John Berry

Good luck. You should be able to find some place to fish between the two rivers. I will be sure and wake you up if I find you sleeping at an access.

Congradulations Terry. My grand daughter was born about nine months ago and it is a blast. Life is good!

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 7/26/2007 The lake level at Bull Shoals has fallen approximately six tenths of a foot to rest at one foot above pool of 654.00 feet. Up stream, Table Rock Lake has fallen three tenths of a foot to one and three tenths feet above pool and Beaver Lake has fallen eight tenths of a foot to rest at two tenths of a foot below pool. The Norfork has fallen a foot to rest at six tenths of a foot above pool of 552.00 feet. In the past week, Bull Shoals has had some significant periods of no generation. The pattern has been to turn off generation or run low levels of water most of the day and the spike it with up to seven generators in the afternoon. There has been quite a bit of wadable water. Boating, in general has been good. On the Norfork, there has been little or no generation in the morning while they have been running a full two generators in the afternoon and early evening. This has provided some excellent wading opportunities early in the day. As the lakes continue to fall, we should see more low water and some excellent wading opportunities Overall, the fishing has been good. In the Catch and Release section at the base of Bull Shoals Dam fishing has been good with low levels of generation on small midge larva patterns, the zebra midge in particular. At no generation, the fishing has been a bit slower. Try the zebra midges and soft hackles, a partridge and orange or a green butt, for this water level. On high water in the afternoon, go to a brightly colored San Juan worm and plenty of lead. The hot colors have been hot pink, fire orange and bright red. The section from Wild Cat Shoals to Cotter has been hot. This stretch has been fishing well with a variety of patterns. The grasshopper fishing has been excellent. When fishing hoppers, go to at least 4X tippet and a five weight rod or larger to cast these flies. You want the flies to hit the water’s surface with a plop. Give them a bit of action to imitate a struggling insect and look out for a vicious take. It is still early in the hopper season so you should use smaller flies (size ten or twelve), for best results. I am particularly fond of the western foam hoppers because they float like corks and do not require dressing. Rim Shoals has also been fishing particularly well. There were several days when the water was low and the wade fishing was spectacular. There has been a blue wing olive hatch in the afternoon. It has been a bit sparse and sporadic and there have not been many trout keying in on them. The best fishing has been on pheasant tail nymphs size eighteen and copper johns size eighteen before and during the hatch. At lot of the action has been at the end of the drift when the nymph begins to swing up imitating the emerging nymph. Grasshoppers have been supplying some exciting top water action. The same flies have done well at lower levels of generation. The higher water has been hitting here at night. Despite the excellent wading conditions on the Norfork, particularly in the morning, the fishing has been a bit slow. I believe the Norfork Overlook Estates debacle earlier in the year has had a negative impact on fishing this year. The key to having any success is to come very early and concentrate on very small midge patterns. I would suggest zebra midges and Norfork bead heads in black. Later in the day, I would give grasshoppers a try. There has also been some nice trout caught on small midge emergers like Dan’s turkey tail emerger. There have been several anglers fishing at night but no reports of any big fish being caught. Dry Run Creek remains the top place to take kids fishing in the area. This creek has a huge population of trophy fish and is the home of the current state record rainbow trout. If you are headed that way, take plenty of sow bugs, San Juan worms, and Y2Ks. Concentrate on high sticking nymphs in heavy water and use at least 5X tippet or larger. Take the biggest net you can put your hands on. Most of these monsters are lost at the net. Be sure and remember the camera. The memories will last a life time. Remember to practice water safety and always check conditions before leaving home.

Thank you for reading it. I certainly enjoy putting it together. I hope y'all can come down and use it.

You should also consider a Wulff triangle taper. It roll casts better than any line and can cast distance when needed. It will give you delicacy when required.

I would expect some wadable water. The last few days have been great.

Welcome to the neighborhood. Cotter is a great plae to live. It definately has some great water near by.

