John Berry

They are big. Whether there are standing waves depends on the flows. At low flows you really have to keep your eyes open. I have not observed at flows over four full units.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 10/29/2009 During the past week, we have had a seemingly never ending succession of rain events and very windy conditions. The lake levels on the White River system have risen significantly. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam rose three feet to rest at sixteen and seven tenths of a foot above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is twenty four and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell one and nine tenths of a foot to rest at one and nine tenths feet above power pool or fourteen and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. The Corps of Engineers are aggressively drawing down Table Rock and dumping the water into Bull Shoals, which is rising quickly. Beaver Lake rose five tenths of a foot to rest at six and five tenths feet above power pool or three and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we have had light but steady generation around the clock with slightly higher flows in the afternoon. There has been precious little wadable water. Norfork Lake rose three and five tenths of a foot to rest at eleven and eight tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or sixteen and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. There have been significant periods of no generation every day with moderate generation the rest of the day. This has created some great wading conditions. Remember that there is a new size limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and Norfork Rivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout. The fishing in the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam has been excellent. With the low level flows we had this week; it was difficult to navigate around all the new habitat structures recently installed by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Corps of Engineers. The hot flies have been brightly colored San Juan worms (cerise, hot fluorescent pink and red) and egg patterns (orange and peach). This section is scheduled to close on November 1, 2009 for the brown trout spawn. It will remain closed until January 31, 2010. The section from the bottom of this Catch and Release section downstream to the wing wall at the State park is seasonal Catch and Release for the same time period. When we receive large rain events, like we have lately, both rivers muddy up and do not fish well. The best strategy is to head up stream until you find clear water. The Catch and Release Section below Bull Shoals Dam on the White and Quarry Park above Dry Run Creek on the Norfork are often your best bets when the water is unfishable elsewhere. The stretch from Wildcat Shoals to Rim Shoals has fished well. The moderate flows we have received this past week have been perfect for drift fishing. The hot flies have been San Juan worms and Y2Ks. Small mayfly nymphs like pheasant tails and copper johns have also been effective. Rim Shoals has been red hot for another week. The go to flies have been Y2Ks and cerise San Juan worms. In the afternoon, we have been getting some good baetis (small may flies) hatches. Most of the action was with nymphs. Flashback pheasant tails and copper Johns in size 14 have been very effective. There has been limited top water action particularly against the bank. Try size 20 or 22 parachute Adams dry flies. If you encounter high water, Rim Shoals Trout Dock maintains a water taxi and will ferry you to wadable water for a nominal fee. Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River are running high and muddy. The White River below them is very off color and not fishing well. The Norfork River has continued to receive quite a bit of pressure due to round the clock generation on the White but has still fished well. Midge patterns have been the go to flies on the lower flows. The most productive patterns were black zebra midges with silver wire and silver beads, black Norfork midges and Dan’s turkey tail emergers. Other effective flies have been olive woolly buggers and soft hackles (partridge and orange soft hackles and green butts). On the higher flows hot fluorescent pink San Juan worms and orange egg patterns have been the most effective way to fish. There are some spawning rainbows in the Catch and Release section. You should avoid fishing for them to allow them to reproduce naturally. We could use some more wild rainbows. Also avoid walking through the redds (spawning beds). They will appear as light colored depressions in the gravel. Dry Run Creek has fished well this past week. There are some big browns that have begun moving up into the creek to spawn. The hot fly, as always, has been the sowbug. During heavy rain events, Dry Run Creek can get off color like any other stream due to siltation from run-off. The key to success in conditions like this is to use brightly colored San Juan worms (red, fluorescent pink, and cerise) and brightly colored egg patterns (yellow, orange and red). Remember that the White and Norfork Rivers are infected with didymo, an invasive alga. Be sure and thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the felt soles on wading boots) before using them in any other water. Many manufacturers are now making rubber soled wading boots that are easier to clean and are not as likely to harbor didymo. I have recently purchased a pair. Practice water safety and always check conditions before you leave home. John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over twenty five years.

