John Berry

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 1/15/2009 Once again we have had alternately cold and warm temperatures, some very heavy winds but no measurable precipitation during the past week; the lakes in the White River system are all below flood pool and continue their steady fall. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell one and two tenths of a foot to rest at one and nine tenths of a foot below power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty two and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake remained steady at one tenth of a foot below power pool or sixteen and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell four tenths of a foot to rest at four tenths of a foot below power pool or ten feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White was for light to heavy generation around the clock. Norfork Lake has fallen three tenths of a foot to rest at five tenths of a foot below power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty eight and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. There has been high generation on the Norfork with significant periods of no generation every day. Last weekend the Norfork was off for over forty eight hours. This again created some truly spectacular wading. The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam closed to all fishing on November 1, 2008. It will remain closed until February 1, 2009 for the brown trout spawn. 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. It is only two weeks until the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam opens for fishing. The brown trout have been spawning in this area (they do not feed during the spawn) for the last three months and they have not been fished over in that period. It is nearing time for the shad kill. This is a natural phenomenon where threadfin shad are drawn through the turbines on the dams. The shad are tasty morsels to the spawned out browns just below the dam and are welcome food. The shad kill produces a feeding frenzy that has to be seen to be believed. For the shad kill to occur we must have very cold conditions coupled with high generation. The first tell tale signs are gulls feeding on them just below the dam. The State Park is fishing well. The hot fly here has been the peach egg and various midge patterns. Be careful on lower flows to avoid walking through redds in the seasonal Catch and Release section. On higher flows, try brightly colored San Juan worms with an egg dropper. Some anglers have done well fishing streamers on sink tip and full sinking lines. The hot streamers have been sculpins and white zonkers. The Catch and Release section at Rim Shoals is fishing well. The hot fly on lower water has been the Y2K. You should also try sowbugs, olive scuds and midges (size 14). Olive woolly buggers stripped over weed beds have accounted for some large brown trout. Anglers have also done well on higher flows. The hot flies for this water were cerise San Juan worms and Y2Ks. Crooked Creek has slowed considerably. The water temperature has dipped below fifty five degrees and the Smallmouth have pretty much shut down. The Norfork has been spotty. One day is poor and the next is excellent. The Norfork continues to get heavy pressure as it is the only wadable water available. The most productive times have been during the week when it is not as crowded. My favorite time to fish it is on Sunday afternoon when the out of town anglers have headed home. Remember that Monday is a national holiday so they will stay a day longer this week. The go to flies have been olive scuds, sowbugs and orange micro eggs. Worm brown San Juan worms have also produced fish. On the higher water, try San Juan worms in bright colors (hot fluorescent pink, cerise and red) with substantial amounts of weight. If you are not in the Catch and Release section try fishing a sowbug or scud as the dropper under a San Juan worm. Dry Run Creek has been fishing well as always. With the projected cold weather, be sure and bundle your youngster up. When my daughter was of age, the best day we ever had in terms of trophy trout was at this time of year. The temperature was fourteen degrees and Katherine landed a twenty seven inch rainbow. Take a break occasionally to drink some hot chocolate and warm up. The hot flies are sowbugs and worm brown San Juan worms. Do not forget to take your 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.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 1/08/2009 We have had alternately cold and warm temperatures, some very heavy winds but no measurable precipitation during the past week; the lakes in the White River system are at or below flood pool and continue to fall. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell four tenths of a foot to rest at seven tenths of a foot below power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty one and seven tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell two tenths of a foot to rest at one tenth of a foot below power pool or sixteen and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake remained steady at power pool or nine and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White was for light generation around the clock. Norfork Lake has fallen two tenths of a foot to rest at two tenths of a foot below power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty eight and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. There has been less generation on the Norfork with significant periods of no generation every day. Last weekend the Norfork was off for over forty eight hours. This created some truly spectacular wading. The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam closed to all fishing on November 1, 2008. It will remain closed until February 1, 2009 for the brown trout spawn. 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. It is only three weeks until the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam opens for fishing. This event generates quite a bit of excitement in the fly fishing community. The brown trout have been spawning in this area for the last three months and they have not been fished over in that period. They do not feed during the spawn so they are ready to regain some weight. The State Park is a perpetual hot spot with plenty of fish reported. The hot fly here has been the peach egg and various midge patterns. Be careful on lower flows to avoid walking through redds in the seasonal Catch and Release section. They are clean depressions in the gravel that hold fertilized brown trout eggs. If you walk through them, you will destroy future trophy brown trout. On higher flows, try brightly colored San Juan worms with an egg dropper. The section from Wildcat Shoals to Cotter has been a real hot spot during the last week. At low water, it has been very productive. Anglers have done well fishing a variety of flies under an indicator. Productive patterns have included brightly colored San Juan worms (cerise, hot fluorescent pink and red), peach or orange egg patterns, gold ribbed hares ears and black zebra midges (size 14). The Catch and Release section at Rim Shoals is fishing extremely well. The hot fly on lower water has been the Y2K. Olive woolly buggers stripped over weed beds have accounted for some large brown trout. Anglers have also done well on moderate flows. The hot flies for this water were cerise San Juan worms and Y2Ks. If they are running water and you want to wade, make use of the water taxi at Rim Shoals Trout Dock. For a nominal fee they will ferry you to wadable water and pick you up when you are ready to leave. Crooked Creek has slowed considerably. The water temperature has dipped below fifty five degrees and the Smallmouth have pretty much shut down. The Norfork continues to fish poorly due to constant pressure. The most productive times have been during the week when it is not as crowded. The go to flies have been olive scuds and sowbugs. Worm brown San Juan worms have also produced fish. On the higher water, try San Juan worms in bright colors (hot fluorescent pink, cerise and red) with substantial amounts of weight. If you are not in the Catch and Release section try fishing a sowbug or scud as the dropper under a San Juan worm. Dry Run Creek has been fishing well as always. With school back in session and some of the cold temperatures we have experienced lately, there has been little pressure on the creek. If you get a chance to take your youngster there, it is loaded with fish. The hot flies are sowbugs and worm brown San Juan worms. While you are there, take a tour of the adjacent National Fish Hatchery. Be sure to remove your waders before entering to prevent the spread of aquatic diseases to the trout population. Do not forget to take your 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.

