UPCOMING CHANGES AT THE SOWBUG ROUNDUP BY JOHN BERRY

As many of you know, our premier fly tying event, the Sowbug Roundup, is coming up. It will be held on March 26, 27 and 28 at the Baxter County Fairgrounds and is put on by the North Arkansas Fly Fishers, our local fly fishing club. Last year I joined the Sowbug Committee as the Chairman of the Fly Tying Contest. I have been involved with the Sowbug Roundup, since I moved here fifteen years ago. I started as a seminar presenter, became a fly tyer, then a vendor and now a Committee Member.

Being involved with the Committee has been a very rewarding experience for a number of reasons. First I have the opportunity to work with some great volunteers. These people are hardworking and committed to making the Sowbug Roundup the best fly tying show possible. They begin meeting monthly as soon as the Sowbug Roundup ends to prepare for the next one. Every aspect of the festival is carefully planned and managed. Most of the Committee members have been involved for several years and know their jobs well.

Next, I have the ability to add my input and help shape the future of the festival. Last year, when I joined the Committee, I was able to convince them to allow me to add the fly tying contest to the Sowbug Roundup. Now it is an integral part of the festival.

Finally, I am able to see firsthand the changes to the festival, as they happen. This year is a banner year for improvements to the Sowbug Roundup. The major big change is the Fridaynight fly tyers dinner. In the past this event was limited to the tyers, committee members and club members. Now they are opening this event to the public and renaming it the Sowbug Shindig. They are also adding adult beverages. In the past this was a sit down dinner. Now it will be a much more casual buffet featuring lighter fare and finger foods. This makes for a great place to mingle and meet the tyers, program presenters and other fly fishers with the same interests as you.

In the past, there was a live auction. It was held in the festival on the last afternoon. The problem was that most of the attendees were not present and did not get a chance to bid on some really great stuff. This is a three day festival and many attendees spend a day or more at the event and then go to the river to get in some fishing. It always seems that the Sowbug Roundup occurs during our most prolific caddis hatch of the year. By moving the live auction to the Sowbug Shindig on Friday night, the Committee makes it easy and pleasant for all of the Sowbug attendees to have a chance to bid on the great items in the live auction.

I have also tweaked the fly tying contest a bit. I have added a couple of new categories for the competitors to enter their flies in. There has always been a lot of interest for there to be a saltwater and salmon/steelhead flies. I know that Paul Little, English fly tyer who specializes in salmon flies will attend this year and I am hoping for an entry from him.

As you can see there are some subtle changes to an already great Sowbug Roundup happening this year. Come by and check them out. I am sure that you will be impressed.John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over thirty years.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 2/27/2015

During the past week, we have had snow (about half an inch here in Cotter), brutally cold temperatures and heavy winds (to include lake wind advisories). The lake level at Bull Shoals fell one tenth of an inch to rest at six feet below seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is forty two feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock rose two tenths of a foot to rest at five and nine tenths feet below seasonal power pool and twenty one and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake remained steady at seven and two tenths feet below seasonal power pool or sixteen and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had brief periods of heavy generation in the morning and afternoon with several days of wadable water. Norfork Lake fell nine tenths of a foot to rest at five and nine tenths feet below seasonal power pool of 553.7 feet and thirty two and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had wadable water every day with generation most mornings.

The siphon to accommodate minimum flow on the Norfork is down for repairs. They will be running the generators on a speed-no-load option to make up for the lost siphon flows.

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

The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam was closed from November 1, 2014 to January 31, 2015 to accommodate the brown trout spawn. The State Park was seasonal Catch and Release for the same period. There are redds in the area. They will appear as shallow clean depressions in the gravel.  Please avoid them when wading or dragging chains to protect the eggs in them.

On the White, the hot spot was Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam. The hot flies were olive woolly buggers (#8, #10), Y2Ks (#14, #12), prince nymphs (#14), zebra midges (black with silver wire and silver bead or red with silver wire and silver bead #16, #18), pheasant tails (#14), ruby midges (#18), root beer midges (#18), pink and cerise San Juan worms (#10), and sowbugs (#16). Double fly nymph rigs have been very effective (try a flashback beadhead pheasant tail nymph with a ruby midge or red fan tail midge suspended below it). Egg patterns have been very effective.

