Robert R.

Johnny - I only fish there a few times a year so there are others that are defenitley more qualified to reply. I usually fish below swinging bridge and have always had decent luck there. Also JFK park below the dam is another good place to wade fish that is pretty straight forward. Maddog and UVbug are a couple guys who always seem to do the best on the Little Red. When I know I am going, I always go back and review their posts to see how they have been doing - good information to have. I would defenitely go by and see the guys at the Little Red Fly Shop. They always have good information and a hot cup of coffee. Hope this helps - good luck onyour trip. Rob

Congratulations Leonard - A keeper for sure. I have 2 little girls and all I can tell you is that your life has forever changed - for the better!!! Congrats again to you and your wife.

Hey Steve - Saw you and gave you a wave on my way off the water at the Norfork. Wanted to come speak to you and see how you guys were doin, but I saw you were busy with clients and did't want to interfere. Glad you guys had some good fishing at Rim. I have to live vicariously through you guys for about 350 days out of the year, so I am always glad to hear about good days on the River. Turned out to be a gorgeous day and I made due at the Little Red. I would have stuck around there, but was not looking forward to another night in the truck - was a bit warmish (I must be gettin old). Defenitely look for you on my next trip. Enjoyed meeting you guys - you have a first class shop. Appreciate all you do. Good Fishin! Rob

I spent the whole time this trip fishing the shoals that stair-step downstream below Swinging Bridge. I like the water there and it caters to my style of flysihing. I have fished a good bit at JFK and had good outtings theres as well. I have also fished Libby's and Cow Shoals, but not in the last 5 or 6 years. I have read some good reports coming from Libby's the past couple weeks, but I am just not that familiar with that section of the river.

Got the chance to fish the Little Red for a couple hours Friday and then again on Saturday. Had a great time putting 50+ fish to hand in a few hours. I tried several different things including zebra midges, but ended up going back to my old stand-by the sowbug. Probably missed half as many fish as I caught, but thats usual for me and the type of fishing I do. Nothing big, 14" rainbow was probably the biggest thing. Caught a few browns. All good fish if you know what I mean. Already looking forward to the next trip.

Looking for a little help. Are there any tricks of the trade or rules of thumb for fishing midges? I have only ever had luck on them one time and that was on the Norfork fishing a little riffle. Caught several that day using a 20 solid black midge with a indicator right at the tail end of the riffle in very shallow water. A guy handed it too me when he was on his way off the water and I was on my way in. Wonderful guy, I simply asked "have any luck?" and he handed me a fly and told me where to fish - sure wish I would have gotten his name. Since then I have tried fishing them on several occassions, with minimal success. I have knocked down to 7x tippet and the smallest indicator I could get away with, but just not having much luck. I know there could be a lot of factors to why I am not having success, so I guess I am looking for some generalizations if there is such a thing. Type of water you look for? Where in the water column you want your presentation? I know it's a pretty broad question, but any help or thoughts would be appreciated.

Hey Terry - That is one good lookin keeper for sure!!! I would'nt be holdin her out at arms length - keep her tucked right up against your chest where she belongs. Wish I would have known you were going to be in MH. I rolled in late Friday night and spent the night in my truck at the Rim Shoals. Did'nt sleep much with the anticipation of fishing, but it turned out to be just that - "anticipation". Generation made Rim unfishable Saturday morning. Good reports all week, I drive 300+ miles to fish and they run water - nothin unusual about that. On a brighter note, went to the Mountain River Flyshop and got to meet Steve and his wife and see Jim. Was great to meet those guys and always nice to be able to put a face with a name. Ended up going to the Norfork, but only fished a couple hours. Only caught 3 fish - place was packed. Headed back to the Little Red and was fishing again by lunch time. I fished the Little Red Friday on my way up and had great fishing. In apprximately 5 hours of fishing (Friday and Saturday) on the Little Red I put 50+ fish to hand. Nothing big, but mission accomplished. Spent some time in God's country and with my favorite therapist (Mr. Trout) and got my mind right so I could come back to this flatland in anticipation of a nother trip North. Sure wish I would have got to fish Rim though. My favorite place in the world to wet a fly. Maybe next time.

Thanks for another wonderful report. Sounds like there will be some wadable water at some point during the day and that is all a guy can ask for. I'll be loading up and heading that way sometime tommorrow. Will probably stop on the Little Red around lunch time and then head to the White sometime around dark. Could'nt find any lodging so I will be sleeping in my truck somewhere. If any of you guys see a white Ford F-150 extended cab with Wildlife Mississippi logos on the door, I'll be somewhere close by so introduce yourself. I'll have plenty of cold drinks If I'm in my truck asleep - WAKE ME UP - I should be fishin. Take care all. Hope I have something to report next Monday.

Great info. Mr. John. I will defenitley be looking for next weeks report as I am about 99% sure I will be heading that direction next Friday. Looks like I will be alone this time so if anyone wants to "buddy-up" for safety sake - let me know. Hoping the generations run similar so I can get some fishing in, but I know thats always up in the air. May even have to run up to Branson and check out the strip club Friday or Saturday night . I will probably stop at the Little Red on my way as I will be dying to wet a fly and doubt I will make it all the way to the White or Norfork before the afternoon generation. Thanks again for the great info.

