Phil Lilley

We will be marking a second batch of 11-inch cutthroat trout this Thursday and Friday (June 16th and 17th) at the Norfork National Fish Hatchery. Once again we are seeking volunteer help to assist us in this endeavor. If you are willing able to assist, we would truly appreciate it. We plan on getting started around 8:30 am. Bring rain gear and rubber boots if you don’t want to get too wet…No Waders. We will have drinks (water and Gatorade), but lunch will be on your own. Please let me know as soon as possible if you are available. Thank you. Jeff Jeff Williams Trout Program Coordinator E: j_williams@agfc.state.ar.us | P: (870) 424-5924 | M: (870) 404 - 0503

I think it's too early to make any guesses on the highest level for wading... my mind is spinning already from all the changes, not just the ones up below the dam. Whether you believe the changes are positive or not, they're here to stay. So I chose to see it all as positive - making the best of it. The drawdown- I don't think it's avoidable. Fish are going to die when the water goes down regardless how they do it. Unfortunately, bugs will to. It's the nature of the beast. I am still absolutely amazed how many quality bows are in the lake right now. I took Paul Clark and my buddy Coy fishing this afternoon after the water started - white jigs below the dam. I tossed the jig out twice to show Paul- he's not a fisherman. I hooked 2 rainbows, both 18 solid inches. He tried... I took the rod and worked the jig one more time so he could see and wham- another 19 inch rainbow. It took him a while but he ended up catching a 19 inch rainbow on his last cast. I didn't fish much cause I could not help hooking a rainbow within 10 seconds of dropping the jig down. I was helping Paul get the hang of it. We did catch some 11-13 inchers, mainly when Paul drifted a shad fly on the bottom. They seemed to like the shad fly while the larger ones liked the jig. Did I mention I caught a 26-inch rainbow yesterday? I took a sports writer out for a few hours for a story. I'm telling you... this is by far the best shape these trout, on Taneycomo, have EVER been in, at least since I've been here. Looks like they're not running water tomorrow morning... I'd head over if you can. May not see a lot of down water again for weeks. I was surprised how few were out this morning.

Well, they left the water off all morning this morning so I got on the keyboard and sent an email out to see why they were not running water. It's killing a bunch of bugs leaving the gravel bars so far out of the water in the heat and sun. Several calls were made between MDC, the Corp and SPA and I guess the Corp and SPA have agreed to run water everyday from 8 am to 8 pm and if they need to leave the water off some periods they'll leave it off at night. It may take a day or two to get into this schedule so it may be off again this week. I drove to the dam and checked out the levels and changes. First - we may have a new "normal" lake level. It's at 702.1 right now. The old level was 701.3 feet. The area at rebar is the most noticeable change- it looks like it's higher and holding the water back at a high level, which makes the 702.1 level make sense. There's hardly any current from the dam to rebar now and it is deeper. Walking across the lake at outlet #2- used to be about 30 inches is now 40+. It looks deeper to. The bank across from outlet #2- there's little gravel there next to the island. The lake is wider. At rebar, it's not one shoot but 3- and you could say 4. All are shallow and dump off into a deep hole. Not sure how deep it is. Here are the pics. <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-outlet1-800.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-down-from-outlet1-800.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-outlet1.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-leonard-800.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-up-from-outlet-2-800.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-down-from-outlet-2-800.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-outlet-2-800.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-far-bank-800.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-outlet3-800.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-outlet3b-800.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-new-rebar1-800.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-where-rebar-used-to-be-800.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-rebar5-800.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-rebar7-800.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-rebar8-800.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-rebar10-800.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-back-shoot-at-rebar-800.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-shoot-below-rebar-800.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-shoot-below-rebarb-800.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-down-from-rebar-800.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> Down at the boat ramp, the lake is definitely deeper and wider. The lower end is a definite shoot. I didn't walk down there but it looks awesome. Could be the best shoot on the upper lake, replacing rebar. <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-mdc-boat-ramp-up.jpg" width="800" height="533"></p> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/taneycomo_upper_end-mdc-boat-ramp-panaramic.jpg" width="1000" height="238"></p>

Talked to Tom Synder at Empire this morning. I had sent him an email asking about the rumor I heard about installing a new system in place of boards at their dam. He said the new system was on order and would not be ready until October. He said they've decided to go ahead and put the wooden boards back up BUT they have to wait until Bull Shoal's level drops 11 feet. There is a cat walk on the BS side of Powersite that has to be accessed to place the boards back. It's under 11 feet of water. So we're looking at quite a few weeks of no boards and lower-than-normal levels here on Taneycomo. I need to ask the Corp if they plan to be shutting the water down on Table Rock more often..... I hope not.

