During the past week, we have had no
precipitation, warm temperatures and moderate winds. The lake level at Bull
Shoals fell one and nine tenths feet to rest five feet above seasonal power
pool of 660.71 feet. This is twenty nine and two tenths feet below the top of
flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock rose three tenths of a foot to rest at four
tenths of a foot below seasonal power pool and fifteen and two tenths feet
below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell one and one tenth feet to rest at
four tenths of a foot above seasonal power pool or ten feet below the top of
flood pool. On the White, we had heavy generation with no wadable water.
Norfork Lake fell one and one tenth feet to rest at two and three tenths feet
above seasonal power pool of 555.46 feet and twenty two and two tenths feet
below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had heavy generation with
precious little wadable water.
The water level for the top of power pool has
been reset for the lakes in the White River system. Due to recent rains, some
of the lakes on this system are above seasonal power pool and the Corps of
Engineers is aggressively releasing water to draw the lake levels down to power
pool.
On heavy generation, the best way to catch
fish is to switch to longer leaders and heavier weight. On the White, the hot
spot was the Catch and Release section at Rim Shoals. 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 prince nymph with a ruby midge or root beer
midge suspended below it).
Conventional wisdom states that hopper
fishing begins in late summer. I reject this idea and fish them all year. 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).
There have been several reliable sightings of
caddis hatching. This is our major hatch of the year. They are size fourteen
and easy to see. Before the hatch, you should concentrate on fishing prince
nymphs. When the trout key on the top but no insects are present, switch over
to my green butt. When you observe trout taking adult insects from the top of
the water column, you should switch over to elk hair caddis dry flies.
The Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek
are clear and navigable. With the weather warming, the smallmouths should be
active soon. 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 better recently.
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. My favorite combination
has been a grass hopper with a root beer or ruby midge dropper.
There is a major construction project at the
Norfork National Fish Hatchery and the walkway between the two sets of stairs
to the creek is closed. You can still access the creek by walking the trail
beside it. The hot flies have been sowbugs (#14), Y2Ks (#12) and various
colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise #10).
The water on the Spring River is clear and fishable.
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.
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