Say Hi
It was nice to get back to “The Office” yesterday, even with snow on the ground, and reintroducing myself to the resident population of browns and bows, and testing some new shad patterns.
The Bull Shoals Catch and Release Zone opened Monday with high water and a sniff of shad in the air. Reports were fair, lake temperatures are nudging the magic mark, but there is nothing like seeing for yourself. It was also nice to be back on the water with some of my fellow guides like Jimmy Traylor and Ron Yarborough to share a gag with. There were probably another 7 boats on the river, so at times you would be zigging and zagging up the river as brown’s cows drifted down.
But largely the mass tended to follow the obvious “guide boats”, being alone and in a less conspicuous craft I snuck off in the other direction, and for much of the day fished alone. Which was a pity with the above brown who jumped all over the river, before coming to the net and measuring in at 20″ with some girth.
The rainbows were feisty, and two were very fat, perhaps a little shad enhanced. The kill needs some more cold night and some snowmelt to really kick off. But its coming.
Rabecca and Lefty share a joke
Over the 12 years in the fly fishing biz as a writer, guide and flyshop hack Ive been lucky enough to share time with some absolute legends. A few Ive come to know well as friends, and a few I even knew before they became famous, though that could be a sheer product of luck and age. But for all that I’d never spent any time with Lefty Kreh.
Which, when I count up all the shows and events I’ve done, and the number of friends of Lefty I know _ remembering Lefty has probably taught half the fly fishing world to cast _ had left me feeling somewhat lacking. Spending some time with Lefty, even if its watching one of his classes is something no fly fishing education should be without. read more…
- Look like a Fishing Pup?
Madison
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will decide September 24 on whether to expand the Norfork Tailwater Trophy Zone to 2.6 miles or 2 miles.
The AGFC proposal, developed by the river advisory commission with fisheries biologists, seemed to be rolling along swimmingly, until a couple of resort owners with the support of the Norfork and Salesville City Councils opposed the extension. That opposition is now trying to block any extension of the Trophy Zone at all
To our way of thinking returning the Norfork to a quality fishery with the type of trophy trout it was producing until only a couple of years ago will benefit all businesses on the Nofork River, and the local economy. Read more here in the Arkansas Outdoors Newsletter
We would urge everyone to take the time to support the 2.6 mile extension by writing in support to:
Letters can be sent to North Fork Trout, Fisheries Division, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, 2 Natural Resources Drive, Little Rock, AR 72205. Comments can also be e-mailed to Jeffrey S. Williams, trout management supervisor, at j_williams@agfc.state.ar.us or information@agfc.com.
Its probabloy also worthwhile sending letters to all commissioners. Click here for a list of Commission Names, Emails and Addresses.
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The chances of more misty mornings ahead are good
PROBABLY the first question I get from most fly fishers these days is “will the low water continue”. Well I learnt a long time ago on the White River system my crystal ball is defective. But I have to say the forward outlook through August-September is pretty good for wade fishing.
All three lakes are into their power pool ie their normal allocation for generation. Since the discovery of flood pools as bonus money for the Corp and power companies I reckon there is a pretty fair bet they don’t want to go too deep into pool if they can avoid it. When the money is right they will generate.
But if temperatures remain mild there is a very good chance of overnight/morning shutdowns giving wadefishers room to play during the day. If you want to learn more about how to read generation patterns click here
The past two weeks have been a lot of fun. Low water plenty of wading, and making old and new friends on the river.
Its back to the simple pleasures, water around your legs and introducing newcomers and/or relative novices to the pleasures of fly fishing. We have spent so much time on high water locked into chasing big fish this season, its been a pleasure to see the shock and joy of someone catching a trout on fly for the first time.
Holding your first fly caught trout, then watching it swim free. There's nothing like it
And then it happening again, and again. And then you ease away from your novice and let them do it all by themselves. Hard to beat that sort of fun. And the White River is that sort of river, where on your first morning you can catch 10-20-30 trout.
Newcomers to fly fishing get a lot of positive reinfocement when they do things right courtesy of the high trout per mile counts on the White River. And unlike many other waters your not going to get punished too brutally when you get it wrong. Mistakes happen its part of the learning curve.
