Earning Some Stripes

Since I picked up a fly rod I was consumed with deciphering rivers. You have to be right? Stacking the odds and all that. Learning seasonal changes, flows, food sources, oxygenation, current in relation to structure, where fish are likely to lie, and with all that, maybe how to get them to take a bite. It’s fun, frustrating, takes time, and when you think you got it, something changes. Every once in a while I need a change too.

Being lucky enough to be nestled in a part of the Ozark’s where we have 2 lakes, 2 tail-waters, a freestone national river, a blue ribbon smallmouth creek, and numerous other feeder streams all within spitting distance makes finding a change of pace pretty simple. Lately, a favorite alternative to chasing browns on the White has been hitting the lakes in search for striped bass.

Though let’s not mistake change of pace for easy. Going from the flowing water I was use to now, to trying to put a fly in front of a fish on all that big open water was like someone flipped the map. You may go out with a general idea of how to fish different water and have some luck, but I quickly realized I was going to have to dive right back into some research if I wanted to have any real success.

Like rivers, these reservoirs have their own currents, changes, and habitats that need to be understood to target fish. Luckily we now have the internet to make pouring through this information a bit easier. So, when I put the rod down, I started studying. I searched for behavior and feeding patterns, and found stripers don’t necessarily relate to structure as much as prey. Finding stripers actively pursuing bait-fish meant finding the baitfish myself. For the time of year, I found that was going to be held tight into old river channels and creek mouths. Enter - google maps. A tool I always use when out exploring waters. Getting a birds-eye view of terrain, access points, and the best ways to those fishy spots is invaluable.

Even with this new information, I still had to go bang my head against the door a few times. After all I didn’t have all the state of the art lake angling equipment. I don’t really have all the state of the art river equipment for that matter. But anyways, I felt small out there in the little river Jon. While at the time also lacking someone to man the oars to help fight the wind, and extra waves coming off the 70 plus mph bass boats cruising past occupied by faces with some curious looks. So, i’m sure having to start up the engine plenty of times to reposition was not working in my favor.

Starting the cycle over of putting research to practice, I went back to the internet to see what else I could find out. I wanted more specifics on the water I was fishing, and I found it. I came to an article written by an old timer that had been fishing for Lake Norfork stripers for over a decade. He was a knowledgeable bait and gear fisherman, and discussed the water, gear, and tactics in depth. Confirming some things I had already learned, and gaining some new knowledge, what I needed to do now was convert these tactics into a fly fishing approach. And it worked.

After tying up some new flies, I got back out on the water. Once again, google maps served me well. I putted into a spot with obvious bait-fish activity, and set up to where the wind would drift me quietly along a bank and into the mouth of a creek. It was later in the afternoon, I worked my way across the mouth of the creek and finally cast to some submerged brush on the far bank. I counted the fly down a few seconds, made one strip, and was immediately met with a hard take. The fish made a hard run, while I quickly tried to spool in the rest of my line and get him on the reel. It then quickly came close to the surface and flashed its side before making another strong run. It was the striper I was after. Over all the fight was pretty short and sweet, but my heart was pounding as I got him to the boat.

I snapped a couple quick pictures, and then watched him take off straight back down and disappear. I was so pumped. I had caught a striper before, and this was not a monster by striper standards. This time though, I was targeting this species alone. After putting in the time and research, it finally just felt like a mission accomplished. I just sat back for a minute after that, and looked around to see nothing but still water. There was a brief moment when the idea of giving myself a high five boiled in the back of my mind. I am so, so, sooo happy I didn’t do that. Even though nobody was around to see, i’m quite positive I would’ve felt like a jackass and soured the moment. A big sigh of relief while writing this. Actually earning a fish feels so rewarding, and I would prefer to leave that feeling untarnished.