Saturday Half-Day Report: Stockers On Foam, 17" Brown Below

[Nortrad]

Headed to the Islands above Patrick Saturday AM. First time for this excursion, so I drove through the camp ground and noticed someone had beaten me, no big deal. Found my way down the trail and got out of the woods above the fisherman at the islands. Moved up the riffle upstream, nice water. Tactic was to drop nymphs below a hopper or foam attractor of some sort. Went thru 3 different hoppers with no luck until I settled for the yellow/olive one in the pic. Quite a thrill to see this stocker come up and hit the hopper. Had 4 four fish check out various hoppers/chubby chernobyls including the one who took the gold chubby. The big brown measured out at 17". He took a PT w. soft hackle collar, copper BH, under a hopper. He tried to play 'soft' with me to get off. I put the TFO to him and he started the fight. I knew it was too warm to over fight him so I landed him quickly, lifted him quick for the pic and released. He held for a bit and cruised off. It was a great trip to me because I broke the slump I've had on this river, and a great treat landing two on top. Maybe this drought will help this sort of fishing. I noticed a lot of hoppers on a grass/gravel bar, and heading into Sunburst to have lunch. Had my sandwich with Justin and some of the crew. Weather was nice until 11 or so, cloudy, cooler.

[Brian Wise]

Super cool!!

[Gavin]

Good for you!

[Nortrad]

Thanks guys. It was awesome watching the browns come up and eat the foam. Almost as cool watching them check out the different flies.

[Arofishing]

Jealous! Nice fish, hopefully that's me when I get there in a couple weeks. How much line did you have between your hopper and nymph? Did you use weight for the nymph? Looks like the water in your pic is pretty slow, were you fishing slower water?

[Nortrad]

Jealous! Nice fish, hopefully that's me when I get there in a couple weeks. How much line did you have between your hopper and nymph? Did you use weight for the nymph? Looks like the water in your pic is pretty slow, were you fishing slower water?

The riffle was 3-4', nice seam in between the faster water on both sides of it. Hung the nymph down about 3.5 ft., but the brown took it at the end of the drift in slower, shallower water. In retrospect I should have dropped a smaller rubber legs under. I tried CJs and other attractor nymphs. That's the rub with this rig, not a quick adjust for depth.I was hoping for more action on top, but was great.

[Arofishing]

In retrospect I should have dropped a smaller rubber legs under. I tried CJs and other attractor nymphs. That's the rub with this rig, not a quick adjust for depth.I was hoping for more action on top, but was great.

I hear ya. I was using a hopper/dropper combo at the Eleven Point a couple weeks ago and realized I didn't tie enough tippet below the hopper. Was I really going to retie all of that again? I decided not to, and that's why I was asking, so next time I'd have a better idea of length. Of course it depends on the water you're fishing too.

Thanks

[OKFlyFisher44]

Totally awesome Jim! It is foam nasty time! We have been chasing the foam bite on the White and Norfork in Arkansas the past couple of weekends with mixed results, sometimes it's hot and sometimes it's not!

I miss the NFOW...

[Justin Spencer]

Totally awesome Jim! It is foam nasty time! We have been chasing the foam bite on the White and Norfork in Arkansas the past couple of weekends with mixed results, sometimes it's hot and sometimes it's not!

I miss the NFOW...

Maybe it will rain again sometime and we can drift again.

[OKFlyFisher44]

Maybe it will rain again sometime and we can drift again.

I hear that Justin. Soon as it rains, I will be there. I have missed a lot of fishing because of low water.