Brush Making Machine

A while back I posted about making dubbing brushes and dubbing brush machines.  You can click here to view the post if you didn't get a chance to read it and need to get caught up.  I've been interested in tying with brushes for a while, but not willing to pay the high cost that comes along with them.  At this point, I might be getting ahead of myself so let me explain what a brush is in terms of fly tying.  A dubbing brush is actually a piece of wire that is impregnated with different materials.  I've seen EP fibers, rubber legs, bucktail, and ice dub in brushes.  Below is a picture in case you need a better reference that what I have described.

As you can see, dubbing brushes come in all shapes and colors.  They can be used for tying small nymphs or big, nasty streamers.  I intend to use my brushes for big streamers because I have struggled to tie with synthetic materials in the past and like the ease and consistency of using a brush.  

Also, it is noteworthy (not that you're taking notes, but if you are, good for you and way to be studious), that I really enjoy engineering and woodworking.  I'm not good at either but I like to problem solve and work with my hands.  That too drove to to experiment and ultimately build a dubbing brush maker.  With that being said, guys, anyone can do this...and probably a lot better than me!  And for what it is worth, this was just a prototype build.  It wasn't designed to be anything fancy that didn't take up much time or money.  I didn't want to invest much of either if I didn't like using dubbing brushes.  

The base is made of plywood with a veneer wood that I attached on top.  The ends are 2 X 4's and the surface where the wire and materials are placed is just a 3/4 inch board with a groove cut into it.  I used a table saw to cut the groove.  I also bought some 32 gauge beading wire from Hobby Lobby to use as the wire for my brush.  I stole this idea from a video that Brian Wise made and so far it has worked wonderfully.  I attached one end of the wire to a hook that I attached to the frame.  I attached a second hook to the chuck of a cordless drill rather than twisting the wire by hand or with a crank.

After completing the frame and work surface, I decided to make 3 brushes.  Two of them contained olive craft fur and ice dub for flash.  The other had some olive, orange, and yellow EP fibers.  Here's what I learned from my first three brushes and hopefully it can prove helpful to you.

1. I need to brush the material more while I'm spinning it.  I need to take breaks and comb out the fibers so they don't get gummed up in the process.  

2. The anchor point is great and each time the wire broke, it either broke at the drill or on the fixed hook on the frame.  

3. Sometimes it is better to go with a lot of material while others, less is more and looks better.  I guess it just depends on how big and nasty you want to make your flies.

4. As the wire twists, the brush naturally gets shorter.  I noticed that the entire machine was getting pulled towards the drill but as long as I allowed this to happen, I think I got more twists in the brush and a stronger brush with a thinner diameter as a result.  I think this thinner diameter will be advantageous when I start tying these brushes to hooks.

In closing, this was a really fun project and I can't wait to start tying with my homemade brushes.  I will whip up a few flies and show them to you in the future.  After some experimentation, I'll decide whether this is a technique I want to continue using and whether a better dubbing machine is in order.  Stay tuned because I will be sure to have a follow up post, hopefully next week.

Port's Deer Hair Popping Frog

So apparently this is an unplanned and unsanctioned "deer hair week" on the site.  I just keep running across more resources that I want to pass along and they have a definite theme to them if you haven't noticed.  This is an amazing video and hopefully it gets you in front of a vice soon and creating your own creatures to go after bucketmouths.  I struggle stacking and trimming with deer hair but it's on my list of things to get better at this summer!  I also want to learn karate and how to play the guitar.

Pat Cohen- rusuperfly.com

Yesterday, I posted a link to an article from Field & Stream about tying and fishing deer hair flies.  In the article, Pat Cohen was mentioned and quoted as well as a link to his site.  Out of curiosity, I perused his site and it is a treasure trove of materials, products, flies, and information!  There wasn't a direct link in the aforementioned article so I wanted to include one in a follow up post.  I think it will be worth your time so check it out if you have a chance.  I would REALLY like to purchase one of his flies but I think I would use it for decoration more than anything.  The thought of losing a twenty dollar fly makes me sick to my stomach.

Link: http://rusuperfly.com/

Fishing Deer Hair Flies

This article has some pretty good tips for fishing deer hair flies and might be applicable in the next few weeks.  From what I see in text messages from my buddies and info online (especially the Lee's Summit Area Fishing Facebook page), the bass are starting to wake up!  What better way to get after them than with some big, nasty deer hair flies?  I especially like the part of the article about soaking these flies in water for twenty-four hours prior to use so that they ride just below the surface and appear more lifelike.  I also plan on using the deer hair popper and dropper with a small clouser this spring as well.

Link: https://www.fieldandstream.com/how-to-flyfish-with-deer-hair-flies#page-4

Fly Tying: Mike Schmidt's Junkyard Dog

If Brian Wise publishes it, I'm going to post it, end of story!  This is another great looking fly and I am finally committing to the idea that I am going to buy some laser dub and up my streamer game.  If you need something to keep your hands busy this week or just want a new articulated pattern to tie, have fun with the Junkyard Dog!

