netboy

Those are some nice ones. 🙂

This morning started out pretty slow with lots of midges hatching and only a few trout coming up for them. Then around 10 the caddis started popping and within a few minutes there were trout everywhere. It's amazing how quickly the trout react to a caddis hatch, almost like someone rang the dinner bell. Caught lots of rainbows, 1 cutthroat around 15" and a pretty brook trout that was 12". No browns so I missed the slam. Caught a few early on a size 20 parachute Adams and then switched to a size 16 elk hair caddis later. Here's a couple of the better rainbows...

Those are some big ones. Congrats to them.

I went out today around noon and was surprised at how good the caddis were coming up in the light rain we had. Fish were popping everywhere I looked. Caught a bunch of rainbows and 1 brown. Nothing huge but still lots of fun watching them come up.

New China Covid test kit..

Looks like it is off again this afternoon. I think they are holding water back to allow the rice farmers downstream to get in and plant their fields. Bull Shoals tailwater was low yesterday and even lower today. The lake is about 24 feet above normal so I don't know how long they can hold the water. Anyway we need to take advantage of it while we can.

Definitely starting to see less bugs hatching but still decent fishing. Numbers were lower but still some good ones coming up looking for the caddis.

Still lots of moss but it's not a problem when using a dry fly.

There have been fewer caddis hatching on the White river the last few days but still enough to keep things interesting. I fished a weed bed this morning where the caddis were coming up. The water was too deep to wade so I anchored the boat and drifted a size 16 elk hair caddis dry fly to the rising trout. It was a good morning with lots of rainbows, 1 average size brown and 1 cuttie. Here's a couple of the better rainbows...

Those are some fatties!

Dry flies are definitely my favorite way to fish for trout. I'd rather catch 1 on a dry fly than 5 under an indicator. It is really fun to watch them come up under the fly and either see their mouth open and take it or turn away.

The water was even lower this morning than yesterday so we had to take advantage. Launched the boat and tried the same area I fished yesterday but the fish were rising out in deeper water so we stayed in the boat and worked the area with elk hair caddis dries. I was drifting the fly close to the bank when I hooked the brown in the first picture. After I did the CPR on him I hooked the brown in the second picture 2 casts later. Don't think I have ever caught 2 nice browns on 3 casts. We finished the morning with lots of rainbows and another smaller brown. Size 16 elk hair was all we used.

It was unexpected, but I'll take the lower water anytime they decide to do it.

Well I can never figure out what SWPA has up their sleeves. Bull Shoal Lake is 24 feet above normal so I was surprised to see some lower water on the White river this morning. They were running about 8k cfs which is quite a bit less than the 16-24k cfs they have been running the last few weeks. I took the boat out and had to explore some new water as the area I have been fishing is now dry land. Caught a few here and there and then found an area where the caddis were coming up pretty thick. Caught a bunch of rainbows, 1 decent cuttie and 3 browns on a size 16 elk hair caddis. Looks like lower water again tomorrow morning, but who knows??? Here is a pic of the biggest brown...

I launched the boat at White Hole access this morning and ran downstream a bit. Caddis were hatching along the shorelines so I anchored the boat in a promising area and put on the elk hair caddis and had some fun sight casting to rising fish. It was fun watching them come up and look at it and either eat or reject it. Caught quite a few there just working my way downstream and resetting the anchor. Then I found a spot where the fish were concentrated in a shallow flat so I put on the waders and got out of the boat and had some fun with the dry flies. I wasn't counting but probably caught another 20 and missed a bunch more. Had one really nice brown take it and broke my 6x tippet when a small line loop hit the guide. Can't beat a good day of dry fly fishing. Here is a pic of one of better ones.

Took my wife out this morning to the same area where the caddis have been hatching (which is basically everywhere right now) and we had some fun on elk hair caddis dry flies. The water was too high for wade fishing so I anchored the boat in a small run where the fish were rising. We probably caught upwards of 70 trout, mostly rainbows, 2 browns and 1 cuttie. I did miss a really nice brown that I watched come up and take the fly and then I set the hook too quickly. That is always a problem when I see them coming and eat it and then strike too quickly. My old British fishing buddy from Bull Shoals dam C&R area (the Admiral, who passed away last year) always said from the time you see them take it say "God save the Queen" before you set the hook. Good advice but when you see them coming up it is hard to wait. Anyway here's a pic of one that was pretty average for today...

