Small Lake Profile- North Lake

There are a lot of great fisheries in western and northwest Missouri that I have had the privilege to fish.  Most of the lakes that I spend my time on are fairly small in size.  When I say small, I mean smaller than the Lake of the Ozarks, Truman Lake, Table Rock, and Taneycomo.  When I refer to small lakes, usually I mean a lake around 30 acres or smaller.  I target these lakes because I can put my small Bass Hunter boat or kayak on these lakes since they are usually electric motor only.  I am usually fly fishing and smaller lakes give the fish fewer places to hide which helps put the puzzle of the lake together a little faster.  It is much easier to figure out where the fish are and what they are biting on in a small lake.  This can take a couple of hours as opposed to fishing a larger lake which could take many hours or even days.  I don't have that kind of time available so I typically hit the smaller water in the pursuit of a higher success rate.

As always, the point of this website is to both entertain and help you to catch more fish.  I hope that these lake profiles will either provide you with some information about a lake you have never fished or help you understand a lake from someone else's point of view.  As always, I am not claiming to be any sort of expert when it comes to these lakes or fishing in general.  These thoughts are just my own observations for you to use as you see fit.  So without further adieu, here is the first "Small Lake Profile" .

Name
North Lake

Location
North of Harrisonville on 291 Highway and south of Lee's Summit. Here's a link to an webpage that the Missouri Department of Conservation has assembled:
http://mdc7.mdc.mo.gov/applications/moatlas/AreaSummaryPage.aspx?txtAreaID=9230&txtAreaNm=s 

Species to target
Redear sunfish, bluegill, and bass

A buddy of mine with the first redear he ever caught.

Same guy, same day, bigger fish.

A 5.7 ounce bass caught on a shad rap crankbait in then main channel of the lake.

Spots to try
This lake is almost completely surrounded by aquatic vegetation and timber.  There are 2-3 spots that allow you to fish from the bank or the dock, but that's about it.  If you don't have a small boat of some kind, you might want to stay away from this lake.  I personally like fishing along the east bank in the morning and the west bank later in the morning.  The east bank has a healthy amount of aquatic vegetation and moss while the west bank has more laydowns and structure.  I like fishing from the boat ramp to the spillway along the east bank and along the entire west bank until you get to the cove on the far south side of the lake.  Also, during the summer months, large bass suspend in the middle of the lake.  If you have a fish finder, try to mark these fish and go after them with sinking line on a fly rod or with a crankbait on conventional tackle.  The north end is shallow with a lot of moss, seeds, and aquatic vegetation.  Topwater flies and lures are useful here.  There is also a concrete pillar located on the south end as well.  I have not had much success here, but it stands to reason that there should be some fish hanging around this structure that is also located in deeper water.

My buddy Jordan with a nice bass caught on the south end of the lake.

Jordan with a nice bass caught on a hollow body frog on the south end of the lake.  He was catching them in the thick moss using a baitcaster and braided line.

Flies/Lures to use
You can't ever go wrong with a wooly bugger on this lake.  There is a lot of baitfish in the water and throwing a similar pattern in olive, white, and/or black is a deadly combination.  By far, I have had my best luck by throwing a John Deere mini jig about 18 inches under a float.  This has yielded small bass, lots of bluegill in various sizes, and a few really nice and almost trophy redear sunfish.  There are also channel catfish in the lake and I have seen a few of them caught on this method as well.  As far as the big bass in the middle of the lake, I think shad-imitating flies would be the way to go if you want to try and hook one.  The Brave, deceivers, clouser minnows, and zonkers might be the trick here but make sure they are weighted.  These 4-6 pound bass usually suspend at 8 feet and it is going to take a while to get your fly in front of them.

Wooly Bugger

Clouser Minnow

John Deere

Wooly Bugger

Wooly Bugger

Zonker

The Brave

New Episode: Find Your Water

A new episode of Find Your Water came out a few days ago and it never ceases to impress.  I also love the fact that a large portion of this video is dedicated to fly fishing for sharks.  I get a big kick out of telling folks that are unfamiliar with fly fishing or even new to the sport that you can catch almost anything on a fly...even sharks.  Enjoy and have a great day!

Find Your Water: Season 2, Episode 3: Farming Fish from Redingtongear on Vimeo.