I don't have a lot of time on the White- not as much as I'd like. But if the water is running and you can run up and down freely, it's a great river to fish. If there's no generation, you can wade in at the access but if you get a boat and go down through any riffles, you can't get back up easily- better to get a shuttle. I love the White because there's more water to fish- more good, fishable water that hold big fish. Taneycomo is limited to 8 miles, really only 5 miles and only 3 miles of trophy area. But I like to fish for non-stocker size trout. The White has BROWNS and Taneycomo is low on Browns. The White has Cutthroat and Brooks too. We don't! On the White, the trout tend more to take dries and I love fishing dries. Taneycomo's trout don't really take flies- not as much.

I have to verify this but my dock person was told yesterday the following: EMPIRE - the boards will be DOWN until OCTOBER. At some point in October, they will DRAW Taneycomo down 4 feet below power pool for 2 WEEKS so that they can install a "new system" across the top of Powersite Dam. THIS MORNING ZERO units were on. NO GENERATION. With the boards down, the lake is be extremely low, especially above Trout Hollow. I boated up to the Narrows early this am to take some picks - posted later this afternoon. The lake is still draining out. The water is supposed to kick on about noon today. I wanted to drive to the dam and take some pics up there but ran out of time- had to get to church. My Observations- IF this is going to be the pattern for the next 4-5 months, we're going to see this very low water for lengthly periods of time. I would assume trout will move to deeper holes, where ever they can find them. I bet a lot of trout will move out of the trophy area because the water up there is going to be extremely skinny- shallow. I was amazed at the lack of watered area at the Narrows. I could not get above that point so I don't know what it looks like further up. I would think the Corp would run some water most of the time just to keep the upper end watered but I don't know if they're going to do that- ie. this morning ---> no generation. All I can say- it's going to be very interesting. Unchartered Territory.

Generation ceased last night. Water is off this morning. Schedule says they'll run water starting mid day. With the boards off, this isn't good. The gravel bars that have had water over them will now dry out and be exposed to heat and sun. This is a problem- but at least it's cloudy and rain is forecasted this morning. I'm going to email Empire and the Corp tomorrow morning and see if this is a pattern they're going to continue. They MAY be going to replace the boards at Powersite tomorrow morning- that is a definite possibility. Hopefully so. Lake levels will get back to normal.

With these new bars on Taney, plus the old one, there are really good opportunities to boat, get out and wade now. The bar at the Narrows offers great opportunity to get out and wade all the way across. I told Darin, that water looks great for swinging streamers and woolies as well as midges. I drifted scuds for a short time today and caught fish in only one place and there's a hundred yards of gravel bar to wade now. Lookout Island has changed for the better too. It's bigger for one thing and with the water running like it is, you can wade on both sides as well as the bottom end. I overheard the guys on the bar today say they were catching a ton of trout. We rent jon boats- you can make it up to the Island in about 10 minutes with a 25 hp motor, beach the boat and wade. If you want to try it, PM me and I'll shoot you a deal for the month of June. This would be for transporting you from here to there... that's the deal. If you want to go out and fish from a boat all day, then there's a regular rate for that, which is very reasonable, I believe. I'm just sayin' ... even with this running water, you can still wade Taneycomo!!

