HOW TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS ON DRY RUN CREEK BY JOHN BERRY

I have been guiding on Dry Run Creek for over twenty five years. I began, when my daughter was twelve, and she is now thirty nine. Over the years, I have made a number of observations. One thing that I have noted is that ninety percent, of the fish caught, are landed by ten percent, of the anglers. There are a lot of big fish there but proximity does not always guarantee success.

It should be noted that this is a Catch and Release stream set aside for children under sixteen years of age and mobility impaired adults. Every time I go there I see some dad fishing the stream while his child is chasing a butterfly nearby. This is not why the creek was developed. Dry Run Creek is for children. That means they must cast, set the hook and fight the fish. You can rig their rod and net fish but that is all. Mobility impaired adults must have a mobility impaired permit from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, in order to fish there.

Bait, of any kind, is strictly prohibited. I saw someone fishing there with corn on Monday. I explained to him that what he was doing was illegal and he quit. You must use a fly or artificial lure with a single barbless hook point. This method does little harm to the trout.

My first recommendation is that you hire a guide. This may sound a bit self serving as both me and my wife, Lori, are guides who frequently work on Dry Run Creek. The fact is a guide can furnish all the gear that you need, is aware of the rules and can make it easier for you or your child to catch fish. They know what flies to use and where to concentrate your efforts. They can even furnish lunch and take pictures of trophy trout.

Have your kids wear waders. There are plenty of places where you can fish from the bank but a pair of waders can put you in some spots that hold plenty of trout but get less pressure than the spots that are easier to fish. A set of waders for yourself will help you get out from the bank, to net the big brown, that doesn’t want to come in.

Move around from time to time. I notice that a lot of anglers congregate on the boardwalk. This area was designed for mobility impaired anglers. The big flat spaces are wheel chair platforms. It is difficult to land fish here. You must get into the water to net fish here unless you have a net with a very long handle (eight feet or more). Mobility impaired anglers are limited to fishing from the boardwalk.

Carry the biggest net that you can lay your hands on. A long handle helps a lot. I have seen many big fish lost at the net. You can buy an inexpensive large net. Don’t try to net the fish too soon. Wait until it is at the top of the water column. The worst thing that you can do is to bump your kid’s trophy trout off.

Use big tippet. I use 4X fluorocarbon. If they hook a big one, you want them to have a chance to land it. Have them take their time when landing the fish. A big one will take several runs. If the child is gripping the line or the reel handle, the fish will break the line. This will happen unless the trout can pull line out. Adjust the reel drag to put as much pressure, on the fish, as possible, without breaking the tippet.

Concentrate your efforts on faster deeper water. I keep my fly selection to a minimum. I use San Juan worms (worm brown, cerise and red) eggs (peach or orange) and sow bugs. My top producer for the last few weeks has been the worm brown San Juan worm. If your kid loses interest, it is time to move on. This is supposed to be fun.

It is my favorite place to guide and can be very rewarding. Good luck!