If you did not fish this past weekend, you missed out on some great weather.  Starting with last Thursday, we had temperatures in the 60s and Friday, I know it reached 70.  Saturday was still great, in the upper 50s.  Yesterday started cooling down and today we are expecting mid 50s.  Still not too bad.  Looks liks low to mid 50s until Thursday when it will cool down to the 30s!  Also, we are expecting rain some time tomorrow.  Friday and Saturday, not too bad….40s and sunshine.  

Generation has been great…or should I say the lack of generation has been great!  At 10:00 a.m. Thursday, the generators shut down and stayed off until 6:00 a.m. Friday morning when they were on for only three hours.  From 9:00 a.m. Friday morning until 6:00 p.m. Saturday evening, we had no generation.  They shut down Saturday at 10:00 p.m. and stayed off until 6:00 p.m. yesterday.  They are on this morning, but the projection is for shut down around noon, and off for 5-6 hours.  Maybe we will see the same generation pattern we had most of last week which was off for 5-7 hours during the middle of each day. 

Thursday, Stan and Doc celebrated Doc’s 78th birthday early.  Doc tries to fish on his birthday, weather permitting, and he had something to do this year, so they did it early.  Doc had a great birthday trip.  Lots of fish on the primrose & pearl midge early in the day then the copper dun for the drift out.  Meanwhile, Jim had Jack and his wife, Joanna, from Indiana, out both Thursday and Friday.  They had a couple of very good days using the rusty midge with the blood worm dropper, and stripping an olive brown sculpin or the olive bug eyed bugger.  Of course, they had a couple days of great weather too!

Friday, Stan had Frank, from St. Louis, out for half a day.  They spent the whole trip pulling and catching on the holographic green crackleback with and without a sinking leader.  Lots of fish taking this.  They tried a few other streamer patterns, but this is what they wanted.  Mike, from Oklahoma, but also has a place here in Branson, spent half a day on the water with Carolyn.  They too found that the holographic green crackleback was the fly of choice….lots of fish to the boat.   This was definitely a picture perfect day.  Very good fishing and before the trip was over, Mike had taken his heavy jacket off and was fishing in his short sleeve shirt!

Saturday afternoon, Carolyn had Lewis, from St. Louis, on the river.  Fun day of catching and they did not want the holographic green crackleback that day.  Nope!  It was a size 16 gray scud under a size 12 UV gray scud.  I asked Lewis how many fish he caught and he said, “piles”.   

We are still seeing and catching lots of smaller fish, but we are also starting to see more of the normal size, 15-18 inches.  Almost all of the larger fish we caught over the past few days were spawning males….good color, good fighters, wide sides, and solid.

Wow!  Other than yesterday and today, the weather has been very nice, especially for this time of the year.  New Year’s day was a bit windy, but temperatures were in the low 50s.  Yesterday, it was in the 40s, but the wind was really a killer.  Today is going to be in the 40s, tomorrow in the 50s, and Thursday and Friday in the low 60s, with sunshine every day.  Looking for a little cooler over the weekend and party cloudy. 

Generation for the New Year was wonderful.  We had no generation all day New Years until 4:00 p.m.  Yesterday it did not come on until around 5:00 p.m.  Today, as projected, generation shut down at 11:00 a.m. and should be off until 6:00 p.m. 

Let’s see….New Year’s eve day, Stan had half a day with Ken from Kansas….same guy who spent Christmas eve day with Stan.  He knows how to beat the stress of the season.  They had another very good day on the water drifting the primrose & pearl midge or stripping an olive bead head wooly bugger or a size 12 flasher.  Jim had Jerry and his friend David, from Tennessee, out for the afternoon.  These guys had a steady streamer day using the brown or olive sculpins.  Also drifting the red midge with a red San Juan dropper.  Fishing was good!.

