Ozark Mountains Fly Fishing Arkansas Fishing Report 04.26.12

During the past week, we have had no measurable rain, warm temperatures and windy conditions (to include lake wind advisories). The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell eight tenths of a foot to rest at four tenths of a foot below power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty one and four tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake fell six tenths of a foot to rest at power pool or sixteen feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell nine tenths of a foot to rest at five tenths of a foot below power pool or ten and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we have had generally lower generation. There has been no wadable water. Norfork Lake fell one foot to rest at one tenth of a foot below power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty eight and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we have had reliable wadable water most days. All of the lakes in the White River system are currently below flood pool. We should receive wadable water this week.

On the White, we have generally lower flows that have been nearly perfect for drift fishing. Nymphs suspended below a strike indicator have been quite effective. The most productive flies have been caddis pupa (green or tan), copper Johns, prince nymphs and San Juan worms (hot fluorescent pink or cerise). My favorite combination has been a cerise San Juan worm with a caddis pupa dropper. The windy conditions have made casting and boat handling more difficult.

The hot spot has been Wildcat Shoals, which has received some spectacular caddis hatches in the afternoon. Many anglers have reported success banging the bank with size fourteen elk hair caddis. The trick has been to get very close to the bank and achieve a perfect drag free drift. When there are no adults coming off, try a caddis pupa or prince nymph under an indicator. Another hot spot has been Rim Shoals. For a nominal fee Rim Shoals Trout Dock will ferry you to wadable water and pick you up when you wish to leave or when the water rises.

We have received some limited periods of higher water (9,000 to 12,000 cubic feet per second) which have been conducive to fishing large articulated streamers. The trick is to bang the bank with these large flies on a sink tip line (250 grains or heavier). Flies for this technique have been zoo cougars, sex dungeons and butt monkeys. You will need a heavy rod (an eight weight or heavier) to cast this rig. This is hard work but can produce some large trout.

Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River are low and clear. The water temperature is at the level for the Smallmouth to be active. Some anglers have reported success with Clouser minnows and crawfish patterns. Carefully check the water level before entering Crooked Creek or the Buffalo River. There are no dams on these streams. They both have large drainages and are prone to flooding during and following any rain event. The water can rise very quickly.

There has been reliable wadable water on the Norfork almost every day. The most productive flies have been small midge patterns like zebra midges (black or red) and Dan’s turkey tail emerger or soft hackles like my green butt or the partridge and orange. On higher flows, the best technique has been to drift brightly colored San Juan worms (red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise) and egg patterns (pink and orange). Here again banging the bank with large articulated streamers can produce some large trout. When the flood gates were open, warm water fish escaped from the lake into the river. This is a great opportunity to catch stripers, walleye, gar and other species on the river. You are encouraged to remove them, as they are all predators with a taste for trout.

Dry Run Creek has been productive. The weather has been mild and it has drawn lots of young anglers taking advantage it. Spring break is over and it is much less crowded during the week. The hot flies have been sowbugs and various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise). Small orange or peach eggs have been very effective. Be careful to carefully revive and gently release all fish. Take your camera to capture the photo of a lifetime.

The water level on the Spring River is lower and clearing. This is a great place to wade fish when they are running water on the White and Norfork Rivers. Canoe season has not started yet and we have much less traffic on stream. Be sure to wear cleated boots and carry a wading staff. There is a lot of bedrock that can get very slick. The hot spot has been the Dam Three Access. The hot flies have been brown woolly buggers with a bit of flash, cerise and hot pink San Juan worms and Y2Ks.

Remember that the White and Norfork Rivers and Dry Run Creek are infected with didymo, an invasive alga. Be sure and thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the felt soles on wading boots) before using them in any other water. Many manufacturers are now making rubber soled wading boots that are easier to clean and are not as likely to harbor didymo.

Practice water safety and always check conditions before you leave home.

