During the past week, we
have had brutally cold temperatures and the remnants of
a major snowfall. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell
six tenths of a foot to rest at seven tenths of a foot
above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is forty and three
tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream,
Table Rock Lake rose three tenths of a foot to rest at
nine tenths of a foot above power pool or fifteen and
one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake
fell two and three tenths of a foot to arrive at eight
tenths of a foot above power pool or eight and six
tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the White,
we have had fairly steady levels of generation around
the clock. Norfork Lake fell one and four tenths feet to
rest at six tenths of a foot above power pool of 552.00
feet or twenty seven and four tenths feet below the top
of flood pool. On the Norfork, we have had steady
generation with one brief window of wadable water at
night. The Corps of Engineers has maintained its
aggressive drawdown of the lakes in the White River
System. All of the lakes in the White River system are
currently less than a foot from power pool. We can
expect some lower flows and the possibility of wadable
water. As I write this, we have more precipitation
coming and it is impossible to predict how this will
affect lake levels.
There were significant changes to trout fishing
regulations effective January 1, 2010. The Catch and
Release section on the Norfork River will be increased
from it current size of 1.1 miles to a new total of
approximately two miles. The new upper boundary will be
the bottom of long hole and the new lower limit will be
the Ackerman access. The new regulations will also allow
for multiple hook points in Catch and Release sections
on the White and Norfork Rivers. Up to three treble
hooks will be allowed. All hook points must be barbless.
Of interest to fly fishers, is that the new regulations
will allow the use of droppers, multiple fly rigs and
articulated multiple hook streamers.
The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam,
which was closed from November 1, 2009 through January
31, 2010 for the brown trout spawn, has now reopened.
Due to bitterly cold weather conditions and high water,
there were not as many anglers on hand for opening day
as usual. The fishing went well. The catch was mostly
rainbows. There has been some success on shad patterns
but most of the trout were caught with brightly colored
San Juan worms and egg patterns.
Fishing on the White in general has been excellent. The
hot section has been Rim Shoals. On the steady flows, we
have been receiving; use brightly colored San Juan worms
(red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise) and egg patterns
(red, pink and orange). Other effective patterns have
been scuds, sowbugs, copper johns and various midge
patterns.
Some anglers have reported success from fishing
streamers. Concentrate on banging the bank or any heavy
structure where fish can escape the current. Your best
bet would be to use large articulated streamers like the
zoo cougar or leg spreader on heavy (300 grain or
heavier) sink tips. You will need at least an eight
weight rod to cast this rig. Use a short piece of heavy
mono (three feet of 2X fluorocarbon tippet) in lieu of a
conventional leader to help get the fly down. This
strategy targets big fish, but is a lot of work. I like
to carry two rods, one that is rigged for streamers and
one that is rigged for nymphs.
When we have high flows like this, trout will seek the
comfort provided by feeder creeks to escape the heavy
currents. Look in the lower stretches of Jenkins Creek
or Crooked Creek to locate trout.
Brutally cold temperatures and high levels of generation
are the perfect conditions for creating a shad kill.
This generally occurs when the water temperature on the
lake is forty two degrees. Threadfin shad are drawn
through the dam turbines and create a feeding frenzy in
the river below. Be on the lookout for gulls feeding on
the shad below the dam. The most effective flies will be
white shad patterns. Be sure and have both floating and
sinking versions.
Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River are running clear.
The water temperatures are too cold for the smallmouth
to be active.
The Norfork has received steady generation. On the high
flows, brightly colored San Juan worms (red, cerise and
hot fluorescent pink) and egg patterns (peach and
orange) have been the go to flies. Long leader tippet
combinations and heavy weight have been the secret to
success. Work the banks and submerged weed beds. Be on
the lookout for a shad kill.
Dry Run Creek has fished well. The hot fly has been sow
bugs in size fourteen. Worm brown San Juan worms and egg
patterns have also done well. Work is underway on the
boardwalk along the creek that is being constructed by
the Friends of the National Fish Hatchery. This will
enhance access, particularly for the handicapped
anglers. Stop by and take a look. It is pretty terrific.
