Although they have generated water every day since December 30, lots of folks were able to start the New Year standing in the water!  Other than January 2, the trend has been for the water to come on around 6:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. then off until 3:00 p.m. (on the 3rd) to 6:00 p.m.  They then shut it down again around 9:00-10:00 p.m.

Lots of people on the water over the New Year weekend, and the weather was awesome!  Think it was in the 70s on January 3!  Wow!  Fishing has been pretty good.  Know a 7 pounder was caught at the rebar hole yesterday or the day before.  Otherwise, it has been either very good one day and "have to work for them" the next.  Still catching them on lots of flies.  Gray scuds, copper dun midges, holographic green cracklebacks, various egg patterns, and red or hot pink San Juans are what we are hearing the most.    

There has been no generation since December 23 around 10:00 a.m.  Did get quite a bit of rain yesterday but our tailwater level is still at 914.0.  May see some effect of runofff today.

Went to the water for a couple hours Friday.  It was wonderful to see all the smiling faces up and down the river standing in the water fly fishing!  I put on my sink tip and after a few minutes with no hits on my black wooly bugger, I switched to the size 12 olive filoplume and started catching fish. Action slowed down, so I changed to a size 12 holographic green crackleback and things picked up again.  John, one of our friends, was across from me fishing his streamer patterns close to the bank on the ledge side above the boat ramp where he too was having a good day.  Didn’t take too long and my two hours were over.  Had to get back to the shop as I promised Stan I just needed "a little fix".  Walking out from the river, saw one of our customers who was fishing up more toward the rock mound at the Rockin Chair area, and he said his best fly was a soft hackle. 

Customers coming into the store yesterday were catching them on almost everything, especially before the storm blew through.  A beautiful day today and the water is still off.  Know they will have to run some water some time, but enjoy it while you can.

         Merry Christmas Everyone!   

                                              Caddis

Water has not been running since 10:00 a.m. on the 23rd, Tuesday.  They followed the schedule yesterday and kept it off.  Today’s schedule says it will be off all day.  Don’t know yet what they are planning for tomorrow.  Weather is windy, but in the 50s this morning.  Supposed to be warm tomorrow and Friday.  Better go fishing!

FROM EVERYONE HERE AT RIVER RUN OUTFITTERS – MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOU FAMILY!  We’ll see you on the water after Christmas. 

Several of us plan to be on the water New Year’s Day.  Hope you will join us.  Shop is closed for Christmas but will be open on Friday with our regular hours through the end of the year, including New Year’s Day!  We will be open.  Stop by, warm up and have a cup of coffee on us!

Don’t know why, but they ran generators all weekend.  Projection for both days was 40 MW or 2000 to 6000 cfs.  This morning they had three generators going, but the level was 706.  Yesterday they had two generators going and the level was in the upper 704’s most of the time.  We are definitely below power pool as is Beaver.  Both Beaver and Bull Shoals are not generating today.  Maybe we will be off tomorrow.

On the water yesterday with a real tough little lady.  Cierra, who is 7 going on 25, and her father Brian.  We did not start until about 10:30 hoping it would warm up a little and the wind would die down a bit.  Had a few brief periods of time when the wind layed down a bit, but for the most part it was a windy day!  Cierra managed to get a couple fish to the boat, and all on her own.  She has a wicked roll cast.  She caught one beautiful 16 incher which gave her a real fight.  It kept going into the fast water and pulling out her line.  She stuck with it and got it in!  She had lots of hits during the outing, but just could not consistently get a good hook set.  Know she is not alone with this problem, lots of us still have trouble some days with getting a good hook set.  Dad brought several fish to the boat but seemed to be having the most fun watching Cierra.  Hot pink and red San Juans were the ticket yesterday.  Caught a few on the lightening bug and red midge.  By the last hour of the day, we were all looking for hand warmers and more stuff to put on…..but it was a good day!

