DoveTail

Nice report. Where is Ollies? What are the hours there?

Welcome to the forum. Where are you heading out West (fishing)? If you are in SW Mo, you may want to look at Roaring River as a back up option if there is big generation on the White and other rivers, or check out the other trout parks also.

Great photos. Tight lines are always a good thing!

That is horrible someone would hijack your stuff.

Sounds like a fun trip. For the bowfishing, I don't think there is anything illegal as long as the gentleman is not shooting game fish (unless there is a regulation for no bowfishing on Taneycomo). If there is a regulation against it, take a pic and send it to the Game Warden or call Operation Game to stop it.

Great post. When I first started, people helped me out ... gave me flies. So I try to do the same. Glad you hooked some fish!

That must have been a big one to snap the rod!

Actually, that is one way to catch them. A nylon rope that is frayed, put a small hook just to hold a perch or bait fish. The gars will eat the bait fish and get the fibers wrapped around their teeth - the hook won't catch them (or at least it's been my experience).

That's crazy. Plus you never know when they will open up another gate. I have been there and heard the siren go off and no water comes out. You never know when they will open another gate without a siren. Water that is knee deep and swift can take you away. I never wade downstream in current, it's very easy to go downstream but very hard to make it back up.

Great fly - but what is more impressive is getting a hook to stick in it's mouth. I have hooked plenty of those in other areas, actually fishing for them with live perch, using 20# line and big rods. I yank the pole so hard to set the hook and still can't get a hook to get in their mouth. Congrats!

Welcome. Some pics from above the 49th would be great of the mountain streams.

Nice looking brown, congrats!

I was walking by Zone 3 last year or the year before. There were 2 gentleman fishing on a rock ledge next to the water. Obviously bait fishing and using treble hooks. They would let the trout flop on the rocks for what seemed like a minute. Then they would drop back into the water (a poor attempt as most trout hit the rocks first and had to flop into the water). I didn't say anything. I can't understand that. I didn't notice them keeping any, but the kill ratio had to be high. Now that's Zone 3, so it shouldn't reduce the numbers in Zone 1 or 2 from the put and take in 3.

I'm not sure how many browns are in there or what the diet is. I wish I could find some pics of trout that were caught on lurers almost their own size. A big brown may get full on 1 or 2 trout? I don't know. How many big browns are in the deep pools that stalk at night? Some photos from Bennett show some pretty large browns that look stuffed. They could be bottom feeding on the cleaned fish and not taking a toll. Nothing scientific other than some guides mentioning - "it's a good thing they stock rainbows, otherwise there would not be any with all the brown trout". Just their opinion. The browns would be a great cleaning system if they only picked up gut piles. I missed the DNR report they would be stocking less. Regardless, any day on any stream, I really can't complain.

And Zone 4 is very long and open. I'm not sure why Bennett isn't as good as it used to be (other than less fish being released), but I would think the other parks would be on the same ratios? Don't they release 2.5 fish / day per sale? Or does Bennett have too many browns that are eating rainbows? Do people need to start keeping brown trout? I think there are fewer fish than years past, but are there fewer people fishing? Quite a few catch and release only, so the math isn't adding up. That would leave up the option on the browns taking a toll on the rainbows? Or what is happening. At least there are a lot of parks and other streams to fish around so everyone can make a choice. I have seen very crowded conditions in all the parks and other streams.

Yikes, that sounds like a lot of water. Glad you started hooking some fish. Hopefully the spring will flush out and get clear soon.

The 800# to report game violations is: 800-392-1111 I have it programmed in my phone, I think everyone should program it. Law enforcement is spread thin and only has so many eyes, if violations can be reported and immediate, I think that would be good. The word will get out or other potential violations may not occur if they see the enforcement taking place.

If you see that...TAKE A PHOTO!!! Or, if you don't want to take a photo, pull out your cell phone and call Operation Game and report them. Doing nothing about just keeps the problem going. Or maybe you did report it and not indicate it on a public forum. I think if the poachers know they will get reported, that will help reduce that kind of activity.

Every bend, pool and area of a stream is different, but the faster current is usually in the upper column and near the bottom the current isn't as bad. Certainly new holes are washed out with floods as streams constantly change. Some have to survive because nature would wipe them out every time it rained.

Sounds like a great morning. Maybe with the cooler temps the boat hatch isn't out yet. When summer heats up, I'm sure the floaters will.

Had to be a "cut & paste" posting and not updated version.

Welcome to the forum.

Ya, I hate garbage. If you can pack it in, you can pack it out.

Welcome!

Yuck, that's dirty water. It will clear up in a few days. It goes down fast.