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Well, this gnarly little Brown Trout almost got the better of the Trout Diva tonight! I was down by the boat ramp again, just before sunset… I was using an orange & black Rapala deep runner, size 9, and slam! I knew I had a good fish on…

Brown Trout on the White River at His Place Resort

So, I let it run for a little bit, as I tried to fight it back toward the bank where I was standing. Then, all of a sudden, it was just like I hit a rock. You know what I’m talking about. That trout had gotten behind a rock, and there was absolutely nothing I could do.
I kept pressure on the line for about 10 minutes. Nothing…
Sometimes, as you probably already know, trout will go down and rub their mouth against something in an attempt to get the hook out; often this tactic is successful and they get away. But, not only did I NOT want to throw in the towel, but I did not want to lose that $10 lure, either!
So, I kicked the switch on my reel so I could Spool backwards & let out line. I climbed back up the bank, & into the yard by cabin 12 and just started pulling as hard as I could.
All of a sudden, I felt slack. I started to say bad words, because I thought I had broken it off! But, then, I felt that shake and it started running again!
I had that trout loose and I had not broke it off!!! about another five minutes, and I had her to the bank. I was actually a little bit afraid, because I had really played this fish hard, and after I got the lure out of her mouth, she was trying to float on her side – this is not a good sign!
So, in my brand-new pair of $120 tennis shoes, into the River I go to properly revive the fish. I got a couple of pictures with my Blackberry phone while doing so.

Brown Trout on the White River at His Place Resort

She was only about 22 inches, definitely a respectable fish, but certainly not a monster… but let me tell you what!  This trout had some serious fight in it! It took about 10-15 minutes of me trying to revive her, and then she tried to bite me.
Typically, when they feel good enough to thrash around and try to bite you – you can rest assured that they will be fine! LOL!
Anyway, have a good evening y’all! Trout Diva is now going to try and revive her tennis shoes…

‘Cause I’ve got a golden ticket…  I’ve got a golden chance to make my way…  And with a golden ticket, it’s a golden day!

OK, OK…  I haven’t really lost it; not completely, anyway.  Although, over the last couple of weeks, I really thought some of y’all had!  I’m sorry, really I am…  There have been a couple of people tell me that they’ve caught this bright “golden” trout.  Honestly, I thought they were just having trouble identifying a cutthroat, or perhaps they’d happened upon one of the long-forgotten moonshine stills rumored to still be in operation in the nearby hills…

But, you were right!  I was wrong…  There, I said it, OK???  Trout Diva was wrong!  Put it down in your diaries boys & girls, because you won’t hear those words coming from the Trout Diva too often!

So, what IS going on with these weird, beautiful new trout in the White River???  Is it a freak of nature?  Have the mad scientists been tweaking the genome of trout for some wonderful, new fishing experience for you?
Well, yes to both questions, really…

AGFC, in order to make up for the shortfalls of hatchery production last year, have purchased and introduced Golden Rainbow Trout into the White River.  Jeff Williams, our Trout Biologist at AGFC, told me this at our last Outfitter’s meeting.  Here’s a photo of one caught a little bit upriver from me; photo courtesy of Phyllis at Wildcat Shoals.  Check it out!

OK, so just exactly what are these trout and where did they come from?  Let me start by telling you what they are not…

They are not Golden Trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita).  A Golden Rainbow Trout’s scientific designation is identical to that of the Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) you’re all familiar with.  This is because they were created (or engineered, depending on your point of view) from a naturally occurring color variation of your “run-of-the-mill” Rainbow Trout.

Yes, from what I could find out, all “West Virginia Golden Rainbow Trout” originated from “Eve”, a single female trout; a true genetic “Super Freak” of nature that occurred in 1954 in West Virginia, hence the name.  Pretty cool, huh?

(Yes, Trout Diva is listening to old 70’s & 80’s funk this morning…  can you tell?  It’s good for you every once in awhile…  That Rick James song will now be playing in your head all day, too, as it will be in mine…  I had to turn it on to chase the Willy Wonka “Golden Ticket” song out of my head…)

This is where the mad scientists jumped in…  They took one look at this captured female and thought, “Wow…  this is cool…  Let’s make some more!”  It took several generations of selective breeding to create the true, breeding Golden Rainbow Trout.

So, you think you’ve seen these before?  You called them a Palomino Trout?  Nope…  They’re not Palomino Trout, either…  not exactly…

The result of a “true” Golden Rainbow Trout crossed with a normal Rainbow Trout is today called a Palomino Trout, (still an Oncorhynchus mykiss) which is typically much lighter in color than a Golden Rainbow Trout.

