Conclave Fishing Report

[snagged in outlet 3]

Oct.5.

Drove down from St. Louis and reached McClellans around 1PM. (Rumor is that McC's is closing Jan.1, real shame) High sun, beautiful weather and believe it not had the whole area below Otter Creek between me and one other guy (awesome).

Started with terestrials and caught 5 cutthroats in ten minutes. Reached the Big Hole and nymph fished till water came on at 4Pm. Caught fish almost at will with the biggest around 17 inches. The fish were full of fight with many jumpers.

Oct. 6.

Played tag with the dam guys. Drove to Bull Shoals at 5:30 AM only to have them turn the water on at 6. Drove all the way to McC's and fished there all day till water came on. Not as good as Thursday and the water never really fell all the way out. Not sure what is going on with that but it was like that on both rivers Friday and Saturday. Caught enough fish to stay happy.

Oct. 7.

Bull Shoals Dam off at 3:15 AM so I drove thinking they wouldn't turn it on for a while, Wrong!!! Pulled in the lot and promptly at 6 they blew the horn. Couldn't believe it. Drove all the way back to McC's and fished the upper shoal (alone, can't believe that). Started slow till the sun hit the water then it was game on. Caught fish on dries till the sun got high around 11AM so I left.

Went to BSD after calling the line and finding out they only turned it on for an hour and a half. Off at 3:15AM, on at 6AM and off again at 8:30 AM. That makes perfect sense. Water never dropped all the way out and the fishing was tough, caught only five small fish all afternoon.

Conclave.

Met Phil and John Berry and stopped there everyday in between fishing. My dad who is 80 doesn't fish anymore but loves the Conclave so I would drop by to check on him and drive him where he needed to go. My dad has always taken me fly fishing since I was a kid and he took me everywhere in the country with some famous fly fishing guys. He's a past national president of FFF and still serves on the national board I beleive. I'm 45 now so I had to be patient with him and remember he's getting old and a little slow. It's always nice to see some of the guys we used to go with and reminisce about old times.

Snagged.

[waggoner]

Snagged,

What's the word on McClellan's closing Jan 1? Is this for sure? Waggoner

[John Berry]

That is what I have heard from several reliable sources. If you want to fish McClellans you better do it!