FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND ON THE WHITE RIVER

Ask any fishing guide and they would tell you that they prefer not to fish on holiday weekends due to the high volume of other fishermen, boat traffic, canoes and kayaks.  However, John and I had guide trips scheduled for July 2nd and 3rd with some of his long time clients from Tennessee.  

On Saturday we met our clients at a local resort and the weather was not pleasant.  It already started to rain and the weather forecast was not promising.  We all met at the boat ramp and for some reason the rain decided to let up and turned into an annoying drizzle instead of the predicted downpour.  We got the rods rigged and the boats launched.  We decided that I would take Barry and Susan and John would have Rich and Terry and then switch clients on Sunday.  I headed up river with Barry and Susan to one of my favorite spots on the White River.  It was evident right from the start that I had two experienced fly fishermen  who could cast well and really knew how to fish.  Susan was a fishing machine who took great pride in her casting skills and immediately jumped out to a lead with the first few fish.  Then Barry started banging some fish but Susan kept the lead for the entire day.  

Later in the afternoon the weather cleared slightly and we decided to fish hopper/dropper rigs.  The fish weren't overly cooperative but they did manage to get a few small rainbows to come to the surface and take their offerings.  Overall the first day was a good one with a lot of fish brought to the net.

Day two started off much like day one.  The river was covered in a thick fog layer and mist in the air.  Today I would have Rich and Terry.  Both experienced fishermen and eager to get on the water.  For some reason the girls dominated on day two as well.  Terry started catching fish but Rich finally got in his groove and brought numerous nice rainbows to the net.   

Then the clouds decided to open up and pounded us with heavy rain.  We had heavy rain, fog and a little wind thrown in just to make the fishing a little more challenging.  However, even with the lousy weather Terry and Rich continued to catch fish. 

About mid morning I accidentally got in the wrong drift and the boat  got close to some weed beds.  Terry cast just short of the weeds and we continued our drift.  All of a sudden her indicator went down and at first we thought she was snagged.  Then I saw the indicator heading for deeper water and I knew she had a nice fish.  My first look at the fish was about twenty feet from the boat and it was a really nice brown.  Terry did an outstanding job fighting this fish and I just kept the boat in position and was ready with the net.  Terry brought the big brown to the boat and I scooped it up.   

After a big sigh of relief by all of us we finally got a good look at the fish.  A beautiful male brown that was measured to 21 1/2".  This was Terry's first ever brown trout.  What a great brown to start with.   After the high fives and a successful release of the fish we got back to the business of catching more fish.

The rain finally let up and it turned out to be a pretty enjoyable day.  Later in the day Rich caught his very first cutthroat trout so that gave us a hat trick for the day.  Rainbow, cutthroat and brown trout.

Our day ended around 4:30 and we all lost track of how many fish were caught.  I just described it as a very good day.

So, fishing on a holiday weekend doesn't always mean the day will not be enjoyable.  When you have great clients like Barry, Susan, Rich and Terry who really like to fish and have super fishing skills, even the crowded holidays can be great days on the river.  Thanks guys for two great days on the water.  John and I had a super time and hope to see all of you again in the future. 

TOP SIX FLIES BY JOHN BERRY

When I came into the shop (Blue Ribbon Fly Shop) today, my assistant manager, Henry Seay, had left me a note. It said that he thought that it was time for me to revisit my top six flies again. This is an article that I have written several times, over the years. The only thing that changes is the flies. New flies come and old standards are revisited. The following are the top six flies that I currently fish with, on a regular basis. Though I carry hundreds of patterns these six flies account for about ninety percent of the fish that I or my clients land.

The only fly that has made every list of my top six flies is the woolly bugger. I remember the first time I fished it over thirty five years ago. I was fishing the Little Red River with my brother, Dan. He gave me a couple of them and told me to give them a try. I asked how to fish them. He said that it didn’t matter as long as it was in the water. That turned out to be true and I have been fishing them since. I have caught more different species with a woolly bugger than any other fly. Don’t leave home without it.

On my last list, I had included the copper John. I have changed over to the pheasant tail nymph. This fly has been around since 1930. There is a reason for any fly to be around that long. The pheasant tail is easy to tie and catches fish. I have found it to be a great nymph imitation for our sulphur mayflies that are coming off now. I always tie them in a copper bead head version. It sinks like a rock and the copper bead will show off well in stained water.

The ruby midge is new to my list and it has worked its way in by being my best producer for the last two years. It has replaced the zebra midge as my go to midge pupa pattern. Since the White and Norfork Rivers are major midge waters; it is my most important fly. Most of the guides I know fish them, on a daily basis. It is the best selling fly at Blue Ribbon Fly shop.

The San Juan worm is the fly that I fish the most. I fish it every day. I generally fish two fly rigs and the San Juan Worm is my top fly. I think that it acts as an attractor and gets the trout’s attention. Though I usually catch more fish on the bottom fly, I catch quite a few on the worm. After a rain, it is my go to fly because worms are washed, into the river during a rain. It is also the easiest fly that there is to tie.

The newest member of this year’s list is the hare and copper. It is a pattern that has been around for a while. It is a simple fly with a body of hare’s mask a copper bead and copper rib tied on a scud hook. It is impressionistic and kind of looks like a scud, caddis or sowbug but not exactly. It has been producing well for me and I had a young man take two spectacular cutthroats yesterday on Dry Run Creek using it.

My final selection, for the list, is the green butt. I didn’t choose it just because it is my signature pattern. I chose it because it works. This is the fly I tie at Sowbug and the FFF Fly Fishing Fair every year. It is an easy tie and looks elegant. It is a soft hackle and it is the first thing that I tie on, whenever I see some top water action. I developed it about fifteen years ago and have fished it ever since. It has become a popular local pattern that sells well in the shop.

Armed with these six flies I can catch fish just about anywhere. Give them a try!

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT FOR JULY 1, 2016

During the past week, we have had rain (about a half inch here in Cotter), hot temperatures and moderate winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals fell two feet to rest at nine tenths of a foot above seasonal power pool of 661.67 feet. This is thirty four and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock fell five tenths of a foot to rest at one and five tenths feet below seasonal power pool and fifteen and a half feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell five tenths of a foot to rest at one and seven tenths feet below seasonal power pool and ten and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had more generation this week with no wadable water. Norfork Lake fell six tenths of a foot to rest at five tenths of a foot tenth below seasonal power pool of 556.42 feet and twenty four feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we had no wadable water. In an effort to get the lake level down on Norfork the Corps of Engineers ha s opened a sluice gate during daylight hours. The increased flow is equal to about one full generator.

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

On the White, the bite has been erratic. Some days it fished well others not so good. We have had less 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 pink San Juan worm with a ruby midge (#18) suspended below it).

Our sulphur hatch provides some of our best dry fly fishing of the year. I have observed a few sulphurs on the White and have had reports of hatches on the Norfork. This is a big mayfly, about a fourteen. Before the hatch I fish pheasant tail nymphs. When I see top water activity but no insects, I fish with a partridge and orange. When I see trout taking adults from the top, I switch over to a sulphur parachute.

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 warm weather, the smallmouths are 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 lately. 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 fly has been the green butt.

Dry Run Creek will be very busy, with summer vacation, in full swing. It is cleared and 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.