Overall Fishing Report

[Jeremy Hunt]

me either.

[loo10]

For the record.....

Jeremy, you and I don't have a problem as far as I'm concerned.

I wish you tight lines thru good days and bad.

If I see you on the water....I'll share my root beer with you.

Friends?

[FliTrap4]

Well, Here is a report!

I'm not a guide.... just average "joe plumber" LOL!

I had not been down to Taney this summer due to personal schedule and water conditions!

I wade only..... no boat.... no guided trip!

I was down Saturday, dipped flies between outlet 2 & 3 in the morning; even worked some dries for a some time about 11:00 a.m. and did well for the water I could wade! And..... no..... I was not in the outlets! From about 9-12 noon, I took 6 Trout, two over 14"! both of those on dries! Size 18 BWO's fished in the smaller back eddies there under the trees!

Then took a lunch break until the water dropped out!

About 1pm to 3:45 pm I was on the upstream side of Rebar hole! Or should I say, where the hole use to be!

Water was about knee deep in the chute area, dumping into Rebar. Water was 59 degrees. light wind with spotty clouds!

Worked mostly Soft Hackles, myself, catching some 26 trout in the 12-18 range, all Rainbows! Some were a bit skinny but all did a good bit of play, a few jumps and all revived in a short order before taking off! Two did a fine take and long run before I could turn them! Most all were in fine health from what I could tell, some nice and thick! The skinny ones tended to be the smaller sizes, most likely a case of food shortage and the bigger, healthier fishes holding the better feeding lanes!

My Questions to that:

Are they stocking beyond the carry capacity, reflective of the recent changes we have had. Consider too, that "stockers" take a while to start finding and eating natural foods after being on pellets! With the long runs of high water and faster current, they may be taking longer to adjust? Also, I wonder, with the graveled bottom being covered with the moss, is food easily found by "dinks"? Could the benefit in being stocked down stream, slower waters of the upper lake with hopes they would travel up stream as the grow?

So any how...... As I figure, if I would have had the same waters all day, that may vary well have given me the chance at 100 fishes that day! And yes, I most likely would have not moved to far from that area!

Now, was I disappointed about not seeing one of Taney's big and uglies?.... Not really! I figure that they are most likely lying in deeper waters, not in the sun of the day and not hanging with all the Doz's of guys around! Most all folks were catching and having a good showing!

I am concerned that Taney will no doubt have some recovery time in the coming seasons! We are dealing with waters that function first as "Flood Control", then as "Electric Generation". While I'm sure we would all like those "prefect days" on the water, I feel excited to have any time and waters at all to fish! Lets put our efforts to improving on that!

I hope too, that we as fishermen and women can present ourselves in a fare and sporting way both on and off the waters, and continue to learn from the wealth of info posted!

That said......

I feel privileged to breath enough and feel well enough to stand tall; fish long and smile! God willing, I'll keep that up for a while!

FliTrap

[bigredbirdfan]

I fished Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m Sunday and didn't boat a fish. I guess my two trips a month don't qualify me in the "Mr. Taneycomo Contest". (i am only kidding).

I threw everything in my tackle box but flies. No gray scuds or San Juans (but I wish I had so I could rule them out too). Didn't boat a single fish for the first time this year. Had one bite my rapala by the boat but didn't get the hook set.

Never saw one fish come out of the water and must have been 20 boats where we were. Asked some how they were doing and the common response was, "not to good" and, "caught a few" which I didn't see.

We fished from the Hatchery to Kanakuk. Rapalas, jigs of all colors and squat. Fished White River last weekend and it was slow but caught a 17 and a half brown and two limits of rainbows including a 16 and 3/4". We had a big fish contest among friends and the biggest was an 18" brown in the trophy area of North Fork.

Finally, once we hit fall creek with no fish we switched to powerbait orange, white and pink, white with not a single bite.

Trolled spoons at Kanakuk pulled the boat out and never boated a single fish. I know some will think it so I will go ahead and say it for you, "he must just suck at fishing" if he can't catch a trout on Taney. I concur with Jermey it is poor and I am not returning the next couple of weeks replacing this painful experience with bass fishing on Table Rock.

Note: I also noticed no guide trucks and trailers parked at the ramp in Branson this trip. I am sure the reason is tremendously better fishing at Table Rock and not crappy fishing on Taneycomo.

