What a beautiful day!  Maybe upper 70s, lots of sunshine and just enough wind to keep you comfortable and keep a little chop on the water.  We are basically looking at several more days of weather like this.  Maybe a little warmer, in the low 80s, and no rain chances until the middle of next week.

No big chance in generation pattern.  Off all morning then on maybe by noon or sometime after noon for a couple hours then back off again.

We have to remind ourselves what time of the year it is.  Fishing right now is pretty much normal for this time of the year.  Good days, tough days.  Dissolved oxygen better on some days than others, and some places on the river are a little more favorable than others for holding fish.  Now is the time we really have to fish a little and not catch all the time like we do in the Spring.  Yes, we will see and catch some nice fish this Fall during the spawn.

Ketchup time again!  Dana on the water a week ago this past Sunday with Ed and Kate from Illinois.  The morning was slow.  By late morning the bite started picking up and they caught fish on the copper dun, rusty midge and black copperhead midges.  Also caught some stripping the JQ streamer.

George – 9/21/16

George had to get a fishing fix Wednesday so she spent a few hours on the water with Stan.  She was a happy lady when she came off the water.

Thursday,   Carolyn took Susan and Joel from Connecticut out for a half day instructional trip.  They wanted to learn as much as they could in that time about fly fishing.  From leaders to tippet sizes to fly line configuration and weights to rod lengths.  We covered a lot of ground and they also got a pretty good handle on the roll cast as well as the pick up and lay down cast.  The icing on the cake were some fish they caught on the ruby 2 midge.  I think they are hooked!

Friday we had three boats on the river.  Gina had Max from Oklahoma out for the morning.  He is still in the learning mode and she worked with him on casting, mending and other good tips of the trade.  Fished the ruby 2 and scud.  Clayton

Mark – 9/23/16

and Mark were out with Stan.   Their pattern was the size 18 copper dun midge.

Saturday, Gina and Carolyn spent the day in Iola, Kansas.  We did the fly casting portion of their Becoming an Outdoor Woman (BOW) program.  What a neat organization and great opportunity for these ladies to learn everything from handling guns to archery, setting up a duck blind and decoys and, of course, fly fishing.    We left all the guys here to run trips.  Stan took Tom from Nebraska out.  They caught fish on the copper dun, then the P&P midge, including a nice 17 inch rainbow.  Ed and Rick spent the morning with Dana.  Pretty good day on a size 22 P&P, the copper dun and stripping the golden variant sculpin and a brown JQ.

Keeping remembering to make certain your fish are ready for release.  Low DO will take its toll!!

Beautiful day today.  Low 80s for a high, no rain and the sun is coming out.  A little overcast most of this morning.  Rain chances look pretty low until next Saturday and we know how much stock to put in that at this time.  Temperatures mostly in the upper 80s to low 90s.

No generation the past five day in the morning.  Maybe a unit or two on late in the day for 1 to 3 hours.  Today, however, we have a low 1 unit running most of the day.  It is scheduled to be off again tomorrow until about noon or 1:00 then 2-3 units will come on for a while.  Who would think they would run on Sunday???

Lots of trips out the past week so I am trying to get caught up.  Stan on the water last Monday with a couple from Switzerland.  Juan and Dena

Dena – 9/12/16

work in Geneva Switzerland.  Juan is on the police force there so he and Stan had a lot to talk about.  Dena is a security officer at the airport.  This was Dena’s first fly fishing experience.  She did very well and really liked it.

Juan – 9/12/16

What a way to get started as she landed a beautiful 18-1/2″ brown on a copper dun midge.

Tuesday, Stan took James and Betty our for half a day.  The water was off and fishing was very slow.  They did bring in a few fish on the copper dun.

Merle and Mike from Iowa, spent Wednesday morning on the water with Stan.  Definitely fished better than the day before.  It was still a copper dun day.  Wednesday Jim was out with Gina and they fished the copper dun as well as the P&P and a blood worm.  Slow morning start but things eventually picked up as they went further down stream.