BY JOHN BERRY

My wife, Lori, is an avid kayaker and smallmouth bass angler. When I am busy guiding and am not able to accompany her, she frequently goes with her friend, Donna Young, a Mississippi resident that has a vacation home in Cotter near us. She is also an avid kayaker and smallmouth angler.

They are pretty independent operators but had one problem, loading their boats on the top of Lori’s car. She has an SUV that is tall and despite the light weight of their kayaks they had trouble lifting them to the roof rack and securing them with straps. Lori bought a quality Yakima roof rack and despite the various add-ons like load assist bars and rollers she was unable to load the boats by herself, even with the aid of a ladder.

We looked for a solution and finally found a kayak trailer that was light weight and easily maneuvered but sturdy enough to handle the rough roads we traveled, when launching our boats. I ordered a Malone trailer from Maine and we eagerly awaited its arrival. It came in seven boxes and had hundreds of bolts and other parts. It took me a solid eight hours of intense labor to put it together but the results were fantastic. It looked good and Lori could hitch it to her car without any assistance from me. The boats sit high and the trailer is easy to see when hauling the boats or launching. Better yet Lori could load and secure her kayak on the trailer by herself. With a little assistance from Donna, it was easy.

We had fished Crooked Creek a couple of times when my daughter and grandchildren were visiting but had limited our angling to wading. Last week the water conditions and weather were perfect for floating the creek and Lori and Donna made their plans to fish it. I returned from a guide trip to see the trailer hooked up and the kayaks loaded for an early launch the next day. I had a conflict in my schedule and could not join them. I was able to help them with their shuttle. We drove to the takeout and dropped off my car. I got into Lori’s car with the trailer and kayaks. We drove to the launch site and I helped them launch their boats and get their gear ready. I then drove Lori’s car with the trailer to the take out so it would be waiting for them when they completed their float. I drove my car home.

Donna hooked a big bass right off. It was a solid sixteen inch smallmouth and it put up a great struggle. She stopped for a photo before releasing it. Lori was moving downstream at a fast clip because she wanted to cover a lot of water. Donna was taking more time in an effort to catch any fish that might be there. Lori had moved far ahead and Donna got back in her kayak and headed downstream. She was shooting through a tight spot when she flipped her boat. Lori heard the boat hit a rock and turned around to see Donna swimming toward the shore. When you are in a kayak it is not a matter of if you will flip it but rather a matter of when.

Lori put down her rod and rushed back to help Donna. She was wearing her personal Flotation device and had her wader belt tightly around her waist. She was unharmed and had gotten a little damp. Unfortunately she had lost her rod. They looked for it but did not see it. Donna was bummed out.

I was running an errand in Mountain Home, when I got a call from Donna. She wanted to know if I would bring her a rod. I had my three rods that I loan to clients, in my car. I quickly agreed and drove straight to the access nearest where they were. She took a few minutes to rig the rod for smallmouth while Lori showed her how she secured her fly rod to the kayak when she was not fishing. They cast off and I watched them disappear around a bend in the creek. I returned to my errands.

That afternoon I was sitting on the porch enjoying the weather, when they returned to our house in Cotter. They had done well and had no further incidents. They were able to unload their boats and stow their gear quickly and easily. They said that they had told everyone they encountered on the creek about the lost rod. The next day I got a phone call from my friend Dennis Dunderdale, a trainer for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. He said that a young angler had hooked the rod while fishing and had reeled it in. He originally thought that he had a big one. Donna went over and claimed her rod. It had not been in the water very long. All it needed was a bit of cleaning and it was as good as new. Thank you young angler!

The first kayak trip of the year had been eventful. There was new gear tested, a quick dip was taken in the creek, good fish were caught and lost rods were returned. All in all a good day!

LORI AND DONNA KAYAK CROOKED CREEK

BY JOHN BERRY

My wife, Lori, is an avid kayaker and smallmouth bass angler. When I am busy guiding and am not able to accompany her, she frequently goes with her friend, Donna Young, a Mississippi resident that has a vacation home in Cotter near us. She is also an avid kayaker and smallmouth angler.