Sowbugs.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 10/22/2009 During the past week, we have had rain and cooler temperatures. The lake levels on the White River system have all risen significantly. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam rose four and three tenths of a foot to rest at thirteen and seven tenths of a foot above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is twenty seven and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell three and two tenths of a foot to rest at three and eight tenths feet above power pool or twelve and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The flood gates are open at Table Rock and they are aggressively drawing it down and dumping the water into Bull Shoals, which is rising quickly. Beaver Lake rose three tenths of a foot to rest at six feet above power pool or three and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we have had light but steady generation around the clock with slightly higher flows in the afternoon. There has been precious little wadable water. Norfork Lake rose eight tenths of a foot to rest at eight and three tenths of a foot above power pool of 552.00 feet or nineteen and seven tenths feet below the top of flood pool. There have been significant periods of no generation every day with moderate generation the rest of the day. This has created some great wading conditions. Remember that there is a new size limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and Norfork Rivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout. The fishing in the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam has been excellent. With the low level flows we had this week; it was difficult to navigate around all the new habitat structures recently installed by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Corps of Engineers. The hot flies have been brightly colored San Juan worms (cerise, hot fluorescent pink and red) and egg patterns (orange and peach). White marabou jigs accounted for some good fish. This section is scheduled to close on November 1, 2009 for the brown trout spawn. It will remain closed until January 31, 2010. The section from the bottom of this Catch and Release section downstream to the wing wall at the State park is seasonal Catch and Release for the same time period. The stretch from Wildcat Shoals to Cotter has fished well. The moderate flows we have received this past week have been perfect for drift fishing. The hot flies have been San Juan worms and Y2Ks. There has also been a bit of grasshopper action, especially on windy days. Rim Shoals has been red hot for another week. The go to flies have been Y2Ks and cerise San Juan worms. In the afternoon we have been getting some good baetis (small may flies) hatches. Most of the action was with nymphs. Flashback pheasant tails and copper Johns in size 14 have been very effective. There has been limited top water action particularly against the bank. Try size 20 or 22 parachute Adams dry flies. If you encounter high water, Rim Shoals Trout Dock maintains a water taxi and will ferry you to wadable water for a nominal fee. Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River are running high and muddy. The White River below them is very off color and not fishing well. The Norfork River has received quite a bit of pressure due to round the clock generation on the White but has still fished well. Midge patterns have been the go to flies on the lower flows. The most productive patterns were black zebra midges with silver wire and silver beads, black Norfork midges and Dan’s turkey tail emergers. On the higher flows hot pink fluorescent pink San Juan worms and orange egg patterns have been the most effective way to fish. There are some spawning rainbows in the Catch and Release section. You should avoid fishing for them to allow them to reproduce naturally. We could use some more wild rainbows. Also avoid walking through the redds (spawning beds). They will appear as light colored depressions in the gravel. Dry Run Creek has fished well this past week. There are some big browns that have begun moving up into the creek to spawn. The hot fly, as always, has been the sowbug. Other hot flies have been worm brown San Juan worms and egg patterns (orange). Be sure and bring a large net and a camera. When you land one of the big fish there be sure and handle it carefully. Keep it in the net until the camera is out and you are ready to take the photo. Carefully revive all fish caught and always wet your hands before handling trout. Remember that the White and Norfork Rivers are infected with didymo, an invasive alga. Be sure and thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the felt soles on wading boots) before using them in any other water. Practice water safety and always check conditions before you leave home. John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over twenty five years.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 10/08/2009 During the past week, we have had cool temperatures, windy conditions and rain. The lake levels on the White River system have fallen. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell three and eight tenths of a foot to rest at one and six tenths of a foot above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is thirty nine and four tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell five tenths of a foot to rest at one and five tenths of a foot above power pool or fifteen and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell six tenths of a foot to rest at power pool or nine and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. We have had steady generation around the clock with substantially higher flows in the afternoon. There were three short periods of no generation during Conclave. Norfork Lake fell one and eight tenths of a foot to rest at two and nine tenths of a foot above power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty five and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. There has been round the clock generation on the Norfork with a few periods of no generation late at night. Remember that there is a new size limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and Norfork Rivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout. The fishing in the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam was excellent during the brief periods of no generation during conclave. With the low level flows, it was difficult to navigate around all the new habitat structures recently installed by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Corps of Engineers. Midge patterns have been the ticket. The hot flies have been the black zebra midge with silver wire and silver bead, the red zebra midge with silver wire and silver bead and Dan’s turkey tail emerger. On the higher flows in the afternoon hot pink fluorescent pink San Juan worms and orange egg patterns have also accounted for some nice fish. The Narrows was the scene of a bit of excitement during Conclave. Several anglers were fishing there on low water and doing well. The water came up abruptly and some of the anglers were not able to exit quickly enough and had to be rescued. In this case, the Bull Shoals Dam powerhouse phone was reporting no change in generation despite the fact that four generators had been turned on. This is a hazardous place to fish. The best water is far from the access. Exit the water as soon as rising water is detected. The stretch from Cotter to Rim Shoals has fished well. There has been some good grasshopper action on sunny windy days. Use nine foot 4X leaders and carefully work the banks. Drop the fly on the water with a plop and give the fly a twitch from time to time, to initiate a vicious strike. The best patterns have been Dave’s hoppers and Rainey’s hoppers. Olive woolly buggers and Y2Ks have also been quite effective. Rim Shoals has been red hot. The go to flies have been Y2Ks and hot fluorescent pink Sa Juan worms. Other flies, specifically black zebra midges with silver wire and silver beads and small pheasant tails accounted for some good fish. The water has been lightly stained and 5X tippet has been the tippet of choice. If you encounter high water, Rim Shoals Trout Dock maintains a water taxi and will ferry you to wadable water for a nominal fee. Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River have fished well. The cooler temperatures have moderated the water temperature. The hot flies have been Clouser minnows and crawfish patterns. The Norfork River has not fished well this past week. There were fairly high levels of generation with only a few brief periods of no generation late at night. On the higher flows hot pink fluorescent pink San Juan worms and orange egg patterns have been the most effective way to fish. There are some spawning rainbows in the Catch and Release section. You should avoid fishing for them to allow them to reproduce naturally. We could use some more wild rainbows. Also avoid walking through the redds (spawning beds). They will appear as light colored depressions in the gravel. Dry Run Creek has fished well this past week. It was a busy place during Conclave and several great fish were caught. The hot fly, as always, has been the sowbug. Other hot flies have been worm brown San Juan worms and egg patterns (orange). Be sure and bring a large net and a camera. While you are there be sure and check out the work being done to improve the fish habitat on the creek. There are also some planned enhancements that will improve fishing for the handicapped. Remember that the White and Norfork Rivers are infected with didymo, an invasive alga. Be sure and thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the felt soles on wading boots) before using them in any other water. Practice water safety and always check conditions before you leave home. John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over twenty five years.

