Good Fishing, Tough Catching

TIME: 12:00 PM to2:00 PM

WEATHER:  Cloudy, slight breeze, low 50s
WATER CONDITIONS:  0 Units
LOCATIONS FISHED:  Norfork River, Island above Ackerman Handicap Access
HATCH:  Midges
ROD USED:  8’ 9” 5 wt Winston Joan Wulff Favorite
FLIES USED:   Wayne’s Fly (Olive and Black), Cerise Worm, #20 Kay’s Gray
OTHER:  Fished with Wayne.  Returned to the uppermost riffle on river left at the top of the island above Ackerman Handicap Access.  I caught a 3 fish in the riffle on a Cerise Worm, then switched to a Kay’s Gray to take advantage of surface feeding fish.  I managed a couple of fish before another fisher walked in just about 10 yards downstream, severely limiting my long drift.  It rally torqued me that he was so close, and as I was leaving he said he wanted to fish the riffle.  I told him he was crowding me, life was too short to be stressed about it, and that I hoped he had a good day.  I moved downstream to an area not known for holding fish, and continued fishing the Kay’s Gray, taking a couple on top and 4 more pulling the fly under at the beginning of the swing and stripping it back.  It was not a bad afternoon, but I had to work for all the fish.

Fishing with the Master, Again

TIME: 1:00 PM to3:00 PM

WEATHER:  Cloudy, slight breeze, mid 50s

WATER CONDITIONS:  0 Units, high and turbid from recent rains

LOCATIONS FISHED:  Norfork River, Island above Ackerman Handicap Access

ROD USED:  8’ 9” 5 wt Winston Joan Wulff Favorite

FLIES USED:   Wayne’s Fly (Olive and Black)

OTHER:  Fished with the master, my friend Wayne.  I have struggled the last few weeks fishing upstream.  Wayne and I walked in at the top of the island above Ackerman Handicap Access and Wayne hooked up on his first cast.  This was to be one of many fish he caught in the brief afternoon; he finished the day with 3 dozen, including one grand slam, and 3/4 of another.  Though he hasn’t fished since March, he is a fishing machine.  I caught a few in the riffle at the top of the island, but missed many more stripping Wayne’s fly.  The fish seemed to be near the top, and were hitting the fly on the swing as it was being stripped.  I moved downstream to the riffle across from Ol’ Charlie’s and caught a few more, then saw Wayne round the bottom of the island and he was catching fish every cast.  The closer we waded toward each other, the more fish I caught.  I accused him of rubbing something on his clothes before going fishing.  He was fishing a Wayne’s fly/bead combination, but only about 18 inches below an indicator.  I immediately added a bead, and shortened my indicator and the fishing picked up considerably.  Several other people were fishing nearby, but were perplexed at the numbers of fish Wayne was catching.  That big scud of his really works!

If you haven’t seen the rock work done across from Ol’ Charlie’s, you’re in for a surprise.  As a 40+ year practicing water resources engineer and longtime fly fisher, I’ll keep my opinion to myself, but will assure you that the river will change dramatically in the next few months—for worse or better depending on your perspective and what you consider aesthetically pleasing!  I can also tell you that if the US Army Corps of Engineers had done the work in a similar fashion, they would be sued from here to eternity by the AR Game and Fish Commission, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, AR DEQ, and the US EPA.  Enough said!

No Mo Mo Jo?

TIME: 1:00 PM to3:30 PM

WEATHER:  Cloudy, misty, slight breeze, mid 50s

WATER CONDITIONS:  0 Units

LOCATIONS FISHED:  Norfork River, Mill Dam Eddy to 2nd Riffle above the Island below McClellan’s

ROD USED:  8’ 9” 5 wt Winston Joan Wulff Favorite

FLIES USED:   #14 Norfork River Scud (Olive), Wayne’s Fly (Olive, Brown, and Black)

OTHER:  Fished solo.  Mill Dam Eddy produced only one hook-up and I missed the fish.  I fished the right descending bank along the island, but nothing.  At the top of the island, I continued wading upstream, fishing the right descending bank in the “what used to be” surefire riffle, but nothing.  I crossed to the left descending bank near the head of the riffle where I have always caught fish, but caught nothing.  I then waded upstream, changed from the scud to Wayne’s fly, fished the rather small riffle, and pulled three fish from there.  It took over an hour of fishing to catch that first fish.  I moved back downstream to the riffle where I have always caught fish, but again, nothing.  Continuing to wade downstream on the left descending bank, I fished the pool above the island and caught 3 more fish before finally breaking off on a rock.  I called it quits and waded for home.