River Ridge Inn Fly Fishing Lodge on the North Fork River Arkansas

Brian Harris

I don't remember when I started fishing: it was just what I did. I do remember when I started fly fishing however, I was 14 and spent an entire summer reading, dreaming, and flailing the grass before a backpacking trip to New Mexico. I managed to catch a few stupid trout on that first attempt and proceeded to read and teach myself, as much as a teenager in Oklahoma with no trout around, could. Skip forward to college. I made numerous trips to the White and Norfork River, took a basic fly tying class, and spent a summer living and fishing in Colorado. I also, worked for White River Angler in Fayetteville, AR. Working for a fly shop allowed me to pursue trout with better equipment but, I also received a better knowledge and got lots of days off to fish. I got started guiding on those days off. That was in 1998 and here I am today still working for the shop and guiding since early 2000. Now you find me guiding for many of the best outfitters on the White and Norfork Rivers, and working with the best guides the Ozarks have to offer. What makes a guide trip with me different is my laid back demeanor with the client and my intense focus on the fishing. Many guides have one of these characteristics but it is hard to find both. I love to teach beginner fisherman and show them the beauty of fly fishing as well as make sure they catch lots of fish. Beyond this it is even more satisfying when I'm allowed to take an intermediate fisherman to the next level. Whether is is teaching someone how to sight fish better or how to stalking a monster trout, it is that challenge and the experience that I think is the most exciting aspect of guiding. This is why I am known primarily as a wade fishing guide and try to do that as much as possible. Wading brings you closer to the trout and puts you in his element. There are times when the wading abilities of the client, or more often the constantly fluctuating tailwater releases, that do not allow for wade fishing. For those times, I fish from a Hyde drift boat. This is unusual for the area as most guides use the long john boats with motors on these waters. I chose to use a drift boat for most situations because of the experience it provides my clients. Yes, it is more work for me, but, in the end it gives the client a more natural, quiet experience and in some instances allows us to fish water the other boats can't. Fishing from a drift boat is the next best thing to wading and still allows my clients to fish any water level from dead low to maximum capacity; this allows us to catch more fish in more conditions. Why not try a trip with me and let me show you how much fun, relaxing and rewarding a day on the water can be. In all my years guiding, I still have not had a fishless client (Catch and release of course). More importantly, I want the client to leave with a few new techniques to use in fly fishing and a greater respect for the natural resource in the Ozarks of Arkansas.

Catch You Later,

Brian Harris
Brian@whiteriverguides.com
Whiteriverguides.com
(479)409-5385