Weather is all over the board.  Had a couple really cool days, then it warmed up yesterday and today.  Expecting some severe storms tomorrow.  Thursday looks partly sunny and in the mid 60s.  Friday upper 60s and then a slight cool down on the weekend into early next week.  Low 60s and upper 50s.  Next week looks like low 60s.

The 8 spillways closed last Thursday.  In the meantime, we had some more rain, so yesterday, around 1:00 p.m. they opened up 5 spillways about a foot.  Back to 11-12000 cfs.  And, more rain on the way.

Jeff – 4/7/22

Dana on the water with one of his regulars, Jeff, and his friend Ray.  This was Ray’s first time fly fishing and he caught his first trout on a fly rod!  When they hit the water,

Ray’s first trout – 4/7/22

they were running the 8 spillways.  Around 11:00 a.m. they turned them off and they were able to get some fish to the boat.  Had some hits before the shut down, but it was definitely better after the flow shut down a little.  It was a ruby 2 or red d-rib midge day.

Saturday, Darren was out with one of his regulars, Chris from Kansas.  They had a good day on the P&P midge, the big ruby and a scud/egg rig.

Beautiful weather the past few days.  Had some rain overnight, but 70s today and low 60s tomorrow.  Thursday and Friday are cooling off.  Mid 50s Thursday and upper 40s Friday.  Good news is that Saturday will go back to low 60s and Sunday and Monday are both mid 70s.

Yesterday, they opened up a total of 8 spillways due to hydropower unit outages.  Not certain how long they will be open, but it puts the river at the same level as 4 generators would.

Fishing has finally started picking up.  We had been catching a few on most of the outings, but we were really having to work at it.  In the past few days, we have started seeing more fish and definitely getting more hits and fish to the boats.

Jerry – 3/31/22

Dana on the water all day last Thursday with William and Will from Brookfield.  They had a good day on the black copperhead midge.  One of our regulars, Jerry from Kansas, spent all day on the water with Darren.  They too had a good day.  Black copperhead midge, scud and the San Juan worm were their patterns.

Friday, it was William and Will out for half a day with Dana.  Another good day.  This time it was a ruby 2 midge.

Sunday, Dana and Carolyn

Sarah – 4/3/22

had a family from Kentucky on the water.

Johnmark – 4/3/22

Carolyn took Mark and the son, Johnmark.  Dana had Sarah.  All brand new to fly fishing, but everyone learned a lot and caught fish.  Sarah’s patterns were the black copperhead midge and a JQ streamer.  Mark and Johnmark

Mark – 4/3/22

were catching on the ruby 2 and P&P midges.  Had a few hooked on the holographic green crackleback but they didn’t make it to the boat.  Fun day for everyone!

Beautiful, sunny day today, but it looks like 100% chance of rain tomorrow.   Temperatures will be nice….in the upper 60s, but possibly heavy rain.  Cooler Thursday but back into the 60s by Friday and through the weekend.

Two generators 24/7 are the current trend, and the projection for tomorrow.

Dana on the water last Tuesday with one of his regulars, George from Kansas City.  They landed a few fish on the cerise San Juan worm and the ruby 2 midge.

Thursday, Dana took Jim and Matt, his son, who were from Wisconsin, out for half a day.  Black copperhead and ruby 2 midges.

Carolyn had Margie and Pam out for an instructional trip Saturday.  They did not fish very long, but as part of their presentation learning, they hooked some fish on a #18 gray scud and a ruby 2 midge.

Mid 60s yesterday with lots of sunshine and expecting mid 70s today.  Unfortunately, rain in the forecast for Monday through Wednesday.  But, temperatures not too bad.  50s & 60s.

No change in generation.  Still running anywhere from two to four units.  However, this weekend is was three all day for both days.  Monday is projecting two units all day.

Wyatt – 3/14/22

Dana on the river last Monday with Kerry

Kerry – 3/14/22

and Wyatt from Illinois.  New fly fishers got some fish to the boat on the ruby 2 midge.

Dominic – 3/15/22

Karen and her grandson, Dominic fished with Dana on Tuesday.  Dominic caught his first trout on a fly rod and it was on a ruby 2 midge.  Mike and his friend Marcus were

Marcus – 3/14/22

fishing with Carolyn.  They had a pretty good day on a #18 gray scud and a black copperhead midge.  Think we also hooked

Mike – 3/14/22

a few on the holographic green midge.

Wednesday, Dana and Carolyn took a family from Texas that had never fly fished.  Wanted to learn a little about it, so out we went!  Carolyn book Brandy and Dana had the guys, Nathan and Dalton.  Brandy had a

Brandy – 3/16/22

fun day on the red d-ribbed and black copper head midges.  The guys missed some but really had no best flies.

