IS SPRING AROUND THE CORNER

BY JOHN BERRY

There is no doubt that this has been the meanest winter in memory. I have had more trip cancellations than I have ever had due to the weather. I knew that the times were tough, when I got a phone call from some long time regular clients from Minnesota. They had not seen temperatures above freezing in over forty days and they thought that Arkansas was not a lot warmer. The kicker was that there had been yet another bitter winter storm in the Midwest that had dumped impassable snow and ice between here and there. That has been the story all winter. While there are a few brave souls out there that that have the gear and the intestinal fortitude to deal with winter weather like we have had, there are even fewer that want to get on the road, for a major road trip, when there is ice and snow about. 

There may be a silver lining in this storm cloud. When I sat down to write this article, it was fourteen degrees. The weather forecast was for sunny skies and a high of thirty nine degrees. That is the first day with above freezing conditions that I have seen for a while. Better yet, the forecast for the coming week calls for much warmer conditions. Is this the light at the end of the tunnel? I certainly hope so! This trend is certainly not in sync with the Groundhog Day prediction, which called for six more weeks of bad weather. 

I prefer to think that it is a harbinger of spring. I am ready. During the last three months I have not been on the river that much. I went out on some ridiculously bad days just to get in a few precious hours on stream. I fear that I have spent more time in the gym than I have on stream. All of that is about to change. 

There is another condition that will change due to the general warming. That is the increased level of generation that we have experienced for the last few weeks. This has been due to an increase in power demand due to cold conditions. With milder weather, we can expect less generation and maybe even some wadable water. This is a definite possibility, with the low lake levels we have. All of the lakes in the White River are currently below power pool. 

Warm weather and low water, how could anything make it better? How about some dry fly action? It just so happens that our most prolific and important hatch of the year is due to arrive in just a few weeks. The Rhyancophylia caddis usually arrives in Mid-March and stays around for several weeks. This is a large green caddis. The adult is best imitated by the green elk hair caddis size fourteen. I like to fish for them, when they are in the emergence, with my signature fly, the green butt. Before and after the hatch use a green caddis pupa pattern also in size fourteen. 

This nexus of favorable conditions is already the main subject of conversation among guides and other serious fly fishers. We are all suffering from near terminal cabin fever and this may be the only thing that can save us. Toward this end, we have been tying flies like crazy. I have taken the time to hunt out my broad brimmed hat and sunscreen. I don’t think it is time to put away my heavy winter clothing just yet but I do feel like I can eliminate a layer or two in the coming days. 

Come on, it is time to get out on the river again. It will be warmer with lower water and the possibility of some top water action. It is my version of heaven. 

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