Thursday, Carolyn had Dan and Roxanne on the water.  They both took the two-day fly fishing school in March.  Got rained out on the

Roxanne – 9/15/16

fishing day so they came back in July to finish up.  We had to deal with 2-3 units going then, but they caught fish and worked on technique.  Glad they came back as it was a good day for them.  They  both caught fish and Dan caught a nice 21″ rainbow.  It was a copper

Dan & 21″ Rainbow – 9/15/16

dun and ruby 2 day.  Colby and Cory from Kansas were on the water with Jim.  They were experiencing soft takes making hook up hard.  Caught a few fish on the copper dun with a blood worm dropper.

Friday, Dan from Arizona fished with Jim.  They had a fun day, but really could not come up with a best pattern.  Stan took Glen and Alan out for what was to have been a full day which they turned into a half day when the generators came on…..early!  Pretty good day on the copper dun midge.  Carolyn had Bob and Edward out for most of the day.  We picked a few fish early on the copper dun and ruby 2 midges but decided to stay with it when the water came on.  Stripping the holographic green crackleback trailing the Tiger Tail was the ticket.  Pretty good action for a while until the water was too high and the fishing went south.  Picked a few more drifting in on the hot hare’s ear.

Saturday, Edward and Bob fished with Stan.  They had a pretty good

Scheryl – 9/17/16

day on the copper dun and ruby 2 midges.  Scheryl and Matt were fishing with Carolyn.  Even though Matt felt he was picked on by us two gals, we let him catch a nice 19-1/2″ rainbow.

Matt – 9/17/16

Matt caught most of his fish on the ruby 2 and Scheryl caught most of her fish on the copper dun.

Overall, fishing is pretty darn good.  Over the past few weeks, we have had to look for the fish.  They have not been where we expected to find them.  Not a lot of fish hanging in their normal haunts.  But, with moving around, we can find them here and there and pull off some good and definitely fun days.  It is that time of the year when the dissolved oxygen (DO) level is dropping and the fish are thinking about spawning.  Thus, the numbers of fish caught on a given day are definitely less than in the Spring when the (DO) is very good making for happy fish.  With this in mind, let’s remember to take some additional time to make certain the fish are well oxygenated when we release them.

We had some rain come through Friday night, but by Saturday morning it was gone.  What a beautiful day followed by another one today.  Today we expect the low 80s, then upper 80s for tomorrow; low 90s Tuesday and back to upper 80s Wednesday.  Chances for rain on Thursday after which the temperatures will see low 80s or upper 70s.  Nice!

We have actually see no generation the past four days!!!  Thursday and Friday they kept the water off until noon or 1:00 p.m.  Both Saturday and today the water is off almost all day.  Yesterday they ran one unit for an hour at 2:00 p.m. and today it will be off except for an hour later this afternoon.

Jim out last Wednesday when they still had a low one unit running in the morning.  He took Cam and Diana from Utah out for half a day.  Pretty good day for these guys on the gray scud, size 14 P&P and stripping the Tiger Tail.  Wednesday Jim spent the morning on the water with Gina.  After a little slow start in the early part of the day, they started picking up fish on the copper dun and ruby 2.  Interesting day as they caught most of their fish in places they rarely fish or catch fish.  Guess the fish are trying to keep us on our toes!

No generation Saturday and Stan had Corey and Scott out all day.  A little slow first thing, but then they started catching on the copper dun midge and finished up stripping the holographic green crackleback.

McKenzie & Justin – 9/10/16

Carolyn had a couple from Oklahoma on the water.  This was their five year anniversary.  What a great way to celebrate….standing in the water fly fishing together!  Congratulations!  And, they had a very good day on the water.

McKenzie – 9/10/16

McKenzie has been fly fishing once or twice, but has not been in the water.  This was her first experience with wade fishing.  She definitely managed to avoid the tripping rocks, got comfortable with the process and caught a good number of rainbows on the copper dun midge and eventually moved on to stripping the holographic green crackleback trailing the Tiger Tail.  I think we even caught a couple on the Tiger Tail.  Of course, Justin was having a good day too on the copper dun midge and stripping the Tiger Tail.  I think Justin

Justin – 9/10/16

even caught a few on the Ruby 2 midge.