Here is an interesting article. A bit long but well worth the time to read. https://coronavirustruths.godaddysites.com/?fbclid=IwAR3n_sIPM535yUtjItVj2BUpYLvYUPfRsjsBYrliPm7K4myKRV-vIXQG5_8

Yes it is a great place to be within a few minutes of some wonderful trout fishing locations. Lots of other "old guys" to go with and exchange tips with. Great place to retire to....

Here are the official Coronavirus guidelines:1. Basically, you can't leave the house for any reason, but if you have to, then you can.2. Masks are useless, but maybe you have to wear one, it can save you, it is useless, but maybe it is mandatory as well.3. Stores are closed, except those that are open.4. You should not go to hospitals unless you have to go there. Same applies to doctors, you should only go there in case of emergency, provided you are not too sick.5. This virus is deadly but still not too scary, except that sometimes it actually leads to a global disaster.6. Gloves won't help, but they can still help.7. Everyone needs to stay HOME, but it's important to GO OUT.8. There is no shortage of groceries in the supermarket, but there are many things missing when you go there in the evening, but not in the morning. Sometimes.9. The virus has no effect on children except those it affects.10. Animals are not affected, but there is still a cat that tested positive in Belgium in February when no one had been tested, plus a few tigers here and there…11. You will have many symptoms when you are sick, but you can also get sick without symptoms, have symptoms without being sick, or be contagious without having symptoms. Oh, my..12. In order not to get sick, you have to eat well and exercise, but eat whatever you have on hand and it's better not to go out, well, but no…13. It's better to get some fresh air, but you get looked at very wrong when you get some fresh air, and most importantly, you don't go to parks or walk. But don’t sit down, except that you can do that now if you are old, but not for too long or if you are pregnant (but not too old).14. You can't go to retirement homes, but you have to take care of the elderly and bring food and medication.15. If you are sick, you can't go out, but you can go to the pharmacy.16. You can get restaurant food delivered to the house, which may have been prepared by people who didn't wear masks or gloves. But you have to have your groceries decontaminated outside for 3 hours. Pizza too?17. Every disturbing article or disturbing interview starts with "I don't want to trigger panic, but…"18. You can't see your older mother or grandmother, but you can take a taxi and meet an older taxi driver.19. You can walk around with a friend but not with your family if they don't live under the same roof.20. You are safe if you maintain the appropriate social distance, but you can’t go out with friends or strangers at the safe social distance.21. The virus remains active on different surfaces for two hours, no, four, no, six, no, we didn't say hours, maybe days? But it takes a damp environment. Oh no, not necessarily.22. The virus stays in the air - well no, or yes, maybe, especially in a closed room, in one hour a sick person can infect ten, so if it falls, all our children were already infected at school before it was closed. But remember, if you stay at the recommended social distance, however in certain circumstances you should maintain a greater distance, which, studies show, the virus can travel further, maybe.23. We count the number of deaths but we don't know how many people are infected as we have only tested so far those who were "almost dead" to find out if that's what they will die of…24. We have no treatment, except that there may be one that apparently is not dangerous unless you take too much (which is the case with all medications).25. We should stay locked up until the virus disappears, but it will only disappear if we achieve collective immunity, so when it circulates… but we must no longer be locked up for that?"WTF ?

The water has come back up on the White river but there still are lots of Caddis hatching. We launched the boat at Wildcat and ran up to some protected weed beds then got out and waded. The hatch started around 11:00 and lasted till 1:00. There were lots of bugs all over the river so the fish were not concentrated in any particular area. Still a fun day with some really nice rainbows, a couple of cutthroats and this pretty brown on a size 16 elkhair caddis dry fly.

Yes, one of the local guides told me the COE has an agreement with rice farmers downstream to reduce flows this time of year so they can plant their fields.

One more.

They shut the water off today around noon so I went to the dam C&R area. All the "usual suspects" were there and we all had a fun afternoon. The caddis started around 1:00 and quit around 4:00. I wasn't counting but probably had close to 20 and missed a bunch more. Good thing was they were all very nice size fish and fat as footballs (except for the one brown in the picture). A size 16 elk hair caddis worked best for me. I did hook a much bigger brown but he broke me off on the first run. Here's a few pics...

Do you have a true drift boat or a river Jon boat? If a river Jon then the best option would be a remote control trolling motor like an I-Pilot.

A few more...