For all you guys and gals who have been thinking about fishing below Denison dam, quit thinking about it and head on up. For the past several weeks I've been having a blast fishing during, and immediately after, generation and catching some really good fish.

Other fly fishers are catching good fish as well, including Vance with the Red River Fly Fishers who in one afternoon last week landed three 10+ pounders......way to go Vance! that's one heck of an afternoon! And, I've heard tale of several other quality fish being taken on the fly within the last couple of weeks.

Many of you who are reading this are excellent fishermen, know the Red very well and don't need me to tell you how to catch 'em.....at this point you might want to just scroll down and look at the pretty pictures. For those of you who aren't familiar with the Red, some of the following might be helpful.

I'm fishing a stiff 6wt, SA GPX line (which is a floating line), and for a leader I'm using 9' of 30lb mono straight off a 200 yard spool. I'm not saying that you should use this setup.......I just wanted to report what I use. Don't hesitate to take an 8wt......you will NOT be over-gunned.

My fly is a clouser. I call my version of the clouser a 'Purdy'........'cause I think it's purdy! I use a #2 Gamakatsu B10S hook, Wapsi FL Chart medium eyes, UTC ultra thread 210 olive green, crystal flash, Supreme Hair for the body and lock it all down with Loon Hard Head. The finished fly is 3" in length. I'm using the Supreme Hair because the synthetic fibers make a far more durable fly than bucktail. I love bucktail too, I've just opted for the synthetics for the durability. For the Supreme Hair fibers tied over the eyes, I'm using red, blue and yellow mixed together. Under the eyes I'm using olive. There is nothing special about this fly. I use it 'cause it's purdy and I like it. As long as the fly is the right size and fished appropriately, the fish don't care. They'll eat anything.

A little more about choice of fly: for lake Texoma or red river stripers I use a purdy. That's it. But anything size 6 to size 2 will work. Any color(s)....make yourself happy because the fish don't care. You can also use large streamers, like flies tied with Puglisi fibers. Large streamers will definitely catch fish but I seem to catch more fish using clousers. As to how to fish the fly, you just have to experiment because the fish don't always want it the same way. Recently, I've been using a quick, short, sporadic strip with intermittent pauses that allows the fly to fall. This makes the fly move like a nervous or wounded bait fish. Drives 'em crazy! They can't help themselves.....they gotta eat it.

As I stated above, I'm fishing both during and after generation. When I say after, I mean immediately after they shut down the generators and for the next half hour thereafter. Fishing before generation can be terrific but in the last several weeks I've caught all of my bigger fish during and after. I'm fishing the Texas side and everywhere from the bottom of 'the wall' at the dam to just below the last set of stairs downstream from the dam. It's always crowded so you just have to find room and wiggle in. Smile and speak to the other fishermen and you will find most are quite friendly. I try to smile and speak to everyone. This way, on those rare occasions when I hook somebody's line, they usually don't get p'd off.

The time to go is now. These fish are being harvested from the river at a staggering rate. So, if you want to catch a big 'un, go sooner than later........before they make that final run to a waste water treatment plant in north Texas or Oklahoma.

The purdy


Purdy materials



A 12.5 pounder


About 6 lbs.....there are lots of these in the river


14.5 #er



This one was a little over 11#s


Compared to the others, this 8#er looks like a baby



A 10+ #er


10.5 #s



2-3 oz shy of 11#s


Go get ya some!

Was that you and Chris out there yesterday catching those big ones while I was in my float tube fishing the same area and couldn't catch one? You two were absolutely amazing!!

I feel like I wore two sets of tire out up there in 09' this time been twice and both times were too early and it was a zoo. And recently been deer hunting time to head that way great fish.

are the generation times posted?

Nice Fish! I was down there Sunday morning, landed 3 small ones and got manhandled by 3 bigger ones. Was a tad out matched with the 5Wt. The fish were lovin on the clousers! Be back up there this weekend for another go, wish my 8Wt wasnt broken. Generation times are posted, for some reason the ACE site isnt loading for me. Just do google search for denison dam release and it should pop up.

Chad

Swpa.com generation scedule

They've been generating starting at 1:30.

Texas side?

Nice fish man!!

Just remember, if you put one toe in the water from the Texas side and don't have an Oklahoma fishing license, the Oklahoma GW will write you a ticket. He sits up by the storage tanks with binoculars and watches.
You can bank fish all the way down to the creek (at the end of the Corp park) with just a Texas license.

If you have never experienced fishing The Red when it is like this you seriously need to do it.
It is truly an experience you won't forget. (unless you are Russell)

Corrected URL for generation schedules: http://swpa.gov

Casey we need to run up there!

Thanks didja getny! Had planned to fish the Blue River but opted for the Red River instead after calling Scotty's One Stop... muddy conditions from the recent rains.

Bite was good at Denison Dam, brought a 5WT Fly Rod and a 6WT Switch Rod. Lost several nice Stripers and caught a 29" Striper on the fly for a PB. Did lose a bigger one; 5WT could not turn it and it wrapped my line on the rocks. Should have tried the 6WT but for some reason went with the 5WT.

Will post a video; still editing it.

Here is the video... Overall, had a great time out there on the Red River! Today's Video.

fshng84, great fish and great video. Thank you for sharing!