January 23rd and 24th - What started as an idea to just meet @ Roaring River for a day trip turned out to be a two day affair playing around on the NEW Jr Circuit and a little bit of Taneycomo too.

We've found a nice little stretch of water that is giving us some great dry fly action. Nothing too big for us yet (maybe 16" tops so far) but man what fun. The setting is gorgeous and the takes are so sweet.



It looks like midges are the main focus for these fish but Bob and I are seeing some small (#18 - #16) grayish / tan caddis plus some similarly sized mayflies which looks like a BWO from a distance. I have a better tie I can do for the mayflies. Something better than I have in the box right now but a #18 Griffith's Gnat is working pretty well for us. You get the dry fly drift plus they'll take that Gnat on the swing and strip for another stretch of potential water that the pure dry mayfly pattern wont give you.

With the success of the swing and strip, we played around with a soft hackle... a black #18 MTTB (Marabou Thorax Thread Body) Soft Hackle... to be specific and that too did pretty well for Bob. He was throwing it on the 2 wt and with his Orvis Superfine 4 wt.



While the CORPS told us water was to be on all day...I kept checking and was pleasantly surprised when they said it was off @ mid day. We debated more Circuit time vs the big river and opted for the latter. Taney continues to produce great numbers of fish to a fault at times.

It's been harder to get down to the big boys with all the small fish racing to the fly before it gets to your target. Not the worst problem a fly fisherman can have so I'm not going to bitch about it too much. You drift over a specific fish and get interrupted by the 10 - 12 inchers every time through but again...we can't really complain about that too much.

Another fun time with Mr O. He kind of goes back and forth with that dry fly fishing. Sometimes it's tough to see those little dries. You need to get in to the habit of setting the hook when you see a rise in the general area of where you think your flies are. I think I have pretty good fishing eyes and I too occasionally lose those little specs. When you lose them then you need to move your eyes to the "area" where the flies probably are and watch for the sip. It's a double edged sword. You can use bigger flies so you can see them better BUT...you probably wont catch any fish with them... at least around here at this time of year. Just another option for you though and a fun one for sure.

Lots of ways to skin these cats.

    January 19th - I finally found some time to get out on the water with my girl. She's been bugging me forever and we caught a nice day to play around together.

At the risk of tarnishing the persona of an... "all trout, all of the time" ...fly fishing guide...part of why we changed our lifestyles from corporate usa to small business owner/operators was to enjoy life more and do things with our family on our own schedule. This life is something I've wanted to do since I was about 11 or so. Of course I wasn't thinking about a wife and kids back then but they just make it all that much more rewarding. This gig never feels like a job to me but I still find myself pushing the bounds of what some might call a reasonable work schedule. That's where today comes in.

Pretty much any time my little McKenna is awake, she's attached to my side. We spend a lot of time together but there's no interruptions out here and no distractions. Just me and the kid...hangin...you know.

Now when Mckenna does something she's usually all in with it. Donning my (once little, now bigger than mamma) buddy Sierra's waders, Mr Bob's hand warmer, a new pink Ross Reels visor, her favorite clip on flower accessory, the puppy de jour and her brand new walkin stick she just found..... Mckenna was dressed to the nines and ready to get after it.



Now we could have just sat down and turned over rocks all day long and had just as much fun. But the distraction of the moment was fly fishing so we kept our focus long enough to have our fun doing that.

Water off for us of course and the TFO Pro 2wt is the perfect rod for the little one. It's both our favorite rod these days. Go figure that. While we stood at the shore on the steps above outlet #3, we scanned the shores looking for a likely locale. Not many folks out at all today which was nice. I asked the kid where we ought to try. He eyes immediately went to the flow above the big stump and below Rebar. Now you have to assume she doesn't "know" Rebar so I was impressed that her attention was drawn to the riffles. Always fish in there!...Good girl! Well, we made the trek across the ..."treacherous, alligator infested water and the super slippery rocks put there to keep the dementors away!" (It's never JUST a fishing trip with McKenna)

We made it at last and my little pair of eagle eyes sees the biggest couple of fish cruising around the edge of a seam there and they were the ones she wanted to catch. With a #18 black Soft Shelled Scud below a gray one of the same....she started laying down some pretty nice drifts.



The kid's got a nice stroke. Notice the stop @ 1:00pm? Pretty salty. We were surveying the situation and figuring out the best way to drift our bugs through those big fish...



...always intent on whatever she's doing. After a few nice drifts and a couple of hooked and missed fish, my little cutie pie hooks up with a great warm up fish.



There was a time when my little girl would look forward to KISSING the fish she caught. Now, they're nothing short of nuclear to her so I told her I was going to get a picture of the fish trying to eat her. She thought that was pretty funny.



We wrapped up our day at the Table Rock State Park playground where someone had left a few embers glowing in the public fire pit. We gathered up some twigs and leaves and had ourselves a nice little flame going to warm us up between play sessions.



What a nice little day we had. More fantastic moments that all of us parents cherish more and more the older we get. I have great shots of Marlin and I when he was her age. And I'll have today to bring back some more great memories for me... so when I'm 80 and in a wheel chair with drool coming down my chin and crap in my diapers....I can look at this shot and god willing... at least squeak out a little Steven Hawking like..."that's my girl!"



She's an odd little nut. So very sweet and so very emotional. I see the up's and down's that young mind goes through each day and sometimes I just have to pick her up with a big hug and try to convince her that losing Barbie's shoe isn't the end of the world today. At 6 and 3/4's years old...she doesn't want to hear it. I'm ALWAYS surprised and impressed at what she knows and figures out all by herself. And when I'm just about to cry because she's growing up way too fast, I'm reminded again at what an innocent little waif she is when she asks if she'll be able to live with me forever.

And for all you dad's out there...you know what I told her don't you?

    January 17th - My friends Dave and Jim were my guests this morning for a half day adventure on the Jr Circuit. Water was off at Taneycomo but like so many of our friends, the Jr Circuit held intrigue and a thirst for something new so that's where we spent our time.

It was one of the colder mornings we've experienced as we needed to break a 1/2" of ice in places to get to our areas.



