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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: October, 2007
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Hello Fly Fishers!
Hi Guys, sorry to be a little behind this month, to say the least the fishing has been
nuts here recently running guide trips out there each day.
Fall is on the way, average temps are down, the larger trophy Browns are way up stream now
ready for the yearly spawning rituals and the rest of the fish within the system are eager
to eat, which is typical at this time of the year as we see the climatic conditions
change, shorter day light periods and lower water temps.
I am still frequently asked if the access at Mclellands is still closed, the answer is
yes, and there is at this time so far as l am aware of no chance of it becoming a public
access again.
Many anglers now have taken to use personal water craft to float the Norfork River from
the dam to the confluence, and pay for a shuttle service. There are also a few options
available for renting canoes.
I would just add this. The Norfork River can be a dangerous river to run when they turn
water on in a craft that really is not suitable. I am aware of a number of close calls
there, that could have resulted in death, fortunately not so. So please be well aware of
rising water if you have waded way upstream from the handicap access or intend to float
your way out. No fish is worth your life.
OK, back to the October/November forecast for fishing.
Typically as the fall season draws on the food base declines. Crawdads bury in the mud
along the shorelines, scuds and sowbugs become less active. That leaves snails, caddis
larva, and chironomids as the main food base, and when they emerge BWO, unless we see some
evidence of shad, which at this time there is no evidence of.
This past week l have fished from Bull Shoals Dam to below Calico on the White River, some
60 odd miles. Over all through the system there are plenty of fish out there, with some of
the heavy fished zones less so, which typically are those in the first 30 miles of the
dam.
Bull Shoals Dam
There are good numbers of average Bows there, with a number over 15 to18 inches. The
didymo, or rock snot, call it what you, will has without a doubt been responsible for the
demise of the large Bows we used to see there for the simple reason there is little food
base for the fish other than midges, and even then they are of limited quantity.
Low water, midge fishing is the way to go here, with pupa and emergers in the hook size 18
to 22, soft hackles may also do the business.
When water is being generated if the cfs is low the above can still work well, if cfs
flows increase then up the sizes of chironomids to 14 and 16s, San Juan worms may also
work well at this time, along with other generic fly patterns. Fish may be picky so far as
color and size here so ring the changes till you establish a pattern that works.
For some reason the numbers of trophy Browns we would also see there at this time are not
in the numbers l would expect, and again that may also be due to no food base. Many of
those trophy fish are way down from the dam zone at this time.
Recently a fish of 35 LBS. was found near dead in the White hole area, l would suspect it
died of old age. I wonder how many times that fish had been caught over the years ??
From the dam to Cotter, overall good numbers of fish, mainly average size
Bows with the occasional trophy Brown.
From Cotter to Buffalo Shoals. This section of the river does contain
moss beds and fish will be found in numbers around these areas. From Armstrong hole to the
confluence of Crooked creek fishing has been very good with high number days.
From Crooked Creek to Buffalo city, always holds good numbers of fish,
and we have produced through this section some class Browns from 16 to 24ins.
From Buffalo City to the Norfork confluence, you may well find fish
numbers patchy until you get to the Shipps ferry zone and below, here numbers are way
higher.
From the confluence down to Calico Rock, overall good numbers of fish
right through the system, Some way better Bows in this region.
The White River is a river that will fish well or other wise depending on water flow
levels, be they on a good average level above low water or rising or falling water, and
there is a definite pattern through the system so far as how well or other wise fish will
feed at those times.
Typically as a rule moving water does generate a way better feeding response, low flow
water fish become way more spooky and are less likely to feed well, one reason being that
your fly when fishing dead drift methods does not move. Often at these times, it will be
better to do away with indicator systems and fish smaller flies worked, even soft hackles
with a shot pinched on around 18ins from the fly, fished on a long leader system will
produce many fish, particularly if you are boat fishing. Fish will tend to shy away from
the boat to start with, and the sight of anglers standing up, aim to keep a lower profile,
that can make a great deal of difference.
Believe me sitting down reduces big time your presence to fish in these conditions. If you
do have some wind that agitates the surface of the water that will help big time, as fish
are less likely to see you at close quarters.
If wade fishing you may well use the same techniques, but aim to look for zones with
moving water, as that will congregate fish within those zones.
We are seeing at this time very regular flow rates on the White river that has of course
reduced wade fishing access to some extent. The Norfork has most days seen zero
generations until the mid afternoon periods, which has congregated anglers in the two main
zones of access, the handicap and the dam, way too many persons at times to make a days
fishing that river comfortable to say the least. There is a limit to how much pressure
fish will tolerate and still continue to feed.
Overall stocking policy for the rivers at this time is good, so numbers of fish through
the system will remain high. As a rule we will see less traffic on the river as the fall
season moves on, which in turn is good for the fish, many more will survive and grow on
through the winter periods.
Given the current status of climatic conditions at this time, overall expect good fishing.
The main deal here to catch fish is attention to your means of presentations, correct
depth and drift for the depth and speed of water you are fishing, choice of flies used of
course does have some related factors here, saying that, overall trout in the White River
system are not that fussy as they are in many other rivers where the natural food source
is more abundant in the case of hatches, given the fish are from natural reproduction as
opposed to the higher percentage of stock fish we see here.
One good tip l will give you guys is this. Fish do become used to seeing the same old fly
day in and day out, regardless if they be acclimatized to the system or recent
introductions.
Go to the fly shop and the odds are they will suggest the use of flies that 100 previous
customers have also purchased. Look for something different, it can make the world of
difference.
In the new year, l will continue with the report, but add further Fly Fishing tactics for
the White River system, and include some of the ways that l approach fishing here, which
do differ from the ways others choose to fish.
And add some further information so far as the flies l also choose to use, which again
differ from those other fly fishers choose.
OK, like l say overall expect good fishing until we see significant climatic changes and
higher water flows through the system.
The fall can be a great time to fly fish the Arkansas river systems for both trout and
many other species.
Tight lines to all.
Davy
American International Schools of Fly FishingAbout 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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