ducktape June 8th, 2010
New fishing iPhone app developed with the fishermen and conservation in mind. WhatTheFish!, developed by FloodedTimber.org (a partner site of Arkansas Outdoors Online) is a fast-loading fishing identification iPhone application offering high-quality images and detailed descriptions of over 50 freshwater species directly on your iPhone.
Detailed images of how to tie fishing knots and even a GPS-enabled bragging board are in the works so you can show off that huge fish to everyone who uses the new fish ID iPhone app.
See a species of fish you want added into the database? Just visit the support page and FloodedTimber.org will include your fish species suggestions in future application updates.
Check out the video of the Fish ID iPhone app at our Hunting and Fishing iPhone app page.
As a bonus, a percentage of WhatTheFish! proceeds will go directly towards conservation groups dedicated to restoring the Gulf Coast.
Purchase WhatTheFish! today to improve your knowledge of the most popular species of fish.
kevin May 20th, 2010
I recently managed to lose my favorite fly rod. This is the rod that has been my primary fishing tool for over twenty years.
It is the one that I kept in a double rod case with my wife, Lori’s, favorite fly rod by the front door, so that I could easily grab it on the way out to the river. It is a Sage 490 LL (four weight, nine foot Light Line). It was a nice light rod with a sensitive tip to protect the light tippets that I use for the tiny flies that we fish so much around here.
I could not tell you how many fish I have caught on it over the years. This rod has not been manufactured for over ten years and cannot be replaced.
As if that were not enough, there was an Orvis CFO 123 reel on the rod. This particular reel is also a personal favorite. The reel was manufactured in England by Hardy for Orvis and was based on an original design by Lee Wulff. It was light, had an adjustable drag and was a perfect match for the Light Line rod. It also has not been produced for several years and is irreplaceable.
Of course, it had an expensive fly line on it. Using this rod and reel, I landed a twenty inch brown just two days ago.
How did I lose this rod and reel? Well it is the usual story. Come inside the Arkansas Fishing Forum for the full story from Arkansas fishing guide John Berry.
kevin April 22nd, 2010
I recently guided a father and his daughter, Gerald and Laurie, for three days on the White and Norfork Rivers. It brought back memories of all of the fishing trips that I had with my daughter as she grew up. We spent a lot of time on Dry
Run Creek and I still cherish the memories. The fact that, on the day after they left, my daughter, Katherine, her husband, Stewart, and my grand children John and Larkin were due for a visit, made it even more poignant. The first two days featured tough conditions. We experienced high water (seven generators on the White) and high wind (complete with lake wind advisories). We were due for a break.
On Friday night we had a significant thunder storm. I have a pretty good handle on this because my yellow lab, Ellie, is storm phobic and always spends the night in the bedroom with Lori and me, when we have a storm. I knew that the next day the river would be choked with muddy water from runoff and would be pretty much unfishable. Conventional wisdom under such conditions is to head upstream until you find clear water.
In most instances, the best place to start is the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam. The generation forecast for the day was for the Corps of Engineers to run seven full generators (over 21,000 cubic feet per second) for the entire twenty four hour period. As a result, we left the waders at the lodge.
Come inside the Arkansas Fishing Forum for the full article.
ducktape April 13th, 2010
On Sunday, April 18th, the best Junior Anglers in Arkansas will compete to earn the crown of state champion in the 11 to 14 age group and the 15 to 18 age group. Beaver Lake will host this year’s Arkansas Bassmaster Junior State Championship tournament at Prairie Creek . The Arkansas fishing tournament takes place from 7am to 2pm.
The twelve participants in each age group had to qualify through local tournaments throughout Arkansas during the past year and finish in the top three in points within their respective age group and club to be eligible to compete in the Arkansas Bassmaster Junior State Championship.
Not only will this tournament crown the best Junior Angler in each of these two age groups, the winners will represent Arkansas in the Bassmaster Federation Nation Central Division Championship on Table Rock Lake May 10th -14th — a competition that will feature the very best Junior Anglers from seven other states and Mexico.
Check out the full website here: Arkansas Bassmaster, Casting Kids
kevin April 6th, 2010
Nothing ruins an otherwise perfect day of fly fishing faster than a strong wind.
Wind knots, inaccurate casts, and hours of fist-raising cursing of the skies can lead you to ask “Is this really worth it?”
I know the feeling. Many a spring days I’ve had flies selected, rods rigged, lines cleaned, lunch-packed and truck gassed ready for a full day on the river only to walk outside and get punched in the nose by 25 mph gusts.
Unfortunately, this is typical for spring in Arkansas. However, by no means does this mean you have to stay home.
Just a few simple tips can remedy the frustrations of fly fishing on windy days and lead to success on your favorite trout fishing waterway. Today, I’ll cover casting with pesky crosswinds.
Crosswinds
Crosswinds consist of any wind that is blowing from your left or right side, as opposed to in your face or at your back. If you’re a right-handed caster, the easiest way to cast with crosswind conditions is to position yourself so the wind is hitting you opposite of your rod side.
Come inside the Arkansas Fishing Forum to read tips and tricks for fly fishing in the wind.
kevin March 23rd, 2010
One of the least talked about, but most important, subjects in the world of fishing is proper care and use of your tackle. To 
me, there is nothing more essential than the care and proper use of your fishing tools … and that applies to expensive and cheap tackle alike.
Since there are many different kinds of equipment involved in everyday fishing, this discussion will feature rods and reels. I have thousands of dollars invested in rod and reels and to ensure I don’t invest another thousands of dollars, I always do my very best to ensure that they are well cared for and properly used.
Rod Care & Storage - It doesn’t take a genius to understand that a rod is made for hooking and fighting fish and doesn’t double as a boat paddle or a samurai sword. Follow these simple rules and your rod may outlive you.
I cringe every time I see someone lay a rod down in a boat or on the ground. There should never be an instance when this should occur; it’s the number one way for damage to occur. Before you know it, you have stepped on the rod and broken it or smashed an eyelet. I have rod tubes mounted all over my boat to insure that mishaps such as these are avoided.
As far as rod storage goes, I have cedar rod racks at home that have sturdy and padded areas for each of my rod and reel set-ups and these also match the furniture in the room.
Come inside the Arkansas Fishing Forum to read more helpful fishing rod and reel care tips.
kevin March 1st, 2010
Choosing a new fly line can be a challenging job when you consider all of the options. The fly line is that piece of gear 
that we all take for granted. It is the one thing that can actually improve your casting.
Back in the day, when everyone fished with bamboo rods, the fly line of choice was made of silk. They had to be dressed with a waterproofing paste before each use. These lines were tapered at each end (the taper allowed for a delicate presentation). After fishing the line for a few hours, it began to absorb water would start to sink. The angler would remove the line from the reel and turn it around. He would then fish the dry half for the remainder of the day. These lines are still available for $150.00 to $175.00.
Today, one of the most interesting new,modern fly lines is Scientific Angler’s (3M) Sharkskin line. This line has a textured finish like sharkskin that has a reduced drag on the rod guides. This reduced drag allows you to cast this line further, all for only $100.00. I have had several clients absolutely swear by this line. I found that it makes a whirring sound when you cast it, which I found distracting. I had one client that had to use band aids on his finger, because the line abraded it.
Come inside to discover more tips on how to choose a fly line.
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