Tale Waters The Voice of the North Arkansas Fly Fishers

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The Voice of the North Arkansas Fly Fishers February 14, 2017 North Arkansas Fly Fishers North Arkansas Fly Fishers meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

NAFF Board of Director s meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month at 1:00 pm 1st Security Bank on 9th St. All members are welcome and encouraged to attend.

... (870) 404-0747 Treasurer David Hea.(870) 421-7078 Directors Conservation Tommy Hagan..(870) 430-2091 Property Kevin Boddy..(870) - 421-7804 Education Fred Stumpf.

Article deadline is 1st Tuesday of the month. Staff: Mike Tipton & Rita Billbe Contact: sowbug@northarkansasflyfisher.

1 The Voice of the North Arkansas Fly Fishers February 14, 2017 North Arkansas Fly Fishers North Arkansas Fly Fishers meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Meetings are held at the Van Matre Senior Center located at 1101 Spring St Mountain Home, AR Membership meeting starts at 7:00 pm. All members and guests are welcome and encouraged to attend. NAFF Board of Director s meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month at 1:00 pm 1st Security Bank on 9th St. All members are welcome and encouraged to attend. Visit North Arkansas Fly Fishers Online at Officers President Ken Sickels (870) Vice President Tom Emerick (870) Secretary Pat Smith.... (870) Treasurer David Hea.(870) Directors Conservation Tommy Hagan..(870) Property Kevin Boddy..(870) Education Fred Stumpf Membership Paul Ashton (870) Past President Mike Tipton..(870) Appd. by President Vern Berry (870) is published 2nd Tuesday of each month. Article deadline is 1st Tuesday of the month. Staff: Mike Tipton & Rita Billbe Contact: sowbug@northarkansasflyfisher.org Sowbug Preview in March Tom Emerick ties at Sowbug The February meeting will be sort of a preview of Sowbug. There will be fly tiers and stuff for sale or swap. The following folks will be tying flys for your edification and amusement: John Berry - Green Butt soft hackle Ron McQuay - Soft hackles Paul Port - crawfish Dennis Galyardt- Czech nymphs Fred DuPre - trout flies Tom Emerick - Elk Hair caddis and up-wing dry fly You can also bring things to sell or swap. There will be tables for the layout of the items and the means to mark it as to sale or swap. Club members are invited to observe the fly tying and shop the fly fishing stuff. But, save some money for the Sowbug Roundup! Sowbug is Volunteers Setting up for Sowbug Sowbug Volunteer Thankyou Gift The Sowbug Roundup is only a month off! Things are quickly coming together. Two of the busiest groups now are the folks who collect local donations and those who then collate and sort the donations for the raffles and auctions. The folks who have been soliciting for local donations include Dave Hussey, Mike Stout, Ed Hakesley, Ron Beasley, Tommy Hagan, and Keith Duncan. The sorting and collating of the donations is led by Dennis and Amy Galyardt with the assistance of Rueben Swenson, Fred Stumpf, Corkie Stumpf, Kevin Boddy, Pat Smith, Cindy Louis, Ceil Gasiecki, and Ken Sickles. The successful execution of Sowbug relies on a lot of volunteers. We are looking for people to help work the front door, Cont. next page

Page 2 Sowbug from page 1 assist in setup, and work admissions and the bar at the Sowbug Shindig.

Sowbug Volunteers earn the handsome mug/beer stein shown in the picture.

various tiers from the Club and a materials and equipment exchange, sale or give away.

I would like to thank Club membership for approving the expenditure of $18, 000.

The Park has three ponds that will be stocked with fish. The Park is located west of Mountain Home off 62.

The 20th annual Sowbug is fast approaching.

etc. Should be a great event thanks to the Sowbug Committee.