New Social Media Group- Lee's Summit Area Fishing

If you live in or around the Lee's Summit, Missouri, area then you might be interested to know that there is a new Facebook page titled "Lee's Summit Area Fishing."  The page is dedicated to sharing information about bodies of water in and around the Lee's Summit area.  It was started by my now good friend Tyler Mahoney of Mahoney Outdoors and The Kansas City Star Outdoors page.  The page is already up to almost 200 members after a couple of weeks of existence and information is starting to roll in quickly.  Folks are posting up to date information that will hopefully help members land more fish and have more fun.  This looks like a great way to connect, share, and help fellow fishermen.  I mean, why not right?  We're all in the same boat aren't we?  Get it?  Same boat?  Am I right?  Can I get an amen from the congregation?

Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2096404020579228/?multi_permalinks=2107925789427051%2C2107908132762150%2C2107896196096677&notif_id=1521589737181285&notif_t=group_activity&ref=notif

More Fishing Reports & Prospects

If you can't get enough preseason fishing info, or you live outside the Kansas City area (see yesterday's post), I wanted to pass along a really useful website.  It is run by the Missouri Department of Conservation and contains some valuable stats and data about lakes, rivers, and streams around the state.  I especially like it because it takes a lot of opinions out of the equation and instead delivers cold, hard facts.  You can conduct a search by selecting a type of water, a region, a species, or a "Best Bet" option.  The "Best Bet" allows you to select a certain species of fish and shows you where populations and sizes of that species are most prolific.  I hope you find this useful in your preseason planning and maybe takes you to a stretch of water that is new and productive.  

Link: https://fishing.mdc.mo.gov/

Kansas City Star Fishing Preview

Recently, I was fortunate enough to meet and talk to Tyler Mahoney.  While this guy's name might not ring a bell, many of you have probably read some of his work at The Kansas City Star in the outdoors section.  He's a great guy and does a really nice job compiling a weekly fishing report for The Star.  On top of providing useful info weekly, he recently released a 2018 fishing preview that can be found at the following link.  It does a really nice job outlining some of the best places to fish around the Kansas City area and tells you where to target specific species.  If you live or fish around the area, it will at least get you thinking about where you want to fish this spring.  At the most, it will grab your attention by the nose hairs and make you want to start organizing your tackle/fly box as well as start planning a few "sick days"!

Link: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/outdoors/article205509864.html

A New State and Potentially World Record Fish

This is such a cool story from a very appreciative and grateful kid.  It's hard to believe that an eleven year old kid from Missouri might be a new world record holder.  It's a short and easy read so check it out if you have the time!

Link: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/11-year-old-angler-catches-state-record-and-possibly-world-record-river-redhorse

Camp North

If you feel the need to see some amazing fish, in an amazing place and have 10 minutes, then do I have a video for you.  Check out this amazing footage of fishing for Arctic Char in Greenland.  The water is fast as well as low and the streamer takes are amazing!

Link: https://vimeo.com/236275483

The North Fork of the White River- The Conclusion

So there we were, at the end of a long day on the river and without many fish to show for our efforts.  We unloaded our gear and Cris and I quickly started working on a gameplan for Monday.  You see, Cris has fished for wild trout before and understands that they can be tough to catch.  They are raised in the wild and educated on a daily basis from their birth.  They're not like hatchery raised fish that enter the stream at 12 inches long and dumb as a box of rocks.  With that being said, Cris was alright with a tough day on the water.  I too have had my tough days on the water chasing wild trout and had a few stocker browns to lessen the blow of tough fishing.  However, we wanted the other guys to land some fish and have some fun. 

We settled on stopping by old reliable on the way home; Bennett Spring.  We figured we would get loaded up and take a little detour by Bennett on the way home to try and land a few fish and put some smiles on some faces.  We didn't ever seem to notice that we would be fishing during the slowest part of the day because even Bennett during a slow time was probably going to be more productive than the North Fork after a cold front in canoes.  I would be remiss to mention the fact that we saw a good sign on the way.  Instead of having a skunk cross our path or spray my truck, we saw three dead skunks on the side of the road while en route.  I took this to mean that our skunking was over and a thing of the past. 

As we pulled in the parking lot and started getting geared up again, a resounding confidence could be felt among the crew.  We had no doubt that we were about to catch some fish and have some fun...and that's exactly what happened.  Most of our fish were caught near the hatchery outlets and downstream from the spillway.  Mark caught at least a dozen below the arched bridge while Cameron caught a VERY nice fish in the same stretch of water. 

The spring break fishing trip ended with smiles on faces, handshakes, and back slaps.  Like so many fishing trips, there were highs and lows, optimism and let down.  It was also like other fishing trips in the sense that we came home completely exhausted with batteries recharged.  I know that sounds contradictory, but it really isn't.  While my body was sore and tired, my mind was refreshed ready to tackle the rigors of day to day life again.  It always helps to restore my soul by spending time around friends, water, and fish. 

