When the dead of winter sets in and fishing seems to have come to a halt in other parts of the country, the White River in NE Arkansas is the mecca that streamer fishermen flock too.
This year round fishery boasts a healthy population of browns, bows, brooks and cutthroats in the heart of the Ozarks. With Covid disrupting fly fishing events like Dally’s Streamer Love Fest, many anglers still travel from far and wide to the White River to get their winter streamer fix – no matter how bad the conditions may be.
BC Big Fly bends. // Photo: Grant Braudrick
This section of the White River is the tailwater below Bulls Shoals Reservoir. Streamer fishing the White River is often dependent on the power generation flows coming out of Bull Shoals dam. This particular time around, we had low flows and post-front conditions. Not ideal by any means. Luckily, there always seem to be a few hungry brown trout willing to take a streamer on the White River.
Photo: Grant Braudrick
The new BC Big Fly rod created by streamer godhead and TFO Advisor Blane Chocklett is the perfect streamer rod for the heavy lines and big flies that are required to entice the big browns on the White River. The spey like fore grip and extended fighting butt allow the angler to leverage the rod against their whole arm, instead of relying on the wrist to do all the work while casting.
The BC Big Fly is a fast action rod – the action being fast action in the butt to mid section, with a more moderate tip section – which helps to dampen the shock from heavy lines and big flies while casting. When you’re making long cast with heavy gear all day in winter conditions, this makes a massive difference in the fatigue of a streamer angler. Paired with the new NTR III reel, you’ll have the perfect streamer setup for the White River and beyond.
Photo: Grant Braudrick
Lastly, you’ll need a solid streamer to round out your setup. My personal go to’s are the Rainy’s Flies Twerking Minnow or the Tiny Dancer designed by none other than renowned White River guide Steve Dally. Be sure to visit our TFO dealer Dally’s Ozark Fly Fisher in Cotter, AR for all your streamer intel and gear needs. Big thanks to our guides on this trip Drew Wilson(@fishwaterllc) and Kyle Bogard (@eddylinedriftersflyfishing).
Blog written by Grant Braudrick. Grant is a TFO rep for the Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas area. When Grant isn’t fishing, you can find him playing music around Texas. Find out more about Grant through his social media links below.
https://www.instagram.com/goodoleg – fishing
https://www.instagram.com/goodolegmusic – music
Photo: Grant Braudrick