Trout on the rocks. That's some cold stuff and the fish were reacting very slowly to our offerings. Not a bad bite by any stretch but the takes were very subtle so you had to pay close attention. That's nothing new really, we're just splitting hairs at this point. Instead of a .52 second window of opportunity to set the hook before the fish is gone.....it's now like .38 seconds today. I know...tomAto tomAHto right? But when you can gain a fraction of a second on your hook set time then you go from catching maybe 4 fish for every 10 hooked ...to maybe 6 for every 10 hooked. It starts to add up. Well these guys had a great time this morning catching a lot of fish and giving each other a LOT of crap in the process.



They were definitely in to the small stuff today. That cold water had them sipping soft and small and anything with a big profile was completely ignored. Even he mighty Baitfish was drawing blanks. The #20 olive Bit Scud / G-Bug combo however was fooling anything and everything that came near it.

Our first stop was a hard one to walk away from but we eventually left the building to see new water. My second little stop had only been fished once (briefly) this year and with no success. I knew there were fish in this little 10' section of water that if you didn't know it...you'd never see them. In fact, even when you DO know it....you can't always see them. Add to that fact that they are always extra tough to catch in a slice of water that's almost impossible to get a drag free drift through. All that being said...we gave it a shot!

The boys actually plucked a few fish out of one of the toughest little drifts that I personally know of. Doesn't look like much but man...try showing a fly (drag free) to the fish that live there and just see how good you really are. It's tough for me or anyone else who tries it but Dave was rewarded quite nicely there today.

You have a window about 6" wide and about 6' - 8' long where your fly will drift the right way. If you're not in that 6" window then you have NO CHANCE to catch those fish. 9 out of 10 of your casts will probably not drift through it correctly but... just be ready for that one that does.

Dave was indeed ready and on the little 2 wt, he set the hook and gave a valiant effort battling that fish. Just when we thought the big boy had given up he find new life several times over. Dave was patient and eventually he was able to subdue this 20" class rainbow long enough for a quick picture.



What a firm and healthy fish and what a nice way to cap off our day. I had a great time with these two guys like I always do. Another sunny, bluebird day for us. Feels like spring truth be told and we are loving it down here.

    January 15th - My buddy Rudy was in town wanting to try something different today. He was a perfect candidate to expand our range on the JC. I had a couple of places in mind in particular and another one that was a bit of a wild card. A real nice afternoon on the water and we had some real nice areas... then some areas that we thought should have held fish but didn't. Fish happens.

We may have pushed the outer limits today, perhaps out of where our fish might actually hold. Who knows. Every time I say that I get surprised though. Crazy where these fish can get. Some of my contemporaries think they're spoiling our fun by posting where they think we fish on the water I call the Jr Circuit. I've actually seen more than one of them trying to follow us around in their trucks like they're trailing us in a cop movie or something. Let's just say they're not Jack Bauer. I've been shown web comments like... "Oh I've fished where he fishes all my life...I know exactly where he goes and ...blah, blah, blah". I'll just say this. I personally have fly fished down here in the Ozarks now for 20 years including where I call The Jr Circuit. In the entire 20 years of fishing it (sometimes 100 plus days a year)...this year was the first time I've EVER seen another fly fisherman where we fish. That was one time and for what it's worth, that was at one little place that I don't really consider part of the circuit anyway.

I think I know where they think I go and that's fine. If they believe it then I've accomplished my goal anyway.

Enough said. That's why we fish the edges anyway. A little solitude goes a long way. Our first stop today may have been our best spot. A little piece of water I saw from afar on my last venture to this area. It just had to hold fish was my thought. It did indeed and we were catching them there in some really cool ways. Knowing their recent penchant for little midges and G-Bugs, we put that set up on the 2 weight with half a white Palsa and no weight and Rudy started plucking them out with regularity.

That water was so cool. He plucked out one fish in the 16" class but most were smaller. Rudy wanted me throw it around a bit so I put on a #14 olive/wood duck Crystal Back (our version of a Crackleback) followed by a #18 Griffith's Gnat. Using Rudy's Scott G2 2wt, I started drifting that duo through the rising fish and with the right drift, I was getting a hit or a fish every time through.





We went on to look at some great new water most of which was void of fish. I'll definitely look at it again one day but probably not until spring...who knows. I could be convinced.



Our last effort was fishing below Powersite Dam. I have a local buddy who does it all the time and does pretty well. We barely had time to try one place but we tried it anyway. About 200 yards out from us in the middle of the lake was a boat throwing white jigs and catching a few. Rudy was throwing his favorite parade float sculpin pattern (the guy loves stripping sculpins). Seeing the white jig working for the boat people, I put on a Big Hurt below a float and flung it out there as far as I could with my two weight. One blue gill and one largemouth bass later...I had completed the Ozark Hill Billy Grand Slam for the day. Take that Left Kreh!

A great day with a good friend. Great weather that's looking to stay around here for a while. Usually I tell people we're pretty open in January and February but this year we're filling up pretty quick. January is about gone for availability and February is getting something added every day. We thank you sincerely and hope you can join us for all this fun!



A few nice notes from our friends and customers here. I kind of gave up up dating our "What They Say" link years ago. I just add the notes here on the Fishing Report as they come in since this is where you all hang out anyway right? Thanks all.



HI Brett,

I have been meaning to email you all week. Last Saturday you helped me set up my fly rod. And suggested I try your $3.95 fly with the jig head (Micro Baitfish) and also the white jig head with the plain hook (The Big Hurt). I got to fish for about 3 hours and caught 5 fish on each. And missed quite a few more.

You also suggested I fish the slower waters above outlet 2 or by the boat ramp. Both good suggestion. I especially liked it by the boat ramp very peaceful and hardly anyone there. I had never been able to catch fish there before. While the number I caught isn’t anywhere near what you are used to, it was a great day for me after not fishing there for 5 years. And actually one of my higher fish counts.

Thanks again for the advice and help. I’ll definitely be stopping by again.

Steve Wagner




Hey Brett,

I received those flies yesterday - including the 'That Worm Thang' - much appreciated.

Also wanted to thank you for the recent trip we took with Chris. It was great to try some new water and add some new techniques to the arsenal. That 1wt rod was a blast!

I'll stop by next time I'm in town.

Thanks,

Doug (December 31st)




Brett,

I can’t think of a better way to spend New Year’s Eve then chasing trout on the JC. Thanks so much for a great day on the water and for your patience with me as I learn the art of fly fishing.

