Brett Lowry, aka The Trout Boat Cap’n, has been a friend of Tailwaters for the past couple of years, and we’ve had the pleasure of spending some time together on the water. We originally met Brett at the White River Trout Club, and we hit it off pretty quickly. Like us, Brett is a passionate fly angler who simply loves being on the water.

During one of our conversations, Brett mentioned that he guides for smallmouth bass in Oklahoma. Given our bass fishing background here in Texas, it didn’t take much convincing for us to make a trip north and see what his home waters had to offer.

Our trip with Brett was a huge success. We spent the day catching native smallmouth on poppers, watching them aggressively crush flies throughout the day. Doing it all while floating a beautiful moving river in a luxurious drift boat made the experience even better.

It was exactly the kind of trip we love at Tailwaters—good friends, great fishing, and a new fishery to explore.

Tell us about your fishery and why it's so special to you?

The Illinois River is an Ozark stream that flows in a westerly direction out of Northwest Arkansas into Oklahoma, then turns and runs in a southwesterly direction, taking on several smaller streams before it flows into Tenkiller Lake. It is designated as a Scenic River by the State of Oklahoma, along with its two largest tributaries, Barren Fork Creek and Flint Creek. 

The section above the lake is referred to as the Upper Illinois and is a premier fishery for Smallmouth Bass. There are two strains of Smallmouth in the river, the native Neosho Bass, and then the Tennessee Smallmouth that was stocked in the lake and then migrated throughout the Upper Illinois system. It maintains a healthy population of Largemouth Bass. Sandbass run out of the lake in the spring and can be found in the river throughout the summer. Fishing can be awesome about 70% of the year.

The tailwater section below the lake is referred to as the Lower Illinois and is a premier fishery for Striped Bass (Stripers). Striper fishing is best in the river in the hottest months of the year when the Tenkiller dam is actively generating power and schools run out of the Arkansas River to feed in the tailwater. The Lower is also one of the main locations where the State of Oklahoma conducts its trout stocking program in the cold months.

The Upper Illinois is the water I guide on primarily. My wife and I have a cabin in Flint Ridge Resort and own/operate the Smallmouth Bunkhouse vacation rental in a separate cabin on our property. It’s quiet and beautiful. The river is full of life. I would rather be there on our property than anywhere else, spending my time guiding and fishing on the Upper Illinois. There are so many fish, few people, and abundant beautiful scenery.

Can you tell us a little bit about the seasonality and the best time to come fishing?

There is year-round fishing on the Upper Illinois, with the best time being the hottest months. Summer (June-September) is topwater and popper season. This is the most fun part of the year in my opinion. I love fishing in the heat! The elevated visual aspects of summer fishing are also very enjoyable. The fall (September-November) gives a combination of topwater and streamer fishing throughout the day that is largely triggered by fluctuating temperatures. Winter is slow for the most part, but warm stretches can give opportunities to do some streamer fishing and try to catch a hungry fish or two. 

What rod set-ups are you primarily fishing with your clients? 

Fishing setups in my boat are some combination of TFO Rod + Ross Reel +  Airflo Line. An angler may use an LK Legacy (3-4-5-6), Blitz (6), Axiom-2x (5-6-7-8), Blue Ribbon (4-5) or Signature III (3), paired with an American made Ross Reels’ Colorado (3-4), Cimarron (5-6) Evolution R (4-5-6), or Evolution LTX (6-7-8). For floating lines I generally use Airflo Ridge Universal Tapers. For sinking lines I generally use Airflo Ridge Streamer Max Shorts or make a sinking setup by adding an Airflo 7 foot Streamer Sinking Polyleader to the floating line. I prefer the Ridge variety of Airflo lines simply because they are tougher. In the Spring and Fall I carry 6-7-8 with a combination of floating and sinking setups for throwing streamers and other subsurface flies. In the summer I generally carry 4-5-6 with a floating line for poppers, and a 6-7 with a sinking setup. If I have a child in the boat, I will bring a 3 for easier casting and try to get them on Bluegill too. During summer, I try not to bring out the streamers except to fish some select locations, because the popper/topwater fishing is so much fun and it’s an easier skill for new fly anglers to pick up. An added bonus to the topwater experience is that everyone on the boat gets to enjoy seeing aggressive topwater strikes by hungry Smallmouth.

What are some key gear items and flies for anglers to have a successful outing on your fishery?

The gear I rely on is built around dependable, durable equipment that can adapt to changing river conditions throughout the season. My standard setup pairs TFO rods, Ross Reels, and Airflo fly lines, giving me the versatility to fish everything from topwater poppers in the summer to streamers in deeper water during the spring and fall. By keeping multiple rod weights rigged with both floating and sinking lines, I can quickly adjust to changing conditions and put my clients in the best position for success.

Rods I Fish

• TFO LK Legacy (3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-weight)
• TFO Blitz (6-weight)
• TFO Axiom II-X (5-, 6-, 7-, and 8-weight)
• TFO Blue Ribbon (4- and 5-weight)
• TFO Signature III (3-weight)

Reels I Pair Them With

• Ross Colorado (3/4)
• Ross Cimarron (5/6)
• Ross Evolution LTX (4/5/6)
• Ross Evolution R (6/7/8)

Fly Lines I Use

• Airflo Ridge Universal Taper (floating)
• Airflo Ridge Streamer Max Short (sinking)
• Airflo 7-Foot Streamer Sinking Polyleader (to convert a floating line into a sinking setup)

How I Rig Throughout the Season

• Spring & Fall: I primarily carry 6-, 7-, and 8-weight rods rigged with both floating and sinking lines for fishing streamers and other subsurface flies.
• Summer: I typically fish 4-, 5-, and 6-weight rods with floating lines for poppers and other topwater flies, while keeping a 6- or 7-weight rigged with a sinking line for deeper presentations when needed.
• Youth Anglers: If I have a child in the boat, I'll often rig a 3-weight to make casting easier and spend some time targeting bluegill.

When and where did you get into fly fishing, and what led you to becoming a guide?

My Dad started taking our family on fly fishing vacations when I was a teenager. From the time I started fishing I wanted to learn to be a guide. It was not the first or only job I ever had, but I got there eventually. I realized I enjoyed taking others out fishing as much as I enjoyed fishing myself. I love being in a driftboat and helping people pursue fishing and having a fun time being outdoors.

What is your favorite species to catch on the fly in your home waters?

That would be the Smallmouth Bass, Clark.

Tell us a little bit about the fishing businesses you operate?

LOWRY FISHING SERVICE, LLC (LFS) is a licensed and insured fly fishing guide service. LFS is focused on targeting Smallmouth Bass on the Upper Illinois River.

THE SMALLMOUTH BUNKHOUSE (LOWRY FISHING PROPERTIES, LLC) (LFP) is a vacation rental cabin located in Flint Ridge Resort at the Illinois River in Kansas, Oklahoma. LFP’s main purpose is to provide lodging for anglers who book guide trips with LFS, but is open to all. LFP Lodging + LFS Guided Trip Combo Reservations are offered at a discount.

TROUT BOAT CAP’N, LLC (TBC) is a boat, boat part, and trailer accessory manufacturing company that sells its products all over the country. TBC specializes in design and manufacturing of: 1) Rower and Angler benches for mounting to coolers, dryboxes, raft frames or other apparatus in fishing boats to provide “at hand” storage, improve seat stability, and increase overall boat function; 2) Fish Ladder Racks for mounting to boat trailers for the purpose of being a platform for mounting rod boxes and carrying oars or push poles; 3) Custom parts and parts design; 4) Boat repair, refurbishing, and hull build-out services; 5) TBC Logo Apparel.