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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: January, 2007
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Hello Fly Fishers!
2006 is gone, and l am sure many of you guys will have some great fishing memories for
this past year, big fish landed big fish lost, and great days out there on the rivers.
This year for myself has been a great one, overall the fishing on the rivers has been
about as good as you can get. The caddis hatches this year were spectacular, in fact just
about the best l have seen any place in the world l have fished.
Along with the average temperatures, and lower water flows for most of the year have
provided for many options within the system for both wade fishing and drift fishing.
The midge fishing at Bull shoals dam , has been some of the best l have seen there for
many years, very large numbers of fish remained in that zone through the year, dispite the
lower food base.
When we did have lower flow rates, one to two gates open, the drift fishing was unreal on
some of those days.
If there is any down side here at the dam zone, it is the incidence of the didy, or rock
snot as it is now called. There is no doubt that the accumulation of this has reduced food
base for the trout, and growth rates have not been as they should be.
There was a definite decline of the larger Bows we would normally see there, fish in the 3
to 6lb mark. Saying that we did see some very good Brooks, Cutts and Browns through the
season caught.
At this time there is no known means to kill off didy, fortunately we are not in the same
situation that exists in NZ, where rivers have been closed due to the accumulation of
didy.
Whether or not we will see a shad kill this winter period remains to be seen. At this time
the lakes are full, the water temperatures are high. It would take a long period of very
cold weather to reduce the temps down in the lakes, stun the shad.
That is not to say that at times some shad will become drawn through the system into the
rivers below the dams, you never know.
I will keep you posted if there is any change here.
Sadly again the Norfork river suffered badly as the lakes turned over, the DO levels were
way down, fish died and those that survived became very stressed. For one l do not
understand why a fishery that is so valuable to the economy, is not funded by some means
to provide for the introduction of systems that can essentially deal with this problem,
which l might add are well known by the powers that could deal with the problems.
Not only this, the Norfork river has also suffered from the effects of a development that
caused excessive amounts of mud and silt to be deposited into the river. At times when we
have seen heavy rain, for the best past the river is not fishable.
In this case the developer is being dealt with by ADEQ, TU, and other interested persons
who fight for the causes or maintaining our rivers as clean water systems, but it is a
hard battle, no doubt of that.
There are many other issues out there that also need to be addressed.
This past month we have seen heavy rain falls and high water floods. That in turn washes
massive amounts of shore line structure, timber, gravel, mud and silt into the river
basin. Each time we see this, the river substrate in many zones is changed. In some cases
what was good holding water no longer is, and in others it provides habitat. It does scour
the river, but nature has a way of dealing with the elements we have no control over.
As of now the rivers have settled down from the effects of the flood. I have fished out
there a number of times this past week and the fishing is as good as you can get, at least
where l chose to fish the clients.
As of now, they are running continuous generation on the Norfork river, Bull shoals is
seeing very moderate flow rates, with many hours of total shutdown.
Temperature in the White river system above the confluence is still way up there, and that
has provided for very good fishing. You may well find that the water is stained and a
little colored, which is something we do see at this time of the year, but it is not full
of trash as such, the floods well cleaned the shore lines of debris.
As a rule at this time of the year much of the food base is dormant, when warmer water
temps exist, that in turn causes the fish to become active and look for food, that in turn
provides for good fishing.
As a matter of interest, Dave Whitlock and myself, Christmas eve fly fished the tailwater
below Tenkiller lake in OK. We had a afternoon of catching large mouth bass like you would
not believe. Just goes to show you never know unless you are out there.
So far as the White and Norfork are concerned. If there are likely to be any hatches they
will be midge and BWO.
The Spring river will also provide for some great fishing at this time of the year, so do
not dismiss this destination.
Best bet will be, for the lower water scenarios, indicator fishing with such flies as
scuds, eggs, midge pupa, emergers and dry midge if fish are surface feeding, prince, hares
ear, Ptails various.
Along with that, wooly buggers, wet fly and soft hackles.
So far as midge pupa are concerned, at this time of the year, unless fishing to surface
feeding fish, l will use flies in the size 12 to 16 hook range, primarily black, red and
claret. Bead heads of silver, black and gold, you will find there will be a preference
given the day.
They can be deadly, when wade of drift fishing.
If you are fishing colored water, the it may well pay to fish flies that have more color
and incorporate some degree of flash in the tail or thoraxic regions, in the case of nymph
and pupa.
White, black/red, orange combinations for streamers and wooly buggers can work wonders
fished on intermediate and sink tip lines also at this time.
The Browns have all but spawned, are lean and sultry at times. They may or may not feed,
either way, do not subject them to additional stress, release them as soon as you can, and
make sure that they are able to swim away.
Often such fish will after being caught, swim a short way and turn over, they will most
times die in this case, unless you hold them upright so as they gain sufficient strength
to hold them selves upright.
What's New.
This year, l have become the President of the now formed Friends of the Norfork National
Fish Hatchery.
What this amounts to is this. The Norfork hatchery, that provides for the bulk of the fish
stocked into the rivers, is in need of funding, over and above what is funded for the
budget to maintain the facility.
A friends group acts as a advocate for the hatchery, and is accepted by the US Fish and
Wildlife as a legitimate organization that can raise funds by many means, such as
membership, donations and fund raising events.
That money can then be used to provide of many things within the hatchery. With the
consultation of the hatchery manager, and his wishes as such.
At this time we need resources to improve the access to Dry Run creek for all legal users.
At this time access is very limited.
Provide for more public amenities such as a visitor center, that in turn allows for us to
provide means for educational acidity. Fish food dispensers, so the kids can feed the
fish, and so on.
Our goal is to over all provide for the tourist and local community acidity at the
hatchery that all will benefit from, which at this time does not exist.
The Norfork hatchery is the largest Federal Hatchery in the country, no other river system
in the country is as dependent as we are to this facility for our fish.
Fishing activity to the area is worth millions of dollars, it is about time that the
hatchery is a major part of public recognition for this resource that we enjoy.
It needs our support. You can e-mail me direct for further information so far as
membership and additional information.
OK, it just remains for me to say.
On behalf of myself, Gary and Mary Cooley who host the OMW site that provides you with the
rivers report, have a very happy and prosperous New Year, and many tight lines. We can all
dream about the fish of a life time !!
See you in 2007.
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.
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