September 8, 2009 | FISHING REPORT - LITTLE RED RIVER
Little Red Fishing Report: September 8, '09 The Greers Ferry power house is releasing small amounts of lake water every afternoon. Releases are beginning around 3:00 pm lasting for 3-4 hours utilizing less than one full generator.. This "fish water" is necessary to keep the river water cold and richly oxygenated for the critters that live there. Afternoon releases open the river for wade fishing almost everywhere most of the day. Until we get a large rain event that raises our lake level over the top power pool level of 461.94 feet above sea level or we get a spike in daytime temperatures, I expect this protocol to continue. Our lake level is presently 460.21 feet above sea level. The lake water temperature coursing through the turbines inside our dam is averaging a chilly 54 degrees fahrenheit with an average dissolved oxygen content of 6.9 parts per million. The D.O. appears to be dropping a little bit which is expected this time of year.
Support your local fly shops. I can't tell you how many times a customer has come in our shop bewildered because he just came from one of the big box stores and had no clue what fly fishing equipment he just purchased there. I'm not putting these stores down, they certainly have a place in the market, but, one customer showed me a brand new 4 weight fly rod he had just purchased there that had eight weight line on the new reel! This is a mismatch if ever there was one. They didn't tell him how to tie a knot or how to cast or how to read the water. They never discussed aquatic insects nor dead drifting techniques. Enter your friendly, neighborhood, fly shop to save the day! The personnel in a good fly shop will always take the time to explain the details of the equipment, show you the knots being used, let you watch while fly line is installed on a reel, match that line to the rod weight, take the customer outside and demonstrate proper casting techniques and no charge to the customer for the advice. Fly shops specialize in fly fishing and the professionals who work in them are experts in their field.
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 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, a cash 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. To learn more, please visit www.flyfishingfilmtour.com.
The traditional fall Little Red River cleanup is scheduled to occur this 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 that morning, return your "collectibles" to them 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.
Aquatic and terrestrial insect activity continue un-a-baited. Midges, mayflies, grasshoppers, crickets and their brethren continue to provide sustenance for our trout. For the dry fly fishermen out there, try a midge (#22-#32 cream), para adams (#18), blue winged olive (#18-#20), hopper or cricket patterns (#10) and crackleback (#14). Productive sub- surface flies include sowbug (#14-#16 tan, smokey olive or peacock), chronic (#14), red @ss soft hackle (#14-#18), zebra midge (#16-#22 red, black or copper), San Juan worm (pictured) (#14 red, fl. cerise or hot pink) or woolly bugger (#8-#12 olive, brown or black). The shop is now tying a weighted San Juan worm that, in most cases, eliminates the need for split shot or sink putty.
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 directly to me from our "Contact" page. I'm Little Red Jed Hollan, mgr. <*((((><
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