What a beautiful day!….Yesterday that is.  Sun was shining and the temperatures got into the low 70s.  We did pick up a hefty breeze around noon, but otherwise, it was a picture perfect day.  Still running 10 flood gates with the 4 generators going and Table Rock Lake is now at 918.8 feet.  Chance for rain tonight and through most of tomorrow.  Friday is supposed to be cloudy, with a slight chance for showers, and the weekend dry and cool (50-60s). 

Jim was out for a half a day with one of our customers from Texas, Randy.  They had a pretty good day on the fur bug, pink San Juan worm, and red midge.  Randy’s best fish was an 18" Rainbow.  Stan had Dave and Debra from Michigan out again this year.  They come for a couple weeks about this time of year, take a trip with us to learn the river, then go out and fish on their own.  They did well on the red midge, and red San Juan worm.  Carolyn had George and Judy from Illinois out for their maiden voyage.  George fly fishes some, but this was Judy’s first time with a fly rod.  She did well with the roll cast and mending.  Once we got her hook setting reflexes up to speed, she did well hooking and bringing in the trout.  They had a good day on the red, size 12 San Juan worm.  George out fished her, but she out did him on size of trout.

Judy – 10/20/09	George – 10/20/09

So much for 920 feet, but they have started dropping the water flow a little.   We reached 920 feet some time yesterday.  When we drove to the shop this morning, we expected really expected to see the flood gates closed.  What?  They are still open?!  We came off the water this after about 2:30 p.m. and they were still open.  However, around 8:00 a.m. today, they started dropping the flow.  Instead of the 230 MW hours which had been coming through the generators, it dropped to about 180 MWH which, in turn, dropped the tailwater level to 710.8.  The most recent information we have received from some of the folks at the Hatchery is that they are going to cut back the generation flow (which they have) and leave the flood gates open to help get with the oxygen level and help get the lake level down to 917. 

There were three boats on the water yesterday.  Gina was out with some friends, Barbara and Valley.  They were playing around and checking on the fishing spots with the high water.  Dana and Carolyn when out on an exploratory expedition.  Only one working was Jim.  He has Bob from Texas out for a half day.  Think it was pretty hands down that it was a challenging day.  Jim’s guy boated some fish on the fur bug, red midge and pink San Juan.  The rest of us were throwing a variety of patterns with no real consistency. 

Fortunately, today was a bit better.  Darrell was out playing today with some friends from back East and they were boating fish with a red San Juan worm tied with a 1/8" tungsten bead in the middle.  Really helps get the worm down in this heavy water.  Stan had Wanda out for 1/2 a day and Carolyn rode along to supervise.  Wanda’s best fly was the size 16 red tungsten beadhead midge.  Carolyn caught some on the ruby midge, sizes 18 and 16.  Best fish was on the fur bug. 

Made great progress since yesterday on the level of Table Rock Lake.  We are, at 10:31 a.m., at 920.4 feet.  The target to shut down the flood gates was 920.  Let’s hope that is still their target, as we should reach that by late tonight or some time tomorrow.  Of course, this all depends on how much they let out of Beaver, and they were generating one generator this morning.  SUN!  I saw sunshine this morning.  First time for several days. 

Stan out yesterday with Greg, from Oklahoma.  Greg does a lot of bass fishing and couldn’t get to the bass.  Said he came here to catch fish, so he came in and booked a trip.  Half a day with Stan and he got his catching fix for the trip.  They did well on the red midge and fur bug.  Did have to control his bass hook set when he first got started!  Jim was out for half a day with Kurt from Kansas City, MO. area.  Their best patterns were also the red midge and fur bug. 

Bad news is, the flood gates are still open.  As of this morning, Table Rock Lake was still at 921 feet.  The target was 920.  They are releasing water from Beaver into Table Rock, so I don’t expect them to reach 920 until some time next week.  The good news is that folks are catching fish. 

Darrell, and his regulars, Jeff and Nate, from Arkansas had a good 1/2 day on the ruby midge and fur bug.  Nate, outfished his father this time!  Oh for those young reflexes.  Jim had Tommy from Louisiana out for 1/2 a day.  They boated fish on the fur bug, red San Juan and red midge.  Tommy is fairly new at fly fishing, so when they were not catching fish, they were working on skills.  Stan had one of his friends from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department out for a full day.  Dale is now a Major on the Department.  They had a good day on the ruby midge, and the red midge. 

According to our local weather man, rain is out of our forecast through the weekend.  It will be cloudy both today and tomorrow, but no more rain!  At 7:45 this morning, Table Rock was at 921.9.  It is going in the right direction.  We are hoping for the 920 by tomorrow afternoon so they will shut down the flood gates. 

Darrell was out for half a day yesterday with Wayne from Alabama.  The highlights among the fish they caught were an 18 inch rainbow and a beautiful blue gill.  They caught almost everything on the red midge and a red San Juan worm.  

Wayne -10/14/09	Pretty Blue Gill – 10/11/09

 Jim and his guys, Floyd and Scott, from Indiana, hit the water around noon.  Once Jim found some fish, they were catching fish on the red midge, red San Juan worm, and a gray scud.  Stan, too, started the their trip a little later in the day.  He and Ken, from Kansas, didn’t get to the water until around 10:30 a.m.  They boated several fish on the size 16 red tunghead midge.  Nothing real big, but as Ken said, "all nice quality fish!"

