JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 02/26/2016

During the past week, we have had no rain, warm temperatures and heavy winds (to include lake wind advisories). The lake level at Bull Shoals fell six and five tenths feet to rest at one tenths of a foot above seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is thirty five and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock rose six tenths of a foot to rest at seasonal power pool and sixteen feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell two and six tenths feet to rest at three and one tenth feet above seasonal power pool and six and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had heavy generation this week with no wadable water. Norfork Lake fell one and one tenth feet to rest at one tenth of a foot above seasonal power pool of 553.75 feet and twenty six and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had moderate generation with very limited 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 at or near seasonable power pool and we should encounter lower levels of generation, on our tailwaters, with limited wadable water.

The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam was closed from November 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016 to accommodate the brown trout spawn. It is now open.

On the White, the hot spot has been the catch and release section below Bull Shoals Dam. 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 an egg pattern 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 navigable. 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 but clarity has improved. 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 is off color yet 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 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 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 with Blue Ribbon Guides in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over thirty years.

MANAGING CHANGE BY JOHN BERRY

When I drove past the ramp at Cotter’s Big Spring Park this morning I noticed a big change from my last visit. This ramp is a few blocks away from my house in the old section of Cotter and I always like to track the river levels by driving by the Cotter Ramp. I was pleased to see that the river level was much lower than my last visit. I had been tracking the lake levels and generation for all of the lakes in the White River system and I had noted that all are now at or close to power pool with the exception of Beaver which is dropping quickly. Beaver is always the last to be drawn down to power pool.

Now that our tailwaters are back in their banks and the river levels are more comfortably navigated we will see significant changes as the water levels drop. The additional flows through the open flood gates and sluices gates have had a profound effect on our rivers.

One of the first things that you will notice is that many warm water species have been introduced to the cold water environments of our tailwaters. This past weekend Henry Seay, the assistant manager here at Blue Ribbon Fly Shop, was fishing at Quarry Park on the Norfork River and caught five bream which is a warm water species. I have had customers come into the shop that have caught walleye recently in the same stretch of river.

After the flood of 2008, I saw a striper that was stuck twenty feet up in a tree at McClellan’s, on the Norfork. Later that same day I was wade fishing in the Ace in the Hole water and saw a four foot Gar. I must say that, it was a bit disconcerting, seeing something that big, with that many sharp teeth, lazily swimming near me. It looked just like a Barracuda. It turned out to be more worried about me and left. That same year there were loads of Stripers and other species caught beneath Norfork Dam. There was similar warm water species caught below Bull Shoals Dam.

Of greater importance are all of the changes to the river itself. With that much additional water coming through the flood gates we have to expect significant change and as the water recedes we will begin to see them. There will be downed trees where none previously existed. Trees that have been reliable markers for years will be gone washed down the river. Delicate banks will have been seriously eroded. Gravel bars will appear where none existed before and there will be new holes scoured in the river bottom.

The trick is to take your time as you navigate the river for the first few times until you figure out all of the changes. This is particularly important, if you run a prop, like I do. When wading take extra care because there may be a new hole or two where you can float a hat.

 

Our rivers are constantly changing and this high water has brought about quite a bit of it. In many respects it will be like learning a new river. Slow down and enjoy it!

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

WALKING AND WADING BY HENRY SEAY

Some day I would like to do a walking and wading trip along what I would call the Ozark Trout Trail.  I would want to cast a fly line into all the Ozark trout streams as I believe a trip of this kind would be equal to any fantasy trip in North America.  In my mind I can see myself landing several grand slams (bows, browns, cuts and bookies) while enjoying the sights, sounds and beauty of the Ozarks.

We have miles and miles of outstanding trout streams here in the Ozarks.  So where would I start?  My journey would begin on the Beaver Tailwaters and then north to Taneycomo.  From there I'd go to a blue ribbon trout stream by the name of Crane Creek that flows through the town of Crane.  Crane Creek is a wild trout stream.  From there my adventure would take me to another blue ribbon wild trout stream, the North Fork of the White.  This free flowing stream will remind you of a western river as it flows through the Ozark hills to form Lake North Fork.

The Norfork Tailwaters would be the next stop.  This little 5 or 6 mile tailwater has produced more records, both state and world than any trout stream in the Ozarks, as far as I know.

After the Norfork Tailwaters, then it is on to the Bull Shoals Tailwaters of the White.  This world famous river is loaded with browns over 25 inches and bows over 18 and 20 inches.  This is the river that Arkansas Game & Fish says holds another world record.

At this point, I would take a break before continuing  on my Ozark trout fishing adventure.  Other streams still to be fished are names such as Little Red, Spring River, Eleven Point, Mill Creek, Little Piney, Current and several more, some of which are blue ribbon streams.

Because Ozark streams flow through two states you will need a license for each.  Arkansas requires a trout stamp, Missouri does not unless you intend to keep a trout.

The fly patterns will pretty much stay the same on your journey.  Pheasant tails,  hares ear, F flies, sowbugs and scuds, stoneflies, soft hackles, streamers such as Woolly Buggers and midges in the range of #16 - 24 should cover you.  

Be sure and check the regulations for each stream as they are not all the same.  Remember water levels are fluctuated greatly either from dams or from Mother Nature.  You are not going to hear the warning signal in most cases so be alert for rising water.

