Excellent Brown Trout Article

Link: https://www.fieldandstream.com/stories/fishing/freshwater-fishing/brown-trout-fishing-guide

Brown trout, in my opinion, are the most beautiful freshwater fish in the world.  Sure, peacock bass and brook trout give them a run for their money, but nothing beats a colored up brownie.  Part of the allure for me is that they are the less common of the two trout species primarily found in Missouri with rainbows being the second.  Something beautiful and rare yet attainable is what makes brown trout so special to me.  

If you would like to learn more about brown trout, where to find them, and how to catch them, this is a fantastic article.  I especially like how it covers tactics that can be utilized on stillwater as well as rivers/streams.  In Missouri, browns can be found in places like the Current River but also found in Lake Taneycomo.  It is a quick, easy read and I bet you learn a thing or two.  Spring will be here soon and so will brown trout fishing so start gearing up physically and mentally.

Link: https://www.fieldandstream.com/stories/fishing/freshwater-fishing/brown-trout-fishing-guide

The Right Tool for the Job

So there I was, talking to my buddy Corey about my need for a sharp knife to have in my boat and to be readily available in an emergency.  He asked me if I thought I needed a diver's knife.  I said, "No, I don't need that."  I then quickly realized I didn't know what a diver's knife was.  Before he could respond, I said, "Why do YOU think I need a diver's knife?"  He grinned and said, "You don' know what a diver's knife is, do you?"  I quickly responded with an emphatic, "Nope!"

He then picked up a knife that had a pointed tip and asked me, "Do you want to accidentally drop this onto your raft?"  I said, "Absolutely not!  That's my baby!"  Corey then proceeded to show me that diver's knives have blunt tips that can even be used to pry things open.  One side has a sharp edge and the other side is sometimes serrated.  I liked what I saw.

As fortune would have it, I actually got two of these knives for Christmas.  One came from Corey and the other came from my lovely wife, Wendy.  I feel that overkill is underrated so I'm happy to have two of these!  I plan on keeping both of these knives in my boat for a couple of reasons.  One is that I am really good at losing things.  Two is that I want access to a knife if a need for one presents itself.  If I need to cut an anchor rope or cut a line that has gotten wrapped around someone, I want to get that done quickly.  I never became a boy scout, but I sure subscribe to the idea of "Be prepared."

 

Laser Dub Baitfish Fly- Update

Earlier this winter, I saw Brian Wise of Fly Fishing the Ozarks, tie a baitfish completely out of laser dubbing.  It got me thinking that I wanted to take what he tied, add a few tweaks, and make a pattern that was a little better suited for smallmouth bass.  To make a long story short, I wasn’t thrilled by what I had made.  My first version seemed to be all head and no tail when it was in the water.  Version 2.0 had more body and tail and a smaller profile for the head, but the head gave an odd appearance in the water that resembled a mohawk.  I was going for a teardrop profile and that was not what I was getting.  Don’t get me wrong.  Both versions were serviceable, but I was looking for perfection.

What was supposed to be a laser dub only fly eventually morphed into a thinner variant of a Smallmouth Bass Streamer that I watched my buddy Ryan Walker tie on YouTube a few years ago.  While it seems like a lesson in futility on the surface, I learned what did and did not work through my experimentation or trial/error process.  I also learned that trying to invent a fly is harder than just learning an existing pattern.  In other words, creating a new, original fly pattern, in the age we live in with so many fly tyers and so many folks sharing their patterns, creating something original is challenging.

So here is what I wound up with.  It’s an SBS that I believe will serve me well when I pursue smallmouth bass.  I tied it on a size 2 hook which, in my opinion, makes it not too big and not too small.  I didn’t want to make it so big that medium sized smallmouth couldn’t fit it in their mouths.  I also didn’t want to make it so small that bluegill would be taking it down.  I plan on throwing this fly in farm ponds that hold smaller largemouth as well as for targeting bigger trout on Lake Taneycomo.  I’m excited to do some field testing with it and see how it works on the water. 

Another Bed Bench

 

Recently, I posted about a bed bench/coffee table that I made as a Christmas present for my stepson, Collin.  The project turned out better than most things I make and my wife, Wendy, and I took note.  We liked the piece of furniture so much, we decided that I needed to make another one.  I was hopeful that it would be easier to make a second one due to the facts that I knew improvements that needed to be made and how to make the process more efficient.  I followed the same process and turned out a nearly identical product.  However, this piece was going to be used exclusively as a bed bench and needed a slightly different theme.