Spoke with several fishers yesterday and it sounds like it was a good day to be on the water.  Up near the Hatchery one fishers was catching on the shammy worm, or the miracle scud.  Another fisher further down above the boat ramp was catching on the rusty midge.  Today, the crackleback was not working as well below the boat ramp but the copper dun was still a hot fly.

The past few days have been hot…in the upper 90s with humidity to match.  Looks like relief is in sight with upper 70s by Saturday .  60% chance of rain tomorrow.  Mid to low 80s are in the forecast through the end of next week.  Chances of showers popping back up by mid next week .

Low generation in the morning continues.  Increasing up to three or four units by 1:00 or 2:00 p.m.  More of the same today.  Seems like we are in a rut!

Lots of trips over the holiday period.  Stan on the water last Thursday with John from Florida.  John has fished all over the world and, of course, fishes for tarpon.  Good day stripping the tiger tail and nymphing the black copperhead midge under the big ruby.

Friday, Stan Ed and his friend Paula out for half a day.  Ed had fished with Stan before, but this was Paula’s first time with a fly rod and she did a good job.  They caught fish on the Ruby 2 early on the trip then the P&P as the sun got higher in the sky.

A couple of Jim’s regulars, Scotty and Rizzo, spent both  Saturday and Sunday mornings with him.  Seemed like a “soft take” day as there were lots of missed and lost fish.  Don’t get me wrong, they did bring in fish on the P&P with a blood worm dropper, a P&P with the Miracle Scud dropper, or stripping the Tiger Tail.  Dana had David and Robin

Megan – 9/6/16

out both mornings too.  Tough day Saturday but they brought in some fish Sunday on the Ruby 2 midge.  Carolyn had a new to fly fishing couple, Megan and Shawn, from Texas on the water Sunday.  Good start for these two.  One of Megan’s first fish on a fly rod was a 17 inch brown which she caught on the Hot Hare’s Ear dropped under the

Shawn – 9/6/16

Big Ruby.  They also caught several stripping the Tiger Tail.

Monday, JT and his son, Caleb spent the morning with Jim.  New fly fishing, so it had a lot of instruction going on.  They had a good, fun day on the gray scud, P&P and Ruby midges, and the Tiger Tail.   Carolyn had another father/son combo, Jonathan and Camden.  Good day for these two.

Camden – 9516

Our best pattern, almost all morning was the copper dun under the big ruby.  Water came on and it got dingy, so we changed to the white grub on the float out and caught a few more fish.  Camden’s best and first to the boat was a nice 17 inch rainbow.  Ron and Parker were on the river with Stan.  Good day for them on the P&P, Hot Hare’s Ear, and stripping the Tiger Tail.

Jonathan – 9/5/16

Stan took Jim, from Wisconsin out on Tuesday.  Jim had fished with Stan a few time off and on since we opened the shop in 1999.  Jim’s best flies were the Copper Dun and P&P under the peach egg pattern.  Ramona and Bryan, from the St. Louis area were on the water with Carolyn.  Bryan has fished Taneycomo with Carolyn several times over the past few years, and wanted to introduce

Ramona – 9/6/16

Ramona, who is a fairly new fly fisher, to the fishery.  Bryan has been working with Ramona on her fishing and has done a great job.   Good day for Ramona.  Of course, she had the front of the boat.  Best pattern for the entire trip was the Copper Dun under the Big Ruby.  Yes, we let Bryan catch some fish too!

Can’t get much better as far as this weekend’s weather forecast.  Temperatures in the upper 80s through Sunday, and low 90s for Monday.  By Tuesday, however, chances for rain pop up again….but through Labor Day looks great!

Low generation in the mornings continues with a bump up to usually the equivalent of three units by noon or 1:00 p.m.  Anxious to see if there will be any change for the long weekend.  Could we wish for no generation one or two of the days?

Stan had Andy from New Jersey on the water this past Thursday and Friday.  Tough two days.  They had a few hits and caught a few fish but it was work!  One of those “no best fly” days.

