Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Winter Wonderland at Lilleys' Landing
We had a good portion of ice the last couple days.. here are some pictures.
A night view of the snow/ice on the grounds.
This is the upstream side of the dock where we normally keep pontoons.
Due to the weight of the ice on the roof, you can see it's leaning.
Here is Jerry, Curtis and Phil attempting to
dislodge ice from the roof while on a pontoon.
Assessing the situation.
As you can see, the roof eventually fell due to the
weight of the ice.
dislodge ice from the roof while on a pontoon.
Assessing the situation.
As you can see, the roof eventually fell due to the
weight of the ice.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Lake Taneycomo Report January 17
Has this been an unusual winter here in the Ozarks... Not really. It's pretty normal for us to have cold spells, even down in the single digits. the nice thing about this part of the country is that these spells generally don't last even long. In a day or two, it's back up in the 40's and 50's, long enough to get out and fish before the next cold front moves through.
On Lake Taneycomo, generation has been fairly consistent. About 2 units on at daylight till about 10 am, then off till dark when they kick on 2 units for about 3-4 hours. Weekends- they tend to leave the water off for longer periods of time, if they run it at all. BUT that's not always the case. Today, Saturday, they ran water all day to the dismay of I bet lots of anglers who made the trip to Taney to wade below the dam. Sometimes I think they just want to tick us off.
Out of boats, we've been drifting egg flies, scuds and san juan worms using a spit shot or drift rig to get them down, drifting them on the bottom all the way down to Fall Creek. San Juans- red or tan; Scuds- gray, olive, brown or tan; and egg flies combinations of peach and yellow. If the water isn't running too hard, using a fly rod set a float 6-9 feet above a fly and use a split shot to get the fly to the bottom. Drift the shallow side of the lake. Spin rig again- work a 1/8th oz jig off the bottom while drifting. Colors- white has been the best by far but should have an olive, sculpin, purple, black or brown/orange ready just in case. Wading with the water running- you're confined to the outlets below the dam. Use scuds, midges and egg flies and watch others to learn how to catch fish. It's really pretty easy if you can find a spot.
Below Fall Creek, you can use the same flies and jigs but you're not confined to artificials. You can use live bait. Some are throwing Rapalas, Rogues and Pointers both in the trophy area and below. Working the bluff banks where trees and brush are just like you'd work it for bass. Jerk the bait down and pause, then jerk some more. Little cloes and spin-a-lures are working too. We sold a bunch today out of our tackle store. Best colors seem to be nickel, gold, reds and blues. Most are casting the out and letting them sink a little, then reeling them back in straight. Some are trolling them slowly behind the boat.
Water off- by boat, the trophy area has been fishing great. Jigs again, either fished with or without a float in the colors mentioned earlier. Straight line- use 3/32 to 1/16th oz and work them off the bottom like fishing for crappie. Under a float use 1/50th to 1/256 in a micro and think about dropping to 2 lb line. Four pound is fine for everything else. Fish the jigs 4-5 feet deep. In the micros, olive with an orange head or pink with a chrome head. Marabou- brown or sculpin with an orange head. Look for the chop... a surface with a croppy surface catches more fish.
Fly fishing below the dam- below the dam, if there's a chop on the water, strip a soft hackle (#16 red, black, white, yellow or green) or a wooly (#12 olive, black, brown, purple, white) or a crackleback (#14 white, gray, brown) or a sculpin or leech in earth colors. My favorite is the san juan in red and I fish them anywhere there's moving water. Scuds (#14-#18 gray, olive, tan, brown or white) also in moving water or fished in the shallow flats where trout are nosing around in the gravel with their tails sticking out of the water. Moving water- between outlets 1 and 2, rebar and below rebar and the rocking chair has several areas where the water is moving fast enough. For stripping soft hackles, woolies or leeches you really don't need moving water.
The area below the boat ramp is seeing quite a bit of surface action and they seem to be taking dry flies pretty good here- even down through the KOA area. Elk Hair Caddis (#14-#18's in olive or yellow) are my favorite. Try dropping a midge under the dry anywhere from 12 to 36 inches.
From a boat, use a weighted scud (#14 - #18 in gray, olive, tan or brown) under an indicator so that the scud is very close to if not on the bottom. I use this technique mostly from Lookout down to Fall Creek and I usually stay in the middle of alittle on the channel side of the lake, trying to put my bug close to if not on the drop off from the flat to the channel. I'll work the fly, moving it 6 to 12 inches, making it jump off the bottom and letting it settle back down like a scud might.
Above or below Fall Creek, we use fly rods when fishing a jig and float all the time. Either micros or marabou jigs fished 4 to 6 feet deep. Again, I like to fish the channel drop down to Short Creek which is about in the middle of the lake. Don't be stick on one depth- if they aren't biting very well, change colors and change depths of the jig.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
25 Year Anniversary
Lilleys’ Landing Resort & Marina on Lake Taneycomo celebrated its 25th year in business in 2008. The small, family run operation on upper Lake Taneycomo actually hit the 25-year mark May 15.