Get a good drift, with the right setup and you are going to catch fish. Learning how to mend your line and extend your drift, detect a take on an indicator nymphing rig, and how to hook and control a fish on fly is something you learn through experience. Its like learning golf casting a fly rod is like driving from a tee, but the rest is the short game. Its about feel and touch and the more you do it the better you get.
A low water wading trip will give you lots of those experiences. We have been variously indicator nymphing, swinging soft hackles and during the quiet part of the afternoon tossing woolly buggers to great effect.
As a guide the hardest thing is explaining not all river systems are like this.
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Unusual angles can make a picture
MODERN digital point and shoot cameras are a godsend for fly fishers capturing memories, easily quickly and at phenomenal quality, in a light and easy to carry package. Heck not only are they capable of taking the spills, stumbles and splashes of everyday fly fishing they can even shoot stunning pictures underwater.
But what the brains haven’t come up with is an extra pair of hands to hold and control the fish for the solo fly fisher. If you are like me most of the time you are fishing solor, even when you have a fishing buddy along. It might be fine dragging him off his spot for a trophy but taking shots of “everyday” pretty fish is another matter. And Bec has given orders that I’m to shoot pics of every pretty fish as inspiration for her watercolors.
So here’s a few shooting tips for fly fishers carrying point and shoots along and want some quality pics for inspiration back home. read more…
I CAN’T think of a more quintessential mid-west fly fishing experience than a truck, a cooler, some poppers and a farm pond. To the fevered imagination of this Aussie its about as American as a drift boats, cowboys hats, cutthroats and the Rockies.
Perhaps its just John Gierach’s reveries on the subject that make me think that way. But on the other hand there is a certain goodfiness about leaving high faluting trout water, just to go screwing around in dirty brown water after lowbrow species.
Strip off the pretentions along with your vented multi-pocketed tech-shirts, your lanyards and tech vests, leave the goretex and polartec at home. Pull on a t-shirt, turn up a country station loud, slide into some flip flops, get some cowshit between your toes.
A pocket full of poppers and a handful of Clousers, a spool of tippet and some nippers and pliers and your good to go.
It had been a while since I’d done the farm pond thing, and I needed the change. We’d had to put off invitation after invitation from Joey all summer, not any longer. This was a family outing as it should be, with Bec, Crystal and Lynsey along for the fun.
Click on the pics for larger views.
Farm pond fun _ hybrid bluegill
JUMP onto the Reel Aid website now to get your ticket for the Benefit Concert in Memphis on August 7. It should be a great evening’s entertainment for a great cause.
Reel Aid is a Benefit Concert for 3 charities, Reel Recovery, Casting for Recovery, and Project Healing Waters. All three charities offer fly fishing retreats at no cost to its participants. These weekend retreats incorporate counseling, educational services and the sport of fly-fishing to promote mental and physical healing.
The goal is to raise money that is then allocated to be used in TN, MS, AR and MO to bring free fly fishing retreats to our area, for our men and women who are battling cancer or our military who are rehabilitating to attend.
Reel Aid Benefit Concert features live entertainment by four great bands, a silent auction, a raffle, and food and beverages available for purchase.
April and Colby On The White
April Vokey gets it. Thanks to our new mate for some kind words in her blog.
She is right though it takes a special kind of crazy to pack up and relocate thousands of miles from friends and family. Its another sort of crazy to give up civilian life and chase salmonids with this sort of obsessive singlemindedness, and try and earn a living from it.
I guess its why we hit it off so quickly and well. Though I have to say there are friends of mine all over the world going to read “intelligent sense of humor” in her description of myself and go “can’t be the same guy” LOL.
Life is short, live it well, work your butt off for the things that are important and try and ignore the trivialities.
Fish every chance you can get.
Thanks Ape!
We are working on some ladies fly fishing workshops through the Mountain River Fly Shop on October 10th and 11th. April is also going to be manning our booth at Conclave tying flies and selling her flygal gear will also be at the FFF Conclave in Mountain Home on Oct 2, 3, 4.
We will be unveiling full details on the class Monday, including pricing on the Mountain River Journal.
