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I put in down at Parker and row up to the lure only/no bait zone. That's were I was Sunday.

Retro, I guess it was someone else. There were a couple of yaks out that day. I was in cranebrake hole and parts farther down river. You were up river from me. Ollie, you're right, I wouldn't take it down creeks...her butt is too wide. Yaks are the ticket for those trips. But then again, I purchased it almost exclusively for tailwater fishing anyway. The funest/scariest ride I never took with her was below Norfork with 2 units running. Made it from the Dam to the confluence in about an hour. I think I went back in time I was moving so fast!

Hey Retro, I'm pretty sure I saw you Sunday. I was out there all day in my one-man pontoon boat (blue). Sorry to hear the fishing was slow for you. I have to say I did pretty good after I found where the little fellers were stacked up. As for fishing from a kayak, I imagine that it is "interesting." I love fishing from my boat which sits 18" out of the water (Imagine sitting in a chair with your ankles dangling in the water). That gives you an idea of how high I am above the water while fishing. In a yak, one is so low to the water casting/drifting/landing fish can be a challenge (as you noted). That was the primary consideration for me going with a one-man pontoon style water craft. A second consideration for me was the stability factor. I didn't want to flip over while fishing. Another issue I had with yaks is that you must adjust your side-to-side position using a paddle. In my boat, I wear fins to do this. Makes a huge difference in the number of times you cast your line so as to get a better drift. You are 100% correct about the need for an anchor. A must have (Note to Ham et.al.-the wind can push you around a lot out there too). But make sure to carry a good size knife in case you have to cut away if you get hung up while the water is raising. It's happened to me once. Also a rod holder is very important for obvious reasons. I recommend the one made by Scottie. Ironically, I don't use a net so as to land fish. I simply lean over and release them in the water or lift them by the belly for a quick pic. Of course next week I'll hook a 20"+ and I'll kick myself for not having a net. Yaks are easier to transport and to put in/or out of the water. A big plus. Also you don't have to bulid and brake them down. Not sure if storage is a big deal for you, but my boat has a nice storage rack on back for my camera, coolers, and gear bag. I've had my boat going on 5 years now and it has made fly fishing so much more enjoyable than it already is. Here are some pics of my boat. I purchased it from blackbearpontoons.com. Hate to sound like an infomerical, but, as you rightly observed, the little things make all the difference once you're out there on the water.

Today's trip was extremely productive (at least after I found where the fish were stacked up). As with any nice summer day, there were lots of canoers that came through. Moreover, there were numerous individuals using powerbait in the lure only section. Go figure. Anyway, attached is a photo of the thickest fish of the day. As far as fly selection, I used my same 'ol, same 'ol...MY sowbug. However, several that I talked to were using midges mostly. Very fun day!

Michael, check out my website (see link at bottom of page) for clarification on the new regulations at BTW. Click on the Fishing Report link once there. Hope it helps.

This sums it up nicely!

We all know what a circus Cow Shoals is in the Fall, but this takes the cake! Who would even want to fish under these conditions?? Click on photo to enlarge and read.

I fished Saturday and Sunday this weekend (lucky me). Saturday I fished Cranebreak hole with ok results. But the fishing didn't pick up until about 12pm or so. It was very sunny and the fish seemed hunkered down for the most part. Fishing deep with a lot of tippet seem to be key. Pheasant tails worked well that day. On Sunday, however, I went to lower section of Parker Bend and did very well with my sowbugs. Very consistent fishing (one cast = one fish) for the most part. I ascribe my success to cloudy conditions and fishing deep.

Bobber, a friend and I once went down river of houseman looking for white bass back in the Spring, but sure didn't see many trout moving at all. But don't take my one time observation for any more than what it is. But I've wonder the same thing myself about that stretch of water.

Hey Steve, go check out my photos from my Little Red river trip last week. Go to my website (see link below) and click on Little Red, Summer 06 link. It was a hoot.

Well after 4 long years I finally made it back to my homewaters, the Little Red River. It was truly long over due. Not only have I missed the company of long time friends but also the great fishing that this river is known for throughout the State. My friends Mark and Dan, and myself took our one-man pontoon boats from Swinging Bridge to Lobo. We all caught several trout along the way, but Dan landed the two biggest of the day. It was a wonderful trip and I even met some new folks too. I'm certainly not going to wait that long again before heading back! Go to my website to see additional photos of this trip. Click on Little Red Summer 06 link on the lower right of the main page.

