Just to let anyone who is planning to come to Taneycomo for Thanksgiving know, we will be closed Thanksgiving Day!  But, we will be open at the normal time on Friday, November 25. 

HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING DAY!

Wow!  Can’t believe how many days we had wind.  Today, we are finally experiencing very little wind.  The temperatures are in the 50s and it is overcast, but a pretty nice day…no wind!  Forecast is for 50s today and a 40% chance of showers by tonight.  Tomorrow the chance increases t0 60% chance of showers and temperatures in the low 60s.  Tuesday, another mid 50s day and chance of showers again.   By Wednesday, it looks like upper 50s, sunshine and not much wind.  Pretty much the same forecast for Thanksgiving Day.  Friday and Saturday we are looking at the possibility of isolated showers again and temperatures in the mid to upper 50s. 

Taneycomo continues to run non-stop every day.  The good news is that many days it has been relatively low, so wade fishing is possible in some areas.  Forecast for today is pretty low generation all day.  Monday, more of the same with a few periods of the equivalent of enough water to get the level up toe 706.5 

Darrell on the water last Monday.  Boy!  Looks like I’m behind again.  He had Steve and Vicki, from the St. Louis area out for the day.  They had a fun day, and even caught fish, on the black zebra and ruby midges.   Said they are looking forward to their next trip. 

We have been talking to folks all week who are wading the area below the fish ladder (once outlet 3) as well as fishing around outlets 1 and 2.  Some are having very good days on the tan and gray scuds and ruby midges.   Talked to a couple people earlier in the week who had done well on the Big Ugly dry again.

Wow!  Mother Nature certainly has a way of taking care of things.  Leaves on the trees are dying, so she arranges a few REALLY windy days to blow them off the trees!  Temperatures have been great, overcast Friday and part of Saturday.  Yesterday was a pretty day, but windy!  Today it is already 70 degrees (8:15 a.m.).  We are expecting some wind today, but nothing like we have already had.  A cool front moving in late this afternoon and might bring some rain tonight and into tomorrow.  Back to sunshine Wednesday through Friday with temperatures in the upper 50s low 60s and back to chances of rain for the weekend.

Hate to say it, but generation has been non-stop since last Wednesday.  Once they finished the work on the new system at Powersite this past Thursday, they cranked up all four generators.  Wanted to get the lake filled back up…..it’s full…let’s slow down.  Projection for today is the equivalent of two generators most of the day.  Let’s see what tomorrow brings.

Our Hawaii couple, Wayne and Colleen, spent most of Thursday on the water with Jim.  Pretty tough day, especially after they cranked up all four generators.  They caught some fish on the red midge with and pink San Juan dropper.  Spent most of their time pulling garbage off the flies.  Meanwhile, Stan and Carolyn has Johnny, Jose, and Paul, from the Dallar Fly Fishers on the water for the day.  Same scenario.  Looked like fishing was going to be good when we started out in the morning.  Several hits and fish on the copper dun midge.  Heard one horn blow, then then the second, which meant four generators on and “Oh Poop!”  fishing when south.  The guys toughed it out and we caught a few more fish on the Big Ugly with a copper dun dropper.  Tough days guys! 

Sunday, Stan had Phil, from Hollister, and his visiting son Shane, on the water for a half day.  Phil caught his first fish on a dry….the Big Ugly.  They had a pretty good day on the Big Ugly with the copper dun midge dropper.

Several ladies from the River Runners Women’s Fly Fishing Club were here over the weekend.  Headquartered at Pointe Royale (wonder if it will every be the same), they fished the area below the Pointe with two generators running on Saturday.  Tough day for everyone with this much current so we moved to the flats below the fish ladder in the afternoon.  Still tough, but landed a few fish on the holographic green crackleback using a sinking leader and the UV gray scud.  Think a few were also caught on sculpin patterns.  Sunday was not much better as we still had generation.  Bottom line though, everyone got to fish, we pigged out on great food (this group can cook!), and just had a fun weekend.