They are pretty independent operators but had one problem, loading their boats on the top of Lori’s car. She has an SUV that is tall and despite the light weight of their kayaks they had trouble lifting them to the roof rack and securing them with straps. Lori bought a quality Yakima roof rack and despite the various add-ons like load assist bars and rollers she was unable to load the boats by herself, even with the aid of a ladder.

We looked for a solution and finally found a kayak trailer that was light weight and easily maneuvered but sturdy enough to handle the rough roads we traveled, when launching our boats. I ordered a Malone trailer from Maine and we eagerly awaited its arrival. It came in seven boxes and had hundreds of bolts and other parts. It took me a solid eight hours of intense labor to put it together but the results were fantastic. It looked good and Lori could hitch it to her car without any assistance from me. The boats sit high and the trailer is easy to see when hauling the boats or launching. Better yet Lori could load and secure her kayak on the trailer by herself. With a little assistance from Donna, it was easy.

We had fished Crooked Creek a couple of times when my daughter and grandchildren were visiting but had limited our angling to wading. Last week the water conditions and weather were perfect for floating the creek and Lori and Donna made their plans to fish it. I returned from a guide trip to see the trailer hooked up and the kayaks loaded for an early launch the next day. I had a conflict in my schedule and could not join them. I was able to help them with their shuttle. We drove to the takeout and dropped off my car. I got into Lori’s car with the trailer and kayaks. We drove to the launch site and I helped them launch their boats and get their gear ready. I then drove Lori’s car with the trailer to the take out so it would be waiting for them when they completed their float. I drove my car home.

Donna hooked a big bass right off. It was a solid sixteen inch smallmouth and it put up a great struggle. She stopped for a photo before releasing it. Lori was moving downstream at a fast clip because she wanted to cover a lot of water. Donna was taking more time in an effort to catch any fish that might be there. Lori had moved far ahead and Donna got back in her kayak and headed downstream. She was shooting through a tight spot when she flipped her boat. Lori heard the boat hit a rock and turned around to see Donna swimming toward the shore. When you are in a kayak it is not a matter of if you will flip it but rather a matter of when.

Lori put down her rod and rushed back to help Donna. She was wearing her personal Flotation device and had her wader belt tightly around her waist. She was unharmed and had gotten a little damp. Unfortunately she had lost her rod. They looked for it but did not see it. Donna was bummed out.

I was running an errand in Mountain Home, when I got a call from Donna. She wanted to know if I would bring her a rod. I had my three rods that I loan to clients, in my car. I quickly agreed and drove straight to the access nearest where they were. She took a few minutes to rig the rod for smallmouth while Lori showed her how she secured her fly rod to the kayak when she was not fishing. They cast off and I watched them disappear around a bend in the creek. I returned to my errands.

That afternoon I was sitting on the porch enjoying the weather, when they returned to our house in Cotter. They had done well and had no further incidents. They were able to unload their boats and stow their gear quickly and easily. They said that they had told everyone they encountered on the creek about the lost rod. The next day I got a phone call from my friend Dennis Dunderdale, a trainer for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. He said that a young angler had hooked the rod while fishing and had reeled it in. He originally thought that he had a big one. Donna went over and claimed her rod. It had not been in the water very long. All it needed was a bit of cleaning and it was as good as new. Thank you young angler!

The first kayak trip of the year had been eventful. There was new gear tested, a quick dip was taken in the creek, good fish were caught and lost rods were returned. All in all a good day!

ASK JOHN

Donna E. asks: When they are running one generator, is there any where to wade fish.

Donna, if you can access them by boat (river boat, canoe or kayak), there are several spots like the back channel at Roundhouse , Rim Shoals and just below the new bridge at Cotter.

berrybrothers@infodash.com

www.berrybrothersguides.com