Aside from putting us on fish and showing us new water you always take the time to truly educate. The JC is a great alternative to Taney when the water is flowing. We caught good numbers of fish and had numerous chances at 20+ inch rainbows. I alone had a chance at a handful (although I think my first fish of the day was at least 20 inches) if only I was a little quicker on the trigger.

It was fun to learn the roll cast ­ something I’m sure I’ll use more often in the tight quarters we were fishing. The shorter, lighter weight rods were a blast, if not a necessity in some of the areas we fished. As I get into this game I think the next thing I’ll want is a 2 weight rod.

Thanks again for a great day. I can’t wait for my next lesson.

Chris Blaine (December 31st)

    January 10th & 11th - Bob and I brought our buddy John from Trout Hollow Lodge out today. He was planning on just spending half a day with us but was having so much fun on the Jr Circuit he just had to stay and play around a little bit longer. We let him in on Club JC with a little tour of a couple of places. He had a great time and was blown away about where we were catching trout. That, to me is the reward that makes this so fun. It's like Christmas for adults. You discover something that you never even expected ...and it's really, really cool too. You kind of get that looking over your shoulder feeling like..."are we allowed to be doing this?..."Is this legal?"













I went all Tony Sweet on you with that last shot. That's my inner Dennis Miller talking. Fun stuff today man. Several places that were previously just ok this year were freakin awesome today. Crazy numbers of fish and a few crazy big ones thrown in there.

What I'll call our typical Taneycomo rig is dropping them on the Jr Circuit just like it does on the big river. An olive Bit Scud or X-Series gray Bit Scud #20 above a ginger/olive SG-Bug also in a #20. About 3' of 6x fluorocarbon tippet from your float to your first fly then about a 2' trailer of the same to the G-Bug. A little #6 or #8 weight between the float and the first fly depending on how shallow you're fishing. We'll do a lot of different things for a lot of different people depending on what they're in to...but if someone tells me..."I just want to catch a bunch of fish today"....then I'll start the day with that set up and there's a good chance I'll finish with it too.

A diverse set of water out there on the Circuit allows us to do some different things which is always fun so we're usually mixing it up. Some pretty good dry fly action is happening in a few locations and anyone interested in that is having a blast. Swinging an stripping streamers and sculpins is, like always...a hit or miss proposition. Some days it can be ok and other days... it's casting practice.

Here's A little side nugget for you new fly guys and gals....dont live and die by the wooly bugger.

Swinging and stripping is how most fly fishing is taught these days. It's the easiest way certainly...but rarely the most effective way to catch a trout. At least around here put it that way. A lot of times I'll have to de-program those kind of fishermen before they start seeing success on a tailwater. Trout spend most of their lives holding in the current waiting for food to come to them. Yes, they will chase a minnow and a streamer now and then but the VAST majority of what they do is wait for the current to bring them food. The better you can be at drifting your flies drag free with the current, the more fish you are going to catch. There you go!...that and $9 will get you a cup of Starbucks coffee.

We hit a fair amount of brand new water with Bob these last couple of days in a mixed bag of weather. Sans a warm shower or two, it was pretty good most of the time. Bob was up for a complete shot in the dark trip (as he always is) and we were both so pleasantly surprised by what we found.

Giving up a little 411 on the Jr Circuit is often reciprocated with a little K from our friends. I've heard rumors of a place....I've looked at it from a far but never fished it. Then came a good rumor from a reliable source. That was many years ago but I figured since the JC was cooking pretty much everywhere else right now, then this would be a good time to make some tracks around that rumored place. With Bob willing to be the Lewis to my Clark we set out to find trout water... and what we found?...hell yeah!

It would be hard to describe the beauty and the solitude of our setting all the while plucking out trout on a 2 wt while swinging midges in the film. "Virgin" trout in the sense that they probably haven't seen a fly yet. They should have been fighting each other for a taste of a Bit Scud or G-Bug right?....but no. We found fish highly attuned to their environment being very selective on what they ate. An olive #22 G-Bug swung in the film was about the only way these fish would take it well. I was impressed with their selectivity taking only small Griffiths Gnats on top or swinging the G-Bug.

Little mayflies popping up....midge blizzards in the evening. Crazy fun stuff and I cant wait to go back! And that little find has me planning on looking in some brand new areas that should also be holding trout. I'm very excited about that prospect. We'll keep you posted.

    January 9th - My buddy Scott wanted to experience the famed Jr Circuit. OK...light the candles.....break out the patchouli oil...we're going to have a seance and come to a full understanding of Club JC. Know it, live it, love it!...FISH IT!!!...then protect it.

Again, just another quick half day for Scott who has caught quite a few BIG fish with us in the past. When I get a half day trip scheduled I have to pick a handful of places (maybe 3 or 4) that we could hit in that time that will let our guests not only stay hooked up, but to learn the most out of the day. We hit about that many spots before parting ways.

Wow, our weather is fantastic! Hard to believe this in January but we are taking advantage of it. We're as busy this winter as we've EVER been since I've been doing this gig and I thank you all for that. Why so busy?...Part weather, part new water... I like to think there's a little results oriented thing going on too..

When you're looking to learn a lot of new water we'll catch a few fish...move on...catch a few more ...move on. I don't like to hit any one place too hard on any given day and I usually give each spot several days (up to a couple of weeks) rest sometimes before hitting it again. I do that by having a LOT of places to hit. The posers keep chasing their tails...a good way to keep them occupied.

Today's pick was geared to finish up near where Scott was staying so we hit that particular place last today. We looked at some new water and before I left I took Scott to one place that has held a few nice fish this year. Scott hooks up pretty quick on one of the biggest boys in there and brings this 20" class fish to net with the #22 ginger/olive SG-Bug.



Pretty salty stuff. A spawned out female looking to put more weight on for the coming year. Another great time with a real nice guy. Scott stayed there himself catching a few more before nightfall came.

    January 8th - The King is back!...well, Bob's back. Same diff. When you're standing in a trout stream catching fish on a fly rod...ALONE....you feel like a king. They say you cant find isolation on a trout stream ANYWHERE in the continental US anymore. I beg to differ.

I had pre scouted some new water for Bob to try today. A couple of new "old" water areas that I haven't seen in years and some completely brand new new spots I had yet to tread... and I'm talking on Taneycomo this time and not the Jr Circuit.

