Friday, March 13, 2015

Red River Emergency Kit



I happened to see a Red River Emergency Kit that is a package deal of 4 different flies with 3 of each for $25.  This is a pretty good deal at about $2 a fly.  This is on Jamie Rouse's webpage of Rouse Fly Fishing guide services.  I looked at them for a while and decided to try to make each one.  There are four flies:   San Juan Worm, JDub Sowbug, Rick's Bugger, and a Holy Coyote. 

The San Juan Worm...I got that one down...Pat!  You can get a bit of the WASPI Chenille, hooks, and thread and spin flies until your heart is content.  I recommend you DO NOT cut the chenille to length, but leave it attached to the spool and trim the back end off when done.  This will allow you to maximize your material and reduce the trim and toss parts.  However, this fly is a rocking fly for fishing.  You can spin this in olive or pink - Both pretty effective.  I also like the squirmy worm more, but the chenille still works and sometimes works when the squirmy doesn't.  These BOTH are great flies for Arkansas.  I have left both fly videos below.



Rick's Bugger was a bit more difficult to tell from the photo, but it's a streamer that looks a lot like a wooly bugger.  However, this thing has just a bullet taper body.  I gave it my best shot with a fuzzy picture and zero directions.  I probably put way too much lead on it, but I wanted it to help the shape - I also like to use these in the 6' waters, and it takes a while for these to sink down if they aren't weighted.  I like the look of this fly, and I bet that this will produce a lot on the Red, White, and Norfolk.  I can't wait to fish this fly.  This can be spun in the same colors as a wooly bugger:  olive, black, brown, yellow, and I have seen white.  I have the video left. 

 
The JDub Sowbug looks just like most nymphs made for the Arkansas Rivers.  It is a little longer on the hook than most that use a curved nymph hook.  I still love the Purple Haze Sowbug that a friend of mine created - Paul Hoelscher.  If you have even met Paul - GREAT dude, and great guide!  I think he has about permanently taken up residence in Idaho guiding the great rivers out there.  I need to take a little trip out there and see him.  Anyway, the JDub is made by Jamie Rouse, and I bet it's VERY effective too.  It's sort of dark and sort of light.  It will probably fish any condition - overcast or clear days.  I have the video right.  It looks much better in person than on the video - It looks sort of washed out and blah in the video.

The final fly is the Holy Coyote - New to me, but I run into Little Red fishers all the time with new flies that are trout pullers.  To be honest, this looks like a Holy Grail - the body must be dubbed in coyote.  The Holy Grail is traditionally spun in 3 colors: Hare's Ear, Olive and Black.  Jamie's looks almost white.  I have had great luck with the Holy Grail on the Arkansas Rivers, and I be the Holy Coyote would do the same.  It does take a few of these to get the spacing of the bead and having room at the eyelet to put on the hackle, pheasant tail wing case, and also put a head made of thread.  It can get cramped QUICK.  This fly can be very effective.  Anyway, I love this fly, and I KNOW it will catch fish too.  A video left.

I will say this...Jamie has picked a very nice set of flies for a Red River Emergency Kit (RREK).  I don't give out my recommendations about other companies, guides, fly shops, vendors, products unless I know what they are about - Snake bit once here at the local fly shop.  However, if you are looking for a great guide service, I can assure you that Jamie Rouse is probably one of the best around.  From my buddy who is now working for him, he basically said that Jamie has a PHD in trout fishing.  I found a podcast of him with Orvis Fly Fishing Podcast host Tom Rosenbauer.  He sounds like he has a PHD in trout fishing on this.  Even though Tom Rosenbauer is a fly fishing GIANT, he also has a ton of respect for Jamie Rouse - A huge statement.  I will have to run into Jamie one of these days and officially meet!

Good luck and Tight Lines!

RobF
Arkansas Fly Fishing

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