OBSERVATIONS ON MINIMUM FLOW

BY JOHN BERRY

As many of you know, minimum flow has been implemented on the Norfork and Bull Shoals tailwaters. The overall concept was to increase the minimum flow of water that would be released from the dams. This would add a small amount of water to the outflows that would aid in navigation. More importantly it would increase the wetted area on our tailwaters, which would provide a bigger base for food production and increase our river’s fish holding capacity. 

It was a simple enough project on the White, as the generators at Bull Shoals Dam could easily be run at very low levels of generation and required no modification. On the Norfork, it was a bit more complicated. The generators could not be run at lower levels of water flow and a siphon had to be installed. This took a bit of time to accomplish. 

There was also a problem of where the water would come from. The water in the flood pool of Norfork and Bull Shoals lakes is controlled by the Corps of Engineers, while the water in power pool is controlled by the Southwest Power Administration. Both are federal government agencies. It was finally decided that the water would be allocated from flood pool to power pool on the lakes. 

The hard part of all of this is that it literally required an act of Congress to enact. There were numerous studies and years of negotiation but it was finally approved and implemented last year. Now that minimum flow is here and I have had some time to fish on it I have made a few observations. It should be noted that these are my opinion and mine alone. 

Minimum flow on the Norfork has been quite successful. This river is much smaller and more easily waded at low water than the White. The increased flows have made it more navigable by canoe, drift boat and kayak but it is still not enough water for river boats. The increased flows have been a boon to fly fishing. They have created several new places to fish and all of the old ones are still there. The wading is still pretty easy and there have been lots of anglers there whenever there is low water. 

The White is more of a mixed bag. Here again river navigation has been enhanced. River boats can now go to spots where they could not reach before. Several areas that did not fish well before, are now holding trout and fishing much better. The big change has been the wading. Spots that were easy before are now challenging. Spots that were challenging are now treacherous. I find more wading anglers than before hugging the bank. 

I have waded at several locations like the Narrows, Roundhouse Shoals, The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals dam and Rim Shoals. I have been able to go most of the spots where I wanted to fish but it has been a struggle to get to some of the more challenging areas. 

Do not take chances! I wait for the water to drop fully out and get as low as possible. I wear studded boots and carry a wading staff. I do not fish alone. I wade carefully and take my time. Monitor the water level carefully and always be on the lookout for rising water. Remember that there is much less of a safety margin than before. If the water starts rising, you will have much less time than before to safely exit the water. I carry my smart phone (in a waterproof case) and carefully monitor any changes in generation, to give me the maximum time to head for safety should the water come up. You can still wade the White, but you should exercise more care than before. 

I have also had to change the way that I fish it. The heavier runs that I used to fish with a woolly bugger now require a sink tip line to get the fly down to the bottom where the trout are. Side channels that were previously barren of trout are now great spots to fish soft hackles or dry flies. I have had success fishing double fly nymph rigs with a small nymph suspended below a San Juan worm. 

Minimum flow is here to stay. You need to embrace it and learn to wade and fish the heavier flows. 

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

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 3/28/2014

During the past week, we have had rain, warmer temperatures and heavy winds (to include lake wind advisories). The lake level at Bull Shoals remained steady at one tenth of a foot above seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is thirty five and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake fell two tenths of a foot to rest at seasonal power pool and sixteen feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell three tenths of a foot to rest at seasonal power pool or nine and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had no wadable water. Norfork Lake fell two 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 precious 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. All of the lakes on this system are at or near power pool.

The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam was closed from November 1, 2013 to January 31, 2014 to accommodate the brown trout spawn. The State Park was seasonal Catch and Release for the same period. There are numerous redds around the area. Please use care, when wading, to avoid disturbing them.

On the White, the hot spot was the section from Wildcat Shoals down to 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 (ruby midge) suspended below it).

The Corps of Engineers have been running a bit more water than they have in the previous week and that has been an advantage to streamer fishermen. 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.

We have had a few reports of caddis hatches. Though sparse, the trout did key in on them, it is a harbinger of spring and a promise of what is to come. This is our best hatch of the year. Before the hatch, fish green caddis pupa size fourteen. You will often get more strikes at the end of the drift as the fly rises. When the move to the surface and begin keying in on emergers switch over to a green butt soft hackle size fifteen. When they start taking adult insects off the water’s surface, you should switch to a green elk hair caddis pattern size fourteen.

The Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are navigable and clear. With the cool temperatures, the smallmouth are inactive. 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 but it has been very crowded. The most productive flies have been small midge patterns like zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead) and soft hackles like the green butt. 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 very small caddis (try a size 24 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.

With Spring Break and the Sowbug Roundup there has been a lot of action on Dry Run Creek. Now would be a great time to fish it. The weather has warmed substantially and it is more comfortable for young anglers. The hot flies have been sowbugs, Y2Ks and various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise). While you are there be sure and take a tour of the adjacent Norfork National Fish Hatchery. It is fascinating. Be sure to remove your waders before entering to prevent the spread of aquatic diseases.

The water level on the Spring River is higher and stained. 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.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 3/21/2014

During the past week, we have had rain, sleet and snow (a couple of inches of rain and three inches of snow here in Cotter), colder then warmer temperatures and heavy winds (to include lake wind advisories). The lake level at Bull Shoals rose one and six tenths feet to rest at one tenth of a foot above seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is thirty five and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake rose one and seven tenths feet to rest at two tenths of a foot below power pool and sixteen and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose two and six tenths feet 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 had significant wadable water. Norfork Lake rose two and one tenth feet to rest at one tenth of a foot above seasonal power pool of 553.75 feet and twenty six and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had wadable water every day.

The water level for the top of power pool has been reset lower for some of the lakes in the White River system. All of the lakes on this system are at or near power pool.

The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam was closed from November 1, 2013 to January 31, 2014 to accommodate the brown trout spawn. The State Park was seasonal Catch and Release for the same period. There are numerous redds around the area. Please use care, when wading, to avoid disturbing them.

On the White, the hot spot was the section from Wildcat Shoals down to 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 (ruby midge) suspended below it).

The Corps of Engineers have been running a bit more water than they have in the previous week for the last few days that has been an advantage to streamer fishermen. 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.

We have had numerous reports of caddis hatches. Though sparse, the trout did key in on them, it is a harbinger of spring and a promise of what is to come. This is our best hatch of the year. Before the hatch, fish green caddis pupa size fourteen. You will often get more strikes at the end of the drift as the fly rises. When the move to the surface and begin keying in on emergers switch over to a green butt soft hackle size fifteen. When they start taking adult insects off the water’s surface, you should switch to a green elk hair caddis pattern size fourteen.

The Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are low and clear. With the cool temperatures, the smallmouth are inactive. 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. The most productive flies have been small midge patterns like zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead) and soft hackles like the green butt. 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 very small caddis (try a size 24 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.

With Spring Break and the Sowbug Roundup beginning we can expect more activity on Dry Run Creek. Now would be a great time to fish it. The weather has warmed substantially and it is more comfortable for young anglers. The hot flies have been sowbugs, Y2Ks and various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise). While you are there be sure and take a tour of the adjacent Norfork National Fish Hatchery. It is fascinating. Be sure to remove your waders before entering to prevent the spread of aquatic diseases.

The water level on the Spring River is higher and stained. 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. 

DO NOT FORGET THE SOWBUG ROUNDUP THIS WEEK

BY JOHN BERRY

I looked out my front door and noticed the crocus blooming and realized the spring is here and it is once again time for the Sowbug Roundup, our premier fly tying show of the year. The fact that the crocuses were peeking through three inches of snow says something about the winter we have had and just makes the arrival of spring and Sowbug just that much sweeter. The show is a locally produced annual event sponsored, organized and staffed by our fly fishing club, the North Arkansas Fly Fishers (an affiliate club of the Federation of Fly Fishers). It is hard to believe it but this is the seventeenth year of the festival. It is my thirteenth year of participation. 

This yeas roundup will be held on March 20, 21 and 22 at the Baxter County Fairgrounds. A couple of years ago they outgrew previous venues and the fairgrounds has given them a bit more room to spread out and to include more vendors. The festival runs from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM. With an entry fee of only five dollars for all three days and children less than twelve years of age free, this is the perfect event for families looking for interesting, safe and educational activities. 