When water is off you kind of have two Taneycomo's. You can wade across the entire tailwater from the cable down to the boat ramp. After that it gets deeper and less wading is done effectively. With the new gravel deposits and changes in channels, there are new areas that can be accessed by boat and waded very effectively if you change your tactics a bit. That's what we did today on Taneycomo.

We hit a lot of those "drive by" places. "Fly over" places if you're in to politics. Places that get ignored by the masses as they speed their way to the Rebars and outlets of the world. We had NOBODY near us all day. One boat started playing around kind of close to us once... briefly but after that it was just me and Bob. Fun stuff on a tough bite day that followed our first cold front in a while. It put them down a bit but we pressed on, figured out something they liked pretty well (ginger/olive Micro Baitfish) and had a great time.



The clean, clear, white tipped and complete fins...the parr marks...if I was a betting man I would bet that fish above was a wild one. I've caught a handful of fish in my day here on Taney that I would guess were stream born. There's no way to tell for sure as all the stockers don't get their pec's clipped but, that fish looked every bit like a Crane Creek fish.

It was also caught in a place where you might expect a wild one to be scratching out a living. WAY off the beaten path in quiet water away from the masses and schools of stockers. Every year around February and March (in normal water gen years) you can find thousands of newly hatched fry on the banks of the upper section. If you look real close early on you'll see a few with eggs sacs still attached. Just above outlet #2 on the North Bank where that good water is coming in from the outlet is a good spot to check. I've seined them before and took pictures...showed them to MDC and they confirmed that those fish were too small to come from the hatchery and had to be stream born. Apparently they stay in incubators at that size when in the hatchery.

I'm sure a vast majority of them never make it too adulthood but I'm sure a few of them do too. Certainly a debatable topic but if I feel confident we have a few wild ones swimming around.

Where we finished today is a place I call Dunbar. Named after our recent trip guest Tim Dunbar. He and his brother fish this little shoal in the upper section quite a bit reaching it only by boat. Bob and I hit that today and found some great activity and some nice targets to sight cast to.



The first time in a long time that Mr Bob didn't pluck a 20" plus fish out of the depths (or the shallows in most cases) but we had a great day non the less. Bob was big on big fish early in his (barely over a year now) career in fly fishing. He's more in to the solitude these days so we fish the quiet places first and foremost and, what the hell....we still pull out a bunch ones too.

    January 6th - Gary and Susan joined me again today. These two are a couple of well traveled outdoors people and for as little as they fly fish, they do a fantastic job.

In short order we fine tuned where the fish were hanging and it was a hit a drift most of the day in our short afternoon trip. It would be hard to physically catch more fish in a half day than these two caught. This was a birthday present for Gary and he was having a blast.

A couple of hours in to our first spot and fish dropping nearly every cast...I asked Gary if he wanted to hit another area. Taking the "bird in the hand" theory, Gary was quite content staying where he was catching all those fish.

Same old things here guys. In the right locale....you can catch all the fish you want on just about anything. The best still though, is the #20 - #22 Bit Scud / G-Bug combo on 6x fluorocarbon. As always, I did a little OT with Gary and Susan but before I left, I set them up with clean tippet, new G-Bugs and threw them a few extras just in case.

Great folks to fish with as always and as I walked away to my next appointment...they were once again....doubled up.

    January 5th (am) - My buddy Don Isaac wanted a little am edu on the Jr Circuit. Where to go, how to fish it. Half a day is barely a scratch on he surface of the JC but it's enough time to have a lot of fun. And that's what we did today while water was still running on Taneycomo. Great looking water out there for us and just so many options that are still ever expanding. Don still wanted a taste of Taney too so after a couple of hours fishing small we hit the big river where we found it pretty solid as well.



A lot of smaller fish in the upper end right now. Areas where there are tons of them too but we'll need a few days of water being at least partially off during the day, to start bringing the big spawners back up in the shallow water. It doesn't take long when that happens and it will be even more fun with more big fish than now.

Don's always a lot of fun to fish with and I'm glad he decided to play around with us today. Crazy amounts of trout swimming around in the ozarks right now. A fun time to be here.


__________________________________________________________



January 5th (PM) - Our buddy Bud Hogan came down from Springfield this time bringing Sam and Ross. I've fished on and off with these two young men since they were a lot smaller. Both really good for picking it up just once or twice a year.

We stayed on Taneycomo all day this afternoon and caught obscene amounts of fish. Man they are smoking hot right now! LOTS of different bugs will catch them in the faster water areas. Our best are W2-Eggs in reds and oranges, That Worm Thing, Soft Shelled Scuds in #18 black or gray then wrapping up with olive Bit Scuds and ginger/olive SG-BUgs in a #20 - #22. Truth be known...the last two catch them EVERYWHERE with a slight drawback in the faster water where the hook up ratio will be a little less than the bigger stuff.

I know Bud likes the JC but Ross and Sam are pretty new to the game and Taney is a little more forgiving when it comes to catching big numbers. A little less technical too if you will so we stayed on the big water this afternoon and I tried to give Bud something new to play with. The 1 wt was a perfect play toy for a guy whose going to catch a lot of fish today anyway...so...why not maximize our fun.

Bud started stripping the Micro Baitfish on that 1 wt (with the Ross EVolution LT #0) and was having an absolute blast. After a break off we went down to the small stuff (Bit's and G's) with a Palsa and that too was just crazy good. It wasn't the 1 wt that was making fishing so good...it was just a whole lot of fun doing it.

A great day over all and as many fish as you can catch in a half day of fishing I believe. More double and triple hookups than single hookups. Good guys to hang with once again and another fantastic January day.

    January 3rd and 4th - Welcome back folks. Another year in the books here at CWTS. The all time record floods (two of them) in 2011 made for a tough stretch for everyone down here last spring but outside of that it was a great year. A great "fish catching" year with lots of numbers nearly every time out. It was a sub par "big fish" year overall. A lot of generation in November hurt that overall number. November usually gives up over 100 fish in the 20" class but this year it was only 32 for us.

I did an even 200 trips this year and we netted 227 fish over 20". I put a little star on the calendar every time we catch one 20" or better so I can tally them. While the late running water made November a less than typical big fish month, October was about average with over 50 fish over 20" being caught and September!!!... (the forgotten Big Fish Month) ...came in a strong second with almost 40 fish breaking the 20" mark. A real nice year overall and 2012 is starting out fast and furious.

