Dropped from 390 cfs between 7a and 8a).
Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous (57% illumination).
Water Temp: 44F @ 9a.
Water clarity: Clear to about 2’ to 3’.
Air Temp: 44F @ 8:30a – 64F @ 4p.
Hatches: Midge: From 9a and lasting throughout the day. Fuzzy ones after 2p. BWOs: about size 20, 1p to 4p.
Spawning: Redds still spotted in a lot of places and a couple of rainbows seen on one of them above Tom's Run.
Flies: #16 Rubber Leg Copper John, #20 Miracle Midge, #16 Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear, #20 Red Copper John, #18 Pheasant Tail, #22 Black Manhattan Midge, #20 Olive RS2, #24 Grey Sparkle Wing RS2, #22 Stalcup Baetis, #24 Cream Bling Midge, #22 Grey Foam Back RS2, #12 Chubby Chernobyl, #18 Apricot Egg, #20 Parachute BWO, #24 Matt’s Midge, #24 Cripple, #18 Green Caddis Larva.
Top producers: Caddis Larva, Egg, Stalcup Baetis, Miracle Midge.
Looking west - out over one of the Valco Ponds.
As I approached a weir about midway between the Bridge Hole and the Lone Tree Hole, I could see two rainbows in a pool below a it. The water was very clear and I could see them moving about, obviously feeding on something. I was going after them and my main concern was getting into position without spooking them. If I could do that the rest should be easy.
Game on.
With my nymphing setup in hand I cautiously approached the pool. My plan was to stay behind the fish and cast just above the weir and let my flies drift naturally into the pool below – where the fish would eat them. My rig was set up with a #16 Rubber Leg Copper John as my lead fly and it was followed by a #22 Red Midge Larva and a #20 Miracle Midge. The Rubber Leg Copper John is a weighted fly and the only other weight on my rig was a .12g split shot.
My plan was to go for the rainbow closest to me first. After I got that one, I’d pick off the one farther out. My first few cast were on point but my flies looked to be floating below the rainbow. The water was faster farther out where the other rainbow was. Instead of lightening my load I decided to cast into the faster water first where more weight is needed.
The Bridge Hole.
As my flies drifted toward the big, brightly colored rainbow my indicator paused and I set the hook.
BAM – fish on!
Line started streaming out of my reel. That big boy was headed out into the river and fast water with me stumbling after him. The river bottom is covered with large, slippery river rocks and it’s hard to keep your footing, especially when you’re chasing after a big rainbow.
As he head to one section of fast water and I would say to myself “don’t let him get in that” – and then he’d proceed to get into it. Then the next one – same thing. I had no control over this fish. Was he that big? I was thinking “when I get this bad boy to the net, I’m going to have to measure him. He could be close to a record”.
Only after he took me about halfway downstream to the bridge did I begin to wonder if maybe I foul hooked him. I continued to fight him though, and I was now just upstream of the the Bridge Hole hemmed in by a deep pool of water. I couldn’t go any farther downstream. The fish was now in the fast water in the middle of the Bridge Hole and taking more line out.
There was only one thing I could do - palm the reel.
The weir where I fished in the morning. (The Lone Tree Hole in the background.)
That’s when you put your hand on the reel and “palm it” – keep it from letting more line out. It’s not a good thing, but that’s all I could do. With my palm on the reel I tried to pull him into the slack water to the side of the Bridge Hole. If I could get him there I felt sure I could bring him to me and net him.
As I lifted my rod to pull him toward the slack water my line snapped back and he was gone. It was disappointing and I wouldn’t know for sure if he was foul hooked or if he was just a really big fish. In the back of my mind, I was leaning to a foul hooked fish.
We started the day at the Bridge Hole and our plan was to work our way upstream to Tom’s Run. The water level was up and we haven’t fished this section in high water before, so we weren’t sure what we’d find but we thought there would be some spots where we’d find fish.
It was about 9a when we got streamside with Brian on one side of the hole and me on the other. With the high flows the river was a lot wider here and fished differently than what we were used to. Before going in we scanned the river from the bridge and I had saw some fish in an eddie on the upstream side of the bridge – river-left. That’s where I set up.
My first fish of the day - a real beauty!
There were already midges in the air as I tied on my flies streamside. They were configured as I explained above with the Rubber Leg Copper John providing the added weight that I would need in the fast, deep water. After several on-point casts into the eddie with no takers I adjusted my depth. First adding mud then moving my indicator farther away from my flies. Still nothing.
By the time I decided to move on Brian had already left, moving up the river along the bank - river-right. I picked up, crossed the bridge and followed his path. By the time I saw those two rainbows below the weir, Brian was quite a distance upstream from me – above the Lone Tree Hole covering another pool of water.
