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Post by hankinsfly on Dec 16, 2017 19:02:23 GMT -6
Thinking about hitting Beaver tailwater this winter. Bout equal drive there as to BB. Fished it once in summer several years ago- did best on tiny midges and 6x. Anyone have any experience to share about fishing here?
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Post by jonbo on Dec 18, 2017 12:09:23 GMT -6
Hank, I went there about 3 years ago. We stayed at Spider Creek Resort which is right on a good wade spot. It has really nice cabins, y'all, if you're ever interested (Jeff). IIRC, I had success with a small pheasant tail. It seems like just directly upstream is good wading and campsites, probably COE. One thing I wonder for the future is, is there an RV/camping trailer loop? You know with the modern amenities like water and electrical hookups, and a real bathroom. Hank, do you happen to know? I know you despise such sissified stuff, but maybe you noticed when you were there last.
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Post by hankinsfly on Dec 18, 2017 13:12:36 GMT -6
Well my wife don't Camp in the cold, so I am thinking about getting a cabin at Spider Creek maybe in Jan or Feb. Don't get me wrong, I do like cabins, but if I'm going on a trip without my better half, I like to sleep in a tent and not bathe and things like that.
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Post by jonbo on Dec 18, 2017 15:40:39 GMT -6
The cabin we were in was quite nice and the fishing got was good. It's also a good spot, I think, to launch your kayak. The river's slow just in front and upstream and easy to paddle up.
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Post by gui on Dec 18, 2017 15:41:46 GMT -6
We spent one night at the Parker Bottoms campground in October 2015, which I think are the COE campsites that Jonbo is mentioning. The bathrooms and showers were nice. I believe they had electrical hookups at the campsites. The first picture below is a picture of our setup for a quick one night stop; and you can notice an RV and the bathroom facilities in the background. I fished for a couple of hours in the morning just across the campgrounds. Water was pretty still and very clear. I caught a few 12 inch rainbows on a tiny zebra midge dropped below a dry fly. With pretty much zero wind in the morning and a glass-like water surface, I was spooking many of the fish that I could see cruising here and there in the gin clear water.   |
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Post by jonbo on Dec 18, 2017 18:30:29 GMT -6
Thanks, Gui. The wife and I are in camper-mode rather than cabin-mode since this summer when we purchased our cozy camper. So I'm kind of on the lookout for campgrounds that favor pull-campers and RV's. Unfortunately, with my work schedule I can only schedule a week holiday once a year at Thanksgiving. Next year it's Durango to visit my sister. I'll get to fish the San Juan tailwater again. That will be very nice, I'm sure.
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Post by danimal on Dec 18, 2017 18:45:12 GMT -6
Gui is correct on the campsites. As far as fishing, think loooong, sloooow, and deeeep drifts. If there's enough wind to put some chop on the water, buggers and/or tiny jigs in the usual colors fished under an indicator are very productive. Not a lot of quality riffles up there, so the few they have can get a bit crowded. But launching your boat from Spider creek can get you to a couple of spots that are hard to reach from public access. It's a lot like fishing the Lower Illinois, but the water's deeper and clearer -- with the "clearer" part making the fish spookier. One thing you'll notice is fish feeding at your feet (some of them fairly nice) much like some of the guys at camp were describing on the San Juan -- I think of them as pets. LOL. That's about all I know hank -- hope it helps! Dan-o
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Post by todd13 on Mar 11, 2018 7:13:21 GMT -6
Thanks everyone for posting and sharing. I am leaving in 2 hrs for Spider Creek for some much needed R and R with the fam. Taking my gear, but reading the 'intel' on the water will make my drive go by faster. I will post up how things go. Hopefully I don't get skunked.
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Post by danimal on Mar 11, 2018 8:02:02 GMT -6
Thanks everyone for posting and sharing. I am leaving in 2 hrs for Spider Creek for some much needed R and R with the fam. Taking my gear, but reading the 'intel' on the water will make my drive go by faster. I will post up how things go. Hopefully I don't get skunked. If they're running big water from the dam, keep in mind Roaring River's only 30 minutes away. Shouldn't be TOO crowded this time of year... |
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Post by hankinsfly on Mar 11, 2018 10:11:15 GMT -6
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Post by hankinsfly on Mar 11, 2018 10:14:54 GMT -6
Both today and tomorrow look like fairly heavy releases for Beaver tailwater.
