Lilleys’ Landing May Newsletter

All of our staff and family here at Lilleys’ Landing are amazed by God’s faithfulness as we approach our 30th anniversary in business May15! We are so grateful for all of our guests through the decades, whether you were here once for a honeymoon or have vacationed here repeatedly on your annual (or bi-monthly) trek to Branson. Many of you have kept coming despite our early adventures with leaky v-bottom boats and nightly patrols of skunk families. You have proved you heartiness, “weathering” ice, droughts — a flood two years ago — and even a May snow shower this morning — all for some great memory–making moments! Saying thank you doesn’t seem enough, so we have planned some special giveaways for each of the next 12 months.

Beginning Jun 15, we will have drawings for three special items:

- A free full-day pontoon rental

- A half-day fishing trip with one of our guys

- A commemorative fishing rod made just for our 30th

Everyone who stays with us the previous 30 days will automatically be entered in the drawings, but even when you can’t lodge with us, you can enter once monthly for your household by dropping a card in our store fishbowl!

Don’t forget to send us your old photos and stories of those special Lilleys’ Landing memories, too! megan@lilleyslanding.com

Fly Casting Competition
Pro & Amateur – June 8 

Lilleys’ Landing and the Branson Chapter of Trout Unlimited will host the first area “Rio Gold Long Distance Challenge”casting contest June 8 at the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery. In the Long Distance contest, there will be one division for professionals and one for amateurs. Prizes will be awarded for first place through third place. In the distance contest, each entrant will cast five times within two minutes with the longest cast recorded. Competitors can enter as many times as they like. The accuracy contest consists of casting into five different-sized rings placed at different distances and at different angles. The shortest time to finish wins. Competitors will be allowed to compete twice (two rounds.) There will be only one division for accuracy. Prizes will be given to the top five place finishers. No one can win more than one prize.

What: Fly Fishing Casting Competition
When: June 8
Where: Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery
Time: 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Other:  Held in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Family Fishing Fair during free fishing weekend.
Prizes: Rio fly line, Orvis Helios fly rod, Reddington Pursuit Outfit, Orivis Sling Pack-Digital Camo, Fenwick HMX 7/8wt Fly Fishing Outfit & more.
Entrants can register early at Lilleys’ Landing fly shop, 367 River Lane in Branson, MO, or on the day of the competition, up until the end of the contests.

Rio Gold Long Distance Challenge Rules
1. Each caster can make up to five casts, within two minutes of starting. After the fifth cast, or two minutes (whichever is sooner) the caster must hand the rod back to the person manning the competition, and his/her turn is finished.
2. No practice casts are allowed.
3. Each competitor must use the allocated RIO Gold line.
4. The leader must be a 7.5 ft, 2x leader (provided by RIO), with a small tuft of yarn attached.
5. Any cast that lands in front of the caster without yarn will not be measured, but will still count as one of the five.
6. There is no limit on how many times a person can enter, but a new entrant will take priority if time is short.
7. A nine-foot, #5 fly rod of any make or model can be used, but it must be one provided by the participating store. Competitors may not bring or use their own rod for this challenge.
8. The competition is open to all attendees at the prescribed (and registered) event.
9. No competitor can win two prizes, even if they have more than one of the longest casts of the day. Their single longest cast is judged.

Amateur Division:
The person who made the longest cast will win a RIO fly line of their choice, subject to a maximum value of $795 at suggested retail price. The person who made the second longest cast will win a line of their choice from RIO’s Avid series. The person who made the third longest cast will win a line of their choice from RIO’s MainStream series.

Professional Division:
The person who made the longest cast will win an Orvis Helios 2, five-weight, nine-foot, tip flex fly rod values at $795 suggested retail price. The person who made the second longest cast will win a line of their choice from RIO’s Avid series. The person who made the third longest cast will win a line of their choice from RIO’s MainStream series.
10. One competitor cannot enter in both the amateur and the professional divisions. If you enter as a professional in one contest, you are required to enter the second contest in the same division.
11. In the event of casters being tied with their first cast, their second longest cast will be compared and the longest of these will win. If the second longest cast is tied, then the third longest cast will be considered, then the fourth and finally the fifth. In the event of all five casts being of equal distance, all tied casters will receive the applicable prize.
12. The winners will be sent their prize directly from RIO, assuming they have filled out a registration form.
13. Every competitor who casts will receive a three-pack of nine-foot 5x RIO trout leaders.
14. The entry award of a three-pack of nine-foot, 5X leaders will be handed to each competitor by the rep (or the shop staff manning the event) after the competitor has finished casting. Only one pack per person will be given out, regardless of the number of times the competitor tries.
15. The RIO sales representative who is present at the event will make the final call on all mitigating issues – including cancellation of the event due to inclement weather.

Casting Competition Prizes:

Pro Division Distance:
1st: Any Rio fly line, subject to a maximum of $75 suggested retail value plus an Orvis Helios five-weight, nine-foot fly rod a $795 value.
2nd: Any Rio Avid fly line.
3rd: Any Rio Mainstream fly line.

