You Never Know Unless You Go!

Last Sunday, I felt antsy.  I needed to do something but I wasn't sure what to do.  I offered some options up to Wendy and she opted to lounge around and take it easy.  Then she gave me "the look".  I played coy and said, "What?"  She said, "Just go!  It's a nice day but don't be gone for too long."  I wasn't about to turn down that invitation but I did so with a little reluctancy.  I wanted to get out of the house but the wind made conditions less than ideal.  With a little hesitation, I grabbed a 5 weight, a box of flies, and headed to the truck with Waylon.

When we arrived at the HOA pond that I had decided to fish, I was greeted with a little good fortune.  The wind was blowing against the dam that I like to fish.  For most of my life, I have been told, "If you're not casting into the wind, you're wasting your time."  I knew that there was at least a chance that I could hook into one or two of the white bass that live in this pond.  Experience told me that they usually start moving into the dam and are pretty aggressive starting in April.  On my 5th cast, I hooked a fish.  It didn't take long to feel power that was greater than a bluegill and runs that were unlike a largemouth.  When I saw the fish twist and flash just under the surface, I knew I had a white bass on the line.

It fought hard and put a heck of a bend in my 5 weight.  I was hoping that I wouldn't lose him as he started to tire and allow me to bring him into the shallows.  As he approached, I reached out as far as I could to grab him by the lip but had to be careful to not slip.  I was only wearing some slip-on shoes (Hey Dudes to be specific) and didn't want to ruin them with lake water and muck from the bottom of the lake.  As he came closer, I saw 2-3 other white bass with my catch and was both scared they were going to interfere and excited that their presence meant the possibility for more catches.  

I ended up putting a strong grip on the catch (not too strong though) and landing the critter.  While I will readily admit that I am not a white bass expert and that I don't know much about what qualifies a white bass as "big" I feel confident in stating that this was a big white bass...to me and for this lake.  It ended up weight almost two pounds and was 17 inches long.  I've heard stories of folks hitting white bass runs just right and catching fish like this all day long, but for me, this was a memorable catch!  On top of things, I actually completed a slam.  I caught four different species and they all fell to the olive tail/white body/olive hackle wooly bugger.

I have to admit, I sure am glad that I took Wendy's advice.  I could have stayed home in my recliner.  I could have avoided the windy conditions.  I could have went to Bass Pro, ran errands, or changed the flapper in the guest bathroom.  However, I'm glad that I took the opportunity to go fishing and experience a surprisingly good little trip.  It's also a reminder that you never know what is going to happen when you go fishing.  I've stated it a thousand times and I will state it a thousand more times; this is one of the most alluring parts of our sport.  Fishing can be a little predictable but you can never predict exactly what is going to happen.  The state longnose gar was caught when some folks were crappie fishing.  Just click here to watch the video and I suggest you do because it is an incredible story!  I took my middle school fly fishing club on a fishing trip in a wind advisory after a weather roller coaster last week.  They had never caught or seen so many fish on any previous trips.  One club member caught 43 hybrid bluegill!  So the next time you have a chance to go fishing, and even if you go halfheartedly, just remember that you never know what is going to happen!

I (Finally) Completed My Final College Degree!

I am still in the process of getting readers caught up on events that occurred during my hiatus from posting on this blog. While this post isn’t fishing related, I wanted to let everyone know that I was able to close a chapter in my life last spring. Before my break from the blog, I had mentioned quite a few times that I was working in my third and final college degree. Last May, I was able to participate in the graduation ceremonies for my Educational Specialist Degree in Educational Technology. This degree is between a Master’s degree and a Doctoral degree. In the education system we refer to it as a super Master’s or baby doctorate. Either way, I’m done with college! The next college classroom that I am in, I will be the professor. I’m not sure if that is something that I want to do or not, but it’s at least a possibility. The good news for me can be boiled down to this: less school work equals more fishing and that sounds good to me!

Catfish Now Magazine Article

Link: https://catfishnow.com/MAG/2024/04/11/catfishing-on-the-fly-by-anietra-hamper/

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a writer and was asked to contribute to an article that she was working on.  The article was about catching catfish on a fly and she wanted me to give her some information about the topic.  We had a great conversation and I am proud to let you know that the article was recently published.  You can access the article by clicking on the link below.  I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed contributing to it!

Link: https://catfishnow.com/MAG/2024/04/11/catfishing-on-the-fly-by-anietra-hamper/

A Great Show!

