JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 1/31/2014

During the past week, we have had a no rain, warmer then colder temperatures and heavy winds (to include lake wind advisories). The lake level at Bull Shoals fell two tenths of a foot to rest at three tenths of a foot below seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is thirty six and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake fell six tenths a foot to rest at six tenths of a foot below power pool and sixteen and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose one tenth of a foot to rest at four tenths of a foot above seasonal power pool or nine and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had significant wadable water over the weekend. Norfork Lake fell two tenths of a foot to rest at three tenths of a foot below seasonal power pool of 553.75 feet and twenty six and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had significantly more wadable water.

The water level for the top of power pool has been reset lower for some of the lakes in the White River system. They have been generating on all of the lakes on the White River system to respond to the increased power demand due to the cold weather. All of the lakes on this system are at or below power pool.

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 February 1, 2014 this section will open to fishing. These trout have not been fished over in three months and are eager to feed.

On the White, The hot spot during the low water over the weekend was Round House Shoals in Cotter. The hot flies were olive woolly buggers, Y2Ks, prince nymphs, zebra midges (black with silver wire and silver bead or red with silver wire and silver bead), pheasant tails, ruby midges, pink and cerise San Juan worms, and sowbugs. Double fly nymph rigs have been very effective (try a cerise or pink San Juan worm with a midge pattern suspended below it).

The Corps of Engineers have been running significantly more water during the week and that has benefitted the streamer fishing. To do this you need at least an eight weight fly rod, a heavy sink tip fly line and large articulated streamers. The idea is to bang the bank and strip the fly back to the boat. This is heavy work and requires advanced casting skills. Some effective patterns are sex dungeons and circus peanuts.

The Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are navigable. With the cold temperatures, the smallmouth are very inactive. 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 more wadable water on the Norfork. The most productive flies have been small midge patterns like zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead). 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). There have been reliable hatches of small midges and caddis (try a size 22 Adams parachute).The fishing is much better in the morning and late afternoon and tapers off midday. Some anglers have been fishing heavy articulated streamers on sink tip lines on the higher flows to great effect. The siphon to accommodate minimum flow was damaged during a recent winter storm and is not functioning.

There have been reports of a minor shad kill on the Norfork tail water below Norfork Dam and conditions have been conducive on both rivers. This is a natural phenomenon where threadfin shad in the lake die and are drawn through the generators at the dam. These bits of shad produce a feeding frenzy. This usually occurs during extremely cold weather and high levels of generation. Watch for gulls hitting the shad as they come through the generators. The best flies are white shad patterns. The conditions are promising for a shad kill on both the White and Norfork Rivers.

Dry Run Creek has been virtually abandoned. Now would be a great time to fish it. Numerous brown trout have moved into the creek.The hot flies have been sowbugs, Y2Ks and various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise). Use at least 4X tippet (I prefer fluorocarbon) to maximize your youngsters chance at landing a big one. Take great care to dress your children properly for the cold weather. Take frequent breaks to warm them up.

The water level on the Spring River is clear and quite 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.

HIKE TO HAWKSBILL CRAG

BY JOHN BERRY

I met Dennis and Mary Schule, when Dennis and I were guiding for Blue Ribbon Fly Shop. We worked together quite a bit and became friends. When the shop closed we formed our own guide service, Blue Ribbon Guides. The idea was for me, Dennis, and my wife, Lori to do the guiding and Mary would serve as the webmaster for our website http://blueribbonguides.com. In addition, we share an interest in an active outdoors lifestyle that includes fishing and kayaking. In addition Dennis and Mary are active hikers.  

They invited us to join them on a hike to Hawksbill Crag, a rock formation overlooking the headwaters of the Buffalo River. It is a huge crag that projects from the rock face and resembles the beak of a hawk. It is a popular tourist spot that is very popular with photographers. The crag is fairly remote and can only be reached by a 1.85 mile hiking trail that is moderately challenging. It was difficult to schedule the trip due to the brutally cold weather that we have had this winter. We scheduled and cancelled the trip twice due to the ice and cold. We were finally able to go. 

