HENRY'S WALKING AND WADING FLY FISHING REPORT BY HENRY SEAY

Friday I went to Rim Shoals to visit one of my sons and his family who was staying there.  I asked if he had caught any trout.  He said  "dad have you looked at the water lately"?  As I was about to answer a guide in a row boat with two clients came into view drifting maybe 35 feet from the bank.  I said notice how close to the bank that boat is and the guide is having his clients casting toward the shore.  Across the river was another guide in a river boat going upriver and staying close to that shore.

Why wasn't anyone fishing in the middle of the river?  Could it be that our little finny friends don't like battling strong currents.  What about the small little critters they eat, where do you think they might be.  If you were small and at the mercy of something big and strong, where would you go hide?  I think I would be hugging the bank, kicking back and watching the river roll on.

My son and I rigged up our fly rods.  Midges, worms and eggs seemed like a good starting place.  A couple of hours of walking the bank from the parking lot to the shoals, paying attention to root wads, logs jammed, cuts in the bank and creeks, we had a delightful two hours.  We both looked at each other with big smiles and told the girls when we got back of the fun time we had catching more trout than we anticipated. 

Did any have any size to them -- they did.

Two of my favorite midges, the hare and copper and the pheasant  tail I tied up on European jig hooks.  They have sharper and longer barbs I think, but what I really like is they fish with the point up and do not get hung up on the bottom in the brush as much.  Also that worked well on the egg pattern.

So I have to ask you HAVE YOU HUGGED A BANK TODAY?

LIFE IS GOOD IN THE OZARKS.              

TAKE A LITTLE ONE FISHING -- YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU DID. 

Henry Seay is Assistant Fly Shop Manager at Blue Ribbon Fly Shop in Mountain Home, Arkansas.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REORT 1/29/2016

During the past week, we have had no rain, cold temperatures and heavy winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals fell three and nine tenths feet to rest at twenty one and three tenths feet above seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is fourteen and seven tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock fell three and two tenths feet to rest at eight tenths of a foot above seasonal power pool and fifteen and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell two tenths of a foot to rest at eight feet above seasonal power pool and one and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had heavy generation this week with no wadable water. Norfork Lake fell four and four tenths feet foot to rest at ten and seven tenths feet above seasonal power pool of 553.75 feet and fifteen and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had heavy generation with no wadable water.

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 above seasonable power pool and we should encounter lower levels of generation, on our tailwaters, with some wadable water, until flooding clears downstream, when we will encounter high levels of generation.

In an effort to lower the lake levels before the spring rains, the Corps of Engineers opened eight flood gates. The combined outflow and generation equal 30,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) or the equivalent of ten full generators. Similar releases on the Norfork equal 10,000 cfs or the equivalent of three full generators.

The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam is closed from November 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016 to accommodate the brown trout spawn. The State Park will be seasonal Catch and Release for the same period. All brown trout must be immediately released. In addition, night fishing is prohibited in this area during this period.

On the White, the hot spot has been Bull Shoals 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 (my current favorite is a hot fluorescent pink or cerise San Juan worm with a black midge suspended below it).

The streamer fishing has heated up with the high water. With the heavy flows, the fish have been pushed to the bank. The best bet for large trout has been to bang the bank with large articulated streamers delivered with heavy twenty four to thirty foot sink tips (350 grains or heavier). You will need an eight or nine weight rod. This is heavy work but the rewards can be great. 

The Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are high and off color. With the cold weather, the smallmouths are less 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 has been off color. 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 cerise worm with a Sunday special dropper. 

Dry Run Creek has seen less pressure with the bad weather. 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). While you are at the creek you should visit the 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 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 over and fishing is better. 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.

LENDING A HELPING HAND AT THE SOWBUG ROUNDUP BY JOHN BERRY

As many of you know, the Sowbug Roundup is the premier fly tying show in the area and possibly the best in the South Eastern United States. It is sponsored by the North Arkansas Fly Fishers (our local fly fishing club) and held annually at the Baxter County Fairgrounds (this year it will be held on April 14, 15 and 16). I am proud to have been a part of this fine program for over fifteen years.

