During the past week, we have had a rain
event (about a half inch here in Cotter), hot temperatures and moderate winds.
The lake level at Bull Shoals fell two tenths of a foot to rest at thirty and
eight tenths feet above seasonal power pool of 661 feet. This is three and two
tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock fell two and one
tenth feet to rest at eight and nine tenths feet above seasonal power pool and
five and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose one tenth
of a foot to rest at seven and nine tenths feet above seasonal power pool and
seven tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had high
levels of generation with no wadable water. Norfork Lake rose five tenths of a
foot to rest at sixteen and three tenths feet above seasonal power pool of
555.75 feet and eight 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 for the lakes in the White River system. Due to recent rains, the
lakes on this system are well above seasonal power pool and are nearing the top
of flood pool. We can expect high levels of generation in the coming months.
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 (my current favorite is a hot fluorescent pink or
cerise San Juan worm with a prince nymph or copper John 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 4X) 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 sulphurs have been coming off fairly
reliably. This is our major mayfly hatch of the year. They are size fourteen
and easy to see. Before the hatch, you should concentrate on fishing pheasant
tail nymphs. When the trout key on the top but no insects are present, switch
over to a partridge and yellow. When you observe trout taking adult insects
from the top of the water column, you should switch over to sulphur parachutes.
The Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek
are a bit high and off color. With the warm weather, the smallmouths are
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.
On the Norfork, there is a substantial amount
of water leaking around one of the flood gates that was being repaired, when
the lake levels began to rise. As a result, the water temperature on the
Norfork has risen to near dangerous levels. There has been no observed fish
kill but the trout are stressed. Any fish caught should be carefully released.
During periods of generation the temperatures are near normal. 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). There have been daily
hatches of sulphurs aroundnoon. 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. You can still access Dry Run Creek. It has seen
more pressure with school out. It still fished well. 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 high and off
color. This is a great place to wade fish, when they are running water on the
White and Norfork Rivers. Canoe season is in full swing and can be a nuisance
to 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 for Blue
Ribbon Guides in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over
thirty years.
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