Jennifer – 3/19/22

Saturday, Matt and Jennifer from Higginsville, fished with Carolyn.  They started out the morning with a double.  This was Jennifer’s first trout on a fly rod.  Although she fishes the Parks for trout quite a bit, she didn’t use a fly rod.  Think that has changed.  They had a good day on the ruby 2 midge,

Matt – 3/19/22

lightning bug, black copperhead midge and a #18 gray scud.  Matt had the best fish of the day slipped through his fingers while we were trying to take a picture!

With Spring breaks going on everywhere, we have been seeing lots of new, young, getting started fly fishers.  Nice to see!  Carolyn spent several hours with 10 year old Bradley from Oklahoma on Thursday.  He is a natural.  Picked up casting and shooting line in no time.  Has a natural instinct for where to look for fish.  Keep it up Bradley!

Crazy weather!  20 degrees and snow one day and 70 the next!  Let’s hope Spring gets here pretty soon.  Anyway, all the snow we received Friday has just about disappeared.  We are expecting low 60s today then upper 50s Monday and Tuesday.  Wednesday and Thursday are looking like low 70s with rain coming in on Friday and upper 50s.  Back to nice and 60s or 70s for the weekend.

No change in generation.  Couple units early, then four around 7:00 a.m. for four to five hours, then back to two or three units for the rest of the day.  We are at power pool so we could see a change somewhere in the future.

Julie – 3/3/22

Darren on the river a week ago this past Thursday with Tim and Julie from St. Louis.  Tough day, but they caught

Tim – 3/5/22

some fish on the black copperhead midge and stripping a tiger tail with a crackleback trailer.  They had enough fun that they did it again on Saturday.  Dana had Dick  from Texas on the water Saturday.  They too had a tough trip, but caught a few on a cerise San Juan worm, and the white mega worm.

Billy – 3/8/22

Tuesday and Wednesday, Dana was on the water with Billy from Illinois.  Had a fun time and caught some fish on the mega worm, a ruby 2, the black copperhead midge and stripping a JQ streamer.   Carolyn was on the water Wednesday with Dean.  They went out to see if any of the bugs he learned how to tie on Tuesday would catch fish.

Dean – 3/9/22

Unfortunately, they were being real picky and wanted something else.  He caught on a few fish on an egg pattern and black copperhead midge.   Jim and Darren had a family of

Maggie – 3/9/22

four from Texas on the water.  Beau and his daughter, Maggie, were fishing with Darren and Maggie brought in a nice fish on a worm brown San Juan worm.  Their other pattern for the outing was a P&P midge.   Jim had Jennifer and and their other daughter, Lilly.  No best pattern but they did bring a few fish to the boat.

Lilly – 3/10/22

The family was back on the water Thursday.  Jim had Beau and Maggie.  Beau hooked a few on a streamer.  Carolyn had Jennifer and Lilly this day.  Lilly caught her first fish ever on a gray scud.  This was the magic pattern for them as Jennifer landed a 21 inch and

20-1/2″ rainbow on a size 18 scud.  Other best pattern was stripping a holographic green crackleback behind a JQ streamer.  Nice sunny day and they took the crackleback.

Overall, fishing has been slow.  Not even seeing very many fish in the river.  Thursday was the most fish we have seen for a while and they were very spotty and not very many.  Hopefully, things will pick up.

March definitely came in like a lamb.  We have had 70s and even 80s yesterday and I think again today.  We will have another nice day tomorrow into Saturday with temperatures in the 70s, but Saturday will probably see some afternoon storms and a drop in temperatures through Sunday (with more rain) down to the 40s by Monday.  Then we will see 50s Tuesday and Wednesday and possibly 60 by Thursday.  Unfortunately, right now it looks like another cool down, 40s, for next weekend.

No change in water flow, two to three units switching back and forth all day every day.  Probably won’t see much change until we get down to the desirable pool level on Table Rock and then they might cut back, or get more rain and then they will continue running.

Chris – 2/28/22

Darren on the river Sunday with Chris from Kansas.  They had a pretty good dry on a beadhead scud combo, and the P&P midge.

Monday and Tuesday, Darren took Bill and his son, Ty out fo

Ty – 2/28/22

Bill – 2/28/22

r a couple of half days.  New fly fishers, and they landed some fish on a #14 scud, and black/flash wooly bugger.  Had to learn how to pull streamers.

Wednesday, Dana had Jim and Jean from South Dakota out for the day.  They caught fish on the surveyor, a mega worm, and an orange egg pattern.  Jim was out for Derek and his two sons,  Pretty much instructional for the two boys but they brought in a few fish on a JQ streamer and a red midge.

