Temperatures are looking a little cooler for tomorrow than had been forecast a few days ago.  Also, there is a slight chance of some flurries.  Christmas day eve looks like mid 30s with Christmas Day and the rest of the week in the mid 40s.  It will be warm enough to go out and try those new Christmas presents…a rod maybe!?  The weekend looke like low 50 mid 50s with Sunday in the mid 40s.  So far, New Year’s eve day looks pretty good….mid 40s.

Lots of wading time the past three days.  Generation projected for tomorrow with a break in the afternoon.  We’ll see what the projections have to offer this week.  Hopefully, we will be able to start the New Year staning in the water!

JoAnn with brown – 12/17/13

Stan on the water last Tuesday with Robin and JoAnn from Oklahoma.  First t6ime for these two and they had a very good day.  JoAnn did well and landed this nice brown shortly after she had hauled in a nice rainbow.  Robin had to stay up with her so he brought in a beautiful 17-1/2″ rainbow.  Best pattern was the pink lady egg.

Robin – 12/17/13

We hope everyone has a woderful Christmas and a safe, and Happy New Year!

Forecast for today is low 40s and sunny.  If you’re in the area…..get out and fish! Tomorrow MAY be a little different scenario.  Right now it looks like upper 30s but ice changing to rain.  If we have to have moisture, let’s hope it is rain.  Saturday looks pretty good with slim chances of moisture and upper 30s.  From Sunday on into next week, we are looking at some nice temperatures from upper 40s into low 50s.  Just need to get  through tomorrow!

Generation schedule is starting to look wader friendly again.  No generation in the am.m until 6:00-7:00 a.m. then off for 6-7 hours.  Back on near dark….when you want to be off the water anyway!

Bea – 12/11/13

Stan on the water yesterday with Bill and Bea from the Kansasa City area.  These two walked into the shop yesterday ready to go fishing and fishing they did.  Great day for them on the big ruby early (generators on at put-in then dropping) with a black zebra midge dropper.  Once the water settled down, it was the primrose & pearl midge.  Bea’s hands were too cold to hold her nice rainbow!  Several folks out fishing the past few, “cool” days.  Reports are good fishing on several patterns.  Up near the hatchery, the rea or worm brown San Juan worms are doing well while there is fairly heavy current.  Once it drops out, the hot hare nymph did great for Gary yesterday, and one of our other customers caught “a bunch” on a gold beadhead olive wooly bugger.  Sounds like we should bundle up and go fishing!

I not sure about anyone else, but I am ready for Spring!  Enough of this!  Yes, it was pretty….for a little while.  Looks like we are going to start warming up.  Today is expected to be in the upper 30s, and we are seeing mid to upper 30s through the weekend.  Low to mid 40s by next week.  Only fly in the ointment is Friday, when they are predicting some moisture, but with the temperature in the upper 30s, it should be in the form of rain.

Other than this morning, we have seen non-stop generation.  However, this morning the generators were off until 6:00 a.m.  They are projected to go  back on today around 11:00 a.m. and stay off until 6:00 p.m.  With Table Rock Lake below 914, we might just see some off time.

None of us on the water since last Wednesday…..before the wintery blast.  Have had a few customers come into the store and they are experiencing some very good fishing.  One gentleman this morning said he caught 20-25 fish in acouple hours yesterday afternoon on a worm brown San Juan worm.  He was heading back to the water today when they said it will be off.

We have some trips coming up, so we can hopefully give you some first hand information.  Our biggest hurddle to past will be the condition of the boat ramp.  We don’t want to turn our drift boat into a sleigh heading for the river at the bottom of the boat ramp!!

If you need some help with your Christmas shopping, we are here to help.  Lots of good ideas for stocking stuffers.  Just got in several of the new Orvis Encounter Outfit.  If you know someone getting started into fly fishing, this is one of the best values and performing outfits I have seen. 

What happened?  Wednesday is was in the 60s.  By Friday afternoon, we had 6 inches of snow on the ground and more coming.  This morning it was -1 degrees.  Snow has stopped and it is 24 degrees.  The prediction is for low 30s tomorrow and Monday.  By Tuesday, we might see mid 30s and even a little higher as we move into the weekend.  

Needless to say, with this cold snap everywhere, generation has been non-stop.  They had the equivalent of a full three units running this morning (using four units).  We are seeing a low  three right now with the tailwater level in the 707 range. 

Teresa – 12/3/13

Before frigid weather, RB and Teresa spent half a day Tuesday on the river with Carolyn.  RB has been fly fishing for a while, but Teresa was (emphasis on was) pretty new to the sport.  Good, fun day for these two.  With three units going, we had the opportunity to fish a few different places, including behind the long island at the Pointe.  Good day on the big ruby with a lightning bug dropper.  Down the high bank from Lookout Island, we dropped the white grub from the big ruby and continued hooking fish.   

