Phil Lilley

For all you lurkers out there... be the 4000th member and win something!

If nothing works, email one to me and let me see what I can do with it. lilley @lilleyslanding.com I leave the space so bots can't steal my email and send me stuff.

Nice to have you.

The water that flows downstream from Greers Ferry Dam for approximately 30 miles is, without a doubt, some of the best trout fishing water in the South. Anglers can fish for monster Rainbows that in some cases push 20 pounds. There are also some very beautifully colored Brown Trout that can grow to massive sizes. There is also the chance for the "Grand Slam", since the Little Red River is also home to Brook and Cutthroat Trout. The river has islands, shoals with faster running water, moss beds and boulders that make up a variety of trout habitat. Construction on Greers Ferry Dam started in 1959 and was completed in 1962 near the town of Heber Springs, Arkansas. President John F. Kennedy dedicated the dam on October 3, 1963. It was one of his last official acts as president before his assassination in Dallas. A federal fish hatchery was built near the dam, where Arkansas Fish and Game raise Rainbow, Brook and Cutthroat trout. The first rainbow was stocked in 1965, and Fish and Game now stock roughly 300,000 rainbows per year. The Brook trout seems to have established itself with many fish being caught that run smaller than the 6" stocking size. Unfortunately the chances for a Grand Slam are slipping away, since there seems to be less and less of the beautiful cutthroat trout and Fish and Game has a proposal to stop stocking them. At first, Arkansas Fish and Game were against stocking the Brown trout, since they are such notorious cannibals and would have had a feast of hatchery trout. But, in the early 1970's, several unknown fishermen took it upon themselves to buy brown trout fingerlings and place them in the Little Red. The next year several Vibert hatching boxes filled with fertilized brown trout eggs were also placed in the river. Regulations now exist that prohibit these types of actions, but the initial stockings took off and now the Little Red is probably one of the best brown trout fisheries in the world, and has the world record brown to it's credit. On May 9, 1992 Howard "Rip" Collins caught the world record brown, weighing in at a whopping 40 lbs. 4 1/4 oz. The beauty was traced back to the initial stocking of the mid-70's. To properly fish the Little Red, your fly box should include: Sow Bugs, Scuds, Wooly Buggers, San Juan Worms and a few Crayfish imitations. Other well known and successful patterns include: the Prince Nymph, March Browns, Brassies and a Red Ass Soft Hackle. In periods of no generation and low water, there are incredible midge hatches and midge fishing can be outstanding. Griffith's Gnats, small BWO Emerger patterns and Zebra Midges work great as do egg patterns in season. The "standard" fly rod is an 8-9' 4 or 5 weight rod. A 6 weight is also a very popular rod. Leaders of 4X and 5X work in most conditions and situations. In periods of low water, 6X or 7X tippets will be mainly used in midge fishing. For delicate presentation in midge fishing, there are anglers that will drop down to a 2 or 3 weight rod. Neoprene waders are a must for colder weather fishing. There is no closed season in Arkansas; some beautiful fish can be caught during the colder months and you could end up being on the river virtually all by yourself. Breathable waders are sufficient for warmer weather fishing. The river bottom is notoriously slick so felt soles are a must. Polarized sunglasses are also a necessity. The most important thing to remember about the Little Red is that it's a tailwater, and water flow can and will fluctuate. The Corp of Engineers does have a warning horn they sound prior to generation, but at any sign of rising water, for your safety, leave the water immediately.

The wind was pretty crazy. It would blow hard and make the water roll, then tame down but the waves kept going. It was rippled so we could see down in and see the rainbow schooling around. We'd throw close enough to see them swarming under the indicator but the float wouldn't move until, wait..., the float would finally dart. It was fun. We also tried this- setting the float at 3 feet, we were fishing in less than 3 feet of water. That means the jig was laying on the bottom. I'd hop the float, hopping the jig off the bottom may be 12 inches. When I did this, I'd see one- maybe two- rainbows dart over toward where the jig was, seeing the movement and being drawn to it. I'd do it again and he'd hit it hard. If we'd used a white jig (we didn't cause they were on an olive), we would have seen the jig disappear into the trout's mouth. That's cool too.

