Zack Hoyt

Warmer temps have got the fish moving a little, but the weather from this weekend will put off good fishing for a little while. Levels are good due to melting snows and rain. Water is still a bit chilly, but warmer foretasted temps this week will help it along.

Smallies are starting to move around with the warmer evenings. Water levels were good, but will likely rise due to the preceip we had last weekend. Possible rain later on in the week will keep river levels high, but the temps are supposed to be warm. This will help bring the river water temps higher and get the fish a little more lively.

Fishing has been very good on the Tailwaters. Table Rock was around 916 and little generation made wading very easy. Lots of midges coming off the water. A crackleback skated across the surface would grab the attention of the fish looking up. Zebra midges in various colors were working well. Black body/silver rib, grey body/silver rib, olive body/silve rib, balck body/copper rib. Size 18's during windy and over cast days and down to sz 20's when the water was still or blue bird skies. Lots of reports of healthy fish. Browns are being caught downstream on a regular basis. Lots of sculpins are present, so an olive or dark orange streamer is a good bet. A significant weather event over the weekend will push the lake higher, so expect more generation than previous weeks. Also looks like possible rain later on in the week, so keep an eye on the river level if you are able to get out and fish.

Low water and warm temps have made fishing below Bull Shoals Lake very fruitful. Large numbers of very healthy looking fish are being reported. Mornings and late afternoons are producing some great caddis hatches. Anything from a sz16 to a sz 12 have been observed. This means lots of dry fly action. Most we saw have either a black or dark grey body. Also this means soft hackles are a good bet for subsurface fishing. Pheasant Tail Nymphs, Hares Ears, and Copper johns under an indicator are getting fish. Observe how the fish are acting and set your depth accordingly. Lots of big browns schooling around, so dont be afraid to toss some of the big streamers.

Great pics and gorgeous boat. I would love to see it in person. I have a wooden drift boat I take down the Elk and surrounding rivers. just got done re-varnishing it and getting ready to put the seats back in.

Pick up a copy of "The Buffalo River Handbook" by Ken Smith. Besides being a good friend, Ken is also one of the most knowledgeable people in regards to the BNR. The books has all trails and floats as well as geology and geography information. He has also went through and talked to all the old timers and has compiled alot of the history into this little book. I have most every book out about the BNR and I would put this at #1 no questions asked.

White Hole to Wildcat is one of my favorite stretches. There is not a ton of traffic through there, but quite a few good runs. Some pretty decent sized fish holding in those deeper, slow moving areas.

Good Afternoon Everyone, I just wanted to drop a small update on the Reel Recovery work being done in Arkansas. Our Reel Recovery Day at the Beaver Dam Store is picking up steam. We have setup a Facebook event that I have been updating periodically with information and donation updates. Along with this, we just launched the website for the event. www.BeaverDamDay.com I will be using this in conjunction with the Facebook event to keep everyone up to date on what happening leading up to our fundraiser. Ken is gearing up for his Arkansas River Float. Here is the timeline he has so far of where's and when's: day 1 – March 27 - Fort Smith, Van Buren day 2 – March 28 – Lock and Dam 13, Vasse Grasse Park (Lavaca) day 3 – March 29 – Ozark day 4 – March 30 – Lock and Dam 12 day 5 – March 31 – Lake Dardanelle, Piney Bay day 6 – April 1 – lake Dardanelle, Russellville State Park, Lock and Dam 10 day 7 – April 2 – Holla Bend, Petit Jean River day 8 – April 3 – Lock and Dam 9, Cadron Settlement Park day 9 – April 4 – Lock and Dam 8, Toad Suck Ferry, Conway day 10 – April 5 – Lock and Dam 7, Little Rock, North Little Rock day 11 – April 6 – Lock and Dam 6 day 11 – April 7 – Lock and Dam 5 day 12 – April 8 – Pine Bluff, Lake Langhdfer, Lock and Dam 4 day 13 – April 9 – Lock and Dam 3 day 14 – April 10 - day 15 – April 11 – Arkansas Post, White River cuttoff, Lock and Dam 2, Merrisach Park, Take-out and back to home day 16 – April 12 – Re-supply, rest day 17 – April 13 – Tulsa, OK launch This date is subject to change due to conditions on the river Come out to see Ken off on March 27th. There will be a number of boats, canoes, and kayaks. He is currently getting in contact with the Mayors at the city's he will be stopping at. Hopefully we will see him pop up on the news or in the paper. Retreat Number 1 has been set. We will be having it a Spring Valley Anglers near Gravette on April 19th - 21st. Kevin Calhoun is heading up the volunteers and the "ins/outs" of this retreat. Please contact him with any questions. We are also still looking for participants, so if you know of a man who either is currently or has in the past battled cancer, please point him to the Reel Recovery website. As always, thank you for your continued support. Zack Hoyt

