Ultimate Smallmouth and Neosho Bass Fly Fishing (Upper Illinois Tributary, Oklahoma 2024)

Barren Fork is some of the clearest water we have seen in Oklahoma. The fishing was steady, and the views did not disappoint. This is a spring fed creek, so even on the hottest days, you can stay chilled while wet wading.
Our goal as a channel is to get more people outside in Oklahoma. We have a beautiful state, and we are proud to be Okie natives - we'd love to see more okies share that pride with us!
We have a lot more Oklahoma adventures planned, SUB to keep up!

[@CwayneY]

I've been fishing this specific section since I was a teen. I have to say it is so surreal to see such a familiar spot on a youtube. Anyway, I finally getting into fly fishing and plan to try it out here in the spring. Hopefully my cast will be better by then.

[@OkieFish]

That’s cool - it’s an awesome spot that I wish I lived closer to. Good luck on your fly journey!

[@colenado]

Live about 40 minutes from Tulsa and never been fishing out there. Need to give it a go some day. This video makes me miss making my own.

[@OkieFish]

Get back into it, man! I just gave you a sub for if you do.

[@colenado]

@@OkieFish yeah man I saw that! Returned the favor but honestly was just about to do it anyway. My brother was just hospitalized with leukemia and he's my fishing buddy. Gotta get him better first. Luckily there are plenty of good fishing KZbin channels to fish vicariously through.

[@OkieFish]

@@colenado rooting for your brother, man. Hope he makes an awesome recovery. Come out with us sometime if you would like!

[@colenado]

@@OkieFish thanks man I really appreciate that! I might have to take you up on that one day.

[@Joshrwms87]

Nice video work! Sweet looking part of the state. I just moved to Tulsa from Arizona for work and I feel like a kid again getting to see all the watering holes around me. Think I might have to check out this place soon!

[@OkieFish]

Thank you, and welcome to Oklahoma! We have some awesome watering holes here. You are in a good spot, there’s a lot of good water around you. Enjoy!!

[@CASTAFLYAdventures]

Nice job! Actually on my bucket list really enjoyed the content thank you for sharing your time on the water.

[@OkieFish]

Glad you enjoyed it. Hope you make it out there soon!

[@ScoundrelOutdoorsCo.]

Love it man! Just got back from the upper Illinois this past weekend. We had a blast!

[@OkieFish]

It’s such an awesome area! I’m itching to spend more time at different access points.

[@ericmolina6091]

Just got back from Arkansas. Wanting to do this next month Tahlequah area.. Was fishing Illinois Arkansas side fun but alot of dinks. Looking to camp on some of the public access points.

[@OkieFish]

We had no problem finding a public access site when we were there. There were a lot of open sites. There seems to be some pretty big Smallmouth in the Tahlequah area, good luck!

[@bretsnipes8375]

Dude, olive wooly bugger with a red or orange hot spot #6 or #8. Also the smallmouth is a neosho smallmouth that is native to ne Oklahoma. Please catch and release. The neosho does not have the verticals bars but bronze upper with a white belly. If there a dark dots on the belly means they are not a pure neosho but a hybrid.

[@OkieFish]

Appreciate the comment and info. Looking forward to getting back out there!

[@davidlyons9201]

Looks awesome! I live in Tulsa and tried fishing there around april and got nothing. Thinking of going back next weekend and giving it another shot. Any general tips? I have a 5wt 9 foot rod.

[@OkieFish]

Thank you! Man honestly, I have minimal experience with smallmouth fishing. Idk if I got lucky or if I was doing something right. Poppers early morning, and late late evening - don’t be scared to let it sit for a while, they might strike on the pause. Crawfish colors worked best, and letting them drift with twitches on the swing. Also had luck retrieving it against the current. At Blue River, we’ve been having luck letting crawfish patterns sink to the bottom in still, big pools, then bringing it in at a decent pass. Haven’t had much luck with hoppers, but I’ve had a couple more seasoned smallmouth fisherman tell me it should be on soon (at least at the Blue).

[@worththewade]

Barron fork is king. All Native Neosho smallies! Great video.

