Tailwaters and the People that Fish Them

If you have never watched a video from Ben, aka Huge Fly Fisherman, you are missing out on some great humor and information.  I've been watching Huge Fly Fisherman videos for quite some time and while I have enjoyed every single one that I have ever watched, this one was especially good.  I decided to share it because of not only the education that I received about tailwaters but also for the humorous take on folks that fish tailwaters.  I am one of those people.  Lake Taneycomo is one of my favorite places to fish and it just so happens to be a tailwater.  That makes me a tailwater fisher.  I enjoyed the humor as well as good-natured ribbing from the video and if you're a tailwater fisher, I hope you enjoy the video as much as I did!

Link to Huge Fly Fisherman YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@HugeFlyFisherman

I 3D Printed a Fly Reel!

I'll be honest, making my own fly reel was the reason that I wanted a 3D printer in the first place.  While I have had a lot of fun making other things, a 3D printed fly reel was the motivator.  I didn't know if I would be able to actually print one or even assemble it.  I didn't know if the reel would work and if so, how functional would it be.  I wasn't expecting something that was of the same quality as a large manufacturer like Echo or Redington.  Regardless, I wanted a reel that I had a part in making which, to me, would make up for a lack of quality.

To make a long story short, I found some files, downloaded them, and printed the parts.  From there, assembly was pretty easy and in a pretty short amount of time, I had a functional fly reel.  The design was pretty simple as it was a click and pawl.  It's a little clunky in terms of the drag but I couldn't be happier.  The only thing left to do is put some line on it, take it out on the water, and land a fish on it!

Preparing for Opening Day of Firearms Season for Deer

Yesterday, my stepson, Collin, my youngest son, Cody, and I went up to our family farm on the border of Ray and Carrol County in Missouri.  We dropped off some hunting blinds, checked some trail cameras, and made sure our tree stands are in good shape.  It was a nice walk on a pretty day but more importantly, I got to spend some time with some young men that are growing up quickly.  We talked about deer and firearms safety while pointing out deer signs.  There were jokes told and sparring shoves from the younger man upon the older teenager.

The entire experience was a nice reminder of why the outdoors is so sacred to me.  It is a place for young men to try and understand the sometimes confusion world around them.  There is a sense of adventure and wonder around every corner.  There is a sense of mystery that resides even though the property has been walked countless times by all members of the family.  Most importantly, there are moments to be experienced that one could not find indoors or in any other setting.  There are memories that can last a lifetime that only cost a little gas money and time.

The 3D Printer Has Been BUSY!

Back on October 1, I published a post that described a second-hand 3D printer that I purchased.  The post also described how difficult the learning process was for me and how challenging it was for me to gain an understanding of how the machine I purchased works.  Towards the end of the post, I promised to keep posts about my 3D printer pertinent to fishing and that is the purpose for this post.

I currently have my 3D printer up and running thanks to a lot of help from others that were great teachers. I have started to print some useful tools, fun toys, and one very cool project that I am saving for a later post.  Stay tuned as I just put the finishing touches on this undertaking recently.  Please know that I did not create any of the files that I used to complete my projects.  They were simply downloaded and given to the printer.  I don't have any special computer-aided drafting skills so please know that these were not original creations.  However, I am extremely happy with how some of my projects have turned out and thought I would share them with you.  

So far, I have printed a couple of toy trout, a knot tying tool, and a line collector that can be worn on your pocket or belt.  The line collector will hopefully be a useful tool to help keep line from wrapping around vegetation as well as my feet.  The tool, which retails for between $5-$12, was a quick item to print and a tool that I used a lot on the water.  I've also printed a decorative trout, my logo (which my buddy Ernest made for me), and pretty cool mule deer skull.  I even had the chance to make a duck call for my buddy Corey.  I'm still waiting to get feedback on the call's effectiveness, but I will keep you posted if it works well.  I've also printed some toys for my kids which they have found pretty cool.  I'm also in the process of printing some stocking stuffers for Christmas for the family but I'm going to have to keep those under wraps for now.

To say that this has been an amazing and rewarding would be a gross understatement.  I often find myself thinking about what I can make and then going out to see if anyone online has created a file for me to use.  I find it fascinating to watch the printer work and I take a sense of pride in what was created.  While I didn't create the item from scratch, the feeling of being a part of the process is a lot of fun and rewarding.  And if you think that what I have shared with you in this post is interesting, just wait until my follow up post about my biggest and most satisfying project thus far!

Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum

Link: https://bigcedar.com/activity/ancient-ozarks-history-museum/

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about Wendy and I visiting Branson, Missouri, for our anniversary.  We took a golf cart tour at Top of the Rock Lost Canyon Cave.  When I was buying our tickets online, I was offered the opportunity to get free tickets to the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum that is also located at the Top of the Rock complex.  I'm not one to ever turn down free stuff so I gladly accepted.  Truth be told, I had the pleasure to visit the museum a few years ago but I was excited about the opportunity to go back.  I also know that Wendy digs museums (she's pretty awesome) and I had a feeling that she would appreciate everything the museum has to offer.

In my opinion, this museum is an absolute treasure and we are fortunate to have it in Missouri.  It dates back from prehistoric times and into the mid 1900's.  It is well organized, contains a lot of amazing artifacts, and to me, almost has its own aura.  Yes, I said aura and I mean it.  I don't think that this museum gets the recognition and appreciation that it deserves but I have a feeling the longer it is around, the more word will spread about it and it's popularity will grow.  If you love the Ozarks and history, it is the perfect blend of the two.  I've included some pictures and links to the museum's website because my words don't do justice to this amazing place!

Link: https://bigcedar.com/activity/ancient-ozarks-history-museum/