Guided McKenzie Drift Boat Fly-fishing
on Arkansas' White River
Scott Branyan, Owner/Operator
888-99-FLING (888-993-5464)
(Toll Free in the U.S.)
479-621-0470
(Local or International)
or
To request information, use the Brochure Request
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My name is Scott Branyan, and I invite you to come drift boat fly-fishing with me on Arkansas' White River trout fisheries. I first introduced a square-end wooden McKenzie drift boat to the White River in 1996, and I've been at ease with its unique design in these Ozark streams ever since.
A drift boat is the only boat which effectively lets anglers fish traditional dry fly, nymph and streamer techniques at any water level; and a square-end drift boat further enhances fly-fishers' safety and comfort with more leg room and a more stable platform. In 2007 I am entering my twelfth year guiding from wooden drift boats and would count it a privilege to introduce you to or help you further explore the White. The river really does offer superb fishing opportunities.
There is a lot of information on my site about fly fishing the tailwaters. Please take some time to browse further. Specific information about my guide service is found below including Frequently Asked Questions. Thanks for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you!
The perfect platform. Scott guides two anglers one misty morning out of his first wooden McKenzie boat "Stability" on the Norfork tailwater.
My Philosophy
I urge my clients to fish on weekdays. Weekends and holiday breaks are seeing significantly increased pressure, especially during the spring, summer and anytime there are extended periods of low water. My usual, preferred practice is, when possible, to guide on stretches of river which are less heavily fished and which provide you with a variety of fishing opportunities. It is not unusual to fish dries, nymphs, and streamers in the same day. Much of our fishing is recreational fishing, not necessarily trophy fishing. My aim is to provide my customers with the best overall experience on any given day, whether they are beginners or experienced fly anglers.
Rates & Essentials
Trips are catch and release, fly-fishing only
$350 per day (for up to and including 2 people)
Subject to change without notice. Rate does not include license and trout permit.
Water, soft drinks and a healthy lunch included: coldcut sandwiches along with fruit, cheese and crackers. No alcohol.
Gift certificates available
Discover, Master Card, Visa, and American Express cards accepted
Trips are for 1-2 anglers. For larger parties, you will need to hire additional guides as I can only accommodate 1-2 people. Contact me for recommendations.
Bring your normal fly tackle, hat, rain jacket, waders (chest waders are desirable—no metal cleats please), camera, sunglasses, sunscreen, and license(s) and trout permit(s). Loaner rods & reels are provided at no extra charge. Flies you will need are included.
Note: I use and recommend the use of AquaStealth soles instead of felt on wading shoes to help reduce the chance of spreading invasive species between watersheds. In 2006, New Zealand biologists found it is almost impossible to rid Didymo algae cells from felt soles. Don't Spread Didymo. For more info, see the fact sheet on Didymo.
Not available for Sunday bookings
References available
Insurance requires my guests to sign waivers.
For purchasing a license and trout permit on-line go to www.agfc.com, or call Game and Fish at 1-800-364-4263.
Scott is a member of Trout Unlimited, the Federation of Fly Fishers, and is a Thomas & Thomas Select Guide.
The Guide
Scott Branyan is owner and operator of Ozark Fly Flinger. He opened his guide business in May of 1996. He is a native Arkansan. After receiving a graduate degree in theology (Th.M, 1984) from Dallas Theological Seminary, Scott and his wife Sharon returned to the Northwest Arkansas area they love. They have one son, Paul, who became an eagle scout in 2005. Scott has continued to minister as a Bible teacher to small groups, but makes his living guiding. He is also a freelance outdoor writer/photographer.
Welcome To My Office! - Scott Branyan at the oars of his dory during the White River Wooden Boat Rendezvous II in September 2007.
While in college, Scott started fly-fishing about 1975 on Arkansas' upper Illinois River. He started trout fishing in 1985 on a trip to Colorado. Since then he has fished all of the Arkansas White River tailwaters, Missouri spring creeks, as well as many trophy streams in Colorado, Wyoming and Alaska. Scott has appeared as on-camera guide on Trout Unlimited Television (ESPN, ESPN 2 and the Outdoor Channel) and has guided clients of all skill levels. As of 2003, his clients have come from over 40 states (including Alaska) and Canada. Scott is a pioneer in using a drift boat on the White River and is the first to guide on the White River using a square-end McKenzie boat. Scott knows the river and is a patient instructor.
Conservation is important to Scott, and he conveys this to his customers. His trips are catch and release, and he works to teach principles that minimize impact to the fisheries. In 2005, he was presented the Coy C. Kaylor Conservation Award by the Arkansas Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I wet wade?
Wet wading on the tailwaters is generally only feasible during our hottest weather in July or August. Upper tailwater stream temperatures rarely get above 65F during that time and often are at 48-55F even on the hottest days. Wet wading on natural smallmouth streams is possible and preferable in summer months. It is advisable to bring chest waders, but we often leave them off in the summer as most of our fishing is from the boat. The quick drying nylon tech fishing shirts and pants are a plus in the summer heat and sun, and wearing wading shoes or wet/dry sandals allows one to stand in the river to cool off occasionally on a hot day.
Where do you guide?
On the White River, I primarily guide on Beaver tailwater (near Eureka Springs, AR) and Bull Shoals and Norfork tailwaters (near Mountain Home, AR). Float or wade trips on other Ozark streams are possible subject to conditions. Contact me for the latest details.
When is the best time to come?
