100s for a few more days, then it looks like a cool off Sunday through Tuesday….tehmperatures in the 80s.  Wow!  Low 90s to mid 90s into next weekend.  That would be a nice break.  Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a hint of moisture in our future at this time.

Generation continues to give the waders lots of morning wading.  On in the afternoons and generally off by 10:00 p.m.

Really good day for Jim and his guests, Scotts and Adrea, from St. Joseph. MO.  Had a fun morning start using a orange bodied crackleback in a size 18 on the surface.  Best of the day was the size 10 CQ streamer. 

Folks coming into the shop are doing well on a variety of patterns.  Several days of soft hackle action, especially yellow, orange, olive and bright green.  Starting to hear the red midge working again, and the holographic green crackleback and olive size 12-14 wooly buggers are still producing.  You just have to look for the best drifts or pockets of fish to work.

Looks like 100 degrees through Sunday.  Possibly a cool down, low 90s to upper 80s Monday and a chance of rain is showing up Wednesday and Thursday…..that would be nice!

Generation schedule continues to give the waders time to wade almost every morning.  I think I heard the horn go off around 2:00 p.m. today.  I just imagine, with tomorrow being a holiday, it will be off most of the day.

Stan on the water yesterday.  Only got to the mid 90s!  Wow!  A warm day instead of a hot day.  LOL!  He had Laird, from Bruner, MO. and his son-in-law, Ranee, from California out all day.  they had a very good day on the P&P and copper head black zebra midges.  Ranee is still in the learning stage.  He wants to get this down so he can teach his son fly fishing when he is ready to learn, which will be here before he knows it!

Reports are varied.  Soft hackles are still working in the early mornings when the fish are dimpling, especially yellow and olive.  Also taking some smaller, size 16 crackleback on the surface.  One of our customers had a good morining stripping the CQ streamer this morning.  Stay small on tippet when nymph style fishing, 6X or even consider 7X if you see the fish refusing your pattern.

The weather men this morning and my two other sources for weather all say we are going to see low 90s tomorrow with a very slight chance of scattered showers.  Tuesday looks like mid 90s then back to the upper 90s and l0w 100s for the rest of the week.  A little break would be nice!

More of the same on generation.  No generation in the mornings.  During this weekend, we have not been generation until 3:00 p.m. yesterday and are not supposed to see any today until 6:00 p.m. for about three hours.  It stayed on yesterday until 8:00 p.m. 

Jim out Friday with Jeff from Illinois.  Brand new fly fisher, so it was an instructional trip.  Got him to throwing a pretty good line so they were stripping and catching on the CQ olive streamer in a size 10.  Darrell had Daniel and his wife, Angela, out for half a day.  They hail out of the St. Louis area and Daniel wanted to get his wife some experience fly fishing.  Their best pattern was the size 18 ruby midge.

Dannie - 7/1/12

Today, Stan and Darrell had the Hoving family from Texas out for the morning.  Dwayne fishes alot all over the place.  He is leaving soon for Canada where he will be doing small mouth fishing.  First time for all the the other family members, Debbie and their two daughters, Gabbie (8), and Dannie (13).    Gabbie had a couple fish on, but soon decided she was going to be official netter for her father’s fish.  Debbie and Dannie caught fish on  the black midge with a copper head and copper ribbing.  Dwayne was catching his fish on the P&P and the black/copper midge.  Everyone had a fun morning and enjoyed the cool water!  Keep it up ladies!

In a word…..HOT.   I think I am beginning to sound like a broken record, but it doesn’t change the fact that the forecast are for tempertures to remain in the upper 90s to low 100s for the next seven days.   And, there is nothing that looks like rain in the forecast!

We continue to see wading water in the mornings.  The generators have been coming on sometime around noon or after and staying on most of the rest of the day; sometimes going off late.

Stan’s guys he had out for three days in this heat, had a good time and caught lots of fish on the P&P and ruby midges and stripping the holographic green crackleback. 

Howard - 6/27/12

Gina out Wednesday with Dale, from Oklahoma, and his friend, Howard from Montana.  they had a great day on a tiger tail (we’re making up names again!) the P&P midge, a crackleback and the floozie. 

Thursday, Gina took Barb out to celebrate her birthday.  She decided her present to herself would be a guided fly fishing trip.

Happy Birthday Barb! - 6/28/12

She had a great time and the trout even helped out.  Best patterns were the tiger tail and a rusty midge.

Talked to several folks fishing today and they are saying it is pretty tough.  From what we have been seeing, stripping something, especially small olive buggers, dead drifting the filoplume, or slow pulling the 56er have been working pretty good.  Early in the mornings, you might do well with a yellow, orange, or olive soft hackle if the fish are dimpling the water.

That is about all you an say about the weather…..HOT!  Temperatures hovering close to or in the 100 degree range for the next 7-8 days and not even a hint of rain! 