My wife, Lori, and I recently visited and walked the
creek. We were impressed with the bank stabilization,
which was done in a way that creates a lot of new spots
to fish that do not require the youngsters to wear
waders.
The Spring River has been fishing well. The water level
is still a bit high and off color. This makes for
challenging wading. Be sure and wear cleated boots and
carry a wading staff. There is a lot of bedrock that can
get very slick. The hot flies have been Y2Ks, olive
woolly buggers, cerise San Juan worms and cotton candy.
Remember that the White and Norfork Rivers are infected
with didymo, an invasive alga. Be sure and thoroughly
clean and dry your waders (especially the felt soles on
wading boots) before using them in any other water. Many
manufacturers are now making rubber soled wading boots
that are easier to clean and are not as likely to harbor
didymo.
Surviving Winter Fishing
As I sit here writing this, the snow is falling and the
temperature is twenty two and falling. My wife, Lori, is
thinking about going to the park to try out the new sled
that she just received from L. L. Bean. I on the other
hand am only thinking about going fishing. I don’t think
that there is anything more beautiful than the river in
the snow. I can clearly see the bluffs above the White
clearly outlined in the snow. The best part about living
in the Twin lakes area is the ability to fish every day.
Sure they are running a lot of water right now. That is
why I have a boat. The real secret to taking advantage
of the great fishing we have is learning to deal with
the weather. I must admit that the conditions we are
experiencing right now is particularly challenging.
Conventional wisdom calls for dressing in layers. There
is the base layer (think long under wear), insulation
layer or layers, and the shell. Another generality is to
avoid cotton garments. If cotton gets wet, it cools as
the water in it evaporates. This property makes it great
for hot weather but deadly for cold weather conditions.
I know that heavy flannel shirt or cotton hoody is
toasty warm but you would feel very different about it,
if it were wet. If we are fishing, we run the chance of
getting wet. This is true, whether we are wading or
boating
For my base layer, I wear polypropylene long underwear.
Polypropylene wicks moisture away from the body and this
keeps you warmer. This stuff dries quickly. I own
several sets in various weights from light to heavy and
choose the best weight for the conditions. Other choices
are silk and wool. Silk has a luxurious feel and wicks
moisture well. Wool is toasty warm and keeps sixty
percent of its insulation value when wet. Look into the
merino wool long underwear, which is itch free.
My favorite insulation layers are fleece. Fleece is a
great product. It is light weight, fast drying and a
great insulator. One day I fell in (it was fourteen
degrees). Luckily I didn’t take on too much water. I
wrung out my fleece jacket and finished the day. I own
several different weights and once again choose a fleece
garment to fit the conditions. If it is very cold, I
will wear more than one layer of insulation. Look for
jackets that have hand warmer pockets and a high collar.
Pants should also have usable pockets. The problem with
fleece is that most of it is not wind proof. You can
mitigate this problem by buying fleece that has a Wind
Stopper membrane (this is somewhat like Gore-Tex, in
that it makes the garment wind proof) Wool is also a
great insulating layer. Garments like Pendleton shirts
and Irish fisherman’s sweaters are not only warm and
practical but they look great.
The best shell is a pair of Gore-Tex waders and a
Gore-Tex rain jacket. Gore-Tex is a high tech membrane
that allows water vapor to escape but keeps out water
droplets. This gives you waders and a rain jacket that
are wind and water proof and can breathe. This means
that there is no build up of moisture near the skin. You
stay dryer and dryer is warmer. On the waders, I look
for built in gravel guards and hand warmer pockets. On
the jacket, I want a hood and hand warmer pockets. I
wear this when wading or fishing from the boat.
To keep my feet warm I wear the heaviest socks that I
can find. I want socks that are made from polypropylene
or wool. I totally avoid cotton socks. I buy my wading
boots two sizes too big to accommodate my heavy socks
and still have plenty of room to wiggle my toes. Tight
boots equal cold feet. I recently discovered foot shaped
chemical warmer packs that have an adhesive to cling to
the bottom of my socks.