Conventional wisdom states that hopper fishing ends with the first frost (we had several heavy frosts this past week). I reject this idea and fish them during the winter. I favor shorter leaders (seven and a half foot 3X) and a stiff six weight rod to proper deliver these weighty flies. My favorite flies are Dave’s hoppers (#10) and the western pink lady (#8). To increase hook ups I always use a dropper. I am currently using a ruby or root beer midge in size eighteen on a three foot or longer tippet (depending on the depth of the water I am fishing).

The higher flows on some mornings and afternoons have been conducive to fishing large streamers. You need a fast sinking sink tip line and an eight weight or better rod. This is a heavy lift that requires casting skills and patience. Streamer season started on opening day! The most popular patterns have been large articulated streamers in tan and yellow and olive and yellow.

The Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek have cleared and are navigable. With the colder weather, the smallmouths are not active. 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.

The Norfork River has fished poorly recently. With the colder weather there was little fishing pressure on the Norfork.  The most productive flies have been small midge patterns (#18, #20, #22)  like ruby midges, root beer midges, zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead) and soft hackles (#14, #16) like the green butt. Egg patterns have also been productive. 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 #10). There have been reliable hatches of small midges (try a size 24 Adams parachute) and caddis (try a size 18 elk hair caddis).The fishing is better in the morning and late afternoon and tapers off midday.

There was little fishing pressure on Dry Run Creek due to the cold weather weather. It has been a great time to fish there. The hot flies have been sowbugs (#14), Y2Ks (#12) and various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise #10). While you are there take a few minutes to visit the adjacent Norfork National Fish Hatchery. It is fascinating. Be sure and remove your waders before entering to prevent the spread of aquatic diseases.

The water on the Spring River is clear and wadable. This is a great place to wade fish, when they are running water on the White and Norfork Rivers. Canoe season is over and there are fewer boats on the river to interfere with your fishing. 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 (#10), cerise and hot pink San Juan worms (#10) and Y2Ks (#10).

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.

FLY TYING SEASON BY JOHN BERRY

As I am sitting here, in my sun room, writing this, there is three inches of snow on the ground and it is eighteen degrees. The guide trip that I had scheduled for yesterday and today cancelled on me. I can’t say that I blame them. The plan had been to split our time between Dry Run Creek and the Norfork River. It might be a bit miserable for a youngster, in this weather. However, I need to add that I had my best day, on Dry Run Creek, with my daughter, Katherine, when we fished it one New Years Day, in similar conditions over twenty years ago. She landed her biggest trout ever and thoroughly enjoyed the day.

The current weather is such a change from last weekend. On Saturday, my wife, Lori, and I guided two couples on the White River. The high that day was sixty two degrees. There was not a cloud in the sky and there was little wind. Better yet the trout were cooperative. While it was the kind of winter day that we all look forward to, it did not last long. Reality is closer to the current conditions.

Therefore, I am sitting here tying flies. This is what I call my fly tying season. If I can’t be outside fishing or guiding, I want to be tying flies. As a guide, I go through a lot of flies in a year. I tie almost all of the flies I use in a year and this is the time of year, when I have enough down time to tie them. It is a daunting task to stay on schedule and get everything done. I just finished my green butts and Dan’s turkey tail emergers. I am starting on my woolly buggers and will begin on my midges when I finish those.

Another task that is keeping me busy is the Sowbug Roundup Fly Tying Contest. Of course, I am unable to enter the contest as I am the chairman of the contest committee. I have been kept busy coordinating with my committee. I am sure that there are a bunch of accomplished fly tyers out there devoting a lot of time to tying their best flies for the contest.

I have already received flies from some of our best tyers. One box contained no less than thirteen separate entries. I expect even more entries this year than last year. The quality continues to improve. I open each entry with anticipation and wonder. I did not realize how many really talented fly tyers are out there.

I am also spending a lot of time teaching my fly tying class at Arkansas State University Mountain Home. All of the tying that I am doing keeps me sharp for the flies that I tie when I am teaching. It also keeps me in fly tying mode. I spend a lot of time trying to figure what to teach and how to best teach it. I think the process makes me a better tyer.

