Yesterday, around 8:00 or 9:00 a.m., they shut down the flood gates to 5!

Five Flood Gates - 5/1/11

Right now, Taneycomo is sitting at 713.3  feet, which is down about 14 feet from the 727 plus were were experiencing with the 10 gates.  Table Rock is holding at 930 feet and Beaver is still at 1129.  We will probably see some rise as yesterday evening brought us some heavier rains.  Looks like about an inch in most places.  My 50% chances of rain for today changed to 70-80%, so we will probably see some more rain today.  Forecast is for clearing tomorrow into the balance of the week.  Yeah!!

In addition to the many homes along the river which have been sitting in water up to their eaves, there are several homes along the river at Pointe Royale sitting on the edge of the banks.  The heavy water eroded away the trees and ground around several homes foundations and they are now in jeopardy of falling into the river.  Hopefully, with the cutback in water flow, these homes can be shored up and saved.  We just keep having to tell ourselves it could be worse.  Be thankful we are not in Alabama where more than property has been lost!

Sitting here listening to the sound of rain drops on the roof of the shop.  Doesn’t look like a real heavy, set in rainfall.  I have heard everything from half an inch to two inches.  I’ll go for the half inch.  Still expecting some more rain tomorrow…think the chances are 50%.  Good news, that means there is a 50% chance we will not have more rain.

At noon today, Table Rock Lake’s level was 930.07 feet.  Beaver Lake is holding in the 1129 feet level and Bull Shoals has come up almost a foot from yesterday to a level of 685.63.  Flood pool for Bull Shoals is 695 feet. 

Drove to Powersite Dam yesterday to see the impact of Taneycomo on the downstream areas.  Following are a couple pictures of this area.

This is Powersite Dam.  Actual drop from the top of Taneycomo to the top of Bull Shoals Lake appeared to be 30 feet or so.

Shadow Rock Park - 4/30/11

What a beautiful morning!  Woke up to sunshine instead of thunder, lightening and rain!  Forecast is for sunshine and 60s today with sunshine and 70s tomorrow.  Unfortunately, they do have rain in the forecast again for Saturday and Sunday.  Let’s hope is disappears.  I know at one point in time yesterday, Table Rock Lake was sitting at 935.55.  At 10:00 a.m. today, we were at 935.02.  Good news is the lake is going down…not much, but moving in the right direction.  They continue to flow 68,000 cfs using the flood gates and generators.  Beaver has dropped ever so slightly below flood pool, so it too is moving in the right direction.

Below are a few more pictures of the area.  Note in the first two pictures, Trophy Run’s club house is in the water.  The last picture is the house which sits just downstream of the ramp where we take out on our float trips.

Trophy Run club house - 4/28/11

Overlook on Hwy. 165 - 4/28/11

Take out area - 4/28/11

Table Rock lake level has risen to 935 feet.  This is a little higher than the Corp had projected, but it has been very difficult for them to get a good prediction due to the additional rain and runoff Table Rock is experiencing.

Below is a picture of Table Rock Dam after they increase the amount of water being released through the flood gates from the day before.  This happened around noon on Tuesday.

     Increased release through flood gates 4/26/11

Looks like there will be a lot of clean up after the water goes down.  Following pictures are of the parking area at outlet 2, the parking upsteram at outlet 1, and the shelter house and restroom below outlet parking area.

Parking area outlet 2 -04/26/11

Parking area outlet 1 - 4/26/11

Shelter house & restroom - 4/26/11

For those of you who have taken guide trips with us, this is a different view of the boat ramp where we launch the drift boats.

MDC Boat Launch Ramp -04/26/11

Last, but not least, everyone is inquiring as to what affect this is having on Branson Landing.  As of this morning, the Bass Pro boat dock, which was located upstream from the restaurant, broke loose and is now floating down Taneycomo.  Below is a picture of the parking garage for the condos located on the downstream side of the water show area.

Condo parking garage - 4/26/11

Many homes and businesses along the river have either been evacuated or advised to be ready to evacuate.  We need some sunny, rain free days so the water can start backing off.  Everyone…stay safe out there!

The monsoon has turned into an all out flood!  Excuse the spots in the picture….those are rain drops!

These aren’t showers….they are monsoons!  Lots of rainfall since Thursday.  Few hours breaks here and there, but then the sky opens up again.  Last I heard, we have chances of rain through Wednesday.  Temperatures will be pretty much in the 60s, but rain.  

Although the projection for today was low generation this morning and there was none projected for yesterday, they fired up the generators around 5:00 p.m. yesterday and they were still running as of 7:00 a.m. today.  They are running 3 to 4 units with the tailwater level at 707.8 feet.   I would not be surprised to see it running all day today and probably tomorrow.  Table Rock Lake is sitting at 917.3, up almost three feet since Friday. 