New Fishing Report

I just posted an update to the "Fishing Reports" which can be found on the right side of this site.  I was able to do some fishing on Lake Taneycomo last week (which is rare for me) and the water generation cooperated with me (which is even more rare).  It was a good week and I learned about some new tricks and spots to try so hopefully you do too.

A Big Rainbow For Boston

I recently got back from a small vacation down to Branson, Missouri, with my family.  We had a lot of fun in the "Hollywood of the Midwest" and a fishing report will be coming out soon.  However, a HUGE highlight of the trip came on the last day just as we were about to leave town.  We stayed at the Fall Creek Inn & Suites and I wanted to buy a hat from the marina before heading home.  With the truck loaded up with luggage and the family, I parked near the marina and was headed down the ramp to buy my hat when I noticed a young man walking toward me.  I saw that he had something in his arms and it was so big, it took a minute to register.  When my brain finally verified what my eyes were seeing, I was in shock.  This young man was carrying an enormous trout and it just might be the biggest trout that I have ever seen out of the water that wasn't mounted to a wall already.

I quickly congratulated the young man and marveled at his catch.  I also had the privilege of meeting his grandfather and dad who were extremely happy for him and proud of him.  When I introduced myself to the angler himself, he politely told me that his name was Boston.  I looked at his hat and asked him if he was pulling my leg.  I thought he was messing with me.  He was not and was simply a cool kid, with a cool name, and a matching hat.

Graciously, Boston and his dad allowed me to snap some pictures and post them to this site.  They also shared some information about the fish and the story that went along with landing the behemoth.  Boston caught his fish on the morning of June 25 while fishing off the side of their boat on Lake Taneycomo.  Boston was fishing with livers (chicken I assume) on an ultralight rod.  No generators were running so there was minimal current.  As the story goes, Boston's grandfather had the drag set low on the reel which allowed Boston to wear the fish out without trying to horse it in.  When it was all said and done, the fish measured at 21 and 1/2 inches, 5 pounds and 8 ounces with a 14 inch center girth, and a 7 inch tail width.  It was also my understanding that the family plans on eating the fish and getting a replica mount made for 9 year old Boston.

The smile on Boston's face says it all.  This is what fishing is supposed to be about; having fun with friends and family, creating memories, and having stories to tell for years.  Boston has a trophy, a story, and able to feed his family...a few meals.  Congratulations to Boston and his family!  If you have any pictures and stories to share, I am always looking for stories from readers to post especially ones that involve families and kids.  Don't be shy.  It's not bragging, just sharing stories!

Lake Taneycomo- The Final Chapter

While rummaging through my fly box, I put on a white mini-jig.  It wasn’t anything special.  It had a white head and floss body that tapered back towards the bend in the hook.  It seemed like it was just a body made of white thread, and to date, I have tied hundreds of these flies since this trip, I quickly realized this indeed was the exact and simple recipe.  I had no idea what it was supposed to be imitating, and to this day, I’m still not sure.  Over the years, I have heard numerous theories however.  It has been compared to ground up fish guts that pass through Table Rock Dam turbines.  It has been put beside different grubs and looked similar.  It has even been measured against sow bugs.  From the first cast, this fly was like gold.

That day, I landed about 20-25 trout.  My trick was drifting the jig about 18 inches under an indicator.  When the fly was cast across stream and given the chance to drift without drag, bites were a real possibility.  The only thing better was if the fly was given the chance to drift a long distance downstream.  Many bites came just as I was about to retrieve my line and begin the whole process over again.  I was shocked and amazed to have such luck on the second day of a new lake.  Unfortunately, Busch wasn’t having the same luck.  He was still catching fish, but was growing frustrated with some fish that he missed on his fly rod.  What lifted his confidence was putting a spinning rod in his hands.

It was probably from years of bouncing white jigs under the middle arch of the bridge at Bennett Spring.  Or maybe it was just god-given talent.  Or maybe it was the fishing gods smiling on him.  In the end, what I saw was an all out assault on fish with a green jig.  While I thought I was slaying them on fly rod, he was massacring them on a jig.  When he made the switch to the spinning rod at midday, it felt like he was catching two fish to every one I caught.  Big ones, small ones, newly stocked browns all fell to his jigging prowess.  We were both having a great time, but it was easy to tell that he still longed for success on his fly rod.  We went to bed that night proud, but not satisfied.  Mother Nature had been kind to us, but we hadn’t got our fill and wanted seconds.  That next day would bring all that we could handle and more.