THE FLIP SIDE: Tailwater Benefits From Stimulus CashIMPROVEMENTS PLANNED BELOW BEAVER DAM By Flip Putthoff Thursday, March 11, 2010 Print item LITTLE ROCK — Some federal government stimulus money is on its way to stimulate the trout fishing below Beaver Dam. The Arkansas Game & Fish Commission received $110,000 in stimulus money for habitat and shoreline work on the White River below the dam. That’s the word from Melissa Jones, cold-water coordinator with the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. That money will be used to repair habitat and shorelinedamage that occurred in 2008 when the floodgates were opened at Beaver Dam. Record flows surged down the White River damaging homes, campgrounds and the shoreline. Tim Burnley, Game & Fish trouthabitat manager, said the project involves placing root wads and boulders in the stream. Four Jvanes will be built. These are rock jetties that are angled upstream to push the current toward the middle of the stream. That deepens the channel and benefits trout. An additional access will be built between Parker Bend and the Bertrand launch ramp. Boulders and root wads provide shelter for trout and stimulate aquatic insect growth. Work has already started. Repairs are being made to the fishing access at the first campground downstream from the dam. The project should be finished sometime this summer if water levels cooperate. Trout Unlimited’s Arkansas chapter has offered some ideas for the project. Conservation Chairman Bruce Ritter said another improvement will be blazing a better trail to the river where the road dead-ends about a mile below the dam. This path will lead to a shallower spot in the stream that is easier for wade fishermen to cross. Hopefully your tax dollars at work will be a benefit to our backyard trout stream. FLIP PUTTHOFF IS OUTDOORS EDITOR. Outdoor, Pages 9 on 03/11/2010

I have the C&F thermometer. Attahed it to the end of my rod before and can get temps about as deep as I can reach. If I am in the boat I will attach it to the anchor. It is not exact, but will get very close. In fact first time I used it was when I ran up War Eagle.....was wanting a good reading on water temp. http://www.candfdesign.com/product/127518/6-61510/_/3-in-1_Thermo__Red

I am planning on attending......anyone else gonna make it out?

No whites at all. Havent even heard of any being picked off yet. I know a few walleye are being caught around Goshen, but its awful cold as of yet. We sure did get some odd looks from fellow boaters though. Had a guy ask why our crappie poles were so thin......had to explain they were fly rods, which totally blew his mind. Same response I have got numerous times.......are there trout in this lake????

We snuck up the War Eagle arm on saturday. Got to about 2 river miles from the Mill. Water was still chilly, 47 degrees. Picked a few Kentucky off the large boulders and shelf rock on the sunny sides. Not many boats up that way at all. I was showing fish at the mouths of coves and off the corresponding points, but nothing further back. I am hoping the rain forecasted for today and later on this week will go a ways in warming the water. The 60 degree days help alot, but a good, warm rain would do wonders.

Jd, If you go to the top right hand section of your screem, you can click on the pulldown which is your user name. Under that click setting. About 3 sections down are the PM settings. You can opt out of receiving email notifications of pm's.

Was talking to Chris at Hook,Line and Sinker about this very thing yesterday. I recently acquired a nice little jon and have been wanting to hit SWEPCO.

Grab a hotspots map. It's a great way to learn the lake and while the "hotspots" may be no secret, it will show you waht to look for......I am heading out on Beaver Saturday for the first time in a long time.

Slowly drawing nearer. Wanted to post a few thank you's for donated items. Phil at Lilley's Landing, Fishpond USA, Radio Shack of Harrison, Wildcat Resort in Flippin, Jimmy T of FlyFishArkansas Guide Service, Bryce and the gals at Beaver Dam Store, Spider Creek Resort, and Denny at Conrach Hackle. All have either donated or plan to donate an item for the raffle, silent auction, live auction, and prizes for the Tourney. Again if anyone has any questions, please feel free to contact me. Look forward to seeing a few of you guys out there.

