This is a story that started three years ago.
I got a call about three years ago from someone in Mississippi that said he
would be in Arkansas for a week with his wife. He said he has seen my name on
the Internet as a fly tyer and wanted to know if he could come buy and visit
with me. He said that he knew I lived on the White River and his dream was to
catch a Trout.
I invited him to come by and visit but I did not think we could get out and
fish. He and his wife got up to visit with us and Bob and I went to the tying
bench. I showed him how I tie a Chili Pepper and a few other flies. We could
not get out to fish as they were running all eight generators. We had a lot of
rain and the lakes were over filled.. Bob and I kept in touch and always the
subject came up about catching a Trout. We had high water when he was up here
again and again.
This year we are finally having some low water and Bob got up here. We planned
on getting out Sunday after they got here but they were running four units. On
Monday they were running two units and finally yesterday, they were running one
unit so we decided to go out.
Bob was here at 7 am but the fog was so heavy on the river that we could not
take the boat out. Both of us can't wade anymore so we have to fish form the
boat. Finally at nine o clock the fog lifted and we went out. Headed up to
Tucker Shoals only to find a boat was already drifting the run. I took him to
the cove below the shoal. We anchored and I was already rigged up so I made a
cast with the Chili Pepper. Hooked up on that first cast to a nice Rainbow. I
thought this is going to be a good day. We fished that area for an hour moving
the boat to a few different places with not a hit. Bob was really working at
trying to catch a fish. He also was using a Chili Pepper.
There were no fish working the surface and too much water and current to use a
soft hackle.
We fished for about another hour and the wind really started to come up. I
caught another Rainbow but Bob never had a hit. I decided to drift along the
bank and let Bob fish while I handled the boat. Between the current and wind
the boat had to be operated by me.
After several drifts and nothing doing,Bob said we might as well quit. I told
him that I thought there was enough water running to get over the shoals and up
to the island. I carefully navigated the boat over the shoals and we got up to
the island. I got the boat into position for a drift over the sand bar when I
heard Bob yell. He hooked up. We landed 14" Rainbow. I thought Bob was going to
dance in the boat. The wind got to really blowing too much to stay out so we
headed back to my dock. Bob was like a kid at Christmas time getting a new
bike. I was happy that he got his first trout that he had been dreaming about
even though conditions were not the best.
Guess what, this morning the dam is shut down and no fog on the river.
Arkansas Tony
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