The next morning was a carbon copy of the previous morning.  I was landing some nice rainbows on the white mini jig and Busch was back to slaying them with a jig on a spinning rod.  As the morning pressed on, we both noticed something on the horizon.  Thunderheads were crawling over the top of the dam like a lion on a prowl.  The contrast of their dark gray color against the bright blue sky seemed to make them appear more serious in nature.  Behind these clouds, we could see rain falling to the west.  They were both impending and ominous.  There was no doubt about the fact that we were about to get poured on.  At this point, we had a choice to make.  Either A, we could go back to camp and make sure all of our stuff didn’t fly away and/or get completely soaked.  Or B, we could stay and fish.  We guessed that the approaching storm would throw an internal switch with the fish and they would start feeding.  Fronts seem to do that to fish.  There is evidence which supports theories that describe their ability to sense barometric pressure changes internally.  In essence, fish understand that the environment is about to change and they need to stockpile on food an energy prior to this event.

It wasn’t much of a debate after we figured out that most of our stuff was in Rubbermaid containers and in our tents.  This meant anything that shouldn’t get wet wouldn’t, and our tents wouldn’t fly away.  Everything else could dry out or could be replaced.  We knew we were gambling, but the reward seemed worth the risk.

What happened next was beyond what we could imagine.  As we suspected, the incoming storm turned the fish on.  Both of us started catching fish on every fourth or fifth cast.  This was a higher percentage than we had experienced with our fly rods so far.  Then the lightning began to strike and the rain began to stop sprinkling and start pouring.  With the increase of both danger and dampness came the most incredible trout fishing I have ever witnessed or experienced.  With white mini jigs under bobbers, we started catching fish on every cast. 

Now usually when someone makes that sort of statement, they mean it metaphorically.  In all fairness, fishermen are also notorious liars.   They lie about numbers of fish.  They lie about the size of fish caught.  This however was no lie.  If we didn’t get a bite as the fly hit the water, we didn’t have to wait long.  We were catching tons of fish and most of them were really nice.  Eventually, the numbers got so high and so many fish were in the 15-16 inch range, I quit counting. 

In a moment of clarity and lucidity we both soaked up the moment.  We were soaking wet and shivering.  We had no idea how dry our possessions at camp were or if they were even in Taney County anymore.  What we did know and what we were sure about was that we had just caught more trout in a thunderstorm in a matter of minutes than we had on our best day at any trout park.  Not only were the numbers there, but so was the size and the fight.  Add on top of this that we had minimal experience on this body of water, and well, we felt pretty darn good.

We had another memory and chapter in our book of adventures and this chapter would go on to be one of the most famous.  On this rare occasion, it wasn’t hard to break camp on the final day and head home.  We had accomplished more than what we ever dreamed we would do, and had the story to tell.  We couldn’t have done more than what we did, and we had the feeling of exhausted success has stayed with us ever since.  We were able to overcome the obstacles that a new lake presented.  It isn’t rare for us to bring up that trip, but it is flat out impossible for us to not revel in both its glory and abundance.

Lake Taneycomo- Chapter 3

Neither of us were able to land a single fish at first and the Army Corps of Engineers decided to change the landscape as well.  The customary horn sounded and signaled the reality that water would soon be rushing through the dam and the water level would be rising.  Both of us began to make our way toward the bank on the northwest side of the lake which housed our escape route as the water rose.  This was my first experience with the dam horn, but I took it seriously.  My dad told me a story prior to my trip that included a fly fisherman who did not heed the siren’s warning.  Ultimately, his waders filled with water and current carried him down stream.  Boats dredged the bottom of the lake and eventually found him.  My dad was there when they placed his rigid and water logged body on a nearby dock.  This was not a fate that I was interested in.

At the time, I was under the impression that the horn meant “get the hell out of the water” and that’s what was on my mind.  Busch informed me that if we stayed close to the bank where the current slowed, we could still fish.  As long as the dam was only running one generator, the trophy area was fishable.  If the corps decided to begin running more than that though, the day was pretty much over unless they backed the number of generators down later in the day when the water levels would drop back down.  He said that we should try to stick around because the flowing water was like a dinner bell for the trout that called this stretch home.  The current carried food through the bottom of the dam and stirred up the fare that lay beneath the rocks at the bottom of the lake.  

