John Berry

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 4/16/2009 Over the past week, we have had several rain events and the lakes in the White River system have all risen and all are, once again, currently above power pool. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam rose one and three tenths of a foot to rest at five tenths of a foot above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake rose nine tenths of a foot to rest at one and eight tenths of a foot above power pool or fourteen and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose seven tenths of a foot to rest at one and one tenth of a foot above power pool or eight and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White was for generation around the clock. Water levels were particularly high at the beginning of the week and lower towards the end of the week. Norfork Lake has risen six tenths of a foot to rest at two tenths of a foot above power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty seven and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Early in the week, there was heavy generation on the Norfork and later in the week there were several periods of no generation. Remember that there is a new size limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and Norfork Rivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout. The big story remains the overall poor quality of fishing. The weather with its successive rain events and warm then cold temperatures may bear some of the responsibility. We are still getting some really prolific caddis hatches. The fish do not seem to be keying in on them like they were a few weeks ago. The most effective way to fish during the past week has been to drift brightly colored San Juan worms and egg patterns. The most productive colors for the worms have been hot pink, cerise and red. The best colors for the eggs have been peach, pink and orange. The flows have been a bit lower this week and we have been able to use shorter leaders and a bit less weight making for much easier casting. The use of a small nymph as a dropper in non Catch and Release waters can substantially increase the opportunity for success. The upper river from Bull Shoals down to the Narrows has fished a bit better. The best technique has been to bang the bank with large streamers on sink tip or full sinking lines. Several anglers have reported success with large streamers (up to seven inches long and equipped with up to three hooks). The hot fly has been a Zoo cougar. Remember that, if you are fishing in Catch and Release water, you can only use one hook point. These are big flies and you need really fast sinking sink tips or full sinking lines to get them down. This technique requires a substantial level of casting skill and is physically demanding. Big rods (eight weights) are a real plus. Rim Shoals has been a bit slow. Some anglers have reported success fishing dry flies (caddis and grass hoppers). The best place to fish dry flies is along banks and in back eddies. Though it is not late summer and there are no hoppers present, they can still tempt good fish to strike at any time of year. The water below Crooked Creek and The Buffalo River is a bit high and stained. You should concentrate your efforts on the upper river. Fishing on Crooked Creek has improved as water temperatures climbed to fifty eight degrees. However, our recent rain events have muddied up the creek and it will take several days to clear. The fishing on the Norfork has been slow. It has not fished well on high water recently. On the higher water the hot fly has been a hot pink or cerise San Juan worm. On lower water, the hot flies have been sowbugs, black zebra midges and olive woolly buggers. There have been some good midge hatches in the afternoons on lower water. The hot midge fly has been Dan’s turkey tail emerger. Long 6X tippets are the key to success. The upper river at Quarry Park has fished a bit better than the lower river. It can get pretty crowded here. It is generally not as crowded during the week or later in the afternoon. Dry Run Creek has fished well during the past week. The hot fly has been the sowbug. San Juan worms and woolly buggers have accounted for some nice fish. There is little room to cast so be sure and work as short a line as possible. The fish are huge, so you should use stout tippets (4X) to improve your chances of landing one. Carry a big net with a long handle. Please handle the fish carefully and release them as soon as possible. Do not forget to pinch down those barbs. It’s the law and always a great idea when fishing with children. Finally, bring your camera and take a lot of pictures. It is an experience you and your children will never forget. 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 4/09/2009 Over the past week, we have had colder and then warmer weather conditions and some particularly heavy winds (complete with lake wind advisories). The lakes in the White River system have all fallen and all are near or below power pool. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell one and two tenths of a foot to rest at eight tenths of a foot below power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty one and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell four tenths of a foot to rest at nine tenths of a foot above power pool or fifteen and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell seven tenths of a foot to rest at four tenths of a foot above power pool or nine and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White was for heavy generation around the clock. Water levels were particularly high at the beginning of the week and lower towards the end of the week. Norfork Lake has fallen seven tenths of a foot to rest at four tenths of a foot below power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty eight and four tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Early in the week, there was heavy generation on the Norfork and later in the week there were several periods of no generation. With current conditions and mild weather we could encounter some wadable water. Remember that there is a new size limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and Norfork Rivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout. The big story this past week has been the overall poor quality of fishing. There has been some discussion that was brought about by no generation for a long period and then heavy generation for a long period. Large amounts of trash (aquatic weed, etc.) were washed down stream and the prevailing opinion was that this severely impacted the fishing. The most effective way to fish during the past week has been to drift brightly colored San Juan worms and egg patterns. The most productive colors for the worms have been hot pink, cerise and red. The best colors for the eggs have been peach, pink and orange. The trick is to fish them deep. Make sure that you are banging the bottom. To accomplish this you will have to use very long leaders and a lot of lead. If you are not fishing in a Catch and Release section consider using a dropper. Tie an eighteen inch section of tippet to the bend of the hook on your main fly with an improved clinch knot. Then tie on a small nymph such as a zebra midge. You will be surprised at how many strikes you get on the bottom fly. The other killer technique is to bang the bank with large streamers on sink tip or full sinking lines. Several anglers have reported success with large streamers (up to seven inches long and equipped with up to three hooks). The hot fly has been a Zoo cougar. Remember that, if you are fishing in Catch and Release water, you can only use one hook point. The secret here is to use the heaviest and fastest sinking fly line that you can. Heavy flies and fly lines like this require big rods, eight weights or better. The upper river at the Bull Shoals Dam Catch and Release area has been the bright spot. The best fishing reports that I heard all week were about fishing here with egg patterns on high water. This area can get congested particularly on the weekend. Remember to practice fishing etiquette. Don’t crowd others. There is plenty of water here for every one. Rim Shoals has also been productive. Remember that this is the one place that has wadable water as long as the flows are below 17,000 cubic feet per second. The only way to access them is by boat. Arrange for a shuttle by water taxi at Rim Shoals Trout Dock. There is a nominal charge. Fishing on Crooked Creek has improved as water temperatures climbed to fifty eight degrees. However, our recent rain events have muddied up the creek and it will take several days to clear. The fishing on the Norfork has been slow. It has not fished well on high or low water recently. On the higher water the hot fly has been a hot pink or cerise San Juan worm. On lower water, the hot flies have been sowbugs and black zebra midges. The upper river at Quarry Park has fished a bit better than the lower river. Dry Run Creek, as always, has fished particularly well during the past week. The key to success is to concentrate on deeper faster water. The best way to fish on the creek is to high stick nymphs with a strike indicator. The hot fly has been the sowbug. San Juan worms and woolly buggers have accounted for some nice fish. While you are there take a tour of the adjacent National Fish Hatchery. It is fascinating. Remember to remove your waders before entering the Hatchery to prevent the spread of aquatic diseases. Practice water safety and always check conditions before you leave home.

