Tommy and Mike from Houston.
Kyle from Florida came with his grandfather and really wanted to learn how to fly fish. He was a fast learner and did pretty good with ants and a dropper.
Some bigger water in the afternoons and some wadeable lower almost minimum flows in the mornings. That has pretty much been the generation schedule the past few weeks.
I would look for this pattern to continue through the month of August. In the mornings I am throwing a black ant with a blood midge or red midge dropper at the dam on the lower flows and switching over to a hopper in black orange or tan on bigger flows. Fish structure such as shelf drop offs shallow gravel areas and areas that have lots of grass. On rough banks look for velocity or flow breaks behind rocks or little inlets that may hold a brown trout. To be honest days with a bit more wind generally seem to work better than really calm days. The rising water we have had lately is pretty clean compared to earlier in the year when it got pretty nasty with even a small 6 inch rise. The water is fishable without catching a ton of didy or other types of moss. If you are fishing the dam area and the water kicks on head down stream to Cotter or Rim Shoals and continue fishing for another 4 to 6 hours depending on how much water is actually turned on. Myself along with several other guides who have been on this river for 20 years are pretty sure the water travels a little faster than before the 2010 flood. Holes such as Stetsons and White Hole are narrower due to deposits of gravel which we are pretty sure have increased the speed at which the initial push travels so be careful and pay attention by watching upstream. A giveaway is a bunch of boats in a hurry traveling downstream to stay in front of the water. As we all know the fish bite pretty well on rising water which is what gets wade fishers in trouble on this river. Be safe and pay attention while wading.
Surface action is getting good and in years past the last half of August and the first two or three weeks of September have traditionally been the sweet spot for hopper fishing. Although this action has been slowed a bit by the various cold fronts that have come through the action is getting better everyday.
Call 870-404-8906 and book today.
Jimmy T.