It was nice to be on the water this weekend and look up stream and see lots of people standing in the water!  Table Rock Lake has been below power pool (915) for over a week now.  They continue to run water most of the time as Beaver is still about 6 feet over their normal power pool.  However, there seems to be more of a pattern in how they have been generating.  They actually turned the water off last Friday at 11:00 a.m. and left it off until 5:00 p.m. when they turned on two generators.   Saturday and Sunday followed the same generation pattern so there was lots of good time to wade.

Don’t know if we are going to have a normal Brown trout spawn this year.  Not seeing the numbers of Browns we usually see by this time of the year.  The water is extremely warm (60s) and the dissolved oxygen is low.  Have seen a few Browns, but it is getting late.

So far this week, they have started generation at 6:00 a.m. and run the equivalent of two generators until 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. when they shut it off until the next morning at 6:00.  The tailwater level has been holding between 705 and 706 feet elevation above sea level.  When I checked on tomorrow’s flow, they stated they would be running the equivalent of one generator from mid-night to mid-night.   

Had boats on the water all weekend and Monday this week.  No one out yesterday or today, but have talked to several folks who are fishing up around the Hatchery Area and everyone is catching fish.  Catching them on lots of different things.  Of course, the gray scuds.  Gina was out Saturday with Mary and Becky from Raytown, MO.  First time for both of them to fish from a drift boat.  Had a good time and caught fish on the black midge, and olive wooly bugger using a sink tip.   Stan had Dan and Shelley from Kansas on the water.  This was after they took a bunch of pictures of Caddis at the shop!  They had fun catching trout on the Big Ugly with a burgundy midge dropper.  Fish were hitting on both!  Darrell had Jeff and his 12 year old son, Nate, out.  Had a great time and think Nate will be back to do it again.

Sunday Stan took Eric from Kansas and Carolyn took Becky from Texas out for half day.  They were really together, but we kept them in separate boats!  Becky is a new fly fisher and actually got tired of catching fish.  Both Eric and Becky were catching fish on the Big Ugly with a burgundy midge dropper.  Again, the fish were taking both the dry as well as the midge.  While we were waiting to take our boats out, we threw the olive filoplume out using the intermediate sink tip and caught several more this way.

Monday was another day of Big Ugly and the Midge.  Stan and Bob, from Michigan, had a good half day just using this combination.  Several nice size fish in the 16-17 inch range.

Friday schedule from SWPA said they were going to have the water off from midnight until 6:00 a.m. then on until 11:00 a.m. or noon; off until 5:00 p.m. and back on until 11:00 p.m.  Within an hour either way, that is what they did!  Best news is that is what they are projecting for today.  Think we will see more wading time again today! 

Had a couple boats on the water yesterday.  Lots of hits on almost everything but the wind was a devil!  First it would blow upstream, the cross strea, and eventually down stream.   Didn’t know which way it wanted to blow.  We fished the filoplume with a sink tip line at the lookout island when the water went down and hooked and missed a lot of fish.  On our way out with no current, you could see fish suspended on the high side below lookout island.  The Big Ugly with a #18 burgundy midge dropped anywhere from 8 inches to 14 inches was picking fish there.   Red midge with the red San Juan dropper worked drifting, but the gray scud seemed to worked better after the water shut down.

Generation has continued to run almost 24/7 for the past 7 days.  They did shut it off for about three hours last Friday night and again Tuesday night at 10:00 p.m. until Wednesday a.m. at 6:00.  The tailwater level has been pretty stable at 706.0 feet plus or minus.  This is actually wadeable in some areas.  Big problem continues to be the warm water temperatures, in the 60s, and low dissolved oxygen levels.  We really need a bunch of cool days and nights to cool down Table Rock so it can turn over.

Boats on the water every day since Friday.  Catching fish but we are working for them.  Jim had Mike from Oklahoma on the water Friday.  He was celebrating his 66th birthday.  Started pouring down rain late in the morning so they cut the full day down to a half day.   They did boat some fish on the #6 bug eyed bugger and the red midge with a pink San Juan dropper until the storm came in. 

Saturday Stan was out with Bruce and Larry.  Larry had booked a full day to learn different techniques and catch some fish.  Bruce from California happened in and wondered if anyone wanted to share a trip.  Worked out great and Bruce and Larry had a good time, learned some new techniques and landed quite a few fish between the two of them.  Both really liked fishing the big Ugly with a midge dropper. 

