The water and the fishing

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Fly fishermen in Arkansas are able to utilize a wide range of techniques and patterns to effectively catch trout. Obviously, water and weather conditions play a significant role in determining the best methods. Both rivers are loaded with scuds (crustaceans often referred to as ‘freshwater shrimp’) and Sowbugs (isopods related to the terrestrial ‘roly-poly’). For this reason, nymphs imitating these bugs will be your most consistent producers and they are effective year-round. In the warmer months, many terrestrials like ants, worms, and hoppers get washed into the river, especially when the water rises. Patterns imitating these critters can provide some serious trophy action. The fish in our rivers are capable of growing an inch a month from the moment they are stocked until they reach 20 or so inches. Although much of this astounding growth can be attributed to the abundant scuds and sow bugs, another food source must be available to allow the fish to reach monstrous size (over 25 inches). That food source on these rivers is sculpins, crawfish, various minnows and shad, and freshly stocked rainbows. The best patterns to imitate this meat in the fish’s diet are streamers in white, olive, and gray. Wooly buggers can also produce some fish. The best ways to fish streamer patterns are to strip them in at various speeds or to drift them, then allowing the pattern to swing at the end of the drift. In high water they may also be dead-drifted near the bottom for big fish.

[Dry fly and emmerger fishing merits its own section, so please refer to it below to learn about our breathtaking top water action.]

During low water it is often best to fish weighted nymphs like scuds and sow bugs under a white indicator. A true dead-drift is crucial to presenting a natural looking offering. Our extremely low base flow allows savvy anglers to get long, drag free drifts that put the fly in front of lots of fish. Avoid wading into any area before you fish it first, and in most cases, if you’re deeper than the depth of your knees, YOU’RE IN TOO FAR. With unweighted flies like San Juan Worms and small emmergers, a small split shot may be applied to the leader to get the fly near the bottom.

During high water you must exercise caution when operating a boat on either river. Never shut down your motor because it may not restart when you really need it to. The Norfork is often far more treacherous than the White (because it is narrow and loaded with protruding boulders and log jams) during high water, and every year someone with no experience ends up flipping a boat. The person operating the boat should not fish. Instead, they can use motor control to achieve long, drag-free drifts and they always need to be paying attention. Be sure to use plenty of split shot to get the fly down and use a big enough indicator to keep the fly off the bottom. Bright, big flies are your best bet. It is strongly suggested that you fish with a guide before attempting to fish high water on your own.

 

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Imagine getting to the river late one spring morning. Norfork had been crowded earlier in the day, but as the sun got higher in to the sky, frustrated anglers were leaving the river in hoards; mumbling something to the effect of, “they were biting earlier, but they’ve quit. Now all I see are some fish eating bugs on the surface.” While you get rigged up you can’t help but feel giddy. Even from the parking lot you can see the signature splash of a cutthroat pinning down a dancing caddis. It isn’t hard for you to find the trout as they are rising everywhere, including within three feet of where you are standing. Although there are some caddis flies in the air, one particularly selective cutthroat keeps rejecting your offering. Then, all of a sudden, the air comes alive with sulphur mayflies. Big trout you didn’t even know were there start taking duns greedily off the surface. Crane flies begin to tumble across the water in the breeze. The hatch is starting to heat up. You dig through your vest and finally find your mayfly box. For the next two hours you proceed to get rises on virtually every cast. After a little coaxing, that mother of a cutthroat finally decides, “what the heck”. After you land the 22-inch orange finned beauty you realize that your arms are sore. Just another good day on America’s best dry fly secret. THIS COULD BE YOU.

Although the biggest insects (caddis, mayfly, crane flies) hatch in the spring, fish can be taken on dry flies throughout the year on both the White and Norfork. Even in the dead of winter, fish can almost always be seen slurping midges on the surface or in the film during low water. The best colors are black, brown, and red and the smaller the better. Consider that the actual hook size of a natural winter midge would be a 46 or smaller. 18’s, 20’s, and 22’s usually will do the trick. The midge hatch can be tricky when the fish become size and color selective, but that is what the challenge of dry fly fishing is all about. If you do hit the hatches in the spring, flies in the #12 to #18 will work well. It is possible to catch a fish over 10 pounds on these rivers with small to medium sized dries. The best dry fly fishing is usually during low water or during very light power flows, and sunny days are usually better than cloudy ones (except when fishing the BWO hatch). Caddis and sulphurs usually show up earlier on the White River than on the Norfork, sometime in the beginning of April. The bugs start really popping on the Norfork in early May, and falling water conditions spark the best hatches. Crane flies are abundant all summer with decent caddis and sulphur activity, as well. Fall offers wonderful midge and caddis fishing, and hoppers and beetles will take big fish until all the leaves have fallen from the trees.

