WINTRY DAY ON THE WHITE RIVER
December 24, 2008
BY JOHN BERRY
I arrived at the lodge to pick up Brad and Mark at 8:00 AM. They arrived a couple of minutes later. Their favorite breakfast spot had been closed and they had been required to venture further to find a suitable restaurant. We loaded their gear in the back of my station wagon and headed toward Rim Shoals with my river boat in tow.
When we arrived at Rim Shoals, I put on my waders and prepared the boat for launching while they donned their waders and strung their rods. I then carefully rigged their rods. I started one with a Y2K and the other with a cerise worm. I had experienced success with both on the day before while guiding in the same area.
The water was pretty low (probably around one partial generator) and clear. The weather was a bit cold and the wind was absolutely howling. There were lake wind advisories out. It was overcast and the sun was no where to be seen.
We began drifting. The going was tough. The wind was blowing straight up stream at fifteen to twenty miles an hour. Unless we were in fast moving water the wind would not allow us to drift down stream. There were times when we were actually being blown up stream. If that were not enough, the wind would change direction from time to time blowing us from one side of the river to the other. It was, at best, very difficult for me to control the boat. We caught a few fish but the going was slow.
I decided to motor over to the island and try wading. We anchored the boat at the top of the island and tried my most productive spots. We fished the front of the island and the back of the island. We tried nymphs, soft hackles and woolly buggers. We did not hook a single fish.
Around noon, I noticed that the water was coming up. It was time for lunch so I loaded up the guys and motored back to the access and set up the picnic table. As we ate lunch, the water came up about a foot. To make things a bit more comfortable the wind laid down. When we finished lunch, I loaded the cooler and my guide box back in my car and we returned to the boat.
With the water slowly rising and the wind greatly diminished, we were able to get some very nice drifts for a change. The sun even came out, if only for a few minutes. We began picking up fish. In fact, we began picking up quite a few fish. The guys were landing two or three trout on every drift.
I have always been amazed how this happens in streaks. Brad would land two or three in a row and then Mark would land a few. We would go a few minutes without a bump and then land several rather quickly.
Most of the fish were in the twelve to fourteen inch range. We landed a few that were smaller but appeared to be wild trout. Their color was vivid and they had full fins and white tips on their fins. They were smaller than the standard stocker and fought like demons. We caught a few larger fish also.
On one drift, Mark hit a good brown. As I grabbed my boat net and was moving forward to try and land it, Brad hit a good rainbow. It was our first double of the day and one of the fish was a trophy. This is a guide’s dilemma. Which fish do you net first? I quickly surveyed the situation and thought that the rainbow would be ready first. I quickly netted and released it and turned my full attention to the brown. It was unfortunate because the rainbow was really nice. It was fully colored, fat and sassy.
The brown was trying to swim under the boat but mark did a great job of controlling him. I was finally able to slip the net under the big trout and gently lift it from the water. It is always a comforting feeling to finally net one. I had Mark hold the net in the water as I quickly motored over to some quiet water near the bank. We were out of the current there and could take our photos without drifting down stream. I took several photographs and then gently released the twenty one inch brown. It was still for a while and slowly swam off.
I climbed back in the boat and we returned to the job at hand, fishing. We continued our success but the brown was the only trophy we landed. We fished until sunset and reluctantly loaded the boat and drove back to the lodge. I dropped them off at the door and we agreed to meet at 8:00 AM the next day, to do it all over again.
MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM LORI, JOHN AND ELLIE!
(870) 435-2169
berrybrothers@infodash.com
www.berrybrothersguides.com
Low Water, at last
December 19, 2008
By John Berry
My fishing buddy, Jeff Trost, called me on Friday Night. “Are we going to go out for beignets at Angler’s Coffee Café tomorrow morning?” “No”, I said “I just read the generation forecast and they are going to have both rivers on the bottom for twenty four hours”. We had not been able to wade in a long time and were eager to take advantage of the great conditions so we hatched a plan to meet early the next morning to make the final decision as to where would fish.