Pretty overcast all day today and chances of showers this evening into tomorrow and possibly Tuesday.  Temperatures staying in the mid 60s until Wednesday when it will drop to the mid 50s.  Back to lower 60s Friday.  Partly cloudy Wednesday through Friday. 

Surprised everyone yesterday with the generators off most of the day.  They had projected the equivalent of a low one generator all day.  Pretty much following the projection today, however, with the equivalent of about one generator which will run through the day.

Stay on the water Friday with Mike from Oklahoma.  Last time Mike tried to first with us in September, we had a monsoon.  They made it this time and had a pretty good day on the miracle scud and a copper dun midge.  Mike was scheduled to fish last week, but his daughter delivered her baby a couple weeks early, so Mike rescheduled.  Congratulations on your new grandbaby!

Yesterday, Jim had Dave from Ohio out for the day.  Dave is pretty new to fly fishing, so there was some instruction as well as catching.  Best patterns were the bug-eye bugger, gray scuds and sow bugs and the zebra midge.  Stan took Steve from here in Missouri out for a long half day.  There were sticking them with the Big Ugly and a copper dun dropper as well as the holographic green crackleback dry.  Fun day.  Carolyn had students from the full day fly fishing clinic out in the afternnon for casting instruction and a little catching.  Everyone caught fish stripping some variation of a sculpin pattern.

When we went over the the Rockin Chair area, we noticed they have finished plcing the boulders along the south bank in this area.  The best thing we noticed was how the fish were gathered around them.   Think it is going to be a good thing once we get some wash around them to dig out some deeper places for the fish to hold.  With the water off, you can’t miss them, so you shouldn’t stumble over them.

Wow!  Drove over the dam this morning and there are white caps on Table Rock Lake.  Today is going to be a nasty day.  Temperatures only in the 40s and feeling much colder than the actual temperature due to the high winds.  Overcast and showers this morning, but should start clearing this afternoon.  Tomorrow looks like sun shine again and temperatures both tomorrow and through the early part of the week in the 60s.  Maybe a chance of showers again early in the week.

Generation continues to be on low in the morning, then off around 9:00 a.m. for 5-6 hours and back on for the remainder of the day.  They have finished the placement of the  boulders in the upper part of the lake and started placing them around Rockin Chair yesterday. 

Jim had Paul and Gail, from Texas, on the river the past couple mornings.  Paul is a streamer, saltwater fly fisher, and they had two very good days pulling the olive sculpin and the jailhouse bug eye in sizes 10 and 12.  Gail even got the hang of it and is how pulling streamers.  Darrell had Terry from Defiance, MO. out yesterday morning.  They did well on the red midge with a red San Juan worm dropper. 

Overall, from what I hear, fishing is pretty good even with all the water draw down and construction going on.

Another nice day today but rain will be moving in tonight.  Going to be a little brisk in the morning with temperatures in the mid 30s when we get up.  Tomorrow looks like a wash with rain most of the day, but sunshine back into the picture Friday and Saturday.  Some more weather moving in Sunday as the prediction is WINDY and mid 60s.

Projection for today on generation was low one generator this morning until 8:00 a.m. then a low two.  Guess what!  They turned it off at 8:00 a.m.  They did following the projections the past two days. 

CAT above outlet 2

As I mentioned in the report Monday, they had a CAT sitting in the water across from outlet two.  Yesterday, they finished placing the boulders in the area from outlet down toward outlet 3 (fish ladder).  Several nice groupings in this area.  They will probably work on the “Rockin Chair” area today while the water is off. 

Placing Boulder

Jim on the water yesterday with Paul and Gail from Texas.  Very good day pulling streamers, specifically the olive sculpin.  This is Paul’s favorite way to fish and he wanted Gail to learn.  Guess what…she caught the two biggest fish of the day this way.   Stan had Steve and Don from Illinois out all day.  They had a very good day on the tan flashback scud.  Both guys were plum tuckered out when they got back to the shop. 