A few months ago, I began writing a fly fishing column for our local newspaaper, The Baxter Bulletin. On Wednesdays, I write a column on various fly fishing subjects and on Saturday I write a comprehensive fishing report on the White, Norfork, and Dry Run Creek. I include lake levels, generation patterns, hot spots, effective flies and techniques. I actually write it on Wednesday or Thursday and it is published on Saturday. I have begun posting it here in the White River forum on Thursday so that you can use it to plan your weekend. I hope it is of some use to you.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 7/19/2007 The lake level at Bull Shoals has fallen approximately six tenths of a foot to rest at one and four tenths feet above pool of 654.00 feet. Up stream, Table Rock Lake has fallen two tenths of a foot to one and six tenths feet above pool and Beaver Lake remains has fallen slightly to thirty five hundreds of a foot above pool. The Norfork has fallen one half of a foot to rest at one and four tenths feet above pool of 552.00 feet. Bull Shoals has been generating around the clock with few exceptions. The pattern has been to run low levels of water most of the day and the spike it with up to seven generators in the afternoon. There has been some wadable water on the very low levels of generation and a few significant periods of no generation. Boating, in general has been excellent. They have significantly changed the pattern on the Norfork. There has been no generation in the morning while they have been running a full two generators in the afternoon and early evening. This has provided some excellent wading opportunities early in the day. As the lakes continue to fall, there should be more wading opportunities in the immediate future. Summer has arrived and the weather is starting to heat up. As the temperatures begin to soar, particularly in Oklahoma, we can expect the heavy generation to continue particularly in the afternoon. The hot weather will increase the need for air conditioning and increased energy consumption. Peak times for energy consumption are week day afternoons. The generation will help keep water temperatures low which will be of benefit to the trout. One way to beat the heat is to fish at night. This has the added advantage of being an effective way to catch large brown trout. Great care should be taken when fishing at night. There are a number of risks to be considered. Since you cannot see as well you can easily fall or step into deep water and the water can come up. Fishing on the White has been excellent lately. The upper river from White Hole to Bull Shoals dam has been fishing particularly well. The best time to fish this section has been the early morning. The trout have been keying in on midge larva early on. The hot flies have been the zebra midge in black with silver bead and silver wire and in brown with copper bead and copper wire. In the afternoon when the heavier generation begins switch to San Juan worms in bright colors (red, hot pink, and fire orange) and large bright egg patterns. The section from Cotter to Rim shoals has been fishing well. In addition to the zebra midges, a lot of fish have been taken on copper johns. The hot weather has signaled the beginning of hopper season and some great fishing lately has already been attributed to grasshoppers. This is an easily seen fly that represents a big meal for big fish. Traditional patterns like Dave’s hopper have been effective as well as the western foam patterns. Be sure and use heavier tippet (4X) and do not be afraid to occasionally twitch the fly to imitate a struggling insect. Look for grassy undercut banks. The Norfork has been fishing well. On low generation midges have definitely been the ticket. The hot flies have been the zebra midges and Norfork bead heads. The difference here is that the midges on the Norfork seem to run a couple of sizes smaller. Where I might use a size sixteen nymph on the White, I would use a size twenty or smaller on the Norfork. There is also quite a bit of dry fly activity at this time. The hoppers are definitely starting to appear stream side and the big fish are responding greedily, particularly the cutthroats. Dry Run Creek is a great place to escape the heat. The Cold water coming from the hatchery discharge pipes, the tight creek bed and heavy tree cover combine to create an air conditioned paradise to take kids fishing on a hot day. Be sure and take plenty of sowbugs and San Juan worms. Do not forget to include your biggest net, a camera, and a few cold drinks. Remember to practice water safety and always check conditions before you leave home.

Glad you guys can use it. I will post my weekly report in the morning. I spent the afternoon doing some learned research at Rim Shoals.

Greg, I expect a similar pattern here. I have begun posting an indepth fishing report here every Thursday to help anglers like yourself. I try to identify the pattern and predict generation. That said, there is no guarantee. They are currently a bit over pool and the heavy generation has scaled back a bit. In fact, as I write this the white has been off for fourteen hours. When there is low generation (say 2000cfs or less) you can wade at Jenkins Creek or the back of the island at Rim Shoals. Go to Rim Shoals Trout Dock and talk to Gary or Paula Flipin to arrange a water taxi to get there safely. They will come back and pick you up if the water rises.

I would recommend a seven weight. That is the point where most rod manufacturers add a fighting butt. Since you will be using big streamers and big tippets why not a fighting butt to be able to put some major pressure on the big trout and land him quick. I would opt for the TFO TiCrX. I bought Lori one the other day. Put an Orvis Battenkill on it and you have something.

SIMMS are the choice of most guides. We live in them and we love them. I like the Simms wader boots. They run big and I just wear an extra pair of socks. Don't get studs if you fish from a boat much. You will slip and bust your butt. I have studded (for wading) and unstudded boots(for the boat). Chota makes a boot with a convertible sole that looks interesting. Also check out Patagonia boots.They are the most comfortable ones I have ever worn. I also have a pair of Orvis Henry's Fork boots they run narrow and I have been through three pairs of laces in the last year.

