One of Those Trips

Have you ever had one of those trips?  You know, the type of trip where the weather is perfect and the fish are biting like crazy?  It's usually one of those trips that other lousy trips get compared to for years to come.  It's the kind of trip that leaves you going home with a smile on your face and wreaking of fish.  Well boys and girls, I had one of those trips last weekend.  I headed up to our family farm in northwest Missouri last Friday night.  I fished Friday night and Saturday morning and it was one of those days that you could do no wrong.  The fish seemed to be everywhere and were biting like crazy.  They were hitting spinnerbaits and streamers like crazy and in some instances they were responding to flies more than lures which only added to the fun.  The wind was less than 10 miles an hour, the temps were warm and the sun was shining.  

Now, what does this mean to you?  Well, in my experiences with spring farm pond fishing, there seems to be a trend that if the bass are biting like crazy and in a prespawn phase, that means that the big bodies of water a running about two weeks behind that schedule.  So, if you fish some of the bigger lakes in norther Missouri, and the bass fishing hasn't turned on yet, then it's probably about to.  Thankfully spring has finally arrived and so has the good fishing!!!

Kansas City Medal of Honor Recipient To Give Keynote Address at Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Event

by Jim Kissane of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing- Greater Kansas City Chapter

Making sure his stars are properly aligned, Donald “Doc” Ballard puts the finishing touches on his entry in this year’s Project Healing Waters annual rod building competition. Ballard will be competing in the 12^th Annual Two-Fly Tournament this month in Virginia.

 Donald “Doc” Ballard will represent the Greater Kansas City Program in the 12^th annual Project Healing Waters Two-Fly Tournament April 28-29 at Rose River Farm in Syria, VA. The tournament features Veteran competitors from across the United States, paired with professional guides (most of whom are also Veterans) for a weekend of fishing and fun.

Doc will have an additional role in the weekend’s activities – he has been selected to be the keynote speaker for the event.

Ballard served as a Hospital Corpsman Second Class in the Marines from 1965-70. His nickname refers to that service, and it was as an HC2c that he served in Vietnam. From 1970-2000, he served in the Kansas Army National Guard, achieving the rank of Colonel, but if you address him as Colonel he may not answer you.

Doc comes across as just an average guy. But as any Veteran or first responder will tell you, sometimes circumstances press ordinary people into extraordinary acts. And so it was with Ballard 50 years ago in the Quang Tri Province of South Vietnam.

Doc had been treating two Marines for heat exhaustion, taking them to the helicopter pad for evacuation and then returning to his platoon, when a North Vietnamese Army unit attacked. During the ensuing firefight, Ballard was treating a wounded Marine when an enemy grenade landed among the two of them and four other Marines. Doc leaped to cover the grenade with his body and, when it failed to detonate, he threw the grenade out of range, where it exploded. Ballard then continued to treat his wounded comrades throughout the battle.

For his valor and his courage under fire, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. He received his medal from President Richard M. Nixon and Gen. William Westmoreland in 1970.

Ballard’s Medal of Honor puts him in rare company. Of 44 million Veterans in our country’s history, 3,517 have received its highest military decoration. Doc is one of 71 recipients still living, and the only one in Missouri.

Doc’s Medal of Honor Citation reads:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life and beyond the call of duty while serving as a HC2c. with Company M, in connection with operations against enemy aggressor forces. During the afternoon hours, Company M was moving to join the remainder of the 3d Battalion in Quang Tri Province. After treating and evacuating 2 heat casualties, HC2c. Ballard was returning to his platoon from the evacuation landing zone when the company was ambushed by a North Vietnamese Army unit employing automatic weapons and mortars, and sustained numerous casualties. Observing a wounded marine, HC2c. Ballard unhesitatingly moved across the fire swept terrain to the injured man and swiftly rendered medical assistance to his comrade. HC2c. Ballard then directed 4 marines to carry the casualty to a position of relative safety. As the 4 men prepared to move the wounded marine, an enemy soldier suddenly left his concealed position and, after hurling a hand grenade which landed near the casualty, commenced firing upon the small group of men. Instantly shouting a warning to the marines, HC2c. Ballard fearlessly threw himself upon the lethal explosive device to protect his comrades from the deadly blast. When the grenade failed to detonate, he calmly arose from his dangerous position and resolutely continued his determined efforts in treating other marine casualties. HC2c. Ballard's heroic actions and selfless concern for the welfare of his companions served to inspire all who observed him and prevented possible injury or death to his fellow marines. His courage, daring initiative, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of extreme personal danger, sustain and enhance the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.”

