12/04/06
As predicted, the October doldrums have dissipated with colder weather in November. The fishing has improved considerably; and, by and large, the traffic on both rivers has thinned down to a very comfortable level. With hunting seasons, holiday family responsibilities, and occasional nasty weather ahead, things should stay quiet here for the balance of the winter.
The trout are working their way through their spawning cycle, with spawning slowing down on the Norfork but going strong on the White. Luckily, the majority of the big spawning Brown Trout on the White have moved into the closed area below Bull Shoals Dam, and are out of harm's way.
With the heavy rains recently, we should be prepared for a change in water flows later. Norfork Lake is several feet into the flood pool, and Bull Shoals is just barely below flood pool. When the lakes get into the flood pool, ordinarily that excess water is run through, as long as there is room in the lower rivers for it. Often we'll get into a cycle where the flows are low for a few days after a heavy rain, then cycle up quite high as the flooding downstream dissipates. Rainfall this time of year is more significant than during the warm months because there are no plants growing to suck up the water, so more water ends up in the lakes. This could point the way to some great shad fishing this winter, as higher water is a necessity for a good shad kill. With our cool fall and continuing regular cold blasts, we might see Shad before New Year's.
As we get into winter, you might be surprised by a mayfly hatch on either the White or Norfork. These are Baetis mayflies, blue winged olives about size 22, and they tend to mainly hatch on cloudy days. They can provide a nice break from our normal winter dredging.
Stop by and see us ………….Dale