I hope that all of my readers are enjoying their fly tying season and are making the most of it.

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

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 2/20/2015

During the past week, we have had sleet, snow (about three inches here in Cotter), brutally cold temperatures and heavy winds (to include lake wind advisories). The lake level at Bull Shoals rose six tenths of an inch to rest at five and nine tenths feet below seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is forty one and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock fell one tenth of a foot to rest at six and one tenth feet below seasonal power pool and twenty two and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake remained steady at seven and two tenths feet below seasonal power pool or sixteen and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had brief periods of heavy generation in the morning and afternoon with several days of wadable water. Norfork Lake fell seven tenths of a foot to rest at five feet below seasonal power pool of 553.7 feet and thirty one and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had wadable water every day with generation most mornings.

The siphon to accommodate minimum flow on the Norfork is down for repairs. They will be running the generators on a speed-no-load option to make up for the lost siphon flows.

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

The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam was closed from November 1, 2014 to January 31, 2015 to accommodate the brown trout spawn. The State Park was seasonal Catch and Release for the same period. There are redds in the area. They will appear as shallow clean depressions in the gravel.  Please avoid them when wading or dragging chains to protect the eggs in them.

On the White, the hot spot was Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals down through the State Park. The hot flies were olive woolly buggers (#8, #10), Y2Ks (#14, #12), prince nymphs (#14), zebra midges (black with silver wire and silver bead or red with silver wire and silver bead #16, #18), pheasant tails (#14), ruby midges (#18), root beer midges (#18), pink and cerise San Juan worms (#10), and sowbugs (#16). Double fly nymph rigs have been very effective (try a flashback beadhead pheasant tail nymph with a ruby midge or red fan tail midge suspended below it). Egg patterns have been very effective.

Conventional wisdom states that hopper fishing ends with the first frost (we had several heavy frosts this past week). I reject this idea and fish them during the winter. I favor shorter leaders (seven and a half foot 3X) and a stiff six weight rod to proper deliver these weighty flies. My favorite flies are Dave’s hoppers (#10) and the western pink lady (#8). To increase hook ups I always use a dropper. I am currently using a ruby or root beer midge in size eighteen on a three foot or longer tippet (depending on the depth of the water I am fishing).

The higher flows on some mornings and afternoons have been conducive to fishing large streamers. You need a fast sinking sink tip line and an eight weight or better rod. This is a heavy lift that requires casting skills and patience. Streamer season starts on opening day!

The Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek have cleared and are navigable. With the colder weather, the smallmouths are not active. 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.

The Norfork River has fished poorly recently. With the colder weather there was little fishing pressure on the Norfork.  The most productive flies have been small midge patterns (#18, #20, #22)  like ruby midges, root beer midges, zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead) and soft hackles (#14, #16) like the green butt. Egg patterns have also been productive. 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 #10). There have been reliable hatches of small midges (try a size 24 Adams parachute) and caddis (try a size 18 elk hair caddis). The fishing is better in the morning and late afternoon and tapers off midday.

There was little fishing pressure on Dry Run Creek due to the cold weather weather. It has been a great time to fish there. The hot flies have been sowbugs (#14), Y2Ks (#12) and various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise #10). While you are there take a few minutes to visit the adjacent Norfork National Fish Hatchery. It is fascinating. Be sure and remove your waders before entering to prevent the spread of aquatic diseases.

The water on the Spring River is clear and wadable. This is a great place to wade fish, when they are running water on the White and Norfork Rivers. Canoe season is over and there are fewer boats on the river to interfere with your fishing. 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 (#10), cerise and hot pink San Juan worms (#10) and Y2Ks (#10).

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.

UNEXPECTED DAY ON THE RIVER BY JOHN BERRY

I had an unexpected glorious day on the White River last weekend. It was unexpected because it was warm and sunny with little wind. This kind of day, in the middle of winter, is definitely out of the ordinary. The temperature actually hit seventy two degrees, here in Cotter. Without a cloud in the sky, the sun really warmed things up a bit. There was a bit of wind, maybe five to ten miles per hour. To make things even better, there had been no generation on either river for about seventy two hours. Both were as low as they could go on minimum generation.