I took a nice gentleman from Memphis fishing today at Rim Shoals. They were running about two or three generators, it was sunny and warm and there were light winds. The conditions were perfect. We caught around thirty five trout mostly nice fat rainbows. We landed a good brown also. We caught everything on Y2Ks. There were only a couple of drifts where we didn't land at least one fish. Fishing in January can be very nice.

Beginning today a brown trout has to be 24 inches to be a keeper. I think that bodes well for the brown trout population.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 1/01/2009 We have had a significant rain event and some very heavy winds during the past week; the lakes in the White River system are at or below flood pool having risen a bit. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam have fallen two tenths of a foot to rest at three tenths of a foot below power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty one and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake rose one and three tenths of a foot to rest at one tenth of a foot above power pool or fifteen and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose one foot to rest at power pool or nine and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White was for moderate generation during the week. Norfork Lake has risen nine tenths of a foot to rest at power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty eight feet below the top of flood pool. There has been heavy generation on the Norfork with periods of no generation on most days. Last weekend the Norfork was off for over forty eight hours. This created some truly spectacular wading. The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam closed to all fishing on November 1, 2008. It will remain closed until February 1, 2009 for the brown trout spawn. 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. Up stream the State Park has been a real hot spot with stacks of fish reported. The hot fly here has been the peach egg and various midge patterns. Be careful on lower flows to avoid redds in the seasonal Catch and Release section. They are clean depressions in the gravel that hold fertilized brown trout eggs. If you walk through them, you will destroy future trophy brown trout. On higher flows, try brightly colored San Juan worms with an egg dropper. There is a bit of trial and error necessary to determine what color San Juan worms the trout want. Try red, cerise, hot pink and fire orange. Wildcat Shoals has been a real hot spot during the last week. At low water, it has been very productive. Anglers have done well fishing small olive scuds under an indicator. Other productive nymph patterns have been red San Juan worms, Y2Ks and sowbugs. The lower section has fished well with various soft hackles. The hot flies have been green butts and partridge and orange soft hackles. The Catch and Release section at Rim Shoals is fishing extremely well. The hot flies on lower water level were Y2Ks, sowbugs and olive scuds. Olive woolly buggers also accounted for a lot of fish. Anglers have also done well on moderate flows. The hot flies for this water were cerise San Juan worms, peach eggs and Y2Ks. If they are running water and you want to wade, make use of the water taxi at Rim Shoals Trout Dock. For a nominal fee they will ferry you to wadable water and pick you up when you are ready to leave. Crooked Creek has slowed considerably. The water temperature has dipped below fifty five degrees and the Smallmouth have pretty much shut down. The Norfork has fished poorly the last week. It has received too much pressure. The most productive times have been on low water. The go to flies have been olive scuds and worm brown San Juan worms. Orange egg patterns have also done very well. On the higher water, try San Juan worms in bright colors (hot pink, cerise and red) with substantial amounts of weight. Concentrate on fishing the banks and grass beds. If you are not in the Catch and Release section try fishing a sowbug or scud as the dropper under a San Juan worm. Dry Run Creek has been fishing well as always. Lately we have had some nice sunny days occasionally that have been perfect for fishing the creek. It is located in a deep valley and is not affected much by winds. Take your youngster there the next time you get a pretty day. The hot fly is the sowbug but also try San Juan worms. I always recommend that you take the biggest net you can lay your hands on (I use my rubber bagged boat net) and a camera. You cannot believe the size of the fish here. 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.

