The White river is literally teeming with food at this time. The high water flows promote good growth of aquatic vegetation and on a recent trip on a low water day we took time out to check this out. Moss beds are loaded with scuds and sowbugs, loads of small crawdads, caddis lava, and the snail population is unreal.

Trout will gorge on snails, and they will grow very fast indeed when they do so. One of my clients recently asked the question, why do the trout have stomachs full of weed, the answer is this. Rainbows in particular will eat both the moss and the snails attached to it. It is all protein for the fish. Browns are a little different, they will forage in and under weed and moss beds and dislodge snails from those habitats and eat the snails and not the moss.

I have watched them do this very many times. They will also dig around in gravel and other substrate looking for caddis larva, crawdads and whatever else they can find to eat.

There are a number of snail fly patterns about, and they will work at times fished dead drift style. They can be made real simple, a few turns of chenille for the body and a small soft hackle at the head will often do the trick, around a size 12 or 14 hook will work.

Overall dead drift techniques with various generic nymph patterns will work well, but some of the fish in the more heavily fished zones will often need something more than that. Bull Shoals dam zone at low water will require small sowbugs in sizes 16 to 20 on fine tippet and if there is any evidence of chironomid (MIDGE) then you will need small pupa, and emergers in black, gray and olive, red can often work well at times. Sizes need to be in the 16 to 22 bracket. The fish here have gotten very wary at this time.

Small dries will also work well here at the dam, Adams in sizes 18 to 22 have caught a great many fish for me in the past. Most of this will apply to the Norfork also at this time.

Some of the better fish in both the White and Norfork will also need a more subtle approach if you want to catch them. They have become conditioned to the natural food source, and there is plenty of it, your artificials and your presentation need to be good, right depth and drag free.

Trout are very wary now when we have the lower flows, flat water and bright overhead light conditions, they can see a mile and these conditions are best fished early morning and late evening to dark, which are typically prime feeding times at this time of the year.

This is also the time of the year to consider some night time excursions for the trophy Browns. Big Bows can often be caught at this time also but they will normally take well in a period before darkness sets in and a short while after that, unlike Browns which will give you a good shot right through the night if the light and temperature is good.

The rule is simple, fish big flies, and forget the 3 and 4 wt rods and lines. More like a 7 to 9 needs to be considered when you use large flies, for many reasons.

Remember that low water flows will tend to push the water temps up and the fish will seek well agitated, faster water flows for comfort, that is the place to fish for them, particularly during the heat of the day time period. If you feel uncomfortable in the heat then you bet the fish will also at this time. Wet wading is for sure a good bet during these periods, or take time out and go fish early or late.

If you are in a zone that starts to have a rise of water then the fishing should be real good for a period of time before the heavy push comes and trash starts to build up in the water. If you are wading then do not take a chance for another cast, make yourself safe.

Good fishing for the month and see you on the river,
Tight lines for now,
Davy Wotton

About Davy Wotton
Davy has been making his living as a full time fly fisher in one capacity or another for over 30 years. He has written many articles for all of the fly fishing magazines, created several unique flies and fly tying materials which he developed into a full scale manufacturing operation in his native country of Wales, and is a much-sought speaker around America at fly fishing functions and shows. Over the years Davy has fished in over 40 countries around the world but his choice for base of operation is right here on the White River. Davy operates his American International Schools of Fly Fishing in Flippin, Arkansas.