White River (below Bull Shoals Dam)

Hoppers, Hoppers, Hoppers.... and other foam leggy things.

Gary and a 22" brown!!

Sorry for the long delay in fishing reports. It's been late nights on the vise, and early mornings on the river. I've been fishing the White anywhere between the dam and Shipp's Ferry the last several weeks. The flows have been all over the place. The stereo typical day (if such exists) has been no generation 50 cfs or low flows in the 1,000-3,000 cfs range in the mornings to a bit heavier flows after lunch. Some days they haven't turned it on till late afternoon. Some days it starts out at 2,000 cfs and never bumps all day. The flows are also dependent on the stretch of river an angler fishes. The flow reports I am giving are the starting times of generation

another run of the mill brown by Gary

Fishing has been absolutely stupid. Some days I actually feel evil for the defamation of a the fish population's intellegence.

The hopper/terrestrial fishing has been absolutely crazy. They're eating them in every mile of river that holds a trout right now. The bite typically gets better as the land based food load increases further down river.

Gary and myself with another 20" fish

During lower flows, I have been fishing some smaller hoppers with another dry for a dropper. Midges (thread and a bead) have done well as droppers on the hoppers. Higher flows, present the opportunity to throw some bigger foam patterns. dropping smaller hoppers or a bigger midge have also produced quite a few fish. During extremely high flows, its go big on the terrestrials and put it in the spots or you've got to nymph worms. Smaller hoppers and other terrestrials and dries will still work in the recirc holes.

John Bass's 21" bow....John's 7 feet tall and has catcher's mits for hands that will swallow even substantially large fish...therefore I had to pose for the grip and grin.

The river is in as good of shape as I've seen it in probably 15 years. There are a lot of big fish to be caught. There have always been good numbers of big browns, but the size class of rainbows the river is holding right now is simply amazing.

another run of the mill brown by Gary

All these pictures have come in only the last three days of fishing. I misplaced my camera charger and haven't been able to take any pictures in several weeks. The bigger fish are absolutely gobbling right now.

On Monday 8/9 I fished Gary and his wife Joyce. Gary boated two nice browns that day, one going 20" and the other pushing a shade over 22". While trying to land his 22" fish, Gary's wife Joyce hooked into a leviathon fish. Two big browns on a double out of a boat can be a great recipe for absolute chaos, and Joyce's fish ended up eluding the net. It was a bitter sweet ending as Gary got his fish in, and Joyce not landing her fish (that easily went into the high 20's). Two bigguns on a double present a problem...but I guess its a good problem to have.

Bill and a decent brown

Fishing sucks....I hate my life..........

Forrest Smith

Trout and Timber Outfitters

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