Ladies:

Orvis is trying to make certain they provide women fly fishers with the best equipment.  In order to do this, they need our help.  If you would click on the link below and complete the survey, they will have a better idea of our needs.  This is in no way an endorsement for Orvis, nor will Orvis place you on a mailing list.  The only reason they might get back in contact with you is if they have a questions regarding your answers on the survey.

Thank you for your assistance.  Please help Orvis help us with good equipment. 

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=DcWdfzKkfUU8m4kI9EJ0Sg_3d_3d

Carolyn Parker

Dissolved oxygen level is UP!!  Water temperature is dropping, AND fishing is UP!  What more could we ask for for Christmas?  Talked to the folks at the Hatchery today after checking the information on the Real Time Data site, and they confirmed conditions started improving with our water shortly after Thanksgiving.  Lake started turning over, and the cold nights have been cooling it off.  That accounts for one of our guides, Darrell, calling me from the water a couple days ago to report he caught 30 fish in about 30 minutes.  Gray and tan scuds. 

Generation schedule shows the water turning off today at 10:00 a.m and staying off until 5:00 p.m.  Remainds to be seen if they follow their projection.  Weather is going to be a little misty, but temperatures in the 40s.  Sounds like it is time to hit the water!

There is still time to take advantage of the Orvis Free Reel program with any T3, TLC, or Superfine rod purchase.  Right now, buy any T3, TLC or Superfine fly rod, and you’ll receive a Battenkill Mid-Arbor or Battenkill Bar-Stock Reel for FREE!  We have lots of reels in stock as well as a good selection of rods.  If we don’t have it in stock, we can have it dropped shipped from Orvis.  Give us a call or place the order on line.  If you order one of the listed rods and reel, we will deduct the price of the reel.

Check out the on-line store for SALES.  Still have a good selection of waders and boots on sale.

Even with two units going, one could be blown upstream this weekend.  Ran two generators all weekend even though the projection was for them to be off yesterday.  Must have needed heat somewhere.  However, they did run a low two so the tailwater level stayed between 704 and 705.6.  At this level there are places where one can safely wade and catch fish.  Running a higher two generators today and the level is at 706.4 plus or minus. 

We had three boats on the water Saturday.  Whew!  The wind was a real challenge.  It would calm down for a little so you got a good drift then a major gust would come along and take you to the other side of the river.  Jim and Darrell had a two boat group out.  Darrell had Roger and Don and Jim had Rick and Ryan.  One was from Missouri and the rest of the guys were from Kansas.  They worked hard for their fish but did boat some on the red and orange San Juan worms and the red midge.  Carolyn was out with Christy and Eric who live just a little ways north of us.  Christy has been trying to use last year’s Christmas present all year; a half day float trip.  Due to bad weather and high water, we had scheduled this trip five times!  Finally we made it.  Turned out to be worth the wait.  We had a good day on the hot pink San Juan dropped from either a red tunghead midge or the tunghead lightening bug.

Had a sprinkling of snow on the ground this morning when we woke up.  Seems are area got the least of it as there were school closing both north and south of us, but none in Branson. 

Water has been off during the day every day this week.  They turned it off this morning at 10:00 a.m. and will probably leave it off until 5:00 p.m.  That’s when they turned it on yesterday.  Reports from the folks out wading is that fishing is pretty darn good.  Still a bit spotty.  If you aren’t catching fish where you are and you have tried all your normal patterns, move!

Darrell was down by the boat ramp this morning and they were taking his copper dun midge dropped below a Big Ugly.  Takes were very soft.  If he had been using a regular indicator, he said he probably would not have noticed several of the hits.  Just had another customer leave the shop.  He and his 15 year old son are down there having a wonderful morning on the size 16 tan scud.  We got him set up so he could try the Big Ugly too!  One of our good customers, John, was in yesterday.  He said Monday was one of "those days".  He only strips streamer patterns of some type and had a very good day.  Yesterday was a bit tougher. 

Forecast is for warmer weather toward the weekend!