Sunday, Jim took Anita and Mike out for the morning.  They had a pretty good day stripping the JQ and Tiger Tail streamers or drifting a P&P with a scud dropper.  Stan had Randy out and they fished the red midge and a couple different soft hackles.

Ken wanted to prepare for red fish trip he is taking later this month, so he and Stan hit the water Tuesday and worked on the strip set, casting by the clock and accuracy.  Fun day and they caught fish on the big ruby with the red tunghead midge…in between practicing.

Wednesday Jim was out with Gina yesterday.  Tough morning, but when the water came on, they found a nice seam and started stripping lots of stuff…..tiger tail, filoplume, soft hackle.  Fun day.

Enjoying these slightly cooler days.  Upper 80s with a few low 90s forecast for the coming week into next weekend.  Of course, we have chances for showers scattered throughout this period.  Most of the time they have gone around us…..but all it take is one.

Generation flow continues with the equivalent of one unit (using two) in the morning, then ramping up to usually the equivalent of three.  We understand most of the powers is coming through Table Rock as they cannot release much, if any from Bull Shoals as the level in Newport it too high.  Complicated system to say the least.

Jim on the water this past Sunday with Mike and Tracy.  Fairly new fly fishers, so he worked with them on all the techniques and even let them catch some fish on the Miracle Scud and the P&P midge.  Stan had Mac and his friend Bob out for half a day.  They had a good day on the Ruby 2 and the P&P midges.

Richard from Oklahoma, called and said he had to just get on the water, so Stan took him out Monday afternoon.  With the generators coming on at noon, we knew it would be a tough afternoon, but he caught fish got his fix!  Ruby 2 was the pattern.

Jim – 8/25/16

Gina out with Wednesday Jim.  first fish to the boat was an 18 inch rainbow.  Ruby 2 under an egg pattern.  Carolyn had Chad and his father, Roy out for the morning.  Chad worked in the Branson area for a few years and discovered fly fishing on Taneycomo in 2007.  He was hooked and continues to fish in his home state of Tennessee.  It was a nice father/son day and we all

Chad & Roy – 8/24/16

had fun.  It was also Roy’s day to out fish his Chad.  Guess Chad usually takes the lead.  One of Roy’s first fish to the boat was a nice 18 inch rainbow.  Yep!  Ruby 2 under an egg pattern.  Most of our fish this trip were caught in the lower part of the upper area.

Roy – 8/24/16

Thursday, Jim took Billy from Arkansas out for half a day.  His wife Julia went along for the rode and to enjoy the out doors and river.  Fortunately it was a nice day.  Fishing was tough.  Billy is pretty new to fly fishing so Jim worked with him on skills.  They did catch a few fish on the Miracle scud and the P&P midge.

Beautiful day today.  Sunshine and only 62 degrees right now.  Forecast is low 80s.  That looks like the forecast for the early part of next week.  By Wednesday it will be upper 80s, then back to the mid 80s into the weekend and early next week.  Chances for rain almost every day although some days it’s only 20% and the most is 60%.  We have stayed dry even on those 80% forecast days as the rain has gone around us.  This past Thursday there was little chance of a downpour we fished in!  That’s weather.  It might rain…..it might not rain!

Still seeing the generation pattern of low in the morning then ramping up to three or four units.  Over the weekend, we have had a steady low one unit (using two units) all day both days.

Sam’s 1st on fly rod – 8/15/16

New fly fishers Carl and his son Sam, on the river with Carolyn last Monday.  They both do a lot of fishing, but had never picked up a fly rod.  I think they are going to change that.  And, both of them are naturals.  They picked up casting quickly.  We were able to throw some sinking leaders and strip the holographic green crackleback.  Caught several fish that way.  Our other pattern of the day was the

Carl – 8/15/16

ruby 2 under an roe egg pattern.  Dad managed to finesse in a nice 18 inch bow.