Before the rain really affected the river, fishing was still very good.  I am certain it will still be good, but probably a little more difficult to get to unless you have a boat or webbed feet!  Stan on the water Thursday with Dwight and his friend, Phil.  These guys are from up north in Missouri and Dwight has fished with us a couple times before.  This was Phil’s first experience and probably one he will not forget.  First time out and he hooks a beautiful 20 inch rainbow.   Unfortunately, Thursday was another WINDY day with 30 mph gusts.  Stan said they had white caps rolling upstream.  Fortunately, they did have a good day.  Boated lots of fish on the primrose & pearl midge and the holographic green crackleback.  

Phil - 20" Rainbow - 4/21/11

Dwight - "slippery little thing!"

Friday, Ken and Cindy, from Maryland, took a learning/catching trip with Carolyn.  They had never fly fished before, saw lots of people catching fish earlier in the week on Taneycomo, and thought this looked like a fun thing to do.  Think they like it!  We started out with the basics, roll cast, then pick up and lay down cast, mending, recognizing a hit, hooking, and playing in a fish.  What fun!   Unfortunately, before we got off the water, the wind came up and I think at times they thought tippet and leaders were spider webs trying to wrap around everything in sight!  Good day on the copper dun, then the primrose & pearl and finished up with the ruby midge.  Cindy is a potential “stripper”.  She liked stripping the holographic green crackleback on which she caught several fish.

Cindy - 4/22/11

Ken - 4/22/11

Ken & Cindy working on roll cast

Have had chances of rain all week.  Fortunately, it has hit us late in the day so everyone is getting in some fishing time.  Forecast for the next several days still includes chances of rain, but looks like we are going to dodge the bullet today and possibly most of tomorrow.  Let’s hope.  Just got off the phone with one of the guides out today and he said “we have white caps coming right up the river on Taneycomo”!  Think I mentioned that they ran water all day last Saturday and Sunday.  Ran a little Monday morning then shut it down around 10:00 a.m. and left it off until Tuesday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.  Ran all day yesterday and off this morning at midnight.  Projection for today is off all day. 

Fishing has been very good.  If you can sneak in between the wind and rain drops, you’ll be a happy camper. 

Jim on the water for a half day last Sunday.  He had a Jim from Mississippi who wanted to learn how to fly fish.  They had a good day learning and catching.  Fished the holographic green crackleback, a size 10 sculpin and a red San Juan worm. 

Monday was a floatathon.  Bill, from Oklahoma, spent half a day with Jim.  Good trip on pretty much the same patterns as Sunday, plus the red midge.  One of the Dallas, Texas fly clubs descended on us Monday.  The morning started out a little slow as they shut down the water around 10:00 a.m.  Once things settled down, everyone got into a lot of fish.  Dan (president of the club) and Lou, spent the day with Stan.  They had a great day on the olive zebra and copper dun midges.  Darrell took Tim and Richard.  Their boat caught lots of fish on the black head/olive midge, gold head/olive midge and a rusty midge.   Rich and Jim fished with Dana.  Good day for them on the rusty and red midges.

Rich - 4/18/11

Jim - 4/18/11

Meanwhile, Carolyn’s boat was bringing up the rear.  Charlie and Russ spent the day catching with her.  In addition to the copper dun and olive midges, we caught a few on the holographic green crackleback and an olive soft hackle.  Tough not to throw when you see those fish sipping.

Charlie - 4/18/11

Russ - 4/18/11

Tuesday was another great day for Bud and his brother, Gary, from Indiana.  They spent the day with Stan.  Gary is pretty new to the sport, but picked up quickly and both of them really enjoyed stripping the holographic green cracklebacks.  Also caught a lot of fish on the primrose & pearl midge.  A fast moving storm flared up around 4:00 p.m.  We called them from the shop to advise them let them know a storm was coming with possibility of a tornado, so Stan rowed like a mad dog to the takeout and they got out just as the first sprinkles of rain started falling. 

Everyone coming into the shop is catching.  Small tan or gray scuds, sizes 18 and smaller are working up near the Hatchery as well as the midges.  Olive wooly buggers and other various soft hackles are also working.

Can’t believe they left the water off most of the week and then ran the equivalent of one generator all weekend!  They must not be fly fishers!  Still seeing lots of wind too.  Yesterday morning was overcast, cool (40s) and windy.   By the afternoon, it cleared up, the wind stopped and it turned out to be a beautiful day.  Today is sunny, but windy.  Expect temperatures in the 70s tomorrow and partly sunny.  Tuesday, chance of isolated thundershowers and 80s.  Wednesday looks like partly cloudy and 70s.  Thursday, Friday and Saturday, are currently forecast for temps in the 60s to 70s, partly cloudy and chances of isolated thundershowers. 

