When Where and How To Fish Our Local Rivers
 
Let John Berry, a legendary local guide, tell you when, where and how to fish the White and Norfork Rivers. Whether wading or in a boat, he will tell you what you need to know.

John Berry, a long time fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas is a life member of the Fly Fishers International and the Mid South Fly Fishers and is a member of the North Arkansas Fly Fishers, and Trout Unlimited. He teaches fly fishing for Arkansas State University and has also taught at other colleges and groups such as State Technical Institute in Memphis Tennessee and Mississippi County Community College. He has presented seminars for the Federation of Fly Fishers, the Ducks Unlimited Great Outdoors Festival, the Sowbug Round Up, Becoming an Outdoors Woman, Casting for Recovery, Fly Fishing Clubs and corporate groups throughout the region. John is a fly fishing columnist for the Baxter Bulletin and wrote a substantial portion of Home Waters, a local fishing guide published by the Mid South Fly Fishers. He has written for several sporting journals such as Drake. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Sowbug Roundup fly tying contest. John was awarded the Charles E. Brooks Memorial Lifetime Award by the Fly Fishers International. Recently he has been featured in the book, The Guides Speak.

A great presentation from one of our local experts - How to fish for large browns on the White River changes with the seasons. Chad will share four tactics that will help you chase brown trout on our world famous White River all year long!

Chad "Mississippi" Johnson is a native of Crystal Springs, MS.  His love for fly fishing began after he first visited the area in the Spring of 2003. Chad moved into the White River area in July 2006. He has guided the White River system since 2007. He has also guided out of Rocky River Lodge in Port Graham, Alaska in 2007 & 2010, for both Salmon & Dollie Varden seasons.

With persistence & hard work, Chad has accomplished more than he could ever imagine.  He has been featured in several magazine publications such as Gray’s Sporting Journal, Eastern Fly Fishing, American Angler, Fly Fisherman, & Outdoor Life.  He has also been featured in book such as “Nymph Masters: Fly Fishing Secrets from Expert Anglers” & “Feeding Time: A Fly Fisher’s Guide to What, Where & When Trout Eat” both by Jason Randall & “Strip-Set: Fly-Fishing Techniques; Tactics & Patterns for Streamers” by George Daniels; "The Hunt for Giant Trout" by Landon Mayer; "Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout II" by Kelly Galloup and Largemouth Bass Flies by Drew Chicone.

He is a Simms Pro, RIO pro, Costa Del Mar Pro, Shawnee/Supreme/Predator pro staffer. 

As the Head Guide for Dally’s Ozark Fly Fisher, Chad guides more than 200 days a year and is widely acknowledged as one of the best streamer guides in the country by high-profile streamer gurus like Blane Chocklett and Kelly Galloup. He is a fly designer and an innovative and award-winning fly tyer who is sought after for his outstanding fly-tying demonstrations. 

Chad’s laid-back Mississippi accent and style make him a crowd favorite everywhere he goes.

"Bottom line is there’s no better place to be than in the boat with a customer sharing this sport. I love my job! I had no idea that my move from Mississippi would land me on such a fast track to such an awesome fly-fishing career. Thanks to all of the support of the fly heads out there." - Chad Johnson

Euronymphing

Tim presentation will include discussions on equipment, flies, on the water strategies and techniques needed for euronymphing.

Tim Flagler is the owner of Tightline Productions, L.L.C., a video production company located in Califon, NJ. Although he produces video programs over a wide range of topics, his specialty is fly fishing. Tim is a well-known fly tying instructor. His YouTube videos are some of the best in the business and his YouTube channel, practicalpatterns.com currently has over 118,000 subscribers and 38 million views. Almost every week he produces a new fly tying or “how to” video which appear not only on his YouTube channel but on Midcurrent and the Orvis News fly fishing blog as well. They’re also featured on Trout Unlimited’s national website and in the Orvis Learning Center. In addition, he has a regular column “Beginner’s Masterclass with Tim Flagler” in Fly Tyer magazine, which selected Tim as their “Fly Tyer of the Year”  in their Winter 2022 issue. Many of Tim’s tying videos take the viewer well beyond just the tying of the fly and show what it looks like underwater, what natural it represents and how it can be fished.