We had most of Saturday and Sunday with no generation.  They ran a little late Saturday afternoon and then three generators Sunday afternoon , dropping down overnight then back up to a low two through Monday.  Tuesday it was low one generator from midnight until 8:00 a.m. Tuesday morning; off for 4-5 hours, then back up to a low two.  We had no generation today until 2:00 p.m. and it is currently flowing at a low two.

Jim had his couple from Hawaii, Colleen and Wayne, out half a day on Sunday.  They had a good day and Colleen landed a beautiful 21-1/2″ rainbow on the CQ streamer.  They also caught some on an orange crackleback. 

Monday, Stan took Dennie, from Joplin, and his brother Bob, from Washington out for the afternoon.  They didn’t get enough Monday afternoon, so they went again yesterday and….guess what? they are on the water again today.  Not certain what all they have been fishing, but I know they have been catching fish.  Dennie caught the most yesterday, and I heard Bob was ahead today.  (Dennie said he felt sorry for him, so he was letting him catch more fish today!)

Tuesday Jim took a new fly fisher out to teach him the “ropes” of fly fishing.  By the time they were finished, he was false casting with the best of them….well pretty good anyway.  There’s always room for practice.  They also caught some fish in the process on the CQ, a gray scud and a red midge.  Tom, from Texas, really took a liking to fly fishing!

Wednesday it was back on the river again for Wayne and Colleen with Jim.  This was a full day, but with the heat, they came off a little early.  Still had a good day, mainly on the CQ streamer.  Darrell and Dana were on the river for half a day with a group from the Missouri Holstein Assn.  Darrell had John and Brady.  They caught fish on the ruby and ugly midge.  Dana’s guys, Brian and Brandon, caught fish on the ruby midge and a peach egg.

What can I say about the weather except HOT!  And, it looks like it will hang around for a while. 

Generation has been weird….to say the least.  That is, several days this past week.  If you were around Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, you would have wondered if there was a short in the horn alert for water release or did we add more generators.  There were times, at least it seemed that way, that the horn was going off every couple hours or so.  We did talk to one of the guys at the dam and he said they were working on something to do with the releases, so they blew the horn every time they release a little water.   I think we are back to normal now.

Forgot to mention Stan’s trip a week ago this past Thursday.  He has Phil, from this area, and his visiting son, Shane, out for the morning.  They had a good day on the P&P, Ruby and black zebra midges. 

Monday, Darrell took John and Mindy from Springfield, out for half a day.  They had a good morning on the P&P.  Jim had Carmen and Jeff out for a half day trip.  These two have been fishing with Jim since 2002!  Very good day for them pulling an olive streamer.

Carolyn took Michael and his son Jerrod out for a spin Tuesday.  Weird water day, but we did catch fish on the ruby midge and pulling the olive streamer and a holographic green crackleback.  Michael is from Kansas and Jerrod is from the Kansas City area. 

Thursday was another one of those funny water days.  Stan had Ken from Texas out for the morning.  Despite the weird water flow, they had a pretty good day on the big ruby, dark olive soft hackle, and an holographic green crackleback.  Looked like rain and some weather when they started out, but it cleared up and was a beautiful day to be on the water.

Yesterday, Darrell took Mike, from Arkansas, out for half a day.  Pretty good day on the olive streamer and a holographic green crackleback.  Jim also had his couple, John and Patty, from Florida pulling the olive streamer.  They also caught fish on a size 14 1and 16 ruby midge. 

Jim and nice rainbow - 6/23/12

Jim had Jim and his daughter, Kathy, from Arizona, out this morning.  Jim hooked into this nice rainbow pulling the olive streamer (we’re trying to come up with a name for this fly).  They also did well on a gold crackleback.

Days have been a little warm and humid.  Slight chances of isolated thunderstorms this afternoon into tonight.   Looks like we are in for a whole week of hot, 90 degree temperatures with another slight chance of showers by Friday and probably warmer over the weekend.

Generation schedule has been pretty agreeable for the waders.  Monday it was off in the morning, but Tuesday it was on in the morning and stayed off until Wednesday afternoon.  Wading time Thursday morning, but limited wading Friday as they generated something all day.  Saturday was a good wading day, but we have had low one to a low one generators today.  Projection for tomorrow is no generation until noon…..we’ll see about this one! 

Jim on the water last Monday with Curt from Illinois.  Whale of a thunderstorm blew through while they were out fishing.  Despite the weather, they did catch from fish on the rusty midge, a blood worm and a size 12 wooly bugger.

Jonathan - 6/12/12

Tuesday, Stan & Carolyn took Peter, Mac, Briggs and Jonathan out for half a day. Pretty good day.   The two young guys, Briggs and Jonathan, were new to fly fishing, but both of them did great and landed a few fish.  Best pattern for the day was the size 18 rusty and a size 16 ruby midge.   Jim had Steve, from Illinois, out for his first half day trip.  They had a good day Tuesday, but an even better half day on Wednesday.  Best patterns were the rusty midge, blood worm and an size 16 gray scud. 