Wednesday, Stan took Winston and Phil out for half a day.  These guys from North Carolina were pleased with our fishery.  They had a good day on the ruby 2 and copper dun under the big ruby.  Wanted to go out another day but it just did not fit into their schedule.  Gina had Wednesday Jim on the water and he had a nice set of

Jim and rainbow – 8/17/16

bookends….an 18 inch rainbow and an 18 inch brown.  Happy guy.  It was the ruby 2 under an egg pattern and a black soft hackle.

Jim and brown – 8/17/16

Dan and John from Texas fished with Stan on Thursday.  Good day for these two guys on the ruby 2/big ruby combo.  Carolyn had Mike, from Texas on the river.  We caught fish mainly on the ruby 2 under the roe egg pattern.

Friday, Carolyn started out the morning with Mike again.  Somewhere along the way, they picked up a hitchhiker, Malcolm

Mike – 8/8/16

from the St. Louis area.  Tough fishing, but they caught fish on the ruby 2/big ruby and the holographic green crackleback.  With these two in the boat, it was a hilarious day!  Stan had Todd from Kansas out for half a day.  Very slow fishing but he brought in a 17-1/2″ rainbow among his catch on the ruby 2 or P&P under the big ruby.

The fish are looking and have been looking great!  They are so healthy and fat, it is hard to get your hands around them.  Their color is beautiful and lots of fight.  Everyone is commenting on how feisty and beautiful they are.

Forecast is for some more rain tonight.  Monday has chances for rain in the a.m. and temperatures in the mid 70s.  Slight chances for rain again Monday evening and again on Tuesday.  Temperatures in the mid 80s.  Wednesday looks great…no rain, but Thursday we see chances for rain popping back into the picture.  We will see.  We have had rain forecast for the past several days and nothing really heavy has materialized.

Generation crazy.  Off every morning last week.  Over the weekend, they ran the equivalent of one unit all weekend.  We are supposed to see that again Monday.  Just watch.  They will probably turn them off again this week.  Go figure!

Scott and his son, Chandler were on the river with Stan Wednesday.  That day it was 7X and the copper dun.  No generation and it was a very hot day.  Takes were soft so there were a lot more misses than hook ups.

Patti – 8/12/16

The group from Texas that tripped with us on Tuesday went out again Friday.  This time, Patti and her son, Doug were with Stan.  Dana had Angel and Sam.  Another tough day, but Patti finally hooked her first fish on a fly rod plus several more including this nice 17-1/2 inch rainbow.  I think Tom has a fishing buddy.  It was another 7X and ruby 2 day.

Stan had Scott and his nephew, Tyler on the water Saturday.  Good day for these

Tyler – 8/13/16

guys on the P&P and ruby 2 dropped under the big ruby.  The equivalent of one unit was running almost all day and it fished well.   Carolyn had one of the students out of the last River Run Fly Fishing Clinic on the water.  This was Rebekah’s

Rebekah – 8/13/16

birthday present from her husband.  What a great birthday.  She caught several nice birthday fish including this beautiful 18 inch rainbow.  Happy birthday Rebekah!

Billy from Illinois fished with Gina on Sunday.  Looked like they might

Billy – 8/14/16

get rained out, but the fish Gods were kind to them and held off.  Another tough day but they certainly managed to have fun and catch fish.  Ruby 2, black copper midge and some small soft hackles!

Temperatures in the mid 90s through Friday with chances for rain each day.  Right now, Saturday has the best chance for rain with temperatures in the low 80s.  Sunday and Monday, more chances for rain with temperatures in the upper 70s.  (That would feel nice for a change.)  Tuesday looks nice…low 80 and very slight chances.  So with Wednesday into next weekend.

Finally!  The past two days, Tuesday and today, Wednesday, we have had no generation until noon.  Then they started up with two units for one hours and four units an hour later.  Unfortunately, generation all day this past weekend.  We are certainly hoping this no generation in the morning continues!

Scheryl – 8/6/16

Happy birthday Scheryl!  What a great birthday surprise her husband, Matt, gave her for her birthday.  A fishing trip.  Scheryl and Matt, from Lee’s Summit spent this past Saturday on the water with Carolyn.  Rained most of the morning so we were all

Scheryl – 8/6/16

soaked to the bone….even with rain gear.  Scheryl’s birthday presents were a couple of nice rainbows she caught on the ruby 2 midge.