However, when you remember that all Golden Rainbow Trout came from our single, super-freaky female that was crossed with normal Rainbow Trout, (how we get Palominos today) the distinction does become fuzzier and less relevant the further back you trace their origin.  Gotta love those mad scientists!  You GO, you genome-tweakin’ maniacs, you!  Cool stuff!

So, now to address a more practical matter; one might wonder how the game wardens view these trout when looking at harvest regulations, posession limits, etc.  They’re to be treated just like Rainbow Trout.  All the same regulations apply.

However, they’re SO cool looking that the Trout Diva hopes you will not harvest them so others can get a chance to see one!  Just take a picture, give it a quick kiss, and put it back!

They have enough going against them, anyway.  Think about it for a minute…  They are bright!  You can see them half-way across the river.  And so can the Great Blue Herons…  and the Bald Eagles…  and other Brown Trout.  Although there is no scientific evidence I can find to reference at this time; common sense would clearly indicate that the survivability of these trout would be substantially lower; they just do not “blend in” to their surroundings at all.

But CAN they be successful?  Well, apparently they can; at least they have been in some other locations…  check out this “mature” Golden Rainbow Trout at 13 lb, 4 oz.

Mature Golden Rainbow Trout

Now, THAT’S what I’m talkin’ about!  At this point, of course, no one really knows if they have the potential to get this large in the White River…  But, hey…  We grow huge trout here, so maybe someday we’ll see something of this size.  Why not?

Anyway, just wanted to share this information with you…  Just add this potential experience to the long list of reasons to come and visit us on the White River, in the Arkansas Ozarks.

The Trout Diva awaits your arrival…

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So, you might be wondering how the fishing is lately… you probably already know how incredibly spoiled we are on the White River.  Fishing is seldom anything but good. 

But, please… Don’t take my word for it!  I’ll just let my Divas do the talking…

What Divas am I talking about?  Well, of course, I’m talking about all of my White River Trout Divas that have been here in the last couple of weeks.  Yes, the women have really been givin’ the men-folk a run for their money. 

From “Trout Divas in Training” to my one-and-only “Trout Diva Extraordinaire”, Ms. Frances, these women run the gamut in experience from novice to advanced.  Just goes to show you that regardless of your skill level, ladies do have a great time on the White River. 

But with all their differences, they have one thing in common…  they LOVE fishin’ for those Trout!

Diva Debi with her gorgeous Brown Trout

Check out Diva Debi…  and the look on her face…  yes, that’s a happy woman with that gorgeous Brown Trout!  That isn’t her first time on the White River, either.  She’s in a competition with Norma, whose Brown beat hers out by 1.5 inches…  the Diva-ON will continue into next year…

the Diva3, Divas Princess, Red & Amazon

And now introducing “Diva3″, aka Diva Princess, Diva Red, and Diva Amazon.  They had a competition goin’ on with their husbands and would have won if their husbands hadn’t been cheatin’!  Uh-huh.  That’s exactly what I said, CHEATIN’!  Nope.  I didn’t stutter, not one bit!  The boys got into a mess of little tiny baby browns who didn’t know any better and would eat anything, and those boys actually COUNTED them!  But the Diva3, high-class act that they are, did not dispute the boys claim of high fish count for the day, but graciously let the men-folk think they were victorious.  By the way, Diva Princess was high fish count girl of the day…  She’s the one who doesn’t know how to fish…

White River Trout Diva & "Fly Girl", Diva Kim

Here we have a real “Fly Girl” — that’s our Diva Kim.  Check out this gorgeous Rainbow she caught on her fly rod!  Kim fishes all over the place, but really had her game on last week.  Close to 50 fish with her fly rod on her guide trip.

Diva Louann teaches her husband a thing or two...

And another gorgeous Diva of the White…  Diva Louann with a beautiful Rainbow.  Check the color on that fish…  it’s beautiful, huh?  If memory serves, she put the hurt on her husband that day…  to which I say that her husband, Mike, is a very lucky man!

Just another day on the White for Diva Judi...

Next, we have Diva Judi, a regular to the White River.  What can I say other than she’s a gorgeous little fish magnet?  Sorry, guys, she’s happily married!  Over the years, Judi and her mom, Frances have become like family.  We love you!

