NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS 2017 BY JOHN BERRY

I was sitting here at Blue Ribbon Fly Shop a few minutes ago, when I got a phone call, from my assistant manager, Henry Seay. We were discussing our work schedule, when I realized that it was Wednesday and I had not written my column. I have been out of town for the last few days celebrating Christmas with my family and I had pretty much lost all track of time. I thought for a minute about what to write about and then it came to me. With New Year’s Eve coming up this week end, why not write about my New Year’s resolutions for the coming year. 

First, of all, I want, to fish more. That may sound a bit strange coming from a professional guide that spends a lot, of time, on the water. Between my job managing Blue Ribbon Fly Shop and Berry Brothers Guide Service, I am either guiding or otherwise immersed in fly fishing most every day. The problem is that I do not get to fish much, on my own. Though my wife, Lori, and I have guided together several days this year, we have had precious few days fishing together without clients. During the coming year, I hope to fish, with Lori, at least once a week. 

My next resolution is, to kayak more. During the past year, I have not kayaked a single time. Lori and I bought our kayaks several years ago and have used them often to explore new water and to access remote fishing locations (both warm and cold water) that you can’t get into any other way. We not only have the kayaks but we also have a great trailer and other accessories that make it easy and comfortable to be in the boats. Here again my work schedule has kept me pretty busy and I have not had much free time to kayak and I really miss it. I hope to incorporate kayaking into some of those weekly fishing trips with Lori. 

Last year my brother, Dan, passed away and I inherited a bunch of fishing gear. The problem was that I already had a sizable amount of tackle myself. It was time to thin the herd. His stuff was basically better than mine. I went through it and kept the very best for myself. I have been going through the rest of his gear trying to determine, where to donate it. I gave a few fly rods to our old fishing club, the Mid South Fly Fishers, a bunch of fly tying material to Trout Unlimited and some other items to the Sowbug Roundup. I began selling off my old gear. I still have several rods and reels that have a bit of age, on them, but are still quite serviceable. I plan to continue selling off my gear until I am down to just the rods and reels that Lori and I actually use. 

These are my resolutions, what are yours?

CHECK OUT DENNIS'S NUKE EGG FLY TIE

Great job Dennis:

Nuke Egg Fly Tie of the Week:

Nuke Egg

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 12/23/2016

During the past week, we have had a bit of snow (just a trace here in Cotter), bitterly cold temperatures and heavy winds (to include wind chill advisories). The lake level at Bull Shoals fell eight tenths of a foot to rest at eight feet below seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is forty four feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock fell two tenths of a foot to rest at seven and five tenths feet below seasonal power pool and twenty three and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell five tenths of a foot to rest at eight and seven tenths feet below seasonal power pool and eighteen and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had a mixed bag with levels of wadable water mixed with periods of moderate generation. Norfork Lake fell eight tenths of a foot to rest at two and five tenths feet below seasonal power pool of 553.75 feet and twenty eight and seven tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had low levels of generation with much less wadable water.

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 colder weather and a higher demand for power, we should see less wadable water.

The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam is closed from November 1, 2016 to January 31, 2017 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 bite has been spotty. Some days have been excellent and some poor. The hot spot has been Rim Shoals. We have had some 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. With cold weather the smallmouths are much less 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.

There has been much less wadable water 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. My favorite fly has been an orange egg. 

Dry Run Creek has been less crowded with school back in session. A large number of brown trout have moved into the creek. 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 over and there are fewer boats on the river. 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.

IT'S BEEN COLD HERE LATELY BY JOHN BERRY

I don’t know if you have noticed but it has been bitterly cold around here, for the last few days. A polar vortex swept through the twin lakes area bringing winter in, with a vengeance. We had temperatures in single digits, with wind chills below zero. I have been running water, in my guest house, to keep my pipes, from freezing again. While most of us have been cooped up, in our houses, sitting by the fire reading a good book or tying flies there have been a few hardy souls that have actually gone out and fished these conditions. This is what separates the casual angler from the serious fly fisher. If you can bring yourself to do it, you will be rewarded with a bit of solitude on the stream and maybe a shot at a trophy trout.