You need to get a copy of the Home Waters Book. It lists all accesses on the White and Norfork. Some accesses that I would consider other than Rim would be Roundhouse Shoals and Wildcat Shoals.

Great news Phil. I have two grand children and they are special. They are definately a blessing.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 4/02/2009 Over the past week, we have had a mixed bag of weather conditions. There were some warmer spring like temperatures and a few cold days. We had a few rain events and some particularly heavy winds (complete with lake wind advisories). The lakes in the White River system have all risen and all are currently above power pool. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam rose three tenths of a foot to rest at four tenths of a foot above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake rose one and one tenth of a foot to rest at one and three tenths of a foot above power pool or fourteen and seven tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose five tenths of a foot to rest at one and one tenth of a foot above power pool or eight and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White was for heavy generation around the clock. Water levels for boating have been excellent. Norfork Lake has risen one tenth of a foot to rest at three tenths of a foot above power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty seven and seven tenths feet below the top of flood pool. There has been heavy generation on the Norfork with some brief periods of no generation. There was no generation on Sunday. Remember that there is a new size limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and Norfork Rivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout. The big story this past week has been the return of high water. The caddis are still coming off but with six or seven generators going on the White and two running on the Norfork, there is little if any top water action. Local anglers reluctantly put away their four weight rods and dry flies and pulled their heavier rods and high water flies out once again. It is imperative that you not fish with a chain on water this high. It could grab the bottom and swamp your boat. The most effective way to fish during the past week has been to drift brightly colored San Juan worms and egg patterns. The trick is to fish them deep. Make sure that you are banging the bottom. To accomplish this you will have to use very long leaders and a lot of lead. Forget the small split shot. Use AAAs and heavily weighted flies. If you are not occasionally hanging up on the bottom, you are not doing it right. Of course, if you are using a lot of additional weight, you will need to use a very large strike indicator. The other killer technique is to bang the bank with large streamers on sink tip or full sinking lines. Several anglers have reported success with large streamers (up to seven inches long and equipped with up to three hooks). Remember that, if you are fishing in Catch and Release water, you can only use one hook point. The secret here is to use the heaviest and fastest sinking fly line that you can. Heavy flies and fly lines like this require big rods, eight weights or better. This is not delicate work and a day casting these rigs will wear you out. The upper river at the Bull Shoals Dam Catch and Release area has been productive. There has been a lot of traffic here especially on the days after significant rainfall. When the water down stream is muddy or stained, you can always find clear water at the base of the dam. Rim Shoals has also been productive. Remember that this is the one place that has wadable water as long as the flows are below 17,000 cubic feet per second. The only way to access them is by boat. Arrange for a shuttle by water taxi at Rim Shoals Trout Dock. There is a nominal charge. The water below Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River has been muddy and has not fished well. Fishing on Crooked Creek has improved as water temperatures climbed to fifty eight degrees. However, our recent rain events have muddied up the creek and it will take several days to clear. The fishing on the Norfork has been slow. When the water was down last Sunday, the White was high and the Norfork was backed up far up stream from the Ackerman Access. Quarry Park fared a bit better and was fishing well. On the higher water, use the same high water tactics as we have on the White River. Dry Run Creek, as always, has fished particularly well during the past week, even when it was high and muddy. The key to success under those conditions was hot pink San Juan worms and Y2Ks. When the water was low and clear, the most productive fly was a sowbug. The best way to fish on the creek is to high stick nymphs with a strike indicator. There is just not enough room to cast with all of the trees along the stream. It is imperative that it the kids fishing here and not their parents. Adults can help land fish by netting them and of course take pictures. 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, Go for the fish you do not see not the ones that you do see. I concentrate on heavy deep water where I generally can not see big fish. If I can not see them they can not see me. There are fish every where. The big ones will be feeding in protected lies where they feel safe.

