Home Forums Fishing Flyfishing My son's first fly fishing trip...and two fish of a life-time!

Thought I would share some pictures of the fun my son (Matt - age 13) and I had with friends a couple weeks ago. We drove overnight Thursday night to a place in northern Arkansas that is a kids only (under 16) catch & release stream (Dry Run Creek)... and it is a GREAT trout fishery. It was Matt's first-ever fly fishing trip and the trip was everything I hoped it would be and more. The friend we went with is a very experienced fly fisherman, so we learned a LOT from him. Alan had been to this place with his son twice before and knew what to expect, but I had no idea it could be this good. Matt caught the big rainbow Alan is holding the very first morning...the fish was 27" long and weighed over 12#! The big brown that Matt caught Saturday was 26" long and weighed close to 12#, too...two fish of a lifetime in one trip! Alan's son also caught two 27" rainbows and both boys caught over 100 trout/day, with most in the 14-18" range. Needless to say, we will be planning a trip or two back there before Matt turns 16 and then it will be our younger daughter and son's turn to have fun there!

Good for all of you! That is so cool! I suspect we have a life time fly fisher now! Christmas shopping is going to be so easy for you from now on!

M

... not to mention, expensive.

Wow! What a way to start out! Obviously a well managed fishery. Think of what it would be like if that was not a catch and release stretch.

Again, that is an excellent start. The challenge now will be derivng the same joy from an hours worth of effort to wear a 6-inch brookie out of a gin clear beaver pond.

Keep them at it, and move the camera in for full frames on those fish next time. Tight lines, 1Minute

Wowsa!

Great pics

Dober

I've have known Proud_Dad and his family for many, many moons, so events like this should not be any suprise by now. But those are huge, beautiful trout! Congradulations Matt! That is a really special memory that you and your Dad will always share together.
Good Job Guys,
LNF

those are some very nice fish, congrats. I am sure he is now hooked for life on flyfishing

Yep its like elk hunting and getting a 380+ bull the first 20 min the first day on the first ever elk hunt then spend the next 30 years trying to at least equal. Fish like that are special, there are going to be days when he will not even be able to buy a fish. Back in 1990 on the San Juan in NM I got there early and the midges were on so I got lic and headed to the river. My 4 wt Scot rod and well I hooked and landed a 15 lb rainbow on the third drift, and after a half hour battle landed and released the fish and when to the same spot were the fish I hooked was and caught 4 more not as big but all over 10 lbs. I hooked up with the guide I was to fish with and he said that the fishing is pretty good, some guy showed up and bought a lic and ran down to the river because the Midges was on and caught four fish in less that an hour and 20 min on a 22 griffiths gnat and a 4 wt rod no less, I just held up one of the two rods I had rigged, you mean this four weight rod? He just looked at me and said, you already had a great week and it didn't start yet. Well I fished with him for two days to get a handle on the San Juan. I had a 95 fish week, and I didn't count fish under 16 inches. You some times just have weeks that are well, it must be heaven. I been back to the San Juan several times since and never did as well, now I have on other rivers a Summer on the Copper River in Alaska comes to mind, but that was salmon and not trout fishing.

gmsemel - I can't imagine having that kind of start to a day of fishing! My friend has talked about how good the fishing can be on the San Juan, but I've never fished it. Days like that are ones where you have to just take a break to sit on the bank a few minutes and soak it up. No doubt you are right about those fish being special. I hope my son knows how special it was to hook into and land those fish. (He was using a 4 wt., too.)

Well that is great a 4 wt rod and the boy had a day that he will remember when he is 90. My week on the San Juan is almost 20 years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday. With the digital cameras and computers we now have,he will be able to look at those fish when he is 90.

I still fish that rod, along with the 5 wt sage G-II. Same reels too. The thing with fishing tackle is that while the good stuff costs a bit more in the beginning, it pays off by just lasting. Both rods are over 25 years old and well guess what they become less and less expensive to own with each passing day. Now fly lines and tippets well that is another matter. I will not go into the price of a chicken neck. And a Late Happy New Year.