Water off again this morning.  Projection is for a couple generators around 3:00 p.m.  Will probably see them at 2:00 p.m. 

Stan on the water this morning and they were already having a good day on the Rusty Midge.  Some of our regular customers are fishing the Rockin Chair area and doing well on the size 18 dark olive soft hackle.  One other customer said he was doing well on the "green butt" soft hackle.  Also spoke with another customer who has been catching some between outlet 1 and outlet 2 on the south bank with beetles, ants and the black zebra midge under a Bug Ugly.  Maybe we better get out there and do some fishing

We continue to see the water off each morning so you can get out there and wade until 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. during the week, and most all day on the weekends.  Bad news is the weather is starting to warm up again….into the 90s.

Little behind in my updates.  Been busy!  Friday Dana had David from Louisiana out for a full day drift.  Hooked several fish on the rusty midge, olive/brown scud and an olive wooly bugger.  Jim had one of his regulars, Pat from Oklahoma on the water for half a day.  They did well on the P&P midge, blood worm and a size 18 gray scud.  Takes were soft and they missed and lost a lot of fish too. 

Saturday, Dana back on the water with Steve and Anne Marie from Missouri.  They had a fun day on the black and rusty midges and the crackleback.  Anne Marie is fairly new to fly fishing and was definitely holding her own on catching fish.  Meanwhile, Jim, Stan, Darrell, and Carolyn had a bunch of guys from all over who were together for a wedding taking place in the afternoon.  What a party we had before the wedding.   Most of the guys were not fly fishers, so we started with the basics….got them roll casting, mending and hooking up with a few fish before our short morning was over.  Had to get them all out of the water early so they would not be late for the wedding.  Our best fly was the rusty midge.  One of the guys did hook a few on the holographic green crackleback. 

Justin – 7/4/09	Mike (Best Man) – 7/4/09

John – 7/4/09

Monday Jim had Maynard from Ballwin out for half day.  Maynard fishes here every summer, but had never taken a trip with us.  Fished a bit slow at the low water, but picked up considerably on the rise with scuds at Lookout Pointe.  Also fished the copper dun, miracle scud and size 10 Bug-eyed bugger.  Maynard was very happy with his trip, especially the 17 inch Rainbow they boated.  Carolyn had a new young man on the water, Connor, who wanted to learn how to fly fish.  Started him out with the basics too, the roll case, mending, line management, hook set and playing a fish.  We went out again Tuesday morning and all his skills were looking pretty good.  Hooked a few fish on the P&P midge and a peach colored egg pattern.  Connor’s techniques are looking good but his attention to the indicator instead of all the fish in the river need a little polishing up!  This too will improve….nice young man!

Connor – 7/6/09

They continue to pretty much follow the generation projection.  Water on at 2:00-3:00 p.m. for several hours then off for the balance of the night into the next day.  Hopefully, they will follow last weekend’s pattern and have the water off both Saturday and Sunday until late afternoon when they only turned it on low for a couple hours.

Lots of patterns have been working these past few days.  Beetles and the Bug Ugly near the bank have been working for those who want to catch something on top.  Had several of our regular customers using the Big Ugly up near the Hatchery with good success.  Couple other customers came in and they had been doing great on the olive filoplume under a sink tip at the Rockin Chair area.

Yesterday was a Primrose & Pearl (P&P) day.  Stan had Eric and Becky from Kansas out for a long half day.  This is Becky’s second time with a fly rod and she definitely faired quite well this time using the P&P.  She out fished Eric in quality and he out fished her with quantity.  Bottom line, they both had a great day.  Several other folks fishing the Rockin Chair area and below were also doing well with the P&P.  A couple of them even came in and purchase all the materials for tying them so they could whip up their own.  Buggers and cracklebacks are still fishing well.  