R.B. – 12/3/13

Wednesday, Stan had Don and John, from Illinois on the water for half a day.  Good day for these two, as it usually is, on the big ruby, a lightning bug dropper or a black zebra with a gold head dropper.

Great weather we have been having for the past few days, and expect a couple more days of nice weather before it turns north!  Thursday is the beginning of a definite drop in temperatures.  Probably low 30s Thursday and dropping to the upper 20s Saturday.  Even a chance for a few show showers on Friday!  Not ready for this!  Staying in the 30s until maybe Wednesday of next week…then low 40s.  Definitely better!

Non-stop generation for Table Rock for the past week.  3-4 days of flow which had the tailwater in the mid 703 range, but other than those days, a little more water than is easy wading.  Looking for 3-4 units tomorrow.

Fishing has definitely picked up.  All indications are that Table Rock Lake has turned and the dissolved oxygen levels are certainly looking good.  An annual tradition for the past several years.  Brandon and Brenda spend the day after Thanksgiving on the water with Stan.  It has been cold almost every time, but Brandon’s mother, Brenda, is a real trooper.  Warm hat, warm neck wrap, heavy jacket, and she is ready for the day.  They had another good day on the water this year on the big ruby and peach fur bug.  Topped off the day with hot soup for lunch!  Jim took Al and his friend Mike, from Arkansas out for half a day.  Both pretty new to fly fishing and they had a good day on the ruby midge, a brown San Juan worm and a peach egg. 

Kyle – 11/29/13

Saturday, Jim and Stan took a father and his two sons out for their initiation into fly fishing.  Stan had Dad, Gerrall and son, Kyle.   They did well on the pink egg.  Jim took the other son, Bryan.  Bryan fished a ruby midge, a CQ streamer and a gray scud.  Everyone had a fun day!

Gerrall – 11/29/13

Looks like a little more seasonal weather on the horizon.  50s well into next week.  Very slight chances of rain through Tuesday with a little increase in chances both Wednesday and Thursday.  Otherwise, mostly sunny or partly cloudy…your choice.

Pretty much non-stop generation since early last Saturday morning.  However, there has been a window late in the morning into early afternoon where the level has been okay for wade fishing in certain areas.  Levels in the 703 to 704 range.  Otherwise, it has been 705 to 706 and even a bit high on Monday afternoon.

Pretty good day on the water Tuesday when Stan took Dave and his son Bo out for the day.  Best pattern was the big ruby as they generated all day.  Worst problem this day was the wind.  Lots of hits and a good number of fish to the boat.  Carolyn had Ron and Kathy out for the day.  Our best patterns were the big ruby, with a lightning bug or egg dropper, and for a while a size 16 black midge with the copperhead black zebra midge dropper.  WINDY!  Tough to keep a good drift, but it was worth it.

Definitely a Fall day today with the overcast skies and rain.  Thanks to all the wind we had last week, most of the leaves are off the trees!  Upper 30s tomorrow, mid 40s Saturday and back into upper 30s or low 40s to start next week.  Maybe mid to upper 40s by mid week into the weekend.  Kind of think we will see low 50s for the weekend.

Generation continues to be pretty much 1-2 units for 2-3 hours in the morning and then again in the afternoon.   Otherwise, perfectly good wading water.  Projection for tomorrow is no generation until 5:00 p.m. then we will see a couple units for a few hours.

Terry – 11/17/13

Couple good days on the water last week.  Tuesday, Gina took Terry, from Harrisonville, out for half a day.  Terry had been with us before for the Orvis Fly Fishing clinic we had here in July.  It was more instruction and definitely more catching for Terry this time.  Despite the heavy wind, they worked scuds, and lots of streamers.   They pulled the CQ streamerand the size 16 holographic green crackleback.  Best scud was the tan with orange flashback. 

Stan had Guy, from Minnesota, out half a day on Wednesday.  Guy was a beginner and now says he is an “ex-beginner”.  He picked up casting very well and once he got past the hook set, he was landing fish.  Best patterns were the P&P and little ruby midges. 

A couple of REALLY windy days the past two days.  Looks like it is blowing in some cooler weather.  Temperature this morning was in the low 70s.  By the end of the week, the prediction is for low 50s during the day and low to mid 30s in the early morning.  Increased chances for rain by the end of the week too.

Generation schedule has been pretty much 2-4 hours of low generation some time during the day.  Yesterday it was supposed to have been in the morning and today it is supposed to be in the afternoon.  As they didn’t run anything until noon yesterday, we’ll wait and see what the actual it for today.  Tomorrow’s projection is generation from 6:00 to 10:00 in the morning and again around 5:00 p.m.

