This is the new Email for the guide service arkansastrophytrout@yahoo.com

I apologize again to those loyal readers looking for a report.  In an effort to gage the effectiveness of this page, please dro me an email if you are a regular patron of the site from any email link.

 Well, alot has been going on.  Basically, the fishing season in Arkansas has two parts (as far as fly fishing is oncerned): late winter, spring, and fall.  Notice there was no mention of summer.  That is because things really die at these times because of heat and high water.  We've had a lot of both of late, so the riversw are empty and the fish are biting.  If you have any questions about the summer thang in Arkansas, feel free to contact me.

I (Gabe) am still out in Boise, and my wife and I love this place.  The local fishing is pretty diverse and very productive for big browns and 'bows.  Hopefully in the future I will return to guiding (out here in Idaho/Oregon...probably not Arkansas), and I strive to remain in the fly fishing industry at some level.  My current project is starting a sales program for Streamtechboats who makes the absolute best fly fishing rafts in the world.  Check out the website HERE.  I will keep this page going as long as there is some interest, and to all of you long-lost friends out there: I miss y'all...give me a call at (870) 404-9027.

April 15th: High water has set in on the White and Norfork over the last few weeks.  We're seeing a scenario I like to call "free power".  This means the ground is moist, the lakes are just above power pool (normal level), and there has been a little rain.  These dynamics combine to create a situation where water can be constantly released with little or no drop in lake levels.  Unlike when the lakes get over several feet above power pool and water is released at a steady flow, "free power" times usually see pretty varying levels, making fishing somewhat hit or miss.  This has certainly been the case this time around, and some guides are getting skunked, even on the Norfork.  Reports online and from guys I know are very inconsistent.  Some say it's very slow due to a variety of reasons and some guides are hammering fish every time out.  I feel that weather starts playing a major role in trout feeding, and fronts can really throw things off this time of year.  My rule of thumb (that is a generalization) is that the days of major weather events like fronts and accompanying storms are often tough, but as the pressure rises after significan weather, fishing improves.  Since the water is high and generation patterns are extremely fluid right now, every hour will fish differently.  April has been windier this year and that is just another challenge to overcome when trying to control a boat.  But the weather is gorgeous and some really big fish are getting hooked.

John guided the last few days and had an up and down experience.  Monday started out very slow in the morning with only two fish landed at lunch.  A slight, three-hour morning surge at Bull Shoals Dam put things off in the Narrows area.  After eating the rain cleared, the water dropped a foot (thus clearing up) and the bite got hot.  They landed at least forty fish after the tough morning on a variety of patterns.  The flow was a "normal" three units, and this just goes to show how fickle things have been.  Yesterday saw a shortened day (because the guys were hitting the road) with somewhat slow fishing.  This was primarily due to near gale force winds.  They still caught fish, and the overall trip was a great time for all.  Look for winds to settle down if the weather would ever get seasonal...it's still been very cool and fronts are peppering the area every day or two.  Water flows will be dependant on how much rain the area sees.  If there is little precipitation over the next few weeks, flows will get lower by the day, and once lake levels get below power pool, low water conditions will be prevalent.  Fishing is just getting warmed up, and if we do end up staying dry (which is the long-range forecast, for the most part), dry fly action will be insane around the first of May.  Feel free to drop us a line for more info.

On another note...I've been hitting Oregon's Owyhee River a bunch over the last week.  This tailwater is a little over an hour's drive from Boise and sits in a surreal desert canyon.  The "O" is no secret here in the Northwest, but once you get past Denver, few really understand much about this destination.  Well, let me tell you, the Owyhee is like the San Juan in it's rainbow hey-day, but with browns.  Actually, they are very different rivers, and the Owyhee is actually a more fun place to fish for a variety of reasons.   I have been really enjoying this river, and look for an Idaho/Oregon page in the next week with my pics and reports.  I'm really looking forward to the fishing season out here...there is so much water.  Anyway, my days on the "O" have been filled with browns that average 18-20 inches.  This is no joke.  The water on the Owyhee is always somewhat chalky, and it almost looks blown out.  This dynamic actually makes the fishing better because the browns are not as spooky...especially when they are feeding deep.  The flow stays at the 200cfs level during irrigation season (April through November) barring extreme runof, which rarely occurs.  Wading is really simple as the streambed is mostly volcanic and the water is pretty shallow in many spots.  I read alot about crowding over there, but I haven't seen much during the week, and the sheer amount of slow water makes it so you can always find a productive spot.  It's exciting to fish a river like this and I'll be hitting it hard over the next couple of months.  If you want to learn more about this place, drop me a line.  I'm thinking about working with one of the Owyhee's few guides on perhaps hosted trips, and if you find yourself in Boise give me a call for more info.  I'll post an announcement when I get the new page going.

March 24th, 2009: Fly fishing conditions continue to be excellent on both the White and Norfork.  The last few weeks have been dry and water flows have been reduced to low flows for days on end.  The White has been on fire, and numbers of fish are prolific.  How long will this trend last?  Considering that the lakes are all right around normal pool, any little bit of rain could cause the lakes to rise and water to be released.  With heavy rain in the forecast for today, things could be changing...but I don't "count rain brfore it falls".  It's hard to say what type of coverage this event will have.   John and I hope that the water stays lower, but we learned long ago that this is not for us to decide.  

John has been out on several trips of late.  A few weeks back he floated the Norfork on low water with some guys who come every year. It was a Saturday, and the upper river was packed.  The drift boat allowed them to get away from the mayhem and they found pockets of feeding fish throught the day.  The bite was not as good as one would have thought, but the guys caught 15-20 fish apiece.  This may seem like alot (it would be in most placesr), but for those of you who have fished this river can attest: it is not unusual to catch alot more than this, and if you're into small fish (which they weren't) and considering the time of year/low water, that number would reflect slow fishing.  Conditions were cloudy and cool, which should have been fine for mid-March, but every day is different on that piece of wate.  Still, the general consensus is that the Norfork is still a little slow, but I look for the fishing to improve, if it hasn't already.

Last weekend the White was dead-low everywhere.  This was a welcome change from year's past for those who were in town for the "Sow Bug Roundup", a local fly fishing expo.  John ended up floating from Wildcat to Cotter both days, and the fishing was very productive.  The first day saw sunny and windy conditions.  Fishing started out well on a variety of patterns, and by mid-day there was a good caddis hatch materializing.  Because of the wind and bright conditions, the fish were keyed-in on the emmerging stage of the hatch as opposed to slamming adult caddis on the surface.  A great pattern for these conditions is a "green-butt" caddis emmerger, and the fish hammered it all afternoon from Rainbow Hole to the Highway Bridge in Cotter.  Nothing huge was caught, but the guys managed a couple of 17" browns and scores of healthy 'bows.  The numbers caught were gawdy.  The next day saw more of the same fishing, but weather conditions were a little different.  It was cloudy and relatively calm.  The emmerger patterns were slow to start, so John switched to zebra-midges, and once he did this, they hardly changed again.  Fishing was even better on this day even though the caddis were sparse, and it is great to see this type of productivity again.  Last year's high water is why the rivers are in such good shape now.

If the water stays lower, fishing will continue to improve.  April is a great month and we are starting to book up.  This is my favorite time of year...spring is in the air, the winds lighten up, and the fish are very active.  The caddis activity on the White is early and hopefully this will equate into a prolonged dry fly season.  0-3 units is the water you want for taking trout on the surface. If there are some high water periods over the next few months, drift fishing will be very consistent, and often spring/early summer is the time for big fish on high water.  Please feel free to drop us a line if you need any information whatsoever.

March 3rd, 2009: Wow...I didn't realize how long it's been since I posted here.  I have been getting settled out here in Boise, and John has been fishing and cleaning up from the ice storm.  Over the last month we got thrown back into a high water period on the White and Norfork that was a result of numerous small precipitation events instead of one huge rain.  Now the lakes are back at normal levels and the water is starting to slow down significantly.  These are those magic times to take advantage of fish that haven't seen very much pressure at all.  March, April, and May are my favorite months, mainly because of the size and numbers of the trout. Plus the weather is hard to beat.

The White started "lightening up" last Saturday.  John had a guide trip scheduled, but 40mph winds and snow caused a change in plans.  He got out there on Sunday in some very brutal conditions and floated from Wildcat to Cotter in the drift boat.  The wind was intense, but the fish were biting.  John's client ended up catching a 21-inch rainbow in the Hurst area.  This is a huge 'bow for anywhere on the White that is not catch-and-release.  That is the eqivalent of catching a 26-inch brown.  A variety of flies caught fish including zebra midges, scuds, and san juans.  The water was at a one unit level.  Yesterday (Monday 3/2) John floated from Cotter to Rim Shoals.  They encountered green/murky water which is pretty suprising for this time of year.  There must have been a bit of runoff from the snow.  Fishing was very slow even though conditions were a little friendlier on this day.  John didn't see very many fish, but the dingy water would make that tough.  They still caught trout, including three in a row at the end of the day.  The client had a blast and was "hooked" on the White after that monster rainbow.

I haven't heard much from the Norfork, but based on what I've seen over the last 9 years, it should be excellent over there.  The water is just getting low again, and just yesterday they shut it off at 10am and kept it low all day.  Zebra midges and scuds will be hot in the slow pools, and a few caddis will come off on warmer days.  A lot of people forget about the 'Fork because it can be a logistical nightmare, but I always remind people that normally this river is the Ozark's best trout fishery.  Even most of the guides would rather only fish the White, and that is doing their clients a disservice.  When the Norfork is hot, it's right up there with anywhere.  Look for the fishing to stay pretty good for awhile over there.

Water flows will remain lighter (on most days) if the region remains dry, but with the ground moist it only takes a little bit of rain to put us back into a mini high water period.  There has been some shad activity up by Bull Shoals Dam, and if you want more info on the fishing up there, drop me a line.  The weather will start getting nice, and it's supposed to get up into the 70's this weekend.  Now is the time to shake off the cobwebs.  Please let John and I know if there is anything we can do the make your experience as productive as possible.  This has already been a great year and things are just getting started.

February 2nd, 2009: It's been quite an ordeal for many folks in Northern Arkansas due to last week's ice storm.  But the outlook is slowly improving and most of the power in the Mountain Home area has been restored.  These are the moments that bring out the best in people, and everyone is lending a helping hand.

The water has been low for several days now on the White and Norfork, and fishing continues to be very good. John caught a huge brookie on the WHITE on Saturday along with some trophy rainbows in the 20-inch range. He was in the Wildcat area, and it's amazing how many nice fish there are everywhere.  I (Gabe) can't remember catching a rainbow over 20-inches anywhere but the C&R areas on the White in 9 years.  Now that I've departed, they're catching them all the time. Last year's high water has left the river in the best shape it's been in, perhaps ever.  Yesterday John took the Hyde out and fished around Cotter.  He caught some nice fish on San Juan worms (these are good flies on low water in the winter, for some reason), and he got a 21-inch brown.  

As far as the flows go...it's really tough to predict right now. Bull Shoals and Norfork Lakes have crept up to levels that are slightly high over the last two weeks.  Still, releases have been minimal to non-existent on both rivers.  I think the Corp is "waiting and seeing".  By the end of the month, expect more power generation, especially if the lakes rise due to runoff.  The weather is looking pretty good on the long term forecast with many days in the 60 degree range expected.  If it happens, this would be the best run of warm weather since early November.  So for those of you itching to get out there, now is the time.  Drop us a line if you need some advice on where to go and what to use.

I just want to touch a little bit on what I've noticed out here in the Boise, Idaho area.  As many of you know, I (Gabe) moved out here a month ago to expand my business and my knowledge of fly fishing.  It is a beautiful city with lots of friendly people.  There is a gorgeous stretch of water that literally runs right through town.  The fishing in these areas can be okay, but there are not a whole lot of trout in the lower Boise River, but there is some potential with appropriate management.  I did catch a fat, 17-inch wild rainbow the first day out (on a scud of all things), and now I realize that it was a pretty rare deal.  Still, it's neat to have a river with some big fish right here.  Within an hour there are two great rivers.  I'm not going to "hot spot" them in public, but write me if you want to discuss them. They are both tailwaters and both boast lots of trophy fish. I haven't fished the One in Oregon yet, but I can't wait.

It's been chilly here for awhile and the temperatures are pretty consistent in the 35-40 degree range for highs. Not bad for winter fishing.  The climate is dry and mild for the most part.  I will keep everyone updated as I get out there more in the next month.  If anyone has any Idaho advice for me, give me a shout.  I will be back in Arkansas several times a year for extended periods, and I will keep everyone updated.

January 20th, 2009: Well, the fishing is really starting to get good on the White with recent low water.  It seems like they are finally starting to lighten up the flows, but as soon as I say that, it'll get heavy again.  The water is only running in the mornings (and sometimes evenings) for about three hours.  This makes for tons of wading in the upper part of the river.  The trout are starting to get used to the lower flows and they are feeding on a variety of things. Reports say the rainbows are very colorful and healthy, and there are nice browns all over the place.  No one's been out on Norfork much, but from past experience, it should be getting really good soon.  If the water is low, the next three months at the 'Fork will be excellent.  If the water's high, there could be a shad kill...

I've been asked a few times about the shad kill, and my guess is that they are coming through NOW when the water gets above a two unit level.  This being said, I haven't heard anything first hand, probably because the heaviest water is in the mornings and no one is out.  The weather has been plenty cold for a good 'kill.  This could be the chance you trophy hunters think about all winter long.  Drop us a line if you want more info on this event, and I will post as soon as I hear anything definitive.

There will be plenty of warm weather before spring, but there will be cold weather too.  The average high temperature for the Twin Lakes area this time of year is 50 degrees.  That's great weather to shake off the cobwebs that built up during last year's high water. 

January 14th, 2009: Fishing is really starting to heat up on the White.  John has been out on several floats during lower water conditions and the word is: there are tons of nice rainbows and browns around.  Last year's flooding on the White has improved brown trout habitat in many stretches by adding structure to the river.  A few days ago John went out with Jeremy Hunt on a float from Bull Shoals State Park (dam area) to Wildcat Shoals.  They caught lots of fish, including the beauty John is holding in the Updated Pictures section.  What a nice male brown.  There are more trophy browns in the White than there has been in a long time.  John and Jeremy also caught some gorgeous rainbows.

Yesterday John took his buddy Henry out for a float from Buffalo City to Cartney.  For those that don't know, this stretch is below where the Buffalo joins the White.  In low water years, water temps can cause trout depletion, but for the most part the habitat is very good...especially for browns.  Most fly fishermen avoid this area because access is limited and boat fishing is the predominant method.  Anyway, John and Henry got into pods of feeding fish, including several browns.  This section is stunning and offers solitude all year long.

Water levels continue to be perplexing, with the White running most days. Heaviest releases are in the morning.  This pattern will not last long if the lake continues to drop and the region remains dry.  There is nice floating water most days (1-2 units after 9am), but of late the water has been running heavy on cold mornings.  Norfork is steady with low water most all of the weekend, and after 9-11am during the week the water is often shut down.  They are strictly running for demand power.  Flows will lessen as the weather warms.  If the water is fairly low in February and March the fishing will very good, and it's darn productive right now.  Keep an eye here for the latest updates. 

January 6th, 2009: Not too much news to report.  The White is running pretty much all day, every day at a two to five unit level.  This is good for drifting, and there have been periods of steady feeding.  The weather has been nice (for the most part), and we are just waiting for the water to stay low for awhile.  Perhaps this weekend will finally break the pattern on the White.  San Juan worms and scuds are producing.

The Norfork is fishing kind of tricky right now, but there is plenty of low water most days.  Windy, sunny days will fish well in the slower stretches near the dam.  Look for midges and BWO's in the afternoons...on cloudy days these can be tough to see.  Small pupa patterns fished deep in the riffles is another good strategy for picky fish.  The water is clear.  Normally Norfork fishes very well in January, and it should only be a matter of time until it becomes more consistent.    

December 26th, 2008: I hope everyone is having a great holiday season, and hopefully everyone will have a great 2009.  If you read above, I am moving to Boise, Idaho in just a few days...wow!!!  It all happened so fast, and I basically had to decide if this was a time to broaden my fly fishing horizons.  I adore Arkansas, but the time has come to go west in an effort to expand my business.  A family member has been begging me to move out there and Boise seems like a coldwater paradise.  If anyone has any advice about the Boise area, let me know, and if all works out, John and I will organizes summer trips to the area.  I'm excited to fish new water and to write articles about what I find.  It is in the plan for me to come back to Arkansas once or twice a year to possibly guide and to definately fish.  When I get a little settled in I will start a page like this on my adventures in the inland Northwest.

As far as Arkansas Trophy Trout...well, if I hadn't met John Holsten over a year ago, the puzzles for my move would not have fallen into place.  I needed someone who I could trust to be on top of things on the river and I needed someone willing to work as hard as possible putting people on fish.  John fits the bill, and you will find fishing with him an enlightening experience.  He knows the White and fly fishing extremely well, but he has that burning desire to learn more.  That attribute is what makes a great fly angler.  He considers it a priviledge to be on the water, and I vouch for him 150%.  Otherwise I would have had to totally close this chapter of my life, which I didn't want to do.  Anyway, I will be checking all emails, and the main number for Arkansas Trophy Trout will be my cell phone (870) 404-9027.  Of course you can talk to John, as well.  I will be updating reports as they come in (technology is something), and there will be far more updated content than in the past. We will also be starting the newsletter from scratch, so drop me an email to sign up. I am committed to making this site what it was intended to be: an everchanging resource for the White River.  Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

Now for the fishing.  The White has been "stuck" running light to moderate amounts of water for over a week.  This is great for the browns finishing their spawn.  In just a few days (Jan. 1st) browns will have to be 24-inches to keep and the limit will be lowered to one fish.  This will make a significant difference in the trophy component of the White and Norfork in the next few years.  There is already a good base of nice browns, and if the spawn is a success, in four years these rivers will be different fisheries.  The regulations will be noticed right away as the number of 16-23 inch browns will remain unchanged.  The fishing is pretty decent on the standard high water flies like worms, eggs, and large beadhead nymphs.  I'm sure low water will be prevalent in January and February if we don't see prolonged rains.  The rainbows are healthy and full of vigor and we did catch some nice browns on a float last week from the dam to Wildcat Shoals.  This is the year to experience the potential of the White...it could be the best fly fishing ever experienced here.  Fishing generally improves in January and February, and these are the months to target big fish.  We will have a big shad kill on heavier flows.

The Norfork hasn't generated a lick in days, and the fishing is a little slow.  We took a float down the Norfork on low water on Christmas.  It was great to see all the old spots.  The river has changed a bunch, but that is the nature of rivers.  It truly is a different place.  Midges and scuds worked for me, and I did come across rising fish in several spots.  There were midges and blue winged olives coming off.  The temperature was in the 60's and it was a great winter day to be outside. Cabin fever has been really rough this season due to chilly temperatures.  The Norfork will improve drastically over the next few weeks...mark my words.  Pressure is minimal and the fish are there.  January through April are the months to fish the Norfork for big fish.

Please don't look at my move as a big change...it's more of an expansion.  To everyone that knows me: thank you so much for the support over the years.  And I really look forward to meeting all of you I haven't talked to yet.

December 19th, 2008: The water flow regime has changed drastically over the last few weeks.  There has been low water every day somewhere (usually Norfork at 10am).  The White is shutting off around 10am as well most days and they are primarily running for a few hours in the mornings and evenings for power demand.  Fishing has already been amazing for those willing to brave the weather, and we've seen some days reach 60 degrees, so it's not all bad.  John Holsten, Arkansas Trophy Trout's newest guide (more about him in future reports) has been slamming nice browns up to 23-inches on scuds, midges, and this ugly streamer he's come up with.  Think of a huge wooly bugger and you'll be about right.  The rivers are loaded with nice rainbows as well, and they are full of energy.  It doesn't seem to matter where you fish...if the water is low, game on. If you missed out last year because of high water, now is the time to be here.  Most fish haven't seen a fly in their life.  Hopefully rainfall will be moderate for awhile so the water flows are not excessive. The lake levels are still at a point where it would only take one decent rain to put them into "high" territory once again.  Look for the reports page to be updated much more frequently. 

December 2nd, 2008: Just a quick "heads up" to let everyone know that the lakes, especially Bull Shoals will be back to seasonal levels within a few days.  This marks the end of the record flooding of 2008.  What all this means is that water releases will become dependent on power demand.  Typically, when the resevoirs are at or below "power pool" level (which is where we are at), the heaviest generation occurs on cold mornings and in the evenings.  The middle of the day can offer up some low water for wading (what's wading?). 

My computer is still unreliable, but improving.  I will be modifying the site to reflect my new email and I want to just utilize my cell phone number, as having a landline just seems unecessary these days.  Please contact me if you have any questions.  Until the rains fall again, the fishing should be some of the best in years.  Yes, it can be chilly, but solitude, big browns, and chunky rainbows will keep you warm. 

November 17th, 2008: Fishing has actually been suprisingly good for this time of year on the Norfork.  High water has helped alot, the river is loaded with fish, and there have been some nice ones caught.  San Juans, egg patterns, and beadhead nymphs are doing the trick.  Water levels have been at a one unit flow for a long while (until last Thursday), and consistency is always a good thing.  My best advice is to try and fish the whole river...some days the bite isn't happening near the dam but it's good as you move down river.  This is pretty common as the river gets more oxygenated as it flows over shoals.  But last time out the bite was good in the dam area all day.  The biggest thing about late fall fishing is that every day is different. 

It seems as though they are doing some work at Norfork Dam to improve oxygen levels through the use of heavy eqipment and huge tubes.  The water has been off since last Thursday, and this trend will continue until...who knows?  If I get over there I'll check it out and report back.

The White is still running very high, around-the-clock, and fishing is fickle.  I've heard some decent reports, but it's been very slow on the days I've fished it.  I guess fishing can't always be good, but in reality, between the Norfork and White, we probably get as many good trout fishing days as anywhere.  The lakes are starting to drop (especially Bull Shoals), and things could be back at pool by the first of the year.  Just in time for the rainy season! Let's hope it's not even close to last year's deluge.  My guiding schedule is wide open, so don't be afraid to make a last second trip if the weather looks right.  

