This guy showed up in the yard a few days ago and seems to be getting more comfortable. He was there for about 10 minutes and didn't mind the camera flash. I took this picture this afternoon. I hope he gets a good a good appetite for the abundance of squirrels we have.
I saw Bill Dance and crew filming on the White river just upstream from Cotter this past Thursday. He was fishing with Donald Cranor and there was a second boat with a cameraman. Will have to watch for this episode.
I've got a 17x42 Blazer with a 25 Merc jet. I usually wade with my fly rod but the water has been up the last few days so only option is drifting with the spinning gear. I am still learning how to fish the jigs. I miss lots more than I catch not to mention the hangups and lost jigs. Not too big a problem as I tie my own jigs.
Should be better weather and there may be some early caddis hatches for the fly guys. They usually start downriver and the hatches move up toward the dam later.
Yeah, great BBQ, good wines and craft beers, not to mention live music and the streamer Gurus tying up their stuff inside. Always a great time for sure.....
May be a pretty good crowd in the area on that weekend. The C&R area below Bull Shoals Dam opens back up 2/1 after being closed since 11/30 for the brown trout spawn. It was pretty crazy up there last year. Lots of people from out of state. Just saying you might want to check on accommodations.
Whenever I get a really big one on while wading....I always work it over to the bank and beach it or just pick it up in the shallow water. I've lost some nice ones trying to get them in a net.
I guess this is my final White River Jigfest report....
I waded Cotter access this morning and had a good morning. Lots of rainbows and 1 smallish brown. Around 11:00 I started to see some bugs hatching so I tied on a size 18 Parachute Adams. I was sight fishing to rising fish which is my favorite way to fish. Caught 8 on the dry fly including this colored up male. He rose to the fly 4 times but kept turning it down. I replaced my 6x tippet with 7x and he took the fly shortly after. No trophy but a fun fight on 7x.
Well I guess this may not technically qualify as a Jigfest report since no jigs were involved but here's a couple of pics from yesterday and today with the fly rod. Fishing has been decent with lots of rainbows and an occasional brown or cuttie. Actually caught a few on dry flies (small Parachute Adams) yesterday during the light rain.