Weather here today is a little moisture.  One can see a hint of snow on roof tops in some areas and other areas are maybe damp.  Temperature right now is 35 degrees and it’s only 10:35 a.m. 

No generation this morning….as a matter of fact, they are projecting nothing all day!

Here is a better photo of Lonnie and his 30 inch rainbow he caught on a hare’s ear nymph this past Sunday.

Lonnie - 30" rainbow - 2/24/13

The weather just wants to let us know who’s boss.  Our forecast for today is for 20-30 mph winds and high temperature of 47 degrees.  70% chance of rain but not much….maybe a quarter inch.  Tonight we are looking at occasional rain or snow after midnight continuing into tomorrow morning.  High tomorrow will be in the upper 30s with 15-25 mph winds.  Shiver!  After this moves through, we will have temperatures in the low 40s to upper 30s through the weekend.  By next week, maybe in the low 50s. 

Had some type of generation over the four and a half days.  Of course, they generated something over the weekend.  Today, on the other hand, since it is Monday, there is no generation.  Oh well!  As I say, life in a tailwater!  For the most part, however, the generation has been low and definitely fishable. 

Pretty rainbow with low flow 2/24/13

How about this pretty rainbow?  Gary and his friend, Lonnie, were fishing yesterday with a low one generator and Lonnie hooked this nice rainbow on a  hare’s ear nymph. 

Jim took Jim and his son, Scott out for half a day Sunday.  Jim is from Michigan and actually knows some of the people Jim Lund (our guide) knows in Michigan.  So it was not only a fun day of “catching up”, but also catching.  Good day on the CQ streamer, a size 18 red midge and the black zebra with a silver head.

Maybe this coming week will be winter’s last fling!  We did get some sleet, snow, rain and freezing rain last Thursday.  However, almost all traces of that event are gone.  Beautiful day yesterday and again today.  Temperatures in the 40s yesterday and no wind.   Today looks like low 50s, sunshine and a little winc.  Tomorrow is calling for low 50s, with a chance of showers and thundershowers in the a.m. giving way to steadier rain in the afternoon.  More seasonal temperatures the rest of the week in the mid to upper 30s.  Looks like a slow warm up over the weekend (low to upper 40s), and into the low 50s by early next week.

Some type of generation every day since Thursday, when they turned on the equivalent of one generator at 8:00 a.m. and we have seen low to the equivalent of 1-1/2 generators every day.  So far, the higher generation has been in the a.m. and shut down to a low one by 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. each day.  The projection for tomorrow is no generation until 5:00 p.m. and it is projected to be a low one.

Fishing continues to be good to very good.  Although very few, if any, fishers were on the water Thursday, it didn’t slow down the fishers Friday, Saturday or today.  Everyone is reporting good days on size 16 or smaller gray scuds, red midges, size 14 hare’s ear nymphs, egg patterns, cracklebacks and sculpins or olive wooly buggers.

Jim on the water half a day yesterday with Reg, from Illinois.  Very good day for Reg on the size 10 CQ streamer, a size 18 black midge and the red midge.  By the time they got on the water, it had cut back to a low one generator.  This has been fishing very well.

Sorry to say, we might be in for some weather over the next few days.  Tuesday doesn’t look too bad with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 40s.  Wednesday, on the other hand looks like mostly cloudy with temperatures in the mid 40s, pretty good winds and chances of moisture late in the day.  Thursday, mostly cloudy, low 40s, windy and good chances for moisture, especially in the a.m.  By the end of the week, things are looking up with Friday in the upper 40s, Saturday in the low 50s and Sunday in the low 60s.  Mostly to partly sunny all weekend and little chances of moisture.

Generation has been pretty good for the wade fishers this past week.  Some type of generation all day Friday; but off all day both Saturday and Sunday.  Low, but slightly fluctuating generation Monday, and no generation scheduled for Tuesday this week.

Fishing….very good.  Stan on the water Saturday afternoon with Sam from Florida.  Great day for Sam.  Said he caught more fish on this trip then he had ever caught  before on any trip.  They boated fish on the CQ streamer, red soft hackle and red size 18 midge. 

Carolyn had Sheila and Jerry out Sunday.  One generator most of the day.  Started out a little slow, moved and the fight was on!  Fishing the area below the boat ramp, on the Trophy Run side but just above Troply Run.  Great catching!  Red, size 18 midge dropped below either the big ruby or a Lightening Bug.  After catching a plethora of fish here, we decided to move on down.  Caught a few fish going down as well as a few below the Lookout Island on the ruby midge of the P&P midge.  Moved on down…time to get out, and caught several stripping the silver bullet crackleback (holographic silver) on the 2.6 ips sinking line or leader.  Overall, a very good day!