Got out this afternoon at 3 pm and fished pretty much till dark. First I had to try out the new gravel bar at the Narrows. Boated up and beached the boat and got out. Fishing the shoot on the back side- nothing but I still think it's going to be good. Drifted a scud #12 gray off the dropoff below the bar and caught a half dozen rainbows pretty quickly- nothing big. Darin came up and so we headed up to the dam to see what else we could see as far as changes. Got up there- I think the Rebar area has changed a bunch but I can't give any details. The depths are all different when I run through in the boat. I think there's some kind of deep hole close to the top of the Rebar shoot- I hit 7-8 foot of water in that area. I think the gravel bar above Big Hole is much higher and the hole is deeper. The stump/tree is still below the island. We caught whites, smallmouth and a walleye below the cable along the south bank again. Drifted the north bank and caught some nice rainbows but caught a bunch of small rainbows- something we hadn't seen many of- small ones. Drifted the bluff bank from Lookout down and did well using a jig and float with a white 1/32nd oz jig before 5 pm but after 5 this area stunk! Just the opposite as I would expect. I did fish a dark jig several times and little success. The trout were chasing the jig back to the boat a lot- this explains why everyone is doing so well on rapalas- they like chasing things. I did catch some rainbows on a cicada fly this evening. There is one short stretch where the trout were really hitting the surface above the Narrows and against the bluff bank and that's where I caught the fish. Tried other areas with no results. A nice images of the gravel bar at the Narrows. You can really see the edge of the bar.

There are good and bad things about these high water events on Taney. From 2008, we learned that fish eat well when there's constant flow and bugs do well too. We also learned that when the cold water in Table Rock gets replaced by runoff water, Taney gets warm, low DO water in the fall. Talked to Clint, Shepherd of the Hills hatchery manager today, and he said we are 2 degrees warmer at this time in the game than we were in 2008. They've also are having problems with parasites in the hatchery. My gage reads 51 degree below the dam. This fall will be a tough one on our trout here. In 2008, we had a second big rain event and they had to open the flood gates in September - something that's never been done. Hopefully, that won't happen again.... for the rest of 2011 at least.

Hey thanks Chris. I might try for them next week- we have company coming in.

