Angler Reviews Trout Fishing On The White River In Arkansas

Article Date: January 2010

We have two positive reports on trout fishing in the White River in Arkansas below Bull Shoals Dam. Subscriber Will Johnson, who admits he's a relatively inexperienced fly angler, is very pleased with an October trip with guide Ron Yarborough, fishing between Wildcat Shoals and Bull Shoals. He gives Yarborough's guiding top marks and goes on to note: "There were two of us, one very experienced and one (me) very new at it. Ron handled this disparity well on a tough day with high winds, cold and no hatches. We didn't catch as many fish as we would have liked, but Ron kept at it hard from early in the morning until almost dark. We had no problems other than the weather. His equipment was excellent and Ron was on time, ready to go when we were. He didn't quit until we cried `Uncle'." Johnson gives the cost of his day on the water with Yarborough as $350.

In our second report, subscriber Deborah Nichols tells us she and her father sampled both guided float fishing and unguided wadefishing on the White River while based at Gaston's White River Resort. Nichols says they had fly rods along but didn't use them much, relying on spinning gear instead. She describes the fishing as "Fairly consistent on rainbows, with some slow periods. Brown trout were scarce. The water level fluctuated depending upon electricity generation at the dam - more turbines on meant more water coming through the dam. And more water made the river deeper and harder to fish. We were new to the area and did a lot of exploring on our own, which we really enjoy, but exploring unfamiliar water made for hit-and-miss fishing."

As for the float fishing, they did that with guide Frank Saksa, who they booked through the re........(continued)

CONTACT DETAILS FOR COMPANIES/INDIVIDUALS MENTIONED IN ARTICLE (if any)

White River Fly Guide. Tel. 870-688-1755. Web: www.whiteriverflyguide.com

Gastons White River Resort. 1777 River Road. Lakeview, AR, 72642. Tel. 870-431-5202. Web: www.gastons.com