We were told to put on scud imitating flies when this happened, and that’s exactly what we did.  (This both was and is an excellent piece of advice for Taneycomo).  With ice dubbed scuds dragging near the bottom of the lake and under strike indicators, we started getting bites.  I’m not sure which one of us landed our first fish, but we were both able to get our feet under us and shake off the necessary nerves of the first day.  Our goals for the first day were to land at least a couple of fish and establish a foundation on which to build in the days to come.  The fish we caught were nice and we were more than happy with their size, color, and bad attitude.  With soaring hearts and a general calmness now that the first day was in the books, we headed to camp to throw some groceries down our necks and a good night’s rest.

The next morning, we were up with the sun.  Over the years, I have probably hooked and landed more fish early in the morning than any other part of the day.  I’ve always thought that some fish are starting to become active as the sun sets, but more fish are still feeding when the sun rises.  The percentages seemed to be in the fisherman’s favor in the morning, and this is what made getting up before sunrise easy.

As we reached the trophy area, the cold water met the warming summer air and fog rolled off the water.  The combination of warm air and cool water was a real conflict in temperatures and made for a ghostly atmosphere.  We attempted the same tricks as yesterday with little results.  There wasn’t any water running and we assumed the fish got their fill during the night.  Generators were running at night and that provided the fish with a mobile buffet line.  We then began experimenting with anything and everything we had in our fly boxes.  We started throwing everything at the fish that might have worked at the old haunts.

Our go-to fly quickly became the John Deere mini jig.  This fly was nothing more than a small green jig with a green head, green chenille body, green marabou tail, and yellow eye.  We both started getting some bites, and the fish definitely kept our interest.  We landed some fish that were bigger than the ones we were used to at trout parks.  Most importantly, these fish were ticked off from the moment they got hooked.  I didn’t know what a “wild” trout felt like, but the prolific runs and aerial acrobatics sure made these bulldogs feel wild.

As happy as we were, we both felt like something was missing.  Don’t get me wrong, we were happy to be catching fish.  But like any fisherman worth his salt, we thought things could be better.  It was beyond me how a few fish would strike at this baitfish imitation, but so many wouldn’t.  My lure was probably drifting by hundreds of fish, but only one or two might actually commit to striking it.  I loved catching some fish, but hated knowing that I could do better than what I currently was.  (John Deere has landed rainbow trout, brown trout, bass, crappie, red ear sunfish, green sunfish, bluegill, bass, catfish, and carp since this trip).  At this time though, Johnny was put on the back burner, and this was one of the best fishing decisions I have ever made!

Lake Taneycomo- Chapter 2

This was a spot that Busch had told me so much about, but I had never seen.  The trophy area was located just downstream from Table Rock Dam.  The water was shallow enough to wade across in most spots, but included some deeper holes that held larger numbers of fish. There were also some flats that sustained fish as well, but they were hard to see and I had no idea how to fish for them.  In a few places, the water bottle necked, got shallow and picked up speed.  Below the riffles, were more holes that fish congregated around as different nutrients naturally filtered through the rocks.  A unique feature of this area was there were drainage pipes that fed into the lake at three different points.

Near the trophy area was a parking lot that fly fishermen used as a staging area.  The parking lot also lead to the Sheppard of the Hills Trout Hatchery.  The water from the lake was used to nourish these hatchlings, and then returned to the lake.  This water carried specks of food and became highly oxygenated as it poured out of the pipes.  Fish flocked to these outlets for both reasons, and fishermen huddled around it at all hours of the day.  This seemed a little like cheating and didn’t offer the appropriate challenge we were looking for.

To be honest, we didn’t know where to start.  Everything looked foreign for so many reasons.  First of all, people were so spread out.  We were used to ducking under back casts from amateurs and having people horde in on our spots at Bennett Spring State Park.  This place was wide open.  Holes with stockpiles of fish begged us to drift them.  The water was at a level that made wading possible and no water was passing through the dam.  Areas below riffles seemed to have endless potential.  On top of all this, the entire area was known as the “Trophy Area” for Pete’s sake.