While I was guiding a couple of gentlemen on the White and Norfork last weekend, My wife, Lori, guided Jack on Dry Run Creek. His grand father, Bill, went along to take pictures. When they arrived, the creek was high and muddy from the previous night's thunderstorm. Bill remarked that it looked like the Mississippi. Lori was not discouraged. She rigged Jack with a hot pink San Juan worm. That did the trick! They ended the day with fifty one fish (Jack's careful count). The large fish was a twenty three inch rainbow. Jack returned the next day to lower, clearer water and bigger fish. He landed a twenty seven inch brown and a twenty five inch rainbow. Don't let high off color water discourage you.

Dave, Glad you did well. We are having some awesome hatches here.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 3/26/2009 Over the past week, we have had some warmer spring like temperatures. We also had a significant rain event with some particularly heavy winds (complete with lake wind advisories). The lakes in the White River system have all risen and all are currently slightly above power pool. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam rose one and two tenths of a foot to rest at one tenth of a foot above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty seven and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake rose three tenths of a foot to rest at two tenths of a foot above power pool or fifteen and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose eight tenths of a foot to rest at six tenths of a foot above power pool or nine feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White was for no generation until very recently, when we got some moderate water. Wading has been excellent. Norfork Lake has risen three tenths of a foot to rest at two tenths of a foot above power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty seven and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. There has been limited generation on the Norfork with several days of no generation. This has created some excellent wading. Remember that there is a new size limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and Norfork Rivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout. The big story this past week has been the long awaited arrival of the rhyacophilia caddis, our major hatch of the year. They have an insect green body and are a righteous size fourteen at the beginning of the hatch. As the hatch progresses, they will get smaller, down to size sixteen and then eighteen. For this hatch, I carry green elk hair caddis in those sizes. The best fishing can be before the hatch starts, when the caddis larvae get more active. The best nymph for this is the pulsating caddis in size fourteen. When they rise to the surface and begin emerging, switch to the green butt soft hackle. When the trout begin keying in on the adults, switch to the elk hair caddis. We have had some spectacular hatches with incredible top water action during the past week. The upper river from the Bull Shoals Dam Catch and Release area down stream to Rim Shoals has been red hot. The low water made for perfect wading and the caddis hatch switched the fishing into high gear. If there is no hatch coming off, try go to patterns like zebra midges, San Juan worms and egg patterns. Since the trout are accustomed to looking up during the hatch, they have become top oriented. As a result, soft hackles like the green butt, partridge and green and the partridge and orange can be very effective, even when there is no hatch occurring. Remember when fishing in the Bull Shoals Dam Catch and Release area and the State Park to be on the look out for Redds. They appear as clean depressions in the gravel. Disturbing them could destroy the wild brown trout eggs recently deposited there. We do not want to eliminate the next generation of wild brown trout. Crooked Creek fished well earlier in the week as water temperatures climbed to fifty eight degrees. However, our recent rain event muddied up the creek and it will take a few days to clear. With low water on the White, crowding has been much less of a problem. However, the trout have not had time to recover from the incredibly heavy pressure. The better fishing has been on the lower river just below the Ackerman Access. The fish seem to be running a bit larger there. Be very careful when wading below the access, because when the water comes up, you must wade back against the current. Move out as soon as you detect rising water. Over the years, I have seen more anglers get in trouble there than any other spot in the area. Another hot spot has been Quarry Park below Norfork dam. The Catch and Release section has been particularly crowded. Several anglers have been walking up to McClellan’s. Be very careful! This is a long walk and, if the water comes up, it is a dangerous wade out in rising water. It would be much safer to launch a personal watercraft at the dam; float down to McClellan’s and exit at the confluence. Rose’s Trout Dock will arrange a shuttle for a nominal fee. Dry Run Creek, as always, has fished particularly well during the past week. During the last week, we had some nice warm days that were perfect for an outing and many attendees at Sowbug took advantage of the great fishing there. Hot flies during the past week have been sowbugs, worm brown San Juan worms and egg patterns. While you are there, take a tour of the adjacent National Trout Hatchery. Be sure and remove your waders before entering to prevent the transfer of aquatic diseases. Practice water safety and always check conditions before you leave home.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 3/19/2009 Over the past week, we have had some warmer spring like temperatures and gentler winds. The lakes in the White River system have fallen slightly and all are currently below power pool. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell nine tenths of a foot to rest at one and two tenths feet below power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty two and two 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 remained steady at two tenths of a foot below power pool or nine and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White was for low levels of generation around the clock with a spike of heavy generation during the day. Norfork Lake has fallen one tenth of a foot to rest at one tenth of a foot below power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty eight feet and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. There has been limited generation on the Norfork with several days of no generation. This has created some excellent wading. With the current lake levels, I would expect wadable water on both rivers. Remember that there is a new size limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and Norfork Rivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout. The upper river from the Bull Shoals Dam Catch and Release area down stream to Cain Island has been a real hot spot. The lower flows were perfect for drift fishing. Effective patterns were zebra midges, San Juan worms and egg patterns. When you are fishing in this area, please be careful and do not drag chains or walk through the redds. Disturbing them could destroy the wild brown trout eggs recently deposited there. We do not want to eliminate the next generation of wild brown trout. Rim Shoals has been quite a hot spot. On the lower flows, anglers have been doing well with black zebra midges in size fourteen. On higher flows the go to flies have been brightly colored San Juan worms (hot pink, cerise and red) and orange patterns. The most productive pattern for me has been the Y2K in yellow and