Ryan Walker

Thank you sir! Hopefully I can get down there and fish with you soon!

Fished for a few hours late this morning. Happy to see the creek in such good shape. Water was clear, several bugs coming off including cahills and a small baetis. Lots of small tan Caddis and little Yellow Stoneflies ( sizes 18-20). Fished the hatch for an hour, then switched to a Psycho prince with a black stonefly behind it ( sizes 16 and 18, respectively). Probably caught 10, with a strong 12" er being the biggest. Got some great underwater video of a snapping turtle and saw to many species of bird to name here. But I think I saw about 1000 Goldfinches... I did watch a toad of a rainbow chasing slicks in the first bend below the bridge. He acted like a smallmouth, herding them into the shallow riffle above. He was probably 20-22" long... Tread lightly, don't leave line and other litter, and if you're going to handle fish for a photo, make sure to wet your hands and make it quick! Uploaded a new Blog post on Crane. Video is a couple of weeks old, but look at the difference two weeks made in the foliage! Psycho Prince

True that...

Look up Gallups Sex Dungeon . Also, Fleeing Crayfish patterns in rusty and olive Any large woolly in Olive or black. Tie them with lead eyes instead of bead heads. Clousers in olive/white-Grey white, pink and purple SBS is a killer early and late And my personal favorite:

Sweet sled, man!

Yea, I foul hooked a bunch of them. They were thick late last week,,,

Awesome!!

Rough day today. Water temps felt like they fell 5 degrees or more. Managed 3, but I think they felt sorry for me.. On a good note, as I was leaving I did see plenty of fish moving up as the temp rose. I think had I stayed, it would have improved. Also noticed that the gizzard shad are spawning, which usually mean the Whites are going to peak soon. I think Wed-on will be good, if the weather pattern holds. It needs to get good for a few days,after Sunday my attention turns to smashing some jelly heads in Ava. Met crappie_adams83 as he was launching his Kayak. Hope he did well.... Always good to meet members in person!

Were y'all in a green canoe?

Cold front and wind!!! Did manage to eek out 8, but I earned every one of them. Most of my fish came at the first shoal above the ramp, against the southeast bank. Bite was different today. Typically I've gotten more takes downstream, with short strips back. Today they didn't want any movement and most of my bites were when the fly was at it's deepest point. Crazy things.. Clousers, again. Purple and Pink-Purple and Chartreuse. Hope everyone has a good weekend. I'm off tot he turkey woods in Ava for the youth hunt!!

Sorry I'll miss you Ollie. I'll be in Ava at my in-laws. Youth Turkey season opens...Good luck!

That's why I stay away on weekends and stick to the upper River during the summer. I love the james. I've had a romance with it since I was 13. I just choose to stay away during the aluminum hatch.

i don't think he broke any laws either, but he had no regard for peoples space. He got a good chewing on by a couple of boats for running to close. Somebody on the bank hollered at him for running their lines. Just not a good sportsman. I'm done complaining now..;-)

Thanks!! It's taken some experimenting. But it is very fun!

Fished Taylor again this morning. Started at 0600. Caught a keeper walleye right off the bat, followed by a bunch of whites, including a couple of good females. Ended up with 34, kept 8 and caught another keeper 'eye. Clousers, no sink tip this time. I didn't follow my own advice and immediately started fishing to fish I could see when it got light, and actually started catching them again when I fished the slack pools below or above the fish... Cold front blew in about 0900, but I was about done then anyways. Stopped at the big bend below Taylor and caught a couple more before the rain ran me off... Conservation was out today. Good to see them. I wish he would have been there Monday evening. Did anyone else see the guy in the new jon, with a Merc jet prop, all dressed like an Orvis model? He was quite possible the most inconsiderate, unsafe boater I've seen. One guy was wading the first shoal above the boat ramp, and Mr. Orvis ran by him, not once, but twice, at flank speed. Not cool and very unsafe.

Flip flops...that'll be easy to recognize..See ya out there. I'll be in waders and a rain jacket, according to Ron Hearst..Good luck!

What I've found is to not get sucked into chasing actively spawning fish. When you only get one shot a year, you're not thinking about food...I usually leave them alone and go find deep pockets and fish them til I wear out my welcome, then repeat in a different location. That being said, it is hard not fish to fish you can see...... We'll be down there in the a.m. as well, probably about 6-630. Will walk up well above Taylor and fish back. We went last night and had 7 whites and two keeper Walleye...

The water quality event is THIS Sunday, April 10..

I fished Crane late last week, water was up, but clearing and the fish were in great shape. Fished mostly leaches in size 10, dead drifted or swung through deep pockets. Here is some video, feel free to follow me on my blog. I do this for fun, not money or glory ( ha!). Plus i care about the fisheries I call home waters, and the more people that get involved, usually the better. SMFF ( Southwest Mo Flyfishers) and Stream Team 57 are doing a water quality event at Crane on at 0900, at the Lower Wire Road area.

Yep, it was very fishable. Clarity was good.

I'd say my journal is correct; The first couple of weeks in April are prime-time for Whites on the James river. Parked at Blunk, and walked well above Taylor. Began fishing around 0645. Had 3 whites and a fat kentucky in as many casts. Worked my way down to the top of Taylor with similar results. Ended up keeping 8 whites ( decent sized males) and a 19" Walleye, while releasing at least 20 more, including two more short 'eyes.. Fished pink/purple or pink/chartreuse clousers all morning. Fishing shut off around 0930, so I took some time on the way back and scouted the banks. Sure enough, the gravel banks from the bend to the boat ramp were thick with fish, including those big ol' sows we all wait for. Water temp has to be in the mid 50's, as the fish felt warm on my hand, with the 35 degree air temp when I started. I didn't see any fish on the gravel at Taylor, but they will be there very soon, most likely starting to show up tonight and tomorrow....

Getting ready to put one up...:-)

I went to Blunk today, just to look. Walked up to taylor. High but not unfishable. Pea green. Monday should be good...

Let us know, I plan on being there first light tomorrow.

Have fun! That's my favorite stretch of the river...I bet you find the river hasn't changed that much, looking forward to your report!