Becky – 7/1/09

Generation schedule continues pretty much as projected.  Both Saturday and Sunday water was off except for a couple hours in the late afternoon.  Of course, today they fibbed a little.  Water was not projected to come on until 4:00 p.m.  Guess what.  One generator going at 7:00 a.m.

Sunday Gina was out with Irene and Jill from Independence, Missouri.  Wonderful day for these two fly fishing women.  Not only did they almost get their fill of catching trout, but also caught a 2-3 pound catfish on a filoplume.  Never know what they fly will catch!  They caught trout on the burgundy and P&P midges, the pine squirrel sculpin, and the filoplume.   

Jill – 6/28/09	Irene – 6/28/29

 Monday, Stan was out with Chris from Tennessee.  Chris has been fishing with us off and on since 2005.  They had a wonderful day on the holographic crackleback under the intermediate sink tip line.   This fished well for them at the Rockin Chair area and all the way down through the previously KOA area (now Trophy Run area).  They also boated some fish on the P&P midge.  Darrell had Greg from Festus, Missouri out for half a day.  They did well in the Rockin Chair area and the just below the boat ramp on the P&P midge, black wooly bugger and the filoplume.  Fish both the wooly bugger and filoplume with the sink tip.  Carolyn’s half day took two fishers from Oklahoma, Scott and John to the water.  Scott has been with us before, but John is brand new.  Never would have know it after John got the feel for setting the hook and bring in the trout.  Very good day on the black wooly bugger and the holographic green crackleback.  Also caught some early in the trip on the P&P midge. 

John – 6/29/09	Scott in action – 6/29/09

We can complain about the weather, but not the fishing!  Other than Tuesday during the week, generation has started at 2:00 p.m. each day and gone off around midnight.  Tuesday it came on at 1:00 p.m.  Saturday and the projection for today is generation for a couple hours starting around 4:00 p.m. 

Stan on the water for 1/2 a day Thursday with Mark from O’Fallon, Missouri.  Good fisher and caught fish mainly on the Primrose & Pearl midge. 

Friday Stuart from Arkansas used his Father’s Day present…..a full day float with Stan.  Worked on hook setting and landed fish on the Primrose & Pearl midge.  Another HOT DAY!  Dana introduced Terry and her son Tristan from California to fly fishing on Friday.  Hot day, so they did a lot of wading.  They caught a few fish, stayed cool and learned a lot about fly fishing.  Carolyn had Dick and Marie from Ohio on the water again.  They had been out with Gina on Tuesday.  Still needed to catch some more fish, so they did it again.  Boated lots of fish on the holographic green crackleback, P&P midge and the black wooly bugger.  Dick thinks the holographic green crackleback should be outlawed!   Dick’s daughter, Alice, is a guide at a lodge in Montana.

Dick – 6/26/09

Just a Pretty Trout  – 6/26/09

Saturday Mike and his wife Jerri, from California took a half-day float with Darrell.  Both are new to fly fishiing and think they ‘like it’!  Boated lots of fish on the P&P and Pink Glitter midges.  Stan had Ken and his grandson, Jordan out.  A little slow for them.  Boated several fish on the P&P and Holographic green crackleback.   Meanwhile, Gina and Carolyn had a group of ladies on the water leaning how to roll cast, pick up and lay down cast, mend and all that other stuff you need to know to start fly fishing.  These ladies were attending the one-day fly fishing clinic we offered.  One of the pluses in the clinic is that we also want to hook and land fish so they can get the experience of playing the trout.  Down side of that program is that once they start catching fish, it is just very hard to get them back in focus on learning the other important things such as leaders, tippets, knots, bugs, etc.  Fun group and we had a good time catching fish.  Best pattern was the Burgundy midge.

Today Stan and Darrell had a group of three guys, Rick, Steve and Greg from the St. Louis area out.  Very good day for all of them on the copper dun midge, crackleback using the sink tip line, and  the P&P.  They are all good fly fishers and have been out with us several times, especially Rick.  Dana had Alan and Michelle from Oklahoma out for just a couple hours.  They had to check out of their room by 11:00 a.m.  Boated several fish on the copper dun, olive wooly bugger, and yes, the Holographic Green Crackleback. 

