June is the best month for CCA members looking to place an entry in the STAR tournament Fly Rod Division. As summer wears on and water temperatures rise, bigger specks become more selective and more difficult to catch on flies.
In the Calcasieu area, West Cove and Joe’s Cove will be best bets for big fly rod trout. Try poppers early, switching to weighted Seaducers by mid-morning, and then to bottom flies like a pink Coma Cocaho later in the day.
In the southeast, the bigger trout will be in the surf. Again, go with poppers early, switching to baitfish patterns as the sun rises. Clouser Minnows, Lefty Deceivers and Whitlock Baitfish will do well.
The interior ponds should continue to hold good numbers of slot reds this month. Crab or shrimp imitations work best, but have some Bendbacks handy if you run into heavy grass.
Bream action should be peaking in the Atchafalaya Basin. Popping bugs will work just about anytime of the day, but if not, try a Jitterbee or Slow Sinking Spider 2 to 3 feet under a small football cork.
For coldwater trout enthusiasts, this is the last good month for tailwater streams in southern Arkansas and southeast Oklahoma before summer doldrums set in. In addition to hatches of caddis and midges, terrestials become a primary food item. Tossing hoppers, stimulators and even ant patterns close to banks can result in some aggressive strikes.
