Complete White River Fly Fishing Website

March 2010 Newsletter

Transition in the Ozarks

 

Spring can start early in the Ozarks some years, but this has certainly not felt like the case recently. Temperatures continue to be cool, but we did get a taste of the 60’s and 70’s in late February before things abruptly cooled off. March is typically a month of extremes, but the old proverb about lambs and lions is much too simplified to apply to the wacky weather we see during late winter and early spring in the Ozarks. It can be downright balmy and in the 80’s one day, and then below freezing the next. Anglers need to keep this in mind when packing their gear for a White River Basin fly fishing trip during March.

As of this writing, Bull Shoals, Norfork and Table Rock Lakes are right at power pool. The region has been in an arid pattern for several months, and at least for the short term, this trend looks to continue. We are just now experiencing our first taste of low water in quite some time; Table Rock and Norfork have been shutting down for the afternoon most days. I predict that low water conditions will slowly become more common over the next few weeks, but any sort of widespread rainfall will throw us back into a high-water cycle right away. Let’s hope that the dry conditions continue for the sake of variety.

February’s fishing ended up being every bit as good as I anticipated it would be, and shad started coming through Bull Shoals Dam in the middle of the month. We had some great days throwing shad patterns, but the action slowed down as March drew near. I highly doubt that the shad kill is over, and as I’ve tried to stress, each day is going to fish differently with respect to the shad bite. There will be opportunities through April to catch big trout on white streamers, but you must be prepared to switch to conventional nymph techniques if shad patterns are not working. I have been doing well with Miracle Flies, San Juan Worms and various other standard patterns on both the White and on Lake Taneycomo.

It has been awhile since Taneycomo has fished so well, and the number of big rainbows we are seeing is encouraging. Water releases were wild during the Beaver Lake drawdown, but consistency is hopefully going to take hold in March. Those who only wade need to keep a close eye on the precipitation forecast this spring, but I try not to get too caught up in ‘hoping’ for certain conditions. Part of the fun of the White River Basin tailwaters is adapting to the many different water levels. I certainly miss the relaxed situations that accompany lower flows, and I would not mind doing something new. Still, I know that after a month or two of low water, I will be ready for the Corp to crank it back up. Because the lakes are neither high nor low right now, it is pointless to speculate on what might happen. As long as lake levels do not go up, there will be more chances of seeing dead-low water with each passing day.

Taneycomo Trout Updates

I am still working hard at securing spots for our June trip to Boise for amazing brown trout fishing on the Owyhee River, along with possibly hitting Silver Creek or the South Fork of the Boise. We have our pricing pretty well set, and a hosted trip like this is about having the opportunity to learn from me and another guide all day long. Two days of fishing on the Owyhee will be with local guides and the other two days will be “host-assisted”. Check out the Owyhee page on the site for more info, and I will be [hopefully] posting a video of my friend in Boise catching one 20-inch plus brown after another in the same spot – he said he landed at least seven pigs in an hour. I cannot wait to see this place for myself, and I will let everyone know when I get this eye-candy put together. We are limiting this first excursion to six anglers, so let us know as soon as possible if you are interested. It is my goal to have this all put together by the end of March.

Hopefully, everyone is enjoying the Taneycomo Trout Web site’s new content and enhanced reports. It feels great to be a part of this project, as I love knowing that I am helping people learn about my favorite places in the world. I want my site to be a trusted resource for honest information, and I’ve always felt that the fly fishing world is often too secretive, which is why I hold nothing back. Of course, there are limitations to words and images, and many people are thirsty to learn more about the Ozark trout fisheries after they comb through all of the content. Never hesitate to let me know if you have any suggestions, and I do take all feedback to heart. It always makes my day to receive a glowing comment from a satisfied reader.

March has always been one of my favorite months because the bite is usually very good on both high and low water. When the rivers are low in March, you can almost count on a hey-day. Unfortunately, it is not all that common to see the dams completely shut down during this month, but it looks like this year may be different. My guiding schedule has finally started to fill in, but I still have plenty of open days in March. Be honest with yourself; do you have cabin-fever? Most people come down with a bad case this time of year, and the perfect cure is a fly fishing trip on the White River, Norfork Tailwater and Lake Taneycomo. In all honesty, 2010 will likely be one of the best big fish years in recent memory. February typically has slower fishing than March -it is hard to imagine the action improving, but there is no doubt that the best fishing of the year has yet to come.

Guide Tips for March

Making Sense of Split Shots and Droppers

A common mistake that many fly fishermen make is that they do not use enough weight to get their fly near the bottom. Heavy flows on the White River, Norfork Tailwater and Lake Taneycomo are deceivingly slow, and often it will appear that a big split shot or heavy “point” fly (the fly above a dropper) is not necessary. Anglers who are learning how to fish a new piece of water should err on the side of using too much weight when starting out. If they are hitting bottom on every drift, it is time to go shallower with the indicator or lighter with respect to weight.

