We did have the warmer temperatures over the weekend, but standing in the water, it was pleasant. Today, we are expecting 80s. This will creep up so that by the weekend, we will be in the low 90s. Very little chance for moisture currently showing up in the forecasts with temperatures back into the 80 next week.

Wonderful! The past seven days, we have seen no generation in the mornings. Last week, they would crank up 2-3 units for 5-7 hours in the afternoon. Over the weekend, they only ran the equivalent of one unit for 1-2 hours. Yee ha! Lots of time to fish!

Last really tough day we have seen was last Thursday, Stan had Bryan from Texas on the water for half a day. Flat, clear water required 7X on midging. It was a black zebra with the copper head midge morning.

Friday, Jim took Chris and his son, Garrett out for half a day. Garrett is new to fly fishing (ten years old), so Jim put a size 12 olive wooly bugger on Chris and sent him on his way while he worked with Garrett. Dad was catching them on the wooly bugger and once Chris got the hang of it, it caught some on the P&P with a blood worm dropper.

Larry, from Kansas, spent Saturday morning on the water with Stan. Good day for Larry on the P&P midge and stripping a holographic green crackleback.
I fished Saturday and eventually, Debbie from Springfield showed up and fished with me until the generators came on. We had a great, fun day catching on the holographic green crackleback and the size 8, olive CQ streamer. We were fishing both of these on the 2.6 ips sinking leader. Lots of nice quality fish.

Sunday, Mike, from Texas, fished with Stan. He had just finished the 1-day school at Dogwood and wanted to get some practical experience. Brushed off a few cob webs and he had a very good day on the black zebra midge with the copper head as well as stripping a size 14 olive wooly bugger on a sinking leader. It rained off and on (mostly on) that morning, but catching made that a mute point.

Sorry, here was last week’s post. Back to the warmer days. Mid 90s today, which will probably be the temperatures through the weekend. Forcast is calling for mid to upper 80s by next week. Not seeing any rain in the near term forecast.

Lots of wading time during the morning hours. Looks like the generators, two or three, have been coming on around 1:00 p.m. or so and staying on for 6-8 hours; then back off again. This will probably be the trend based on the fact that Table Rock Lake is a little below top power pool. Main thing to change that would be a big demand for power somewhere.

I hear from the water today that fishing is a little tough. Checking our dissolved oxygen level earlier, and it was not too good. It should improve after they kick on the generators.

This past weekend fished well. Stan took Jim and Bea, from Kansas out for half a day Saturday. Good day for these two on the P&P midge.

Monday, Eric & Sherie from Texas spend the morning on the water with Stan. Sherie’s first time fly fishing and she caught some fish! Not a real great catching day, but they did catch some fish on the P&P, size 18 ruby midge and the black zebra with the copperhead.

Jim took Larry and Doc out for half a day on Tuesday. Again, not a really good catching day and Jim said their was no best fly. Amongst the many flies they threw, they did boat some fish.

Wednesday was a slow start for Jack from Oklahoma. He spent the morning on the water with Stan. However, he certainly pulled more fish out that they than the trips the two days prior. Started off with the black zebra with a copper head and switched to a pink San Juan worm dropper when the water came on.

I must say, today does feel warm. I think it is the humidity that makes it feel so warm. Temperatures in the upper 80s and sunny with very little wind. More of the same through nest week with temperatures in the low 90s.

Saturday and no generation. Think I mentioned in yesterday’s report that they are supposed to turn on one unit for one hour around 3:00 p.m….that should be 5:00 p.m. Sunday looks like 4:00 p.m. As I said, we’ll see.

Stan on the water Thursday with one of his regulars, Mike from Oklahoma. Good day for Mike. No generation when they started the trip, but two units came on at noon. Big ruby and the black coper head zebra were their flies for the trip. This was a case of the one that got away. Mike had at least a 20 incher almost to the boat and it broke off. Good story!!!

Friday, Dana had a couple of fairly new fly fishers on the water, Gary and Donna, from Raymore.

They caught fish on the CQ streamer, the tan b-bug and the black copperhead midge. Carolyn had Ron and his son, Brian out again. These guys from the Kansas City area had a great day on the water with the black copperhead midge while the fog was on the water. Once the fog lifted, it was the P&P dropped from the copper dun. Just before we came off, two horns went off, so it was rig up for the rise. We had about 20-30 minutes of fast and furious hooking, rolling and bringing in rainbows on the big ruby with the red San Juan dropper. Doc and Terry from Oklahoma, spent the day on the water with Stan. Really good day for these guys too on the black copperhead midge.