With conditions like this, I had to go fishing. I asked my favorite fishing buddy, my wife, Lori, if she wanted to go. She was very interested but, with the National Rally Championships coming up, in March, in Gray Summit, Missouri, she felt like her time would be better spent working with our yellow Labrador retriever, Tilley. It is a big honor to be invited, particularly for such a young dog. Lori wanted to make the best of the opportunity and see how well Tilley could perform. My neighbor, Jeff, had some errands to run and could not go either. I decided to go alone.

I put on a pair of pile pants because I expected to wade deep. I also wore a long sleeve cotton T-shirt with a wind shirt over it. It was gorgeous, when I arrived at Rim Shoals and I quickly donned my waders. My Sage rod was still rigged from my last trip and I decided to start with that rig, a tan scud with a root beer midge dropper. I started fishing close to the access but had no luck. I tried several different flies but the root beer midge was the only fly that produced a trout.

I decided to wade the top riffle over to the island. This can be a daunting task with the higher flows of minimum flow. However, with no generation for several days, the water was pretty low and I easily made it across to the island. I worked downstream and fished my usual spots. I was not too successful and only caught a couple of fish. I did manage to pump their stomachs with my stomach pump. They contained mostly very small dark midges (size 28 or smaller) and some small scuds.

I decided to try something completely different. I have been tying a lot of flies for the past few weeks and the fly that I had been tying most recently was the green butt. This is my signature pattern and I have been very successful with it, in a variety of situations. I took a minute to strip off the two flies that I was fishing, the lead and the strike indicator. I tied on a five foot 5X tippet and a green butt. I pinched down the barb and began fishing.  

On the first swing I felt a strong strike and instinctively gave the fly a strong set. I set way too hard and broke off the fish. I took a minute and tied on a fresh tippet and another green butt. I talked myself into calming down. I cast again and immediately got another strike. This time I quickly and gently lifted the rod. This set was perfect and I was able to land the trout. I spent the rest of the day fishing the green butt and catching several trout. It was not constant action but I definitely caught enough to keep my mind in the game.

I fished until four and enjoyed every minute of it. It was a treat to catch an unexpected great day in the middle of winter.

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

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 2/13/2015

During the past week, we have had a trace of rain, warmer temperatures and heavy winds (to include lake wind advisories). The lake level at Bull Shoals rose five tenths of an inch to rest at five and three tenths feet below seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is forty one and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock fell five tenths of a foot to rest at six and two tenths feet below seasonal power pool and twenty two and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell three tenths of a foot to rest at seven and two tenths feet below seasonal power pool or sixteen and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had brief periods of heavy generation in the morning and afternoon with several days of wadable water. Norfork Lake fell two tenths of a foot to rest at four and three tenths feet below seasonal power pool of 553.7 feet and thirty and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had wadable water every day with generation most mornings.

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

The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam was closed from November 1, 2014 to January 31, 2015 to accommodate the brown trout spawn. The State Park was seasonal Catch and Release for the same period. There are redds in the area. They will appear as shallow clean depressions in the gravel.  Please avoid them when wading or dragging chains to protect the eggs in them.

On the White, the hot spot was Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals down through the State Park. The hot flies were olive woolly buggers (#8, #10), Y2Ks (#14, #12), prince nymphs (#14), zebra midges (black with silver wire and silver bead or red with silver wire and silver bead #16, #18), pheasant tails (#14), ruby midges (#18), root beer midges (#18), pink and cerise San Juan worms (#10), and sowbugs (#16). Double fly nymph rigs have been very effective (try a flashback beadhead pheasant tail nymph with a ruby midge or red fan tail midge suspended below it). Egg patterns have been very effective.

Conventional wisdom states that hopper fishing ends with the first frost (we had several heavy frosts this past week). I reject this idea and fish them during the winter. I favor shorter leaders (seven and a half foot 3X) and a stiff six weight rod to proper deliver these weighty flies. My favorite flies are Dave’s hoppers (#10) and the western pink lady (#8). To increase hook ups I always use a dropper. I am currently using a ruby or root beer midge in size eighteen on a three foot or longer tippet (depending on the depth of the water I am fishing).

