Also, well-aerated deep green pools will often hold suspended rainbows where browns are rarely found. At times of the year or day when water temperatures are quite cold, browns will lay dormant and rainbows will seem to be the predominant fish. The introduction of the Hofer-Colorado River rainbow cross has seen the population pattern diversify, with about 25% of the fish now rainbows against a 75% majority of browns. This statement, though historically true, has become less so in recent years. The Arkansas River is a brown trout fishery Understanding the dynamic at work is key to figuring out where fish are holding and what they might then be willing to eat. So it’s not so much about what precise fly the fish may be eating but the type of water they are working and the range of options that could work there. Being plausible, even if not active, those stonefly nymphs will take fish too. But to present it well, one needs some weight and so fishing it behind a golden or yellow sally stonefly nymph will get it to the right depth in the faster water where the fish are feeding. Similarly, when fishing at that time of day, a well-presented chocolate midge pupa in a size 20-22 will take a lot of fish. However, one will likely also find a caddis larva, a mayfly nymph, maybe a stonefly nymph or cranefly larva as well. If one pumps fish stomachs at that time of day, the majority of what is found will be immature midges. Most mornings there will be a midge emergence, with midge pupae drawing trout into the riffles and pocket water to feed. Representations of these aquatics, or attractor patterns that are simply too enticing to ignore, will often induce a hit from fish whether they are actively feeding or not, whether they are keyed onto a specific emergence or not. Rather, at any time there are particular aquatic insects that are active and others that are plausibly available to the fish. It is rare to find Arkansas River trout totally keyed onto any one bug, much less any one artificial representation. Hence the common question in our flyshops, “What are they hitting?” and the sort of bewildering response that can result. The controlled water flow and water temperature and the specificity of foodstuffs on these rivers make fishing them both challenging and formulaic. Many visitors to the Arkansas come from Colorado’s Front Range communities and have cut their teeth on rivers like the South Platte, North Platte, Frying Pan, Green or Bighorn. The more one understands about this fishery, the better one can integrate observations on the stream into a more meaningful framework. Whether it’s one’s first time on the Arkansas, or it’s simply been a long time, a review of the traits that distinguish this river from others is helpful. We can show you our vast selection of flies and we can spend hours scrutinizing the map, but once one is out on the stream it really comes down to how one fishes and the observations that guide those decisions.

Much more rarely do we hear questions like “how should I fish?” or “what type of water should I fish?” or “what sort of food is available and what are the feeding patterns throughout the day?” However, these are really the more important questions. The fully stocked Fly Shop has well over 100,000 flies available more than any other flyshop in the area and is the closest Fly Shop to the Bull Shoals Dam.How to Approach Fishing on the Arkansas RiverĪt our fly shops we get asked what to use and where to go. The Fly Shop brands include GLoomis, Redington, TFO, Lamson, Douglas, Galvan, Smith Optics, Suncloud, Fishpond, Hareline, Airflo, Rio, Wulff, Cortland, Loon, Anvil, Stonfo, Regal, and numerous others. Fly’s and Guides continues to use only the best materials and hooks available offering the public quality flies and reasonable prices. Recently in early 2021, Jeremy and Lisa opened a Fly Shop on the banks of the White River in Lakeview, Arkansas focusing their guiding to the tailwaters of the Norfork and White River systems. Trips in years past included Branson’s Lake Taneycomo. The guides at Fly’s and Guides provide educational and instructional information vital to your day on the water and useful information that will prove to be beneficial as one continues to grow in the sport of Fly-fishing. We specialize in trips from the beginner to those with years of casting experience. Jeremy and Lisa take pride in being a family based guide service that gears itself towards any fly-fishing anglers needs. Flys and Guides is an independent fly fishing guide service and commercial and custom fly-tying provider.

Trout fishing in arkansas