Jeff arrived before six thirty. David McCray and Scott Berringer got there a few minutes later. I had a pot of coffee ready and was feverishly studying the various generation charts on my computer. This is the most reliable and informative source of river conditions available. The White and Norfork had been off since 10:00 PM the night before and there was a dizzying array of options. After some spirited conversation, we decided to fish in the morning at the Narrows and the afternoon at Rim Shoals with our wives, who were all sleeping in as we chatted.
The sun was just peeking through the clouds as we walked through the cane thicket to arrive at the river. The wind was howling and it was about forty degrees as we waded upstream to the island. I opted to walk to the top of the island. The others stayed at the bottom.
I found my favorite run and began fishing it with a Y2K. I was rewarded on the fourth cast with the heavy weight of a good fish. I worked the spot for over an hour hooking plenty of fish in the process. I decided to try something different. I stripped off the fly, lead, and strike indicator. I cranked in all of my line and switched spools on my reel to one that held a sink tip line. I strung the line through the guides and tied a three foot 4X tippet to it and knotted an olive woolly bugger to the end of the tippet.
I began casting down stream at a forty five degree angle and let the line swing in the current. I was stripping the line to impart a bit of movement in the fly. I concentrated on the deeper water and worked my way down to the guys. The amount of time you will spend with a particular strategy is directly proportional to the amount of confidence you have in it. I have caught thousands of fish over the years with this strategy and I was determined it would produce in this situation. However, when I stopped a bit over an hour later I had only landed three fish with it. Sure there was the big rainbow that I had hooked, but it had spit the hook on the third jump. I waded to the bank and walked down where the guys were fishing.
They had experienced varying degrees of success but all had caught fish. Scott had the hot hand (he finished the morning with 53). I concentrated on what he was doing, which was high sticking Y2Ks. I took a few minutes to switch spools back to my floating line. I carefully rigged a Y2K and noticed a really good run that had not received any pressure in a while. I caught a trout on the first cast and stood in the same spot for an hour and absolutely nailed them. The run finally played out and I suddenly realized that I was famished. We had skipped breakfast in our haste to arrive at the river. I gathered up the guys and we headed back to Cotter.
Scott and David had to run. Jeff and I collected our wives, Lori and Shelley, and headed for the Sands. The home made vegetable soup and Rueben sandwich was just the thing to gird me for an afternoon of fishing. We left the restaurant and gathered up our gear. We donned our waders and headed for Rim Shoals. David rejoined us there. The wind was still howling, but it was a bit warmer. We strung our rods and waded across to the island. I was still fishing the Y2K. I caught a few fish but the going was quite bit slower than the morning.
Lori waded well below the island and was doing very well swinging an olive woolly bugger in her favorite spot. I, on the other hand, was experimenting with a variety of flies. I had some limited success on small olive scuds and sowbugs. I finally pumped the stomach of one of the trout and noted that it contained small scuds and sowbugs.
I glanced at my watch and noted that it was about 4:30 PM. Sunset was to be at 4:52 PM and I wanted to wade across the treacherous top riffle before it got dark. As usual, Lori wanted to make one more cast. It was a long walk out and she eventually agreed to leave. We arrived at the truck as the sun was setting. I had fished from sun up to sun down and I could feel it. I had been fighting fifteen to twenty five mile an hour winds all day and they had sapped my strength. In the process, I had landed around forty fish. It was good to wade through my favorite spots on low water again. It seemed like it has been a long time since I have done that.
(870) 435-2169
berrybrothers@infodash.com
www.berrybrothersguides.com
Denver Fly Fishing Examiner: Fly fishing the Blue River can be a great après ski choice
December 17, 2008
by Michael Miller, Denver Fly Fishing Examiner
When most people think après ski, they think warm lodges, sitting by the fire and possibly sipping something that keeps the insides nice and toasty. There is a growing number of people that are choosing to spend their après time on the river wetting a line, instead of hitting up the local tavern or lodge. I have recently met up with several anglers on the Blue River that spend their mornings hitting the slopes and then come down to fish the Blue River before heading back to the urban jungle that is Colorado’s front range. Click Link Below for Full story!
via Denver Fly Fishing Examiner: Fly fishing the Blue River can be a great après ski choice.