The higher flows on some mornings and afternoons have been conducive to fishing large streamers. You need a fast sinking sink tip line and an eight weight or better rod. This is a heavy lift that requires casting skills and patience. Streamer season starts on opening day!

The Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek have cleared and are navigable. With the colder weather, the smallmouths are not active. 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.


The Norfork River has fished poorly recently. With the warmer weather there was more fishing pressure on the Norfork.  The most productive flies have been small midge patterns (#18, #20, #22)  like ruby midges, root beer midges, zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead) and soft hackles (#14, #16) like the green butt. Egg patterns have also been productive. 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 #10). There have been reliable hatches of small midges (try a size 24 Adams parachute) and caddis (try a size 18 elk hair caddis).The fishing is better in the morning and late afternoon and tapers off midday.

There was little fishing pressure on Dry Run Creek despite the warmer weather. It has been a great time to fish there. The hot flies have been sowbugs (#14), Y2Ks (#12) and various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise #10). While you are there take a few minutes to visit the adjacent Norfork National Fish Hatchery. It is fascinating. Be sure and remove your waders before entering to prevent the spread of aquatic diseases.

The water on the Spring River is clear and wadable. This is a great place to wade fish, when they are running water on the White and Norfork Rivers. Canoe season is over and there are fewer boats on the river to interfere with your fishing. 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 (#10), cerise and hot pink San Juan worms (#10) and Y2Ks (#10).

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.

DENNIS TYING THE 'GUIDE SCULPIN' - CHECK IT OUT!

WATCH DENNIS TIE THE RAY CHARLES SOWBUG

AIR-LOCK STRIKE INDICATOR PRODUCT REVIEW

Dennis from Blue Ribbon Guides previews the new Air-lock Strike
Indicator from Rajeff Sports. It's pretty nifty. See for yourself!

JOHN TIES THE DAN'S TURKEY TAIL EMERGER

SPEEDY IMPROVED CLINCH KNOT BY JOHN BERRY

STREAMER SEASON IS HERE BY JOHN BERRY

Streamer season has begun. It began on opening day in the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam. As you know, this section has been closed for the last three months, to accommodate the brown trout spawn. For the first few days, the action is in the Catch and Release section and the adjacent State Park. There is a lot of fishing pressure at this time and as a result the big browns begin to move back downstream. During the spawn, they do not feed and they have not been fished over. As a result, they are susceptible to flies. This is the best time to target them. The most effective technique to target them at this time is to fish for them with large articulated streamers.

We are talking about flies that are six inches long or longer. These are much bigger flies than we are used to fishing on our tailwaters. You choose the fly rod that you fish based on the size of the fly that you are fishing. While we usually fish five weight nine foot fly rods with a soft tip, this type of fishing calls for a much stouter fly rod. A nine footer in a seven, eight or nine weight is a good choice. I prefer an eight weight with a pretty stiff action.

The large flies are often articulated and contain two hooks. It is a lot like fishing a lure with multiple hooks. These flies are not usually weighted. Everyone seems to have their favorite color. Olive yellow and white are all popular choices.

In order to present them to the trout at the bottom of the water column (trout feed 90% of the time on the bottom), these flies are fished with sink tip lines. The line of choice is a sink tip with a twenty four to thirty foot sinking section. These come in various weights that are usually measured in grams. You match the weight of the line to the level of generation. I prefer 250 to 300 grain sink tip lines. More water requires more weight. To keep the fly down, you don’t use a leader but just attach the streamer to the fly line with a short (three foot) section of heavy tippet (at least 2X).

The best flow for this type of fishing is about three to four full generators. That is the rough equivalent of 9,000 to 12,000 cubic feet per second. When the water rises, the fish move to the bank to escape the heavy current. Therefore the best technique is to bang the bank with the streamers on the sink tip lines. The trick is to drift downstream parallel to the bank, cast to the bank and strip the line back to the boat. Vary your retrieve until you find the rate that the fish want. To get the fly down deeper, wait a few seconds, for the line to sink before starting your strip.