Great news Terry. It could not happen to a nicer guy. It was great to see you at Conclave. By the way, I look forward to reading your book that I recently bought.

Zach It was nice to put a face with an avatar. I always follow your posts and it was nice to put it all together. Thank you for stopping by! Gabe thank you for your kind words. I generally fish my zebra midges in size 14 and 16 when in the boat and 18 and 20 when wading. Good luck on your upcoming trip.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 10/01/2009 During the past week, we have had cool temperatures, windy conditions and no rain. The lake levels on the White River system have risen a bit. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam rose two tenths of a foot to rest at five and four tenths of a foot above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is thirty five and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake held steady at two feet above power pool or fourteen feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake held steady at six tenths of a foot above power pool or nine feet below the top of flood pool. We have had steady flow of around 5,000 cubic feet per second. This level has been near perfect for floating but not so good for wading. Norfork Lake fell one tenth of a foot to rest at four and seven tenths of a foot above power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty three and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. There has been little generation on the Norfork with plenty of wading available. Remember that there is a new size limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and Norfork Rivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout. The fishing in the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam has been much better this week. With the low level flows, it was difficult to navigate around all the new habitat structures recently installed by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Corps of Engineers. Midge patterns have been the ticket. The hot flies have been the black zebra midge with silver wire and silver bead, the red zebra midge with silver wire and silver bead and Dan’s turkey tail emerger. Hot pink fluorescent pink San Juan worms and orange egg patterns have also accounted for some nice fish. Wildcat Shoals has hit or miss. The black zebra midges have been the go to nymph, the hot flies have been the partridge and orange soft hackle and the green butt. Dan’s turkey tail emerger and the olive woolly bugger were also effective. This is a broad shallow shoal that can provide limited wading on low levels of generation. Be very careful, as there is a lot of bedrock in this area, which can be treacherous to wade. Studded boots are highly recommended. It did not fish well on those days when it was severely stained. The stretch from Wildcat to Cotter has fished well. There has been some good grasshopper action on sunny windy days. Use nine foot 4X leaders and carefully work the banks. Drop the fly on the water with a plop and give the fly a twitch from time to time, to initiate a vicious strike. The best patterns have been Dave’s hoppers and Rainey’s hoppers.Olive woolly buggers and Y2Ks have also been quite effective. Rim Shoals has been red hot. The go to flies have been Y2Ks and hot fluorescent pink Sa Juan worms. Other flies, specifically black zebra midges with silver wire and silver beads and small pheasant tails accounted for some good fish. The water has been lightly stained and 5X tippet has been the tippet of choice. If you encounter high water, Rim Shoals Trout Dock maintains a water taxi and will ferry you to wadable water for a nominal fee. Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River have cleared a bit. The cooler temperatures have moderated the water temperature. The hot flies have been Clouser minnows and crawfish patterns. The Norfork River has fished a bit better this past week. With no wadable water on the White it has been crowded. On low water, small midge patterns have been the ticket. Try black zebra midges, Norfork beadheads in black or olive and Dan’s turkey tail emerger. Soft hackles like the green butt and the partridge and orange have been effective. It should be noted that, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is to resurface the parking lot at the ramp at Quarry Park beginning on September 24, and ending on October 9. The ramp will be closed during this process and the area will effectively be closed to fishing. This will leave the Ackerman Access as the only access open on the Norfork River. There are some spawning rainbows in the Catch and Release section. You should avoid fishing for them to allow them to reproduce naturally. We could use some more wild rainbows. Also avoid walking through the redds (spawning beds). They will appear as light colored depressions in the gravel. Dry Run Creek has fished well this past week. The hot fly, as always, has been the sowbug. Other hot flies have been worm brown San Juan worms and egg patterns (orange). Be sure and bring a large net and a camera. The habitat improvement project for Dry Run Creek has begun. If you go down there, you will see trucks or cranes operating in the stream. The fish are still there but it is important to avoid the areas under construction. This project will enhance angling opportunities for the handicapped and improve the creeks fish handling capacity. The Southern Council Conclave is to be held in Mountain Home this week and there will be a lot of out of town anglers fishing our local streams. Remember that the White and Norfork Rivers are infected with didymo, an invasive alga. Be sure and thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the felt soles on wading boots) before using them in any other water. Practice water safety and always check conditions before you leave home. John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over twenty five years.

