Phil Lilley

Surreal... I wish they had some follow up on how this person recovered from it.

I've changed the default skin to Papyrus. This isn't a dictatorship... you can set your skin by selecting the skin at the bottom left of each page. You can set it back to the first, blue skin or any of the others. Each skin still has the original header- I'm working on changing each to have OA's name on them.

This is one of those trips fisherpeople will talk about for years to come... the ones who came in spite of the forecast. We still have a couple of rooms open if anyone wants to join us! We've had about 7 inches so far- 13 degrees and dropping. Seriously, fishing should be excellent today. This are pics from our webcam - here's the link to the regular page - http://lilleyslanding.com/webcam.php

Welcome- just let us know if you have any questions- we'd love to help. Where in Hot Springs do you find fly tying classes? It would be good to post them on the Fly Tying & Entymology Forum. Let your instructors know.

Sculpin, olive, brown, black, pink, white and I like purple. Real micro jigs are put together with some kind of shrink wrap process but I'm sure the fish won't mind if they're tied with thread.

I've heard of a patch... KicaTROT. Great report by the way- thanks!

We're having a pretty typical winter so far here in musicland (Branson). Some say it's wacky but wacky has become the norm for us. Very cold beginning, mild middle and wild ending to the winter season. But we haven't had much of a winter in 6-8 years now. But the lack of rain is another thing. I told someone today we haven't had but 3-4 inches since July. I'd say that's a first-rate drought. And right now not end in sight. Hopefully spring will bring rains. If not, we're in for a very tough summer. We've had a mixed-bag of weather just this week. Cold - warm - very warm and humid and today very windy cooler down to cold this evening. This weekend's forecast keeps changing for the worse... they're not sure if it's going to snow, sleet, rain or nothing- probably nothing. But it's supposed to be cold- seasonably cold. The trout won't mind. They bit real good today as the main front pushed thru. We got a trace of rain- that's when the fish bit best- then wind this evening. The trout went dorment after it starting getting cold. For the weekend though, the front has pushed thru and the fish should bounce right back. It may be windy, so bundle up. Wind is a good thing- fish bite best under a choppy surface. Jig and float ought to be best using a marabou/1/50th to 1/125th oz sculpin, sculpin-ginger, black or brown jig 4-5 feet deep. Try a ginger color just for kicks. Trolling crank baits is easy when the wind is blowing and your hands are cold. You can wear gloves and a rod when trolling. Night crawlers again are the best live bait to use. Use half-worm, hook it once in the middle using a #8 hook and shoot alittle air in the closed end, making it float off the bottom. A split shot 24 inches from the hook and you're done. Add a power bait egg to the head of the hook - will also make it float. Fly fishing below the dam has been good. Some nice rainbows holding in the faster water below rebar. #18 gray scuds, thin-skin scuds in tan and gray, ostrich and roo-scuds and sow bugs working well. Olive woolies stripped both day and at night #14's.

Oprah Winfrey stuff??? I guess I'm not in the know like Forsythian.

I should have tried it the other day- thought of it later. But I do- esp using my fly rod.

That would be a kodak moment- the expressions on faces when the first cords were struck. It's not the agent you have to be concerned with... it's the judge. From both perspectives, the judge makes or breaks laws. If he doesn't think the law has merit, he won't be tough on people. Case in point, a judge that think it's hard to tell the diff between a spotted bass and largemouth- he isn't going to be hard on the person standing in front of him if he can't tell the diff himself. I know you're going to say he is to uphold the law (MDC codes) but we're talking reality, not "the way it should be". It happens- it happens in Taney County!

Contained between Table Rock and Powersite Dams.

Snagged - I'm NOT touching that!! Coincidentally, Jeremy Hunt wants to do a fishing clinic on a Saturday up at the dam. I don't think he's worked out all the details but what we've talked about so far is - free - limit to 10 people - basic fishing instruction from equipment, clothing, equiette, casting, reading water... I guess we could create a official looking card, personalize it and present it if they pass the OAF test. As far as keeping you all in line... I've only had to bump one user- and I didn't have to bump this user, he requested to be bumped- that's pretty good seeing we have almost 500 members now.

Rudeness, shuffling- these subjects bring out the lengthiest threads on any forum... and bring out the critical spirit in all of us. Regardless, there's always going to be stupid people to deal with (unless you become a hermit). Just hope none of us does something stupid and becomes the subject of another thread on another forum.

The natives are restless tonight... Curtis and I cleaned the lense on the camera this evening and what a difference. Gave them a bunch of food too.

Excellent. How did you get them on a server?

Honestly there's no time better than others... all depends on weather patterns, fronts and rain.

There is no such thing as luck. Luck denoted chance... no plan... chaos.

I was fishing one day and catching fish at the bottom of rebar. I gentleman walked from upstream down to my right and eased down to where he was eventually casting where I was casting and even moved further where I had no place to cast. I thought I could wait him out but he didn't move. He did catch a couple of trout so that made things worse- he wasn't moving. I had been there for 3 hours so I figured I had my good time and started to leave. I waded over to him and said in a quiet voice (I didn't want anyone to know I was getting on him) that he had moved into my area too close. He was surprised- didn't have a clue he had done it... very apologetic and offered to move. I said I was going home... then he said he knew me- he was a guest of mine. I'm glad I handled it that way- I'm glad I didn't yell or give him a dirty look and walk off discussed. Doesn't happen that way all the time... wish it did.

Yes it's valentines... so what of it?! Paul and I were chastized by a couple who were fishing late this evening on the lake for being out on this special day. Am I in trouble - no. Can't say the same for Paul though. We put in a the Yoccum bridge on Long Creek about 3:30 pm and started fishing the channel out to the main creek. It was breezy but not bad. Using a chart. swimming minnow, Paul hooked one on the first cast--- yes the first cast curse! I hate catching a fish on the first cast cause it usually means bads things to come. He caught another short crappie and then we had a long dry spell. By the way, Paul Crews is from Neosho and longtime friend from back home. He is in construction and has a job on Indian Point. He reads the forum but is another non-member... non-poster. His wife Rita types all his emails and cuts the crust off his bread. Enough said. We fished the mud banks, throwing and working our swimming minnows in 2 to 6 feet of water. We found the crappie scattered and soft on the strike. I think we caught 8-9 crappie with 4 just-keepers. Boy the lake is low! By the way I did my valentines on Saturday evening... and anyhow... Marsha is my valentines 365 days a year.

Shaffer boy- this may stick.

Sure- Lisa will be there... I'll be on Table Rock chasing crappie with Vince. We both should do good!

Not with the cold weather we've had. I'd say it set them back pretty good but I'm sure as it warms up again, they'll be back on the flats soon. Gotta be patient!

Jigs- I'd throw straight line 1/16 or 3/32 oz sculpin, black or brown jigs from Short Creek to the dam, depending how far up you can get. Very little wind- easy fishing.

Strip them in choppy conditions (windy) best. I work them down current letting them swing below me. I strip them slow, fast, both, neither. I mean I get bit when using almost any kind of retreive- you just have to figure out what mood the fish are in- aggressive or passive. The take will be hard or soft- you will see most of the takes but not all. It's a fun fly to work. What size and color were you using (g-bug). You're right- it's a very small wooly tied with ostrich most of the time. Bret Rader coined the name.

Is this the plant? And the dam. And some powerlines... I've seen them before.