As you can see, the trees are really starting to turn.  Wish it was a sunny day so you could see how pretty they are. 

Heard on the local news last night that they are projecting the desired level of 920 feet to be reached late Friday in which case they would shut down the flood gates.  This might happen if we don’t get too much more rain!  Drizzling and overcast this morning.  Weather man said we might see a few short period of sunshine today……Hope!….Hope!  Trees are looking absolutely beautiful.  I don’t think they have not reached their peak color yet.

Three boats on the water today.  Let’s hope for a good day.

Just heard on the radio here in Branson that the Corps plans to leave the flood gates open until Table Rock Lake get down to a level of 920 feet.  Currently it is 922.4 feet.  Once they reach that level, they will probably run the four gates most of the time, if not all of the time until they get back to 916 feet or so.  Rainy day to day and they are forecasting the possibility of rain again tomorrow and probably Thursday.  The weekend is still looking sunny and dry! 

Understand a large brown was spotted in the third outlet this morning…20 pounds plus.  Have talked with several people who are fishing around outlets 1 and 2 and most of them are catching fish, at least they were catching quite a few yesterday.  Darrell was up at the Shepherd of the Hill Hatchery this morning watching the hatchery folks rounding up some browns to collect eggs.  Looks like quite a process.

Flood Gates – 10/12/09

Flood gates have been running non-stop since Friday morning.  That’s the bad news.  The good news is that fishing is still pretty darn good.  The forecast is still for Table Rock to crest tomorrow at 927.1.  However, with the flood gates opened all this time, they have maintained the level at around 922.8 for at least the past 36 hours.  Had light showers this morning (thank heavens they were light) with projections for light showers most of the week (40%) with Thursday being the larger chance.  Have not yet heard when they plan to shut down the flood gates. 

Troy – 10/11/09

Dana on the water Sunday for a half day with Troy from Warrensburg.  We had had Troy and his sons out earlier this year.  Troy was ready to come back and try it again.  They had a good, fun day on Dana’s pink and fl. orange San Juan worms, and in exploring new places to catch fish.   

With all the rain we had Thursday and Friday, Table Rock Lake has risen to 923 feet and is expected to crest on Tuesday at 927.1.  Yesterday, as two of our guides were putting in their drift boats, they started opening up the flood gates.  Not certain how long they will keep them open, but we will keep you advised.  Beautiful, sunny day yesterday in the low 60s.  Today is also expected to be nice and a slight chance of rain tomorrow.

Darrell had Mark from the St. Louis area out for half a day yesterday.  He and his wife stayed in the Mayfly cabin in June.  They must have liked it as they came back and stayed again.  Caught a few fish on the Big Ruby, including a nice 17" Rainbow.  Stan also had a half a day on the water with Taisha and her father, Jim.  Had a pretty good day with the regular size 16 red tunghead midge.  Found a lot of fish up in the shallow edges right off the grass. 

Meanwhile, Gina and Carolyn were holding an all-day fly fishing clinic.  After the morning session where we go through equipment, fly lines, tippet, leaders, knots, bugs and all the other things, we stopped for lunch then went to the lake to learn casting.  Everyone learned the basic of the roll cast, pick up and lay down cast, and a little on shooting line.  The highlight of the day was putting on various patterns and catching blue gill!  Those little guys are real scrappers.  They were taking our little drifted jig head patterns as well as stripping cracklebacks and small buggers. 

Wow!  Not sure what our official rainfall total was here in Branson.  Guess it depends on where you are and who you listen to.  Anyway, somewhere between 4 and 6 inches.  Table Rock Lake came up one foot from about 8:00 p.m. last night to 9:00 a.m. today.  It will come up some more.  They have actually shut down the generation through the dam, probably to lessen the amount of water at the lower parts of Taneycomo.  Lots of water going into the lower areas from streams which are currently running out of their banks.  We expect the weather to clear up this afternoon and both Saturday and Sunday will be nice, sunny, cool days.  Very slight chance of rain on Monday, otherwise, cool and sunny.  No more rain….please.

 Wednesday was a busy day on the river for us.  Dana was out with Kevin from Texas.  Lots of hits and misses.  Boated fish on Dana’s red San Juan. 

Meanwhile, Gina had Leonard, who originally lived in California and now lives in Sparta, MO., and his daughter Missy on the water for half a day.  Missy lives in California where she is going to school.  Missy loves to fish, especially for bass, but had never been fly fishing.  She loves it!!  They boated several fish on the size 18 copper dun or P&P midges dropped from our "Big" Ruby (just a larger version of the regular Ruby), and a Bug-Eyed Bugger.  

Missy – 10/7/09	"The Team" – 10/7/09

 Both Jim and Stan were out for full days.  Stan had Pete, who started fly fishing in Wyoming and eventually moved to Nebraska.  Their best patterns were the "Big" Ruby with a P&P size 18 midge dropper.  Jim, with Chad and Bob from Joplin, MO. were boating fish on the red midge, size 18 gray scud and the size 18 P&P midge. 

Yesterday, Stan had Dave Ray and Dean Abbot out for half a day.  Brave souls sitting out there in the rain with four generators going.  The fish felt sorry for them and they did boat fish on the Big Ruby.   Said they were used to the rain as they hail out of the state of Washington!