Go to Rim Shoals Trout Dock and have Gary take you to some wadable water in the water taxi. It costs ten dollars for the round trip. Try scuds, sowbugs, Y2Ks, and olive woolly buggers. Good luck!

It has been a busy December (my busiest ever). That, the holidays and some very brutal weather have conspired against me. I have been able to catch a day on the White but I had not been able to fish on the Norfork. Yesterday I saw my chance. The temperature was in the fifties and the sun was shining. The river was on the bottom. I knew that all of the out of towners would be leaving the river early. I gathered up my wife, Lori, and my yellow lab, Ellie, and headed out. When I arrived the parking lot was full. I noticed there were several anglers wading in to head back home. We went far upstream and found some great water to fish. Lori fished woolies and Dan's turkey tail emergers and caught over fifteen. I fished a worm brown San Juan worm, sowbug scud and partridge and orange and landed a baker's dozen. The big fish was a sixteen inch rainbow. I had caught enough and sat on the bank with Ellie and we watched Lori fish. It was the perfect end to the perfect day. It was nice to be back wading my favorite stream.

FISHING REPORT 12/25/2008 BY JOHN BERRY We have had some brutally frigid temperatures and heavy winds during the past week; the lakes in the White River system are all below flood pool and continue their steady decline. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam remained steady at one tenth of a foot below power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty one and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell seven tenths of a foot to rest at one and two tenths of a foot below power pool or seventeen and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell five tenths feet to rest at one foot below power pool or ten and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White was for light to heavy generation during the week. Norfork Lake has fallen six tenths of a foot to rest at nine tenths of a foot below power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty eight and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. There has been heavy generation on the Norfork with periods of no generation every day. Last weekend the White and Norfork were both off for over forty eight hours. This created some truly spectacular wading. We are at power pool at all of the lakes on the White River system. Control over generation passed from the Corps of Engineers to South West Power Administration. When in power pool, generation is based on electrical demand. With mild weather, and a slow economy, we could expect reduced flows and an occasional period of no generation. Most generation would occur during peak usage hours. This is generally on week day afternoons. We should experience more wadable water on both rivers. The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam closed to all fishing on November 1, 2008. It will remain closed until February 1, 2009 for the brown trout spawn. 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. Up stream the State Park has fished well on the lower flows. The hot fly here has been the peach egg. On higher flows try brightly colored San Juan worms with an egg dropper. Wildcat Shoals has been a real hot spot during the last week. At low water it has been very productive. Anglers have done well fishing small olive scuds under an indicator. Other productive nymph patterns have been red San Juan worms, Y2Ks and sowbugs. This spot is also some of the best soft hackle water on the White River. Give the partridge and orange or green butt a try here. This is not Catch and Release water. You can fish a dropper here in order to double your chances of hooking a nice trout. You can also occasionally double up or catch a fish on both flies at the same time. The Catch and Release section at Rim Shoals is fishing extremely well. During the recent low water it was red hot. The hot flies on this water level were sowbugs, olive scuds and brown zebra midges with copper wire and copper beads in size sixteen. Y2Ks and olive woolly buggers also accounted for a lot of fish. Anglers have also done extremely well on the lower flows. The hot flies for this water were cerise San Juan worms, peach eggs and Y2Ks. Crooked Creek has slowed considerably. The water temperature has dipped below fifty five degrees and the Smallmouth have pretty much shut down. The Norfork has been fishing extremely well. The most productive times have been on low water. The go to flies have been olive scuds and worm brown San Juan worms. Orange egg patterns have also done very well. On the higher water, try San Juan worms in bright colors (hot pink, cerise and red) with substantial amounts of weight. Concentrate on fishing the banks and grass beds. If you are not in the Catch and Release section try fishing a sowbug or scud as the dropper under a San Juan worm. The dissolved oxygen levels have returned to normal and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has recently stocked thousands of brown and brook trout. Dry Run Creek has been virtually abandoned during our recent brutal weather. The forecast for the holidays look good for taking your youngster there for a few hours. Bundle them up and take a break from time to time to warm up. The trout feed every day and with no pressure on the creek this is a great time to land a trophy. The hot flies are sowbugs, worm brown San Juan worms and peach eggs. Do not forget to take a big net and a 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. MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM JOHN AND LORI!