The Trophy Area earned its name for good reason.  Many large rainbows and browns have been caught in this area over the years.  Guides can make a living here and many fishermen from across the Midwest know exactly where you are talking about when the name comes up in a conversation, even if the name of the lake is left out.  The notoriety and overall success of the area is due in large part to the Missouri Department of Conservation.  Due to the stocking program, lake management, and slot limit restrictions in this area, the department should receive praise and recognition for its efforts.  In this area, the slot is 12-20 inches.  This makes catching fish in the 18-19 inch range possible and common on some occasions.  All of these factors fueled our excitement and anticipation.

As we entered the water, I think we both wanted early success but were cautiously optimistic.  We knew it wouldn’t be easy, but would feel more comfortable with a fish or two on the board.  As many anglers know, a new body of water offers new challenges and can be intimidating.  At times, a body of water that has never been fished by an angler can resemble a puzzle that has no picture as a guide.  Anglers must be on high alert at all times and constantly be on the lookout for clues in order to create a better mental image of the overall makeup and secrets to the lake.  We knew that we were in for a challenge and knew that we would have to soak up any and all advice offered by fly shops and fellow anglers to boost our collective knowledge base and confidence levels.  A little early success on the first day of a new lake would go a long way and really boost our confidence.  It wouldn’t take much for pessimism and doubt to creep in if struggles ensued. 

We both began fishing the hole that outlet number two fed into.  It had spots that were 5-7 feed deep.  There were spots that you could get a long drift past a large number of fish.  The fish stacked up here by the hundreds.  All this potential was just that until we started putting up some numbers.

Lake Taneycomo- Chapter 1

This story took place about 12 years ago on Lake Taneycomo with one of my best friends.  I documented the story to share with my oldest son thinking that he might find something in it that would make him laugh or inspire him to have his own adventure.  I will be posting this story in parts because it is a pretty long read.  I've never done anything like this before and would love some feedback on whether I should do this again in the future or make this a one-time event.  Regardless, I hope you find it entertaining and/or interesting but also reminiscent of trips you have had in the past.

Let me preface this story with saying, this was the most prolific fishing trip I had ever been on and might ever have the chance to be a part of, but it was not without its obstacles.  It took place with one of my best friends, “Busch” as most people referred to him.  He was and is a pretty good size guy measuring at 6’4” and around 220 pounds.  He was an excellent high school football player and resembles the Elwood character from the Blues Brothers movies.  He is the type of friend that would back you up in a fight or tell you how much of a dingus you were depending on the situation.  His competitive juices are only matched by his sense of humor.  It is always an interesting dichotomy when Busch and I are competing in something.  There is always the sense of competition in the air, but somehow it gets softened by the laughter that takes place as well. 

Busch and I had met our freshmen year at the University of Central Missouri.  We ended up graduating from college on the same day, and even got engaged to our current wives in the same two week period.  We are more alike than I thought two people could be who are not related.  We renewed the same passion for the outdoors after college that we had missed while involved in college and fraternity life.  More specifically, we have always loved to trout fish together in southern Missouri, and this particular trip took place on Lake Taneycomo.

The thing about Taneycomo is that it is situated between Table Rock Dam and Power Site Dam.  It acts more like a river than a lake due to the fact that both dams control the current and water levels.  Catching fish is rarely an issue, but the problem lies mainly within Table Rock Dam.  When water is being used to generate electricity, water levels rise and current pick up.  At this point, a boat is a must, and we didn’t have one.  When water is not passing through the dam, some of the upper parts of the lake are accessible to wading fly fishermen.  Simply put, it has no schedule for running water through it though.  When the water was running, it makes wading and fly fishing extremely difficult if not impossible.  On this week though, not only did the fish cooperate, but so did our luck with the water generation.

We were about 25 years old and had our feet under us in terms of fly fishing experience.  We believed we would need to draw on this knowledge in order to tackle a new challenge that laid before us.  We had plenty of experience fishing Missouri trout parks but we felt like we had outgrown these spots.  We craved bigger fish and bigger challenges.  It was early summer when we arrived in Branson, Missouri, and had four days of fishing on the horizon.  Our first stop was Lilley’s Landing to pick up some flies that might entice some rainbows and maybe even some browns if we were lucky.  Recommendations included scuds with ice dubbing, zebra midges, and g-bugs.  Zebra midges imitated insects that were traveling up the water column in order to fly off the top of the water.  Scuds are freshwater shrimp that live between the rocks at the bottom of the water column.  G-bugs didn’t look exactly like anything, but looked a little like everything.  With optimism abounding and electricity in the air, we made our way to the trophy area.