Before the trip, it took me a while to get organized. Though I am pretty active, I have not done any hiking in a while and I had to locate my gear. After a thorough search, I found my back pack, hiking staff and hiking boots. The boots that had served me well on the Appalachian Trail twenty five years before were now dated. I had replaced them a year ago but the new ones were too narrow and confined my feet. I ordered a new pair that arrived a week before the hike. I wore them every day in order to break them in as much as I could before the hike. Lori decided to wear her old boots that were about eleven years old. 

On the day of the hike we put three bottles of water, some snacks and a folding water bowl for our yellow lab, Tilley in my back pack. We had decided to take Tilley, while Dennis and Mary brought their miniature Schnauzer, Tyrone. They came by our house about 9:30 AM; we loaded up and headed out. It took us a little over two hours to reach the trail head. The last six miles were on a dirt road. 

Since the trail was steep and had some serious drop offs, we kept the dogs on short leads and never let them run free for fear that they could slip over the edge. I carried the pack and Lori handled Tilley. The trail was steep in spots and had a varied walkway that was sometimes challenging. 

Lori began having trouble on the way in. Her shoes were too tight and hurt her feet on the downhill leg. When she removed her hiking boots later, her toes were bruised. During the hike, she stepped into a puddle of water hidden by leaves and soaked her foot up to the ankle. Then, on the way out, the soles of her boots began coming off. I must say that she was a trooper and finished the hike with a minimum of drama. When we completed the walk, she put on other shoes that she had brought and threw away the crumbling boots. The next day she bought a new pair of water proof hiking boots. 

When we arrived at the crag, we were awed by the view. Our first sighting was several hundred yards away. Dennis stayed at that spot and set up his camera to take some photos of Lori, Tilley and me standing on the crag. I had seen that view in several photos that are used to promote Arkansas’s outdoor wonders. We took a few minutes to enjoy the scenery, drink some water and eat our snacks. We then headed back to the car. The walk in had been well worth it. It had been challenging. Good hiking boots are a must. 

On the way home we stopped at a remote restaurant, Low Gap Café; in Low Gap Arkansas, for a late lunch. The food was fantastic! I had shrimp carbonara, Lori and Mary had balsamic chicken pasta and Dennis had steak Diane. Lori and I split a slice of mascarpone cake and Dennis and Mary split a slice of strawberry rhubarb pie with cups of fresh coffee. Everyone loved their food! 

We headed home arriving there around 5:00 PM. It had been a great day with a spectacular hike, good food and friends. We are already planning our next adventure. 

John Berry is a fly fishing guide in cotter, Arkansas, and has fished our local streams for over thirty years.  Photo by Dennis Schule.

Watch Dennis Tie his White Marabou Jig --

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 1/24/2014

During the past week, we have had a no rain, colder temperatures and heavy winds (to include lake wind advisories). The lake level at Bull Shoals fell four 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 five tenths a foot to rest at power pool and sixteen feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell five tenths of a foot to rest at three tenths of a foot above seasonal power pool or nine and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we have had no wadable water. Norfork Lake fell eight tenths of a foot to rest at one tenth of a foot below seasonal power pool of 553.75 feet and twenty six and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had little wadable water.

The water level for the top of power pool has been reset lower for some of the lakes in the White River system. They have been generating on all of the lakes on the White River system to respond to the increased power demand due to the cold weather. All of the lakes on this system are at or below power pool.

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 February 1, 2014 this section will open to fishing. These trout have not been fished over in three months and are eager to feed.

On the White, The hot spot was the section from White Hole down to Cotter. 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, ruby midges, pink and cerise San Juan worms, and sowbugs. Double fly nymph rigs have been very effective (try a cerise or pink San Juan worm with a midge pattern suspended below it).

The Corps of Engineers have been running significantly more water this week and that has benefitted the streamer fishing. To do this you need at least an eight weight fly rod, a heavy sink tip fly line and large articulated streamers. The idea is to bang the bank and strip the fly back to the boat. This is heavy work and requires advanced casting skills. Some effective patterns are sex dungeons and circus peanuts.

The Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are navigable. With the cold temperatures, the smallmouth are very inactive. 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 very limited wadable water on the Norfork. The most productive flies have been small midge patterns like zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead). 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). There have been reliable hatches of small midges and caddis (try a size 22 Adams parachute).The fishing is much better in the morning and late afternoon and tapers off midday. Some anglers have been fishing heavy articulated streamers on sink tip lines on the higher flows to great effect. The siphon to accommodate minimum flow was damaged during our most recent winter storm and is not functioning.

