John Berry

The classic White River anchor is a one foot section of Rail Road track with a short chain welded to it. Do not anchor in high water! That is what kills most anglers on the White River. It is the sixth most dangerous body of water in the United States.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 8/06/2008 We have had a week with no rain and soaring temperatures. The reservoir levels on the White River continue to fall. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell one and four tenths of a foot to rest at thirty two and seven tenths feet above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is eight and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell one and eight tenths of a foot to rest at five feet above power pool or eleven feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell five tenths of a foot to settle at seven and three tenths feet above power pool or two and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White has been to run all eight generators around the clock with high flows both day and night. While these flows made for excellent boating, there have been few safe wading opportunities on the White. Norfork Lake has fallen one and three tenths of a foot to rest at nineteen and three tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or eight and seven tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern has been to run two generators with occasional brief periods of no generation at night. This made for some limited wading conditions at night. The story during the past week has been the heat. With temperatures soaring into the high nineties and hundreds, the best fishing was early in the morning. It was just too hot at mid day to stay out there. There is no shade in a river boat. The late afternoons were bearable and no where near as productive as the mornings. For those willing to bear the heat, the fishing has been excellent, particularly in the mornings. The upper river from Bull Shoals Dam, through the State Park down to Cane Island Shoals has been a real hot spot. The better fishing is in the morning when it is much cooler the water flows are generally a bit lower than in the afternoon. Most are caught on midge or worm patterns fished under an indicator with a lot of weight to get it down to the bottom. Hot flies have been black zebra midges with silver wire and silver bead, San Juan worms in bright colors (cerise, hot pink and red). Many anglers were reporting success fishing sowbugs. There have been several reports of larger fish being caught on streamers. Cast to the bank and vary your retrieve to figure out whether they want it fast or slow. Also work weed beds, drop offs and other structure. The hot new pattern has been Jim Mengle’s Ozark Sculpin. This is a fly combining a copper cone head nose, deer hair head, pheasant feather body and rabbit strip tail. You need to fish it on a sink tip or full sinking line to get it down to the bottom. Jim gave me one the other day and I cannot wait to try it. The section from Wildcat Shoals to Cotter is producing well. There is still quite a bit of pressure here. The hot flies are trout crack, sow bugs, and zebra midges and of course brightly colored San Juan worms. Another hot spot has been the Rim Shoals Catch and Release section. It has received a bit more pressure lately but it is no where near crowded except at lunch when a lot of guides pull in for lunch. With the shaded picnic tables and porta potties this is a great place to beat the heat for a few minutes. The Norfork is not fishing as well as it has recently probably from increased boat traffic. Many people think that with only two generators it is easier to fish and navigate than the White River with eight generators. The reverse is true. The Norfork is much narrower and there are some channels around islands that are fairly tricky to negotiate. The White is very broad and there is generally plenty of room to navigate around obstacles and avoid other boaters. Dry Run Creek is still producing some really big fish. This has been the most comfortable place to fish in the twin Lakes area. The narrow valley and heavy tree cover help keep the temperatures on the creek several degrees cooler than any where else around. Wet wading in the creek has been the ticket to beating the heat. The hot flies have been sowbugs and San Juan worms. 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.