These last two days, our friends Greg and John brought their buddy Terry along for a bunch of wading in various local trout waters. Fantastic weather and fishing is at hand for us in many different scenarios. We did a little Jr Circuit action along with wading the big river after it eventually shut down for us. The Jr Circuit probably came up a little tougher for us than Taney did today but Taney was showing us areas where it was just ridiculous numbers of fish. Triple hookups!!!...quite a few of them believe it or not.





Not a lot of BIG fish being spotted in the upper section right now but obnoxious amounts of them and most are willing takers of a lot of different stuff. We're having a great time with more great folks.

    December 31st - More old friends joining me again today. Doug and Chris were my guests and we had ourselves another great time out there. Sounds like a broken record I know but the last time I checked, our repeat customer percentage was around 80% and growing. A fact for which I am EXTREMELY grateful and humbled. At the very least, I want to provide my guests with the best opportunity available to catch the biggest and most fish possible with a fly rod on any given day. Above that, I always try to teach new techniques, tips and tricks...places to fish...bugs to use and why, just to name a few. Anyone can take you to Rebar with a fur bug and catch trout. My hope is to make you a better fisherman every time we go out and maybe even a better steward of the sport.

Well, the Jr Circuit was calling for us again today and hit some more new water for these boys. This weather is unreal and to be wading out here in 50 and 60 degree sunshine!...great stuff. They're taking small stuff now on the JC with the exception of the Micro Baitfish (ginger/olive). They ALWAYS take that thing.





From #20 GBG-Bugs to the standard non beaded variety. Bit Scuds and the X-Series gray Bit Scuds are catching them well. Lots of good stuff working...just has to be small.

More of the nicest folks you'll ever want to meet. We always hook up with these guys a couple of times a year at least. Always fun to fish with and they have become pretty solid with the long stick.

    December 30th - My young "old friends" Chris and Chad were my buddies today and they had the Jr Circuit itch. Good fly fishermen both and wanting to expand the resume a bit so we made a LOT of tracks chasing some quality fish around.









Hard to beat that Micro Baitfish with a #20 GB G-Bug trailer (shown above). We played around a lot with the 1 wt and the 2 wt today mostly. I have to confess that I once had pre-conceived notions about fishing such a small rod. Those notions have all been thrown out the window. The 1 wt is a lot of fun but it cant do everything. It's a little more specialized. That two weight though can handle pretty much anything you'll come across in Ozark fly fishing for trout. Your standard 4 or 5 wt seems like a broom stick after playing with the light stuff. Yes, I am a light rod guy these days for not only the fun of it, but for how it protects your tippets when you have to go small to catch these big fish. I'm just a fan...what can I say.

And I think Chris is a fan today too. He had a couple of classic takes from some big fish. The first one was a 20" fish sitting pretty in a very accessible area. Chris laid down some great drifts over that fish and finally got the take. Very clear water let us see it all happen right in front us. Very cool!



The second guy was a bit tougher. We had a big pod of big fish with one couple quick glimpses of what might have been The Freak! I've seen him twice since we caught him so he's doing well. Not sure if we saw him today but Chad and I both saw a really big one where Chris was working. Where the fish were holding made for a very tough, drag free drift but Chris was persistent and was finally able to get the take we were all watching for. Another GREAT battle ensued and pretty soon he was able to hold up this 22" beauty for a quick pic.



The "beauty mark" on his back looks like the one Bob caught on the 27th. Take good care of this resource. Not only will they live a long and happy life but they'll be there to play with the next time you stop by.

We had another great day out there in some cool water with some fun guys. I think they enjoyed the Jr Circuit experience. I always do. Here's Chris's take on the day. Thanks guys!


Brett,

Chad and I had an ABSOLUTE blast on our trip Friday. Without a doubt one of the most memorable trips we've both been on. I just wanted to drop you a line and see if you would email me the pictures from that day. Thanks again for everything, cant wait to go again!

Chris

P.S. Already tried tying those Soft Shelled Scuds.....much harder than it looks...but its a work in progress! (December 30th)

    December 29th - My old friend Tim Dunbar is a self taught fly fisherman and has done a pretty good job at it by all measures. He wanted to pick my brain for 8 hours or so all day today while hitting some new "educating" water. Tim's another great guy in our ever expanding list of great friends were fortunate to call customers as well. With Taneycomo still running strong, the Jr Circuit had high interest for Tim so that's where we spent our time today.







That last picture may be the unluckiest fish in Taneycomo. I'm scouting ahead for Tim while he works on a little group of fish... and I walk about as far as I could walk in one area. It looked fishy out ahead in the deeper, darker water so I thought I'd throw a line out in to the depths just to see what's out there. I figure if I get a hit or two it would be worth bringing Tim down to play with them. I get a quick take right off...I pause just a little more then another take. I'm not interested in catching those fish, I'm just doing it to see if fish are there for my guests to play with. On the second take the float disappears and while I try hard NOT to set the hook when I'm scouting like that....sometimes, instincts take over. So I set the hook with the 1 wt expecting another 14" ish size fish when all hell breaks loose. That fish takes me on a ride having me wonder exactly what I have on there. After a battle much longer than I had planned...that 21" fish comes to net on the GBG-Bug (olive) #20.

I felt so guilty! That should have been Tim's fish. We went down there and he plucked out a few fish in the aforementioned sizes but no more big ones. Sorry Tim...I owe you one. Tim was able to get one big one to net today. After briefly hooking up with several other big fish this 20" rainbow took the #18 black Soft Shelled Scud and Tim handled him like a pro.



He did a great job today in his first experience in really tight quarters. EVERYBODY is going to find the trees now in then fishing tight so don't expect perfection over the course of the day. Tim was being hard on himself in that respect but he really did great and landed some great fish in some unbelievable places. Always fun hanging with Tim. One of the good guys in the world. Here's his take on our day. What did I tell you....way too hard on himself. Tim can catch a trout on a fly with the best of them.



