Trout Dynasty: White River Edition

Some of the OG members of the Blue Ridge Fly Fishing Association recently made their annual pilgrimage the the trout infested waters of Arkansas. Instead of fish pictures, Paisley sends us this picture of JD and Shep taking part in the day's beard growing contest. He indicated that these two lost the contest.

Ebay Watch: White River Arkansas - $297k

Alright Paisley and Zugbug - count me in for a third on this if the due diligence checks out. Found on Ebay:

"This beautiful two-story home, located on the banks of the famous White River, is just six miles from Mountain View, Arkansas, the folk and blue grass center of the Ozark Mountains. There is a riverside deck with cement steps to the water and the river bank has been reinforced with rip-rap stones. "

"The property consists of 2 1/2 lots (250 ft) all fronting the White River only 40 feet away. You can catch trout from your back yard, tie up a boat on your own property or look out your front door at the National Forest. Other features include central heat and air (heat pump), 10x16 workshop outbuilding, in-ground concert storm cellar, and beautiful landscaping with a circle drive."

White River Monsters?

FlyFishMagazine.com's Leftentant of Tail Water Fisheries, Jeff Paisley found an interesting note in yesterday's Baxter Bulletin about a side effect of the recent flooding on the White River's North fork. It seems all manner of large warm water predators have found their way into the trout fishery. Officials are taking steps to put them back where they belong.

A sample of fish taken from the North Fork of the White River below Norfork Dam last week confirmed river biologists' concerns that many warm-water predator fish and at least three "monsters" spilled into the North Fork tailwaters during April floods.

White bass were the most numerous at about 70. Some 30 walleye also were taken in the sample gathered between 8:30 p.m. and midnight last Tuesday, Schroeder said. One striped bass weighing more than 20 pounds was the biggest of that predator species, he said. A total of six striped bass were taken from the river. Six blue channel catfish, including three that weighed in excess of 30 pounds each, also were captured and relocated, Schroeder said.

Break out the eight weights boys and girls.

photo: Jay Moore

John Berry: Fishing High Water in Arkansas

Cotter, Arkansas fishing guide John Berry has advice for those coping with high water situations on Arkansas' White and North Fork Rivers. With our own White River fly fishing trip coming up this April you can bet we are listening to what he has to say.

At this water level, the fish are in side channels or over weed beds. They are deeper, and the current is greater. Therefore I use a longer and a stronger tippet (3X or 4X) and larger flies. You want the trout to be able to see them.

I also use a lot more lead to make sure that the fly ticks the bottom. To float this increased weight, I use the largest strike indicators that I can find. Once again you cast out from the boat and drift the fly with the boat. The secret is to set up the boat so that you will float by the weed beds at the proper distance for you to present your flies to the fish.

Read the article complete with high water fly selections via the Baxter Bulletin.

# 2 But They Try Harder....

Mountain Home, Arkansas has been named the second best fishing town in America by Field and Stream.

MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark., Jan. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the United States premier outdoor publications, Field and Stream, ranks Mountain Home, Arkansas, as the second-best fishing town in the country in its February 2008 issue. The magazine created its list based on each town's year-round fishing opportunities, cost of living, fishing culture, outdoor-related economy and overall quality of life. To qualify, each town had to have a resident population of less than 100,000.

Mountain Home, Arkansas is also the home of this year's FlyFishMagazine spring conclave hosted by tail water Editor, Jeff Paisley. We await the press release from the first best fishing town in American because based on our experiences in Arkansas it must be a heck of a river.

White River Fishing Report

Here is the latest White River Fishing Report from the Baxter Bulletin. Here is an excerpt that makes a passing mention to a sad event on the North Fork.

Another hot spot, on the White River, has been Rim Shoals. On low water, this section has been very productive. The best flies have been the zebra midge in brown with copper bead and copper wire in size 18 and partridge and orange soft hackles. The grasshopper has also reigned supreme here.