Don, Cool site. I will be using it from now on. By the way I fished Rim this morning. I did pretty well on cerise worms.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 7/24/2008 We have had very little rain and the reservoir levels on the White River have fallen quite a bit for a change. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell one and four tenths of a foot to rest at thirty five and five tenths feet above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is five and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell two and two tenths of a foot to rest at nine feet above power pool or seven feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell three tenths of a foot to settle at eight and three tenths feet above power pool or one and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White has been to run all eight generators around the clock with high flows both day and night. While these flows made for excellent boating, there have been few safe wading opportunities on the White. Norfork Lake has fallen nine tenths of a foot to rest at twenty two and five tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or five and five tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern has been to run two generators with brief periods of no generation at night. This made for some limited wading conditions at night. If you choose to fish at night be very careful and always be on the lookout for rising water. On the higher water, boating conditions have been excellent. Overall, the fishing has been excellent on the White River and numerous hot spots were noted. The perpetual hot spot has been the Catch and Release section at Bull Shoals Dam and the adjacent state park. While this area gets quite a bit of fishing pressure, it has consistently been producing some nice fish. The better fishing is in the morning when the flows are a bit lower than in the afternoon. Most are caught on midge or worm patterns fished under an indicator with a lot of weight to get it down to the bottom. Hot flies have been black zebra midges with silver wire and silver bead, San Juan worms in bright colors (cerise, hot pink and red), and egg patterns. The section from Wildcat Shoals to Cotter has been very productive. This section has received less pressure of late and the fishing is more relaxed than further up stream. Trout have been taken on a variety of flies including scuds, sowbugs and trout crack. The more traditional high water flies like San Juan worms and egg patterns are also effective. This is a great area to do some streamer fishing. Try woolly buggers, sculpin patterns and kiwi muddlers on a sink tip line for the bigger fish. This is a lot of work but the rewards can be great. Another hot spot has been the Rim Shoals Catch and Release section. It too has received little pressure of late. Anglers fishing there have reported some great fishing and some big trout. This is one place where there is some limited wading. Gary Flippin at Rim Shoals trout Dock can take you to the bottom of the second island and pick you up with his water taxi service. Hot flies in this area have been olive woolly buggers and sowbugs. San Juan worms are the ticket to float fishing in the area. I have had the most success with cerise and hot pink worms. The great low water we have had recently on the Norfork seems to have come to an end. The Norfork is receiving quite a bit of pressure from boat traffic. If you go there use conventional high water techniques. The flies of choice will be San Juan worms in bright colors and various midge patterns. Dry Run Creek is still producing some really big fish. The hot fly this week has been the sowbug in size fourteen fished with a strike indicator. There have been instances where people have been observed fishing with bait. Bait of any kind is illegal. Help protect this jewel form poaching. Please report any illegal activity to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The hot line to report poaching is 1 800 482-5262 Crooked Creek has cleared and the water levels are great for wading or canoeing. It is fishing well. Streamers fished on sink tip lines have been the ticket. Look for rock ledges and other cover. For a change of pace, you should try fishing hoppers. Dave’s hoppers and Rainey’s hoppers are great choices. Keep moving and cover a lot of 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.

They have been running eight units on the White since June 8. The only place that I know of is to go to Rim Shoals and have Gary Flippin ferry you to the bottom of the second island in the water taxi.

I took a nice couple from Memphis to Rim Shoals yesterday. It was her first time fly fishing so we started with a casting class that included instruction on lobbing lots of lead. She ended up landing a twenty inch rainbow. With the exception of one eleven inch bow everything else we caught was over fifteen inches and incredibly fat. He landed a couple of eighteens and was impressed with the average size of the fish. There were very few people in the area except at lunch. We caught every thing on cerise San juan worms and did better in the morning and early afternoon. An excellent day!

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 7/17/2008 Despite yet another rain event, the reservoir levels on the White River have fallen a bit. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell seven tenths of a foot to rest at thirty six and nine tenths feet above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is four and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell five tenths of a foot to rest at eleven and two tenths of a foot above power pool or four and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell two tenths of a foot to settle at eight and six tenths feet above power pool or one foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White has been to run all eight generators around the clock with high flows both day and night. While these flows made for excellent boating, there have been few safe wading opportunities on the White. Norfork Lake has risen one tenth of a foot to rest at twenty three and four tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or four and six tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern has been to run two generators with substantial periods of no generation at night and during the morning. This made for some excellent wading conditions. On the higher water, boating conditions have been excellent. We are now four months past our initial spring floods and we have made little if any progress on reducing the lake levels on the White River. They are basically four feet or less from the top of flood pool on all of the White River Reservoirs. A four inch rain could easily put us back in the flood gates. This has been caused by the heavy rain fall we have received and down stream flooding that prevents the Corps of Engineers from drawing down the reservoirs more aggressively. With the current generation and lake levels, I do not foresee any reliable wading conditions until mid fall. With an unprecedented high water year, local guides and anglers have honed their high water skills. Not only have they developed new flies for the occasion but have concentrated on classic techniques for success in these conditions and created new ones. Overall, the fishing has been very good on the White River. The perpetual hot spot has been the Catch and Release section at Bull Shoals Dam and the adjacent state park. While the recording for Bull Shoals Dam will say that they have eight units on, there can be a substantial amount of variation in the water levels. The trick to success is to key onto rising water and to stay with it as long as you can. This may result in a long drift down stream and a run back to your launch point. The most successful technique during the past week has been to drift nymphs over weed beds. The hot flies have been black zebra midges, olive scuds and San Juan worms. The larger fish have been caught on streamers cast against the bank with sink tip lines. Some guides recommend a slow retrieve while others suggest a very fast one. Vary yours to see what works best for you. Good patterns for this technique are sculpins, kiwi muddlers and big woolly buggers. The Norfork has been fishing well in the morning on low water. The problem is with the constant high generation on the White this is the only place to wade and it can get pretty crowded, particularly on the weekends. The hot spots have been Quarry Park just below Norfork Dam and the Ackerman access. One way to avoid the crowds has been to float down from Quarry Park to McClellan’s. It is a rough pull in a river boat or a nice ride in a personal pontoon. Some anglers have been walking up from the Ackerman access. This is a dangerous proposition. I picked up an angler in my river boat who was stranded on a rapidly disappearing island last week. Anglers reported success with black zebra nymphs and olive Norfork bead heads both in size eighteen. Other good flies were olive woolly buggers, green butt soft hackles and Dan’s turkey tail emerger. In the afternoon, on higher water, fishing slows quite a bit. Use conventional high water techniques. Dry Run Creek is still producing some really big fish. This is also a great place to escape the heat. It is always fifteen to twenty degrees cooler than on the river. Remember to have the kids fish short lines. There is precious little casting room with the over hanging trees. The hot fly this week has been the sowbug in size fourteen fished with a strike indicator. Crooked Creek has cleared a bit and is fishing well. Streamers fished on sink tip lines have been the ticket. Look for rock ledges and other cover. Keep moving and cover a lot of 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.

