The Shad are here. Big surges of Shad began coming through Bull Shoals Dam just in time for the February 1 reopening of the great Trophy Trout Area immediately below the Dam. The Shad kill on the Norfork River hasn't really gotten underway, but is inevitable soon. The weather is right, so Shad will probably be the main feature in our tailwater rivers for the next month or two.
For those of you not familiar with the shad kill, some background: Threadfin Shad were imported into our lakes to feed the bass and particularly the voracious stripers. Wherever they came from wasn't as cold as here, so in winter our lakes can get below their temperature tolerance. When a school of the cold, weakened shad wobbles in front of an operating turbine, voila! All of a sudden they're in the river. They're either dead or badly stunned, but not "chopped up", as many people think.
For imitations, virtually any white or gray and white fly, 1 1/2 to 3 inches long, is an adequate imitation. Our Arkansas Beadhead has stood the test of time and is the most used shad imitation.
Good news/ bad news: The good news is Shad are a huge food source and all the trout, even the largest, focus on them. On the down side, shad only come through the dam when the turbines are running, so wading opportunities are limited. Waders catch fish on shad patterns even in low water, but most of the big trout are caught from boats when the water is high. The worst news is that the shad are such a big, available morsel, that the trout gorge and often fill up on them. This can shut the fishing down for days.
The Shad kill was definitely helped this year by the huge amount of water running through the dams. These are the highest flows we've seen in quite some time. Hopefully you polished up your boating skills in the moderate flows we had most of last year; but if not, now is not the time to learn! If you're not experienced boating in the big water, suck it up and hire a guide. Be particular: many guides in the area also are not experienced at fly fishing the rivers at these extreme levels.
Our water situation could change abruptly. Because of the high flows, both Bull Shoals and Norfork Lake levels have dropped like a bathtub with the plug pulled and have reached power pool levels. This probably will precipitate a change in dam operation, and we may see some wadable water in the not too distant future.
Stop by and see us ...............Dale
