SUMMERTIME CHRISTMAS BY DENNIS SCHULE

Christmas has come early for John and I from Blue Ribbon guides this year.  We both have new boats. 

Those of you that follow our blog and fishing updates www.blueribbonguides.blogspot.com have probably read the last couple of articles by John Berry regarding his "new to me" Supreme boat.  John finally made the leap and purchased a used Supreme L60 river boat when it became available.  The boat was in pristine condition and John has been busy having numerous upgrades done at Supreme Boats.  For me, a new Supreme is what I opted for and ordered one in May.   

I started out 16 years ago with a Supreme 2000 and it was a great boat.  Then in 2012 I switched brands and had that boat for 4 years.  Now I'm back to Supreme and couldn't be happier.

For this boat, some thought was put into what I wanted and how it would be set up.  I opted for the Supreme 207XP and stayed with the Yamaha 40/30hp jet drive.  If you fish the White River a lot and like to get into skinny water you know a jet drive is an extremely valuable motor. 

Rob Williams and Chris Miller were who I met with at Supreme Boats and we discussed what I was looking for.  All they said is,  "We can do that with no problem!"   

So here is what I ordered: 

A Supreme 207XP, which is 20'7" in length and a width of 65"  with my own color scheme.

Glassed-in pedestal seat mounts on aluminum adjustable seat posts with Temperest seats.

Full length rod trays on each side, lined with shark skin.

Built-in rod storage tubes -- three on each side.

48" flush mount front deck.

Dierks anchor system with hidden rope.

Sawyer square-top oars.

All of these items were also on my old boat with the exception of the flush-mount front deck and the hidden anchor rope.  No more pulleys to get your line hung up on.   I also switched from Cataract oars to the Sawyers.  I stayed with the Yeti Tundra 45 cooler with my rowing seat attached.  

A couple of additional options that I added are three built-in beverage holders and a bilge pump.  No more client beverages rolling around on the bottom of the boat and no more bailing water out of the boat in the middle of heavy rains.  Just flip the switch and out goes the water. 

There are many advantages in dealing with Rob Williams at Supreme Boats.  The boats are built by hand right here in Midway, Arkansas by truly professional craftsmen.  If you need service, it's here.  Plus the hull has a full five year warranty.   I was able to watch the build of my boat from the gel coat being applied to the mold, laying of the glass, installation of the storage compartments, finishing the inside and the rigging.  Everything was done to my exact specifications and I cannot find a flaw.   

For a trailer, I stuck with the EZ loader supreme.  I added the Tuff coat like my last trailer which virtually eliminates rock chips.  One big thing I added to this trailer is roller bunks.  I back into the ramp and the boat just slides off.  Winching it on the last couple of feet is a breeze.  

In summation, this boat is absolutely fantastic.  It handles like a dream and gets up on plane quickly.  It is outstanding in really shallow water and rows with ease on a drift.  

If you are in the market for a new river boat, I highly recommend that you give the Supreme line of boats a serious look.  The color schemes are only limited by your imagination and if you want something special, they can do it.  

The Supreme boats aren't just for fly fishermen.  Many bait fishing guides also use Supreme.  And if you're a duck hunter, check out their duck blind wrap. 

Stop by your local Supreme Boats dealer and let them give you a tour of the new line of Supreme Boats.  You can find your local dealer by logging onto www.supremeboats.com and click on dealer locator.  You will be glad you did.    

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 8/26/2016

During the past week, we have had a couple of rain events (a combined total of a half an inch here in Cotter), moderate temperatures and moderate winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals rose four tenths of a foot to rest at four tenths of a foot above seasonal power pool of 661 feet. This is thirty three and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock fell a foot to rest at four and one tenth feet below seasonal power pool and eighteen and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell four tenths of a foot to rest at four and five tenths feet below seasonal power pool and thirteen and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had heavy generation in the afternoon this week with wadable water every morning. Norfork Lake rose five tenths of a foot to rest at one and four tenths feet below seasonal power pool of 555.75 feet and twenty five and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had reliable wadable water every morning, with light generation in the afternoon.

Seasonal power pool has been reset for the lakes in the White River system. All of the lakes on this system are at or below seasonable power pool. With summer here we should expect more generation in the afternoon to supply power for the increased demand for air conditioning.

