PERFECT DRAG FREE DRIFT

BY JOHN BERRY

As a fly fishing guide and teacher, I am constantly observing people fishing. Over the years, I have noted that the anglers, which are most successful, are those that are able to achieve a perfect drag free drift on a consistent basis. If you have a perfect drag free drift, your fly is moving down stream at the same speed as the water and it will look more natural than a fly that is moving faster or slower than the water. This is imperative when fishing dry flies and nymphs. Streamers and soft hackles are fished on a tight line across the current and a drag free drift is not required. 

Many anglers mistakenly think that casting is the most important skill to be learned in fly fishing. I disagree. We spend way too much time learning to cast and little or no time learning how to control a drift. The Federation of Fly Fishers has a complete organization to train and produce casting instruction. There is a Board of Governors, Master Certified Casting Instructors, Certified Casting Instructors, a tough curriculum and a rigorous testing process. There is no emphasis on controlling the drift once the cast is made. The simple fact is that the fish do not see the cast. What they see is the fly drifting in the water. If the drift is not right, they will not take the fly. As a result, I spend a great deal of my time on the water coaching my clients on achieving a perfect drag free drift. My emphasis is on the drift not the cast. 

The first thing that I notice is that most anglers want to cast too much line. In most situations encountered when fishing our streams a shorter line (say twenty to twenty five feet) will produce more fish. When you are fishing with seventy feet of line out you will have much more trouble seeing the take and with that much line out there is frequently slack in the line, which will make setting the hook much more unlikely. In addition, with the fish that far from out, you have a much longer fight on your hand if you hook it. That will give the fish a greater opportunity to release itself. 

When you are fishing from a boat, there always seems to be a differential in the speed of the boat and the speed of the water. This can be complicated by the wind either blowing up stream or down. The fly line can be moving faster or slower than the fly. To make up for this differential you will need to mend the line. By lifting the line off the water and moving it up stream or down without moving the fly, you can mend your drift. If the fly is moving faster than the line, you mend downstream. If the fly is moving slower than the fly line, you mend upstream. The secret is to constantly mend your fly line to achieve a longer drag free drift. A longer rod will help you lift more line and mend more easily. For this purpose, I prefer a nine foot rod but many anglers advocate a longer rod (ten feet or more) for its ability to mend more easily. 

To determine if I am achieving a proper drift, I carefully observe the fly and note its speed when compared with foam or bubbles in the water. If the bubbles are passing the fly, it is moving too slow. If the fly is passing the bubbles, it is moving too fast. If the fly is moving at the same speed as the bubbles, you are achieving a perfect drag free drift. 

When you are wading the problem that you encounter is complex currents. The stream does not have a consistent current all of the way across it. There will be sections that are faster or slower than others. Here again a shorter line is better because you will encounter fewer different currents and fewer currents will be easier to deal with. Once again mending is the key to success. 

If you learn to achieve a perfect drag free drift, I think that you will catch more fish.

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

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 10/24/2013

During the past week, we have had two rain events (with a combined total of an inch and a quarter here in Cotter), cooler temperatures and heavy winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals fell one tenth of a foot to rest at one and one tenth feet below seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is thirty seven and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake fell six tenths of a foot to rest at one and four tenths feet below power pool and fifteen and four tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell three tenth of a foot to rest at one and eight tenths feet below seasonal power pool or eleven and four tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we have had low levels of generation in the morning and heavier generation in the afternoon. There has been no wadable water. Norfork Lake fell three tenths of a foot to rest at a foot below seasonal power pool of 553.75 feet and twenty seven and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we have had wadable water most mornings and heavy generation in the afternoon.

The water level for the top of power pool has been reset lower for some of the lakes in the White River system. With all of the lakes in the White River system below power pool and the temperatures moderating, I predict that we will receive more wadable water, in the coming weeks.

The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam will close from November 1, 2013 to January 31, 2014 to accommodate the brown trout spawn. The State Park will be seasonal Catch and Release for the same period. All brown trout must be immediately released. In addition, night fishing is prohibited in this area during this period.

On the White, the hot spot has been the section from White Hole down to Cotter. The best time to fish is early morning or late in the afternoon. The hot flies were Y2Ks, 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 pheasant tail suspended eighteen inches below a brightly colored San Juan worm (hot fluorescent pink or cerise).

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 (250 grain or heavier), 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 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 beadhead pheasant tails or zebra midges.