Sunday, Stan was on the water with Jerry and I had his wife Cathy out.  They are friends from the Kansas City area.  We were having a him and her tournament.  Yeah!  Cathy won.  Think she out fished him 2 to 1.  Better luck next time Jerry. 

Monday Gina had Joe and Pam from Texas out in her "yacht".  They caught fish on the Rojo Wormo (red San Juan).  Darrell was out with Albert and James from Louisiana.  They too caught fish on the red San Juan dropped from the red midge.  Stan and Bob, from Michigan, hit the water throwing and catching on the Bug Ugly with a primrose & pearl midge (this is one of the few times this midge has worked this year) as well as the red San Juan.  Seems like the red San Juan has it!

Tuesday, Gina had a brand new fly fisher, Sistie, and her husband (who is a fly fisher) on the water.  Gina’s work with Sistie paid off.   Sistie boated a beautiful 17-1/2" rainbow.  Her first fish on a fly rod.   Is that nice!

Stan was also on the water Tuesday with "Doc" from Oklahoma.  They caught several fish on the Big Ugly with a black midge dropper, and drifting the red midge with a Miracle Scud dropper fished about 6-1/2′ deep. 

Power pool is now a little below 915.0 on Table Rock.  Hopefully, when they get Beaver Dam down a little more, we might see the generation at Table Rock slow down a little. 

Had boats on the water every day except Wednesday this week.  Monday Jim had one of his long-time regulars, Jim, who received a guide trip for his 90th birthday from his brother.  Jim brought along a friend, David, and they had a wonderful day on the water.  Stan had Tom and Bob, from Oklahoma on the water both Monday and Tuesday.  What a pair.  Lots of fish on the Big Ugly with a black zebra or copper dun midge dropper.  Darrell was out with Alex and Jan from Indiana.  They boated their fish on the red worm dropped off the red midge.  Thursday, Jim was out with Bud and his friend, Tom.  Little slower Thursday but they caught some fish on the red midge, orange San Juan and black midge.  Stan and his guest, Bill from Oklahoma, used the holographic green crackleback and red midge.  Today started out great for Jim and his guest Mike (who is celebrating is 66th birthday) on the #6 Bug Eye Bugger.  As soon as the storm front came in, fish cut off and they booked off the water as they started hearing a little thunder, soon followed by some lightening (we don’t do lightening).  They are going to try again on Saturday.  Hope they pick up where they left off!

Have had boats on the water every day this past week, and we have been catching fish.  Some days better than others.  BUT, yesterday was great!  Had three boats out.  Darrell and Dana had a party of three guys from the St. Louis area on the water, Malcomb, Dan and Larry.  Great day.  They were standing, yes, I said standing in the water hooking and missing lots of fish (this was in the early afternoon).  Red San Juan, red midge, grey scud and black zebra.  Carolyn had Mike and Jan from Oklahoma out.  Jan has been fly fishing maybe a little over two years (with us) and had mostly nymph style fished.  Yesterday she hooked her first fish on a dry   Size 24 Sproat Midge Emerger in olive.  She hooked and missed several on dries in the morning.  Mike was stripping the holographic green crackleback and hooking up with a lot of fish.  Jan has done some stripping for fish and wanted to work on the some more, so we rigged her up with the sink tip and crackleback.  They had several doubles before we left our first lay up.  A little before noon yesterday, they shut the water OFF.  By the time we got down to the lookout island, the water was at a wadeable level.  We had lunch and watch Darrell and Dana’s party bringing fish.  Jumped out of the boat and also started bring in more fish.  Gray scud, tan scud, crackleback, and a few on a flaming orange San Juan. 

Water is supposed to be off today from noon until 6:00 p.m. or so they back on for a while and probably off again late.  Not certain what will happen tomorrow, but they are scheduled to have the water off or low Tuesday and Wednesday to work on the boards at Powersite Dam.  You know what this means.  You should be able to get into the river and wade!  Let’s go!

Trees are gorgeous right now.  Hard to keep an eye on what is happening in the water.  Water is still very warm for our fish and the oxygen level is low.  PLEASE make certain you fully revive the fish before you release them.  Saw several belly up fish in the water yesterday.

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