2 Page 2 Sowbug from page 1 assist in setup, and work admissions and the bar at the Sowbug Shindig. Please contact me if you are willing to help. Mike Tipton or michaeltipton@centurytel.net. Sowbug Volunteers earn the handsome mug/beer stein shown in the picture. Sowbug Super Sorting Team February President s Message Looking forward to our February meeting featuring various tiers from the Club and a materials and equipment exchange, sale or give away. Hope to see you all at the meeting on Tuesday, February 21st. I would like to thank Club membership for approving the expenditure of $18, for the erection of a pavilion in McCabe Park in Mountain Home. The Park has three ponds that will be stocked with fish. The Park is located west of Mountain Home off 62. The pavilion will be located between the two large oak trees overlooking two of the ponds. The 20th annual Sowbug is fast approaching. The Club is always looking for volunteers to help set up and take down, work the raffles, auctions, front desk etc. Should be a great event thanks to the Sowbug Committee. Landon Mayer will be the Club s guest speaker for our October 28 & 29 event. I encourage everyone to take a look at his web site for his bio etc. Thanks to Tom Emerick, Vern Berry, Kevin Boddy and Danny Barker for making the beginning tying class a great success. Ken Sickels - President Weather Cancellation Policy NAFF Activities or Meeting will be cancelled or postponed when the Mountain Home Public Schools Cancel Classes. Check KTLO radio website for school closing info.

Page 3 Fly of the Month The Pink Squirrel Hook: Scud hook (#14 or #16) although pretty much any nymph hook works just fine.

chenille or yarn The Pink Squirrel is a classic fly developed by John Behtke for the Driftless Area of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa; it is now fished all over the world.

I have seen them in the fly boxes of a number of our local experts. Fly tied by Mike Tipton, recipe from Minnesota Trout Unlimited.

The schedule is full with some of the best tiers in the country as well as tiers from Japan, Denmark and England.

Again, Wapsi has generously donated several hundred dollars of fly tying material as the grand prize. We also have three excellent tying classes this year.

We will also auction off three fly plates from flies donated by the tiers Membership Report Please welcome our latest new members, joining us at January s club meeting and the Beginning Fly

3 Page 3 Fly of the Month The Pink Squirrel Hook: Scud hook (#14 or #16) although pretty much any nymph hook works just fine. Thread: Pink 70 denier Unithread Bead: 1/8" gold bead Tail: 2-3 strands of pearl Krystal Flash Rib: Red copper wire Body: Fox squirrel fur with amber Antron blended together Collar: Pink chenille or yarn The Pink Squirrel is a classic fly developed by John Behtke for the Driftless Area of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa; it is now fished all over the world. John Townsell lists it in his article about fishing the Driftless Area and Dave Hughes lists the Pink Squirrel as an important component of his small stream fly box. I have seen them in the fly boxes of a number of our local experts. Fly tied by Mike Tipton, recipe from Minnesota Trout Unlimited. Sowbug Tyers Update Over 120 tiers have been scheduled to tie at our Sowbug Roundup. The schedule is full with some of the best tiers in the country as well as tiers from Japan, Denmark and England. Make sure you see Ken Sickles who is running the Iron Fly Tying Contest to sign up for this fun event. Again, Wapsi has generously donated several hundred dollars of fly tying material as the grand prize. We also have three excellent tying classes this year. Mike George is teaching deer hair stacking, Jere Anderson is teaching how to tie the IFFF Bronze Award flies and Dutch Baughman will be giving a class on thread control and other techniques. We will also auction off three fly plates from flies donated by the tiers Membership Report Please welcome our latest new members, joining us at January s club meeting and the Beginning Fly Tying class that started in January. It s a pleasure to welcome you to the club. Steven & Debra Gibson of Yellville, AR Jerry Frost of Mountain Home, AR Lynne Hogan of Pocahontas, AR Kenny Shipp of Lakeview, AR Lewis & Billie Sue Jackson of Mountain Home, AR Membership totals are up to 322 memberships, 451 members and looking ahead to Sowbug. As indicated last month, we are focusing on Sowbug to handle the vast majority of renewals. If you received an reminder and you won t be able to attend Sowbug, please let us know. We can send a hard copy Renewal notices if necessary. Cont a c t m e a t n a f f m e m b e r - ship@gmail.com to request your renewal notice. Paul Ashton - Membership