The North Fork of the White River- Part 2

Before I get to the actual floating and fishing of the North Fork of the White River, I would be remiss if I didn't give a big shout out to the fine dining establishment that we patronized Saturday night.  The Three Legged Mule is located in charming Caufield, Missouri, was a pleasant surprise.  Our waitress was as nice and attentive as you could ask for not to mention that the pizza was amazing.  If you like cheese, you'll love their pizza because they don't short you!  Also, if you're feeling adventurous and insanely hungry, give the Alaska burger a try.  You'll have plenty to take home for lunch the next day unless you split it with four other guys...and I'm not kidding!

Finally, Sunday morning, the day of our float arrived.  We worked to prepare breakfast, eat breakfast, and get geared up for the day.  To say that fly and rod selection was challenging would be a gross understatement.  Online research, local intel, my own ideas, and traveling light were all factors that had to be considered.  I finally decided on bringing two 6 weight rods four fly boxes.  I had a mix of nymphs, wooly buggers, and articulated streamers.  I rigged up one rod with a wooly and the other with a stone fly and hare's ear tandem rig.  The big stone was to get the fly down in the water column and the hare's ear would trail behind it.  I decided to focus on these tactics rather than throwing everything but the kitchen sink over the course of the day.  I decided if I was going to get skunked, then it was going to be on good old, tried and  true methods.

Now at some point on the way to Sunburst Ranch, Cris and I saw a skunk running from the road and into a pasture.  We joked about this being a good sign or a bad omen.  I said that since we saw a skunk, then we got our skunk out of the way for the trip.  I'm pretty sure we were both thinking that it could have been a sign from the fishing gods that we were going to get skunked on the river.

Amy, one of the nicest ladies I have ever met, got us all geared up for the day and gave us some directions to the take out point.  We ended up putting 4 guys in 2 canoes and me in a kayak.  I volunteered for the kayak since I know my way around a yak and felt a lot more comfortable than in a canoe.  Unbeknownst to me, his would be a huge key to catching fish over the course of the day.  To make a long story short, I caught all of my fish out of the kayak while drifting.  The other guys didn't hook anything while drifting from canoes and only had a few hits while stopping to wade fish.  

I ended up landing 6 stocker browns and losing a couple more.  All of them came on the tandem rig and only one hit the stone fly.  The hare's ear was the big winner here and I I'm not sure if I would have caught anything without it.  All of my fish came on long, slow drifts near the bank in about 4 feet of water.  While I didn't catch any wild rainbows, I was happy with some success on a new river especially catching my favorite species- brown trout.

So the end of the float came and a cold front moved in for about the last mile of floating.  The wind picked up and the temps dropped which made coming off the river a little easier.  The skunk prophecy held true for some and not for others, but as luck would have it, things changed for the better on day three of our trip.  More on this tomorrow.

Oh yeah, we found this thing laying around The Hangar and took turns creeping one another out with it.

To cap things off, Amy and Justin got a new puppy that I got to play with.  It's some sort of squirrel hunting breed I'd never heard of.

The North Fork of the White River- Part 1

My buddy Cris, whom I work with and is an VERY accomplished fisherman, got an idea back last fall that we (myself and some other coworkers) should go on a fishing trip over spring break.  This particular group has traveled and fished together so there was no doubt that we would all get along.  It also helped that we could all handle ourselves on a river.  We fished the Eleven Point River a couple summers ago and Bennett/the Niangua over a spring break recently as well.  We settled on fishing the North Fork of the White River because of its good reputation, claim of wild trout, and offering of other species.  Smallmouth, brown trout, wipers, and stripers all inhabit the river.  The thought of catching ANY of those species intrigued the group and we settled on this particular river. 

While planning where to stay (we decided on 3 days and 2 nights of fishing), Cris found Sunburst Ranch.  It was located on the water, offered float trips, and was able to accommodate a group of our size (5 guys).  Let me just say that Justin and Amy, the owners, are as nice of folks as you could ever meet.  They were extremely nice and available during our entire stay, not to mention enthusiastic.  They did everything they could to ensure that we had a good float and caught fish.  Justin had great advice on fly selection and Amy knows the river like the back of her hand.  If you ever decide to visit the North Fork, you'll be in good hands with these folks!

The drive from Kansas City wasn't bad and we completed the trek in about four-and-a-half hours.  There were plenty of small towns to stop in for forgotten supplies and the scenery in southern Missouri is full of timber and hills.  It's great to view from a car if you don't get carsick.  If you do, you might want to plan ahead because there's more turns on highway H than an M. Night Shyamalan movie. 

We arrived at mid afternoon last Saturday and hit the river as soon as we dropped off our stuff at "The Hangar".  This was where we were crashing for the next couple of nights but we were much more interested in the fishing.  The section of river that we fished was right along the campground of the ranch.  The water was a little fast in most stretches and a little hard to read for some noobs like us.  However, my buddy Steve was able to hook a nice rainbow and our collective confidence elevated as a result.  We called it quits around sundown and decided a good night's rest was what we needed prior to our seven mile float the next day.