Accesses on the Buffalo National River are open now that the government shutdown is over. Crooked Creek was never affected. Both streams are extremely low. The smallmouth are still 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 wadable water on the Norfork and it has fished well despite the limited access and stained water conditions. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is working on a bank stabilization project downstream from the Ackerman access, which is causing some severely stained water conditions, when they are working. The most productive flies have been small midge patterns like zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead). Grasshoppers have produced 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 when there is no one there. Weekends can get a bit crowded. Numerous brown trout have moved into the creek.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.

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. 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.

The North Arkansas Fly Fishers have scheduled celebrated fly tyer, A. K. Best, to present several programs and tie flies at the Bull Shoals White River State Park Visitors Center on November 2 and 3. These programs are open to the public and free of charge.

John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over thirty years. John can be reached at (870) 435-2169 or http://www.berrybrothersguides.com.

FISHING HOPPERS AND STREAMERS

by Dennis Schule

Fall is a tremendous time to be fly fishing on the White and Norfork rivers in Arkansas, even better than the rest of the year as the crowds have diminished and the weather is much more pleasant.  Guides are thinking more about big articulated streamers and hoppers than any other time of the year.

We have been throwing hoppers since early June with great success.  Right now the hoppers that I am seeing on the rivers are starting to get a little lethargic which means the hopper season is just starting to slow down.  Don't get me wrong, we still have plenty of time for hopper fishing.  I had my clients casting hoppers until December 5th last year.  

This hopper season has been just a little different from years past.  Usually a nice clear day with a slight breeze is perfect for hoppers.  This year we have been banging fish on hoppers in the fog, drizzling rain, clear days with or without wind early and late.  All of this is good for the fishermen.

Clients are always asking what kind of hoppers are we going to fish today.  I usually respond by telling them only the fish know that answer.  I usually start out with my usual favorite foam hoppers, usually one in pink and the other in tan, red or purple. Then I switch off regularly to find the key to what they want.  However, what works in one stretch of the river may not turn a fish 100 yards down river.  So, the answer is to have a good assortment of patterns, colors and sizes.  I usually have my clients fish the hoppers on a 9' 6 weight rod, weight forward line with a 7 1/2' tapered leader down to 4X.  This set-up seems to work great and will turn over those big nasty foam hoppers with ease.  

The biggest problem I have with clients fishing hoppers is the early hook set.  Until they learn to hold off on the hook set for just that extra second they will tend to miss a lot of fish.

Over the past month we have been pretty fortunate to have a fair amount of water being released from both the Bull Shoals and Norfork dams.  Plenty of water means only one thing,  STREAMER FISHING!  I find that when we have an adequate flow the bigger browns and rainbows tend to push closer to the bank in an attempt to avoid the heavier current.  They tuck into anything that will break the current and provide them with a good ambush point.  

When fishing streamers my clients are fishing anything from floating lines all the way up to 375 grain sink tip lines.  Line selection depends on water generation and how far we have to get the flys down to the strike zone.

If we have a fairly weak flow the floating line or the Rio streamer line with a clear tip is usually the answer.  When the water is really flowing you usually have to step up to a heavier sink tip line, usually a 250 grain all the way up to a 375 grain. 

Leaders are another issue.  I see a lot of people fishing sink tip lines with a 7 1/2' - 9' leader.  They are defeating the purpose of the sink tip line.  The sink tip is down in the strike zone but their fly is floating three or four feet out of the zone.  I usually fish the big articulated streamers with a short 3-3 1/2' piece of 20 pound fluorocarbon tippet material. 

A lot of the guides usually only fish big streamers during the fall and winter.  I prefer to fish them all year long whenever the water is right.  Big fish eat big streamers all year long.

I really get excited when I get clients that can really handle a fly rod and  can cast right where I tell them to whether it is a streamer or a hopper.  The end results are usually camera worthy. 

If you really enjoy fishing hoppers or big streamers and want a true chance at some big fish, give us a call and let us help you obtain that goal. 

Dennis Schule   

Alaska in September

by Dennis Schule

September in the Ozarks means cooler temps, more stable water and fewer crowds which all lead to great fishing.  While most guides and anglers are thinking about the fantastic fall fishing on the White and Norfork rivers, my mind starts to wander about heading to Alaska again for some fall trout and salmon fishing.

This year was no exception.  My friend, Mike, from Montana and I were scheduled to head back to the Cordova, Alaska area again this year to chase down some silvers but once again Mother Nature dumped on the area with tons of rain resulting in blown out rivers and very difficult flying conditions to the outpost camps. At the last minute we changed plans and switched to the Kenai River area, specifically Cooper Landing.

