HUNTING FOR OLD HENRY BY JOHN BERRY

As many of you know, my wife, Lori, and I spend quite a bit of my time guiding children on Dry Run Creek. The big draw there is a population of really large trout in a Catch and Release environment. It is common for inexperienced anglers to catch one or more trophy trout on a visit there.

While on the creek, I have seen a particularly large and impressive brown trout on numerous occasions over the years. I have named him Henry. Now my clients have landed some really large browns. I remember a sixteen pounder that my client, David Kinney landed a while back. This trout was a large hen that did not put up much of a fight. Now Henry is something else. For one thing, he is much larger. I would estimate him to be over thirty two inches long and weigh around twenty pounds. I have never landed him but would love to measure him. The other thing that makes him different is that he fights like a demon. As I always say, they don’t get big by being stupid.

I remember the first time a client hooked Ole Henry. It was several years ago. My client was a twelve year old boy that had landed several big trout that day. He hooked the big trout on a Y2K and fought him for about twenty minutes. I was excited with the prospect of landing such a large fish. Just about when I was ready to net him, Henry got tired of playing with us and ran a hundred yards downstream and swam into the middle of a blow down losing the Y2K in the process. As time passed, I had clients hook and fight him only to lose him before he got to the net.

Things have kicked up in the last couple of weeks. My clients have hooked him twice in that time. The first hook up was with this brawny fifteen year old that needed a shave fishing a worm brown San Juan worm, under a strike indicator. I thought this kid had him. Henry never came in close. He hugged the bottom and moved powerfully around the pool. He then made a run toward the undercut bank. I saw the indicator stop moving and I knew we were in trouble. I stealthily moved over to the bank and carefully pulled the leader. It was tightly connected to something that was not moving. Henry had wrapped a root wad and broken off.

A few days later I am with yet another young client. This lad was twelve and this was his first day fly fishing. He had a couple of big fish under his belt, when he hooked Henry, with a big orange egg. He did well for the first couple of minutes of the fight until Henry came close and the kid got a good look at him. He could not believe how big he was and the adrenalin kicked in. He gripped the line in a death grip and Henry broke the 4X tippet like a small twig. You have to let the big ones run. I chalked it up to inexperience.

 Henry is starting to become an obsession with me. I want to net him really badly. The problem is that he is on Dry Run creek and I cannot fish for him. I have to experience the thrill of the hunt vicariously through my young clients. Most of who are inexperienced. Whenever I fish Dry Run Creek, I hunt for Henry. I take great pains to work on my clients big fish skills. I have them fight every fish, on the reel, and make sure that they take their time. Patience is a virtue when fighting the big ones. That way when we get the hookup we stand a much greater chance of landing Henry. After years of this struggle, I have come to the realization that it will take a substantial amount of luck to get him in.

Yesterday, I was at a Sowbug Roundup Committee meeting, when one of the attendees said that, while he was working on the Trout Unlimited Youth Summer Camp, he had seen a huge brown on Dry Run Creek. I gave him a knowing smile and said “I know, I know”.

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

FLOOD OF MEMORIES BY JOHN BERRY

Earlier this week I woke up in an empty house. My wife, Lori, had taken our dog, Tilley, to yet another dog show at Purina Farms in Gray Summit, Missouri. Tilley has been on a roll lately and is beginning to blossom, in the show ring. I decided to spend the day on stream.

It was overcast and a bit cool when I arrived at the Ackerman access on the Norfork. It was early and there were few cars in the parking lot and I pretty much had the place to myself. I have fished here for about thirty five years long before it became an access. As I walked in, I was hit with a flood of memories. This is possibly my favorite place on earth and I have a lot of history here.

As I made my way upstream into the Catch and Release section, I passed the ring of rocks that was my brother, Dan’s, favorite spot to fish. It is a large pool with faint current, glass smooth water and there is always something rising. He would stand there for hours and cast tiny size thirty two dry flies with a perfect effortless seventy foot cast. I would ask “how can you see a take with such a small hook and long cast”. He said “I can’t”. “I set the hook when I see a rise where I think the fly is”. He caught some surprisingly large trout out of that spot. On our last fishing trip, when I noted that he was unable to wade to that spot, I knew that he was seriously ill.

