Phil Lilley

I've heard the Norfork Tailwater is not doing well right now- anyone know first hand?

Fresh from the road... just wanted everyone to know we are back. Will work on pics and report later for everyone. It was a great trip with friends, beautiful scenery but alittle tough on the fish catching side. Three of four days were sunny and little wind. The last day (Thursday) was cloudy and breezy and the trout bit! It was fun. More later.... Guess I can go ahead and report... but no pics from me!!! Sorry but I deleted them off the camera before I transfered them to the computer. What a sick, sick, SICK feeling. We arrived Monday morning at Abe's at 7 am, driving through the night 16 hours from Branson. Brian Shaffer, Rolan Duffield and Chuck Puckett and I made the first leg to El Reno, OK and there met up with John Johnson and his friend Randy. We started fishing at the Braids, an area where the river fanned out through small islands of trees creating shoots and pools, all holding trout. Crowds weren't too bad at all so we filed in and started feeling our way around. I showed the novices a few tricks and we were fishing.. not really catching though. I was an experimental day with a few trout caught- we were tired from the trip so we called an early day of it. Tuesday and Wednesday were more of the same. We explored some stretches I had not gone to back in June and did fair. Everyone had trout on and there were a few landed. Nothing huge- 3 pounds about the biggest. Rolan found a good shoot called the Cable Hole and camped there Wednesday, catching quite a few rainbows and hooking many more. #20-22 barbless hooks don't stay in fish's mouths very well. Weather Monday-Wednesday was sunny and calm- 35-40 in the am and 60-65 daytime. Wednesday we did get a good midge hatch mid day which woke up the fish a bit. Thursday was by far the best day- cloudy and windy and cooler... midges came off all morning into the afternoon. John and Randy hooked and John landed several rainbows just below the upper line in the 4-6 pound range. Rolan, still at the Cable Hole, did the same. I caught my biggest rainbow of the trip in the fast shoot below the dam on a 3/32nd oz black jig- yes I took my spin cast and did very well thank you!! I caught 25 trout Thursday on a jig in different areas and conditions, mainly on black but did well on sculpin too. We all headed down to the Braids to finish out the trip mid day- Brian and I walked to the ramp and saw dozens of rises in the wide, slow moving water there. We waded out and started casting #26-28 black emergers at them and had a blast. We both missed, hooked-lost, landed dozens of rainbows and a few browns before the hatch slowed to a tickle. I tried my jigs and caught a dozen more. At dust, the hatch started again- they had to drag me off the river to leave for home. All and all- the scenery was breath-taking... the trees were at peak (very late like the rest of the country), weather was nice (would rather it be cloudy-rainy-windy but that's how it goes) and the fellowship was the best. Would we have caught more fish by staying on Taney? Going to the White, Norfork, Current, 11-point or NFOTW??? Probably but it wouldn't have been the SAN JUAN RIVER- would it.

David Freeman turned me on to fishing for trout in the dead water below the dam years ago. McFlyGuy hit it on the head- everything he said... the only thing I'd add is place the palsa about 18 inches from the first fly- use flourocarbon tippet (it sinks better)- no weight at all, not even in the fly. It needs to look natural on the bottom- move the float when a fish is near to trigger a look and/or strike- Brett carries great flies to use for this type of fishing but you can tie a scud using ostrich (which he uses), making the bug breath and move, making it look alive- use orange in some of the dubbing to make the fly look dead (scuds turn orange when they die)- try to fish choppy water verses slick- you can get away with using 6x tippet, you sight fish to tailing trout while they feed on the bottom. This is good down towards the bottom of the narrows or the top of big hole.

Most of the fly shops in the area carry a good variety of midge patterns. We (Lilleys) carry about 15 different patterns from #20 to #28's. The thread midge Seth is speaking of is a simple fly tied with blood red thread which is extremely effective below the dam. I use it for my dropper fly below a small scud or San Juan worm.

Randall, Walt and Norma Miller of Paris, Tx.