Southwest Power Administration maintains a generation prediction website, http://www.swpa.gov/generationschedules.aspx that was accurate six days out of seven last week. Always be prepared to leave the river when you detect rising water.

I always stop at the red caution signs. That leaves me plenty of river to fish.

No, you just walk up stream a couple of hundred yards and you will see the signs on both sides of the river.

You should come down. The fishing has been spectacular all week. It is beginning to get a bit crowded though.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 7/10/2008 Though we have had two significant rain events in the last week, the reservoir levels on the White River have fallen a bit. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell three tenths of a foot to rest at thirty seven and six tenths feet above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is three and four tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell eight tenths of a foot to rest at eleven and seven tenths of a foot above power pool or four and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose eight tenths of a foot to settle at eight and eight tenths feet above power pool or eight tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White has been to run all eight generators around the clock with high flows both day and night. While these flows made for excellent boating, there have been few safe wading opportunities on the White. Norfork Lake has risen one tenths of a foot to rest at twenty three and three tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or four and seven tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern has been to run two generators with substantial periods of no generation at night and during the morning. This made for some excellent wading conditions. On the higher water, boating conditions have been excellent. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission boat launching ramp in Quarry Park at the base of Norfork dam has been repaired and is open for business. The adjacent parking lot was destroyed during the flooding this spring. It has been closed since then. This is the only public boat ramp on the Norfork River and its closure required that anyone wanting to use a boat on the Norfork to launch at the ramp at the confluence of the White and Norfork Rivers and then motor up. This makes it much more convenient for those wanting to boat on the upper river. I have noted that a lot of non boating anglers are parking in the boat launch parking lot. These spaces should be reserved for boating anglers, which require much more space to accommodate their trailers. There is plenty of parking available in the park. Overall, the fishing has been excellent on the White River, particularly in the Catch and Release section at Bull Shoals Dam and the adjacent state park. The hot flies have been San Juan worms (in tan, orange and red), and brightly colored marabou jigs. Jigs have the added advantage of riding hook point up which makes them virtually weed less. Other hot flies have been midge larva patterns (like black zebra midges) in larger sizes such as fourteens and brightly colored egg patterns. The better fishing is early morning. Anglers that are bored with fishing San Juan worms are opting to fish large streamers against the bank. This does not produce a lot of fish but it has resulted in some large trout, particularly browns. Other anglers are fishing large dry flies, particularly grass hoppers and ants against the bank. This requires good casting skills but can add a new exciting dimension to fishing high water. The recent heavy rains have raised the water levels on the Buffalo River and Crooked Creek. This has muddied the river below these tributaries and made these areas much more difficult to fish. The Norfork has been exceptional in the morning on low water. The hot spots have been Quarry Park just below Norfork Dam and the Ackerman access. Anglers reported great success with black zebra nymphs and olive Norfork bead heads both in size eighteen. Other good flies were olive woolly buggers, partridge and orange soft hackles, Dan’s turkey tail emerger and copper johns in size fourteen. In the afternoon, on higher water, fishing slows quite a bit. Use conventional high water techniques and if you are not fishing in the Catch and Release area consider using a dropper tied to the lead fly. Black zebra midges and copper johns are great flies for this purpose. They should be fairly large (size fourteen). Dry Run Creek has fished well. Summer vacation is in full swing and more families are taking advantage of this unique fishery. If one spot becomes crowded, just move to another one. There are fish all up and down the creek. The most productive fly is still the sowbug in size fourteen. The most productive technique is high sticking. There is very limited room to cast. Be sure and use at least 4X tippet and carry a big net. Mash down those barbs, it is the law! Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River muddied up during the recent rains and are not fishing well. 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.