Father's Day Fishing Report

I just posted an update to the "Fishing Reports" which can be found on the right side of this site.  It was a nice time for solitude, inner reflection, and handing out free lip piercings to a few lucky farm pond residents.  There's also a funny story of me getting threatened at 4:30 in the morning at a gas station.

A bass after being successfully released.  I didn't want anyone to think that this guy just came cruising by.

Building a Tacklebox

When it comes to fishing, I appreciate simplicity and preparedness.  I like to have all of my flies in one place and ready to go when I get a chance to hit the water for an hour or for a weekend.  I like to grab my Rubbermaid container (which houses all of my fly boxes), throw it in the back of my truck, and head towards the water.  In my Rubbermaid, I have my larger boxes for bigger flies, a raincoat, a pack for boxes, strike indicators, tippet, and a small red tackle box that houses my boxes of smaller flies.  I have carp, gar, trout, bass, bluegill, and even some saltwater flies.  I don't know why I would need the saltwater flies, but I own some and they stay in the same place as all the others so I don't ever lose them and so they are there when I need them.  I would rather have a fly and not need it, than need a fly and not have it.

I am also a little sentimental when it comes to fishing as well.  For instance, the red tacklebox that I mentioned before belonged to a grandpa who meant a great deal to me.  With that in mind, I have set out to apply some sentimentality to a little project while hopefully improving my preparedness as well.  

My father-in-law recently gave me a couple of tackle boxes that belonged to him.  I immediately knew hat I did not want to have them collect dust in a corner of my garage, but didn't know what to do with them at first either.  I like tackle boxes because they remind me of my youth and there is just something about the feel of simplicity when it is in your hands.  Most tackle boxes have limited space available so you had better put lures/flies in them that can work in a variety of situations and ones you have a lot of faith in.

Then one day, it dawned on me; I could take one of the boxes (a simple, plastic Plano box) and turn it into the ultimate grab and go fly box when I have a chance to fish for bass and bluegill at some local lakes/ponds.  I decided to put all of my go-to and favorite flies in the box so I can simply grab it on my way out the door and be in good shape.  I also decided that most tackle boxes are not used to organize flies so it would be a unique project in that sense.  This was only reinforced when I googled "Bass Fly Fishing Tackle Box" and essentially got no results.  This only increased my drive and resolve.

So then I had to decide, what does my box NEED.  Like I mentioned before, it should only have the essentials and be void of "fluff".  This was a more difficult task to undertake than I thought and I actually took about 3 days to mull over the necessities and comprised the following list.  Here was what I cam up with and pictured below is how things actually turned out.

Must Haves:
Strike Indicators
Tippet (I don't use tapered leader)
John Deere mini jigs
Braves
Mice
Wooly Buggers
Conehead Madonnas
Goblins
Poppers
Gurglers
Stringer
Nailclippers
Hemostats

So there it is, there is my Bass/Bluegill tacklevbox for my local ponds and lakes.  I would love to hear your suggestions in terms of things that I have possibly overlooked or omitted.  I am also kicking around a few ideas for a giveaway to celebrate the one year anniversary of this blog and would like to know if something like this would be a good idea to give away.  Feel free to comment below and I hope to hear from you.

Too Serious or Not Serious Enough?

After watching fly fishing videos, reading other blogs, and reading fishing reports from places I might not even see in my lifetime I can't help but wonder, do I/we sometimes take fly fishing too seriously?  That's a tough and potentially touchy subject to ponder.  In the effort of fairness and with respect to due diligence, this subject requires necessary investigation on both sides of the argument.

DISCLAIMER: This post is littered with sarcasm, satire, and humor, so please understand that prior to reading.  I know these things can be difficult to identify when in the written word.  After I read this to my wife, her response was "Wow.  That's going to tick some people off."  That is not my intent.  It is simply to make light of both sides of the topic.

Too Serious

Have you ever noticed the serious tone of fly fishing websites, videos and articles?  We act like catching fish on a fly is the end-all, be-all of life itself.  Just listen to the high-energy techno beats or the intense symphonic melodies that many videos seem to contain during dramatic moments.  For Pete's sake, I attended the International Fly Fishing Film Festival a while back.  How many sports have film festivals?  Also, if we are on the subject of debating seriousness, let's just go ahead and compare our sport to the most popular sport in America right now.  Have you ever attended a football film festival?  No, seriously, have you?  Let me know if you have because if you actually have, this argument is pretty much shot.

