Return to Fishing Reports main page.

 
January 19, 2005

Fishing Tip: Add a couple of safety pins to your tackle box or fishing vest. They come in handy to clear the paint-clogged eyes of jigs and flies. The point can also be used to help untangle backlashes and knots.

White River: Gaston's White River Resort said the river clarity is good, but the level is high. Generation is on 24-hours a day. Trout fishing is excellent on Colorado’s and rouges, silver with a black belly. Also on sunny days, try using silver Rapala Countdowns or on cloudy days, try gold Rapala Countdowns.

Bull Shoals Tailwater: McLellan’s Fly Shop said 2 to 6 units have been running most days, building up to 8 units by late afternoon. Drifting with the lower water releases has produced some excellent fly-fishing opportunities from a boat.  The trout are all fat and healthy after the extended period of high water. As a result, fly-fishing has been very good lately in the various shoals of the upper river, especially using sow bugs, scuds, Unreal Eggs, Golden Eggs and San Juan Worms. Some very large trout have been hooked lately. The best flies have been:  Zebra and Black/Olive Rubber-leg Copper John (sizes 14 to18), McLellan’s Woven V-Rib Sowbug (sizes 14 to 16), McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Tan, Olive and Gray (sizes 14 to16), Red Fox Squirrel Nymph (sizes 12 to 16), Little Brown Bug (sizes 14 to 16), March Brown Spider (sizes 12 to 14), Red Ass (size 16), Partridge & Herl (size 16), Rag Sculpin (size 6), Golden Eggs (size 16), Unreal Eggs (size 12), Platte River Special (size 4),  Articulated Zoo Cougar (size 4) and  Swimming Jimmy (size 4).

North Fork River: McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has been scaled back over the past week. The water is primarily running early and late in the day, providing some wade-fishing opportunities. However, with all of the water in the Norfork reservoir, the generation rate should increase over the next week. Scuds, sow bugs and midges have been producing plenty of strikes. Several big browns are in the North Fork right now in spawning mode. So in the interest of keeping our brown trout fishery healthy, it is important to avoid wading through any spawning reds or casting into actively spawning fish. Below spawning shoals, Golden Eggs and McLellan’s Tan Hunchback Scuds are producing several hook-ups. During high-water conditions, streamer fishing has been excellent from a boat (especially on overcast days). Using Streamer Express lines, big new streamers like the Swimming Jimmy and Articulated Zoo Cougar have produced several strikes lately and plenty of excitement. Nymph fishing in high water has also been productive, using bigger McLellan’s Hunchback Scuds, egg patterns and San Juan Worms. The best flies have been:  McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Tan, Olive and Gray (sizes 14 to16), Morgan’s Midge (sizes 22 to 24), Rojo Midge (size 22), Yong Special (sizes 20 to 22), Zebra Jujubee Midge (sizes 20 to 24), Mercury Black Beauty (sizes 20 to 22), Gray Mercury Midge (sizes 20 to 22), WD-50 (sizes 20 to 22), McLellan’s Woven Sow Bug (sizes 14 to 16), Golden Egg (size 16), Unreal Eggs (size 12), Mercury Brassie (sizes 18 to 20), Mercury Blood Midge (sizes 20 to 22), Platte River Special (size 4), San Juan Worm (size 16), Articulated Zoo Cougar (size 4) and Swimming Jimmy (4).

Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake has a stain, and the level is still high. Crappie are biting well from 20- to 25-feet deep on crappie jigs and split-tail jigs.

Return to Fishing Reports main page.