Fly tying is like golf – you’re always learning. Doc Ballard (right) gets some fly tying tips from David Bagley during a Project Healing Waters fly tying session. Doc will give the keynote address at the PHWFF annual Two-Fly Tournament April 28 in Virginia.

His friends in the Kansas City Program of Project Healing Waters wish Doc Ballard the best of luck in the Two-Fly Tournament. Whether he wins or not, they know one thing – his guide and the rest of the folks in the tournament will have a difficult time getting him off the water. Doc is one dedicated fisherman.

But dedication is what characterizes him. Whether he’s tying a fly or crafting a fly rod or saving Marines at Quang Tri, Doc is dedicated. Even now he is still dedicated to service, from offering free burial spaces at his Swan Lake Memorial Park Cemetery in Grain Valley to any police officer, firefighter, paramedic or any medical or safety officer, as well as free services to youths or the needy at his Chapel of Memories Funeral Home, Ballard is devoted to a cause bigger than himself. “Honor,” after all, is part of the name of the medal he earned.

The PHWFF Two-Fly Tournament is one of PHWFF’s major fund-raising events. For more information, go to http://www.projecthealingwaters.org/tournaments/2-fly-tournament/. There is also an online auction, with items ranging from fishing trips to art work, at https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/item/browse.action?auctionId=322619528.

Carp on the Fly

If you're new to the carp fishing game, this is a pretty good primer on how to go after our rubber-lipped friends.  While catching carp on a fly is A LOT of fun, consider this your warning.  It is challenging, frustrating, addictive, and rewarding.  Besides, who wouldn't want to go after a fish that is referred to as "The Bonefish of the Midwest."

Link: http://www.flylordsmag.com/single-post/2016/09/06/How-To-Catch-Carp-On-The-Fly

A Missouri Poaching Case and Free Fishing Day for Kids- News From the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Someone around Hayti, Missouri, has been killing large numbers of turtles and dumping their carcasses in a pasture.  The Missouri Department of Conservation is looking for leads in this case and offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of guilty parties.  

The following was taken from the link below:

"Information about this incident can be shared anonymously through the Operation Game Thief Hotline at 1-800-392-1111. Agent Shelton may be reached directly at (573)757-8357. Information leading to an arrest may lead to an award of up to $1,000. For more information about Operation Game Thief and The Wildlife Code of Missouri, go online to mdc.mo.gov."

Link: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-needs-your-help-solve-illegal-poaching-case-southeast-missouri

On a lighter note, The Missouri Department of Conservation and the James Foundation are sponsoring a Kids' Fishing Day at Meramec Spring on Saturday May 19.  Free food, drawings, and contests will be available.  If you live in the St. Louis or St. James area and have kids, then this could be a great opportunity to make some fishy memories.

