Generation Schedule? We don't need no stinking schedule!

Hello all:

When I say it’s been a while, it’s been a long while for fly fishing.  I bet it’s been 3-4 months.  I have started a new career, and I’ve been busy.  It also seems that the generation schedule hasn’t been the most productive for wading until about a week ago I noticed they shifted a little to the afternoon.  I HATE this issue.  It runs off the tourism in a state that NEEDS it.  SWPA must go to a MIN FLOW, and change schedules to facilitate more tourism to this great state - I’m rather disappointed.

 

There is more to this story.  I had the opportunity to take last Friday off, so I decided to get reacquainted with the ole fly rod.  I did a little research, and the flow wasn’t supposed to start until 10:00am (FIGURE 1).  SUPER!  I can fish Cow Shoals 1-1.5 hours downstream and extend it to 11:00-11:30am.  It should give me a good 4-5 hours of fishing.  PERFECT.  I set the alarm clock and decided to press. 

I woke at 5:45am and loaded the truck.  I actually remembered all of the items…Rod, guide pack/net, waders, and wading shoes.  Superb…It’s slightly overcast and cool.  I figure a little fog, wind will eventually blow it off, and some darker flies.  Backing out the drive…Forgot my favorite hat…My ACU pattern Arkansas Razorback hat. Yet to be skunked with that hat on, haven’t washed it since I bought it, and it smells….RIPE!  Anyway, I couldn’t stand to wear it for my hour long drive.  It sat in the back floorboard – Hehehehe!

I got slightly past Guy, and the bottom falls out.  I failed to check the weather.  It’s been sunny and no rain for almost 3 weeks.  At Quitman, a lightning storm is flaming off, and I see flashes as far as I can see.  I am now debating going back to work!  As I get to Heber Springs, it’s lightening up, and I see the edge of the storm that should be overhead in less than an hour.  As I pull up to Cow Shoals, I see three other vehicles – PERFECT.  All of the participants are hanging out awaiting the storm to pass.  As I get out, two guys are finishing rigging their rods with their VW Tiguan.  I see four rods - Interesting. I chat a bit with them as I am rigging and dressing out.  Then two cute girls hop out of the back seat of the VW.  It’s awesome for these guys to have girls like this – Fly Fisherwomen! 

Anyway, I’m on the river by 7:00am, it’s foggy, and cools.  It’s OK, because my Maui Jims are cutting through a lot of the fog.  I notice the two couples have camped out about mid-stream at the bottom of the stairs - Typical for first timers and great spot during the spawn.  I fish these areas sometimes, but they aren’t super lucrative this time of year.  I head to my…uh…fishing area, and no one is there.  I do notice that the water is still about a foot high, so I can’t fish with my wading pants…First failure!  It’s still waist deep there, and I don’t like getting water down my pants.  So, I’m not in my normal spot.

After an hour of fishing the fog starts lifting, and I have had only 15 or so light bites with a couple of fish in.  I changed flies to my normal configuration of Copper John and dropper of a San Juan worm (non-squirmy) and start catching fish.  It’s good, but man, they are laying on some light bites.  I’m 2.5 hours into fishing, and I hear what sounds like the riffles picking up speed.  What?  It’s only 9:30am. 

 

This means they would have had to turn on the damn at about 8:00am - Can’t be.  I forgot my water height marker (plastic bottom I put ¼ full of water), so I pick out two rocks just upstream.  I catch another fish, and I notice that the water is moving much faster than it used to.  I figure I ate some bad mushrooms last night.  The generation schedule is for 10:00am.  A couple more casts, and the river is distinctly moving faster in areas that were not having current.  I look upstream, and the rocks are GONE!  Uh oh!  I debate to hop out at some docks right where I am.  I will have to go above waste since there are a couple of holes that are that deep to get to them.  I decided to chance going up stream to the walk out.  BAD MOVE!  I am RUNNING on the rocks that remain.  I crossed just South of the shoals, and the second crossing is getting some serious CFM.  I get half way across, and the current sweeps my feet out from underneath me.  I get to swim a few seconds…Now, hopping out at the docks looks like a great idea.  I regain my composure and footing, and I finally get across by taking steps down stream to make it across.  This is DANGEROUS.  I finally get to where there is a rock bank, and it’s just fast moving shin height.  I press to the bank and there is a small trail made by people caught like I was.  I make it to an area where I have to jump into waste deep stagnant water that leads to the let out or get to the fast moving water.  I choose the stagnant, and I slowly wade to the get out point.  A couple of other fishermen are coming out with me.  We all check our clocks on our phones.  Yep, they screwed the pooch and started generating early.

 

Luckily, it was only one generator, and I could have pressed up stream with a little aid of the bank.  Even luckier was my 11 year old decided to pass on fishing this day.  This would have taken him down stream and been a HUGE issue.  Since I get cell phone coverage at the landing, I’ll start calling the number and getting an update.  I unfortunately don’t get cell reception on the river where I fish.  So, this doesn’t help me.  My biggest concern is this – Why are they changing the schedule for generation that comes out around 3:00pm the day prior?  Did something change over the past 14-16 hours that made them change it.  Could they not have foreseen this on Thursday pm and actually posted this with the schedule?  How about update the schedule that I checked before I went on the river to make sure.  It’s a multi-media world…Let’s treat it like it. 

I’ve been on the river many times when SWPA busts their schedule, and the people I met earlier come off the river white faced and scared.  Luckily, I’ve never been caught but once, and I got off quickly.  Many go to the island about 1.5 miles upstream, and I met a guy that actually had to float and swim back down with water filled waders.  This is dangerous, and I think I’m going to take this up with SWPA first, The Corps of Engineers second, and Senator Tommy Cotton if I don’t like their responses to my questions.  I just don’t like the fact SWPA creates a schedule and don’t live by it!  Someone is going to get killed, and I think this is hugely irresponsible for a major corporation.  We also lost fans in the means of two couples from Tennessee.  They said they would never go to Cow Shoals, again.  This is a HUGE issue, Arkansas.  Oh, be careful out there fly fishermen, and don't believe anything posted by SWPA!

 

RobF

Arkansas Fly Fishing