Vince and I boated to the Narrows about a mile above Fall Creek. Water was off, temp dropping and wind stiff out of the north at 15 mph at 2 pm. The only thing we could do is use a jig and float. Vince had his fly rod and me my spin cast. We set the boat up on the shallow flat in about 2 ft of water and casted to the deeper side but still not much more than 3 to 3.5 feet. Even with the waves almost breaking over, we could see rainbows all over the place slashing and jumping- they were very active. Vince started with an olive 1/80th oz jig and I with a white 1/50th oz. Vince had a couple before I got my first. It was a white bass- about 3/4 lb. I saw others but they schooled on by. The wind was really moving us, too fast to catch fish so I threw out an anchor and we really started to nail them. We both hooked some really nice rainbows, lost several but landed a few along with other trout. All rainbows. All were very fat and healthy- lots of color. Caught some males, darken and yellow tinted. We ended it at 4:30- C of O had a couple of B-Ball games and Vince had to get back. I have to say I was very impressed with the size and fight of these rainbows. I saw others quite a bit bigger than the ones we hooked. I'm excited about our prospects this winter and spring.

Cool... isn't it great to get to fish with your dad!!!

There's an options box on the top right of the top comment box. Need to change this setting.

Sam- we need to share cell phone numbers. We could have helped with your catching I think. Might have seen you on the water but didn't know. We were at Snapp most of the day but did move around in the afternoon. As for the ramp... we were the first in and last out today. Actually, there's quite a bit of room to park rigs around the corner in the old parking lot. Have to have 2 people to do it though- ferry the boat and pick up your truck driver up in the cove by the lot. And like you said, there was plenty of room for everyone on the water... even at Snapp.

What a wonderful day today. Hope we have some days in April like today. Minus the 19 degrees at the start!!! Was hard to imagine at 7:30 am it was going to warm up to 60 later in the day! I thought the fish wouldn't bite early... 19 degrees!! The lake should have been frozen over but we clocked the temp at 42. Boated to Snapp... stopped twice to thaw our faces. I didn't want to fish once we got up there. I can get pumped to fish for trout in 19 degrees but not crappie or any other warm water fish. Just doesn't compute! But fish we did. Caught the first crappie at 7:45 am. White 1/8th oz jig was my weapon of choice. Bill stuck with his swim baits, mostly a black over white 3 inch swimming minnow. I did throw a pearl 3 inch swimming minnow on a 1/4rd oz head several times and did catch a few but the white jig did the best for me. Set the boat in 20 feet of water and threw up into 5-9 feet and let it go to the BOTTOM. That's where 100% of the fish were. Had to get there and keep it there. Work it slow and stopped 2-3 times as we retrieved it. At first, the takes were soft, especially the crappie. There was a slight breeze from the north but not enough to affect the line or the feel. Mostly crappie for the first 2 hours. Then the whites started in. Mix in a walleye or two and some small bass and that was our day. The bite slowed mid day. The wind completely stopped about 10 am and picked up about 1 pm but still not much. We tried several other places up and down the lake. Similar structure- roll offs from flats to channel and a couple of humps Bill and Vince knew about. Oh yea- Vince joined up about 2 pm. We hit one spot where we picked up 5 nice whites in short order plus a beautiful yellow perch Vince caught- he released it before I could get a pic of it. It was really pretty... about 10 inches long. The whites later in the day were more active and would tap the jig pretty hard. Again, can't stress this enough, the lure had to be on the bottom. Ended the day with 15 nice crappie from 11 to 14 inches, 20 whites mostly 2+ pounders, one keeper walleye and 3 shorts, 3 big gills. Had a couple keeper blacks but didn't keep them plus several other small blacks. Bill counted 40+ rigs at the ramp. Never got crowded and everyone was pleasant on the water. Didn't get any good video... sorry. Chris Tectrick was fishing close to us most of the day. He has I think 10 crappie and 10 whites. Saw Tim Sainato on the water also. He and another guy had 2 limits of big whites by noon and were working on crappie when we talked to them.

