Hogs on the Fly

Fished the Fork twice in the past three days. I basically avoid the upper section as the bait chunkers have decimated that area and push past to Long Hole. Did very well on streamers during both sunny and overcast skies including turning a few BIG fish. Today was no different. We threw a switch rod with streamers and caught some very respectable and healthy bows although the water was falling out. Hard to beat a griffith's gnat on low water for you dry fly guys and gals. Best, LB

sadly this situation is a reflection of the "creatures of habit" syndrome. I often wonder what type of dramatic casuality it would take to stimulate changes... although some have already happened... Best, LB

Fantastic txspecks! So glad to hear about the brookie. Hopefully they'll rebound to the pre-flood status that we used to know. Best, LB

Forgot the pic... doh!

Hard to beat the low flows and sunny skies lately! Mother's Day on the White River with the family was awesome! My son Tripp, mini me, landed this brownie swinging shad patterns. Happy Mother's Day ladies!

Hopefully the portland cement doesn't wash away as fast as asphalt.

Yes they do BW! In fact, the Woodsman liquour store now has a little tackle shop opened right next to it and I did confirm that they have some. I failed to look at the price but last I checked it was $40. That's what I'm using now on the skiff. It's amazing how many anchors one can find in the river after months of low water!

The parking lot below the dam is still under construction although one can walk down to access the river. I managed to push my drift boat down the hill recently to float the evening rise. Fishing mid river and throughout the C&R has been very productive. In fact, while throwing streamers on the 2 unit rise, we turned the biggest dam brown trout I've ever seen on the Norfork. Easily 30"+. It chased a small rainbow that was following my streamer and almost got it. It came out of the water like a porpoise. On lower flows it's hard to beat soft hackles and black midges in the range of #18-#22. Good luck! Best, LB

I like walleye. When are you taking me out in that lake boat of yours Ham?

The small convienience store at the Norfork confluence, Woodsmans, sell them for $40 a pop. Best, LB

Welcome Chase!

Nice pic!

Thanks Ham! Looks as if this high water bogus flows are over for now. Fish On!

The aggressive releases at Bull Shoals Dam have paid off as power pool is only a foot away and releases were drastically scaled back as of Tuesday, April 10th. The caddis are still thick in the afternoon and once the flows stabilize there should be more options for big dries. The positve aspect of this high water stint is that the fish have fattened up! Best, LB

Spring has certainly sprung here in the Ozarks! A relatively mild winter is now behind us and warmer weather and beautiful skies have arrived. Like years past, northern Arkansas did not quite escape the wrath of Mother Nature's fury wrapped in heavy rains during the mid to latter part of February. As of 2/28, both Bull Shoals Dam and the Norfork tailwater significantly increased flows, orchestrated by the COE, to relieve the the high lake levels. Since that time, the flows have remained high around the clock. Given the circumstances, this is not such a bad thing. Recent traditions of similar conditions resulted in months of moderate flows as the lakes only slowly returned to power pool. Conversely, the heavy and around the clock releases have dropped the lakes much quicker... almost a foot per day at Bull Shoals Dam. This equates to flows in the 20-25K cfs range on the White while the Norfork is releasing approximately 9K cfs by way of one generator and multiple open flood gates. Based upon these releases, the COE predicts a return to power pool by mid April. The next inevitable topic is the fishing or lack thereof. During the rainy season this time of year most people assume that the bite is non-existent. That's not quite the case although the degree of difficulty with techniques and logistics play a big factor in success. Up until this point our annual caddis hatch was just beginning to reach full throttle on the lower flows and sunny afternoon skies. The bug activity remains but vastly spread out as the flows eliminate large hatches in one stretch of river. The exception is to find those inlets and shallow flats where fish are still rising. Floating the drift boat through these sections with the occasional anchor drop can be quite productive. Streamer fishing is most productive on higher flows as we are currently experiencing but the bright and sunny skies usually deter the big brown bite. There are always exceptions to the rule. Due to the early algae the is suspended in the river, the water clarity is reduced and allows for a better approach to an unsuspecting trophy brown. Not being able to differentiate food sources from other debris in the water column makes it difficult for trout to determine what is a legitimate meal. However, ripping a large streamer through the water along the banks can sometimes motivate and trigger a response that may have been obsolete under the same conditions with gin clear water. Inevitably the flows will return to "normal" given the current flows and absence of major rain events. A big benefit of high water periods is that our fish have an opportunity to grow at an accelerated rate with very little fishing pressure to deal with. Sometimes the best chance at larger than average fish comes off the heel of a high water stint. Consider planning an April trip to our home waters. I have some weekend dates left and prime week day availability as well. Should you plan on a walk and wade strategy, don't hesitate to give me a call as I'd be happy to direct you in the right direction. For the near future, I can be found on the lakes chasing crappie while it's good! For daily reports and more information about my guide service, river reports, and local business information, please visit this site regularly or if you would like to discuss booking dates, or group trips, send Larry an email to larry@hogsonthefly.com or call 870.321.2792. If you are considering planning a trip here in the Ozarks, don't hesitate to call for conditions and reccomendations.

Easy drift conversion for any river boat with rails. 10' counter balanced Dynelites with NRS oar locks give you an extended reach and don't sink! Package is $500. Oars are in the right of the pic. Best, LB 870.321.2792

DaddyO, Caddis are really taking off. Hint: green copper johns, copper bead head caddis pupa, or big caddis dries in riffles with a dropper or not. Best, LB

Right on Chance. My theory based on the timing of the spawn this year is that the latter part of Feb and the beginning of March should be stellar. Hopefully more big males on the eat. Best, LB

Another four day streamer trip in the books. We fished multiple sections of the White over the course of this excursion with no less than a few great fish each day. A few pics are attached but there are more on the site... Best, LB www.hogsonthefly.com

Greetings OA nation! My first 2012 newsletter dropped this morning. If you'd like to read it, or better yet sign up for it, click the link! HOTF newsletter Best, Larry Babin www.hogsonthefly.com 870.321.2792

Good stuff Hambonito! Also, make sure your chain isn't long enough to tickle the prop when you do go back up river! LB

Floated the 'Fork twice on Saturday and was pretty disappointed. Turned two large fish but the overall bite was slow. The generation yo yo isn't helping any.

Author/photographer/fly fisher, Brian Crumpler from AL wrote a nice article recently about the White River which is now on the home page of Hatches magazine... http://hatchesmagazine.com/blogs/Hatches/2011/12/22/white-river-ar-photo-essay-by-bryan-crumpler/ Merry Christmas!

NEW! 2011 Adipose Flow Skiff Drift boat with all the extras! Galvanized roller trailer, sticks (with option of upgrade at very little addition), YETI cooler, cover, pedestal seats (Tempress!), anchor, sufficient storage, lean bars, etc... This skiff is perfect for Ozark waterways. I've guided out of one for many trips and have sold the river boat. No high sides like the traditional high sided drift boats so this skiff operates like a two door coupe! For more information, and to view and/or row this boat, call Larry @ 870.321.2792! LB WWW.HOGSONTHEFLY.COM