There have been reports of a minor shad kill on the Norfork tail water below Norfork Dam and conditions have been conducive on both rivers. This is a natural phenomenon where threadfin shad in the lake die and are drawn through the generators at the dam. These bits of shad produce a feeding frenzy. This usually occurs during extremely cold weather and high levels of generation. Watch for gulls hitting the shad as they come through the generators. The best flies are white shad patterns. The conditions are promising for a shad kill on both the White and Norfork Rivers.

Dry Run Creek has been virtually abandoned. Now would be a great time to fish it. Numerous brown trout have moved into the creek.The hot flies have been sowbugs, Y2Ks and various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise). Use at least 4X tippet (I prefer fluorocarbon) to maximize your youngsters chance at landing a big one. Take great care to dress your children properly for the cold weather. Take frequent breaks to warm them up.

The water level on the Spring River is clear and quite 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.

WARM SUNNY DAY ON THE WHITE

BY JOHN BERRY

One of the advantages to living here is that you can pick your day to go fishing. With our brutally cold weather there have been few this winter. I am talking about those warm winter days when the sun shines, the wind lies down, the temperature is warm and the river is on the bottom. I had pushed the envelope a few days earlier and had fished in the rain for four hours. While I had some solitude on stream I was without my favorite fishing buddy, my wife, Lori. She just didn’t want to spend the day in the rain. Lori wanted to go fishing but wanted better conditions. We carefully monitored the conditions, until we found the perfect day. 

It was a Sunday a week or so ago and we waited until early afternoon to take advantage of the warmest part of the day. We put our yellow lab, Tilley, in her kennel cage and chose a fishing spot near home, so we could get back quicker and let her out, when we finished. We drove over to Roundhouse Shoals, here in Cotter. We found the river on the bottom, the temperature was hovering around fifty three degrees and the sun was warming us. 

The only challenge we faced was fifteen to twenty five mile per hour winds that had resulted in lake wind advisories. To mitigate this problem we planned on using heavier rods than we usually fish. Lori chose a six weight, in lieu of her normal five weight, and I fished with my five weight because in my hurry to leave the house I had left my six weight by the door. Roundhouse Shoals has tall bluffs on the Marion County side of the river. In an effort to escape the wind, we waded across the river and fished close to the base of the bluffs. It helped a lot. 

Lori began with an olive woolly bugger and was into trout almost immediately. I began with a double fly nymph rig. I chose a ruby midge below a cerise San Juan worm. It had rained a couple of days before and I thought that the worm would be my ticket to success. I was surprised, when I caught my first fish on the ruby midge. The next three were on the worm. 

As I was fishing, I noticed some rises nearby. I didn’t see any insects on the surface and assumed that the trout were keying in on emergers. I remembered that I had done well fishing a green butt on the Norfork a couple of days earlier. I took a few minutes to strip off the flies, lead and strike indicator. I tied on a fresh 5X tippet and a green butt. I took care to pinch down the barb. Though I wasn’t in Catch and Release water. I wanted to fish barbless, in case the wind caught my cast and sent to fly into areas of my body that were not conducive to being punctured. 

I landed a nice fourteen inch rainbow a couple of casts later. I spent the next couple of hours slowly working my way down stream catching several trout along the way. I decided to wade far down stream and try a spot that had always been productive in the past. When I got there I noticed that the flows were heavier than I remembered. I figured that it was the result of minimum flow. I tried fishing the soft hackle but the flow was just too heavy for that technique. Rather than rerig and try another technique, I decided to wade back upstream and fish with Lori. 

By the time that I got there, I decided that I had caught enough trout. I found a comfortable spot on the bank and sat down to watch her fish. She was on fire landing one trout after another. I was close enough to her that we could carry on a conversation. I found that she had tried several techniques, nymphs, emergers and soft hackles but had found the woolly bugger to be the most effective. We fished late. I love watching her fish. She is an accomplished fly caster and I really enjoy the smile on her face every time she hooks up. 