orange. Remember that, if they are running water on the White and you want to wade, there is a water taxi service at Rim Shoals Trout Dock. They will ferry you to wadable water and pick you up for a nominal fee. It is that time of year, when we begin having our major insect hatches. The first is our rhyancophilia caddis. They have an insect green body and are a righteous size fourteen at the beginning of the hatch. As it goes on, they will get progressively smaller, down to size sixteen and then eighteen. For this hatch I carry green elk hair caddis in those sizes. The best fishing can be before the hatch starts when the caddis larvae get more active. The best nymph for this is the pulsating caddis in size fourteen. When they rise to the surface and begin emerging, switch to the green butt soft hackle. When the trout begin keying in on the adults, switch to the elk hair caddis. I have observed these insects on both the White and Norfork Rivers in the last week and they are becoming more prolific. I have noticed a few risers that have begun keying on the hatch. Crooked Creek is still not fishing well. The water is low and clear but still a bit cold for the smallmouth to be active. As the weather warms and the water temperature reaches fifty five degrees we can expect the smallmouth action to improve. With round the clock generation on the White and lots of anglers in town for the Sowbug Roundup, the Norfork has been packed. If you plan on fishing there be sure and take your own rock so that you will have a place to stand. The better fishing has been on the lower river just below the Ackerman Access. The fish seem to be running a bit larger there. Another hot spot has been Quarry Park below Norfork dam. The Catch and Release section has been particularly crowded. Several anglers have been walking up to McClellan’s. Be very careful! This is a long walk and, if the water comes up, it is a dangerous wade out in rising water. It would be much safer to launch a personal watercraft at the dam; float down to McClellan’s and exit at the confluence. Rose’s Trout Dock will arrange a shuttle for a nominal fee. Dry Run Creek, as always, has fished particularly well during the past week. We had some nice warm days that were perfect for an outing. There have been a few more young anglers on the creek particularly on the weekends. Hot flies during the past week have been sowbugs, worm brown San Juan worms and egg patterns. While there are several places to fish from the bank, it is more productive to outfit your youngster with waders or hip boots in order to access more of the creek. 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, I agree. Where possible I am changing over to barbless hooks. The problem is the thousands of flies in my various boxes tied on barbed hooks. All I can say is, take great care in pinching down those barbs.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 3/12/2009 Over the past week, we have had some very heavy winds and some warmer then colder temperatures. The lakes in the White River system have fallen slightly and all are currently at or below power pool. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam remained steady 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 fell one tenth of a foot to rest one tenth of a foot below power pool or sixteen and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell two tenths of a foot to rest at two tenths of a foot below power pool or nine and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White was for low levels of generation around the clock with a couple of high level spikes during the day. There was no generation last weekend. This created some spectacular wading. Norfork Lake has risen one tenth 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 limited generation on the Norfork with several windows of no generation and there was no generation last weekend. This has created some excellent wading. With the current lake levels, I would predict wadable water in the near future on both rivers. Remember that there is a new size limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and Norfork Rivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout. Next week we have our major fly tying event of the year in Mountain Home Arkansas, The Sowbug Roundup. Anglers from all over the United States and some from Europe will be traveling here to demonstrate their favorite patterns. More anglers will be coming in to observe them. All of these people will want to go fishing while they are here. I will be presenting a couple of seminars and my wife, Lori, will also present a couple. I will be tying my brother’s signature pattern, Dan’s turkey tail emerger. Stop by and let me tie one for you. This year’s shad kill is basically over. The upper river from the Bull Shoals Dam Catch and Release area down stream to Cain Island has been a real hot spot. The lower flows were perfect for drift fishing and, with the trout still keying in on shad patterns, the bite was on. Other effective patterns were zebra midges and San Juan worms. When you are fishing in this area, please be careful and do not drag chains or walk through the redds. Disturbing them could destroy the wild brown trout eggs recently deposited there. We do not want to eliminate the next generation of wild brown trout. In addition, dragging chains in high water is dangerous. If the chain grabs the bottom, it could easily swamp the boat. Wild cat Shoals has been fishing particularly well. Woolly buggers (in olive) and fifty sixers have been go to flies and partridge and orange soft hackles have also been productive. The best fishing has been on lower water, when wading was excellent. It is that time of year, when we begin having our major insect hatches. The first is our rhyancophilia caddis. They have an insect green body and are a righteous size fourteen at the beginning of the hatch. As it goes on, they will get progressively smaller, down to size sixteen and then eighteen. For this hatch I carry green elk hair caddis in those sizes. The best fishing can be before the hatch starts when the caddis larvae get more active. The best nymph for this is the pulsating caddis in size fourteen. When they rise to the surface and begin emerging, switch to the green butt soft hackle. When the trout begin keying in on the adults, switch to the elk hair caddis. I have observed these insects on both the White and Norfork Rivers in the last week, but not in abundance. Crooked Creek is still not fishing well. The water is low and clear but still a bit cold for the smallmouth to be active. As the weather warms and the water temperature reaches fifty five degrees we can expect the smallmouth action to improve. With the hot action centered on the upper White River, the fishing pressure has been much lighter on the Norfork of late. That coupled with lower flows and reliable wadable water has created some greatly improved fishing. The better fishing has been on the lower river below the Ackerman Access. The fish seem to be running a bit larger there. Another hot spot has been Quarry Park below Norfork dam. There have been some spectacular midge hatches on sunny days. The best fly for this hatch has been Dan’s turkey tail emerger is size eighteen through twenty two. Dry Run Creek has fished particularly well during the past week. We had some nice warm days that were perfect for youngsters. There has been surprisingly light traffic of late but I would expect more young anglers with spring break coming up. Hot flies during the past week have been sowbugs. Use at least 4X tippet and fluorocarbon would be desirable due to its abrasion resistance. Do not forget to take 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.