Tim’s a fixture at the Fly Fishing Shows - giving presentations, teaching classes and often as a Featured Tier. He does monthly “Tie-Off’s” with Tom Rosenbauer (Orvis) and, recently, Cheech Pierce (Fly Fish Food) as well. He enjoys guiding year round for South Branch Outfitters (formerly Shannon’s Fly & Tackle)in Califon, NJ and hosts annual trips to Patagonia in the spring and to the Kootenai River in MT in the summer. He has also started hosting several trips within the year to Spruce Creek, PA and to the Erie area for steelhead in early December.

For more than 30 years, master fly-fishing guide Pat Dorsey has been helping anglers of all ages and skill levels discover the joy of fly-fishing Colorado’s legendary tailwaters. Pat is co-owner and head guide of the Blue Quill Angler Fly Shop in Evergreen, CO. His professional fishing experience and knowledge of the local water set him apart from other guides. He’s proud to be sponsored by many fine fly-fishing equipment and apparel companies, including Simms, Sage, Whiting, Orvis and more. He’s also a signature fly designer for Umpqua Featger Merchants. As a fishing guide, Dorsey not only knows the waters of Colorado better than almost anyone, but he’s also an expert when it comes to the equipment you’ll need. Beginners will get the right tackle and flies to get them off to a running start, while seasoned anglers will have their skills and abilities pushed to the next level by Dorsey’s talent and passion.

Along with being an expert fly fisherman, Pat is also a great author and teacher, evident by the valuable information, tips, and techniques to improve your skills he shares in his books and instructional DVD’s. Pat’s books are Tying and Fishing Tailwater Flies, Colorado Guide Flies, Fly Fishing Tailwaters, Fly Fishing Guide to the South Platte River, and Favorite Flies for Colorado and his DVD Nymphing Strategies.

Pat, his wife Kim, and their five children make their home in Denver, Colorado, just a short drive from Evergreen.

Pat and Tim will square off in what will be an very fun and informative "competition". Each will tie the same fly (which will be announced later) one step at a time, alternating turns, each putting their own spin on a material or technique used.

Steve was raised on Australia’s island state of Tasmania, in Aussie fly-fishing terms the equivalent of being raised in Montana. In his late 20s he grasped a fly rod, and an obsession was born. He cut his teeth on the challenging wild brown trout and rainbows of Tasmania’s wilderness lakes and streams before moving to the US in December 2000. Steve’s fly-fishing experience includes writing, photography, running fly shops, and guiding. Eventually he landed in Cotter, AR running Dally’s Ozark Angler Fly Shop and guiding on the world-famous White River. He started the Streamer Lovefest, an annual streamer fly event in January, and most recently Dally’s All Species Odyssey event.

Despite a serious and extensive fly-fishing resume, Steve’s laid-back Aussie accent and attitude, sense of humor and self-deprecating wit are appreciated by beginners and experienced fly fishers alike. His mantra is that fly fishing is meant to be fun whether you are catching the biggest fish of your life, tangling around the rod tip and everything in between.

Steve has put together a unique presentation that discusses the techniques needed to succesfully deploy Euronymph techniques with your current 5 wt rod and line. So before you invest in a specialty euronymphing rod and line, come see Steve's presentation and get a "top-secret" method for a "competitive advantage" with your current equipment!

New Age Soft Hackles

Brian Wise is the guy behind the famous YouTube channel “Fly Fishing the Ozarks” and he has guided on the North Fork of the White River in Missouri for 2 decades and specializes in streamer fishing for large, predatory brown trout.

Fly fishing is not just a hobby for Brian, it is a way of life. He loves every aspect of this wonderful sport, the river, the fish, and the feeling of peace. When he’s not on the river, he is tying flies or reading everything he can to help my fishing.

Brian has put together an excellent materials based presentation where he will demonstrate and discuss the use of new materials and techniques to tie soft hackles flies! A classic fly with a modern twist.