[@jerroldshelton9367]

I live in Tulsa, too. I fished Barren Fork Creek A LOT when I lived in Tahlequah. I practically lived at the Welling Bridge, as much time as I spent on BFC fishing under it and around it. I didn't over complicate things. I often used a Cabela's Three Forks 7.5' 3-weight rod, a tapered 7.5' 4X general purpose trout leader, and a size 12 Prince Nymph, and would catch fish on every cast doing it. You've got a five-weight rod, so you're golden as far as that goes. As you probably already know, "5 weight" doesn't really impact the size of the fish you catch as much as the size of flies you can comfortably cast. A five-weight can handle the most common range of trout flies from size 22 midges up to unweighted woolly buggers up to size 6 or 4, depending on your casting skill. I've caught sea-run brown trout over two feet long from California's Trinity River on 5-weight rods. I caught a three-foot long lingcod fishing under the Coronado Bridge on San Diego Bay with a five-weight, and plenty of legal size 22" or bigger halibut from Capistrano Beach with one, too, as well as barred surfperch up to four pounds, corbina up to about 26 inches, and even the occasional leopard shark. Point is that "five weight" limits the size, weight, and aerodynamic drag of the flies you can deliver, more than the size of the fish you can deal with, And, as I said, I caught SCORES of fish from Barren Fork Creek with common trout flies like size 12 Prince Nymphs or size 12 Sierra Buggers or size 10 Matukas. Most of the time, I'd grab a rod, reel, my leader and tippet wallet, and a box of Prince Nymphs and "go catching." I wouldn't bother to bring a bunch of different flies. The hard part isn't getting bit. It is knowing that you've been bit. Fish don't have hands. If they want to check something out, they gotta put it in their mouths. If they're smallmouth bass in a stream, they have to eat every day, so they aren't inclined to pass up an easy meal. I'm of the opinion that at a place like BFC, your fly is probably in a fish's mouth more often than you might think it is. I didn't catch a lot of fish there because I'm some super genius. I didn't catch a bunch of fish there because I used to be a licensed and bonded fly fishing guide in California, or because I was a contributing editor with masthead credit for California Fly Fisher magazine, Los Angeles Times Outdoors, and others. It's because fly fishing Southern California's surf zone environments made me a 'Slack Nazi", I keep the take-detecting slack down to a minimum so I can feel grabs others might miss. There's a scene in the video where the guy is retrieving his fly with his rod tip off the water and a little bow of slack from his rod tip to the surface of the water. You'll not ever see me do that. My rod tip is touching the water if not in it. I'm alsyo not too proud to set the hook on phantom fish that I think might be there but are not. "Swings are free," as the saying goes, and I'd rather look like a chump by setting the hook at the slightest hint of a grab than be one by not sealing the deal when my fly was in a fish's mouth.

[@OkieFish]

@@jerroldshelton9367 What this guy said! Thanks for the detailed response. I'm sure many will benefit, including myself.

[@davidlyons9201]

@@jerroldshelton9367thank you for this man, I don’t have a lot of people give me this good of advice. I taught myself how to fly fish, which means I’m quite the amateur!

[@JamesSmith-qh3yh]

Crystal. That shoal y’all were walking on was 2’ under water

[@OkieFish]

It stinks that the fishing was slow, but that would be awesome to see.

[@MrMikegelling]

what access point is that? thinking about driving up from NTX

[@OkieFish]

Shoot me an email: [e-mail] and I’ll get ya the details. Trying to find the right balance of what to share for the world and what to add an extra step to - for the sake of the Barren Fork locals

[@Scoopswift]

This place is a gem let’s hope it stays that way. 🤫 should change the title 😅

[@OkieFish]

I think you’re right! I’ll leave it in the tags, but take it out of the title so that you can only find it if you know what you are looking for.

[@Scoopswift]

@@OkieFish much love man! I’m glad you enjoyed the creek. Been going since I was 13 and it’s hard to beat on a hot summer afternoon.

[@OkieFish]

@@Scoopswift I’m looking forward to going back and seeing more of it! That’s an awesome creek to grow up on.

[@GrowinwithAJ]

i cant find this steam on the map. could you give me some waypoints. awesome video. i did outdoor channel on youtube a few years ago but youtube shut me down and lost over 3000 subs so i know what it takes to make these video and mad respect bro . if yah ever in claremore stop bye . i got a bowfishing boat also not the best boat but it can take 2 -3 people with ease hit me up maybe you know a good spot i hit fort gibson other night me and my wife shot at 40 fish at least some gar over 4 feet.

[@OkieFish]

Appreciate the offer! I might have to take you up on that. Thanks for the compliment. It definitely takes a lot of work! Shoot me an email [e-mail]

[@JamesSmith-qh3yh]

Been a couple times when flow was much higher, not nearly as much action

[@OkieFish]

Was the water still as clear when it was higher or did it get pretty murky?