PERFECT DAY ON THE NORFORK
November 30, 2008
BY JOHN BERRY
To say that it has been a high water year is at best an understatement. We began the year with a hundred year flood. High water down stream prevented drawing down all the impoundments on the White River for a long time. Months later, when we were just beginning to make headway, we got hit by two hurricanes. As a result, there has been precious little wading for the entire year. I have been fishing from a boat. We have been catching fish but it is just not the same as wading.
On first day of a two day guide trip, we started on the White River at Rim Shoals. We landed six fish on the first drift and I thought to myself that it was going to be an easy day. The next three drifts yielded three fish. After that, we couldn’t buy a trout. When we stopped for lunch, we decided to trailer the boat over to the Norfork and try our luck there. The fishing was much better and we caught a little over thirty fish before dark.
While we were drifting, a fellow guide stopped to tell me that the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission would be conducting test of an oxygenation system and there would be no generation for the next few days. I figured the fishing would be awesome and I decided to take advantage of the situation. When I got home, I went online and checked the South West Power Administration generation prediction schedule and it confirmed that the Norfork would be off. I also checked the fly fishing forum and verified that there was to be a test of the aeration system the next day. There were however conflicting reports as to whether the test had been postponed.
I answered the alarm at 4:00 AM. My fishing report was due and I needed to make a few changes and send it in before I started my day of guiding. I showered quickly, dressed and sat at my computer. As it was booting up, I called the dam and learned that they were running water on the Norfork. I was totally bummed out. I filed my fishing report, loaded my car and headed out. When I arrived at River Ridge Inn, my clients were waiting for me, excited by the prospect of wading. Just to make sure, I called the dam and was pleasantly surprised to find that the Norfork had been turned off at 5:00 AM. They had run about a quarter of a generator for one hour. Conditions were perfect.
It was just before dawn, as my clients and I carefully made our way up stream to the Catch and Release section of the Norfork River. The fog was so dense that we could only see a few feet in front of us. I looked down at the trail as we walked in. The only foot prints that I saw were the result of raccoons, great blue herons and a deer. It had been a long time since any anglers had walked here.
When we got to the Catch and release section, I quickly rigged the guys, one with a scud and the other with a zebra midge. Instead of the heavy flies, copious amounts of lead and long leaders of the previous day, we used size eighteen nymphs, 6X tippet and a tiny amount of lead. This made for easy casting. They both caught a nice fish on the first drift. This was an omen of things to come. We settled in and proceeded to catch one good fish after another. People started to arrive but it never really got crowded. One client was satisfied to stay in his original place all day but Tom wanted to move around and try different water. I took him to several places and he did well at each spot.
The fog didn’t burn off until around ten o’clock. The fishing was steady all day. Around noon, we waded back to the access and set up our lunch on a nice picnic table with a good view of the river. The sun had come out and it was warming up. There was no wind and the temperature was in the mid sixties. I shucked my wind shell and fleece jacket leaving a heavy flannel shirt that was just perfect. By this time, the guys had landed around a hundred trout between them.
After lunch, we waded back up stream and continued fishing. The fishing had slowed a bit but not by much. One of my clients caught a grand slam, (a brook, brown, cutthroat and rainbow trout all landed on the same day). We tried a variety of flies and were successful with all of them. We caught trout on black zebra midges, pink San Juan worms, orange micro eggs, and olive scuds to name a few. We did not try a single fly that didn’t catch a trout. We even landed a couple of large suckers. It was the most productive day I have ever had on the Norfork.
We fished until dusk. As we walked out, I drank in the beauty of the Norfork. Where else is there fishing like this? It had been a perfect day.
(870) 435-2169
berrybrothers@infodash.com
www.berrybrothersguides.com
John Berry Fishing Report 9/25/2008
September 26, 2008
We have had a week without rain and the lakes in the White River system have experienced a slight decline. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam rose one and two tenths feet to rest at thirty one and nine tenths feet above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is nine and one tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell three and six tenths of a foot to rest at four and nine tenths feet above power pool or eleven and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose one tenth of a foot to rest at nine and one tenth feet above power pool or five tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White is for heavy generation around the clock. Norfork Lake has fallen three tenths of a foot to rest at fifteen and five tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or twelve and five tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern has been to run one or two generators part of the day and to turn it off at night. There have been some excellent wading conditions on the Norfork during the last week. Boating conditions on the White have been uniformly good.