There is an important issue that must be addressed first off in my report. The boards are still off down at Powersite Dam. These boards are four-foot tall and run across the length of the top of Powersite. When the boards are down, this lets more water through to Bull Shoals at normal levels. So if Table Rock Dam shut off all generation, our water level would be more than four feet lower than normal at no generation. The lake would drain out to the lower level at Powersite, four feet below normal. When two or even four units are running at Table Rock, or 110 to 220 megawatts, our lake level is lower than if the boards were up, and the flow faster. Two reasons I explain this: In the mornings this week, there has not been much water running. This makes boating above Fall Creek tricky, even for the professional guides. The channel hasn't changed, but with lower levels, there are things in the channel that come into play. The gravel bar at Fall Creek claimed several props just Thursday morning. The challenge is heightened because our water isn't as clear as most years. It's stained to where you can't see much past 18-24 inches. That means you can't see prop hazards coming very far ahead. If you're boating up to the cable at the dam, you really have to watch. Most guides are stopping at the Big Hole. Since my last report, the water level has dropped even more. Most mornings start with one unit (50 megawatts) and building to three units (150 mw) by late in the day. The current up towards the dam is quick and deceiving. You might think it's deep, but it's actually more shallow than normal. Our guides are drifting a peach egg fly with a #12 or #10 gray scud chaser on a drift rig. Use a one-fourth ounce bell weight or just a small split shot to get it down. They guides report going through a lot of rigs and flies because of the wood debris on the bottom left from the high water. The only way to avoid the entanglement is to use as little weight as possible and still get your fly to the bottom. White jigs have made a comeback this week. But instead of using 1/8th-ounce, we've gone to 3/32nd- or 1/16th-ounce because the water isn't as deep. Now later in the day when generation is up, go to the 18th-ounce. But don't leave your dark jigs at home, though, because you still might need them. Fly fishing is a little easier in this flow. You don't have to set your float so deep. We’ve had reports of a red or fl pink san juan worm working pretty well, too. I got out this morning to head up and take some images of trees and the gravel bars to include in this report. Don’t ever write a fishing report and then go out and fish before posting it… you’ll want to make changes. I’ve had to amend this report quite a bit this evening. I took a fishing rod with me “just in case” and lucky that I did. I boated up to the red house on the bluff, about a mile past Fall Creek and started drifting and working a 1/8th-ounce white jig along the bluff bank. The water was low and the current was slow. There were trout smashing something on the surface along the edge of the bank—and I didn’t take my fly rod!! Darn!!!! May have been cicadas but I’m not sure. But they really liked my white jigs. I caught 6 rainbows before I got to the Narrows, 2 were over 20 inches. The others were about 18 inches. It was amazing. Drifted on down close to Fall Creek and took some pics of the trees in the water and the gravel that had piled up around and behind them. They had created some deep holes too- all on the shallow side of the lake. The Narrows is where the lake’s channel swings from the right to the left heading upstream above Fall Creek. This area has changed dramatically. Before the flood, the area on the right was a large flat of gravel extending from the west bank almost all the way across the lake to the channel which was narrow. The flat was pretty uniformed and flat with no drop offs. Now the flat appears to be much shallower—as a matter of fact at normal lake level, when the water is off (701.3), this flat gravel bar may be all the way out of the water. But now with the water running, it flows over the bar and dumps into a long hole, dropping off 4 to 6 feet immediately. This drop runs at a 45 degree angle upstream till it meets the channel which I think is more shallow than it was before the flood. When the water is running, there’s also a new shoot of water flowing on the opposite side of the lake there—really cool! It’s not wide but wide enough to hold fish. It dumps in right where the big chunk rock start on that west bank. It’s hard to say what that will look like when the water is off. The water along that chunk rock bank is pretty deep now- to up 9 feet in places. When I ran up the channel at the Narrows, the channel didn’t seem to be as deep as it once was—my depth finder said 4 to 5 feet deep with a little water running. The bank on the east side has been eroded badly and there are trees laying down all along the edge. I did manage to catch several nice rainbows where the water eddied behind the trees. At the bottom where the gravel used to flatten out, there is another big tree that has created a high bar and several deep pockets of water. Bill Babler, one of our guides, told me his clients have hooked and lost or landed some very big trout this past week. We've heard other stories of big rainbows and browns being caught or seen above and below Fall Creek. I mention this so you won’t be surprised if you do hook something that at first feels like a snag. Don't break it off without making sure. Just today, I’ve had 3 individuals come in the shop and say they caught and released rainbows over 20-inches today. One young man who’s staying here has been showing off a picture of him holding a 31-inch brown he caught yesterday at outlet #1. I believe Chuck Gries was guiding him and his dad. Below Fall Creek, some very impressive limits of rainbows have been caught and brought in. It seems that the high water has dispersed large trout throughout the lake. You never know when and where you might hook one and on what. Stick baits have been working exceptionally well, maybe because of the stained water. Trout see something flashing through the water and have little time to identify the bait. Rapalas are the most popular and easiest to find. F-7 or 9 and CD-5 and 7's are the best size. Silver//black, gold/black and rainbow colors are the best styles. Pointers and Rogues are also good stick baits. Work these against bluff banks, any bluff banks above and below Fall Creek. Drifting Gulp Power Bait and night crawlers continues to catch many good rainbows. The best drift is from Cooper Creek down. Early in the mornings when the flow is the slowest, you don't need much weight at all to drop the bait down. The current is very slow, almost non-existent. Stay in the middle of the lake since there are a lot of trees down along the banks, especially along the bluff banks. We've seen a bunch of 14- to 17-inch rainbows caught below Cooper Creek on bait as well on jigs. A good report came in today about catching 17- to 21-inch rainbows down by Monkey Island on white or black 1/8th-ounce jigs working them off the bottom. One of the rainbows I caught this am on a white jig. These next images are of the gravel bar at the Narrows. I marked where the drop off is all along the bottom side of the bar. These are of the east bank, where it's eroded away. The east bank below the Narrows- Below Fall Creek, mainly on the east bank- This is where Buster's Log was- just above the ramp at Riverpointe. Between Short Creek and Trout Hollow - trees in the water.