New Year’s Day, what can I say.  A dozen of the ladies from the River Runners Womens Fly Fishing Club took over a good section of the river below the boat ramp.  It was a wonderful day.   Almost every time I looked upstream or down stream, someone or several, had a fish on.  Tried to get a picture of one of the gals, Valley, with a rod in one hand with a fish on, and eating a brownine with the other hand.  Unfortunately, my batteries were dead!  It was certainly a magic day and we all had a fun day, laughing and catching fish.  What was working?  Olive wooly buggers, tan scuds, gray scuds, UV gray scuds, copper dun midges, holographic green cracklebacks, flashers, olive sculpin patern, primrose & pearl midges.  These are some of the patterns I know were being used.  Upstream, Stan was with two of our friends, Bob and Linda Parker, from Olathe, Kansas.  They were wearing out their arms catching fish on the holographic green crackleback.  I must admit, there were a lot of smaller fish, but we caught enough of the nicer ones to keep us happy….or I should say, happier.

Two of the ladies, Valley and Julie,  just could not drag themselves away from such good fishing, so they stayed and fished again yesterday.  The generation was again off until afternoon.  Another great day on the water fishing scuds and pulling the olive sculpin or holographic green crackleback.

Weather continues to be great for this time of year.  We had 50s yesterday and espect upper 50s today and tomorrow, with Saturday in the low 60s.  Sun is shining and there is not too much wind.  Monday will cool down some, upper 30s to low 40s and then start back into the mid 40s by Tuesday, with sunshine most of the time.

Yep!  Know what more we could ask for.  Not so much generation!!  Continuing with the non-stop generation.  For a few days, it would drop back enough that you could wade in some areas.  The past two days, they have been running the equivalent of two generators or a low three, which puts the level pretty high for wading.  We can only hope it changes soon.

Yesterday was a good day on the water for Aaron and his son, Will, from Iowa.  They spent the day on the water with Jim catching fish.  Will is pretty new to the sport, so, of course, Jim worked with him on his casting.  Said he was shooting a pretty good line by the end of the day.  They had a good catching day on the size 14 red midge with a size 14 orange San Juan dropper, and strippping a size 10 olive sculpin.  What more could you ask for?…..good day, good trip.

Kind of nasty today.  Probably won’t get out of the 30s and there is a chance of this off and on rain we are having changing to snow late tonight.  Fortunately, tomorrow is supposed to warm up a bit with the sun coming out sometime during the day, but it will be windy.  From Wednesday through Saturday, we are looking at mostly sunny skies, upper 40s Wednesday going into the mid to upper 50s by Saturday.  So, weather looks pretty good!

Still generating non-stop.  The only relief has been a cutting back of the generation around 11:00 to a low equivalent of two the past three days.  This put the level at a place where folks can do a little wading, especially below outlet two and down around the fish ladder area.  We will jsut have to see what the trend of generation is the rest of the week.

Stan on the water half a day Christmas eve day with Ken from Iola, Kansas.  They came off the water happy, pretty warm and somewhat worn out.  Sent them out with a full thermos of coffee, a full thermos of hot soup and they caught lots of fish.  Good day on the water!  Best patterns were an olive beadhead wooly bugger, sizes 14-12, and a size 20 blue wing olive biot emerger pattern. These were working best during that time when the generation was cut back.  Before the cut back, they did catch some on the big ruby with the size 16 red tunghead midge dropper.  

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and it looking forward to the New Year.  We can hope that the water will be off so we can all start the New Year standing in the water catching our first fist of the new year!  Several of us are planning on doing just that!!

We continue to see a little bit of rain.  Sprinkled off and on yesterday, and poured a little last night.  This morning we had a few sprinkles and it is overcast.  Temperature today should be in the mid to upper 40s ad well as tomorrow.  Friday, they are saying a very slim possibility of snow flurries with temperatures in the upper 30s.  Clearing over the weekend, partly cloudy to partly sunny and temperatures in the 40s.

Still running water non-stop.  Ran four generators Monday and projection for today is the equivalent two most of the day and even three late today.

Hunter - 12/19/11

Gina had Joe and his son, Hunter, on the water Monday for a real nature day.  In addition to catching some fish, they saw two bald eagles soar overhead as they were loading the boat into the river.  Later in the day, they spotted two does which jumped into the river and safely swam to the bank just above the Lookout Island.

Joe - 12/19/11

Weather has been pretty good the past few days and we are looking at a nice weekend.  Sunshine, little wind, and temperatures in the 40s to low 50s today and tomorrow….even into most of next week.  However, looks like rain moving in for Monday and Tuesday. 

