My clients this weekend were from Baltimore and I think they brought winter back to Arkansas. Saturday was a wet, cold day with a blustery wind that at times was bitterly cold. John and Dave stuck it out and caught fish all day the rainbows were active all day biting small brown midges in the morning and then large olive nymphs in the afternoon. The water was clear and low with no generation.
On Sunday we fished the lower river having another great day catching rainbows on the shoals and in the deeper pools again using the same flies and methods. A little warmer (not much) but a lot drier and the fish were biting all day. In the afternoon we caught really nice rainbows with one 17” brown. Most of the rainbows were above average. The fish were cruising and taking March browns with several large trout rising.
Monday, the weather was much better and the fish were still active. On a morning trip, my clients caught a lot of rainbows on the small midge pupas. A few fish were rising but not many, so we fished the midge pupa with good success.
The river is in really good shape right now and the rain over the weekend was not enough to affect it. There was no generation Saturday and Sunday. Monday they started back to the early morning and late evening generation pattern. Fishing should be good when generation permits. Morning wade fishing is possible at Winkley Shoal and then the JFK Park area in the afternoons. The lake is still low so generation should be at a minimum.
Good Fishing!!
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