When you see fish on the surface but they are flat-out denying your dries, small emmergers stripped or worked slowly in the surface film can often fool those finicky fish. Try red, orange, or yellow soft-hackles or, if things get really tough, dead-drift midge larva or pupa near the bottom in shallow runs or riffles.

It is a common misconception that the White and North Fork Rivers are only fished effectively with nymphs, but when you have a 26 inch brown come up and inhale your dry or you experience over 100 rises in three hours, you’ll know that these fish really do hit surface offerings. Please feel free to contact Arkansas Trophy Trout if you have any questions regarding this exciting aspect of these rivers.

*Night Fishing. Imagine traveling 10 hours to get to the White River only to find the water running hard and heavy almost all day long. Intent on wade fishing, you sulk in your hotel room, and the only glimmer of hope that your trip will be saved is the hourly phone calls to the dam. “Maybe they’ll shut the water off in an hour,” you lament for the millionth time. Five days later you pack your things up and vow never to return. With all your visions of glory, you didn’t catch one fish while on one of the best trophy trout rivers in the country.

As improbable as this scenario seems, this type of experience sours hundreds of fly fishermen every year. It is imperative that you always have a back-up plan when fishing any “peak-flow” tailwater. Make sure you have a guide for at least one day so you know that you will at least have a complete day of fishing. If you have some on-the-water experience, renting a boat may be another option. Find out before you commit to your vacation what the power generation trends have been (always feel free to ask me), and figure out a game plan for finding the best water for you and your party. These tips can help you, but there is always another option that most people don’t consider: NIGHT FISHING!!!

If you are a proficient caster, perhaps the best way to get some wading water is to get out there at night. Although the dams sometimes release water all night, during the extensive high water periods of summer, the dams will usually stop generating by 9 or 10pm. The best place to start is up by Bull Shoals, Table Rock, and Norfork Dams because you will be able to hear the warning horn if unexpected water is released. The slow, deep water of the pools is the best places to fish at night, so it is important to see the water you want to fish at least once during the daytime. If this is not possible, be sure and drop me a line so I can tell you a couple of safe spots.

For most night fishing situations, a five or six weight rod equipped with a floating line is sufficient, but more advanced fly fishermen may want to tinker with intermediate sinking lines and sink tips. Streamer patterns are your best bet, and try dark colors on dark nights and flashier stuff if there are no clouds and some moonlight. Long casts are critical in presenting to the highest number of fish possible, and often a slow retrieve works best. Try strip setting the hook because this will give you a second-chance if the fish doesn’t hold. Often the takes are light and subtle; sometimes the line just feels “heavier”. Browns are known as predominantly nocturnal feeders, so to target these elusive animals, fish deep and around structure. Also try the tail-outs of the heavier riffles that flow into a deep pool because sometimes browns will travel over a mile to get to these types of spots at night.  They are ready to feast when they get there.

Night fishing can be dangerous, but with a little practice, the night will reveal its remarkable secrets. We don’t offer night fly fishing guide trips to everyone, but I am willing to discuss this option with my Internet friends. Please inquire ONLY if you are a decent to advanced caster because night fishing is far too frustrating for a beginner to gain confidence through the experience. Night trips are for 3 and 6 hours, and they begin as soon as the water is wadable. We will also work with you if you want to make night fishing a part of your full-day guide trip. If you haven’t experienced the squeal of your drag as a trophy fish rips line into the night, this is something worth checking out. Prices are below.

3 hour night fishing*** (From 11pm to 2am) for two anglers
CALL FOR DETAILS

6 hour night fishing*** (From 10pm to 4am) for two anglers
CALL FOR DETAILS

***Price includes all flies, leaders, tippets, and misc. tackle. Drinks are included and coffee will be provided upon request. Trips will be prorated for high water or other unforeseen conditions. Please contact me for the latest night fishing reports.

No other Ozark tailwater event gets local and visiting anglers more excited than the annual shad kill. This is when the dynamics of the water in the lakes causes millions of threadfin and gizzard shad (these are a forage fish that are usually silver or white) to congregate by the dam’s stock pens. The stock pens are the tubes that draw water into the generators. When power is generated, tons of the shad get sucked through the turbines and they end up in the river. The harrowing ride usually leaves the shad crippled, and as they float along the surface they are easy prey for the river’s trout. In order for a shad kill to occur, the winter must have some cold periods, and there must be enough water in the lakes to allow for power generation. Growth rates of the trout are amazing during these times and it is also a great opportunity to catch a huge fish. When a food source becomes readily available, our trout will ‘key-in’, and they soon learn to feed very opportunistically. During the shad kill, the fishing is usually excellent throughout the White as many of the river’s elusive browns begin feeding aggressively. Norfork can also be exciting during the shad kill, and it is fun because you don’t know what species the next fish may be. On some days you catch mainly brook trout, cutthroats, and browns on the Norfork.

