DENNIS TYING THE 'GUIDE SCULPIN' - CHECK IT OUT!

WATCH DENNIS TIE THE RAY CHARLES SOWBUG

AIR-LOCK STRIKE INDICATOR PRODUCT REVIEW

Dennis from Blue Ribbon Guides previews the new Air-lock Strike
Indicator from Rajeff Sports. It's pretty nifty. See for yourself!

JOHN TIES THE DAN'S TURKEY TAIL EMERGER

SPEEDY IMPROVED CLINCH KNOT BY JOHN BERRY

STREAMER SEASON IS HERE BY JOHN BERRY

Streamer season has begun. It began on opening day in the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam. As you know, this section has been closed for the last three months, to accommodate the brown trout spawn. For the first few days, the action is in the Catch and Release section and the adjacent State Park. There is a lot of fishing pressure at this time and as a result the big browns begin to move back downstream. During the spawn, they do not feed and they have not been fished over. As a result, they are susceptible to flies. This is the best time to target them. The most effective technique to target them at this time is to fish for them with large articulated streamers.

We are talking about flies that are six inches long or longer. These are much bigger flies than we are used to fishing on our tailwaters. You choose the fly rod that you fish based on the size of the fly that you are fishing. While we usually fish five weight nine foot fly rods with a soft tip, this type of fishing calls for a much stouter fly rod. A nine footer in a seven, eight or nine weight is a good choice. I prefer an eight weight with a pretty stiff action.

The large flies are often articulated and contain two hooks. It is a lot like fishing a lure with multiple hooks. These flies are not usually weighted. Everyone seems to have their favorite color. Olive yellow and white are all popular choices.

In order to present them to the trout at the bottom of the water column (trout feed 90% of the time on the bottom), these flies are fished with sink tip lines. The line of choice is a sink tip with a twenty four to thirty foot sinking section. These come in various weights that are usually measured in grams. You match the weight of the line to the level of generation. I prefer 250 to 300 grain sink tip lines. More water requires more weight. To keep the fly down, you don’t use a leader but just attach the streamer to the fly line with a short (three foot) section of heavy tippet (at least 2X).

The best flow for this type of fishing is about three to four full generators. That is the rough equivalent of 9,000 to 12,000 cubic feet per second. When the water rises, the fish move to the bank to escape the heavy current. Therefore the best technique is to bang the bank with the streamers on the sink tip lines. The trick is to drift downstream parallel to the bank, cast to the bank and strip the line back to the boat. Vary your retrieve until you find the rate that the fish want. To get the fly down deeper, wait a few seconds, for the line to sink before starting your strip.

The distance you drift from the bank will mostly be determined by your casting abilities. The optimal distance would be about fifty feet but not that many fly fishers can consistently bang the bank at that distance. Move closer to the bank, if your casing requires it. This is not an easy way to fish. It requires advanced skills and stamina. Swinging an eight weight rod with a heavy sink tip line is tough work. My brother, Dan says that, if he wants to work this hard, he will dig a ditch.

Despite all this, the rewards can be great. Some very large browns are caught this way. Be advised, that while this can be an effective method, it does not produce numbers of fish. A good day may be one or two takes and many experienced streamer fly fishers can go days without a fish.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, give it a try.

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

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 2/06/2015

During the past week, we have had a bit of rain, warmer then cooler temperatures and heavy winds (to include lake wind advisories). The lake level at Bull Shoals fell seven tenths of an inch to rest at five and eight tenth feet below seasonal power pool of 659 feet. This is forty one and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock fell one tenth of a foot to rest at five and seven tenths feet below seasonal power pool and twenty one and seven tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell one tenth of a foot to rest at six and nine tenths feet below seasonal power pool or sixteen and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had brief periods of heavy generation in the morning and afternoon with precious little wadable water. Norfork Lake fell four tenths of a foot to rest at four and one tenth feet below seasonal power pool of 553.7 feet and thirty and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had wadable water every day with generation most mornings.

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 below seasonal power pool.

The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam was closed from November 1, 2014 to January 31, 2015 to accommodate the brown trout spawn. The State Park was seasonal Catch and Release for the same period. There are redds in the area. They will appear as shallow clean depressions in the gravel.  Please avoid them when wading or dragging chains to protect the eggs in them.

On the White, the hot spot was Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals down through the 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 (try a flashback beadhead pheasant tail nymph with a ruby midge or red fan tail midge suspended below it). Egg patterns have been very effective.

Conventional wisdom states that hopper fishing ends with the first frost (we had several heavy frosts this past week). I reject this idea and fish them during the winter. I favor shorter leaders (seven and a half foot 3X) and a stiff six weight rod to proper deliver these weighty flies. My favorite flies are Dave’s hoppers (#10) and the western pink lady (#8). To increase hook ups I always use a dropper. I am currently using a ruby or root beer midge in size eighteen on a three foot or longer tippet (depending on the depth of the water I am fishing).

The higher flows on some mornings and afternoons have been conducive to fishing large streamers. You need a fast sinking sink tip line and an eight weight or better rod. This is a heavy lift that requires casting skills and patience. Streamer season starts on opening day!

The Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek have cleared and are navigable. With the colder weather, the smallmouths are not 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 River has fished poorly recently. With the warmer weather there was more fishing pressure 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 and late afternoon and tapers off midday.

There was little fishing pressure on Dry Run Creek despite the warmer weather. It has been a great time to fish there. 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 there take a few minutes to visit the adjacent Norfork National Fish Hatchery. It is fascinating. Be sure and remove your waders before entering to prevent the spread of aquatic diseases. Take a break from time to time to keep your youngsters warm. Bring some cocoa!

The water on the Spring River has cleared some. 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 to interfere with your fishing. Be sure to wear cleated boots and carry a wading staff. There is a lot of bedrock that can get very slick. The hot flies have been olive woolly buggers with a bit of flash (#10), cerise and hot pink San Juan worms (#10) and Y2Ks (#10).

Remember that the White and Norfork Rivers and Dry Run Creek are infected with didymo, an invasive alga. Be sure and thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the felt soles on wading boots) before using them in any other water. Many manufacturers are now making rubber soled wading boots that are easier to clean and are not as likely to harbor didymo.

Don’t forget the White River Chapter of Trout Unlimited Annual Fund Raiser at the Elks Club on February, 7.

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