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[StreamSmith]

I live in Austin, TX and my younger brother is an active duty US Marine based in Okinawa coming home to California for three weeks in December. We are both avid fly fishermen, mostly for bass and trout, but we've both done some saltwater as well (we both have multiple 5wt and 8wt setups) so my question to the forum is where should I take him? I have about a 3 week window starting around Dec 1st to go fishing for about 6 or 7 days in that window. I know theres some trout in the Guadalupe about an hour away that get popping around that time, but I've also been thinking about the Little Red in Arkansas, or somewhere on the Texas Coast. I may also drive out to California if the fishing is good enough out there. Does anyone have any suggestions? We go with or without guides.

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[turf dawg]

If you are willing to make a drive to the Little Red I will make a suggestion. Hit the Lower Mountain Fork in Broken Bow Oklahoma for a couple of days then go to the Little Red.

 

[brownbass]

If you make Arkansas your destination you have a lot to chose from in the way of trout fishing. Much of the White River below the dams offer trout as it flows from Arkansas thru Missouri and back into Arkansas, bring both your five and eight weight rods. The Browns can grow big down there. You could also hit the North Fork in Missouri while there. Whatever you choose Thank your brother from us for his service and enjoy your time on the water.

 

[al_a]

Weather can be iffy in the Ozarks in December, so you might think about a more southern destination, but if you don't mind the possibility of cold weather, it's as good a place as any to go for trout that time of year. If you base somewhere around the White River below Bull Shoals Dam, you're within an hour or two drive to a lot of very different trout water that can all be good that time of year. There are many miles of the White itself, plus the lower end of the North Fork below Norfork Dam, for classic tailwater fishing. Excellent lake fishing for trout at Taneycomo Lake up close to Branson. A much more natural stream experience on the North Fork above Norfork Lake. Go east to the Spring River near Mammoth Spring for more good stream trout fishing. And the Little Red isn't TOO far south of there so it would be a good place to stop for a day or so on the way there or back.

You can find plenty of guides for fishing the White and North Fork tailwaters, and on Taneycomo. There are also guides for doing float trips on the North Fork above the lake, which I'd heartily recommend--you're slightly limited if you are only wade fishing. I don't know about guided trips on the Spring River.

Or if you wanted to branch out a little farther, go east to the Eleven Point River in Missouri. Excellent fishing at times for naturally reproducing rainbows. There are a couple of guides that operate on the Eleven Point as well.