Spring River Trip1, Nov 7-10, 2022
A group of FATC members and a new member, made a trip to the Spring River in northern Arkansas (just across the Missouri border). Don Varner, Bob Hassett, Jim Craig, Matt McClure, Dan Staggenborg, AL Harper and new FATC member, Mike Guzy drove the extra hour past Licking to Mammoth Springs, AR. The weather was fantastic, in the 70’s most days and some guys even wet waded, IN NOVEMBER, no less!
We stayed at a cabin of a friend, right on the Spring River where we could walk out the back to semi-private trout fishing. Floaters in watercraft could fish there, but not uninvited waders (we were invited).
Everyone arrived at around 10 am and quickly aquatinted themselves with the cabin, which has a huge wrap around porch and enough room for each of us to spread out our gear to have within easy reach.
Didn’t take long before guys were heading to the water and Jim Craig was feeling the love of the local trout in nearby riffles. We spent most of the day exploring and finding good water to fish.
The layout of the area is difficult to describe, but easy to figure out once you see it. [Think “Y” looking upstream.] There is a public access of fishable water below the Jim Hinkle Dam 3 access. Looking up stream to the right fork of the river is a channel that flows through a state hatchery. That access is about 150 yards to walk, requiring fording the river, but it’s a 3-4 mile drive through town to reach by car. On the left side of the fork, looking upstream is another faster outflow and spillway from a Federal hatchery.
AL Harper and Mike Guzy began the first day with an ambitious 3 mile float from near the visitors center at Dam 1 and ended at our cabin with a short portage in between. They caught 5 along that stretch either stripping a streamer or floating a nymph under an indicator.
Don Varner had contacted our friend Mark Crawford, a noted local guide, about what the fish were liking these days on the Spring. Mark suggested The Y2K fly, Olive or Rust colored Woolly Buggers. White Woolly floated under an indicator was also effective according to Mark. Jim was the only one that took the hint and tied up 8 of the Y2Ks. Boy was he glad he did ! The fly is similar to an orange/yellow egg pattern. Jim used it to such great success where he eventually lost all 7 (after giving away 1) in the course of catching quite a few trout over a couple days !
After spending the first day exploring some of the nearby areas we enjoyed a fellowship meal of Mississippi pot roast, side dishes and decorated cheesecakes for dessert. Ahhh. Nothing like “roughing it” !
The 2nd day, we dropped off AL’s pickup truck and Don & Bob at the Bayou River Access, which is 3 miles downstream and was to be the end of our float for that day. We expected Don & Bob to spend a few hours there and move on, since there were about a half dozen fisherman there when we dropped off.
After a 10-minute ride back to the cabin site, along a dusty gravel road, we launched right at the cabin and found fishable waters along the way. AL and Mike fished, mostly stripping streamers, from AL’s Flycraft. Matt, Jim and I use our kayaks.
After unsuccessfully trying to fish from a kayak for years, I found the best way is to stop, beach the kayak and wade the good looking water, which can often be quite fast (and sometime productive).
An interesting anecdote: as everyone was taking off down river, I noticed a brown/rust stonefly had landed on the cabin railing. On a lark, a Pat’s rubber leg seemed a good choice, so one borrowed from Matt McClure was tied on. I paddled a short distance out to deeper water to test sink rate and if split shot was needed. Sure enough, a trout took it immediately just behind the cabin. Kept up the float a little farther and caught another, while the kayak was spinning gently around. “WooHoo, this is it !”, I thought. The next hour with that fly never got another take.
That situation, where one catches a fish or two right away, followed by the long, painful stretch of nothing but hoping, is known as “The Good Bye Kiss”. One thinks that you’re on to something great, when it was only an illusion all along !
We all got spread out after a while depending on where and how long each person stopped, and the results we each had. Jim has a pretty good eye for productive water showed me several spots I’d never fished before. Then we met up and I was able to show Jim one of my favorite spots of fast water where Jim caught 2 euro-nymphing his Y2K and 3 took my chartreuse egg under an indicator.