I have had some pretty good days on low levels of generation like we have been having.

I would recommend Rim (take the water taxi at Rim Shoals Trout Dock) or Wildcat Shoals.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 9/25/2009 During the past week, we have had cool temperatures and a succession of significant rain events, which raised all of the lake levels on the White River system. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam rose four and nine tenths of a foot to rest at five and two tenths of a foot above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is thirty five and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake rose one and five tenths of a foot to rest at two feet above power pool or fourteen feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose one and five tenths feet to rest at six tenths of a foot above power pool or nine feet below the top of flood pool. We had some long windows of no generation during the past week. This created some excellent wading. On some days, drift fishing was very limited. Norfork Lake rose three and four tenths of a foot to rest at four and eight tenths of a foot above power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty three and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. There has been little generation on the Norfork with plenty of wading available. Remember that there is a new size limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and Norfork Rivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout. The fishing in the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam has been much better this week. The rains caused some off color conditions down stream and this was the only clear water for several days. With the low level flows, it was difficult to navigate around all the new habitat structures recently installed by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Corps of Engineers. Midge patterns have been the ticket. The hot flies have been the black zebra midge with silver wire and silver bead, the red zebra midge with silver wire and silver bead and Dan’s turkey tail emerger. On moderate flow brightly colored San Juan worms (red, cerise and hot fluorescent pink) and egg patterns (orange and yellow) have been the go to flies. Wildcat Shoals has hit or miss. On low water days, when the water was relatively clear the black zebra midges have been the go to nymph, the hot flies have been the partridge and orange soft hackle and the green butt. Dan’s turkey tail emerger and the olive woolly bugger were also effective. This is a broad shallow shoal that can provide limited wading on low levels of generation. Be very careful, as there is a lot of bedrock in this area, which can be treacherous to wade. Studded boots are highly recommended. It did not fish well on those days when it was severely stained. Rim was also hit or miss due to the runoff from the heavy rains we encountered. The hot flies have been the black zebra midge with silver wire and silver bead in size sixteen, prince nymphs in size sixteen and beadhead sowbugs size fourteen. Other flies, specifically hot pink fluorescent San Juan worms and olive woolly buggers accounted for some large fish. If you encounter high water, Rim Shoals Trout Dock maintains a water taxi and will ferry you to wadable water for a nominal fee. Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River are high and off color. Give them a few days to clear. The cooler temperatures have moderated the water temperature. The hot flies have been Clouser minnows and crawfish patterns. The White River below Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River is stained and fishing poorly. The Norfork River has fished a bit better this past week. With wadable water on the White the river was not as crowded as it has been. On low water, small midge patterns have been the ticket. Try black zebra midges, Norfork beadheads in black or olive and Dan’s turkey tail emerger. Soft hackles like the green butt and the partridge and orange have been effective. On sunny windy days the grasshopper has been particularly effective. Use nine foot 4X leaders and carefully work the banks. Drop the fly on the water with a plop and give the fly a twitch from time to time, to initiate a vicious strike. The best patterns have been Dave’s hoppers and Rainey’s hoppers. It should be noted that, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is to resurface the parking lot at the ramp at Quarry Park beginning on September 24, and ending on October 9. The ramp will be closed during this process and the area will effectively be closed to fishing. This will leave the Ackerman Access as the only access open on the Norfork River. There are some spawning rainbows in the Catch and Release section. You should avoid fishing for them to allow them to reproduce naturally. We could use some more wild rainbows. Also avoid walking through the redds (spawning beds). They will appear as light colored depressions in the gravel. Dry Run Creek has fished well this past week. The hot fly, as always, has been the sowbug. Other hot flies have been worm brown San Juan worms and egg patterns (orange). Be sure and bring a large net and a camera. The habitat improvement project for Dry Run Creek has begun. If you go down there, you will see trucks or cranes operating in the stream. The fish are still there but it is important to avoid the areas under construction. This project will enhance angling opportunities for the handicapped and improve the creeks fish handling capacity. The Southern Council Conclave is to be held in Mountain Home next week and there will be a lot of out of town anglers fishing our local streams. Remember that the White and Norfork Rivers are infected with didymo, an invasive alga. Be sure and thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the felt soles on wading boots) before using them in any other water. Practice water safety and always check conditions before you leave home.