On the White, the bite has been excellent. The hot spot has been Rim Shoals. We have had reliable wadable water. 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 hare and copper nymph (#14) with a ruby midge (#18) suspended below it).

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) on bigger water. 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 navigable. The smallmouths are still active. My favorite fly is a Clouser minnow. 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 fished better on the lower water and has not been as crowded with wadable water on the White. 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. My favorite fly has been the green butt.

Dry Run Creek has been very busy, with summer vacation, in full swing. It has not fished as well but is still yielding some trophy trout. 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 Spring River is fishing well. 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 there are a lot of boats on the river. You should fish during the week, if you can. 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 with Blue Ribbon Guides in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over thirty years.

THREE GENERATIONS BY JOHN BERRY

A couple of weeks ago I got a call from Randy in Memphis.  He had been referred to me by Barry Smith and Susan Hillebrand, my old friends and regular guide clients.  The success of my guide service relies on repeat business and referrals.  Randy wanted me to do a three person guide trip for him, his father and his son.

Three person guide trips are not popular with fly fishing guides. In fact, there are just a few fly fishing guides that will even accept the business. The main problem is that three people in a twenty foot river boat casting nine foot or longer fly rods are an invitation to disaster. For the guides who use oars, there is just not enough room to accommodate another client. Even on a wade trip it is difficult to keep all of your clients close together in spots that will be productive. The guide ends up trooping the line, in order to keep everyone on fish. The more clients you have the less individual attention each one will receive.

At the same time, there are some really good reasons why a three person guide trip is a good idea. One is that is less expensive for the clients to hire one guide rather than two. The guides that do take three clients require an up charge for the extra client (three clients lose more flies, need more tippet and eat more lunch than two) but it is still way less than two guide fees. In addition, sometimes the three clients just want to be together. It could be the celebration of a milestone in life or just an opportunity to bond through a shared experience.

Randy was looking for a bonding experience with his eighty one year old father, Grand Dad, and his son, Ethan. Grand Dad was a bit past a wade trip and we settled on a boat trip. I asked about their casting abilities. Randy said that he and Ethan were relative newcomers to the sport but that grand Dad was an avid fly fisher years ago. We agreed that trying to fish all three at one time might be counterproductive and decided that two would fish at a time with one angler sitting it out. When one would catch a few nice trout he would trade places with the angler sitting it out so that everyone got in on the action.

We began the trip with a casting lesson and they all agreed that it helped. It was a bit overcast and the temperature was in the seventies, when we began. The river was on the bottom and one to two inches of rain was in the forecast. There was a light wind out of the south east at about five to ten miles per hour.

We began catching fish on the first drift. The hot fly was a ruby midge with a hare and copper not far behind. At the end of the first drift, Grand Dad was cranking in his line but was turning the crank in the wrong direction. It took me a minute before I realized that the last time he fly fished he was using an old automatic reel that operated with a spring and did not have a crank. It did not hold him back. He finished the day with the most trout. After we had been out a few minutes, it began to rain but quit almost as soon as we got our rain jackets on.

Randy managed to land the large trout, a fine, stout, vividly colored, eighteen inch rainbow. Ethan had landed the first couple of fish. The group as a whole landed quite a few trout with success spread fairly evenly. On this occasion, three generations of a family had a stellar time fishing three in a boat.

TRICKING OUT YOUR WHITE RIVER JON BOAT BY JOHN BERRY

As I have written about previously, I bought a new to me boat this year. It is a great improvement on what I had before but there were some small changes that I wanted to have made, to it to make it mine. We all operate or fish from a boat differently and by customizing it we can make it easier to operate, more effective to fish from and more comfortable. There are several manufacturers of White River Jon Boats locally and they all will customize your boat when you purchase it or after you have had it for a while.

You can get oar locks, trolling motors, pedestal seats, cup holders, dry storage lockers, live wells (with or with or without aerators), bilge pumps, built in rod storage lockers, fly rod tubes, jet transom, hatch locks, bait trays, stainless steel side rails, paddle holder, navigation lights and a Dierks anchor system (like those used in a drift boat). As I have a Supreme I took my boat to Supreme Boats and had Rob Williams do the custom work. He will work on any make of boat and does a great job. A lot of my fellow guides have had work done there and they were all pleased.