Nice afternoon this past Wednesday with no generation from about 11:00 a.m.  However, by Thursday morning they started generating water and have not stopped since.  Projection for the weekend through Monday is generation all day. 

Stan on the water Wednesday afternoon with Larry from Little Rock, AR.  Although it was a off and on rainy day, the wet fish didn’t mind.  They had a good day on the copper dun midge and an olive filoplume. 

Thursday was another day.  Two units running when they got on the water; which eventually went to three at a level of 708 ft plus.  Tough day for Pete from Overland Park, Kansas who spent a half a day with Stan.  Caught a few fish on the big ruby and the size 16 red tunghead midge dropper, but they worked hard for every on of them

Friday was not much better….but a little bit.  Carolyn had Ron and Kathy from Louisiana out for the day.  Other than a little wind now and then, at least the weather was good!  It was not a slam bam day, but we did catch some fish on the big ruby with various droppers.  Depending on where we were, it was either the UV gray scud, a red San Juan worm, or the cerise San Juan worm.   Catch of the day was Ron’s nice 19 inch rainbow.

The weather came through pretty good this weekend.  Sunshine and 40s both Saturday and Sunday.  Temperatures look like they are going to be pretty good most of this coming week.  However, there is a chance of showers moving in tomorrow night.  Tuesday looks like overcast with chances of showers again on Wednesday.  But, the Wednesday  temperatures look like they will be in the mid 50s.  Thursday, more sunshine and back to rain chances Friday. 

What can I say about the generation.  As projected all last week, they generated all day, every day.  The projection for Saturday and Sunday was to turn the generators off late morning for 6-7 hours.  On Saturday they had the generators off for a while early in the morning.  When they turned them on, they stayed on the rest of the day…no they turned them off around 10:00 p.m.  Sunday, they had the generators off until 6:00 a.m. then two on until noon and then off until 5:00 p.m.  Tomorrow’s projection is similar to today. 

The Louisiana Kerrs fished with Darrell and Carolyn Saturday.  Good day on the water.  As I said earlier, the weather was really nice this weekend.  Darrel had the guys, Albert and James Albert.  They had a good day on the red San Juan worm.  Carolyn and Dawn did not get on the water until noon, but we had a very good day too.  Best on the big Ruby midge with the red San Juan Worm dropper.  Caught a few pulling the sculpin and were very disappointed that they were not hitting the Big Ugly on the high bank.  Oh well, there will be another day.  Great weather, lots of fish, and a good time.

Abigail - 12/11/11

Sunday, Carolyn introduced a mother and her daughter to fly fishing.  Rayetta and her daughter, Abigail, are from Sulphur Springs, AR.  Abigail is quite the young outdoors lady.  She is into trap shooting, hunting, archery, regular fishing, and now, fly fishing.  We worked on the regular stuff, rolll cast, pick up and lay down cast, knots, hooking and playing fish.  Still need to do some more work on casting….don’t we all?…but the hooking and catching came pretty easy.  They caught fish on the copper dun midge and a small sculpin.  Rayetta really liked the casting and stripping.  Think we might have another stripper on the water!  Abigail said she lost count of the number of fish she caught.

Forgot to mention, I spoke with the folks at the Hatchery this week about the turn over of Table Rock Lake and they responded that the lake is in the process of turning.  I were wondering as we have noticed the lake is a little off colored.  Did use the cerise San Juan worm Saturday and it worked well, but a one of the two guys who were staying in one of our cabins fished the cerise worm all day Saturday and had a great day on this pattern.

Yep!  It’s that time of the year.  Frost on the windshield, morning temperatures in the 20s and 30s and a flurrie or so of snow now and then.  At least the mid-day temperatures are a bit warmer and we are looking for a few nice days…in the 40s with very slight wind and sunshine through the weekend.  By Wednesday, they are forecasting the possibility of rain, especially toward the evening, but temperatures by mid week will be in the 50s. 

We have had non-stop generation since last Sunday.  As I reported earlier, we had a surprise no generation day last Friday, and projected no generation days most of Saturday and Sunday.  Can we possibly hope for no generation again this weekend?

