Warm Sunny Day At Rim Shoals

[John Berry]

The weather of late has been brutally cold with high winds. I have ventured out with clients lately but I have not been able to convince my wife, Lori, to accompany me on a fishing trip. Yesterday the sun was shining, it was fifty+ degrees, there was no appreciable wind and the river was on the bottom. This is the kind of winter day that I live for. Lori, my yellow lab, Ellie, and I decided to head out for an afternoon at Rim Shoals.

There were a few people there with the same idea but it was not crowded. We were able to easily access all of our favorite spots. The fishing was good but not spectacular. We caught enough fish to sate our desire and remind us why we moved here eight years ago. The big fish were a couple of sixteen inch rainbows (one each). The hot flies were brown and copper zebra midges and Dan's turkey tail emerger. We also landed fish on olive scuds, black and silver zebra midges, and olive woolly buggers.

Ellie also had a good day helping me land several fish and hang out with us on the river. We fished fairly late and then went to KT's Barbeque for ribs. Does it get any better than that?

[Ham]

I'm glad you had good weather to fish in while I was stuck at work.

Was there any hatch at all?

I think you helped me on the Norfork Thursday. I hooked my first couple of trout (cutts) on dry flies and have a much better understanding of what the dry fly fuss is all about. GREAT TAKES!

Sometime, I'll see you at a shop or the sowbug or something and pick your brain about a basic selection of dry flys and sizes I need to carry.

I had very few drys with me Thursday since I was not expecting a hatch and since number wise nymphing is gonna bring more fish to hand. I think the flies I had with me were the wrong size and I waited too long to get started, but I'll do better next time.

[John Berry]

Ham,

I look forward to meeting you. I will be at Sowbug and will be giving a seminar on how to fish the White and another on fishing the Norfork. When I am not giving seminars, I will be tying. Stop by and say hello. I am intrigued with the whole dry fly process and I think we have a lot of opportunities for dry fly fishing here year round. I think a lot of anglers pass them up because it is so easy to catch fish on nymphs. For me, it is the process not the numbers. Quality over quantity.

[Ham]

I really enjoy nymphing, BUT I'll be actively watching for signs of a hatch/fish high in the water column from now on.

[John Berry]

I am seeing good midge hatches almost every day. Dan's turkey tail emerger has been producing all winter.

[Ham]

Bugs were tryiong to hatch yesterday inbetween 40 mph gusts. I had two trout eat my indicator so I put on a Madame X and got one to eat it.

I got a total of 12 to hand and 3 LDS. The wind never managed to knock me over and I wasn't killed by a tree top along the walk in trail soooo I'll call that a good day.

[John Berry]

You are a better man than I. After I read the weather forecasts, I decided to write and tie flies yesterday. I am impressed that some one was out there in 40+ mile an hour winds. Well done!

[Ham]

Hey John, I think the word you were looking for is Crazier not better. Actually, my days to fish are limited by my work and home responsibilities so when I have a chance to go, I'm really motivated to go.

If I had known it was going to gust to 40, I probably would have stayed home. That wind was crazy bad.

Zebra midges and Y2K's.