For the last two days, I have been fishing the Norfork and it has been some of my best fishing ever. I have not put together two days like this in a long time. On Sunday, I waded up into the Catch and Release section and landed sixty trout. The large fish was a sixteen inch rainbow. The hot fly was a size fourteen copper john. Yesterday I went back and landed forty on copper johns and black zebra midges. I spent a bit of time fishing terrestrials and landed a nineteen inch brown on a Chernobyl ant. I took several fat rainbows on a Dave's hopper and missed many more. I also spent some time relearning the river. It is greatly changed since the floods and some of my old favorite holes are gone. The good news is there are some new ones that are very productive.

Don, That is why one of their lattes must be consumed with one of their homemade red raspberry and white chocolate scones. The scone steadies the nerves and improves your back cast.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 7/03/2008 We have had yet another significant rain event and overall the reservoir levels on the White River have risen a bit. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam rose five tenths of a foot to rest at thirty seven and nine tenths feet above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is three and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake rose one and four tenths of a foot to rest at twelve and five tenths of a foot above power pool or three and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell two tenths of a foot to settle at eight feet above power pool or one and six tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White has been to run all eight generators around the clock with high flows both day and night. While these flows made for excellent boating, there have been few safe wading opportunities on the White. Norfork Lake has fallen four tenths of a foot to rest at twenty three and two tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or four and eight tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern has been to run one or two generators with substantial periods of no generation at night and occasionally during the morning. This made for some limited wading conditions. On the higher water, boating conditions have been excellent. It should be noted that three and a half months after the beginning of our spring floods, little progress has been made in reducing the lake levels. Overall, the fishing has been excellent on the White River, particularly at the Catch and Release section at Bull Shoals Dam and the adjacent state park. The hot flies have been San Juan worms (in tan, orange and red), and brightly colored marabou jigs. Jigs have the added advantage of riding hook point up which makes them virtually weed less. Other hot flies have been midge larva patterns (like black zebra midges) in larger sizes such as fourteens. The better fishing has definitely been in the morning. The bite seems to slow midday and picks up again in late afternoon. Another hot spot was Rim Shoals. Here again the most action was encountered using brightly colored San Juan worms and eggs. There have been some promising reports of anglers having success wading at the second island below the walk-in access. The have been utilizing Gary Flipin’s water taxi. For a nominal fee Gary will ferry you down there in a river boat and pick you up when you are ready to go. For details you should check at Rim Shoals Trout Dock. The Norfork has been fishing well in the morning on low water. Anglers reported great success with black zebra nymphs, olive scuds, and black Norfork bead heads all in size eighteen. Other good flies were olive woolly buggers, partridge and orange soft hackles, and Dan’s turkey tail emerger. The top producer was the green butt soft hackle. There have been some sparse sulphur and midge hatches in mid morning and this was the key to success. In the afternoon, on higher water, fishing slows quite a bit. Use conventional high water techniques and if you are not fishing in the Catch and Release area consider using a dropper tied to the lead fly. Black zebra midges and copper johns are great flies for this purpose. They should be fairly large (size fourteen). Dry Run Creek has fished well. I have been pleasantly surprised by quality of fishing of late. I had expected it to be much more crowded during the summer. The top producer is still the sowbug followed closely by the San Juan worm. My favorite San Juan worm is a small one in worm brown. Do not be afraid to try some thing completely different. The other day my client took two nice rainbows on a size eight Chernobyl ant. I was also pleased to see a wildlife enforcement officer. When I talked to him, he said that he tried to tour the creek daily. Crooked Creek has cleared up and is fishing well. The best way to fish it is by canoe so that you can access spots a bit further from the access that do not receive as much fishing pressure. My favorite section is the float from Kelly Slab to the park in Yellville. There are a lot of nice deep pools and some very interesting structure to work. I find a nine foot six weight with a sink tip line to be the best way to fish it. The top flies have been brown woolly buggers, crawfish, and Clouser minnows. 