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Post by jonbo on Mar 12, 2018 17:10:03 GMT -6
From a base at Spider Creek, I had my best fishing around "The Island". Some decent riffles there. The riffles down a little ways on the near side were quite productive for me, IIRC.
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Post by todd13 on Mar 13, 2018 10:03:18 GMT -6
From a base at Spider Creek, I had my best fishing around "The Island". Some decent riffles there. The riffles down a little ways on the near side were quite productive for me, IIRC. There isn't any wade fishing right now. Way too deep and can't see any riffles. I can see some disturbance below the surface, so I think I see where they should be. They are generating all day, everyday right now. I drove up to the dam and Parker Bottoms - just a wide, deep river right now. Pretty area. I came to R&R with family...It's all good. |
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Post by hankinsfly on Mar 13, 2018 10:57:36 GMT -6
Put on a 24-ft sink tip and toss some streamers bro. I caught my personal best rainbow swinging streamers on a heavy sink tip on the White.
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Post by jonbo on Mar 13, 2018 12:24:35 GMT -6
Nice cabins, though, aren't they?
What Stephen said.
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Post by golferjeff on Mar 13, 2018 13:17:17 GMT -6
Tie rope to waist, tie rope to large tree. Wade out as far as possible, then do what Stephen said. If you get swept under, rescue yourself by using aforementioned rope.
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Post by todd13 on Mar 13, 2018 17:22:30 GMT -6
Tie rope to waist, tie rope to large tree. Wade out as far as possible, then do what Stephen said. If you get swept under, rescue yourself by using aforementioned rope. Yeah. How many fishing trips of yours resulted in visits for broken ribs or blown knees? If we were racing bikes, some calculated risk might be in order. Water looks to be subsiding. Hope to wade some in the am. And yes, I started with a sinktip. I prob have a decent set up to start with |
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Post by turfdawg on Mar 14, 2018 4:53:48 GMT -6
Tie rope to waist, tie rope to large tree. Wade out as far as possible, then do what Stephen said. If you get swept under, rescue yourself by using aforementioned rope. Yeah. How many fishing trips of yours resulted in visits for broken ribs or blown knees? If we were racing bikes, some calculated risk might be in order. Water looks to be subsiding. Hope to wade some in the am. And yes, I started with a sinktip. I prob have a decent set up to start with Uh, that was Jeff talking. He is lucky if he doesn’t get hurt on a fishing trip. |
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Post by golferjeff on Mar 14, 2018 6:59:58 GMT -6
War wounds......
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Post by hankinsfly on Mar 14, 2018 9:10:39 GMT -6
I understand breaking shit. I backed over my new neighbor's mailbox a few days ago then sat on a desk at my office yesterday and destroyed it. I was fine though.
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Post by todd13 on Mar 16, 2018 20:13:27 GMT -6
Fishing report:
Before I forget: Jonbo - yes Parker Bottoms has 30 amp outlets; also there were two hookups at Spider Creek.
Spider Creek: nice spot, really is. There is a long deep hole and two riffles that are wadable if the they are not releasing water. There is an island there with some deep water/bluff that looks interesting. Also an interesting "boulder field" just before the island.
Just a half mile upstream is the Parker Bottoms CG with probably 5 access points that each look inviting and very wadable. At the end of the road is just a plethora of spots to fish upstream and downstream.
I only had two small windows to fish due to high water. On day one I had some success, sticking 5 fish. All were stockers. 4 were typical, 1 was 15" and a very thick, nice fish. Day two I was fishing as the water was receding and got skunked. Wanted to stay a little longer, but had to hit the road and plus it was sunny/warming up... not great conditions.
If you are eating in Eureka Springs - Bubba's BBQ and Fried Chicken & Fish are my top two choices. Oh yeah, every cabin at Spider Creek has a grill on the back deck. If you are inclined to taste beer, the Rockin Pig seemed popular ( I'm not a beer guy, but saw a bunch of local choices ).
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