At Last, Back on the Water

TIME: 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM
WEATHER: PC, Low 70s, some wind
WATER CONDITIONS: 0 Units, some color
LOCATIONS FISHED: Norfork River, above 2^nd Island above Ackerman-Handicap Access
ROD USED: 10’ 5-6 wt Flextec, 9’ 6 wt Winston
FLIES USED: #14 gray Norfork Scud, brown Wayne’s Fly, T-Worm
HATCHES: Midges, Caddis
OTHER: Fished with Wayne. Water releases finally ceased today as the lake has been lowered to near conservation pool. Catching fish was not as easy today as usual, but Wayne caught 3 or 4 dozen, while I only managed a dozen and a half at best, most on the gray scud. Wayne and I both managed to catch a large fish each; mine was a chunky 18-20 inch rainbow. Did manage to break the new Flextec rod right above a guide winding—and on a hook set—so had to walk out, drive home, unpack the Winston, string it up, drive back, and walk up the river. Wayne, being the good guy he is, waited on me. The Winston is so light, and casts very well, but I sure like the 10-foot rod, and have bid on another.

After some considerable releases from the gates and constant generation, the river is returning to its old geometry, particularly at Mill Dam Eddy. There is still a substantial gravel bar held in place by a fallen tree, but if the tree ever moves, Mill Dam Eddy will recover to pre-1998 flood conditions as most of the flow has returned to the right channel during non-generation.

Norfork River, AR

TIME: 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM
WEATHER: Clear, Mid 50s
WATER CONDITIONS: 0 units
LOCATIONS FISHED: Norfork River, upstream of Ackerman Walk-in Access
ROD USED: G Loomis IMX 9’0" 3 wt
FLIES USED: #14 Ice-T Mini, #14 T-Worm, #14 Olive Norfork River Scud
HATCHES: Midges, Blue Winged Olives
OTHER: Fished with Wayne. We began fishing upstream of the 2nd island above Ackerman Walk-in Access, and “catching” was tough! I picked up a single fish on the T-Worm, but nothing else, moving quickly upstream to the island below McClellan’s. There, I caught only 1 fish, stripping the Ice-T Mini. The last couple of weeks, this area had been fishing red hot, but not today. I fished the right side of the island, but caught no fish, finally moving upstream to the head of the island. There were lots of olive brown scuds in the shallow water, and so on a whim, I put one on and was surprised with a fish, followed by a dozen or so more in that general location. Moving upstream to the riffle above the island, fish were still active on the olive scud, with another half dozen taken. Finally, I moved upstream to the channel across from Otter Creek (Ed's Hole) and picked up another half dozen. The largest fish caught today was a 15-inch rainbow, with a couple close at 14 inches. Also, one brookie was caught in the riffle above the island. Wayne, too, had a tough day, but did catch lots of fish by working the water hard, with a 16 incher as his largest. He found an area above Otter Creek that held lots of fish. This was another great day on the water, perhaps because we had to work so hard for the fish. It definitely rates as one of the best.
PS: Happy New Year!

White River

TIME: 11:00 AM TO 2:30 PM
WEATHER: Partly Cloudy, Mid 50s
LOCATIONS FISHED: White River, Rim Shoals area
WATER CONDITIONS: 3 Units
ROD USED: Crossfire Custom Spinning Rod, Shimano Reel, Tectan line, ALL PACKAGED BY WHITE RIVER ZIG JIG
FLIES USED: White River Zig Jigs produced by White River Zig Jig (These rigs are perfectly matched and cannot be surpassed for this style of fishing. I highly recommend them. http://zigjig.net/)
HATCHES: Caddis, Midges, and Blue Winged Olives
OTHER: Fished with Bill. We launched at Rim Shoals, and fished downstream along the first island continuing down to the top of lower Rim Shoals. Most of our runs were from below the island and upper Rim Shoals to the top of lower Rim Shoals. We had a superb day, catching lots of fish, most a little larger than those previously caught, using black and chartreuse.

White River

TIME: 9:00 AM TO 2:30 PM
WEATHER: High 60s, Party Cloudy
LOCATIONS FISHED: White River, Jenkins Creek to lower Rim Shoals
WATER CONDITIONS: Clear, 3 generators
ROD USED: Crossfire Custom Spinning Rod, Shimano Reel, Tectan line, ALL PACKAGED BY WHITE RIVER ZIG JIG
FLIES USED: White River Zig Jigs
HATCHES: Caddis, Midges
OTHER: Boat fished with Bill (namesake of Ackerman-Handicap Access). As with our previous trip, Bill and I caught lots of fish, with about half being in the 14-15 inch category. This is an incredible way to fish.

White River

TIME: 11:00 AM TO 4:00 PM
WEATHER: High 60s, Overcast
LOCATIONS FISHED: White River, Jenkins Creek to lower Rim Shoals
WATER CONDITIONS: Clear, 3 generators
ROD USED: Crossfire Custom Spinning Rod, Shimano Reel, Tectan line, ALL PACKAGED BY WHITE RIVER ZIG JIG
FLIES USED: White River Zig Jigs
HATCHES: Caddis, Midges
OTHER: Boat fished with Bill (namesake of Ackerman-Handicap Access). I had been wanting to fish with Bill for some time, and finally had the chance along with an invitation. Bill is an incredible spin fisher, in the same company with John Simank, and has few equals when it comes to trout. It has been many years since I spin fished for trout, and with a little knowledge, some rudimentary skill, and a great “guide” is a lethal means of fishing. Bill and I caught fish almost at will, with Bill catching fish on almost every cast. It was indeed a fun time, and certainly won’t be the last time. This method of fishing our tailwaters is yet another of several tools available to fish our varying water levels. And no, I haven’t abandoned fly fishing.

White River

TIME: 8:30 AM TO 2:00 PM
WEATHER: Partly Cloudy, Mid 50s
LOCATIONS FISHED: White River, Rim Shoals area
WATER CONDITIONS: 3 Units
ROD USED: Crossfire Custom Spinning Rod, Shimano Reel, Tectan line, ALL PACKAGED BY WHITE RIVER ZIG JIG
FLIES USED: White River Zig Jigs produced by White River Zig Jig (These rigs are perfectly matched and cannot be surpassed for this style of fishing. I highly recommend them. http://zigjig.net/)
HATCHES: Caddis, Midges, and Blue Winged Olives
OTHER: Fished with Ed and John. We launched at Rim Shoals, and fished downstream along the first island continuing down to the top of lower Rim Shoals, returning to float this particular reach the remainder of the day. We all caught lots of fish, and Ed, as usual, had the big fish of the day, about 17-18 inches; black and chartreuse was the color of the day. Once, again, I departed early because of a prior commitment, though Ed and John continued to fish, switching to fly rods and weight flies.

White River

TIME: 8:30 AM TO 11:30 AM
WEATHER: Partly Cloudy, Mid 50s
LOCATIONS FISHED: White River, Rim Shoals area
WATER CONDITIONS: 3 Units
ROD USED: 9’ 6 wt Winston LT
FLIES USED: #14 Weight Fly
HATCHES: Caddis, Midges, and Blue Winged Olives
OTHER: Fished with Ed and John. We launched at Rim Shoals, and fished downstream for about ½ mile, returning to float this particular reach the remainder of the day. We all caught fish, though no big fish were taken. I departed early because of a back problem, though Ed and John continued to fish, switching to spinning gear and catching lots of fish using the White River Zig Jig.