The way things are looking now I would expect some pretty good wading if we do not get a bunch of rain. The wading is currently excellent.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 12/17/2008 Though there has been a bit of snow, ice and some frigid temperatures during the past week, the lakes in the White River system are finally all below flood pool. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam rose three tenths of a foot to rest at one tenth of a foot below power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty one and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell one tenth of a foot to rest at five tenths of a foot below power pool or sixteen and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell one and two tenths feet to rest at five tenths of a foot below power pool or ten and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White was for light to heavy generation with at least one period of no generation each day. Norfork Lake has fallen three tenths of a foot to rest at three tenths of a foot below power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty eight and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. There has been heavy generation on the Norfork with periods of no generation every day. Last weekend the White and Norfork were both off for over forty eight hours. This created the best wading scenario we have seen all year. We are at power pool at all of the lakes on the White River system. Control over generation passed from the Corps of Engineers to South West Power Administration. When in power pool, generation is based on electrical demand. With mild weather, and a slow economy, we could expect reduced flows and an occasional period of no generation. Most generation would occur during peak usage hours. This is generally on week day afternoons. We should experience more wadable water on both rivers. The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam closed to all fishing on November 1, 2008. It will remain closed until February 1, 2009 for the brown trout spawn. 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. With the lower flows on the White, there has been more challenging boat navigation. Recent low water has revealed several new hazards on both the Norfork and White. Be extremely careful particularly on your first trip through recently lowered water. The Narrows has been a real hot spot during the last week. There has been no wading in this section for months and it is red hot. The hot flies have been Y2Ks, egg patterns, sowbugs, and olive woolly buggers. When in this section be aware for rising water. It comes up fast here. The Catch and Release section at Rim Shoals is fishing extremely well, particularly in the morning. During the recent low water it was red hot. The hot flies on this water level were sowbugs, olive scuds and brown zebra midges with copper wire and copper beads in size sixteen. Y2Ks and olive woolly buggers also accounted for a lot of fish. The trail from the walk in access down stream is a little rough. It was not used much this summer and could use some clearing. Be careful and look out for hazards when walking it. On the lower flows, the fishing was excellent. The hot flies for this water were cerise San Juan worms, peach eggs and Y2Ks. Crooked Creek has slowed considerably. The water temperature has dipped below fifty five degrees and the Smallmouth have pretty much shut down. The Norfork has been fishing well. The most productive times have been on low water. The go to flies have been olive scuds. Orange egg patterns have also done very well. Once again several anglers have been walking into McClellan’s from the Ackerman access. Be very careful when doing so. If the water comes out it is a very long walk out in a rising river. On the higher water, try San Juan worms in bright colors (hot pink, cerise and red) with substantial amounts of weight. Concentrate on fishing the banks and grass beds. If you are not in the Catch and Release section try a two fly rig with a sowbug or scud as the dropper. Dry Run Creek is fishing well as always. The hot flies have been sowbugs, San Juan worms, egg patterns and olive woolly buggers. Though the weather is cold, this is a great time to take the kids to Dry Run Creek. You will have it to yourself. Carry the biggest net that you can lay your hands on as most trophy fish are lost at the net. Use heavy tippet (at least 4X) and check your knots carefully and pinch down the barbs. The fish are huge! Do not forget the camera. You child might catch the fish of a life time and you will want a photograph to show grandma. 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 fished the Narrows yesterday morning with a few guys from Memphis. We walked in at sunrise. the water was dropped out. The wind was howling and the temperature was around forty degrees.The fishing was excellent. We nailed nearly a hundred by lunch. The hot fly was the Y2K but we also caught fish on sowbugs, partridge and orange soft hackles and olive woolly buggers. We stopped at noon and went to the Sands restaurant for lunch. A hot bowl of vegetable beef soup and a Rueben sandwich girded me for the afternoon. We drove over to Rim Shoals and the water was low and dropping. The fishing was not as hot as the morning but we caught plenty of trout. The hot flies here were small sowbugs and olive scuds. We also caught fish on olive woolly buggers and Y2Ks. We fished until sunset. It was nice to wade low water for a change!