This is year round fishing. Read "The Best Time to Fish the White". A greater number of fish are stocked in spring and summer. Dry fly action is best in the spring, late summer and fall. Spring and fall are my busiest times. Winter fishing can be exceptional, and mild weather is often the rule. Consistently good, uncrowded days can be found during weekdays and are strongly recommended during the summer months.
What rod(s) do I bring?
5 or 6 weight, 8 to 9 foot rods will cover most situations. A 3 to 4-weight rod is fun for Beaver tailwater at low water for dries and midge fishing. Bull Shoals tailwater is big and open in places and wind can be a factor. A moderately fast nine-foot 5-weight or slower 6-weight is an all-round rod for Bull Shoals tailwater. I carry several Thomas & Thomas Rods in my boat as spares or for customers to use if they want to try a different rod.
What kind of line?
Floating, weight forward or double taper. I use and recommend Scientific Anglers fly lines. Several different sink tip lines are often necessary, and I have a variety of lines for my customers' use. Sometimes the right line makes all the difference in getting to the fish.
What kind of leaders?
Nine-foot 2x or 3x (for streamer fishing) and 5x (for nymphing and dry flies). You will probably want to have tippet spools sized in 4x-7x. I use and recommend Scientific Angler's Mastery Series leaders and tippet. This leader material is a blend of nylon and co-polymer materials which makes for the best functionality of leader material: strong, yet supple and easy to straighten. I use SA's Fluorocarbon II in 7x for demanding, clear water presentations of small flies.
What flies do you recommend?
Check the river report page for suggested seasonal patterns and also the pdf hatch chart download there. Also, there are many suggestions in the fly pattern pages.
I'm just a beginner!
About 75% of my business consists of returning customers, but many of them started with me as beginners and quite a few had never fished or fly-fished before their first trip. Some of them have returned many times now, and I count it a great honor to have introduced them to the sport. I love to teach. Whether you are just after a relaxing day of recreational fishing, want to work on your skills while you fish, or seek a physically intense day of going after big fish with big flies, I will gladly work with you—just let me know what you would like to get out of the day. I have a lot of skill and knowledge which I am willing to share, but have a laid back style. I work hard, though, to put you on fish.
I've never fished from a boat before!
No worries. Fly fishing from a drift boat is easy, and it offers a unique experience for fly anglers. A good guide and oarsman keeps anglers in the best water for most of the float. Without the physical restrictions and safety concerns of wading, a day in a stable drift boat opens up so much more water to anglers and makes it more enjoyable to fish.
What can I learn on a trip?
Since I only fly fish and have been active in reading and writing on the subject and learning it as much as an art form as well as a craft from my college days, I know the ins and outs of the tackle and techniques necessary to be successful in the sport. Feel free to draw on my experience in everything from tackle choices to fly selection; different techniques for different water conditions; fly casting; fishing knots; how to fish the basic styles of flies; onstream entomology, matching the hatch and fly tying; wade safety; and special techniques for gentle and artful catching, playing and releasing fish for low impact fishing. If you are considering buying or building a drift boat, I can also give you pointers on rowing and how to read currents. Let me know your interests, and I'll be happy to try to customize your trip for you.
What will I catch?
These are put-grow-and-take fisheries. You will catch mostly stocked rainbows with an occasional brown, cutthroat, or brook trout. Typically, we cover 4-8 miles of river in a day, so we "fish the water." But we sometimes "sight fish" to individual fish, which is always exciting.
I want to catch a big brown!
A fish over about 6 pounds is the catch of a life time for most anglers. Catching these fish requires four things: being in the right place at the right time, endless patience, excellent presentation skills, and experience. The last of which is a "Catch 22." The only way to learn to play and land a big fish is to get one on; but at that point you've got to know what to do since there's no time for detailed instruction. The number of big fish in the typical section of river is lower than you might think. They are hard to approach and often whimsical in their behavior during hours of daylight and lower flows. If you are not ready for the opportunity when it presents itself, it is usually lost. I have watched very experienced, expert anglers get a shot at enticing a large brown into taking their fly only to lose the fish because of the hooking angle--something over which they had little control. Catching big fish is primarily a mind game, and you have to have basic fly casting and mechanics down because opportunities come and go by quickly. Some anglers target browns when they are spawning in the fall because they group up in the shallows and are relatively easy targets, but it is not sport fishing then; "and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way."
Drift boat fishing at high water is a great equalizer, and many of my customers (including some novices) have had the good fortune to catch and land bigger fish at high water with heavier tackle. Take a look at the photo gallery and you see some of those images. If you want a good chance to catch a trophy brown, try to come fish during a prolonged high water event--usually in the late spring--and be prepared to hit the banks with large flies and heavier weight rods. In the spring during heavy hatch events is also a good time to find big fish on smaller flies. It's difficult but rewarding work to catch a trophy in a sporting manner.
Do you speak to clubs?
Yes. Check out the speaker's page.
Enjoy the River at Its Natural Pace
River conditions can, may, and do vary drastically on a daily basis. The Mac gives you the versatility to make the best of the fluctuations of the White River tailwaters and to adapt your fly-fishing methods as the fish adapt to their changing surroundings. Since I am an independent guide, I can be flexible on start and stop times, and can tailor a trip to your needs.
An angler takes a short power nap after lunch on a hot day.
In the heat of the summer, split days and early morning and late afternoon times are generally more productive. Ask about my dog days of summer special (July 5 until Friday before Labor Day).
Typical stocker rainbows are always a part of the day, but you can't beat the action :-).
Come see first hand why the White River tailwaters are extraordinary trout fisheries, and join me in the satisfying experience of fly-fishing the White River from a McKenzie driftboat.
