Press Release: TFO to introduce “The Clouser” Fly Rod

 

Casting heavily weighted flies presents a challenge to many modern fly rod actions.  For years I have been looking for a multi-species fly rod that puts “the ease” in casting weighted flies and sinking fly lines. The fly rod designers at Temple Fork Outfitters answered this challenge by developing The Clouser Series of Fly Rods.

Dave’s Big Brown

David Testerman's Big Brown

I LOVE getting emails like this one from David Testerman from Georgia, laden with pics of this handsome 23.5″ brown caught last weekend.

It just makes your day when people come to the White and have a hoot, especially on the higher flows. None of the guys I know in the biz work in fly shops for extra fishing time: sitting in a shop watching other people head out on the water when you know its firing can be a mixed pleasure. Chad and the Journal still do our 40+ hours a week hard labor, just we are lucky enough to live here on the White and get in as much fishing as we can in our time off.

No the buzz from working in a fly shop comes from sharing your waters and passion with people, helping visitors or locals get dialled into the same sorts of fun we enjoy. Like the streamer action we have been preaching about for the last year. Chad got David and his father set up last weekend and they banged them. But read David’s report and checkout the pics. Thanks for putting some big grins on our faces too David

Fishing Report 7-1-09

WELL the July 4 weekend looks decent, without last week’s heatwave and the fishing has been very good. Generation has been pretty stiff on Norfork. There had been some morning wading available on the White through the earlier part of the week, and some big flows in the afternoon. Right now its hard to pick what they will do over the holiday weekend with the generation being driven purely for electricity demand but we wouldn’t be suprised if it gets backed off considerably. And don’t forget about the creeks, Crooked Creek and the Buffalo which should be cherry ripe.

Faces Of The White

more about “Faces Of The White“, posted with vodpod

 

A little promo video I was working on yesterday with some of the great photos y’all have sent in and taken by our guide team. Plenty of big smiles and big fish for y’all to enjoy. Makes us want to go fish. Hope it does the same for you.

If you would like to book a trip with one of our guide team you can check out our Guide Page, and give us a call in the shop 870 435 6166. With the temperatures cooling this week, its a great time to hit the White.

Are You Fly Fishing’s Coen Brothers?

 

If you are a budding film maker the Oregon Film Fly Fishing Film Festival, with a $3000 grand prize is one well worth looking at.

The 4th Annual Drake Flyfishing Video Awards is another underway, with submissions due by August 3rd, so get filming and editing. The Drake awards offer $1000 grand prize and gets shown during the industry’s annual Fly Fishing Retailer Show in Denver in September, so its your chance to get noticed by the cream, and curds, of the Biz.

Both contests also offer a weak excuse for us to show off the trailer for Rollcast Production’s second feature film“Hustle and Fish”. From the company website:

Fly fishing is everything to Steve, but after sacrificing everything for the chance to live the life he’s always dreamed, things are not going exactly as planned. Against the pressure of his parents, girlfriend and hated rival Al Braughtinwood to give up on his dream, Steve decides to dive further in, taking him on a once in a lifetime fishing trip.

“Hustle & Fish” is an epic fly fishing adventure chalked full wacky characters, near death experiences, sharks, bears, wolves, and most of all breathtaking fly fishing footage and plenty of fish porn. Shot on High Definition with 35mm lenses “Hustle & Fish” is Rollcast Productions highly anticipated follow up to the indie Fly Fishing hit “Fishizzle!“

Scott Fly Rod Clearance Sale

 

CATCH  a great deal on the full lineup of Scott Fly Rods. Big discounts on premium Scott Fly Rods while stocks last: the classic G2s; fast action S4s and for the salt the X2s range. Prices slashes from $695 to $550. Pick up a full price reel and line for your new premium Scott fly rod and get an extra $50 off the price of the rod.

We also have reduced the price further on the remaining discontinued Scotts like the E2 and A2 .

Scott still make great rods, we love them too, but in tough economic times 4 fly rod companies is simply too many.

LOOK OVER THE SALE INVENTORY HERE

Friends Of The North Fork and White Rivers

 

JUST received the June newsletter from the Friends of the North Fork & White Rivers and I have to say I was pretty impressed with the content.

Not just becuase it includes a piece from our mate Ben Levin but aticles including:

• Arkansas Farm Bureau begins new program to research conservation practices for farmers
• New financial opportunities for landowners who initiate conservation practices 
• Dr. John Moore names the greatest threats to our rivers 

You Can Find It Here

Big Bug at Bull Shoals

Big Mayfly found at The Dam

THIS is one for the entomologists among the family. I was wading out at Bull Shoals on the last burst of low water when I came across this mayfly just below the Dam. Now there had been unusual reports of big “march brown” mayflies being spotted on the White, so I got Mark Lavelle, whose camera possesses a better macro than mine, to take a pic.

