Finley Downstream Of Ozark Bridge (Report)

[Arofishing]

Made it to the Finley just south of the main bridge in Ozark twice this week to do some fly fishing/wading at night (4-9pm). If you're familiar with the area, in both trips combined we waded to the part of the walkway where it splinters off (after the incline with the rails and after all the "deer, turkey, beaver" etc crossing signs, right where the power lines cut through).

First night out, on Tuesday evening, was quite a bust. I left my bigger, sinking flies in the glove box of my car, which was in the shop; so I was seriously handicapped trying to get down deep. And given the heat, I really think I needed to. My friend's fly selection is really limited too, so other than a slower sinking bugger sans split shot, he had a difficult time getting deep also. We caught plenty of panfish, but my sneaky pete never produced any smallmouth. In fact, absolutely no bass whatsoever on this night. The only noteworthy thing to happen was my friend lost his keys - and I carpooled with him on top of that - in the water after his dry bag ripped open, so he and I got to swim around just down stream from where the sewage dumps in for about 30 minutes. That was nice .

Last night, Thursday evening, brought the hope of better fishing after the rain and after the nearly 20 degree drop in temperature. I decided to experiment with a smaller jig on my fly rod, anyone ever do this? I figured I needed to get down deep anyway. The only color I had available for the head was pink, with an assortment of different tails. Tried a pink/dark green combination that didn't have a whole lot of success. Caught a blue gill and a goggle eye in approximately an hour, bouncing around from hole to hole while I waited for my friend to show up. I remembered my sinking flies this time! I put on a big clouser minnow after the jig, friend also showed up using an olive bugger. Man, I just never have any luck with this thing! So that brings me to my main question:

How do you fish a clouser minnow? Do you bounce it like a jig? Do you strip it fast? Is it important to strip it continuously so there aren't big changes in elevation(how do you do this)?

I have two, and the one I was using last night is big and heavy (white and sparkly, pinkish, red, blue), can really get down deep, and is almost jig like in its presentation. I tried lots of different retrieves and nothing worked. Could have been the color, as I've never had luck with that thing. In fact, the only fish I've caught on it is a baby smallmouth while I was *running* up stream - just goofing off - while trying to catch my friend, letting the minnow drag (troll) in the water behind me. As it got later and the minnow didn't produce I threw on my betts frugal frog popper. This thing never fails to get hits, usually from little panfish that are two small to get it in their mouth. But I figure I can just skirt away from those panfish with a sense of urgency and maybe a big boy will come up and take it . Caught two good size goggle eye, which had me feeling pretty good considering the utter failure that was the other night, and it is August, after all. But my best fish of the night was an 11 inch large mouth. Just down the stream where it splits in two from a big pool, sitting under a down tree. I always get excited when the fish is capable of testing my drag, as I've been emphasizing actually using my reel for when I get those big trout on my line later in life, and it certainly tested the drag quite a bit. Thought I lost it for a bit in some limbs, somehow my leader never snapped. We walked down stream about another quarter mile after that, but fishing really, really slowed down (~8 pm).

I don't think we've caught a smallie in 2 weeks now. I haven't had much of a problem getting large mouths to take my frog popper, however.

[Jack Jones]

Great report and very welcome to read. I've never fished downstream of the bridge. Only above from shore and yak. I may have to check that out. Tell me, are you a tyer or buyer when it comes to flies? I haven't done much in the way of bassin' with my fly rod, but intend to this fall. Wondered about a decent local source for the larger flies.

[Arofishing]

Great report and very welcome to read. I've never fished downstream of the bridge. Only above from shore and yak. I may have to check that out. Tell me, are you a tyer or buyer when it comes to flies? I haven't done much in the way of bassin' with my fly rod, but intend to this fall. Wondered about a decent local source for the larger flies.

I am a buyer right now, with definite aspirations to tie. In fact, I've already started collecting materials, just need to get a vise and some other essentials.

The flies I own right now are from bass pro and Tim's fly shop. All of the stuff I got at Tim's was for the smaller trout around Roaring River. I've heard that Bass Pro's flies aren't the best quality and overpriced, but they were/are the most convenient place for me to get flies. I really only use 4 different things: a bugger (olive or black), a big mushroom like streamer (sorry can't find it on the BPS website and don't remember the name, it has an elk hair top, black body, with some green at the bottom, and it's about 3 times bigger than your typical bugger), my Betts frugal frog popper, and a black and red Sneaky Pete. I also have the Clouser minnows and a couple cray fish, but I'll put any of the other things on before these given my lack of success.

Can't wait to tie some gurglers here real soon though.

Oh, and as far as downstream from the Ozark bridge is concerned, I can't say it is my favorite place. I'd prefer to do the upper parts of the Finley around Ozark. It's convenient and quick to get access because they have that foot path right there maintained by the city. But I also think for that reason it gets quite a bit of attention. There is also the very obvious and regrettable sewage issue.

[Wayne SW/MO]

If there is current I swing a Clouser and don't strip it until it completes its swing. The bottom of the swing can often be the where the take occurs. More often than not a smallmouth will prefer a dead drifted popper. Like all things this isn't written in stone, but it does happen a lot. They can also be picky about color on top.

[Arofishing]

So you just let it dead drift until it takes up all your slack, then you start stripping in? Think I should do this even with tackle that sinks pretty hard? Often I was trying to fish my big, heavy minnow in pools so I could get down deep. There isn't much of a current. Think maybe I should let it sit there longer and not give it any action for awhile?

Thanks for the tips!

[Wayne SW/MO]

In a pool with a slow current mend aggressively up stream so that your streamer will have the slack to go deeper. You can fish them much like a nymph. Doing this gives you something attractive to slow hitters while it's drifting and then something for the aggressive fish when it starts to swing and when you strip it back upstream to make your next cast.

I don't start retrieving a streamer until it's completed its swing, this often works with smallies no matter what you're throwing.

[Flysmallie]

Jack & Aro,

If you guys will pm me your address I'll send you some gurglers to try.

[RSBreth]

Maybe sometime I'll have to meet up with you when you're going to be down here - I'll "learn you" how to fish a Clouser. My favorite fly.

[Arofishing]

Thanks for the offers and the tips. After tonight I just fell in love with my popper again, who needs clousers when its raining and 80 degrees out! Report coming to James River forum soon.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Thanks for the offers and the tips. After tonight I just fell in love with my popper again, who needs clousers when its raining and 80 degrees out! Report coming to James River forum soon.

As I've said many times there are no firm rules in fishing, but more often then not for me smallies like a dead float. Sometimes a topwater will fail when a bug in the film will rock.