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 12/13/2008 Though there has been a minor rain event and a bit of snow during the past week, the lakes in the White River system continue their steady decline. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell four tenths of a foot to rest at four tenths of a foot below power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty one and four tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake rose nine tenths of a foot to rest at four tenths of a foot below power pool or sixteen and four tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell two and seven tenths feet to rest at seven tenths of a foot above power pool or eight and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White was for light generation around the clock. There were a couple of incidents where there was no generation for several hours which created some quality wading. Norfork Lake has fallen two and one tenth feet to rest at power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty eight feet below the top of flood pool. There has been heavy generation on the Norfork during the day and periods of no generation at night. Boating conditions on the Norfork during the day have been good. We are essentially at or near power pool at all of the lakes on the White River system (Beaver is just inches away). When the lakes reach power pool, control over generation passes from the Corps of Engineers to South West Power Administration. When in power pool, generation is based on electrical demand. With mild weather, and a slow economy, we could expect reduced flows if not an occasional period of no generation. Most generation would occur during peak usage hours. This is generally on week day afternoons. We should experience more wadable water on both rivers. The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam closed to all fishing on November 1, 2008. It will remain closed until February 1, 2009 for the brown trout spawn. 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. With the lower flows on the White, there has been more challenging boat navigation. Recent low water has revealed several new hazards on both the Norfork and White. Be extremely careful particularly on your first trip through recently lowered water. The river from Wildcat Shoals down to Roundhouse has been fishing well in the lower water. The go to flies during the past week have been scuds, sowbugs and olive woolly buggers. The trout are literally stacked in this section. With the current cold conditions, we can expect blue wing olive hatches on sunny days. These small mayflies can be imitated with small (in size 20, 22) Adams parachutes. This hatch has also been spotted on the Norfork River. The Catch and Release section at Rim Shoals is fishing extremely well, particularly in the morning. During the recent low water it was red hot. While short lived, there were reports of several trophy fish caught. The hot flies on this water were brown zebra midges with copper wire and copper beads in size sixteen. Y2Ks and olive woolly buggers also accounted for a lot of fish. On the lower flows the fishing was excellent. The hot flies for this water were cerise San Juan worms, peach eggs and Y2Ks. Crooked Creek has slowed considerably. The water temperature has dipped below fifty five degrees and the Smallmouth have pretty much shut down. The fishing on the Norfork has been a bit spotty. One day it is excellent and the next day slow. The better fishing has been in the afternoon and the upper river seems to be fishing better than the lower river. The go to flies have been micro San Juan worms in pink and worm brown. Orange egg patterns have also done very well. In the higher water, you will have to fish with substantial amounts of weight. Concentrate on fishing the banks and grass beds. If you are not in the Catch and Release section try a two fly rig with a sowbug or scud as the dropper. Dry Run Creek is fishing well as always. The hot flies have been sowbugs, San Juan worms, egg patterns and olive woolly buggers. Though the weather is cold, the creek is choked with fish. Be sure and bundle up the kids before you take them out. Take a break at lunch and visit a local restaurant to warm them up. Do not for get the camera. The best time to hang a big one is now, when there is virtually no pressure on the creek. On December 20, 2008, there will be an organizational meeting of the Swallows Nest Fly Tyers call Mark Romero at (870) 431-8955 for details. 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.