Because a shad kill only occurs during high water periods, the most effective way to fish at these times is from a boat. Much of the action occurs at or near the surface, and it can get pretty intense during the right conditions. If you are interested, please be sure to call early because I am usually booked if the shad kill is ‘on’. Although shad kills have began as early as October and have lasted through May, usually the best months for taking advantage of this phenomenon are January, February, March, and April. March is usually the peak because spring rains can supply the fuel for extended high water periods. Even after the shad stop coming through the generators, many big fish still recognize this food source and shad imitations will work during certain conditions throughout the summer. If this intense high water trophy fishing seems right up your alley, make sure you bring several back up rods (in case you snap one on a brown as long as your leg), a couple extra flies, and plenty of Tylenol for sore muscles. Then give me a call for the latest conditions. If you hit it right, the shad kill can provide memories for a lifetime.

Ozark tailwaters are unique systems that release water of a consistent temperature year round. This dynamic allows our trout to feed on the same food sources throughout the year. Because of the 12-month ‘growing season’ on Ozark tailwaters, these trout see as much food in the winter as they do any other time of year. Heavy fishing pressure is probably the entity that hurts our trout fishing more than anything, and high water and cold temperatures are the biggest deterrent to rampant crowds. Ozark winter’s offer solitude, mild temperatures, and the big fish really begin to get into their ‘comfort zone’ as they see less and less pressure. Daytime temperatures often get into the 50’s, even in the middle of winter, and anglers can usually pick the water conditions they favor. We feel that some fly fishermen get too caught up in the pursuit of spawning fish, but this practice should be frowned upon on rivers with permanent, self-sustaining populations of wild stock fish (like the White and Norfork). Unfortunately, my honest nature forces me to say that brown trout numbers are significantly DOWN on the White River from what they were just several years ago. Much of this has to do with a resurgence of natural baits like fresh sculpins and trout roe that are truly deadly on spawning browns. Still, the White River has more browns over 15 pounds than any other river in the world, and decent numbers of trophy fish can be found in several areas well away from Bull Shoals Dam, but the legendary brown trout run to the dam is in a recession. I am pushing for catch and release regulations during the spawn and I want to help in raising ‘wild stock’ browns from river’s wild fish to increase overall numbers. But this will take some time. The overall point is that winter fishing in the Ozarks is truly the best time to hook into a huge brown that is on the move, and they do tend to feed aggressively when they leave their hiding places for most of the year. You do not need to target the fish on the redds (these are the spawning beds or nests), but rather, fish the holding water above and below the spawning areas. These are the best places to find pre and post spawn fish. Remember: if you accidentally kill one big hen, you have literally killed hundreds of wild browns.

Although winter can be a bit chilly, the hot action will often help you forget about your tingly fingers. Numbers of fish in all the rivers are always high this time of year, and you can find big fish by studying the water diligently. When temperatures really drop, look for high water in the mornings, but often the water will begin falling by 10am unless the lakes are high. If shad are coming through the dams, an experienced guide can help you get in on this explosive high water bite. If you find low water, many of the same patterns that work in the spring and summer can be effective. Of course, scuds and sowbugs will always produce if presented properly. Hatches tend to be dominated by midges and Blue Winged Olives in the winter, and it seems that while the action on dries is mainly hatch-oriented during the colder months, the bigger fish are more likely to take a very small offering this time of year. The blue winged olive hatch on the Norfork is best on cloudy days with low water, and sometimes on winter afternoons big fish will be rising in pods all over the place. An upright wing that resembles a small sail characterizes the naturals. The color of the wing on this smallest of mayflies is usually white/gray or cream. Because there are so many big fish keyed in on the BWO hatch, it can be frustrating if your presentation is frequently denied. When things get tough, try small imitations (#20 to #24) and impart some movement to your fly. I don’t know why this works sometimes, but several years ago I hooked a 10-pound plus brown while skating a #20 BWO. Unfortunately, this brown engulfed the fly, and the 7x tippet was no match for his razor sharp teeth.

Winter is a great time for the serious angler who is willing to patiently pursue his or her quarry. Because the days are short, Arkansas Trophy Trout sometimes offers winter specials to help you conquer that irrepressible cabin fever. Please check the newsletter or email for the latest details and weather conditions.