Great weather over the weekend, especially Sunday.  Temperature hit low 70s and lots of sunshine.  Only downside was the wind, but it didn’t hurt fishing any.  Unfortunately, we are in for another wintery blast starting today and through Thursday.  Temperature went from upper 50s this morning to the current 34.  Tomorrow’s high will be 30 with sleet and perhaps some freezing rain.  Thursday will be more of the same.  Friday will be dry but temperatures still in the low 30s.  Burrrr!

We had a couple days of generation all day.  Sunday was the best as they ran two units all day.  Today we are back into the two to four units on during the morning hours, then off for a few hours then back on.

Three boats on the water Sunday.  As I said, it was a beautiful day except for the wind and they ran two units all day.  Dana took Cody

Jason – 2/20/22

out again.  They were catching on the JQ streamer, an orange egg pattern and the ruby 2.  Darren had Terry and Jason, from Kansas, on the water.  Goo day for them on a #14 tan scud, zebra midges, and a tungsten surveyor.   Mack and his fiance, Kelly,

Kelly – 2/20/22

also from Kansas, fished with Carolyn.  This was Kelly’s second time with a fly rod and she did well.  Fun day on a red San Juan worm dropped from

Mack – 2/20/22

the big ruby or pulling a JQ streamer on a 4 ips sinking leader.

Monday, Darren took Wayne and Diana out for half a day.  They had a good time and caught fish on a #14 scud and a #12 bead head scud.

Diana – 2/21/22

Part of their

Wayne – 2/21/22

highlight for the day was our pet goose, Murphy, who shows up every year around March and then disappears by June.

Diana feeding Murphy

Yesterday it was in the 60s.  Today it is in the 20s.  Had some rain this morning which was heavy at times, but I don’t think we received the amount they were thinking.  We have a slight chance for a few snow showers this afternoon, and temperatures remaining in the 20s.  Tomorrow will warm up to the mid 40s by afternoon.  Sunday and Monday will be great.  Low 60s Sunday and upper 60s Monday.  The bummer is that rain will be moving in Monday night and into the morning Tuesday.   Temperatures will start dropping again Tuesday afternoon and be in the low 30s for Wednesday and Thursday.  Back to the 40sfor next weekend.

Other than Wednesday, when they had the water off all day, the pattern continues to be two to four units running for four or five hours in the morning, then off until the afternoon when they turn on two to four units again for four to five hours.

Carolyn on the water this past Monday with John and Jaimi from Oklahoma.  One of those tough days.  Jaimi had three to four fish on and brought one in.  A few other hits and that was it.  All her action was stripping an olive Tiger Tail.  We’ll give it another try later this year.

Looks like Monday through Wednesday will be in the upper 50s to low 60s.  Bad news about Wednesday is that we’ll probably see some thunderstorms developing later in the day.  Thursday is the bummer day.  High in the mid 30s with rain and snow in the a.m. and transitioning to snow showers in the afternoon. Friday will see upper 40s but will start out in the low 30s.  Back to the mid to upper 50s next weekend and low 60s Monday.

Not much change in generation pattern.  Two to four units for four to five hours during the morning, then off for five to six hours then back on for another four to five hours.  At least it gives us some wade time during the late morning or afternoon hours.

Chris – 2/7/22

Darren on the water last Sunday and Monday all day each day with Chris from Kansas.  They had a pretty good day catching in the upper area on scuds and midges.

Friday, Dana took Kevin and his daughter Haley out for half a day.  Catching mainly on the black copperhead midge

Haley – 2/11/22

and an orange egg pattern. 

We got dumped on last Thursday and Friday.  Probably received at least 8 inches of snow in most places.  Maybe a little more in a few.  Good news is that we have had beautiful weather the past couple of days and are expecting more today and tomorrow (upper 50s to low 60s!).  Unfortunately, it will cool down for the weekend.  Cold front is coming in Friday night so we will see upper 30s Saturday and low 40s Sunday for a high.  Temperatures start warming back up into the 50s but rain is peeking up it head by Wednesday and Thursday.  So, let’s enjoy these next few days!

Carla – 1/31/22

Carolyn on the river a week ago this past Monday with Carla.  Fun day!  Carla is fairly new to fly fishing and she wanted to learn as much as she could.  Catching was not great, but we did have some hits on a black copperhead midge.  And, she brought a nice one to and into her net all by herself!  It was one of those days where they had had lots of water running during the morning hours so by the time we got to the water, the fish were full.  Did not even see very many fish that day.  But, like I said, it was a fun day!

Jim on the water Sunday with a fairly new fly fisher, Joe.  They worked on skills, especially hook sets.  Brought some fish to the boat on a JQ streamer, black and ruby midge.