I passed on the live wells because I am a no kill guide and the navigation lights because I don’t plan, on being, on the river, in a boat at night. I don’t need a jet transom because I use a propeller and I already have bait trays, stainless steel rails, and dry storage. I also passed on the paddle holder and the Dierks anchor system because my trolling motor could hold me in position. I didn’t opt for a rod locker or fly rod tubes because I do a fair amount of wade trips. As a result, I carry my client rods in a rod loft in my Suburban. That way they are always with me, even if I am not trailering my boat.

I went with a trolling motor in lieu of oars. There has been a major technological change in trolling motors. They are now available with a wireless remote control and GPS. The wireless remote (which you wear around your neck on a lanyard) will lower the motor into the water with the push of a button and raise or lower it in the water, steer to the right or left and increase or decrease speed. You can do this from anywhere in the boat. You can record a given track. You can then return to the starting point and put it on autopilot and it will follow the same track again. If you want to hold in a given area you can push a button and use spot lock and there is cruise control. The oars are too much work and you cannot fish, if you are rowing.

I also had pedestal seats installed. I had the classic spider chairs but did not like them. The legs stick out from the seat and I was afraid that I would trip over them as I was moving around the boat. I also don’t care for the spider chairs because my clients move them around and depending on where they are moved can affect the trim of the boat. I specified square fiberglass pedestals that featured a storage compartment in the bottom. You cannot have too much storage!

I had four cup holders installed in the boat. I know that this sounds a little foo foo but there is a good reason to have them. Either I or my clients are often drinking a soft drink or water (particularly on a hot day). If there is no place to put them while you are drinking or after you are finished, they invariably end up on the deck. This is an invitation to slip and fall on them. I also had lockable latches put on the front and rear lockers to protect any valuables I might be carrying.

The work was done in record time. Rob only had the boat for about thirty hours. He goes out of his way to accommodate guides because of our hectic schedules and we appreciate it. 

I now have a boat that suits my fishing style and I am taking it out tomorrow for a day on the water with my wife, Lori. Life is good!

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 08/19/16

During the past week, we have had a several rain events (a combined total of two inches here in Cotter), moderate temperatures and moderate winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals rose five tenths of a foot to rest at seasonal power pool of 661 feet. This is thirty four feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock fell eight tenths of a foot to rest at three and one tenth feet below seasonal power pool and seventeen and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell three tenths of a foot to rest at three and one tenth feet below seasonal power pool and twelve and seven tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had heavy generation in the afternoon this week with wadable water most mornings. Norfork Lake rose eight tenths of a foot to rest at one and nine tenths feet below seasonal power pool of 555.75 feet and twenty six and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had reliable wadable water every morning, with light generation in the afternoon.

Seasonal power pool has been reset for the lakes in the White River system. All of the lakes on this system are below seasonable power pool. With summer here we should expect more generation in the afternoon to supply power for the increased demand for air conditioning.

On the White, the bite has been excellent. The hot spot has been the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam. We have had more reliable wadable water. 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 pheasant tail nymph with a ruby midge (#18) suspended below it).

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) on bigger water. 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 navigable. The smallmouths are still active. My favorite fly is a Clouser minnow. 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 fished better on the lower water and has not been as crowded with wadable water on the White. 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. My favorite fly has been the green butt.

Dry Run Creek has been very busy, with summer vacation, in full swing. It has not fished as well but is still yielding some trophy trout. 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 Spring River is fishing well. 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 there are a lot of boats on the river. You should fish during the week, if you can. 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, Blue Ribbon Guides, is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas with Blue and has fished our local streams for over thirty years.

BEFORE YOU GO BY JOHN BERRY

What you do before you go fishing is often as important as what you do when you actually fish. When I was in the Army, we had a saying, proper planning prevents poor performance. In order, to plan your fishing rip you need to gather as much information about the conditions you can expect to encounter, as you can.