Amateur Division Distance:
1st: Redington Pursuit Outfit
2nd: Any Rio Avid fly line.
3rd: Any Rio Mainstream fly line.

Accuracy Contest Prizes:
1st: Redington Pursuit Outfit
2nd: Any Rio fly line, subject to a maximum of $75 suggested retail value.
3rd: Orvis Sling Pack-Digital Camo
4th: Fenwick HMX 7/8wt Fly Fishing Outfit
5th: TFO Bug Launcher seven-foot 4/5wt rod

May Fly Shop Product Review: Pflueger Reel

Lilleys’ Fly Shop May Product Review:

Pflueger President Spinning Reel

Darin Schildkneht

There are many different spinning reels to choose from these days.  Almost every reel manufacturer makes spinning reels in a wide range of sizes and prices.  In the case of spinning reels, you get what you pay for, most of the time.  If it is a cheap reel, then it was cheaply made and probably won’t be a very good reel.  For those who fish only once or twice a year, these reels are fine, but if you fish much more than that, they won’t work well.  Good reels are worth the extra investment.

Here on Lake Taneycomo, the Pflueger President 6925x, which holds 110 yards of four-pound test line or 220 yards  of two-pound line, is best for what we do.  This reel has nine ball bearings, which make the reel extremely smooth.  The bail wire is made out of heavy aluminum, and it has a multi-disc front drag system.  It can easily be switched from left to right hand in about a minute.

I personally use this reel for most of my fishing.  I have two set up on my ultra light rods, which I use for trout and panfish.  I also have a larger one set up on a medium action rod with six-pound line for bass.  This larger one has worked great when I have caught bass and also a few channel catfish — even fighting a 10-pound channel cat.

We have the 6925x  reel available here at Lilleys’, but we can also get the larger ones for you bass fisherman.  The one we carry in stock retails for $68.85.

Fly Shop Product Review: Rapala’s Z-Rap

White River Outfitters – Bill Babler

Rapala’s X-Rap is not quite the newest kid on the block, but it is one bait that most people have not tried.  Rapala calls this bait a Slashbait.  It is built on the order of a suspending stickbait or jerkbait — the most popular, of course, being the Husky Jerk.  The X-Rap is a bit shorter and wider and comes equipped with a feathered tail on the rear triple hook.  Its hooks are Razor sharp VMC and do not need to be exchanged like some stickbait hooks.

This bait comes in 23 fish catching colors and four sizes.  My clients’ biggest brown trout was hooked on one this last year.  It was a brown trout pattern.

The X-Rap is in the price range that most of us can tolerate,  $9.95 –$14.95, making it about the middle-of-the road for quality jerkbaits, especially with its good quality hooks.

The bait is a pause-and-snap presentation bait, and most of the time it will be taken after the twitch while it is suspended stationary in the water.  The bait suspends in the five-foot range on 50-degree water and that is just about on par with most brands.  It, of course, can be modified for greater depth.

This bait is a favorite for White River impoundments for coldwater bass and walleye fishing and is very popular for custom painting.  I have seen them colored from chartreuse to pink.  I prefer the natural colors for trout, the best being the rainbow and the brown trout patterns.

As I mentioned, the X-Rap is a very good trout bait –  another quality weapon to add to your fish catching arsenal.  It works!

Bill Babler – White River Outfitters fishing guide service  - whiteriverbb@msn.com  - 417-332-7016

Lilleys’ Landing Fly Shop – Darin Schildkneht

Rapala has been around since 1936.  There have been many attempts at copies, but, in my opinion, nothing is the same.  Over the years Rapala has come out with new and productive lures that work for a variety of fish.  For us here on Lake Taneycomo, that has been amazing.  Here we have trout, bass, a few walleye  — and a Rapala will catch them all!

Here at Lilleys’ Landing we have carried Rapala lures  for decades since they have worked so well on our lake.  In the last couple of years Rapala has come out with a  new stick bait called the X-Rap. It is completely different from any other they have made before.  The colors are more eye-catching and flashy, but it still has the same Rapala wobble.

Fishing the X-Rap here on Taneycomo is very easy.  The first thing to address would be rod and line choice.  I use a 6’6” medium-action spinning rod with six-pound test line.  The line I use is Seaguar Invis-X because I also use that same rod for bass fishing up on Table Rock.  After  that is all rigged, it’s time to go fishing.

For the X-Rap to be effective there needs to be at least half a generator running on Lake Taneycomo.  Cast right up close to the bank and start reeling and jerking.  The fish seem to like the bait moving fast.  I have tried to use a slower retrieve, but the fish just look and don’t eat it.  The strikes are hard and quick, and they don’t hook themselves most of the time.  There will be a lot of fish that follow without biting, but don’t get discouraged –there will be fish that come from nowhere and smack it!