The boat ramp at Quarry Park on the upper Norfork River is closed while a contractor removes the old pedestrian bridge across the mouth of Dry Run Creek. While anglers are allowed to walk in to the area to fish, there is no boat launching allowed from the ramp until the demolition is completed. The ramp is scheduled to be back in operation on September 29, 2008. In the mean time, the only ramp available in the area is at the confluence of the White and Norfork Rivers. Any one wanting to fish the upper river will be required to run up stream.
The upper river below Bull Shoals Dam has been producing well. With the higher flows we have had this week; anglers have had to return to their conventional high water techniques. The top technique for this level of water is to fish brightly colored San Juan worms under a strike indicator. Hot colors have been red, cerise and hot pink. Other effective flies have been black zebra midges in size fourteen and egg patterns in peach and pink. I generally use 4X tippet and set the strike indicator at one and one half times the depth of the water. Use plenty of weight and I would also recommend the use of fluorocarbon tippet. It has a higher specific gravity than water and sinks. In addition, it has greater resistance to abrasion.
Once again, the section from Wildcat Shoals to the Narrows was another hot spot. In addition to fishing San Juan worms and nymphs, anglers have reported success fishing large streamers on sink tip or full sinking lines. The top flies have been kiwi muddlers, Jim Mengle’s Ozark sculpin and large woolly buggers (size 6 and 4). Be sure and use really heavy tippets, at least 3X or even 2X. Here again fluorocarbon tippet would be the logical choice.
Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River have cleared and the water levels are nearing a comfortable level for wading. Crooked Creek in particular has fished well during the last week. Hot flies have been Clouser minnows and crayfish patterns. Successful anglers have been fishing early in the morning.
The fishing on the Norfork has remained steady this past week. The low flows in the morning have enticed quite a few anglers and most have not been disappointed. The section at Quarry Park just below Norfork Dam has fished particularly well. Small black zebra midges size eighteen, scuds in size eighteen, olive woolly buggers with a bit of flash, and Dan’s turkey tail emergers have been the go to flies. I do not know how long the low water in the morning will be around, but my suggestion is to take advantage of it while you can.
Dry Run Creek is clear and very wadable. Effective flies have been sow bugs, worm brown San Juan worms and olive woolly buggers. With the pleasant weather we have had lately, now is a good time to get in some quality fishing with your children or grand children before the weather turns cold. Be sure to carry a camera and the biggest net you can find. The fish here are huge.
Practice water safety and always check conditions before you leave home.
John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over twenty five years.
LINE CONTROL
BY JOHN BERRY
As a fly fishing guide, I am able to observe a lot of fly fishers and have been able to identify certain keys to angling success. Based on my observation, some of the best anglers are those that are accomplished technicians of line control. By line control, I mean the control of the fly line when it is on the water. The basic concept is that the fly line must have enough slack in it to float drag free yet you must be able to set the hook at any time in the drift. If you have too much slack in the fly line you cannot set the hook. In this article, we are going to concentrate on line control issues for floating fly lines.
The first thing I have noticed is that a large number of anglers cast too much line. The more line you have out the more difficult it is to control. When you look at the surface of a river it does not have one consistent current all the way across it. Instead, it is made of complex currents. There is a mix of small streams within the water. Some will be faster and some will be slower. The more different currents your line crosses the more trouble you will have. There is a tendency to gain more slack with longer line which will make it more difficult to set the hook. In addition, it will be more difficult to actually see the fly or strike indicator the further it is from you. Finally, if you are casting too far, you are probably casting over fish to get to the spot you are trying to reach. I generally cast twenty to thirty feet for about ninety percent of my fishing. If you are in a boat and want to fish a spot further away, just move the boat closer. If you are wading, you can usually wade a bit closer to fish that one special spot.