We were able to secure lodging and a guide at Kenai River Drifters Lodge so we changed our airline reservations and headed out on September 15th.  I was already in Great Falls, MT visiting my friends so we departed Great Falls and flew into Seattle, WA.  From Seattle we flew to Anchorage where we picked up our rental car and drove to Cooper Landing.  So far our travel went perfect without any difficulties.

Upon our arrival at the Kenai River Drifters Lodge we were pleasantly surprised.  The place is very well maintained, clean and right on the Kenai river.  Our two story cabin was very comfortable, clean and had plenty of room.

That evening our guide, Josh, stopped by the cabin to discuss our next day's fishing strategies.  We visited and agreed to meet up by the office at 8 AM.

The next morning we were met with cool temps, in the 40's, which aren't too bad for Alaska in September. We headed to the middle Kenai and upon arrival at the ramp Josh told us he would have to row his drift boat about 1 1/2 miles across a lake to get to the mouth of the river.  As we proceeded across the lake we noticed some very promising water along one of the banks.  Josh maneuvered us into position and Mike and I began to throw streamers.  Before too long we both got into some rainbows and one silver.  Then it was time to start our drift on the Kenai River.

September is egg fishing time.  Josh rigged us up with a double egg rig and split shot.  We drifted the Kenai River for three days and banged plenty of fish -- a mixed bag of sockeyes, silvers, and rainbows.  My biggest rainbow was 29 1/2" with one large silver and one good sockeye.

All in all the Alaska trip was good, very relaxing and fairly easy fishing.  The weather cooperated with only a small shower one day and the temps got up into the 60's.  The bugs were pretty much nonexistent.  While drifting along the Kenai River, I did find my mind wandering back to Arkansas and thinking about the generation schedule, throwing big streamers for big browns and tossing hoppers to unsuspecting rainbows and browns.

The really great thing about being a fly fisherman is that trout and salmon live in some of the most beautiful places in the world.  Arkansas and Alaska both fit into that category.  Tight lines.

Dennis Schule    

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 10/10/2013

During the past week, we have had a rain event (a bit over an inch here in Cotter), cool temperatures and moderate winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals fell four tenths of a foot to rest at five tenths of a foot below seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is thirty six and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake fell two tenths of a foot to rest at seven tenths of a foot below power pool and fourteen and seven tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell two tenths of a foot to rest at one and four tenths feet below seasonal power pool or eleven feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we have had low levels of generation in the morning and heavier generation in the afternoon. There has been one minor period of limited wadable water. Norfork Lake fell five tenths of a foot to rest at five tenths of a foot below power pool of 553.75 feet and twenty seven and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we have had wadable water most mornings and heavy generation in the afternoon.

The water level for the top of power pool has been reset lower for some of the lakes in the White River system. With all of the lakes in the White River system below power pool and the temperatures moderating, I predict that we will receive more wadable water, in the coming weeks.

On the White, the hot spot has been White Hole. The best time to fish is early morning or late in the afternoon. The hot flies were Y2Ks, 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).

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 (250 grain or heavier), 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 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 beadhead pheasant tails or zebra midges.

Due to the federal government shutdown, all federal accesses on the Buffalo National River are closed. Accesses on Crooked Creek are state operated and open. Both streams are extremely low. The smallmouth are still 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.

Quarry Park and the boat ramp below the Norfork Dam are closed due to the federal government shutdown. This severely limits access to the river to the Ackerman Access and restricts boat traffic. In addition, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is working on a bank stabilization project upstream from the Ackerman access, which is causing some severely stained water conditions, when they are working. There has been wadable water on the Norfork and it has fished well despite the limited access and stained water conditions. The most productive flies have been small midge patterns like zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead). Grasshoppers have produced 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 when there is no one there. 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. The adjacent Norfork National Fish Hatchery is closed to the public and is operating with a skeleton staff. There will be no stocking during the shutdown. At the time of this writing, the parking lot is still open allowing access to Dry Run Creek.

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. 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.

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

PROGRESS REPORT ON TILLEY THE FISHING DOG

BY JOHN BERRY

As many of you know, we lost our beloved yellow Labrador retriever last spring. She had been our constant companion on stream for fourteen and a half years and she was sorely missed. Her health had failed in the last few months of her life and we began a search for a new puppy before she passed. We found one, Tilley, but she was not ready for pick up before Ellie was gone. We had wanted the two to bond but that was not in the cards. Tilley arrived on the scene a few days later and was a welcome sight. The best way to handle the grief of losing a beloved companion is to acquire a new one.

She was seven weeks old when we picked her up from a respected breeder in Little Rock. She was a perfect specimen of what an English Lab should look like. She had a nearly white coat, a black nose and weighed eight pounds. She whined all the way home and most of the first night. In a few days she settled in and became part of the family.