This is the North Arkansas Fly Fisher’s annual major fund raising effort. A significant amount of the proceeds are committed to a college scholarship fund that is ear marked to assist local residents in pursuing degrees in fisheries or conservation related areas. Other funds are used to fund additional educational programs. A recent program featured Gary Borger (a noted fly fisher and fly tyer) it lasted for two days and was open to the public at no charge. The club also holds fly fishing and fly tying classes that are also open to the public at no charge.

In an effort to keep admission prices down, the North Arkansas Fly Fishers hold auctions and raffles during the event. They keep admission prices low so that more local residents and families can attend without creating an economic hardship. As a result the price of admission is only five dollars for all three days and children under twelve are admitted free.

In order to maximize the revenue from the raffles and auctions the North Arkansas Fly Fishers solicits contributions, from the public. Since they are a qualified not for profit corporation (501C3), all contributions are income tax deductible. What they are looking for is fly fishing related items that you no longer need.

I have looked through my fishing gear. To say that, I have way more than I need, is an understatement. I have been accumulating gear for over three decades and it is time to get rid of some of it. When my brother, an active fly fisher and fly tyer for over thirty five years, passed away last year I inherited all of his stuff. I am going through all of it now to come up with some useful fly fishing gear to donate. I donated a large lot of fly tying materials to our local Trout Unlimited chapter last year.

If you don’t have any excess fly fishing gear to donate, that is no problem. They can also use just about anything. My wife, Lori, came across a Bodum French Press coffee maker that has never boon out of the box that we have never used (we have three others of varying sizes that we use on a daily basis) that she is going to donate. Cash donations are also accepted.

If you have something that you would like to donate, please contact Mike Tipton at (870) 404-8805. You can also drop any items by Blue Ribbon Fly Shop. Either Henry Seay or I will make sure that they get to the right place. Any contribution will be appreciated.

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

MATT'S BUZZER FLY TIE OF THE WEEK

Thanks, Dennis, for your fly tie of the week -- the Matt's Buzzer.

GUIDE DENNIS TIES THE BUG GUT MIDGE -- THANKS!

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 1/22/16

During the past week, we have had sleet, snow and freezing rain, very cold temperatures and heavy winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals fell nine tenths of a foot to rest at twenty five and two tenths feet above seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is ten and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock fell four and five tenths feet to rest at four feet above seasonal power pool and twelve feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose fell two tenths of a foot to rest at eight and two tenths feet above seasonal power pool and one and four tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had heavy generation this week with no wadable water. Norfork Lake fell two and two tenths feet foot to rest at fifteen and one tenth feet above seasonal power pool of 553.75 feet and eleven and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had heavy generation with no wadable water.

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 above seasonable power pool and we should encounter lower levels of generation, on our tailwaters, with some wadable water, until flooding clears downstream, when we will encounter high levels of generation.

In an effort to lower the lake levels before the spring rains, the Corps of Engineers will open four flood gates one foot and on Sunday will open four more. The combined outflow and generation will equal 30,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) or the equivalent of ten full generators. Similar releases will begin on Wednesday and will equal 10,000 cfs or the equivalent of three full generators.

The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam is closed from November 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016 to accommodate the brown trout spawn. The State Park will be seasonal Catch and Release for the same period. All brown trout must be immediately released. In addition, night fishing is prohibited in this area during this period.

On the White, the hot spot has been Bull Shoals 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 (my current favorite is a hot fluorescent pink or cerise San Juan worm with a black midge suspended below it).

The streamer fishing has heated up with the high water. With the heavy flows, the fish have been pushed to the bank. The best bet for large trout has been to bang the bank with large articulated streamers delivered with heavy twenty four to thirty foot sink tips (350 grains or heavier). You will need an eight or nine weight rod. This is heavy work but the rewards can be great.

The Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are high and off color. With the cold weather, the smallmouths are less 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 has been off color. 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 cerise worm with a Sunday special dropper.

Dry Run Creek has seen less pressure with the bad weather. 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). While you are at the creek you should visit the 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 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 over and fishing is better. 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.