Another day of sweltering heat, but standing in the water fly fishing it is not so bad.  And, another day of water off until 2:00 p.m. and then they fired up all four generators.  Off again this morning with the projection of a 3:00 p.m on time.  Probably see them again at 2:00 p.m. or sooner.

Darrell out half day with brothers, Adam and Scott from Manchester, MO.  Boated a lot of fish on the Copper Dun and Black Zebra midges.  Stan had a couple new fly fishers, Justin and Bobby from Texas out.  Bass fishers can set a softer hook!  Both did well, learned a lot and boated lots of fish.  It was a battle to the end as to who caught the most!  Best pattern was the size 18 Burgundy Midge. 

They continue to pretty much follow the generation projection.  Water off in the evening around 6:00 to 7:00 a.m. and off through the night into the next day when they turn it on around 1:00 or 2:00 p.m…..all four generators. 

Carolyn on the water Monday for a half day with Wanda and Joanna of Lockwood, MO.  Got off to a slow start in the early morning, but started picking up fish on the Hot Pink Glitter midge and the Primrose & Pearl midge.  Tried to pick up a few with dries, but only had a couple takes.  for the most part, we caught nice sized fish although we had a few "dinks" in the bunch.  We actually came off early as it was just to HOT and no breeze.  Wanda is recovering from a heart attack and we didn’t want to give her a heat attack!!  This lady loves to fish….both of them do or they would not have been out there.

Darrell had Vince and Gus from Illinois out yesterday.  They had a very good day on the copper dun size 18 midge and the holographic green crackle back.  They were back into the shop today stocking up on flies so they could take their kids fishing.  Stan had Rick and Tom out of Kansas City.  Believe this was their first time on Taneycomo.  They do fish the State Parks quite a bit.  Good day on the olive midge with an olive soft hackle dropper.  They also picked up a few on dry flies.  Gina had Dick from Ohio and Marie from Florida on the water.  Great day on olive wooly buggers, P&P midge with a P&P soft hackle dropper and the holigraphic green crackleback. 

Marie – 6/23/09	Dick – 6/23/09

Talking to lots of waders coming into the shop.  Fishing is very good, especially in the rebar area on lots of patterns.  Gray scuds, copper dun midge, and P&P midge to name a few. 

They pretty well followed the projected generation schedule over the weekend.  Water on for 1-2 hours late in the day, they off the remainder.  We also had the water off Friday until 1:00 p.m. which made for a great half day outting on the water. 

Saturday fishing was very good.  Darrell had Mark from St. Louis out for half a day.  They did well on the P&P and Copper Dun midges.  

Mark – 6/20/09

Stan was out with friends of ours, Bob and Linda, from Olathe, Kansas.  They got a late morning start and came off early, but caught lots of fish, also on the P&P and Copper Dun midges.  Carolyn was out playing.  She got an even later start but caught fish on the size 10 black wooly bugger on the sink tip at the rock bank by the Trophy Run area.  Also had a fun day on blondie and holographic green cracklebacks stripping just benead the surface.  Even caught a few dry that way!  Some of our customers call me from the Lookout Island and they were having a bang up day stripping the blondie crackleback.  Dawn said her arm was worn out!

Sunday continued to fish well for Jim who had one of his regulars, Scott from St. Joseph, on the water.  They worked a size 20 emerger and a size 12 bug-eye bugger.  He thinks the emerger worked the best.  Darrell had Ron and his son Samuel out for 1/2 day.  Wonderful day on the olive wooly buggers and P&P.

Samuel – 6/21/09

Ran water all day Thursday, but, for the most part, followed the projection for Friday.  Water off all morning and on at 2:00 p.m.  Projection was to ramp up with 2 generators at 2:00 and they cranked all 4.  Projection for today is the water will be off with a little kick water late this afternoon.

