Dr. Benjamin Garner

Little Red River Documentary to Air on PBS

The Little Red River in Arkansas is an internationally renowned trout stream that is home to a self-sustaining wild brown trout population and once produced a world-record catch. When Rip Collins caught a 40-pound, 4-ounce brown trout on the Little Red River in 1992, the secret was out and the destination was put on the map. However, it is unclear whether the attention and tourism impact was positive for the river.

Located in the Ozark Mountains, the Little Red River is the tailwater of the Greers Ferry Dam, which was completed in 1962. Since the introduction of trout in the 1960s and brown trout eggs in the 1970s by Dave Whitlock and the Arkansas Fly Fishers, the Little Red River has become a popular tourism destination for anglers across the world looking to catch world-class brown trout. However, the fishery has been in decline in recent decades due to management problems, overharvest as well as summer heat, and water management challenges.

This feature documentary film (56:46 runtime) follows Dr. Garner’s personal homecoming story to explore scientific observations, management challenges, and tourism impact surrounding the health and conservation challenges of the river. The film is being distributed nationally by the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA). They provide access to every PBS station in the U.S. 

Memphis PBS will air this documentary on April 4th at 10:00 pm on WKNO and April 24th at 10:00 pm. MSFF will feature a trailer on April 6th at Ducks Unlimited during our Margaritas and Mayflies Annual Fundraiser. Stay tuned for future showings of this awesome documentary of the Little Red River.