I know that I have been talking about how to dress, in cold weather, quite a bit lately but this weather has been something else.  It has been dangerous with a threat of hypothermia.  This is a reduced body heat that occurs, when the body dissipates more heat than it absorbs.  This generally is associated with core body temperatures, of ninety five degrees or lower.  It can kill.

Symptoms depend on the temperature. In mild hypothermia, there is shivering and mental confusion. In moderate hypothermia, shivering stops and confusion increases. In severe hypothermia, there may be paradoxical undressing, in which a person removes his or her clothing, as well as an increased risk of the heart stopping.

In weather like this, do not fish alone. Let someone know where you are going and when you will be back. Carefully check weather and water conditions, before you leave the house. Dress for the weather, in layers. Take an emergency change of clothes. An emergency towel and blanket would be good also.

If you begin shivering, walk around and warm up. I will build a fire on the bank in such conditions. If you were not an eagle scout and don’t think you can build a fire, walk back to your car. Get in and run the heat until you are warm again. I have done both of these with clients and have been able to finish the day.

The whole secret is to stay dry. I generally carry an extra pair of gloves, in case one set gets wet. If you fall in, dump the water out of your waders (if you are wearing a snug fitting wader belt, this will be held at a minimum) and head back to the car. Get out of your wet clothing, dry off and put on warm dry clothing. Wrap the blanket around you and either sit in the car with the heater running or warm up by a fire. A cup of coffee or hot cocoa would help. Avoid alcohol. Although it makes you feel warmer it actually restricts your blood vessels and makes the symptoms of hypothermia more severe.

I fell in a few years ago on a guide trip. It was eleven degrees, with a wind chill well below zero. Luckily for me I did not take on much water and I was wearing several layers of wool clothing. Wool maintains about sixty percent of its insulative value when wet.

I was able to warm up a bit but did not have extra clothing with me. I finished the day but I was one cold puppy, when I got home.

Don’t take chances, in this kind of weather. Be prepared!

 

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 12/16/2016

On the White, the bite has been spotty. Some days have been excellent and some poor. The hot spot has been Rim Shoals. We have had some 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. With cold weather the smallmouths are much less 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.

There has been much less wadable water on the Norfork. The lake has turned over and there is a sulphur smell on the upper river and with lower dissolved oxygen, in that area, the bite has been slow there. Hopefully the colder weather will help this situation.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 an orange egg. 

Dry Run Creek has been less crowded with school back in session. A large number of brown trout have moved into the creek. 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 over and there are fewer boats on the river. 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.

GIFT SUGGESTIONS FOR CHRISTMAS BY JOHN BERRY

When I sat down to write this column today, I glanced at my watch and noted that we just had a few days till Christmas. I have a calendar feature on my watch. I suddenly realized that I was nowhere near finished with my shopping and did not have a clue of what I needed to purchase. I know that there are others in this predicament so I decided to share my thoughts. Since I manage Blue Ribbon Fly Shop, my first thought was to go through the shop and identify items that would be great Christmas presents. 

I recently wrote about the Nomad Net by Fish Pond. It is light weight, nearly indestructible and has a rubber bag that doesn’t grab flies. I gave my wife, Lori, a boat net last year but it is time to give her a smaller one to carry with her, when she has wading guide trips. I know she will love it because I see the way she looks at mine, when we are wade fishing on the Norfork.

I have a niece that is fairly new to fly fishing. I was thinking about giving her a fly rod. The perfect choice would be the Redington Path fly fishing outfit. This includes a nine foot four piece rod, the reel, backing, line and leader. There is even a case to put all of this stuff in. All of this is only $189. This is our best selling rod and it comes with a lifetime guarantee. I have cast them and really like the way they cast.

My brother in law is an avid fly fisher but is not a fly tyer. As a result, I give him a box of my hand tied flies every year. If there is someone on your list like that, it makes a great gift. If you don’t tie flies yourself, you can buy locally tied flies. This is very flexible because you can buy as many or as few flies, as you like. 