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 6/26/2008 We have had a substantial rain event and the reservoir levels on the White River have fallen a bit. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam rose two tenths of a foot to rest at thirty seven and four tenths feet above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is three and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell one and five tenths of a foot to rest at eleven and one tenth of a foot above power pool or four and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell six tenths of a foot to settle at eight and two tenths feet above power pool or one and four tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White has been to run all eight generators around the clock with high flows both day and night. While these flows made for excellent boating, there have been no safe wading opportunities on the White. Norfork Lake has fallen seven tenths of a foot to rest at twenty three and six tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or four and four tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern has been to run one or two generators with substantial periods of no generation at night and occasionally during the morning. This made for some limited wading conditions. On the higher water, boating conditions have been excellent. Several local guides and other anglers have noticed reduced power from their outboard motors of late. They attribute this to the introduction of gasoline mixed with up to fifteen percent ethanol at some local gas stations. Most outboard engine manufacturers specify no more than ten percent ethanol be used in their engines. Ethanol is a powerful solvent that can damage engine seals and pit critical engine components. To prevent damage to your engine check the ethanol content of the gasoline you are using and do not use any with over ten percent or even better use one hundred percent gasoline. Your gas station should know the exact make up of their fuel. If not, find a new gas station. Overall, the fishing has been excellent on the White River. It has at times been spectacular, particularly at the Catch and Release section at Bull Shoals Dam and the adjacent state park. The hot flies have been San Juan worms (in tan, orange and red), and brightly colored marabou jigs. Jigs have the added advantage of riding hook point up which makes them virtually weed less. Another hot spot was Rim Shoals. Here again the most action was encountered using brightly colored San Juan worms and eggs. Those fishing just outside the Catch and Release sections had good results by using black zebra midges and copper johns as droppers. The best fishing has occurred just above the Catch and Release section in the Red Bud area. This hot fly here has been brightly colored marabou jigs. The Norfork has been spectacular on low water. Anglers reported great success with black zebra nymphs, olive scuds, and black Norfork bead heads all in size eighteen. Other good flies were olive woolly buggers, partridge and orange soft hackles, and worm brown San Juan worms. The top producer was the green butt soft hackle. There have been some sparse sulphur hatches in mid morning and this was the key to success. In the afternoon, on higher water, fishing slows a bit. Use conventional high water techniques and if you are not fishing Catch and Release consider using a dropper tied to the lead flies. Black zebra midges and copper johns are great flies for this purpose. Dry Run Creek has been a local hot spot. This is a great place for you to while away the summer with your children or grand children. It is also a great place to beat the heat. This tight little creek is always fifteen to twenty degrees cooler. It is like air conditioning. Be sure and use at least 4X tippet because the fish here are huge. Remember to pinch down the barbs. This is Catch and Release water. Always use barbless hooks when fishing with children no matter where you fish. Crooked Creek has been a bit high and was very stained after the thunder storm earlier this week. As a result, it has not fished well this week. In addition, with the water this off color, canoeing is treacherous as it is more difficult to see under water obstructions. 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 returned to the Norfork yesterday with a client and we did very well. In the morning on low water we did well on the green butt soft hackle. We landed a nineteen inch brown and lost a twenty four inch rainbow (guide estimate). When the water came up we launched the boat and fished up stream in the Catch and Release section. We absolutely smoked them. We did get checked by Game and Fish. They had motored up from Izard County. I thanked them for patroling the area. We ended the day with thirty five and we were a brookie short of a grand slam. Maybe tomorrow!