Try Ebay

I got out this morning when the water was barely running, drawn down because of the boards being down at Powersite, and boy has the lake changed. First, Short Creek gravel bar is almost non existant. I went over the bar and the depth should have been 3 feet and it was 6-7. There's still a bar there but it's edge is much closer to the south bank and the mouth of the creek. There's a shallow flat below the mouth about 300 yards that looks like goes from one side of the lake to the other- no channel. I ran through and around the area with a depth finder- could not see the bottom- so I'm not 100% on it but it is different for sure. At the Narrows above Fall Creek, there's a ridge of gravel that runs from the channel edge to the west side of the lake and stops about 100 feet from the bank. The gravel drops off suddenly into 4-6 feet of water. There's no flat bar that extends down past this. The bar above this is very shallow and I'm sure it will be out of the water completely when the water is off and at normal level. There's actually another shoot/channel on the opposite side of the main channel- that's right- there's 2 channels now on opposite sides of the lake. I have not been above Lookout or even to Lookout when the water is low so I can't speak of the bottom up there.... yet. There's other gravel piled up in other areas... I've taken pics and will post them with a report later this evening.

Heck- I didn't think it was working... I set it up a few weeks ago just to see if it'd work. Didn't think it was till now. I thought most of you guys would get a kick out of it. I'm sure if you want to cuss, you'll figure out a way around the system.

Generators- using the number to tell flow is very deceiving. When you say 4 generators, you're implying there's 4 units on full. That's usually not the case. Since the dropped the water, they have NOT been generating 4 FULL units.... it's been more like 2 to 3 units, mainly 2. Look at megawatts. Or look at the lake level. To answer your question- yes it is very possible to use a fly rod. Out of a boat- it's more likely. Off the bank below the dam- yes but limited.