October 21st, 2008: I hope everyone is really enjoying the cool weather.  Unfortunately, my computer problems continue to cause issues, so please call me if you need updated information.  I will say that fishing is slowing down a bit from what it was a month ago.  This is the first (of my 9 years) that we will see a high water fall like this.  While this will benefit the trout because of higher oxygen levels, wading is difficult, dangerous, and very limited...usually the fall offers plenty of low water.  Lots of fly fishers are in shock. 

Fishing on the Norfork is pretty decent right now, but the fish are smaller than the "hey-day" of mid September (when we got some low water).  Water clarity on both rivers could be described as "tea colored", but there isn't very much trash.  October and November are normally good months for big browns because they are on the move, so we'll see how this high water affects the spawn.  Because of generation restrictions due to low oxygen, Norfork has been running less than one unit, 20-24 hours-a-day.  This is nice drifting water, and I think Norfork will be good through the rest of the year.  The Corp is running 6 full units on the White around the clock.  The other day I was disappointed in the action at Rim Shoals.  We caught fish, but they were fickle and the bite was slow.  I've heard similar reports from other guides, but still, fishing could be much worse for the fall season.

The leaves will be peaking over the next few weeks, and the Ozarks will be alive with vibrant colors.  Fishing should be imporoving, as well.  Best wishes and don't hesitate to call if you have any questions.  

September 26th, 2008: I apologize for my lack of reports, but I'm suffering from some serious computer issues...so I'll keep this concise and to the point.  The low water that graced us earlier this month is over.  The White is running 6-8 units around the clock.  Norfork is generating starting between 9am and noon and running at around 70% of capacity (50-55mw).  The reason for the lower flows on Norfork is because the heavier the water is run, the worse the oxygen levels are, and as long as there is enough room in the lake, they will continue to run lower amounts.  This could make for some great fishing this fall.

I fished the White at Rim Shoals the other day (6 units) and it was slower fishing than it had been before the low water.  My guess is that the fish moved off the banks when the water got low, and they may not have moved back up completely to the same spots.  The low water fishing on Norfork was excellent as of last week, with tons of nice browns getting caught in the dam area.  Midges and scuds are the hot flies.  High water has been decent as well, but it takes the fish a little longer to adapt to the low oxygen they encounter when the water rises...once it stabilizes, the bite is pretty good.

My fall schedule is wide open, so if you want to see the best quality fish(ing) we've seen in years on both rivers, drop me a line.  Please call me if you have any questions as I may not have an easy time getting to my email for a little while, but I'm happy to help anyone out with anything.  As far as raising my guide fees, I've decided to wait until 2009.  That's only fair.  Well, best wishes and great fishing to you!!!

September 9th, 2008: Low flows on the White have temporarily graced us (due to the Corp trying to keep the lower White below flood stage after Gustav payed us a visit).  Of course this made the fishing incredible, but it also gave me a chance to check out the habitat from Bull Shoals Dam to Cotter.  The water was only dead low for a day and a half, and I did get a few hgours of wading in at the dam.  For those of you following the didymo (invasive, bug killing sludge) saga on the White, there is some really good news:  the river bottom is actually green again, and I saw virtually zero dydimo.  This nasty stuff came on the scene about 3.5 years ago, and literally smothered the moss beds and the life forms that live there.  This caused a chain reaction that resulted in more numbers of fish by the dam, but greatly reduced their size...the trout were barely growing.  I noticed the fish up there are fat and healthy, and I'm seeing lots more rainbows in the 14-18 inch range than I did last year.  Scuds and sowbugs are prolific up and down the White, with scores of them around any vegetation.  It really reminds me of the Norfork, and that's something I've never said before in my 9 years down here.  My theory is that the floodgates combined with nearly 8 months of high flows cleansed the river and also allowed the moss to grow uninterrupted.  The "'coon tail" moss is also very dense in spots that used to be barren.  Of course with Bull Shoals still over 20 feet above normal, this little break was merely a window into what can be expexted down the road, and I'm more excited than I have been in years about the White.  There are also tons of browns around, with many exceeding 24-inches. 

The only full low water day we saw, I floated from Wildcat to Cotter.  The fishery in this stretch is in great shape and I caught as many fish as I cared to.  The 'bows are healthy, and this stretch is loaded with nice browns.  They were quite spooky on low water, but now I have an idea as to where they are stacked if I get the right conditions.  It seems like in these periods when the water gets low after being high for a long time that fly selection is pretty easy.  Everyone was catching fish that we saw, which isn't always the case.  I used a bead headed hair bug all day and my friend used an egg...it didn't seem to matter.  All in all it's great news about the improved habitat, and couple this with the new brown trout regs for 2009 (one brown, must be 24-inches), and this river could finally realize some of its trophy potential.  Please contact me if you want to discuss this further.

Because of the water conditions on the White, I haven't bee on the Norfork much.  I did float it a few times and I guided over there a week ago.  There are tons of fish there, but the quality is currently better on the White.  I did see plenty of pigs, but the average fish caught was smaller than normal.  Still, the bite was great on the lighter water they continue to run over there.  The oxygen levels remain decent, and as long as the water is running this will continue.  If they shut it off, oxygen levels are dropping into the "stress zone".  Not lethal yet, but I will keep everyone updated as the fall season rolls on.  Best wishes to everyone and hopefully some of you will make it down this fall. 

August 19th, 2008: Fishing continues to be good to excellent on both rivers right now.  The water on the White is clear and gorgeous, and it seems like the days of major "trashiness" everytime the water comes up are behind us.  Bull Shoals has backed off the heavy flows for most of the evening and into the morning, making for some great drifting water downstream (it's still pretty high, though).  This year I've really had to adapt to fishing heavy flows on the White, and what I've learned, in a nutshell, is that the fish get very comfortable feeding when the water stays high for extended periods of time.  Big browns are moving again and can be found along the banks where the water is soft, grassy, or has a long run that goes from shallow to deep (drop offs).  I've been a guide here full time for nearly 9 years, and I've never seen the fish so healthy and beautiful on the White.  Chunky rainbows are abundant, and the browns are doing pretty well too.  Prolonged generation is good for these fisheries in a significant way.  Norfork does not have the water clarity right now that the White does, but last time I was out there we caught lots of fish.  The size was running smaller that day, but the bigger ones are there.  Normally on a high water year like this has been, I would be primarily fishing on the Norfork.  This year the White has been far more consistent.

I wanted to touch on something that many of you may not be aware of.  During the fall, all 5 White River Basin trout fisheries experience some form of low oxygen levels.  It is very apparant on Lake Taneycomo (Table Rock Dam Tailwater) and the Norfork, but it is rarely an issue below Bull Shoals and Beaver Tailwaters.  High water years are worse because of increased nutrients in the resevoirs from floods that leach oxygen from the water.  Since '08 was a record breaker, it will be interesting to see how things unfold.  Anyway, the Corp of Engineers (dam operators) has a "plan" that has been in place for awhile where they do everything in their power to keep the dissolved oxygen above 4 parts per million...the fish really suffer when it is lower than this.  Even though the lakes are very high still, there have been restictions put on the releases at Table Rock and Norfork already.  These restrictions will continue until the lake "turns over" in December.  I've seen the Norfork limited to 30 megawatts before (2 full units is 80mw), and this lower water could really turn things on over there.  Late summer/early fall is a great time to hook a big brown on the 'fork, and lower water will mean "easier" fishing and more opportunities.  I'm curious if we will see limits on generation at Bull Shoals.  I guess we'll see if/when the oxygen drops below 4ppm.  I hope this isn't too confusing, and the main point of all this is: Don't count on really high water this fall.  There will probably not be many times where they are running zero units on Norfork or the White, but I look for flows to decrease significantly on the Norfork over the next two months.  I'm looking forward to throwing some BIG beatle patterns on these lower flows.  If anyone has any questyions about all this, please drop me a line.

LAST SECOND, BACK-TO-SCHOOL SPECIAL.  Mention this, and I will drop $50 off of any two day trip for fishing between now and September 15th. 

August 5th, 2008: The weather and fishing has been heating up over the last two weeks.  I apologize for my lack of reporting, but I have been working a bunch (yeah!!!) and I took a little trip to Chicago a couple of weeks back.  Before I left, Norfork was giving up lots of wading water, and that has changed.  Currently, generation usually begins over there between 6-7am, with the occassional day where the water is off until 9am.  While I was out of town they ran the water for six days straight, 24 hours a day.  The White is still running around-the-clock (5-8 unit level) but they don't seem to be running as much at night and in the mornings as last month.  Another nice thing on the White is that the trashiness is not as bad as it was...the water is gorgeous and clear for the most part.  The number of boats is declining, and many days I've seen very few anglers...probably because it's been so hot and humid

It would take hours to recant every trip over the last month, but I will say this: the big fish are back out of the woodwork on both rivers.  It seems like every day someone in my boat hooks at least one really nice fish. I'm talking fish measured in pounds, not inches.  Sure, we've lost our share, but I've held several five pounders in the last two weeks, several four pounders, and lots of 2-3 pound fish.  It makes me wonder what the ones that we didn't see would have weighed.  The White is in the best shape I've seen it with respect to rainbows, with many in the 2-3 pound range and they are brightly colored.  The browns are really biting as well, and they seem to like grassy islands and gravel bars...when they move to areas with those characteristics it really gives fly anglers the chance at a big fish.

Bright flies are the ticket in the "summer swelter", whether it be egg patterns or worm imitations.  The issue with trashiness on the Norfork still exists downstream of the dam, but it does seem to be improving.  When they ran the water around-the-clock on Norfork, it fished clean for the entire length.  Currently you run into the dark vegetation at the top of the catch and release area and it pesists to the confluence with the White.  Not many folks are on the Norfork right now, but I still have not had an all around "banner day" there in some time.  But still, the fishing has improved drastically from a month or two ago.  The White is getting most of the attention by spin and fly fishermen.  Please let me know if you have any questions about ANYTHING.

***On a side note: due to the increased cost of doing business (mainly fuel) I will be forced to raise my guide fees a small amount.  Most guides around here charge far more than me, and it is my intention to be fair with everyone.  Starting in October, I will raise the price for a full day by $50 (two people).  Please bear in mind that I do not want this $50 increase to keep folks from a trip, so please let me know your entire situation and I will honor my previous rates, if necessary. Those of you who know me personally know that I will work with anyone with a need to get them on the water, and I will continue this practice.  I will update this as I toss things around.  BEST WISHES EVERYONE!!! 

July 6th, 2008: Happy 4th of July to all!!!  A few things have changed since my last report.  First off, the White isn't quite as trashy AND the fishing has been fairly decent on heavy flows.  The dam area appears to be in good shape, but the park down to Wildcat has been hit very hard by the resorts/guides/guests in that area.  The best fishing occurs just before and during the small increases in generation.  Some guides are fishing these "pulses" for miles.  Once the water gets trashy, it's time to head back up stream.  San Juans, egg patterns, and large beadheaded nymphs are producing best, and there are lots of nice fish along almost every bank.  One safety note worth mentioning is that in the summer, the fog on the White (and Norfork) can be very thick in the mornings, evenings, and after rain showers.  Please be aware of this if trying to boat it on your own.  I try to slow it down during the fog, mainly because I do not want a close-encounter with another vessel.

Norfork has been releasing water from @ 2pm until 10pm of late, giving up lots of wading water.  This pattern will most likely change, so get in on it while you can (read my previous report...the SWPA schedule is still pretty accurate).  I've fished twice in the last week on low water and the fishing was pretty decent.  Scuds/midges are the ticket.  Much of the river's layout has changed since the flood, most notably areas that used to be shallow in the dam area are now deep.  Dry Run Creek now dumps into the top pool, and the old channel is just gravel that has a trickle of water over it.  The lower ramp (Quarry Park below Norfork Dam) is currently OPEN, and this will make for much better access considering the trashy nature of the lower river during generation. This will also save on gas.  There is one negative on the Norfork that is concerning me.  The rocks are covered with a slick, "sludge-type" of matter.  I used to notice this all the time below Table Rock Dam on the White, and I'm afraid it is pollution related.  Up there (Table Rock) the emmergence of this sludge corresponded to a decline in the fishery (due to a lack of scuds and other issues).  Hopefully this will not happen on the Norfork.  The fish seem healthy, fat, aggressive, and full of energy. 

6/21/08: I hope everyone out there hasn't forgot about us down here on the White, but judging by the lack of web traffic, it seems like a lot of folks have written off fishing the White or Norfork this year.  It's hard to say I blame people, and the area fly fishing community is suffering.  Anyway, I just wanted to remind my friends and clients that high water is NOT the end of the world. 

-Am I frustrated that 80+ days of power generation at Bull Shoals has only resulted in the lake dropping 3.5 feet?  Certainly. 

-Does it worry me that every tailwater in the White River basin is running "off color" much of the time? Absolutely. 

-Will the flood of '08 result in some of the biggest fish we've seen in years? No doubt, but fly anglers without a boat will need the water to drop considerably before you get a shot.  Still, don't worry...the majority of the trout in the White and Norfork are not even seeing flies or bait right now.  It will surely be "epic" once the water drops, but that may not be for many months.

The above statements are me being real and not sugarcoating the situation here.  Right now, many trout fisheries from the midwest to the Rockies, are inundated with water, so what are fly fishers to do?  Of course I think everyone should come to Arkansas and drift fish with a guide.  There are still some smaller springs and rivers that are wadable like the upper North Fork (MO), the Eleven Point (MO), and trout parks like Roaring River (MO), but I have no idea what the color of the water is like and how the fishing is.  The Norfork is not running really high water until the afternoon, and on some days the water is low until early to mid morning.  The Handicap/Ackerman Acess is loaded with nice fish, and if you get out there EARLY (and the water is low), it's possible to get 2-8 hours of wading.  Then you go rest and enjoy the scenery for the rest of the day.  If they shut the Norfork off, one could fish at night and into the morning.  There are opportunities here to wade, but you have to think outside the box.  Also, at some point Norfork will begin around-the-clock generation.  While this eliminates wading, it seems these conditions get many big fish to move shallow where they are catchable from a properly positioned vessel.

Table Rock Lake (+12 ft) is not nearly as high as Bull Shoals (37 ft...ouch!!!) or Norfork (24 feet), so once they draw down Beaver lake, which is above Table Rock (this process will take 2-3 weeks generally), it won't be too long before TR is back to normal.  This means there could be some wading up there this September and October.  Of course an extremely wet summer would delay this.  I'm thinking of guiding some wade fishing up there this fall if the White and Norfork are still cranking.  I'm just trying to convey that there are some "silver linings" here, and things will slowly return to normal barring something unusual or catastrophic.

The fishing has been as good as you could hope for on the White, but they are still rarely running a "full eight".  There is still lots of water though, and as you move down river, pulses of trashy water hit you in the morning and afternoon.  This is because they tend to lower the water a bit a night, but then step ladder it up throughout the early to mid morning.  Spin fishermen are catching some nice fish...very few fly anglers are on the water. Bright flies like big worms and eggs are working best, dead-drifting them over gravel bars and in current seams along the bank.  Norfork is fishing well on the low water (mornings) and when they run at a one unit level.  The water looks good at those times.  Once it gets up to a full two units, the dam area offers the best water quality.  As you move down river the water becomes dingier and more trashy.  I'm curious to see if oxygen levels are dropping on maximum flow regimes...I'll check today (they actually haven't run a full two since early last week, running 3/4 of one unit most of the day) if they crank it up. 

I'm going to leave everyone with a few tips to help figure out what may happen on the rivers on a certain day.  Because water supply in the lakes is not an issue, the Southwest Power Administration generation forecast has been right on of late.  This schedule is notoriously wrong much of the time.  When you go to this link, you will see the days of the week on the left side of the page.  Click on the day you want and you will be directed to a page with the dam abbreviations running across the top and a row of numbers below that correspond to each hour of the day.  Norfork (NFD) has two units, each with a capacity of 40-45 megawatt hours (mwh).  So the number "0" for an hour would mean no units online.  The number "40" would mean one full unit, and "80" would mean full power.  Bull Shoals has four 40-45 mwh units and four 45-50mwh units.  This dam is a little trickier to relate to units, but anything under "80" is lowish water, "80-180" is moderate water, and anything over "180" is pretty much cranking.  "350-400" Mwh is full capacity.  Remember: this is a tentative schedule that has been accurate of late.  Once you get the hang of this, you can go to the Corp of Engineers site and click on the tabular data for the lake you want.  Here you will find "real-time" data (that is usually 3-6 hours behind) that can tell you what they are currently doing and what they did the day before.

If anyone has any questions, drop me a line.  My schedule is very open for the rest of the summer. -Gabe

May 27th, 2008: I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend.  It was pretty slow around here due to obvious reasons like gas prices, high water, thunderstorms, etc.  I've only worked three days since my last report, and the fishing has been fair to excellent.  The Norfork is running water 18-20 hours a day, with a brief "shutdown" in the middle of the night.  This has made the fishing a little tougher than it was when the water would run all day and night.  What's the reason for this?  I really have no idea, but my guess would be that it doesn't have as much to do with water flow as it does the natural cycle of trout feeding activities.  I mean, the fishing is never great for months or years on end...rather, it ebbs and flows, with no definitive answer as to "why?".  A perfect example is last week.  I guided two days on the Norfork, both with identical conditions with respect to flow and weather.  The first day was tough, and many bites were just not hard, so we missed a bunch.  The next day we did quite well in the exact spots at the same times.  So you really never know.  One negative on the Norfork is that when they bump the water up from one to two units (usually around 1pm), it gets very trashy with small flecks of dark vegetation.  This is probably a result of the excessive runoff in the lake settling down near the bottom.  It doesn't seem that bad by the dam, but rather it gets worse as you move downstream.

 The White is also experiencing some ups and downs, but I'm still hearing about some hogs being caught in a variety of spots (browns).  Water flows have rarely exceeded the 5 unit level for weeks, and we are seeing a lot of 2-4 units, which is wonderful drifting water.  Fishing pressure is light and the trout are growing fast.  There are chunky rainbows everywhere from the dam to Calico Rock.  Another plus is that the spillway releases of earlier this month have pushed out that invasive moss that was hurting the dam area (didymo), but since no one has seen it low up there in some time, it's hard to tell if the problem has been totally eradicated.  The water has that nice, turquoise look to it on the lighter flows.

It's hard to predict what is going to happen over the next few weeks.  Lake levels are still VERY high, and they are not lowering, even with steady generation. Fishing is usually excellent in June, and that's the month I caught my 13-pounder.  If you ever have any questions, please give me a call.  Wading opportunities will be very scarce, but the big fish drift fishing should make up for the lack of low water.  Now is an excellent time to get a trip in before the heat of summer takes over (but of course, we always stay cool on the water). 

"Best wishes and big fishes"- Gabe

May 8th, 2008: Things have started to pick up around here and the fishing has been excellent for the last few weeks on the Norfork and the White.  The water is running around the clock, but the levels vary day to day and river to river.  This last week I fished two days on Norfork and one on the White.  Norfork was running the equvalent of 1.5 generators, and the action was pretty steady.  Also, the river is loaded with colorful, chunky rainbows and BIG browns.  The best action is not in the dam area right now (for me), and I am doing better as I move down river.  San Juan's and beadheaded hairbugs are doing the trick, and this makes sence because the fish are keyed in on worms and scuds. I look for moderate to heavy releases to continue indefinately, and as time goes on, more and more big fish will come out of the woodwork.  If we get additional heavy rains, floodgates will have to be opened, but hopefully it will not come to that.

On Tuesday, I took my clients up to Bull Shoals Dam.  They were only running 5 generators, which made the water 2-3 feet lower than it has been for a week.  The fishing started out hot, but quickly cooled.  We ended up catching a respectable amount of trout, but it was not as good as I thought it would be.  The rainbows were healthy and hard fighting, and we did get into some nicer fish.  We caught fish all the way down to Gaston's in the afternoon, and it seems like there are chunky rainbows everywhere (due to the constant high water).  Another guide in our group got a 24-incher to the boat and lost another that was considerably bigger.  I think the cloud cover coupled with front conditions made the bite a little slow, but it could have been way worse.  Good reports are surfacing from up and down the White.

Just a quick note here to say that we are looking at months of high flows ahead of us.  This will inevitably mean that lots of inexperienced boaters will be on the water most weekends.  My strategy is to work to find less crowded water and to take my time when I'm in a congested area.  Several boats have capsized over the last 2 weeks, and this is unsettling.  Fishing is great right now and the word will spread.  So if you do try boating, please be careful and slow.  Weekdays have been quite a bit calmer with primarily experienced guides on the water.  Please feel free to contact me for advice and safety tips.  Good luck!!!    

April 22nd, 2008: Well...we're still here...and so are the trout!!!  I fished three days at Norfork last week and I guided this last weekend below the dam at Bull Shoals.  First the Norfork.  Wow.  On Thursday, April 10th, the Corp was forced to release 83,000cfs (or an *additional* 43 generators) for several hours over the spillway, and the damage was catastrophic.  Charlie's and Gene's Resorts, directly below the dam suffered serious losses, including several docks breaking free and water in most of their cabins.  The parking lot right below the dam was buckled and ripped to shreds, and this flood moved huge amounts of gravel, big rocks, and trees.  Broken trees are everywhere along the river giving it a sort of tornado feel to it.  I feel terrible about all this, but it's nature's way of telling us: "you can try to control me, but I'll get you sooner or later". So the Norfork is really different, but the fishing is still what we are used to.

