anyone???

[Zach Bearden]

anyone got a report for the trout? I went yesterday and fished nymphs all day long... I fished a scud and picked up one then switched to a san juan worm and caught 4 or 5... I then switched to midges and caught about 10, no surface action at all... So all in all it was good with fishing only 2 holes so now im wondering who else has been in a while...

[Okieflyfisher53]

It's been about 3 weeks since I've been down there. Caught several bows just below the dam. Went downstream to the old Watts place and caught a few browns and bows and some crappie, bluegills, and a couple of small stripers. That is the first time that I have caught crappie in the Lower Illinois. Maybe they came up from the Arkansas River to escape the high muddy water there.

Steve

[The Caddis]

I went last Friday and hooked around 20, landed a bakers dozen. 2 were on an orange crackleback, the rest were on ginger G bugs or tan soft hackles. Nothing caught on olive or black which have been producers in the past.

I started out in the Horseshoe hole, then worked my way downstream past the fallen tree, then the horn blew.

Where is the Old Watts place? Is there any access south of the turnoff to the dam?

[Okieflyfisher53]

Caddis,

You will find directions to the Watts property here http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/fishregs/troutarea.htm There is also at MarVal trout camp and at River Road access.

Steve

[The Caddis]

OkieFF53 - thanks, how is the fishing down there?

[Okieflyfisher53]

It was good the last time that I was able to make it down there, but that was July 4th. I hope to make it down there next weekend.

steve

[Zach Bearden]

Its alright... I fished midges alot and got some good action... What I like to do when they arent really hitting really aggresivley is cast a sculpin about 10ft over them and then pulling it up to them (about 2-3 ft away) and the rip it as fast as you can. I caught my biggest brown doing that. (15in) I wont go in the morning, I have to do something that has to do with Band then Friday morning we leave for Montana. (2 days of driving!!! UGH!!!!) at least well be up there for all of conclave. OFF53 I hope you do good down there... I have a fishing hole Ill show somebody (whoever comes down first when im here lol) the place. Its kind of a slack water area and theres this very deeeeep hole and you have to fish a heavy fly and I caught my largest rainbow outa there... (22in) and its pretty cool... Who wants in on it?!!?! lol Ill show anyone who wants to...

[tsfinest]

Zach, sent you a pm.

Jason

[Okieflyfisher53]

I finally made it back down there this morning. We didn't get there as early as we had planned, so all the spots that we had planned on fishing were taken. We ended up going to MarVal and picked up a couple of nice bows there. After a while we decided to move upstream and try the area below the cross-vane. After a couple of the usual flies were only working so-so, I decided to try something different. I had a few "Trout Crack" flies

in my box that I had tied with the addition of a copper colored tungsten bead head. Caught a nice rainbow on the first cast, and several more bows and a few browns. They were on it like a hobo on a hot pocket! After about 20 or so fish I decided to experiment a little, and tied on a blue dun "Cadion Midge", and caught several with it, but the bead-head trout crack was definately the hot fly today.

Steve