We have had several rain events (it seems never ending) and we have had a mixed bag on the White River system. Some of the lakes have risen and Bull Shoals fell. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell eight tenths of a foot to rest at sixteen and four tenths feet above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is twenty four and six tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, TableRockLake rose five tenths of a foot to rest at one and five tenths feet above power pool or fourteen and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool. BeaverLake rose five tenths of a foot to rest at eight and five tenths feet above power pool or one and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White was for round the clock generation of erratic flows (3,000 CFS to 12,000 CFS). There were a few significant periods of no generation. This created some challenging conditions for drift fishing and some limited but excellent wading.  NorforkLake has risen four tenths of a foot to rest at ten and seven tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or seventeen and three tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Generation on the Norfork has been 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 on both rivers.

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 red hot this past week. There have been some spectacular sulphur hatches particularly during the periods of no generation. Anglers reported success with sulphur parachutes and comparaduns during the hatch and copper Johns and pheasant tails before and after the hatch. The sulphurs have been accompanied by some spectacular midge hatches. The best fly for emerging midges is Dans turkey tail emerger. With the moderate flows we have been getting, anglers reported success on midge larva 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. On higher flows, the hot patterns have been pheasant tails, hot pink San Juan worms and egg patterns.

The sulphurs are still concentrated in the upper river. They were sighted from the Dam to the Narrows in numbers but were thinning a bit in the Rim Shoals to Cotter area. 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. There has been some spectacular top water action, particularly on the unexpected low water.

The Narrows is still fishing extremely well. There have been some prolific sulphur hatches here especially in the afternoon. Though there has been some limited dry fly fishing, the most productive technique has been to swing soft hackles when the trout are keying in on the emerging sulphurs or copper Johns before and after the hatch. The most productive flies for this situation have been partridge and orange and pheasant tail soft hackles. Other effective flies have been the olive woolly bugger.

Rim Shoals has fished particularly well this past week.  The sulphur hatch is still coming off on most days, but is diminished. 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. With the higher flows we have been getting here in the afternoon, the hot flies have been the hot pink San Juan worm and Y2K.