This past week the seemingly never ending rain returned.  The lakes in the White River system have continued their rise and all remain above power pool. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam rose one and eight tenths feet to rest at seventeen and five tenths of a foot above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is twenty three and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, TableRockLake has fallen five tenths of a foot to rest at one and three tenths feet above power pool or fourteen and seven tenths feet below the top of flood pool. BeaverLake rose eight tenths of a foot to rest at nine and six tenths of a foot above power pool or the top of flood pool (if it rises any more, they may be required to open the flood gates). The pattern on the White was for round the clock generation of moderate flows with a few significant periods of no generation. This created some excellent conditions for drift fishing and some limited but excellent wading.  NorforkLake has remained steady at nine feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or nineteen feet below the top of flood pool. Generation on the Norfork has been very limited, which has created some excellent wading. The Corps of Engineers has been holding back water to relieve flooding down stream. When that flooding abates, we can expect a significant period of high generation.

Remember that there is a new size limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and NorforkRivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout.

The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam has been fishing extremely well this past week. With the lower flows we have been getting, anglers reported success on midge patterns. The most effective were zebra midges in black with silver wire and silver beads and red with silver wire and silver beads. The best sizes were sixteens and fourteens. Other hot patterns have been pheasant tails and egg patterns. During the recent period of no generation, anglers have done very well on partridge and orange soft hackles and green butts.

This past week we had some decent sulphur hatches. There were several prolific hatches and in some instances the trout were keying in on the adults. This is our major mayfly hatch of the year. They are yellow/orange insects. The hatch generally begins with size fourteen and ends next month with size eighteens. The best way to fish them is with copper john or pheasant tail nymphs before the hatch begins, when the nymphs are more active. When the nymphs rise to the surface and begin to emerge, switch to partridge and orange or pheasant tail soft hackles. When the trout begin keying in on the adults, switch to sulphur parachute dry flies. A light Cahill would be a good substitute. Be sure and apply a fly floatant to the dry fly before you begin fishing it.

Round House Shoals has been a real hot spot. There have been some prolific sulphur hatches here especially in the late afternoon on no generation. Though there has been some quality dry fly fishing, the most productive technique has been to swing soft hackles when the trout are keying in on the emerging sulphurs.

Rim Shoals has fished particularly well this past week.  The sulphur hatch has been coming off in the afternoon especially on days with periods of no generation. The trout have not keyed in on the adults but have been very active on the emergers. The best fly for this situation has been the partridge and orange soft hackle. The most productive way to fish the hatch however has been to fish copper John nymphs before during and after the hatches. The nymphs have been very active and the trout have been keying in on them.