Norfork @ Quarry Park 3-8-15

[Ham]

I took a quick trip with my son Sunday afternon. They were running part of 1 unit (the app says it was 1152). We fished for approximately 2 hours. I would loved to have had all day with flyrods and a kayak at that flow rate.

I was looking for a Brook Trout but, what I found was a lot of people fishing. Several guide boats working from the put in to the bottom of the first pool. Most of the guide boats are soaking creek chubs with lines out well below their boats. A couple of guys where in their yaks anchored up fishing straight down current with Rapalas and junk. It's really a pain having to weave in and out of 6 or 7 other boats anchored up.

I knew my son wouldn't want to fish until dark so I didn't make the run to Long Hole. I tried to stay close. Normally, I can get away with that.

The bite was off a little but that was as much a function of all the other boats in the way as anything else. I did make the run up to the legal limit below the dam. We caught a few fish up there,but again I was disappointed with that spot. I think most of the fish hold above the legal boundry.

We did find a few groups of fish and they bit a variety of colors of Zig Jigs. I really did think the 1/16 oz was a better option than the 1/8 oz., but as soon as I would get on them another boat would roll up and be in the way.

We had 20 or so fish between us. I had a pretty decent brown. I could have easily ground out more fish, but my son got a headache and we both were aggravated by the other boats so we bailed. No Brook trout for me yet.

[ollie]

You have never caught a brookie down there yet? I figured you would have by now! Right were the walk over bridge is where I caught most of mine. Has that changed where you can't fish the downstream side of that bridge? You know, where Dry Run enters.

[Ham]

Oh heak yeah Ollie. I've caught Brookies there, Just not one this year. It is my first trip there in a while. I even caught about a 15 inch Brookie by hand. He had managed to get stuck in a pool and water was falling out. He was about to be food for a camper or for a bird.

We got him back into the deeper flows before that happened though. .

[ollie]

Ok, I thought you had been there several times and was just thinking that was sad if you haven't caught one yet! Shoot, I was catching Cutts one day with my brother and he had to tell me what I was catching. I had never caught one before so I had no clue. lol

[Fishingmill]

I'm hoping to fish the Norfork later this week. I'll be traveling from St. Louis. Is the Norfork wadeable with the current generation pattern?

[Ham]

If you have a smart phone AND you haven't done so already, search for an the Corp of Engineers app (look under Little Rock District). You'll need to play with it a little after you get it installed BUT, it will give you "real time" = 2 hour delay generation information and a projection generation for the next day if you'll look in the late afternoon.

The projected information is subject to change but it is your best guess at what is happening the next day. The generation patterns are spotty at best. It varies widely based on rainfall / lake level and energy needs.

Short answer is most likely YES. They are showing brief periods of heavy generation. Bear in mind it only takes about 90 minutes for water to reach the confluence from the QP dam once generation starts, but the water drops out quiickly as well. there are wading oppurtunites at QP and at Akerman access. I think the water coming down the Buffalo and CC have the lower White off colored which would not be my first choice.

Keep in mind, that Two Rivers fly shops rent canoes and will shuttle you if you have your own boat. This is a great way to work your way down the river at minimum flow using the baoat asa water taxi. ALWAYS KEEP AN EYE ON WATER LEVEL CHANGES. Don't get too far from the boat.

[Smallieguy87]

Good report Ham. I've been wanting to get back into trout fishing since reading everyone's reports and seeing pictures. I sure do miss it! its been about 8 years since the last time i went. Rekon i need to keep looking for a decent fly rod.

[Ham]

I've got pretty good fly fishing gear and I fish with a handful of times a year, but if you'll get a good light action rod and buy some Zig Jigs, you'll catch more trout and it will make you a better smallmouth angler as well. Just sayin.

[Terrierman]

And generation is related to demand for electricity and that's related to weather. Kind of.

[Smallieguy87]

I've got pretty good fly fishing gear and I fish with a handful of times a year, but if you'll get a good light action rod and buy some Zig Jigs, you'll catch more trout and it will make you a better smallmouth angler as well. Just sayin.

checking out the zig jigs tonight Ham! Thanks for the advice my good man.