# Arkansas fly flingin



## netboy (Dec 12, 2006)

Just returned from a month in northern Arkansas. We enjoyed the area so much on previous trips that we bought a small house close to Mammoth Spring and within easy striking distance of the Norfork and Bull Shoals tailwaters.

Fishing and weather were really nice. Most of the bad weather was west and south of us. Mostly fished the Spring river and then made a 3 day trip to Norfork in the camper.

As for the fishing report.... averaged around 20 - 30 trout in about 4 hours of fishing each morning. Mostly rainbows with 6 or 7 browns and a couple of beautiful cutthroats. Hot flies were black woolly buggers early in the morning then egg imitations (Y2K's and the Miracle fly) when the sun got higher. Also caught a few on dries and mayfly emergers.

Here's a couple of pictures...

Pretty cutthroat










Decent brown.....


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Beautiful pictures. That's a great area...my grandparents lived north of there and I spent many happy times fishing the White and the Norfork. 

Could that be a cutbow? Sure looks like it has some rainbow in it...regardless its a beautiful fish.


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## Bearkat (Jul 18, 2008)

Very nice. I sure miss trout fishing since moving home from North GA.


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## Fish&Chips (Jan 27, 2012)

Nice fish netboy. Sounds like there was a lot of action.


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## netboy (Dec 12, 2006)

Meadowlark said:


> Could that be a cutbow? Sure looks like it has some rainbow in it...regardless its a beautiful fish.


Pretty sure it was a pure cutthroat. They have a very smooth skin and practically no scales like a rainbow. Also a wider snout with some pretty impressive teeth. They stock the cutthroats, browns and brookies as fingerlings in the Arkansas rivers and all the rainbows are catchable size when stocked (at least that's what the hatchery folks told me). At any rate, wish there were more cutts cause they are really beautiful and put up a good tussle!


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## CFKBig57 (Apr 18, 2013)

man, i would love that. grats on the good luck!


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## netboy (Dec 12, 2006)

CFKBig57 said:


> man, i would love that. grats on the good luck!


Well just go do it! 
I've fished Colorado, Utah, Montana, New Mexico and nothing compares. Plus it's closer.


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## NWcurlew (Mar 9, 2012)

I loved fishing the White River when I worked in Arkansas! I had my Curlew with me while I was there and you should have seen the funny look on the locals faces when I launched that saltwater skiff below Bull Shoals.. Had a blast though and early mornings were the best up in the canyon!


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## CFKBig57 (Apr 18, 2013)

We go up to Magnolia arkansas for deer season. need to see if we can head to the trout rivers and fly fish.


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## BIGDADDY22 (Mar 30, 2010)

*Hey Netboy*

I am heading to bull shoals state park in a couple of weeks, can you share any tips for fishing that area.


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## netboy (Dec 12, 2006)

Bull Shoals state park is a great place. We didn't make it over there on this trip due to heavy power generation because of all the rain. Norfork is pretty close and the water was low most mornings with generation starting early afternoon. It's impossible to wade any of those tailwaters when they are generating. If you are going to fish with a guide out of a boat, then high flows are not much of a problem.

Here's a link to a site that has the projected generation schedules.

http://www.swpa.gov/generationschedules.aspx


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## BIGDADDY22 (Mar 30, 2010)

I will be pulling my own boat and staying at the state park for about a week, may head over to fish norfork for a day trip as well, thanks for the link!


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## flyfishingmike (Nov 26, 2010)

Nice job, beautiful fish.


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## jamisjockey (Jul 30, 2009)

Nice pics! **** man you're makin me think I need a road trip to AR this year.....


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

This is painful to look at. I almost retired to NW Arkansas. Shoulda, woulda coulda....


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## CueroGobblers88 (Apr 1, 2013)

I caught this nice 29 inch inch rainbow last year in Arkansas at a place called Mountain Home I think...great fishery and if planning a trip to Arkansas anytime soon, recommend hookin up with blue ribbon fly shop. I caught that fish in a stretch of water that was 16 years and younger only, but the bigger public access river produced tons of trout as well, just not that big. I think its the Norfolk river or something


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