This is where I got sucked in. At that first weir. After the rainbow had broken me off I went back to it, intent on getting the other rainbow. First, I had to lighten my load and took off all weight. It was still too heavy so I replaced the Rubber Leg Copper John with a #20 Red Copper John which was smaller and lighter.
The rainbow still wasn’t interested even with on-target drifts. He seemed to be picking off naturals in the water very selectively. “What was he eating”? On many occasions I’ve had fish go out of the way and chase my flies but this one didn’t seem interested in anything I presented to him.
Just below the Lone Tree Hole. (I got a cutbow and a rainbow along the line of uneven water.)
Each time I was ready to give up and move on, I decided to try one more thing. Change of flies. Add weight – then take it off. Then remove all weight only to add it back on. Thinking that a Dry/Dropper would work – I rigged up my other rod and tried that. It didn’t. How about a Hopper/Copper/Dropper”? I tried that. Didn’t work.
I got sucked in trying to figure it out. It was about 11a by the time I finally left empty handed after I had spent the whole morning chasing that fish. This happens. Both me getting sucked in and fish not taking anything I offer. I guess they go hand-in-hand!
Sometimes the fish are dialed into a certain insect and when they are in very clear, slow-moving water – which this fish was – they have a lot of time to inspect your offering which they can clearly see. Most often refusing it.
My general rule is if I can see a fish and I’m relatively certain that my flies are close to him, and he doesn’t chase it or take after several tries – I move on. I may change my target fly, but I won’t spend a whole lot of time on it. Sometimes it gets me though, and I want to figure it out. More often than not, there simply isn’t a solution.
An 18" cutbow in hand.
After gathering my stuff I headed upstream and made it to the next weir. It wasn’t too far upstream and as I looked into it I could easily see another big rainbow. He was in the same type of water – clear and slow. I debated whether I should go after him. My thought was “I’m here to fish – so fish” and I laid my HDC rig and pack down, and went in with my nymphing rig. This time I stuck to my general rule, only giving it several tries before deciding to leave. But before I did, I decided to give the HDC rig a try. After several more tries with it and not even a sniff – I picked up and left.
After a while you just want to catch some fish!
Brian was now nowhere in sight as I made my way upstream and I thought he made it all the way up to Tom’s Run. Again, I didn’t make it very far when I spotted a pod of rainbows – big rainbows. They were in slow, clear water just downstream from the Lone Tree Hole, and they were very skittish.
I observed them for a while and noticed that some were spread out in the slow water and then I spotted more farther out in a seam of faster water. Those would be the ones I would target. My plan was to walk upstream and get above them. Then I’d cast upstream and let my flies float in the current to them.
A closer look at the cutbow.
As I did this and my flies drifted toward them they would see my indicator and slowly move away from it going out farther into the river. Seeing this, I made exaggerated mends that would ensure my flies were in front of my indicator. In theory the first thing they would see would be my flies. But that didn’t work either. These guys were really skittish.
The indicator I was using was a small, white, foam ball and is supposed to look like a bubble on the water. I had to get rid of it. I bought this indicator a little while ago and when I did, I also bought some small yarn indicators. The yarn indicators are stealthier, they look like some debris on the water - and the smaller ones like I have, even more so.
On the second cast into the faster water after replacing my indicator with the yarn a fish hit. It was a subtle take – the yarn just wobbling a bit. I set the hook and BAM – fish on. He was a strong fish – taking line out like it was nothing. After the morning I had I was intent on bringing this bad boy to the net.
Brian got this 20" rainbow in Tom's Run.
Brian Kenney.
It wouldn’t be easy though – this fish was a strong swimmer. At times I had to use two hands to hold onto my rod. As I got him closer to the net I could see him – bright red jaw and stripe down the middle – a real beauty. Once I got him in the net I could see how he put up such a fight – his girth. He was a good 18” – not huge, but he was slabby. It was all I could do to get my hand around him.
He took the #20 Miracle Midge. I had picked this fly because it closely resembled a couple of the midges Brian extracted from one of the fish he caught last week.
I have to say that catching this fish made my day. It took me probably a half hour, maybe more casting into this pod before I finally got a hit. On top of that I had the morning of trial and tribulation with nothing to show for it. It was just a satisfying feeling. I cracked the code!
Not long after releasing the 18” beauty I got another hit. This time as my flies were just drifting out of the fast water and into the slow, clear water when my indicator made an abrupt stop. Hook set. Fish on!
My 20" rainbow.
