OKFlyFisher44

Trying to figure out what the name of the little motel thats just up the road from the dam and table rock state park?? Its a gas station and motel. Looking a for a cheap room for saturday night because if it rains, we're not going to camp. If anyone knows the phone number too, that would be awesome! If not, I'll find it... Thanks fellas...

Hopefully be down there Friday for some night fishing!! Woohoo!! Crossing fingers for zero generation! I've missed night fishing on Taney so much. Night fishing is awesome Sam. I highly recommend it! Its a very different experience...but good stuff! Never know what you might hook into...big flies = big fish!!

If I do end up going on Sunday, I'll probably start at the Watts area. They show to start generating at 3:00 on Sunday so I'd bet I'll end up staying at Watts all morning/afternoon. Just kind of depends how the fishing goes with the newbies. Might sneak up by the dam if things are slow at Watts, they want to keep some trout anyways to eat. I'll know tomorrow evening if I'm going or not, I'll post it up on here if I do go. We'll be in my silver GMC crew-cab Z71 w/ the Ducks Unlimited and Scott fly rod decals in the back glass...

I'm going to try and go on Sunday. Got a couple of fly fishing rookies that I'm going to take out and play "guide" for the day...

In my excursions to Crane, I've got the majority of my fish on san juan worms. Egg patterns work well too. Your normal nymphs like copper johns, RFSNs, GRHEs, etc in larger sizes (12s and 14s) work well too. Mohair leeches and buggers have caught some nice fish out of there too. I mean, honestly, as long as you can be stealthy and get the fly down to the fish with a good drift...you should catch fish. Stealth is huge down there... I really don't believe the fish are that picky...you just have to execute a drag free drift and get the fly down to the fish without the fishing knowing you're there...

If you can't book at Lilleys Landing, check out Blue Haven Resort. This is where my wife and I always stay when we go to Branson. They have cabins on the lake for a very good price. The cabins are clean, comfortable, and have all the ammentities you could want. Like others have said, reserve early!

Weird...

Did you try any soft hackles when the fish were rising? I believe they are midging...eating the emergers subsurface and the adults on the surface. I killed them on soft hackles a few weeks ago when the fish were doing this.

Let us know how you did! I was going to go down this morning but had prior arrangements...

That's no lie. I was down on the Lower Illinois just a few weeks ago...and those fish were eating bugs like crazy! Don't be givng me a hard time son...its like pulling teeth to get you to go fishing!!

I have a Ross Evolution on my 5wt and absolutely love it. The drag is butter smooth and so far bulletproof! I also have a Ross Vexsis on my 3wt and its fantastic as well. I love my Ross reels. Pretty hard to beat IMO!

My buddy bought a pair of them a few months back when they were having their big Fall sale. I got to see them and they looked really durable. I tried on his and they fit nice. I don't think you could beat 'em for the price. Albrights stuff is pretty decent. I bought one of their GPX reels for my 4wt and love it. Its a great reel!

Sorry for the delayed response Cole...you shoulda just called me? I've done a lot of reading on the Versi-Tip system in my research to pick a spey line. I don't think you will find a better setup thats packed into 1 line that will cover all situations especially if you don't want to buy extra spools or lines. The price is steep...and I know you are jewish, but I think it would serve you well good buddy! I think I'm going to go with a Rio Skagit spey line with the Versi-Tip system for my new spey rod/reel, can't wait to chase stripers with it! I just got off the phone with Derek, he said he's going to buy an 8wt from Albright so he can striper fish with us this spring. Can't wait for March...1st warm day we get, I'm hitting the river!

You have escaped it alright...we've got about 5 or 6 inches of snow already. Roads are ridiculous right now. I'm hoping the road crews get the turnpikes cleared off by sunday...if so, I'm going to Gore.

Green, yellow, red, orange, partridge bodies....all good colors, especially if you tie them with a grizzly hackle.

I can't wait to get back down there! I'll be back in a couple of weeks...