If you know someone, who is thinking about learning to tie flies, a fly tying kit would be the perfect choice. Wapsi, the largest wholesaler of fly fishing materials in the world, is located locally. They make a fly tying kit that includes all of the tools and materials to tie ten different flies. There is even an instructional DVD to show you how to easily tie those flies and it only cost $79.95.

My sister doesn’t fish much anymore but she does enjoy an occasional glass of wine. I was thinking about some nice big red wine glasses with trout etched on them. It sounds like a nice addition to the Christmas place settings, to me. They are only $20.00 per stem.

I also thought about stocking stuffers. The Montana Fly Company fishing flask is a great gift for $29.95. The Dr. Slick prismatic forceps have a gorgeous blue and pink mottled finish. They are not only pleasant to look at but easy to find if you happen to drop them in the water.

There are plenty of fishing related items that can be found here in Mountain Home. Good shopping and Merry Christmas.

TWO DAYS ON THE RIVER BY JOHN BERRY

I spent the last couple of days, on the river guiding group a corporate, for River Ridge Inn. As luck would have it, the weather has taken a change, for the worse. As I watched the weather channel, I noted that it was going to be pretty cold, on the days I was going, to be guiding. The thought kept running through my mind, how am I going to stay warm under these conditions. To complicate matters, one day I was to fish from a boat on the White River and the next was to be spent wading on the Norfork. Each situation calls for completely different clothing.

You would think that it would be colder wading, in a trout stream, than fishing from a boat. That is not the case. I have found it to be much colder, to fish from a boat. In a boat, there is no place, to hide, from the wind and the wind chill is what gets you. Even if the wind is not blowing, a long run up or down stream can be quite chilly at fifteen miles an hour.

When you see a boat making a long run on a cod day, the clients are facing the back of the boat, with their hoods up to keep their face warm and their hands are stuffed in their jacket pocket to keep them toasty. The guide is facing forward with his non steering hand in his pocket hoping that his face and tiller hand don’t freeze off, before the day is over.

On the other hand, when you are wading, you have to remember that the water is a constant fifty five degrees and is probably at least twenty degrees warmer than the air. There have been several occasions, in my twenty plus years of guiding, where I waded deeper to get warmer. The fact that you are moving around more helps to generate a bit more heat. If things get too bad, you can get on the bank and start a fire. Of course, you could also do that, if you were fishing from a boat.

On the first day, when fishing from the boat, I wore polypropylene long under wear, a tightly woven wool sweater, a pair of light fishing pants, a heavy pair of fleece lined pants, insulated boots, heavy socks, fingerless gloves, an insulated cap with pull down ear flaps and a heavy duty down jacket (a Patagonia no less). When we got there, the wind came up, with a vengeance. My body core was getting cold. The wind was blowing right through my jacket. I stopped and put my rain jacket on over the down jacket. That did the trick and I was comfortable for the remainder of the day.

The next day I waded with my clients. It was a bit warmer but still very windy. I wore the polypropylene long underwear, heavy wool socks, pile pants; a pile lined fishing shirt, and a short pile jacket with a nylon shell under my waders. I also had a pair of fingerless gloves and a baseball cap. I was quite comfortable, when we were fishing below Norfork Dam.

Around ten o’clock, we drove to the Ackerman access, to try our luck there. As we got there, the sun came out and it was deliciously warm. I got so carried away that I put on my polarized sun glasses and traded my baseball cap for my straw cowboy hat. We walked far upstream into the Catch and Release section. As soon as we got there, the sun disappeared behind the clouds and the wind picked up. It blew my straw hat off my head and into the river. I retrieved it and put it back on my head. The chill set a shiver down my spine but it dried quickly in the wind and was soon comfortable again but was never as warm as my baseball cap. I managed to finish the day.

It is getting cold out there. Don’t let the weather keep you for fishing. Take care in choosing your clothing and enjoy a day on the water.

SON OF SEXY WALT AND ETTA JAMES -- AHHHH!