The three days I guided on Norfork last week offered up a lot of everything.  The first day (one week ago today) they still had all the flood gates opened a little bit, adding an extra 3500cfs to the 5500cfs of the two generators.  What a sight it was to fly fish right below all that falling water.  I wasn't expecting much, but my client did catch 15-20 fish.  Pretty good, all things considered, but most were small and pale (due to stress).  The next day, the gates were closed, and fishing was really good on two units.  Mid morning they dropped down to a one unit level, only to crank back up around 3pm.  The trout ran smaller than normal, but the action was as good as it gets for high water.  It seemed strange that they would lower the water, especially since the lake is still very high.  On the third day, we motored to the dam (keep in mind that the dam ramp is closed until further notice, so you must put in at the confluence of the White/Norfork) and started out catching much healthier looking fish.  The action was again good, and the water level dropped to less than one unit.  Then at 11am, they shut the generation off completely.  From gates to low water in two days...even I couldn't understand it.  We decided to stay up by the dam (BAD MOVE) hoping the water would come back up eventually.  Since there is no way to access the river up there (Quarry Park is supposed to reopen this week though) we had the place to ourselves.  The fishing was quite good, but boy has the water changed.  The deep areas near the dam are very deep now, and the shallow areas have very little water.  It is really a new river in many ways.  Scuds were swimming everywhere along the bank, so the food is still there.  Around 3pm, the water still had not come up, so we prepared to drag the boat down the river.  What a pain!!!  Parts of the river are extremely narrow, and there are rocks littering the traditional boat channels.  It didn't help that the wind was blowing at 15 to 25mph.  Lucky for us, the White was so high that the water backed up well into the catch and release area, but by then we'd dinged up the boat and our backs pretty good.  I look for great fishing to continue on the Norfork through the summer.  There is more good holding water than before and the fish are there. 

This last weekend at Bull Shoals turned out pretty well.  On Saturday, the dam area was crowded and the water was running at a 6 generator level (the recording still will say "8" since they had all 8 running...just lighter).  Fishing started slow, but got pretty decent as the water dropped to a 4 generator level mid morning.  We caught lots of nice 'bows and a nice 14" brookie.  The number of fish we caught was exceptional, considering the very high water and the area we were in.  They had shut down the flood gates there two days earlier, and this seems to heat things up.  The anglers in my group who fished out of the C&R did not do as well.  It's weird how that works out sometimes...normally it would be the opposite, especially with respect to numbers caught.  Sunday, we decided on the same venue, and the fishing started out very good and was excellent most of the morning.  The water was higher than the previous day, and they didn't drop it as much either.  We caught much larger fish on Sunday but not near as many, especially because the afternoon was really slow.  I also heard the fishing down river (Wildcat, Rim Shoals) was better on Sunday (and Monday).  The White is loaded with fish, and because of minimal spillway releases, there wasn't near the destruction as we saw on the Norfork.  If you can get a day where they run a "light" 8, drifting should be great over there.

Sorry for the long report, but it's the most important one I've written to date.  Look for a little bit of everything over the next couple months.  During dry stretches, the water may lighten up, making for awesome drift fishing.  San Juan's will be the ticket much of the time, and big nymphs (scuds/sow bugs) will become important as the rivers become very clear in late spring/early summer.  There may be moments of low water, but when and where is anyone's guess.  And finally, if heavy rains hit the region again, the whole process starts over.  But regardless, things are looking much better than they were a week ago.  Please drop me a line if you have any questions about all of this.  I'm here to help. 

April 14th, 2008: Things are getting serious now...unfortunately.  Another heavy rain event blasted the Ozarks last Thursday leaving a surplus of water with nowhere to go.  For the first time in history (Saturday) gates were open similtaneously at Beaver, Table Rock, Bull Shoals, and Norfork.  What a mess, but the trout fishing should be really good once the gates are closed.  Beaver already has closed them, and I look for Norfork to do the same this week.  The Corp needs to try and let the water drop way downstream, but this isn't always possible.  Bull Shoals is still rising with a minimal spillway release (@5500cfs or two extra units on top of the 8 they're running), and we may see heavier gate action at any time over there.  I don't want to get into the destruction to property, but it's bad.  But from nature's perspective, these types of floods are good for the rivers.  It's a sort of cleansing.

Before the last rains, fishing was GREAT on the Norfork and upper White.  The action was as good as it gets for high water drifting and we landed some fat ones.  San Juan worms are really producing right now.  Of course, after last week's rains, everything is different. I'll be out there for 5 out of the next six days, so feel free to give me a call for a report.  I really don't know what to expect, but I think fishing will be fine.  If they shut off the gates, things will get excellent.  I hate to try and find a silver lining in an awful situation, but I do think the fishing will benefit from all this for at least a year and a half.  And fishing pressure will be less than normal.

I'll report early next week.  Hopefully the heavy rains are done with, but it's only the middle of April, so we'll see.  The next 6 months will offer up some really big fish.  If you get out there, be aware and careful.  We are in uncharted territory here, so more than ever, who knows what will happen?  The only thing I know for sure is that the trout are getting FAT on the continual flows.

March 26th, 2008: Hello...sorry for my delay in reporting.  Everyone has been asking about the rain and its effects on the fishing.  After major floods, Norfork and Bull Shoals Dams go into "capture" mode which means that they are only releasing small amounts of water...for the first three days after the storm, the water was shut off.  This "MO" allows the dams to prevent aggravating flooding downstream  This pattern could continue for weeks to months depending on how much more rain we get.  

The fishing has been excellent on both rivers and NOW is a great time to be here.  Lots of nice fish are being caught, and the water flows are a pleasure to fish (as opposed to the heavy flows of a few weeks ago).  The weather is finally starting to warm up and the foliage will be popping very soon.  April is truly my favorite month to fish these rivers.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to drop me a line.  My prediction is that we will see these light flows for awhile, but when the time comes, there will be extended heavy releases.  Regardless, high water is good for the fisheries and lots of big fish will come out of the woodwork as flows progress.  Best wishes, and hopefully everyone will get a chance to get out there sooner or later. 

March 5th, 2008: The last few weeks have offered up a little bit of everything when it comes to water releases and weather.  Both lakes are starting to get up there (Norfork and Bull Shoals are approaching 5 feet high as of this writing), so it looks like we are in for some high water...but remember, the dams are in place to prevent flooding, so during flood events, it's common for the Corp to run little to no water as to prevent further flooding downstream.  Still, dead low water will be a rare commodity until the lakes are drawn down to normal levels.  Even though high water is the enemy of most fly fishermen, those in the know understand that bigger fish are caught more frequently when the water is up. Extended high water periods are good for the fisheries and the fishing itself because pressure is so much less concentrated during heavy flows.

As for the fishing: things have been up and down like the water.  Several weeks ago they blasted the water out of Bull Shoals, and there was a pretty substantial "shad kill".  This event makes Ozark anglers drool, but is often the case, there were too many shad seen by the fish to make it very productive.  The reports were of slow fishing and hoards of boats.  After a week of 6 units there was a week of dead low water.  The fishing was excellent on just about any weighted nymph you could put out there, and it seemed like everyone was slaying 'em.  Now that Bull Shoals is rising, they are running 0-3 units and fluctuating quite a bit.  I would imagine the fishing would be good but I've been bumming around watching the rain and snow from the comfort of home.  I've only fished Norfork twice since the last report, and it was on high water.  With two units on, things were slow but we caught some fish.  The river was quite crowded, especially when they shut the water down at 1pm that day.  The next day they ran one unit all day, and the fishing was steadily good with multiple bites and hook ups on virtually every drift.  We caught lots of nice ones but nothing over 17-inches.  I've heard the middle and lower Norfork is fishing very slow, so hopefully the impending high water will get more trout back in those areas.

Guiding has been pretty busy, and March is always a little crazy.  For those interested, I'm not booked again until the 14th of March.  After that I work 9 days straight, and then it gets slow again with the end of the month open for now.  There are still plenty of days open in April, as well.  If you have any questions, don't hesitate to drop me a line.  I look forward to fishing with everyone ASAP!!!

February, 12th, 2008: Well, it's been a crazy week up here in northern Arkansas.  Last Tuesday, a rather large tornado ripped through central Gassville (about 1.5 miles from my house...we just lost power for a few hours...no damage) causing catastrophic damage to many homes and business'.  Amazingly, injuries and fatalities were very low, but the town will never look the same.  That may not be all bad, if you've ever been there, but seriously, many people got their lives turned upside down.  The outpouring of regional and national support is remarkable.  The long tornado that affected Atkins, Clinton, Mtn View, and Highland (Ar) was incredibly destructive, and my heart goes out to those folks as well as my neighbors in Gassville..  What's the good news?  None of this has had any affect on the fishing. For more info on the storms check out http://baxterbulletin.com and browse through last week's news.  There are lots of amazing pictures, as well.

Over the last few weeks, the fishing I've been a part of has been somewhat slow on both rivers.  I did take a friend to the Bull Shoals Dam area on opening day (Feb. 1st), and we saw and caught lots of fish.  Still, the size is way down from what it was just two years ago, and the habitat looks sterile, gray, and dead.  It's weird that this problem is primarily only on the far upper reaches of the tailwater.  The habitat actually looks great as you move down river from the dam area.  Norfork is offering up lots of low water whereas the White is running decent amounts of water around the clock for the most part.  I haven't fished or heard anything about the high water or if there are any shad coming through the dam.  Normally if we get a shad kill, the peak is in mid Feb.  Of course every time this phenomonon occurs (shad kill) is different.  I'll let you know if I find anything out.  The fishing is slower than normal for this time of year on the Norfork, and apparantly the middle and lower river is fishing really tough.  Midges and scuds are working as good as anything. 

My guiding schedule for the spring is slowly filling up, and I have very few weekends left until April.  Weekdays are still pretty open, especially Monday through Thursday.  I'm really happy with the local guides I work with as most do a great job.  So even if I can't guide you, I can line up someone competent.  Just let me know and I'll keep everyone updated.  I feel reengergized about this year...it should be a lot of fun!!!

January 17th, 2008:I have a few things to report.  First of all, I fished a couple days last week on the Norfork with a friend/client.  Because of weird water on the White and the fact it's pretty slow in the catch and release area, we decided on the dam area.  The first day, the weather was great, we had the place to ourselves, and the water is perfectly CLEAR (and should remain this way until next September/October except after major rains).  With things seemingly in our favor, it ended up being a pretty slow day where the fish couldn't decide if they were hungry or not.  The water was low and had been through the night before this first day.  About 45 minutes before dark, fish started taking midge pupas and we had a bite or fish on every cast until we couldn't see the strike indicator anymore.  A nice last second comeback. 

The next day we went to the same area within a mile of Norfork Dam.  They ran two full units from 6am until 8am, and by the time we started (9am) there were active fish all over the place (midging near the surface).  For the first three hours it couldn't have been better, and the fish were bigger than the previous day.  Around noon the wind got stiff, but the fish continued to bite and bite well.  This was the best fishing I've seen on the Norfork since last September, and the key seemed to be the fact they ran water that morning.  We used tungsten midges (black) in the morning and switched to scuds when the wind picked up.  What a fun day...I miss spanking them now and again, and I was reminded why I got into guiding to begin with: FOR THE FUN OF IT!!!

The White has started generating most evenings and mornings with some heavy flows, and this regime makes for tough wading except during low periods within a few miles of Bull Shoals Dam.  It does seem like the weekends are offering up the majority of low water conditions.  Norfork is "off" almost daily with the exception of a few mornings.  Since both lakes are pretty low, it will take some big rains to really change things up.  I haven't heard much about a "shad kill" yet, but it has been cold enough...we just need more release water.  Also, I haven't fished any high water at all, so I really don't know if it's happening on those heavy flows in the early morning.

My guiding schedule is still pretty open for the rest of winter and the spring and remember: I'm not moving!  Perhaps in the future, but I think my wife wants to finish up with school here.  Please drop me a line if you have any questions and I look forward to seeing many of you on the water this spring.

December 31st, 2007: I hope everyone is having a good New Year.  Well, the news is in and I am STAYING for at least the next 6 months!!!  I'm refreshed and looking forward to a great year on the water.  It just goes to show how life is so unpredictable, and since my wife didn't get her job, we're going to wait and see what happens.  So I am currently booking trips through June and I am going to keep my rates the same.

I will write more on the fishing soon, but I will say it is somewhat slow on both rivers.  The water has been "off" for over a week now, and it seems like if one spot isn't productive, move on to a whole new area.  Hatches of midges are sparse most days, but I did see a ton of blue winged olives on the White two days ago (Cotter).  Until we get significant rain, low water will be preavalent.  Please let me know if you need anything and let's hope 2008 exceeds 2007 in every respect. 

December 22nd, 2007: Happy Holidays everyone!!!!  Just wanted to give a couple quick updates.  First of all, both lakes have turned over, and that means that oxygen levels are at their best right now in the rivers.  Does this mean fishing will immediately get "hot"?  Not Necessarily.  It's more of a gradual change.  I've been out on the White and Norfork in the last week or so, and both are fishing pretty well.  The Norfork is really turning around, but there are still some slow periods.  The water has currently been low over there for two days straight.  The White is running water most weekday mornings from 6am to 8am, and a litle in the evenings, but they are staying low on the weekends recently.  Fishing is good on midges if you find low water or falling water.  The running water bite is slow.  Both rivers are chock full of trout right now and there are some nice ones on the move.  In the past, the end of December through January has been good on larger than average fish, but extreme weather can change things.  Please drop me a line if you have any questions.

I appreciate everyone's support and condolences about my *possible* move, and your thoughts all mean a lot.  Of course, if you know me, you know nothing is concrete until I am out the door.  The situation is this:  if my wife gets a job that she's been working hard on, we will move mid January to Orlando.  If she doesn't get the job...well, I'm not sure.  I would probably continue guiding for another six months (at least).  Hopefully this makes sense, and I will update here as soon as I know anything concrete, which should be by New Year's.  Regardless, this sight will be maintained as a resource for those interested in fly fishing the White and Norfork.

 Again, have a great holiday season and Wendy and I wish everyone the best.

November 18th, 2007: Hello everyone.  I hope this holdiay season is starting off right for all.  I just wanted to tell everyone that I am still going to be guiding up until around Christmas time.  Fishing is still pretty decent on both rivers, and the White has given up some low water over the last four days.  During dead low water, the White is fishing very well on small midge pupa patterns and all the usual flies. 

 I will be offering my "going to Florida" special until I leave.  If you book for two days, I will knock $50 off to help defray the cost of getting here.  If you fish for three days, you will save $100 off the price of the trip.  I wish I could do more for all of you, but I just wanted to show my appreciation for everyone's support over the years.

One last thing.  I will continue to maintain and update this site (reports) indefinately.  Like I mention below, I am still wanting to guide seasonally and organize all-inclusive trips to this area.  I work with guides who share my passion for catching trout in all water conditions, and after I move, if you need a referral, just let me know. I will also post a tentative personal guiding schedule when I see how life down there is working out. For those interested in purchasing any flies I use, I will be creating a page telling what I offer, prices, shipping, etc.  There's a good chance that I will have to become a professional fly tyer for the first 8 months I am gone, so if there is interest, I will tie like the wind. 

November 11th, 2007: Hello to all my loyal readers and clients.  It is with deepest regret that I write this report, and I will keep it brief because it has been an emotional time.  Basically, I am going to be taking a "break" from guiding for awhile.  There are lots of reasons for this decision, but the major problems I'm having are due to burnout, fatigue, and FINANCIALLY oriented.  The current economy has not been good for the majority of the recreation industry, and my costs of doing business seem to be rising every week.  This site will be left up because I want people new to this area to have this information available.  I also work with some of the best guides I've ever met, and please feel free to contact me if you need any recommendations.  And I will still be around to help anyone who needs information...at least until I find someone qualified to take over.

But this isn't the end.  I still plan on guiding several months in Arkansas throughout the year (spring primarily).  I will be around for another month to month and a half, and if anyone is curious, my plan is to move to Orlando, Florida.  "The guide's life" was great as a single man, but I owe myself and my wife the chance at a more prosperous future.  If anyone has any suggestions please drop me a line.  I will post more on this, but I can't believe I'm writing this and I need to calm down.  Sorry to everyone that planned on going out with me next year, but again, I will do my best to take care of you.  Sometimes a change of scenery does a lot for a person, and that is what would be best for my spouse and I.  THANKS for all the support over the years and I wish I had better news.

October 11th, 2007: Fall is really starting to set in down here, and the colors are just starting to show up on the foliage.  As many of you know, fishing in the fall on these tailwaters can be slower than at other times of year.  This is due to the bottom-draw nature of the dams because water is "sucked" into the river from the same levels all the time.  For 9 months the oxygen is good (above 5-6 parts per million), but starting in late September through the middle of December, the water gets worse and worse.  What does this do to the fishing?  Well, first of all it is a good excuse for slow fishing.  Also, the bite will usually be best later into the morning through the afternoon.  Norfork seems to have the worst affects from low oxygen, and the fishing over there will be best on running or falling water.  Sunny days are what you want, and wind will really help in low water.

Fishing has definately slowed from what it was a month ago, but it is still very productive if conditions are right.  The White is, by far, fishing best on low water.  This is because low water is still quite rare, and there are lots of fish that get stacked up when the water drops.  The dam area is okay, but the fishing improves as you move down river.  I'm seeing lots of big browns, but they are very spooky and like to sit in places where they can see you before you see them.  Tungsten midges, hair bugs, and micro worms are the best when drift fishing (on less than three units), and smaller midges are really working in dead low water.  I have only fished the Norfork a few times in the last month.  The last time I was there the water was somewhat high, and we were able to catch some small fish near the dam.  I will be going over there tomorrow, so feel free to drop me a line if you need updated info for this weekend.

Just because the fall can be our slowest time, it is also a time when many big fish come out of the woodwork and start moving around.  The weather is gorgeous and so is the scenery.  And many times the fishing is good in October and November...you just can not expect action like earlier in the year.  If conditions come together perfectly, fall can really be exciting, but this just doesn't happen everyday.  Please contact me if you need any information whatsoever. 

September 13th, 2007: Finally we're getting a little taste of fall, and it feels great.  It's actually kinda chilly in the mornings.  Up until a week ago, I hadn't been on the water in 3 weeks!!!  It was so hot and miserable.  Those 7 days in a row offered up some good fishing on the White and Norfork.  Most of the days were cloudy, humid and overcast, with rain or chances for rain every day.  The White fished very well on small to medium-sized rainbows, and I must admit that I'm seeing more BIG browns around than I have in years.  Usually if you see them, they are already spooked, but it's nice to know they are there and that, if conditions are right, you may hook up with a pig.  Lots of these fish were 7 to 20 pounds!  The best action fishing is happening on 1-2 units running, and the rainbows seem in better shape once you get to Wildcat.  Dry fly fishing is hot with big dries, and should continue for a few more weeks.  Scuds and various beadheads, along with some san juan worms are all you need for this type of fishing...and a boat doesn't hurt either.  I look for light flows to continue, with the occassional break.  We fished dead low water a few times and tungsten midge pupa's (zebra-type) were the best flies.

Norfork was fishing pretty decent in the dam area until yesterday, which was unbelieveably slow.  Scuds and midges were working well on the cloudy days.  Yesterday, with the sun and cool temps, nothing was doing much.  Most days the water has been off over there until 2pm-4pm, and it is not overly crowded.  There are loads of trout in certain areas, and I'm seeing lots of decent browns moving towards the dam area.  Low dissolved oxygen is bocoming an issue, but the water is gin clear, for now.  During generation, it is turning greenish due to an algae bloom in the lake.  Hopefully this will be a good fall on the Norfork.  We're due for one.

On a side note: Guide trips for late September, October, and November are booking fast.  If you are interested in a trip down here this fall, now is the time to pick a few dates.  I have plenty of openings, but like I mentioned, they're starting to get taken.  Please call or email me with any questions.

July 31st, 2007: This last month has been very quiet around here.  Probably due to heat and possible high water conditions.  I worked a few days at the beginning of the month and I have just finished a stretch where I was on the water six out of eight days...and every day we fished on the White.  Normally this time of year would see most of my trips on the Norfork because the max. flows are not as high as on the White, plus they pretty much stick with low water in the mornings and  high water starting around 12-1pm.  This year has been a little different.  For whatever reason, Bull Shoals is running light (or no) flows for most of the day, with a spike in generation during the heat of the afternoon (not usually until 3 or 4pm), and then they run light flows all night.  Rarely do they run more than 6 generators, where we would normally see 8 by now.  Perhaps two units are "offline" due to mechanical problems.  Who knows?  But regardless, this flow regime allows me to drift long distances on light/slowly falling water.  The fish are biting best once you get 10 miles from Bull Shoals Dam, and large dries along with normal nymphs are pulling some healthy fish.  And we're seeing more big browns and rainbows than we've seen in years, but the hogs are very picky and spooky on light water.  You won't see numbers of fish everywhere, but when you find them, they are stacked up!!!  The type of fishing I do on these conditions requires more skill with respect to anticipating good spots (reading water) and making decent casts than high water drifting. It is somewhat easier than wading the White would be on similar flows.

I haven't heard much of anything about Norfork, but I'm sure it's pretty good with respect to action.  Most days the water is off well into the afternoon, offering up some decent wading (if you can stand the heat).  I've seen lots of trophy browns caught in August over the years on high water, and I expect more of the same this year if and when they start running water a little earlier in the day.  Occassionally they have run water all day on the Norfork and kept the White low, but I look for a steady pattern to develope as the heat continues.

I'm heading back on the water tomorrow with 5 out of 7 days (the weekend is open...go figure), and I may be out of town for a week or so in the early part of August.  Please drop me a line if you have any questions whatsoever, and I finally am looking forward to a fun late summer/fall on the White.

June 19th, 2007: Another month gone by, and another busy stretch for me.  And the fishing, weather, and water conditions have been all over the place.  After my last report, fishing got much tougher on both rivers and it is still quite tricky at times.  The Norfork has slowed down on low water and high water is still tough.  I can't understand why high water has been consistently poor this year, with a few exceptions.  Low water on Norfork is offering up some hatches, but the water is crystal clear, so delicate presentations are in order.  Scuds and zebra-type midges are still the producing patterns.  Although I am seeing plenty of large fish on Norfork (near the dam), what we are catching is small compared to earlier this spring, but we usually hook one good fish a day on average.  With McClellen's closed, the dam area is getting pounded, and so is the lower catch and release waters (Handicap Access).  From what I gather, it's tough down there and the crowds are thick.  My best advice currently is to focus on the deepest water you can find and use light tippets (6x).  As the heat builds, the summer release pattern will emmerge (low water mornings, 2 units all afternoon), but for now every day offers uniques conditions.