On our wade out, we noted that the spot where we crossed had changed significantly. What had previously been a gravel bottom was now slick bedrock. This coupled from the increase in water volume from minimum flow made the wade out challenging. The river is constantly changing and we will look for an easier route out next time. 

There is some great fishing in the winter. You just have to pick your day. 

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

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 1/17/2014

During the past week, we have had a few rain events (a total of just over an inch here in Cotter), warmer temperatures and heavy winds (to include lake wind advisories). The lake level at Bull Shoals rose seven tenths of a foot to rest at three tenths of a foot above seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is thirty five and seven tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake rose a foot to rest at five tenths of a foot above power pool and fifteen and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose five tenths of a foot to rest at eight tenths of a foot above seasonal power pool or eight and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had significant wadable water over the weekend. Norfork Lake rose nine tenths of a foot to rest at seven tenths of a foot above seasonal power pool of 553.75 feet and twenty five and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had significant wadable water over the weekend.

The water level for the top of power pool has been reset lower for some of the lakes in the White River system. They have been generating on all of the lakes on the White River system to respond to the increased power demand due to the cold weather. All of the lakes on this system are at or below power pool.

The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam will close fromNovember 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 on the lower water last weekend was Roundhouse Shoals. 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, ruby midges, pink and cerise San Juan worms, and sowbugs. Double fly nymph rigs have been very effective (try a cerise or pink San Juan worm with a midge pattern suspended below it).

The Corps of Engineers have been running significantly more water most of the week and that has benefitted the streamer fishing. To do this you need at least an eight weight fly rod, a heavy sink tip fly line and large articulated streamers. The idea is to bang the bank and strip the fly back to the boat. This is heavy work and requires advanced casting skills. Some effective patterns are sex dungeons and circus peanuts.

The Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are high and off color. With the cold temperatures, the smallmouth are very inactive. 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 some wadable water on the Norfork. The most productive flies have been small midge patterns like zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead). 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). There have been reliable hatches of small midges and caddis (try a size 22 Adams parachute).The fishing is much better in the morning and late afternoon and tapers off midday. Some anglers have been fishing heavy articulated streamers on sink tip lines to great effect. The siphon to accommodate minimum flow was damaged during our most recent winter storm and is not functioning.

There have been reports of a minor shad kill on the Norfork tail water below Norfork Dam and conditions have been conducive on both rivers. This is a natural phenomenon where threadfin shad in the lake die and are drawn through the generators at the dam. These bits of shad produce a feeding frenzy. This usually occurs during extremely cold weather and high levels of generation. Watch for gulls hitting the shad as they come through the generators. The best flies are white shad patterns. The conditions are promising for a shad kill on both the White and Norfork Rivers.

Dry Run Creek has been virtually abandoned. Now would be a great time to fish it. Numerous brown trout have moved into the creek.The hot flies have been sowbugs, Y2Ks and various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise). Use at least 4X tippet (I prefer fluorocarbon) to maximize your youngsters chance at landing a big one. Take great care to dress your children properly for the cold weather. Take frequent breaks to warm them up.

The water level on the Spring River is clearer and quite 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.

Winter fishing on the White River

By Dennis Schule 

Wednesday was a typical winter day here in the Arkansas Ozarks.  Temps in the low to mid thirties,  cloudy and the slight breeze was calling me to go fishing.  I checked the generation schedule for the White River and they were running a little over 11,000cfs,  more water than I wanted but still very fishable.  Since December and January are usually slow months for guiding I have a chance to get caught up with my fly tying and to get in a little fishing.  I checked with my wife and she agreed, let’s fish.

My wife, Mary, is a very accomplished fly fisherperson.  She has fly fished for about 20 years and has wet a line in numerous states and fished with me in the Caribbean for bonefish.  She is a very good fly caster and requires very little assistance on the river.  Her only downfall is that she refuses to row the boat so I can concentrate on throwing streamers.  I think the term "princesses don't row boats" has been used more than once.  I think she picked up this term from my partner and fishing buddy, John Berry.

