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.

Are Missouri Blue-Ribbon Trout Direct Descendants of McCloud River Rainbows?

Results from the Missouri Trout Genetic Study.

Rainbow trout from the McCloud River in California were transported via rail cars to the Missouri Ozarks in the late 1800s.  Some Missouri streams have had self-sustaining populations of rainbow trout since those original stockings.  There is much confusion about which if any streams contain “pure McClouds”and which have been overstocked with different genetic strains.  Two Missouri chapters of Trout Unlimited (TU) funded a genetic study of Missouri trout.  TU anglers collected fin clips from Missouri blue ribbon streams.  Missouri Department of Conservation provided fin clips from shocking surveys on some streams and from hatchery strains used in Missouri.  DNA analyses were used to compare the Missouri streams to each other, to hatchery stocks, and to current rainbow trout populations in California.  In this presentation, the results of this study will be revealed and discussed.  

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. 

Steve has put together a unique presentation that discusses the 13 year cicadas and how they can be important to the fly fisherman.

Mysteries of the 13-Cicadas - Hatches of the periodic, or Magicicadas, are a fabled, even mythical happening, far enough apart to gloss over the warts leaving only memories of big fish eating big bugs. Brood XIX returns to the White River in spring 2024, after 13 years, and Steve Dally gives an insight from experiences in 2011, netting a 30" brown trout, and the most up to date science. 

Detailing the life cycles of the bugs, where they live and breed, and what triggers the emergence. Plus, how to find the bugs, the best patterns and how to fish them.

A great presentation from one of our local experts - Ozark Smallmouth bass, Largemouth bass, Temperate bass, What to Use and How to Catch Them.

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

Discover the Driftless

Author John van Vliet will present his award-winning short film, “Into the Driftless,” and share his insights, advice and tips for exploring the 24,000-square-mile unglaciated Driftless Area that covers portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois. This unique, beautiful and little-known region of the American Midwest is sometimes called the “Little Ozarks” for its deep valleys, high limestone bluffs and cold rushing trout streams. The Driftless has a mystique all its own and makes up one of the highest concentrations of trout streams in the world. If you’ve ever thought about visiting the remarkable Driftless Area, you won’t want to miss this presentation.

John van Vliet is the Midwest Field Editor for Fly Fisherman magazine and author of more than a dozen popular fly-fishing books, including Trout Fishing in Southeast Minnesota, Trout Fishing in Southwest Wisconsin, Trout Fishing in Northeast Iowa and The Art of Fly Tying. He has served on the board of the Twin Cities Trout Unlimited chapter, is an FFI certified fly-casting instructor and, with his partner Catherine Smith, organized the first FFI film festival. An avid fly angler, writer and filmmaker, he has fly fished around the world. The trout streams of the Driftless Area are his home waters.