In time we all met up at the picturesque Horseshoe falls, which has about a 2 foot drop over most of it, but has a convenient way around the right side. Matt waded out above the falls and was having some luck stripping a streamer with his one weight spey rod and sink tip leader. AL and Mike were stripping streamers below the falls doing well. Jim, as always seems to find good water everywhere he goes, picked up several fish at the edge of the falls on the right side.
A good spot above the falls, on the far side, yielded DanStag 5 trout including 2 browns, with one being roughly 15” on the chartreuse egg. This was a beautiful place to fish and all seemed to have good luck near those falls.
To beat the rapidly approaching darkness we had to be on our way and paddled the quarter mile downstream our takeout point at Bayou Access. Much to our surprise, Bob and Don were still fishing at Bayou Access after 5 hours since we dropped them off. Each had picked up 8 trout on a variety of flies, including a red worm and later a yellow egg. They were able to work across and downstream and to find fish.
After an exciting ride back to the cabin, with kayaks and fishing gear hanging off AL’s pickup, we had a Fellowship dinner of Mrs. DanStag’s hearty hamburger soup and garlic bread. The jar cupcakes desserts provided by Matt McClure, were wicked good ! We had to ask ourselves how much more “roughing it” could we take ?
The 3rd morning, Don Varner and Bob Hassett were up early to meet their guide, Mark Crawford. AL and Mike Guzy worked the area below the spillway on the left leg of the River. They did rather well there, with AL catching 8 stripping a variety of streamers and Mike catching 7 by nymphing and also stripping a streamer.
DanStag, Matt and Jim Craig did more exploring. At Riverside Resort Campground we scoped out the ample camping (either tent or RV) and the cabins for a possible FATC trip and found it more than suitable. The fishing at Riverside is great as we later found out from Don and Bob. Then Matt, Jim and DanStag made a detour to the Dam 3 Access where we got some tips from some local fly fishermen, and reconnoitered the area.
DanStag went back to fish behind the cabin stripping several different streamers and picked up 7 total that day. Jim Craig continued his mastery of the nearby riffles. Matt got pretty darn proficient with his 11-foot Spey picking up 5 fish behind the cabin, even catching a smallmouth.
Later in the afternoon, Don and Bob returned from their guided day trip and regaled us with anecdotes and tales of their many fish. Both Don and Bob finished their guided trip with 24 fish apiece, even though Don had a slow start. Needless to say they were well satisfied with their day, learned a lot and said it was a fun experience. Nearly all of their fish were caught using either a regular or a a modified Y2K. The modification was a trick Mark, the guide added which gave the Y2K a small “tail” of chartreuse or orange which he thought resembled an emerging caddis. Worked great for Don and Bob.
That night we ate our Fellowship dinner at the StateLine Restaurant, literally 30 feet into Missouri at the State line. From there we returned to the cabin, relaxed with many stories and friendly razzing. Later we enjoyed apple pie !
The next morning was getaway day for us, but several of us stopped by Mark Crawford’s shop (Spring River Flies and Guides) to meet Mark and pick up flies he’d promised to Bob & Don. We were very fortunate that Mark’s clients for that day were running late. So, we spent 45 minutes talking trout fishing, tying and techniques. Mark is very astute and knows the Spring River like his back yard. He is a knowledgeable and interesting guy to talk with. We each bought flies and he described some of his fly-tying ideas which we are anxious to try.
Most of us got on the road between 9 and 10 am. We were home by 2-3 o clock with lots of great memories and stories.
Oh yeah, the reason for asking if anyone still likes trains? The tracks just across the river were being repaired each day until mid-afternoon. Then the trains would come thundering by at all hours of the day and during the night. Since our exposure to the racket would be over in a few days, none of us seemed to mind them. The fish certainly didn’t care.
DanStag Nov 15, 2022