Quin is my cousin and an accomplished fly fisherman and fly tyer.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 12/04/2008 Despite a minor rain event during the past week, the lakes in the White River system continue their speedy decline. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell three feet to rest at power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty one feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake rose eight tenths of a foot to rest at one and three tenths of a foot below power pool or seventeen and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell one and five tenths feet to rest at three and four tenths feet above power pool or six and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White was for heavy generation around the clock. Now that power pool has been reached the generation has been ramped down significantly. Norfork Lake has fallen three and three tenths of a foot to rest at two and one tenth feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty five and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. There has been heavy generation on the Norfork around the clock. Boating conditions on the Norfork has been good. Now that power pool has been reached and generation has decreased, there is some quality wading available on the White. They are drawing down Beaver and it should reach power pool in one and a half weeks. Table rock is below power pool. The Norfork is dropping over three feet a week and the lake is about two feet above power pool. If it continues to fall at the same rate, it should reach power pool this week. These are my estimates and are based on no major rain events occurring during this period. When the lakes reach power pool, control over generation passes from the Corps of Engineers to South West Power Administration. When in power pool generation is based on electrical demand. With mild weather, and a slow economy, we could expect reduced flows if not an occasional period of no generation. Most generation would occur during peak usage hours. This is generally on week day afternoons. The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam closed to all fishing on November 1, 2008. It will remain closed until February 1, 2009 for the brown trout spawn. 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. With the lower flows on the White, there has been more challenging boat navigation. All of the rocks we have been flying over for the last several months are now poking out and looking for your boat. It is time to put your low water propeller back on and slow down a bit. Be on the look out for navigation hazards. Remember that the river will be changed, from the flooding this spring. This will be the first time we see several spots that have been under a lot of water since then. The river from the state park down to White Hole has been fishing well in the lower water. The go to flies during the past week have been brightly colored egg patterns. The best color seems to change every day. Be sure and carry a variety of colors that include pink, peach and orange. Other productive flies have been sowbugs, olive scuds and zebra midges. Olive woolly buggers on sink tip lines are also producing some nice fish. The Catch and Release section at Rim Shoals is also fishing well. The fishing has been better in the morning. With the current level of generation, there is a significant amount of wading available. While a significant amount of it is available by trail even more is accessible by boat. If you do not have access to a boat, stop by Rim Shoals Trout Dock and take advantage of their water taxi. For a nominal fee they will drop you off at one of the spots available and pick you up later in the day. Crooked Creek has slowed considerably. The water temperature has dipped below fifty five degrees and the Smallmouth have pretty much shut down. The fishing on the Norfork has been a bit spotty. One day it is excellent and the next day slow. The better fishing has been in the afternoon and the upper river seems to be fishing better than the lower river. The go to flies have been micro San Juan worms in pink and worm brown. Orange egg patterns have also done very well. In the higher water, you will have to fish with substantial amounts of weight. Concentrate on fishing the banks and grass beds. If you are not in the Catch and Release section try a two fly rig with a sowbug or scud as the dropper. Dry Run Creek is fishing well as always. The hot flies have been sowbugs, San Juan worms, egg patterns and olive woolly buggers. Take the biggest net that you can lay your hands on. Most big fish are lost at the net. I have found my long handled boat net to be the perfect for Dry Run Creek. Don’t forget the camera. Since your youngster will probably catch the biggest fish of their life, you will want to record that memory. My daughter and I still cherish the photos we took there many years ago. 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 11/27/2008 Though there has been a minor rain event during the past week, the lakes in the White River system continue their speedy decline. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell four feet to rest at three feet above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is thirty eight feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell four tenths of a foot to rest at two and one tenths of a foot below power pool or eighteen and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell five tenths of a foot to rest at four and nine tenths feet above power pool or four and seven tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White is for heavy generation around the clock. Norfork Lake has fallen two and one tenth of a foot to rest at five and four tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty two and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. There has been heavy generation on the Norfork around the clock. Boating conditions on the White and Norfork have been uniformly good. The generation on the White river has slowed a bit to allow for more generation on the Norfork. The White River is currently dropping approximately four feet per week and the lake is about three feet above power pool. If the lake were to continue dropping at the same rate, it should be at power pool this week. The Norfork is dropping almost three feet a week and the lake is about five and a half feet above power pool. If it continues to fall at the same rate, it should reach power pool in two weeks or early December. These are my estimates and are based on no major rain events occurring during this period. When the lakes reach power pool, control over generation passes from the Corps of Engineers to South West Power Administration. When in power pool generation is based on electrical demand. With mild weather, and a slow economy, we could expect reduced flows if not an occasional period of no generation. Most generation would occur during peak usage hours. This is generally on week day afternoons. The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam closed to all fishing on November 1, 2008. It will remain closed until February 1, 2009 for the brown trout spawn. 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 fishing on the White River has been a generally good. Dissolved oxygen levels have improved the bite significantly. The river is stained from the breakdown of organic material and the water is still a bit warm for this time of year. With the Norfork back on line and running at the maximum, the generation on the White has been ramped down significantly. The fishing on the lower flows has been good. The river from the state park down to White Hole has been a bit of the hot spot. The go to flies during the past week have been brightly colored San Juan worms. The best color seems to change every day. Be sure and carry a variety of colors that include hot fluorescent pink, cerise, red, and fluorescent orange. I have had a bit of success lately with worm brown. I would recommend double fly rigs in this section with sowbugs, zebra midges and scuds used as droppers. This could greatly increase the chances of a good hook up. The Catch and Release section at Rim Shoals has fished a bit better but not as well as the upper river. The fishing has been better in the morning. The hot flies for this area have been hot pink or cerise San Juan worms. With the lower flows, it is once again possible to wade below the second island. If you do not have access to a boat, stop by Rim Shoals Trout Dock and take advantage of their water taxi. For a nominal fee they will drop you off at the island and pick you up later in the day. Crooked Creek has slowed considerably. The water temperature has dipped below fifty five degrees and the Smallmouth have pretty much shut down. The low wadable water on the Norfork is now a distant memory as they are generating at a high level. The fishing is still good. The go to flies have been San Juan worms in pink, worm brown and red. Orange egg patterns have also done very well. In the higher water, you will have to fish with substantial amounts of weight. Concentrate on fishing the banks and grass beds. If you are not in the Catch and Release section try a two fly rig with a sowbug or scud as the dropper. Dry Run Creek is still fishing well. During the past week I heard reports of several very large rainbows being caught. The hot flies have been sowbugs, San Juan worms, egg patterns and olive woolly buggers. Be sure and use larger tippet here than you would normally use, as the fish are significantly larger on average than any where else that I know of. I generally use 4X. 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.