4 Page 4 Spring River Fishing Report Water levels are running at 286 cfs at the spring and water clarity is clear. The river is low and easier to wade. Still plenty of slick rocks so be careful. White woollies and y2ks have been hot lately. The brown trout have been hitting big stone flies hard too. Plenty of hatches of caddis and mayflies. Not much dry fly action on the Spring River but nymph imitations can work well during bug hatches. We have a new and improved website that is mobile friendly. Same address just new features. Check out the new blog page for trout catching info at springriverfliesandguides.com. Tight lines and good luck, Mark Crawford springriverfliesandguides.com

Page 5 Jimmy T s Fishing Report February 0pening day at the catch & release area arrived with a big bang and with fishers starting at 12:01. As usual there was quite a crowd.

The brown trout, which are normally easier to catch at this time of year, have been much harder to come by; but the rainbows are easy to catch.

5 Page 5 Jimmy T s Fishing Report February 0pening day at the catch & release area arrived with a big bang and with fishers starting at 12:01. As usual there was quite a crowd. Reports coming into the shop from fisherman were not as good as usual. The brown trout, which are normally easier to catch at this time of year, have been much harder to come by; but the rainbows are easy to catch. Spooky describes the brown trout and seems to be the word I ve heard most. I can attest to this fact from my own outings on the river in January and early February. Sight fishing to brown trout is a heck of a way to target these big fish. However, making a cast to these fish sure made them move away. These fish are extremely wary this winter, moving out of the area before our fly lines even hit the water. As a test, I put my rod down and waited for the fish to move back into their holding area and gave them a few minutes to get comfortable. Then picked up my rod, stripped off line, moved some distance away making my cast above and upstream from these fish. They moved away before my line landed on the water. Not that this is unusual, but now these fish are spooked day in and day out. Even on higher flows they are somewhat easier to catch but not like normal. Discussions with other fishers and guides lead to the inevitable question as to why this is so. I have never seen it quite so hard to catch brown trout in the winter. Of course, we have had two mild winters in a row. Perhaps this the reason. However, I would like to posit a theory which is a compilation of ideas of other long time winter fishermen and guides--a consensus of observations. This guide just happens to have a platform to speak about it. In years past, when fly fishing was not so popular and the crowds were much thinner, catching bigger fish was not so hard. Fly fishing is now predominant on both the Norfork and White rivers at this time of year. The style of fishing has also changed with nymphing or midging evolving into streamer fishing with larger flies and heavier rods. The numbers of fisherman have also increased exponentially. This style of fishing has become popular nationwide and bigger flows are idea. However, this year those flows are rare due to low lake levels. With the number of folks wanting to catch the BIG fish, night fishing has become the alternative for those fishers. We now have 24-hour fishing 7 days a week for these brown trout. They never get a rest and thus become very wary. Evidence of this is seen on the fish themselves with scars on the backs and broken jaws. Boats of all kinds are on the water night and day--jet boats, prop boats, drift boats, kayaks and canoes. Night fishing can be very pro- ductive for big fish. I have done it myself. But this year is different. With the proliferation of private boats as well as the increase in numbers of guides in our area and the influx of out of state guides, the traffic on our waters both day and night is astounding. This also creates a bit of a culture clash amongst those making a regular living on our waters and for those who live here and fish these waters often. The courtesy and non-written rules of the river seem to have gone by the wayside. It is my opinion as well as others that the pressure on the White River, in particular, is why the catching is much harder this year. The safety of those fishing at night should also be a concern for our enforcement officials. Stories of near misses between motorized craft and paddle-driven craft have wafted into my shop by both the motorized angler and paddle-craft angler. Lights at night seem to be an option especially for non-motorized craft. It is just a matter of time before someone gets hurt if this continues. A movement is afoot amongst local guides to do something about this. This movement is in its fetal stage and is growing rapidly. It is my humble opinion that some changes need to be made. Others have also expressed this opinion to me. That opinion is that night fishing needs to stop.