I walked up to the kiddy pool, a favorite spot for me to fish. This was my beloved Yellow Labrador Retriever, Ellie’s, favorite spot also. The water is shallow and she could sit on my left side. There are loads of small trout there and she loved the constant action. Everything would go well until a trout took a jump. That would flip her switch and she would launch into the run to retrieve the trout. I would yell "No Ellie" but it made no difference. She would hook herself occasionally during her retrievals and would stand still patiently, as I carefully removed the barbless hook.

On this day, I could see the Cliff Swallows working above me. There was a midge hatch coming off. The insects were small and I instinctively tied on a Dan’s turkey tail emerger, my brother's go-to fly, which has become a go-to fly for me also. He had taught me to tie them and after I tied a few he would carefully study them and give me constructive criticism, on how to improve them. It took me a while but I finally mastered them. On this day, I fished one of his ties in size twenty two and didn’t get a bump. I switched over to one of my ties in size eighteen and landed a stout eighteen inch rainbow. Somehow I knew Dan would approve.

A few years ago I had been fishing here with Lori, her sister, Teri, and her husband, Larry. They were running about a half a generator and we were fishing olive woolly buggers and catching trout on just about every cast. It was not unusual for us to have three trout on at the same time.

Lori had lost a fly and was tying on a new one when she slipped and hooked herself with the woolly bugger. The only problem was that she had not pinched down the barb. She was quite willing to continue fishing with the fly stuck in the palm of her left hand because she did not want to leave the near constant action. I insisted on removing the fly with a technique that I had never attempted.  You wrap tippet around the bend of the hook and give it a jerk as you push down the eye of the hook to disengage the barb. To my surprise it worked and Lori said that it didn’t hurt. We returned to fishing and had a stellar day.

I worked my way upstream to a fast run that Lori and I have fished for fifteen years together. A photo of us taken there is now the screen saver on my computer. Over the years, we have caught some of our best trout at this place and we always spend an hour or so fishing this spot every time we are on the Norfork.

On one occasion, we were fishing here on a brutally hot summer day, when the temperature climbed to 104 degrees. Lori caught a twenty three inch trophy cutthroat that I carefully photographed. Later that day she took a break from fishing and asked to look at the photo. To my surprise the excessive heat had cooked the camera and destroyed the photo in the process. Lori was not amused.

I finished the day and only caught a few really nice trout. It was still a memorable day and a great trip.

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

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 6/05/2015

During the past week, we have had a few rain events (combined for half an inch here in Cotter), warm temperatures and moderate winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals rose four and four tenths feet to rest at thirteen and one tenth feet above seasonal power pool of 662 feet. This is nineteen and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock rose one and five tenths feet to rest at two and four tenths feet above seasonal power pool and eleven and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose two tenths of a foot to rest at seven and seven tenths feet above seasonal power pool and nine tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had moderate generation with no wadable water. Norfork Lake rose nine tenths of a foot to rest at five and two tenths feet above seasonal power pool of 556.75 feet and eighteen 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 above seasonal power pool.

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 (try a prince nymph with a ruby midge or root beer midge 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 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).

With the caddis hatch on the wane, it is time to get ready for the sulphur hatch. This is our major mayfly hatch of the year. They are size fourteen and easy to see. Before the hatch, you should concentrate on fishing pheasant tail nymphs. When the trout key on the top but no insects are present, switch over to a partridge and yellow. When you observe trout taking adult insects from the top of the water column, you should switch over to sulphur parachutes.

The Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are stained and high. With the weather warm, the smallmouths should be active soon. 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 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 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 the creek. It was crowded over the last few days due to the Memorial Day holiday. 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).  

The water on the Spring River is stained and high. 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.

GUIDE DENNIS WITH THE RABBIT FOOT SULPHUR

STELLAR DAY ON DRY RUN CREEK BY JOHN BERRY

I have been busy lately guiding a variety of clients. My wife, Lori, has been busy also due to the interest generated by the article naming her one of the top ten guides that appeared in Garden and Gun Magazine this spring. We were both working last Saturday. I had a boat trip on the White River and Lori took a youngster to Dry Run Creek for Blue Ribbon Fly Shop.

