TheDrift

Thanks for the warm welcome and thanks very much for the information! I am incredibly happy and relieved to learn that my days of fly fishing didn't die with my move to the east. A few months ago I drove over to Arkansas and fished right below Bull Shoals Dam. Water was low and crowded, and after 4 hours in the car I was a little disheartened. I rigged up and popped into the water as far from the crowd as possible (luckily for me they were all fishing the wrong water) and within a few minutes was in a reel zinging fight with about a 16 inch shouldery rainbow. All was right with the world. I started to realize on my drive home however, that 8 hours in the car was really going to put a dent into my patience and fishing life. I've been kind of down ever since. I am thrilled to learn that it won't be necessary to drive that far...especially with $4 gas! I've got a few Clousers left from chasing wipers in Colorado, so I will likely wet a line in the Arkansas this weekend or next week and see what happens. I'll keep an eye out for any fly throwing bretheren. Saw a truck in the parking lot on Riverside the other day with a Lamson sticker in the window...made me smile and figured I was in good company. And thanks for sharing the blog...it'll help get me through the rough days in the office. I'll keep in touch on here and maybe someday we can get together for some fishing or some beers. Or fishing then beers. Or fishing with beers. -Jesse

Greetings all! I recently moved back to Tulsa after several years in Colorado. On my runs down the river trail lately I have noticed two or three people fly fishing just below Zink Dam. I can't tell you how excited I have been to see this, as the one thing I miss the most about Colorado is the fly fishing. I was fortunate enough to have worked as a guide in Colorado and lived close enough to flowing water to easily fish 6-7 days a week. A job offer brought me back to Tulsa, and while it was the mature and responsible move, I somedays miss being on the water so badly that it nearly brings me to my knees. No one here seems to understand that...I all too often hear, "I don't get it. Lighten up man, it is just fishing." Different strokes for different folks I guess. Anyway, enough "woe is me talk." Yesterday I started doing a bit of research and reading about chucking flies on the Arkansas and was astounded to find out that it is an excellent striper fishery. That research also landed me here, among a contingent of what I assume to be like-minded people...it is nice to "meet" you. I have some questions: my heaviest rod is a 6wt., which I assume to be too light for striper fishing; is that correct? It was my "big water" rod in northern Colorado, but big water there means 18-21 inch trout, not quite the size of the stripers I have been reading about here. Also, what size leaders and tippet are you using? I'd venture to bet that my stash of 3x-7x just ain't gonna cut it. And aside from bait fish emulators, what else do these fish take? Poppers? Thanks for any time and advice you can share... -Jesse