Whew!  Been a crazy three days  Website directed to la-la land somehow and it has taken an act of Congress to get it up and running again.  But at last!  Success!  

Now, on to the good stuff.  Weather has been great.  It did not get as cool or bad as they had predicted for Tuesday or Wednesday.  Today is partly cloudy and in the mid 50s.  It does look like we are in for a cool down.  Of course, it will be partly over the weekend.  Friday will be in the low 40s and partly sunny.  Saturday looks about the same.  Sunday looks better with the mid 50s, but by Monday we are looking at low 50s and a 50% chance of moisture.  Moisture chances gone Tuesday and Wednesday with more seasonal temperatures in the upper 40s.  Still not bad for February. 

They did generate some water all weekend.  However, other than late Sunday, it was at a level that one could wade in several places.  No generation Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Today we have had a low one, up to a low two and now back to a low one generator going all day.  

With the water off this week, fishing was again great!  

Ken and Larry, from Kansas spent half a day with Stan last Sunday.  It was a red midge day even with the generators going.  Lots of fish on the size 16 tunghead midge, and the CQ streamer or red crackleback stripped on an intermediate sink tip line. 

Martin with 19" rainbow - 2/11/13

 Carolyn on the water Monday with Vickie and Martin from Oklahoma.  Wonderful day.  Martin has been fly fishing for a while but Vickie is just getting started.  Rigged Martin up with a 1.5 ips sink tip line and the CQ streamer.  Couldn’t take that fly away from him.  This was his pattern for the whole afternoon.  Worked for a while with Vickie on casting, then she went live.  Caught a few drifting the size 18 ruby midge.  Not enough action (Martin was above us hauling them in on his CQ), so we switched to the olive filoplume on a 2.6 ips sinking leader.  Bullseye!  Vickie’s turn to bring in the fish.  After catching enough fish in this location, we moved on down river to the Pointe area so they could see other areas to fish.  This is where Martin caught his nice rainbow….on the CQ streamer.  Fish started popping, so we decided to try something different for Vickie.  Red ass soft hackle worked great and she caught a nice 15-1/2″ to 16″ rainbow among her many fish.  They both went out Tuesday and Wednesday on their own and had more good days, especially Wednesday, and I think almost everything was on the CQ streamer.  

Vickie with 15-1/2 to 16" rainbow caught on soft hackle

Today we have a chance of thunderstorms, probably later in the day.  Right now it is partly cloudy and 55 degrees.  High today is expected in the low 60s.  Tomorrow and Saturday will be in the mid 50s and a chance of rain Saturday night and Sunday.  Sunday should be in the low 60s.  However, out on the near horizon, we are seeing mid 40s for Monday, low 40s Tuesday and a chance of showers and snow by Wednesday.  Even if we get snow Wednesday, it won’t be around long as Wednesday temperatures are predicted to be mid 40s.

Generation all day Tuesday and for a while yesterday morning.  Projection for today is no generation until 5:00 p.m. when they will fire up one generator for 3 hours. 

Stan and I went out Tuesday around noon.  What a beautiful day!  Hooked a couple nice fish early on a CQ streamer, but rest of the day on streamers were not the ticket.  They wanted the copper dun midge dropped under the size 16 red tunghead midge.  Great weather, other than the wind blowing cross river on occasion, fishing with my best friend, Stan. and catching fish.  It doesn’t get better. 

Darrell had Al and Steve , from the St. Louis area out all day yesterday.  They all came draging in last night worn out from catching fish!  Great day on the big ruby midge, the size 18 ruby and an egg pattern.

Another local fisher hooked a big rainbow yesterday.  Eric landed a 30 inch male rainbow some time yesterday afternoon.

Weather continues to be great!  We are looking at a chance of rain tomorrow and again Sunday.  Otherwise, temperatures remaining in the 50s to low 60s until next week.  Monday and Tuesday we return to more normal temperatures for this time of the year….40s.

We  have see very little or no generation until yesterday.  Saturday they ran a low one generator all day, but it was at a level where wade fishing was possible in many area.  Yesterday morning they cranked it up to 707 plus then dropped it in the afternoon to the 703 range until later in the day when it went up to almost 705.  Today’s projection is for generation all day in a fashion similar to what they did yesterday. 

