DAD TOOK US FISHING BY JOHN BERRY

I wasn’t able to write my column last week because my father, Woody Berry, passed away last week and I had to go to Memphis, Tennessee to help my sister, Ernestine with the arrangements. He had a stroke and fell, severely injuring his head on Easter Sunday. After a long stay in the VA hospital in Memphis, he ended his days in the West Tennessee Veterans Home in Humbolt, Tennessee. He was a World War Two veteran who served as an aircraft mechanic in the Eighth Air Force and was stationed in England for three years. Dad was ninety four. One of the fondest memories I have of him were the fishing trips he took us on, when we were children. Dad didn’t fish. Neither did his parents or six brothers and sisters. My sisters, Carol and Ernestine, my brother, Dan, and I wanted to go fishing. Though dad often worked two jobs to keep the family afloat, he still made time to take us fishing. We would go to Fisherville now known as Herb Parson’s Lake near Memphis. He would load all of us and a cooler full of soft drinks and sandwiches into a green 1958 Ford station wagon. We would rent a boat and since we couldn’t afford a motor dad would paddle us around the lake looking for a good spot to fish. We would fish for bream and crappie with cane poles. I am not writing about split bamboo fly rods but cut cane poles. We used live crickets and bobbers and we never caught a lot of fish but always had a good time. All of us kids had fair complexions (everyone but me was a red head) and we ended up getting sunburned. This was before sunscreen. One of the items we always took with us was a cricket cage that dad had made. He used wood salvaged from an apple crate, some screen wire and a coffee can to make it. A handle from an old paint bucket completed it. He was a patient and precise craftsman and the cage was a work of art. He also made me a toy chest out of the same salvaged apple crate wood. I don’t know what happened to them but I wish I had both now. When I was twelve I wanted a twenty two for Christmas. My mother was dead set against it but dad prevailed and got me a nice second hand rifle that I still have. He got his brother, Ted, to teach me how to shoot it. Ted had been a Marine in the South Pacific during World War Two and was an expert marksman. Being familiar with a weapon and his instruction helped me shoot at the expert level, when I was in the army eight years later. Fifteen years ago, when I was fifty three years old, I quit a successful career as a Certified Public Accountant to become a fly fishing guide. Dad had a lot of trouble understanding it. He had worked at an oil refinery for over forty years. After he retired, he returned to the refinery to run the credit union. The idea of me quitting professional career to become a fishing guide was incomprehensible to him. Finally, he figured that if I got into financial trouble, I could do taxes. He was then OK with that. Throughout my life my father supported and accepted my love of fishing and an outdoor lifestyle despite having no interest in it himself. I loved and respect him for that and many other things. His ashes will join those of my mother, sister and brother in a small rose garden overlooking the White River.  John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over thirty years.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 8/21/2015

During the past week, we have had a rain event (a trace here in Cotter), hot temperatures and moderate winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals fell seven and five tenths feet to rest at twenty six and five tenths feet above seasonal power pool of 661 feet. This is seven and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock fell three and five tenths feet to rest at four feet above seasonal power pool and ten feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell a foot to rest at six and three tenths feet above seasonal power pool and two and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had high levels of generation with no wadable water. Norfork Lake fell one and one tenth feet to rest at fourteen and seven tenths feet above seasonal power pool of 555.75 feet and nine and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had wadable water every day. The water level for the top of power pool has been reset for the lakes in the White River system. Due to recent rains, the lakes on this system are well above seasonal power pool and are nearing the top of flood pool. We can expect high levels of generation in the coming months. On heavy generation, the best way to catch fish is to switch to longer leaders and heavier weight. On the White, the hot spot was the Catch and Release section at Rim Shoals. 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 orange egg suspended below it). Conventional wisdom states that hopper fishing begins in late summer. I reject this idea and fish them all year. I favor shorter leaders (seven and a half foot 4X) 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 Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are navigable. With the warm weather, the smallmouth are 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.  On the Norfork, there is a substantial amount of water leaking around one of the flood gates that was being repaired, when the lake levels began to rise. As a result, the water temperature on the Norfork has risen to near dangerous levels. There has been no observed fish kill but the trout are stressed. Any fish caught should be carefully released. During periods of generation the temperatures are near normal.  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). There have been daily hatches of sulphurs aroundnoon. The fishing is better in the morning and late afternoon and tapers off midday. My favorite combination has been a grass hopper with a root beer or ruby midge dropper. There is a major construction project at the Norfork National Fish Hatchery. You can still access Dry Run Creek. It has seen more pressure with school out. It still fished well. The hot flies have been sowbugs (#14), Y2Ks (#12) and various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise #10). Despite the construction you can still visit the Norfork National Fish Hatchery. It is fascinating. Be sure and remove your waders before entering to prevent the spread of aquatic diseases. The water on the Spring River is navigable. 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 can be a nuisance to 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. John Berry is a fly fishing guide for Blue Ribbon Guides in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over thirty years.