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 9/17/2009 During the past week, we have had unseasonably cool temperatures and a significant rain event, which was a slow soaker and had little effect on lake levels. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell five tenths of a foot to rest at three tenths of a foot above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty and seven tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake rose four tenths of a foot to rest at five tenths of a foot above power pool or fifteen and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake remained steady at nine tenths of a foot below power pool or ten and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Over the weekend, we had some nice twelve hour windows of no generation then during the past week we have had very light generation around the clock. This created some very limited wading. On some days, drift fishing was very limited. Norfork Lake rose one tenth of a foot to rest at one and four tenths of a foot above power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty six and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. There has been little generation on the Norfork with plenty of wading available. All of the lakes in the White River system are at or near power pool. If cool temperatures and little or no rainfall continue, I predict wadable water in the near future. Remember that there is a new size limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and Norfork Rivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout. The fishing in the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam has been hit or miss this last week. Some days were slow and some were spectacular. With the low level flows, it was difficult to navigate around all the new habitat structures recently installed by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Corps of Engineers. Midge patterns have been the ticket. The hot flies have been the black zebra midge with silver wire and silver bead and Dan’s turkey tail emerger. Wildcat Shoals has been quite productive. While the black zebra midges have been the go to nymph, the hot flies have been the partridge and orange soft hackle and the green butt. Dan’s turkey tail emerger and the olive woolly bugger were also effective. This is a broad shallow shoal that can provide limited wading on low levels of generation. Be very careful, as there is a lot of bedrock in this area, which can be treacherous to wade. Studded boots are highly recommended. On sunny windy days the grasshopper has been particularly effective. Use nine foot 4X leaders and carefully work the banks. Drop the fly on the water with a plop and give the fly a twitch from time to time, to initiate a vicious strike. The best patterns have been Dave’s hoppers and Rainey’s hoppers. Rim Shoals has been spotty this past week. Some days have been spectacular and some have been slow. In general, the mornings have fished better than the afternoons. The water was gin clear and 6X tippet or smaller was the key to success. The hot flies has been the black zebra midge with silver wire and silver bead in size sixteen, prince nymphs in size sixteen and beadhead sowbugs size fourteen. Other flies, specifically hot pink fluorescent San Juan worms and olive woolly buggers accounted for some large fish. If you encounter high water, Rim Shoals Trout Dock maintains a water taxi and will ferry you to wadable water for a nominal fee. Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River are a bit high and off color. The cooler temperatures have moderated the water temperature. The hot flies have been Clouser minnows and crayfish patterns. The Norfork River has been a bit slow this past week. With little if any wadable water on the White, on most days, this was the only show in town. On low water, small midge patterns have been the ticket. Try black zebra midges, Norfork beadheads in black or olive and Dan’s turkey tail emerger. Soft hackles like the green butt and the partridge and orange have been effective. Grasshoppers and olive woolly buggers have also been producing. The upper river at Quarry Park has fished a bit better. It should be noted that, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is to resurface the parking lot at the ramp at Quarry Park beginning on September 24, and ending on October 9. The ramp will be closed during this process and the area will effectively be closed to fishing. This will leave the Ackerman Access as the only access open on the Norfork River. I cannot believe that they are doing this during conclave. Dry Run Creek has fished well this past week. The hot fly, as always, has been the sowbug. Other hot flies have been worm brown San Juan worms and egg patterns (orange). The habitat improvement project for Dry Run Creek has begun. If you go down there, you will see trucks or cranes operating in the stream. The fish are still there but it is important to avoid the areas under construction. This project will enhance angling opportunities for the handicapped and improve the creeks fish handling capacity. Kudos to Dave Whitlock for a great design job on this project. Remember that the White and Norfork Rivers are infected with didymo, an invasive alga. Be sure and thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the felt soles on wading boots) before using them in any other water. Practice water safety and always check conditions before you leave home. John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over twenty five years.