The 2024 Tri-Lakes Fly Fishing Expo is a wrap!  I had the pleasure of running into some old friends, meeting some new friends, and enjoying the presence of folks that love the same thing as me.  I sold a few flies, sold a few books, and shared a lot of stories with some really nice people.  I'm already excited for next year because there is just something about being around people that have a passion for fly fishing.  Thank you to the Tri-Lakes Fly Fishers for putting on such an amazing event that gets better every year.  The location, set-up, and behind the scenes work is greatly appreciated by me as well as other folks.  Nathan Bettencourt and other members of the organization, if you're reading this, you do an amazing job and bring a lot of joy to a lot of folks with me being one of them.  I will see you next year and thank you again for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the show!

 

TRI-LAKES FLY FISHING EXPO- BE THERE!!!!!!!!

I state this without any exaggeration or hyperbole; I would love to see you at the Tri-Lakes Fly fishing Expo in Clinton, Missouri, on Saturday!  It is always a pleasure to meet folks that I am familiar with on social media as well we folks that I don't know but they know me!  Regardless, I would like to meet you.  I will have a table set up and a banner as well in case you are looking for me.  I will be selling copies of my book, some flies, and shooting the breeze about the sport that we love.  If you have the time and means, please come to the show.  I don't know a single person that has ever walked away from the show and called it a disappointment or even underwhelming!

 

Fishing off the Coast of The Dominican Republic

I know, I know...this isn't fly fishing or Missouri-related content.  I'm sorry.  I just had to share this story because I don't fish in saltwater very often.  Last summer, Wendy and I were asked to join a couple of our best friends at a destination wedding in the Dominican Republic.  I made sure to not bring up fishing one time prior to to the trip or even during the trip.  However, when the bride and groom brought up the idea of fishing, it felt downright rude to advise against the notion.

So we chartered a trip out to into the great blue yonder.  If you've never been on a chartered fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico or the Caribbean, let me explain how things go.  The deck hands do all the work.  They bait the lines, watch the lines, and constantly monitor.  The captain drives the boat and is always on lookout.  The anglers sit around (some of them vomiting off the side of the boat) and take turns reeling in fish that have been hooked while trolling.  Yes, it is fishing!  No, there isn't much skill involved.  Luck plays a role but you had better be the right person at the right time.  When I describe it this way, it inherently sounds a little boring.  With that being stated, a born and raised Missouri boy doesn't get many chances at catching saltwater fish so it was actually a lot of fun.  

Wendy ended up landing a barracuda and I had the pleasure of reeling in a Mahi Mahi.  Wendy was a little bummed that she didn't catch something bigger, with more mystique.  I was bummed for her too.  She was happy for me to catch a species that I had never caught before.  I had always wanted to catch a Mahi Mahi and they are every bit as beautiful in person as they are in pictures and on video.  No, it didn't require much skill on either of our ends but the pictures with the hero poses are ones that will live on as long as the memories!

 

Meet My Buddy, Bruce

Have you ever seen something and instantly knew you had to buy it?  If so, I can relate!  When I saw Bruce at a roadside business that sold concrete statues, I knew he had to come home with me!  I've always loved the myth of Bigfoot/Sasquatch and have always marveled at the possibility that this species might actually exist.  Maybe it does, and maybe it doesn't, but regardless, the possibility has always fascinated me.  

As a community of people that love and appreciate the outdoors, some folks have adopted Bigfoot/Sasquatch as a symbol.  The symbol represents the idea of "leave no trace" and I like that.  I dig the idea of venturing into the wilderness and not leaving anything behind but my anxiety.  No trash, a few footprints, and maybe even a better environment than what I found before is something that I hope I am able to give back to nature.  It's a small fee when compared to what the outdoors has given to me as well as a restored soul and sense of belonging.  These are a few of the things that I think of when I see Bruce as he stands as a reminder, near my front door, of all things good and pure.

 

I Taught My Buddy Chris How to Fly Fish

Meet my buddy, Chris.  He's a heck of a good, all-around guy.  He's smart, easy-going, and always upbeat.  I think he could build anything with his hands (something I am jealous of) and is knowledgeable about as many things as anyone else I know.  He is also a military veteran which, to me, puts him in another stratosphere.  He's fun to be around, reliable, and would give you the shirt off his back.  So when I got the chance to teach him how to use a fly rod, I jumped at the chance.

One random day last summer, I invited Chris to join me on a short outing at Watkins Mill State Park.  It was post spawn for all the species on the lake so fishing was a little slow.  We weren't catching much on conventional tackle so I decided to downsize our lures to flies and see if we could pick up some smaller fish.  Chris had never fly fished before so I wasn't sure how fast he would pick things up.  Good gracious is he a fast learner.