Three boats out yesterday.  Jim had Tony and Mike from the St. Louis area out for a long half day float.  They had a good day on the red midge, red San Juan worm and a size 10 olive bugger.  Ed, also from the St. Louis area, and Malcolm, spent the day with Darrell.  They had a busy day catching on thr red midge and the holographic green crackleback.  John and John, from Columbia, MO. spent the day with Stan.  They also had a busy day catching on the red midge, holographic green crackleback and the primrose & pearl midge.  Temperatures was only 44 degrees when they started out and the hot soup for lunch hit the spot!

Looks like we got at least an inch of rain early this morning.  Thunder and lightening woke me up!  Little cool today, think our high is forecast in the mid 50s with cloudy most of the day and it is a little windy….what’s new?!  Saturday’s forecast is partly cloudy and mid 60s, with Sunday mostly sunny and lower 70s.  Both Monday and Tuesday there is a chance of isolated thunderstorms and temps Monday in lower 70s with Tuesday in the lower 80s.  Both Wednesday and Thursday look like upper 60s, partly cloudy and chance of showers. 

Other than yesterday, we have seen wading water every day over the past five days.  Monday afternoon they turned on a couple generators for three hours at 7:00 p.m. and Wednesday afternoon they turned on three generators at 6:00 p.m. and kept some level of generation through the night and into and all day yesterday.  Off early this morning and projected to be off all day.

Stan on the water for half a Tuesday with KC and David from West Virginia.  First time they fished with us in 2003, KC was trying to get her husband hooked on fly fishing.  Good sign, they have been back since and again Tuesday, so I think she has succeeded.  The early part of the morning fished pretty slow, but Stan said a light went on at 11:00 a.m. and the fishing took off.  Good day on the P&P and rusty midges, and stripping the holographic green crackleback.  Ben from Kentucky, was on the river with Jim for a half day outting too.  Jim and Ben forked on casting, line work, hook setting and playing the fish.  Sore mouthed several fish and brought in several fish on the P&P, blood worm and size 12 olive bugger. 

Wednesday was a beautiful day.  Clear sky, little wind and mild temperatures.  Jay and Leslie, I believe now from the Branson area, and Bob and Kathy, also from the area, decided it was time to learn how to fly fish.  So, Carolyn took the ladies, and Jim took the guys.  Got some new fly fishers in the area!  Leslie and Kathy, after working on their roll cast, pick up and lay down cast, mending and other line management techniques, had a great day on the P&P midge.  Still need some practice on keeping the wrist straight on the back cast, but they are definitely coming along well.  Jim had the guys, Jay and Bob, after their work session on casting and line management, false casting so they could do some stripping work.  They were getting fish on the holographic green crackleback.  Fun day!

Leslie's first - 4/13/11

Kathy's first - 4/13/11

Back to the salt mine for Ben on Thursday.  A little more work on everything and then Jim had Ben catching on the olive bugger, red midge and a gray scud. 

Broken record here.  Fishing and catching is very good.  You better dust off the fly rod and go fishing!

Another windy day this past Monday.  However, fishing was still very good.  Other than the wind, it was a beautiful day full of sunshine and mild temperatures.  Today was a perfect day, sunny, clear and no wind!  Looks like a repeat tomorrow with upper 70s and a little wind.  Forecast for Thursday is partly sunny, chance of rain and mid 70s, Friday rain chances again and upper 50s with Saturday cloudy and mid 50s.  Sunday lower 60s and cloudy with rain chances, and Monday rain chances again and upper 60s.  As we know in the Ozarks….this is all subject to change! 

Can’t believe it, but the generation schedule says no generation again tomorrow.  We had no generation today, just a little generation Monday late afternoon, with the generators off all weekend. 

Monday, Amy helped her father, Jim celebrate his birthday.  Michael and LeNora were along to help her.  They all went wading with Carolyn for a few hours.  This was LeNora’s first time, and she got the “hook” of it pretty fast.  Once we got through a few basics of the roll cast, pick up and lay down cast, mending, hooking and playing a fish, AND found the color midge the fish wanted that day, she was into catching.  Everyone had a little trouble with hook sets as they have been bass fishers for a while and the hook set just isn’t quite that hefty.  Everyone had a great time, hope Jim enjoyed his birthday as much as everyone else seemed to.  We had several doubles and a few triples on at the same time.  The olive size 18 zebra midge was the fly of the day.