I was guiding today on the Norfork and ran into a couple of guys that fished last night. They caught one smallish between them. That is night fishing. sometimes great sometimes not so!

When I fish at night I like to throw big stuff. Big woollies, sculpins, matukas etc. fish there during the day and figure out wehere you are going to fish and determine the optimal amount of weight to add to the leader. Plan your escape and drop a cyalume stick at the trail head to maintain your orientation. The dam number is (870) 435-2169.

I like to fish below the Norfork Dam. Nice gravel bottom. If the water comes up they blow the horn. The only other walk in access is the handicap access on river ridge road in Norfork, Arkansas. Be careful and watch the water you cannot hear the horn here. I like to fish big stuff at night woolly buggers, sculpin, or other large streamers. Go there in the day and get the lay of the land. Plan your escape route, take a big net, and a camera with a flash. Good luck!

Gentlemen, there is plenty of night fishing on the White and Norfork. The world record brown caught on the Norfork was caught at night. My favorite place to fish at night is below Bull Shoals Dam. The bottom is mostly shallow and gravel bottomed. If they turn on the water you can hear the horn. There is a bit of ambient light from the dam. I have caught up to ten pound brown fishing at night there. It is spooky business and not for the faint of heart. Check generation before you start fishing. If there is low generation say 500 cfs and they kick it up, they do not blow the horn. Good luck.

Yes Greg, I do. They are close to pool on all of the lakes. Yesterday they had the White off for fourteen hours. Lori and I fished at Rim and knocked their socks off. Today the Norfork was down. I see at least some wadable water in our future.

Despite some recent heavy rain events, the lake level at Bull Shoals has fallen approximately one and four tenths feet to rest at two feet above pool of 654.00 feet. Up stream Table Rock Lake remains steady at one and eight tenths feet above pool and Beaver Lake remains steady at one half foot above pool. The Norfork has fallen one and six tenths feet to rest at one and nine tenths feet above pool of 552.00 feet. Bull Shoals has been generating around the clock with a few exceptions. The pattern has been to run low levels of water most of the day and the spike it with up to seven generators in the afternoon. There has been some wadable water on the very low levels of generation and precious few periods of no generation. Boating, in general has been excellent. They have been generating on the Norfork at almost the maximum around the clock. There have been virtually no wading opportunities and the boating has been challenging. As the lakes continue to fall, there may be some wading opportunities in the immediate future. Fishing on the White has been excellent. The Catch and Release section has been quite productive as has the entire upper river. The secret here is to adapt quickly to changing water levels. Up this close to the dam, water fluctuations are more significant than lower down. As the water rises or falls, you need to change the depths of the strike indicators, change flies and fish different areas of the same section of water. At low water, the fish are located pretty much in the main channels. The most productive flies will be small midges like the zebra midge in size twenty or smaller. As the water rises, you should generally concentrate on the water nearer the banks and fish flies a few sizes larger. Constantly adjust your strike indicator so that your fly ticks the bottom as you drift down stream. When the water gets really high, it is time to fish big San Juan worms and large egg patterns in bright colors. Make sure that you put on plenty of weight to get the fly down. Many times so much weight is required that you will be required to use more than one strike indicator to keep it all afloat. Further down stream, the Wildcat Shoals area has been fishing well. This is a wide fairly shallow area that can be waded at lower levels of generation. You should be constantly on the lookout for changing conditions and wade carefully. The most productive flies in this area have been soft hackles, in particular, the partridge and orange. Rim Shoals has been fishing extremely well especially from a boat. The fluctuations here are minimized and the more consistent flows have created some excellent conditions. During the past week, we had some fairly stained water after the heavy rain. In situations like this, a brightly colored fly can be the ticket. Flies with copper in them show well in conditions like this. The hot fly has been the copper john in size sixteen. It has a lot of copper on it and it sinks like a rock. Work the faster deeper water and make sure that the fly is ticking the bottom. The heavy generation has been hitting here during the night. The round the clock generation on the Norfork has all but eliminated wading on this river for the last few days. The generation has been heavy and fishing at this level of water can be quite challenging. The most productive flies are large San Juan worms in bright colors. The top producers have been bright red, hot pink and fire orange. The trout can be quite selective at times. I know of one local guide that carries five shades of pink. Figuring out what will work is a matter of trial and error. Big eggs will also produce. Make sure that you use long tippets and lots of lead. Concentrate on fishing the banks, weed beds, sunken islands and the points of islands. Look for any type of seam that will give trout a chance to escape the heavy current. Dry Run Creek was affected by the recent rains and was a bit high and stained for a couple of days. It is back to normal and fishing well. Be sure and take some sow bugs and San Juan worms. Stick to high sticking deep fast runs for the best chance to land a trophy. Remember to practice water safety and always check conditions before you leave home.

