New Year! What's the Scoop?
If there has ever been a year that has flown by, 2019 was the year. The biggest event, by far, was the birth of our twin babies. Ford and Eleanor have enriched our lives to a level that words cannot explain. Being a father has also put a new meaning into everything that I do, including guiding and fishing. Balancing parenthood, sleep deprivation, guiding and outfitting has been a big challenge, but also so rewarding. I have had more personal growth in the past year than ever before.
It is hard to believe that I am going into my 11th season as a fly fishing guide. It is all I have done over my entire adult life. I started this gig in college with no intention of it becoming a career move, but as something that I really enjoyed doing. That still holds true to this day, and I am so thankful for that. Most of all, I am so thankful for all of my customers who have become like family over the years. You guys have kept a dream alive for many years, but now you are also allowing me to provide for something larger than just a dream, but for a family. So, thank you.
Over the past several months, the Corps of Engineers has been lowering the White River Lakes back down to their respective power pools. Norfork is currently operating below pool and Bull Shoals is less than a foot away. Soon, generation will be based solely on power demand. Expect Steady high-water flows until Bull hits pool. After that, I would expect heavier morning and evening generation patterns during the winter months, since these are the coldest parts of the day where power demand is highest. Obviously, streamer fishing is a popular technique this time of year, and I will spend many days in the next couple of months working with clients on finding their fish of a lifetime.
Don’t forget about the reason people have been coming to the White River in the winter for many years before streamer fishing became fashionable and cool. Shad. With the high flows we have been experiencing, there has. been a small but steady trickle of these silvery morsels coming through both dams, keeping the fish keyed on white flies. For those of you who aren’t sure the streamer fishing isn’t for you, or if you would like to combine numbers with some quality fish (aha! that’s why people like fishing this time of year), lets get on the books.
Im going to hit on a subject that has become controversial over the past couple of years in the guiding community. Everyone likes to talk about it, but won’t throw it out in the open because everyone seems to be afraid of offending others in a time where everyone is triggered. This time of year, there is a massive influx of out of state guides that set up shop on our rivers. If you are looking to book a trip to hunt for a trophy brown trout on one of the largest, most complex trout fisheries in the world, ask yourself - do you want to put your trust in someone who only guides here 6 weeks out of the year? We have the strongest team of guides with the in depth knowledge of our rivers in every different water flow and condition. Most of these fellas that show up part time have never even seen the bottom structure of the river at minimum flow, so what happens this year when the lake is back to pool and we see consistent lower flows on days when power demand isn’t very high?
Bottom line, hire local full time guides. We will show you the experience that you are looking for. We can answer the questions you have. Most of all, we know this river intimately. Ok, rant over.
Give us a call at (870) 421-8960
email brock@northarkansastroutfitters.com