January-February 2009 Newsletter from the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery Conservation Center Hope your winter is going well. Contents [1] Wild About Winter – January 24th [2] Fly Tying Class – February 14th [3] Vulture Venture – February 21st [4] Would you like to be a Volunteer? – Open House February 5th [5] Blue Star Memorial coming to Branson at SOTH [6] Ask a Naturalist “How Much Wood can a Woodchuck Chuck?” Making Reservations: Because the Hatchery is open 7 days a week, you may call any day from 9am to 5pm. This includes Saturday and Sunday. We ask that reservations be made by phone, not by email. 1. Wild About Winter Saturday, January 24th 10am – 12 noon (continuous) No Reservations Required Come and enjoy winter themed arts and crafts as you learn how Missouri animals prepare and survive the winter. This program will be continues in the morning so that you can participate in as many of the activities as your youngsters want. This program is primarily designed for pre-schoolers, but siblings are welcome. No reservations are required. Call (417) 334-4865 ext ) for more information or directions. 2. Fly Tying Workshop Saturday, February 14th Ages 12 and up 2- 4pm Reservations Required Join area fishing guide, Jeremy Hunt, for a wonderful hands-on fly tying workshop. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced fly tier, you will learn new techniques to help you make that perfect fly. This program is free, but reservations are required. You don’t need to bring anything, but if you have a fly tying vise, bring it. For more information or reservations call (417) 334-4865 ext 0. 3. Vulture Venture - 13th Annual Saturday, February 21 Any Age 12noon – 6 pm No Reservations Required Since 1996, the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery in Branson has hosted Missouri’s most unusual wildlife viewing opportunity. The award-winning Vulture Venture will be Saturday, February 21st from noon to 6 p.m. This event focuses on the often misunderstood and highly beneficial birds known as vultures. Indoor attractions include a live vulture from the Wonders of Wildlife Museum in Springfield, a video about vultures, vulture games, stickers and crafts. Naturalists will greet visitors outdoors with spotting scopes for viewing one of Missouri's largest vulture wintering roosts. This is a rare opportunity to see both black and turkey vultures in same location. Late in the afternoon, you will be treated to vulture "kettling" as the big birds swoop down above your head to roost for the night. This is a free program and requires no reservations. For more information or directions, call (417) 334‑4865 ext 0. 4. Would You Like To Be A Volunteer Naturalist? The Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery is now recruiting for new volunteer naturalists to help at the Conservation Center. Volunteers will be helping with a variety of projects including, greeting the public, giving hatchery tours, landscaping, talking to visitors, and giving school/public programs. An informational “Open House” is scheduled for February 5th at 7pm at the Hatchery. You will be able to hear what is involved with this program, talk to current volunteers about what they do, and get answers to any questions about this volunteer program. If you are interested in spending your time to not only help our community, but also our forest, fish, and wildlife, then we have the right opportunity for you. Contact John Miller at (417) 334-4865 ext 0 or john.miller@mdc.mo.gov for more details. 5. Blue Star Memorial Comes to Branson via the Hatchery Thanks to the Shepherd of the Hills Garden Club, Branson will now have a home for Missouri’s newest Blue Star Memorial…at the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery. The SOTH Garden club and the SOTH Hatchery recently got the official word that the memorial has been approved at the Hatchery. While no date has been set for the installation, the public will be invited to the unveiling. It is the hope of the Hatchery and the Garden Club that veterans from across the country will visit this memorial as part of their Branson experience. Here is a brief description of the Memorial program: Since 1945 the Blue Star Memorial of the National Garden Clubs began to honor the men and women serving in the Armed Forces. The name was chosen for the star on flags displayed in homes and businesses denoting a family member serving. Garden clubs pictured a ribbon of living memorial plantings traversing every state. The designation of Blue Star Memorials was achieved through petitions and cooperation with the various state agencies. The Blue Star Memorial Program has grown to extend thousands of miles across continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii. All men and women who have served, are serving, or will serve in the Armed Forces of the United States are included. Markers continue to be dedicated each year on highways, Veterans’ facilities, National Cemeteries, parks, and civic and historic sites, showing our appreciation for those who defend our country. No marker may bear an individual’s name. These markers are designed to pay tribute to the Armed Forces as a whole. 6. Ask a Naturalist “How Much Wood Could a Woodchuck Chuck if a Woodchuck Could Chuck Wood?” Jacob from Branson asks, my friend taught me a new tongue twister and I was wondering if it was just a joke of if there really is an answer to “How Much Wood Could a Woodchuck Chuck if a Woodchuck Could Chuck Wood?” Jacob, I heard the same tongue twister in school too. Until a few years ago, I had always thought this was just a cute joke. Luckily, the Naturalists at the Hatchery did some research and found that there REALLY IS AN ANSWER. Thanks to the staff at Cornell University, the answer is 700 pounds of wood a year. Here is what we found at their web site: Compared to beavers, groundhogs/woodchucks are not adept at moving timber, although some will chew wood. At Cornell, woodchucks that gnaw their wooden nest boxes are given scraps of 2”-by-4” lumber. A wildlife biologist once measured the inside volume of a typical woodchuck burrow and estimated that -- if wood filled the hole instead of dirt -- the industrious animal would have chucked about 700 pounds' worth. (http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/96/2.1.96/facts.html) Enjoy Groundhog Day on February 2nd. We hope that it does NOT see its shadow! For a great web site about the groundhog tradition and groundhogs in general, go to www.groundhog.org If you have a question that you would like to have a Naturalist answer, send your question to John.Miller@mdc.mo.gov . We would love to answer it for you and share this information with other readers in our ‘Ask A Naturalist’ spot. We hope that you have enjoyed this issue of the Shepherd of the Hills newsletter. Have a great winter and keep learning about the forest, fish, and wildlife resources around us. Cheers! John Miller Naturalist Program Supervisor Shepherd of the Hills Conservation Center 483 Hatchery Road Branson MO 65616 (417) 334 4865 ext 0 John.Miller@mdc.mo.gov

