Another Buck on the Wall

Miller's Taxidermy Website: https://www.millerstaxidermy.net/

Christmas came a little early for my buddy Corey.  A few weeks ago, Corey got a call from Terry Miller of Miller's Taxidermy which is located in Plattsburg, Missouri which isn't far from where Corey lives.  Mr. Miller (Terry to most folks) was my high school biology teacher and a darn good one.  We have not only stayed in touch since I graduated, but he's also mounted a couple of bucks for me and even messages me with funny fishing memes from time to time.  This was Corey's first buck and when he started to consider mounting it after we recovered it, I told him, "I've got the perfect guy for you to talk to."  

It was a lot of fun to connect two really good guys.  Corey is one of my best friends and Mr. Miller is one of my favorite teachers that I had in high school.  I was a little nervous about recommending Mr. Miller to Corey because I felt like his opinion of the final product would be linked to my suggestion.  However, I took solace in the fact that Mr. Miller's work is impeccable, but his customer service is outstanding as well.  Like Corey's mount, mine are European mounts and like me, Corey was extremely happy with the final product.  Like Hannibal Smith used to say in the television series, The A-Team, "I love it when a plan comes together."  When everybody is happy, it is a win-win situation! 

Miller's Taxidermy Website: https://www.millerstaxidermy.net/

Collin’s Coffee Table/Bed Bench

Sometimes I make Christmas presents to give to folks.  It's not any sort of tradition or anything.  I just do it if the right situation presents itself.  So when my stepson, Collin, said that he needed a coffee table for his place, I saw an opportunity to make one for him.  I wanted it to be something that would like and something that he would use for a long time.  He is an 18 year old young man, and I recall being 18 years old.  I recall putting a lot of nicks and scratches on my furniture because of carelessness and from moving so much while I was in college.  I wanted to build something that would be sturdy but not something so nice that a spill or a scrape would be a big deal. 

Something important to know about Collin is that he is a cowboy. He has ridden bulls, he wants to rope in rodeos, and he works part time at a cattle ranch.  I wanted to personalize his table to reflect his passion for all things western.  I chose to engrave a bull's skull on the table after I toasted the table with a torch.  I projected an image onto the wood with a projector that I have in my classroom and then I traced it out with a sharpie.  From there, I used a Dremel tool to engrave the image.  I had hoped that the white wood below the torched surface would really pop when contrasted against the toasted wood and, thankfully, that's exactly what happened!  I then colored in the nostrils and eyes with a black sharpie and put a couple of coats of polyurethane on the bench. 

This project used seven 2 X 4's, some 2 and 1/2 inch wood screws, and a chop saw.  That was about it.  Collin was happy with how his gift turned out and Wendy (my wife) liked it so much that she asked me to make another one to put at the foot of our bed to act as a "bed bench".  That term was new to me but I can actually see us utilizing such an item to store shoes and to sit on while putting on shoes/boots.  I'll share that project when it gets completed (should be soon) because I'm planning on customizing it in a different way.  If you dig this project like Wendy did, feel free to email me at showmeflyguy@gmail.com if you need some specifications.  I would be happy to help you make your own coffee table/bed bench!

Laser Dub Baitfish Fly

A couple of weeks ago I was watching a Fly Fishing the Ozarks video on TikTok.  In the video, Brian Wise (from Missouri, just saying) pointed out that laser dub (one of my favorite fly tying materials, was commonly used in larger flies.  He then gave some interesting points about how laser dub can be used for smaller flies as well.  This got my attention as I have never used laser dub for smaller flies and was fascinated by the idea.  I looked at a fly that he tied in the video, made a few changes to fit my applications and my tying “style”.  

Some of the bigger flies that I tie are for big largemouth bass.  As I start to see myself targeting smallmouth bass more in the future, I see a need for some flies that are smaller in shape and profile.  I know smallmouth will still take down big meals but I can see myself missing out on a lot of bites from smallmouth if I was to throw 7 inch gamechanger flies.  Would I still catch some?  Probably.  Would I miss out on some smaller ones?  Definitely.

 

With a goal of a mid-size streamer in mind, I set down at my fly tying desk and got to work using laser dub on a smaller platform.  I chose a size 2 Gamakatsu B10S hook and some extra small dumbbell eyes.  I like for my streamers to swim with their hook points up and that was my goal.  However, my fly design did not work out very well in its first version.  

I tried to put the dumbbell eyes on top of the hook but due to the buoyancy of the materials, my flies swam upside down.  Rather than fighting the physics, I decided to tie the eyes on the bottom of the hook.  I figured that the weight of the hook coupled with the dumbbell would make my fly ride and swim the way I wanted.  I had to give into the idea of my streamer riding point down but life is full of tradeoffs.

 

As far as tails go, I tried to make the tail out of laser dub but it seems to make the tail too sparse in the back section.  In other words, my flies looked like they were all head and no tail.  I decided to switch to a short rabbit strip tail because they have great action and gave off a larger profile in the water even if they didn’t have more mass or volume.  I put some chenille between the rabbit strip tail and the laser dub head to give some flash.  This flash is muted by the flowing fibers of the laser dub head which was exactly what I wanted. 

 

After throwing my updated pattern in the tester tank.  I liked the profile and the action of what I had created but wanted to try out another option as well.  I gave a few flies some frantic tails (precut pieces of fabric in the shape of fish tails).  I was hoping for more of a swimming action from them but all they did was create a longer and more realistic profile.  I am still holding out hope that they will perform better during field testing.  Overall, I think I am on the right track in terms of a good smallmouth fly.  I tied my flies in color combinations that resemble baitfish, bluegill, and shad which are all on a smallmouth diet.  Up next is field testing.  I’ll be sure to post about how things go but for now, I am cautiously optimistic.