Page 6 Fly Fishing Spring Creeks in the Driftless Area in Wisconsin (and MN, IA and A Driftless Area Creek During the school term, we live in West Salem, WI which is about 5 miles East of La Crosse,

6 Page 6 Fly Fishing Spring Creeks in the Driftless Area in Wisconsin (and MN, IA and A Driftless Area Creek During the school term, we live in West Salem, WI which is about 5 miles East of La Crosse, WI on the Mississippi River. There are many spring creek streams in the Driftless area (where the glaciers didn t cover it during the last ice age). There are over miles of accessible streams! These streams are comparable to the famous spring creeks in Pennsylvania (the Letort, Yellow Breeches, etc.) but are not nearly as well known. There are many streams miles away in Iowa and Minnesota which I have scouted. So far, I drive (25-30) miles to my current fishing spot near Coon Valley, WI. There are (3) almost parallel streams that I am fishing (and scouting ): Bohemian Valley, Timber Coulee and its tributary, Rullands Coulee and Spring Coulee. These (and Coon Creek) all come together in the vicinity of Coon Valley, WI. I have fished Timber Coulee the most. I just started upstream in an area, fished for a day; and the next trip, I started at my exit and again fished upstream. I repeated this cycle to learn the waters. I also did a couple of "bushwhacking trips" which were a LOT of work but I probably caught trout that would have died of old age without ever seeing a fly! The old adage in Yellowstone Park is: 99% of the fishermen never travel over 100 yards from the road! The tough part of the bushwhacking is that, in the summer and Fall, I am traveling in green weeds over my head and green, thick-stemmed grass that is knee to waist high. I literally have to "bull my way" through. Where this is prevalent, the fishing from the bank can be brutal: snagging flies on back casts and on weeds overhanging the stream. Takes lots of 6x and 7x fluorocarbon tippet, SIs, flies and patience to fish like this! Regarding wading, I'll give you the negative part first: There is a real problem with silt buildup out of the main current. The silt buildup is very important in that it gives a base for the watercress to grow which provides protection for the fish and the stream insects. The stream bottom itself is hard and rocky and the water is crystal clear. The silt buildup can be dangerous. Your foot can sink in up to your knee and really "stick". If you lose your balance, you could break a leg (or drown!). Just recently, a person doing stream reclamation work in MN was found, after (4) hours being stuck, by the landowner. He had fallen into the stream and was stuck up to his waist. They had to mount a rescue to get him out! A rope and pickup truck wasn t sufficient (without hurting him)! It would be really hard to regain your footing even with the aid of a wading staff. Incidentally, a Foldstaf doesn't work. The lower section(s) stick in the mud and won't extricate. You have to use a solid wading staff to be sure. Almost impossible to wade upstream very far in this situation. Usually I get in the silt buildup only when crossing the stream. Sometimes, I can wade up the clear parts of the stream (makes for easy casting!) and avoid the silt areas but it is a lot of work. The good thing about the silt is that long, flowing weeds (locally called watercress ) grow in the silt (waving in the current) and provide cover for the trout (and the insect life!) that would be nonexistent otherwise. I know that the trout hang out under the weeds because I have scared a "ton" of trout out while wading! Now for the good part! The State has leased easements for fishermen along almost all of these streams in this area. A lot of this has been because of the Conservation efforts of the fly clubs (TU affiliated) improving the streams and making friends with the farmers A lot of the fishing area is through pasture land that is grazed daily by (mostly) tame dairy cattle. This makes it like fishing from your front lawn (except for

Page 7 the occasional weed, small brush or overhanging trees). Easy walking. Most of the fences have wooden "stiles" to climb over. In other places I have always found a way to get under the fence.

