Generation is continuing 24/7 with the tailwater level hovering around 707 feet.  Table Rock was as 915.1 feet this morning, only 1/10th of a foot over power pool.  Beaver is 2-3/10s over power pool and running off and on most every day.  On early in the day, then off for several hours, then back on.  Temperatures in the 40s the past two days, but they have been a bone-chilling 40s.  However, the forecast through the weekend looks great.  Sunshine and temperatures from the mid 40s up to the upper 50s or better.  Slight chance of rain Sunday night, then more change Monday and Tuesday but temperatures will remain seasonal.

Even the two guys from Michigan, John and Jim, that Jim had out Monday and Tuesday said yesterday was bone-chilling.  They thought they were back in Michigan.  Jim works in the store at Schmidt Outfitters in Wellston, Michigan, and John guides on the area rivers.  They have come to Taneycomo and fish with Jim this time of the year to get away from the cold weather and for a change in fishing scenery before their season opens up.  So far, they have had a couple good, cold, but good days on the water.  Yesterday, they had a great time working size 20 black midge emergers.  They don’t get a lot of this type action on their waters, so it was a fun change.  Today they are sightseeing and plan to be back on the water with Jim Thursday and Friday.

Stan was out for 1/2 day with Dennis from Kansas.  Dennis fishes Taneycomo several times a year and said he kept telling himself, "I need to try a guide trip some day".  Well, yesterday was the day and he is glad he did.  Said he learned a lot within the first few minutes he was on the water.  They had a great day stripping the sand colored size 12 filoplume under an intermediate sinking line on the Pointe Royale flats area.  Also caught several on the good old red midge.  Dennis is a good fisher and caster.  Never had fished from a drift boat and really loved it!

Table Rock continues to run non-stop 24/7.  Last time the generators were off was early in the morning last Wednesday.  Table Rock is sitting at 915.4, so we are slightly less than a 1/2 foot above power pool.  They have been pretty consistent with running four generators, but have varied the level from as high at 709.9 to as low as 705.9 feet.  Beaver is only 2/10ths above their power pool.  They are at 1120.2 as of 2:00 p.m. today. 

Weather forecast for the balance of the week looks very good.  We might even see the 60s by this weekend.  Their is a chance of some moisture over the weekend, but they said nothing to get too excited about yet.  Let’s hope it is a warm weekend with low or no flow!  I can dream can’t I !!

Despite the non-stop water generation, approximately 30 members of the Prairie Fly Fishers, 89ers Trout Unlimited, and Tulsa Trout Unlimited clubs converged on the Taneycomo area this past weekend.  Several started arriving Thursday afternoon and they continued arriving as late as early Saturday.  Needless to say, with the running water, some of them fished up around the Hatchery Area while others hit the area streams.  We suggested the various areas of Turkey Creek which runs through Hollister.  We used to fish there many years ago, and it can hold some nice fish.  Also suggested Roark Creek and Bull Creek.  Even sent some folks up to Crane Creek. 

Saturday, Jim and Carolyn had boats on the water with some guys from Oklahoma City.  Jim had Bob and Ken, while Carolyn drew Jeff and Main.  What a day!  Bob is brand new to fishing so Jim spent a lot of time working with him on casting, line work, hook setting and playing fish.  Meanwhile, Ken, who was in the front of the boat and a seasoned fly fisher, was catching fish on the red midge with a hot pink San Juan dropper.  Carolyn had a couple fly line flingers, Jeff and Main, in her boat.  After picking up several fish on the red holographic midge with a pink San Juan dropper while going through the slough that runs just down from the MDC boat ramp along the Point Royale area, they settled in on the lower flats with  sinking leaders and olive filoplumes and caught a lot more.  Stan had Mark and his brother Guy, from the St. Louis area in his boat for most of the day.  They had a great day and did best on the pink San Juan dropper, the pink lady egg pattern and the olive filoplume. 

Water has been running non-stop now since Wednesday morning at 5:00 when they turned it back on after having it off since 11:00 p.m. the day before.  Today they have been keeping it at 709 early this morning down to 706 this afternoon.  Although the mornings are pretty cool, teens to lower 20s, the afternoons are pretty nice.  Today is great!  Sunny, upper 40s with a little wind.  Think we might have pretty much the same weather tomorrow, just a little cooler, maybe in the mid 40s.

Jim started the nippy morning with Peter, from Kansas.  Peter said the 19 degrees here was definitely better than the 5 degrees he left up home.  Their full day boated quite a few fish on the red midge, and an orange or pink San Juan dropper.  Peter said it was a great day, he just wished he had landed more of ths hits he had had during the day.

As I mentioned in an earlier reort, we are starting to see a change in the generation pattern.  Friday, Saturday and Sunday, they dropped the generation back in the afternoon from about noon until 4:00 or 5:00 p.m. to the equvalent of one generator with a tailwater level in the 705 feet range.  Yesterday and the projection for today is the water will be off from around noon until 4:00 or 5:00 p.m.  They have aldo had it off in the morning from midnight until 6:00 a.m.  Now that the water is cooperating a little, the weather is turning off a bit colder, so this could have an impact on the generation pattern. 