Yes, It is about two miles north of the Wildcat Shoals access on the river side of the road.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 9/10/2009 During the past week, we have had unseasonably cool temperatures and a couple of significant rain events. Both, of which, were slow soakers and had little effect on lake levels. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell one tenth of a foot to rest at eight tenths of a foot above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake remained steady at five tenths of a foot above power pool or fifteen and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake remained steady at nine tenths of a foot below power pool or ten and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Over the weekend, there were very low flows (around 2/3 of a full generator) and then during the past week we have had moderate generation with a spike of higher generation in the afternoon. This created some very limited wading. On some days, drift fishing was very limited. Norfork Lake rose seven tenths of a foot to rest at one and three tenths of a foot above power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty six and seven tenths feet below the top of flood pool. There has been little generation on the Norfork with plenty of wading available. All of the lakes in the White River system are at or near power pool. If cool temperatures and little or no rainfall continue, I predict wadable water in the near future. Remember that there is a new size limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and Norfork Rivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout. The fishing in the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam has remained slow this past week. With the low level flows, it was difficult to navigate around all the new habitat structures recently installed by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Corps of Engineers. Midge patterns have been the ticket on most days. The hot flies have been the black zebra midge with silver wire and silver bead and Dan’s turkey tail emerger. Wildcat Shoals has been quite productive. While the black zebra midges have been the go to nymph, the hot flies have been the partridge and orange soft hackle and the green butt. Dan’s turkey tail emerger and the olive woolly bugger were also effective. This is a broad shallow shoal that can provide limited wading on low levels of generation. Be very careful, as there is a lot of bedrock in this area, which can be treacherous to wade. Studded boots are highly recommended. Rim Shoals has fished well this past week. The water was gin clear and 6X tippet or smaller was the key to success. The hot flies has been the black zebra midge with silver wire and silver bead in size sixteen, prince nymphs in size sixteen and beadhead sowbugs size fourteen. Other flies, specifically hot pink fluorescent San Juan worms and olive woolly buggers accounted for some large fish. On sunny windy days the grasshopper has been particularly effective. Use nine foot 4X leaders and carefully work the banks. Drop the fly on the water with a plop and give the fly a twitch from time to time, to initiate a vicious strike. The best patterns have been Dave’s hoppers and Rainey’s hoppers. Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River are a bit high and off color. The cooler temperatures have moderated the water temperature. The hot flies have been Clouser minnows and crayfish patterns. The Norfork River has been a zoo this past week. With little if any wadable water on the White, this was the only show in town and it was especially crowded over the holiday weekend. On low water, small midge patterns have been the ticket. Try black zebra midges, Norfork beadheads in black or olive and Dan’s turkey tail emerger. Soft hackles like the green butt and the partridge and orange have been effective. Grasshoppers and olive woolly buggers have also been producing. The upper river at Quarry Park has fished a bit better. At least, there was a place to park there. Dry Run Creek has fished well this past week, despite the holiday crowding. The hot fly, as always, has been the sowbug. Other hot flies have been worm brown San Juan worms and egg patterns (orange). The fish here are huge. Be sure and use heavy tippet (at least 4X) and carry a huge net. Most big fish are lost at the net. Do not forget to pinch down the barbs on any flies used on Dry Run Creek or better yet use flies tied on factory barbless hooks. Not only is it required by law but you will be glad you did, if your youngster hooks themselves or you. Remember that the White and Norfork Rivers are infected with didymo, an invasive alga. Be sure and thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the felt soles on wading boots) before using them in any other water. Practice water safety and always check conditions before you leave home. John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over twenty five years.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 9/03/2009 During the past week we have had a minor rain event and unseasonably cool temperatures. The lakes on the White River system continue their fall. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam held steady at nine tenths of a foot above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell seven tenths of a foot to rest at five tenths of a foot above power pool or fifteen and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell three tenths of a foot to rest at nine tenths of a foot below power pool or ten and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White has been difficult to pin down. Over the weekend there were very low flows (around 2/3 of a full generator) and then during the past week we have had some days with moderate generation and some days with a significant period of no generation. This created some excellent conditions for wade fishing. On some days, drift fishing was very limited. Norfork Lake has fallen one tenth of a foot to rest at six tenths of a foot above power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty seven and four tenths feet below the top of flood pool. There has been little generation on the Norfork with plenty of wadable available. All of the lakes in the White River system are at or near power pool. If cool temperatures and little or no rainfall continue, I predict wadable water in the near future. Remember that there is a new size limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and Norfork Rivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout. I noticed a photo of an obviously undersized brown trout with a stringer in its mouth displayed in this week’s Baxter Bulletin. This was a clear violation and could subject the angler to a serious fine. You need to carefully measure brown (Minimum 24 inches), brook (minimum 14 inches) and cutthroat trout (minimum 16 inches) and immediately release them, if they are undersize. The fish habitat project in the Catch and Release section at the base of Bull Shoals Dam that was constructed by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in conjunction with the Corps of Engineers is now complete. The project was finished in a fraction of the time allotted. There is still some legitimate concern that the habitat will create navigational hazards for river boats at low levels of generation. Please be careful when boating in this area. The fishing in the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam has slowed the last week. We have had substantial periods of no generation on some days that fished well. Midge patterns have been the ticket on lower flows. The hot flies have been the black zebra midge with silver wire and silver bead and Dan’s turkey tail emerger. The Narrows has fished well this past week. The hot fly was the black zebra midge but the olive woolly bugger came in a close second. The construction of the new public access is near completion. This will include restroom facilities and a picnic table. Access is much easier than in the past. Wildcat Shoals has been productive. While the black zebra midges have been the go to nymph, the hot flies have been the partridge and orange soft hackle and the green butt. Dan’s turkey tail emerger was also effective. Rim Shoals has fished well this past week. There were several days with wadable water. The water was gin clear and 6X tippet or smaller was the key to success. The hot flies has been the black zebra midge with silver wire and silver bead in size sixteen, prince nymphs in size sixteen and beadhead sowbugs size fourteen. Other flies, specifically red San Juan worms and grasshoppers accounted for some large fish. On some days there were low flows that were also productive. Here again the zebra midge and the grasshopper were the most effective flies. Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River have cleared and are fishing well. The cooler temperatures have moderated the water temperature. The hot flies have been Clouser minnows and crayfish patterns. The Norfork River has fished a bit better this week. With wadable water on the White, the crowding here has substantially decreased. On low water, small midge patterns have been the ticket. Try black zebra midges, Norfork beadheads in black or olive and Dan’s turkey tail emerger. Soft hackles like the green butt and the partridge and orange have been effective. Grasshoppers have also been producing. The upper river at Quarry Park has fished particularly well. Dry Run Creek has fished well this past week. The hot fly, as always, has been the sowbug. Other hot flies have been worm brown San Juan worms and egg patterns (orange). There is little room to cast. The most effective technique is to high stick nymphs. While you are there be sure and tour the adjacent National Fish Hatchery. Be sure and remove your waders before entering to avoid transferring aquatic diseases. With a holiday week coming up, we will have several anglers visiting the Twin Lakes area. Remember that the White and Norfork Rivers are infected with didymo, an invasive alga. Be sure and thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the felt soles on wading boots) before using them in your home water. Practice water safety and always check conditions before you leave home. John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over twenty five years.