Mr. John - Being here in MS, so far from the action, I for one can tell you I certainly appreciate your reports and insight on those waters. Guys like you and Mr. Davy and the others who post regularly on here take a lot of guess work out of the equation for folks living away from the area. Wish I had found these sites years ago! I am trying to get a trip up for the weekend of the 28, so I have been watching the boards closely. You probably don't rememeber me, but I believe we met one day last year, standing in the parking lot at Rim waiting for a nasty storm front to move through. As far as generation, I've always said that the best way to get them to turn the water on at the Norfork, was for me to put my money in the box at McLellands . I wish there was still a box there to put money in!! Really hated to see them close that down. One of my very fovorite places to fish. Hope to see some of you guys "in" the water soon.

That is a gorgeous fish. Love the color - great photo. Congrats.

Hey guys - just a report on my friend and his stay on the Little Red. They ended up staying at Lindseys, in a "honeymoon" suite no less, right ont he river. It was my buddy, his wife and their 3 children. Every time I talked to him I had to ask him "I did'nt inperupt anything did I???" He does not fly fish, and because he had his children, he rented a boat from Lindseys and fished a deep hole near there and limited out in a couple hours the first morning. Fishing power baits. Said the kids had a blast. Then he calls me yesterday afternoon to reprt catching a 4lb 2oz bow out of the deep hole just above Swingin Bridge. Caught it on a 1/16th ounce black roostertail. That guys has all the luck!! He did'nt have a way to measure it other then using a dollar bill and he said it was just over 3 dollars worth A guy fishing close by had some scales and weighed it for him. He promptly returned the fish to the river after weighing it. So all in all he had a great trip. Put the kids on some fish and caught a whopper of a bow with a bunch of other people watching. Now if I could just get him started flyfishing Thanks again guys for the good info.

Hey Terry - a fellow Tech Grad. - great to know. I recently went through Russellville, taking the long way around to Iowa. Man I could not believe how that place has changed. Would love to take you up on the Taney night fishin some day. Tell ya what, I'll make a run by the Tech bookstore and bring you an ATU cap!!! I'd also stop and get you a Whatta Burger and fries, but doubt they'd make it all the way to Branson. The guy I was talking about is Bill Davis. Last I knew he was doing some guiding ouut of River Cliff Trout Dock (which last I knew was owned by some friends of mine and also Tech grads Jamie and Kelly Link). Been out of touch with all of those guys for quite awhile. Steve - spent many an hour chunkin and winding on Dardenelle. Also spent many an hour at the Nuke plant smakin some slap crappie. Man do I miss those days and all that good eatin.

Hey all. Been looking at the site for a few months now and absolutely love it. Recently registered so now I can get in on some of the great convo in here. Little bit about me - Born and raised in Iowa, I went to college in Russellvile, AR at Arkansas Tech University (Go Wonderboys) and Graduated in 1989 with a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Management. I now live in the MS Delta, married and have 2 wonderful daughters 12 and 10. I am a Wildlfife Biologist working for a Private, Non-Profit organization. I work mostly in MS and LA but do some work in the AR Delta as well. Most of my work revolves around bottomland hardwood restoration and migratory bird habitat. I started trout fishing in the late 70's on vacations down to AR. Did alot of trout fishing while in college, all of it on the Little Red River as I had granparents that lived about 30 miles from there. I started flyfishing about 1985 and I have been an addict ever since. Funny, it took me moving here to MS before I ever ventured up to the White and Norfork Rivers. Absoultely fell in love with those tailwaters and now spend 95% on my time flyfishing there. It's great "therapy" to get away from all this flat land and be waist deep in all that beauty. I tell my wife some day when I retire, I will be a flyfishing, turkey hunting bum living somewhere in NW AR. I guess I started out like everyone else. Sticking flies in my arm and ears and shirt sleeves. Fumbling around and lucking up and catching a trout here and there. Luckily I had a good friend in college who flyfished and tied flies and he was a great help to me. I believe he now lives in Tulsa, Ok and does some guiding on the White. Anyway - fished for years with the usual wooly buggers and 56'ers and chuck's emergers and actually started catching alot of fish. Then one day at Roundhouse I was bound and determined to make myself learn how to fish with a strike indicator. So I tied on a #18 scud and stuck an idicator on and I caught over 80 fish that day. Nothing big, but did that day ever give me a confidence boost. Pretty versitle now, but still learn something new everytime I go - as it should be. Still have much to learn, but thats what makes it fun and keeps me going. Best fish to date was last June. Caught a 20-21 inch rainbow on a sowbug at Rim Shoals. Been reading alot about the night fishing on Taney and I gotta say you guys have really peaked my intrest. I was recently in Branson on a family vacation. Took all my gear, but it rained almost every day we were there so I did'nt get to fish. Actually went to the hatchery and let the girls feed the trout ( I was making mental notes and douing recon if you know what I mean). I hope to get up there sometime soon and experience what all you guys are talking about. Thanks again to all of you for a great site. Hope to see you on the River!!!!

Hey thanks for all that info. Terry. I will defenitely pass it on to them. I looked at Lindsay's website last night and called him about it. The very first time I ever trout fished back in the late 70's (show's my age) my brother and I hired a guide out of Lindsays. My brother caught a 4 lb 8 ounce bow. Come a long way since then. Thanks again Terry.