Water is the most valuable resource Eureka Springs has. These once healing waters were the origin from which our town was birthed. As the temperature of Beaver tailwaters of the White River climb towards 48-52°, walleye creep upstream to spawn. This is lifelong native Jeff Fletcher’s favorite time of year, Walleye Season.
Jeff Fletcher has lived the entirety of his 56-year life on the White River. He has been guiding the White and Kings rivers for 44 years.
He fished professionally for nine years and holds the state record for biggest striped bass at 64.5 pounds. This fish was caught in the Beaver tailwaters, a half mile below the US62 bridge. That fish holds as the International Game Fish Association world record for biggest striped bass caught on 12-pound line. “This is the truest form of the White River we have, especially above Beavertown. It’s the most like how it was before the damming and development,” he says. He said he prefers upper parts of our rivers.
Fletch is much more than a fisherman and a guide. He is also a historian, a comedian and a quoter of scripture with a mouth full of cuss words. “It’s mostly fake cowboy shit anymore. These people ain’t done nothing but walk on concrete.” If you want to fish, go with anybody. If you want to catch, go with Fletch.
Jeff Fletcher is the son of legendary White and Kings River guide, JD Fletcher. JD owned Fletcher’s Bait and Tackle and Devil’s Dive Resort and guided the Kings and White Rivers for 46 years. Jeff Fletcher started to guide for his dad when he was 12. Arkansas Game&Fish named the Kings River access point at the US62 bridge after JD Fletcher, in honor of his campaign to keep the river accessible to all members of public.
JD was fishing the White River before Beaver Dam opened in 1966. “Before the dam was built, they’d catch walleye on the river and call them Jack Salmon because they didn’t know what they were. I have a picture of dad and legendary guide Bud Stoppel from the ‘60s, right after the dam was built. They had a string of six walleye and the weight range was between eleven and thirteen and ¾ pounds.”
“JD was a true blue Ozarker,” Fletch said. “Damned ol’ fishin’ guide and come from a long line of moonshiners. It don’t get no more country than that.”
Fletch is a fifth generation “Laplander,” those who lived near the Missouri state line and didn’t mind which state they were in. His great-great-grandpa Fletcher lived in Southern Missouri but fought in Arkansas as a Confederate. Fletch’s grandpa Howard was a moonshine bootlegger. “In them hills and hollers it was hard to scratch out a livin’. If they wanted to eat, they either caught it, killed it, grewed it or brewed it,” Fletch said.
“Grandpa Howard started shinin’ during Prohibition and kept it going into the forties. Dad grew up around the still. They would distribute in Tulsa, Joplin and Springfield. They were driving these roads in a Model T when they were nothing more than goat trails. They tithed so much at the damn Church of Christ that they built a new church off moonshine money.”
Fletch tells a story of when a federal revenuer came out to Fletcher holler to ask where Grandpa Howard was. Fletch’s dad, JD, was a boy of 13.
Revenuer: You know Howard?
JD: He’s my pa.
Revenuer: You know where he is?
JD: Up the holler.
Revenuer: Could you take me?
JD: No I can’t do that.
The revenuer pulled out a ten-dollar bill.
JD: I reckon I can take you up there.
The revenuer started up holler. JD yelled, “Whoa, where are you going? You said you’d pay me.”
Revenuer: I’ll pay you when we come back
JD: You ain’t a comin back.
Fletch keeps this legend alive in a modest way. He said he doesn’t manufacture but knows there is 90 proof peach moonshine around. Made locally still in stills in these hills and served in glass jars.” It’s the medicine of the hill folk. It will either cure you or kill you,” he says
During the off season for guiding, Jeff Fletcher would off-bear at a local mill. The mill would buy logs in the afternoon. The logs had to be 7 feet 4 inches long and 6 inches at the smaller end. He then began to off-bear in mornings and cut logs in the afternoon. “Many of the logs were on hillsides and in hollers. You either had to end over end them or pack them out on your back. It was hard, hard work. But I guarantee ya, it taught me work ethic like no other. Perseverance and dedication.”
Jeff fletcher said we are losing the Kings River due to flooding that’s caused bank erosion, and the river has been filling up with gravel. Fishing/swimming holes that were once eight feet deep are now barely two. He said the damage in last 20 years has been worse than last 40. He said it would be a good idea to let citizens start mining gravel out of the river.
If wind farms are built near the Kings River he thinks it will exacerbate this problem and the Kings might be lost for good. His cousin is Arkansas State Senator Bryan King, who has voiced opposition to the Wind Farms on Hwy. 103.
McCulloch Chainsaws sent a man out of Texas to buy up the property that is now Holiday Island for their company. That man was Marcus Hickerson. Being an outsider, he was having a hard time with the locals until he met JD Fletcher. When Marcus was dying, he sold Jeff the property he lives on today for half of what it was worth. Marcus said to JD, “Your son can have it. Because if it wasn’t for you JD, I never would have been able to get my job done.”
Jeff Fletcher will be guiding the White River/Table Rock Lake this walleye season, as well as all year long. This authentic Ozark experience is not just about fishing but educating through entertainment.
Jeff will be guiding on the Kings River from the beginning of April to early July. “You haven’t experienced the Ozarks until you’ve floated the Kings in an old johnboat or canoe,” he said.
Fletchers Guide Service can be reached at (417) 847-7434.