Once again the dry action is great. The bulbous Bi-Visible (by the Dam) and hoppers (lower down) are producing some healthy numbers of fish along with some larger fish. The bi-visible seems to work better at the dam and down throut cane island and from there down the hopper type flies seem to work better. I am still seeing hoppers and today saw them as the sun got higher in the sky. On Sun and Mon I fished with Bill Wellman and his son Tom. Both from upstate new york. Sunday was a cloudy overcast day with a little drizzle from time to time that would quit when you reached for your rain jacket. Sun we hooked and landed 37 fish with numerous misses with an average size of 15 and 16 inches. These fish are healthy, with nice pink sides and white tips on the fins. Weak water IE: a half to two and a half generators is the key to this bite and anything over that puts the fish on the bottom to feed.
Today (Mon) I used the Cotter ramp and went upstream to wildcat shoals to catch dropping water. The first few cast produced fish right away. Drifting a spot more than three times seemed to put them down but a short rest while fishing another spot and we could do it again. Today we had to work the faster water just on the inside of the seams. Fish often took our hoppers just as they hit the water.
A little about the bulbous Bi-Visible.
A fly I first started using while working for the largest dock on the river. The fly was tied by Hank Wilson who had three versions of the fly. It really dosn’t look like it used to and now looks like an ant with hackle in the center. I also tie one in tan which has been working a little better during cloudy conditions or perhaps the fish just got tired of seeing it.
Generation: At the norfork there are days where there is no generation until later in the day. The white did not generate unitl 4:00 pm on saturday and the fork generated both it’s units on that day. Today the fork had both units on and the white started with one unit and then upped the CFS some. I was off the river at noon today and picked my water for the hopper bite.
See the links on the resources page for generation info and graphs for water generation.
Also see http://ozarkmountainregion.com for a fishing package I am running in nov and december. The prices are right and the accomodations are right on the river. In fact one can’t get any closer and there is a private dock and a boat ramp. Perfect spot for night fishing and you don’t have to drive any where. The cabin is a mile and three quarters from the dam and just below the state park.
Good fishing
Jimmy T.