Post by golferjeff on Nov 9, 2020 11:04:21 GMT -6
Took the girlfriend for her first trip to Beavers Bend. It was her third time fly fishing. We had a good trip and she was able to get lots of practice casting, mending, hooking, and fighting fish. Magick couldn't make this trip, but we had a great time overall.
We arrived friday afternoon and worked over the lower evening hole. The dry fly bite was decent on small BWO's. A few wild baby bows, a few stockers and one big splash from a nice brown (ldr'd). A good time on the water and a little time to get used to the mass of humanity all over the park. I had Jennifer and two other friends with me, so I guided more than fished.
Saturday was a better fishy day. We traversed the EH, tried the bluffs, made friends with lots of dogs, and missed quite a few fish. We made a stop at the fly shop to visit Eddie and Roberta and get my new reels and lines set up. A few early xmas presents for the GF... waders and boots. After some lunch, we hit the swim beach area. BINGO! While showing GF some techniques and how to manage line, we had fish attacking the indicator (No flies). A good sign. There was a pod of fish just below the riffle that seemed to eat on every drift. Jennifer caught about 15 in less than 3 hours. When she got tired, I tried my hand at fishing. My very first drift I watched a nice rainbow turn and chase down my flies. when my indicator bolted upstream, I knew it was a good fish. She took my up into the riffle, back to the slack water, over toward the swim beach, and finally up two waterfalls before I enlisted a fellow fly fisher's help in landing her. His net couldn't hold her, so we double netted her. Pic below. GF managed to get several good pictures of the battle and even a movie. She was also face-timing her daughter and they both got to watch. A nice 20" rainbow was a good start to the evening! I got one other good fish, along with a truckload of stockers. I even caught one of Turfdawg's swimming bananas. I also re-rigged to a double woolly bugger setup and caught fish in the deeper water. It was a lot of fun. Jennifer learned a lot about fly fishing and I learned that the rocks in that area are REALLY slippery. I went home very wet and happy. Dinner at Hochatown saloon did not disappoint and the fire at the cabin was nice. Cigars and fireball are always a good way to end an evening.
Sunday we fished spillway creek. Jennifer enjoyed the scenery and getting more practice. She even caught a few baby rainbows and chubs completely on her own. No browns was a bit disappointing, but we had fun. We ran into SmallFry and said hello. I guess I was unrecognizable without Magick. After a few rainbows and a baby smallmouth below Powerhouse bridge, we headed for home mid afternoon and stopped in Idabel for a nice italian dinner at ROma's.
Flies: Size 18 and 20 black and grey RS2, size 18 parachute BWO, beaded eggs, crystal buggers in olive and brown, and barr's emergers. Crowds - awful but pretty friendly people. Good food, good friends, good fishing and a good visit with peeps in the fly shop. Thank you to Eddie and Roberta for the gear, setups, and stories.
We arrived friday afternoon and worked over the lower evening hole. The dry fly bite was decent on small BWO's. A few wild baby bows, a few stockers and one big splash from a nice brown (ldr'd). A good time on the water and a little time to get used to the mass of humanity all over the park. I had Jennifer and two other friends with me, so I guided more than fished.
Saturday was a better fishy day. We traversed the EH, tried the bluffs, made friends with lots of dogs, and missed quite a few fish. We made a stop at the fly shop to visit Eddie and Roberta and get my new reels and lines set up. A few early xmas presents for the GF... waders and boots. After some lunch, we hit the swim beach area. BINGO! While showing GF some techniques and how to manage line, we had fish attacking the indicator (No flies). A good sign. There was a pod of fish just below the riffle that seemed to eat on every drift. Jennifer caught about 15 in less than 3 hours. When she got tired, I tried my hand at fishing. My very first drift I watched a nice rainbow turn and chase down my flies. when my indicator bolted upstream, I knew it was a good fish. She took my up into the riffle, back to the slack water, over toward the swim beach, and finally up two waterfalls before I enlisted a fellow fly fisher's help in landing her. His net couldn't hold her, so we double netted her. Pic below. GF managed to get several good pictures of the battle and even a movie. She was also face-timing her daughter and they both got to watch. A nice 20" rainbow was a good start to the evening! I got one other good fish, along with a truckload of stockers. I even caught one of Turfdawg's swimming bananas. I also re-rigged to a double woolly bugger setup and caught fish in the deeper water. It was a lot of fun. Jennifer learned a lot about fly fishing and I learned that the rocks in that area are REALLY slippery. I went home very wet and happy. Dinner at Hochatown saloon did not disappoint and the fire at the cabin was nice. Cigars and fireball are always a good way to end an evening.
Sunday we fished spillway creek. Jennifer enjoyed the scenery and getting more practice. She even caught a few baby rainbows and chubs completely on her own. No browns was a bit disappointing, but we had fun. We ran into SmallFry and said hello. I guess I was unrecognizable without Magick. After a few rainbows and a baby smallmouth below Powerhouse bridge, we headed for home mid afternoon and stopped in Idabel for a nice italian dinner at ROma's.
Flies: Size 18 and 20 black and grey RS2, size 18 parachute BWO, beaded eggs, crystal buggers in olive and brown, and barr's emergers. Crowds - awful but pretty friendly people. Good food, good friends, good fishing and a good visit with peeps in the fly shop. Thank you to Eddie and Roberta for the gear, setups, and stories.