We arrived at the river at about 9AM and we were the only car in the parking lot.  I took a quick look at the river and yes, they were running a lot of water.  We launched the boat and headed up river a short distance.  We both started drifting two fly rigs and the fish weren't cooperative.  I suggested that we run down river a short distance and start drifting the shoreline.  After drifting about 100 yards Mary was into her first fish,  a feisty little rainbow about 14".  She landed that fish and immediately released it.  After covering another 200 yards of river Mary landed another five fish, all rainbows.  Mary was in the fishing zone and having a blast.  I was on the oars but having a great time watching her catch fish.  Then Mary started getting a lot of strikes but the fish outsmarted her and started spitting the hook.  She lost several nice fish and started to get a little frustrated. 

After not landing a fish for about 20 minutes she finally hit a good fish.  Once hooked, the fish started taking line running upstream.  I rowed the boat closer to the bank into some slack water and finally got a look at the fish as it jumped completely out of the water.  It was a nice brown with plenty of energy.  After that one jump the fish took her deep and stayed there until she got him closer to the boat.  I learned long ago to keep silent when Mary is fighting a fish.  As I said she is a really good fisherperson and knows what she is doing.  I only told her what side of the boat to bring the fish to.  Once she got the fish close to the boat, I slipped the net under it and brought it out of the water. Mary quickly removed the hook.  We got a couple of photos and the fish was released to fight another day. 

We continued to fish for another hour and Mary continued to bang rainbows.  Around 11AM the wind picked up and the temps dropped.  We called it a day and headed back to the ramp.  Overall it was a good day of winter fishing on the river, despite the cold temps. 

Hot flies for the day were Y2ks with a copper pheasant tail midge dropper, San Juan Worm with a black zebra midge dropper and two different scud patterns. 

Just because the temps have dropped and according to the calendar says it is winter doesn't mean you can't get out and fish.  Just dress in layers and give it a try.   Dennis is a full-time, licensed fly fishing guide with Blue Ribbon Guides in Cotter, Arkansas.

SURE CURE FOR CABIN FEVER

BY JOHN BERRY

This winter has been tough for me to get in my quota of personal days of fly fishing. It seems like the holidays took more days than usual. This included a couple of road trips that kept me out of town far longer than I wanted to be. Then there has been the weather. I don’t know about you but this has been the coldest winter weather that I have ever encountered. What happened to global warming? Included in this bad weather has been a variety of precipitation, snow, rain, sleet and freezing rain. This has caused the area lakes to inch up above power pool and has severely limited the amount of wadable water. 

I was itching for an opportunity to get out on stream. Last Friday I saw my chance. The weather was still a bit dicey but was survivable. The temperature promised to reach the high forties but it was to rain all day. Rain doesn’t bother me much. I have great rain gear and my theory is that the fish are already wet. In addition, the prediction was for wadable water on the Norfork. I thought it might be a good day to fish, because nothing thins the herd like an inch or two of rain. I quickly made my plans. My wife, Lori, decided to wait for a better day. 

I headed out after lunch. The thermometer in my Suburban said that it was forty five degrees. There was an unrelenting steady, slow rain coming down on my drive to the Ackerman Access. I had put on my waders and rain gear in my garage, before I left the house, because there is no cover at Ackerman. When I got there I noticed two things. The water was on the bottom and there was no one else in the parking lot. In fact, the only other angler that I saw all day was a very wet Great Blue Heron. When I got closer to the water, I thought that it looked lower than it had previously under the minimum flow regimen. I found out later that the siphon was not operating because it had frozen up and broken during our recent brutal weather. 

I waded far up into the Catch and Release section. Since there was no one else there, I had my choice of any spot. I chose to fish it all and leisurely made my way around the area fishing every choice spot that I came upon. I began the day fishing a double fly rig. I chose a ruby midge suspended below a cerise San Juan worm. Whenever it rains worms are washed into the river. As a result, I always try a worm pattern first during and after a rain. My first fish was a fat, brightly colored, eighteen inch rainbow. 

I fished for a while but the going was a bit slow. I caught a few fish everywhere that I went but it was not a spectacular day. As I was fishing, I noted a trout taking something just below the surface. I figured that it was keying in on an emerging insect. It was time to try a soft hackle. I opted for a green butt, my signature fly. 

