Caught The Norfork Down

[John Berry]

I fished the Norfork today. I checked the dam number and noted it was off. I had a couple of clients from Oklahoma and I hoped to catch a couple of hours of low water before they turned it on. We hiked up to Charlie's and we were able to fish there untill two o'clock. It was awesome. We caught over thirty fish before lunch including a grand slam. After the water came up we fished the high water and caught more but not as many as on low water. We hooked and lost a huge brown. While I was at Charlie's, I began to notice that the bank was littered with lures. I collected thirteen with two treble hooks each. I cannot fathom how much poaching has been occurring there. The hole in front of Charlie's is totally graveled in. The run on the other side of the island is scoured out and fishing well. The hot flies were worm brown San Juan worms, olive scuds and zebra midges.

[Don Allenbaugh]

I went this morning for 2 and 1/2 hours and caught 26. Rainbows, cuts, and Brook. No browns. Used my old standby. Fished just upstream of the handicap ramp.

It looks like the river got quite a flushing. Everything has changed and a lot of the gravel is gone from the main part of the river. A lot of hard bedpan rock is now exposed. Didn't see any vegetation from the catch and release sign down to the handicap ramp. It looks like there is a deep channel on the far side of the river but I did not do to much exporing as I did not have my wading staff. One thing is sure it certainly isn't the same river and anyone going there to fish now should use extreme caution and a wading staff as there are quite a few unusual drop offs.

[John Berry]

Sage advice Don. I was guiding at Rim today but Lori went over to the Norfork and slammed them on Wooly buggers. It sounds like you had a great day also.