Did it hatch there? Maybe but possibly more likely it was blown off Bull Shoals lake and deposited on the White, we had a lot of this occurring in summer below Beaver Lake. But then again look  how many other species were deposited in the Tailwater when the flood gates were open.

Any way who has the ID on this bug. It was a size 10 Id say. After the photo session we set it free _ floated unmolested as far as we could follow in the fog.

The Drake – For Those Who Fish

$5 for fly fishers. $10 for bait fishers.

IF You haven’t seen The Drake magazine before the above quotation which has been on the cover of every issue might be an inkling that this is a magazine for serious fly fishers. What you are not going to find is yet another article on how to rig a nymph and indicator, river maps with places to fish, or tying a bugger,  _ there are other magazines fulfilling those needs.

The Drake provides inspiration through snapshots into fly fishers lives all over the country _ what they are doing, and where they are doing it _ through some incredible photography and iconoclastic writings. It becomes addictive.

The path to getting The Drake finally on our shelves over the past 18 month has about as chaotic and error prone and finally just plain fortuitous as slices of fly fishing life it captures every issue. Finally it took publisher Tom Bie, dropping into the shop while heading west to fish for smallies with another mutual friend Todd Moncrieff, that actually got the magazine on the racks and a sticker on the door.

Next time your in the store check it out.

DAVY’S BIG ‘BOW

7lb 20z rainbow Bull Shoals Dam

FROM the choppy garbled message the Journal got on ourvoicemail last night, it had to be a good rainbow. Davy Wotton doesn’t call me, even through the crackle sounding as excited as a teenager after a first kiss, to tell me about fish.

After a bit more phone tag I got the story _ but I’ll let Davy tell it in his own words _ suffice to say we aren’t telling porkies about the fish size this year on the White. Their condition is fantastic, and the big rainbows seem to be returning. As Davy says the pics don’t do the belly and girth of this fish justice. You just need to come fish it yourselves and find out.

Going back. Will you catch her next?

Guided today at BSD, after which took a nap at the house. While at the dam got to check out some real good looking Bows, ok, l says to Tbird lets go fish for a few hours this evening, boy where they running the water compared to the way lower flow early on in the day.

OK, got to live with that. Rigged up with my new Greys 5wt and a new Hardy Swift reel coupled with a 5wt line, set up with my usual deepwater rig coupled to 5x and a size 14 Hot head midge, made a few runs and noticed a big swirl at the surface, a quick change to one of my shad fly patterns, first cast and wham the Bow nailed me,  she then took off way upstream with at least 40 yards of line out on me, some 10 mins later she was netted some 400 yards further down stream.

Fish was 25 1/4 ins and when weighed 7lb 2oz. The picture does not do justice to the size of the trout’s body.

 

Best Bow l have seen at the dam this year, at least hooked and landed.

 

DW

One of Our Own To Junior Worlds

 Zach Bearden was that kid who never stopped asking questions. If it had to do with fly fishing he wanted to know, wanted to try. I guess I first met him either properly at a Smallmouth Rendezvous about 4 years ago. He wasn’t annoyingly pushy either, nor dying with shyness. He was sooo serious, so adult about the way he approached fly fishing that made you take notice. It was hot, windy but as everyone else was packing up to leave here was Zach still out in the parking lot taking lessons. Casting into those horrible conditions.

Zach was in a few weeks ago, he’s a lot taller, and smiles a lot more when you talk fishing. But he’s still fly fishing as hard as he can, his mother Donna in tow. At least Zach can share the driving duties on their trips from Oklahoma onto the White. We were talking about Zach’s selection in the US Junior Fly Fishing Team to compete in the Czech Republic next month. Then courtesy of Midcurrent.com we came across this article and video from Tulsa World newspaper.

As you will read the cost of the trip is $4000 and if anyone can help out Zach and Donna, drop me a line, we will put you in touch.

MeKenzie Hada’s Ozark River Lanyards

Mekenzie Hada and her Ozark River Lanyards

She can shoot, fish and now is showing her artistic talents, but with last name of Hada what do you expect. MeKenzie Hada joins our lineup of local talent we try to encourage here, with some gorgeous lanyards featuring native materials to the Ozark Rivers.

Handcrafted from River Cane, eahc lanyard features a Crinoid Fossil (Holy Rock) and comes with enough clips to handle all the fly fishing necessaries you might want to have at the ready. Priced at $35