Fishing the Ozark trout streams could be your adventure of a lifetime.

LIFE IS GOOD IN THE OZARKS.   TAKE A CHILD FISHING -- IT WILL DO YOU GOOD!

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 02/19/2016

During the past week, we have had no rain, warm temperatures and heavy winds (to include lake wind advisories). The lake level at Bull Shoals fell six and nine tenths feet to rest at three and six tenths feet above seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is thirty two and four tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock fell one tenth of a foot to rest at six tenths of a foot below seasonal power pool and sixteen and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell nine tenths of a foot to rest at five and seven tenths feet above seasonal power pool and three and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had heavy generation this week with no wadable water. Norfork Lake fell three feet to rest at one and two tenths feet above seasonal power pool of 553.75 feet and twenty five 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 above seasonable power pool and we should encounter high levels of generation, on our tailwaters, with no wadable water.

In an effort to lower the lake levels before the spring rains, the Corps of Engineers opened conduits. The combined outflow and generation equal 27,500 cubic feet per second (cfs) or the equivalent of nine 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 was closed from November 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016 to accommodate the brown trout spawn. It is now open.

On the White, the hot spot has been the catch and release section below Bull Shoals Dam. 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 an egg pattern 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 navigable. 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 but clarity has improved. 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 is off color yet 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 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 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.

LATEST TRENDS IN FLY FISHING EQUIPMENT

One of the things that I really get to observe, while managing Blue Ribbon Fly Shop, is the latest trends in fly fishing equipment. While most fly fishers like to think of their sport as a very traditional endeavor, the reality is that it is constantly changing as technological innovation finds its way into fly fishing.

The most apparent change that I have observed is the fly rod itself. My first fly rod was a Fenwick eight foot six weight fiberglass rod that cost a little over one hundred dollars. My brother, Dan, bought a five weight eight foot Sage graphite rod for three hundred dollars. Graphite changed my world. Over the years I have bought dozens of them and over time they have gotten lighter, stiffer and more expensive. My latest rod, a nine foot six weight Orvis Helios II, weighs about half what my original fiberglass rod weighed and is a foot longer. It casts like a dream and cost almost eight hundred dollars but that includes a lifetime warranty.

At the same time, fly reels have gotten bigger and heavier. My first quality fly reel was an Orvis CFO. It had a click and pawl drag system (nineteenth century technology), weighed about three ounces and cost about one hundred and fifty dollars. I am still fishing with it over thirty years later. While the CFO is still being manufactured most of the comparable reels are an ounce or two heavier and cost several hundred dollars. The weight is due to the increase in the diameter as large arbor reels will bring the line in faster than small arbor reels. The rest of the weight is due to the more efficient disc drag systems used in most fly reels now. By the way, the Orvis CFO now costs three hundred thirty five dollars.

For years, fly fishers carried laminated wood nets with hand tied cotton bags. They were and are things of beauty and are usually made from quality hardwood like maple, elm or walnut. I had a fine one to carry with me when I waded and another larger one to use in the boat. Over time the wood would delaminate and the cotton bags would rot. I now use nets that have carbon fiber frames, which do not delaminate and float. The new clear rubber bags will not rot and they don’t catch your flies like the old cotton bags. This is particularly desirable when fishing double fly rigs.

Years ago, when I first started fly fishing, the most popular way to carry your gear was to wear a fly fishing vest. The fishing vest was invented by the immortal Lee Wulff and was the standard for decades. I still wear one. Then there were fanny packs and chest packs. I tried them but did not like them as much as my old reliable vest. The latest thing out is the sling pack, which is a shoulder bag. They are similar to the classic English shoulder bags that have been popular there for well over a hundred years. The only differences are the space age fabrics and more numerous pockets on the new bags.

The item that has changed the most is the waders. My first waders were rubberized cotton boot foot waders. They were clumsy and they beat my ankles to death. I remember moving up to neoprene stocking foot waders (the boots were separate) when they came out. They were much more comfortable to my feet and ankles but were incredibly hot during the summer. Now we have breathable stocking foot waders made with Gore-Tex. They are the best and most comfortable waders that I have ever worn and I suggest that anyone who has not tried them should go out and get a pair.

As you can see there has been a lot of technological change in fly fishing. I have embraced some of it and let some of it pass by. You be the judge on what items appeal to you.

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

HENRY'S RS SOWBUG -- THANKS HENRY!

JOHN BERRY FLY FISHING REPORT 02/12/2016

During the past week, we have had a rain event (less than a half inch here in Cotter), cold temperatures and heavy winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals fell six feet to rest at ten and five tenths feet above seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is twenty five and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock fell three tenths of a foot to rest at five tenths of a foot below seasonal power pool and sixteen and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell six tenths of a foot to rest at six and six tenths feet above seasonal power pool and three feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had heavy generation this week with no wadable water. Norfork Lake fell three and two tenths feet foot to rest at four and two tenths feet above seasonal power pool of 553.75 feet and twenty two 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 above seasonable power pool and we should encounter high levels of generation, on our tailwaters, with no wadable water.

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 was closed from November 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016 to accommodate the brown trout spawn. It is now open.

On the White, the hot spot has been the catch and release section below Bull Shoals Dam. 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 an egg pattern 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 is off color yet 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 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 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 with Blue Ribbon Guides in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over thirty years.