Usually when the Norfork gets tough, the White offers the opportunity to catch some numbers in an uncrowded setting...with the everpresent chance at a lunker brown or 'bow.  This year has been really good on the White with respect to the size of the rainbows and the numbers of large browns I've seen, and for this reason I have done more guiding on the White than in year's past with some great results.  Unfortunately, the good times may be coming to an end (for awhile) over there.  Water flows have steadily increased over the last two weeks, going from two, to three, to seven units all day long.  Low or even lower water is hard to come by.  Fishing was very good at times on two units, but once it bumped up to three, it seemed like the trash has been worse and worse as you move from the dam.  Throw in dense fog for half the day, and things get tough.  I was hoping they would sustain three units for awhile to let things clear, but now they are running a hard seven daily, with pretty heavy water flowing at night.  I haven't heard anything about the fishing there in several days, but I know it's as junky as it gets.  Hopefully this will clear out a lot of the "bad" moss we've seen inundating our rivers.  Fishing will be hit or miss over the next month due to seasonal changes and flow regimes, but by mid July the trout are usually used to the pattern and we start catching some of the biggest fish of the year on high water.  Please feel free to drop me a line with any questions about the fishing.  And I apologize if my emails are bouncing once in awhile...I don't know what the deal is there.

May 21st, 2007: Well it's been a hectic month to say the least.  Fishing has settled into a decent pattern on both rivers.  Flows are still very hard to figure, but most days there are low and high water opportunities.  Almost all my trips of late have been quite productive, but getting the right conditions is far more important than it was a month or so ago.  The trout are starting to get smarter and they have seen plenty of flies, lures, and baits.  So it definately is not as "easy" as early to mid spring.  The BIG caddis hatch is starting to wane, but sulphurs are taking their place.  The best conditions for dry flt fishing is when the water is falling and will eventually drop out.  So if you notice they ran a little water in the morning (or previous night on the White) and then shut the water off, try and find those conditions.  This is prime time for dries if conditions are right.  Afternoons are the best time of day.

I apologize if any emails are "bouncing" back to you all...I seemed to have a four day "gap" where all emails got lost in cyberspace.  But, as always, feel free to call if you need very current information.  Water flows will slowly become a summer pattern with heaviest releases in the afternoons on hot days.  Still, June offers up lots of low water on days that are not sweltering.  Both lakes are a little high, but the Corp seems content holding it back (for now).  Scuds, sow bugs, san juan worms, and midges are the nymph tickets, but it seems the midge bite is slowing on the Norfork.  The White is great if you can find unpressured fish and the average size is pretty healthy this year.  The next three months will give up some very nice browns when water flows increase with power demand and low water still is action-filled.  July can get tough some times (like all months), but there is no way to really tell year to year unless you give it a try.   

April 16th, 2007: I have just received an email concerning next month's trout meetings and I will try and post it.  Keep in mind that this is a great chance to put your input into our "Trout Management Plan"...from what I gather, once this plan is put in place (@April, 2008) it will stay in effect fo five years.  The White and Norfork have world-class potential, but the really big fish have decreased drastically in numbers over the last few years.  Fishing pressure is on the rise, so it is very critical that something is put in place to allow the fish some time to grow and "get smart".  Please email me if you need help writing a letter or have any questions at all.  A good "plan" could allow ALL groups of anglers the chance to catch more and bigger fish, but if we stay the current course, these rivers will only be as good as "put and take" fishing allows for.  Here is the email (my report will follow this letter):

Immediate Release                        For more information, contact:

                        Jeff Williams

                        Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

                        201 East 5^th Street

                        Mountain Home, AR 72653

                        (870) 424-5924

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Needs Your Help

         Do you like to fish for trout on Bull Shoals and Norfork Tailwaters?  Would you like to have a say in how the trout fisheries in Bull Shoals and Norfork Tailwaters are managed?  If so, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) could use your help.

This spring AGFC will be seeking public input to aid in the development of management plans for the trout fisheries on Bull Shoals and Norfork Tailwaters.  Through a series of facilitated public meetings, anglers and other stakeholders will have the opportunity to help establish management goals for these fisheries.  This is part of a new process that the AGFC Trout Management Program is using in which the public plays an integral role in determining the future of trout fishing in Arkansas.  If you would like to take part, you are invited to attend the Mountain Home Trout Summit in May.  This will be the first of several opportunities for you to get involved.

The Mountain Home Trout Summit will be held on the evenings of May 14^th and 15^th in Mountain Home.  Anyone interested in these fisheries is encouraged to attend both nights of the event.  During the summit, participants will be asked what issues they want AGFC to focus on in regards to Bull Shoals and Norfork Tailwaters and what advice they have for fisheries managers in addressing those issues.  Two days later on May 17^th there will be another public meeting, this time in Mountain View.  This meeting will provide individuals from that area with the same opportunity to provide comments and suggestions as those that attend the Mountain Home meeting without having to travel so far.

Following the Mountain Home and Mountain View meetings, AGFC personnel will draft a set of management options based on public input from the meetings.  Comments sent in to the AGFC website as well as those obtained from a survey of non-resident anglers will also be used in developing management options, which will be available in early September.

On October 29^th, there will be a public review workshop where participants will be asked to provide comments on the management options developed by AGFC for Bull Shoals and Norfork Tailwaters.  AGFC fisheries personnel will then take this input and use it to shape a draft management plan, which will be available in early December.  Finally, the public will be given another opportunity to provide input on the draft management plan during a second public review workshop on January 7^th, 2008.  A final draft of the management plan is anticipated by mid-March 2008.

The public is invited to attend all public meetings and workshops, which will be facilitated by Spencer Amend of Dynamic Solutions Group.  Specific times and locations will be made available prior to the meetings.  Throughout this process, you will be able to track progress and find information on the AGFC website at www.AGFC.com/trout.  If you enjoy or are concerned about the Bull Shoals and Norfork trout fisheries, AGFC trout managers invite you to participate and help build comprehensive plans that will make these fisheries the best they can be.

Important Dates at a Glance

May 14^th & 15^th – Mountain Home Trout Summit

May 17^th – Mountain View Public Meeting

September 7^th – Draft options document available to the public

October 29^th – First public review workshop – opportunity for public to provide comments on management options

December 3^rd – Draft management plan available to the public

January 7, 2008 – Second public review workshop - opportunity for public to provide comments on management options

Now for the current fishing report.  Fishing has continued to be pretty decent on most days I've been out.  Since my last report, I did have a stretch of 9 days without guiding, and during that time the low water fishing did get a little tougher on the Norfork. Dead low water on the White has been great from Bull Shoals State Park to Cotter.  The fish are chunky and fighting hard, with a few big browns here and there.  Anything with a bead on it is working well (zebra's, pheasant tails, etc, etc, etc), and be sure to make sure and use flies that are heavy enough to get down in a hurry.  Norfork has been decent, but every day is fishing differently.  When the water is low, the bite has become fickle, but the high water action is greatly improved.  With the recent rains, our lakes have come up over "pool" by six-inches, so it will be interesting to see if they start running more water.  The weather is going to warm back up this week, and I'm looking forward to getting out there.  These rivers offer unique challenges because of their unpredictable dynamics, and that keeps it interesting.  As we get into May, dry fly action will be improving, and I have seen some caddis on warmer days.

March 28th, 2007: Well, I just had a huge report disappear on me.  I will try and cover the same points, but it's so frustrating to lose all your work.  First of all, public meetings will be held in the near future to discuss possible trout regulation changes on the White and Norfork.  The process is new, and letters will also be taken into account for those who cannot make the meetings.  Basically, this should be considered our "last chance" to resurrect the trophy trout heritage that made these rivers world-class destinations.  Lots of factors have contributed to the downfall, most notably increased fishing pressure, harvest, habitat loss, and hook mortality.  It's amazing fishing is still pretty darn good with all that has gone on, but we shouldn't kid ourselves:  we're just a short way from being the world's biggest "put and take" fisheries, and if this happens, the impact will be felt by all in this area who love or depend on these rivers.  I will post more info as it becomes available, and I would encourage all fly clubs to work on letters and sending some representatives to the meetings if you are within driving distance.  This will be a dog fight, but we need it to be clear who really cares about these fisheries and who looks at them as just a way to make a living.  This issue should not be polarized any other way (like fly fishermen vs. spin/bait fishermen), and there will be some major complaining.  But just to show where I stand: I will be more than willing to quit guiding on these rivers if trophy regulations (slot-limit, artificials only) are put in place for the entire Norfork and at least 10 miles on the White.  This job I do is nothing compared to my love of coldwater fisheries, and my love of these rivers. But there will need to be compromises on both sides of this issue.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions, but right now, all I know is that the ball may be rolling.  Also, it needs to be stressed that people will travel further distances and spend exponentially more money on fishing trips to "quality managed" waters than they will for "put and take" fisheries.  

  Fishing has been quite "up and down" the last couple of weeks, and certain water conditions are better than others, but due to the fact lake levels are steadily holding at "power pool", just about anything is possible with respect to releases.  Low water on Norfork has produced some "hey-days" of late, but the area you fish plays a major role.  Last week I had three "hot" days where arms were sore, but anglers and guides I trust were reporting "slow/tough" fishing just 1/2 a mile away.  Deeper holes are best on sunny days, and scuds and midges are producing on low water.  Water clarity has greatly improved over the last two weeks, so lighter tippetts and smaller flies may be the ticket in pressured areas.  High water fishing on Norfork is still a little slow, but steadily improving...it's just hard for the fish to get into a "feeding rythym" when water levels are different every day.  April is my favorite month because the fish seem to really feed well, no matter what the water does and the area is gorgeous.  The White had a nice low water period last week, but this week they have been generating anywhere from 7(!) to 2 units around the clock.  I did have a chance to fish Rim Shoals on low water a week or so ago, and it was decent on the sunny/windy day, but got very tough on the cloudy day that followed.  Big caddis are hatching on both rivers, and the trout are starting to look upward on the lower sections of the White.  I haven't been by Bull Shoals Dam in awhile, and the habitat situation is kinda scary up there.  Hopefully it will not spread downstream or to our other tailwaters.  See my recent reports (below) for more info on this issue.

Look for really inconsistent conditions for AWHILE on both rivers, and if we get some real rain, high water will be predominant.  They are not running enough water right now to lower the lakes, so we are "stuck" in this pattern.  If the lakes stay at their current level, there will be some low water, but not tons.  Fishing will improve on both rivers and we are starting to catch more nice browns and cutthroats than we were a few weeks ago.  The brookies on the upper Norfork are starting to feed, as well, so there is some variety.  But the 'bow quality on both rivers is very decent, except by Bull Shoals Dam (go figure).  I will be posting more as I find out about the regulation process, I promise.  Thankfully spring is here.

March 12th, 2007:  Alot has been happening since my last report, so I will mention again: if you need updated information, please don't hesitate to email me or call.  I've been guiding almost everyday until a chest/sinus deal put me down for the last few days.  Currently, lake levels are right at "power pool" and holding pretty steady.  What this means is that water releases will not nearly be as aggressive as when the lakes are high.  It also means conditions will be unpredictable on both rivers and you need to be aware of things changing rapidly.  When the word of some "low water" hit the streets, "wading weary" anglers have flocked here from all over and make it seem quite crowded of late.  Plus there is a spring break crowd that comes here, and that can make any day of the week a busy day.  So I recommend coming during the week if possible, and remeber I consider Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings to be weekends with respect to river traffic.  With some of the recent low water on Norfork, it is becoming apparant how much the McClellen's access closing is going to put enormous pressure on the other two access points.  Lots of folks are pulling boats down there and some of the personal watercraft are working that area, as well.  Yes, you can get to that area, but it takes a lot of work to get back (or to go all the way down to the White).  AGFC needs to step up and get us more access to the affected part of the river.  Otherwise things may come to a head if there is a stretch of prolonged low water this spring or summer.  Norfork can take a beating, but the loss of 1.5 miles of river access may be pushing it.

Fishing was very tough on both rivers for a long stretch (mid Feb. through last week), with the best action at places downstream on the White.  High water was the rule, and I think the fish just got full.  Bull Shoals Dam area has been productive, but this is the second year in a row where fish size is waaaaaay down up there.  Yes, there are some big ones always in that C&R area, but recent changes in habitat (notice the "white", spore-like growth on the rocks...that cannot be good at all) have clearly affected what was once "the best mile of trout water anywhere".  I sure hope this is something that can be helped, but I think it may be due to poor water quality in the White River drainage that receives runoff from Springfield (Mo) and Branson (Mo).  Please contact the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) if you find this as alarming as I do.  For the last 7.5 years I have told anyone that would listen that we needed to start protecting these resources or the legendary White and Norfork would be reduced to glorified trout ponds.  Well folks, it's starting to happen.  I don't want to seem negative or alarmist in all this, but I see the rivers I love (and my ability to do the job I love) being compromised.  On the bright side, TROUT UNLIMITED has been meeting for two months locally, and I know this organization can help us out.  I will post more info on TU and their fundraising efforts as it becomes available.

Norfork is starting to heat up on low water, and last week it was common to see all sorts of people hooking up.  One day it fished great on running water with remarkable overall size.  We are also getting into some really fat cutthroats and chunky browns.  The hottest low water fly is a black zebra-style midge from size 16 to 20.  A silver bead seems to make a difference.  When the water is running a full two units there, fishing is very tough, but the one unit level has been productive. Scuds are also working. It concerns me how many folks are venturing way down from their access points, and last Friday a lot of waders got stranded when the water came up.  Please, if you hear the horn blow (or notice the water coming up) get to a safe bank (one that doesn't get covered up) and head to your access.  DO NOT depend on the kindness of others when drowning is a possibility.  The "Handicapped" access is fishing decent, but it does seem like it has become shallower, probably due to that pesky development by the dam, and prolonged high water moves a lot of loose stuff to new areas.  I was only there for a morning, and it was business as usual (fewer fish than the dam area), but from what I hear, it's fishing better in the afternoon.  We are even seeing some BIG caddis coming off.  Well, I hope this helps, and please, if you care about these fisheries, let the AGFC know your concerns.  They really do depend on our input, and they need to know that we will not stand by while we lose all the trophy trout that give these rivers their identity.   

 February 11, 2006: First of all the BIG news.  McClellen's Access is closed (I think permenantly) on the Norfork.  This is a private $5 access in the middle stretches of the river that is very popular with fly fishermen.  If this concerns you, I recommend contacting the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission as this effectively cuts off over one-third of Norfork's low water access.  It could be a nightmare during low water periods and put great stress on the other access points.

The water's are deinately changing right now on the White and Norfork.  Maximum releases have not been seen in days, but the White is still releasing around the clock (3-6 units).  Norfork has shut off the last three days in the morning allowing for a nice "wading window", and fishing has been very good. Lots of healthy fish this weekend but very few over 17-inches were caught to my knowledge (I was part of a big group up near Norfork Dam).  Norfork Lake is right at regular pool level, so it's hard to say what pattern they will get on over there.  Any rain will bump the lake into flood pool which usually means they run water until it gets back to regular pool. 

Shad have been coming through Bull Shoals pretty heavily, and I've heard mixed reviews of the fishing.  It seems the lighter water has made for some good drift fishing downstream on the White (Wildcat, Rim Shoals, etc.), but the dam area is slow.  The fish are stuffed.  I know of two nice browns caught up there in the last week, but overall, it will be slow for awhile until the shad lighten up.  I will report as soon as I fish the dam area.

January 29th, 2007: Well it's been a slow, wet, cold, windy month with not too much to report.  The high water continues on both rivers, and over the last few days they have run 7 full units on the White and 2 full on the Norfork around the clock.  The lakes are lowering fast, but until Beaver Lake gets down to power pool (it's five feet above PP right now), releases will be pretty heavy and steady on the White. And if the rain keeps up, we're in for a high water spring.  I've heard the spin guys are getting into some lunkers over there, but the fly fishing has been TOUGH on that cranking water.  I've been on the Norfork 4 days this month, and it's all been high water, and the fishing has ranged from good to incredible.

Several weeks ago (right before the big ice storm in Missouri) I drifted three days in a row near Norfork Dam.  The first day was as good as it gets for numbers of fish.  We pounded them, especially when the water dropped from two full units down to one.  Nothing huge, but lots of chunky rainbows and brook trout.  The next day, fishing started out pretty darn good, and they dropped the water early (10am) down to one unit, and things started happening like the day before...except...after an hour they cranked it right back up to two full units, and the fishing seemed slow compared to the day before (almost anything would).  We still did very well.  On the last day of this stint they ran heavy water all day.  It was the slowest of the three days, but still wasn't too bad.  It seemed the quality of fish got better as the fishing got tougher.  All in all, it was a lot of fun except for the persistent wind while running the boat, but I guess I better get used to it. 

Last Saturday I took a couple who had never fly fished over to the Norfork.  The weather was supposed to be wet/snowy, cold, and windy but it was actually just overcast with temps falling from about 45 degrees.  I expected the river to be empty, but this was not the case.  There were equal number of fly fishermen and spin fishermen which is not usual on high water.  These are weather conditions I hate (cloudy with high water, cold), and the bite was a little off due to the impending front.  Still, it could have been way worse.  We fished the dam area in the morning, and I got them on some fish pretty quickly.  But the normal "hot spots" were luke warm, at best.  For beginnners it's important that things are steady, and I'll say it was steadily mediocre.  But I can't stress it enough: it could have been way worse.  After lunch we went down river into the C&R area and got into a couple good spots that produced a lot of fish.  But around 3pm, the switch was turned "off", and the bite died.  So we finished up by the dam and managed to get a few here and there, and on the last drift the guy caught a gorgeous 16" brookie.  What a way to end the day.  Even with the crowds in boats by the dam, it was a very fun day. 

***Just an FYI: I'm getting pretty booked up for the next two months, but suprisingly April is pretty wide open.  I still have quite a few open days in Feb., but March usually gets busy.  Regarding my rates: I've decided to keep them the same as 2006 until sometime this summer.  Any booking prior to the change will honor the 2006 rates.  Please ask about lunch.  It's no big deal whether you want me to provide it or you bring your own. 

January, 3 2007: Well, we are coming out of our winter slow season...I only worked two days in December.  But it's like this every year, and it gives the fish a break.  Since my last report, the lakes have both risen above "power pool", and there has not been any wading water on Norfork in over a month.  The White is often generating in the mornings and evenings, which makes it tough for fishing in downstream areas, but the Bull Shoals State Park area should be great for the rest of this month (remember: there has been no bait allowed in that section since November 1st.  This will end Feb. 1st when the dam area reopens). I did guide on the Norfork last week (Friday) and it was pretty good drift fishing.  We caught plenty of numbers, some gorgeous rainbows, and several BIG brookies (one was 17.5 inches and fat...one of(if not THE) biggest I've seen in person).  Fishing has been decent on the White if you find the right water, but I haven't heard much from over there except that things are a little slow if conditions are less than ideal.  But with the lack of overall pressure since Thanksgiving, things are looking very good for late winter and spring.  Personally, I want a high water year because we often have our best trophy action after long stretches of water releases.  That's not too good for the waders, but there is no way eveyone can get what they want.  My philosophy is to fish whatever comes at me and keep my mouth shut if things are going well.

 I will be making some minor changes to my prices and the site in the next few weeks.  First the prices: until you see changes on the site I will be honoring last year's rates.  The only change I forsee is possibly charging $300/ day if the clients bring lunch and $340/day if I provide it.  Lunch is becoming more hassle than it's worth.  Please give me some feedback on this idea, as your opinions are very important to me.  My other change will involve the newsletter.  Our email list has become too large to send out the newsletter like in the past.  I am thinking of adding a page with it on the website...but I still want it to be "upon request only", but that may not be feasible.  Let me know what you think of all this and like many have been doing, drop me an email for the most current reports.  HAPPY NEW YEAR"S everyone, and let's have a lunker-filled 2007!!!  

November 27th, 2006: It's been a busy month for me with lots of stuff going on.  Until Saturday I had basically worked a week straight and the fishing was "all over the map".  Starting in the beginning of November fishing was very tough on both rivers.  Sure, I would hear random reports of decent days, but for the most part people were complaining about how difficult things were.  At this time we were seeing water releases at minimal levels and the low oxygen levels were not helping.  I would rehash some of my days from this period but my goal is not to put anyone to sleep.

Well, like in year's past, sometimes "bad news" is really "no news" and can become "good news".  Because of low oxygen on the Norfork, our annual "fish kill" near the dam was observed and immediately the Corp began working with Game and Fish to keep the water from getting lethally oxygen-depleted.  Water releases started lasting longer into the morning and sometimes water has been released all day. This influx of water helps with oxygen and over the last week, when we had high water, we caught lots of fish.  Of course releases have still been very fickle on the Norfork (the White has been low a LOT the last week, and fishing is slowish), and every day in the last week they shut the water off at some point, only to leave the water down the rest of the day.  Midge activity is starting to get good most days on falling water.  Tungsten "Zebra" types of midges are working at times during the fall.  But once the water drops out, things have been tough but slowly improving with each day.  Scuds and sow bugs are working a little, but the best advice when wading is to understand that patience is key...this is not "heyday" fishing.

I look for fishing to improve and the lakes should be "trurning over" in the next three weeks.  This will not immediately improve fishing, but it basically means we are "set" with oxygenated water for the year.  One thing I would bet on is that December will be far more productive than October or November on both rivers (it always is).  Please feel free to drop me a line if you have specifics questions or just want more info.  This is our slowest time of year for both river pressure and guide trips...I'm just glad to catch my breath.

October 27th, 2006: I've been home a week now from Florida and "the honeymoon is definately over"...we had a great time in Orlando riding the best coasters we could find and it was great to be on the private Island for four days.  Every night we would leave the screens open and listen to the Gulf of Mexico.  Next time I'm flying, because it was a brutal drive both ways.  But I am looking forward to starting my new life, and really, not much has changed.

I've only worked once since I got home and that was last Saturday.  We fished by Bull Shoals Dam (to avoid the crowds that were in full-force) and caught some fish, but it was tough.  In the afternoon we moved down to the State Park and it was packed.  I can only imagine how bad Norfork was...I heard it was ridiculous.  My advice is to come during the week until Thanksgiving.  The fall colors are peaking, so you better hustle down here if foliage is your cup of tea.