Hi Brett:

Thank you for a great day on the water exploring the Ozarks hidden treasures. Sometimes in our fast pace world we forget what it’s like to just appreciate the world around us. The Junior Circuit was a wonderful experience. Maybe we did the expanded Junior Circuit? I appreciate your knowledge and patience with me. I’m sure there were times you wanted to ring my neck. My overall evaluation of the day is my reaction time on a controlled hook set is -1 and your teaching skills are a 10+. Thanks again for a great day.

Sincerely,
Tim Dunbar (December 29th)



And yet another nice note from our new friend Bob from the 27th. Thank you my friend. You guys were fun to fish with. And check out the bonefish pic he sent. Makes you warm just looking at it eh?


Hey Brett,

Thanks again for a fantastic day with the Ozark bows! You showed us native Ozarkers some new waters and new ideas on some of our old waters that will be sure to help us both catch more and larger fish.

Your original fly designs are perfectly tailored to the fish and the waters in the beautiful Shepherd of the Hills country. Your knowledge and easy going manner will always insure that Chartered Waters clients have nothing but the best. Heck, we even added a great new Mexican restaurant to our list!

Come on out to the islands and visit sometime. We'll set up a few days on the water for a try at the bad boys of the flats........big Hawaiian bone fish or O'io as the locals call them.

Here's one we had an encounter with back in August. I can't give you anywhere near the service you provide but I'll give it my best.



Thanks again!

Bob Blair (December 27th)

    December 28th (AM) - My buddy Mark Ward received a 1/2 day boat trip with us from his gracious wife Kathy for Christmas this year. After seeing what we're doing on the JC lately he just said...."yeah, lets just skip the boat thing this time". Well played my friend.

Mark was a little apprehensive about tackling the tight quarters that sometimes goes with fishing the Jr Circuit but I knew his skills and knew he wouldn't have a problem with it. A half a day is just a small taste of this fantastic fishery but enough to get the blood going.





Hooked up in both of those pictures (above) by the way. We had plans on hitting several different locales but had enough fun in just one of them that we kind of just spent our time there.

Another fantastic fish falls for one of our friends and Mark did a great job with the business end on that fish. In it's purest form....he saw the fish...casted to it...and caught it. A very rewarding experience.





Another 23" rainbow that took the Soft Shelled Scud if I recall. What a great time we had. Mark is as nice as they come and we certainly appreciate the fact that he fishes with us.



____________________________________________________________



December 28th (PM) - Howard and his son Corey were my buddies today hitting some new water on the water that is, the Jr Circuit. I never hit the same water twice so even with our successful first half of the day on one piece of water...we hit all new stuff this afternoon with equal success.





Corey did a great job working in to the slower pace needed to be successful out there. You need an open mind and a willingness to change a few things about your game. Sometimes its the crusty vets who have a harder time changing their ways than the new guys. Corey probably falls somewhere in between those two and did a real nice job out there today.

Another stellar late December day for us. I don't see how you can ask for anything better at this time of year. And they say there's no up side to global warming. Just kidding for all you crazy communists out there.

    December 27th - Hope you all had a great Christmas! We had a real nice time here. Papa got a brand new pair of shoes (bowling shoes). I know...."if you get a pair of bowling shoes for Christmas...you might be a red neck."

Bob (hailing from Hawaii) and Pat (local boy) return from our blow out last week and we had ourselves a great time out there today. Lots of fish...big fish....a plethora of techniques and situations....that's why we're here right? And lets throw in the fact that we're fishing in mid 50's / low 60's these days here in late December. WOW! You couldn't order a better day.



Well, it started a little frosty for us as I took this picture of the river off the back porch of the shop before we started. It turned much better soon enough in to the aforementioned spectacular day, later on. These guys are fly fishermen veterans but new to fishing with us. Great folks to meet and we had ourselves another great time out there!





Lots of nice fish coming to net for us all day long like this one here by Pat, and we were playing in water that was fun, challenging and highly successful. Still that Micro Baitfish in ginger/olive with the #20 GB G-Bug trailer also in ginger/olive. It's usually about half and half on the takes but some days they like one over the other. The Soft Shelled Scud in a #18 had been pretty solid too at times. Other times it's nothing at all with that one but always work a look.



Highlight of the day and the last fish of the day was this spectacular 22" fish that Bob managed to snag (figuratively...not literally) from the depths of a little run where neither of us saw him in. What a firm and wild specimen. Great fish and caught on the 1wt. How fun was that?!?!...a lot, if I may be so bold!



More fantastic folks I had the pleasure of meeting and fishing with today. ANother great time for sure out there. It's hard not to love your work when days like this come together on a regular basis.




Here's our friend Jeff with a nice note from our rip the other day. Thanks Jeff. Sounds like you figured things out pretty well for yourself.



Hey Brett,

Caught 11 more in that stretch of (water) before I left, one around 18".
How did you do upstream?

Had a great time... Beautiful water and no people!!

When you get time, could you email me the pic of the big trout, might want
to blow it up and hang in my office.

Hope you guys have a Merry Christmas!

Jeff (December 23rd)

December 23rd - My new friend Jeff from just north of us in Springfield is having fun learning our way of catching trout around here and today, we were planning a quick jaunt on the Jr Circuit. He's done the Taneycomo thing with us...had a great time and caught some big fish...lets see what kind of trouble we can get in on the skinny water.

Taneycomo has been in a generating water funk and I haven't been on the big river in quite a while. The boat's been collecting some dust too (and a little more Taneycomo scum on the sides) so I hope she's not missing me too much. Jeff's a solid fisherman so I knew he would get a kick out of our little slice of serenity so we hit a few hot spots in our short time together.

I'd like to give you a story about how we casted to this fish for an hour... changed a dozen flies...tried a bunch of drifts until we finally... blah, blah, blah.....but no. We saw the fish...Jeffs first cast of the day was at him and that cast came up about 5 feet short. I was just about to tell him to get it out there just a tad more when the 23" rainbow raced up to inhale Jeff's ginger/olive Micro Baitfish...and this is what he ended up with in the net.





That was such a classic take and in full view, broadcast to us in Super HD 3D. First fish of the day was our best but we tangled with many other really nice fish that never made it in all the way.

Life is in full swing out there as evidence by images like this.



We stay away from those guys and gals and concentrate on the bachelors and bachelorettes. Tread softly but carry a big stick....or at least something in the 7' - 8' range with a soft touch.

