Water continues to run nonstop except for off at 11:00 p.m. then back on each morning by 6:00 a.m.  Running the equivalent of four generators for 2-4 hours then cutting back to the equivalent of two.  Still keeps the level in the area of 707.5 with the two generators running.  We are still a little over power pool.  Anxious to see what the pattern is going to be once we reacdh 915.0

Darrell had Jim, from South Dakota, and Dean out on Saturday.  Little slow start looking for fish, but when they found then and started throwing the sinking leader with the olive filoplume it was a great afternoon.  Dean called today looking for a sinking leader.  First time he had fished with one and really like it.  He said they were hooking fish every cast for a while!   He was hoping Jim had the materials to tie up some filoplumes. 

We have seen an almost duplicate pattern of water generation for the past four days.  Off at midnight for 5 hours, then four generators raising the level to 710.2 (plus or minus) until they turn it off again.  Today’s projection looks a little different…..we’ll see.

Did have boats on the water all weekend.  Darrell took out a previous customer from Nebraska, Scott and his son Justin.  Justin is pretty new to fly fishing.  They had a good day on the black midge, size 18 and the red tungsten size 16 midge. 

Stan and I both spent Valentine’s Day on the water.  He had a pair of brothers, Mark and Mike on the water.  I also had brothers, Dave and Justin out.  Stan’s guys did well down below Lookout Island on the pink lady or red roe egg patterns.  We slipped in above them and started catching them on the olive filoplume on a sink tip.  Sunday I took Jim and his son Ross out.  This was after scooping the snow and ice out of my boat and saying "what are we doing?"  We picked up a few fish on the bank below the boat ramp on the pink lady egg pattern, then proceeded down to the seam below Lookout Island.  It did not fish nearly as well Sunday as the day before.  We did have a good time and it was worth the scooping.  Mornings both Saturday and Sunday were slow.

Although Beaver continues to rise, Table Rock did go down 2/10ths of a foot from yesterday morning same time.

Since the rains came this week, Table Rock Lake level has gone up to 916.0 as of 8:00 a.m. today.  Consequently, they have been running four generators all day.  the past two days, they have shut it down around 11:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. the next day.  Schedule looks like that will be the pattern again today.  Probably what we are going to see for the next few days.  Wish I could predict the weekend!

VALENTINE’S DAY is coming.  Don’t forget your sweetheart.  Ladies like fly fishing equipment too!!!

Well, it was just too good to last very long.  No generation and warm weather in February!!??  Generation started back up Friday morning at 6:00……just in time for all you weekend fishers.  Bummer!  Had a couple hours from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m Friday with no generation, then ramped up the balance of the day.  Off at midnight until 6:00 Saturday morning and has been running continuously until last night at midnight.  However, they did turn one generator on this morning at 7:00 and have now ramped up to four.  

A good size group from the 89er Chaper of TU out of Oklahoma City, OK. came in Thursday afternoon.  They did get in some good fishing Thursday and Friday.  Tougher on Saturday due to the water, but they did catch fish.  Several of them came into the shop Saturday and said they were "sold" on the filoplume.  Got the materials and instructions on how to tie this extremely simple but effective little pattern. 

Stan had a full day on the water with Mike from Tulsa, OK.  He was with the OK City guys but had a full day trip booked so he went drifting.  They had a very good day on the red midge with the Pink San Juan dropper after the water came on.  Before generation, Mike was stripping the holographic green crackleback. 

John and Teresa were out Sunday with Jim for a short full day.  They had to get back to Hutchinson so they opted to get off a little early.  Wonderful day with the red midge, red San Juan and gray scud.

Gina and I went out to do some research Sunday (also known at goofing off!).  We had a wonderful day.  Warm, overcast, two generators and no wind!  We fished the olive filoplume and a test model crackleback Gina came up with using our sink tips.  Both did well, although I think the crackleback worked better in some locations.  It is a size 8 bright green with grizzly hackle.   Still in the testing mode, but we’ll let you know if it is going to be a good pattern as soon as we test it a little more.  Tough job, but someone has to do it!  We also fished the red midge and a pink San Juan.  Gina caught one really nice fish on the worm in the slack water area just above the Lookout Island on that.  With only two generators going, we were able to get out and wade off the gravel bar just above where the Fall Creek Dock once was.  Good finish to our day. 

Water has been off most of the past six days.  They ran water Monday most of the day, but after they shut it down that afternoon at 3:00, we have not seen any generation until this morning.  Schedule shows generation for about three hours today then off for the balance of the day.  AND, the weather is great!  48 degrees on my way into the shop this morning.  Will be in the 60s today and through the weekend, although there is a chance of rain moving in Saturday evening or Sunday morning.  Temps. still good.

Fishing has been good.  Everyone coming into the shop is catching fish on various patterns.  Stan was on the river with Philip from Indiana on Wednesday (one of the coldest days of this week).  They had a fun day on the Primrose & Pearl Soft Hackle, size 18.  Also caught several fish on the sink tip strippping holographic green or pumpkin cracklebacks.  Other good bugs were the Primrose & Pearl midge or Black midge (size 18) fished 2 to 4 feet deep. 

Darrell had Greg and Vickie from Kansas on a float.  Their best fly of the day was the Primrose & Pearl size 18 midge.  Although Greg caught the numbers, Vickie caught the largest.  

