Fishing Wednesday

[jah]

My wife and I are both teachers, so we're fortunate to have about 30 little trips planned this summer. We went on our first one Tuesday and headed to the NFWR. We stopped at Baptist Camp on the Current on the way. I immediately discovered that I left my nippers at home, so I had to run back to Montauk store, but by then we decided just to head down and set up camp at Sunburst. Off to a poor start.

Talked at length with Justin Spencer about fishing the river and he dropped us off below Rainbow Spring. We had the idea that we were going to wade fish from various gravel bars like we do on the Eleven Point, but it was not that easy. The water was up and the current was incredibly swift even where it looked benign. I did manage one rainbow pretty early on, so I thought it was going to be quite easy. That was my last fish on the North Fork that day. Beautiful river, I just didn't know the right places I guess. The water was up, too. We never saw the "falls". I have no idea where they could have even been. I know they are below the ROLF sign, but we saw nothing that looked even 'fall-like'.

I had the right tackle, I think. Pat's, woolies, princes, lots of weight, chuck and duck, super deep, etc. But I think my drift must suck. Any advice would be great.

Justin and Amy were fantastic hosts, too.

So my wife and I then decided to drive back up to the Current yesterday and got to Tan Vat at dusk. We absolutely tore them apart below the chute on Pats and egg patterns. I then fished the swimming hole and did very well on small nymphs. It was like Chilly Willy---every cast pulling out a fish.

It stormed for 3 hours late Wednesday, but the river looked the exact same this morning when we went back. I caught about 15 more this morning in the swimming hole---95% on Princes. And I FINALLY understand the 'swing" I caught a bunch this way. We went to the lodge for breakfast and I talked her into letting me fish some more. I fished upstream at the tree and knocked them dead on nymphs.

Summary:

NFWR--awesome river, but get a guide at least for your first trip, if not more.

Current--fishing awesome with small nymphs and soft hackle partridge and 3x floro

I would have attached all my pictures but I dropped my camera into the feeder creek that flows into the Current at Tan Vat. Some knuckleheads built a huge dam there trying to block the creek. It was causing severe erosion of the pebble beach so I took about 15 minutes and removed as many rocks as I could to get it back to its natural flow. In doing so, I dropped my camera into the creek. No good deed goes unpunished.

[Coldspring]

The "Falls" are probably less than 2 feet high, I'm not sure about that though.

http://www.riveroflifefarm.com/canoeing/The_Falls.html

There is a "fall" on the Bryant Creek a few miles west of there, and I suppose it might be part of the same geologic line.

Too bad about your camera. I was fishing by Parker Hollow this spring, with my new camera and dumped it. Hope you get it to working again, w/o messing it up too bad. Mine now takes milky pictures due to water spots inside the lens and the LCD is also very hard to see. My next camera will be waterproof. This isn't the first with a similar fate.

[Outside Bend]

In my experience NFOW can be a pretty tough river, even tougher if you're restricted to wading. Plus I'd be willing to bet it was hammered pretty hard over the holiday weekend. If you caught any fish, you were probably doing things right, at least in the ballpark. It's a helluva fun river though, all I can say is keep at it.

[Guest]

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[jah]

This is a trick that I have used to resurrect a couple digital cameras/phones I have dropped in the drink. First take out the battery asap, then stick the camera in a bag full of minute rice. Leave it there for a few days--the rice will pull the moisture out and they ussually come back to life.

Sounds like a good trip, I can't wait to get back down to the NFOW.

Thanks for the tip about the rice. I put my wife to work on it immediately!

[Chris Gates]

North Fork of the White can eat a person's lunch quick if you aren't familiar with it. Your on the right path talking with Justin. The river was actually not up when you were there, the flows you experienced in the 800 cfs level are pretty average. I fished it at 1700 cfs a couple of weeks ago and the streamer fishing was ok, caught a few nice fish. Don't feel bad if you didn't tear em up but I can tell you not to give up on that river. It's my favorite place in Missouri to fish, once you get the hang of it the river is really pretty consistent year around. There are changes like anywhere but the fish are usually eating througout the day if your deep enough. Keep going to the NFOW, you'll grow to love it, I know I have!

[Justin Spencer]

Chris hit it right on the head. 800 cfs is just right for wading. It seems high compared to other streams so you do have to put your big boy pants on. Once you get comfortable with it you will find you catch many more fish than when it gets lower. As it gets lower it gets easier to wade, but harder to catch fish. Not fair but that is part of what makes this river so fun. This is a place for a challenge with the chance to catch some unbelievable fish. It is also the place for "good fishermen" to get skunked. Once you learn to consistently catch fish on this river you can catch fish anywhere! Keep trying and like me, after about 7 years you'll have it figured out, and then when you think you do, you'll get skunked again!