Sage advice from snagged in outlet 3. Gary is the source of all knowledge on Rims Shoals.

I thought it was just me!

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 3/05/2009 Over the past week, we have had a light snow, some very heavy winds and some cold and then warm temperatures. All of the lakes in the White River system have continued their fall and are currently at or below power pool. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell eight 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 fell four tenths of a foot to rest at power pool or sixteen feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell five tenths of a foot to rest at power pool or nine and four tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White was for low levels of generation around the clock with a couple of high level spikes during the day. Norfork Lake has fallen eight tenths of a foot to rest at one tenth of a foot below power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty eight and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. There has been limited generation on the Norfork with several windows of no generation that has created some excellent wading. With the current lake levels and possible mild weather, I would predict wadable water in the near future on both rivers. Remember that there is a new slot limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and Norfork Rivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout. This year’s shad kill is basically over. The lower levels of generation and higher temperatures have conspired to end it. Trout are still hitting shad patterns. The most effective flies have been white marabou jigs and white bead head woolly buggers. For fishing this area during high levels of generation, I generally use long 4X tippets (a twelve foot leader tippet combination). Use plenty of lead to get the fly down and a big strike indicator to float it all. When fishing floating shad patterns use stout tippet (4X) to cast these heavy flies. There have been reliable reports of excellent fishing on shad patterns from Bull Shoals down to Rim Shoals. The upper river from the Bull Shoals Dam Catch and Release area down stream to Cain Island has been a real hot spot. The lower flows were perfect for drift fishing and, with the trout still keying in on shad patterns, the bite was on. Other effective patterns were zebra midges and San Juan worms. When you are fishing in this area, please be careful and do not drag chains through the redds. Disturbing them could destroy the wild brown trout eggs recently deposited there. We do not want to eliminate the next generation of wild brown trout. In addition, dragging chains in high water is dangerous. If the chain grabs the bottom, it could easily swamp the boat. The big story this past week has been the spectacular streamer fishing. Several anglers have been drifting in the upper river from Bull Shoals down to Cotter. They were banging the bank with huge streamers (sculpin and bait fish patterns five to seven inches long). They were using eight weight fly rods with three hundred grain sink tip lines. This technique resulted in several trophy browns. Crooked Creek is still not fishing well. The water is low and clear but still a bit cold for the smallmouth to be active. As the weather warms and the water temperature reaches fifty five degrees we can expect the smallmouth action to improve. With the hot action centered on the upper White River, the fishing pressure has been much lighter on the Norfork of late. That coupled with lower flows and reliable wadable water has created some greatly improved fishing. Though I have not heard any reports of a shad kill here, anglers have reported success with white jigs and white woolly buggers. The better fishing has been on the lower river below the Ackerman Access. The fish seem to be running a bit larger there. Another hot spot has been Quarry Park below Norfork dam. There have been some spectacular midge hatches on sunny days. The best fly for this hatch has been Dan’s turkey tail emerger is size eighteen through twenty two. Dry Run Creek has fished particularly well during the past week. We had some nice warm days that were perfect for youngsters. There is quite a bit of tree cover here and the key to success is to have your young angler work a short line. Hot flies during the past week have been sowbugs, egg patterns and San Juan worms. Use heavy tippet (at least 4X), carry a very big net and take great care when releasing fish. Do not forget to take a camera. While you are there take the time to visit the adjacent National Fish Hatchery. The tour is fascinating. Be sure and remove your waders before entering the hatchery to prevent the transfer 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.

Gary thinks that 17,000 cfs is about the maximum generation that is safe. That is the equivqlent of five full generators. Gary is the source of all knowledge on Rim Shoals.

I caught my first brookie on my second cast. It took two hours for me to catch a cutt then I caught several. It was the browns that surprised me. I caught over a dozen in the twelve to fourteen inch range and they were all wild. I thought about staying longer to see if I could pick up another Brook but the sun started going down and it was getting colder. Don, I have a pretty good idea what fly you were using. I don't know why you carry a fly box. Just put a couple of extra flies in the patch on your vest in case you lose one.

On one unit there are several spots, Wildcat Shoals, Bull Shoals Dam Catch and Release, and Cotter. On three your options are severely limited to maybe Bull Shoals. You would be limited to hugging the bank.

I fished the Norfork yesterday. The temperature was forty one, the sun was shining, the winds were five to ten miles per hour and the river was on the bottom. There was one other angler in the Catch and Release section and he was far from me. There was a prolific midge hatch coming off and I slayed them with Dan's turkey tail emerger. I caught my first grand slam of the year and then my second. This is my first ever double grand slam. I caught most of my trout on a size eighteen Dan's turkey tail emerger but I lost my only one when an eighteen inch rainbow took its second leap and broke my 6X tippet. I switched to size twenty two and the trout didn't know the differance. It was one of my best days ever on the Norfork.