The trout sure do love the sowbug on this river! I'm bringing a bunch this weekend.

The fishing today was, in a word, HARD. I threw everything in my box at them and nothing (almost nothing, did manage to land 3 bows). Nobody around me was catching anything either so I didn't feel too bad about the situation. But later that afternoon, I attended the Steve Dally School of Photography at the Beaver Dam store. Steve presented a very cool Powerpoint seminar on how to take better nature/wildlife photos. He did not discuss the nuts and bolts topics like adjusting f-stop and shutter speeds, etc., but rather some simple, fundalmental techniques on taking better photos in outdoor conditions and how to use lighting properly. He gives you a holistic view of wildlife photography. Anyone who owns a camera and likes to photograph outdoors should attend this session. Just have a look at these two examples taken this morning:

I snapped these two photos this morning on Beaver tailwater and thought I'd share them...

This is a photo of a Barney&Berry reel and a bit of info. I recieved from a fellow at oldreels.com. I've looked around and have yet to find out just how much this particular reel would be worth. It is in excellent condition as well. I've checked eBay but there was nothing comparable being auctioned. If anyone could guestimate a price for me, I'd appreciate it. Hi Patrick: Barney & Berry was an 1800s manufacturer that was mainly in the business of making roller and ice skates. Around 1920 Winchester purchased Barney & Berry and started making their skates under the B&B and also the Winchester logo. In c1925 Winchester started putting the B&B name on other types of sporting goods and selling to gun dealers. That reel is the smallest of the fly reels produced with the B&B stamping. It is collectible, but worth about half the value of the same reel with the Winchester stamp. You might want to search eBay for similar reels with both the B&B and Winchester label. Phil White

It's been awhile since I last posted, but that's life. Today was a beautiful day, albeit very windy. Pheasant tails and sowbugs once again were the ticket for me. Caught 20+ or better. I have to say that the overall size and thickness of the fish lately has been impressive. Hopefully this trend will continue.

You the man Steve!

This weekend my stepson (Tyler) and I, along with Trey Byers camped down by Parker Bend. It was very cold (it dropped down to 18 degrees both nights), but we had a good time. Steve Dally from the Beaver Dam store stopped by and entertained us well into the night with fishing stories from his worldly travels. Tyler and I caught lots of fish on Saturday at Parker, but the "reel" eye opener was Sunday. While in my pontton boat I was able to fish spots that are rarely fished in that area and it paid off handsomely. Caught 12+" fish all day. One even pushed 17". This stretch of water will get more attention from me in the future. It only took 3 attempts do get it right!

About this time 4 years ago Beaver lake topped 1130 ft. and the Corps. opened the floodgates. I just remembered how my jaw hit the floor when I saw the graphics. So, I printed it off just as a reminder. Does anyone know what the damage to the tailwater was afterwards i.e., fish killed, structural damage, etc...? With water coming through the gates at 30,000 cfs, how harmful is it to the ecology of a tailwater when the Corps. does this?

Alltel...

I was heading back home to Springdale from BTW on Saturday afternoon and ran into a horrible hail storm (some say an embedded tornado). The hail was only dime size, but the intensity was unbelivable. I thought my windshield was going to break. I kid you not, the temperature dropped 20 degrees in 10 minutes. Check out the video I made after I had pulled over. Play it twice. The first time is full of pauses. On the second play you get the full effect. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzZTUUOlbvs

Well, I thought about it, but you know how those situations can be. If I thought it was a matter of them not knowing what they were doing, I probably would have. But it seemed they knew they were fishing illegally and didn't care. In such a situation anything said would be interpreted as hostile. Next time I will call 18004829262 to report violations. Oddly enough my cell can call out from down there.

Neat site Steve. But exactly how do I "use" the picture gallery? Maybe it's just me, but can you post some instructions?

Well, score one for the trout today. They basically kept me guessing all day. I did see others doing better. I think midges were working for them. I also noticed two seperate instances of illegal fishing in the "no bait zone" at different times today. Ironically, I had just talked to an AGF officier a few hours ealier and he informed me that violations are happening all up and down the river. Apparently many people don't seem to care about the changes to the regulations. But maybe after a couple of whopper fines this Spring and Summer they will. Since BTW is my primary river, I personally wish I could do more to help. Anybody got a badge they aren't using these days?

Generation has been nonexistent over the past several weeks. I've been able to fish all day without any interruptions.