It was another tiring fight to the net. Like the last fish, each time I’d get him close he’d see me and make another run. My arm was fatigued when I finally netted him. This one a 20” beauty who also took the Miracle Midge.
Just as I was releasing him, I heard a noise and looked up to see Brian. He had given up on Tom’s Run and came down to see what was keeping me. He asked how many I had landed so far, “two” I said. His response was, “is that all?” I kind’a raised my eyebrows a bit and said “yeah – why, how many have you caught?” He says “two”!
It was a funny – funny ha ha – exchange. It was about noon when Brian came down and he thought that I must have been slaying ‘em since I spent all morning in that area. Na – I told him I had just gotten sucked in.
Another look at the 20" rainbow.
We both fished this spot for about another hour, and with no further action we decided to head upstream to Tom’s Run. Brian said there were only a few fishermen upstream of us and the run was open when he left.
That’s where he caught his fish while I was toiling away in the weir. One was a 20” rainbow and took his #18 Green Caddis Larva. The other one was a 17 incher and took a #18 Apricot Peg Egg. Brian said he could see the fish in the pool of water in the middle of the run where he hooked them up. He also had a couple more nice ones on, but they broke off.
We walked along the path toward Tom’s, it’s easier than walking along the river where the bank is covered in large river rocks. It was the first time we walked that way and when we got close, we weren’t sure of the best way to get to the river. I found a spot – an animal trail that led down a steep bank then into some thickets before opening to the river.
Got this beauty in Tom's Run.
It was risky and I used my past skiing skills to literally slide down the steep bank. Somehow I made it without falling - then I had to navigate through thick bushes and trees which isn’t easy when you are carrying two 9’ rods. You have to be very careful not to get them caught up on a tree branch or in a bush. I made it through though and entered right at Tom’s Run.
Brian didn’t like the looks of my risky trek to the river and he wisely walked up the path a bit farther where he found some steps leading down to the river. It was less adventurous for him, but it took him a bit longer – which I’m sure was worth it. As he came up to the run I was already wading into it – casting my flies into the shallow water before the deep pool. Brian pointed out where he caught the fish earlier before moving just downstream of me and covered the bottom of the run.
After covering the shallow water, I moved out farther and was soon casting into the deep pool where I spotted a rainbow. It would appear in the middle of the pool and just a fast, disappear. I casted to him several times and then decided to look upstream in the faster water. At these flows it’s about knee deep and braided just before it flows into the huge boulders that make up the pool below.
Using my net to measure the big rainbow.
It was about 1p and the BWOs were hatching – we could see them in the air and I changed my target flies to baetis imitations. Tying on a #22 Stalcup Baetis below my Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear and a #22 Grey Foam Back RS2 below it.
As I moved upstream I could easily see him. A nice big and bright rainbow feeding in the faster water about ten feet in front of the boulders. On my second cast he made a move and I set the hook, not even waiting for my indicator to pause. BAM – fish on!
Getting this fish to net was a struggle. I was fighting him and the current as I struggled to keep from falling in the fast current with slippery rocks on the riverbed below. It was quite a fight but I finally got him into the deep pool below the boulders where the water is slower and it was there that I netted him. A real beauty of a rainbow – and 18” long. He took my #22 Stalcup Baetis.
After releasing him I contemplated whether to wade across the river to the other side – the river-left side of Tom’s Run. It’s one of my favorite spots to fish and I often find nice big rainbows feeding in a trough along the protected bank. With the higher flows I wasn’t sure about going there – it was risky. But I threw caution to the wind and waded that way. When I got about ¾ of the way across I could make out dark shadows at the top of the trough. Big shadows.
Oh yeah baby!
A Rubber Leg Copper John.
This is the spot where I’ve caught some really nice trout. Cast upstream of them and let your flies drift into their zone and BAM. Not wanting to get too close and spook them, I stayed back as I stumbled on the rocks and fought the current to get into position. Once I got just a bit upstream of them I casted my flies – it was an upstream and across cast and drift.
I was targeting the biggest shadow and after just a few casts, my indicator stopped just as it passed the shadows. I set the hook hard and the big boy came up shaking his head. YES! I got the big guy.
As I was getting into position to cast to the shadows, I was thinking about where and how I would release them. The water was running fast and the current strong, and the riverbed was covered with large, slippery river rocks. It would be hard to wade all the way back across the river to release the fish. I was closer to the river-left shore, but it has a lot of overhanging trees. Not a good spot to release a fish from and if I waded to that shore I’d spook the rest of the fish.
I decided to ignore that thought – “just catch a fish, then figure it out”. That’s what I told myself.
