FISHING REPORT

Well its been building all spring but the big water is finally here. We are now starting to see big chunks of the day with between five or six units of water, which is high but more friendly to fish than secen or eight units, and more fun than flood gate conditions. Bull Shoals Lake […] READ MORE >>

There’s a few things that have come to mean summer in the Ozarks: stepping out side into a soft warm cloak of air at dawn, the smell of baked grass and dirt, popup storms blooming in the west; and the long slow rise of a brown trout to your fly. There hasn’t been too much […] READ MORE >>

It’s spring time and there is all manner of fly fishing entertainment going on. Caddis is good on the White, but slowing down some, and some lonely sulphurs showing up early for the big dance. The creeks are popping, with smallmouth, carp and tropical panfish. If big stripers in a small river gets you excited, […] READ MORE >>

Hooly Dooly, we might be waking up to low flows for the first time in a while, this morning. Once the morning storms pass it should be a very caddisy Friday. The authorities slid back the water flows from last week’s 20,000+ cfs over the course of the week, sparking off the first real caddis […] READ MORE >>

Water, water everywhere, nor any spot to wade. You just might need a boat. Messing with Coleridge is one way to pass the time, while tying up long leaders and digging out the big split shot. It’s been a while since we had some round the clock big flows, but it looks like we will […] READ MORE >>

It’s spring time on the tailwaters caddis popping, gusty winds and dealing with spring rails, but the fishing has been a lot of fun. Bull Shoals Lake has officially crested after recent torrential rains and is on the way back down, as the Dam has ramped up releases each day this week. Norfork has floodgates […] READ MORE >>

For all the furrowed brows and sweaty palms from last weekend’s torrential rain, this week turned out pretty dam good. It was our first big group of the spring: four guides a day; Chef Shane prepping gourmet dinners every night and booking out the entire Commercial Hotel in Cotter to ensure everyone had private rooms. […] READ MORE >>

“Just wait and see”. I’ve given this advice a bunch over the years, and through myriad weather events. Weather is just part of the game in the outdoors, and no the professional forecaster don’t get it right all the time. Rain is part of the game, the bilge pump in my boat isn’t there for […] READ MORE >>

It’s been a heck of a long time since we had scheduled low water for both the White and Norfork for Sowbug Friday. The tyers and vendors will still be around tomorrow afternoon, but you can bet your life there will be a subtle migration towards the tailwaters. Saturday morning can normally be a bit […] READ MORE >>

Windy enough to blow the cream out of your coffee. That’s been the story of this week. Springtime weather has slid on in, upper 70s early in the week, a slap of cold morning from a front midweek, and warming back up tomorrow. And that wind is definitely a spring thing in the Ozarks. But […] READ MORE >>

Once in a while, every so often, you hear the story about the guy who actually did get to “be here yesterday”, when it all the elements come together. Jason Taylor called SDO Wednesday night saying he was bringing his wife down for a last minute trip and could he get a guide? As it […] READ MORE >>

The big question of course is has spring sprung? Are we going to be getting a cold April slap in the face as winter comes back late, which is a truly Arkansas thing to happen. Plenty of people are pondering whether we will see the caddis return earlier this year. Once upon an Ozarks, we […] READ MORE >>

Brr its cold. Even after all these years in Arkansas winters, and a much better selection of coldweather clothing, my Australian side comes out. Fishing in the cold is a matter of will power and desire to find those winter brown trout But it wasn’t just me in the latter part of this week, the […] READ MORE >>

The water is back and some big flows unleashed this week as winter rains push Bull Shoals Lake higher. It’s been a good while since Bull Shoals was up in flood stage even if its less than an inch, and only a little less than we had seen since the tailwater topped 20,000 cfs. Monday’s […] READ MORE >>

Who would have thought it possible, 81 degrees in February and we shook it off like it was nothing. The weather has been weird and same with the water. Saturday will be upper 70s and Sunday 45 before ushering in snow shower possibly on Monday. The true winter fishing freaks, whether they are nymphing, hunting […] READ MORE >>

The shift in water management in Bull Shoals Lake over the past couple of years has had fly fishers and guides scratching their heads. Earlier flushing of flood waters resulting in more stable lake levels, keeps lake front owners smiling but has hopper fishing addicts, looking for high summer flows, all out of sorts. Now […] READ MORE >>