I have a few ink cartridges laying around I need to get rid of. I have 4 HP 56 unopened. Reg $41.99 I'll sell for $20 each. I have a HP 57 series Tricolor unopened. Reg $39.99 I'll sell for $20.00. I have a HP 28 Tricolor unopened. Reg $25.99 I'll sell for $12.00. I have a HP 20 Black unopened. Reg $35.29 I'll sell for $18.00. Plus whatever it cost to ship. Was going to sell them on ebay but wanted to pass on these savings to my buddies instead.

I think we're going to K-Dock and look for some eyes...

Links fixed...

God is working a miracle in little Jacob's body and every nurse that has seen Jake from the time we got here until now, is blown away by the progress we've made. I know that there are many days ahead, but today the Doctor took surgery off the table and told us that we might be out of the ICU by Friday. We'll meet with the pulmanoligist tomorrow to find out if the chest tube can be taken out soon. Jake played with trains today and had more smiles than I've seen in a long time and I cherished everyone of them. Thank you all for your prayers as we go through this, you're words of encouragement and scripture have kept me strong and somehow allowed me to stay up for every hour that I've needed to be here with Jacob. Not to mention, provided me with the most amazing husband I could have ever asked for...who has been my rock, sitting beside me every step of the way. And while it has had lots of ups and downs, Jake is getting better. I told one of the nurses in ICU that they need a sign at the door of ICU, "Buckle your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy ride." And that it has been! I believe that God is healing Jake and I'm more hopeful than ever that we'll be out of here soon. Thank you again for all of your thoughts and prayers. Attached is a picture of Jake tonight, first silly face I've seen in over a week. Blessings, Cassie

http://ozarkanglers.com/forums/index.php?showforum=4 LOok at the topics on top- one is Taneycomo Levels. That's where you'll find past the future generation schedules.

Added a bunch more hats - - - - http://lilleystacklestore.com/xcart/home.php?cat=248 I have a black and dark blue but they are so close in color they don't show up different in a pic. So if you want a dk blue, email me.

He didn't... I emailed him my response to his post. He must be fishing... he hasn't gotten back to me.

Bill, you're killing me here... The political forum doesn't work cause political issues can't be discussed here. They are banned. Too many fights over beliefs and ideals. The political forum I created was supposed to bring home that point but I can now see how it too can be misunderstood. I'll take it off... and lock this before someone accuses me of favoritism.

Yes- they are on display.

I believe most if not all boats ramps in the area will be very busy this spring, seeing that most of us have been waiting 24 months to get to fishable water. The prospect of good fishing only amplifies the call to fish. If it's like most years, a few weekends in April will be packed and after the "spawn" is over, most of the weekenders will be gone for the season and the locals will have their waters back. You're right not to lose sleep.

I added a hat, a yellow one for now, to our online store. I'll add the other colors tomorrow. They come in yellow, white, dark navy blue and black. Here's a link to the store page.

Wow... pictures!!!

Don't forget me!!! I'm official now. Also Vince Elfrink, Vince on the forum. He's a great crappie catching guy.

Barter... that's great!! Wish I had the time and skills but there again, I've never fished the Current. That's what I thought you meant!