Lori and I both successful days on stream catching plenty of fish. However, when Lori was netting a large trout she slipped and instinctively put out her hand to break her fall. In doing so, she managed to sprain her thumb. It was quite painful and she ended up wearing a brace to stabilize her thumb.

The problem was that she was scheduled to guide her client’s cousin the next day and due to her injury she was unable to net fish particularly large ones. On Dry Run Creek that is a problem. Luckily I had the day off and volunteered to accompany her and net fish. She was relieved.
 

We met our client along with his mother, Lily, and grandmother, Rhea, at the shop at 8:00 AM. Both are avid photographers and wanted to record the event. Cole is fifteen years old and bigger than me. He wears a size twelve shoe (I wear an eight) and looks like a football player. He had fished the White River the day before and landed twenty two trout. If I had been a warden, I would have checked his ID. He had the look of an angler about him.
 

He was a competent caster and had no trouble setting the hook. Over the day, he never tangled his line and only lost one fly (it is in a fish). He is possibly the best client that I have ever had on Dry Run Creek.
 

The first fish he hooked was a twenty four inch rainbow with a substantial girth. He easily brought it in. The ladies photographed it and I released it. This event was to be repeated several times that day. Every time we netted a big one (over twenty four inches), Cole and I would wade over to where Lily and Rhea were standing. We kept the fish in the net until they had their cameras set up and then carefully lifted the fish from the net so that they could photograph it. They also took photos on their smart phones so they could email the photos. After that, I would return the fish to the water and carefully revive them.

By the time we stopped for lunch, he had landed five huge trout and numerous smaller fish (we lost count early in the process). The largest was twenty seven inches long and probably went over twelve pounds. All were rainbows. I was interested in catching some different species. We set our goal for the afternoon to land a big brown. We returned to the stream and began fishing in earnest.
 

We caught another couple of huge rainbows and then we hooked a big brown. I got a good look at him and he was a big male that was definitely bigger than anything we had landed. I would estimate that he went over fifteen pounds. He was definitely a hand full. He was hugging the bottom and moving around at ease. I had 4X tippet and the drag on the reel was set pretty heavy. I was in the water with my big net and carefully following him hoping for a chance to net him. My heart skipped a beat when I saw him swim into a stack or rocks near the undercut bank. The indicator stopped moving. I carefully waded over to it and found the leader wrapped around a root wad. The brown was gone. They don’t get that big by being stupid!
 

We landed several other trout including another trophy rainbow but no other browns. We ended the day on a pleasant note with a ten pounder. It had been a stellar day with more big fish than I had ever seen one angler land. Lori estimated over a hundred pounds of trout landed. I do not doubt it.

Dry Run Creek was very good to us. Lori would not have been able to land those huge trout with her injury. I am glad that I was there to help!
 

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

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 5/29/2015

During the past week, we have had several significant rain events (combined for a bit over an inch here in Cotter), warm temperatures and moderate winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals rose two and three tenths feet to rest at eight and seven tenths feet above seasonal power pool of 662 feet. This is twenty four and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock rose nine tenths of a foot to rest at three tenths of a foot above seasonal power pool and thirteen and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose two and four tenths feet to rest at seven and five tenths feet above seasonal power pool one and one tenth of a foot below the top of flood pool. On the White, we had moderate generation with no wadable water. Norfork Lake rose five tenths of a foot to rest at three and nine tenths feet above seasonal power pool of 556.75 feet and nineteen and four 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 above seasonal power pool.

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 (try a prince nymph with a ruby midge or root beer midge 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 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).

There have been several reliable sightings of caddis hatching. This is our major hatch of the year. They are size fourteen and easy to see. Before the hatch, you should concentrate on fishing prince nymphs. When the trout key on the top but no insects are present, switch over to my green butt. When you observe trout taking adult insects from the top of the water column, you should switch over to elk hair caddis dry flies.

The Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are stained and high. With the weather warming, the smallmouth should be active soon. 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 better recently. 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 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 the creek. It was crowded over the last few days due to the Memorial Day holiday. 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).  

The water on the Spring River is stained and high. 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.