Water releases are pretty minimal except on very cold mornings and some evenings.  I've heard that the Norfork has been pretty decent in the morning and early afternoon...then it's slowing down.  We are in the middle of our low oxygen season, so be prepared for erratic fish behavior due to bad water.  There are lots of nice fish around, and scuds and midges are usually the best this time of year.  Big dries (like #4 beetles) are still working at times, as well.  November should see less crowds and the fishing can be great for big browns and brook trout so we'll just have to wait and see. 

September 25th, 2006: Well, time is just flying by as I get closer to my big day...kinda what I expected.  I have been guiding quite a bit this month, and I've had a few chances to fish on my own.  Because I realize that Norfork will get tougher as the fall progresses, I have been taking advantage of some good action over there while I can.  Water releases have been all over the place with full days of both high and low water, with no real pattern.  Low water has been more available now that temperatures are "fall-like", but the crowds are here as well.  Most of my guide trips on the water were with one person this month and it seemed like most days had this pattern: VERY slow morning, things start to happen around 10-11am, then the afternoon is great until the water comes up.  High water has been amazing when you get it on san juan worms.  Low water flies include "dead" scuds, natural scuds, midge pupa.  Fish are starting to hit on big surface flies if there is wind or a little generation.  I look for the bite to taper off by the middle of October, but honestly, people are already saying it's getting tough.  I'm not seeing a lot of spin fishermen catching fish on the Norfork right now.  Generation should continue to slow down, but they will release small amounts of water (pulsing) at various times (mostly at night) to help maintain decent oxygen levels.  This means if they are running water when you wat to fish, many times they will stop generating after an hour or so.  Of course, don't rely on this.

I went out with a friend to Norfork a few days ago and we fished in the dam hole for several hours.  This fishing was decent with lots of nice 'bows and some neon brook trout, but as the day progressed the water severely "trashed up" with slimy moss.  It reminded me of my time at the San Juan river where you never knew if your presentation was clean.  I don't know if this is affecting the fishing downstream yet, but I will try and report.  Interestingly, this occured during a dry spell, so you can't blame the "washing in" theory.  As far as the White goes...honestly, I haven't been over there at all this month.  I would imagine the dam area could be decent, especially if the water is up.  I've heard mixed reports of very slow fishing to pretty fast action in various places downstream from the dam.  Water releases are minimal: I have only heard of one unit running at most this last week.  The fall colors are coming early this year, and early to mid October will be beautiful.  I will be on my honeymoon then...oh well.  I can still arrange for guide services while I'm away...just let me know. 

September 5th, 2006: Sorry for such a lapse in reports, but I have been out of town and trying to get ready for my wedding (are we ever really ready?).  But please remember: if you need updated information, give me a call or an email. I'm always happy to assist.  On another note: I will be gone from October 8th until the 20th (roughly), so I will not be available to guide.  But for those that are in need of guide services, I have an excellent guide secured for those days I will be absent.  He is my mentor in many respects, and is known for putting anglers on big fish regardless of water conditions.  If you need more info on this "mystery man" (actually, many of you may know who he is), please don't hesitate to let me know.

As for the fishing...well, until last Sunday, I hadn't been on the water for almost three weeks!!!  That seems like an eternity.  Anyway, Sunday I fished for a few hours with some friends of a friend near Norfork Dam.  The bite was very good, and both of them landed lots of chunky rainbows (they were beginners, by the way).  No other species were landed.  Scuds were the ticket, but when they are biting like that, many flies "nymphed" near the bottom will work.  Water quality still appears to be good on the upper Norfork, and we are starting to see extended periods of low water.  Still, they are letting some out most afternoons from 1pm to 4pm.  Releases have been very light when they do generate.  There are still plenty of fish and lots of nice ones.

Today I went over to Norfork with my neighbor and we waded from 10:30am until 2:00pm in the "upper pool" right below the dam.  Conditions were great (downstream wind, sunny), but the bite was a tad slow.  It seemed like we would get bit on ten straight casts and then they would stop for two or three drifts.  Still, we caught lots of very healthy rainbows with a few brookies and cutts thrown in.  This area is similar to upper Bull Shoals when it comes to rigging and strategy...most of the water is quite shallow and very slow.  The crowds are thinning out, and in my honest opinion, the fishing in September is often better than October, especially for numbers of fish.  November is often good because the fish are used to lower oxygen levels by then and there are lots of browns on the move.  October has been different every year.  Last year was pretty decent, but the year before was deplorable.  There are lots of factors that determine this.  But for now, the Norfork is in good shape and loaded with trout.  I have heard that the catch and release area is fishing tougher than the upper sections, but I will not know for sure until I get out there.  My schedule is pretty open this month, so I will be out fishing on my own most days off.  The White is still offering up lots of low water, and dry fly fishing should be heating up as the month goes on.  I will report on the Bull Shoals Dam area once I get up there again.  Goodbye for now, and I promise to be better on reporting from here on out (and especially after my wedding/honeymoon).

August 7th, 2006: It's really become slow around here and for good reason: it's hot.  Really hot.  This summer will surely be one for the record books. But fishing is really good right now on both the White and Norfork.  Since the last report, all my trips have been on the Norfork, and it is fishing great right now.  Most mornings we are seeing some low water and during these times scuds are kicking butt.  One day last week I had two relative beginners catch a gaudy amount of fish...and this was all before lunch.  Once the water has been coming up, the fishing does slow down for a little while, and this is due to lower oxygen levels than the fish are used to.  This happens every year from around this time through November, so just remember: if the fish seem really slow, blame it on oxygen levels.  Once the high water stabilizes, the bite gets more consistent for the rest of the day.  We are also catching some big fish over there in the afternoons on maximum flows.  The decent action should continue on Norfork until mid to late September and then things normally drop off for awhile, but of course, we have great days and bad days every month of the year.

Yesterday I took my girlfriend out for some fun up by Bull Shoals.  Even during this heat wave, water levels are lower on the weekend than during the week.  They ran one to three units the last two days (Sat. & Sun.), but I'm sure they will crank it up to 7-8 units every day this week for power demand.  Anyway, we were the only ones fishing up there all afternoon, and the bite wasn't awesome or anything, but Wendy caught 7 fish including a 20-inch brown in just a couple hours (I did almost as well, but didn't get any trophies over 20-inches).  Not bad for her second time with the fly rod.  This area gets forgot about in the summer, primarily because fishing is tough once the water gets above 5 units, and then you're stuck up there on heavy water with nothing or little happening.  But on those days where they keep it lower, it can be alright.  One thing though: I didn't see that many fish up there like normal, but perhaps it's just me.  Look for heavy water to persist on both rivers most afternoons.  Low water will be somewhat rare until the weather cools off, with Norfork offering the most opportunities in that respect.  Still, fishing should be pretty good, especially for numbers on low water and big browns and brookies once the water comes up. 

On a personal note: I'm getting married on October 7th (hard to believe, I know), and this will affect my guiding schedule this fall.  I will be going up to Chicago at the end of August, and then after the ceremony in October I will be gone for a couple of weeks.  Please keep this in mind if you want to book a trip with me this fall.  Part of the reason I picked that date (besides lodging availability) is that the crowds in early to mid October are getting worse every year, and normally tough fishing corresponds with this influx of people.  The weather can be great, and windy days when the water is off will still produce a hot bite.  If you are going to be here during the times I'm going to be out of town, I can try and set you up with the few other guides I work with, but they will be booking up soon as the fall approaches.  Please do not hesitate to drop me a line if you have any questions whatsoever and I will continue my reports until I leave for Florida (Oct. 8th).  We can't wait!

July 21st, 2006: I've really been slacking on the reports, and I apologize.  There's been a lot going on, and I lost track of time.  Anyway, instead of rehashing every trip over the last month, I will focus on how the fishing is now.  Over the last few weeks, fishing hyas ranged from great to slow, but nothing spectacular and no deplorable days either.  I have been mainly fishing the Norfork because at this time of year it is easier to stay cool over there.  Normally by July, the generation pattern is pretty regular, but this year has been quite different.  They are normally starting to release early in the morning (very light flows), then they may shut off for an hour or two midmorning, and then the water really comes up during the heat of the day.  Almost every year I have been here (barring a few flood years), the water is usually "off" on Norfork until 12-1pm in the summer, and then they bring it right up and keep it there until dusk.  This pattern should emmerge, but who knows, really?  Regardless, this last week has been pretty good over there with respect to size and numbers of fish.  We're getting quite a few nice brookies along with some chunky browns and rainbows...most of the cutts are running small right now.  When the water has been low, it is a pretty good bite, but I've only waded for three hours total since my last report.

Fishing is definately heating up on the Norfork (along with the weather).  August is often a good month for big fish, especially when they start cranking heavy water every day.  The White is still offering quite a bit of low water, but from what I hear the bite is pretty slow and the water is getting quite warm away from the dam (afternoons)...nothing lethal, but enough to slow the fish down.  They have been starting the water at Bull Shoals most days between 10am and 1pm...this gives quite a long "wading window" at spots like Wildcat Shoals, Cotter, and Rim Shoals (they are usuaslly shutting down around 10pm).  During this recent heat wave, they have run up to 6 units...why not 8?  I have an unsubstantiated feeling that some of the units have been down for repairs over the last couple months and that is why we still have not seen a "nameplate" (340mw) release yet this summer.  The most important thing is to stay safe, as the water is coming up quickly in the afternoons.  I can't predict what will happen on the Norfork in the next few weeks because they are different every day, but I do think there will be some low water days once the weather cools down to our "normal" 90 degree temperatures. 

June 24th, 2006: Summer has made it to the Ozarks, and slowly but surely water releases are starting to reflect hotter temps across the region.  Right after my last report I guided three days up by Bull Shoals Dam with the same guy.  We were wanting to fish high water so of course we got mostly low water.  The first day (the 13th) was cooler, and the water didn't start until 4pm.  The bite has been pretty tough on low water up there and most other anglers left by 11am. We had moments over those three days where the bite was good on low water, but the high water fishing we had more than made up for the slow times.  The second day (14th) the water started at 3pm, and we had a great two-hour stretch to end the day.  The fishing on 2 units was decent, but the big ones would come out when the water would go up to 5 units.  We caught some beautiful rainbows (up to 22-inches) and had a nice brown hooked on that second day.  It just goes to show that it is worth beating yourself up (like we did on low water) most of the day to get an hour or two of hot fishing.  The last day up there, things seemed to be more in our favor.  The water came up at 11am...then they shut it off from 12pm to 1pm (figures)...and then it came on again.  The low water bite was pretty good that day, but the rising water was slower than it had been.  The theme to all this is that every day is different, especially when radical water flows are in the equation.  But all in all, it was a lot of fun up there and I knew I wouldn't be going up there much once the really heavy water starts.

After a few days recovery time, I spent the last 4 days over on Norfork (the 19th through 22nd).  The first day, the horn blew at 9am, as I was putting to boat in the water.  It was very hot, so I was happy to fish some moving water (during high water in the summer it is consistently 10 to 15 degrees cooler when drift fishing than wading).  Rising water has been good near the dam, so we started out catching some fish (overall, it has been a tough bite on the Norfork, and you must be in the right place at the right time to have a really good day).  Once the water clears, things are slowing down up there.  After lunch we went down to the catch and release area, and did very well for several hours...in fact we landed 7 fish in the 17 to 21-inch range.  This is as good as you can hope for.  All in all it ended up being a very productive day of drift fishing.  The next day (20th) I had the same guys and we were hoping for the same conditions...so of course the water stayed low most of the day while we cooked in the hot sun. Still, the wade fishing was very good near the dam with a great afternoon bite on scuds.  It is often very crowded up there right now so it is a zoo-like atmosphere.  I don't mind that if we're hammering fish, which was the case.  The guys had to be off the water at 3pm, and like clockwork they started the water at three, which facilitated getting back to the ramp.  I worked hard to stay on the fish those two days, and things worked out...but still, don't expect to kill 'em all day/everyday over there right now. 

So after starting the week well on Norfork, I couldn't stay away for my final two days of guiding in a long run of trips.  On Wedensday I took a father and his daughter out.  We waded for an hour to start, but the bite was nothing like the day before.  They caught some fish, but not nearly on every cast.  At 10am, they turned on one unit and it was excellent drifting from the start with san juan worms being the ticket.  Both were hooking up nice fish on every drift for the first hour of high water.  After lunch they were still biting a bit by the dam, but when that slowed down I booked  to the C&R.  Luckily my timing was right and we were hooking up every drift for an hour.  But on this day they cranked it up to full power, and these conditions have proved the toughest over there lately.  It was a very good day with lots of fish and some quality thrown in as well.  The next day was by far the worst of the four that week.  The water had been up for an hour when we arrived, so the rising water bite had passed when we started drifting.  The water stayed at one unit all day, and I had to work to scrape some out.  The morning was decent with respect to bites, but the fish were not hitting very hard which resulted in quite a few misses.  After lunch I changed gears and went to a big sow bug.  I can't say it was "magical", but we did start catching them more consistently after I went off the worm.  The guy I was guiding ended up with near 20 fish, so it wasn't too bad, and right before lunch he got a 15-inch brook trout which was gorgeous...it made the day, it turns out.  We all have our explanations/excuses for slow fishing, and I believe on this day it was a strong cold front pushing down that had the fish off (I've seen it too many times).  We ended up getting a major storm around 4pm.  Luckily I knew it was coming and we literally just missed getting soaked, struck, and/or blown away by mere minutes. 

Look for water to be running some mornings as we get into summer...low water will be hit-or-miss until the lakes start really dropping.  Often the dams will not run at full power until 2 or 3pm.  I have done very well in years past during late June, especially with respect to nice fish (I caught my 13-pounder right at this time).  Many of the biggest fish we catch come during maximum water releases, but if you do try boating, be very careful, and stay near the dams if you are not familiar with the rivers.  Once we get into July and August, fishing becomes very consistent as water levels become more predictable (very low in the mornings...very high in the afternoons). Summer is a great time to catch a lot of fish with a better-than-average shot at a lunker.

June 12th, 2006: Hello everyone and I hope all is well.  Fishing over the last week (or so) has been up and down...both figuratively and literally.  On June 2nd I took out a couple of beginners and we decided on the Norfork.  The water was low to start and the fishing was SLOW, considering conditions were excellent.  Around 10am we started getting hits, but almost immediately the water came on.  So we put the boat in and started drifting...fishing was still tough.  A half hour before lunch, things did start picking up and we landed our first fish of the day (and two others).  After lunch the bite was definately better, and we headed down to the catch ande release area to try to get some nice fish on rising water. That ended up being a good move as these girls started hammering fish on San Juans.  We had a good couple hours down there and the day was saved!  But still, nothing big was landed.  The following Monday I tried the Norfork again, and the water was running when we got there.  All day they fluctuated the water and we had to work for every bite we got.  We still caught around 25 fish, but it was tough going for the most part.  The water never allowed for a trip to the C&R.

After several days off I guided a father/son last Friday and Saturday.  Friday we started at the Norfork on running water.  The bite was awful to start (a theme is developing here) and we may have landed three fish by 11am when the water was shut off mysteriously.  We got the waders on and did fairly decent on low water.  At 1:30pm, the horns blew and the water came up quickly.  The bite was decent near the dam, and when the heavy rise hit, we booked down to the C&R.  It was even better than the week previously.  We caught lots of nice 'bows, two nice browns (one was about three pounds), and a pig of a rainbow that measured 21-inches and was extremely stout.  The water was trashy, but the fish didn't mind much...in fact the bite slows considerably when the water clears down there.  It ended up being a great day and shows what happens when you stick to your guns.  Sometimes our fish just stop feeding, but you must weather those periods because you never know when that will change...sometimes a little alteration in the water flow or weather can turn your day around in a hurry.  The next day (Sat.) we decided to try Bull Shoals Dam for some bigger fish.  The water was low to start and conditions were calm, but the fish were biting midges a bit from the start.  Around 9:45am, the wind chop started and the bite improved.  Most of the anglers up there were struggling, but we were catching nice rainbows pretty regurlarly.  After lunch, we waded for about 1/2 hour before the water came up, and the action was good on scuds.  Then the water came up (1 unit) so we started drifting.  It was a steady bite for the first couple hours with two to thee fish per drift, but like always, at 4pm things got slow again.  We still managed to scrape a few more, but the best part of the day was clearly in our rear-view mirror.  The average size was smaller than normal on this day, but we managed several in the 17-18-inch range, and lots of 15 to 16-inchers.  When it was all said and done, we caught more at Bull Shoals than at Norfork in much tougher water.  This is why I like to change my routine now and again to see what's happening.

Releases have been hard to predict and somewhat frequent on both rivers since my last reports.  They have run up to 4 units on the White on hot weekdays, and Norfork has been running (usually) from early to mid-morning, with the highest water in the afternoons.  Like I thought, bigger fish are starting to show up and I look for the bite to be more consistent with each passing day.  The White is offering up some low water, with releases not usually beginning until 11am through 2pm on weekdays.  They are shutting down between 8pm and 10pm most nights which allows for lots of wading down from the dam the following day.  Summer often means hot fishing, but things can be tricky withy respect to releases....so don't hesitate to drop me a line with any questions you may have.

June 1st, 2006: Finally I have a little time to talk about the fishing over here.  After an 8 day road-trip, and guiding 2 out of three days upon returning....I'm worn out.  First of all, I had a great time at the San Juan catching some really big rainbows.  If anyone is heading out there (or thinking about it), check out http://www.sanjuanfishing.com/ . They will definately take care of you.  I will write more about the fishing out there in my newsletter which I will put out in a few days.

The fishing and water conditions did change while I was out of town.  I have only fished the Norfork, but it has definately slowed down some.  Fishing is still good, but you will have to work harder at them than we have in the last few months.  On Monday I had low water until noon, the bite was decent on scuds, and one guy managed a very nice brown (19").  When the water came up we drifted near the dam.  The fish were fickle, biting well in periods and shutting off for periods.  Worm patterns are working (red variations) during high water.  And even though I thought the fishing to be slow the last two trips, both groups thought it was "pretty darn good"...they just hadn't seen the last two and a half months.  Yesterday I took out a very nice couple, and due to water conditions and bad weather possible, we drifted all day by the dam.  The water levels fluctuated a bunch in the morning, and heavy fog on the water made the fishing slow (and dangerous...make sure you really know the water before boating in the fog), but once the sun came out the bite got pretty decent.  After lunch the water was pretty stable at about 3/4 of one unit level, but the fish were really only biting when the sun came out.  Still, we had a nice afternoon and avoided any real rain issues.

I look for fishing to get better for large trout once the high water pattern stabilizes.  This will make low water more consistent, and the big fish will come out when the water comes up.  June is a good month on both the White and Norfork, but don't plan on wading all day in one spot now that the lakes are high.  Things will be very inconsistent and unpredictable over the next few weeks until the temperatures start really heating up daily. Then we will see most water releases during the heat of the day (assuming the lakes don't rise more).  Dry fly fishing is still happening if you get low water, but the best hatches are often coming off right before the water comes up making for a small window of opportunity. 

May 21st, 2006: Well, my work schedule has really had me busy, but fishing remains good to great....depends on the day.  We are still seeing mostly low water conditions during the day, but releases have become more frequent now that the lakes are getting above "pool".  So I guess we're back to the usual unpredictable nature of these fisheries.  Still, there are tons of fish on the White and Norfork and a lot of trophy fish are coming out of the woodwork.

I am leaving town for a fishing/wedding trip (I'll be at the San Juan for 4 days starting tomorrow) right now.  Please call me if you have any questions at all, and I will write a detailed report when I get home.  Also, a new newswletter will be coming out in early June.  I appreciate all of you that read my site and this summer I will be working on some new things to make it better.  Best wishes to all and I'll tell everyone about my trip when I return. 

May 10th, 2006: My deepest apologies for the delay in reports...my schedule got very busy (no excuse, though).  Alot has been happening since my last update, including some of the best wade fishing we've seen in years.  Because low water has been dominant over the last 6 months, lots of areas on the White and Norfork are basically "cut-off" from boat traffic and heavy harvest.  These sections are loaded with trout and trophy fish are also being caught.  Areas with launches and easy walk-in access (like Rim Shoals) are fishing tougher because of the pressure.  So basically, water that may have not been overly productive in year's past may be excellent right now if the water is low.

Over the last week in a half the draught has been reversed and now we are dealing with flooding and rising lake levels.  As of this morning, both Norfork and Bull Shoals Lakes are near "power pool", and I expect them to be in "flood pool" when this rain is all said and done.  This means that low water will not be as prevalent and there will be more days where releases are constant.  While this will make wading more difficult, the fisheries will benefit from generation...especially in areas away from the dams that are prone to warming water.  Fishing will continue to be good to excellent on all water conditions (high water drifting has been productive the few chances I've had to do it), but weather fronts will make things slow at times of falling barometric pressure.  And I never lose sight of the fact  that trout are so fickle when it comes to cooperating or even acting consistent.  As always, feel free to call or email me if you need more information or an updated report if one is not posted.  

April 19th, 2006:Hopefully the heat of the last week is not a sign of a really hot summer to come.  But couple 90+ degree temps with all the allergens flying around, and you have a recipe for runny noses and red eyes.  Today is only supposed to be in the 70's, and the next week looks great with respect to temps.  Quite a bit of water has been released out of both dams during our mini-heatwave, and that alone saved a ton of fish on the White that would have baked.  We definately dodged a bullet on lower sections as water temperatures exceeding 70 degrees were starting to show up.  It's cooled down again and we are still dry, so I look for minimal releases to resume.

There definately has been some excellent fishing on the White and Norfork since my last report.  I had a string of excellent guide days at Bull Shoals, and that continued until last Friday when it was a bit slower than it had been.  We've caught insane numbers (one day a father/son caught over 60 fish between them...this is very uncommon and may happen once a year if I'm lucky) and the big ones are definately coming out of the woodwork.  I'm seeing lots of fish over 20-inches with several in the 22-23 inch range.  But every day that has been successful up there has been sunny and windy (at some point)...the day it slowed down it was windy but cloudy.  Go figure.  Reports from other guides are saying that other parts of the White are loaded with fish, and lots of nicer ones.  Narrows to Rim Shoals has lots of sections that haven't seen much pressure due to the extremely low water, and that river is in as good a shape as it has been in over 4 years. 