At Rim Shoals, there are two public accesses (a ramp and a walk-in), and a fly shop. They are open on Sunday.

Rim Shoals is twenty four miles below Bull Shoals Dam. The projection you were looking at was for last Sunday. Check the dates at the top of the page. The projection for Sunday does not come out until Friday at 5:00PM. They are accurate about 75% of the time. Good luck!

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 8/27/2009 We have gone a week without a rain event. The lakes on the White River system continue their fall. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam rose four tenths of a foot to rest at nine tenths of a foot above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell two tenths of a foot to rest at one and two tenths feet above power pool or fourteen and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell four tenths of a foot to rest at six tenths of a foot below power pool or ten and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White has been for no generation in the morning and occasionally no generation at night. The flows have been moderate in the afternoon during peak power demand. This created some excellent conditions for wade fishing. Norfork Lake has fallen three tenths of a foot to rest at seven tenths of a foot above power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty seven and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Remember that there is a new size limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and Norfork Rivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in conjunction with the Corps of Engineers began installing fish habitat designed to provide cover for juvenile trout in the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam on August 17, 2009. This work is being done at low water levels and is scheduled to take forty five days to complete. It should provide reliable wadable water on the White River during this time. There is some concern that the habitat will create navigational hazards for river boats at low levels of generation. The work is now substantially complete. The fishing in the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam has been particularly good for the last week. We have had substantial periods of no generation each day that have fished particularly well. The trick has been to avoid the areas where the construction is active. The heavy equipment really didn’t seem to bother the trout very much, at all. Midge patterns have been the ticket on lower flows. The hot flies have been the black zebra midge with silver wire and silver bead and Dan’s turkey tail emerger. Later in the day, when we get heavier flows, the most effective technique has been to fish brightly colored San Juan worms (cerise, hot pink and red) and egg patterns (orange) below strike indicators. Use long 4X tippets and large split shot (AAA) to get the flies down to the bottom. Be very careful when drifting in this area. There are some new significant obstacles to navigation and you need quite a bit of generation to safely clear them. The Narrows has fished well this past week. It got a bit crowded over the weekend. The hot fly was the black zebra midge but the olive woolly bugger came in a close second. Wildcat Shoals has been another hot spot. While the black zebra midges have been the go to nymph, the hot flies have been the partridge and orange soft hackle and the green butt. Dan’s turkey tail emerger was also effective. Rim Shoals has been red hot this past week. There were several days with wadable water. The water was gin clear and 6X tippet was the key to success. The hot fly has been the black zebra midge with silver wire and silver bead in size sixteen. Other flies, specifically red San Juan worms and grasshoppers accounted for some large fish. On some days there were moderate flows that were very productive. Here again the zebra midge and the grasshopper were the most effective flies. Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River have cleared and are fishing well. The cooler temperatures have moderated the water temperature. The hot flies have been Clouser minnows and Barr’s meat whistles. The Norfork River has fished a bit better this week. With wadable water on the White, the crowding here has substantially decreased. On low water, small midge patterns have been the ticket. Try black zebra midges, Norfork beadheads in black or olive and Dan’s turkey tail emerger. Soft hackles like the green butt and the partridge and orange have also been effective. Grasshoppers have also been producing. The upper river at Quarry Park has fished particularly well. On high water, the most effective tactic is to fish brightly colored San Juan worms or egg patterns under an indicator. Dry Run Creek has fished well this past week. The hot fly, as always, has been the sowbug. Other hot flies have been worm brown San Juan worms and egg patterns (orange). The project to enhance fishing on the creek is scheduled to begin soon. The project will include a 130 foot boardwalk to enhance fishing opportunities for handicapped anglers and substantial fish habitat structures designed by Dave Whitlock. This will make the creek more accessible and increase its fish holding capacity. Practice water safety and always check conditions before you leave home. John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over twenty five years.