The first order of business was to house break her. This was at best a challenge. We took her outside every two hours night and day to do her business. There were several accidents but our perseverance paid off and she finally figured out that she was to go the bathroom outside. The process took two months but it was worth the effort. She can now go eight hours at night with no accidents. When she needs to go she sits by the door.

She is very active and rambunctious. We began her obedience training the week after we received her. At first, it was private lessons but once she was old enough we signed her up for a group class. We thought that it would be beneficial for her to interact with other dogs. My wife, Lori, took the lead on this project and really worked hard. It was a challenging situation but Lori was patient, consistent and worked with Tilley every day. She learned to sit and stay fairly quickly but had trouble on the long downs and the leash work (she wants to bite the leash and play a game). Lori began to think that she would never get it and went so far as to call the trainer and ask if Tilley could repeat the course if she failed.

The day of the final exam came and Lori was concerned but decided she would do her best. Before the exam, Tilley was wild and crazy. Once it began, Lori gave her the get serious look (I have seen it before myself). Tilley pulled it together and performed flawlessly. She received a perfect score of two hundred out of two hundred, the top score in her class. After the exam she was wild and crazy again. She has been enrolled in the next advanced class and is progressing toward her canine good citizen award.

We have begun her water training. We take her to Cotter Big Spring Park several times a week. We get in the water with her and have her retrieve bumpers. I must say that she is a natural retriever and just loves to do it. She is becoming more comfortable in the water and can swim well. I have my own training program. I am training her to retrieve the Baxter Bulletin. Every morning (Monday through Saturday) we go out and get the paper, bring it into the house and lay it on the love seat in the sun room. She is rewarded with a dog biscuit and fed her breakfast.

She had her first dog how a few weeks ago, a fun show in Cotter that was part of the Bridge Bash event. Tilley came in second in her group. Lori was a bit disappointed but I told her that Tilley is still a puppy and she may be expecting a bit too much. She has her first real dog show in Springfield on November the eighth, my birthday. The fever is high and Lori is working on getting her ready.

Tilley has progressed far in her six months (she now weighs forty five pounds). She is still a long way from being obedient enough to go fishing with me. I look forward to the day when she can sit beside me on stream.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 10/03/2013

During the past week, we have had a couple of minor rain events (a total of a half inch here in Cotter), cool temperatures and moderate winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals fell six tenths of a foot to rest at one tenth of a foot below seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is thirty six and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake fell one tenth of a foot to rest at five tenths of a foot below power pool and fourteen and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell three tenths of a foot to rest at two and two tenths feet below power pool or ten and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we have had low levels of generation in the morning and heavier generation in the afternoon. There has been some limited wadable water. Norfork Lake fell seven tenths of a foot to rest at power pool of 553.75 feet and twenty six and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we have had wadable water most mornings and heavy generation in the afternoon.

The water level for the top of power pool has been reset lower for some of the lakes in the White River system. With all of the lakes in the White River system below power pool and the temperatures moderating, I predict that we will receive more wadable water, in the coming weeks.

On the White, the hot spot has been Rim Shoals. The best time to fish is early morning or late in the afternoon. The hot flies were Y2Ks, 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).

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 (250 grain or heavier), 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 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 beadhead pheasant tails or zebra midges.

Due to the federal government shutdown, all federal accesses on the Buffalo National River are closed. Accesses on Crooked Creek are state operated and open. Both streams are low and barely navigable. The smallmouth are still 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.

Quarry Park and the boat ramp below the Norfork Dam are closed due to the federal government shutdown. This severely limits access to the river to the Ackerman Access and restricts boat traffic. There has been wadable water on the Norfork and it has fished well. On some days, we have had minor flows from the implementation of minimum flow. The most productive flies have been small midge patterns like zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead). Grasshoppers have produced 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 when there is no one there. 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. The adjacent Norfork National Fish Hatchery is closed to the public and is operating with a skeleton staff. There will be no stocking during the shutdown. At the time of this writing, the parking lot is still open allowing access to Dry Run Creek.

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. 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 algae. 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.

Fellow guide, Robert Schuler, was severely injured in August and has been unable to work. A group of river guides and friends have banded together to have a benefit for him on Friday October 11, 2013 at Cotter’s Big Spring Park. The event runs from 5:00 PM until 8:00PM and features live music (Monkey Run Boys), chili and a raffle. Contributions may be made to the Robert Schuler Fund at the First Security Bank in Gassville or Mountain Home.

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