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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: April, 2006
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Hello Fly Fishers!
Ok, for those of you who have fished here this past month you should have had some of the
best caddis fishing l have ever seen on this river system, as l predicted in March report.
I guess the lower water flows, coupled with good temps, had a good deal to do with that.
There were some days out there that the river was literally alive with 100s of fish, take
your choice which one you chose to cast to.
Many of those fish were class Browns in the 2 to 4 lb mark as well as many good Bows in
the 14 to 17 average, and a few more way over that.
Look forward now to the sulphur hatches, but we may need a little settling in the high
temps we have here at this time.
There have been some days that river temps have been in the high 60s and over 70 in some
cases on the White.
Norfork runs enough water to keep the temps down there, and that also will keep the White
river below the confluence in order, to some extent.
OK, White river, still low water at least above Buffalo, recent rains did push some high
flow rates into the White at that confluence, but most of that will be back down before
too long. From Bull shoals dam down to the Buffalo, not much has changed from last month.
Plenty of wade access for something like 35 miles of river.
Norfork, will run water most days, some days no shut down others, yes at variable times,
need to check on that one. I unit on there will allow some wade access at the dam,
Mclellands and the access below the trophy zone. But watch for the water rise and fall,
they may have a low flow 1 going but kick the cfs up still on one gate open. It can change
at times.
The odds are also that when water is turned on at Bull Shoals the river will become a
trashy mess the further you are from the dam, much of the moss that has taken root will
easily break up when there is a push of water, not to mention the didy algae, that will
also be removed up from the substrate.
In fact we had to pull out a few times this past two weeks because of that problem. Same
also for the Norfork, if flows are consistent then that will keep the river clean, if they
lay off for a day or so then new water will be trashy, at least for a period of time, and
that will also scour the White below the confluence. So just take note of that.
As l write we are already suffering from a heat wave, average days in the 80s plus and no
sign of heavy rains, but that can change of course any day.
The rivers are full of fish at this time, and there is a great abundance of food out there
for those fish, be it scuds, crawdads, sculpins, midge, sow bugs, snails, worms, and so
on, so you have a wide choice of flies that you can use, and techniques you can fish with.
Fish are very active feeding from dawn on till around mid day when the sun gets well up in
these clear blue skies, then they will get back to feed around 2 hours before dark.
Look for zones that have good agitated shoal water, water with depth, that is where you
will find the majority of the fish at this time, particularly as the day warms up.
The Norfork over all is a colder system than the White so fish will be more widely
dispersed in that system.
Bull Shoals Dam. As of now there are some class fish there to be caught, they are not easy
to fool, l will give you that, as by now they have seen a great deal of pressure due to
the low water continuation. Many Cutts in the 14 to 18 inch range and many way over that.
You will find those guys sipping micro midge emergers in very shallow water in the
margins, not easy to catch, but that's fly fishing. Go with long leader/tippet, 6 or even
7x and small midge emergers in sizes 20 to 24. I fished there to day and did well with 25
fish, all caught on 22, black, polywing emergers, l lost a good few also.
The deeper water there can be fished with small bead head midge pupa, sows and scuds in 16
to 18 hook size being over all the best.
This zone will fish best if there is a breeze on the water, a flat calm is a tuff deal
there. There are also some Bows in that zone well in the 20 ins plus range,and some
Browns, most of the big boys have now moved out downstream.
Overall for the White, then dead drift with various flies, hares ear, PT, scuds, sows,
worms, etc, over all the fish are not that fussy, its more down to your presentations, get
the fly to the right depth with good drag free drifts.
Shoal and riffle water, bead head soft hackles worked in those zones, dead drift and with
slow recovery will catch for sure.
Deep water zones, many options here, nymph, wets, soft hackles, and streamers. Fish both
surface and at depth.
Surface feeding fish will take small caddis 14/16s, elk hair is a way good choice here.
You will probably find early morning that the fish will rise to take off the surface or
close to it as they sun gets up they will tend to stay down , move back up again as the
light fades evening time.
Norfork, more or less here, midges various, scuds and sow bugs, if you have running water
then try San Juan worms as they will often do the trick. Much of the bank side on that
river is invested with aquatic worms, and they do get flushed out, red, tan will normally
work for that, make sure that you get the worm right on the river bed, that is the trick
to have that work there, add weight for sure. They have to be able to see it.
For those of you who choose to fish at night, then this is the time to go. Fish are active
at this time, particularly the first 2 hours into dark, and before the dawn periods, if
you can make it.
As a rule l will fish with smaller flies in the early part of the dusk to dark period as
many of the naturals are very abundant at that time, bead head soft hackles, regular soft
hackles worked slowly in moving water zones. Move on to larger flies at a later period
after you have no more top water action. Revert back to smaller flies at dawn periods,
worked flies in the surface or dead drift nymph rigs .
Hope fully we shall start to see the emergences of the PMD, sulphurs before too long, but
they may be more so later in the evening.
Best advice for you guys as of now is to fish early and late and stay out of the heat
during the mid day to early evening periods, fishing is best at those times any way for
the trout.
Well worth also at this time to fish for small mouth in the Buffalo and Crooked creek, the
Buffalo is fishing real well at this time.
Lakes also for Crappie, White bass and Walleye, l got me a good bag of those guys this
past week.
Any questions feel free to drop me a e-mail.
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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