Link: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-hosts-kids%E2%80%99-fishing-day-may-19-maramec-spring-park

Slonch Donkey

Wow!  This is such a cool fly!  It's big, it's articulated, and it's actually pretty simple...until you get to the head.  Coming from someone that admittedly stinks at tying with deer hair, I greatly appreciate this guy's skill with hair and a razor.  While the name "Slonch Donkey" grabbed my attention and pulled me in, the actual pattern KEPT my attention.  Great fly!  Feel free to visit the YouTube Channel link shown below for more.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZFL-keR7Wor3bpxGJ3hwcw

Funny Yellowstone Film

It's nice to see folks that don't take themselves too seriously and lose a picture of a fish because it flopped out of their hands!  This video fits that criteria...and it includes a guy getting attacked by a coyote which is pretty funny.  It also has a jackalope shed antler as well.  I love the fly fishing films/videos that show the fun of fly fishing with a few bloopers along the way.  Fly fishing films don't have to have intense music, slow motion shots, drone footage, or a conservation message.  Don't get me wrong, those are cool too but it's nice to have a change of pace.  Sometimes these videos should just be about having fun.  That's the point of fly fishing right?

Link: https://vimeo.com/243765203

Ozarks Smallmouth Alliance

It's been quite a while since I posted about the Ozarks Smallmouth Alliance.  I figured this was a great time to remind you to check them out on social media as well as help promote their upcoming Tournament of Bronze fishing tournament on May 12.  This is an organization that works to protect and conserve the smallmouth bass in Missouri.  It takes a long time to grow a big smallmouth in Missouri and these guys are doing their best to help that happen and support the overall population.

Tournament of Bronze Fishing Tournament Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/884599965050645/

Facebook Page Link: https://www.facebook.com/Ozarkssmallmouth/

YouTube Channel Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Ka90Mf1Lo0DCV8QrKQz8w?view_as=subscriber

Streamer Chronicles: Russ Maddin

Brian Wise of Fly Fishing the Ozarks is back with another installment of Streamer Chronicles.  This time Russ Maddin is interviewed and he has an interesting perspective on streamer fishing.  Also, Russ, if you're reading this, I also stink at working with deer hair!

Tip Of The Spear

Thsi is just a cool story about a cool guy in a cool place.  Landing a tarpon on a fly is definitely a dream of mine and I sure wouldn't mind hitting the water with this guy!  Shoot, after the teaser in the video, I just want to see the boat at this point...but don't talk about his boat!

Wipers on Blue Springs Lake

My buddy Austin got into some wipers on a fly last Friday night and I had to pass along the info.  He was fishing off of Blue Springs Lake dam and landed the beautiful 5 pound wiper/hybrid striped bass that you see below.  In all, he caught 6 wipers and 1 white bass.  Aside from the 5 pounder, the rest were in the 2-3 pound range.  He landed them on clousers, sliders, and other baitfish imitations while casting into the southerly wind.  April seems to be the month for catching these guys on a fly from the bank.  The formula seems to be recent rain, wind from the south, and the month of April.  I fished for a little while last night without any luck but I bet they'll be back after the next rainfall!  Feel free to follow Austin on Instagram @flyfishkc or check out his blog at https://www.fly-fish-kc.com/

Here's a link to his blog post if you want more info and photographs:

https://www.fly-fish-kc.com/posts/2018/4/14/wiper-on-friday-the-13th

Bennett Spring Fishing Report

Last Saturday I was fortunate enough to head down to Bennett Spring State Park for a quick trip to do a little trout fishing.  With this spring's weather and temperatures being so unseasonably dreadful, I figured some cold water fishing would make a nice substitute for the bass and wiper fishing that SHOULD be going off this time of year.  While it was a little warmer in southern Missouri than the northern parts, it was still cold and windy!  The wind seemed to cut through any layer of clothing that you put on and there were routine trips to the truck to warm up.  The fish were a little hard to locate due to the murky water from Friday night's storm but if you hooked into one, then chances are you were going to get more bites in that location.  On two different occasions I pulled about 10 fish out of two spots.  The other bites I required a lot of grinding and pounding the water.  The fish that WERE hooked and landed were nice sized and pretty so I cannot complain about a single thing!

A Few Reminders

Over the last few weeks, there has been a really positive response to this blog and views have been increasing (welcome, and thank you by the way).  Also, some of you have either just started to hit the water and others are ready to wet a line.  Regardless of whether you are new to the site or just getting back into fishing mode, I wanted to remind you of a few things that might help you in your pursuits and/or have some fun along the way.