I've been over on the Norfork for the last two days and I finally got my boat in the water as they generated both days.  The first day we started out wading at McClellen's, and the fish were biting pretty well.  I saw lots of nice ones and very few of the "dinks" that I heard were taking over on the 'Fork.  At noon the water came up, so we drifted by the dam in the afternoon.  The bite was slower than I expected, and the water trashed up when they kicked on the second unit (around 2pm).  Still, we had quite a few bites and landed some gorgeous brookies and rainbows.  Yesterday I guided one guy, and we drifted the whole trip on Norfork.  They had one "light" unit running in the morning and the bite was slow, but around 10am they brought the water up a foot and things really turned on.  We ended up catching lots of very nice 'bows, a fat brown, and a half-dozen pretty brookies, (and one little cutthroat)...hardly a small fish in the bunch.  The water didn't trash up like they previous day, and it was nice to do something different for a change.  Look for low water to be available most days over the next month unless it gets really hot again.  Once summer comes, both dams will release heavily pretty much every afternoon.  Caddis hatches are heating up, especially on the White in the evenings, and I look for the Norfork to follow suite with caddis and sulphurs emmerging in good numbers over the next few weeks.  If you had to pin it down, dry fly action often peaks around Memorial Day.

April 7th, 2006: Just over the last few days it has really started to look like spring in the Ozarks.  What a beautiful time to be trout fishing...and the fishing is pretty darn good right now.  I guided last Friday on the Norfork and we had a very productive day.  We fished the middle section of the river in a slow stretch that is always productive.  Because Norfork has been running water most mornings, it often means my guide trips end up being in the dam area (because the water up there becomes wadable shortly after the water is shut off... it can take up to three hours in places down river).  Over the last week they have started to leave Norfork alone in the mornings most days, and that is the ticket it seems.  On this day the bite was on from the start and while we did catch lots of freshly stocked cutthroats, we also caught many rainbows and cutthroats that were decent size (and one chunky brown).  Nothing huge was landed, but it was a dream day for these guys who were beginners with very decent casting abilities...all day action and gaudy numbers of fish is hard to beat, and that is what we were after.

The next day I took a couple guys up to Bull Shoals Dam.  Norfork was running water (on a Saturday, no less), so I gambled on the Bull Shoals Dam area.  Also, Norfork has been really crowded on some weekends lately, and I knew we'd be in the zoo up by the dam when the water shut off.  Conditions were not ideal (no wind), and these guys were still in the learning mode.  When that is considered, we had an excellent day on some very tough water.  Both of their casting abilities improved throughout the day, and both caught some great rainbows (one was over 20-inches and healthy).  It was very rewarding for me to get these guys on fish in an area that can ruin one's confidence (especially if you're not patient) very quickly.  We also got a little bit of wind in the afternoon which helped out a bunch.

Today I finally got out on my own with a friend and we went up to Bull Shoals for a few hours.  The wind was howling and unrelenting, but the fish didn't seem to mind.  Honestly, it was the best fishing I've had on low water (personally) in a long time.  Most of the fish were two to three pounds, and I landed five in the 20-inch range.  What a way to spend three hours, and like usual, it was pretty much empty.  I love the water up there for those very reasons and it truly is one of fly fishing's toughest tests with respect to reading water and catching fish.  This is because the water is so shallow, slow and the bottom is flat.  If you find "darker pockets" of water, the fish are there.  Scuds and beadhead zebra midges are working best, and dry flies will produce but still they must be tiny until the bigger hatches start.  Usually I am not so glowing about the fishing in my reports, but for my loyal readers I wanted you to know that it is good almost everywhere right now and April should be a great month with respect to action fishing and trophy hunting.

March 29th, 2006: Not much news to report on this end over the last week except chilly temps and not much fishing. I wanted everyone to know that I am changing my internet service, and for some reason I am missing several days of emails...so if you wrote me and I didn't reply, this is why.  This weekend I will be back on the water and I'll report on the fishing early next week.

March 21st, 2005: Sorry for the lapse in reports, but until yesterday I worked virtually every day this March.  I guess that's not a bad thing, but it can get exhausting...especially when dealing with all types of weather, water conditions, and angler skill levels.  Fishing has ranged from deplorable to "as good as it gets" since my last report, and this is typical as weather fronts can change everything in a short time.  The one great thing about March is that there is always some wind chop on the water and this has helped the bite on many days.  The lakes are still very low for this time of year so releases have been minimal...still the same pattern of a little water in the mornings and evenings on the Norfork (and occassionally they will run water on the White for a few hours).

I have primarily fished up by Bull Shoals the last ten days, and the bite has been decent most of the time. We have also had some excellent days up there and we are starting to catch bigger fish every time we go out.  Still, there are tough periods every day up there and you really need to know where to be to take advantage of the wind or other favorable conditions.  That information is one of my most guarded secrets and it keeps the area from getting very crowded.  In fact there are very few people fishing the upper White because the fish are hard to catch and "have seen it all".  I will say that scuds and midges have been the ticket, and there is a little dry fly action to be had, as well.  The Norfork is really fickle right now but the fish are biting over there for those patient enough to keep their flies in the water as much as possible.  I did have a great day at McClellen's [finally] on March 11th, but since then water conditions have not let me back in that area (the river did get muddy for a few days last week and they did run water most mornings after the water cleared later in the week).  The dam area is crowded but does have a lot of fish from 8 to 18-inches (they just stocked a bunch of dinks).  Midge patterns and scuds are the ticket, but everyday takes a little adjustment and dont't be afraid to try something weird if the bite isn't happening.  Normally I preach fishing close in (especially at first), but right now it is very important to cover a lot of water on the Norfork, and long casts definately facilitate this.

Look for more of the same with respect to water releases unless we start seeing more serious precipitation.  This is great for waders, but long periods of low water can make the trout spooky and stressed.  Be very aware of how long you keep fish out of the water if you are planning a successful release, especially in areas away from Bull Shoals Dam on the White like Cotter and Rim Shoals.  Wind and weather conditions begin to dictate my days guiding on low water because it often takes a change to spark the action...very rarely are the fish biting when we first get to the river, but as the morning goes on things usually pick up.  Dry fly action could be good come late April into May if the low water continues.

March 10th: It's been hard to tell whether it's spring or winter right now with all the weather changes, and for the last week fishing has ranged from very good to downright poor.  I've been guiding on Norfork and up by Bull Shoals Dam primarily, and Norfork has been the toughest bite over the last week.  High water fishing is awful (they are running water most mornings until 9am to noon) and the low water bite is fickle...by far low water is fishing the best over there.  The first three hours after the water shuts off have been best.  Zebra-style midges are the "hot pattern" (black, gray, etc.) but sow bugs and scuds have had their place.  Hatches are still very sparse with the exception of decent midge activity on some days.  Bull Shoals (C&R area) is getting better than it was, but that is a very tough place to fish on low water if you are new to this area (or even if you're not, for that matter).  The fish are much skinnier up there than in year's past (probably due to all the low water and some moss issues that are getting alarming), but the numbers are there.  I've been hearing this is the case on a lot of the upper White right now.

I am not trying to be an alarmist, and the habitat on Norfork is great right now in all respects.  But the water on the White comes directly from Table Rock Lake in Missouri and the there have been serious water quality issues up there for the last three years (at least).  I would like to hear an explanation from our biologist, and if I do I will pass it on.  Bust still our fishing is great and this is my favorite time of year coming up.  Please email if you have concerns or any questions.  And most importantly: get out on tthe water.  I'll do a report when I get .  Best  wishes to all.

March 3rd, 2006: Hot and cold weather and fishing continue to be the rule.  Starting last Friday I guided four days in a row and the trout activity was drastically different each day.  The first day was very tough, and I was guiding 3 guys which made it seem worse.  They were running water at Norfork to start, and the drifting was very poor with only a few bites and one small brown caught.  They shut the water off at 10am, and unbelieveably, fishing got even slower...two guys didn't have one landed at lunch. But fortunately the Norfork "Gods" shined on us a bit in the afternoon with some very nice brookies, cutthroats, and 'bows.  The river was very crowded on high and low water and the bite was slow for all, including the other guides I was working with.  Conditions were decent on low water (cloudy, wind), and that helped, but some days it just isn't happening.  This was one of those days.

The next morning I only had two guys, and I had fished with them before lasy year.  I didn't want to deal with Saturday crowds on Norfork, so we went up to Bull Shoals Dam...they were running one unit.  By the time I got rigged and drifting, the water shut off and wading was the rule for the rest of the day.  The fish were biting pretty well for up there but the size is not as big as usual.  We landed lots of pretty, chunky trout up to 18-inches, but nothing huge.  Still, compared to the day before it was a relief to have some action going, and until around 3pm, the bites were coming pretty steadily.  There were very few people up there considering it was the weekend.  Sunday I went back to Norfork, and it was very scary at first:  Nothing was biting on a glorious sunny day with the river empty.  Fortunately things picked up before lunch on scuds, sow bugs, and midges (you had to switch pretty often), and after lunch we did pretty well.  The slower water areas were alright when the wind chop was on, but it was several great hours in some riffle water that most in this group will remember...six guys were all catching fish and having a good time in a beautiful spot we had all to ourselves (there were two other guides).  This period saved the day and trip for several guys who had suffered through tough fishing the previous couple days.

Monday I took one guy out and conditions were decent for Bull Shoals Dam.  The water was off and all day we only had one person within 300 yards the whole time.  Fishing was a bit tough considering the great conditions (sun, wind), but we had lots of action and landed many beautiful fish.  Yes, I've seen it better, but it was very nice to have a relaxing day without the fish turning off every 10 minutes.  The trout are numerous but running small in that area, but I bet if you can get some high water up there the big fish will come.  We are still very dry and mild, so there will not be much of a shad kill this year except if you get lucky and catch a high water day (and have a boat).  Both dams are releasing water very sparingly, but it is still quite random when they will do this.  Crowds are pretty light during the week and all the low water gives people a chance to spread out over the White and Norfork.  I look for fishing to really improve over the next few weeks as early to mid March is often excellent if there is low water.

February 23rd, 2006: Hello Everyone.  Not much real news to report except that the weather and fishing varies wildly from day to day and hour to hour.  We've literally had hot weather (mid 70's) and a cold snap as dramatic as any I've seen in 6 years here within 3 days.  Tougher-than-normal fishing has been the rule for most, but if water and weather conditions are right, the fishing is excellent.  Over the past week I fished up by Bull Shoals Dam on low water for the first time this year.  The weather was overcast, warm, and little wind.  This made the fishing tough, but it did seem like there were some fish up there, and I caught around 10 in a couple hours (most were 12 to 16 inches).  Usually the bigger ones bite better on low water up there into March and April. The best part of that day was that we had the whole place to ourselves.  Then a major cold front pushed through and dropped high temperatures into the teens for a few days.  Last Monday the weather warmed a little and I had a guide trip.  We went to Norfork and they were running one unit when we got there.  The drift bite was slower than it had been most of the winter with natural brown San Juan worms outproducing other colors.  At 11am they shut the water off and on this day we had the upper Norfork to ourselves. Once the water dropped out (around 1pm) all the way, the bite got pretty steady and both guys spent the afternoon catching nice rainbows, cutthroats, and browns (each caught one brown around 18-inches).  The weather was overcast, somewhat calm (but we did get a little wind riffle in the early afternoon), and very chilly.  Midge activity was pretty steady the whole time the water was low, but we did best on scuds.  Tomorrow I start a four day stint on the water, and things are really getting hectic with my guiding schedule.  Hopefully the fishing will only get better, and it's not bad as it is.  

February 10th, 2006: Unfortunately I haven't done much fishing lately, but from what I gather the bite has been very good most days of late.  The combination of low water, sun, and breezy conditions is making the pools fish very well.  The irony is that there are lots of people very upset with all this low water (and great wading) because these conditions are not conducive for a "shad kill".  For those new to all this, the "shad kill" happens when threadfin and gizzard shad (shad are a small, whitish/silvery bait fish) get sucked through the turbines at the dams during power generation.  The shad are usually crippled or dead and the trout will key-in on this new food source in the river.  Scroll down to my reports from a year or so ago for more details...last year was a prolonged event.  Well, when the lakes are low (like right now) power generation is often limited to the early mornings and evenings on cold days, so the opportunity to fish for trout gorging on shad is very limited, to say the least.  The "shad kill", if hit right, offers anglers a chance at some huge fish that come out of the woodwork when there are free meals up and down the river. 

Today we had some decent snow and then it all melted away, but the forecast is for some really cold temperatures over the weekend.  Hopefully we will start seeing decent rains or the fisheries can get stressed (say if the water is still 12 feet low in the lakes in June), but the next few months are always decent whether the water is low or high.  Scuds (olive, "dead") are starting to really work along with midges, san juans, and sow bugs in low water.  Generation is primarily an early morning deal right now with heavier releases on mornings where the temperature here is below 25 degrees.  Bull Shoals has been releasing into mid morning some days, and they did crank 6 units for a little while earlier in the week.  If you had caught that right up by the dam it could have been great, and every day offers unique challenges because you never really know what the water will do.  The Norfork is getting crowded some weekends, but as always, the worse the weather, the fewer folks on the water.

February 1, 2006: I've been out of town due to some personal circumstances, and I am so sorry for the lapse.  But from here on out I will definately be more consistent with the reports.  The best part of the fishing year is upon us and now is the time to plan a trip...really, the next 6 months will offer some of the better fishing we have seen in awhile.  Water levels in the rivers and lakes are very low, and that could negatively effect fishing as the temperatures warm up.  But that wouldn't happen until May or June...hopefully the rains will come before things get bad.  So wade fishing has become the way to go, for the most part.  This allows the most people access to the fisheries and it is not conducive for a shad kill to occur.  But when the bite is on, it seems like more big fish come from February through June no matter what the water is doing. 

I have just come back in town, but I will report more in the next few days as I will be home taking care of a loved one recovering from a surgery (she is fine so far, which I'm thankful for). I guided a few times before leaving that were pretty productive days that I will rehash in my next report.  Please feel free to call or email if you have any questions whatsoever.

January 17th, 2006: Well, I've actually been busy for the last week or so with guide trips, family visits, and a speaking engagement in Tulsa.  That's my excuse this time for the lapse.  Anyway, fishing continues to be good (to great), but still, every day is different with respect to water levels and fish activity.  One day they may be very aggressive on low water, and the next day they only hit when the water is high.  Despite low lake levels, Norfork has been extremely mean to waders lately with almost daily releases that start and stop at almost any time of the day.  A boat (or access to one) can really come in handy when they operate like this because it also makes for dangerous wading conditions downstream of the dam (like McClellen's and the Handicap Access).  Often the water does not recede fully before it starts to rise again.  The White has been offering much more stable water with many periods of extended low water.  If they do release, it is almost always in the morning and evening.  Afternoon fishing from Wildcat to Rim Shoals has been pretty action-oriented once the water drops completely.  There are lots of fish on both rivers right now, and crowds are minimal most weekdays.

Now for our fishing experiences: on the 9th of January I took out a couple of very nice guys.  They had not fished the Norfork before, so after explaining our options, we went over there.  They had been running earlier, but the water was off when we got to the ramp.  I quickly put in and got to some wading spots down river.  The bite was a bit slow to start, but it turned into a very nice morning once the water dropped out all the way.  One of the guys was a beginner, and he caught the two biggest fish: an 18 and a 21-inch brown.  It's easy to get hooked on fly fishing when that happens.  Right after landing the 21-incher, the horn blew and the water came up very quickly (around 12:30pm).  It took me a few minutes to get rigged, but when we got up in the "dam hole", the water had dropped two feet already.  Still, the fish were nailing our San Juans on every drift until the water was abruptly shut down.  I was glad these guys got a taste of high water action, anyway.  The rest of the day we had pretty good action on very nice fish while wading.  Slow periods were fewer and further between than recently and it ended up being a great time.  The water came on at 4pm...just in time to motor back to the ramp.  Now getting the boat on to the trailer proved far more adventurous than necessary, but we'll save that story for another report...

I didn't get back on the water again until last Saturday (the 14th) after a nice visit with the Tulsa Fly Fishers.  This group of three clubs (TU, FFF, and ?) is very active in local conservation and I really respected their seriousness when it comes to working together to get things done.  Anyway, Saturday I guided two guys who were new to the area.  The water was off at Norfork, so I was really looking forward to getting away from the dam for a day.  Of course the water was running when we got to the river, so drifting was the option.  It was a clear, calm day, and I expected pretty good action.  The excess boats had a chance to spread out, and we fished a relatively empty river until lunch...and the fishing was very good with lots of brookies and rainbows, plus some chunky browns.  The water level seemed to be fluctuating a lot, and for most of the time it was near a very "easy 1 unit" level.  This type of water is often pretty productive, but the best fishing is primarily in deeper water.  San Juans were the ticket, but many flies like big nymphs and small streamers also work on lighter flows.  Right after lunch the water was shut off, and the falling water fished as well as I've seen it for awhile.  There was no midge hatch or splashing fish, but still a black zebra-style midge was the fly of the moment.  It started to crowd up where we were, and once the water came all the way down, the bite flat-out stopped.  No one was catching anything, and we were limited to a few bites here or there.  So I took some time at the end of the day to teach these guys how I rig and explain some other spots.  They ended up catching a lot of fish on their own the next day.  A good guide trip should never end, but rather be the beginning of a new type of angling thought process.  All guides have spent more time on the water than they care to admit, and every one has a little different style and approach.

Water conditions should be predictably unpredictable this week on the Norfork, with heavier water seeming to be confined to cold weather periods.  The White is often low for extended periods in the winter and offers solitude and great wading.  Dry flies (caddis) are working over there along with the usual nymphs...midges are working on dead low water or when fish can bee seen near the surface feeding on pupa and adults. I will really try to report AT LEAST once a week, but as always: call or email me if you need more pressing information.   

January 5th, 2006: Happy New Year's Everyone!!! I have been somewhat busy working the last week and it's always nice (for me) when the Holidays are over.  Starting a few days after Christmas (Tues. the 27th), I took out some guys and we went to the Norfork.  The water was low the entire day and the river was pretty empty where we were.  It ended up being a great day for December in all respects:  It was windy, but a warm wind, and the fish were biting pretty well from start to finish (it was 70 degrees when we took the boat out!).  One guy caught fewer fish than the other, but his were bigger.  They both caught all four species and we really couldn't have asked for more.  The average size of the 'bows and browns was around 15-inches on the Norfork at the time (with good numbers in the 17 to 20-inch range), but recent stockings have made the average a little smaller.

Two days later I took the same two guys out.  The water was running that morning, and by the time we got ready to drift fish (around 9am), the water was dropping fast.  We moved down river and drifted the falling water.  Then at 10am the water came up very fast to two units.  By 11am, the water was off again...I think you can see where this is going.  All day the water was up and down, and most fishing was done from the boat on either light running water or falling water.  Still, the fish bit pretty well throughout all the fluctuations and we hooked some nice ones.  The river was pretty crowded with boats and waders who were all put out by the radical releases.

After a few days break, I was out the last two days with a repeat client of mine.  Tuesday we started near Norfork Dam.  The water was running hard in the morning, but started to fall out by 9am.  To be honest, it was a tough bite all day but we did manage a dozen or so, and I was glad we got those.  Conditions were calm, the river was crowded, and the fish were in a funk (I think because they ran water for the first time in 4 days that morning).  The next day we had a bone to pick with that water, and it ended up being a perfect example of the daily changes in the fishing on the Norfork.  He caught fish right off the bat on the running water on San Juans, and the bite lasted through the entire fall in the water, but we did switch to midges after the water got slow.  An 18-inch brown was the biggest landed, and we got fish of all sizes: from puny to chunky, but the action was great.  Around 3pm the bite slowed down considerably.  Now that the lakes are in good shape with respect to deep oxygen, fishing should be decent on both rivers for awhile...but there will still be tough days due to weather or water conditions.  Because of the low resevoir levels, releases will continue to be minimal and usually isolated to mornings and evenings.  The weather has been different every day, just like the fishing, but it has been on the mild side since last report.  I will let you know if I hear of or see some shad on the rivers, but we need more rain for a decent shad kill to happen.

December 20th, 2005: Not much fishing news to report...I've only been out for a few hours on the Norfork after getting home from Pheonix on Saturday.  It was a fun trip (golf) to Arizona and I got a hole-in-one in Tuscon last Thursday.  That made it all worthwhile.  Anyway, fishing has been a little slow from what I gather but there are tons of big fish on both rivers waiting to be caught.  Fishing pressure is minimal and so are water releases...they are releasing most mornings during the week and that is it.  If any of you wrote me while I was gone and I haven't responded, please resend your emails...somehow I lost a batch while checking it out on the road.  Best Holiday wishes and I will keep you updated as I get more time on the water.

December 5th, 2005: I hope everyone is staying warm as winter temperatures are slamming us right now.  It's only 33 degrees as I write this at 2:30pm...and the sun is out.  First things first: I will be sending out a newsletter today or tomorrow, so be on the lookout for it.  Secondly: I will be out of town until the 17th, so there will be a lapse in reports.  Still, feel free to call me on my cell phone...(870) 404-9027...if you have any questions about the fishing or are interested in the guide services.  Of course I'm leaving town as the fishing is getting good...

Guided a gentleman on the Norfork yesterday, and boy, what a change from Thanksgiving weekend.  The fish were very active in the morning on low water, and the action was very steady...not hot, but consistent.  The fish were running very nice, and he did have a few pigs on for just a second.  For the past few months I have been using two-fly rigs almost exclusively near the dam, but yesterday they hit a sow bug (alone) just fine.  The bite died around 11am for a couple of hours and then it got steady again from 1pm to 4pm.  But it was cold, and the trout seem to love nasty weather.  The lakes are starting to really turn over, so there should be some low water on Norfork and the White most days.  Bull shoals is releasing most mornings and evenings which makes it tough to wade some places downstream, and Norfork has been off all day since Saturday with releases during the night.  It was a bit suprising how good the bite was yesterday and hopefully it is a sign of things to come.  January is a very good month, but December is often slow.  Still, it's been a little (or alot) different every year I've been here (over 6...wow!).  Best wishes and I'll report when I get back in town.