<p><strong><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/white_river_blue_ribbon_6-11j.jpg" width="500" height="214"></strong></p> <p><strong>Fly Fishing Report for Early June</strong> <br> <br> <em>The rivers are in great shape as the flood releases subside, and the surface fishing for browns has been unbelievably good</em><br> <br> There has been much written over the last month both in print (primarily by people who were speculating and not wetting a line) and on the Web regarding how the fishing on the White River and Norfork Tailwater are going to suffer indefinitely because of all the water coming through the spillway gates at the dams, and there has also been some mention of the fact that water temperatures were approaching lethal levels for productive trout fishing on the Norfork because both generators were being repaired, which meant that all the water in the river was coming from the top of the lake. It's easy to believe this type of hype and drama, especially considering that neither fishery had ever been subjected to the conditions that prevailed over most of May, but no one ever knows how the fish are going to react to radical changes unless they actually get out there and go fishing. Well, the guides at Blue Ribbon Fly Shop took out scores of clients throughout the last month on both the White and Norfork, and what they found was truly remarkable and somewhat unexpected...in a good way.<br> <br> <img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/white_river_blue_ribbon_6-11d.jpg" width="250" height="188" hspace="5" vspace="5" align="right">To get an idea of what we were dealing with, it's important to understand exactly what was happening at the dams. Bull Shoals ran six units for the first week or so of May until the reservoir could no longer hold all the runoff and inflow from the Table Rock and Beaver Tailwaters. At that point, the gates were opened, and flows held at unprecedented levels (@ 60,000 cubic feet per second, or the equivalent of sixteen to twenty generators) until just a few days ago when flows were reduced significantly. As touched on in the first paragraph, both of the powerhouses at Bull Shoals and Norfork are doing extensive repairs on the wicket gates; these are the fan-like structures on the units that utilize hydraulics to control how much water flows into the power-producing part of each generator and then on into the river. When major hardware is in need of fixing, it takes the Corp of Engineers quite a while to retrofit each part because every aspect of the generator must be custom manufactured due to the fact that the specifications are different at each dam's powerhouse. Norfork only has two units, so when the rain started falling like arrows in April, the dam was forced to open all twelve floodgates a foot and a half, which brought the river up to levels just over what they would be with both generators running. This is where all the concern came from with respect to water temperatures, as the surface of Norfork Lake started warming up because air temperatures rose quickly in mid May. As of this writing, one of the units is fixed at Norfork Dam with six gates still open, and this should make the great fishing of May even better in June.<br> <br> <img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/white_river_blue_ribbon_6-11f.jpg" width="250" height="188" hspace="6" vspace="6" align="right">Now that the logistical information is out of the way, it's time to talk about the amazing angling experiences that we had on both rivers. The 'Thirteen-Year' cicadas that everyone has been talking about finally started hatching along the banks of the lakes and rivers. We didn't see a lot of these critters on the riverbanks (but we did see some and so did the fish), but these big bugs must have been coming through the floodgates by the million. Every big trout on both rivers was looking up, and if you could find a slower seam and hold your boat there, it was one bite after another on a myriad of large dry flies. Our guides primarily focused on the Norfork because there was less current to deal with over there, and the warm water really turned on the browns, a species that does better from a feeding and survival perspective during warm water conditions than the brook trout and rainbows. We also caught some gorgeous cutthroats, and it was unusually rare to even catch a 'bow. It's hard to stress how critical it is hold the boat in the right spots for as long as possible when fishing dries on high water, but when you found the fish, eighteen to twenty-inch trout were common, and everything we landed was fat due to the ongoing feeding frenzy. The entire tailwater fished well, and the cicadas are still thick. For those of you who had an early-season trip planned t<img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/white_river_blue_ribbon_6-11n.jpg" width="250" height="188" hspace="6" vspace="6" align="right">o fish the stonefly hatch on the Madison River in Montana, only to have your plans ruined due to the very high runoff in the Rocky Mountain Region, this fishing in the Ozarks is even better, and it's probable that the surface action will continue through the summer and into the fall, as our trout have exceptional memories (no joking). It is such a thrill to catch so many nice fish on top when the water is high, and you never really know what size of trout that you may hook into- a thirty-inch brown or 22-inch cutthroat is not out of the question on any given cast. Sometimes, the worst case scenario seems to turn into a hey-day, and this is exactly what has been happening on both rivers for the last three (plus) weeks.<br> <br> There has also been some productive fishing on the White, as well, and with almost 60,000 cubic feet per second running, the eddies and slack-water resembled ponds. These areas are absolutely loaded with fish of all sizes that are seeking out current breaks in order to escape the heavy flows in the main channel, but it can be difficult to sneak up on these hoards of fish without spooking the entire pod. A paddle can work, but it is difficult to put a Jon boat exactly where it needs to be with just one 'stick', especially if the wind is blowing. Rarely is the fly fishing on the White or Norfork easy for those who are unfamiliar with these rivers and this is even truer during heavy flow periods. Utilizing a guide who is on the water virtually every day is worth it, if you want to be in the right place at the right time and make the most out of your trip; spending a day or two frustrated because of the fickle nature of the river's flows teaches an angler nothing, and any respectable guide in this area knows plenty of tricks for getting into the proper position to catch as many fish as possible... and they should also place an emphasis on teaching their clients how to become better fishermen for the times when they are out on their own. There is no doubt that the constantly changing conditions force those who frequently fish the Ozark tailwaters to learn fast and get better every day, and if you can get a decent grasp on how to become steadily productive on the White or Norfork during high and low water flows, there will be very few other rivers in the country that you will not be able to figure out relatively expediently. The gates are starting to close up on the White, so expect the river to clear up and regular high-water to resume. This record flood will end up being a great thing for both rivers, but it was difficult to look at it from that perspective when in the midst of a one- and a half-month period where almost twenty inches of rain fell. The lakes are still high, but as long as we don't see another string of one deluge after another, water conditions will be stable through the summer months - fishing gets exceptionally good and somewhat predictable when flows don't waver for extended periods of time, and high water is better for the fisheries and for catching large trout.