Lori and I took a couple fishing on the Norfork on low levels of generation. During the morning Lori taught Becky to cast and had a mini fly fishing class. I took Steve fishing and we had a spectacular morning with fifteen trout. At noon, we motored over to River Ridge Inn and ate lunch. We loaded up the ladies and returned to the river. We did as well in the afternoon as we did in the morning. Becky caught fifteen on her first day fly fishing and is definately an instant convert to the sport. Steve had a great time and really enjoyed watching Becky land some nice trout. We ended the day with well over forty five fish on a variety of flies. The top producer was the olive woolly bugger.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 6/19/2008 The reservoir levels on the White River continue to fall. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam has fallen nine tenths of a foot to rest at thirty seven and two tenth foot above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is three and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell two tenths of a foot to rest at twelve and six tenths feet above power pool or three and four tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose one tenth of a foot to settle at eight and eight tenths feet above power pool or eight tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White has been to run all eight generators around the clock with high flows during the day and night. While these flows made for excellent boating, there have been no safe wading opportunities on the White. Norfork Lake has fallen six tenths of a foot to rest at twenty four and three tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or three and seven tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern has been to run one or two generators with substantial periods of no generation at night. There were several occasions where they left the water off until noon. This made for excellent wading conditions. On the higher water, boating conditions have been excellent. The reservoirs are falling at an incredibly slow rate. With the current flows we cannot anticipate reliable wadable water until fall. Overall, the fishing has greatly improved on the White River. It has at times been spectacular, particularly at the Catch and Release section at Bull Shoals Dam and the adjacent state park. The hot flies have been San Juan worms (in tan, orange and red), sow bugs and zebra midges. This area receives quite a bit of pressure and there have been angler complaints of rude boat operators. Remember to observe proper boat etiquette at all times. Another hot spot was Rim Shoals. Here again the most action was encountered using brightly colored San Juan worms and eggs. Those fishing above and below the Catch and Release sections had good results with black zebra midge and copper john droppers. With the consistently high water flows on the White River, the ticket to success as always on high water has been to fish brightly colored San Juan worms and large brightly colored eggs. Another tactic that has produced some trophy trout has been to fish the bank with large streamers fished on a sink tip or full sinking lines. Use a four foot 3X tippet in lieu of a leader. Cast the fly as near to the bank as possible and strip it back toward the boat. The takes can be vicious. This is challenging and can burn a lot more energy that drift fishing, but the rewards can be great. For both techniques, use at a six weight rod. The four weight that you prefer for low water just cannot handle the heavy flies and weighted lines you need for high water. The Norfork has been spectacular on low water. Anglers reported great success with pheasant tail nymphs in size fourteen and black zebra nymphs in size eighteen or twenty. Other good flies were olive woolly buggers, partridge and orange soft hackles and worm brown San Juan worms. In the afternoon, on higher water, fishing slows a bit. Use conventional high water techniques and if you are not fishing Catch and Release consider using a dropper tied to the lead flies. Dry Run Creek has fished particularly well lately. With school out, there has been a bit more fishing pressure on the creek. Young anglers have been reporting success fishing sowbugs, San Juan worms, woolly buggers and Y2Ks. While a lot of the creek can be fished from the bank, a pair of waders or hip boots can greatly increase the amount of water that can be successfully covered. Be sure and use at least 4X tippet because the fish here are huge. Remember to pinch down the barbs. This is Catch and Release water. Always use barbless hooks when fishing with children no matter where you fish. A pleasant alternative to fishing high water on the White and Norfork Rivers is to fish the Spring River. The down side to fishing the Spring during warm weather is the presence of massive numbers of canoes, particularly on the weekends. The canoeists can be avoided by fishing up stream at Mammoth Spring State Park below the dam or at the Lassiter’s access. Both are well above the section favored by canoe outfitters. Effective flies for the Spring are olive woolly buggers, red San Juan worms and pheasant tail nymphs. 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.

There is a nice fishing pier at Rim Shoals on the White River and at the Ackerman Access (Handicap access) on the Norfork River.