The resort & marina, which sits halfway on the lake between Table Rock Dam and downtown Branson, has been open year-round for a quarter of a century, with the fly & tackle shop closed for a few hours on Thanksgiving and all day on Christmas in recent years. Until Ozark Mountain Christmas took off, only guests in the winter time were trout fishermen.
The fleet of boats has transitioned from a few leaky aluminum v-bottoms available only to resort guests to 12 river jon boats especially built for Lake Taneycomo, three bass boats and four pontoons, all ready to go from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily to the public as well as resort guests. It’s a 20-minute ride down to watch the Branson Landing fountains from the water side, and docking there is free.
The resort grounds have evolved from 14 one- and two-bedroom units with two-channel black& white televisions to now all wi-fi 24 units, including three three-bedroom units, one four-bedroom and two adjoining meeting rooms and an outdoor pavilion to accommodate area business meetings as well as vacationers. The second meeting room was opened with premium multi-media capabilities and surround sound for groups up to about 20.
“There’s no reason business people can’t conquer with their computers for a half day and finish their business from a boat in the other half,” Lilley said.
Phil Lilley, Jerry’s son, was the first to consider Branson as an ideal family resort area, both for the outstanding trout fishing and for the year-round business potential. He and his wife, Marsha, worked in Springfield for two years while they studied and prayed about various resorts with his parents. God seemed to move in all the details, Phil said, and the foursome purchased Rosadaro Resort in May 1983 from Rose & Sam Hepko, who had built it themselves from scratch 10 years before. Sam died in 2006, but Rose, known as “Sadie” to many, is still a beloved face in the community.
Phil’s love of fishing and love of sharing it kept him motivated to master first Taneycomo, and then other area waters. Eleven years ago he launched Ozarkanglers.com., a website/forum that covers most fishing waters in southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas. The site now includes more than 100 articles with daily readership of more than 2,200 viewers.
“My passion is to educate those who wish to learn how to fish and to those who want to learn how to fish better, whether it be dunking a worm or casting a fly,” Lilley said. He was a member of Friends of Lake Taneycomo, and helped launch the Branson Chapter of Trout Unlimited of which he is now president again. He also travels and speaks at churches and fishing clubs across four states to share his joy of fishing.
Jerry and his wife, Carolyn, were delayed in relocating to Branson until 1990 due to his duties as administrator at Labette County Medical Center in Parsons, KS, but they spent most of their spare weekends and vacations working at the resort. Phil’s sister, Lisa, and her family moved to town in 1985, and after working off and on through the years has been the office manager for the past six years. Marsha’s parents, Dave & Jean Woolery, who had been Taneycomo vacationers from the 1970s, also “retired” to Branson — building a home just on down River Lane from the resort, where Jerry & Carolyn would also then build. Although never actually on the resort payroll, the Woolerys were instrumental with moral and childcare support.
“It was such divine intervention that our children and Lisa’s sons grew up with grandparents right on the block,” Marsha said. “It’s one of those God things that’s beyond what you could ask or think of to pray for — especially with four babies in eight and a half years! And it’s such a joy now to see them continue to have rich relationships with their grandparents.”
With the heavy weekend demands of the resort, Marsha & Carolyn ended up homeschooling the six children for most of their years to carve out more family time. As the resort added staff – now including Curtis Viscardis as maintenance/dock supervisor, Kathy Rudd as cleaning supervisor and Becky Newcomb as head housekeeper -- the family affairs began to extend more into the community: Phil kept active in fishing & outdoor venues, Jerry served a term as treasurer for the Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, and Carolyn & Marsha grew more involved in church and charity work. Carolyn helped launch Options -- the Branson crises pregnancy center where Marsha is now a volunteer counselor -- and has been president of the Torchbearers Foundation, the area outreach to Cameroon, Africa, via Dr. Martin Niboh.
Life at the resort has turned a new corner with the addition of Megan Cummings, Phil & Marsha’s second daughter, working in public and guest relations. She is a 2006 graduate of College of the Ozarks in recreation administration married last summer to Jimmy Cummings. Their oldest daughter, Sara Clark of Denver, graduated C of O in 2003 with her husband, Josh, and is a senior analyst for a bio-fuels firm; son Caleb graduated in May and now works two part-time youth ministry jobs in the area while the youngest, Greg, is a sophomore music ministry major at C of O. Nephew Ryan Titus runs heavy machinery for Altom Construction and nephew Levi Elsworth also works in the area.
“Even though we are just reaching our 50s,” Marsha said, “I know we sound ancient to the kids when we reminisce about the first few years at the resort. People would stay two weeks at a time and really enjoy regrouping with other guests year after year. It sounds archaic that we would pass out extra foil for everyone’s tv antennas so we could catch some of the Olympics, and we actually showed outdoor reel-to-reel movies outside at night – until the skunks came too regularly for the popcorn droppings.”
With all the added tourist attractions to Branson, some resort guests still never leave the resort grounds – except to be on the water. “God did such a great decorating job here in the Ozarks, we are so delighted to be able to share it,” Marsha said, adding sardonically, “It’s a tough job helping people vacation – and we still love it!”