He started off, like many newbies, just learning how to roll cast.  He mastered that concept quickly.  Next, it was on to hook-sets and how to play a fish that had taken a fly.  That too came quickly for him.  Before you knew it, the guy was casting at structure and cover and bringing in fish left and right.  He ended up catching three different species that day and I darn near had to peel him off the water.  

It's a good feeling to teach something new to someone.  It's a better feeling when they want to learn that skill and accept instruction.  It's the best feeling when a person can take the knowledge that you have given them and then become independent with what was taught.  At the end of the day, Chris had a great time casting and bringing some fish to the boat without needing any help.  For me, I was rewarded with feeling like maybe I had given him something in return for all of the things that he has done for me over the years.  It's a drop in the bucket to what I owe my friend, but it's a start.

 

Wendy Fell Out of a Boat

Disclaimer, this story happened last spring while the blog was on a break.

There are good days on the water and there are bad days in the water. Then there are days that seem to bounce from one type of day to another. Wendy had one of those days. 

Wendy’s dad had come to visit us from Iowa and one of the reasons was that he wanted to fish at some farm ponds that I had taken him to in the past.  I was fortunate enough grant his wish and even got to bring Wendy along since she had been nice lately.  We had some good fortune at one pond and decided to press our luck a little by heading to a second pond.  While we were there, Wendy's dad fished from the bank while Wendy, Waylon (important note), and I fished from a recently acquired Jon boat I had bought.  

Wendy and I were both catching some fish and having a good time.  As the sun was setting, Wendy hooked into her 6th or 7th bass at that pond.  She was sitting at front of the boat and on a pedestal seat (another important note).  As she was reeling in her fish, I offered to unhook it and toss it back.  She swung the bass to the left side of the boat while I leaned over the left side of the boat to lip the fish.  Waylon was interested in what was happening on that side of the boat, so he shifted over the left side of the boat as well.  Since we were all on the left side of the boat, the boat began to pitch.  It pitched so much that water started to come over the gunwale.  As the water started to fill with water, it also started to pitch more.  

Wendy was the highest center of gravity and things went from bad to worse quickly.  The next thing that I remember seeing was the button of her baseball hat hitting the water.  After than, she vanished in the murky water.  She popped back up and quickly grabbed the side of the boat.  After securing her floatation device, she handed me the fishing rod...with a fish still attached to the end of the line.  I tossed both into the boat and grabbed her by the arm.  

I instructed Wendy to hold on tight to the boat and that I would fire up the trolling motor and take her to shore.  As we approached the bank, I told her that once she felt her feet touch the bottom of the lake to start walking to the edge of the lake and not stop until she was on land.  My fear was that she was going to get bogged down in the muck and then have a problem to deal with.  As luck would have it, she made it to the bank.  Her dad came running toward her to see what the commotion was all about.  When he realized what had happened, his first response was to start snapping pictures and uncontrollably laugh.  It wasn't to ask if she was alright.  It wasn't to ask if she was cold.  It was to document the events that had transpired.  Even while wet and cold, Wendy still mustered a genuine laugh at him as well as what had happened.

Ladies and gentlemen, that's my wife.  She's graceful in victory as well as embarrassing moments.  And while her day had ended in a fashion other than what was intended, she got a kick out of seeing her last fish swim off as I released it while still in the boat.  Good and bad of a fishing trip can sometimes come together to make a great story!

I Wrote a Book and It Is Available on Amazon!

Link: https://a.co/d/hGwUnNB

I’m here with a big announcement.  It is with a great deal of joy and excitement that I share with you that I recently self-published my first book, Tangled Fly Lines and Untangled Stories.  It has been a dream of mine since the 6^th grade to write a book.  Over the last few months, with a lot of support from friends and family, I have worked on assembling a collection of stories about some of the most exciting adventures that I have experienced while holding a fly rod.  Some of the places and species will be familiar to you but there will probably be some of both that are new to you.  Fair warning though, this book is a little unconventional.  Along with my account of events are some pictures to help bring the stories to life and add substance to the tales.  It is my hope that these stories will both entertain and enlighten you.  You can find my book, Tangled Fly Lines and Untangled Stories available on Amazon and I have included a link in this post as well.  The book is available in hardcover and paperback.  I hope you enjoy my collection of stories and that they put a smile on your face.  

Link: https://a.co/d/hGwUnNB