John Berry's Fishing Report - Sept 27 - North Arkansas Fly Fishers

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TOPIC: John Berry's Fishing Report - Sept 27

mtipton

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Posts: 197

Date: Sep 28, 2007

John Berry's Fishing Report - Sept 27	Permalink

There has been a little rain in the twin lakes area and the lake levels have continued to fall. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam has dropped two tenths of a foot to rest at two and six tenths of a foot below power pool at 654.00 feet. Up stream, Table Rock Lake has dropped six tenths of a foot to three feet below power pool. Beaver Lake has dropped four tenths of a foot and is now at four and seven tenths of a foot below pool. The pattern on the White River has been for no generation or low levels of generation in the morning and then to spike it with a bit more generation in the afternoon and early evening, when there is peak demand for electricity. This has created some excellent wading on the White. Norfork Lake has fallen four tenths of a foot to rest at four feet below power pool of 552.00 feet. The pattern has remained fairly erratic. There have been periods of no generation with excellent wading conditions virtually every day. With no predictable pattern, I would recommend that you check conditions before wading and carefully monitor the water level when fishing. The forecast is for cooler weather and sunny skies. With the existing conditions, we should have some low water on both rivers. On the Norfork, the dissolved oxygen levels continue to drop. This is most critical during periods of no generation. Last week, the dissolved oxygen level hovered around one and two tenths parts per million. There was one instance where it dropped below six tenths of a part per million. On the White River the dissolved oxygen has remained steady. It has averaged three and a half parts per million most of the time. The oxygen level is at the critical stage on the Norfork. Great care should be taken to prevent stressing the trout particularly near the dam where the dissolved oxygen will be the lowest. Fish should be quickly landed and carefully revived before release. The fishing on the upper river from Bull Shoals Dam to White Hole has been good. The top water action is still excellent with grasshoppers continuing to catch fish. Nymphing with zebra midges (black with silver wire and silver beads and brown with copper wire and copper beads all in size eighteen) has been very productive. The bigger browns are beginning their annual migration upstream to spawn. Effective tactics for these migrating trout would be casting weighted larger streamers and crayfish patterns. Wildcat Shoals has been another hot spot. The lower water has been a boon to fly fishers. While the grasshoppers and zebra midges have been effective here, the big producer has been soft hackles. The best flies have been the partridge and orange and the green butt size fourteen and sixteen. The section from Cotter to Rim Shoals has also been fishing very well. The grasshoppers, zebra midges, and soft hackles have all done well here particularly on the lower water. There have also been some very predictable caddis hatches late every afternoon. Elk hair caddis in size sixteen have been quite productive. Immediately before the hatch occurs, caddis pupa have been accounting for some good fish. If you want to try some new water, stop by the office at Rim Shoals Trout Dock and have Gary Flipin take you away from the crowds in a water taxi. He will come and pick you when the water comes up or at a predetermined time. The Norfork has done a little better lately. With wadable water on the White, it has not been so crowded. The bigger fish should start moving up stream soon. If you are fishing there and releasing fish, try and avoid the upper river near the dam because of the low dissolved oxygen (DO) there. The DO will be higher down stream. As the water flows through riffles on its way down stream, it will pick up some oxygen. The most productive flies have been midges. Black zebra midges and Norfork bead heads in size twenty or smaller have been the hot nymphs. Dans turkey tail emergers in size twenty two have also done well. If you want to fish something a bit larger try a grass hopper or worm brown San Juan worms. Dry Run Creek is still fishing well. The big browns should be moving in soon. Sow bugs are the dominant food on the creek and I have seen some pretty big ones there up to a size twelve). San Juan worms in red and worm brown can also be effective. I would recommend using a bit stronger tippet on Dry Run than you normally would. This will help the kids catch some of these larger fish. To stay out of the trees, try high sticking nymphs. It works! Practice water safety and always check conditions before leaving home. John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter and has fished the local streams for over twenty five years. John Berry (870) 435-2169 berrybrothers@infodash.com www.berrybrothersguides.com __________________

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