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 2/26/2009 Over the past week, we have had no discernable rain, some very heavy winds and some generally warm temperatures. All of the lakes in the White River system have dropped significantly but remain in flood pool. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell two and four tenths of a foot to rest at five tenths of a foot above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell five tenths of a foot to rest at four tenths of a foot above power pool or fifteen and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell one and one tenth of a foot to rest at five tenths of a foot above power pool or nine and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White was for heavy generation around the clock. Norfork Lake has fallen two feet to rest at seven tenths of a foot above power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty seven and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. There has been heavy generation on the Norfork. There were a couple of very brief windows of no generation on the Norfork that created some good wading. With the current lake levels and mild weather, I would predict wadable water in the near future on both rivers. Remember that there is a new slot limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and Norfork Rivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout. This past week the conditions created a perfect storm and the shad kill kicked into high gear. This has been the best one that has occurred in several years with the trout absolutely keying in on the shad. There were numerous instances where the feeding was so heavy that many trout were feeding on floating shad and anglers were taking good fish on shad surface patterns. The shad kill occurs when there are low temperatures are coupled with high levels of generation. Watch for gulls feeding in the dam discharge to signal that the shad are coming through. The most effective flies have been white marabou jigs and white bead head woolly buggers. For fishing this area during high levels of generation, I generally use long 4X tippets (a twelve foot leader tippet combination). Use plenty of lead to get the fly down and a big strike indicator to float it all. When fishing floating shad patterns use stout tippet (4X) to cast these heavy flies. When you are fishing in this area, please be careful and do not drag chains through the redds. Disturbing them could destroy the wild brown trout eggs recently deposited there. We do not want to eliminate the next generation of wild brown trout. In addition, dragging chains in high water is dangerous. If the chain grabs the bottom, it could easily swamp the boat. The shad kill has been so heavy that at times the trout were gorged on shad and quit feeding. When you find yourself in this situation, drift down stream until you encounter feeding fish. There have been reliable reports of excellent fishing from Bull Shoals down to Rim Shoals. The Catch and Release section at Rim Shoals is the area that has wadable water available as long as they are generating below seventeen thousand cubic feet per second. To access these spots contact Gary Flipin at Rim Shoals Trout Dock to ferry you to wadable water with his water taxi. The cost is nominal. If you are fishing below Rim Shoals, you need to concentrate on conventional high water tactics. Brightly colored San Juan worms and egg patterns dead drifted along banks and over weed beds with a lot of extra lead and big strike indicators. The hot technique for the big browns is to bang the bank with sculpin patterns on sink tip and full sinking lines. Kiwi muddlers, zoo cougars and Mengle’s Ozark sculpins would be good fly choices. 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 a bit better of late. Though I have not heard any reports of a shad kill here, anglers have reported success with white jigs and white woolly buggers. There have been some big browns caught on large streamers cast at the bank. You do not catch a lot of fish this way but you can hook up with some really big trout. This is the best way to catch large browns. Dry Run Creek has been a busy place recently. There are plenty of big fish and eager young anglers. If your favorite spot is taken, move around. There are big fish every where. The hot flies are sowbugs, San Juan worms and woolly buggers. Do not forget to take the biggest net you can lay your hands on. Most fish are lost at the net. Use heavy tippet, at least 4X. Carry a camera to record the fish of a lifetime. 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 survive pretty well. It is the foot traffic that doees the damage.