Greg, It is an experiment devised by some students from U of A to add oxygen at critical times. Like now! Don, I can't believe you actually changed flies.

Greg, They are testing an oxygenization system and the Norfork will be down for a few days.

Army 1966-1969 1st Lieutenant Corps of Engineers, two tours in Viet Nam

We walked in just before daylight. The fog was so thick that we could only see a few feeet ahead of us. My guys knew what they were doing. We had rigged carefully. One on zebra nymphs and the other on scuds. Both were on fish on the first cast. The fog didn't burn off until ten oclock. By that time, Tom had landed fourty eight. Once the sun hit the water, the fishing slowed, but not by much. We caught them on a variety of flies. We were successful on chamois worms, hot pink worms, scuds, zebras, and micro eggs. When we finished the day at dusk, Tom had eighty nine. Bill didn't count. However, he held his own all day and easily caught a similar number. It is the best day I have had on the Norfork in a long time.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 11/13/2008 There has been a significant rain event during the past week. Despite this the lakes in the White River system continue their decline. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell three and nine tenths feet to rest at eleven and six tenths feet above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is twenty nine and four tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell three tenths of a foot to rest at one and two tenths of a foot below power pool or seventeen and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell five tenths of a foot to rest at six feet above power pool or three and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White is for heavy generation around the clock. Norfork Lake has fallen one and five tenths of a foot to rest at seven and four tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern has been to run one or two generators around the clock. Boating conditions on the White and Norfork have been uniformly good. There has been no safe wading. The White River is currently dropping almost four feet per week and the lake is about twelve feet above power pool. If the lake were to continue dropping at the same rate it should be at power pool in approximately three weeks or early December. Conversely the Norfork is currently dropping a foot and a half a week and the lake is about seven and one half feet above power pool. If it continues to fall at the same rate it should reach power pool in five weeks or mid December. These are my estimates and are based on no major rain events occurring during this period. It should be noted that the funnel effect is starting to be a factor. As the lakes draw down there have a smaller surface area and are falling at a faster rate despite generation remaining fairly constant. The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam closed to all fishing on November 1, 2008 and will remain closed until February 1, 2009 for the brown trout spawn. 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 fishing on the White River has been a bit better during the past week. The dissolved oxygen levels in the upper river have improved a bit and the colder weather has eased the water temperatures. The section from the Narrows to Wildcat Shoals is still fishing well. The most productive method has been to fish brightly colored San Juan worms below indicators, with a lot of lead. For a change of pace, try fishing a dropper like an orange egg, sow bug or zebra midge below the San Juan worm. Banging the bank with large streamers on a sink tip or full sinking line is still the most effective method to move big fish. Hot patterns have been white zonkers, kiwi muddlers and Mengle’s Ozark sculpin. The Catch and Release section at Rim Shoals has at times fished a bit better than the upper river. The fishing has been spotty. The better fishing has been in the morning. The hot flies for this area have been hot pink San Juan worms and brightly colored egg patterns. Crooked Creek has slowed considerably. The water temperature has dipped below fifty five degrees and the Smallmouth have pretty much shut down. The recent rain stained the water and raised the water level a bit. The Norfork has fished much better during the last week. It is suffering through even lower dissolved oxygen levels than the White. The upper river is fishing particularly poorly. The lower sections (from the long hole down) have fished well. The hot flies have been hot pink San Juan worms and orange eggs. Concentrate on fast riffles where the dissolved oxygen may be a bit higher. Dry Run Creek is absolutely red hot. The creek is absolutely choked with large fish that have moved into it to take advantage of the higher dissolved oxygen levels and cleaner water. With the cooler temperatures, there has been very little pressure on it. Now is the best time of year to visit. The hot flies are worm brown San Juan worms, egg patterns (peach is the go to color) and sow bugs. While you are there take a few minutes to visit the National Fish Hatchery. They offer a fascinating tour. Be sure and remove your waders before you enter the hatchery. This is to prevent the spread of aquatic diseases. 