Phil Lilley

Just what I heard. Water cleared up kinda at Fall Creek up at the end of the day. It will be better tomorrow. Bill may not report so I'll do it for him. They did well using sculpin micros under a float and they threw a purple 3/32 oz jig and crawled it on the bottom. Did the best from Andy's past the tennis courts mid lake. At Fall Creek, clients came in off the lake and said they did well using night crawlers just below the line. Down in this area and lower it was slow. Did have a nice smally come in. A gal caught it below the resort, released it at the dock. It was about 16 inches, 2.5 pounds. Not sure on what.

But is it a new problem?

After the rains yesterday, our lake is pretty muddy. But they're still catching trout. In our area, off our dock, it's slow. Up towards Fall Creek it's better but no fishing reports yet. Up further in the trophy area it's much better. Babler was out and they caught alot of rainbows on jigs. I'll let him do his own report. Fly and spin fishing below the dam is good. Report of anglers doing well using sculpin 1/80th oz jig with an orange head under an indicator very good in the MDC boat ramp area down into the KOA area. Water is clear up there. Not supposed to run water today but the clear water will gradually move downstream today. If they run water tomorrow, the water will clear quickly.

They closed the ends. No canon because the herons can't get into the stock pens. I tend to agree- there are alot of herons but in the end it's MDC's call.

I would think if fisheries in AR and MO thought that herons were a problem they'd create a season and put a limit on them. I wonder what the reasoning is behind the season and limit on Sand Hill Cranes are in Kansas?

You can take grayling- there is a limit. You can catch them on small spinners and I'm sure jigs. Rainbows same- jigs are real good (leech imitation). Fishing on your own- that depends on how much water you want to see. Yes you can get along fine on the Naknek after a day or two of guiding but that's all you'll see - is the Naknek. I know you're used to big river and fast water being on the White. The nakenk is much faster and shallow in the rapids with big boulders... you can get in trouble in a hurry if you're not experienced. I found using a jet on this water is challenging too. I've been in some scary situations on this river. Let's just say I would be very choosey about who I'd let take one of my boats on this river, esp down in the rapids. I find that most people who make the trip to AK want to see as much different water and scenery as possible and that would take a guide... unless you're very adventuresome.

I'll take that as a compliment.

I posted all of Leonard's flies on our e-store last night. Click the LilleysTackleStore icon and click Leonard Keeney. It should bring them all up. I still haven't gotten his jigs up yet.

Paul is correct. I believe Shepherd will become, if it's not already, one of the premiere brown trout hatcheries in the country. They also do alot of work with hellbenders there.

By Phil Surratt BDN Staff Writer psurratt@bransondailynews.com http://www.bransondailynews.com/story.php?storyID=9871 A year ago, Shepherd of the Hills fish hatchery took on a new look with the addition of a state-of-the-art brown trout rearing facility. The operation now allows the Missouri Department of Conservation to raise thousands of brown trout annually. But in the first year of operation, the facility hit a few bumps in the road. Coldwater Hatcheries Supervisor James Civiello said high water in the spring and elevated water temperatures caused some problems. “This year, water temperatures got up to 66 degrees and that increases the number of parasites in the water. That, in turn, causes fish loss,” Civiello said. About eight thousand gallons of water a minute comes into the new facility from Shepherd of the Hills rainbow trout hatchery via Table Rock Lake. “We had a bit of a struggle dealing with the warm water but we got around it,” he said. Civiello said the new facility is a step up in the department’s effort to grow more quality trout, not only for Lake Taneycomo but the region’s other cold water fisheries. “The design is great. We put in 12 new rearing raceways and several intermediate raceways as fish get larger,” he said. A big addition to the new rearing facility is a fish ladder — a concrete stair-step from the river to the hatchery — and big browns are finding their way home. Civiello said it is natural for brown trout to return to where they were hatched and the ladder makes it easier for them to get back. “Over the years, I’ve found that a fish ladder is very important to good production,” Civiello said. “We got a very good return of 3-year-old broodstock. In three egg-takes, we got 300,000 eggs. It worked just the way we designed it,” he said. The early life-stage of a brown trout can be touch and go. At a critical time, fish need to be protected from disease. Civiello said incubation goes well, but when the fish hatch, they go through a life-stage called the sack fry. “That’s when they have the embryonic sack they absorb. In that life-stage we cannot treat for parasites because you kill the production,” he said. Civiello said they lucked out and had more fish available during this past year’s spawn. “We took another spawn and moved those eggs to another building, which is protected from high concentrations of parasites,” he said. Systemwide, the conservation department wants to increase brown trout volume by 20 percent. Approximately 700,000 rainbow trout are released into Lake Taneycomo each year. The number of brown trout is around 10,000. Other hatcheries in the state are being renovated to increase production capabilities, as well. Renovations include the addition of liquid oxygen to help trout grow faster. The new Branson facility has allowed Civiello to spread out production and create better fish quality. Other state hatcheries will also benefit during times of drought and poor water quality. Shepherd of the Hills will be able to provide fish to keep their production numbers up. The last renovation at Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery was back in the 1970s.

