I haven't been on the White river since 1987, but we caught a bunch of trout on that trip. Great memories!!!
We fish the White on Tanneycomo, Below Bull shoals and everywhere in between where we can find an access area.
There are some very unique trout resorts along the way. We have stayed at the best and some of the not so good, but the fishing is always good.
Gastons below Bull shoals is very unique. In the rooms, house keeping leaves little sleeves of power bait on your pillow after cleaning the room.
It has a grass airstrip suitable for small jets and at one time one of the only two 3 star Michelin restaurants in Arkansas.
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Dennis, do you fish there by wading or from a boat? Fly fishing or spinning?
You can do it all. At the time early last fall when those pics were taken, the white was in record high levels. We used a boat, and drift fished using fly's with tiny split shot to get it down in the eddy's that are on the inside of the curves of the river.
We drifted in the current with night crawler rigs tipped with cooked shrimp pieces which is a guide favorite for clients to catch lots of trout.
You get hung up occasionally, but keep a couple of rigs already made up to put on quickly and drift on.
Stop on the shoals and fish the gravel bars with fly rods.
I will say this, the big, (5-10lb) trout are on the deep side of the turns in the river with the fastest current. I don't know what it takes to get in there for them as your drifting by at 5mph or faster but we could see them behind stumps, etc.
Normal flows in that area has pools with shoals, then more pools, etc. There are access roads everywhere. You can find maps to locate those roads.
Tanneycomo is a huge trout fishery on the White. What would have been the world record rainbow trout washed up dead to the dock at Lilleys Landing where we stay in that area. Its called a lake, but when they are discharging from Table rock lake it becomes a river on the upper end. Drifting, fishing with power bait, fly's, spinning, whatever, Tanneycomo is probably the tops in the entire white river system.
Lillies landing resort is the best of the best in that area.
http://www.lilleyslanding.com/
Yes it is, Lilly's is outstanding.
Thank you Dennis. Hopefully I can make it over there one of these days. Really sounds like a lot of fun!
Drove over 2 hours to the Blue River today. It was tough fishing. Only 3 fish between 3 of us. Nobody was catching much. Time for some new waders, mine sprung a leak. Still had a blast! Gonna try Tenkiller in a few weeks.
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Nice mess of fish Bowhunter!
Haven't fished the blue river yet, but its on my bucket list. Nice catch!Drove over 2 hours to the Blue River today. It was tough fishing. Only 3 fish between 3 of us. Nobody was catching much. Time for some new waders, mine sprung a leak. Still had a blast! Gonna try Tenkiller in a few weeks.
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