Did you get a photo? The best memories my daughter and I share are the times we spent on Dry Run. I am waiting for my grandchildren to get old enough to take there.

Recent rain events have pushed our local lakes a bit higher. Bull Shoals has risen approximately a foot to three and four tenths feet above pool of 654.00 feet. Up stream, Table Rock Lake has risen slightly to rest at one and eight tenths feet above pool and Beaver Lake has remained fairly constant at one half of a foot above pool. At Bull Shoals, the generation pattern has been similar to last week. There is light generation in the morning and then they spike it with up to seven generators for several hours in the afternoon. This allows for some marginal wading conditions on the upper river in the morning and a bit down stream later in the day. Great care should be taken as the water could rise quickly. For the last two weekends, they have shut everything down for several hours creating some limited but excellent wading. The boating conditions on the White have been excellent. On the Norfork, they have been generating two full generators most of the day and turning everything off for a few hours at night. The weather has been moderately warm but the generation has kept the water temperatures near perfect. The White River has fished well for the past week. The Catch and Release section just below Bull Shoals Dam has been a bit spotty. One day is excellent. The next day may not be so good. This is possibly the toughest place to fish on the White. The fish here have seen it all. In addition, the water is shallow and at low water the current is slight. This section fishes much better with a little water coming through it. The best flies for this section are small midges and emergers. As the water comes up, switch to flies a couple of sizes larger. When big water starts coming through, try brightly colored San Juan Worms along the bank. At very low or no generation you should give dry flies a chance. Terrestrials like grasshoppers and large ants have been very productive at times. Just down stream, the State Park has been fishing particularly well. There have been several trophy Browns caught as well as some good sized rainbows. This section gets a fair amount of pressure. It is a good idea to fish early to avoid the crowds and take advantage of the lower water. The olive woolly bugger and the sowbug have been accounting for some of the best fish here. The Cotter area has also been very productive. The fish here may not be as big as those further upstream but there are plenty of them. Anglers have had some great days here on a variety of flies. Sowbugs, zebra midges, woolly buggers, and soft hackles have all been effective. There is a lot of water here that remains wadable on low levels of generation. Great care should be taken because the water could rise at any time. This area does not seem to get as crowded as others because there are so many places to fish. There are three and one half miles of fly fishable water within the city limits of Cotter. Rim Shoals has been fishing particularly well. The low level of generation early in the day has created optimal boating conditions. There have been few wading opportunities here during the last week. The hot fly has been the black zebra midge in size fourteen. There has also been some nice grasshopper fishing, especially up against the bank. The heavy generation on the Norfork has all but eliminated wade fishing during the day. The heavy water is a challenge to fish. The best bet is brightly colored San Juan worms on long tippets with plenty of weight. The best colors would be hot pink, bright red and fire orange. Carefully work weed beds, the points of islands and the banks. Be careful when boating with this much water. I would recommend that everyone wear a personal flotation device. Keep your motor running at all times in case you have to maneuver your boat quickly to avoid an obstacle. I expect Dry Run Creek to get a bit crowded this weekend. There are a lot of families in the area for the Fourth of July holiday and this is the place to take kids. You should fish early or late and fish sections that do not get as much pressure. There are trout every where. Always practice water safety and check conditions before you leave home.

I guided two ladies from Little Rock. We floated the Rim Shoals area for a half day. The water conditions were perfect. We boated over fifty fish. The action was non stop.The big fish was an eighteen inch Rainbow. We caught several in the sixteen to seventeen inch range though most were twelve to fourteen. The hot fly was a black zebra midge.

It was me. I was guiding three guys. They were good casters and we were able to fish three from my boat. We did well on zebra midges and managed to catch a few on hoppers. Sound like you had a great day.

That would depend on how much water they are running. I would think it would be ok with one or two generators but not on big water. A better bet would be one of the small personal pontoon boats. Or even better there are places where you can rent a river boat. Check with Gary Flipin at Rim Shoals Trout Dock it would be much safer on high water.

Quarry park does have showers. It is a great place to camp. I have stayed there many times. I would add pheasant tails, sulphur parachutes and norfork beadheads to your fly box. Good luck.