We have 40 women in Branson for the 13th annual IWFF Festival.  What a crazy bunch of women.  So far we have had clinics on fly tying, basic and advanced casting, drift boat handling, reading the water, rigging, entomology and more.  We are covering it all. 

Been really busy getting everything ready for this Festival, so my fishing reports had suffered.  Can tell you they have run the water 24/7 for the past three days.  However, they have kept it at 706.5 down to 705.3.  It is fishing good.  We have had boats on the water every day, even had some of the IWFF ladies on the water.  Had fun Sunday and Monday on dries.  Of course, the red midge and red San Juan worm are working.  Had one fellow come into the shop today and he was happily complaining about the golden variant sculpin pattern he purchased from us falling apart after catching 20 fish.  Purchased another one and was on his way.  Will be back to normal next week.

Early Tuesday, October 7, 2008, Mel Krieger passed away.  He had been very ill for a while we understand we went very peacefully.  He leaves a legacy of years of experience in fly fishing, which he has passed on to those of us in the fly fishing world through his many books and instructional videos.   He will be missed.

Perfect day on the water yesterday.  Light wind, not too hot yet sunny and caught some fish!  Look up at the hill sides and they are taking on a hint of colors. 

Stan was out with Heidi and Alan again.  They caught fish on the Big Ugly with a black midge dropper and the Pink Lady egg pattern.  Jim was out with Bud and Ben.  Didn’t get a report from him on what they caught them on, but know they boated some fish. 

Gina had not been on the water for a while due to an accident where she hurt her wrist.  She is on the mend and needed a "fix" and also wanted to see how her wrist would take the rowing.  Wrist survived the rowing and she definitely got her "fix".  She did well in the afternoon on the Primrose & Pearl midge.

Water flow has had a definite pattern this week.  Generators shutting down somewhere around 10:00 every night and staying off until 6:00 a.m.  Yesterday they only started up 2 generators and kept it at 2, thus the tailwater level stayed around 704.0 until 11:00 a.m. when they fired up another generator and raised the tailwater level to 706.  With the lower water level, the water was discolored more than it has been, and of course, really clouded up when the generation was increased.

Since last Friday, we have seen a consistent pattern of off around 11:00 p.m and back on around 6:00-7:00 a.m.  And, when they turn it on, the generation flow is much lower than it has been, usually an average of 4000 cfs.  This equates to a tailwater level of 706.0 plus or minus.  Actually seeing a few areas where a person can wade.

Had boats on the water every day.  Fishing has been pretty good.  Stan had Barry out Sunday and they caught some fish on the parachute Adams, size 18.  Also caught some drifting with the red San Juan, size 18.  Monday and Tuesday Stan had Dave from Illinois out for a couple half days.  They found a bunch of fish sipping, and had good mornings on the dark olive size 18 soft hackle both days.  Monday they also fished the red San Juan and Tuesday and finished up on the Pink Lady egg pattern.  Heidi and Alan from the St. Louis area were out with Carolyn.  Had a couple nice fish on that we did not get to the boat.  They did best on the red midge with a red San Juan dropper in the a.m.  Did get to catch a few fish on the dark olive size 18 soft hackle (had to introduce them to one of my favorite ways to fish) and finished up the early afternoon with the Pink Lady egg pattern.  Darrell’s folks on Tuesday did well on the olive filoplume, Big Ugly’s with a copper dun midge dropper and a variety of other patterns on which they would catch a couple fish then have to change.  Couple more fish and change again!

The generators were off from midnight Thursday until noon yesterday.  According to the SWPA site they were going to turn them on a 1:00 p.m. yesterday, so they were pretty close.  They did shut them down at midnight again last night and they are supposed to turn on two generators at 7:00 a.m. today; run two until 10:00 p.m. at which time they will shut down.

Didn’t have any trips out yesterday, so Stan went out an played for a little while.  He had a great streak of fish stripping the holographic green crackleback.  Shortly before they turned on the generators, the fish shut off this so he changed to the red San Juan.  Started catching fish again and continued catching after the horn sound for water release. 

8:38 a.m. – They actually turned on the generators at 6:00 a.m. today (off a little there) and they turned on three instead of two.  So far, it has been a low three.  Tailwater level is at 705.7

Generators were shut off at midnight last night and are still off at 5:25 a.m.  According to the schedule, they will stay off until 1:00 p.m. today.  We will keep you posted on what happens.  Dare we step into the water and wade for a little while !?!

