Winter is so trapping in it’s all it’s trappings, especially for a fly fisher from Chicago. It can be blindingly boring, and crushing to a soul as it creeps through it’s long nights and short harsh days. But when the earth’s axis starts tilting back towards the sun I have often found myself bursting forth from the Highland Park cabin in a speeding car with Randy Cochran at the helm headed for fish. So it was that I swung through downtown Chi-town and we pointed the hood of his car south headed for hillbillies and hook-ups. It was time for Arkansas!
All day and into the night we had watched the weather, waiting for the ice that showed on the radar to actually hit the pavement. With ten miles to go it started to come down in all freezing forms, but it was just ten miles to the lodge. We had beaten the storm.
Thursday brought gray skies and little icy pellets coming from the sky. Even so, the dams weren’t releasing and the fish were rising right out the front door. There was a quick breakfast and then we all split up to go our own ways to chase trout. I headed out with Paul Muller to the Trophy section of the Norfork. It was as low and good looking as I have ever seen it. Fish were everywhere, but he weather was rotten cold and still icy, windy, snowy, and rainy. I had a fish on my second cast of the Matt’s Bug, and then pretty often thereafter. I just wish my fingers could have felt them all. “No monsters, but Plenty to chase away winter!” could have been the mantra for the trip. People at the Norfork Dam did great, too.
That night we played pool and drank beers, whiskey, and shots into the night. It was shaping up to be a great trip. All in all GBTU urned out just six people due to some unfortunate last minute cancellations. But, Kyle Camp brought a friend to fill one more bed. The Central Texas Fly Fishers did better with eight members. Then there was Paul a lost and bearded soul that ambled up from the Little Red River to hang out and slay trout in masses with his Tenkara Rod and a brace of size 24 red midges.
Friday dawned bright and shiny with glimmering ice coated trees in the sunlight. We fished a half day in the trophy section with plenty of nice fish caught then headed for Barbecue, and Cotter, and the Mountain River Fly Shop. Sadly the Blue Ribbon Fly Shop has recently closed. Afterwards, we headed to the Roundhouse Access on the White River. The water was down and several fish were caught. I ended the evening sliding tiny black and white midges down a bubble line to an entire run of porpoising fish just as daylight was disappearing. Many memorable fish fell for that presentation! A great dinner was had by all at PJ’s in Norfork. We ended the night tying midges and San Juan Worms well into the night with Mike Brown. While whoops and hollers came briskly from downstairs at the pool table.
Saturday was a great day of fishing with full sunshine and little wind. Many fish were caught by all. Randy took a nice heavy yellow Brown. I fished a Zebra under a cork mostly and did well enough to forget about winter for a while. Kyle got a first hand lesson on swinging the surf and turf rig from Randy to good results. Everyone seemed to get on really hot streaks whether on the stream or on the pool table during this trip and you know how those hot streaks can turn ones mood around after too much time in the frozen North! Mark your calendars to attend next year and come along!
Matt