Still looking at the chance of showers tomorrow evening into Thursday, with temperatures Thursday in the 50s.  Friday and Saturday look like low to mid 60s and chances of showers again Saturday night into Sunday.  Beautiful today….sunny, mid 70s and probably some wind as the day progresses.  We have had a bit of wind the past few days.

Generation has been a bit bizzar.  On all day both Saturday and Sunday, although it was about the equivalent to a low one generator most of the day.  Monday it went from a low one to a low two then off for six hours beginning at 9;00 a.m..  Today’s projection looks pretty much the same but it should be off for about seven hours beginning at 9:00 a.m. 

With all the relocation of gravel which occurred earlier this year due to the flooding, and the draw down of the lake so they can work on Powersite Dam, we are seeing dry gravel bars in places we have never seen before.  Some areas have channels just wide enough for one, maybe two boats to squeek through.  This, of course, will not be the norm once the draw down is finished, but it is certainly making boat access difficult, if not impossible, on the upper part of the lake.  They are also using this draw down time to start placing the structure in the upper section of the river.  Lots of big boulders piled along the banks waiting for placement.  Understand they had a Cat in the water yesterday doing work across from outlet 2  in the Hatchery Area.  Should be nice when they get this project finished.  More holding places for those trout!

Darrell and Jim took a group from California fishing yesterday morning.  All of they are pretty new to fly fishing, but some friends of their’s had fished with us in August and told them they needed to go fishing with us if they came to the area.  So…..Judy and Jew were with Darrell.  They had a fun day using the ruby midge.  Leonard and Jan were with Jim and caught fish on the black zebra, the ugly midge, and a blood worm dropper.  Lots of instruction.  Bob from Michigan spend the day on the water with Stan.  They had a fun and interesting day just negotiating the water.  Lots of fish piled up in places due to the low water.  They fished and caught fish on the holographic green crackleback dry as well as under the sinking tip.  Also did well on the flashback tan scud.  Bob’s ready to go fishing again on Thursday!

Great weather for this time of the year.  It was in the 60s this weekend and will be in the upper 60s to low 70s today and tomorrow.  Chance of showers moving in Wednesday night into Thursday.  Temperatures dropping a little to the low to mid 60s by the weekend.  See a chance of showers on Saturday, but that’s a few days away….subject to change!

Generation over the weekend was non-stop, but low flow.  The equivalent of a one generator all weekend although they were running two.  Again today, they are planning to shut down the generators around 10:00-11:00 a.m. and keep them off for about five-six hours.  Once on, it will run the balance of the day.  The the MDC started placing structure (big boulders) on the upper portion of Taneycomo last Friday during the generation shut down.  Understand they have already started working some more today, and will probably get more structure placed during today’s shut down.

The placement of the new system at Powersite Dam is progressing well.  Appears they are about 1/2 day complete and think they will finish up some time next week.  We will get a further update this coming Thursday and let you know.

Darrell had Bill and James, from Columbia, on the water Saturday morning.  Didn’t tear them up, but caught fish on the ruby midge with a primrose & pearl midge dropper. 

Branda and Gerald, from Independence, spent the day with Stan Sunday.  They fished the Big Ugly with a copper dun midge dropper and the red midge.  Also fished a size 22 black midge emerger and and a holographic green crackleback using a sink tip line.   Bryan, from St. Louis, took the two-day fly fishing school.  Saturday morning, he and Carolyn did the classroom portion and then spent the afternoon working on casting.  On the water Sunday, he learned the dropper rigging and got to work a sinking leader.  Casting has improved and he learned the slack dry-fly cast as well as the reach cast.  Think he had fun and learned a bit.

It is now cloudy and rainy.  Hit the high temperature earlier today and it is now 59 degrees.  Looks like tomorrow we will see more showers, but through the weekend into Monday, no rain and temperatures in the low to mid 60s.

Pretty much the same generation patters today that we have seen the past two days.  Projection for tomorrow is pretty much the same.