The big draw is the fly tyers. Over the three days there will be well over a hundred tyers with around sixty people tying at any given time. There are folks tying just about any type of fly you ever heard of. There are people tying bass bugs, nymphs and dry flies for trout, big streamers for targeting large browns, guide flies (not so pretty but effective) and warm water flies, to name a few. There are fly tyers that have traveled here from California to New York and Wisconsin to Florida. This show continues to gain in national prominence. 

There are seminars on various fishing subjects throughout every day. I am teaching a seminar on where and how to fish the White and Norfork Rivers on Friday at 10:30 AM. My wife, Lori, has casting classes scheduled for 10:30 AM and 1:00 PM on Saturday. The class is limited to eight students at each class and all equipment is provided.  

On Friday, Steve Dally is teaching a seminar about fishing dry flies on high water and Chad Johnson is teaching a seminar on fishing streamers on high water. On Saturday, Ben Levin is teaching one on fishing for smallmouth on Crooked Creek and Davy Wotton has a seminar on fishing wet flies. I have guided with all of these guys and they know their stuff. I would recommend that you attend as many as you can. You are sure to learn something that will help you catch more fish. 

One of my favorite aspects of the show is the vendors. All of our local fly shops, Dally’s Ozark Anglers, Wishes and Fishes and Two Rivers Fly Shop will be represented there. I will have a booth for my company, Berry Brothers Guide Service. Stop by and let me tie you a fly. My old fishing buddy, George Peters, will have a booth that features antique tackle. The Golden Rule Fly Shop will be there with great deals on hooks and fly tying materials. There will be a Far Banks Enterprises Booth featuring Sage Redington and Rio products and Michael Schraeder will be there with Nature’s Image home and cabin décor. Shawnee will be displaying river boats and Ozark Mountain Trading Company will be showing off their kayaks. Dave and Emily Whitlock will display Dave’s artwork. There are numerous other vendors there with even more fly fishing related products. 

Throughout the day there will be silent auctions, raffles and live auctions for a dizzying array of fly fishing products. The highlight of the festival will be the awarding of the plaques to the winners of the fly tying contest and the auction of the fly plate featuring the winner’s flies. 

As you can see there is something for everyone. Lori and I will be there for all three days. Please come by and say hello! 

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

DENNIS IS BACK WITH HIS FLY TIE OF THE WEEK - PARTRIDGE & GREEN.

WINNERS OF THE SOWBUG ROUNDUP FLY TYING CONTEST ANNOUNCED

BY JOHN BERRY

This year I was the chairman of the Sowbug Roundup fly tying contest. A couple of years ago I chaired the Baxter Bulletin Fly Tying Contest. I moved the event because; the Sowbug Roundup is a fly tying festival and is therefore a better venue for the contest. The contest is a great way to recognize the best among us and also to identify up and coming tiers that had not been previously recognized. The simple rules were the same as used before. 

We had three judges, Tony Spezio, Tom Schmuecker and me. Tony is our living legend. He is a past winner of the Buz Buzek Award for his lifetime achievements as a fly tier. This is the highest award that the Federation of Fly Fishers can bestow for fly tying. He has been inducted into the Bamboo Rod Makers Hall of Fame at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum for his innovative rod building techniques and teaching. In addition, Tony was one of the founders of the Sowbug Roundup. 

Tom Schmuecker is the owner and operator of Wapsi, which is the largest wholesaler of fly tying materials in the world. Tom is a lifelong fly tyer and fly fisher. In 2013, he was inducted to the Trout Hall of Fame at Arkansas State University Mountain Home Trout Nature Center. Tom and Wapsi have been huge supporters of the Sowbug Roundup and fly fishing in general. 

Though I have thirty years experience as a fly tyer and have been guiding for over two decades, I am still humbled to be judging a fly tying contest with these gentlemen. I looked at my job to be the tie breaker in the deliberations. I was amazed at how quickly the whole thing went and how we all basically chose the same flies for all categories. I learned so much and truly enjoyed working with Tony and Tom. 

As the entries came in, I accumulated them unopened in a large bin. On the day of the judging, I took them to the conference room at Wapsi. In addition to the judges, we had two committee people helping us. They were Mike Tipton, past president of the North Arkansas Fly Fishers and next year’s chairman of the Sowbug Roundup and Schuyler Brower, a member of the Sowbug Committee and my neighbor and fishing buddy. 