November 27th, 2005: I'm still alive, despite my recent lack of reports.  Sickness, work, and decent fishing have all taken up my time as of late (I know: excuses).  Anyway, like I always say: "If you need a report (or any info) right away, just call or email me."  Since my last report, fishing has remained relatively similar: low water  means slower fishing, high water equals lots of fish.  The only place I'm fishing now is the Norfork.  It has been a great year for oxygen (relative to other years) over there, but oxygen has been low enough that they haven't stocked much.  This means most fish (especially near the dam) are running very nice size (quality over quantity).  Still, with this year's better water, the fishing has been fickle and tough at times.  Instead of reiterating my recent trips, I will talk a little bit about how to catch some trout on our rivers when things get tough.  Both lakes are very low right now, so looking down the road, we need lots of rain if we're going to have a shad kill this upcoming winter/spring.  Norfork is running water every day at various points, and some days they run all day with the water fluctuating between one and two units.  The White is running very little except on cold mornings and evenings, for short periods.  I heard the fishing is decent to poor over there, depending on who you talk to and what they think "decent"means.

As I've tried stressing, fall fishing is very tough and you often must use techniques and flies geared towards the specific conditions.  The first thing someone will notice when looking at the Norfork right now when the water is low is how green it is.  This abnormal color (the water is crystal clear most of the year) is a result of a deep algae-bloom in Lake Norfork.  Although the river isn't as pretty to look at, I feel that the bigger fish feel more secure when this occurs.  Now midges (very small insects that look like mesquitoes) hatch every day of the year that the water is low, but during fall and winter times, it really means something.  When "midge activity" is happening you will see pupa/schucks on the water, fish will be boiling near the surface, and some trout will be sipping the adult bugs off the surface.  This is easiest to read in slower water.  Now most anglers feel that they should fish on or near the surface, and in some cases this is true, but for every rise/slurp you see, there are at least a100 fish near the bottom gorging on pupa and larva.  The best time to fish a pupa pattern near the surface (either dropping it or below a small indicator) is when it looks like rain with all the dimples on the surface (usually in calm conditions before dark)...otherwise, a deep presentation will almost always catch more fish.  Since water clarity is low, I like to use two flies this time of year in slow water...one (a sow bug or scud) to get the fly down and attract attention, and then a small pupa fly (#18 or #20) below to "match the hatch".  I put the midge dropper about 8-10 inches from the point fly in most cases.  Now I hate fishing this way with light tippett, but it really makes a huge difference in the numbers of fish you will catch.  Hopefully this helps, and I will try and be more descriptive in my future reports in explaining how things are done.  I feel that I must produce action all day as a guide, if possible, and this can only happen through countless days on these ever-changing rivers.  Little changes will make a big impact when the fishing is tough, and this crede has turned many "hopeless" days into very productive ones.

Look for water to continue on Norfork until the lakes turn over, with your best bet on low water being the White.  Even though the catch and release area below Bull Shoals Dam is closed until Febuary, the State Park below it has special regulations for the winter that result in more and bigger fish than normal.  Big browns move through there on their way to the dam, so you never know what you'll hook.  Once the lakes do turn over (mid December is my guess), a gradual improvement will happen and the "normal" bite will be back by January.  I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and I'll try and do a better job of keeping you informed.

November 9th, 2005: Sorry for my lapse in reporting... I have done several trips since my last update.  Water conditions and the weather remain very inconsistent, but there is some good fishing to be had if you have patience.  The weekend before Halloween I guided a guy who had a great day with me over the summer and his friend, who was a raw beginner.  We decided on Norfork and started near the dam because the water was running. The fish didn't start biting at all until the water started dropping, but it ended up being a relatively good day for both guys...the more experienced one caught a lot of decent fish...the beginner had some success and plenty of opportunities.  Crowds have been a nusiance, and this day was no exception.  The next day (Saturday) I put in at the "confluence" with some water running on Norfork and we tried a few spots in the catch and release area.  The water came up several feet in the first hour, and the river became quite trashy with moss.  This never cleared up and the bite was tough aqll morning.  Around 12:30pm they shut the water off, and we tried some wading right by the dam.  It was packed with boats, but the fish were biting in the beginning.  After the water dropped all the way down, the bite stopped and they were ready to call it a day.  This is a tough time of year and you most likely will not have all-day action on low water. 

After a few more days off, I guided four out of five starting last Thursday (the 3rd of November).  It was a very windy day, and the water was running on both rivers.  The Norfork offers more protection, but it was still very tough controlling the boat.  The water fluctuated all day but never shut off, and the fish were fairly steady on the bite which was great considering it was pretty empty all day.  Lots of brook trout landed...the majority of fish were brookies.  The next day I took out a couple brothers and the water was running in the morning but shut off at 9am.  We started catching a few when the water really started falling out and we had decent action on midges once the water became wadeable.  Around 1pm the water came up to a "small" one unit.  The water stayed running the rest of the afternoon and we really got into some nice fish, including a 20-inch rainbow.  The wind made drifting a challenge, but it all worked out.

Last Sunday I worked a half day in the afternoon with some really nice people from Alabama. Unfortunately, McClellen's was dead and we caught very few.  Not even many bites, but this can happen in the fall.  There were plenty of fish there and conditions were decent, but it just wasn't meant to be.  And I know they learned a lot and they definately saw how trout fishing can turn on you.  The next day I took out the brothers from a few days before.  We started out wading, then the horns blew, I put my boat in, and the water shut off.  We decided to fish some areas near the dam, and the bite was tough, but still happening a little.  These guys were very good at keeping the flies in productive water, and almost every fish they caught was very nice size (14 to 18-inches).  The midge hatch was sporradic, and the fish just never got really hungry, but I'll take quality over quantity any time.  Look for releases to be light for awhile as the lakes are in desperate need of water.  Fishing will be hit or miss for most, and the White is offering lots of low water every day for the most part.  Although action may be slow at times, the fish we're catching are worth it.  I've heard the White is fishing well some days recently, but also there have been some tough times up and down the river.  Sunday through Thurday is definately less crowded than Saturday and Sunday, especially on Norfork near the dam. 

October 26th, 2005: Finally a few days here to relax and catch my breath.  It's been awhile.  I guided four days since my last report and each had it's ups and downs.  For three days at the end of last week I took out a friend from Nashville's Trout Unlimited chapter.  Unfortunately his knee made it tough to do a lot of wading, so the first day I took hime up to Bull Shoals where they had been running all day last week...until we got there.  The water had just shut off so we decided to try and wade until it became too painful.  Fishing wasn't that bad in the morning considering the calm conditions, and the guy hooked a very large fish that exploded on the surface before shaking the #18 midge free.  Still, we had some chances and landed a few nice fish.  We were both hoping for some "horn music" to signal water releases, but that day it would stay low until late afternoon.  After lunch the conditions got prime with wind/sun, but the bite never materialized.  Just one of those days where it  never happened.  The next day we tried Norfork, and they were running water, only to shut it off by the time we arrived at the dam.  I knew a few places where fishing from an anchored boat was productive, so we put in and got to fishing...my friend could not handle any more wading, and I understood completely.  It ended up being a very good day with lots of action and nice fish of all four species.  At the end he landed a 17-inch brookie...what a site for sore eyes!!!  Midges and sow bugs were the ticket all day, and a steady breeze on the water made fishing from the boat a little stealthier.  On the last day with this guy, we tried Rim Shoals (Saturday).  It was empty all day, and the fishing started out well on falling water in some shady riffles.  But as the sun got higher and the water got lower, things got very tough.  I heard it was literally packed on the Norfork and upper White, so at least we had solitude while enjoying a gorgeous day and tough fishing.

But then winter came in with force (Sunday).  I had two experienced guys, and we started at Bull Shoals.  We had the wind, but the fish were not at all active.  Both guys caught a couple decent fish, but it was slow, slow, slow.  Norfork can fish well on these types of "front" days, so we went over there before lunch.  This ended up being the right move.  We caught lots of beautiful, chunky fish near the dam.  They were really running bigger than normal, including some fat cutthroats and brookies.  And we had the place to ourselves...what a difference from the previous day.  By 5pm we were freezing and ready for the showers, and I was ready for a three-day nap.

That brings us up to now.  The weather is warming up a bit, but it's been a blustery past few days.  So I veged out and got some rest.  Fishing will continue to be fickle until the lakes turn over in mid to late December.  But there are lots of nice fish around and some really big ones are starting to move around on the White.  November (wow, it's already almost November) can be very good during the right conditions, with falling water sparking midge hatches on the Norfork.  The White has a little caddis activity, and the midge bite is the best thing going over there if the hatch comes off.  I'll keep you informed if anything BIG happens in the next week.

October 19th, 2005: What a long month it's been from a guiding perspective for me.  I'm well on my way to working 20 days this October.  That is why I haven't reported in awhile.  Instead of rehashing every guide trip since the last report, I will instead talk about the overall fishing.  Well, there have been some good days and some great days over the last few weeks.  The one thing that has been consistent is inconsistent water conditions.  No two days are the same in that respect, and it is amazing that they are running so much water.  This is very good for the fisheries in the fall, and the action has been best when the water is running.  Last week I guided on both the Norfork and the White.  On Norfork, low water has become tough on many days and diligent dead-drifting is the key to success.  When conditions are calm, the deeper holes and faster water are the ticket.  During windy times, the fish in shallow, slow water are turning on.  It's like a switch is flipped and the feeding begins.  The dam area has some real nice fish, but the bite is inconsistent, to say the least.  Midges (pupa patterns) will become more and more important over the next two months.  If you see fish taking emmergers below the surface, try stripping crackle backs or drifting small pupas.  Scuds and sow bugs always catch fish, but this time of year can be the time to try a different approach.  Norfork could be great or terrible over the next month...every year fishes differently, but if it gets good, a lot of big browns will be caught.  This continued heat should be dying down by the weekend, and that will hopefully get the water steadier.  Still, high water is "big fish time" on both rivers.

Upper Bull Shoals has been very hit or miss lately, and much of this has to do with releases starting and stopping throughout the day.  One unit has been running a lot of the time, and this water has fished well.  If it gets higher than that, things get really fun.  Many of my clients have been hooking some great fish up there from the boat and they are fighting hard.  Action has been steady while drift fishing with few really slow or really hot periods.  Low water has been tough for most up there, but it has been better for us the last few times the water shut off.  Still, it is nothing like this last spring.  We're catching mostly rainbows, but last time one (Monday) guy caught a 21-inch brown and the other caught a 19-inch cutthroat, so there is some variety.  Fishing will be very fickle for the rest of the month on both rivers, especially considering the waning moon phase we are in.  But big fish are on the move and you really don't know when that huge one is going to bite.  If you get one of the better days, you really have a chance at something special.  I have a few open dates left this month starting next week, and November is starting to book.  It is really starting to get pretty here with the leaves just starting to turn, and the peak will be in a couple of weeks.  Best of luck, and hit the "subscribe" link above if you haven't received my recent newsletter and want to.

October 6th, 2005: Hello everyone.  I want to stress that if you need an updated report, you can always call or email me.  This time of year is very busy, so sometimes my reports lapse a bit.  But I promise to get one out every week or so until things slow down.  Also, I will be getting the October/November newsletter out next week.  Fishing is still pretty good, but many of my guide trips last week were helped by good water and weather conditions.  Until today (Thurs.) it has been remarkably hot weather-wise, and that has meant releases have occured most days at some point.  Last Friday I guided a couple guys and we did pretty well near Norfork Dam.  The river was relatively empty, and it is a tough bite up there if you are not patient and don't stick with the usual nymphs...sow bugs and scuds are still the ticket on low water with some midge patterns starting to work at times.  On this day we caught lots of very nice rainbows, cutthroats, and three hefty browns.  The water ran for an hour in the middle of the day (12-1), but it didn't really slow things down after it dropped out again.  Later in the day the water became kind of trashy and the bite died down significantly.  Still, it was an excellent outing for up there with respect to quality of fish. 

Sunday I went to McClellen's with one guy, and the bite was tough for the first twenty minutes, and then the wind started and the fishing got very good.  Pretty much a bite on every cast in the "chop" I love so much.  The quality of the fish down there is not what it was in September, and I suspect that the area was stocked in the last few weeks making for more smallish ones.  Still, we couldn't have asked for more.  After lunch we tried right up by Norfork Dam and it was much slower (considering the great conditions), but we did manage a nice brookie to complete the "grand slam" among several other fish.  At 2pm the water came up and the guy needed to hit the road, so we called it a day.  The water is very greenish near the dam which is a result of oxygen-stealing algae from the resevoir.  This happens every year, but this year the Corp (and other groups like the AGFC) seem committed to keeping oxygen levels above the lethal levels of year's past.  Hopefully this trend will continue.  Monday was a carbon-copy of Sunday with a great bite when the wind kicked up. 

The last two days I guided a husband and wife who were very fun and had some luck on their side, as well.  Tuesday we started by Norfork Dam, and the water came up at 9am.  It was slow at first, but it ended up being a very steady day with several "hot" periods.  We caught lots of chunky fish drifting including plenty of brookies, cutthroats and browns. Nothing really big was landed, but not many tiny ones were caught either.  The river was very crowded first thing in the morning, but was pretty empty on the high water.  Generation periods will offer the steadiest fishing on the Norfork because the oxygen is consistent during these times. The next day we went up to Bull Shoals. They were running one unit when I called in the morning, but the water was off when we got there.  Fishing continues to be very tough on low water up there, especially if it's calm.  At 10:40am they started up two units, and the fishing was good on the rise using San Juans.  They never turned on more generators, but they were still fluctuating around 8 inches throughout the day.  It ended up being pretty good the whole time with steady action and some nice fish.  The lady caught a very healthy 22.5-inch 'bow right around noon.  This trout was right up there with any fish I've had landed in my boat this year...probably 5 to 6 pounds.  It is very crowded up there when the water is running.

Look for lower water as temperatures become seasonal, and look for fishing to become more fickle as oxygen levels drop.  We won't see a real improvement in these levels until the lakes turn over in December.  Norfork will be best during generation.  The lower White is also fishing well from what I hear.  It is very busy in this area right now with everyday like a weekend.  This will lighten up as the month goes on, and November is far less crowded.

September 28th, 2005: Sorry for the lapse in reporting...had a few days off and needed the time to recoup.  Last week I guided two days: Tuesday and Thursday.  The pattern was still for low water in the mornings and somewhat high water in the afternoons because it was hot.  The husband and wife I guided last Tues. were very nice and pretty experienced.  Since they were staying at Norfork and since they had a tough day the day before (Mon. the 19th), I did my best to get them on some fish and salvage their trip.  Well, it was pretty tough all morning at McClellen's...actually, it was alright to start and alright just before lunch...pretty dead in between.  Still, they caught quite a few fish (especially considering no one else out there was doing much at all), and the guy caught a nice brown and nice 'bow.  This is a perfect example of how conditions and oxygen levels are key this time of year.  The best bite on Norfork will be either on high water or sunny/windy days when it is low.  So I wasn't too upset when I called the dam at lunch and heard the water was coming up.  It was very warm that afternoon, and the fishing was quite fickle.  The water is not very clear when they are running (due to the annual "algae bloom" in Lake Norfork), so bright colored flies (San Juans) are working best much of the time.  We still had lots of bites and landed some really nice trout...and they both caught all four species which is nice.  Around 4:30 pm the bite turned on, and we finally started catching fish very consistently.  This was a typical day for the time of year, and if you stick with the "old standards" and the best water, you will catch fish.  And there are lots of really nice fish up and down the river,  so you have a chance at a trophy on any given cast.

Last Thursday I had a last-second booking for one guy.  He was primarily interested in catching big fish, so I decided on Bull Shoals with hopes they would run water most of the day.  It has been tough up there on still days with low water...exactly what we were looking at when we arrived.  There was a little midge activity to start, so after trying some pupa patterns I switched to a small scud.  The guy had two bites and then the horn blew (9am).  I was happy to see a full unit coming, so I got the boat in and we started drifting and getting a few bites.  It was still fogged in, so I had to take things slow.  Around 9:40 the water started dropping and I soon realized they had shut it back off.  This happens a lot up there, and I can't figure it out from a rational standpoint.  All I know is that it usually shuts the fish down when they "fool" with them by running the water for less than an hour.  I admit it: this guy, who could fish and listened well, didn't land one before lunch...he really didn't have that many chances, either.  Around noon, they started the water again, and the bite was hot on a medium one unit.  Then it slowed down right before they turned two more on.  It ended up being a very good afternoon, especially since every fish landed was 14-inches to 20-inches, and I know we had some bigger ones on.  I had told this client that we may have to wait for the bite, and he was willing to do what it took (including a skunky morning). All in all, he landed around 15, and had many more opportunities.

Water releases have started to change a bit this week with a little cooler weather.  Bull Shoals is off until 10am-1pm most days, with the occassional one unit running all morning.  They are not running nearly as much in the afternoons.  This is a hard time to predict flows because they seem to have a different agenda every day.  Norfork is really getting hard to figure out as they run bits and pieces of water to keep oxygen levels up.  Today they ran from 7am until 10am, and then shut off.  This will happen more and more as the fall wears on.  Before today, they were starting releases between 11am and noon most days.  So waders must be attentive and willing to wait some days before the water gets right.  Some of you may not be aware, but we have a WONDERFUL golf course right in Mountain Home called Big Creek (870-425-8815).  Prices are reasonable, especially for such a nice layout, and it is in awesome shape.  So be prepared: bring your golf clubs with you in case the water conditions don't work out.  If anyone plays it, let me know what you think.

September 19th, 2005: Well, the weather broke finally....kinda.  But as I write this, temperatures are approaching 95 degrees.  Summer is hanging on in a serious way.  I got several days off last Monday and Tuesday, but Wedensday I was back at it for four days in a row.  The first day (Wed.) I guided one guy who was interested in just catching fish.  So we decided on the Norfork.  The weather was "iffy" with rain threatening all day, but we managed to avoid all that.  It was nice to have some cloudy and cool weather for a change.  We started at McClellen's, and the fish were biting from the start.  All morning he caught one after another on scuds and sow bugs, and the fish were running a little bigger than normal.  By lunch he had landed too many to count with many chunky rainbows, cutthroats, and a nice brown.  After eating, the client wanted to try something different, so we walked into McClellen's shoal and had it all to ourself (a rare occurence).  This is a gorgeous set of riffles and straight drop offs, and the fish were really aggressive.  Scuds were what we were using, but lots of nymphs would have worked...plain, sparse flies are working the best.  We fished the shoal for about an hour and a half and caught more cutts, 'bows, and a brookie when the water started coming up.  After the water started, we put in at the dam and had a very nice couple hours catching mostly brook trout, including a gorgeous 14-incher.  The brookies are really colored up right now.  During high water (they have been running 48 mw which is a little more than a full one unit most days), the clarity of the river is down, but this seems to make the fish less spooky and more aggressive.  Oxygen levels are most consistent during these periods.

The next day I guided the same guy and his father.  It was storming hard first thing in the morning, and it looked like a complete wash out, but we decided to try upper Bull Shoals because it was one of the few places with clear water (it rained heavily the night before).  We got soaked the first three hours, but the fishing was pretty good despite the weather.  Worms were the ticket, and by lunch they had both landed 6 fish each with several big ones (incl. a 20-inch rainbow).  The dad had a big one on, but it went by the wayside in disappointing fashion.  By 1pm it started to clear up, so we ended up making a day of it up there.  Fishing would be hot or cold all afternoon, but both caught lots of fish by Bull Shoals standards with many in the 15-17-inch range.  They ran 3 units all day, but it was more like two units.  The best action was when they would raise the water a few inches.

Needless to say, I was worn out going into Friday and Saturday, but luckily I had a very nice couple to work with.  Friday was chilly and cloudy all day with a steady downstream wind.  When we got to McClellen's, it was remarkably crowded, and I even had trouble getting into my favorite areas.  But as people left and moved, I got the lady into a good spot and she started getting bites on every cast, and eventually she started landing them.  When her husband got to us, he did the same.  The wind chop was really helping, and the guy caught two nice browns in the 18-inch range before lunch and his wife got some much needed confidence with the fly rod and a bunch of 'bows.  After eating, he continued to literally rip fish, even when the wind died, but she got kinda snakebitten.  Still, it was one of their best days ever trout fishing and I was happy with how it turned out.  By 3pm, when the water came up, they were ready to call it a day.  The next day (Sat.) we tried McClellen's again, and it was a bit humbling.  It was cloudy with no wind, and the fish were biting very light.  Nothing like the day before.  At 1pm the water came up, so we put the boat in and did some drifting by the dam.  The sun came out and it got pretty warm. It was very light water (maybe 1200cfs) which limited where you could effectively and safely fish, but we made the best of it and caught some pretty fish.  Still, the bite was light causing them to miss quite a few.  San Juan's in brown or red were working...you need something visible in the murky water.

Water conditions remain enigmatic, at best, but there is still plenty of low water on the Norfork.  The last week saw lots of 1 to 3 units on the White and they have only been shutting off for a few hours at night.  These can be tricky conditions because the levels are "in between" good wading and decent boating.  The Norfork is starting up at a different time every day, but they usually run every afternoon.  Once it starts cooling down to the south of here (I.E. Texas, Oklahoma), perhaps the water will stay off until 4 or 5pm.  Any releases they make on the Norfork are helping the fish breath even if the fishing is tough because of "light" water.  Hopefully the fall rains will start to fill up the lakes and ease the area's dryness. Fishing will continue to be very good when conditions are right, but there will less active periods of feeding as we get into October.   

September 12th, 2005: Here it is: late September, and still as hot as can be.  It's been very dry, and the only thing helping kill the heat is a little afternoon breeze. Fortunately it looks like mid week there may be a break in the weather with tempertatures in the lower 80's....it will feel so new.  But besides the uncomfortable aspect of the weather, fishing continues to excel on both the White and Norfork.