The North Fork is not fishing as well as the White. On the days when they are running water on the White, the North Fork can get pretty crowded, particularly on the weekends. The overcrowding has been worsened by the closing of McClellan's.

Access to the North Fork via McClellan's trout dock fell victim to the land developers purse strings.

Sport & Competition

Taken from this article in the Baxter Bulletin about fishing the White River:

Cox says he teaches people rod and reel because it tends to lead to more fish being caught.
"You're more likely to catch fish using a rod and reel if you are out to have fun," Cox said. "Fly fishing is more for sport and competition."

Jay Moore's White River Fishing Report.

Visit our fishing reports page to read about his trip

R.I.P.

Authorities are trying to determine the cause of the death of this near record breaking White River Brown Trout. The fish which was estimated to be between 12 - 15 years old, weighed in at 32 pounds.

Biologists are trying to determine if warm water temperatures and low oxygen content led to the trout's death. Heather Crunkleton, Rainbow Resort owner, said other dead fish have been found over the past few days. "You can't have 70-degree water and expect trout to survive," she said. Crunkleton said the fish was found after five days of no generation at Bull Shoals Dam. Powers said the water temperature near the North Fork River after some generation Tuesday was 68 degrees.

Link and photo (credit Kevin Pieper) via the Baxter Bulletin.

Arkansas: White River Fishing Report

Paisley with an excellent White River brown trout

Garwood floating the White River in his White River Pontoon

FlyFishMagazine.com staffers Paisley, Garwood, and Zugbug recently float fished Arkansas' White River. Read about their excellent trip on FlyFishMagazine.com's Fishing Reports page.

It seems I am the only one not getting to fish in Arkansas this month. Tennessee contributing editor Jay Moore is fishing this week on the White River with one of his valued customers. We should have an up to date report from him shortly.

Remember we will publish just about anything around here so feel free to brag by sending us your own fishing reports and photos.

Have you seen these men?

Flyfishmagazine.com was about to issue the fly fishing equivalent of an Amber Alert due to the lack of fishing reports from our correspondents Zugbug and Paisley.

The two of them along with my pontoon boat and our pal Chuck Garwood are fishing the White River near Mountain Home, Arkansas. Until today we hadn't heard a peep out of them but finally, just as we were getting worried sick(about our pontoon boat,) the cell phone rang with a report. It seems the fish are biting extremely well and each of our anglers has landed Brown trout in excess of twenty inches along with numerous other lesser Rainbows, Cutthroats, and even the odd Brookie. We await photographic evidence and a proper fishing report but are inclined to believe since obviously the mojo of our Water skeeter has brought them luck.

Head'em up, Move'em out!

It's sowbug roundup time in Mountain Home, Arkansas! The North Arkansas fly fishers have invited 120 fly tyers to demonstrate their art during their annual three day festival that honors the favorite food of those big White River trout.

North Fork in Trouble

The next time you visit Mountain Home Arkansas and fish the North Fork River stop off and say hello to the good folks at Overlook Estates. According to KAIT channel 18 and others, they are responsible for that layer of silt covering the rocks in this (for the moment) world class fishery.

Massive erosion from a north Arkansas developer's building site that threatens the prized North Fork River continues as state environmental regulators try to put together the funds to contain the problem.

Flyfishmagazine.com Contributing Editor, Jeff Paisley will be visiting the area at the end of March to check it out and report on it for us first hand. Last year Jeff told us he didn't see much of an impact (other than the closing of McClellan's Trout Dock) but judging from this post on the Ozark Angler message board it seems to be getting worse.

Looks like the state and this guy will fight it out as the river dies a slow death. I just can't believe that there is nothing that can be done to stop this problem right now. This is a disgrace to the entire state of Arkansas. I was fishing last weekend in the Moccassin Creek C&R area on the White and watched as the nasty Norfork water made its way down and muddied the river up and shut down the fish. This guy is not only destroying the Norfork but also putting the White below the confluence in serious danger