Even with a reasonably short line, you will have to deal with complex currents. You will often find your line and fly in currents that have different speeds. The trick is to move your line up or down stream to compensate for the difference in velocity. This is called mending. To mend your line pick the line up and move it up or down stream preferably without moving the fly or strike indicator. If your fly is in faster water and your line is in slower water then you would mend your line down stream. If your fly is in slower water and your line is in faster water then you would mend your line up stream.
Whenever I am on stream, I observe bubbles or foam around my fly. If my fly is moving faster or slower than the bubbles, I know that there is drag on my fly and I need to mend. Some times you have to play with the situation mending up or down stream until you achieve a perfect drag free drift. There are many situations where one mend will not be enough and you will be required to mend multiple times. The river is ever changing and there will also be situations on a long drift where you may need to mend down stream at the beginning of a drift and up stream toward the end of the drift.
I have found that a longer rod aids in mending line. The increased length makes it easier to lift more line. I generally fish nine foot fly rods. There are a growing number of guides and anglers that utilize ten foot rods because they allow you to mend fly line more effectively. Another observation that I have made is that as fly lines get dirty they tend to sink particularly the front of the line. When this or any other part of the line sinks it is more difficult to mend the line.
In order to avoid this, I occasionally wash my fly line. I pull the line from the reel and put it in a sink of soapy water (dish washing liquid is fine) and gently agitate it. I then rinse it thoroughly in fresh water and dry it by drawing it through a clean folded towel. I then wind it back on the reel and I am ready to fish with it. If I find my line sinking when on the stream I will quickly clean it with a cleaning pad that I carry in my fishing vest. I use the cleaning pad supplied by the line manufacturer.
If you follow these simple suggestions you will have enhanced line control and you might just catch a few more fish.
John Berry
(870) 435-2169
berrybrothers@infodash.com
www.berrybrothersguides.com
JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 9/04/2008
September 5, 2008
Gustav has brought us plenty of rain this week. The White River continues to fall. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell two and six tenths feet to rest at twenty four and six tenths feet above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is sixteen and four tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell one tenth of a foot to rest at one and seven tenths feet above power pool or fourteen and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell four tenths of a foot to rest at six and one tenths feet above power pool or three and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White has been to run all eight generators around the clock with slightly higher flows in the afternoon. Gustav dumped a lot of rain on the area and the Corps of Engineers turned off the generators. Norfork Lake has fallen one foot to rest at fourteen and three tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or thirteen and seven tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern has been to run one generator around the clock. The Corps has also turned off the Norfork, for how long?
As I write this, it is raining and there is no generation at Bull Shoals or Norfork Dam. The forecast is for us to receive five or more inches of rain. We have already received three. There are flash flood warnings in the area. How will this affect lake levels? I would think that the lake levels will rise and that it will take longer to get them down to wadable levels. How long will the lower levels last? It depends on how much flooding there is down stream. My recommendation is to go fishing now and enjoy. I would think that the rivers are muddy, so I will head up stream. The sudden drop in water level has stranded literally thousands of trout along the banks of the river. Most were small browns and rainbows. This is unfortunate but a reality of life.
The upper river from Bull Shoals Dam, through the State Park down to Cane Island Shoals has been a perpetual hot spot for months and the past week has not been different. On high water the hot flies remain brightly colored San Juan worms and egg patterns. The most productive colors have been red, cerise, hot pink and fire orange. On lower water try black zebra midges, scuds and sow bugs. Soft hackles like green butts should also be effective. Remember to down size to 6X tippet for the lower flows.
The Narrows has remained hot during the past week. On high water, the key to success has been to fish a brightly colored San Juan worm with a nymph on a dropper. The most popular nymphs have been zebra midges, trout crack, sowbugs, scuds, and bead head hares ears. On lower water try the same nymphs in size eighteen. Olive woolly buggers have been killer in slightly deeper water.