Brian making an adjustment in the Lone Tree Hole.
Now I’m standing in the middle of a fast-flowing river with slippery rocks underfoot and a really nice rainbow on fighting like all get out to free himself. He immediately went downstream, and I was able to follow – stumbling to keep my balance as I did. I didn’t have to far to go though as I was a bit hemmed in by the boulders downstream of me. I could only get so close to them before it got too deep. Knowing that, I tried to direct the fish upstream – I wanted to get him at least across from me. It took some time but I finally was able to get him to move upstream and he was now across from me to my right as I was standing facing upstream, and he was beginning to tire.
I wanted to net this guy in the worst way.
I finally had his head out of the water. He was across from me - to my right - as I began to guide toward me. Now with the net in my left hand and the fish close I bent to the right, bringing the net in my left hand toward my right hip. As I bent down to net him – my whole body bent to the right and the fish was now farther out to the right than I wanted and I couldn’t fully reach him. I could only get half his body in the net – and missed him.
He took another run downstream and to my right. He was tired and it was only a short time before I had him back in the same position. Net ready – I bent over to the right again – and missed him again!!
This time the current took him directly behind me and one of my top flies got stuck in his tail. I lifted my rod to try and pull the fish to me. He was on the surface where the current is the strongest and the tension broke the fly in his tail loose. It was a sudden snap – the fly let loose. The sudden snapping action also dislodged the fly in his mouth.
Fish gone!
Oh boy. Now that just pissed me off!
Anyone within earshot of me knew it. I don’t like to make a lot of noise when I’m fishing – in exhilaration or disappointment – but I just lost it.
Another shot of the cutbow. The coloration just amazes me.
I was in this movie before. It’s why I now have this big expensive net. I bought it after losing another really nice rainbow in the 21” Hole in Wyoming. And you know what? Thinking back, I was in the same position then as I was on this one. I did the exact same thing – and had the exact same result!
Netting a fish might look easy. But it’s not - even in the best of circumstances. When standing in fast water, with uneven and slippery footing, and a big fish on --- well, you get the picture. Brian was watching me as this unfolded and later commented that he was surprised that I didn’t fall in the water as I fought that bad boy.
I was still mumbling obscenities as I got back into position to cast to one of the other shadows that was still in the trough. There were two there that I could see, and I was targeting the near one. On one of my drifts – my indicator moved past the fish, and he didn’t hit. I lifted my rod to recast and another fish – one I didn’t see that was below him – took one of my flies. As I was lifting my rod, he came up violently shaking his head - and spit the fly.
Oh boy. Another missed opportunity. This one not as upsetting as the last one. Not even close.
A rainbow in the net.
That was it. The fish soon vanished, and we gathered our stuff ready to head downstream. Our plan was to make our way toward the car, stopping at some fishy spots along the way. Maybe we’d nab a couple.
We hit a few fishy spots even though we didn’t spot any fish before we got to the Lone Tree Hole. There we saw some fish. I was at the top of the run where the riffles float into a deep through. As you might guess – that’s one of my favorite structures to fish. There at the top I could see big rainbows just where the riffles end and the drop-off starts – some roaming up into the riffles. Brian was below me and covering the trough where he also spotted a few fish.
The ones I was after were just as skittish as the ones I was targeting in the morning. They didn’t seem interested in my flies but were obviously feeding on something. There were still BWOs in the air and now a different species of midges were hatching too. They were the bigger ones with the fussy antennae. I still had the Stalcup Baetis and Grey Foam Wing RS2 on as my target flies.
When you’re in fast riffles it’s really hard to tell where your flies are in relation to your indicator. Did they fly out to the right or left – are the in front of the indicator or behind it? I try to get them directly in front of my indicator by making exaggerated mends. I do this by lifting my indicator out of the water and letting the current take my flies – then lowing my indicator to follow them. This technique works – sometimes better than others – but it’s not a guarantee that your flies are exactly where you think they are.
Getting ready to release a rainbow.
After several tries with no takes I changed my last fly to a #22 Olive RS2. On about my third cast with that fly on - I thought I knew where my flies were, but when I lifted to recast they were in a different spot. And in that spot was a nice rainbow who had taken the Olive RS2. Without a proper set, he did the same thing as the one up in Tom’s Run. Came up, shook his head and spit the fly.
Hmmm.
Meanwhile, Brian had a couple of fish on in the trough below me, but both were able to break off.
It was late. Later than we normally leave the river and past time to go. As we walked down the path toward the car – with big fuzzy midges mating in the bushes – I mentioned to Brian “I could have spent a couple of hours in those riffles”.
Sucked in again!
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