Beaver Dam Store Report _ September 8

[Guest flyfishBDS]

BEAVER DAM STORE REPORT

SEPTEMBER 8, 2006

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G'day y'all from the Beaver Dam Store crew!

The weather is looking great and we are actually enjoying some hot dry fly action around the place. We had been slipping over to Roaring River after work this week with a few Dam Store regulars and getting plenty of giggles. These fish are on a hopper frenzy, and its time to join in.

Don't be afraid to pull a hopper out of your box on Beaver either. If there is a fish consistent rising in the one spot during the afternoon float a hopper over his nose and chances are he will take it.

This week we go into more detail on hopper fishing, show off some new fly boxes, tell you its big brown trout time and of course the fly fishing report.

YOU CAN'T TOUCH THIS - HOPPER TIME

SOMEHOW we get all baggy pants and 80s rap going at this time of year, giddy with the end of summer dry fly fishing. The hoppers are on and our eyeballs light up, and the adrenaline kicks in. Roaring River trout, have lit up on the big bugs, we have had several trips out there this week and caught so many fish its silly. And there is nothing liked a hopper crazed trout crashing your fly. Steve also picked off a few trout midweek on a little evening tailwater foray, and we had reports of hundreds of hoppers on the water down towards Table Rock, unfortunately too low down for trout. If you have been wandering any grassy fields you will notice how thick the hoppers are this season.

Roaring River is a great bet at this time of year for a midweek foray. Our favorite patterns feature a yellow body, the all foam Club Sandwich, and Dave Whitlock's superb Dave's Hopper. Pickier trout might warrant the excellent Henry's Fork Hopper. Joe's Hopper and Turk's Turantula can also work extremely well. A 10 or a 12 is the most common sizes in fly boxes but somedays the tiny 14s are easier to swallow, and others huge 6s are worth the effort. Try your own patterns they are fun to tie. Foam patterns can make the job very easy, but if you prefer natural materials, bullet-headed hoppers are way easier than packing deer hair. We can show you how.

When fishing hoppers you can forget everything you learnt about setting down dry fly patterns quietly. Smack that fly (not the line) down on the surface. If you use the double haul, try an extra haul right as the fly is turning over for a better splat on long leaders. Throw the fly in likely lies around boulders, close to the bank, and in front of feeding fish. Drifting hoppers down feeding lanes is also rewarding.

NB: If you are fishing on Bull Shoals or Taneycomo in high water at this time of year it often pays to check out eddies for rising fish _ these can be a suckers for a large hopper pattern.

Now we had heard a little about this technique _ twitching hoppers to make them look alive is fairly common somedays the fish want them still others kicking. But we hadn't actually heard too much about ripping them across the surface, like a bass popper, trout chasing them down and repeatedly slashing at the surface. Now we aren't about to say this technique works everywhere or all the time, but it was red hot this week.

Call in and talk to Bryce or Steve to set you up with some flies and information. Better yet book us for a half-day afternoon trip, or a morning on Beaver, afternoon on Roaring River full day. If you have limited dry fly experience this is a great time to learn how.

BETTER FOAM FLY BOXES

JUST in our new selection of Wind River foam fly boxes. All the features of regular foam fly boxes, light weight, easy opening and they float, with some special Wind River touches.

The unique magnetic closures are screwed in so they won't pull feel in the first few uses. The boxes are curved for a better fit again your torso.

Even smarter is the spot for your contact details on the back. Now you have a way better chance of getting those precious flies back, next time you leave a vest pocket open.

Available in small ( $11.95) medium (13.95) and large ($15.95). You will love these.

BIG BROWN TROUT TIME

WE thought that would get your attention. Here's our Big Brown Trout coffee mug finally in stock. Here's the best way to get your caffeine intake sorted and your mind primed for big brown trout time. This bad boy is 20oz of hand painted joe-holding stonewear, in the colors of Arkansas' favorite freshwater fish _ salmo trutta. $12.95 and your ready for fall.