Wednesday, Gina took Jim and his grand daughter, Daylynn out for half a day  Grandpa wanted to treat his grand daughter to a new experience, fly fishing.

Daylynn - 6/13/12

Daylynn caught on quickly and had a good time.  their best patterns were a size 18 gray scud, the ruby midge and even one on each stripping the olive filoplume and an olive streamer.   Stan had Brent from Wisconsin out all day Wednesday.  Brent fly fishes quite a bit and they had a very good day on the holographic green crackleback, the P&P, rusty, black and ruby midges. 

Scott, from Texas, spent Thursday morining floating with Darrell.  Good day for them on the P&P midge.  Carolyn had Charlotte and Carol, from Arkansas out for half a day too.  Started off a little slow in the early morning, but definitely picked up later in the day on the ruby midge.  Good casters and good fishers.  Jim had Devin, from Oklahoma, out for a half day instructional catching trip.  Worked on casting and other techniques as well as catching.  They did well on the dark olive bugger, a rusty midge, size 18 gray scud and a blood worm.

Friday, Don and Diane from Texas took a half day trip with Jim.  They caught some fish, but it was a bit off (won’t repeat how Jim described the day).  Best patterns were an olive wooly, ruby and red midges.

Keramia with 1st trout on fly rod -06/16/12

New ladies on the water half a day with Carolyn Saturday, Keramia and Marushka.  This was Marushka’s second time and Keramia’s first.  Both laides are doing very well with their casting, hooking and playing fish.  Marushka has already decided that she likes stripping flies better than nymph-style fishing.  No one best patterns that morning, but fished a black zebra, rusty zebra and an olive streamer.  Darrell had their husbands, Dan and Malcomb our for the day.   The guys had a very good day on an olive streamer, the ugly midge as well as the ruby midge.  Stan had Doc and Terry, from Oklahoma out all day.  They too had a very good day on the P&P, ruby and black zebra midges. 

Kevin, from Jefferson City, spent Sunday morning with Jim.  Fairly new fly fisher, so they worked on skills as well as catching fish.  Best patterns were the olive streamer, sizes 14 and 16 ruby midges.  Stan and Dana, also had some fairly new fly fishers from Springfield out.  Bryan is brand new.  He and his brother, David, thought this would be a good way to spent part of the day with their father, Craig, for Father’s Day.  A good time had by all and catching fish on the size 18 ruby as well as the big ruby, and the holographic green crackleback.  Bryan also has a fish swimming around with a peach egg in his mouth.

Great weather and great water.  Weather has been great the past few days.  We received some much needed rain on Monday.  Mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the 80s.  Looks like this trend will continue with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the low 90s to upper 80s.  Slight chance of rain Friday and Sunday.  

Lots of wading time every morning the past six days.  Yesterday was an  except as they started the day with a low one generator and then turned it off around 11:00 a.m. Yesterday’s projection was for low flow all day.  That’s alright…made wading good in the afternoon.  Today it was off today until around 1:00 p.m.   Tomorrow the projection is for no generation until 1:00 p.m., then on for four hours (low one generator), and off. 

Karen - 6/4/12

Karen’s first time fly fishing was last October.   This year she came back with a life-long friend, Mickey, and the two of them spent half a day last Monday with Carolyn.  This was Mickey’s first time fly fishing and she caught on quickly, as did Karen on her first trip.  We had a fun and good catching day on the water using the size 18 ruby midge and

Mickey - 6/4/12

stripping the olive filoplume on a sinking leader.  The guys, Mark  and Tim were with Stan.  They were catching their fish on the primrose & pearl midge. 

Tuesday, Jim had John and Chris, from Wildwood, MO. out for the day.  Good day on the size 12 ruby, the size 16 red midge and a gold bug eye bugger.  

Carolyn took Laura, from Oklahoma, out for a half day instructional trip.  Her husband, Scott, came along for the ride as they were running water.  We definitely improved on the casting.  She hooked several on the big ruby midge, but her best pattern and technique of the day was stripping the holographic green crackleback.  Good day for her on this pattern. 

Several of us on the water Friday. 

Mary’s first trout on fly rod 6/8/12

John from Aurora, had booked a full day a full day trip with Gina. His wife, Mary decided to come along and learn about fly fishing.  So, they spent half a day on the water and Gina worked with Mary most of the time on casting, and presentation.  Quick learner and it was no time and they were catching fish on the ruby midge and stripping the olive filoplume.  

