Brian Wise

95% of the Cracklebacks I fish are bead-head and used as a dropper below a bigger lead fly, but, they can work really well in certain areas just swung...mostly in the evening and early mornings. Czech and Euro Nymphing is something to do some homework on and then just jump into it. Check out this site for some info Click Hereand check youtube for some videos (most of the videos aren't that good but it gives you an idea.) Any questions let me know...it is a ton of fun and makes more sense than any fishing you will do on the fly when you do it right. Brian

With the way the river has been up and down lately fishing has been from decent to really good. There has been very few days where we really struggled....just fish DEEP, lose flies. Rubber-leg nymphs, Psycho Princes, Bead-Head Cracklebacks, and with this rise coming through a san juan worm would be a good idea too. Good luck man! Brian

Hey Trout Junkie, we have had a steady rise all day. Not real sure where it will peak but I would say all will be ok for you on Monday and Tuesday as long as we don't keep getting hit with rain like the last couple of nights.....actually you could see some really good conditions if it doesn't peak too high on the current rise. Keep an eye on this USGS North Fork of the White River Flows you are looking for water under 900 cfs or so.... 700 is uber sweet water if that tells you anything. Brian

MDC stocks 2 year old browns Muleball. Brian

The Bryant and the North Fork of the White come together to form Norfork lake. I see where you are going with this so let me just knock any doubt out. Rockbridge or "Spring Creek" (one of many creeks named "Spring Creek in the county) pours into the Bryant 20+ river miles from where the Bryant runs into the Norfork lake...from there the North Fork of the White runs upstream 2 miles to a 5' dam that goes across the entire river at Dawt Mill--also known as Dawt Mill Dam. Logically, most people wouldn't see trout running around 25 miles (25?? you say.....below Rockbridge Spring creek runs for almost 3 miles before hitting the Bryant) and most of that 25 miles in a warm water fishery--Bryant Creek--to take a left turn at the head waters of Norfork lake and then upstream 2 miles and then JUMP a 5' dam! Our fish are wild. Many people on this very forum have caught countless 2" rainbows out of this river and if you ask me THAT is when you can tell the difference in a wild fish and a stocker.....and THAT is when the true beauty of a wild fish shines, they are gorgeous when they are that small. I won't get into the stocker vs. wild fish debate because I partake in chasing stocker fish at the tailwaters when I want mind numbing entertainment and can do some pretty crazy stuff and still catch fish. No doubt, Taney has the biggest fish in the state...with a cost....and no doubt the NFOW has the largest population of wild rainbows in the state....with a cost. Brian

Rockbridge does not pour into the North Fork of the White.....it pours into the Bryant. See what you started with this topic Zach.....

Now we FINALLY know how Zach catches all those fish he talks about....I knew there was a secret and it wasn't 'just' Czech Nymphing! Brian

Just sent AJ an email about the stocking, will let you know. Brian

Hey Glen, I would say if the NFOW can produce a few wild browns the Niangua (which is uber sweet) can produce some wild 'bows. When Tucker and I did all the streams we also fished Bennett and I SWEAR I caught a wild fish of about 3" and looking at the water there it really didn't suprise me. You have to wonder that, for one, there is a reason the MDC stocks trout where they do.....those places can support trout for any given period of time. If that "period of time" lasts long enough for those fish to go through the motions of spawn then out of the TONS of eggs 'some' would have to take, even if conditions aren't perfect--survival of the fittest more than likely starts at the egg. There is without a doubt plenty of room for fish in the tanks throughout their time in them. I had that realisation when I took my 6 year old to Dry Run and...of course, we had to go into the hatchery to look at the huge fish in the first tank. If you'll take a walk (if you can peel yourself away from the disgustingly huge fish in that tank ) at a hatchery you can see that not every fish is rubbings it's fins all over the concrete so it would make sense to me that not all fish that are hatchery raised are going to show crazy blatant signs of fin damage from the tanks. The fin clipping on the other hand "can" stick with them and make that fin pretty funky looking even after it is grown back or completely healed...and on the other hand you can see a rainbow or brown that looks pristine all over---so I see your point. I too agree that the color has very little to do with a stocker over a stream-born fish. I have seen stockers that were absolutely gorgeous and it doesn't take them long to get that way after the stocking. Kyle, I thought it was funny that Zach saw the MDC stocking this time of year too.....and 4200 is a little off compared to the last several years as well. We usually get that one stocking per year(unlike a lot of streams that get 2 stockings) and I really hate to see it happen before the summer crowds hit. That really sucks if you ask me. Brian

