Arrow River

[Guest scavs]

Has anyone EVER been successful there? I fished it twice last year with no results. There isn't a lot of information to be held regarding the river only that the fish were introduced in the 80's and fly only.

Any info would be appreciated

[Guest FreshwaterFisherman]

I'm wondering the same as you. I have not fished it but have a plan to in spring. I can't wait, even if I don't catch one it will be cool to fish a brown trout river. I plan to hit it super early if not pitch a tent as I wanna take full advantage if the low light periods. I actually can't wait, fish or no fish.

[Some Old Guy 968]

I went in there years ago. The duck actually taught me to cast that winter. I went to the arrow river with iceman and i caught a nice sized brown trout!! So that fish is off the bucket list for me!!!!

Roger

[Guest FreshwaterFisherman]

What types of flies would you reccommend? Streamers? Nymphs? Dries? I'm gonna throw the whole box at them if I have to, but some guidance would sure be helpful. I know I'll be throwing a mouse pattern for a bit anyway. I really wanna get a trout on a mouse.

[Guest mud trout]

I've been fishing the Arrow for about ten years now. Some years maybe just once or twice but in recent years it has been much more since my wife and I enjoy camping at East Arrow lake near the dam at the river head. I fished it a long time before i first caught a Brown but I catch them frequently in recent years and caught my biggest this past year. It was a 28.5", 8# whopper. I caught a number of 20 plus inch trout this past summer. But it is very difficult to have multi fish days, i have caught two per day a few times and only once three in one day.

There is a ton of water I have not tried on this river yet. I mostly fish the big pool just down stream from the Dam. This Pool alone can keep you very busy for a long time if you want to fish it properly.

A few things i have learnt - June is a very good month before the water starts to warm and get low. Late summer and fall through September when the water starts to cool down can also be good fishing. I have not fished this river in May or later then September. When the water is cooler the Browns can be caught during the day. Mid summer after the water warms the fishing is very difficult and best very late in the day, just before dark and during the night when the trout come out to feed. During the day they stay in the deepest part of the big pools ( that upper pool is over 30' deep and about 5 degrees cooler near the bottom).

I've caught them all on streamers. Mostly on Minkies and mostly late evening near dark. Usually off the edge of rapids/ riffles. Sometimes right up tight at the pool head and sometimes well out off the pool head in current seams. I've fished down river from the bridge on Mountain Lake road but haven't had as much success here.

What most people don't mention when talking about the Arrow river is that it is full of bass. The first time i fished it I was very disappointed and wonder what people in there right mind would stock a river with Brown trout that is over run with bass. But to be fair i don't know what came first the bass or the browns, so... I have a different attitude about this now and i often find myself targeting the bass especially mid summer. An added bonus is hooking a brown when you expect to haul in yet another bass. Another added bonus is an outside possibility of a big brookie which are very scarce in this river but they are there.

I don't claim to know this river well just the areas i fish and i do believe success on the Arrow is hooking that one nice trout after all day/evening of hard fishing. These trout fight hard and are almost as beautiful (not quite, I'm biased lol) as Brook trout. The opportunity to hook and release just one of these beauties is reward enough!

Anything i can help you with, just ask. I would welcome the company when fishing there this summer. Just let me know.

[Guest mud trout]

Ahhh, so the bass came first, but still.... Without the presence of bass, the Browns could thrive and those fish-less days or 1 fish days could actually be multi fish days. Bass are probably the most aggressive of all fresh water fish and crowd out all sorts of other game fish. Thank goodness Browns are hardy enough to compete with them. I don't know the ratio but I wouldn't be surprised if the Bass out number the Browns 50 to 1 in that river.

I've fished Browns in other rivers down east where there were good populations of trout and the fishing was great in comparison to the Arrow. But i do enjoy fishing Arrow river!

[Guest scavs]

Thanks phellas for all the info, I only figured it was the 80's because of the info on the fisheries management plan. I think it's pretty cool how a club took it upon themselves to instil and monitor a fishery until natural repo.

As the duck said I'm having trouble finding points of access and workable locations other than the two mentioned but will hopefully put some serious hours on it. I feel like with browns that you actually can just throw the box at them, although I'm particularly itching to take rising fish.

Mud, I'm all in for company fishing.

