First Fishing Outing of Summer Break

Last Friday, I got to hit the water with my good buddy Justin on my first fishing outing since my summer break started at Watkins Mill State Park.  Justin and I teach at the same school and it was nice to fish with someone that can relate to the situations that the teaching profession can deliver.  He really got interested in fly fishing this year and even helped me facilitate my fly fishing club.  It was our first day of summer break and it felt like a good kick off to some more free time.  

While we didn't catch anything big or memorable, Justin sure brought in a lot of quite a few crappie.  While I have caught a few crappie on the lake in the spring and an occasional one post spawn, I've never caught as many summertime crappie.  Justin caught them near aquatic grass as well as 10-20 yards off the cabbage.  I caught a few bluegill and a couple of crappie, but Justin really thumped them on a black jig under a float.  I'm not sure how many more crappie we will catch on fly rods this summer, but I'm looking forward to fishing more with my new fishing buddy.

A Big Fish that Wasn't

I didn’t get much fishing in last weekend, even with it being memorial day, due to poor weather and schedules that were busy as usual. However, I did get up early last Saturday morning and took advantage of a small window in the schedule and the weather. After mulling over my options for a while, I decided to go to Blue Springs Lake. The wind was in the wrong direction to fish the dam so I decided to fish the spillway on the back side of the dam. I haven’t fished this area in a long time, but all of my visits there have a common theme: gar.

If you don’t know, gar have become my nemesis. They have become my white whale if you will. I struggle to hook them, and when I do, I’ve never landed one. So, with a hope to break the curse, I started looking for signs of gar. By signs of gar, I mean, looking for elongated figures in the water and breaches at the surface where gar gulp air. As I followed the water from the spillway downstream, I came across what I thought was my first gar sighting. 

I had Waylon in tow, and we both stared at the shadowy figure in the water for a while. We were high on a bank, which gave us an advantageous view of our prey. I slowly started to put my eight weight rod together and put on a fly that might tempt the beast. In my mind, I was already thinking about options B, C, and D if my first fly, didn’t elicit a strike. Slowly, Waylon and I started to descend the bank.

It took all of three steps down to realize that we had made a miscalculation. What we thought was a gar was nothing more than aquatic vegetation calmly swaying in the current. It was pretty surprising because I could have sworn that I saw the size, shape, and coloring of a long nose gar tail. Waylon seemed a little confused as we stopped our stalk prematurely, and I found myself somewhere between frustration and comical humility.

I’m telling you this story because it was literally the highlight of the trip. I saw a few small gar that refused my fly, but that was it. It was still a fun little adventure, and I still enjoyed my time in the outdoors. With that being said, this guard quest will hopefully end sometime this summer. I’ve got a hot tip on a place that’s full of gar , and can’t wait to hit that spot once school is out for the summer. I will be sure to keep you up-to-date on my quest as it unfolds.

3D Printed Stripping Basket- The Introduction

I've always wanted to try using a stripping basket when fly fishing with streamers but I've refused to commit money towards something that I might not like.  Most of the baskets that I have looked at have run from $40-$100 dollars.  They all look like they will solve the problem of getting fly line wrapped around different objects but they also look cumbersome.  In my opinion, they also look silly.  I am willing to try a stripping basket if it keeps line from wrapping around plants, my feet, and everything else in return for looking a little silly.

So what is a guy to do if he wants to try a stripping basket but is...let's be nice and call it frugal?  Fine, I'm cheap when it comes to things like this.  Anyway, let me ask that question again.  What is a guy to do if he wants a stripping basket but also has 3D printing capabilities?  Yep, you guessed it.  I 3D printed a stripping basket!

Everything that I needed for this project was free!  I found a wading belt that I bought on a trip a long time ago (I left mine at home on that particular occasion).  I also found a free file online that I downloaded and sent to my 3D printer.  I chose to use red filament with the printer because it's a color that I had a lot of and I didn't want to waste any of my material on something that might not get used very much.  I am also hopeful that all of my fly lines will show up against a red background since none of my fly lines are red.  I'm also a Kansas City Chiefs fan so many I'll throw some arrowhead stickers on it as a result.

Overall, I like how things look but I'm more concerned about functionality more than anything.  My wading belt fit perfectly through the loops so that made life easier.  There are spikes in the basket to prevent tangling and allow line to be pulled freely by larger fish.  The basket that I printed also has a groove to fit a fly rod into when changing flies, which might be useful.  While everything seems ready to go, I might end up drilling some holes in the bottom of the basket.  Fly line holds a little bit of water and I'm concerned about pooling in the basket as a result.  Some drain holes would fix that problem but I'm not going to take that step if I don't need to.

I'm going to play around with the basket a little in my backyard and then test it out on the water.  I will be sure to post about this accessory after some field testing.  I will be brutally honest because I don't want to lead you astray if you are considering getting one for yourself.  Until then, good luck on the water and I hope you have a great weekend.