A lot of fun out there for sure. Our fly menu is moving to the small side now and it will continue to evolve as we move through the winter. A great challenge for me and my guests and we are having a blast experiencing it together. Always a good time with Jeff. Thanks man!

We'll be closed for the next few days until we crank back up on the 27th. Have a great Christmas and be thankful for what you have.

    December 21st - The FREAK is in the house! You know, around noon today Bob and I looked at each other and said Man!!!...could this day get any better? Well, warm up the coffee cup, lock the office door and accept no calls...this is a pretty good one.

Our quest for virgin fly water had us strapping on our boots and ready to bruise our knees (and thumbs) if necessary to break new ground. We were excited before we even hit the water as Bob's new 1wt rod came in and we had it armed and ready. The Temple Fork Finesse Series and boy it didn't take us long to put it in our top 3 rods we've fished to date...if not a little higher. $180 has never been so fun.

Every stop on the tour is so unique in how you have to fish it. From the cast to the hook set to the presentation (just to name a few) and before you even think about casting...you have to figure out the situation as it presents itself. Preventive Maintenance 202.

The amount of big fish we are finding is just ridiculous and yeah, you could go to a lot of spots and catch a whole bunch of fish in a day but man!...when you see those 22"ers...25"ers...28"ers swimming around you kind of reevaluate your priorities. It's kind of like going in to the candy shop and they tell you..."hey kid!...EVERYTHING's free!" And your response might be..."even the BIG ones?" Yes son...even the big ones.

But you're going to have to work for them! And here's some of our early work.











Bob was catching them while stripping the Micro Baitfish and ginger/olive GBG-Bugs in a #20. The best though was probably below a float on those same flies plus #18 Soft Shelled Scuds and #20 gray X-Series Bit Scuds. I honestly don't know how many fish over 20" were caught today. 5 or 6 at least but we don't really count them any more and Bob isn't much for pictures with them either. I make him take one every now and then but I like that laid back approach. The fish like it too.

Highlight of the morning (at least for me) was when we find this stunning pair of fish in the skinniest of skinny water. See December 17th AM Report ...where Phillip is trying to catch one out of a little sliver of water surrounded by a lot of crap. Same place Phillip. I was spotting for Bob on the opposite bank when I found them. (I'm always checking that little spot now). Bob got in position and started working in the very, VERY narrow little stretch of water that the fish was holding in. He had about a 6" wide and 2' long slice of water that he had ANY chance of getting that fish to hit. It was a REALLY tough spot. Bob laid down several drifts that could have had that fish but it wasn't overly aggressive towards anything.

It took Bob's bugs once but in the same flash of an instant that it took to suck it in (and before I could squeeze out a "GO" for Bob)...he had spit it back out. Pushing the envelope, Bob finally snagged a little limb protecting the fish and his party was pretty much over. I, however was able to touch the fish with the tip of my rod if I wanted to and Bob was ready for a break anyway so here comes my big moment.

The 1wt had nothing but a Micro Baitfish on the end which served perfectly for a little "cane polin'" action on a fish that seemed to be in the mid 20 inch range. I bugged that sucker for about 5 minutes with a half drift / half vertical jig presentation at times. He gave me one of those lightning fast inhales too one time but I wasn't fast enough... even though I could almost see the pupil of his eye I was so close. Like Bob, I started pushing the envelope a little as the best drift I could find started between two limbs and if the fish did take my bugs at that point, it could only go one direction and NOT break me off in the brush. It was worth a shot as the fish was a worthy foe and he had just about wore out our attention span anyway.

If Monday's catch was the final Brad Pitt scene in... A River Runs Through It....then today was like the first take from that scene. Not quite as dramatic as Mondays but still....REALLY good! If it's possible for a fish to jump out of the water while it's in water that's barely covering it's back?...then it happened with that fish today. It's like a peaceful little setting that suddenly turns in to a carpet bombing. I've had some great memories these last couple of days thanks to Bob's generosity (or his cigarette habit...I told him I'm going to subtly shame him in to quitting) and this one today was another classic. Luckily I'm back on the BIG net these days and I was lucky enough to get my net around this 25" stunning specimen of a male rainbow.







Using trees on the bank for cover I was able to move the rod around enough so that I didn't scare him while still presenting him with a decent drift. Go that extra mile folks. I cant begin to count the number of REALLY big fish that fall for us just because you tried one last cast or tried one more fly or checked that one last place for a big one. I've found that when you're ready to give up...thats when you really have to dig in and open up the playbook. We were about to walk when I threw a few sketchy casts at him. You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain right? The big ones rarely come easy.

We spent the better part of our morning in one general area. We never try to hit any one place too hard and we were ready for lunch anyway. While exploring new water is always fun, so was the thought of trying to find that really big one I've seen a few times lately. We debated the issue and finally decided to hit some "old" new water and scope out a few of those really big ones.

Real nice stuff going on down there too. We didn't really attempt to cast to numbers of fish but when we targeted the bigger ones, the smaller ones always kept us hooked up. When you see a big fish you'd rather not have the "non target" fish interrupt the flow of things but hey...worse things could happen right? We plucked more nice fish out but the really big one never showed his face. About ready to move to a new spot (remember...go that extra mile) when I decided to switch banks where I was doing my spotting for Bob. Some times (most times) you'll get less glare on one side of the water than the other and while I thought I was on the right side...apparently I wasn't.

I'm walking up to where Bob was and WHAM!!!...there he was. I had walked within 10' of a 28" class rainbow sitting like a duck in wide open water on my way downstream. It wasn't until I switched sides before I could see that fish. I get Bob's attention and he gets set up to give it a go. A Micro Baitfish above an orange #16 W2-Egg was the fare and Bob starts trying to put down drifts over that roaming fish. He wasn't running hard or scared but he was always moving a little bit and it made it tough to get a good one over him. The fish finally settled in to a nice little approachable area and Bob got in position. He was able to lay down several good drifts when suddenly his float stops and the surface erupts with thrashes. A vertical jump had Bob yelling something that was a mix of... "hell yeah and no f''n way". In about the time it took for it to land back down in the water, the hooks had pulled out. Major league bummer.