I always begin with the weather. I turn on the Weather Channel as soon as I wake up. I want to know if it is going to rain so I can bring along an extra rain jacket or two for my clients (I always have a rain suit in my car and a back up rain suit in my boat for my own use). I want to know the high and low temperature for the day, so I will know how to dress. Will I need sun gloves or wool gloves? I want to know how much wind to expect and the direction it will come from. That will affect my drift, when fishing from the boat. Will I encounter fog? When is sunrise and sunset, so that I know how much light I will have?  Finally was there a full moon last night that allowed the trout to feed all night? 

 Next I check the Southwest Power Administrations projected loading schedule. The information is given by day, by the hour, by dam and expressed in megawatts. I convert the megawatts to cubic feet per second (CFS) using the total plant capacity in megawatts divided into full power discharge to arrive at the CFS per megawatt. Then I figure where the best water levels will be and whether I will be wading or in the boat. 

After I determine what is supposed to happen, I go on the Army Corps of Engineers Little Rock website for water releases given in CFS by the hour by the dam and check to see what is actually happening. There is a two hour delay. This way, I can see changes to generation, almost when they occur. Below the columnar data there are graphs on rainfall and generation where you can identify trends. I then determine where the conditions at a specific part of the river are the best, for the type of fishing I am interested in. 

The one thing that I do not do is, check the recorded message on the Dam control room phone. I have found this information to be very unreliable. The recording must be changed when conditions change. The problem is that the system relies on a human being to change the recording. If they forget to change it, the data is inaccurate. 

The last thing that I check is every fishing report that I can lay my hands on. I write a weekly fishing report so I am always looking at other reports and talking to any guide or angler that I run into on stream or who stops by Blue Ribbon Fly Shop, where I work. I am interested in the overall quality of the fishing and any sections that could be considered hot spots. I am especially interested in any specific techniques or flies that have been productive. 

Armed with all of this information I am now able to determine where to go, when to arrive and what to use. It is not always perfect but it is a good way to start. I hope to see you out there.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 08/12/16

During the past week, we have had a couple of rain events (a combined total of two and a quarter inches here in Cotter), brutally hot temperatures (to include heat advisories) and moderate winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals rose five tenths of a foot to rest at five tenths of a foot below seasonal power pool of 661 feet. This is thirty four and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock fell three tenths of a foot to rest at two and three tenths feet below seasonal power pool and sixteen and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell four tenths of a foot to rest at two and eight tenths feet below seasonal power pool and twelve and four tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had heavy generation in the afternoon this week with wadable water most mornings. Norfork Lake rose two tenths of a foot to rest at two and seven tenths feet below seasonal power pool of 555.75 feet and twenty six and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had reliable wadable water every morning, when it was a bit cooler.

Seasonal power pool has been reset for the lakes in the White River system. All of the lakes on this system are below seasonable power pool. With summer here we should expect more generation in the afternoon to supply power for the increased demand for air conditioning.

On the White, the bite has been excellent. The hot spot has been Rim Shoals. We have had more wadable water. 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 red San Juan worm with a ruby midge (#18) suspended below it).

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) on bigger water. 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 navigable. With the hot weather, the smallmouths are still active. My favorite fly is a Clouser minnow. 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 fished better on the lower water this week and has not been as crowded with wadable water on the White. 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. My favorite fly has been the green butt. 

Dry Run Creek has been very busy, with summer vacation, in full swing. It has not fished as well but is still yielding some trophy trout. 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 Spring River is fishing well. 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 there are a lot of boats on the river. You should fish during the week, if you can. 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 with Blue Ribbon Guides in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over thirty years.

FISHING WITH DOUG BY JOHN BERRY

The other day I got a call from my old friend, Doug Berry. I have known him for over thirty years and he was one of my first guide clients lo these many years ago. Despite the same last name, we have no direct knowledge that we are related, although we both believe that we are somewhere, in our past. Both of us have a connection to Belle Starr, the notorious outlaw, in our family oral history. My paternal grandfather was orphaned at birth and raised by Pony Star, Belle Starr’s brother in law. In addition, Doug reminds me of my father, due to his mannerisms.

