7/22 Report

[Danoinark]

Fished Rocking Chair this afternoon. Just as I put one boot in the water the horn blew. They ran one for about an hour. After the water came back down, I ended up with a few on olive soft hackles size 18. All were rainbows and dinks...But it was a perfect day for getting out....Dano

[Ham]

Is it possible to fish with spinning gear or baitcasting when they generate, and switch to fly fishing after generation stops. My very limited experience on the White River an the Lil Mo has been that once they start generation, it doesn't stop for HOURS.

[Danoinark]

Sure you can use conventional tackle during generation. During that period yesterday when they ran one generator I noticed a couple of boat fishermen using spinning gear and catching fish. As to what bait they were using I was not able to tell. It appeared to be some type of stick bait. When generation begins, such as with one or two gennies and I am wading, I typically switch to a wooly bugger, but I personally never do well during generation other than the occasional fish.

You wrote that when generation starts it doesn't end for a long time. This is the case usually on the White or Norfork. On Taney the pattern of late (except most of last week) has been to turn on one unit for approximately an hour. If you are fishing Upper Taney it doesn't take long for the water to recede.

Dano

[SilverMallard]

Pssst! Dano...

Give up the WB for a size 12-16 beadhead PTN, rainbow egg microjig, pink thread microjig, or white thread microjig under a bigger strike indicator and on 5x tippet when they turn on 1 full or 2 generators in fast water. You'll do a LOT better once you find the "generation" feeding lanes. When they turn on 1 at less than 100%, just stick with what was working for you before that. But realize, the feeding lanes and seams and pockets will change some.

I have caught almost ALL of my 20" + trout on Taney during 1-2 generators.

[Danoinark]

Ken

I have just never had much luck on high water so I think that translates to a low level of confidence on my part. I need to sit down and pick your brain or I need to go with you someday on one or two gennies to see how to do it.

Dano

[SilverMallard]

I don't catch as many fish during heavier generation (2 or more), but I catch BIGGER fish and still enough to keep it interesting.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I have just never had much luck on high water

Me neither.

[Greg]

Me either. I'll generally keep fishing for a while especially if they are only running one. And I can and have caught a few but nothing like when they are not running water. And I've caught plenty of 20+ inch fish over the last 5 years but NEVER during generation. I've tried some of the patterns Silver Mallard mentions too. His statements make me want to keep trying though. I've obviously never found the generation feeding lanes he mentions.

Greg

[Bill Babler]

Guys, the biggest key to power generation, is you have to be in a boat and drift the seams with the flow. If you are fishing a stationary position, your bug will only be working in a very small fraction of the drift, due to getting it in the correct colume of water. And hopefully having trout in that 30 ft. drift.

During heavy flow, trout hug the bottom and your bug must be presented to them in a manner that requires little movement from the fish. Why move, when another bug will be by in a few seconds?

Most all our large fish or fish over the magic 20 inch barrier come on heavy flow. Great patterns during the flow depend on the clearity of the water. Really clear water is almost the same as fishing flat water. The trout can get an eyeball on the fly a great distance in advance and naturals such as brown sanjuan's and heavy scuds in 10 to 14 work really well.

On cloudy heavy flow go with red sanjuan's and egg flys. Also one of the great flys during this period is a red or an orange beaded midge in size 14 using a tungsten bead for the head.

The stickbait fisherman really shine during this period throwing the rogues, rapalas, lucky craft and youzuri 4 to 7 inch stickbaits. A couple of the stickbait guides are catching over 50, 20 inch fish per year, on a normal year. And it used to be even better than that.

The best day I have had is 10 fish over 20 inches, and that was a while back, but both rainbows and browns luv em.

One of the Arkansas guides was up here last week and had 5 over 20 on generation. On the stickbait. Good luck

[SilverMallard]

I fish the banks, guys. If you're not in a boat or throwing stick baits, that's the key.

I'm a fly fisherman. I work the slow water pockets and deep seams along the banks. You have to think like a big trout. In other words, find good places where a big fish could lay in wait without spending a ton of energy fighting heavy current adjacent to faster running water. When the water is running, these fish don't wander around like they do when the water isn't running much. They stay put and wait for food. But they are MORE likely to strike at whatever comes by. They will be hugging bottom as Bill says. So you have to get DOWN and bump the bottom. That's why I use the heavier flies. You're also more likely to be fishing close to or in some cover/grass. So I go up to 5x tippet...minimum. I carry 3x for this reason too, but mostly get by with 5x. And if a good fish gets out in the current, you're in for a big fight.