Tale Waters The Voice of the North Arkansas Fly Fishers July 14, 2020 North Arkansas Fly Fishers Tale Waters The Guides Speak: Travelling During the North Arkansas Fly Fishers meetings Davy Wotton Pandemic are held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Meetings are held at the Van Matre Senior Center located at 1101 Spring St Mountain Home, AR 72653. Membership meeting starts at 7:00 pm. All members and guests are welcome and encouraged to attend. NAFF Board of Directors’ meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month at 1:00 pm 1st Security Bank on 9th St. All members are welcome A Driftless Brookie and encouraged to attend. Visit North Arkansas Fly Fishers The earliest cases of COVID 19 in Online at In May we treated you to a chapter the US appear to have occurred of Keith Campbell’s upcoming www.northarkansasflyfisher.org north of Seattle WA, sometime in book “Fly Fishing the White and December 2019, based on anti- Norfork Rivers – The Guides body studies. By March 11, the Speak”. This month we treat you Officers World Health Organization de- to another chapter, the interview President — Dave Boyer (972) 670-2425 clared a pandemic. Today we are Vice President — Susan Parsons (618) 791-3638 with Davy Wotton. In September Secretary — Patty Lueken ((501) 681-0198 we will present the interview with in the midst of a world-wide pan- Treasurer — Pat Smith (870) 425-3968 Dave Whitlock. We hope these demic with the US faring much Directors chapters will whet your appetite to worse than many other developed Conservation — Tommy Hagan (870) 430-2091 encourage you to buy a copy of the countries. The United States rep- Property — Kevin Boddy (870) - 421-7804 Education — Ceil Gasiecki (219) 776-9620 book! The book is to be published resents 4.2 percent of the world Membership — Paul Ashton (870) 425-9230 during the run-up to Sowbug 2021 population; yet to date we have Past President — Mike Tipton (870) 404-8845 Appd. by Pres. — Danny Barker (870) 424-4110 (keep your fingers crossed!). had 24.4 percent of documented cases and 24.2 percent of deaths in Keith has an ulterior motive for the world. Based on antibody writing this book. He wants to studies the CDC estimates that Tale Waters is published 2nd Tues- raise money to support youth pro- there are ten times more cases in day of each month. Article deadline is grams in Marion and Baxter the US than have been document- 1st Tuesday of the month. Counties. The content of the book ed. No question, this disease is Staff: Mike Tipton & Rita Billbe is the result of discussions that endemic in our country. Contact: Keith had with Dale [email protected] Cont. Pg. 14 Page 2 Because this is a new virus, hence the name “novel corona virus”; scientists and medical experts have had to study, determine how best to prevent spread, and take care of those who have suc- cumbed as the pandemic evolved. We learned that the virus is spread by droplets expelled from people’s mouths and noses as they speak, cough or sneeze. As these droplets “aerosolize” (into nearly microscopic droplets) they be- Fly Tying at Dally’s (pre COVID-19) come more likely to spread. That July President’s is the reason masks and social dis- dition to information on the White Message tancing are so important to mini- from his vast experience. A good mize the spread. We also know As I write this it is July 4th, with time is had by all. If you are free on that the virus survives on surfaces little change in the Covid-19 is- a Friday afternoon, come in the for some period of time and can sues. We are fortunate here in shop and tie or just visit. We are be spread by touching a contami- Baxter and Marion Counties that always looking for good company nated surface and then touching our infection rate is low. With and would love to have new tiers your mouth, nose or eyes. Hence, that, I hope you are getting out join us. Beginner tiers please come the reason hand hygiene and dis- enough to do some fishing. The on by. If you are having difficulty infecting frequently touched sur- lakes are still high and by all with a particular fly or technique, faces are recommended by our measures, decent wading on the we are glad to help and steer you in health experts. We White and Norfork River may not the right direction. If you want to Cont. Pg. 12 occur until October or later! learn a new fly, we will also be glad Spring River is a wade option for to help out. It is a blast to catch a trout; or if you have a boat, you fish on a fly you have tied! are in luck on the rivers. Another Speaking of tying, if you have not option is our warm water species, seen our Facebook post, the 2020 in the creeks, rivers and still wa- Fly Tying Contest Winner Plate will ters. We are fortunate to have op- be hung at Dally’s for viewing until tions if you want to fish. we decide when to hold an auction. Weather Cancellation Policy We have been in a collaboration Jerry Jester did a fantastic job on it. Thanks. NAFF Activities or Meet- with Dally’s for the Friday after- ing will be cancelled or noon fly tying held about 1:00pm postponed when the until you are tired of tying. Mountain Home Public Thanks to Jim Dugan who he has Tight Lines, Schools Cancel Classes. provided some Nima’s Pizza. Davy Dave Boyer Check KTLO radio web- Wotton has given us some sage site for school closing advice on tying and rigging in ad- info. Tale Waters Page 3 Fly of the Month fly is tied. There’s nothing wrong Hares ear dubbing. Pulsa Bugger with that other than you have a Ribbing tinsel. fixed weight factor. Granted in the case of fishing the fly you have op- Rooster hackle. tions for different lines from dry Grizzled Chickabou hackle. to degrees of sink rate. So, a method l have written about many times is this. Tie your fly Place hook in vice, run a thread without a bead. Carry with you an wrap to bend of hook and back to assortment of beads in different about midway 2/3 shank toward sizes and colors. Add the bead to the hook eye. you leader before you tie the fly on Marabou. I use the select plumes I doubt there is a trout fly angler and it will cause the fly to act the as l prefer the choice of length and who has not fished a wooly bugger same as if you had a bead on the do not have to tie in a stem as you and, in most cases, tied one as it is hook. The difference is this--it will would for the shorter strung mara- one of the flies most commonly change the animated action of the bou. It also produces a more mo- used for the beginner fly tyers. No fly. You can choose to fish in shal- bile tail. doubt for many use it is as a “go to low water with no bead; or in fly” when all else fails or simply a deeper zones, add a bead of choice Start to build up laminations of fly they have confidence to use. by weight and color, which can the marabou tail working as you make difference at times. Believe do with the thread toward the More or less the wooly bugger is a me, it does! hook bend. This also gives you the woolly worm, which was at one choice to use different shades of time a very popular fly here for the This practice can also be applied marabou for the tail. Once you White River, with an added mara- to your nymph and worm pat- have secured the tail, cut off the bou tail, that most certainly im- terns, add a choice of bead to the excess material. I will have that proves its attraction to the fish. leader before you tie on the fly. measured and done before l tie the There are many variations of bug- Even further if you are prepared to material in. gers by way of colors used but, in tie the Pulsa bugger as explained. At the tail end, now add your most cases, it amounts to a mara- The materials required are as strands of Flashabou and the rib- bou tail, may be some tinsel flash listed and color related to your bing material, which may be wire added, a chenille body, possibly a choice of fly. My example is the or French oval tinsel. rib, a wound palmered hackle and tan version, which is good to imi- a beadhead. Body. I use Hare fur dubbing ei- tate sculpins and crawdads. ther natural shade or dyed depend- Does color matter? In my opinion ing on the colors of the fly chosen. yes, albeit most are tied in shades The body is formed by a loop of olive, which is overall a good Hook sizes - 10, 8, 6 and 4 but twist, which is simple to do. general color to use. White at generally size 6 or 8 is best. First select your material and at- times for our rivers when shad are Bead – Your option with or with- present. tach it to the thread as you would out.