Lake Taneycomo Fishing Report
May 18, 2010

Spring rains finally
hit the Table Rock watershed

It seemed like we dodged one bullet after another when it came to the heavy rains that peppered the Midwest through April and into May, but our luck finally ran out a few days ago on Lake Taneycomo. Several strong storms brought a large influx of water in Beaver and Table Rock Lakes, and as of this writing, Taneycomo is back to running at full power. As long as more rains do not hammer the area in the near future, it looks like there could be two or three weeks of high flows out of Table Rock Dam. The low water fishing had been awesome, but now it’s time to switch gears for awhile. For me, that means pounding the banks with big streamers for trophy fish.

Bull Shoals and Norfork Lakes are also both high, but flows have been low to moderate on the rivers, as the Corp is still holding back water in an effort to help farmers far downstream protect and harvest their crops. For any chance at low water in the near future, the White and Norfork are the way to go, but it’s only a matter of time before those dams start cranking, as well. Interestingly, many White River and Norfork bait guides lament that “real” sculpins stop working in May due to overexposure. Ironically, using a lively and well-presented sculpin pattern can produce the desired results. Yes, there really are times on these rivers when flies will out-fish natural and live bait; it’s all about the presentation.

I have added a new fly pattern to the site: Kelly Galloup’s “Peanut Envy” – this streamer is garnering a lot of attention in the fly fishing world, and for good reason. We also just posted the second installment of our “White River History” series – this type of unique information can only be found on Taneycomotrout.com, and I really do hope that everyone is enjoying taking a deeper look into the fisheries we love. There will be at least three more articles related to this series, and feel free to let us know if there is something you would like to see covered.

My weekends are still somewhat busy with guiding, and I spend any free time I get during the week either tying flies or working on the Web site. If you have wanted to try some big-water streamer fishing, the next three weeks will offer up plenty of varied opportunities. Anglers in the Ozarks have already caught an unprecedented number of big fish this spring, and that trend will continue when we start seeing consistently high flows. The low water was a nice respite from battling high releases for months on end, but I’m excited about the amazing streamer fishing that is just about to explode.

Testimony:

The early part of May, 2010, I had the pleasure of spending two days with Jeremy Hunt.

Having been with White River guides in the past, my hope for a fun and fish catching trip were quite low. Myself and best friend met Jeremy at Wildcat Shoals. Jeremy is a young man with a very personable demeanor. The three of us exchanged pleasantries for a bit. Soon after, we were in Jeremy’s drift boat. Yes, a drift boat, not a Jon boat with a motor. Jeremy explained that he wanted to fish in a stealth manner.

Having very limited long fly line casting abilities made what Jeremy wanted me to do well, difficult. Jeremy is a very kind, funny, patient and considerate man in all ways. What a breath of fresh air.

We used his Miracle Fly for a good part of Monday, also using some Midge patterns. I brought to net thirty fish during that first day. Could have had a lot more if my casting was better.

I fished again the very next day with another best friend. I was asking Jeremy to help my friend use the same fly setup on his spin rod. Jeremy came up with the solution. Want to know, ask him. By the way, my friend and I together caught fifty+ fish again that day.

I honestly believe that I spent two days with a future legend in the sport of fly fishing. His casting and all other skills at fly fishing are of an awesome scale.

Years ago, I spent a day on the river with a guide from Wales. Three 3 fish (not really a big deal – expected more but oh well). Worst part, the trip was absolutely no fun at all. I was glad when the trip was over.

Okay folks, bottom line: go to North Central Arkansas. Hire Jeremy Hunt to guide you – – anywhere. You will have one of the very best times on the water you could possibly have.

One final comment – – this man is the REAL DEAL!

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