Much like the NFL, we have celebrities too.  Football has Walter Payton, Tom Brady, and Mean Joe Green.  We have Lefty Kreh, Jack Dennis, and April Vokey.  And if you want to quantify this with numbers, well then fly fishing has been around a lot longer than football.

April Vokey

And when was the last time you heard a fly fishing joke?  I can't think of a single one off the top of my head.  When was the last time you watched a video that included a person laughing or smiling without a fish in his/her hand?  We plan our trips with precision and around lunar tables while tying our own flies and researching what types of insects hatch in certain regions of the country in an effort to pinpoint what fish will be eating when you arrive on the stream.  Heck, some people even learn the Latin names of said insects.  Do you know how to say Kansas City Chiefs in Latin?  We respect and research our opponents like they are divisional rivals that we have to defeat in order to feel successful.  We treat fish as if they are super-intelligent beings with mental capacities greater than ours and capable of supernatural feats.

Full Moon

And don't get me started on brand loyalty in our sport.  Have you ever told a guy that Orvis fly rods suck and are overpriced only to find out that the guy owns three of them and now wants to file a lawsuit against you for libel or slander?  Just look at pictures online.  We act like walking billboards for companies like Loon, Patagonia, and Redington.  I'm not saying we are monsters, but we would only do this if we felt passionate enough to spend ridiculous amounts of hard earned money to show our affiliation towards a brand that we have next-to-no personal connection with.

Not Serious Enough

Life is tough.  Maybe it is just the mindset of my generation thinking that we are working harder than most over generations that came before us, but it sure seems like society is in constant motion and allows little time for rest or relaxation.  Cable television, social media, and job requirements seem to make us feel behind if we miss something while we sleep.  With a world as high-strung and business-like as the one we currently live it, wouldn't it stand to reason that time for leisure and hobbies is even more important?  If we allow our jobs, careers, and possessions to own so much of our time, then do we really own anything at all?  Maybe our lives own us instead of the other way around.  Wow.  That hurt thinking and writing that.  It probably hurt more reading it so I apologize for that.

Now don't take what I am stating as all doom and gloom.  We have made more advancements in medicine and technology in the last 50 years than maybe the previous 150 years.  We are learning more and understanding some of the mysteries of the cosmos on a level that is beyond my comprehension.  But with that in mind, shouldn't there be more time for inward reflection and time for personal devotions and meditation?  Maybe rather than focusing on progress and moving forward, fly fishing is the only thing in our lives that offers an opportunity to return us to our primal needs and feelings.  Water, sunshine, wildlife, fire...these are things that return us to a not-so-distant past where needs were more basic and life might have been tougher but was also simpler.  It returns us to our roots and how can we know where to head if we don't know where we have been?

Maybe, just maybe, we need to put more stock into our happiness and what makes us happy in this current society as well as what is real rather than virtual.  Rocks, life cycles, and weather are things that remind us that we are NOT in control of everything and that is alright.  Maybe the world needs fewer X-Boxes and more tackle boxes.  (I can't claim that as my own quote so if you are reading this and you came up with that phrase well then all credit to you my friend).  And finally, maybe it is time for us to remember that this country was founded on the purpose of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness and that we need to pursue happiness a little bit more.  And by golly, if making fly fishing videos set to dramatic music, and writing blog posts, and learning Latin makes you happy, then gosh darn it you should do all those things and then some.  The last time I checked, our forefathers signed a little document that gave you certain rights that could not be taken away by anyone.  Those rights protect your pursuit of happiness and for anyone to infringe on those rights would be both illegal and and indictment upon our entire governmental system.  Therefore, such an indictment could be considered treason (not really) and would be to badmouth the United States of America and I, for one, and not going to tolerate such communist behavior.  Good day sir!  I said good day!

Conclusion

Ultimately, like with most things in nature and science, the answer probably lies somewhere in between.  The yin needs a yang.  Black needs white.  Thunder needs lightning.  Global warming needs climate change.  Fly fishing to some of us is sometimes the sweet release from reality and something we can pour our heart and soul into because we have passion and love to spare.  On the other hand, there are folks that fly fish once or twice a year and enjoy the experience for what it is; a simple ingredient that adds to the overall flavor of life.  Should I/we take fly fishing more or less seriously?  Well cowboy, that's up to you but one thing that I always try to keep in perspective is this: you can buy fish at the grocery store so we aren't exactly solving world hunger problems here.  Fishing is supposed to be fun, so you do what is necessary to make it fun to you and who cares about the details!  Heck, you can even start a blog and write posts about the subject should you feel inclined.  I'm just sayin'.