Another hot spot has been the Rim Shoals Catch and Release section. I have done well with brightly colored San Juan worms, the hot colors have been cerise, hot pink and red. I have noted several anglers take advantage of Gary Flipin’s water taxi to deliver them to the bottom of the second island for some wade fishing and pick them up later. Check by Rim Shoals Trout Dock to take advantage of the service.
The Norfork is fishing a bit better this week particularly on the low water. The hot spot has been Quarry Park just below the dam. Hot flies have been sowbugs, San Juan worms and zebra midges (black with silver wire and silver bead and brown with copper wire and copper beads) all in smaller sizes (eighteen or twenty). On higher flows, the same midges in size fourteen have been effective in this area.
Dry Run Creek continues to receive little pressure. School is back in session. No one is there during the week. The weekends are seeing more traffic. The hot fly is a gray sowbug size fourteen and small worm brown San Juan worms. Be sure and take your camera. This is the place to capture the memory of a life time. I would suggest that you make sure that the camera has a flash. The creek has a lot of tree cover and there are low light conditions.
Practice water safety and always check conditions before you leave home.
John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over twenty five years.
KT’S BARBEQUE
BY JOHN BERRY
One of our favorite places to eat in the twin lakes area is KT”S Barbeque. My wife, Lori, and I have become regulars. KT’S is located at 406 Main E (US Highway 62/412) in Gassville, Arkansas across the street from Letty’s Mexican Restaurant. They are open from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM Tuesday through Saturday. There is no smoking allowed and no alcoholic beverages are served. It is in a funky looking red building and always has a bunch of cars parked in front of it. It is very popular with the locals.
On my first visit, I ordered the pork shoulder sandwich (they only make jumbos) $4.65 and a side order of baked beans $ 1.10. The sandwich was piled high with meat and was a meal in itself. It was probably the most tender pork sandwich that I have ever eaten. It had a smokey flavor that really appealed to me. Now as a former resident of Memphis, I am familiar with what barbeque is supposed to taste like and this is it. The sauce was not as savory as the ones I am used to but good in its own right. It is more vinegary and a bit spicy. I prefer the hot version over the mild. The side order of beans was really good and ample. After a little whining they gave us each a rib to try. Wow! It was the best cooked rib I have ever had. It was meaty, tender and moist.
Lori went for the Chicken sandwich $4.25 and a side order of potato salad $1.10. It, like the pork sandwich, was piled high with meat and sauced very nicely. The chicken was very tender and incredibly moist. It was the best barbeque chicken sandwich that Lori or I had ever tasted. The potato salad was OK, but nothing special. They put a couple of barbeque chicken wings on her plate and we fought over them (Lori has a mean left hook).
On our next visit, I ordered the barbeque sausage platter $6.85. It contained a generous portion of smoked sausage, a portion of barbeque beans, slaw and Texas toast. The sausage was incredibly tender and moist. It was some of the best I have ever tasted. The slaw was homemade and pretty good. Lori got another chicken sandwich and an order of beans. To top off my meal I ordered their signature dessert, peanut butter pie. It was, of course, homemade. It had an Oreo crust, creamy peanut butter filling, whipped topping and a heavy sprinkling of Heath bar bits. Yum!
Last night Lori’s sister, Terri and her husband Larry were visiting. We fished late and we decided to stop by KT’S for some take out for supper. We got a beef brisket family pack $23.25. This consisted of a pound and a half of barbequed beef brisket sliced thin, a pint of barbeque beans, a pint of slaw, five toasted jumbo rolls and a half pint of barbeque sauce. We took it home, broke out some adult beverages, and commenced to chow down. It was wonderful! The beef brisket was incredibly tender and like everything else that I have tried there was well smoked and flavorful. We also got several slices of peanut butter pie!
I would recommend that if you are in the area and crave barbeque that you give KT’S a visit. I have had pretty much everything on the menu. I would especially recommend the barbeque chicken, beef brisket, and ribs. They are worth the trip. Don’t forget a slice of peanut butter pie. Tell them John sent you.
I would like to thank everyone that attended the Home Waters Book Signing at Angler’s Coffee Cafe last Saturday. It was a lot of fun!
