Casey with a hefty 18"+ rainbow from Bull Shoals last Sunday on a guide trip with Steve
THIS week’s big news is a likely low water weekend and even into early next week, with heavy rainfall forecast for eastern Arkansas over the weekend. We might not be spared like last weekend from some heavy rain but the forecast is expected to hit eastern Arkansas more heavily, keeping generation from Bull Shoals and Norfork light.
It has been a hectic week with lower flows and some fine fishing available on the White and Norfork.
The Journal was out with fellow guides Clint Wilkinson , Kevin Brandtonies and Kev’s brother Will last weekend for a couple of days of fun fishing, plus another with regular fisherman Pat Connell. Midges and sowbugs proved strong at Bull Shoals but downstream the caddis have been coming off hard.
WHITE RIVER: The White River has been fishing well despite the complaints over the amount of algae in the water downstream.
Davy Wotton popped up this week with an email talking about “some awesome Browns this past few days during the caddis hatch, many in the 16 to 23 ins. Even a grand slam at Wildcat would you believe. Great looking cutts also 15 to 18 at best so far and two goldens.”
The caddis have been extremely thick everywhere from Rim Shoals to the Narrows and we wouldn’t be surprised if it extends upstream further.
Now we have low water things should pick up nicely with the caddis, particularly as far as dry fly fishing. Chad Johnson rolled in to pick up some more dries a few minutes ago in the middle of a guide trip and they had been banging fish on olive soft hackles as well.
On top try the new Pacific Fly Streamborn Caddis, Standard Elk Hairs, the X Caddis or the Outrigger Caddis.
Run a soft hackle, Graphis Caddis or a Sparkle Pupa underneath as a dropper.
Midges continue to do well particularly Davy Wotton’s Super Midges, black and silver and black and copper Zebra’s this weekend.
NORFORK: With the water down this weekend try smaller midge patterns like Zebra, WD40s and Cravens Poison Tung. Scuds and sowbugs are worth having and we would carry a selection of caddis (as per above) as well.