The narrows is a public access on Denton Ferry Rd. north of Cotter, Arkansas.

I have either guided or fished on my own for the past week and it has been truely great. Yesterday I had the opportunity to wade Rim Shoals with my wife, Lori, and my yellow lab, Ellie. It was worth the wait. I caught several fish in the eighteen to twenty slot including one twenty incher on a grasshopper. The fish are really healthy and gave me a tough fight on my Sage Light Line four weight. They put me into the backing twice. Earlier in the week I got the chance to wade the Narrows. I probably caught more trout there but on average they were a bit smaller. What a week!

Size sixteen or eighteen.

The hot fly lately has been black zebra midges. The only top water action has been on grasshoppers. The lakes are near pool and I expect there to be some wadable water.

Blue Ribbon Fly Shop in Mountain Home, Arkansas has the book in stock.

The Catch and Release section at the base of Bull Shoals Dam is excellent. I would also suggest Wildcat Shoals. Rim Shoals is Catch and Release. Buy a copy of the Home Waters book. It will tell you every thing you need to know.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 8/20/2009 We have had a significant rain event. The lakes on the White River system continue their fall. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell four tenths of a foot to rest at five tenths of a foot above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell six tenths feet to rest at one and four tenths feet above power pool or fourteen and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell seven tenths of a foot to rest at two tenths of a foot below power pool or nine and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White has been for no generation in the morning and occasionally no generation at night. The flows have been heavy in the afternoon during peak power demand. This created some excellent conditions for drift and wade fishing. Norfork Lake has fallen six tenths of a foot to rest at one foot above power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty seven feet below the top of flood pool. Generation on the Norfork has declined significantly, which has created some quality wading. Remember that there is a new size limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and Norfork Rivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in conjunction with the Corps of Engineers began installing fish habitat designed to provide cover for juvenile trout in the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam on August 17, 2009. This work is being done at low water levels and is scheduled to take forty five days to complete. It should provide reliable wadable water on the White River during this time. There is some concern that the habitat will create navigational hazards for river boats at low levels of generation. At this time, we do not know how high the new habitat structures will sit in the water. There was a lot of discussion that this project would be completed quickly, substantially before the allotted time is over. However, a significant amount of the cedar trees being used for bank stabilization were observed being washed down stream when the generation was kicked up to four and a half generators the other day. It appears that they had not been properly anchored. If you are boating and observe any of the habitat materials in the river near you, carefully avoid them to prevent damage to your boat or motor. The fishing in the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam has been quite good for the last week. We have had periods of no generation each morning that have fished particularly well. The trick is to avoid the areas where the construction is active. Midge patterns have been the ticket on lower flows. The hot flies have been the black zebra midge with silver wire and silver bead and Dan’s turkey tail emerger. Later in the day, when we get heavier flows, the most effective technique has been to fish brightly colored San Juan worms (cerise, hot pink and red) and egg patterns (orange) below strike indicators. Use long 4X tippets and large split shot (AAA) to get the flies down to the bottom. Be very careful when drifting in this area. There are some significant obstacles to navigation (the new habitat) that were not here last week. Wildcat Shoals has been another hot spot. While the black zebra midges have been the go to nymph, the hot flies have been the partridge and orange soft hackle and the green butt. Rim Shoals has been extremely productive this past week. The lower flows, which lasted until late afternoon, have been fishing particularly well and we have had some days with wadable water. The hot fly has been the zebra midge with silver wire and silver bead in size sixteen. The lower flows have also been near perfect for fishing grasshoppers. The trout are certainly looking up and keying in on these large morsels. Try Dave’s hoppers in size 10 or Rainey’s hoppers in size 8. Use a stiff nine foot six weight rod to cast these larger flies. A nine foot leader tippet combination will turn the fly over easily. While the fly is drifting downstream, twitch it occasionally, to trigger a vicious strike. Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River are muddy and off color. Give them a few days to clear. The Norfork River has fished a bit better this week. We have been getting a substantial period of wadable water daily. With wadable water on the White, the crowding here has decreased. Generation for the rest of the day was near maximum levels. On low water, small midge patterns have been the ticket. Try black zebra midges, Norfork beadheads in black or olive and Dan’s turkey tail emerger. Soft hackles like the green butt and the partridge and orange have also been effective. Grasshoppers have also been producing. The upper river at Quarry Park has fished particularly well. On high water, the most effective tactic is to fish brightly colored San Juan worms or egg patterns under an indicator. Dry Run Creek has fished well this past week. The hot fly, as always, has been the sowbug. Other hot flies have been worm brown San Juan worms and egg patterns (orange). If possible, have your child wear waders (you can rent a pair for a modest fee at Blue Ribbon Fly Shop). While there are places to fish from the bank, this will allow you to access more of the creek. Carry the biggest net you can lay your hands on. I use my boat net. The fish are huge! Do not forget the camera. Practice water safety and always check conditions before you leave home. John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over twenty five years.