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John Berry Fishing Report
02/05/2010

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.

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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!

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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.

John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over twenty five years.

John Berry
(870) 435-2169
berrybrothers@infodash.com
www.berrybrothersguides.com