Some Fish Got Buggered Up on Saturday Evening

Online fly shop for jigs and streamers: https://theshowmeflyguy.etsy.com

This is usually the time of year that I start focusing on fishing shallow water for bluegill if I get a small window to fish. Bass have spawned and become a little more tight lipped. Crappie have moved off the banks and are suspending around timber. I have to drive 3 hours or more to fish for trout and smallmouth. Wipers and white bass require a boat and electronics. So if I get to hit the water for an hour or so, I focus on bluegill, redear sunfish, and green sunfish. 

Are they exciting to catch? A little bit because every fish you catch is exciting to some degree. Are you going to catch a “big fish” when targeting these species? Probably not unless you accidentally hook a catfish which does happen from time to time. And finally, is it difficult to rig up a fly rod or are the fishing techniques difficult? Nope and nope!

I like to throw a 3 or 4 weight fly rod when targeting smaller species like the aforementioned sunfish. I also like to use a fluorocarbon leader that is approximately 6 feet in length. I don’t waste money on tapered leaders and instead just pull some line right off a spool of 6 pound line. As far as flies, I like to either use a jig under a float, a size 6 wooly bigger, or two size 6 unhackled buggers. If the fish want a slow presentation, are suspended, or seem lethargic, I go with a jig. If they are actively feeding and really on the move, I throw buggers. I prefer the bigger approach because it’s a lot more fun to work a fly and watch for movement in fly line than state at a bobber. 

Luckily for me, I found some active fish on Saturday evening that wanted to run down and smash a bugger. In total, I landed two crappie, 5 bass, and 4 bluegill. More important than the numbers though was the fact that I had fun! None of the fish were memorable and nothing out of the ordinary happened. However, it felt nice to make some good casts, get some takes, and feel a tug on the other end of the line. The lack of wind and pretty sunset capped off a pleasant evening. 

Online fly shop for jigs and streamers: https://theshowmeflyguy.etsy.com

Another Fish Got Duped By One Of Milo’s Flies

Link: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Cdfoj9kos/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Email: rmiloshewski@gmail.com

Instagram: @ryanmilo19

TikTok: @ryanmiloshewski

Earlier this week, I posted about catching some largemouth bass on a fly that my buddy Milo tied for me.  It is called The Boogeyman and caught some bass that were in the 12 inch range.  After finding some success with this fly, I wanted to throw one of Milo's bigger flies at a farm pond.  I have posted about this pond quite a few times this spring and I love it because of the plethora of 2-3 pound bass that can be found in the pond.  It seemed like the perfect place to throw an articulated streamer because the bass have shown that they will gladly take down larger flies and thus, a good proving ground.

The fly that I selected was a white articulated streamer.  It does indeed have a name but it's a little too risqué to put in writing in my opinion.  I'm not trying to be a prude or anything, it's just that I have students, former students, and young readers that follow this blog and I try to keep things "G Rated".  I selected this fly because of the the fishing conditions.  The water was pretty clear and it was a sunny day.  Those two things seemed to almost scream, "Bright colored flies!"

Another important fact about this particular day is that I had a VERY small timeframe to fish.  I had arrived at the family farm for a graduation party but the graduation ceremony ran late which caused the party to be delayed.  I had about 20 minutes to get rigged up, walk to the pond, fish, walk back to my truck, and arrive at the party on time.  I almost skipped the fishing all together but was too excited to test this fly out!

The pond proved to be a little trickier to fish than I had expected on this particular day.  The water was up and where the aquatic vegetation had once lined the banks, a small alleyway had been produced between the bank and cabbage.  The tight quarters was where the bass seemed to be hanging out which made it almost impossible to work a streamer where they were.  I chose to work the outer edges of the vegetation with the hopes that some bass were facing towards the open water and waiting to ambush an fish that chose to patrol the edges of the vegetation.  After spooking a few more fish out of the shallows, I started to get a feeling that I was participating in an act of futility.  To make matters worse, my time was running out.

With the subtlety of a broken shoelace, I got a bite.  It was so sudden and so ferocious, it almost yanked the rod out of my hands.  I gathered myself after the shock passed and gave a hookset that was about as strong as I could make.  Looking back, I think this came from panic as I did NOT want to lose this fish.  The fish seemed to want to engage in the fight in the middle of the pond but then made a beeline for me and for the vegetation between us.  I gathered line as fast as I could and concern washed over me as I started to worry about the fish getting unhooked in the weeds.

I guided the bass through the sparsest vegetation I could find but the problem didn't end there.  I had to find a way to get to the water from my elevated position on the undercut bank.  I wanted to keep the clothes I was wearing free of mud and pond water because I had to leave for the graduation party as soon as I completed this endeavor.  I ended up easing myself off the ledge by getting on my knees and using my free hand to help lower myself to the water.  I eventually arrived at the water's edge and when I finally got my hands on the bass, I could not have been more relieved.  

Upon inspection, this fish was highly unlikely to get unhooked without a lot of assistance.  I hooked the bass on the rear hook of the articulated streamer and the hook was firmly wedged in the upper jaw of the fish.  The hook was actually in the bone and I was glad to put in the work to remove the piercing.  After some pictures, I watched the fish swim off.  I then gathered all of my accoutrements and headed to the party with a smile on my face and a story to tell.  

