Arkansas White and Norfork Rivers.

August on the White River | Bull Shoals, Arkansas

We just wrapped up a great fishing trip around Bull Shoals, and this one gave us a little bit of everything the White River is known for: big browns, plenty of rainbows, changing water, hot August days and that incredibly cold water coming out of Bull Shoals Dam.

The mornings gave us some great opportunities to wade before generation picked up. The riffles were especially productive, with rainbows consistently picking up pheasant tails and small midge patterns. As the flows increased, we transitioned to the boat and started covering more water.

We also had the opportunity to take two guests out for fishing experiences, giving them a chance to experience the river both wading and from the boat.

That is where things really got interesting.

As generation increased and the river pushed into flooded grass and areas that had been dry just hours earlier, we started hunting big browns. The boat allowed us to stay with the changing water and work those newly flooded areas where trout were moving in to feed.

The boys caught some of the biggest trout of their lives during the trip. Midges, Woolly Buggers and the Root Beer Midge all produced fish, but one pattern clearly stood out.

The fly of the week was the Pheasant Tail.

We changed the traditional pattern slightly, replacing the standard peacock hurl thorax with UV peacock hurl. We also fished a version with a soft hackle. Both worked extremely well, especially in the riffles where the rainbows couldn't seem to leave them alone.

One Happy BOY! Biggest fish of his life.

We also had Sulphur's around and the variety of mid August hatches and insect activity kept us changing tactics and paying attention to what was happening on the water.

That is one of my favorite things about fishing the White. Conditions can change dramatically throughout the day. You can be wading a riffle in the morning and several hours later be fishing from the boat over water that wasn't there when you started.

Hot Arkansas summer above the surface. Cold White River water below it. Big browns moving with the rising water and plenty of rainbows willing to eat.

It was a great week of fishing, learning and spending some

Guide Boat added to the fleet this month.

This was also a big trip for First Watch Fly Co. We added a Supreme river boat with oars that seats four to the fleet. It will be used for our guided fishing trips on both the White and Norfork Rivers, allowing us to offer both wade and boat fishing experiences depending on river conditions and what our guests want to accomplish.

We also stopped by and visited some of our friends at the State Park Trout Dock while we were in Bull Shoals. It's always good catching up with the people who spend their days on these rivers and are part of the White River fishing community.

Root beer midge brown

Second root beer midge brown on a different day.

Streamer brown

Olive wooly Brown

The White and Norfork are special fisheries. Whether you're looking for that big brown, working a riffle full of rainbows, throwing streamers along the banks or simply experiencing an Arkansas tailwater for the first time, there is always something new to learn.

But we're also getting close to one of our favorite times of the year back home: fall in the Driftless.

Cooler mornings, changing leaves and colder water bring a different feel to the streams. Brown trout become increasingly active as we move toward the fall spawning season, and this is a great time to slow down, read the water and enjoy some of the most beautiful country we get to fish.

From chasing big browns on the White and Norfork to walking a small Driftless spring creek surrounded by fall colors, these fisheries couldn't look much more different. That's part of what makes fishing them so much fun.

We'll be spending plenty of time on both this fall, offering guided boat and wade trips in Arkansas along with guided Driftless experiences in Iowa. We will back in Arkansas in September, if you are intersted in a guided trip, come book a trip. Send me an email. Highly recommend Copper John's resort, good wade fishing in between guided trips.

If you've been thinking about learning to fly fish, exploring new water or simply getting outside for a day, fall is a great time to do it.

There's a lot of good fishing ahead.

Click to book a trip

Intentional Time Outdoors together.

First Watch Fly Co.

Learn the cast. Tie the pattern. Own the water.