For those few hardy souls out fishing the past few days, catching has been very good.  Have had several people come into the shop and report great fishing.  Darrell fished for a little while one this this week up above outlet one and said he caught fish on everything he threw.  The other folks have been fishing more toward outlet one or two and catching fish or getting hits on almost every other cast.  The lake has not turned yet, but the Hatchery folks said it’s in the works.

Although the sun was not shinning all day, and they were a few bouts of sprinkles, the temperature was warm enough to keep your hands from getting cold.  Looks like we might hit low 40s today, but tomorrow will be in the upper 30s and a chance for some type of precipitation.  Upper 30s to low 40s most of the week, but the sun will come back out on Wednesday.  Right now, the weekend doesn’t look too bad.

Once they turned off the water Friday morning, they only ran a little Friday evening; kept it off most of yesterday, and it is off again today….as projected.  The projection for tomorrow is generation all day. 

Jenny and Steve, from AuxVasse, MO., spent half a day on the water yesterday with Stan.  Both are brand new to fly fishing, but had a good day catching on the copper dun midge.  Don’t ask Steve who caught the most!  Jim had a couple of his fellows from Sullivan, MO. out again, Kevin and Steve.  They had a good day catching on the size 12 olive bugger, the rusty midge and the blood worm.  Couldn’t resist the opportunity to hit the water again yesterday….as I said, good day to be fishing, so I slipped out and fished the shallow area just above Troply Run.  Caught a few on a golden variant sculpin pattern, but really had a good afternoon on the olive filoplume on the intermediate sinking leader.  Yep!  It was a good day to be fishing.

Not sure, but I think the weather forecast was a little off today.  It was supposed to be overcast and in the low 50s.  Yes, it was overcast, and maybe in the low 50s, but we also had light showers off and on all day.  Anyway, tomorrow is looking like mid to upper 50s, probably overcast and chance of rain tomorrow evening.  Sunday looks like sunshine but temperatures only in the 40s.  Monday, oh no!, chance of snow flurries.  Tuesday and Wednesday, back to sunshine and temperatures in the mid 30s to 40s.  Guess it’s about time we get some cooler weather.

 Over the past five days, generation has been non-stop, except for Wednesday, when it was off…then on…then off..then on.  Today, it was projected to be on all day.  Guess what?!?  They turned it off at 9:00 a.m. and left it off until 6:00 p.m.  Projection for Saturday and Sunday is off almost all day!  Hope so, as it fished great today.  But, as I keep saying, that is just a projection.  It was supposed to be on today and it was off.  Anyway, Thank You!

Stan on the water yesterday with Roger and Rich from Kansas.  When they started out, they had four generators going and the level was 708.9.  Tough when they keep ramping it up and then dropping it.  Fish are totally confused and so are we.  Anyway, the guys had a pretty good day although they had to work for their fish and had at least one long dry spell.  Best patterns were the big ruby midge with a size 16 red midge dropper or the size 18 ruby midge.   Quite a few missed opportunities.

Guides day today as they were projection generation all way.  So much for projections.  As I said earlier, they turned it off around 9:00 a.m. today and it was wonderful!  Water dropped out pretty quickly, so by the time Gina and Carolyn got to the water with the drift boat planning to go with the flow, it was pretty low.  Stopped at the shallows, aka, the narrows just above Trophy Run, aka the KOA area.  JJ”S articulated sculpin pattern was hot.  First cast, a miss.  Second, cast a fish.  This pattern fished very well in this area.  Must say, it fished well in many places, but this fast water area was the best.  We were on a mission to look at and fish the changes in the water thanks to the Spring floods.  We are still looking for and learning the best places to fish since then.  Caught a few on the copper dun and ruby midges down from this area, but really had a great time on the high bank (south) down from the Lookout Island.  Big Ugly with a copper dun midge dropper right against the bank was the ticket!  Didn’t need much flow, just put the fly against the bank and someone would come out and get it.  Most were taking the midge, but the biggest took the dry!  What fun!  All in all, great day on the water.  Hope it is off again tomorrow…..as projected.