Doug wanted to take his grand children fishing on Dry Run Creek. The idea was to drive from his home in Jackson, Mississippi to Memphis to pick up his younger grandson, Jeb, and bring him here to fish on Mondayand Tuesday. He would return to Memphis drop off Jeb and pick up Luke, his older grandson to fish on Thursday and Friday. This sounds like a lot of driving but it makes perfect sense. This way each lad gets a lot of individual attention on stream and spends some quality time with grand dad.

 I picked up Doug and Jeb at 7:30 AM at River Ridge Inn. I took them to the wader room and got a pair of waders, for both of them. We then drove to Dry Run Creek and began fishing. It took the ten year old a while to get the hang of it. He was starting to get a bit discouraged. Then right before lunch he landed a fine twenty two inch brown trout. He was enthused from then on. After lunch, we went back to the creek and he caught two big browns (23 and 24 inches long) back to back. We fished till 4:00 PM and then I invited them to my house in Cotter where my wife, Lori, cooked a nice pot roast Dinner. Doug brought a couple of bottles of fine red wine and a bottle of Scotch. It was an excellent evening.

The next day the plan was to fish for a half day and try to hang another big fish. Around 8:30 he hooked up with a huge trout. It made several long runs. I chased it up and down the stream. It was moving, at will, despite the drag being set extremely heavy on the reel. Somehow Jeb hung on and I was able to net the monster. It was a thick heavy brown that went about twelve pounds. It was the biggest brown that one of my clients had landed in several years. Doug had videoed the entire fight and took several photos of Jeb with his monster trout. We finished the day with a few more trout but nothing like this fish.

I started the process again on Thursday morning with Luke, at fourteen, the older of the two boys. I must say that I was a bit apprehensive with the prospect of taking Luke out. I had so much success with his brother that I did not know, if I could produce another trophy like we had caught earlier, in the week. In this business, you are only as good as your last trip.

The day began slowly. As luck would have it, he hooked a monster about9:30 AM. It came in fairly quickly but was big. It was a rainbow with a huge girth. I had never seen a fish with as large a girth for its length. It looked like a permit (a salt water fish with a big girth) this rainbow was about twenty two inches long but I estimated that it weighed around ten pounds.  

I was greatly relieved to have Luke to catch a big trout, so early in the day. I was able to relax and enjoy the rest of the day. Since it was a big rainbow Luke had managed to catch a bigger trout of that species than his brother giving him bragging rights. That night Doug took me to Whispering Woods for dinner. Lori was competing at a dog show with our fishing dog, Tilley, and could not join us.

We fished a half day on Friday. Luke landed a solid twenty two inch brown. Otherwise the going was a bit slower than the previous day. They quit about eleven and headed back.

A few days later I received a box of my favorite cigars from Doug as a thank you. It was greatly appreciated. It was nice to fish with him again. The boys were great to work with. I look forward to doing it again.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 08/06/2016

During the past week, we have had a rain event (a half inch here in Cotter), brutally hot temperatures (to include heat advisories) and moderate winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals fell one and two tenths feet to rest at a foot below seasonal power pool of 661 feet. This is thirty five feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock fell seven tenths of a foot to rest at two feet below seasonal power pool and sixteen feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose seven tenths of a foot to rest at two and four tenths feet below seasonal power pool and twelve feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had heavy generation in the afternoon this week with wadable water in the morning. Norfork Lake rose one tenth of a foot to rest at two and nine tenths feet below seasonal power pool of 555.75 feet and twenty seven and one tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had reliable wadable water every morning, when it was a bit cooler.

Seasonal power pool has been reset for the lakes in the White River system. All of the lakes on this system are below seasonable power pool. With summer here we should expect more generation in the afternoon to supply power for the increased demand for air conditioning.

On the White, the bite has been excellent. The hot spot has been Rim Shoals. We have had more wadable water. 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 red San Juan worm with a ruby midge (#18) suspended below it).

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) on bigger water. 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 navigable. With the hot weather, the smallmouths are still active. My favorite fly is a Clouser minnow. 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 fished better on the lower water this week. 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. My favorite fly has been the green butt.

Dry Run Creek has been very busy, with summer vacation, in full swing. It has not fished as well but is still yielding some trophy trout. 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 Spring River is fishing well. 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 there are a lot of boats on the river. You should fish during the week, if you can. 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 with Blue Ribbon Guides in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over thirty years.