While a lot of fly anglers in the United States are packing up their trout rods for the year and promising to fill their boxes over the winter while dreaming about rising fish, we here in Oklahoma look forward to the opening of our winter trout fisheries. I have only fished for trout in 4 out of a possible 9 in Oklahoma. My wife and I were discussing the upcoming trout season and she mentioned that it would be interesting to catch fish on each of our state’s trout waters.
I don’t think I am out of the norm when I say that fishing for stockers, while always fun, is never quite as rewarding and perhaps true to the spirit of fly fishing. Of course my wife, being the perfect match for me, retorts saying that I could learn a lot and get to see a lot of different water. She is right, why did I marry such a smart woman? The fact is I don’t have much choice than to catch stockers here in Oklahoma if I want to ply the craft. When I have trout fished this year most of the time has been spent on our 2 year round trout fisheries the Lower Illinois and the Lower Mountain Fork. Both of this places have wild rainbows in small but encouraging numbers, but the big difference with our year round fisheries is that they have brown trout. Although they are stocked in less numbers, brown trout - be they stocked or not - aren’t found nearly as much as rainbows in Oklahoma. While it is not my favorite conclusion, the fact is I need to fish when I can and not bemoan the fact that I am catching torn up stockers that are used to eating pellets. Catching lots of fish is always a distinct possibility on either of these waters and I often do, but some of those pellet smashers always grow up into 20+ rainbows that can refuse a good drift just as well as any wild rainbow.
With my conscience cleared it is time to start planning for the season and figure out when I will make it to each of our nine waters knowing that at least two may need return visits. I am a little concerned about fishing for rainbows in the five stocked ponds/lakes we have. Last year we took our proud little girls, vests and all, out to fish the stocked pond here in Oklahoma City. My friend thought it was stupid to go and I can’t say I didn’t think twice about going, but it was for the kids. When we get there, there’s about a 30MPH wind and people are lined lawn chair to lawn chair casting PowerBait Eggs weighed down with a huge amount of lead about 75+feet. Needless to say this is not my element. I suppose the right course of action is to buy a sinking line. I needed one for my 6 weight anyway and its time I to break down and buy another spool and line. I hope I don’t have to resort to asking to dip my bugger in theeEgg juice of a guy who has a full stringer of fish. All of this seems doable, especially if hit multiple places in a weekend.
At the same time as all of this Okie fishing, I need to make it out out of the state some and hit my most favorite piece of water, the North Fork of the White River. This is perhaps the most rural place I have ever been, and the fishing can be tough. It is the nearest full-on wild fishery and a unique gem that has very little traffic during the peak fishing times. Also I keep getting bugged about not fishing the Beaver tailwaters in NW Arkansas, and I should probably go and hit the pay for play area in NW Arkansas that is thick with hogs. I am kind of mixed on the idea of going to a managed fishery where I have to pay $100.00 to fish. Yes I am going to catch probably my biggest trout to date, but there are always rumors about places, and I suppose rather than pummeling the very nice people there with emails about their practices I should just go fish the place and form my own opinion. There are lots of other places I could venture if I draw a 14 hour circle around Oklahoma City. My mind races with the possibilities and in the spring, in addition to going to ID to learn to throw a spey rod with my wife, I hope to do something very unique in the closest reaches of the west.
October 21st, 2007