This, unfortunately, is a problem that just will not go away. There is no place on our rivers for rude, illegal and dangerous anglers. Things happen very fast out there with eight units on and you have to be aware of others at all times.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 6/12/2008 Though we have had yet another rain event, the reservoir levels on the White River continue to fall, albeit slowly. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam has fallen nine tenths of a foot to rest at thirty eight and one tenth foot above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is two and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell one and two tenths of a foot to rest at twelve and eight tenths feet above power pool or three and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose four tenths of a foot to settle at eight and seven tenths feet above power pool or nine tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White has been to run around the clock with high flows during the day and night. These flows made for excellent boating. There was one exception to the pattern last Sunday when they turned the White off for six hours to accommodate the ladies participating in Casting for Recovery. Norfork Lake has fallen one foot to rest at twenty four and nine tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or three and one tenth of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern has been to run one or two generators with substantial periods of no generation at night. There were several occasions where they left the water off until twelve noon or one o’clock in the afternoon. This made for excellent wading conditions. On the higher water, boating conditions have been excellent. During that brief period of no generation on Sunday the fishing was spectacular, particularly at the Catch and Release section at Bull Shoals Dam and the state park. Midge patterns and midge emergers were definitely the ticket. Other fly patterns that were hitting were olive woolly buggers and pheasant tail nymphs size fourteen. The real hot spot was the Narrows. There was a prolific sulphur hatch. Because of strong winds, the trout did not key in on the adults. Instead, they were concentrating on the nymphs. The most effective fly was the copper john in size fourteen. It is a dead on imitation of the sulphur nymph, it is durable and it sinks like a rock. Other effective flies were olive woolly buggers and black with silver wire and silver bead zebra midges. The water flows on the White have been consistently high. It has not fished as well as it has in previous weeks. The ticket to success as always on high water has been to fish brightly colored San Juan worms and large brightly colored eggs. If you are not fishing catch and release water, tie a dropper on at the bend of the hook. A good choice would be a copper john or a zebra midge both in size fourteen. The Norfork has been spectacular on low water. Anglers reported great success with pheasant tail nymphs in size fourteen and black zebra nymphs in size eighteen or twenty. Other good flies were olive woolly buggers, partridge and orange soft hackles and worm brown San Juan worms. In the afternoon, when they fired up the generators, fishing slowed a bit. Use conventional high water techniques and if you are not fishing Catch and Release consider using a dropper tied to the lead flies. A good choice for this would be a black zebra midge or copper john both in size fourteen. My most productive fly for high water on the Norfork has been the hot fluorescent pink San Juan worm. Dry Run Creek has fished well of late. There have been few youngsters taking advantage of this remarkable fishery during the last week, which has surprised me. The major food source on the creek is sowbugs size fourteen. Anyone considering taking a youngster fishing there should take along a good supply. Be sure and use at least 4X tippet because the fish here are huge. Most of the fish hooked are lost at the net. Take the biggest net you can lay your hands on and do not forget the camera. If you are tired of watching high water, give Crooked Creek a try. The water is a bit lower and the water temperature is perfect. My wife, Lori, and I floated it yesterday in a canoe. We found the fishing good, but the canoeing was quite challenging. Unless you are an accomplished canoeist, I would recommend fishing around the accesses. While conventional smallmouth flies like Clouser Minnows, crayfish, and big streamers are effective, we did well with olive or brown woolly buggers. 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 5/22/2008 We have had yet another rain event and the reservoir levels on the White River have eased up a bit. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam has come up four tenths of a foot to rest at forty feet above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is one foot below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake rose five tenths of a foot to rest at fifteen and one tenth feet above power pool or nine tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake remained steady at eight and four tenths feet above power pool or one and two tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White has been to run around the clock with higher flows during the day and lower flows at night. The White was turned off for a few hours on some nights allowing for brief periods of wading. Norfork Lake has risen seven tenths of a foot to rest at twenty six and eight tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or one and two tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern has been to run one or two generators with substantial periods of no generation at night. There have been a few wading opportunities on the Norfork River during the night. On the higher water, boating conditions have been excellent. It should be noted, that some two months after the first flood this year we are just one foot below the maximum capacity on all of our reservoirs. A substantial rain event could cause the flood gates to be opened again. We have had a bit of low water during the past couple of weeks while there is still flooding down stream from us. It will take several months of maximum generation to get the lake levels down. I do not foresee any reliable wading for quite a while. Now is the time to hone your high water skills. The fishing on the White has remained red hot during the past week. The flows during the past week have been predictable and the trout have been on the feed. The upper river from the Catch and Release section at the base of Bull Shoals dam to Cane Island Shoals has been fishing very well. On high water the hot flies here have been brightly colored San Juan worms and egg patterns. On lower flows the hot flies have been black zebra midges and caddis pupa. Rim Shoals has been another hot spot. On the lower water, midge nymphs in a bit larger size than you would use for wade fishing (size 14 and 16) have been the ticket. Caddis pupa, copper johns, olive scuds and zebra midges have also been quite productive. On the rising water the hot flies have been brightly colored San Juan worms. Cerise and hot fluorescent pink have been the most productive for me. Just up stream, in the Red Bud area, anglers were doing well fishing the banks with white marabou jigs and San Juan worms. Down stream from Rim Shoals, all the way to Buffalo Shoals has also fished well. On the Norfork, the big story has been the walleye. Up at Quarry Park, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission biologists report that several walleye have come through the flood gates during the previous flooding and they are stacked near the confluence of Dry Run Creek and the Norfork. They are asking that anglers help catch and remove these tasty predators before they do too much damage. During the past week, there has been an absolute army of anglers trying to harvest a few of these toothy fish both day and night. I have not heard of any significant walleye catches on a fly rod. The fishing has been good for trout on high water. The best techniques have been to drift brightly colored San Juan worms (cerise and hot fluorescent pink) and egg patterns. Dry Run Creek has been very productive during the past week. There have been numerous reports of successful young anglers tagging the trout of a life time. One particular hot spot has been the waterfall which is located down the steps that are across the road from the National Trout Hatchery in Quarry Park. The hot flies have been sowbugs, San Juan worms, and egg patterns. 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.

