Blue Ribbon Fly Shop 4.21.2010 Fishing Report

[Blue Ribbon Fly Shop]

White River - April 21st, 2010

RECORDED: 67 ° FISHING: Great

Fishing Report 4-21-10

After the heavy rains of a few weeks ago, both Bull Shoals and Norfork Lakes are dropping steadily. As of this writing, Bull Shoals is around 4-feet high and Norfork is about 3-feet high. Both dams are releasing about 50% of maximum flows, and this has made for some decent floating conditions on certain parts of the rivers. The only real issues we have faced of late have been trashy water.

Last week, I had a trip up at Bull Shoals, and the fishing was fair. This is because the water is getting extremely junky by the time you get down to Gaston’s Resort (approx 4 miles), so most of the boat pressure is concentrated on the first three miles of the river. This can make for crowded fishing and turbulent water. The saving-grace is that releases have rarely exceeded the five-unit level, so getting a fly in front of fish is not that difficult.

We are all guilty of writing the Norfork off from time to time. No other river seems to be so fickle – this is because fish move freely between the White and the ‘Fork, and this stretch is subject to quite a bit of harvest. Right now, fishing has been excellent on the one unit they are running. Most of the action is concentrated on the upper end because the Norfork is also getting trashy when you get down into the catch and release area if the water is high. Most days, the water is off until mid morning, and then one unit will begin operating. Those who get to the Bill Ackerman access early in the morning can often wade until 10 or 11am, but its boat time after that. The bigger fish are getting aggressive when the water is high, and we’ve been slamming rainbows in the 18-inch range with regularity. Also, the cutthroats are doing very well this year, and fish up to 17-inches have been coming regularly. The Norfork has not fished this well in several years, and we are all very excited about what the rest of the season has in store over there.

Many types of midges are producing on the ‘Fork, but some are more consistent than others - rusty midges, Psycho Midges (primrose & pearl), Prince Nymphs and olive zebra-midges seem to be working best. It is amazing how small midges can produce in high water, but this food source is considered ‘safe’, so when the river is crowded, the bigger fish will seek out small offerings.

Because Norfork Lake is only three feet low, there could be some extended wading water in the next few weeks. The dry fly fishing that we touted on the White and Norfork last month is still a possibility if we don’t see a lot of heavy rain. The peak action on the Norfork is usually from the middle to the end of May, so there is still plenty of time for the conditions to become favorable. Some guys are hammering trout on caddis patterns fished in slack water on the White, so there is more than one way to get a dry fly fix. We will keep everyone updated on the potential hatches, and also be on the lookout for an article about dry fly fishing on the Norfork in the near future.

The trashy water should clear up very soon, and there are still plenty of nice, clear areas to fish. Every day lately has offered up very comfortable fishing conditions, and when the Norfork is on fire, there is hardly a better place to wet a line in the country. We are in the midst of some of the year’s best fishing, so do not hesitate to call if you have questions not addressed in this report. April is such a fun and exciting month to fish the White and Norfork.