Dry Run Creek…guide training.

The famed Dry Run Creek in Arkansas has had some pretty major stream improvements going on for the last few months.  Dave Whitlock designed all the changes and after seeing the 3d model I was excited....but then I realised that probably meant there would be construction and heavy equipment through this Fall which means it could have put a hamper on some of the brown trout spawning movement as they came into the stream--Nope.

First of all I have to say I am a HUGE fan of the changes that we saw....but then there was the fishing.

It had been a little while since we had the chance to fish Dry Run, "we" being my 6 year old and 4 year old boys.  There was an understanding that one would fish and the other would net--then they would switch.  In effect this was another step in their guide training so I can start booking trips for them asap.

We got to Dry Run around 1 in the afternoon.  The first thing we always do is take a stroll to the Hatchery and feed all the huge fish in the first bay.  If you haven't been to the Norfork National Fish Hatchery it is seriously cool, you can see trout from eggs to 15+pounds and every stage in between. 

After feeding the fish we strung the Ross Journey Rod (special rod for kids, so cool) with the Flystart Reel and headed to the creek.  We started with a pink San Juan worm which I kind of got a snarl from the boys for tying on but after the first 8 casts equaled 8 fish the snarls went away.  The fishing was great...

After the boys caught a TON of small fish it seemed like the bigger fish just really started to bite...

And then Parker quit messing around...

Believe it or not we were looking at and fishing to a fish that was 'noticeably' bigger than that one.  Dry Run is, one word, unbelievable and with the stream improvments that are taking place I think it is just getting better.