San Juan- there's that river again... We leave tomorrow for the SJ!! I'm packed and ready. I'll bring back lots of pics and good stories hopefully. As for the pigs under the sinks... they are smarter than you think. I have guests who try all the time using even guts and don't hook them. And landing a fish that size is a feat-

Well... mine is from Taneycomo last winter- about 7 pounds caught on camera (video, no still pic). Was guiding for a fishing show and caught it by accident on a sculpin jig just down from the KOA. Accident because I wasn't supposed to fish on the show- was supposed to keep the "hosts" in fish which I did but become the "hog" when I landed the big bow. I have a copy of the show at least. Equal that - a 7 pound rainbow caught on the Russian River In Alaska last summer on a double yellow humpy. That was by far the most exciting rainbow. Steelhead - if you count that as a rainbow, I landed a 12 pound steely on the Pere Marquette 10 years ago on an egg fly. I'll have to scan the pic.

No eggs... just guts- guts of other trout. This is what we call "gut pigs" - trout that live under our docks that eat trout guts. They get big and fat - no work for their meals. This last summer we had a rainbow we guessed at 15 pounds under our dock for a month. Thought it was a brown at first because of the size but with the clear water we could see the color and spots. It could have been this fish or another. Seth's fish was a gut fish too- it cruised between the docks for it's meals.

Here's the pics of the 14-pound rainbow caught a couple of weeks ago on Taney. Angler - Garry Miller of Belton, MO caught it on a zebra midge just downstream of Lookout.

I am later... sent you a p.m.

May be it was your aftershave... I was there earlier and had no problems. And swatting at them doesn't help their aggression. More importantly - how was fishing? Remember this is a fishing bbs. Pain? It will stop in a few hours.

What's coming off the river this time of year? I bet the river is beautiful to float this time of year.

How's the fishing down there.... Jimmy T?? Is there a big rush to get in some fishing below the dam before the drop-dead November 1st closing? Do you ever fish down at Rim? I've heard there's already some big browns down there staging.

Are zebra midges taking over their rival - the "jig-n-float" method of fishing? Most of the guides now fish spin-tackle and fish a zebra midge under a float more than a jig and are very successful- anywhere on the lake. Just a couple of weeks ago, a zebra midge caught a 14 pound rainbow... nothing to sneeze at!!

I've personally seen more "keeper" browns caught and released this fall than any other fall season... is that seem true to you? I'm going to test the system and post a pic sent in to me yesterday... I like guys who carry ditigal cameras!! May be I won't- I'll check my permissions!! ok- that's better.

It's cold. It's snowing tonight. Water is off... finally. Three thoughts tonight as I watch the white stuff pile up outside my window. So far this winter shows signs of being a cold one with few warm breaks in the temperature. We've always had days at least up in the 40's in years past but not so far this winter. And nothing in the foreseeable forecast. I personally haven't adjusted to the cold yet. My fishing buddy Vince suggested it's because of the fat I've lost in the last 3 months. I've been watching what I eat and working out. This revelation makes me think about adding that fat back to keep me warm! Guess we better get used to ice in the guides. Snowing!? I commented to Marsha, as we crept up the hill on the strip this evening, avoiding the 8 car pileup at Roark Valley Road, that this snow was much better than the ice we've had the last 3 winters. Still slick but nothing sticking on the trees. Water is off!! We've been waiting for this for many months. So far what we've noticed is the bug population is huge and our trout are fat and strong. Scuds, sow bugs and lots and lots of midge hatches. I talked to Duane on New Years day about him seeing gobs of midges on Table Rock while duck hunting. I say gobs because he said they were hatching to fast that they were sticking together on the surface creating clumps of bugs. The only place I've seen that is on the San Juan River. I would love to see that on Taneycomo. Now I can't speak to how the fishing has been since the change in generation yet. I fished a little on the first up below the dam but too little to get a feel for what will happen in the days to come. I can guess... it's really going to be good! The trout are there. It's the first of January when we see some of the best fishing of the year here on Taney. Our rainbows haven't seen much pressure the last couple of months and have had a chance to rest and grow. Water quality is in great shape. Everything looks fantastic for this winter's season.