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Lower Illinois?

I sure haven't flyfished in Okla much in a few years. The last times i did was on the Mt Fork (Broken Bow) and that was pretty good, worth the time and effort for me (plus it's a georgeous place to be). Also fished the Blue for seasonal trout, but landed more cottonmouths than trout in the spring. If your up for a little further trip, read up on the Red River and Below Bull Shoals in Arkansas. That area is likely to produce for you year round, imho.
 
OTT,

I've caught a ton of fish on the Lower Illinois. Most of them are fairly small when compared to Ark, but it's still a great place given how close it is to Tulsa.
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We hit it last Saturday and it was ok. After fishing the Norfolk and White a couple of weeks ago it was a bit of a let down. Did catch my first fish on a hand tied fly so that felt great. We are looking into Malvo (sp?) further down stream and we're hoping that's better.
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Location can be key. We have had days where we catch 50 fish and days where we catch 5 in the exact same spot. We usually find the biggest fish close to the damn but the most fish down by MarVal's and beyond.
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Originally posted by tcpoke:
Location can be key. We have had days where we catch 50 fish and days where we catch 5 in the exact same spot. We usually find the biggest fish close to the damn but the most fish down by MarVal's and beyond.

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Thx.
 
Nice! Got a report?

I was fishing the Roaring Fork and Frying Pan last week. No great successes (lost more than I landed, new to fly fishing) but still caught some decent fish. Lost a monster brown in the Roaring Fork as I tried to muscle it in as I needed to get back to the cabin to watch the game on Saturday.
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It was a little too crowded and couldn't get them to hit anything other than woolyboogers. We are going to leave the dam and head towards the 990 rd parking lot next time, too be honest I haven't figured the river out yet.
 
The 990 Rd parking lot is where we spend most of our time, well that's where we start at least. From there we usually work our way up river.
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Originally posted by tcpoke:
Nice! Got a report?

I was fishing the Roaring Fork and Frying Pan last week. No great successes (lost more than I landed, new to fly fishing) but still caught some decent fish. Lost a monster brown in the Roaring Fork as I tried to muscle it in as I needed to get back to the cabin to watch the game on Saturday.

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Love those rivers tcpoke! biggest fish that looked like a football I've ever caught was in the Frying Pan. the roaring fork is true to its name! that is One big long riffle. Glad you got to fight a nice one though!

tcp
 
They are great fisheries TCP. We make annual trip up there (this was our 3rd year) and as a result I've picked up fly fishing. The Frying Pan can be crowded, so I take my chances in the Roaring Fork quite a bit (as I'm learning) but you're right, it is simply one long riffle. Tough fishing at times.
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TC if you ever get a chance I would suggest a trip to Rocky Nat Park and hiking up to some of the lakes there. You won't need more that a 4 weight and the fish aren't big but it's a blast to dry fly those lakes.
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Will have to do that. I use a 4 weight mid flex Orvis rig. Really like it and have actually landed some decent bass on it practicing around here. Problem is when I'm fishing moving water I get so damn excited when I hook up (wet or dry fly) I totally forget what the hell I'm doing!
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TCPoke, When I fished the fryingpan it wasn't crowded at all, and I got to fish a private stretch also. The fishing was spectacular. And fishing the fryingpan was one of only two times i've run into a bear up close. One evening right at dark, on a little stretch that was away from the road about as far as it gets from the road, it was perfectly quiet, I'm wading out chest deep fishing upstream and I hear a twig snap behind me on the bank. I freeze for a second and slowly turn to look, and less than 30 yrd away is a black bear standing there watching me. It was the most beautiful thing, blue black and a perfect specimen. I flicked my line back upstream hoping to let him know I was alive and darn if he didn't walk slowly towards me on the bank until he was about at 16 or so yds and he stopped and watched me. By now, you know my heart is thumping out of my chest, but I didn't move very much. I guess he had his curiosity met and he slowly turned, when back downstream where he had come out of the forest and got in the water and swam across....right toward where my vehicle was parked. As soon as he was gone, I found a way out the opposite direction and got to my truck about dark thirty. You just never forget those encounters. It made the day indelible in my memory.
 
That is awesome!

Last year we stood right on the property line of Johnny Morris' (Bass Pro founder) and caught some of his fish in the Frying Pan. That was actually my first time to really fly fish without it being mostly a learning experience in casting. His stretch of that stream is magnificent.

I've had a couple of days where it feels like I'm the only one on the water. Other times it was so crowded I was afraid I would end up snagging someone so I just turned around and headed back to the Roaring Fork. I'm not confident enough to fish very close to people I would feel bad about hooking.
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For got this was on my profile. This is Fern Lake in Rocky Mtn NP.


O44231.jpg
 
I think we need to take an OSI group over to the Norfolk/White in AR for a fishing weekend sometime, I love all of CO and the San Juan quality waters in NM but as close as AR is I think you guys would really like the river.
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