NO FISHING REPORT AND ARTICLE

                    For all of our faithful readers, there will be no fishing report and article this week.  

                    John's father passed away recently and he is dealing with personal issues at this time.  Thanks for your continued support!

 

SOME TIPS FOR FISHING DRY RUN CREEK BY JOHN BERRY

We are fortunate to have a world class fishery like Dry Run Creek, in our area. I have never seen it’s equal. We have a small stream teeming with large fish that is open to the public at no charge. That just doesn’t exist anywhere else. To make it even better, local fly fishing and conservation groups have spent substantial funds over the years to make it more accessible and fish friendly. It is open to children under sixteen years of age and the handicapped (an Arkansas Handicap Fishing License is required).

I have been taking children there to fish, since my daughter, Katherine, was twelve. She is now thirty eight. Over the years I have taken countless kids there to fish. During this time, I have figured a few things out. As a result, I have developed a simple approach.

The first consideration should be, is your youngster ready to fish the creek. I often see fathers casting time after time, on the creek, while their two year old is chasing butterflies. It is important that your child does the fishing. They should cast, hook up and fight the fish. Parents can rig the rods, coach the youngster and net the fish. It is important that the child actually catch the fish. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission enforcement officers frequent the creek and hand out tickets to adults fishing. All children are different. My grandson caught a twenty one inch brown trout when he was five. I think that is young.

Equipment is pretty easy. I generally just use my client rods. These are nine foot five weight rods with inexpensive disc drag reels. I use seven and a half foot 4X tapered leaders and eighteen inches of fluorocarbon tippet. I fish sowbugs, San Juan worms (worm brown, cerise and hot fluorescent pink) an egg patterns. A strike indicator and lead complete the rigging. It should be noted that Ole Henry, the resident monster brown, on Dry Run Creek, was recently caught with a pink marabou jig. Throw in the biggest net you can find. Look for one with a big bag and a long handle. Many trout are lost at the net. Finally, bring a camera. Make sure that it has a flash. With all of the tree cover and shade on Dry Run Creek, it can get pretty dark.

There are plenty of spots to fish from the bank but, if your child has waders, they can fish virtually the whole creek. I always wear mine to allow me to release hung up flies and more effectively net the big trout.

You don’t need to fish a very long line. The creek is narrow with a lot of tree cover. There isn’t much room to cast. I generally fish a four foot line and will go shorter in some situations. This means that you are basically high sticking. The trick is to have your youngster set the hook quickly. Have them fight all fish on the reel. You are not going to be able to catch a big fish by stripping it in. The big ones like to run. If you have the line locked down, they can easily break off. With a short line they are already on the reel. Let them run if they want.

No matter how good your kid is they are going to lose a few fish. There are some real monsters on Dry Run Creek and they have all been caught a hundred times. They don’t get big by being stupid. If you lose a good one, check your rigging to make sure that you haven’t lost a fly and keep fishing. There are plenty more trout in there.

When you are coaching your youngster, be patient. If they tangle their line, untangle it. If they make an error, explain what they did wrong and how to prevent that from happening. If they do something well, praise them. When they catch a good one, take a picture. These are the memories of a lifetime. When they get tired or bored, take a break. This is supposed to be fun not a forced march.

When you are taking a picture, handle the fish carefully. Leave them, in the net, suspended in the creek, until you have the camera ready. Handle them as little as possible and carefully revive them before releasing them. Observe the trout after the release, to ensure, that they have revived properly.

If you follow these simple suggestions, I think you and your children will have a memorable day on Dry Run Creek.

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