Great weather. No rain, very little wind and temperatures in the low 90s. Looks like more of the same through next weekend. Low 90s to upper 80s, with nights in the mid 60s. No rain and lots of sunshine.

Generation is starting to look agreeable for waders. Today, we had low generation until 8:00 a.m. when they shut down the generators. Didn’t turn them back on until 1:00 p.m. Projection for tomorrow is no generation until 1:00 or 2:00 p.m. when they will turn on one, then a low three for 6-7 hours and back off again. Can we hope for no or little generation for the weekend?!? According to the projection, we can. No generation all day Saturday and Sunday except for one unit for one hour at 3:00 p.m.

Stan on the water this past Saturday with Kenny and Andrea from the St. Louis area. Good day for these guys on the big ruby with a white grub dropper (still seeing the shad affect). Three generators going, but it was not real high.

Sunday, Stan had Geoff and Tony off for half a day. Good day for these guys too on the same combo…..big ruby and white grub.

Four boats out today and what a wonderful day it was. We all expected the worse as the generation projection was one unit going until 8:00 a.m. then shut down until 1:00 p.m. when they would ramp up one unit then three. Usually, the dropping water does not fish well. NOT! Good day for everyone. Gina had Billy, from Illinois out for half a day. Billy just started fishing about a year ago and really wanted

to work on everything, stripping, line management, mending, etc. She gave him the full course and all-in-all, it was a really good day. Carolyn had Bill and Chlorine out for the morning. Great day for these two. Started the morning while the fog was on the river with a size 18 black zebra midge with the copper head and copper wire, dropped from the size 18 ruby midge. As the sun lifted, the hot hare’s nymph pulled several fish. Once the
generators came on, Chlorine pulled several nice rainbows using the 2/6 ips sinking leader and a holographic green crackleback.

Like I reported Monday, weather continues to look great through the weekend.

The best news is that we are seeing a low one generator running this morning….quite the surprise. They will fire up two units by 1:00 p.m. and run these for 7-8 hours when they will cut back again. Maybe this is our new trend for a while. One can definitely wade in certain areas with a low one generator running.

Weather continues to be unseasonally cool.  Temperatures have been in the upper 70s.  This morning on the way to work, it was 57 degrees!  August!  We are looking at upper 70s today and low to mid 80s through next weekend.  And best of all, looks like very slim chances of rain during this period.

The flood gates were turned off Thursday around 9:00 a.m.  Three generators are still in operation with them running at the equivalent of two units.  Not bad, but still limits the wading opportunities.  Table Rock Lane is at 717.7 feet and we expect them to keep running until we get right at 717 feet or lower. 

Monday, with the five flood gates and 3 generators going, Stan took Steve from Texas out for half a day.  Not only did they have lots of water in the river, it rained on them before they got off the water.  Good day, however, on the big ruby midge, a peach egg and the holographic green crackleback.  Meanwhile, Jim and his two wet fly fishers, Harry and Barry, also from Texas, were catching fish on the red midge with either a blood worm or rusty midge dropper.  Not a lot, but enough to keep them busy. 

Wednesday, the Rick clan from all over, fished half a day with Dana, Darrell, Jim, Gina and Stan.  First time this group had seen all this water.  Overall, it was a successful day.  Almost everyone caught fish and had a good time.  Big ruby, peach egg, white San Juan worm, white grub, Red San Juan worm and the rusty midge were the patterns for the outting.  Renee was the new fly fisher in the group so we put her with Gina.  Good start for Renee don’t you think?

The flood gates shut down Thursday some time around 9:00 a.m.  Even with the dropping water, fishing was very good.  Stan had Ron from Kansas out all day.  They had a great day on the white San Juan worm (shad kill), the grub and the big ruby midge. 

Carolyn was finishing up the two-day school Allison and Roy took.  This was their graduation day and they had a very good day also on the black zebra dropped from a big ruby midge.  We also pulled some fish on the holographic green crackleback and a white zonker using the intermediate sinking line. 

After we get through tomorrow, it looks like no rain in the forecast for at least five days!  Yeah!  30% chance of rain yesterday, and I drove to work in that 30% chance!  Anyway, it looks like clear skies are ahead and wonderful temperatures…..80s.  This is August!!!

We have had non-stop generation (other than a shut down for a couple hours turing the Hollister flooding) since the 5th of August.  Thursday at 4:00 p.m. they opened up five flood gates.  They are not opened very much, but enough that you know we have extra water coming down the river.    If I heard correctly, they are trying to maintain a total of around 20,000 cfs which includes what is coming over the flood gates plus the generators.  Table Rock Lake is currently at 919.4 feet elevation. 