Shannon was on the water yesterday (goofing off again!) and had a great day with the holographic copper midge in a size 18.  One other person also reported doing well on this midge.

Started to get a little precipitation Monday afternoon, and by the time it was all over, some places in the Branson area had received quite a bit of ice, sleet and snow.  Unfortunately, several docks along the river have been damaged to some degree by the heavy weight of the ice.  We are glad to say it is all over and today is sunny so we will get some melting.  Hats off to our State and County crews who have done a very good job of getting and keeping the main roads clear and salted.  We were able to get to the shop every day to check on Caddis. 

Even with the cold, freezing weather, at least one person was at the water yesterday. 

This should be an interesting trip to off load a boat!

Just a pretty picture!

YES, we are open and will be holding the fly tying clinic this Saturday.  Weather is sunny for today, tomorrow and Saturday.  Saturday is projected to be near or in the 50s.  This will only be a memory if a few days!

The past two days have been very good on the river.  They ran water all day Thursday.  Although they said they were going to cut back the flow a little during the day, they did not.  It was pretty high almost all day.  Friday the projection was for the water to be off and IT WAS!  It is scheduled to be off all day today, and so far, it is. 

Thursday Stan and Shannon took a drift boat out to do a little fun fishing (said they were going to do some research).  With the high water, they did well on the size 16 Red tungsten midge with either a pink or hot orange San Juan dropper.  Worked a few seams with the intermediate sink tip and the burgundy holoshimmer crackleback and this too caught several fish.

Yesterday, with the water off, Darrell and Shannon were both on the water fishing (guides don’t get to fish too often so they grab every chance they get).  Darrell was fishing the area up near the Hatchery and Shannon was fishing the Rockin Chair and below areas.  Although they both caught fish on soft hackles, cracklebacks, black midges, and the copper dun midge, when Darrell changed to the size 18 Rusty midge and Shannon put on a holographic brown midge, they picked up the pace!  Fishing was so good neither wanted to quit but their hands were cold.  Had one of our customers who was fishing the area down by the KOA (now Trophy Run) bend come in to get more feathers to tie the olive filoplume.  Said he was having a great day on the filoplume as well as a dark brown stone fly nymph he has been tying. Fishing is definitely picking up!

They have been generating water non-stop since the morning of the 17th.  The past four days, we have seen 4 generators almost all day. 

However, fishing is good.  Several people finding spots to throw a line up in the Hatchery Area and catching lots of fish.   As the gentlemen who came in today told me, "They are certainly full of fight".  He was having a good day with the tan scud and a tan small egg-type pattern dropped below it.   A couple of guys who came in yesterday were having a good day on pretty much the same set up.

We had two boats on the water yesterday.  Great weather, not much wind, sun shining, and fish were hitting.  Jim had a couple from Oklahoma. Ted and Janice, who are just getting started.  Their first fly fishing experience was last August with Jim, and I think this was their second outting.  Stan had his (gotta watch the wording on this) oldest customer in terms of years (10 years now) he has been taking trips with us on the water yesterday.  Doc tries to be on the water every year on his birthday.  Think he has only hit the date once as the weather is usually pretty nasty on many days in January, but we get close.  Anyway, Doc and Mac, who lives in Branson, were out with Stan.  They had a wonderful day and boated lots of fish.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOC!  Both boats primary fly was the red tungsten midge, size 16, with either a hot pink or flaming orange San Juan worm dropper.  Jim also used a grey scud with a holographic back.

Another pretty day today and have one boat on the water.  Wish it was me instead of them!!

Fishing over the past four days has been very good.  Both Friday, Sunday and yesterday,  if you stripped a fly past a trout, you would get a hit or catch a fish.  Satruday was a bit slower, but it was cold and cloudy.  Even the weather was nice every day except Saturday.  Lots of flies have been working.    Size 12 through 16 cracklebacks in holographic green, pumpkin, or burgundy holoshimmer; size 8 golden variant sculpin pattern; size 9 or 10 olive wooly buggers and the size 12 filoplume.  Although folks were also catching fish on the grey scuds, sizes 14 and smaller, white grub, size 12 and various colored size 18 midges, action was just faster on stripped patterns.  Saturday and when it clouded over Sunday, the dark sculpin olive size 10 worked well.  You will notice a lot of smaller, silver fish in the water right now.  Taneycomo recently received a load of 10.3 inch average size trout from the Neosho facility. 

Stan was on the water yesterday with a couple guys from Joplin.  They caught fish on all of the above plus the Big Ugly and the copper dun midge dropper.  Had a great day on the water.

Water was off Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. then back on for only two hours.  It remained off until Monday morning at 6:00 a.m.  Pattern during the week was on in the a.m. around 6:00 for 4-5 hours then off for 4-5 hours then back on until after dark.  They turned it off before 10:00 a.m. this morning. 

FREE FLY TYING CLINICS – Don’t forget to check out the schedule on the fly tying clinics.  We are focusing on patterns which we know work well in Taneycomo.  Everything – fly tying tools and materials are included in the clinics.  AND, we discuss a little about fishing some of the various patterns we tie.

WINTER SPECIAL RATES ARE IN EFFECT  for cabin rentals – 10% off.  Special deal on guide trips too.  Book a full day and get a $50.00 gift certificate toward store merchandise or $25.00 for a 1/2 day.