Blue Ribbon Mid-August Ff Report

[Blue Ribbon Fly Shop]

White River - August 16th, 2010

RECORDED: 90 ° FISHING: Excellent

Is this the best summer ever on the White and Norfork?

Even veteran anglers are having a hard time remembering better hot weather fly fishing for nice trout

The weather is hot but the fishing is hotter, and White River anglers of all skill levels and experience are enjoying some of the best summer fly fishing in recent (or distant) memory. For the last three years, water releases on both the White and Norfork have been all day everyday with very few breaks. Although this scenario wreaked havoc with fishermen intent on wading, such conditions are ideal for rapid trout growth, and we are now reaping the benefit of those incessant flows. The first part of this year offered up a few breaks in this pattern, but when all the lakes in the White River System reached normal levels early this summer, flows were reduced during most nights with the bulk of heavy water restricted to the heat of the afternoon. The trout on both the White and Norfork are now in a very comfortable feeding pattern, but in all honesty, no one could have imagined that the action would actually get better almost daily, with very few (if any) "slow days". We are now approaching the driest part of the year, so wading and drifting conditions should continue to improve, especially when the weather starts to cool down in the region to the south and west of the Ozarks. Of course, heavy rains are a possibility any month in a wet region like ours, but the short and long term forecast for fishing is definitely encouraging.

Bull Shoals and Norfork Lakes are both at power pool, and the general generation patterns are like they have been for awhile, with the really high water not starting up until after lunch at both dams. The Norfork is usually dead low in the morning, but be aware of rapidly water when it does come up; most days, two 'full' units are coming on line simultaneously. Just making a "few more casts" is risky if you notice the water rising, and the safest wading strategy is to work towards your access point as temperatures start to get hot. The White has been a little more inconsistent with respect to low water - some nights they shut Bull Shoals Dam down between 10pm and midnight and it stays 'off' until 10 or 11am the next morning; at other times flows are in the one to two-unit range during that same period. Either way, there is good wading to be found virtually all day by hopping down river. This is a 'normal' summer flow pattern for the White, but there has been little normal about the last three years. It is nice to have such friendly water for a change, and with school back in session most places around the country, the traffic of the high tourist season is starting to dissipate; thus making solitude a distinct possibility.

Hopper fishing is still insane pretty much every afternoon up and down the river. For 20-inch plus rainbows and browns, the dam is a hopper paradise, especially when flows are light in the morning. This is not to say our clients are not hooking trophy fish in other areas, but what's nice is that a lot of folks forget about the dam area this time of year, so we pretty much have the place to ourselves for the first half of the day. When the water rises, it's still possible to get into some good fish on eight units, but a better option is to take the hoppers downstream and fish low or reduced flows in the afternoon. It has been pretty uncomfortable after 1pm in the heat - still, the water is cool, so it's possible to stay refreshed by wet wading or soaking your forehead with a damp cloth every few minutes.

The rainbows are in really good shape and very hungry. Most of the fish we land are chunky (14" to 18" beauties are everywhere) - when hooked, these trout are going nuts, and their summer colors are vibrant. Nymphing remains a productive technique, as always, but the top-water bonanza must be seen to be believed. This big fly surface bite is normally best in September through early to mid October, so there are going to be plenty of opportunities to get in on the terrestrial action for the next two months. The fall is our busiest guide season, but a lot of folks don't think about September as being prime. In actuality, September is one of the best months on both rivers, and we still have some guide openings for late summer and early fall. Please give us a call for more information and look to the Blue Ribbon Fly Shop Web site for a comprehensive and frequently updated fishing report. We are extremely excited about the rest of this month, and really, the rest of the year. But for now, those who can, should come on down and get 'em while they're hot.