The distance you drift from the bank will mostly be determined by your casting abilities. The optimal distance would be about fifty feet but not that many fly fishers can consistently bang the bank at that distance. Move closer to the bank, if your casing requires it. This is not an easy way to fish. It requires advanced skills and stamina. Swinging an eight weight rod with a heavy sink tip line is tough work. My brother, Dan says that, if he wants to work this hard, he will dig a ditch.

Despite all this, the rewards can be great. Some very large browns are caught this way. Be advised, that while this can be an effective method, it does not produce numbers of fish. A good day may be one or two takes and many experienced streamer fly fishers can go days without a fish.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, give it a try.

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

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 2/06/2015

During the past week, we have had a bit of rain, warmer then cooler temperatures and heavy winds (to include lake wind advisories). The lake level at Bull Shoals fell seven tenths of an inch to rest at five and eight tenth feet below seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is forty one and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock fell one tenth of a foot to rest at five and seven tenths feet below seasonal power pool and twenty one and seven tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell one tenth of a foot to rest at six and nine tenths feet below seasonal power pool or sixteen and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had brief periods of heavy generation in the morning and afternoon with precious little wadable water. Norfork Lake fell four tenths of a foot to rest at four and one tenth feet below seasonal power pool of 553.7 feet and thirty and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had wadable water every day with generation most mornings.

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

The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam was closed from November 1, 2014 to January 31, 2015 to accommodate the brown trout spawn. The State Park was seasonal Catch and Release for the same period. There are redds in the area. They will appear as shallow clean depressions in the gravel.  Please avoid them when wading or dragging chains to protect the eggs in them.

On the White, the hot spot was Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals down through the State Park. The hot flies were olive woolly buggers (#8, #10), Y2Ks (#14, #12), prince nymphs (#14), zebra midges (black with silver wire and silver bead or red with silver wire and silver bead #16, #18), pheasant tails (#14), ruby midges (#18), root beer midges (#18), pink and cerise San Juan worms (#10), and sowbugs (#16). Double fly nymph rigs have been very effective (try a flashback beadhead pheasant tail nymph with a ruby midge or red fan tail midge suspended below it). Egg patterns have been very effective.

Conventional wisdom states that hopper fishing ends with the first frost (we had several heavy frosts this past week). I reject this idea and fish them during the winter. I favor shorter leaders (seven and a half foot 3X) and a stiff six weight rod to proper deliver these weighty flies. My favorite flies are Dave’s hoppers (#10) and the western pink lady (#8). To increase hook ups I always use a dropper. I am currently using a ruby or root beer midge in size eighteen on a three foot or longer tippet (depending on the depth of the water I am fishing).

The higher flows on some mornings and afternoons have been conducive to fishing large streamers. You need a fast sinking sink tip line and an eight weight or better rod. This is a heavy lift that requires casting skills and patience. Streamer season starts on opening day!

The Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek have cleared and are navigable. With the colder weather, the smallmouths are not active. 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.

The Norfork River has fished poorly recently. With the warmer weather there was more fishing pressure on the Norfork.  The most productive flies have been small midge patterns (#18, #20, #22)  like ruby midges, root beer midges, zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead) and soft hackles (#14, #16) like the green butt. Egg patterns have also been productive. 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 #10). There have been reliable hatches of small midges (try a size 24 Adams parachute) and caddis (try a size 18 elk hair caddis). The fishing is better in the morning and late afternoon and tapers off midday.

There was little fishing pressure on Dry Run Creek despite the warmer weather. It has been a great time to fish there. The hot flies have been sowbugs (#14), Y2Ks (#12) and various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise #10). While you are there take a few minutes to visit the adjacent Norfork National Fish Hatchery. It is fascinating. Be sure and remove your waders before entering to prevent the spread of aquatic diseases. Take a break from time to time to keep your youngsters warm. Bring some cocoa!

The water on the Spring River has cleared some. This is a great place to wade fish, when they are running water on the White and Norfork Rivers. Canoe season is over and there are fewer boats on the river to interfere with your fishing. 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 (#10), cerise and hot pink San Juan worms (#10) and Y2Ks (#10).

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.

Don’t forget the White River Chapter of Trout Unlimited Annual Fund Raiser at the Elks Club on February, 7.

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