The resort & marina, which sits halfway on the lake between Table Rock Dam and downtown Branson, has been open year-round for a quarter of a century, with the fly & tackle shop closed for a few hours on Thanksgiving and all day on Christmas in recent years. Until Ozark Mountain Christmas took off, only guests in the winter time were trout fishermen.
The fleet of boats has transitioned from a few leaky aluminum v-bottoms available only to resort guests to 12 river jon boats especially built for Lake Taneycomo, three bass boats and four pontoons, all ready to go from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily to the public as well as resort guests. It’s a 20-minute ride down to watch the Branson Landing fountains from the water side, and docking there is free.
The resort grounds have evolved from 14 one- and two-bedroom units with two-channel black& white televisions to now all wi-fi 24 units, including three three-bedroom units, one four-bedroom and two adjoining meeting rooms and an outdoor pavilion to accommodate area business meetings as well as vacationers. The second meeting room was opened with premium multi-media capabilities and surround sound for groups up to about 20.
“There’s no reason business people can’t conquer with their computers for a half day and finish their business from a boat in the other half,” Lilley said.
Phil Lilley, Jerry’s son, was the first to consider Branson as an ideal family resort area, both for the outstanding trout fishing and for the year-round business potential. He and his wife, Marsha, worked in Springfield for two years while they studied and prayed about various resorts with his parents. God seemed to move in all the details, Phil said, and the foursome purchased Rosadaro Resort in May 1983 from Rose & Sam Hepko, who had built it themselves from scratch 10 years before. Sam died in 2006, but Rose, known as “Sadie” to many, is still a beloved face in the community.
Phil’s love of fishing and love of sharing it kept him motivated to master first Taneycomo, and then other area waters. Eleven years ago he launched Ozarkanglers.com., a website/forum that covers most fishing waters in southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas. The site now includes more than 100 articles with daily readership of more than 2,200 viewers.
“My passion is to educate those who wish to learn how to fish and to those who want to learn how to fish better, whether it be dunking a worm or casting a fly,” Lilley said. He was a member of Friends of Lake Taneycomo, and helped launch the Branson Chapter of Trout Unlimited of which he is now president again. He also travels and speaks at churches and fishing clubs across four states to share his joy of fishing.
Jerry and his wife, Carolyn, were delayed in relocating to Branson until 1990 due to his duties as administrator at Labette County Medical Center in Parsons, KS, but they spent most of their spare weekends and vacations working at the resort. Phil’s sister, Lisa, and her family moved to town in 1985, and after working off and on through the years has been the office manager for the past six years. Marsha’s parents, Dave & Jean Woolery, who had been Taneycomo vacationers from the 1970s, also “retired” to Branson — building a home just on down River Lane from the resort, where Jerry & Carolyn would also then build. Although never actually on the resort payroll, the Woolerys were instrumental with moral and childcare support.
“It was such divine intervention that our children and Lisa’s sons grew up with grandparents right on the block,” Marsha said. “It’s one of those God things that’s beyond what you could ask or think of to pray for — especially with four babies in eight and a half years! And it’s such a joy now to see them continue to have rich relationships with their grandparents.”
With the heavy weekend demands of the resort, Marsha & Carolyn ended up homeschooling the six children for most of their years to carve out more family time. As the resort added staff – now including Curtis Viscardis as maintenance/dock supervisor, Kathy Rudd as cleaning supervisor and Becky Newcomb as head housekeeper -- the family affairs began to extend more into the community: Phil kept active in fishing & outdoor venues, Jerry served a term as treasurer for the Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, and Carolyn & Marsha grew more involved in church and charity work. Carolyn helped launch Options -- the Branson crises pregnancy center where Marsha is now a volunteer counselor -- and has been president of the Torchbearers Foundation, the area outreach to Cameroon, Africa, via Dr. Martin Niboh.
Life at the resort has turned a new corner with the addition of Megan Cummings, Phil & Marsha’s second daughter, working in public and guest relations. She is a 2006 graduate of College of the Ozarks in recreation administration married last summer to Jimmy Cummings. Their oldest daughter, Sara Clark of Denver, graduated C of O in 2003 with her husband, Josh, and is a senior analyst for a bio-fuels firm; son Caleb graduated in May and now works two part-time youth ministry jobs in the area while the youngest, Greg, is a sophomore music ministry major at C of O. Nephew Ryan Titus runs heavy machinery for Altom Construction and nephew Levi Elsworth also works in the area.
“Even though we are just reaching our 50s,” Marsha said, “I know we sound ancient to the kids when we reminisce about the first few years at the resort. People would stay two weeks at a time and really enjoy regrouping with other guests year after year. It sounds archaic that we would pass out extra foil for everyone’s tv antennas so we could catch some of the Olympics, and we actually showed outdoor reel-to-reel movies outside at night – until the skunks came too regularly for the popcorn droppings.”
With all the added tourist attractions to Branson, some resort guests still never leave the resort grounds – except to be on the water. “God did such a great decorating job here in the Ozarks, we are so delighted to be able to share it,” Marsha said, adding sardonically, “It’s a tough job helping people vacation – and we still love it!”
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