[AB 98]

The Arrow was actually stocked twice. The first attempt was not successful. The Browns that were placed in the river the first time were more suitable to a lake environment.

The second stocking used fish more suited to a riverine environment.

The Arrow contains quite a few different species of fish in addition to Browns and Bass. So there is a lot of fleshy forage for Browns, and Bass to snack on. Browns are also somewhat territorial, so one large fish is going to literally own some of the best real estate in the river and guard it. Catching numbers is going to be tough. The population really isn't that large, and it never will be.

Now as the Duck mentioned , access is is tough. Getting in and out of the productive areas is a challenge, and......the best time to fish are the low light periods, at the time of the year when the bugs are at their peak.

I can remember being chased off the water by the bugs. You could honestly hear the bush start getting excited as the light levels dropped and every mosquitoe was buzzing his intention to feed.

For those of you thinking about accessing the river as some sort of float trip, be warned there are tons of sweepers and tricky corners. I would not recommend a canoe based on personal experience (and a rather wet one at that).

Its a pretty piece of water we are lucky to share, good luck!

iceman

[brookiebuster 117]

Always wanted to try the arrow. I plan on trying it this summer. Want to cross a brownie off the fish list! What rod would you recommend? I think a 6wt would be best..

[fisherdude 69]

I'm also interested in this, always interested in new water. I don't know very much about the river though so, any general info? Rules and what not. Really enjoying this thread so far and hearing about everyone's different experiences.

[Guest mud trout]

As i mentioned i fish there every summer. If anyone would like i can get them to to a couple of spots where i fish. These are fairly easy access spots but even here the river gets very little pressure. Just send me a PM when you're interested in going. If i can't make it at that time I can always let you know when i am going and see if that works for any of you.

Brookie buster i have fished the Arrow with an 8 weigth and found this to be too heavy when fishing for long periods of time so this past summer i fished it with my five wt but found this to be too light fr the larger fish. This winter i purchased a six weight and that is what I'll likely use most of the time going forward. I think it would also be the best choice for the larger bass in the river.

I haven't fished the hatches here, apparently it gets a huge hex hatch but i havn't been there at the right time. I've done my catching with streamers ( a muddler head minkie is awesome when other patterns fair). I've used various dries but have only caught bass with them. I'm usually out there on select weekends from the first of July to the end of September so it isn't anything out of the way to have someone tag along.

[Guest mud trout]

Fisherdude, rules would be catch and release only, single barbless hook only, and fly fishing only from the dam (at Arrow lake) down stream (i believe without looking it up) to the Harrington township line for the brown trout. After the line it is still artificial lure single hook barbless and catch and release.

[Guest FreshwaterFisherman]

All this talk is getting me excited! Fish or no fish it will be an awesome experience just to fish the river.

[fisherdude 69]

Mud trout, thanks for clarifying. That's exactly what I thought j just couldn't remember 100% and wanted to be sure. Thanks

[tronnyd88 25]

not gunna fly fish the arrow this year but ive camped at east arrow my whole life and have always wantedto fish the pool at the bottom of the dam. until I lean to fly fish im gunna try fishing where its aftifitial lures. if anyone knows where exactly the line is so im not in the wrong zone.

[Heisenberg 12]

Glad to hear it tronny. I've seen quite a bit of non-fly fishing tackle left behind at that upper pool

Once you have some fly gear, that same pool is pretty good for beginners. Huge long casts are often not required if you use the current to drift your fly / streamer etc. At one point last year I had given up on the browns and was targeting bass with a surface popper when a 20" brown swirled it and came back to eat it. As mentioned above: Multi-fish days are rare, and a skunking is quite likely. I fish there fairly regularly as my parents live near Suomi.

H.

[tronnyd88 25]

I only have a 12 foot boat for the lake and as you may know some days on the lake arnt for a boat that small. my dad gave me his old fly rod and reel cuz Ive talk about fishing that pool at the bottom of the dam for 15 years. maybe ill learn to cast this year and finally try that pool thats been tempting me since I was a kid.

[tronnyd88 25]

the fly rod I got is a daiwa 8 1/2 foot 4 1/4oz #8

can I set this rod up to use for browns in the arrow?

[Guest FreshwaterFisherman]

Yup. Sure can.

[tronnyd88 25]

awsome I hope to get it set up soon then.