On Sunday, February 1, 2009, the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam will reopen after being closed to all fishing since November 1, 2008. This section was shut down to protect the brown trout that have been spawning there for the last three months. They travel upstream, up to twenty miles, to arrive at this spot to mate. While they are doing this, they do not feed. So, at the end of this process, they are hungry and need to replace the weight they have lost in the past few months. This section normally holds a lot of trout. When I was participating in the Trout Management Plan, I learned from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission that this section is the most successful Catch and Release area on the White. It normally holds more large trout than any other section. So what we have is the best trophy trout waters in Arkansas invaded by large browns from throughout the river. They have finished their annual spawn and are now ready to feed. This is not a very well kept secret. In fact, anglers from other states flock here to try their luck. Local anglers also show up in numbers for the opportunity to land a big one. Therefore, it can get quite crowded. The best way to avoid the crowds is to fish very early or late. Fishing during the week will be less crowded than the week end. Access to the area is very easy. There is an Arkansas Game and Fish Commission public access on both sides of the river. I generally prefer the one on the Baxter County side, because there is more parking. There are also porta potties. It is located in Bull Shoals State Park at the base of the dam. I generally consider this water to be relatively safe. At low water, it is shallow without any strong currents. If they turn on the generators, you will hear the horn. Get out immediately, preferably on the side of the river that your car is parked on. Avoid walking through the redds (spawning beds) when you are fishing in the area. The redds will appear as clean depressions in the gravel. The browns have laid and fertilized eggs here and if we destroy them we will eliminate this year’s generation of wild brown trout. The next three months will be the most critical time to avoid them. At low water, it is fairly shallow here and there is little current. The usual techniques of swinging woolly buggers and fishing nymphs under indicators will be more difficult due to this. I generally have more luck with soft hackles and midge emergers. If you do find some deeper water with a bit of current and want to fish with an indicator, be sure and use a white strike indicator to keep from spooking fish. It will look more like the foam and appear more natural. Better yet, use no indicator. Watch the end of your line. Just after the spawn, egg patterns can be very effective. My favorite colors are peach and orange. Normally the predominate food source in this area of the river is midges. Zebra midges in black with silver wire and silver bead, brown with copper wire and copper bead and red with gold wire and gold bead can be productive. My favorite midge emerger for this area is Dan’s turkey tail emerger. Soft hackles like partridge and orange and green butts can also account for good fish. This is a Catch and Release section and it requires that you can only use one barbless hook. The secret to landing a trophy is to sight cast to big fish. You should carefully move through the area looking for large fish that are feeding. If you are pushing a wake, you are moving too fast. A broad brimmed hat and polarized glasses can help you spot fish. When you spot one, cast above them and allow the fly to drift to them in a prefect drag free drift. Big fish suffer no fools! Be very careful with your presentation. A line splashing on the water or landing directly over a good fish will spook it. I generally like a four weight rod with a sensitive tip to present smaller flies. Make sure your reel is well lubricated and running smooth. You should use a floating fly line (if it is cleaned before use, it will cast and float better). You should have a minimum of fifty yards of backing. I would start with a new leader and tippet. Carefully tie your knots and test them before use. Carry a big net. A small one is of no use with a big fish. If you hook a good fish, take your time. Do not try to muscle it in. You should instead try and finesse it in. Be prepared to follow it, if necessary. Always keep constant pressure on it. The best way to gauge the amount of pressure being applied is to look at the bens in your rod. The more bend the more pressure being applied. At high water, try drifting an egg or San Juan worm. If you are fishing from a boat, do not drag a chain through this area to avoid damage to the redds. Carry a camera. You are required to release the fish, so your only souvenir of the occasion will be your memory and a photo. Keep the trout in the water until you are ready. Handle it as little as possible and carefully revive it before releasing it. This is generally the best time to catch a trophy. Good luck!