They assigned a number (1, 2, 3, etc.) to each entry and opened the packages. As they removed each fly, they attached it to an index card and assigned it the number of the entry and a letter (a, b, c, etc) to track an individual fly from an entry with multiple flies. They then arranged the various flies in categories, dry fly, nymph, smallmouth, etc. This way the judges did not know who had tied the fly. The judges had index cards with all of the categories listed and wrote the alpha numeric code of their favorite fly on it. The judging went smoothly. Mike Tipton tallied the votes with Schuyler assisting. 

There were six winners in nine categories. Three tyers won two categories. Two of the winners were local tyers, Chad Johnson and Michael Schraeder. Chad, a local guide, won Best in Show, the top award for the contest. It should be noted that he won Best in Show at our previous contest. There is no doubt that he is the up and coming fly tyer. Michael Schraeder, who won our youth category, is also a fellow fly fishing writer for the Baxter Bulletin. He decided to branch out this year and also won the category for best smallmouth fly. At thirteen years of age, Mike has a very promising future in fly tying. 

The other winners were Clarence Winans of Joplin, Missouri (best dry fly and best streamer), David Boyer of Tustin, California (best wet fly), Steve Hegstrom of Mission, Kansas (best nymph) and Jacques Demers of Quebec, Canada (best bass fly and best warm water fly). As you can see, this contest brought in tyers from all over. 

We took the winning flies and are having Mike Schraeder (Michael’s proud father) make a framed fly plate from them that we will auction off at the Sowbug Dinner next Friday to help defray the cost of the contest. Any funds left over will be used to fund a local scholarship. We will also hand out the plaques to the winners. 

I wish hearty congratulations to our winners. I invite all of you out there to enter our contest next year. You can’t win unless you enter. 

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

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 3/14/2014

During the past week, we have had a minor rain event (just a trace here in Cotter), much 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 one and five tenths feet below seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is thirty seven and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake rose one tenth of a foot to rest at one and nine tenths feet below power pool and seventeen and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose two tenths of a foot to rest at two and three tenths feet below seasonal power pool or eleven and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had significantly more wadable water. Norfork Lake rose two tenths of a foot to rest at two feet below seasonal power pool of 553.75 feet and twenty eight and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had wadable water every day.

The water level for the top of power pool has been reset lower for some of the lakes in the White River system. All of the lakes on this system are below power pool.

The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam was closed from November 1, 2013 to January 31, 2014 to accommodate the brown trout spawn. The State Park was seasonal Catch and Release for the same period. There are numerous redds around the area. Please use care, when wading, to avoid disturbing them.

On the White, the hot spot was the section from Cotter down to Rim Shoals. 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 (ruby midge) suspended below it).

The Corps of Engineers have been running less water than they have in the previous week for the last few days that has been a disadvantage to streamer fishermen. 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.

We have had numerous reports of caddis hatches. Though sparse, the trout did key in on them, it is a harbinger of spring and a promise of what is to come. This is our best hatch of the year. Before the hatch, fish green caddis pupa size fourteen. You will often get more strikes at the end of the drift as the fly rises. When the move to the surface and begin keying in on emergers switch over to a green butt soft hackle size fifteen. When they start taking adult insects off the water’s surface, you should switch to a green elk hair caddis pattern size fourteen.

The Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are low and clear. With the cool temperatures, the smallmouth are inactive. 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) and soft hackles like the green butt. 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 very small caddis (try a size 24 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.

Dry Run Creek has been virtually abandoned. Now would be a great time to fish it. The weather has warmed substantially and it is more comfortable for young anglers. The hot flies have been sowbugs, Y2Ks and various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise). While you are there be sure and take a tour of the adjacent Norfork National Fish Hatchery. It is fascinating. Be sure to remove your waders before entering to prevent the spread of aquatic diseases.

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.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 3/07/2014 

During the past week, we have had freezing rain, sleet, snow, brutally cold temperatures and heavy winds (to include lake wind advisories). The lake level at Bull Shoals fell seven tenths of a foot to rest at two and two tenths feet below seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is thirty eight and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake rose one tenth of a foot to rest at one and eight tenths feet below power pool and seventeen and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell five tenths of a foot to rest at two and five tenths feet below seasonal power pool or twelve and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had precious little wadable water. Norfork Lake rose six tenths of a foot to rest at two and two tenths feet below seasonal power pool of 553.75 feet and twenty eight and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had wadable water every day.