 I stripped off the two flies, lead and strike indicator. I then tied on a fresh three foot tippet and a green butt. I waded out into the river and faced downstream. I cast downstream at a forty five degree angle. As soon as the fly hit the water, I stripped the line hard to sink the fly into the film. I let the fly swing in the film and made no effort to mend the arc out of the line. I kept my rod tip low and waited for a strike. It did not take long before I felt the heavy thump of a good fish. It was a chunky fourteen inch brown. I noted that it was missing its adipose fin and surmised that it was a stocked trout. 

I fished on and did better with the soft hackle than I had with the double fly rig. I slowly worked my way through that run and then went looking for another. The rain finally let up around three and I was glad to pull down the hood on my rain jacket. I took a minute to strip off my wool fingerless gloves and put on a fresh dry pair. I continued fishing and landed several rainbows and a couple more browns. I headed home around four thirty. 

It was nice to be on stream again and thought that the trip was well worth it. The solace and seclusion on stream were a definite plus and a great way to get over a serious case of cabin fever. 

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

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 1/10/2014

During the past week, we have had a polar vortex that included snow (about two inches here in Cotter), brutally cold temperatures (it fell to 0 degrees here in Cotter) and heavy winds (to include lake wind advisories). The lake level at Bull Shoals fell one and two tenths feet to rest at three tenths of a foot below seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is thirty six and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake fell eight tenths of a foot to rest at five tenths of a foot below power pool and sixteen and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell four tenths of a foot to rest at three tenths of a foot above seasonal power pool or nine and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we have had no wadable water. Norfork Lake fell one and two tenths feet to rest at two tenths of a foot below seasonal power pool of 553.75 feet and twenty six and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we have had little wadable water.

The water level for the top of power pool has been reset lower for some of the lakes in the White River system. They have been generating on all of the lakes on the White River system to respond to the increased power demand due to the brutally cold weather. All of the lakes on this system are at or below power pool.

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 the State park down to White Hole. 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, ruby midges, pink and cerise San Juan worms, and sowbugs. Double fly nymph rigs have been very effective (try a cerise or pink San Juan worm with a midge pattern suspended below it).

The Corps of Engineers have been running significantly more water and that has benefitted the streamer fishing. To do this you need at least an eight weight fly rod, a heavy sink tip fly line and large articulated streamers. The idea is to bang the bank and strip the fly back to the boat. This is heavy work and requires advanced casting skills. Some effective patterns are sex dungeons and circus peanuts.

The Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are high and off color. With the cold temperatures, the smallmouth are very inactive. 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 very little wadable water on the Norfork. The most productive flies have been small midge patterns like zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead). 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). There have been reliable hatches of small midges and caddis (try a size 22 Adams parachute).The fishing is much better in the morning and late afternoon and tapers off midday. Some anglers have been fishing heavy articulated streamers on sink tip lines to great effect.

There have been reports of a minor shad kill on the Norfork tail water below Norfork Dam. This is a natural phenomenon where threadfin shad in the lake die and are drawn through the generators at the dam. These bits of shad produce a feeding frenzy. This usually occurs during extremely cold weather and high levels of generation. Watch for gulls hitting the shad as they come through the generators. The best flies are white shad patterns. The conditions are promising for a shad kill on both the White and Norfork Rivers.

Dry Run Creek has been virtually abandoned. Now would be a great time to fish it. Numerous brown trout have moved into the creek. The hot flies have been sowbugs, Y2Ks and various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise). Use at least 4X tippet (I prefer fluorocarbon) to maximize your youngsters chance at landing a big one. Take great care to dress your children properly for the cold weather. Take frequent breaks to warm them up.

The water level on the Spring River is clearer and quite 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.

Arkansas Shad -- Fly Tie of the Week

Here's Dennis with Blue Ribbon Guides with his Fly Tie of the Week, the Arkansas Shad.  Dennis can be reached at 870-481-5054.

SURVIVING BRUTALLY COLD CONDITIONS

BY JOHN BERRY

When I got up this morning it was one degree and there were lake wind advisories for the fifteen to twenty five mile an hour winds coming from the North West. This made the wind chill drop down to minus eighteen when I checked. The predicted high for the day was seven degrees. To make the conditions a bit more interesting there was a two inch layer of snow and ice covering everything in sight. It was the worst winter conditions that I can remember. All of the local schools were closed. Though the road in front of my house had been snow plowed the street was still slick and had a solid glaze of ice. My wife, Lori, had almost slipped when walking our yellow lab Tilley. Even Tilley with her thick fur coat didn’t want to be out in it. Luckily for me there were no clients expecting me to pick them up at 7:30 AM.  