Never caught a stocked rainbow in the river either...at over 1000 days of fishing. I'll actually throw this out there to stir the pot--how many wild browns have you guys caught? I have seen a few this year around Patrick, really cool to see! Brian

Hey Tim, I'm with zhoyt. My 6 year old just got a Journey for his birthday and it really is cool. The only thing I worry about is the fact that he 'will' grow out of it at some point for sure....but he loves it right now!! Brian

That same soul patch is not puffed out with any kind of tobacco now.....quit in February. Brian

Ozark Trout Fisher is right on. The NFOW hasn't been stocked with rainbows since the 60's. MDC does stock brown trout every year to the tune of around 6000 last year. About the rainbows getting in with the browns during the stocking.....I guess anything is possible but I really even doubt it would be in the hundreds---and they would show up in the trout surveys the MDC runs every year so I guess if you wanted to you could find out around how many there would be. Either way, the NFOW has the largest population of wild rainbow trout in Missouri, and quite possibly in the mid-west. Add browns up to 15lbs plus and that equals complete sweetness! Brian

Who would have thought that one of those crazy pop-up storms would hit our watershed like that? So you saw them stocking Zach? Seems they are changing their stocking habits.... Brian

Most agreed! Brian

It was fun guys. All in all it could have been written a LOT worse....it could have portrayed the trout parks like we talk about them. I truly think the whole thing about press bringing huge crowds generally doesn't really happen in Missouri. We have seen a TON of press at ROLF on the North Fork of the White in the 8 years I have been guiding there and I can't say that crowds have gotten bigger at all. Generally after something like this comes out we book a couple of trips out of it and that is usually it. Besides I truly think if you looked at the average Field and Stream reader I don't think they will be coming in flocks to fly fish really anywhere....the cover of the June issue is a glimpse of that. By the way Thom, I usually think that way about writers and such because it has been my experience in the past that writers really don't know about fly fishing.....but this writer and photographer were probably top 10 or 15 best fly fisherman I have ever guided, no kidding----who would have thought! Brian

Very awesome Leonard! Congrats man! Brian

Sorry to get back with you too late Randall. As I type this (5-12-09 9:15 a.m.) the river is at 999 cfs and on it's way down. It would depend on how you were wanting to fish, either float or wade. For floating fishing could actually be really good, for wading at the accesses it would probably be tough....only because you would be fairly limited in how far/much you can really wade on the current water level/speed. Hope you got to fish somewhere! Brian

Hey guys, Sorry to be so late getting some reports in....crazy busy. April has brought us river levels that have been pretty up and down along with temperatures that have acted the same way. Any given fishable water level over the past month has produced some great fishing. We have had some days where we struggled a littel but for the most part I really believe we struggled those days mostly because of how deep we had to nymph on fairly high water...leaves very little room for error on many levels. Number one fly for the month has easily been teh rubber-leg stone especially with the average water height, speed, and color. Brian

Did you say 14 years old!?!?!?! WOW, that is hard to believe! Brian

Lost Cabins is way up in the warm water part of the river....good smallmouth fishing though! ROLF not only has the awesome cabins but camping as well---come on down! Brian

I would probably got to a private campground too, we usually stay away from the public campgrounds....teenagers like to party. Brian

Not much to report yet here either Brian. How is that trailer coming? Brian

The river is on it's way down after the weekend...for now at least. Getting REAL good looking. That net is actually an aluminum CHEAP net. I am horrible to nets for some reason. We caught a few browns when the fish were going crazy on the BWO's but nothing big....little footballs, man they are fat! Brian

After a night of rain Friday night/early Saturday morning I met my guys at their cabin and we talked a little about what the water may do. Everything was great so we decided to hit it. This was NOT a beautiful Spring day, temps started out in the mid 40's and dropped out quickly...add a cold rain and some pretty strong winds to that it you could say it was fairly brutal. -Floated from ROLF to Blair. The morning started off nicely, catching fish and having hook-ups consistantly. About mid-day we noticed that the water was coming up nicely (not too fast but coming up) and then it got a little dirty and the fishing slowed WAY down. At one point I thought that it really looked and seemed like the water was going down but that didn't last long until it started coming up again slowly. It turns out I was actually right and looking at the graphs that is exactly what the water did. It was a lot like the tailwaters only not so dramatic. As the water changed so did our style of fishing. I had one guy fishing a NASTY nymph rig with a huge stone and a San Juan Worm and the other guy with a double streamer rig. The double streamer rig (that was being drifted at the time) got a huge take and the fish literally ran 30' in about 4 seconds, one of the most stout runs I have ever seen. Got the fish to the net and it was a super nice 20+" rainbow. Had a great day with a couple of fellow mountain bikers! Brian