Chris Heppel from Memphis with a fat Rim Shoals rainbow
THE BIG WATER has been providing dam good fishing over the past week or so but for those that like a little more moderate flows there is some creeping into the system.
Overnight flows 2 of the last 3 nights has been cut back to around 2 units, which offers friendly boating and some wading water around islands, moving through the system. Daytime high flows are still up around 18,000 cfs which is providing some nice rises to fish during the day. According to the best data we have Norfork was shut down till 7am this morning. But if you went to the telephone recording, it was still off at lunchtime, so if you start chasing early morning low water on the Norfork, watch your butt and don’t bet your life on the phone message.
But the Dally’s Ozark FlyFisher mob have been enjoying some fun times on the waters, with some regular fly fishers coming back to take advantage of the conditions. And the White really has been relatively uncrowded, I spent a pretty Friday afternoon at Rim last week and only saw 2 other boats. Weekends are busier, particularly on Nofork, but it seems like there is plenty of space on the river particularly on the bigger flows.
Our guide service has been stacking up good numbers of fish most days with some respectable 20″+ browns among some very solid bows. And if your planning on joining in the fun, consider an early start or late finish to your guide trip to duck the middle of the day heat and focus on prime time fishing.
HAVE A GREAT 4TH Y’ALL
Click through for the rest of the fishing report:
Tony Dugan, and his father CJ with one really nice rainbow off Dry Run Creek
WHITE RIVER: The big variation in water flows we are seeing moving into the pattern, with a big drop around midnight, and equally big rises during later morning and the middle of the day, is placing a premium on river knowledge and adaptability.
For nymph fishers, picking the zone of the river you want to fish, to have the most time on the best water, and the rigs to use during the course of the day takes some smarts. For instance picking up the lower end of the cfs range, might mean a size 4 split shot and a 6′ drop between leader and shot, and corresponding flies. But 6 hours later you might end up needing a 10′ and a couple of BBs. Streamer fishers are looking to maximise their time on a big push of new water to stay with the feeding fish.
Figuring it all out means juggling a bunch of variables to stay with consistent White River fly fishing, which is where our guide team earns their keep, to keep adusting techniques, flies, rigging and the areas to fish. If your a newcomer to this style of fishing, or want to learn how to produce better on these types of summer flows it really pays to book a day or two with one of our guides, at least early on in your visit.
For fly choices the humble Cheeto (POS) egg pattern remains consistent attractor and definately worth keeping in your box. The terrible thing is how many quality fish will eat these big eggs on high flows. According to flows our guides will be dropping back midge pupa, like Davy’s Whitetail or Super Midges, Sow bugs, Copper Johns, or San Juans Worms. The have aso restocked some of Davy’s Hot Head Prism Midges with the bright tungsten beads which can be killer on higher flows.
The bright beads really do seem to make a difference, particularly if there is a touch of color to the water. One the bright days we are experiencing currently there is also no excuses for not having a selection of Dynamite Worms alongside your regular San Juans. We diallied in on the earth tones last week with Chris Heppel and Rick Kauerz and the difference was so marked, if I’d tried another color I’d have been pitched overboard.
One thing for the visitors to also pay attention to is reports we have been getting about some quality fish moving shallow during the later afternoon/evening to pick off the sulphurs in the slower moving water everywhere from Bull Shoals to Cotter. It seems the even is pretty localised and really starts once the days river traffic moves off the river. Keep your eyes open and some good slow-water sulphur dry patterns, liek Lawson’s No Hackle, tucked away in your box.
Streamer fishers have been doing extremely well on mid-sized patterns like Galloup’s Dungeon, tan, olive or crawdad, the ubiquitous Zoo Cougar, tan or yellow, Fatheads, yellow or white, Knight’s Home Invader, and Granato’s Sasquatch, both in white, yellow or tan colors. These are all nice 6wt or 7wt flies you can cast most of the day. Zero in on lowlight periods or big pushes of water.
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NORFORK:
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Catching a big push in late afternoon can be extremely productive for the streamer bite, as Chad found out Sunday.
