Many "Lost" Day at the Blue River, Tishomingo, OK

by Rob Ruff
(Wichita Falls, TX )

On Dec 21st I headed to the Blue River. It's a spring fed river and during Nov to March it's stocked with trout. Summer temps are too warm to keep it a year round trout fishery. I used my Nissan Royal Stage 400 6:4, #3.5 LL, and 5X tippet. I used several different flies but initially I started out with a brown killer bug. I was on the river by 7:30 AM and on the very first cast, a fish found the fly. Had him to the net but at the very last moment the hook released. I then proceeded to lose 4 more within that hour. Had no takers on the pink chenille worm. I did get quite a few hookups using a partidge and purple kebari. I wrapped copper wire behind the hook eye making a head which added some weight. I also fattened up the body by tying yarn under the thread. For the day, I ended up landing 3 trout and lost a total of 8, all seemed to spit the hook right at the net! The last trout I hooked was in a very unlikely spot. I was standing on a large boulder near some very deep, slow moving water. I was lazily letting a kebari drift and sink in the slow water when I saw a trout surface feeding to my right. I made one cast and as soon at the fly hit the water the fight was on. He jumped twice and fought hard. As I was bringing him to the net (was planning on keeping him) and he freed himself! Gotta give him credit! I kept the 3 that I managed to net and ate one that night when I arrived home. Fun day.

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.