John Berry
(870) 435-2169
berrybrothers@infodash.com
www.berrybrothersguides.com
JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 8/28/2008
August 28, 2008
In spite of a minor rain event, the reservoir levels on the White River continue to fall. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell two feet to rest at twenty seven and two tenths feet above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is thirteen and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell seven tenths of a foot to rest at one and eight tenths feet above power pool or fourteen and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell three tenths of a foot to rest at six and five tenths feet above power pool or three and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White has been to run all eight generators around the clock with slightly higher flows in the afternoon. While these flows made for excellent boating, there have been few safe wading opportunities on the White. Norfork Lake has fallen eight tenths of a foot to rest at fifteen and three tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or eleven and nine tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern has been to run one generator around the clock. There have been no wading opportunities and limited boating opportunities.
The water flows on the White and Norfork have both been significantly reduced during the past few days. It has been several months since the floods we had this spring, and we have not made significant progress in lower the lake levels at Bull Shoals and Norfork Dams. It seems like we could make more progress if we ran more water as we were a few weeks ago. If we are going to run lower water levels, why not turn off the dams for a few hours? When you do run water, do so at a higher level. Coordinate generation on the two dams so that the same amount of water is sent down stream. By doing this we could have some wadable water. Throw us a bone guys!
The upper river from Bull Shoals Dam, through the State Park down to Cane Island Shoals has been a perpetual hot spot for months and the past week has not been different. Some anglers, while reporting great fishing, say that the constant fishing pressure has made the fish more selective. The hot flies remain brightly colored San Juan worms and egg patterns. If you are not doing well with one color, do not hesitate to change to a different color or pattern. The most productive colors have been red, cerise, hot pink and fire orange.
The section from the Narrows down to Wildcat Shoals has remained hot during the past week particularly the section around the Narrows. The key to success has been to fish a brightly colored San Juan worm with a nymph on a dropper. The most popular nymphs have been zebra midges, trout crack, sowbugs, scuds, and bead head hares ears.
Another hot spot has been the Rim Shoals Catch and Release section. In addition to the brightly colored San Juan worms and egg patterns, the hot technique has been to bang the bank with big streamers on sink tip or full sinking lines. Effective streamers have been kiwi muddlers, Jim Mengle’s Ozark Sculpin, wool head sculpins and woolly buggers. Vary your retrieve to determine the most productive speed. With the lower flows we have had this week; several anglers took advantage of Gary Flipin’s water taxi. For a nominal fee Gary will ferry you to the bottom of the second island and pick you up when you are ready to go.
The Norfork has had lower flows this week also. They were too high to wade and too low for easy navigation. The Norfork is more difficult, in general, to navigate than the White. Great care should be taken when running up or down stream. There are several spots that can be treacherous.
Dry Run Creek has received little pressure in the past week. School is back in session and no one is there during the week. The weekends are seeing a bit more traffic. The hot fly is a gray sowbug size fourteen. There is a sizable population of them on the creek. Other productive flies are small San Juan worms in worm brown and olive woolly buggers. While guiding some youngsters on the creek a couple of weeks ago, I ran into Dave and Emily Whitlock. They were working on the plans to enhance fishing there. This is a project of the Friends of the Norfork Fish Hatchery and will make a great fishery even better.
Practice water safety and always check conditions before you leave home.
John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over twenty five years.
HOME WATERS BOOK SIGNING
Local fly fishing guide and Baxter Bulletin columnist, John Berry, will be signing copies of the recently released third edition of the home waters fishing guide at Angler’s Coffee Café on Saturday August 30, at 2:00 PM. The book was a collaborative effort involving several fishing guides and serious anglers writing about the streams they fish. John wrote the chapters on the White River, Norfork River, and Dry Run Creek plus a section on Boating Etiquette. This is the third edition of the highly successful fishing guide. The book is published by the Mid South Fly Fishers, a not for profit fly fishing club in Memphis, Tennessee and all proceeds are used to support their conservation and education programs. There are locations and descriptions of fishing accesses, detailed maps, fly recipes, color photography and much more. This is a great resource for any one planning on fishing in this area.
