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Additional White River Area Information
Davy Wotton's Web Site | White River Home Page | White River Lodging Directory
Davy Wotton's
White River & North Fork River Fly Fishing Report
Updated about once per month, or as conditions change.
Current Report: October, 2005
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Hello Fly Fishers!
October is now with us and still we have glorious days of warmth. Some colder evenings,
but we can live with that one.
These conditions are just about perfect for great fishing. As the day warms up so does the
river water, and that increase in temperature gets the fish going. Along with that we have
had some great later afternoon into dusk top water action as the trout feed on the small
caddis that are now emerging.
In the past 3 weeks l have been present at Bull shoals dam when we have had a flush of
shad, needless to say the trout went nuts. And top water action was exceptional if you had
the right fly and fished it the way the trout wanted to see and take it.
Many fish in the 3 to 6 lb. range in that zone at this time.
I will admit at times they can go a bit Kamikaze when this takes place, at least until
they wise up some to what you are doing to try and catch em.
I would like to dispel one train of thought. Shad can come through the dams at any time,
and l have seen that so in the summer periods. At that time the number of shad will be
low, the trout will nail them, regardless.
Anytime from October on will likely see a number of shad come through, you never know.
Most of the large shad kills will take place when the lake temps get way down in the 40s,
but there is no guarantee that large number of shad will show up. Some years very few
indeed.
When the big numbers do show up, you had better be there as it starts as it takes no time
for the trout to become bloated and no longer feed.
Then you have to look for the in-between spells when the fish are on the look out again.
Many choose to fish white jigs under indicators that will of course catch some fish, but
they will become accustomed to that approach, the dam zones are small areas and the
continual up and down of boat traffic and the overall common approach to catch those fish
will, like l say wise em up.
No point to continue with a method if it is not working. You need to chop and change. Fish
other options such as San Juan worms, scuds, sowbugs, soft hackles, even wooly buggers
will nail fish at times in those zones.
Low water is a very different matter and here you need to get down to the use of midges,
small soft hackles, with a more steady approach to presentations.
As of now generation levels on the White have been very moderate, 0 to 1 and 2 units most
days for short periods. That has allowed for great wade fishing access through out the
system at least down to the Norfork confluence.
Most days floating line techniques, with nymphs, dries, emergers, wet and soft hackle will
catch you fish. If you are around late on then, you may see the caddis hatch and the
surface feeding activity of the trout, some of those are good Browns, in the 2 to 4 lb
mark.
My choice is to fish small soft hackles in sizes 14 to 18. As long as they are tan and
buggy they will work. For sure a GRHE soft hackle is a killer at this time, But dead drift
it or at least fish it very slowly and watch for the takes. Many fish will be missed if
you are one of those that waits for a pull !!
This time of the year in general if we have warmth does encourage fish to feed well into
dusk and dark, or at least until the temps drop down. Take advantage of these conditions.
Better to fish late on than early when cold and foggy conditions are still evident on the
water.
Norfork river has been up and down. Some days good others very slow. That's fishing for
you. As a rule,here the light line approach is best on wadable water. Scuds , sowbugs and
midge patterns, Generic nymphs such as hares ear, P-tails, and soft hackles.
In many cases it is not so much the fly you are fishing it is how you approach the water
that matters. Once fish are aware that you are there then they are way more difficult to
catch, that's a fact.
If you know you have likely spooked the fish then move on to new water. I can never
understand why some guys stand fixed like a Heron in the same place and then wonder why
they catch no fish.
You and l cannot stand still like a Heron, and more to the point a Heron do's not wave a
fly rod around !!!
If you fish indicators then make em as small as you can, Large bulky highly visible
indicators will very likely spook fish in low, clear slow moving water, for very many
reasons.
Believe me l see it all the time. You have to adjust your approach and presentations to
the prevailing conditions you are faced with. There is no such thing as a ( only one way
approach) and never will be if you wish to become a all round successful fly fisher.
High water fishing at Norfork, there are many options here from San Juan worms, eggs,
large nymphs, in the L/s hook size 10 or even 8. Jigs various, Wooly buggers and streamers
fished on both full and sink tip lines, may well nail one of the trophy Browns that are
now moving into the river.
You will find some days color will make a big difference. If after a 1/2 nothing is
interested then try a change.
At the recent FFF conclave here in Mtn. Home l was asked a interesting question, which
was. How many fly patterns do l consider to have for the White and Norfork rivers?
My honest answer was this. For 90% of the fish here l need only 10 flies. They may have
some variations by way of size and weight but it amounts to 10 different patterns.
The White and Norfork rivers are both systems that do not change a great deal, unlike many
of those that have great mayfly hatches and much more in the way of bug hatches or
terrestrial blow on's.
The majority of the fish caught here have not been in the systems for a great deal of
time, and in consequence of that have not adapted in the same way as a fish that has been
in the system for a longer period. They are of course far easier to catch, most of the
time.
Certainly there are zones in the White river that do contain very little in the way of
food resources. Fish in these zones will have a go at almost anything they see as a food
source.
And so will fish that have just been stocked.
That of course differs in other zones where natural food sources are more plentiful. And
the fish have resided there for a good while. In such zones, then for sure you need to pay
a little more attention to what you do by way of fly choice and presentations, which for
75% or more of the deal is absolutely the key to success.
As of now the Browns are moving and staging as they move upstream to the chosen spawning
zones. I have seen some very large numbers of them through the White river system.
Many of them will be found in slower , shallow, moving water zones. So wade with caution,
before you spook them.
Tight lines for now and be back with you this next month.
Davy WottonAbout
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.
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Additional
White River Area Information
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