Just like Gregg says, it varies on the technique. I've done it both ways that he described, with success both ways. On taneycomo this summer, I was dead-drifting them on the surface like a dry fly, then letting them swing out, and finally stripping them back to me. Got most of my strikes at the end of the swing or just after I started to strip them back. The strikes are normally very violent so usually you just need to be quick to lift the rod...not "set" the hook so much. You'll break lots of flies off till you get a "feel" for this. At Watts, I was stripping them back to me by just varying my speeds. Sometimes I'd do a couple quick strips and let it sit for a second, followed again by a couple quick strips. The other times I'd strip them back slowly at a constant speed. They killed it either way... They are a ton of fun to fish and a nice change of pace from fishing with an indicator....

Yes, I know that spot holds fish...they are in there for sure. I was talking about the area further downstream actually...

Gregg, I probably walked right by you when I was packing up to leave. I headed for the truck at 1:30. Is there quite a few fish below that run below the parking lot? The run that I'm talking about is the "chute" with the good riffle where the big hole in front of the parking lot tapers down below the big boulders on the bank. I've walked down that way past that run a few times and didnt catch or see any fish...but there was a ton of people down there at various times on Sunday. I just don't see many trout holding down there in that "flat" water...but I've been wrong before.

OTF6, were you fishing up by the dam or what? I was at Watts till about 1:30...

Caught them on green w/ grizzly hackle and yellow w/ grizzly hackle. I also fished a caterpillar pattern that I used to fish at Roaring River that worked really well. It was green and the hackle was tied at the front and rear of the fly. It pushes a lot of water when stripped...it worked great. I love fishing soft hackles now...I got to fish them several times over the summer at Taneycomo and they really produced fish when nothing else would work when the fish were midging on the surface.

Made my return trip to the Lower Illinois this morning after a long 2-month break from fishing for duck season. It was pretty chilly this morning with the north wind. The bite started off good on the lower section of the Watts area, but the wind picked up and the fish just turned off. I picked through the fly box, trying the usual flies that always produce but couldn't get a take. I packed it in and headed back upstream... I fished the riffle above the parking lot with on a couple of takes...still scratching my head as to what was going on. As I was fishing my way downstream, I had noticed some fish feeding on the surface in a little back eddy on the other side of a gravel bar. It was the 1st time I had seen the trout eating bugs off the surface on the lower illinois. I believe it was some sort of grey midge that was coming off that the fish were feeding on. I tried a couple of dries with no success so I switched it up... Tied on a soft hackle and it was on! The fish seemed to really turn on at that point too...feeding on those bugs up and down the river. It was non-stop action for the next 2 hours, basically a strike on every cast. At one point, I had caught 12 fish on 13 casts. I love to fish soft hackles...its almost as exciting as fishing dries especially in shallow water where you can see the wake from the fish charging your fly. It was a great day to be on the water even with the chilly temps. About 1:30, the sun came out and the fish turned off so I packed it in for the day! Lots of people on the river today...Watts was full, I can only imagine how busy it was upstream by the dam.

Phil...the duck hunting trip got cancelled due to weather and rain, the scouting report from my buddies said there were no ducks to be found in the area. Thinking the weather pushed them out... So I'm going fishing tomorrow! Woohoo!! Hopefully they don't start generating... If anyone is down there, I'll be in a black/silver dodge ram or look for me on the river in a green/white Scott hat and a olive green wading jacket.

Good luck Phil! Catch a few for me! I'm headed out tomorrow after work for 1 last duck hunt for the season...

The kiddie pool is the hole where the river splits and goes around the island. Its a man-made hole...there are several large boulders at the head of the run. Its usually a pretty good hole but it gets fished pretty hard though. I wish OWDC would put more holes like that in the stream...it'd really help out the fishery! Phil...only have 2 weeks of duck season left and then it'll be time to wet a line! I'll call ya or send you a message when I'm going...we need to fish again!