Noel – 8/6/16

Stan had Noel and his friend Richard out for half a day.  They both had a good day on the ruby 2 midge.  Fishing was actually pretty darn good in the rain and what a pleasant day after all the hot weather we have been having.

Richard – 8/6/16

Sunday, Dana had Dan and his twelve years old son, Tate out for the morning.  This was another day of rain, but it really got bad just before noon.  Not to worry, they

Dan – 8/7/16

did land some fish before the rain out on the ruby 2 under the big ruby.

Tate-s Fish 8/7/16

Stan had Lance and his wife Diana out in the rain.  This was Dana’s first experience fishing!  What a trouper.  She stayed with it and caught her first fish ever plus more.  Yes, they were fishing the

Diana – 8/7/16

ruby 2 under the big ruby.  We even think she likes it!

Monday, Stan took Rob from California out for half a day.  Pretty good downpour for most of the morning.  They had a good day and caught some quality fish on the ruby 2.  Gina and Carolyn had Dina, Kim and Kim’s nephew, Ben on the water.  Ben spent the morning with Carolyn and Gina took Dina and Kim.  Tough day!  Due to the heavy rain, we opted to wait it out.  Probably should

Ben – 8/8/16

have gone out as we hit the water around 10:30 and it was no time before we noticed the water was already increasing.  By 1:00 p.m. it was really running and between the garbage in the water and the heavy water, the fishing was poor.  We did manage to catch a few fish on an egg pattern and the big

Dina – 8/8/16

ruby.

This group went out gain on Friday and this time Ben was with Dana and the ladies fished again with Gina.  Another tough day, but everyone did manage to catch a few fish.  Friday it was the Ruby 2, P&P, copper dun and black copperhead midge.  Best part, everyone had a good time.  Stan and Carolyn had a group from Texas on the water.  Stan took Mark and Bryan.  Carolyn had Tom and his wife, Patti.  Everyone is pretty new to the sport.  Tom has been a couple time and fell in love with the sport.  He is trying to get everyone he knows, especially all his family members interested in fly fishing.  We all managed to hook and or bring in some fish on the copper dun, a black WD40, red San Juan worm and the P&P.

Hot!  Under a heat advisory again today.  Tomorrow will be cooler, but it looks like we might have some rain.   At a matter of face, chances for rain are in the forecast for the next five days.  Good news is the temperatures will be in the upper 80s or low 90s.

The generation pattern has not changed.  The equivalent of a low one unit in the morning.  Both Saturday and Sunday, they will keep it at this level until 2:00 or 3:00 p.m……we’ll see.  And then they will run two units for two hours on Saturday and three hours on Sunday.  Then back to the one for the balance of each day.  Monday they will turn on two units at noon for six hours then back down.

Maitland – 8/3/16

Stan was out with a nice fisher from Georgia on Wednesday, Maitland.  Maitland needed a good day on the water and they certainly accomplished this.   Most of Maitland’s fish were caught on the ruby 2 under the big ruby, but he also had the opportunity to throw a size 20 black soft hackle at some fish taking emergers.  What fun.  Doug, from Texas, recently took the Orvis 101 clinic and was not ready to try his hand at catching a fish.  He spent the morning on the river with Gina and had a wonderful time.

Doug – 8/3/16

He too had the opportunity to throw a black soft hackle.  Otherwise, it was the black copperhead midge.  Next time, Doug’s wife, Angie gets to go!

Mike, from Kansas, spent Thursday morning on the river with Carolyn.  Wonderful day for him as his first fish to the net was a beautiful 19″ rainbow.  All the fish of any size were beautiful!

Michael – 8/4/16

Everything was on either the ruby 2 under the big ruby or the lightning bug.

Stan had a couple of new fly fishers out today.  Bob and his son Easton,  Good start for these two as they had fairly low water this morning.  Quite a few fish to the boat on the ruby ruby and ruby 2 dropper.  Dana’s couple, Michelle and Kevin from Texas were also catching on the ruby 2 dropper.  Good day for them.