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Additional White River Area Information
Davy Wotton's Web Site | White River Home Page | White River Lodging Directory
Davy Wotton's
White River & North Fork River Fly Fishing Report
Updated about once per month, or as conditions change.
Current Report: August, 2005
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Hello Fly Fishers!
Before l give you the run down on the rivers right now l would like to relate a incident
that too place a few weeks ago at Buffalo shoals.
If you are going to float the river and are not familiar with how the water levels will
determine how you can navigate the river then seek some sound advice. Going on the water
when you have some adequate flow rates is one thing, but if it falls out and you are way
downstream you may not be able to get back up stream.
As a rule you are always better to navigate up stream and then float back. With a very few
exceptions there are few zones that would not allow you to do that unless you were in the
wrong channel.
Take into consideration also the passengers you may have with you, they may not be agile
enough to get out of the boat and help you move it over shallow gravel bars or rock
structure that you have grounded the boat on.
And such a incident is not one you want to happen as darkness falls.
What took place at Buffalo shoals was a group of 3 persons, who were not in their younger
years had gone downstream into the shoals. The water level dropped out to about as low as
you can get there. Unless you know how to get out of that zone, upstream to ward,
Ranchette or Rim you are going to have a problem and that is what took place. The 3
unfortunate individuals had bottomed the boat at the top of the shoals, and there was no
way that boat was going to move unless the occupants got out of that boat. Those of you
who know this area will also know that top shoal has a very fast water flow, even for a
experienced wader you need to take care, or you will be knocked down, l know, it has
happened to me.
Needless to say we sorted the problem for them.
If you do find your self in such a position you may be wiser to go downstream to the
nearest access, and find a friendly person who will take you back to your put in point, or
call the resort if you had rented the boat. Most resort owners are responsible persons and
would come and look for you if you had not returned at a acceptable time.
OK the rivers. At this time we are still suffering from the heat wave, which is of course
at its worst during the afternoon period.
As l said in the previous report, for your own comfort and best fishing times early and
late are the order of the day.
You may well find that when heavy fog clouds the river the fish will be slow, hang it out
as when the fog starts to lift and light penetrates the water those fish will feed.
At this time the general flow rates for the White have been this. Early afternoon water
will be released from the dam, and that may be anything from 4 to full 8 on some days.
Most days that has been shut down sometime around 10 pm onwards, either to zero or at a
low flow rate, 1 to 3 ft average.
That will give you for the morning periods falling and low water from the dam, at least
down to Buffalo shoals. Continuing as the day goes on downstream past the Norfork
confluence.
That water level may be influenced by water from the Norfork if that is turned on,
anything in that area of around a 5ft average is still very good water, less even better.
Norfork has had some days with zero and others with up to full bore generations, always
with this river you do run the risk of just getting started and then on goes the water,
but you may well get some good fishing in before it does, McClelland's and the trophy zone
at this time are holding some very good fish, and on some days the upper dam zone also. It
is my experience there that the best fishing on a low water is later on and into dark,
after the traffic has taken off and the fish have become settled down.
I saw some bows there recently that were easy in the 7 to 10lb class.
I have had some good reliable reports also of big fish being caught at night fishing with
large streamers,and crawdad type patterns.
Good general tactics for this fall out are to fish various nymph representations close to
the bed of the river, size 12/14 overall being the best. Like l said in my previous report
the fish are not that fussy when looking for something that looks like a food source,
simply the way to go is to make sure that the fly is at the right depth in the first
place, and have a good drift.
Sinktip or intermediate lines fishing streamers will also work well, and you may nail a
trophy Brown, particularly early on before the sun gets way up.
For Bull shoals dam the early morning fishing, till the light gets to high has been great
with some exceptional trophy trout being caught. Sowbugs, scud, San Juan worms and midge
if they are evident will catch you fish if you get good drag free drifts and have not
spooked the fish. On some days the fish have responded well to both wooly buggers and soft
hackles fished across and down, the only downside to that way of fishing is you may well
catch a few to start with but then they will become wised to what you are doing and you
will cease to get any further hook ups, unless you keep on the move and fish a new zone.
Which brings me to another point, and that is this.
I recently watched 4 guys fishing and for a period of at least 2 hours they remained in
the same place, not a fish was caught. Take my word for it is not the way to go if you
want to increase your chances of catching. It takes very little time for the fish in your
casting zone to figure out you are there, and what it is you are doing to try and catch
them. If you are not catching then you are either fishing the wrong way, have wised them
up or there are no fish there to be caught.
Fishing dries has been some days a good bet, the occasional hopper and other terrestrials
are common place along shorelines as of now, late evening is a good bet to slam some
hoppers down close to shoreline's and in agitated water zones, you never know what may be
lying there. The trick to this style of fishing is to keep on the move and cover a new
section of water with each cast, Browns in particular will hear a hopper hit the surface
and then look for it, and they will in a hurry come for it if they see it. Another deadly
way at times to promote a take is this. Cast the fly close to the shore line, let it drift
a short way and give it a very quick twitch and leave it, do not continue to drag it
across the surface as this will often spook the fish from the fly. A fish will follow the
fly for some way, but the back off, as a rule.
There have also been on some days some very small mayfly hatches, very like small bwo.
There may well be some good surface activity when they are also present. You will need a
fly in the size 20 range to imitate those guys.
Overall the fishing has been very good to say the least. It is really a question of
determining your location for the day based on how the water has been running.
By the end of the month l would expect to see some of the Browns making a move upstream,
and if all goes well this year we will have some great fall fishing. There are plenty of
them out there for sure.
One final tip for this month. There are numerous flies that would catch the same fish with
few exceptions when they are very selective, which is more typical at Bull shoals dam and
the Norfork river. Overall that is not often the case here on the White river system, it
is more in how you present the fly you are fishing that is the answer.!!
Refer to my previous report for further details at this time.
If any of you readers do catch a trophy fish, drop me line regarding that. Bows in excess
of 4lb, Browns over 6, Cutts over 3 and Brooks over 2. Email me a picture also if you have
that.
Tight lines for now and pray for some rain.
Davy.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.
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