Pond fishing before finishing on the Arkansas

Today's plan was to fish the ponds just outside my campsite before heading to the Arkansas River to try my luck at some bigger fish.  I start the day around 10am and head over to the ponds with a green drake still on the rod.

This time it takes two casts before I have my first brookie of the day.  I decide to work my way through the big pond before I find a couple more smaller ponds to try.  Catching a number of brookies in all the ponds over the next couple hours, I decide I have caught enough and head back to the car to head down to the Arkansas.

I drive down to the bottom part of Hayden Meadows at Kobe while the rains come over and wait out the storm before finding a spot to fish.  First spot gives up two pretty good size browns before I get sandwiched between some other anglers and pick up to find a new spot.  I drive a little further downstream and find a spot to myself.  I wade out to the middle of the river and start working the edges on both sides.  Over the next couple hours I manage to land a half dozen browns all in the 15" range before another storm passes over.  While I head back to the car to wait out the thunderstorm I decide to drive to the top of Hayden Meadows and see if I can catch a couple more.  I fish the upper meadows for about an hour with no luck before I call it a day.

I head back to camp to pack up before the next thunderstorm rolls in and head home with a great couple of days fishing in the books.  Nothing better than catching some good size fish on big dries!

Rod:  Iwana 12' 6/4
Line:  Furled 12'
Fly that worked:  Green Drake