Stan and Gina on the water this morning.  Stan had Bill from Williamsburg, VA.  They had a fun day with the red midge and red San Juan worm dropper.  The highlight of the outting was catching fish in the film on the size 20 black midge pupa.  For a while they were coming up like crazy!  Gina had Dan from Waco, TX out again.  They did some more work on casting and even caught a few fish, including a white bass while they were stripping a floozie.  Those floozies will attract anything!

Dan & White Bass - 10/26/11

Several days of delightful weather, but we are started to see some change yesterday.  It was warm with the temperature in the low 80s, and lots of wind.  Blowing in some weather.  We did get some  rain this morning and expect more this afternoon with a cool down to the mid to upper 50s Thursday and Friday; then back into the low 60s over the weekend.

With the Lake Taneycomo draw down that started Sunday, we have seen generation both Monday and Tuesday almost all day.  Projection for today is more of the same….non-stop generation in the one to two generator levels.  We will just have to see if this trend continues.

Now to catch up on trips!  Missed posting last Thursday when  Jim had Derek and Travis, from Lake Lotawana, out for the morning.  These guys had a pretty good day on the size 14 red midge, a red San Juan worm, and a size 10 olive bugger.  Also, Stan had one of his regulars, Robert Hellman, from Illinois.  They had a good day on the red San Juan worm when the water was running.  After they turned off the generators, they started fishing the Bug Ugly with a P&P dropper.  Robert landed two 17″ on the Big Ugly.  He really had fun with this. 

We covered Friday, so on to Saturday.  Darrell out all day with Dan and Malcomb from the St. Louis area.  Boated quite a few fish, but they worked for all of them.  Best patterns were the primrose & pearl midge and holographic green crackleback. 

Alexander's 1st Fly Fishing Trip - 10/22/11

Jason and his ten year old son, Alexander, spent the morning with Jim.  Several people on the water cheered when they saw Alexander land his first fist on a fly rod.   A new fly fisher is born!  Their best patterns were the black zebra and ugly midges, with a blood worm dropper.  Carolyn had a fun day with Bryan and his father, Richard.  They are both from Miami, OK.  Neither of them get out and fly fish as much as they should so they both really enjoyed the day.  It was Richard’s day as he landed the most fish.  Our best fly was the filoplume.

Richard - 10/22/11

Dane had Ron from Arkansas out for the morning.  Ron has a drift boat and fishes the Little Red down near Heber Springs, AR.  They had their best fishing also on the olive filoplume.

Monday, Darrell took John and Linda, from Abilene, TX out.  As a matter of fact, he had them on the water both Monday and Tuesday mornings.  This was our first day to see the affect of the draw down.  It appears, so far, they are going to run some water during the draw down.  Anywhere from one to three generators at an equivalent flow of one to two.  With the draw down affect, it seems to have more flow than normal.  Anyway, they worked hard for their fish, but did catch some both days.  Monday was the P&P and big ruby midge and Tuesday it was the red San Juan worm.  

Cindy - 10/24/11

 Cindy and Kerry, from Grain Valley spent the morning with Carolyn.  This was a learning experience for both of them as they are new to fly fishing.  Pretty good day, especially for Cindy.  Told her “she had the front of the boat syndrome”.  Usually, the person on the front of the boat catches the most fish.   Our best paterns were the copper dun midge dropped off the big Ruby.  Also caught some on the holographic green crackleback stripping it under the sinking leader.  Stan had Bill and Kathy from Overland Park, KS.  They fly fisher all over the place!  Good day for these folks on the red San Juan worm, red midge and the Big Ugly wih  primrose & pearl midge. 

Yesterday, Stan had John and Travis out.  Travis is from Kansas and John was originally from New York.  Tough day.  In addition to nasty wind, both are beginning fly fishers.  Did boat some fish on the red midgte and olive wooly bugger.

Hearing both moaning and groaning as well as good reports on fishing in the hatchery area.  Lots of fish around the outlets when they release oxygen.  Otherwise, catching some nice fish in areas up there as well as having pretty tough days.  Small gray scuds and red San Juan worms, seem to be the best patterns so far this week.