Good news, we have had boats on the river and fishing is not bad.  As a matter of fact, under the conditions, it is pretty darn good.  The day before the gates opened, but with three units going, Carolyn had Kristi, from Oklahoma on the river for the day.  Beautiful weather, lots of water and fishing was good.

Most of Kristi’s fish were caught on a size 16 black tunghead midge dropped under a peach king egg pattern.  She did catch a few stripping a black sculpzilla. 

Stan and Jim braved the five flood gates on Friday.  Good day for everyone.  Jim had Randal from Kansas out for the morning.  Randal is a fairly new fly fisher, but is certainly catching on quickly.  Good day for this young man on the size 12 ruby with either a brown San Juan of rusty midge dropper.  Stan had Dave and his nephew, Tyler.  Both these guys are seasoned fishers and they did well on the peach egg, big ruby and stripping either a 76er or holographic green crackleback.

Hard to believe we have had so much rain this time of the year!  We have had at least three inches of rain since yesterday morning and Table Rock Lake has gone up almost a foot to 917.3 feet at 2:30 p.m. today.  It will go up some more.  Chances for more rain tomorrow and a slighter chances Tuesday through Thursday.  Temperatures in the upper 80s to low 90s so it will be muggy if it is not raining.

Generation every day this past week.  Almost every morning it was a low until noon to 1:00 p.m. then lost of water for a few hours.  Today was the first no generation and they were not supposed to turn on anything until 5:00 p.m.  Guess what!  One unit must have come on at 2:00 p.m. and they are running a low one unit right now.

Lots of families trying to get in their fishing and other summer activities before school starts.  Dana had Brian and his son, Dustin from Minnesota on the water for half a day Wednesday.  Not a bad day for them on the red size 16 midge and a red

Lots of rain the past three days.  Springfield received over two inches.  Other areas north and east of Springfield received a lot more.  I think we are out of the rain for a couple days, at least until Friday, when they predicting more chances for showers on Friday and through the weekend.  Today is a beautiful bright, sunny day with temperatures expected to be in the upper 80s.  It is a little humid.  Thursday through the weekend, temperatues will hover in the upper 80s to low 90s. 

Generation was off almost all day both Saturday and Sunday.  Monday, the generation was spastic.  Full one unit, then down to a low one, then up to a full one, then a low three.  Where oh where do the fish want to go?  Yesterday, was a nice, fairly even low one unit running all morning which they bumped up early afternoon to not quite the equivalent of a full two units.  Today the projection is pretty much the same as yesterday.  That remains to be seen!  

Darrell on the water Monday morning with two gentlemen from Pennsylvania, Bob and Dave.  Pretty good day for these guys, especially on a size 12 red San Juan worm.  John and Jeff from Illinois were out for the morning with Stan.  They had a pretty good day too on the red San Juan

dropped from the size 12 big ruby. 

Beautiful weather over the weekend.  Temperatures in the 70s and overcast off and on during both days.  Another nice day today, 70s and overcast.  Slight chance of showers tomorrow with cool temperatures.  I think we might see the 80s Thursday and creeping back into the low 90s by the weekend.  We are looking at chances of showers starting Friday.

Generation schedule has been fairly consistent.  Low generation in the mornings, followed by two units starting up sometime after noon.  The weekend was wonderful….no generation almost all day both Saturday and Sunday.  They hit one unit for an hour each day late in the day.

Stan had Daniel and Zamir  from Springfield on the water for half a day Saturday.  Definitely better then that tough day last week!  Good day for these gentlemen on the black copper head midge and a b-bug.  Darrell’s guys from here in Branson, Donald and Mark, also did well on the black copperhead midge.  One of the ladies who took our July full-day fly fishing clinic decided it was time to venture out and test her skills and knowledge.  

Pretty sure she has this fly fishing figured out.  She caught this nice rainbow on the black copperhead zebra.  Of course, I had to venture out to see how she was doing and fortuntely was there to take a picture of one of her rainbows!  Decided to wet a line and was happy to start catching fish again on the holographic green crackleback on the sinking leader.  They have not been hitting this pattern for a while and I keep trying.  It is working again, especially on a nice sunny day. 

Sunday, Jim took David and his son Hunter out for some instruction and some catching.  They learned a lot and had a good day catching on a varigated CQ streamer and stripping an orange body 56er.  Guess who else was out….Debbie.  This time, she not only caught fish on the midge, she threw a black size 12 wooly bugger on the sinking leader and caught several fish on that.  She is ready for another weekend!