Table Rock is now down to 917.0, and they are still running four generators.  However, as of noon today, they cut back the cubic feet per second of water flow and the level in Taneycomo was 706.3.  A far cry from 711.5 (plus or minus) we have had until now.   Will keep you posted on our progress from here.

Since Saturday, we have had boats on the water every day except today.  Fishing not great, but still catching fish and they are looking good.  Really coloring up for the fall spawn and still pretty healthy looking.  Stan had Louise and Bob from Indiana out Monday.  Think Louise outfished Bob by a few fish.  Best flies were the red midge with the red size 16 San Juan dropper.  Tuesday, Darrell took Ed from the St. Louis area out.  Ed was mainly interested in learning more about techniques and improving his casting.  Ed accomplished this and landed some fish.  They also did best on the red midge with a red San Juan dropper.

Stan’s guys, Hank and Ken, had a good day Tuesday with the red midge, pink San Juan dropper and Pink Lady egg pattern.  Ken had never fly fished before and certainly missed his share of fish, but did get several to the boat.  Both of them caught some pretty fish. 

Hank – 9/30/08	Ken – 9/30/08

Dana’s guys from Louisiana, Tommy and Hans, not only caught fish on the red midge and red San Juan, but also the holographic green crackleback both as a dry and stripping.

Flood gates were shut off at noon today.  Cubic feet per second (cfs) of water flood went from 11400 cfs to 7000 cfs.  What a difference.  Still not at a wadeable level and probably will not be until they get Table Rock down to at least 917. 

Stan is on the water with two guys from Kansas, Ken and Jeff, and they are having a wonderful afternoon on holographic cracklebacks!  Said they had had several doubles already.

Good news is Table Rock Lake level is dropping.  Since my last report on the 17th, they have dropped the lake level over three feet.  Bad news is, the flood gates are still open.  They still have a goal in mind of 917 feet elevation above sea level.  This they want to get to with or without the flood gates.  When they hit the target of 920 feet, they did shut down the cubic feet per second of water flow, but have elected to keep the gates open.  Of course, this could change tomorrow.  Bottom line, they will run water 24/7 until they get to 917.  Then we will have to see what they do.  If it will get the water back to a wadeable level quicker, so be it!

Have had boats on the water most of the week and it has been tough fishing.  Before they hit 920 feet, the tailwater level was being held at 713.5.  This needs a lot of weight to get down to the fish.  After hitting 920, they cut the level down to 711.3 (plus or minus).  Water has been dingy, temperature is up and dissolved oxygen is down.  Therefore, tough trips.  Catching a few fish, but certainly nothing to write home about.  However, from the folks coming into the shop, they are catching lots of fish up around the outlets on almost anything you want to throw in.  Primarily scuds, tan and gray; San Juan worms, tan or brown small egg patterns to name a few.

Good possibility all 10 flood gates will be open until Monday, September 22.  After that, generation will be heavy and they may still supplement the release of water using the flood gates. 

We had boats on the water all Saturday and every day this week, including today when the opened up the flood gates.  Been a real mixed bag.  One day will fish pretty good and the next day is tough.  Saturday Jim was out with Tom from Oklahoma.  Fairly new to fly fishing and heading to Colorado pretty soon.  Wanted to get some pointers on fly fishing.  Jim worked with him on his skills and they caught some fish on the red midge, pink and orange San Juans and black midge.  Darrell had Bado and his friend Ron on the water Monday.  They did pretty good on the pink worm and copper dun midge.  Stan was out with one of our regular, regulars, Doc from Oklahoma, and his friend Ralph from New Zealand.  Ralph was impressed with our fishery.  He said they have big fish in New Zealand, but not as many.  Their flies were the red midge, pink lady egg pattern and the copper dun midge.  Tuesday was tough.  Darrell was with Duane from Colorado.  Like the rest of us, they worked hard but caught fish on the pink worm,  I had one of my favorite couples, Tom and Marge from California.  We got several fish to the boat on a black woolly under a sink tip and the red midge with a pink San Juan dropper.  One of Marge’s was a really nice one.  One jump and it was gone!  Stan and his guys, Bud & Jerry from Arkansas caught fish on the red midge and pink lady egg pattern.

Jim was out today with Robert and Kevin from CT.  When the flood gates opened, water got real dirty.  Jim opted to come off early and give the guys the trip.  Stan was out with Mike from Illinois.  Had a few hits but decided to give it up because of all the debris in the water with the gates on.  Couldn’t keep the flies clean!  Mike will come back later and try it again.