Match them up with the rainbow, brook trout and cutthroat trout mugs!

ROSS SALE

STOP PRESS: SAVE BIG on limited stocks of discontinued Ross inventory. These have to move, are offer saving of at least 30%.

Flycast 2: A great starter reel or back-up for your 4,5 or 6wt trout rods. Grab it to hold sinking lines or spool it up with a Rio to replace your old reel. Great value. Was $65 now $49.

Flywater 1 Spool: Take it off our shelves and set yourself up with one of our sale priced Cortland sink tip or full sinking lines. $10.

Pescador 6 Pliers: We actually really liked these pliers, but the new models will be even nicer. These will not last long, one pair only at this price in black. Was $129 now $99.

Gunnison 5: The big tough Gunnison is Spey ready, striper ready and saltwater capable. Won't ever let you down. Was $260 now $189. Just one left!

FOR OTHER FLY FISHING BARGAINS GO TO OUR FLY SHOP SPECIALS WEBPAGE

XP INVENTORY SALE

Get in quick for major reductions (25% and better) on our entire stock of SAGE XP flyrods. These will not last long at these prices. In our mind these are the finest trout rods ever built, Steve's still shedding tears that the XP is being discontinued. If you have drooled over these rods for years but baulked at a $500+ price tag, now is your chance to have a great casting, great fishing fly rod. All with aluminium tubes, cloth rod bags and Sage original owner warranties. CALL US ON ADDING A NEW SAGE 3200 or 2500 REEL AND ROSS LINE TO YOUR XP.

XP580: For those who like it FAST! Beautifully light, shorter 5wt. Handle everything from bonefish to bass, roosterfish to stripers. Two-piece. Was $525 now $389.

XP490: A Great rod for tailwater nymphing. Smooth and light, a delight to fish, but its not going to pout and demand to be taken back to the truck at the first sniff of wind. A practical lighterweight rod. From Taneycomo to Bull Shoals this is a great scud and midge rod. Was $530 now $395.

XP490-4: Everything in the above model except in the desirable 4-piece package. Was $590 now $439.

XP476: A real surprise packet. Designed for small streams, and will blow your mind on bigger waters. A rod this short shouldn't be able to carry this much line. Superbly accurate, don't let it get away. Was $525 now $379.

FOR OTHER FLYROD DEALS GO TO OUR FLY SHOP SPECIALS WEBPAGE

FISHING REPORT

Beaver Tailwater: Mike McLellan's Hunchback Scud is our favorite scud pattern of all and not just because he's a good friend and nice bloke. The tan, olive and gray versions are White River staples we, our guide clients and customers, have caught bunches of trout on.

So when Umpqua introduced two new colors from Mike's fertile brain this fall, well we were excited. And we weren't kidding when we thought they would work. We tested the Copper color first, it got gnawed on by a bunch of trout, then this week in the hands of a novice fly fisher the Tan Rainbow was the number one pattern, even over those thrown bny more experienced colleagues.

Hell we don't know which one to tie on first.Try these out anywhere on the White River system.

Trout are stacked in prime locations and eating readily. If you have nothing else throw a scud. You will wear yourself out. .

Bryce's TDM in blue dun/silver has been lethal in the bright conditions, as have Blue Poison Tungs, Tungsten Rainbow Warriors and Lightning Bugs. Hump-Bak Midges have also been very good, but particularly when the mist is still present on the water. McLellan's Woven V-Rib sowbug has been producing fish, as have egg patterns, and Y2K Bugs _ we have stocks now in from Umpqua in 14s (very nice) and 10.

This is terrestrial time too bringing out ants and beetles into the trees and hoppers on the banks. Don't forget your woolly buggers, black 6 Flash-A-Buggers of an evening, and olives, brown and black during the day.

Tight Lines from the Beaver Dam Store staff,

Lisa, Steve, Shirley, Tom, Dennis and Bryce.