7 Page 7 the occasional weed, small brush or overhanging trees). Easy walking. Most of the fences have wooden "stiles" to climb over. In other places I have always found a way to get under the fence. Some of the fences are barbed with an electrified wire also. Not a problem. A Driftless Brown Trout These are spring creeks. Moderately heavy rain doesn't seem to affect some of them and they all clear up quickly. Those like Coon Creek, which drain some cultivated fields, take a little longer. Water comes out of the ground at 49 degrees. Water temperature in summer has been about degrees in the area I fished (in degree weather). So far, I am usually only a short distance (or a very few miles) from the actual start of the stream. Don't know the CFS (it moves right along!) but it can be as little as 3'-4' wide in the rapids on curves to 10'-15' wide in the "meadow sections". If left natural, it would only be 12"-15" deep in the "meadow sections and less in the rapids. This provided very little cover for the fish from predation. But, thanks to Conservation efforts, improvements have been made. They build LUNKER structures. The letters stand for something; but, basically, they build a platform on a curve, and place large boulders on it to anchor it and sometimes place large boulders strategically around it to cause the stream to cut a deep hole back under the structure. Some of these holes that I have seen are waisthigh and deeper. Even a couple of feet depth helps a lot. These are ideal for nymphs and strike indicators (SI). I am constantly changing the depth of my nymph below the SI. The main problem with this method is accuracy and stealth in having the SI and nymph "splash"/ land in the rapids above the hole and then not have your fly line spook the fish. I have used yarn strike indicators and clear fly lines (and 6x-7x fluorocarbon tippet) to try to minimize this (although I used "rubber-core foam indicators" and white lines and they still worked fine). It seems to be important to get the nymph down to the bottom in the hole. Drifting it high just doesn't seem to work. Anyway, accurate casting, avoiding hanging up on overhanging weeds and brush, watching your backcast, casting under overhanging trees, etc. (and replacing a lot of tippets and flies!) seems to be the important thing. I love it!! On mornings when I am a little late, there is usually one fisherman s car parked in the areas that are really easy to access. I just avoid these because I now know other sections that take a little effort to access and no one goes to. Believe it or not, one of the limiting things for these more "difficult areas" is a place to park along the road! There are narrow shoulders mostly but, knowing me, I found a few places where the shoulder is just wide enough to park without worrying about sliding down into the ditch. I seem to be the only one who does this (as well as "bushwhacking). Incidentally, I found good fishing even in the areas that are easy to access (thanks to mandated catch and release). There is a full range of insect life. I find that midges, small nymphs, scuds and sowbugs (locals call them cress bugs ) work fine. A local legend is Bethke s pink squirrel nymph (see this month s Fly of the Month ). Grasshopper patterns are a hoot in some meadow areas. I am not much of a technical dry fly fisher but have done well on some parachute Adamstype dry flies and elk hair caddis. The good old Crackleback works. Summary: this is tough fishing. And the catch rate may not be high. And the fish are not really large. 17 ½ inches is my best so far. But there are up to 2,000 fish (and more!) per mile in some sections of the streams. Lots of time may be spent getting in position to cast and then rebuilding leaders, SIs and flies when you hang up. But the access is unbelievable. For an experienced, patient fisherman, it is a great experience! To give you an idea of what the Driftless Area here in Wisconsin (and MN, IA and IL) is like, this is a sampling: Spring 2015 Driftless highlights

v=c95ui4ret20 You can find many more by searching fishing in the Driftless Area in www.

com Also, you can talk to Mike Tipton who has a lot of experience with the Minnesota

Your Honorable Servant, John Townsell AKA Lucky The White River Open Trout Fishing

Saturday, March 18, 2017 at Big Spring Park in Cotter, AR.

The turn-out is limited to the first 125 teams.

8 Page 8 v=jre1rxgac9s Cotter Trout Tournament - March 18 Heart of the Driftless sneak peek v=rrf0wmcxisy The Driftless Region- An Enchanted Land v=c95ui4ret20 You can find many more by searching fishing in the Driftless Area in Also, you can talk to Mike Tipton who has a lot of experience with the Minnesota Driftless Area. Just thought you might like to know of my experiences. Your Honorable Servant, John Townsell AKA Lucky The White River Open Trout Fishing Tournament hosted by the Cotter-Gassville Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for Saturday, March 18, 2017 at Big Spring Park in Cotter, AR. Any type or make of boat is invited to participate. The turn-out is limited to the first 125 teams. Entry fee is $100 per team and an optional $25 fee is required for the Big Fish Pot. Your entry includes two meal tickets and two prize tickets to enjoy. Winning payout is based on the number of teams entered and the Big Fish Pot is 100% Payout. For rules and entry form visit the E v e n t s P a g e o n If you have questions, call Roland Morris, Tournament Chair

Page 9 Admissions Desk Volunteers Needed Bartenders Needed Setup Help Needed Grant Carter is looking for volunteers for the admissions desk at Sowbug.