While the water was off yesterday, Darrell had to check it out!  He reported back that the fish were midging like crazy.  He caught fish on the primrose & pearl, rusty midge and the copper dun.  He also caught a nice rainbow the day before with the water up on a size 16 ginger scud. 

Still generating 24/7.  However, as I mentioned yesterday, we are seeing a change in the generation pattern.  Better yet, it was pretty much right on with the projection you get from the www.swpa.gov site.  And, we seem to be following the projection again today.  They were running four generators at 8:00 a.m. this morning and the tailwater level was somewhere in the 710 foot range.  It has cut back to two generators with and range around 706.  If they completely follow the projection, it should drop even lower after 1:00 p.m.

Jim on the water yesterday for a half day float starting at noon.  He had a couple fishers from the Kansas City area, Ryan and E.J.  They worked on nymphing techniques and caught fish on the red midge, orange San Juan and for streamer work, olive buggers.  Stan went out for a late -start half day also.  He and Ken, from Kansas, hit the water around 11:00 a.m.  They had a very good day on the red holographic midge and a cerise San Juan worm.  Also caught several on the holographic green crackleback.  Had a little trouble hooking the fish on the crackleback, but that’s another story.  Seems Ken’s blind guide had put a crackleback on without a point on the hook.  Once this was remedied, Ken started hooking them!  Oh well, we have our days too.

Friday saw the first change in the generation pattern since January (one exception).  Early Friday morning they turned the generators off for 4-1/2 hours.  At 5:30 a.m. they cranked all four back on until around noon when they backed off to 50 MWH.  It stayed at this flow until about 4:30 p.m. when they again cracked all four back on.  Around 10:00 p.m. last night they started shutting down and by 11:00 p.m. they were off again.  However back on this morning at 4:30.  Projection is for four generators until 2:00 p.m. when they will again cut back to the equivalent of one for 4-5 hours, then back to four.  Weather has been mild, or at least more normal.  Temperatures in the 40s and 50s with some sunshine.  Looks like we might have some rain moving in tonight, through tomorrow and possibly Monday. 

Stan on the water for a half a day Wednesday with Doug from Arizona.  Think it was in the 40s that day and know they ran water all day at a level around 707 feet.  They had a good day on the holographic green crackleback, the high water (large tungsten beadhead) holographic red midge and a pink San Juan. 

Thursday, Stan had Tony from the St. Louis area out for most of the day.  They caught lots of fish, but nothing of any size.  We have been seeing lots of the smaller fish the past couple of weeks mixed in with the little larger rainbows that are in spawn colors. 

Both Jim and Stan are on the water today.  We’ll just see how it goes today. 

At least the amount of water generating at Table Rock has been a bit less than last week.  Over the weekend and yesterday, they ran four units, but ran the equivalent of 100 MWH or about 8,000 cfs of water instead of 13,000-14,000 cfs.  This puts the tailwater level around 706 to 707 feet and is a bit easier to fish than when the tailwater level is a 710 feet.  Table Rock is at 915.4 feet  (pool 915.0) and Beaver is at 1121.8 feet (pool 1120.0).    You will wade again someday.

Boats on the water Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Jim had his regulars, Bud and Welby from Lee’s Summit, out for half a day.  This was Welby’s third trip out in about two months so they worked some more on skills.  In between working on skills, they caught fish on the red midge, pink San Juan worm and black bugger.  Had a good time and stayed fairly warm until just about time to come off when reality set in and they started getting cold.

Friday Stan had Eric from Louisiana on the water for half a day.  They had a good day on the pink San Juan dropped from the red holographic midge. 

Kristi and Rick figured it was a gift to get a 1/2 day on the water in February.  They hit the water around 11:00 a.m. with Carolyn and had a wonderful day on the red holographic midge with a cerise San Juan dropper.  Once they found some good seams and drop offs, put on the sinking leaders and started throwing the natural colored pine squirrel sculpin. 

As nippy as it was Valentine’s Day, Pat and Karen, from St. Louis, when out with Jim for half day.  Despite the cold, they stayed tough and caught fish on the red midge, pink San Juan and olive bug-eyed bugger. 

All in all, fishing is good.  Still catching lots of male rainbows in spawn colors and caught several females full of eggs….fat!

We experienced a little window of opportunity yesterday when they shut down the generators on Table Rock.  At 10:00 a.m., just as the projection stated, they shut back the generators to two then off at 11:00.  By 11:00 a.m. the level was at 702.5 feet and at normal pool by 2:00 p.m.  Back on at 4:00 p.m. with two then ramped up to four generators within the hour.  Pretty nice day too!  Sun was out, in the 30s with a little wind.  Today is another day.  Full four generators going with the level staying pretty steady at 710.1.  The next few days are predicted to be pretty nice as far as the weather goes.  Low to mid 40s tomorrow and mid 40s on Saturday.  Both days threatening some sun mixed in with the clouds. 

