Blue Ribbon Fly Shop- May 1St Fishing Report

[Blue Ribbon Fly Shop]

White River - May 1st, 2010

RECORDED: 69 ° FISHING: Great

Blue Ribbon Fly Shop

Fishing Report 5-1-10

It's a rarity, but every now and again, a little extra rain can be of benefit to anglers on the White River and Norfork Tailwater. Over the last week, heavy precipitation has inundated the central and southern parts of Arkansas. This means that our lakes have not seen a huge influx of water, but the Corp of Engineers is holding water back at the dams to keep from aggravating the flooding far downstream. The current release schedule is a perfect example of how water is managed for many different purposes in the White River Basin. Being at the right place at the right time is an art on these rivers, and a lot of people end up moving to the area just so they never miss out on those perfect conditions. Bull Shoals and Norfork Lakes are slightly high and while the forecast for this weekend calls for rain it is expected to be short lived. Wading has been excellent on Norfork during the middle of the day, and the caddis and sulphurs are starting to pop. This is just the beginning, and any low-water day on the Norfork has the potential to be a dry-fly heyday for the next month and a half. Concentrate dry fly fishing on the middle sections of the Norfork, and if the water shuts off at 10am, the best bite will not usually start until 1pm. Until then, midge fishing near the dam has been excellent.

The White is starting to look a lot better with respect to clarity, and recent flows in the two to three-unit levels (3,000cfs to 6000cfs) have been perfect for floating. Caddis emergers are the ticket most mornings, and by afternoon, you will need a mask to keep the bugs out of your mouth. A Green-bellied (or cream) Elk Hair Caddis is the perfect floating choice of pattern, and a small dropper will increase productivity if the trout are not quite keyed-in on the adults yet. The green belly really does make a difference, and this will make a lot of sense if you examine the nymphs and adults currently in the rivers - many early spring caddis have a lot of fluorescent green on their body.

Most of the other standard patterns are working on both rivers, so be sure to stock up on some Cracklebacks, soft hackles, Anna K's, Prince Nymphs, Copper Johns, green firebugs, olive v-rib midges and a good selection of dry flies - the guys at the shop are always happy to point you in the right direction. The weather and fishing rarely gets better than it is now, and this low-water window has been a blast for those who enjoy wading. There is no way to tell how long this trend will last, so try and get in on it while you can. If the rivers are high on the day you hope to dry fly fish, do not fret - caddis action in slack water areas on the White has been "as good as it gets" lately, so there really are a myriad of exciting fly fishing options currently available...just take your pick.

www.blueribbonflyfish.com or blueribbonflyfish@hotmail.com