Fishing Report For 6/14/11

[asap52]

Water was off for the first time since the great flood yesterday. LIR has really changed.........you'll see what I mean when you go there. Water was way off color but the trout are still there. I was able to catch them at the end of riffles and into the beginning of runs. The bait that worked for me was grey and brown scuds. I did see one fellow doing really well on a small white jig below an indicator. I didn't catch any really big trout but they are there. Lots of fish got stranded when they shut the water off, mostly shad but a lot of crappie also along with channel cat and some trout. If you have any questions, just ask.......I'll try and give you what I saw or know.

Tight lines,

Corky

[Trout Commander]

I bet there is a good story behind that first trout with the funny looking nose...

[asap52]

I bet there is a good story behind that first trout with the funny looking nose...

LOL yep he was a bit different. He apparently was a victim of the fast dropping water levels. I found him south of the Watts area and took a pic with my fly rod for size comparison.

[DaddyO]

Corky,

Thanks for the report. I was wondering if anyone on the forum got out and fished when the water came down. It's good to see that the trout are alive and doing well. I'm headed to Colorado Saturday but hope to get down to the Lower Illinois when I get back in town in a week or two. Until then, I'm still getting my fix with the Panfish on my flip flop poppers. What a blast!

[dgames]

I went yesterday. Water was cappuccino colored as others indicated. Did well at the bottom end of the island by the gravel lot below the dam. Caught 30 or 40 on various stuff - brown wooly bugger dead drifted, olive soft hackle, red copper john. Caught a few on midges, but did better on bigger flies and in dark colors. Didn't catch anything really big, but caught about a dozen fat ones that all ran around 16". Also caught a channel cat about 2lbs on the dead drifted wooly bugger.

Main change to the stream that I saw was that there are lots of trees down in the water in the channel on the back side of the island.

[asap52]

I went yesterday. Water was cappuccino colored as others indicated. Did well at the bottom end of the island by the gravel lot below the dam. Caught 30 or 40 on various stuff - brown wooly bugger dead drifted, olive soft hackle, red copper john. Caught a few on midges, but did better on bigger flies and in dark colors. Didn't catch anything really big, but caught about a dozen fat ones that all ran around 16". Also caught a channel cat about 2lbs on the dead drifted wooly bugger.

Main change to the stream that I saw was that there are lots of trees down in the water in the channel on the back side of the island.

The first place I fished was the north east corner of the island. Like u said lots of trees down on that side. Down at the Watts area the main channel seems to be much wider than before. I suppose we'll learn more as the water clears and the flow gets back to normal.

[JCWolfe]

Had 2 days of good fishing friday and saturday. Biggest was the above 20" rainbow. Most were the 12-14" variety but several were around 15-16". Definitely was glad to be back on the LIR.

[asap52]

Had 2 days of good fishing friday and saturday. Biggest was the above 20" rainbow. Most were the 12-14" variety but several were around 15-16". Definitely was glad to be back on the LIR.

Very nice bow!

[JCWolfe]

Where did you fish? I fished the first parking lot after turning off the main road. I haven't seen Watts yet or anywhere down river.

[OKFlyFisher44]

There USED to be some good water downstream but my buddies fished it over the weekend and all our little "spots" have been washed out or filled in

Anxious for the river to clear up so we can really see how much the river has changed.