The water level for the top of power pool has been reset lower for some of the lakes in the White River system. All of the lakes on this system are below power pool.

The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam was closed from November 1, 2013 to January 31, 2014 to accommodate the brown trout spawn. The State Park was seasonal Catch and Release for the same period. There are numerous redds around the area. Please use care when wading to avoid disturbing them.

On the White, the hot spot was the section from Rim Shoals down to Buffalo Shoals. 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 (ruby midge) suspended below it).

The Corps of Engineers have been running more water than they have in the previous week for the last few days that has been an advantage to streamer fishermen. 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.

There have been reports of a minor shad kill on the Bull Shoals tail water below Bull Shoals 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.

We have seen our first major caddis emergence of the year. Though it was sparse and the trout did not key in on them, it is a harbinger of spring and a promise of what is to come. This is our best hatch of the year. Before the hatch fish green caddis pupa size fourteen. You will often get more strikes at the end of the drift as the fly rises. When the move to the surface and begin keying in on emergers switch over to a green butt soft hackle size fifteen. When they start taking adult insects off the water’s surface, you should switch to a green elk hair caddis pattern size fourteen.

The Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are low and clear. With the cool temperatures, the smallmouth are inactive. 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) and soft hackles like the green butt. 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 very small caddis (try a size 24 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.

Dry Run Creek has been virtually abandoned. Now would be a great time to fish it. The weather has warmed substantially and it is more comfortable for young anglers. 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.

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.

SPRING FLY FISHING CLASS COMING UP AT ASU

BY JOHN BERRY

As I write this, I am sitting here in my sunroom looking out at four inches of snow and ice covering my lawn. It is difficult to comprehend but spring is coming up and our fly fishing class is scheduled to begin next week at Arkansas State University. It has been a brutal winter that began early and seems to go on forever. I was wondering what kind of weather we can expect for our class coming up, so I looked up the ten day weather forecast on my computer and noted that we can expect much warmer weather next week (I am expecting highs in the 50s and 60s). I don’t know about the rest of you but I am almost overcome with cabin fever. I am looking forward to spending some time outside the house in warmer weather and this class looks like the perfect opportunity. 

The class is scheduled for Thursday March 13, 20, 27 and April 1, 2014 at the Arkansas State University Mountain Home campus. The class runs from6:00 PM until 8:00 PM each night. The first hour is spent outside learning to cast on the campus lawn and the second hour is spent inside in a classroom. Lori leads the casting and I lead the classroom sessions. We both assist each other when we are not the lead. Lori and I have been teaching this class at ASU for four years and have taught fly fishing at various educational institutions for years before this. 

I always say that the hallmark of our fly fishing class is the fly casting instruction. Lori is a gifted instructor that has been doing this for over a decade. We spend about half of our time working on fly casting and by the time we are finished all of our students know how to cast a fly rod well enough to catch fish. We have never encountered a student that we were unable to teach to cast. 

The classroom instruction is constantly evolving. If I can figure out a way to teach something better or get my point across more clearly, then I will use it. The classroom curriculum is designed to teach you the skills that you will need on stream. We use a simple approach. That is, we teach what is necessary but avoid teaching too much which can cause information overload or confusion. We show you how to tie basic fishing knots, how to rig your rod and fish with four basic techniques (streamers, dry flies, wet flies and nymphs), water safety, basic equipment (what you need and what you don’t need), basic entomology (the study of insects) and reading water. This is a lot of information. 

The good news is that you do not need any fishing equipment to participate in this class. In fact, we suggest that you attend the first class meeting before you buy anything. That way we can recommend the best gear to buy for the money. We have plenty of loaner fly rods for you to use at no charge. Now if you have your own fly rod and reel that you want to use, please bring it. If you have an old rod, that you would like us to evaluate, please bring it and we will share our opinion with you. 

This class would be perfect for a couple that would like to take up a gentle sport that they could share or an individual that wants to try something new. If these sounds like something that you would like to try, contact the Continuing Education Department at Arkansas State University at Mountain Home and enroll. Lori and I look forward to working with you. 

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