KT's is open for business. Lori and I have eaten there a couple of times since they reopened and I can assure you that the ribs are on the money.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 5/15/2008 We have had two rain events and the reservoir levels on the White River have changed very little. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam has remained steady at thirty nine and six tenths feet above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is one and four tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake rose two tenths of a foot to rest at fourteen and six tenths feet above power pool or one and four tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell rose one tenth of a foot to settle at eight and four tenths feet above power pool or one and two tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White has been to run around the clock with higher flows during the day and lower flows at night. Norfork Lake has fallen two tenths of a foot to rest at twenty six and one tenth feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or one and nine tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern has been to run two generators with substantial periods of no generation. There have been a few wading opportunities on the Norfork River during the night and morning but none on the White. On the higher water, boating conditions have been excellent. The fishing on the White has been red hot during the past week. The flows during the past week have been quite a bit lower than previous weeks and the trout have been on the feed. The upper river from the Catch and Release section at the base of Bull Shoals dam to Cane Island Shoals has been fishing very well. The hot flies here have been brightly colored San Juan worms and egg patterns. The big hot spot this week has been Rim Shoals. The lower pattern has been for the rising water hit here mid day and that has been the best time to fish here. On the lower water, midge nymphs in a bit larger size than you would use for wade fishing (size 14 and 16) have been the ticket. Caddis pupa, copper johns, olive scuds and zebra midges have also been quite productive. On the rising water the hot flies have been brightly colored San Juan worms. Cerise and hot fluorescent pink have been the most productive for me. Egg patterns have also been very productive. Just up stream, in the Red Bud area, anglers were doing well fishing the banks with white marabou jigs. On the Norfork, there have been some nice periods of low water during daylight hours that have allowed for some excellent wading conditions. The fishing was excellent. There are a lot of scuds in the water and scud patterns have been deadly. The catch and release section has fished well. The section down stream from the Ackerman access has also fished particularly well. Woolly Buggers and partridge and orange soft hackles have accounted for a lot of trout. Up at Quarry Park, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission biologists report that several walleye have come through the flood gates during the previous flooding and they are stacked near the confluence of Dry run Creek and the Norfork. They are asking that anglers help catch and remove these tasty predators before they do too much damage. There are other warm water predators like striped bass and needle nose gar that need to be caught and removed from Arkansas’ premier blue ribbon trout stream. As always, Dry Run Creek is fishing very well. The best flies this past week have been sowbugs, olive woolly buggers and San Juan worms. Be sure and rig your youngster with heavy tippet (at least 4X) so that they have a better chance at landing one of these monsters. Most fish are lost at the net. Do yourself a favor and carry the biggest net that you can find to aid in landing the big trout there. While you are there, take a tour of the National Fish hatchery. It is educational and informative. There is now a machine that dispenses trout food so that you can feed them your self. Be sure that you remove your waders before entering the hatchery in order to prevent the spread of aquatic diseases like whirling disease. 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.