The Stream: Flowing through some of Tulsa’s oldest neighborhoods, Crow Creek is part of Tulsa culture. Crow Creek is the “brook” in the Brookside district, the Brook restaurant, and the Philbrook Museum, and the creek is the namesake of the Crow Creek Tavern. The creek watershed includes affluent residences, private schools, a museum, and Zink Park. In some spots, Crow Creek is a manicured stream, bordered by retaining walls and mowed lawns. In other places, the creek is forgotten about and left to nature. The sections left to nature are the ones that intrigue me. However, like any urban stream, runoff, pesticides, and overall pollution are a concern. You can read about pollution levels and recovery efforts here. Where I fished, the creek was a clear, clean, gravel bottom, free flowing stream. I have lived within a mile of the creek for the last 10 years. Until recently, I have never thought about fishing in the creek.
The Gear: I rode my bike to the creek for stealth, as I’m not entirely sure which sections are public and which are private. I decided to fish with my Sierra rod by Tenkara Rod Co., using a traditional tenkara line and a tenkara style fly (both the line and fly were included with a spool I ordered from Tenkara Path). As usual, for small streams and small fish, I love tenkara rods for their versatility. Because of the trees above and the vines overhanging the water, I collapsed the first two sections of the tenkara rod, making roll casting simple and easy with the shorter rod.
The Fish: Native Green Sunfish. They are vicious predators, territorial, and they were in the mood to eat.
The Fishing: As soon as the fly hit the water, the fish were on it. In clear water, watching sunfish attack a fly is something even the snooty fisherman will enjoy. They would swim to the fly, then hesitate and investigate. A couple of gentle taps on the rod with one finger would get the soft hackles on the fly slightly moving. In a quick flash, the fish would have the fly in its mouth and head for cover. Hooking small sunfish can be tricky. Once hooked though, the fight was impressive. Although these are small fish, these are healthy, predatory fish in their natural environment, ready to battle. Making multiple runs across the creek, upstream, downstream, and toward cover, catching these fish on a light, flexible rod was great fun. All fish caught were released unharmed.
The Summary: This was a great discovery and a great day of fishing. Within a 5 minute drive of my house, I can be in nature: surrounded by hundred year old trees, looking at limestone bluffs, listening to the sounds of water flowing on rocks and singing birds, and casting flies at healthy, native fish. Although casting can be tricky because of the trees and vines overhanging the creek, the fish are eager to attack a well-presented fly. A stream like this, where you can leave the house, escape into nature, catch a few fish, then make it home, all within 30-45 minutes, is a true treasure. I’m not telling you my spot though.
small stream fly fishing 