Today, I had the pleasure of guiding David and his father, Jim, who had been fishing on the White River near Wildcat for the past few days. It was a refreshing change to leave the boat motors behind and introduce these gentlemen to some new waters. If you’ve been following our quick reports, you’re already aware of the outstanding fishing conditions on the Norfork, so I won’t go into too much detail.
This trip marked my first journey all the way down the river in several months, taking advantage of the low water conditions. While I’ve been running introductory half-day trips, these are typically conducted near the dock hole at the top of the river. However, today, I wanted to venture farther downriver and explore a few prime spots.
Our day began with a promising start. Before we even reached the first island above Gene’s Resort, Jim had already surpassed his total fish count from the White River the day before. As we fished our way through the dock hole, sifting through the stocked fish, we held out hope for some sizable rainbows, knowing that we would likely find them farther downstream.
As we entered the long hole, we started hooking into some more substantial rainbows. Soon enough, David managed to land a Brook trout, and just a few minutes later, he had a cutthroat on his line. At that moment, he remarked, “All I need now is a brown.” And so, the quest to remove numerous rainbows, including several photo-worthy ones that were released, began in earnest. We were determined to find that elusive pot of gold.
And then it happened—a distinct bend in the rod that signaled we had found the one. We were thrilled for David as he achieved his grand slam, and Jim also had an incredible day, catching more fish than he had ever caught in a single day. While every day on the water is exceptional, some days turn out to be just a little better than others, and this was clearly one of them!
