John Berry Fishing Report 8/29/2013

During the past week, we have had no rain, hot temperatures and moderate winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals fell one and eight tenths of a foot to rest at five and two tenths feet above power pool of 661 feet. This is twenty eight and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake remained steady at power pool and fourteen feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell four tenths of a foot to rest at power pool or eight and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we have had moderate flows in the morning and heavy generation in the afternoon. Norfork Lake fell two and seven tenths feet to rest at three and one tenth feet above power pool of 555.8 feet and twenty one and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we have had heavy generation all day. The water level for the top of power pool has been reset higher for all of the lakes in the White River system. With Beaver and table rock Lakes at power pool and Bull Shoals and Norfork dropping about one third of a foot per day, I predict that both will be at power pool in two weeks or less and we should return to wadable water then.

On the White, the hot spot has been Wildcat Shoals. The best time to fish is early morning or late in the afternoon. The hot flies were prince nymphs, zebra midges (black with silver wire and silver bead or red with silver wire and silver bead), pheasant tails, copper Johns, pink and cerise San Juan worms, gold ribbed hare’s ears and sowbugs. Double fly nymph rigs have been very effective. Try a small bead headed nymph (zebra midge, copper John or pheasant tail) suspended eighteen inches below a brightly colored San Juan worm (hot fluorescent pink or cerise).

On the higher flows some anglers have been fishing large streamers on the heavy flows we have been getting later in the day and having success. This requires heavy sink tip lines, heavy rods (eight weights or better) and advanced casting skills. The hot flies have been large articulated streamers in various colors.

. Hopper season is in full swing. These are tempting morsels for large trout. You need a stiff six weight rod and a stout seven and a half foot 4X leader. My favorite hopper patterns are the western style foam hoppers with rubber legs and a bright quick sight patch on the back. Dave’s hoppers are also a good choice but be sure to dress them with plenty of fly floatant to ensure that they ride high. A small nymph dropper can increase your takes. It is not uncommon to take more trout on the dropper. My favorite dropper flies are bead head pheasant tails or zebra midges

Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River are high but navigable and both are receiving a lot of pressure. With summer here, the smallmouths are active. The most effective fly has been a tan and brown Clouser minnow. Carefully check the water level before entering Crooked Creek or the Buffalo River. There are no dams on these streams. They both have large drainages and are prone to flooding during and following any rain event. The water can rise very quickly.

There has been no wadable water on the Norfork but it has fished well. The most productive flies have been small midge patterns like zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead). Grasshoppers have started producing fish, particularly when used in conjunction with a small nymph dropper (try a size 20 black zebra midge). Double fly nymph rigs have been very effective. Try a small bead headed nymph (zebra midge, copper John or pheasant tail) suspended eighteen inches below a brightly colored San Juan worm (hot fluorescent pink or cerise). The fishing is much better in the morning and late afternoon and tapers off midday.

Dry Run Creek has fished well. School is back in session and now is a great time to fish it, particularly during the week. Weekends can get a bit crowded. The hot flies have been sowbugs and various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise). Small orange or peach eggs have been very effective. Use at least 4X tippet and carry the largest net that you can find to increase your chances of landing these big fish.

The water level on the Spring River is fishable. This is a great place to wade fish when they are running water on the White and Norfork Rivers. Canoe season is in full swing and the canoeists can a problem. Fish the upper river at the Lassiter Access to avoid them or fish Dam Three late in the afternoon, after they have left the area. Be sure to wear cleated boots and carry a wading staff. There is a lot of bedrock that can get very slick. The hot flies have been olive woolly buggers with a bit of flash, cerise and hot pink San Juan worms and Y2Ks.

Remember that the White and Norfork Rivers and Dry Run Creek are infected with didymo, an invasive alga. Be sure and thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the felt soles on wading boots) before using them in any other water. Many manufacturers are now making rubber soled wading boots that are easier to clean and are not as likely to harbor didymo.

My wife, Lori, and I will begin our annual fall fly fishing classes at Arkansas State University Mountain Home on September 5, 12, 19 and 26. Contact the University to sign up for this Community Education Course.

John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over thirty years.

Fly Fishing Class Starts Next Week

My wife, Lori, and I have been teaching our fly fishing class at Arkansas State University Mountain Home for several years now.  We are both proud of the way it has worked out.  Every time I see one of our students on stream, it gives me a deep sense of satisfaction, particularly if they are catching trout.  

This year’s fall class will be held every Thursday night at 6:00 p.m. starting September 5, 12, 19 and 26 on the ASU campus. The classes last until 8:00 p.m. You may bring your own fly rod or use one of ours.

Every class begins with a one hour casting lesson which is led by Lori. She surpassed me as a casting instructor years ago. She began teaching fly casting about ten years ago to help out in some fly fishing classes that my brother Dan and I were teaching for a sporting goods store in Memphis. She found that she excelled at it and has since worked with other fly casting instructors like Lefty Kreh and John Wilson to hone her skills. She improved further, when she taught classes for Becoming an Outdoor Woman, Casting for Recovery, Hooked on a Cure, the Sowbug Roundup and the Federation of Fly Fishers Southern Council Conclave. I do assist, particularly when we have larger classes but Lori is in charge.

After an hour of casting, we move inside for an hour of classroom instruction, which I lead. We cover fishing gear, fishing knots, basic rigging, entomology, fly selection, reading water and water safety. Lori assists me in all of the subjects and could easily teach it all herself.

I began teaching fly fishing well over twenty years ago, when I was the president of the Mid South Fly Fishers (MSFF), the fly fishing club in Memphis, Tennessee. We developed a fly fishing class and I taught fishing knots. I eventually became the education director for the MSFF and carefully refined the class over time. I was approached to teach it at Shelby State community College in Memphis, Mississippi Valley Community College in Blytheville Arkansas and the William Carl Garner visitor center in Heber Springs Arkansas (for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission).

After I moved here thirteen years ago I continued teaching fly fishing classes for Tommy Bronson Sporting Goods in Memphis. I found the commute to be a bit much, so I sought out a new venue and Arkansas State University Mountain Home was perfect. It has great broad lawns for the casting classes and well appointed classrooms for the inside instruction. There is ample parking and it has a great centralized location.

If you are interested in learning to fly fish in a comfortable environment, contact the Community Education Center at Arkansas State University Mountain Home and sign up. Lori and I look forward to working with you.