Not too much has changed since my December report. There have been between the bad weather days when you are better off to stay warm in the house, some excellent days of fishing when temps are warm and the heavy winds are absent. Again some of the best catches have been by fishing small soft hackles in the calmer water zones and when they are present BWO emergers.

I have seen good hatches on both the White and Norfork. When the climatic conditions are cold these tiny duns may never fly off from the water surface and will not see land unless they are blown onto the shoreline. This gives the trout ample opportunity to surface feed for long periods during the hatch, take note of that one. Best options are to dead drift with small adams dry size 18 to 22 and emergers of BWO. Use 6/7x and make sure you have perfect drag free drifts, or the fish will not see your fly, also pay attention to the drift lines of the naturals, fish will home in on those zones. We are still catching some trophy Browns using different techniques from real small midge/Bwo imitations to very large streamers. Rainbows, best options to dead drift general nymph patterns close to the river bed.

l wish you all a great 2004 and with many thoughts of the fishing that you will venture into for the new year. If we have another like this past year, then you will have a great time fishing through the seasons of 2004.

Tight lines for now,
Davy Wotton

About Davy Wotton
Davy has been making his living as a full time fly fisher in one capacity or another for over 30 years. He has written many articles for all of the fly fishing magazines, created several unique flies and fly tying materials which he developed into a full scale manufacturing operation in his native country of Wales, and is a much-sought speaker around America at fly fishing functions and shows. Over the years Davy has fished in over 40 countries around the world but his choice for base of operation is right here on the White River. Davy operates his American International Schools of Fly Fishing in Flippin, Arkansas.