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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: September, 2006
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Hello Fly Fishers!
September is here, the weather is getting cooler, and days on
the river are way more pleasant than having to deal with the 90f plus days and humidity.
For my self, l have just recently returned from a great trip out west, been a while since
l fished the hallowed waters of the Madison and Yellowstone, along with the lakes in that
area.
There is something about fishing for those wild natural stream born fish, and in such
glorious surroundings.
One of the many things about travel to others rivers, is not only the aspects of the
fishing, but the new friends you get to know and spend time with, be they guides, fly
fishers, and the social get to gathers at various destinations.
But back here to the White river system.
This past week l have guided through the system from Bull shoals dam to below Calico,
overall excellent days out there.
White river.
At this time we are not having big water out there. Most days they will run water at
around 1 to 2 units and may well for short time run up to 4, but even then at lower cfs
flows.
That over all gives way better water through the system, with good flow rates and not so
much dead water. This river does thrive when we have good moving water out there.
So looking at the picture overall we will have this. Now that the big heat days are gone
and the average water temps are down, fish will be active through most of the day. This
will give you many options so far as techniques of fishing that you may use.
Bull shoals dam area at this time does contain good numbers of fish, the high percentage
of those fish will be in the 14 to 16 ins range with others way over that. This month
expect here to see the early arrival of some of the trophy fish as they are at this time
moving up stream to the chosen zones for the spawn in November.
I fished BSD yesterday. Early on AM, with two slow gates open, midge pupa and sowbugs were
the ticket. Returned back there again around 5.30, and fished larger flies both top water
and streamers. No interest for topwater but did real well fishing with a intermediate and
larger flies, those black in color being the best.
Rim Shoals zone, above to Roundhouse and down to Buffalo Shoals, overall you will find
good fishing through the entire length of that water. At this time Rim trophy zone does
hold many fish, and there are there at this time a number of trophy Browns in the 3 to 5lb
and many over that.
Some good class Cutts in the 15 to 17 also, along with the better Bows. I know there is a
Bow in that area at this time that is well within the 10lb mark or more.
From Buffalo Shoals down to Norfork. The upper section of this float from below Nellies
may be a little low on fish count, but we did nail some nice Bows and Browns on that drift
down to Shipps. From there on down to Norfork the fishing was overall very good, some of
the better Bows there in the 15 and 16 in range.
Fished both dead drift nymph and streamers with sink tip and intermediate lines.
From Norfork down to Calico . Same here, through most of that section good number of fish.
My friend Bob nailed a 27 ins Brown streamer fishing below Steamboat, and to my boat also
we had a number of Browns 18 ins plus, most of these guys fishing with streamers to shore
lines and over the shallow gravel bar drop off's along that length of the river.
Dry fly fishing with hoppers may well be productive, and you can go with a hopper/nymph
rig, which is often a good choice at this time of the year.
As the evening time draws in you may well see some surface activity, and for sure many of
the fish will be active at this time,
Options here may include, wet and soft hackle flies, streamers, and a dry nymph
combination. A elk hair caddis or something like that fished in conjunction with a second
fly can be deadly at times.
This time of the year you will often see a emergence of the smaller caddis flies.
Late evening to dark time, it may also pay to fish a larger streamer, those big guys are
getting a little more aggressive at this time. If you know of a location of a big fish
then fish within the zone you know he is, you never know, at some time or the other the
odds are that fish will be cruising around in your fishing zone, and he may well take a
liking to your fly.
As a rule big flies fished in the upper surface are they way to go at this time. Big trout
do have a tendency to look up at this time when the overhead light conditions have become
reduced.
Norfork.
I have not myself had the opportunity to fish there since my return from MT. But the
reports that l have had are overall good, both wade and float.
I know there are some big fish moving in to the river at this time.
Fish on the Norfork can be at times real fussy, and they may also be off due to the lower
levels of DO that can take place there at this time of the year.
I for the best part treat fishing on the Norfork as l would for Bull shoals dam zone, low
water means small flies and lighter tippet, midge pupa patterns, sows and scuds for the
best part are the way to go there.
Any surface activity and l may well go with fishing small dries, and emergers.
High water flows there on that river determine that you get the fly down to the fish, at
least with dead techniques, but l may well go with fishing large flies and streamers, you
never know when a big fish is in the mood to chase and take on that river.
If you do not fish em, then you will never know.
OK, guys that's about it for now, if there are any big changes l will let you know.
Overall for this month, expect good fishing through the systems, the traffic out there is
way lower.
October 5/6/7, we host here in Mountain Home the Southern FFF conclave, so there will be
many fly fishers in the area at that time. One of my old friends from the UK, Charles
Jardine, will be the main presenter at this years event.
I will be there also, so hope to meet up with some of you guys that check in to the
report.
Tight lines for now, 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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