Fishing Strategies for Tailwaters
 

Last weekend, I wandered over to Mountain Home, Arkansas and fished
the tailwaters just below Bull Shoals Dam. They were generating power
all weekend, so the water was up. Caught a couple of browns on scuds
- but have absolutely no idea how. From there, went over to the
tailwater just below Beaver Lake. They were also generating power
there, and the water was up. Had a decent brown on for about 30 secs,
then he shook me off.

Questions:
Does anyone here have a system or strategy for fishing these
tailwaters when they're up and running full-blast? What flies and
techniques work for you? How do you recognize "fishy" water?

Because of my location, I'm fairly limited to tailwater fishing, so
this is going to continue to be a deal, and I'd appreciate any ideas
anyone may have. There's got to be a more scientific method than
trying everywhere with everything.

Thanks!

Charles Crolley wrote:
snip
Questions:
Does anyone here have a system or strategy for fishing these
tailwaters when they're up and running full-blast?

Sure, it involves a 22 foot jon boat, salmon eggs, and
a piece of lead the size of your thumb. Not recommended
for a fly rod.

What flies and
techniques work for you?

Sow bugs, sow bugs, sow bugs.

How do you recognize "fishy" water?

It hums.

Because of my location, I'm fairly limited to tailwater fishing, so
this is going to continue to be a deal, and I'd appreciate any ideas
anyone may have.

The dam next door, the Norfork, doesn't generate as much
and has better *fly fishing* than Bull Shoals. Same deal,
sow bugs. But if you can get to Bull Shoals you can get
to some fairly decent trout water upstream in Missouri.
That would be my recommendation.

--
Ken Fortenberry

On Tue, 13 Sep 2005 22:00:13 GMT, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:

Charles Crolley wrote:
snip
Questions:
Does anyone here have a system or strategy for fishing these
tailwaters when they're up and running full-blast?

Sure, it involves a 22 foot jon boat, salmon eggs, and
a piece of lead the size of your thumb. Not recommended
for a fly rod.


Yeah, that's what I thought. I met my wife for a late breakfast at
Gastons "Resort" (as in "LAST resort") and we were treated to the
morning parade of shirtless, fatass Cletuses in their jonboats as we
were trying to eat. Not exactly appetizing stuff.


The dam next door, the Norfork, doesn't generate as much
and has better *fly fishing* than Bull Shoals. Same deal,
sow bugs. But if you can get to Bull Shoals you can get
to some fairly decent trout water upstream in Missouri.
That would be my recommendation.


Headed back to my old hangouts along the Current later this week for a
two-day camping/fishing trip. I'm originally from Mo. and have fished
it a lot. Just wanting to try out some new places and not knowing how
best to fish around these damn dams keep screwing up my trips.

Try the North Fork (Ozark County, MO). Decent access can be had at Blair
Bridge, but a float would be better.

A friend of mine (Myron) owns River of Life Farm (just add dot com to the
name for web site) just upstream from Blair Bridge (in the "suburbs" of
Dora) and rents canoes, kyaks, rafts, some cool cabins and can hook you up
with some pretty good guides, if you'd like one. (Just tell him Mark from
Illinois sent you and he'll only charge you double, maybe triple)

You can also rent canoes from the store at Twin Bridges (Hwy 14 & 181),
Petit's Canoe Rental and about 20 other places between there and Dawt.

From Twin Bridges to Rainbow Springs is a decent small mouth stream and from
there to the headwaters of the lake is definitely trout country (fair to
good bows and BIG browns).

The Spring River, at Mammoth Springs is also decent, but can be crowded, and
the Warm Fork is a pretty good smallie stream (just upstream in Thayer)

Mark

"Charles Crolley" wrote in
message ...
Last weekend, I wandered over to Mountain Home, Arkansas and fished
the tailwaters just below Bull Shoals Dam. They were generating power
all weekend, so the water was up.

Well there's a decent *secret* spot not too far from Mtn Home where you
don't have to watch the parade of jon boats but personally I prefer the
north fork of the White just across the border or the other non-stocked
spring creeks in southern MO.

Fishing deep with lots of lead is the ticket, often in a boat as the water
level decreases.

You might want to consider hiring a guide out of the fly shop in mtn home.

"Wayne Knight" wrote in message
...

"Charles Crolley" wrote in
message ...
Last weekend, I wandered over to Mountain Home, Arkansas and fished
the tailwaters just below Bull Shoals Dam. They were generating power
all weekend, so the water was up.

Well there's a decent *secret* spot not too far from Mtn Home where you
don't have to watch the parade of jon boats but personally I prefer the
north fork of the White just across the border or the other non-stocked
spring creeks in southern MO.

Fishing deep with lots of lead is the ticket, often in a boat as the water
level decreases.

You might want to consider hiring a guide out of the fly shop in mtn home.


I've never fished that water, but in the tailwaters below Table Rock Dam,
I've done pretty well with small scuds, and as Wayne says, they should be
fished deep. And somewhere on Myron McKee's web site I think you'll see a
trip report that I wrote several years ago after some of our TU group went
there. Great spot.

--
Bob Patton
(remove hat to respond)

On Tue, 13 Sep 2005 21:20:15 -0500, "Wayne Knight"
wrote:




You might want to consider hiring a guide out of the fly shop in mtn home.


I gave that some thought, but I was by myself and the $230 a day
seemed like a lot for what amounted to a look around. I think that
next time I go I'll take a friend and split the cost. Talked to my
local flyshop guy a while ago and got a couple of good
recommendations.

Thanks for the advice.

On Tue, 13 Sep 2005 22:53:08 -0500, "Bob Patton"
wrote:


"Wayne Knight" wrote in message
...

"Charles Crolley" wrote in
message ...
Last weekend, I wandered over to Mountain Home, Arkansas and fished
the tailwaters just below Bull Shoals Dam. They were generating power
all weekend, so the water was up.

Well there's a decent *secret* spot not too far from Mtn Home where you
don't have to watch the parade of jon boats but personally I prefer the
north fork of the White just across the border or the other non-stocked
spring creeks in southern MO.

Fishing deep with lots of lead is the ticket, often in a boat as the water
level decreases.

You might want to consider hiring a guide out of the fly shop in mtn home.


I've never fished that water, but in the tailwaters below Table Rock Dam,
I've done pretty well with small scuds, and as Wayne says, they should be
fished deep. And somewhere on Myron McKee's web site I think you'll see a
trip report that I wrote several years ago after some of our TU group went
there. Great spot.

I'm due to go up there the end of this month, and I'll let you know
how it turns out. Thanks.