White River Trout Diva Extraordinaire, Diva Frances

And finally, the ONE…  the ONLY…  Trout Diva Extraordinaire…  Diva Frances!  If you go fishin’ with this woman, you better get it through your head right now.  She has absolutely killer competitive instincts, and she’s gonna beat you.  And she’s gonna do it every time.  It’s that simple.  She’ll give you that sweet, disarming smile, and act so gracious about the whole thing, too!  But, make no mistake, this quintessential White River Trout Diva has your number, buddy… 

And speaking of numbers…  I’ve had Frances picture up before…  and the calls flooded in…  Guys, I’m going to tell you ONE MORE TIME to stop calling me and asking for Frances’ phone number!  I’m NOT going to give it to you!!!

Movin’ on…

You know, I’ve been thinkin’…  all these women have more in common than just lovin’ fishin’…  perhaps even a secret plot for Trout Fishing World Domination???  I’m not tellin’ you that I know anything for sure, but I might say to the boys…  watch your step, now…

The Divas are out there…  and if they were to unite???  The repercussions could change the course of human history for thousands of years…

Oh…  While I’m thinkin’ ’bout it.  A word to the “wise men” reading this…  If you love to fish…  and you want your Diva to love you to go fishin’…  bring her to the White River where she’ll love to fish with you!  After all, it takes a man’s man to be with a real Trout Diva. 

Yes, she’s probably goin’ to “whup up on ‘ya” a little bit…  Guides will tell ‘ya that the girls have a natural ability to trout fish, and many first-time “Trout Divas in Training” either keep up with and often times out-do the more experienced men-folk. 

There are several theories on just why that is…  but exactly what those theories are don’t seem to come to mind at the moment…

Just don’t let it get ‘yer feathers ruffled, gents…  As your Diva taunts you and gloats about her trout over the next couple months, you ‘jes keep on a-tellin’ yourself, “It’s all part of my plan…  It’s all part of my plan…  It’s all part of my plan…” 

Then, you ‘jes smile…  Cuz you already know that she is…  and because of that, you’re gonna get to go fishin’ again…  real soon…

Besides that, if the Trout Divas ever do unite and take over the world, you bes’ be on their good side, don’t ‘ya think?

Your White River Trout Diva

Fang - Brown Trout on the White River

Part 3: More Tips for 6-8

So, you’re out there…    You’re in 6 to 8 generators of water.  What would you look for?  Of course, it’s always helpful to know what the river bottom is like when the water is low.  The trout will come out of those deeper holes in the bigger water, because once again, they’re just not as spooked and they’ll try to get meals without expending any unnecessary energy.  So, they’ll try to look for some slower water.

Grass & moss beds that are out of the water when no generators are running will often hold fish when the water’s up – often larger ones, who will sit in the slightly lower areas waiting for their next meal to drift by.  The water is often quite a bit slower on an inside bend, or maybe on a gravel bar behind some kind of island or other obstruction.

They may also take advantage of creek mouths or sloughs where the water is relatively slack, but they can quickly get back into the current if they see something interesting. 

And yes, of course, they’ll get into and behind trees, snags or root beds close to the bank, which can offer them some semblance of protection while they stalk their prey.  Remember,  just as you are taking advantage of premium conditions for stalking your prey, the larger trout are trying to take advantage of those same conditions for stalking their prey!

Here’s something else that might surprise you a little bit.  If you’re fishing in 6 to 8 generators, there may have been rain recently.  If so, you might have some mud-lines at the edges of the river from various feeder creeks.  Many folks avoid them.  Typically, this is because Rainbows will avoid them. 

But, guess what?  Mud-lines do not seem to bother brown trout much at all.  They’ll often intentionally sit inside the muddy water, and come out into the clearer water to grab a snack.  And, sometimes, they’ll just stay right in that muddy water and depend on the shadow and motion of what you’re presenting to decide if they want it for dinner or not! 

It is a fact that brown trout have more of the cone receptors in their eyes, so they do see better than rainbows, for example.  I’m just guessing here, but it could have something to do with the fact that they don’t avoid muddy water like other trout do.  So, the point is, don’t necessarily avoid that muddy water spitting out of that feeder creek!  You might just be surprised with what you hook in to!

In closing this blog, I got a link to a great article about the brown fishing here, and it was on water with these conditions that you may be interested in:

http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/gallery/fishing/trout/where-fish/2009/03/trip-report-big-browns-white-river

Anyway, I hope this is helpful for you, and hope to see you soon!  Tell me what you want to hear about!

Tight Lines & Good Fishin’ from your Trout Diva