Hope for this season

A while back, I wrote about how much enthusiasm and excitement exists prior to a fishing trip.  Spirits might not be higher than that moment and it is a time to relish and bask in the wonder as well as imagination that seems to flow like...well, water.  There is a similar swelling of anticipation and fascination that tends to swell as winter starts to thaw and spring starts to peak out from under the thawing snow.  Deer season, Christmas, and New Year's tend to keep the frustration at bay, and even Valentine's Day can serve as a distraction.  However, once February puts the pink and red hearts in the rear view, that's when spring fishing can't get here fast enough, but as the great Lee Corso so eloquently says, "Not so fast my friend."  The mood of Mother Nature during March in Missouri is a little on the unpredictable side.  So what's a guy to do while he waits you may ask?  Imagine and fantasize obviously.  What's that?  What I am looking ahead to this year?  What a wonderful question from such an attractive human.  I'm glad you asked.  Here's what I am looking forward to this year.

1. Maybe catching a Walleye or another Wiper on a fly this spring

Catching a walleye on a fly is going to be a challenge especially since I am going to target fish that are more interested in spawning than eating.  Catching a wiper on a fly should be a little easier since they will be feeding actively this April on shad, but the challenge will be to get on them at the right time and place.  Rainy, cloudy days will be best this spring which means it will be uncomfortable for a fisherman but the reward of hooking into one of these big boys is worth it.

2. More belly boat time on farm ponds

If you recall last summer, I wrote about my anxiety of using a belly boat or float tube and how I was intimidated by it from a safety standpoint.  Well that fear has passed and now I love fishing out of my tube.  I am able to get to places and fish spots that I never could have before.  There are two farm ponds in particular that I either have fished or will fish for the first time from a tube.  They are located in the middle of fields and surrounded by trees but if I can paddle my way out into the middle, then I have a good casting background.  These fish don't get fished for very much and should hammer some flies this spring.  I know one of these ponds has a 6 pound bass while the other pond is a total mystery to me.  Also, I only get to fish these ponds twice a year so this is an added wrinkle.  From late spring to early fall there are crops in the fields and the ponds are incredible difficult if not impossible to access.

3. Fishing with Gary Price on Truman again

I have written about my buddy Gary of Gary's Guide Service (Truman Lake) quite a few times on this site and it is because he is just a heck of a guy that puts me on big fish!  He doesn't pay me to write about him and I don't ask for anything in return.  We are just passionate about fishing and have bonded as a result.  I can't wait to fish with him again this year and maybe throw some flies at some wipers on Truman with him.  He has taught me so much about wiper fishing and I would like to return the favor by maybe showing him a thing or two about a fly rod.

4. Fishing the White River for the first time with my dad

I can't remember if I have mentioned anything about the Christmas present that my dad got me this year or not, so at the risk of repeating myself, here's what he got me.  The old man is going to fund an all expenses paid trip to Gaston's Resort on the White River in Arkansas this year.  I'm not sure when we will be going and I haven't done very much research yet, but I am hoping that I catch the biggest brown trout of my life on this trip.  If anyone has any advice, suggestions, stories, or useful information about fishing the White River or staying at Gaston's, please feel free to email me or leave a comment below.

5. More mousin'- perfecting patterns, techniques, and more fish than ever on a mouse

Similar to the line that Christopher Walken made famous on Saturday Night Live, I have a disease and the only cure is more mouse flies!  Last year, I really fell in love with fishing mouse flies and landed a few fish in the process.  Fishing big flies, making long casts, plus aggressive takes by a large predatorial fish is an equation that adds up to awesomeness.  This year, I want to perfect some mouse patterns that I tie and really zero in on my 1-3 favorite patterns to use on lakes/ponds as well as rivers/streams.  I also want to fish a mouse fly more this year that I ever have and hopefully land a big largemouth as a result.  The largest bass that I have ever caught on a fly rod was around 4 and 1/2 pounds and I would love to top that this spring on a mouse no less.