James River-06.11.16

[Ryan Walker]

Floated from Hootentown to Marble grounds yesterday. Great trip, water is in great shape, and the fish were agreeable! I like this float because it's usually other fisherman you run in to, so the crowds are lighter.

Fished the flyrod only, and caught fish on Mohawk Sculpins, and a new favorite fly called the "Equalizer" ( pic below). Fish were aggressive and full of fight, colored up nicely and seemed eager to chase a fly. No need for a sink-tip on this trip, most of the smallies we caught were actively chasing baitfish, so the action was fast, with a majority of my strikes on a fast strip-strip-strip-pause-strip retrieve. 

I tied the Equalizer in olive/brown, olive/white, and white/tan, varying the head color from bright to dark, but the best combo seemed to be the olive/brown with a contrasting, lighter brown head.

Free. The. Fighter!!

 

[crappie_adams83]

Nicely done I bet you saw a couple of the boys fishing the tourney that day to

[Fishin4Fun]

Very nice catch Ryan!  Pretty sure you were the one I was talking to at launch on Saturday in regards to the take out at Mud Bank.  All worked out and it was a great trip.  Definitely some nice smallies caught on Saturday.  Thanks for sharing your fly pattern.  I am from Idaho and use to fly fish all the time, but haven't since we moved out here.  I might have to get back to it after seeing these pics.

Tyy

[Ryan Walker]

7 minutes ago, Fishin4Fun said:

Very nice catch Ryan!  Pretty sure you were the one I was talking to at launch on Saturday in regards to the take out at Mud Bank.  All worked out and it was a great trip.  Definitely some nice smallies caught on Saturday.  Thanks for sharing your fly pattern.  I am from Idaho and use to fly fish all the time, but haven't since we moved out here.  I might have to get back to it after seeing these pics.

Tyy

Hey! Sorry for the confusion about that, not sure what I did the night before, cause I drove right to Mud Bank that morning..
We spent a week+ in Idaho last fall, fished the Henry's Fork,Snake and a bunch of the Yellowstone streams, love that state!

Go see Ozarks Smallmouth Alliance on FB, love to have you contribute! 

[Fishin4Fun]

Sounds good Ryan!  Yeah, I lived right by the Henry's Fork.  Fished it some and the Snake as I lived right by that in the Pocatello, Idaho area.  I actually grew up in the Sun Valley Idaho area and fished Silver Creek and the Big Wood River a ton if you are familiar with those at all.  Fly fishing was all I did back then.

I will definitely go check out the Ozarks Smallmouth Alliance.  Thanks for sharing!

[Ryan Walker]

1 minute ago, Fishin4Fun said:

Sounds good Ryan!  Yeah, I lived right by the Henry's Fork.  Fished it some and the Snake as I lived right by that in the Pocatello, Idaho area.  I actually grew up in the Sun Valley Idaho area and fished Silver Creek and the Big Wood River a ton if you are familiar with those at all.  Fly fishing was all I did back then.

I will definitely go check out the Ozarks Smallmouth Alliance.  Thanks for sharing!

Cool! I am very familiar! Some of my favorite waters! My wife is very allergic to cold, or we'd probably be in a cabin outside Rexburg or near Idaho Falls somewhere. 

Glad to meet you, hope to see you on the river again soon!