Little Red All 4 Species.

[jdmidwest]

I went down back in June to scout the area around Heber Spring.  Rainy weekend and not really expecting to fish.  I had been there one time long ago when I was doing Point of Sale systems and meeting with Orvis dealers.  It was hot this weekend and my hay guy was finishing out the hay.  Farm was caught up, wife and I took off Sat morning for a drive.  Spent the night in Heber Springs and decided to see if I could squeak in a little fishing this morning.  Last time down, spring floods were still keeping the river at full generation except for a few hours early morning.  This weekend was better, only generating in the evenings.  Water was still stirred up and milky.

Started in Kennedy Park by the outlet.  Had a nice flock of teal in my hole to start off.

Beside the teal, a hoard of the black headed buzzards was hanging around the bank upstream from me. 

3 trout off the bat, 1 little cuttie that flopped off before I could take a pic.  Played around for a while and pulled out and went down to end of campground.  Walked upstream and had a few nibbles.  I was going to fish till 9 and pull out.  At 8:45 the sun hit a rock I was casting to and they turned on.  2 Brookies, a Brownie, and several rainbows.  Nothing of any size but all fun on my new Orvis Superfine Graphite 7'9" 5 weight.

Good morning to be out, crowds were thinner early on.  We went back an hour later and it had picked up.  Going to have to do it again.

With Missouri trout streams suffering from the lack of trout to stock, Spring River the same from the flood, I need to broaden my travel range.

[gotmuddy]

awesome report.  I have never been, but have always thought about going.

[snagged in outlet 3]

Nice, @jdmidwest!!   It’s been decades since I’ve been there.   Last time was at Cow Shoals in October.  Total sh!?t show.  

[ColdWaterFshr]

Nice report.  How do you like that Orvis Superfine?

[jdmidwest]

T

1 hour ago, ColdWaterFshr said:

Nice report.  How do you like that Orvis Superfine?

Feels about 2 Oz lighter than my original 2 pc Far and Fine.  Casts good for a 7'9", but I really needed a 9' rid with more umpfh.. I needed to shoot about another 20' to hit the active ones on other side.

Outdoor Life did a piece on best rods of 2025, and it was highly rated.  I don't use my older 2 PC rods much any more, switched to 4 PC.  Nice cork, sweet looking rod with rod bag and tube.  Nice soft action with just enough power from graphite fibers.  Tossed a few beetle and ant dries and it did fine.  It's a small stream rod like the original.

I came home and was going to order one in 6wt, but 5wt is max.  I need a 6wt for tailwater, my buddy left my last one leaning against a fence at Jim's Landing on the Kenai in 2000.

 

[tjm]

2 hours ago, jdmidwest said:

Feels about 2 Oz lighter than my original 2 pc Far and Fine. 

Only 5/8 oz.  without the reel and line then? I looked all over the web once trying to find a published weight on Orvis' new rods, all blanks that I found. But if memory serves the early F&F was 2 5/8oz., my old All 'Rounder #7 is only 3oz. I always  seem to like lighter lines that Orvis recommends on their rods, so that's my 6wt. 

I use lots of two piece rods and feel like the fewer pieces there are the fewer pieces I can lose. I'd look for one piece rods if my car was bigger, because with most casts being some form of roll or oval,  the rod joints tend to work apart. It took a few rods breaking for me to learn to keep checking that single joint, and if i had two more joints to keep watch on, I'm afraid that it'd be a full time job. 

I suppose that means that I'll have to fish "vintage" rods from now on, because the short sections have taken over the industry. I suppose shorter the piece is the cheaper to manufacture and or replace.

[jdmidwest]

2 hours ago, tjm said:

Only 5/8 oz.  without the reel and line then? I looked all over the web once trying to find a published weight on Orvis' new rods, all blanks that I found. But if memory serves the early F&F was 2 5/8oz., my old All 'Rounder #7 is only 3oz. I always  seem to like lighter lines that Orvis recommends on their rods, so that's my 6wt. 

I use lots of two piece rods and feel like the fewer pieces there are the fewer pieces I can lose. I'd look for one piece rods if my car was bigger, because with most casts being some form of roll or oval,  the rod joints tend to work apart. It took a few rods breaking for me to learn to keep checking that single joint, and if i had two more joints to keep watch on, I'm afraid that it'd be a full time job. 

I suppose that means that I'll have to fish "vintage" rods from now on, because the short sections have taken over the industry. I suppose shorter the piece is the cheaper to manufacture and or replace.

It does not weigh much more than my 1 Ounce HLS 4 wt 7 ft rod.  It has the cork reel seat with lightweight hardware.  1 oz rod is cork and rings.

I remember the selling point of the 1 ounce, weight of 4 quarters.  Balanced well with a CFO from England.

Since they started putting alignment dots on the joints, its a smooth assembly, put the 2 dots together.  Never have an issue with one coming apart or working loose.  But most of my rods are slightly used compared to some.

One thing that has always aggravated me is the long part of the exposed blank in the joint between the sections.  I have always thought it looks goofy.

They are leaving off the rings to store your fly rigged up.  Notice that I put it in a reel hole.  Never been one to screw up good cork.

[tjm]

4 hours ago, jdmidwest said:

They are leaving off the rings to store your fly rigged up.  Notice that I put it in a reel hole.  Never been one to screw up good cork.

Early on, when I was still using 12'-16' leaders, I learned that bringing the leader around the reel frame and back up to a guide would keep the kink out of the leader that they develop when folded over the tiptop, and often keep the leader-line connection out of the tiptop as well. I have never hooked a fly into the cork (don't understand those that do) and I don't think that I've used a keeper ring since about '76 or so. With those Mason Hard Nylon leaders a tiptop kink was almost a permanent kink. The fly line tip doesn't seem to hold a kink that bad and with knotted leaders it's just handy to have them all outside the guides. I've walked a lot of miles with the leader snugged over the reel that way. I've seen fellers bring the leader around the reel foot and back up, but the foot is almost as sharp cornered as the tiptop, coming around the pillars or case gives a nice radius. 

I think I prefer rods with a little bit of weight to them, 2.5-4.5 oz. have never bothered me and most of my lines add an ounce to the reel's 3-4oz, as long as it all adds up to less than a cup of coffee, I'll manage. I like the cork seat spacer better than the fancy woods that many rods get, but then I'm happy with a plain aluminum reel seat too.   

[BradK]

Nice to see your report. I was there Sunday morning, too, and we caught about 6-7, mostly small rainbow stockers and one brookie.

Didn't venture out much from the outlet area where the C&R ends. We used Pheasant Tail Soft Hackles and San Juan Worms. 

What were you fishing with?

[jdmidwest]

9 hours ago, BradK said:

Nice to see your report. I was there Sunday morning, too, and we caught about 6-7, mostly small rainbow stockers and one brookie.

Didn't venture out much from the outlet area where the C&R ends. We used Pheasant Tail Soft Hackles and San Juan Worms. 

What were you fishing with?

Brown and Black bead head nymph was the only takers.  I tossed some terrestrials and tried for a topwater bite.  I saw a few random risers.

I probably saw you upstream of the gaggle of the black headed buzzards hanging below the outlet.  Not too many fly fishing that morning.  I left shortly after the fog started lifting, had to get to the motel and check out.

I was wondering where the C&R area was, but I was flies and barbless.  And not keeping.