Striper/Hybrid/White Fly Selection

[Guest flyfishBDS]

Just completed this listing for our Dam, Store Report and thought it would fit here

Our Spring Striper White Hydbrid selection

SPRING is in the air and thoughts of Ozark fly fishers turn to WHITES, WIPERS AND STRIPERS and if you happen to be in the know,Beaver WALLEYE.

Last season's low water run on Beaver was spectacular, a bunch of our customers hooking into their first whites and enjoying the experience. Even Bryce, who had previous foresworn "sand bass" as a "nasty, dirty" fish saw the light and is eagerly anticipating the run. This year with water levels high the Upper White should return to form as well. The two venues, though not far apart require different approaches and particularly flies.

Our Striper fly rod regulars didn't have as good a year last year, what with weather and mechanical mishaps, though there were some spectacular sessions, but they will be back out on the lake hunting down the big boys. This is pretty much a cutting edge fishery, what with the potential size of the bass and the fact as far as we know no-one had the flyrod scene wired. Between the bustups you can hit a lot of other fish, including whites, hybrids, big smallies and some huge panfish. Time on the water is the only way to solve this remarkable fishery.

The walleye run last spring was an eyeopener with three double digit walleyes landed by our conventional tackle colleagues, the best going 13.5lb. Steve goes all glassy-eyed and rapid-fire Aussie-speak when you ask him about the big walleye hooked by a customer he was fishing with last year. Doug had never managed a trout over 10lb despite plenty of fish close and this walleye was way bigger putting a deep bend in his Sage 5wt. The two chased it up and down the river for at least 10 minutes before the hook pulled

This week we received shipments of our SPRING RUN fly selection, including some new patterns we think have plenty of potential. We have assembled a red hot fly selection with some of the biggest names in striper/saltwater tying from east and west coasts and even our own neck of the woods: Clouser, Popovics, Blanton, Blados, Cowen and Whitlock.

COWEN'S BAITFISH: This fly has been a hot one on the Illinois striper bite in this troutish Olive hue, and shouldn't be discounted on some of the big Beaver tailwater and Upper White fish which show up later in spring. We also have the gray-lavender version which should be a strong bet for the lakelake, Arkansas River, and anywhere else stripers and hybrids eat shad. $4.95

BLANTON'S FLASHTAIL WHISTLER: The West Coast killer pushes a lot of water, gets down fast and the megaflash strobes like a dying shad. From the vice of San Fransisco Delta striper guide Dan Blanton, this fly has been around for ages. Throw it in colored water too. Its big, so not for wimpy 8wts.

$4.50

BOB'S BANGER: We watched big noisy surface baits draw up stripers last spring so here's the flyrodder's answer Bob Popovic's Banger. Don't be shy with this fly make as much noise as you can early morning and late evening. This could be the fly to score a really nice striper. $3.50

POPOVIC'S MINI JIGGY: Downsized version of the successful saltwater pattern. Steve hooked his first snook on a 5" version, but this new Umpqua fly is built for freshwater. Our mate Mike Mclellan had plenty to do with popularising this fly for Whites and wipers, but this Popovic's pattern has some differences. Umpqua conehead come with eyes built-in for extra durability and bucktail wing is proven performer, and due to its design remarkably weedless and snag resistant. Should become a smallmouth staple. Pale Olive over white and Chartruese over White. $3.50 ea

CLOUSER MINNOW: Yep you can't go wrong with a boxful of Clousers, you can catch pretty much anything that swims on this fly. Even trout. But for whites Chartruese over White, Olive/white are lethal on the more colored Upper White. Now we have added three extra colors Black/Black for the night time walleye bite, and Chartruese/Yellow (one of the hottest mid-country bass colors) and the new Tutti Frutti (chartruese/pink). The Tutti Frutti color-combo has exploded on the east coast saltwater scene nailing everything fromn stripers to tunas. It should be a great Upper White pattern, smallies should nail it in off color water and we kinda fancy it for trout too shhh. $2.50

BLADOS' CREASE FLY: Capt. Joe Blados' Crease fly we have raved about for years. Bass and Hybrids, this is a killer. Fish it on the surface pushing water. Leave long pauses and watch for hybrids coming up deep. Or fish it on a sinking line, like the originator intended, with the fly riding up in the column on the pause. This is a hot technique for largemouth bass on the Swepco Lake at Gentry and other waters. $5.95 expensive but try tying them!

FLOATING GUMMY MINNOW: A great fly given a new purpose. Again this has been a great pattern for largemouth on Gentry. Fish it on a "slime line" (clear intermediate) and let it float up on the pause. Should get nailed by white and hybrids both. $4.50

GUMMY MINNOW: The original sinking version. This fly is catching up to the Clouser as one of the most fish catching flies ever invented. We stuck quite a few rainbows on this fly while fishing for whites last year and its been killer on whites in the lake. Largemouth love it. Try not to strip it too fast. as it falls on the pause, the underbelly strobes, bring in fish from afar. Beaver smallies love it too

Size 8 $3.50. Size 6 $5.95.

WHITLOCK'S DEEP SHAD: One of the great series of Sheep flies from master tier Dave Whitlock, a man very familiar with the waters and stripers in this area. We have carried the Shad pattern for several years, but this year added the Deep Minnow tied with bead chain eyes for when you need to go a little deeper. $4.95

Oh and if your interested in other species _ week connected to a couple of gar on this fly last year.

THE DAME: Steve's signature streamer has proved itself on whites, smallies, walleye, hybrids (one 6 pounder), stripers on the Arkansas, and largemouth (one 9-pounder from Lake Fork in Tx). Chartreuse/white has been a killer on the Upper White, Fire Tiger also works well, Shad, and the new Walleye Surprise combination is work looking at.

KNOW HOW TO HOLD 'EM: A GOOD collection of white,wiper and striper flies is a pretty sizeable investment whether you tie your own or buy them from us, so its a DAM good idea to look after them. Those plastic lure boxes work if they are kept flat, but put them on their end and you have curly tailed Clousers, bent Bangers and worse. Instead check out these superb Bugger Beast's from Cliff Outdoors. This locking briefcase style box not only keeps your flies tidy, organised but hey it floats _ always a good thing. Cliff's signature blue slitfoam holds big flies superbly cso you can find them when you need them. $44.95