New Generation Patterns

[Bill Babler]

Taneycomo, for the first time this year, has turned into a lake. Most of the late Winter season and thru Spring, it has fished and moved like the river it really is. No more early morning drift rigs, or bottom bouncing, no more troutlining, and deep nympthing,"26ft.from indicator to the fly." now is the time to get small and fish some of the tiny tineys, we as fly fishermen like to present.

Had a day off, and helped in the Kitchen until 8:30 and Becky gave me a pass to go fishin.

Met Phil around 9:30 and he had been out for a while and was just tearing them up on the straight line jig. I oppted for a dry and midge tandem presentation. Took a while but figured it out with a pinch of breeze.

As the sun began to shine, fish migrated to the bluff shadows to sulk and wait for cloud cover or breeze. During these periods, Phil fished a beaded scud as close to the bank as he could get it, throwing it very nicely under the overhands.

When he hooked a fish, a dozen or two would follow it from their shaddowy haunts. On puffs of breeze or cloud cover, the fish would zoom onto the flats to feed. Small midge hatches were coming off as well as the bottom just being loaded with scuds, and sow bugs. They looked mostly to be soft-grey in color and some pretty big sizes up to 10. Mostly 14's thru 18's.

Best presentation for me this AM was the midge in size 16. Black body with a red rib, and copper tungston head. I fished it in the shaddows, picking off a few of Phil's leavings, and on the clouds and breeze would whirl and heave it onto the shallow flats. The size 16 midge was suspended about 8 inches under the dry fly indicator, and it was just slammed on these presentations.

Pattern that always catches them on this type of water is the Tuner Jones Micro Jig. Full and 1/2 micros suspended below the strike indicator of your choice are usually gobbled up with glee. I like to present this small jig, a few inches off the bottom and shock the strike indicator from time to time for the movement. Don't belive it really needs any, but I believe I'm fishing when I do it. Favorite colors are sculpin, ginger, brown and olive/copperhead, on the still water, all being naturals.

Midge patterns are for sure whats on the table as they are always in good taste. I like the blacks, greens and the Red-ribbed zebra.

We are for the most part fishing these flys on 2 pound test flurocarbon, as the tippet material. Depending on depth of the water, I usually suspend the midges, 6 inches to two feet under my float. I try and use the smallest strike indicator I can, or a dry fly to detect the slightest nudges.

I believe Phil will have something to add, and he took a few pic's this morning of our trout. I cannot say I have had a more enjoyable morning.

Get out and fish the little stuff, it is really fun.

[Rolan Duffield]

I really enjoyed this report Bill. Wish I was there. The fishing should be very good now that the water depth is returning to a normal Lake level.-- Rolan

[Phil Lilley]

I got out well before Bill dragged his butt out of bed I played around with a few different things. Best was a scud - #16 light gray fished on the bottom either on the bluff bank or on the flats.

One thing - I took one of our jons up cause our bass boats were rented. I take an anchor so that I can drop it and stay in one place without messing with the trolling motor. Once when I pulled it up, I noticed as I pulled it from the gravel there were gobs and gobs of bugs coming out of the gravel. I showed Bill- dragged it this time and you wouldn't believe the bugs.

This is about as fertile as I've ever seen this lake. Midge, mayflies and scuds and sow bugs, not to mention the reported hoard of sculpin I've heard about.

No wonder our rainbows are as big and healthy as they are.

[Phil Lilley]

Oh yea - Bill misspoke when he said there were a dozen or two rainbows following my fish as I pulled it from the shadows . . . there were dozen -s! I bet 60-80 trout followed in one big school. It was amazing how many were hold up in the shade - and Bill was right - as soon as the clouds came and there was a little chop on the water, turned around and they were on the flat feeding like crazy. That was about this time I headed in - about 11:30 am.

Trout fishing is absolutely fantastic . . . and I don't use words like that very often. Bill on the other hand . . . . . .