My hands are what really take the hit. I wear wool
fingerless gloves, if it is thirty two degrees or
higher. For brutally cold conditions, I have fleece
fingerless gloves with a wind proof barrier and attached
pullover mittens. One trick that I have discovered is to
carry an extra pair of dry gloves, in case one gets wet.
I put a chemical hand warmer packet in my hand warmer
pockets so that I can warm my hands from time to time.
When I am fishing, I will occasionally cast left handed
so that I can warm my right hand. I originally taught
myself to cast left handed so that I could teach left
handed casting students. I soon discovered that there
were advantages to my newly learned skill.
You can lose a lot of warmth through your head. A good
hat is critical to staying warm. My new hat has a long
bill to keep the sun out of my eyes, is lined with
fleece to keep me warm and has a Gore-Tex shell to keep
me dry and protect me from the wind. If the wind kicks
up, I will pull up my hood to protect the back of my
neck. For warmer conditions, I have a wool watch cap
that can be pulled over a ball cap to provide warmth and
sun protection.
I also carry a thermos of coffee on really cold days. If
it is bitterly cold, I have been known to make a warm up
fire from drift wood. I will also take a break at noon.
A warm meal in a warm café will go a long way toward
being able to finish the day.
Carry a change of clothing. A wet shirt is no big deal
when it is ninety five degrees. It can be dangerous when
it is fifteen.
There is some great fishing happening right now. The
Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals just opened
and the shad kill will begin any day. Be ready for it.
Don’t let the weather interfere with your fishing!
Ask John
David M. asks: Where is a good place for breakfast near
the White River.
David, my usual spot is the Sands. Here is a review I
wrote a while back.
The Sands
Twenty years ago I wrote my first column for “Tight
Lines And Tall Tales”. It was called The Angling
Gourmet. The gist of the column was to write articles
about places to eat that were near places to fish. With
this article, I hope to restart that column and give my
opinions about the current state of cuisine here in the
fly-fishing heaven. For my first article, I have chosen
the Sands. This place is four blocks from my house and I
eat there often. The Sands is the restaurant for the
White Sands Motel on US highway 62B in Cotter, Arkansas.
This is the best place to eat in Cotter. This is the
only place to eat in Cotter. The portions here tend to
be generous and the prices reasonable. This is a great
place for lunch on a cold, miserable, rainy day. By the
way, they don’t look at you funny when you walk in with
waders on. They cater to anglers and have seen it
before. It is also a neighborhood gathering place. I
always run into someone I know.
The best meal to eat there is breakfast. My absolute
favorite is the ham and cheese omelet. It comes with
hash browns and biscuit and gravy for $4.50. The hash
browns are the real deal cooked golden brown on the
griddle and not the “chunk o tater” cooked in the fryer
like at McDonalds. The biscuit is fresh home made and
the gravy is nectar. I usually order this when Lori
isn’t around because of the cholesterol count. My other
standard is the pancakes. Besides being golden brown and
tasty, they are huge. They are the size of dinner
plates. I have never finished a short stack (Be aware
gentle reader that I have a hearty appetite). In fact, I
generally order a single pancake ($1.50) and an order of
hash browns. I will occasionally order a Belgian waffle
that is light and delicious.
For lunch and dinner I keep it simple. This is not the
place to play stump the chef. I stick to burgers and
sandwiches (my personal favorite is the bacon, lettuce
and tomato with chips $3.00). The burgers are solid,
served with a platter of fries this is a meal that will
last you for a while. Lori likes the sirloin steak and
always visits the salad bar.
The homemade pies are awesome. This is their signature
dessert and they are the stuff dreams are made of. They
all have that flaky crust like grandma used to make.
Classic pies like lemon meringue, coconut cream,
chocolate icebox, and all American apple fill a pie case
and beckon to me every time I pass. My brother in law,
Larry, is a huge fan. He buys whole pies, takes them to
my guesthouse and consumes them with great gusto while
watching television. The Sands is one of his favorite
restaurants on earth and he eats at least one meal there
everyday when visiting us.
The next time you are fishing in the Cotter area stop in
and give the Sands a try.