Collin's bench had a longhorn skull engraved into the wood.  While it turned out great, I wanted something different.  Wendy and I settled on having the letter "D" on the bench this time.  Our last name is Dykes so it felt apropos.  However, I subscribe to the idea that if something is worth doing, it is worth overdoing.  The letter needed a little something extra.  It needed to reflect a little personality.  So with a little help from AI, the letter received some detail in the form of fish scales.  After the project was complete, I was a little concerned that not everyone would catch (pun intended) what I was going for with the element.  I felt better when my oldest son looked at it and said, "Cool.  Fish scales"

To be honest, I have a total of zero hours of professional carpentry training.  I tend to come up with a design, slap some things together with screws and glue, and hope for the best.  Sometimes what I make looks decent and sometimes it ends up in a fire pit.  If you look at the last picture, you can see the headboard, bench, and sign above the bed my wife and I share.  I made all three of those things and they are some of my best work.  If you want to see some pictures of the hot garbage that I've made, just find some ashes somewhere.  

Green and Gold Streamers

Sometimes I get an idea in my head that grabs a hold of my brain and won’t let go. I don’t know if everybody else is that way. Maybe I’m just a weirdo.  In this particular instance, I'm referring to the fact that I recently acquired some golden chenille with some pretty long fibers from Rainbow Fly Shop in Independence, Missouri.  I spent a few days trying to figure out how to incorporate the new-to-me material into a fly.  After looking at some pictures of some fish (specifically baitfish that live in Ozarks streams) I settled on the idea of blending the gold with some olive.  My goal was to give the fly some countershading and mute the flash.  In other words, I wanted the fly to have a dark back, a flashy belly, and to make the gold chenille a little less overpowering.

I'm pretty happy with the way things turned out.  I do wish, however, that I would have come up with a more creative idea rather than just throwing it on a platform that I have used so many times.  I'm referring to a pattern that I tie called The Brave.  So if you're a fly tyer, or heck, even if you're not, I would love to hear or see some ideas about how to incorporate this material into another fly.  Feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email at showmeflyguy@gmail.com.  Thanks for reading and for any suggestions that you can send my way.

Peowing’s Provions- The Conclusion

Link to Peowings Provisions Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/peowingsprovisions/

Important Note: Awhile back, I posted about meeting the folks that operate Peowings Provisions.  If you want to read that post before this one, just click here.

This world is full of good people with good hearts.  Sometimes they get overshadowed by bad folks and troubling situations, but they are everywhere.  The folks that run Peowing's Provisions are an example of kindhearted individuals with generous hearts.  On top of that, they make some really impressive stuff.  I was fortunate enough to receive a few things from them in the mail recently and wanted to share a little about my experience.

First, I received a couple of magnets.  One was a piece of live edge wood with an engraved outline of the state of Arkansas.  While I hope Mizzou whoops up on the Razorbacks every time they play, I absolutely love the state of Arkansas.  There are some really pretty places in Arkansas and while I have fished there a little bit, I would love to spend more time there.  This magnet will act as a reminder that I need to head a little further south in my fishing excursions from time to time.

Second, I got a really cool magnet with an engraving of a buck, a duck, and a fish hook.  To top things off, there is an inlaid bottle cap opener on the back side.  Sometimes when I need one, I can't find one.  Now that I have one on my refrigerator, I'll always have one available and it's a good looking one to boot.

Finally, I was given a live edge wall decoration that included a scenic image of a brown trout taking down my favorite streamer.  The detail is amazing and the trout looks great.  In my experience with people trying to create images of fish, things don't always turn out great.  The proportions are sometimes off or sometimes a fish looks like some sort of hybrid that has been crossed with four different species.  This wall decor is spot-on though.  When the folks at Peowings Provisions asked me to send them my favorite fly, I wasn't sure why.  The fact that they incorporated it so beautifully into this piece of art blew my expectations and hopes away!

If you purchase from Peowings Provisions, I honestly believe you will be happy with your purchase and see the value in not only your money but you time.  This is a small business ran by good folks.  They take care of their customers and go the extra mile to make them happy.  And if you order something from them, please tell them that I passed along my gratitude and appreciation for their work!  I have already done that, but it never hurts to share a kind word.

Link to Peowings Provisions Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/peowingsprovisions/

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.