We told them we weren't certain it was happening. About 15 minutes later 2 different officers showed up to investigate.

The officers even came back to us, told us what was going on and thanked us for our call.

This is a fairly busy job so three or four willing folks would make it go easier. We also need someone to collect and count the tickets at the entrance to the Shindig.

The check was nice, but seeing the poacher removed from the river that day was the best reward we received! Thank you for spreading the word! REPORT POACHERS!

9 Page 9 Admissions Desk Volunteers Needed Bartenders Needed Setup Help Needed Grant Carter is looking for volunteers for the admissions desk at Sowbug. These folks take the money and log the information about the attendees. Each time slot is for two hours and there are usually two people manning the desk at one time. Sign up early to get the best time slots! You can contact Grant Carter at gcarter901@yahoo.com. Poaching Feel good Story About two years ago, we were camping and fishing at Quarry Dam when we called the hotline to report what we thought might have been a poacher. We told them we weren't certain it was happening. About 15 minutes later 2 different officers showed up to investigate. They were very professional and nabbed the poacher who happened to be a woman fly fisher. Very unusual they said. The officers even came back to us, told us what was going on and thanked us for our call. About a month later we were pleasantly surprised to receive a We need some bartenders and other helpers for the Sowbug Shindig. The bartenders will draw and serve the beer. This is a fairly busy job so three or four willing folks would make it go easier. We also need someone to collect and count the tickets at the entrance to the Shindig. Contact Mike Tipton if you are willing to help: or michaeltipton@centurytel.net $ check from the AGFC for our efforts. The check was nice, but seeing the poacher removed from the river that day was the best reward we received! Thank you for spreading the word! REPORT POACHERS!! Debby Williams The setup for the Sowbug Roundup will start at 10:00 am on Wednesday, March 22 at the Baxter County Fairgrounds. There will be donuts and coffee to start and pizza for lunch. Ron Hulstein has rounded up a group of muscular guys to wrangle the tables. A couple of long bed pickup trucks would really help with transporting the tables. We should be done with most of the work by early afternoon. Many hands make light work! or Too many cooks spoil the broth? Please let me know if you can bring a truck. Mike Tipton , m i c h a e l t i p - ton@centurytel.net.

10 North Arkansas Fly Fishers PO Box 1213 Mountain Home, AR Activities of Interest to NAFF members February Tuesday 14th Sowbug Committee Meeting 1:00-3:00 Baxter County Library Tuesday 21st NAFF Club Meeting 7:00-9:00 Van Matre Senior Center March Monday 6th Trout Unlimited 6:00-8:00 El Chico Tuesday 7th NAFF Board Meeting 1:00-3:00 First Security Bank Tuesday 14th Sowbug Committee Meeting 1:00-3:00 Baxter County Library Saturday 18 th Trout Tournament 7:00-2:00 Cotter Spring Creek Park Tuesday 21st NAFF Club Meeting 7:00-9:00 Van Matre Senior Center Thursday 23,24 & 25 Sowbug Roundup 9:00-4:00 Baxter County Fairgrounds Friday 24th Sowbug Shindig 6:00-9:00 Catholic Church of St Peter the Fisherman April Monday 3nd Trout Unlimited 6:00-8:00 El Chico Tuesday 4th NAFF Board Meeting 1:00-3:00 First Security Bank Tuesday 11th Sowbug Committee Meeting 1:00-3:00 Baxter County Library Tuesday 18 th NAFF Club Meeting 7:00-9:00 Van Matre Senior Center

Tale waters The Voice of the North Arkansas Fly Fishers

Tale waters The Voice of the North Arkansas Fly Fishers July 12, 2016 North Arkansas Fly Fishers Tale Waters North Arkansas Fly Fishers meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Meetings are