While away l keep in touch with what's going on here in AR, and there have been some changes.

The first of which is the new habitat work at Bull Shoals dam. If you have as yet not fished the dam recently then you will not be aware of it. It's more an issue of concern for those of you who go afloat for the reason that there are now placed, more on the Marion county side rock structure, root wads and strung cedar trees, which are tied down with cable to the river bed. your concerns would be not to run into the structures either going up stream or floating back. Unless you are very conversant with the known positions of the structures a drag chain is not a good choice, neither is running into the structures with your motor. Low water flows will easily allow for you to see the structures and navigate around them, high water fast flows is a different matter, so take care.

This structure has definitely changed the way we fish Bull Shoals dam, we not only have structure but due to that current seams and flows around it have very much changed fish locations, it's kind of a new learning experience again at the dam. I have fished in a good few times this past week and it's ok. For waders then you will find new structure that holds fish around them. But do not do what one foolish individual did the other day. He chose to stand on one of the rock piles when water was being released, at the time flow rates were low, while he was there they pushed up the CFS and he was unable to get back to the shore, he was ferried back by boat.

Dry Run Creek At The Hatchery. Arkansas Game And Fish have now started to undertake the habitat and bank restoration at the upper end of the creek. Our plan of action is to now move to the lower end and complete the instream and bank restoration. After which the FNNFH can send out bids for contractors to undertake the handicap boardwalk construction. While work has been in progress fishing has been permitted with very little disturbance to the stream.

OK, Back To The Rivers. Fall is on the way and this is one of my favorite times of the year. Gone are those awful hot humid days for one. The Browns are on the move upstream and often as not, fishing pressure is well reduced, all be it, the past few days, due to the heavy rain falls Bull Shoals Dam to Wildcat has seen some serious fishing pressure. Crooked Creek at the time of writing is in flood stage so that more or less counts put fishing below Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River, give a week or so and no more rain and we will have clean water through the system.

Given current lake levels and assuming we do not see a serious rise of water that needs release we should see moderate generations and water release. Many of you will recall at this time last year we saw big water and did not see a shut down at Bull Shoals Dam til December. It was great for the fish as we did see this year way better average sizes for the Bows, and certainly the 24 inch min. size limit for Browns has increased overall numbers of fish over the previous 16 inch limit.

Fishing. The transitional time of summer end to fall will as a rule cause fish to feed well through the day time periods. Which gives great opportunity for both wade and drift boat fishing, there are plenty of fish in the river at this time.

Now is also a great time to swing larger streamers for the trophy Brown, all be it, we nailed a good few today at Bull Shoals Dam fishing sowbugs and midges.

Hoppers and dries can also be great fished to rising fish and working seams and into the shorelines, you never know when a big fish will eat your fly.

Low water should see good midge and possibly BWO hatches on those dull overcast days, here again fishing with small midge patterns such as Prism and Whitetails in black, silver, gold, claret, red, pearl, and hot heads, will do the business as will sowbugs and scuds, and generics such as hares ear.

Along with the above wet fly and soft hackles, and various streamers are all worth a swim.

Higher water flows, dynamite and San Juan worms in different colors along with jigs and eggs will do the business

OK, if we see any further changes l will update the report.