August 25, 2009 | FISHING REPORT - LITTLE RED RIVER
Little Red Fishing Report: August 25, '09 The generation schedule at Greers Ferry has been daily and small. Water releases have been occurring mid to late afternoon for 1-4 hours. This protocol permits wade fishing most of the day at JFK Park near the dam and most all day everywhere else. Our water is clear and cold and the trout want to play.
The Trout Unlimited fly fishing film tour and the Little Red River cleanup are two events in the future that will appear in this report until the events occur. I apologize for the weekly reminders but, to me, the two activities are sufficiently important to merit repetition.
The Little Red River Action Team chapter 722 of Trout Unlimited in Heber Springs is hosting the 3rd annual fly fishing film tour in Little Rock. The event is a fund raiser for the chapter and will occur at the Clinton Library & Museum (pictured below) at 7:00 pm on October 10th. Doors will open at 5:30 pm. The tickets are $20.00 in advance and $25.00 at the door. There will be finger food, an open bar and TU merchandise for sale. This highly popular two hour mini-film festival features exciting segments from the sport's best filmmakers shot in foreign destinations like Papua New Guinea, Russia, Belize as well as domestic waters from California and Colorado to southern Louisiana and the Florida Keys. The films offer a great blend of sensational footage, hilarious comedy, poignant commentary and some of the largest and most impressive fish ever caught! The Fly Fishing Film Tour is an opportunity for fans of fly fishing to come together to celebrate their sport and support the Little Red River Action Team chapter of Trout Unlimited. The ticket sales are the fund raiser and will be available from TU board members as well as at the Little Red Fly Shop, Ozark Angler in Little Rock and Heber Springs, Lobo Landing, Lindsey's Rainbow Resort and Holland's Exxon in Heber Springs. Donations to the chapter will also be most welcomed.
The traditional fall Little Red River cleanup is scheduled to occur on Saturday, the 12th of September from 8:00 am until noon. Your local chapter (#722) of Trout Unlimited is sponsoring the event and the Ozark Angler in Heber Springs will be your host. The Angler is located at 659 Wilburn Rd. (Hwy.110 East) next to Sugarloaf Baptist Church. If you want to participate, get your trash bag and river area assignment from the Ozark Angler or the Little Red Fly Shop that morning, return your "collectibles" to the Angler at noon and they will provide a free lunch for you. If you have a boat, please bring it with you or plan to use it. The last river cleanup produced about two pickup truck loads of trash including a lawnmower engine, 2 hammers, 2 spinning reels, one cow's skull, a tackle box with lures, 2 garbage cans, a roll of chicken wire and more.
We are either blessed or plagued with development depending on your point of view. Some people build their homes on the banks of our trophy trout stream or it's tributaries and strip most of the vegetation from their back yards to get a better view of the water. Afterwards, they stare in amazement as their back yards disappear into the river due to bank erosion created by the fluctuating water levels inherent in any tailwater. As the past president of the local Trout Unlimited chapter, I have been on the receiving end of questions about how to fix the problem of bank erosion. First, don't strip the vegetation or cut down all the trees. The root systems of these plants are vital to curb erosion. If you would like to replant or add to your present collection of bank vegetation, try the following trees or shrubs. Appropriate tree species include white sumac, multi-stem river birch, pawpaw, catalpa, sycamore, willow, overcup oak, red oak, white oak, silver maple and red maple. The best  shrubs include coralberry, gray dogwood, buttonbush and arrowwood. The shrubs and the river birch, pawpaw, catalpa and sycamores will do best close to the water. Also, don't forget to plant monkey grass or leriope (pictured). You can't kill the stuff and it spreads. If you cut willow stakes and drive them in the ground they will produce roots and grow.
The aquatic insect hatches are small, daily and include mostly midges and bwos. I saw a few sulphurs coming off the other day. Good dry flies to try include midge (#22-#32 cream), adams (#18-#20), blue winged olive (#18), hoppers (#10) or crackleback (#14). Sub-surface offerings should include sowbug (#14-#16 uv tan, uv light gray, smokey olive or peacock), San Juan worms (#14 fl cerise, hot pink or red), zebra midge (#16-#22 red, black or copper), red @ss soft hackle (#14-#18) or woolly bugger (#8-#12 olive, brown or black).
If you have questions about anything in this report, direct them to me at the Little Red Fly Shop of Heber Springs, Arkansas. My numbers are #888-442-4022 toll free or #501-887-9988. You can send an e-mail to me from our "Contact" page. I'm Little Red Jed Hollan, mgr. <*((((><
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