Saturday and Sunday I guided a gentleman from Memphis.  This guy liked to catch fish and that was his main priority.  We went to McClellen's, and for the first hour it was very slow.  The fish that would bite were hitting very soft, so we had a few come off.  I started with "dead" scuds and switched to the natural-colored variety...neither was doing it for us, and I chalk it up to lower oxygen in the mornings. During these times we would move upstream about 10 feet and immediately get several bites before it would slow down.  Well, this only lasted for about an hour, and the "the switch was turned 'on'".  The wind came up nicely and we started catching very nice quality browns, rainbows, and cutthroats back on the "dead" scud.  After lunch we were able to get right back in the fish and we both concurred that it doesn't get any better than this.  The water came up on us around 2:30pm and we decided to call it a day.  Why mess with success?  We had caught plenty of fish.

I had all these ideas for where to fish Sunday (the second day of the trip), but the guy was itching to go right back where we were the day before.  The trout were more aggressive from the start, but we didn't begin by hammering them.  On the flipside, almost every fish was a really nice, beautiful specimem the whole time.  Around 10am the wind came up and it got awesome again (used dead and regular scuds) with bites or fish virtually every cast.  But this would be the Corp of Engineer's day to rule as they turned off Bull Shoals Dam and subsequently started the Norfork at 11am (a very light "one" unit).  I was resolved to not let the water cut two days short, so we made the "short" trip up to Bull Shoals Dam (30 miles).  I figured the conditions would be just right with all the wind, plus I had an inside track that it would be low the entire afternoon.  Well it became mostly cloudy and inconsistently windy when we arrived,  which made things tough...it would have been worse to make that drive and get skunked.  But we did manage to land one 17-inch rainbow up there (and missed a few other opportunities) and that made it worth it.  We probably fished for around an hour, and my client was worn out.

Water releases are becoming lighter as the lakes continue to drop, but the dams are releasing water every day...usually during hot weather.  Once temperatures cool I think there will be even more low water on Norfork, but Bull Shoals may start running one and two units some days for the whole day.  Oxygen levels are getting scarier and scarier on the Norfork, but we're still not in that bad of shape.  "Pulsing" (where they release small amounts of water during the night) will really help and I look for that to begin very soon. During high water on Norfork, the oxygen is very good, and I would suspect the fishing is as well.  I have a busy week coming up, but after the upcoming Saturday, my guiding schedule really opens up.  October is always busy, but I feel that fuel prices may keep some people away this year.  There were a few other anglers and guides out there this weekend, but it was pretty dead all things considered.  I saw several locals struggling to catch fish while we were tearing them up, so you might hear different reports from different people.  Rim Shoals is also fishing pretty well from what I hear from several sources. 

September 5th, 2005: Sorry for my lapse in reporting, but in all honesty, the summer routine is in "full swing" and fishing remains fairly steady.  I've only guided a couple of days since my last report, and they were fairly recently.  Of course, cooler weather will change the generation patterns, but as it remains hot, water is primarily run in the afternoons.  The White has been starting up from 11am to 1pm, and Norfork is staying off until 1pm to 3pm most days.  Lots of wading water on many days.  For some reason, weekends have been a bit less predictable than during the week.  Low oxygen becomes a concern this time of year, especially on Norfork.  I took one guy over there last Thursday, and we went to McClellen's.  The bite was kind of fickle that day, but he still had more periods of action than slow times.  It was a hot day and we called it when the water came up around 2:30pm (the client's decision, of course). He had a great time.  There are still tons of fish everywhere I look, and lots of browns.  Ironically, I've heard the slowest fishing is in the catch and release area on Norfork.

Friday I took another single client to the dam area at Norfork.  The fish were very picky at first, and it was a struggle to hook up.  After lunch and some casual advice, the guy started casting, hooking, and overall fishing better than before.  And the fish turned on in a big way.  Almost every one landed was nicer than average, and he had some real dandies on.  When the water came up (3pm), we only drift fished for an hour or so, but it was pretty good.  Lots of nice fish are near Norfork Dam, but they need everything right to really bite.  Fishing should continue to be good this month, and I've heard the White is fishing well, especially on low water. I haven't been to Bull Shoals in awhile, but September and October can be very good.  Once it cools off I'll fish more on my own and will have more to report.

August 26th, 2005: Hello Everyone.  The long summer continues, but there have been a few afternoon storms to cool things off if you're lucky (or unlucky) enough to be under one.  Fishing continiues to excel, mainly on the Norfork.  Last Sunday I took the guys from the day before for a half-day on the Norfork.  The bite was steady to start and there were lots of good fish around.  As the morning progressed, the nicer ones started biting, but lately big fish are getting off on my clients.  It's just a fact of fishing, and there's no doubt that bigger fish have some tricks they've learned for getting free more often than not.

Monday I had a last-second trip come up and we decided on the White.  A big front was upon us and it had the fishing slow up by the dam on low water.  Very little breeze and the fish were not very active, even when the sun came out.  In fact, it was the worst morning I've had up there in recent memory.  Still, several nice fish were hooked and a few were landed.  These guys were interested in seeing some water, so we went to Rim Shoals after lunch and used my boat to access several spots on low water.  The fish there were more cooportive, and we had steady action the whole afternoon.  We primarily waded, but at the end I drifted the upper shoal a few times and one guy caught 6 while the other caught none.  Sometimes it happens that way, but they had a fun day and saw some cool places.

So Tuesday it was back to the Norfork with one client who was a beginner.  It was cloudy and cool all day!!! Finally.  And the fish were as hot as they get.  This always happens when I'm with a raw neophyte, but let's just say I coud have landed a gaudy number by lunch without moving an inch. This guy still probably caught 20 by lunch (which is great for a newbie), but I was just as concerned with getting him to enjoy the casting aspect...the fish hit wherever the fly was, but he wanted to learn to "shoot" line to the right place.  After lunch, they were even more aggressive, and it was literally a bite/fish on every cast.  Many were chunck rainbows, but the bigger ones had a way of getting off all day.  Still, it was a great introduction to the sport for this guy and he subsequently booked me the next day.  So we went to the same area.  It was hot and sunny, and there weren't dead AND molting scuds all over the place.  But the guy casted much better, the fish were a little slower, but it was still a very good day.  Yesterday (Thurs.) I got a day off.  Fishing will continue to be decent, and the right conditions (ie. wind) will make it great.  Cloudy weather also seems good after a summer of mainly sunny days.  I haven't done high water in awhile, but these are the conditions to hook big fish this time of year.  Look for releases to continue to be power-based with the water starting earlier if it is in the 90's and 100's south of here.  1pm seems like the "magic time" this week.  It's been a great summer, but I'm ready for some cooler days.

August 22nd, 2005:  It's gotten to be very busy since my return to Chicago, and I apologize for not writing sooner.  I have been guiding every day since Thursday, and the heat has been unrelenting.  But fishing has been good to great every day.  Thursday I had a father/son out and we caught fish all day at McClellen's.  The chop started mid-morning, and that made it great.  High water fishing in the afternoon was decent with some nice fish landed, icluding some beautiful brook trout.  Friday I basically did the same thing with a couple guys.  We never got really good wind chop, but both guys had nice fish hooked before lunch.  The high water was much better on this day with lots of nice ones caught (many brookies) including a 20" brown.  The water is kind of green on high water, but they are restricting the releases to 56 mw (2 easy units) which is great for drifting.

Saturday I went to Bull Shoals Dam with a couple guys I guide alot.  It was packed with waders on the low water, including some very rude and misguided anglers who had the audacity to question my guiding and etiquette after he took a 100-yard sprint though 1000's of fish to "beat us" to what he perceived was a great spot. It must have really frustrated this guy when we started out hooking up nice ones right away.  We were walking along the bank (for the most part) until we started fishing.  This type of "misguided" rudeness (the guy waited until we finished fishing to confront me in front of my clients) has no place here.  There were three of us against one renegade mouth, and when he started making physical threats towards me, I told the guy not to EVER come back and took the "higher road" at that point.   Some people do not like the looks of people guiding, but unless you want to get into an argument on the water, keep your comments discreet.  This guy had a lot of nerve.  All I tried to do was get to a spot without people walking all over it first, and he tried to guess what spot I wanted and tried to "beat me there".  He didn't, we caught fish, he didn't.  But if you think you may want a confrontation on the river, please stay home.  There is PLENTY OF WATER AND FISH FOR EVERYONE.  You just have to know how to catch them some places, and jealousy is a big part of the sport of fly fishing (like with golf).

Generation has been lighter the last week on the White, as they have only run heavy water last Friday and Saturday.  Norfork continues to run only in the afternoons, with much less on weekends.  Crowds are light and the fish are biting.  Please drop me a line if you want to comment on my comfrontation...I'd like to hear your opinions.

August 11th, 2005: Not much to report this last week.  It's been very hot and business is understandably slow.  I did fish last Saturday up by Bull Shoals on my own.  Low water was much tougher than it had been when I guided up there (Wed.), and I only caught a few from 10am to 12pm.  At noon the water came up, but only one unit.  The fishing was steadily good for the next few hours on sow bugs primarily.  I was wading, but it was too light a one unit to do much from the boat, anyway.  Since then, I've just tried to stay cool.

I will be out of town until early next week, but feel free to call me on my cell phone (870) 404-9027 if you have any questions at all.  Releases continue to be consistent with both Bull Shoals and Norfork not releasing until noon or 1pm most days.  Bull is shutting off from 8pm to 10pm at night, so there is all-day wading possible many days by jumping down river to stay ahead of the water.  When they do start generating, the water is coming up very fast on both rivers, so be aware.  I've heard mixed reports on the fishing, and I wasn't out there, but I'm sure it's good if you stick with the basics.  There are tons of HUGE dragon flies around, so sooner or later big dries will be the ticket.  It's definately something worth trying, especially if the wind comes up.  They are predicting a little cooler weather next week, and that could mean more low water.  Best wishes to everyone and look for a report later next week.

August 5th, 2005: The last week has really been good with respect to the fishing that I've done.  Low water is consistently good, with lots of nice fish.  The high water fishing on Norfork was excellent.  The Corp, AGFC, and Dept. of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) are closely monitoring low oxygen this year, and they seem far more committed than in year's past to keep trout deaths to a minimum, if humanly possible.  This is a BIG change.  Already, the "vents" (these shoot oxygenated air into the water being released) have been opened on Norfork, Beaver, and Table Rock Dams.  This doesn't usually happen until later, but I think it is a reflection of positive changes, not extra bad water this year.  Perhaps for the moment, the best part of this deal is that Norfork is restricted to generating 65 megawatts (80 mw is a full two units).  This is a great flow for fly fishing because the shallow runs still hold fish, and you can get down in the deeper holes that hold the big boys. 

I didn't guide that many days this last week, and it was still very hot most days.  Saturday I guided a couple guys at McClellen's, one a raw beginner.  Fishing was decent in the morning, with both guys having plenty of action.  After lunch, the bite got better because of a steady little wind chop.  The more experienced guy caught 6 browns on six casts at one point, and landed lots of nice ones.  The water hit us around 2:45pm, and upon everyone's aggreement we called it a day.  In retrospect, I wish we had fished a little more because the fishing on high water may have been good.  Regardless, we caught lots of fish.  On Wedensday I took a couple guys back to McClellen's.  These guys have fly fished the area for years, but haven't fished much on Norfork.  Fishing was good to start, and then it got great when a little breeze kicked up for a couple hours before lunch.  The overall quality was excellent for this stretch, and this is pretty much the case for the entire Norfork.  After lunch we waded a bit before the water came on.  I put the boat in at the dam, and it was a little slow to start, and the water is a little greenish during generation (there is an algae bloom in Lake Norfork annually).  After about 30 minutes, the fishing got hot and stayed that way for the rest of the afternoon.  Worms were the ticket, and we hooked several real pigs (one was a 20+ inch rainbow that came off at the boat), and we landed nice fish in all four species.  I wish every day worked out like this with all-day action on nice, beautiful trout.

Yesterday (Thurs.) I took one guy to Bull Shoals for a half day.  The water was off, and conditions were still.  The fish were pretty actively feeding on midges and scuds...we did best on the latter.  Several big fish were landed and some nicer ones were hooked.  It was a pretty productive morning, all things considered.  Right after we left, they turned on 6 units, and this has been the pattern on the White lately: low water from 10pm to 8to11am (or 12), and then they crank it up quickly.  Norfork has been starting around 1pm most days, and rising fast, so watch out.  Most people think of August as too hot to do anything outdoors, but actually it's been much cooler on the water and very few people are out fishing.  This has always been a good month due to somewhat predictable water patterns and for whatever reason, a lot of trophies are landed in August.  I will be out of town the weekend of the 13th, but other than that, my schedule is pretty much open until September.  August is always slow for guiding.  Well, keep on 'em and enjoy the low water and low crowds while you can.

July 28th, 2005: The "dog days" of summer are upon us, and besides a brief cooldown the last few days, the weather and water releases have been consistent the last week.  Norfork seems to begin generating around 2pm on hotter days, and 4pm yesterday with cooler temps.  The White has been cranking 8 units in the afternoon with lower flows lasting until 11am to 1pm on hotter days.  There have been very few periods of no generation at Bull Shoals.  They are shutting down some nights for 3 to 7 hours, but other nights they keep it running all the way through.  All my fishing has been on the Norfork the last week and I only high water fished once (for 2 hours).

Last Wedensday I took a client/friend to Norfork.  We started at McClellen's and the bite was considerably slower than the day before...but we still caught lots of fish before an early lunch.  The heat was intense.  After eating we fished the flat water below the dam and did quite well...a little chop helped our cause on these spooky fish.  A storm got us around 3pm, and it was all we could handle in the hot weather.  The water never came up on us.  The next day I had another single trip, and to do something different, we went in at the Handicap Access to try for some bigger fish.  It was a very tough bite down there, and the fish were extra spooky in the shallow runs.  We managed to land a few, but the bite died when the sun got high in the sky.  Since this guy was camping by Norfork Dam, I decided to show him a few spots up there.  The fish really turned on midge nymphs, and we caught lots of beautiful brook trout and some nice rainbows.  The water came on at 2pm, so we made it a shortened day due to the heat.  It was suprising how well they hit on the calm/sultry conditions.

After a few days break, I went out two days this week with a nice family I took out a year ago.  On Monday I took the 17 year old and his friend out, and we fished  near Norfork dam.  The river was suprisingly crowded considering the weather and it was a Monday, but the fish didn't mind too much.  Midges were the ticket in the morning and then scuds in the afternoon.  The breeze picked up after lunch and fishing was excellent with respect to action and overall quality of the fish.  At 2pm they turned both units on, but the water came up nice and slowly at first.  The fishing was very good on this rise and the boys caught an 18-inch 'bow and several browns in the 16-inch range besides many others.  Once the water started rolling, the bite died and we got off the water.  Yesterday (Wedensday) I took the boys plus mom out, and the temperatures were in the 60's to start!!! McClellen's was the spot, and the morning was pretty tough...especially when the rain set in.  Still, it was a very refreshing change from the heat of this hot summer.  After lunch the scud bite was great and all three were hooking up very regularily.  And "mom" got the biggest of the day: a 20-inch range brown.  We couldn't have asked for more out of the two days, and it's nice to wade most days after a year of high water.  The theme has been for the best bite to occur in the afternoon on low water, with mornings being more fickle.  Look for releases to be heaviest on hot days, and Norfork should offer wading into the afternoon for the most part.  If you can stand the heat, fishing is pretty consistent right now...plus you'll always stay 10 to 15 degrees cooler on the water. 

July 20th, 2005: I apologize for such a delay, but I have been guiding almost every day for the last week.  Releases were beginning to get steady until the last three days (starting Monday).  Since Monday, the water hass been off on Norfork until 5 or 6pm, and the White has been off in the morning before quickly building up to 6-8 units. Since my last report, fishing has been pretty good except for last Friday at Bull Shoals.  This was one of the last days they kept the water lower most of the day.  On one to three units it was toough, and things didn't get much better on the heavy rise.  Still, we had several big fish on and landed some really pretty ones.

My Saturday trip was cancelled, but Sunday I took one guy to Norfork.  They had two units running strong from the start, but quickly began fluctuating.  Drifting was tough on one and a half units up by the dam.  Around noon, they came up to two full units, so we went to the catch and release.  Fishing was much better there, and we started hooking nice browns and rainbows.  Unfortunately a sudden downpour forced us off the water.  Monday I took a father/son to Norfork expecting high water, but it was off when we got to the dam.  We quickly put the boat in and went down river.  The fish were biting very well on midges to start, and the boy ripped them all morning.  After lunch the wind came up nicely and we really hammered some.  Nothing huge was landed but lots of nice ones a with plenty of variety in species.  Fishing seems very good right now when you catch it low.  Scuds are best in the afternoon by the dam, and the water didn't come up until 5pm.

Yesterday I took another father/son to Norfork, and we ended up fishing McClellen's all day.  Scuds were the ticket all day and we landed a gaudy numberof fish.  They were running a little bigger for the area I guide on, and you could see nice browns and 'bows everywhere.  There was never a lull in the bite, and I couldn't believe it lasted all day.  Around 4pm a storm blew us out.  Look for lower water most mornings, with power releases on hot afternoons.  Weekends have deviated from the normal pattern and our harder to predict.  The low water all day won't last forever, but it's nice when it happens.

July 11th, 2005: Fishing is different every day since last report, and that will be the trend for a little while.  When conditions are "optimal" (low water, sunny, wind chop), the bite is good to great.  But when everything isn't together, and you don't have the right fly, things can get very tough.  I'm getting mixed reports from other guides.  Another trend is the fishing really slowing down when the water cranks up.  This will persist until a more definative flow pattern emmerges.  Still,  it's low or lower water all morning and then the water is starting up between 1 and 3 pm.  Bull hasn't run 8 units yet, and that will be the true start of summer.

Wedensday I took out a client on the Norfork.  We started up by the dam, and got hits on a black "stretch midge" right away.  It was still conditions and shallow water to start so long drifts were the key...most hits came near the end of the presentation.  They messed around with the water, surging it twice in the first three hours, but we basically fished the top hole all morning.  When the wind came up, it was a bite on almost every cast with scuds.  Many fish were chunky rainbows and colorful brookies.  After lunch we went to McClellen's and he hammered them for several more hours on "dead" scuds (the surges of the morning made this a hot fly downriver).  Fish were smaller and the wind helped keep us coolish and fool lots of fish.

Friday I took a guy up to Bull Shoals and we started out fishing one unit...it stayed this way until 3pm, but fluctuated constantly from 900 to 2500 cfs [roughly].  Fishing was good all day...never really got hot until afternoon when the bigger ones started biting.  San Juans still the ticket with sow bugs on the lighter water.  He landed one 20-inch rainbow and lots in the 16 to18-inch range.  At 3pm they turned on two more units, and the bite was decent for awhile on the rise, but around 4pm they turned on one more, and really cranked it...the hardest four units I've seen in awhile.  This really shut things off.  Still, it was a fun day and we stayed much cooler zooming around in the boat than we would have wading.

Saturday I took a father/son and decided on Norfork Dam because the boy was a beginner.  It was suprisingly not crowded (there were several fly fishermen)  probably because it's too hot to bait fish on low water from a boat for most folks. Midges and scuds worked all morning, but the fish would get fickle at times.  The water came up to two full units at 2pm.  We caught nice ones (2 browns) in the first hour, and then the bite just shut off as the water crested near 6000cfs.  That's why you need to stick with it all day...you never know when the bite is going to happen.  As the flows begin to be similar every day, the bite will become more steady on all water conditions.

July 5th, 2005: Water releases continue to be somewhat minimal most days, with all day generation last weekend...until yesterday (the 4th).  Fishing continues to be hot and cold, and everyday is different.  Last Friday I went up to Bull Shoals with a friend.  They were running 2 units, and although the water was dropping from the start, it was still great water.  But it was cloudy, a front was pushing through, and the fish were off.  We stayed for over 3 hours and caught very few.  It was very hard to figure, and it was empty.

Saturday (the next day) I guided two ladies, and I decided on Bull to avoid crowds, give them a shot at a big fish, and to show them different water.  It was sunny, calm and one unit ran all day.  It was a full unit to start, and the difference from the previous day was apparant as we started out getting bites.  We never hammered them, but these girls would consistently catch them here and there, and it all added up to a very productive day.  A few big fish were landed, and lots of chunky rainbows.  We saw very few boats, but water fluctuations made adjusting depth and weight a constant concern. San juans still working best.

Monday I went up to Bull on dead low water to celebrate the holiday.  Conditions were best in the beginning of the day because there was some wind. Around 10pm it got still, and the place cleared out.  It was tough, but I 'd get one every now and again...and one nice brown.  At around 1:30pm (it was still low), things heated up and I couldn't see a soul anywhere.  A little wind would cause chop now and again, but the fish just started eating aggressively.  Most from this time until the water came up at 3pm were nicer fish...two were over 20-inches.  I look for releases to gradually become more consistent, with high water most afternoons on both rivers.  Norfork usually stays low until early afternoon on hot days, and the White has been shutting down most nights.  Fishing is not like it was a couple months ago, but it is still very good, especially when conditions are right...which right now means wind/low water or sun/high water.  I will fish Norfork more once Bull starts heavy water every day.  This could start at any time. 

June 30th, 2005: Another week has gone by, and it's still hot, dry, and calm.  Water releases are starting to get into the pattern of generating every afternoon, but what is suprising me is how long they're keeping it low.  Norfork has started generating between 2pm and 4pm every day.  Bull Shoals is basically the same besides a few days where they started a little earlier.  The trout are beginning to recognize this pattern and often they save their heaviest feeding for rising and high water.

Last weekend I volunteered my services for the annual Hooked on a Cure fundraising event to benefit sick kids at St. Jude Hospital.  Every year it gets bigger and better, and there was quite a group of fly fishing notables on hand plus the area's best guides.  Click the link above to find out more about helping sick kids with the fly rod while having a blast.  Anyways, I guided two days last weekend for this event, and both days the water was running at Norfork in the morning.  I thought this would be perfect since most of the other guides just searched out low water.  Saturday (day 1) the water was almost low when I got to the ramp (the release number had been busy since 6am), so I ended up fishing the dam area.  This time of year it is important to fish where I can keep drinks nearby, and this area by the dam allows you to keep your boat "on you".  Fishing