Rats!

If you read this blog frequently, you know that I have an affinity for catching fish (mostly bass) on mouse flies.  In fact, I just tied up some flies of the Minnie Mouse pattern last night.  Anyway, for those of you that are more prone to throw a baitcaster than a fly rod, you too have a chance to catch a large fish on a rodent lure too.  I didn't want you to feel left out.

Fieldandstream.com (specifically Joe Cermele) has posted a couple of different articles this week about fishing rodent lures and they are both interesting and enlightening.  I have provided a link below for your viewing pleasure.  Also, Jordan, if you are reading this...you need to make this happen.  Maybe mouse lures will find a
home in your tackle box next to your frogs.

Overview: Rodent Lures
Link: http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/fishing/2016/06/the-rat-pack-step-up-your-topwater-bass-game-with-rodent-lures?dom=fas&loc=contentwell&lnk=the-rat-pack-step-up-your-topwaterbass-game-with-rodent-lures-

Lure Review: Three Rodent Lures
http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/fishing/2016/06/three-killer-rodent-lures-for-topwater-bass

Gary's Fishing Guide Service on Truman Lake

All of the following pictures are of clients of Gary's Fishing Guide services and were taken this calendar year.  After restoring your chin/jaw to its normal and upright positions, please read on for more information about how you can have a similar picture taken this summer.

There are a number of things that I like about summer, but at the top of the list is going on fishing trips and catching fish.  I love getting out of the house and away from home to recharge my batteries for home and work responsibilities.  It also seems to give me a renewed perspective on life which helps by connecting me with nature and through sheer joy and happiness.  If you feel similar and you are looking to do something new and exciting while on the water, then I strongly suggest that you consider giving my buddy Gary of Gary's Fishing Guide Service a call at 816-520-5358.

I have written about Gary and his guide service in the past and I do so now for a few reasons.  The first reason is that Gary is just a good guy.  He LOVES to fish and thoroughly enjoys watching others catch fish.  I have never heard him swear or talk negatively of anyone or anything and is a great guy to spend the day on the water with while the fish are biting or in between bites.

Equally important is the fact that Gary finds fish and helps you catch them.  I know this seems to be a case of what should be obvious, but I have gone out with guides in the past that didn't know how to switch tactics when fishing got tough and struggled to put fish in the boat.  Gary is able and willing to switch things up if his go-to tactics aren't working and will eventually find a way to hook you up with fish.  Gary targets wipers (white bass/striper hybrids) on Truman Lake but has been known to get into largemouth, walleye, and even catfish while going after wipers.

Next, Gary is a Missouri small business owner.  The older I get, the more I appreciate handing my hard earned money over to local businesses rather than large corporations.  Gary works hard for every penny he earns and will work hard to get you on fish and have you come back again in the future.

Finally, Gary is my friend.  I first met him about three years ago when my buddy Pat booked a trip for us.  I was interested in hooking into some big wipers and having some fun on some water that I don't regularly fish.  Gary took all the guess work out of fishing a new lake and put us on more wipers that day than Pat and I had ever caught in our lives.  In future trips, Pat and I caught even bigger fish, more fish, and even some trophy walleye.  Gary has a scientific and mathematical approach when it comes to using his down-rigger system that troll his hand-tied jigs but always has other tricks up his sleeves like prerigged topwater baits, umbrella rigs, and crankbaits.  Gary has also put clients on wipers on fly rods and just a week ago, he helped a client hook into a fish that was 13 pounds and change.

If you are looking to catch some fish on Truman Lake with a good guy and great fisherman, please call Gary at 816-520-5358.  He can give you his prices, let you know when he is available for a trip, and let you know what to bring and what he provides on the trips.  I have booked a trip for him for later this summer and hope to put a young man on the largest fish he has ever caught and I am pretty confident that will happen.  If I didn't believe whole-heartedly in Gary as a fisherman and a person, I wouldn't be writing this.  And just for the record, I do not make any money from writing this post and I do so because Gary is THE MAN.