Dana out last Saturday (yes, I’m behind again) with Mike and his son Ian from Kansas.  Not a great day, but not a bad day on the tan b-bug, and the P&P midge.   

Ron – 11/11/13

Bruce and Ron from Oklahoma attended our two-day school Monday and Tuesday.  Since Tuesday was going to be such as bad day, we took to the water Monday afternoon for casting, rigging and fishing work.  Back to the books Tuesday morning then a little more streamside work that afternoon. 

Wednesday, Chuck spent a half day with Stan.  Best pattern that day was the copperhead black zebra midge.  they had a pretty good day…considering.

Bob had been out last week with Stan and decided he needed another fix on Friday…..so.  Good day for Bob on the ruby and copperhead black midges.  Doug and Pam were on the water with Carolyn.  We worked for our fish, but overall, it was a pretty good day.  Caught fish stripping the holographic green crackleback and the CQ streamer.  Best midges were the ruby and the copperhead black zebra.

So far, weather has been pretty good.  Only negative has been the wind, and we have had some wind the past few days.  Temperatures have been in the mid 60s the past few days, but we are expecting upper 30s? on Tuesday.  Burrrrr!  Not a whole lot better Wednesday, when it is predicted to be in the mid 40s.  Low 50s Thursday, creeeing into the mid to upper 50s by the weekend. 

Once we got through the draw down, we have only seen a low one unit come on for maybe one hour some time in the morning.  Projection for tomorrow is more of the same.  Low one unit on for an hour at 10:00 a.m.  Monday currently shows two units on for two hours at 7:00 a.m. and a little over one unit on for two hours at 7:00 p.m.

Jim and Brenda, from Oklahoma, spent the morning on the water with Stan last Saturday.  Not a great day, but certainly not a bad day for these two on the copper dun midge.  Super windy and no generation going.

Sunday, Jim took Ward and his father, Ken, from Kansas out for half a day.  They had a fun day on the P&P  and copper dun midges.  Also landed some on a gray scud.  Stan had Mike, from Iowa out.  They had a good day on the P&P and the black midge with a copper head.

 Bob, from Michigan, spend most of the day on the water with Stan Monday.  Pretty good day for Bob on the copper dun and copper head black midge.  Had some fun catching on the big ugly in the shallows.  This was one of the days when the generation was very low, so flow was certainly minimal that day.

Sandy – 110713

New fly fishing lady, Sandy and her husband, Bryan, spent half a day on the water with Carolyn Thursday.  Lots of stuff to learn, but she is taking to it like a fish to water.  Caught a few fish on the ruby midge, but probably the best pattern for both Sandy and Bryan was the CQ streamer on the 1.5 ips sinking line.  Sandy liked fishing this way.  Stan had Wayne and Coleen, from Hawaii on the water for the morning.  Good, fun day for these two on the P&P and ruby midges.  Ralph, one of Jim’s regulars, spent all day on the water Thursday with him.  Good day for Ralph on the ruby and P&P midges, and a gray scud.Friday, another good day for Ralph, who when out with Jim again, on pretty much the same patterns, the ruby and P&P mdiges and a gray scud.  Wayne and Coleen didn’t get enough on Thursday, so they spent another morning on the water with Stan.  Another good day for them on the P&P & ruby midges.  Possibly another new woman fly fisher in the making.  Betty and her friend, Debbie spent the morning with Carolyn. 

Debbie’s 1st on fly rod – 11/8/13

Although Debbie was more focused on learning technique, she did manage to catch a few fish on a ruby midge.  Betty is not new to Taneycomo and she was down stream a little distance catching at least one fish on almost every midge she tried.

Reports from the river say folks are seeing numerous dead brown trout in the water, especially upstream by the dam. Stan counted 30 dead trout on his trip this past Sunday, and in one spot fifteen fish, one rainbow and the rest brown. We know the dissolved oxygen is typically low this time of year and wondered if this was the cause or what the heck was happening. Rather than speculate, Carolyn gave the hatchery a call this morning. The manager  is well aware of the fish dying and looking into it.  According to him, the problem is a result of stress.  He says the strain of brown trout stocked in Taneycomo is particularly susceptible to stress, and the increased numbers of browns concentrated upstream for the fall run is part of the reason. They are assessing the situation and are not aware of any disease that would be causing a kill. That is the news for now. The fall is a stressful time for all Taneycomo trout because of the low oxygen and the heavy fishing pressure, so please remember to land your catch quickly, keep the fish in the water when removing the hook, and revive it before releasing.