Fishing Report
April 30, 2013

Long awaited
fishing report

I know, I know. I’ve been slacking big time on writing the latest fishing report. It keeps going back to being lazy and not wanting to update a site that I’m actually getting rid of in the next day or two. We are about 90 percent on completion with the new site and I’m excited about it!

I will definitely be updating this one on a regular basis along with tying tutorials again. The videos will start streaming as well. Enough about the site, let’s talk about the fishing.

Lake
Taneycomo

Is where I’ve been spending my time for the most part. With only having a few days off each month, it has kept me on the water a lot. Taneycomo has consistently been on fire all the way through the winter months, but since we have had some heavy generation for the last couple of weeks the fishing has slowed down a bit. Just in the past few days we have seen a few hours of low water, but it’s been in the morning. That is the window for success if you don’t have options to a boat.

Table Rock is up just over a foot and the way the corp is releasing flows it might take awhile to draw down the lake. This is our wet time so we really need to pay attention to how much rain we get in the month of May. That will be the deciding factor on how much low water we will get in the summer months. A couple of big rains could raise the lake pretty fast. For every inch of rain we get it will fill up the lake a foot.

And depending on how much they generate will determine on how fast they dump it into Bull Shoals Lake. I will say they have done a better job this year on getting the lake back down to power pool, but you can’t control mother nature and it only takes one or two big rains close together to change the whole dynamics of the fishery from being a low water year or high water year. Let’s hope to have another stellar year of low water.

Fishing Report in April
for Midge Fishing

Midge fishing has been the trick for hooking more fish, but all the other staple local patterns are working to. Trailing patterns off of attractors has been the norm in this high water and focusing on the banks has been key for hooking up on more fish. Fishing right in the middle of the river has been good in one unit of water, but anything more than that I’ve been having better luck along the banks, especially in the breaks in the current, like an eddy or calm water. This will hold pods of fish that are feeding in a group.

I really believe that we should see some more spells of low water and it will usually be in the morning. So fishing at day break will be my pattern for the weeks to come unless they generate bigger water. Also, night fishing is going to be another option if you are looking for low water as of right now.

White River ^& Norfork

They are also seeing some flows, but the good thing about this fishing report is that we have two rivers close by each other to give us options. The White River has been generating around the clock, but Norfork tailwater has been shut down for the most part so you can get the best of both worlds. I would much rather gamble with fishing the White over Norfork because of the quality of the fish.

Norfork will be a dink day and the White will have the opportunity for hooking into a big brown throwing streamers or caddis patterns. They have the right water for throwing streamers right now so if that is your thing I would get down there and do it. You will have better luck if the weather is yucky. On sunny days, add in the motor boat pressure, equals a bad day for streamer fishing. That’s when you put on the good ole indicator stand by fishing nymph patterns.

I had some trips over the weekend and floated from the dam down to Gaston’s and Wildcat to Hurst. Both areas were fishing steady, but we didn’t turn a big brown either day running streamers. We did a night float till 1 am and couldn’t get that big one to bite either. I guess that’s fishing, but there’s always tomorrow. You’re only has good as your last day.

Norfork, I can’t say how the fishing is over there. I can only tell you from what I’ve heard and it’s always the same, lot’s of fish being caught, but nothing over the 20 inch mark. This tailwaters remains to stay the same and that’s why I don’t guide as much over there. It’s just not storing the bigger fish unless they have longer periods of generation to move them in there. In low water, the trout can’t make their way upstream because of all the fill in from downstream around the two islands.

Add in bad D.O. issues and this river is in trouble. They keep saying this will change with minimal flow, but we’ve heard this for some time now. When they do this fishery will be on fire in my opinion.

Tying Class

Tying classes are done until the fall. In the meantime, I will be adding lot’s of tying patterns to give you something to do until we start the classes back up in the fall. Our last class we did was a casting lesson and I hope everyone had a great time and benefited from it.

I feel like it’s my duty to also share that side of fly fishing with my the guest who attend my class and it’s my way of giving back and also taking not only your tying to the next level, but that cast as well. That to me, is the most important part of the sport. Without it, you can never excel in the casting if all you know is the “fisherman’s cast”, which is called the pick up and lay down.

Tight lines and hope to see you on the water. I hope everyone likes the new layout on the site and for any reason you would like to see improvements for the better, we encourage feedback and welcome any questions, comments or concerns.

You have to false cast to develop, timing, distance and accuracy, all important things when going out with a guide. If you can do more with your cast, we can do more with you as far as presentations and trying to get that big one for you by not being lucky, but by being skilled.

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