Great!! We need more fish pics on the forum!!! I can't even get Babler to post any of his bass pics...

Bill- is that number right? It's a 417... that's not KC.

Just wondering- how many people listened to this audio file? Was it helpful? Did anyone have a problem with it?

Very nice- we have another AK guide on the forum. We welcome your knowledge and experience- look forward to seeing what you have to say. What lodge did you guide for?

JS- I always enjoy your posts...

Gavin- you're right in the ballpark.

Yes- I only use green. It just seems to work best at least here on Taney.

Type in King Salmon, AK. Naknek River runs thru KS NE to Naknek Lake. Follow the only road past Pike Lake (marked) to the end of the road and that's Lake Camp Access. The camp where we operate out of is just downstream less than 1/2 mile from the access. The image isn't the best on GE but you get the idea of the river, lake and surroundings.

I understand what you're saying. I've gotten in trouble with some of my best friends for posting a report on a good crappie hole or "the whites are running" just to have a hundred people show up the next day. But it's a mindset I don't necessarily agree with, but respect. But reporting and educating is why I started this site in the first place. It's built on that premise- to share information on fishing, something we all cherish. My hope is that more people start fishing, not less. More kids learn the sport, not less, which is the trend by the way. We all dream of having a nice trout or smalley stream all to ourselves but in this day and age, it's almost impossible, except of course you're fishing Taney in zero degree weather.

Brian Shaffer is big into bamboo... I'll drop him an email and see what he thinks.

Clarify- Out fish- Those that would fish a conventional yarn egg verses a bead- no comparison. I posted a pic somewhere on the forum where I'm holding a handful of real salmon eggs with one bead in the mix- you can't tell the difference. Neither can trout and char in AK. I caught and released one rainbow 4 times this fall on Idavain Creek. He never refused it. Problem using them for most trout here- they don't make them small enough. 6mm is the smallest troutbead makes. Rainbow eggs are smaller. But they do take these beads, just not like trout taking sockeye and king eggs in AK.

"works like this: The fish take the bead....the hook swings down against the fishes OUTER jaw-line...when the fish expells the bead the hook usually pokes the fish." Sometimes. In my experience in AK, about 5% of the time. Not lying here to defend using it here- we hook our rainbows, sockeye and silvers 95% of the time in the mouth- that is the hook is all the way inside the mouth. I know your theory make sense but not in real time, or real fishing. Now here, with small rainbows, your statement may be more true. Of the few rainbows I've caught on beads - pegged - the hooks are in the mouth but not all the time. I understand what you're saying... there are quite a few guides in AK who don't like beads... but we out fish them everytime. And like Michael said, it's up to us to get people into fish- catch fish. If the client doesn't want to use beads- that's fine. But he has to understand the difference and what the results are. BTY- a bead slid onto the hook will not catch fish.

http://troutbeads.com or I carry a few patterns in my shop.

FLYWATER ANGLING ADVENTURES Steve Hollensed Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide FFF Master Certified Casting Instructor flywaterangling.com 903.546.6237 For 2009, the fly angler will have many opportunities to improve his or her fly fishing skills. I will be conducting casting classes and species specific fly fishing classes. Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide Rob Woodruff continues to offer his very popular and informative entomology class. Rob and Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide Doc Thompson team up together this year for a new Trout Lab. This class will focus on various natural science disciplines as they relate to fly fishing. Listed below is the current schedule: Warmwater Fly Casting School with Steve Hollensed: April 3rd & 4th[, near Sherman TX (see attachment) Learning to Fly Cast with Steve Hollensed: April 25th, near Sherman TX (see attachment) Entomology for Fly Fishers with Rob Woodruff: February 21st & 22nd, May 16th & 17th, November 14th & 15th, Mountain Fork River, OK Dry Fly School with Orvis Dallas: May 30th, Mountain Fork River OK Trout Lab with Rob Woodruff and Doc Thompson: June 6th & 7th, Cimarron River, NM Gift certificates are available for these schools. Feel free to contact me for more information. stevehollensed @texoma.net BeginnerIntClass.doc WARMWATER_FLYCASTING_SCHOOL.doc

"pegging beads is kind of an ethical issue, the technique is designed as a way for lazy guides to simply get a fish on the line of someone who lacks skills .....it is more like politically correct snagging ! " I resemble that remark