FISHING WITH DOGS
BY JOHN BERRY
After my wife, Lori, one of my favorite fishing buddies is my yellow lab, Ellie. She is a great companion. She doesn’t care how bad the weather is, although she is becoming storm phobic in her old age. But let’s be serious. If lightning is striking around us, I don’t need to be out there either. She doesn’t mind much if the fishing is good or bad, though she does prefer the non stop action of a good day. Ellie does not give me any trouble about losing a good fish or missing a lot of takes for that matter. She is also a good water depth gauge. If she begins swimming, I know the water is over knee deep.
Early on in our relationship I figured out that Ellie was not going to be a boat dog. On our first venture in a canoe, she refused to load; the movement of the boat spooked her. Finally, in frustration, Lori and I began our trip figuring she would eventually get in the boat. She followed the boat for five miles. If she got tired of swimming, she would go to the bank and run along until she caught up or was ready to swim again. When we got out and fished she joined us and when we canoed back to the access she followed us back.
I cannot take Ellie with me on a guide trip because, when we have a good fish on, the retriever gene kicks in and she tries to help land the fish. Now I don’t mind so much when she knocks off a good fish from my line. That can be disastrous when she does it to a client’s fish. I observe a lot of anglers that fish with their dogs. These canines are content to just sit on the bank and watch. Why does mine have to be in the center of the action? I often find it necessary to fish while standing in shallow water so that she does not have to tread water as she does in deeper water. Other wise she will swim right in front of me for hours at a time, which throws me off my game.
Because of her propensity to stay pretty close to me while I am fishing, she has been hooked on several occasions. This is a great case for barbless hooks but it also points out that I am letting my back cast drop, but that is another story.
I always carry a Ziploc full of dog biscuits in case I have to bribe her to leave someone else’s fish alone. I carry a nylon lead for more difficult situations. I have taken to leaving her in the car until I get my waders on, rod strung and am generally ready to start fishing. That way, she stays out of trouble and doesn’t beg other anglers for treats.
Not all dogs are interested in fishing with you. My wife, Lori’s, recently deceased Rottweiler, Lexie, was a classic example. She was devoted to Lori and was totally committed to protecting her but did not like the water. Since she had a short coat, we got her a neoprene vest to provide some insulation and a bit of flotation. It was made of camouflage material which made her look even more imposing. She hated to be left in the dog run so we would take her with us. When anyone would wade near Lori she would warn them with a low growl. It was a great way to ensure that Lori would not be crowded when on stream. She was well trained and never attacked any one but it was a bit much and we always tried to fish remote water with her.
When Lori was fishing shallow water, Lexie would position herself just below her and watch the strike indicator. When it went down she would retrieve the trout and look at Lori as if to say “here is your darn fish can we go home now”? She was very gentle with the fish and never harmed one but we were concerned particularly with large fish. When Lori would wade deep, she would stay in shallow water and bark. Lori would ignore her and eventually she would stop barking but she was definitely not happy. As her health declined we would leave her at home and left Ellie to keep her company. After she passed away we began taking Ellie fishing. Once again she was in her element.
If your dog enjoys the water, you may have found a great fishing companion. Give that canine a chance.
John Berry
(870) 435-2169
berrybrothers@infodash.com
www.berrybrothersguides.com
Berry Brothers Guide Service
August 28, 2008
As they say if you want to catch fish then fish where the fish are. If you are looking for trophy trout on the fly rod then you need to fish the clear streams of the Ozark Mountains. Berry Brothers Guide Service is a small guide service located in Cotter, Arkansas. They specialize in guided float and wade trips on Arkansas’ White, Norfork, Spring and Little Red Rivers and fish for trophy Rainbow, Brown, Cutthroat and Brook trout. Smallmouth opportunities are also available. Private fly casting and fly fishing instruction specifically tailored to fit your individual needs and abilities is included. Day and half day trips are available. All trips are catch and release and include on-stream lunch, soft drinks and flies. Guides John Berry and Lori Sloas provide a high level of service and work hard to make this trip that “trip of a lifetime.” For more information go to www.berrybrothersguides.com or call 870-435-2169.
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