I do enjoy FAOL quite a bit. Like here, there is tons of info avaliable and some great sources.

Ron - google "Conway Bowman". He is a guide out in Cali who targets Mako sharks. Fly fishing aint just yer daddy smoking a pipe hunting trout any more.....

Jason - As I said above, Walleye are alot of trial and error. Just like the whites, it will take quite a few afternoons on the water to get an idea of what they are doing and their movements. The only difference between conventional fishing and fly fishing is how we rig up. The fish still hold in the same spots. Ask around and see if you can find some reports. It is still a tad cool, so don't be disheartened yet. Twin Bridges has some good wade fishing, but early season tactics are really helped along with a boat. Also dont be afraid to jump tippet size. These guys aren't like fishing for trout. 2x or 1x tippet is not unheard of. Also it is still a bit cold, so a slower retrieval is a good idea. Dont get locked into casting in one spot. Move around.

NWA - one can launch a bass boat there, but I would do a trip or two with the jon to learn the river bed. I saw a guy all but burry up the motor of an awful new Ranger last year. It definitely shallows up the further upstream you go. Alot of guys will hit it now and head down stream towards the lake. This is a little easier in a larger boat. Alot comes down to how good you are with the boat. Motored boats aren't my strong suite, so I err on the side of caution. I was not aware there was any other type of fishing besides fly fishing......... Kidding. I haven't spent a ton of time on Walleye, but can pass along the things that have worked for me. These fish are mainly feeding on the baitfish that come up the river to spawn as well. About anything in an white/silver/shiney color seem to work. The walleye are pretty aggressive, so the more movement the better. I often go to a Smithwick Rogue style or the rapala in a jointed style. Most these baitfish are very thin, so get the slender hard baits. YUM makes a Walleye grub that is supposed to be very good. The thing is these fish are schooling, so the trick is finding where they are at the certain moment. Alot of trial and error. Again, I am pretty new to Walleye, so take it with a grain of salt. Of course the best bet is to hit Chris or Aaron up at Hook,Line, and Sinker for ideas/updates. Those guys are awesome and for sure know where the fish are biting. Stop by some day around lunch time and you can pick up some pretty up-to-the-minute reports. Edit: That long dissertation and I forgot temps. From what I remember hearing they are still in the high 40's. We are having warmer days, but these 20 degree nights aren't helping.

Well the fish will key in on leaky waders and laugh at you instead of taking the fly...........just kidding. Definitely need to get deep. What type of sinking line are you using? With the temp the way it is right now, the fish will be very deeep. If you arent ticking the bottom your probably not deep enough. We use a type 6 full sinking line. Usually white/grey or white black clousers sz 4. Also a white crystla flash woolie will do the trick.

Drop Greg Dodds an email over at Check Ur Fly guide service(http://checkurfly.com/). He is a close personal buddy of mine and would be more than happy to give you some pointers on where to fish. He is a fellow Okie as well......but I wont hold that against either of you guys. Also dont be afraid to stop by the Beaver Tailwaters. It tends to be the ugly stpdaughter of the Ark tailwater system, but has some very good and technical fishing. Also the White river above Beaver Lake(East of Fayetteville) makes for some great white bass and walleye fishing when it begins to warm up. I know these arent in NW Ok, but they are still a decent option when Roaring River is boring you.

The water levels are very good for floating and fishing. Water temps are in the low 40's so remember to fish slow and on the bottom. Temperatures should be rising with the warmer days. If you are out floating, take this time to observe a little more closely your fishing spots. With the fish being deep, you now have the opportunity to float over and explore the spots you have been casting to all year. Identify the structure and likely holding spots so you know exactly where to place to lure when the water starts to heat up.

Periods of no generation has allowed for some wade fishing. Nymphing, swinging soft hackles and stripping small streamers are all producing fish. Fly selection includes; Zebra midges (gray, black), Beadhead Simple Sow (sizes 14-16), Humpback Scuds (gray, sizes 12-16), Partridge/Peacock (size 14-18), Sparrows (gray, size 8-12). On low water days when the sind lays down, the fish are able to see visible movement much easier. Take the time to observe the spot you are wanting to fish before wading right in. Big trout dont get that way by dumb luck. Take the time to stalk your area and you will be rewarded.