If you would like a fishing story of your own, feel free to contact my buddy Milo and inquire about a custom order.  You can find his information at the top and bottom of this post.   

Link: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Cdfoj9kos/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Email: rmiloshewski@gmail.com

Instagram: @ryanmilo19

TikTok: @ryanmiloshewski

Doc's Rods and Flies

During the Tri Lakes Fly Fishing Expo, I was approached by a really nice guy named Sam.  He approached with a big smile on his face and his hand extended for a hearty handshake.  Right off the bat, I liked this guy.  He proceeded to introduce himself as well as hand me a business card and large fly.  He said that he had followed me on social media for quite some time and that he wanted to introduce himself.  He told me that he was a fan of what I post and that he would be happy to help me with any flies that I found myself in need of.  I was blown away by his kindness and thoughtfulness.  Right away, I knew that I had to try to return the acts of generosity in some way.  

While this post is not equal to the gift that Sam gave to me, I am hopeful that maybe I can send him some business his way.  Feel free to give Sam or Roger a call if you need some flies or a custom rod.  You can also follow Sam on Instagram.  His handle is @samstewart888 and I think you will dig his content.  Sam, if you're reading this, thank you again for being so darn nice.

Largemouth are NOT Afraid of the Boogeyman!

Link: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Cdfoj9kos/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Email: rmiloshewski@gmail.com

Instagram: @ryanmilo19

TikTok: @ryanmiloshewski

My buddy Milo sent me some flies to try out.  (If this name rings a bell, it might be because he recently started an online fly shop and I posted about it on this blog.  Click here to read that post.)  the flies he sent me are streamer patterns that are best known for catching big trout like the ones that can be found on the White River.  He asked me if I could throw these patterns for the warm water species that I chase like largemouth, white bass, and hybrid stripers.  Recently, I was able to throw a couple of the patterns on some public water for largemouth bass.

The patterns that I threw are called a circus peanut (articulated streamer) and a boogeyman (single hook streamer).  I liked the circus peanut's action and sink rate but started to wonder if it was too big for the largemouth I was targeting.  If I had been chasing 2 pound or bigger bass, I would have kept throwing the fly but I figured that I needed to downsize.  I was looking for more hookups and believed that there would opportunities if I was throwing a smaller fly that could fit in a smaller largemouth's mouth but could still handle a larger fish if the opportunity came along.

I tied on a boogeyman with the hopes of my takes and thus, more fish in my hand.  The fly sunk like a rock which was what I wanted since I was fishing with floating line.  The fly had a tapered profile and a great flutter to it as well.  I liked the dark colored head as well as the flash in the body and wiggle of the tail.  It looked a little like a baitfish, a little like a tadpole, and a lot like something that a largemouth would eat.  I didn't get bites right off that bat which told me that the bass might be in the middle of their annual spawn or that maybe I was fishing the wrong time of the day.  It looked so good in the water, I just didn't understand why I wasn't getting bites.

To make a long story short, I did get bites on the boogeyman.  They came in bunches when I found just the right spot where the bass were stacked up.  I ended up putting 6 largemouth in the boat and a really aggressive bluegill.  I have a feeling that this is only be beginning of my stories that include a boogeyman.  Under better conditions and in a better fishery, I have a feeling this thing could put up some gaudy numbers.  Bass are definitely not afraid of the boogeyman and apparently big, and aggressive bluegill aren't either!

A 1/80th Ounce Jig Under an Indicator Catches A Lot of Fish, But...

...most of them are small.  On the other hand, if you're wanting to have a lot of action on the water, catch a lot of different species, and just keep things simple, you can't go wrong with a jig under a float!  For example, I recently spent a morning on the water with a jig and a bobber and I ended up catching redear sunfish, green sunfish, bluegill, largemouth, white crappie, and black crappie.  On occasion, you can catch something a little bigger as well.  I have landed a few largemouth over 2 pounds and quite a few channel cats with this setup.  This is also a great way to catch trout on impoundments or streams as well!  

No, watching a bobber is not exciting like watching a fish eat a dry fly or popper.  What it lacks in excitement is made up for in productivity though.  It's a great way to introduce newbies or kids to fly fishing as it is pretty simplistic.  I utilize this tactic almost exclusively with the middle school fly fishing club that I sponsor due to its effectiveness and quick learning curve.  It is as easy as it is effective and any experience level of angler can use it to catch fish.  I usually run a 6-8 foot leader of fluorocarbon from the fly line to the fly and that's about it.  Tapered leaders are not necessary and I just use an improved clinch knot to connect to the fly.  If this isn't a tactic that you use on the water, why not give it a shot?  You might be surprised at how productive this simple setup is!

On a side note, I caught every fish on the same jig, which was dubbed "The Standard" by Tom Phipps, the gentleman that taught me how to tie the jig.  It is available for purchase in the online store and can be accessed by clicking here or by clicking the link below.

Link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/768151207/3-pack-of-the-standard-trout-fly