The Little Red is my home waters. I’ve been fishing it for nearly 50 years and have many, many fond memories. Living out of state these days and I only get back once, sometimes twice a year but I always make time to do some fly fishing when back in town. Great access to some prime fly fishing sections of the river makes it enjoyable to all even if you don’t have a house on it. It is a true treasure.
Your channel is among the best on RU-vid for fly fishing Have you figured out any better methods / flies for when there’s no generation since this video? I was wading below Bull Shoals in Cotter a couple weeks back with no generation. Fishing was dead almost everywhere, but I still caught loads in a honey hole I had found on a previous trip. Was also on Beaver tailwater with no generation. Went out 6AM to 9AM. Got one single bite & luckily it was a 21in brown. Realized later I was too close to the dam where I caught him. There was no cable & I thought regulation was 100ft (it was 100 yds, oops).
Thank You! Really appreciate the kind words man! When it comes to fly fishing, just when I think I might have it figured out, I get humbled! I always learn something every time I’m out there. There are so many variables to consider, and considering I’m only taking a few trips up there a year, it’s hard to give specifics. I always try and stop by the local fly shops and buy some flies/gear and get info before each trip. Those guys are out there everyday so they can really give you up to date info. But generally, I just try and be persistent, match the food source and give a good presentation. If that doesn’t work I just start trying different stuff! Good to hear you were able to get into them on Bull Shoals and land a nice brown on Beaver!
I used to fish there nearly every weekend. It used to be loaded with sow bugs but couldn’t find any the last time I fished it. The bows are stocked and will eat anything. In the summer the guide boats will run over you if you’re wading.
Chronomidae (midges) is the dominant benthic fauna in the Little Red, and the dominant fish food. Then Isopoda (sowbugs), and ephemeropetora (mayflies) and trichoptera (caddis flies) are way down the list. I've heard it said that there's a hatch of small stoneflies that comes off, but I've never seen it in the fifty years I've been fishing the LR. Matter of fact, the amount of times I've seen even a sparse hatch of mayfly or caddis, I could count on one hand. Sowbugs are far less evident in the river grass these days, IME. My best fish ever was a 23" five pound male in spawning colors, on Turkey Day '77. It took a sowbug as a drift became a swing on Cow Shoals. Under a large overhanging tree, in a pocket. These days the pockets there are gone, flattened out over the years by the heavy flows. I'll stop here. I have a lot of criticism for the way the river became a cash cow for realtors.
Thanks for information! You definitely understand the dynamics of that river, which I really appreciate it! The little red is a special place! I hope that future generations can have the same experience as i have had the pleasure of!
I’m not a fly fishermen by any means tho I do know maybe just enough to squeeze a few chunkers on the fly I do know/fish the river all the way from the barbless trophy area you started at all the way to the Lobo ramp, an over the years I’ve made/experienced some wonderland adventures out there plus I’ve got family round yonder so y’all holler cause I could tell stories and ventures bout this river all year.
Did you know that a plane landed on Greers ferry dam thinking it was the local airport? This was a night landing, and the airport didn’t have lights, but the roadway across the dam is lined with lights at night that are low to the roadway. The pilot thought this was the runway.
@Outdoor Highlife just message me and we can do it man. I like to go to Ramsey Landing. It's a little further down river but the fishing is still good. There you can wade almost everywhere.
Yes, there was a guy with a shuttle van last summer. Google search him. Me and girlfriend fished two days. The river is full of rainbows , all sizes. I saw a giant brown trout under my kayak but didn’t catch any. Great place to beat the heat with the cold water in summer.
Great video and great fish! I just subscribed…I started my own RU-vid fishing channel a couple of months ago (I’m in Tulsa) and I really enjoyed your video. Keep up the good work!
Outstanding video. Love the edits, the info about each particular place you fish, the info about your setups and also the natural sounds of the outdoors as you fish. I watch a lot of fishing videos on RU-vid, but I don't subscribe to many channels--yours is exceptional. Keep up the good work!