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 gone to 100% gasoline and eliminated the problem. The Ty Star station between Gassville and Mountain Home sells it.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 11/06/2008 There have been two minor rain events during the past week. The lakes in the White River system continue their decline. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell three and four tenths feet to rest at fifteen and five tenths feet above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is twenty five and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell nine tenths of a foot to rest at nine tenths of a foot below power pool or sixteen and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell 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. The pattern on the White is for heavy generation around the clock. Norfork Lake has fallen one and six tenths of a foot to rest at eight and nine tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or nineteen and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern has been to run one generator around the clock. Boating conditions on the White and Norfork have been uniformly good. There has been no safe wading. The White River is currently dropping a bit over three feet per week and the lake is about fifteen feet above power pool. If the lake were to continue dropping at the same rate it should be at power pool in approximately five weeks or the middle of December. Conversely the Norfork is currently dropping a bit over a foot a week and the lake is about nine feet above power pool. If it continues to fall at the same rate it should reach power pool in seven weeks or late December. These are my estimates and are based on no major rain events occurring during this period. The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam closed to all fishing on November 1, 2008 and will remain closed until February 1, 2009 for the brown trout spawn. 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 fishing on the White River has been a really slow during the past week. The dissolved oxygen levels in the upper river has dropped to two parts per million (the state standard is six parts per million). This is a caused by a natural phenomenon, the breakdown of organic matter in the lake, and occurs every year. The lake turnover is in full swing and the river is heavily stained. This year we also have slightly higher than normal water temperatures that may also be affecting the trout feeding patterns. These conditions have had the greatest effect on the upper river from Bull Shoals down to White Hole. The section from the Narrows to Wildcat has fished relatively well lately. The most productive method has been to fish brightly colored San Juan worms below indicators, with a lot of lead. The technique that has been producing the best fish has been to bang the bank with large streamers on sink tip or full sinking lines. This is a lot of work but the results can be fantastic. Try kiwi muddlers, Mengle’s Ozark sculpins and white zonkers. The section from Cotter to the bottom of Rim Shoals has at times fished a bit better than the upper river. The fishing has been spotty. One day it is good the next it is poor. The hot flies for this area have been hot pink San Juan worms and brightly colored egg patterns. Crooked Creek continues to fish well. Hot flies have been Clouser minnows and crayfish patterns. The creek is low and clear. This is the place to go if you just have to wade. Watch the water temperature. Once it drops below sixty five degrees the bite will slow. The section from Pyatt to Snow has been fishing particularly well. The Norfork has fished a bit better during the last week. It is suffering through even lower dissolved oxygen levels than the White. The upper river is fishing particularly poorly. The lower sections (from the long hole down) have fished reasonably well. The hot flies have been hot pink San Juan worms and orange eggs. Concentrate on fast riffles where the dissolved oxygen may be a bit higher. Dry Run Creek is at prime. It is absolutely choked with large fish that have moved into it to take advantage of the higher dissolved oxygen levels and cleaner water. There are few anglers there and this is the best time of year to fish it. Grab your kids or grand children and show the time of their lives. The hot flies have been worm brown San Juan worms and small orange eggs. Carry a camera and the biggest net you can lay your hands on. 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.

TAKE A LOOK AT MY CURRENT FISHING REPORT.

Citizen soldiers that have made sacrifices like these guys deserve to be treated like the heroes they are.

Bob, It was an emotional roller coaster. At one point a song writer from Nashville, Sam Tate, wrote and sang a song about seeing a wounded warrior in his favorite fishing hole. At first, he was disappointed but when he realized the healing going on it inspired him. When he sang the song for the guys there was not a dry eye in the place including mine.