I have always found it helpful to really simplify my approach when it comes to determining how much weight I will use. Over the years, I have developed a system that helps keep me sane. Keep in mind that the only objective of nymph fishing is to dead-drift a fly near the bottom, and adjustments are almost always necessary in order to stay on the fish all day long. The strategies I utilize work for me, but I encourage others to get creative and try new things.

Heavy water on the White, Norfork and Lake Taneycomo

One of the most challenging fly fishing situations on the White River Basin is when flows are heavy. During periods when lake levels are above normal levels, the dams will usually release copious amounts of water. At these times, it is not only important to use enough weight to keep a fly down; anglers must also find shallow and slow areas where the fish are accessible.

When flows exceed the two unit level on Taneycomo, I will almost always use a 3/0 split-shot. A big indicator is needed to hold up the weight of this size shot. On the White, I will use a 3/0 shot once there are three or more units in operation. I can find places on Norfork to use this size of split-shot on levels that exceed a half a generator of water. As the water gets increasingly higher, the fish will tend to gravitate towards banks, structure and submerged gravel bars. A boat is necessary to fish these rivers when the water is rolling.

Moderate water on the White, Norfork and Lake Taneycomo

Drifting in a boat during moderate flows can be a blast. During these conditions, the trout on our rivers are free to move around in order to find food, and the fish are often aggressive. By moderate flows, I am referring to times when there is only one or two generators running on the White and Taneycomo. On the Norfork, moderate flows are anything less than a half a unit.

Even though the water may appear slow and shallow during moderate water releases, it is still critical to use an appropriate amount of weight. In general, I will use either a #4 shot in really shallow water, and I will use a BB or AB in deep or fast zones. Before I switch to a different size shot, I will first adjust my indicator to see if that makes a difference. The trick to catching a lot of trout on moderate flows is to find the deeper slots where the fish are concentrated.

Low water on the White, Norfork and Lake Taneycomo

I primarily use weighted flies when the water is shut down, but there are still situations where I like to fish with a non-weighted pattern below a dropper or an indicator. Non-weighted micro San Juan Worms, midge pupas and tiny emergers will produce nice fish when dead drifted through riffles and runs during low water. If I decide to use a split-shot, I will go with a #6 normally, but I’ve even gone as small as a #8 in the skinny water of the catch and release areas on the upper White and Norfork.

Thoughts on droppers

Now that multi-fly rigs are allowed in the catch and release areas, there are many opportunities to use droppers and point flies to fool the “refined” fish that reside in our trophy zones. If you are just learning the sport, or if you have trouble with casting at all, it is recommended that only one fly be used at a time. A single fly works very well on the White, Norfork and Lake Taneycomo. Dropper setups are prone to time-sucking tangles, but they do have a place. Two-fly rigs are perfect for really heavy water when an attractor fly above the dropper will help garner more attention, and they are also helpful in really clear water where the trout are wary of split-shots. Seldom will two-fly rigs catch significantly more fish than one-fly rigs, but it does happen, so it is important to be prepared.

Tackle and tips

There are scores of split-shot brands on the market, and almost all of them are different from each other in one way or another. I prefer the fly fishing shots that are green or black, as these colors seem to be ignored by spooky fish.  It is critical to only use round split-shots – the reusable ones with ‘ears’ will hang up in spots where a perfectly round shot will simply roll along. Round split-shots are the only way to go, no matter where you fish.

Round split-shots are sold by Wal-Mart and other retailers - I did use the big-name brands they sell for many years. There are several issues with these products, but these problems are easy to solve. First off, many split shots are way too silver and bright. If I’m in a hurry, I will simply soak shiny shots in vinegar, which will dull their appearance significantly. I’ve also been known to paint split shots orange, peach or yellow. This can work really well during high water, and the messes associated with a point fly/dropper are never an issue with a painted split shot.

Another frustrating aspect of fishing with a split shot is how they like to slide around. I solve this dilemma by simply tying my lower tippet into two pieces, and I then place the split shot above the knot. This will eliminate the shot sliding down to the fly, but it is still important to make sure that any type of split-shot is firmly attached to the line so that it will not move around.

 

Using split-shots and droppers is just part of being a complete fly angler, even though such attachments to a leader make tangles more likely. The White, Norfork and Lake Taneycomo can be fly fished quite effectively using weighted flies during low water periods, but when the water gets high, added weight is absolutely necessary. Those who consistently get their fly down near the bottom are going to experience the most success.

And in conclusion…

Hopefully, everyone has enjoyed this comprehensive newsletter.  I am always eager to hear from my readers, so let me know what you think. March is going to be a great month, so be sure to come to the Ozarks if getting out of the house will do you some good. The end of the long winter is now in sight, and my absolute favorite time of year is upon us. The possibility of some low water is looking pretty decent in the short term, but the bite has been fantastic on all water conditions, and I look for this to continue.

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