Louie - 27" rainbow - 2/3/13

Red has been the hot color for several days now.  This beautiful 27 inch rainbow was caught by one of our customers, Louie, Sunday just at dusk…you know, it was that “just one more cast” symdrome.  Hooked it on a red soft hackle.  Good job Louie!  Fly fishers have been finding that anything red or with red on it has been catching fish.  Red soft hackles (obviously!), red cracklebacks, tan scuds with red heads and red midges, are a few I have heard.  However, don’t forget stripping.  Streamer fishing has been great too.  Probably at the top of the list has been the olive filoplume, followed closely by the olive CQ streamer.  Also, a size 8 olive sculpin pattern. 

Take advantage of this great weather.  Go fishing.  I know, I sound like a broken record, but we don’t get this kind of weather in February all the time.

Great weather we are having.  Yesterday was in the 50s, today (Sunday) is in the 50s, and we are looking at at least 50s for all of next week.  Might even see a 60s in there somwhere.  Monday’s prediction is for some showers and there is a possibility of showers again Thursday (right now it is 40% chance).

Generation has been off almost every day this past week.  We have a low one generator running today, but the level is such you can wade in many places.  The projection for tomorrow is no generating until late in the day.  Table Rock went up two feet after this last rain we had. 

Fishing has been great!  Dana had Richard, from Kansas, out for half a day.

Richard - 2/2/13

Fishing has been great!  Dana had Richard, from Kansas, out for half a day Saturday.  Lots of fish, including this pretty rainbow, on the P&P and copper head black midges.  Stan had Gary, who lives in Branson, out for half a day once it warmed up.  They had a fun day stripping the CQ streamer.  Gary has not fished this way alot and he really enjoyed it.  Yesterday was

Gary - 17-1/2" rianbow - 2/2/13

an especially good day for pulling almos any kind of streamer.  Carolyn and a friend, Penny, decided to go fishing after Penny finished up with the fly tying clinic at the shop.  Stripping was the word.  Stripped the holographic red crackleback, the CQ streamer, olive filoplume (probably the best pattern), and finally a golden variant scuplin.  Penny also caught several on the size 18 ruby midge.  Says she is spoiled catching fish like it was fishing.

Weather turned a little sour yesterday afternoon.  By 5:00 p.m. the tornado sirens were warning Branson residents to take cover.  Fortunately, the storm blew threw with minimal affect on our area and left some much needed rain.  Once we get through today, tomorrow, and Friday, temperatures should return to the 50s for most, if not all of next week. 

We have had no generation simce last Friday.  Before that, they ran three days straight.  Today’s projection is for no generation all day.  I expect we will see some generation this week, especially since Table Rock is at 905.

Fishing has been very, very good for several day.  Not a whole lots of fishers out there, but for those who are fishing, it’s more about catching than fishing.

Stan had Philip, from Indiana, out yesterday until the storms ran them off.   Once they honed in on a partridge and orange soft hackle, it was fish after fish.  Nothing big, but lots of fish who thought they were big.  Full of fight!  I fished for a while and had the same experience.  After I got tired of catching on soft hackles (hard to imagine), I tried a few other patterns.  Everything worked!   Even with the overcast day, holographic green cracklebacks were hot.  Caught so many fish, my hook broke and I wondered why I was missing so many.  Duh Carolyn….check your fly!  Sculpins, CQs, scuds, filoplumes, rusty midge….get it in the water!

Almost forgot.  How about this nice 20 inch plus, plus caught by one of our customers, Scott, weekend before last on a holographic green crackleback?

Crazy weather we have been having.  30s one day and 50s the next.  Today we are expecting mid 50s, 60s tomorrow and possibly 70s Monday and Tuesday following by mid 40s on Wednesday.   Not complaining…makes for some nice fishing days!

Table Rock ran three days straight, Tuesday through Thursday.  Off yesterday and again today and tomorrow; with a little scheduled for early Monday morning then off most of the day.

Like I said, weather has been bazaar and Darrell and his guests wound up with one of the coolest days of the week this past Tuesday.  Monday didn’t look good, Wednesday looked so, so, so we picked Tuesday……wrong!  Weather did a complete 180.  Anyway, Doug and Roxanne, from Minnesota had a good catching half day on the black zebra midge and a red ruby midge with a small white marabou tail.  Doug caught a nice 17-1/2″ rainbow.  Good thing these folks are from Minnesota.  Even though it was cool, it felt like a spring day to them.  I think it was 8 below zero in the area where they live.

Fishing continues to be very good and on lots of patterns.  Hope you are fishing during this nice weather break!

Switch/spey rod casting clinic.  Check out our http://www.riverrunoutfitters.com/fly-school/ and learn about this next technique which certainly has application for those running water and low water days here on Taneycomo.