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Choosing a Fly (MDW) |
What a bizarre trout stream. Above Broken Bow Lake, it's the standard smallmouth fishery, clear cool water and lots rocks and boulders. But in the 12 miles of cold water below the dam, big brown trout and broad-shouldered rainbow trout swim amongst the cypress knees and great slabs of black rock. Only three hours east of Dallas, the Mountain Fork River is my home river. For years, the river was managed as a put-and-take fishery, one hundred thousand hatchery rainbows dumped unceremoniously into the river annually. But recently introduced brown trout have prospered in the year-round growing climate. Browns to nine pounds have been caught in the middle section of the river. I've seen one over ten pounds cruising the sloughs near Presbyterian Falls but I'm not telling where until I catch him. The river enjoys prolific hatches of caddis and mayfly all year long. Streamers fished deep imitate the juicy crawfish which scamper along the river bottom. The rocks are slippery, the water levels fluctuate due to releases from the lake and reaching the lower river at Presbyterian Falls can be a driving adventure. But that ten-pound brown is waiting in a slough for one of us. If you catch him first, take a picture and send it to me.
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