Instagram
If you're on Instagram and want to follow us, our username is @showmeflyguys.  This just gives us another chance to connect, share, and communicate.  I'll start posting more as the weather warms up and the fish start biting!  Likes and follows are always appreciated.

Facebook
If you're on Facebook, feel free to like our page.  You can search @showmeflyguy or just click on the link below.  Likes and follows are appreciated as much as they are on Instagram!
Link: https://www.facebook.com/showmeflyguy/

YouTube
The YouTube channel has been picking up steam and is now over 100 subscribers.  Again, it's been awhile since I posted a video but with better fishing days ahead of us, I will be publishing some more soon.  Feel free to subscribe, like, and comment!
Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIE8TFKdv5ivGRG8IwS6IDA

Discount- Woodard Rod Company
If you find yourself in need of a new fly rod (and lets be honest, we all find ourselves there at some point), I would highly encourage you to give Woodard Rod Co. a try.  I own a Pinnacle 4 weight and absolutely love it and I'm not just saying that.  It has become my favorite 4 weight rod and I hardly use anything else when fly fishing for trout.  The company is now carrying 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 weights and has grown A LOT in the last year.  It is an Arkansas based company and a great way to keep your money here in the Midwest.  Also, feel free to use promo code TDWRC at check out for $15 dollars off your purchase.
Link:  http://www.woodardrodco.com

Discount- Foundry
Foundry is a Tennessee based company that specializes in fly fishing apparel.  They have some really cool shirts and hats as well as stickers, patches, and prints.  I own a few of their shirts and can attest that not only do look good, but they feel even better!  You can also use promo code FOUNDRYTD15 for a 15% discount as well!
Link: https://foundryfishing.com

Big Fish
Feel free to email me any big or unique catches for me to include on the "Show Me Fish" page.  I haven't added anything in a long time and I'm anxious to feature some of the catches from viewers like you!
Email: showmeflyguy@gmail.com
Link to Show Me Fish page: https://showmeflyguy.blogspot.com/p/show-me-fish.html

Fishing For Tarpon on a Paddleboard

Fly fishing plus paddle board plus tarpon equals fun.  Good gracious does this look like a good time!

Link: https://journal.amberjack.com/2018/03/tarpon-eats-in-the-yucatan/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=tarpon%20eats%20in%20the%20yucatan&mc_cid=dcb529c5f1&mc_eid=d7e3b1bb31

How to Make a Fishing Film

Oh come on and admit it!  You know you've kicked around the idea of making your own fly fishing film.  Well here's a "guide" to get you started!

A Children's Book About Fly Fishing

Have you ever noticed that there aren't that many fly fishing books for kids?  I have searched high and low for a book to share with my boys that might introduce them to fly fishing.  Finally, it looks like we/I might have found such a thing.  This looks like a great way to put fly fishing on a kid's level and start the process of building the next generation of fly fishers.  If you have kids or grand kids, it might be worth looking into.

Book Review Link: https://journal.amberjack.com/2018/03/a-childrens-book-of-fly-fishing/?mc_cid=0043694850&mc_eid=d7e3b1bb31

Direct Link to Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/141972293X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=141972293X&linkCode=as2&tag=alexford13-20&linkId=c7f4b0d8faadd3ba6ef6829c1eeffe46

To Warmer Weather and Angry Fish!

With this crazy, horrible, below average temperature spring that we have having here in Missouri, I feel like a couple of Amazon fishing trailers are just what we need.  Warm temperatures and aggressive fish are what I will be daydreaming about today so why not check out some angry peacock bass and arapaima.  Sure, largemouth are what I want to be chasing this time of year, but like I once heard on the show Justified, "If you're gonna be a bear, you might as well be a grizzly."