Check out the Son of Sexy Walt fly tie with Etta James, singing the blues!  Great fly and great tie from Guide Dennis of Blue Ribbon Guides.

GAME CHANGER BY JOHN BERRY

I have been involved, with the sport, of fly fishing, for four decades. I am an angler, fly tyer, guide, fly fishing instructor, fly fishing writer and now manage Blue Ribbon Fly Shop. During this time, I have seen a number of technological breakthroughs, some of which have been game changers. By game changers, I mean things that have had a fundamental impact on the way that I fish.

My first game changer was my first graphite fly rod. At the time, I was fishing a Fenwick eight foot five weight fiberglass rod. I was catching trout and was perfectly happy with it. My brother, Dan, bought a Sage GFL580 eight foot five weight graphite fly rod. He let me cast it. It was a game changer. The rod was a full ounce lighter, was easier to cast and easily added twenty feet to my cast. I immediately went out and bought one. I fished it for years and I eventually gave it to my daughter, who still fishes with it.

I have noticed that all of the major fly rod manufacturers advertise their latest model as a game changer. They drop an eighth of an ounce in weight; add a new secret proprietary process, create a new exciting name for it and add one hundred dollars to the cost. The only problem is that it doesn’t really change the way I fish like that first graphite rod did. As a fly shop manager, I see and cast a lot of new rods every year and cannot see much difference in them from year to year. I know that in my business this is nothing short of blasphemy.

The next game changer that I noted was breathable waders. I was fishing in Simms neoprene waders at the time. They were all right in the winter but in the summer you would sweat like a pig, when you were not in the water. The new breathables were much lighter and more comfortable, in warm weather. In cold weather, you could wear a pair of fleece pants underneath them and be toasty warm, when the weather turned cool. Now I wear them whenever I am wading and they are the only type of waders that we sell, in the shop.

The latest game changer is the Fish Pond Nomad net. They feature a frame that is a composite of fiberglass and carbon fiber and a clear rubber bag. They are so light that they float. Previously I used a really nice Brodin net that had a frame of fine hardwoods (walnut and elm burl) and had cotton bag. I found that over time the frame on the net that I used in the boat would delaminate from constantly being wet. I noted that flies would easily get caught in the cotton bag particularly, if they had a barb. It was very difficult to remove the hooks on some occasions. In addition, the cotton bags would eventually weaken and rot.

I bought my wife, Lori, and I the biggest boat nets, in the Nomad series, to use, in the boat and on Dry Run Creek. We both love them. They feature a long handle (with a ruler built in) and a huge bag that makes netting the largest brown an easy task. Flies do not get caught in the bag even when fishing double fly rigs. I also bought a smaller one for me to carry, on the back of my vest, when wading. I like it as much as I do the big boat net.

If you are looking for a new net, check out the Fish Pond Nomad. It is a game changer.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 12/02/2016

During the past week, we have had a rain event (about three quarters of an inch here in Cotter), cooler temperatures and heavy winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals fell one tenth of a foot to rest at seven and five tenths feet below seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is forty three and seven tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock fell one and four tenths feet to rest at five and five tenths feet below seasonal power pool and twenty one and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell one foot to rest at seven and three tenths feet below seasonal power pool and sixteen and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had moderate generation in the afternoon with lower generation in the morning and limited wadable water. Norfork Lake remained steady at one and one tenth feet below seasonal power pool of 553.75 feet and twenty seven and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had low levels of generation late in the afternoon with much less wadable water.

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 cooler fall weather and lower lake levels, we should see more wadable water.

The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam is closed from November 1, 2016 to January 31, 2017 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 bite has been spotty. Some days have been excellent and some poor. The hot spot has been Rim Shoals. We have had some 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. With cooler the smallmouths are less 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.

There has been less wadable water on the Norfork. The lake has turned over and there is a sulphur smell on the upper river and with lower dissolved oxygen, in that area, the bite has been slow there. 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 an orange egg. 

Dry Run Creek has been less crowded with school back in session. A large number of brown trout have moved into the creek. 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 over and there are fewer boats on the river. 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.