Slow, but Steady on the Norfork

DATE: Wednesday, 12/14/2011

TIME: 12:15 PM to 2:45 PM

WEATHER: Low 60s, cloudy, windy

WATER CONDITIONS: 0 units

LOCATIONS FISHED: Norfork River, island at Ol’ Charlie’s above Ackerman/Handicap Access

HATCH: Small midges

ROD USED: Winston 8’ 6” 5-weight WT Joan Wulff Favorite

FLIES USED: Wayne’s olive sculpin with bead pegged above, #14 furnace cockleburr, #20 olive cockleburr, #20 Dunn’s Dun, #18 olive Norfork River scud

OTHER: I fished solo today, and fished around the entire island, beginning at New Charlie’s and wading in a counter clockwise direction. I missed several fish just downstream of New Charlie’s, and didn’t get so much as a look in front of Ol’ Charlie’s. I caught a few fish at the end of the island on Wayne’s sculpin, and missed a few as well. Seeing several fish taking midges on top, I fished a furnace cockleburr, both dry and stripping just under the surface and took a couple of fish, but again missing several others. The Dunn’s Dun proved more effective and took a few more fish, but again I missed more than I caught. Switching flies again, this time to an olive cockleburr, I caught another two or three fish, and missed as many more as I waded upstream. I moved to the riffle at the top of the island, switched to a #18 olive scud fished under an indicator with one shot a few inches above, and began to consistently take fish, ending with almost a dozen in this location.

I’m continuing to work on a book chronicling my fishing activities since retirement, and will include significant fly patterns (and their recipes and tying instructions) that have been successful on the Norfork and White Rivers.  I gave a presentation to the Arkansas Fly Fishers in Little Rock on Monday, December 12, and will be able to use a significant portion of the information contained in that presentation in the book as well.  Thus far, I have over 200 pages written.