For those people who were able to hit that window of opportunity yesterday, fishing was great.  Stan walked down by the Hatchery area just to watch.  He said everyone was catching fish…..fishers throwing scuds, midges, streamers, soft hackles….didn’t matter. 

One of our customers who just left  the shop missed the off water yesterday but managed to fish today.  He said he had a wonderful day!  He said he must had a fish on a least on every third cast.  He was fishing the holographic red large tungsten beadhead midge (our high water midge) with a cerise San Juan worm dropper.  The ratio of takes was about 50% on each pattern.  When they shut off these patterns, he finished up with a size 14 tan scud.

Sounds like fishing is pretty good.

Just a little over a week ago, we were hit with 6-8 inches of white stuff, depending on where you were in the Branson area.  We posted pictures on this site of our snow covered shop and drift boats!  Weather forecasters were projecting another "monster" snow fall for our area beginning Sunday night and running through yesterday.  As it turned out, it was a beautiful snow!  Define "beautiful snow".  It is a snow that covers everything with pure, white puffs of snow, EXCEPT the roads and not in the quantity predicted!  Everywhere you look, the leafless trees are white wisps pointing up toward the blue sky background while the cedar and pine trees are gently bending toward the ground under the weight of the snow covering.  It really is a beautiful sight.

Now, for the important stuff.  Beaver and Table Rock Lakes continue generation almost non-stop.  Beaver has shut down a couple of times for 5 to 6 hours early in the morning over the past four days, but otherwise, they are pretty much running near capacity.  Both lakes are less than two feet from normal power pool and probably would have been at power pool except for the run off we have been getting from the snow falls.  I am ready for Spring!

Not too many people fishing the past week.  Talked to one customer who had a great day by one of the outlets.  He said he caught lots of fish on a gray scud.  Even with the deep water, he was catching them as shallow as two feet and as deep at 6 feet.  One of the guys we know had been out over the weekend floating and did very well.  Said most of his better fish were caught below Fall Creek.  Darrell took an hour or so yesterday to toss some gray scuds, chamois leech and the red tungsten beadhead midge in around outlet two and caught several fish before he broke off.  Satisfied fish were still around, he roll up and found a place to warm up. 

Hey Louisiana friends….How About Those Saints!  Congratulations!

What a crazy few days we have had!  Wednesday the weather forecast started looking real bleak with a winter snow advisory for Banson and the surrounding areas.  Some snow starting Thursday night which continued all day Friday.  By Saturday, sure enough, we had 6-7 inches of white stuff over most of Branson.  We made out pretty good as parts of Oklahoma and Arkansas were hit much harder than we were.  Hope you guys are starting to thaw out and get back to normal soon!  Water continues to flow 24/7 and today, for a change, Table Rock dropped back to three generators, at least for a while.  Table Rock is now at  916.1 feet, while Beaver is down to 1121. 6 feet.  At this rate, Beaver should be at pool level within a couple of days.  However, don’t get too excited, as we will have some additional water from the run off of this snow melt.  Do see a light at the end of the tunnel though…barring any more major rain or snow fall.

That’s a lot of snow! – 1-30-10

Wednesday, Jim and Mike, from Kansas, took to the water for a 1/2 day float.  Very good day on the water using the red midge, with the pink San Juan dropper or the bright orange San Juan.  Mike is fairly new to fly fishing, so they worked on lots of techniques and skills.

This weekend was "Winter Retreat" gathering of the River Runners Women’s Fly Fishing Club (RRWFFC) and was held in Branson from 1/29 to 2/1.  This group of women fly fishers….correction, die hard women fly fishers…is over 60 members strong.  Over 20 had signed up and planned to attent this gathering.  Unfortunately, due to weather and road conditions beyond their control, the final count of those who made it was 7.  Lucky Seven!  It was a gathering not to be forgotten.  With great anticipation and due to the fact that a few came in early to beat the weather, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, were filled with fly tying, exchanging patterns and tying techniques, eating, watching fly fishing DVDs, sleeping, and hoping the snow would stop and the weather would improve.  Snow stopped, sun came out, snow started melting and the river said "come on down".   Sunday’s day warmed up into the lower 40s, knocked the snow off the drift boats and fly lines were flying.  Everyone caught fish on the high water tungsten beadhead midges, cerise or hot pink San Juan worms, and the most fun of the day, an olive wooly bugger or bug-eyed bugger on the intermediate sink line or using a sinking leader.  Fish were a mixed bag, a nice, colorful 15 incher (many of them males), then a "dink".  Catch of the day was a beautiful 19 inch rainbow that Peggy landed on a bug-eyed bugger. 

The Group	Getting Ready

The Float-A-Thon	Fish of the Day