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 1/22/2009 Over the past week we have had some cold and some warm days, some very heavy winds but no measurable precipitation during the past week (it is so dry that a burn ban has been announced for Baxter and Marion Counties); the lakes in the White River system are all below flood pool and continue their steady fall. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam rose one and one tenth of a foot to rest at eight tenths of a foot below power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty one and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell one foot to one and one tenth of a foot below power pool or seventeen and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell eight tenths of a foot to rest at one and two tenths of a foot below power pool or ten and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White was for light to heavy generation with significant periods of wadable water and limited navigation. Norfork Lake has fallen five tenths of a foot to rest at one foot below power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty nine feet below the top of flood pool. There has been limited generation on the Norfork with significant periods of no generation every day. This again has created some truly spectacular wading. The low water has exposed significant changes in the river channel. There is virtually no section that has remained unchanged. When navigating the rivers at low water, take great care. The channel may not be where you expect it to be. 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 one week 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) and they have not been fished over. Remember that there is a new slot limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and Norfork Rivers. We had a minor shad kill last week. It occurred at night and to my knowledge no one was able to take advantage of it. The shad kill is a natural phenomenon where threadfin shad are drawn through the turbines on the dams. 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 lower water and light traffic has resulted in some pretty fantastic fishing conditions on the White River. This is the first reliable wading we have had in almost a year. 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 particularly in the seasonal Catch and Release section. Wildcat Shoals has been a real hot spot. The lower shoals have fished particularly well with partridge and orange soft hackles, while the upper section has fished well with a variety of nymphs. Try Y2Ks, olive scuds and sowbugs. Roundhouse Shoals has been another hot spot. While the crowds have been light, the fishing has been good. Swinging olive woolly buggers in heavier water has been particularly effective. Another hot technique has been to high stick nymphs like the olive scud, Y2K and sow bug in fast water. The Catch and Release section at Rim Shoals is fishing particularly well. The hot fly on lower water has been the Y2K. You should also try sowbugs, olive scuds and midges (size 14). Hot spots have been the back of the first island and the Jenkins Creek area. If they are running water have Gary Flipin at Rim Shoals Trout Dock ferry you to wadable water with his water taxi. The cost is nominal. 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 not fished well during the past week. The crowds from the three day holiday absolutely pounded it. If you must fish there, you should go 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. The go to flies have been olive scuds, sowbugs and orange micro eggs. Worm brown San Juan worms have also produced fish. Sculpin patterns fished through deep holes have accounted for some nice trout. Dry Run Creek has been fishing well, as always. There has been virtually no one there. If you want a great day on the water, take your youngster here on the next warm day. The hot flies are sowbugs, San Juan worms and olive woolly buggers. While you are there, take a few minutes to visit the adjacent National Fish Hatchery. It is fascinating. Remember to remove your waders before entering 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.

With a growth rate of around seven inches a year, I would expect to start seeing the changes in about a year.

I tie white woolly buggers on 1/32 ounce jig heads. White marabou jigs can also be effective. You shouhd also tie some floating flies (unweighted woolies with some white foam on them) to imitate dead shad on the surface. I read a report on another forum that a shad did occur last night.