<br> <br> <img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/white_river_blue_ribbon_6-11i.jpg" width="250" height="188" hspace="6" vspace="6" align="right">On a different note, we're pleased to offer a clients another way to fish these rivers as Larry just acquired a new drift boat by <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=poq6jhcab&et=1105684046493&s=1720&e=0013vud43brLPoLqYZOYYseKpf8RSN_MHlM7n3sUZPywRZwjGQukWiv2CXBeTf_GpQZXdstWgbDNgWZyGJ3f3d1mhKJ6NObapPJgCTeR9CjUL95DtiHi00cTg==">Adipose boat works</a> out of Helena, MT. Similar to resident guide Forrest Smith's drift boat, this skiff is unlike any &quot;typical&quot; drift boat on the market which is lower than the &quot;wind catching&quot; LPs or high rocker boats. A stealthy and efficient rig for all types of water. Of course, guys have been using many different styles of drifters for almost twenty years on the White and Norfork, but this vessel by Adipose is truly a fishing machine like no other. The seats and safety bars are fully adjustable, so each angler gets the opportunity to have their fishing station customized for comfort, safety and ease of fishing. All the bells and whistles on this drift boat make is a blast to fish out of it, but its best attributes are not going to be overtly visible to the eyes of the average fly fisherman. What makes the Adipose stand out is how easy it is to control during all water conditions, and the &quot;man on the sticks&quot; has no problem with indefinitely holding the boat in the right spot, whether fishing with dries, streamers or nymphs. Also, it makes it much easier to sneak up on fish in slow or shallow water, and this craft opens up the river to many new and unpressured areas during all water conditions. Anyone can claim hot laps in a motorized jon boat dragging San Juan worms is &quot;productive&quot;, <img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/white_river_blue_ribbon_6-11b.jpg" width="250" height="188" hspace="6" vspace="6" align="right">but we can prove it's not the only way to capitalize on these fluctuating rivers. </p> Repeat client and good friend Steve C. from LA and his son Jacob joined me in the Adipose for her maiden voyage down the Norfork followed by a visit to Dry Run Creek. Don't believe streamer fishing is unproductive on sunny days. It's all about fly selection.</em></p></td> <p><br> Blue Ribbon Fly Shop has the most versatile guide team in the Ozarks, and now we have another deadly tool in our arsenal with respect to being able to adapt to whatever the Corp of Engineers throws at us. From all the floodgates open to dead-low water, Blue Ribbon is ready to put our clients on fish based on what type of vessel is going to be the most productive and also based on what our clients desires may be. Fishing the White and Norfork is all about being prepared, and we are the only shop in Arkansas that 'weathered' the storm over the last month and a half by having superb days on the water while almost everyone else was wondering what to do. We pride ourselves on thinking outside the box, so when you either fish with us or utilize our shop for flies or information, you can be assured that you will be privy to being able to pick the brains of guys who have a passionate, laid back and patient approach to the sport of fly fishing. Never hesitate to stop by or give us a call/email if you are interested in how the fishing with HUGE dry flies is progressing, if you just want to fish out of the new drift boat or if you are just interested in checking in on what the flows and fishing are doing during these extremely dynamic times on the rivers.</p> <table width="513" height="43"> <tr> <td><p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/white_river_blue_ribbon_6-11k.jpg" width="250" height="188" hspace="2" vspace="2"></p> <p align="center"><em>1500 miles later and the gift of Trout Slayer and Moose Drool beer from the guys at Adipose stayed ice cold in the YETI.</em></p></td> <td><p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/white_river_blue_ribbon_6-11m.jpg" width="250" height="188" hspace="2" vspace="2"></p> <p align="center"><em>My son and best friend, Tripp, was stoked to sport his new Adipose hat. Rowing is something we'll be working on soon.&nbsp;</em></p></td> </tr> </table> <table width="516" height="65"> <tr> <td><div align="center"> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/white_river_blue_ribbon_6-11l.jpg" width="250" height="188"></p> <p><em>Many thanks to the guys @ Adipose boat works!</em></p> </div></td> </tr> </table> <p><strong>Fly Shop, Dry Run Creek, and big bugs</strong><br> <table width="513" height="43"> <tr> <td><p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/white_river_blue_ribbon_6-11p.jpg" width="250" height="223" hspace="2" vspace="2"></p></td> <td><p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/white_river_blue_ribbon_6-11q.jpg" width="250" height="223" hspace="2" vspace="2"></p></td> </tr> </table> <table width="516" height="65"> <tr> <td><div align="center"> <p><img src="white_river_blue_ribbon_6-11r.jpg" width="250" height="188"></p> </div> <p align="center"><strong><em>Plenty of great new cicada patterns in the bins from multiple sources makes for the best cicada selections around. Be sure to stop in the shop before you hit the river or DRC.</em></strong></p></td> </tr> <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/white_river_blue_ribbon_6-11c.jpg" width="250" height="188" hspace="4" vspace="4"><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/white_river_blue_ribbon_6-11e.jpg" width="250" height="171" hspace="4" vspace="4"><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/white_river_blue_ribbon_6-11g.jpg" width="250" height="188" hspace="4" vspace="4"><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/white_river_blue_ribbon_6-11h.jpg" width="250" height="188" hspace="4" vspace="4"></p> </p> <p><strong><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/white_river_blue_ribbon_6-11a.jpg" width="500" height="375"></strong></p> <p><strong>Henry's Walking &amp; Wading Report</strong></p> This is the season of the smallmouth that ferocious, circus performing, I'm not afraid of the Devil himself, fighting game fish that can wear you down before you know what hit you. They may force you to bring out the big guns, a 10&quot; smallie will give you a better fight than most 16&quot; brown trout. Of course if you get hold of a 16&quot; or 18&quot; smallmouth get ready for the thrill of a lifetime. <p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/white_river_blue_ribbon_6-11o.jpg" width="250" height="167" hspace="6" vspace="6" align="right">When the water became a little to high, fast and wild to wade safely, you turn and search for a alternate and what better fish to choose than the smallmouth bass, which abounds here in their native Ozarks. Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River, not too mention several other streams within 20 minutes of here are smallmouth havens. You hear all the time that trout live in beautiful places, here in the Ozarks the smallmouth does also, they don't have to take a backseat to any one.</p> <p>Another nice thing about smallmouth is that a great many of your flies you use for trout work for smallies. Clouser Minnows, Woolly Buggers, Red Squirrel Nymph with rubber legs, Sheep Minnow, all killers on smallmouth. A 5 - 6 wt, 7.6 - 9 foot rod with 4X tippet and your ready to enjoy one of life's most lively fishing adventure.</p> <p>If your staying away because of high water and you don't like to fish out of a boat, then your missing what may be a lifetime experience not to be enjoyed by all. The smallmouth is equally as much fun and a much better fighter than any other fish a lot anglers believe.</p> <p>As of yesterday some of the generators have been fixed and flood gates are beginning to close ...... you can see the water dropping on the Bull Shoals Tailwaters, this is good news, however for those who have climbed into boats, they are catching more and larger fish than ever before.</p> <p>Looking forward to seeing you on the river, in the creek or on the lake.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