Bucket Mouth League

Paul Beel over at Frankenfly is doing a pretty cool thing that I want to throw my support towards.  While he is an amazing ambassador for fly tying, he also want to support fly fishing for species other than trout and specifically largemouth bass.  He has started an social media in which anglers can post pictures of bass they have caught on a fly.  It's Called the Bucket Mouth League and all you have to do is tag your pictures on Instagram with #BucketMouthLeague.  If you do, you can view other bass caught on a fly and maybe have your pictures featured on Frankenfly.com.

Link: http://www.frankenfly.com/bucket-mouth-league-get-ready-for-another-season/

SF Minnow

My buddy Luke over at The Midwest Drift has published another fly tying video, and it's a pretty good one!  I like how Luke makes his video uptempo and doesn't get bogged down in details.  This is a pretty good baitfish pattern that looks like it will get down in a water column pretty quickly to get in front of suspended fish.  Enjoy and hopefully you put a few of these in your streamer box.

Dad's Trout Stamps

Some time ago, my dad gave me all of his old fishing licenses and trout stamps.  Now for you whippernsnappers that don't know, back in the day you had to purchase an actual trout stamp to legally trout fish.  I never had an actual stamp of my own, but somehow I still refer to my trout fishing permit as my trout stamp.  Weird, I know.  Even though I wasn't around for actual stamps, I can certainly appreciate their beauty and craftsmanship.  I've heard stories about guys that would get excited to see what the new stamp looked like for the year and the debates that would follow upon passing judgement.  I wish things were still like this.  It seems like we have sacrificed fun traditions and artistry for the sake of technology and simplicity in some cases, with this being a prime example.  Anyhow, I decided to put these old stamps on display and give them back to my dad for his birthday recently.  I thought some of you might dig seeing some examples of our fishing traditions of the past and some might see some stamps that look familiar from back in the day!

Mahoney Outdoors

Recently, there have been a few posts that reference my buddy Tyler Mahoney.  One post was about the Lee's Summit Area Fishing Facebook page and the Kansas City Area Fishing Preview.  Aside from writing for the star and being active on social media, Tyler also manages a website called Mahoney Outdoors.  If you haven't ever visited this page and you consider yourself an outdoorsman, then I can almost guarantee you are going to find something interesting, educational, or entertaining on this site!  There's information about deer and turkey hunting, fishing information, fishing reports, videos and podcasts.  Like I said, if you spend much time on this site, you're going to find something that catches your attention.

Link: https://mahoneyoutdoors.com/

In addition to having good content, Tyler has had a couple of guest posts on his site as well.  One is from Payden Hays and it is a story about a man's experience with getting into fly tying.  It's a relatable story about the excitement that comes along with landing fish on a fly that you crafted.  The other is a post from yours truly.  It is about how I got started in fly fishing, the joy it has brought me, and encourages other to give our beloved sport a try.  If you have some spare time and want to read something that you will probably be able to relate to, I'm sure these posts would bring back memories of your own or push you to pursue future memorable experiences!

Payden Hays Post Link: https://mahoneyoutdoors.com/mahoney-outdoors-magazine/tie-your-own-flies-at-james-a-reed/
My Post Link: https://mahoneyoutdoors.com/fishing/guest-post-the-show-me-fly-guy/

Farm Pond Bass Are (Were) Waking Up

Last weekend I got a chance to hit some farm ponds in northwest Missouri.  The smaller ponds were fishing better than the bigger ones.  In one small pond, most of the fish were out in the open.  I can only assume this was because there wasn't any cover (grass, moss, etc.) growing in the shallows near the bank yet.  On another pond, there was more moss for the bass to hide in and they were ambushing prey.  Regardless, it was a beautiful day with some pretty, hard fighting fish.  It was nice to feel a bass crush a spinner bait in shallow water, and to feel the tug of a fish that I haven't seen in quite a while.  I'm sure this recent round of weather in northwest Missouri messed the fishing up for a few days, but I'm sure they'll be biting again soon once things even out a little.

Found a baby bluegill in a bass' mouth that I caught.  One of the strangest things I have ever seen while bass fishing!

Farm pond bass fishing is back baby!