Before you pack your bags for your next trophy fishing destination, I should tell you that this creek is only open to kids and handicapped anglers. This is probably all for the best as total mayhem would ensue if the general angling public descended on this little creek. Besides, Dry Run is an important haven for the heavily pressured North Fork River fish.

I met four Arkansas TUers, a few parent chaperones, and 25 pre-teen fly fishers at Dry Run a few days ago. The weather couldn’t have been nicer for a day on the water. My TU hosts were Bruce Ritter, Larry Tabor, Dennis McCarty, and Dave Hunt. All four of these gentlemen are active board members in the Arkansas Chapter of Fayetteville. In addition, Dave Hunt runs the McNair Fly Fishing Club, a daring venture that aims to teach 50 junior high students about angling. All spring, the kids have learned about flies and knots and casting and they came to Dry Run to put all these skills together. For the sake of sanity, Dave divides his class in half for this trip, so we had 25 young anglers to assist. In the morning, the kids visited the Wapsi fly tying company factory and a local fish hatchery that drains into Dry Run (a big part of why this creek can support so many large fish). Orvis and other companies have assisted the club in obtaining waders, rods, and other essential equipment.
As the oversized waders were donned and 25 fly rods were lifted into the air, I became concerned that things were about to get out of control. Those worries were short-lived. I primarily fished with two kids, Ted and Lucas. Lucas was quite experienced and needed little help from me. He tied on his favorite scud pattern and went to work, catching many nice trout (see the photos HERE). This was Ted’s first day fly fishing for trout, so I spent most of the time giving him pointers. Unlike some of the other kids who lost focus, Ted was committed to fishing hard the entire afternoon. He was a good caster, certainly better than many adults I have guided, and he was ready to put his skills to work. At first, Ted was missing the strike when a fish took his nymph, but after a little practice he got the hang of it and landed some nice trout. In addition to being a quick study, Ted is scientifically minded and interested in trout biology and ecology. It won’t take him long to become an accomplished angler and it was fun to help him move in that direction.

Many TU chapters are involved with teaching kids about angling. Not only do these valuable programs get kids interested in fishing, they also teach the next generation about trout conservation and coldwater ecology (to find out more about TU's youth education programs click HERE). The McNair Fly Fishing Club is a highly effective program because of the commitment of TU volunteers. Kudos to Dave Hunt and Arkansas TU!

If you haven’t already, check out the photos HERE.