The good news was our big boy was barely phased and was merely shaking his head a couple of times under water then right back to his normal routine. A little different locale required a little different approach and soon enough, Bob was positioned once again to present the bugs. Using the Temple Fork 2wt Pro Series and 5x tippet (I had put on 5x just in hopes of seeing that fish...or one like him) and in what could only be described as a surreal moment, our "monster" fish gets joined by a female about 8" to 10" longer.

"Jesus did you see that thing?"....Bob saw her too and with both fish side by side now...Bob gets a take from one of them for about a second. That take moved our first fish upstream and our new, bigger one downstream.

What a few minutes of adrenaline that was. Bob and I come together in the stream as darkness is approaching. We walk upstream carefully, looking for our initial target with no success. We assumed it had to be upstream somewhere probably hunkered down in a place that wasn't letting in a fly anytime soon. It's quittin' time anyway and we start gathering our things. We walk back down where all the action had just taken place for a final look and still nothing.

"Let me take one last walk back downstream before we go. I'll walk back up the same bank I saw him last time and who knows". I didn't see him walking down and I walked WAY down there. On the way back I took the road less traveled. The one where I trip a lot and the one that gets my net tangled up and my spare rods snagged in brush and ...oh yeah!...the one where I saw the fish for the first time.

You know where this is going right? It's one of those "go the extra mile" lessons I told you about. Well sure enough, no more than 10' from where we saw him the first time was our boy. He was in a tighter little place than before but not impossible and there goes that adrenaline again.

Our hero gets in position and with the same stick and the same set up as before, Bob makes short work of the situation. Much more prepared to connect this time and his casts are much more efficient and on target. In just a few drifts we get the take followed by a series of underwater head shakes by a fish that has no idea it's even hooked. But hooked he was and hooked up well this time. I encourage Bob to start working the angles while battling that fish trying to make him start working a little more. That big boy finally got the hint and takes us 100yards upstream then 100 yards down stream in the course of about 2 minutes.

Now, there's a lot of ways to lose a big fish and break offs haven't been an issue for Bob since the very early days with us. I wasn't worried about that...but neither of us were prepared for the reel falling out of the reel seat and in to the water in mid battle. I kid you not! It happened...there were some tense moments but calm prevailed and we were fortunate to have a fish that was happy to relax for a stretch while Bob was able to fish the reel from the water re attach it then screw it back on. I was on the opposite bank trying to avoid the fish and renter the fight from a different angle when all this happened. Bob was on his own with this one and he managed the situation better than could be expected.

When it first happened I thought oh man!...well...it was fun while it lasted. But the fish was staying still so I quickly told bob to make sure he held the rod VERY still in the process. Nothing prompts a run from a fish that is being calm than a herky jerky reeling action or a flailing of the rod tip. That thumping rod tip sends signals down to the fish that gets them moving away from the situation.

Yeah, we should have lost that fish at that point but we didn't. And you want to talk about a new leash on life and a positive new outlook! We went from the outhouse to the White House on that move and our confidence was sky high. The fish however wasn't using our play book so as I entered the water about the time Bob had reattached the reel....our fish made a mad dash to first, a branch anchored on the bottom rising up then a root wad smacking of something that looked like Howard Hughes flashing some gang signs. (I know I used that one before but I really liked it....and hopefully nobody remembered the first time).

During the battle I pointed that branch out to Bob.

"Sooner or later, that's probably going to become an issue. Be ready to chase that fish around that branch before he breaks you off".

Sure enough, that bastard goes out of his way to wrap Bob's line around that branch...then heads directly in to the heart of that root wad. When that happens...give them slack and put just a little pressure on your line. You'd like them to come out the same way they went in but if they don't (and they usually don't) you can sometimes feed your line and rod through the root wads and back out in to open water for the save. What I try to do in those situations is approach the root wad from the opposite direction and hope that the fish spooks back out the same way it came in.

Once again...our confidence shot back down when that happened. I was able to get up to the root wad quickly to make that move and luckily the fish started "backing" it's way out of the root wad. It must have been wedged in there with no way out but the original way. As it was backing itself out...Bob's slight pressure turned the fish sideways as it was coming out, disorienting the fish for just a second. I was just out of reach when that happened but was able to right myself enough for one semi-desperation like move. It was so tangly in there that I wasn't able to get the net low enough in the water to slip it over the fish. I slid it down between two large roots in anticipation of where the fish would go next. I guessed right but when it felt the net (and it was too big to fit in the net by itself) it backed back out of that looking for a new exit. I had 2 or 3 slots of roots that I could place the net down to keep the fish from getting away but I really couldn't pull it up and out (with the fish in it) once the fish was in the net sans a quick limb removal. It happened again in the second little slot I stuck the net in but this time when the fish backed out, Bob's "slight" pressure turned him on his side again and this time he was on the surface and I was able to get my net under his head while my left hand grabbed his tail and pushed him forward and in to the net.

Wow! All this happened in less than 15 minutes I'd say but man!!!...what an incredible 15 minutes, and I was about to be impressed all over again.

I guessed the fish to be about 28" when I saw it in the water. When I got it in the net I was stunned at the shear mass of that fish. When Bob saw him up close he was blown away. It had the shape of one of those football browns where they're about as fat as they are long. This thing was so thick! Bob caught a 28" female last winter that was just a stud. I held them both and this fish seemed like it outweighed that fish by about 10 pounds. I'll conservatively say it was a mid teens fish in weight but honestly...it was bigger than that. I picked up that dead 31" fish this fall which someone weighed at 14 pd's. Much heavier than that fish. This thing today was at least 29". Best measurement I could take with the fish upright and in the water. It easily hit 29" and that's without laying it down flat and squeezing the tail and all that stuff you're supposed to do when measuring a fish. Probably a 30" fish but we weren't going to sacrifice him for an exact measurement. It's the mass that was so impressive.

So enough of the talk guide boy...lets see the pictures! Well here he is. The fish I'm calling The FREAK! Bob's latest "fish of a lifetime" and I think it's number....I don't know???...maybe 10 or 12 or something like that??? He's only been fly fishing a year folks! To date though...this is his biggest!











This may be the heaviest fish we've ever caught . I'll say top 5 for sure. We've caught several browns over 30" that would rival it but I'm pretty sure it's our heaviest rainbow yet.

What a day, what a day!!! Nice when a plan works out eh??...even with a few kinks in the chain thrown in. And remember... it had a bigger girlfriend!

Crazy fun!