With a high two generators flowing Thursday, Jim had Zach from Nixa out for his birthday.  Mom and Dad arranged for a surprise trip so Zach could pick up a few more tips on fly fishing and also have fun catching a few fish.  They had a very good day on the water and Jim was impressed with Zach’s quick ability to pick up on much of what they worked on that day.  Best flies were the red midge, size 12 Miracle Scud and the #6 Bug-Eyed Bugger.

Friday Stan was out with Matt from Michigan.  Matt was throwing a 10′ rod and is a good caster.  Had a great day on the P&P and at times they had a P&P emerger dropped about 12" off the midge which the fish were attacking with a vengeance.  Used a 5X to the midge with a 6X tippet for the dropper.

I was out with a friend, Dawn.  She and I had a wonderful day catching fish on the olive or black wooly buggers, various sculpin patterns and finished up the day with the holographic green crackle back.  We were fishing the buggers and sculpins on the sink tip with a 4X tippet and the cracklebacks just below the surface on our little 4 weight Trout Bums.  Great day and great fun!

Since Friday, we have had a little wading time every day except today.  Friday the water was off until 3:00 p.m.  Saturday it was off all day except to about an hour at 5:00 p.m.  Sunday they started it up at 10:00 a.m., but it was pouring down rain anyway.  Monday there was a small window from midnight until 6:30 a.m. and Tuesday it was good until 6:00 p.m.  A little shot of wader from 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 a.m.  Today is another story.  It came on at midnight and is still on.  Projection is to run water all day,.  So far we have only come up 3/10s of a foot from the heavy rains we had yesterday.  Let’s hope we don’t come up much more and we can have another weekend of wading!

Both Darrell and Stan were on the water Satruday.  Dareell had Joe and David from Kansas out for half a day.  Very good day on the copper dun and burgundy midges.  Slow start at first, but when they zoned in, he wore them out.  Stan’s scenario with half day for Price and Marge, also from Kansas.  Slow start in the morning, but picked up with a vengence on the Primrose & Pearl midge. 

Sunday, Gina with on the water with a good friend, Valley, from Oklahoma, who brought with her Zach, also from Oklahoma.  Zach is a 16 years old young man who made the traveling team of U.S. Fly Fishing Team for this year.  The tryouts were May 8-10 in Lamar, PA.  He is an amazing caster and intense fisher, and as Gina said "very brave to be hanging out with Valley and me".  They had a great time and caught lots of fish.

Zach’s bio from the website www.usyouthflyfishingteam.com reads as follows"

Zach Bearden                                                                                                                                                                    Gore, OK

Zach started fishing when he was 4 with his Mom and older brother.  He then fished bass tournaments with his father when he was about 9.  Then when he was 10 he decided he liked the idea of fishing with a flyrod.  He had some of the best local teachers to assist him as he learned to fish for trout.  His mentor was Kelly Gattenby.  He spent many a day on the Lower Illinois River with Kelly catching Striper and Trout.                When he was 14 he traveled to Livingston, MT to the FFF National Conclave with the Native Women Fly Fishers.  He competed in the casting competition and won first place in the Men’s Division.                               In 2008 he was chosen to fish in Frisco, CO with the America Cup Youth Team.  He learned a great wealth of information from the competition.                                                                                                                                  Zach also ties flies and ties at local shows.  He is truly excited to have this opportunity to fish with some of the best fly fishing anglers in the world.                                                                                                                              Zach is an active member of the Gore band.  He plays the Euphonium and will be the section leader for the Brass of the band his Jr. year in High School.                                                    

Lots of people coming into the shop are commenting on the nice size of the fish they are catching.  Monday and Teusday, many people were catching fish on anything white.  White egg patterns, grubs, jigs, etc…just white.