I may be wrong but I think we are going to see this generation most of the summer. I'd count on it and if there's down water and I'm wrong, then you'll be better off for it. But plan on it running.

Hey guys... Fishing is good early and late but mid day stinks- at least for me and others I've talked to. Seems like they've changed from lite to dark jigs below the dam. Sculpin jigs are catching some nice rainbows and other fish up there early and late. By 10 am it's done for most of us. Along the banks, there are a bunch of warmwater fish. We caught whites, spots, smallies, blue gill and saw a big gar. I was real busy with 2 boys this morning, keeping a couple of extra rods baited with jigs- had one hanging off the boat about 6 inches in the water and had a white come up and take it. About lost the rod. Fun times... man these fish fight hard!! The rainbows are something else!!! The 2 in these pics are 18 and 19 inches. Here's a couple of pics from the other day last week.

They are.

With a huge sigh of relief I am happy to report that the Corps of Engineers has gotten one of the units at Norfork Dam up and running. They have also cut the flood releases to about half of what they were. This has resulted in much lower water temperatures. I just checked at the Bill Ackerman/River Ridge Access and the water temperature was 60 degrees…no problems there. I for one will have a much more enjoyable weekend now. I hope you do to. Jeff Williams Trout Program Coordinator E: j_williams@agfc.state.ar.us | P: (870) 424-5924 | M: (870) 404 - 0503

Boards are still down. Between 707 and 708 right now.

Facebook is weird sometimes.... posts don't show up. At home, those series of posts on releases aren't there but I just looked at it here at church and they're there. So I amended my post on their wall. The fact remains that the Corp should have told the proper authorities they were going to change the flow. Facebook is fine for socializing but not for official news releases.

They're still running 2 units so wading is limited. There were a bunch of people up there last evening along the banks... most were rookies and seemed to not have a clue what to do. There are a ton of nice rainbows, few browns and lots of white bass along the banks. I caught my limit of whites in short order and I casted less than 5 feet from the bank. They're in eddies or slower water. Yesterday was tough on rainbows, said the guides. But that's normal after a big flow change. They'd settled down by last evening- I caught a few nice ones on sculpin jigs.