John - 6/8/12

Carolyn had JP and his father, George, from the Kansas City area on the water Friday.  We started out with the size 18 rusty midge and JP caught a nice 17-18 inch rainbow.  He escaped before we could get a picture.  Once the fish layed off the rusty, it was the size 18 ruby.  Stan was out with Bob from here in Branson.  They too, did best on the ruby midge.  John, also from Branson, was with Jim.  They had a good day on the ugly midge, a size 18 gray scud with a blood 

JP - 6/8/12

worm dropper.  It was one of those weird days.  Some places, we dropped to 7X to get the fish to take our flies.  We would see them come up and look, then swim away.  As soon as we dropped to 7X, the catching was on…..so was the breaking off of flies!  Move to different water and we were back to 6X.  

Two more fly fishers on the water. 

Lynda's first on fly rod - 6/9/12

Lynda and Rich, from Belle, Mo. took Carolyn’s two-day fly fishing school Saturday and Sunday.   Rich recently retired and they are looking for something to do together.  They have definitely found it!  Fun couple and both caught on quickly.  Saw lots of good casts, but also some not so good…..mostly good though.  Lynda caught most of her fish on the rusty midge.  Rich caught

Rich - 6/9/12

several on the rusty midge and also did well stripping the holographic green crackleback.  He was fishing shallow, moving water, so he only had on a size 6 split shot above the crackleback to get it down a little. 

Fishing has been fair to good, to very good depending on where you are and the time of day.  There are definitely days when it fishes much better the further you go down the river. 

Weather continues to be sunny and warm.  Had one cool day last Friday but it quickly warmed back up into the low 90s to upper 80s.  Forecast looks like more of the same through the weekend into next week.  

Water off almost all day both Saturday and Sunday.  They turned on a low one generator for maybe an hour each day late in the afternoon.  Yesterday, it was off until 3:00 p.m. when they fired up a low two for 3-4 hours; then off for the rest of the evening.  Today we are seeing a low one generator with the tailwater level bounching in the 704. plus or minus level.  This was pretty much the same thing they did last week.  

A little bit behind here so I am going to try to get caught up…again.  Last Tuesday, Jim on the water for an instructional trip with Stuart and his 8 year old son Hayden.  Hopefully, they learned a lot.  They caught fish on the ugly and rusty midges, and the bug eye bugger.  

Jonathan 5/31/12

All day Thursday and Friday afternoon, Jonathan, from Waynesville, MO. spent time on the river with Stan.  He is on a mission to learn everything he can about fly fishing.  Friday morning was spent in the shop with Carolyn learning how to tie flies.  Quick learner and did a good job.  He even caught fish on the flies he tied when he went out that Friday afternoon.  They had a great couple of outtings and caught fish on the red midge size 16, the size 18 little ruby and a holographic green crackleback.  

Mike needed some R&R, so he spent most of the day Friday on the river with Stan.  They had a nice laid back day of catching fish on the big ruby.  Low flow one generator going all day, so it was a nice slow drift.   Jim had some new fly fishers, Bart and Lorrie, from Oklahoma, out Friday morning.   They too had a nice leisurely day of learning and catching on the holographic red midge and a size 10 bug eye.   Dana took Matt and Adam out for a learning experience.  They caught fish on the big ruby and the red San Juan worm. 

Another day of no generation until 3:00 p.m.   Turned on the equivalent of one generator.  Pretty high to wade in some areas.  When I checked at 4:00 p.m., the level was at 705.3.  Supposed to run for a while and then shut down again.  No generation is projected for tomorrow until noon or after. 

Hot day out there, but there was enough wind at times to cool you off.  Looks like a slight chance of rain  with the biggest chances still Wednesday evening into Thursday.  Otherwise, temperatures today and tomorrow in the 90s.  Mid 80s for Wednesday and mid 70s for Thursday.  Wow!  Friday looks like upper 60s.  But, the trend appears to be going upward Saturday and Sunday. 

Lots of waders on the water today.  Probably the most I have seen all year.  Holiday weekend and no generation….it’s good to be standing in the cool water. 

Nate - 5/26/12

Darrell had Jeff, and his son, Nate, on the water both Saturday and Sunday mornings.  They had a couple very good mornings.  Saturday it was the ruby midge and Sunday it was an olive/black midge and the burgundy midge. 

Jeff - 5/27/12

Monday, Jim had Tom, from Okalahoma on the water again.  They had a very good day on the gold bug eye, a rusty midge and a blood worm.  Jim said he just rowed from moving water to moving water.  Gerald and his son, Matt, decided they wanted to learn how to fly fish, so they spent the morning on the water with Dana.  Off to a good start using the primrose & pearl midge.  Said they had a fun time and learned a lot.  The price is “ballroom dancing lessons”.  That’s what Malcolm is paying for his wife Marushka to learn how to fly fish.  Marushka spent the morning on the water with Carolyn learn the roll cast, basic cast and shooting some line.