Not Too Bad for a Stocked Rainbow Trout

As luck would have it, I had the pleasure of trout fishing for a second day in a row recently.  After I fished Bennett Spring State Park on Monday, Dec. 21, I got to fish at Capital Federal Sports Complex in Liberty on Tuesday, Dec. 22.  Justin had informed be on our way home from Bennett that he was going to fish Cap Fed Park with a friend and his friend's sons the following day.  I know his friend, Joshua, fairly well as well as his kids and they are wonderful people.  When nothing in my schedule prohibited me from fishing with this good group of fellas, Wendy and I rigged up and headed to the sports complex.

The fact that it was 60 degrees with no wind is a stat that begs to be mentioned.  On more than one occasion on the morning of Dec. 22, I chose to simply lean up against my truck bed and absorb the sun's energy and warm temperatures.  It had been a long time since I felt both and I have to say, it felt good physically AND mentally.  The idea of pairing these conditions with feeling of some trout slime felt too good to resist.  Wendy agreed too so she accompanied me on our little outing.

I tied on an olive jigged wooly with an orange head and tied a white jigged wooly with a pink head on her line.  It took us about 30 minutes to find the fish but once we did, the action got fairly hot.  Wendy ended up catching 3 and I caught 6 with one of them measuring 16".  While that's not a trophy by any means, I will take a 16 inch rainbow trout on a beautiful December day anytime Mother Nature and the Missouri Department of Conservation wants to send one my way! 

A Recap of 2025- 20 Things I am Grateful For!

Wow!  2025 was a heck of a year on the water!  While looking back at some pictures, a theme revealed itself to me.  And while I did indeed fish some of the same spots with some of the same flies, the common thread that I noticed was that of firsts.  I knew that I had attempted some new things but I had forgotten about volume of new things that tried.  And while there were plenty of swings and misses, I have chosen to focus on the accomplishments for this post.  I've decided to document these happenings in list format to keep things linear and succinct.  

1. I had the pleasure to fish with my buddy Justin more than I ever have!  He is incredibly knowledgeable about the outdoors and has a thirst for learning more especially in the area of fly fishing.  His enthusiasm is contagious.

2. I had the chance to test out a bunch of new flies that I had tied and a few that my buddy Milo had tied.  It's always a thrill to catch a fish on a new-to-you fly.

3. I got to try my hand at guiding a little bit.  I had the pleasure of taking my first client (but now friend) Timothy to catch some largemouth bass on a fly.  I learned that I want guiding to be a part of my future.

4. I learned how to match my flies to the size and color of local fry last spring and early summer.  This helped me stretch out the amount of time I spend chasing largemouth bass on the fly and especially helped me catch more post spawn largemouth.

5. I learned that carp will smash a streamer if they are hungry and on the hunt for prey.

6. Not only did I catch my first gar on a fly, I caught my first four gar on a fly!  This species had eluded me for years and good gracious did it feel good to catch, what I considered, my unicorn.  Up next, I want to catch a bowfin in the bootheel of Missouri.

7. I learned that you can actually catch hybrid striped bass on chicken livers with spinning tackle.  I had heard that this was possible but it was something that I had to experience myself to believe it.  Maybe it is not a coincidence that I am from The Show Me State.

8. For the first time in my life, I fly fished in saltwater surf.  And while I had caught a fish in saltwater before, this was different.  I learned where the fish hung out, about tide schedules, and saltwater fly selection. I caught my first pompano and my first ladyfish...and then about a dozen more!  I also saw my first shark in the wild as well which was cool...and terrifying.

9. I got to help my buddy Corey catch his first smallmouth bass and go on his first guided fly fishing trip with my good friend and outstanding guide, Ryan Walker of Ozarks Smallmouth Alliance.  I don't think that will be the last time we will float an Ozark stream together and catch smallmouth.

10. I learned that my favorite streamer, The Brave, will catch smallmouth in Missouri AND Idaho!

11. I bought my first vessel that is setup for fly fishing.  I was on the fence about buying a drift boat or a raft and I went with a raft.  I couldn't be happier with my decision and have loved learning about how to set up a fly fishing raft and how to row such a craft.

12. I went hunting with a crossbow for the first time and while I didn't harvest anything, good gracious was it fun to lengthen my deer hunting season.

13. I collaborated with a former student to distribute a wind sauce.  He did all of the heavy lifting and I just helped with the branding.

14. I published a fly fishing journal and that was a goal that I had set a long time ago.  I even included some poetry which was another goal of mine as well. 

15. I got to help my buddy Corey track and recover his first whitetail buck.  This was an event that had been in the works for a few years and I couldn't have been happier for my friend.

16. I had the opportunity to take my new raft out on Watkins Mill Lake.  I learned that rafts are not made for easy navigation on lakes, especially in the wind.

17. I also had the chance to take my raft down a stretch of the Niangua River with my buddy Justin who acted as a "pseudo client".  I also got to meet up with Ryan Walker prior to our float and he was a wealth of knowledge and guidance, as usual.

18. I recently learned a new fly pattern and a few variants of that pattern.  It's basically a slimmed down Lunch Money in some ways, but it might be enough to warrant its own name.  Or maybe not.  Maybe I'll just call it a laser dub minnow because that's basically what it is.

19. I saw my first albino trout in the "wild".  It was at Bennett Spring State Park which is stocked with trout so I guess it wasn't really wild but it was still pretty cool to see!

20. I caught one of the biggest trout that I have ever caught in a Kansas City lake that was part of the Missouri Department of Conservation Winter Trout Stocking Program!