Though I have written about fishing in cold weather, this was something else and represented truly dangerous conditions. The possibility of hypothermia is a very real concern. This is a lowering of the core body temperature and could result in death. Early symptoms are confusion and fatigue which can make things worse. The best way to avoid it is to dress properly and maintain core body temperature. 

Another problem is frostbite. This is when body tissue freezes. It normally happens on exposed extremities and could result in amputation of the affected body part. The first signs are redness or pain in the affected area. Here again the best way to avoid it is to dress properly and take special care to observe exposed skin. 

The best way to survive comfortably under these conditions is to stay inside. Take a seat near the fire and tie a few flies. If you must go outside and go fishing you need to consider just how can you wear enough clothing to keep you warm under these conditions? 

The secret is to dress in layers. Next to the skin you should wear a wicking layer that would wick moisture away from the body. Though polypropylene has been the fabric of choice for the past couple of decades, merino wool is the up and coming fabric. Merino overcomes some of the problems usually associated with wool. It is itch free and can be washed at home in a washing machine. It wicks well, is odor free and maintains up to sixty percent of its insulating ability when wet. Many of the top outdoor gear manufacturers like Orvis, Simms and Patagonia are now offering merino wool base layers. I choose merino for my base layer when the temperature drops below freezing. 

The insulating layer or layers comes next. Fleece is always a good choice but here again wool is coming on strong. My absolute favorite layer for this type of weather is a classic Irish Fisherman’s sweater. Mine is the heaviest warmest garment that I own. I have several wool sweaters in various weights and try to match their weight to the temperature. Pendleton wool shirts are also well suited to layering. For my lower torso I choose a pair of fleece lined blue jeans or a pair of heavy wool pants. Down is a great insulator but can lose its insulating ability when wet. I regularly wear a down jacket or vest and take care to keep them dry. 

The outer layer is the shell which should be wind and waterproof. The best ones should also breathe to prevent the buildup of moisture. For this I prefer Gore-Tex or waxed cotton. Gore-Tex is very water proof and generally much lighter while waxed cotton is generally more durable and can be easily re proofed, which can extend its life indefinitely. 

The feet require protection. I like heavy wool socks coupled with polypropylene liners although heavy polypropylene socks work well. If you wear more than one layer of socks, make sure that your foot wear is loose enough for you to wiggle your toes. Footwear that is too tight will make you colder. Gloves are important to keep your hands warm. If it is above freezing, I wear wool fingerless gloves. When it is below freezing, I wear windproof polypropylene fingerless gloves with pullover mittens attached. Hand warmer pockets on your shell layer are a must. Put a disposable chemical hand warmer in each hand warmer pocket for extra warmth (the hand warmers designed for your feet are larger and put out more heat). 

Don’t forget a good hat. An easy solution is a wool knit cap. I prefer a billed fleece hat with earflaps to keep my ears warm and a waterproof shell to protect me from wind and snow. A hood on your shell is also a good idea. A wool or polypropylene scarf is great to keep your neck and face warm. Buff makes a neck gaiter from merino wool that works well for this purpose. 

In addition to dressing properly, there are some basic strategies to stay comfortable when fishing in this kind of weather. Wading will be much warmer than fishing from a boat. There is nowhere to hide from the wind in a boat. In our tailwaters, the water temperature is constant year round is often much warmer than the air temperature. I have fished many times when the best way to warm up was to wade deeper. You can also escape the effects of a lot of the heavy wind in this manner. 

Consider starting a warming fire streamside. Sometimes you just have to warm up. I always carry a spare lighter with me. There have been several days, when stopping for a few minutes to warm up by a fire, have made the difference between continuing fishing for a few more hours and going home. A thermos of hot coffee or cocoa is always a good idea. Avoid alcohol as it dilates the blood vessels. While it makes you feel warmer, it robs warmth from the body core and can make you susceptible to hypothermia. 

If you choose to go fishing in weather like this, you will have it to yourself. Be sure and dress properly and stay warm. Above all else, stay safe. 

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