Robbers Cave Trout...

Robbers Cave trout ripe for the grill, when you find them

My Goto Flies

When fishing in Oklahoma, no matter where....Lower Illinois, Blue River, Lower Mountain Fork....I have several flies that are the key goto's and that routinely stay stocked within my box.

1. Bead Head Gold Ribbed Hares Ear - both in natural and olive green (the latter more lovingly known as a Beavers Bend special).   I seem to go thru more 14 and 16s in these.

2. Woolly Bugger - Whether they be Black, Olive, Brown, Rust or White these seem to be able to draw strikes when nothing else is working...key is get deep and work it slow...10s and 12s usually do the trick.

3. Pheasant Tail - another key goto pattern while similar to the hares ear...just pulls hits when the others aren't working.  14s-20s seem to work here.

4. Parachute Adams/Adams Dries - when they are sipping the surface and the hatch is on these seem to catch a majority of the action for me. 14s - 20s have worked for me.

5.  Midges - various flavors and colors, used on their own or as a dropper are almost always a hit.  The smaller the better seem to do the trick.

6. Scud - gray or olive have worked for me 18s - 20s get replenished the most.

7. Prince - certain days at the Lower Illinois, this was the only fly that could entice a strike 14s - 16s are the sizes i have to order the most.

8. San Juan worms...Red and Brown usually with a bead, larger the better usually use these with faster flows and deeper water and gives a larger target.

I have various and sundry other flies, however these are the ones that get replenished most in my fly box.  I also plan on trying some soft hackle wet flies this year.  Will be good as i just never have tried them.

First Trout

Who remember's their first trout?  Or their first bass, catfish, redfish, perch, etc.   I remember back around 2000/2001 reading a lot about fly fishing and thinking how weird it would be for a dusty oklahoman to want to learn to fly fish.   Anyway I bought a couple of magazines and books on the subject, studied up a bit and acquired some gear.  I bought a lot of my gear online from Yager's flies and they were great answering all of my questions.  With all my new gear, a trout stamp (they were required back then) and a map downloaded off the internet, I set off one morning, headed to the Blue River to cut my teeth on some stocker trout with my new fly gear.

The day was chilly but not freezing, and there was some wind (always is here) but wasn't bad as I remember.  I wasted a bit of time fishing a few areas that looked great to a newbie like me, but had little luck.  I remember tying on a bead-head prince nymph and looking at a little depression in the stream where there was an eddy and it was under a dead branch overhang.  I thought that may be a good place to cast.  There was also a bunch of line and numerous flies all twisted around the branch hanging over the water so it was apparent that at least some others thought it was worth a shot as well.

Bingo! barely a breath as the prince sank and there was a tug on the line, a gentle lift of the rod and the little guy was hooked.  He was no lunker, in fact I remember thinking that that is one of the smallest fish I had ever caught, however the fight that he put up and the excitement of that first trout were incredible.  once he was landed i made sure my hands were wet and held him while i snapped a quick pic and then slid him back in the water where i saw him swim away in a flash.....

I think I may have caught him later that same season :)

Thanks Little Buddy, great memories

A nice fish from the Lower Illinois

Nice Lower Illinois Rainbow