[Jeremy Hunt]

For the record.....

Jeremy, you and I don't have a problem as far as I'm concerned.

I wish you tight lines thru good days and bad.

If I see you on the water....I'll share my root beer with you.

Friends?

I'll share mine to.

[Thom]

Thanks to each of your takes on this subject.

I know that the stream has certainly made a big change and that some of the things we have done and places we have fished are different but I think it is all about the experience as we see it that make the sport of fishing so great.

I have only been down twice since the big changes due to the floods etc this spring and summer and I didn't catch 100 fish but the numbers are not why I enjoy the sport.

Both times down I did better than most I talked to but again that was not as important to me as the experience.

I usually have 10 or so new patterns that I will try .... some sucessful some not. I could probably catch many more fish using the same o, same o but again that is not the reasaon I fish. I saw my grandson on one trip catch lots of fish and learn new things from some the others fishing including grandpa. We had a great time. He met lots of sportsmen with character and values that I was happy for him to see.

Thas is not to put down those who reflect upon the numbers of the fish or the quality of the fish but to say that to many who fish we could care less.

I have never fished at Taney for a few days without meeting interesting folks and a few idiots too. The interestng folks I can sometimes share ideas or share a successful pattern with someone ..... many times I will meet folks like Leonard from whom I can learn volumes. I don't let the idiots rent space in my head or steal a great time on the stream. I don't need to catch 100 fish to be pleased but have often done just that bacause I hit a good hatch or found a nice riffle above where the fish were feeding. Lot of it luck with a little experience and knowledge.

Thanks to all of you and I look forward to perhaps sharing the experience with some who present their thoughts on this forum regardless of what your passion may be.

[Jeremy Hunt]

I agree with Flitrap4. I’m just concerned and want people to know what's really going on with this fishery. Now don’t take this the wrong way, but I'm in Arkansas now and I look forward to every time I'm on the water down here. I like Taney, but I love the White and Norfork. Right now the fishing is better and the fish are on the move… and big browns for that matter. The high water didn’t throw off our fall run. The Norfork is fishing great right now with lot’s of big fish being caught. I had a film crew for five days last week and we stuck a lot of browns over twenty inches. If you want to come down this way pm me and we can do some fishing. I’m slowing down on the trips. So if you would like the buddy rate let me know and we’ll go out and hook some of these fish. You know what’s funny, we are only a little over an hour away and the fishing is a lot better. I don’t know why more people don’t make the commute. I’m sure some of you are asking, then why did you come here. The answer is because my readers are important to me and I know this site is dedicated to Taney and I’ll never forget where it all started for me. I also wanted to branch out and learn all I can about this water. My goal is to be a guide on all tailwaters. Flexibility is key when your clients put it in your hands to have the best time. I work hard for my clients and will always do what I can to make it the most educational trip it can be. I’m first a teacher then the rest is history. I want people to learn as much as they can. I think that’s what you pay for. Don’t know where I’m going with this, just thought some of you would like to know if you don’t know me.

[Thom]

Jeremy:

I completly understand. I have been fishing Taney since 1972 when my sons were 11 and 13 and I feel the pain just as you do. I actually have an old brochure of my two sons and I that was used by Lazy Valley resort with our pictures on the front from a days catch resort advertisement.. That week Tom and Tim caught two rainbows one night out from the dock. One was 5 # the other was 4# . We probally caught the numbers that you mentioned daily floating down from fall creek. We would have doubles and triples all down the stream. I fished across from Lilly's with jigs and caught fish all day along that bank across from Phil's and then down in a drop off at will just across from where Phil's house is.

Thank's Jeremy for all of the interesting articles you have posted and for the fly patterns offered. Sorry if I offended you. It was not my intention. Just offering a different opinion.

[Jeremy Hunt]

It's not to much for me. I'm back.

[FliTrap4]

Jeremy!

I'll have to take you up on the "buddy rates" one of these days! Happy, Healthy and trying to stay fed these days so not a lot of coins to enjoy a guide! But if you are ever needing a bit of weight in the boat to practice, call! LOL I'll bring the flies!

Looking to get on down there again soon! There is a lot said about the great waters in Ar. Been there many a time and had better and "not so good" days but each provided the time to find an inner bit of peace!

And I really don't mind finding some of them big ones on occasion!

Take care and stay healthy!

I'll yell out if I'm heading down!

FliTrap