A New Fly Being Offered at the Online Fly Shop

This fly had been sitting on my tying desk for about a month.  It is very mop-fly-like and is actually tied from materials that someone was about to throw away...a bath mat.  I wanted to list it at the online fly shop but I couldn't in good conscience because it was not a proven fly.  After taking it to Bennett Spring State Park last week, it is a proven fly.  Surprisingly, I landed a fish on this fly on its maiden cast and then ended up catching about 10 more trout on it as well.  It has an amazing wiggle on the drop and a little action on the drift.  It gets down quick, casts easily, and has a little flash for bright days as well as dark shades for darker days.  It worked in the late morning when things seem to slow down awhile on top of that.  For those reasons, I feel comfortable selling it now.  It is now listed at the online fly shop and I hope it works for you as well as it did for me. 

Link to Online Fly Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheShowMeFlyGuy

Link to the Bath Mat Fly: https://www.etsy.com/listing/703021446/3-mop-flies-bath-mat-flies-3-of-them-mop

Tobacco Hills Lake with my Buddy Tommy

If you live in the Kansas City, especially in the Northland, and you haven't fished Tobacco Hills Lake at Guy B. Park Conservation area, then you are missing out on a little slice of heaven.  It is located just north of Platte City and is FULL of nice sized bluegill and small bass.  It is perfect for kayaks and boats with electric trolling motors.  It is really tough to fish from the bank but it does have a dock to fish off, however I've only seen people snag snapping turtles off that thing.  I took my buddy Tommy there the other day and we caught A LOT!  I hadn't fished with Tommy in years but he caught on pretty quick.  We have been friends since the eighth grade and it was nice to spend some time on the water with an old friend!

About the Area: https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/park-guy-b-ca

Did You Hear the One About the Cursed Wedding Ring?

So a steelhead was caught on Lake Michigan last Friday...and it had a wedding ring (a man's) zip-tied to it's tail.  The crazy part of the story is that...you know what, just read the story for yourself!  Spoiler alert, it gets weird.

Link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/more-sports/mystery-of-fish-caught-with-wedding-ring-attached-solved/ar-AADlPjN?li=BBnb7Kz

Last Week's Bennett Spring Trip

Last week I was able to get down to Bennett Spring State Park last week from Monday to Wednesday.  The fishing was amazing (as it usually is) and got some amazing time on the water!  The fish weren't in much of a dry fly mood but sure were happy to take nymphs and mini jigs under strike indicators.  They were really biting in the mornings and evenings when there wasn't bright, direct sun on the water.  When that happened, you either had to go deeper (which didn't work for me) or drift near the bank in slow, clear water.  When employing this technique, you had to sight fish because takes were subtle.  You had to be ready to pull the trigger fast but if you could find large numbers of fish, one of them was going to slip up.

PROJECT- Stripping Basket & Floating Livewell! CHEAP & EASY!!!

Would you like to take a laundry basket and turn it in to a gear tote, a stripping basket, and livewell.  Well just click and watch to see how!

To subscribe to my channel, please click on the link: https://www.youtube.com/theshowmeflyguy

Apache Trout Sticker Fundraising Campaign

This is so cool!  Who doesn't want a cool sticker from a creative young man?  At the same time, you can help a kid get entrenched in this sport that we all love!

Link: http://thefiberglassmanifesto.blogspot.com/2019/06/support-this-kid-crews-apache-trout.html

Missouri State Record Fish Stories- Record Brown Trout

You know the story by now but by golly there is something about this guy's voice telling the story that just seems to make it a little bit cooler.  Good job Missouri Department of Conservation on your fish stories!

Link to Docugroup1's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnuo6rAjHCSKYb2EkmFOBkA

Brian Wise

This is a little late notice but if you live in the Mountain Home, Arkansas, area and want to join Brian Wise to tie some flies and drink some beer, just click on the link below.

Link: https://ozarkflyfisherjournal.wordpress.com/2019/06/11/bugs-n-brews-brian-wise-june-19/

Ozarks on the Fly | VOL4 |

This video checks all the boxes.  Missouri...check.  Interesting people...check.  Unique strategies...check.  One big, beautiful fish...double check!  A great story...double check!

Link to Bluff Line Media YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUTPoXFO3uClx0NCQ_ylNUA

One Heck of an HOA Pond!

So I have this buddy.  For the sake of anonymity, I'm going to call him Goose.  I haven't known Goose for very long but I like him.  He's the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off his back without batting an eye.  He's also a great dad and husband with beautiful wife and fine son.  Finally, Goose is about as laid back as you can imagine.  So when I asked if I could fish the HOA (homeowners association) pond in his neighborhood, he didn't care one iota.  

So the other day I had a little time on my hands and the weather was nice.  I decided to hit up this pond with the notion that HOA ponds are...well, their all unique.  Some have naturally occurring hybrid bluegill, some have monster crappie, and some are just duds.  With optimism, I started making some casts on this new body of water.  I started throwing a John Deere about 2 feet under an indicator.  I use this a lot as a search bait because almost anything will eat a small, slow baitfish.  What happened next is almost hard to believe.  

I started catching some small bass and then things went sideways.  I started pulling half pound hybrid bluegill in.  It wasn't every cast and it wasn't particularly easy, but it was consistent.  After that, I ran into a guy that said he had caught some nice bass the night before.  He also said he caught some hybrid bluegill and white bass.  Now that got my attention.  White bass?  In an HOA pond?  Honestly, I thought the guy was confused.  He looked like a legit fisherman but I'm from the Show Me State and I needed visual verification on this.  Besides, it looked like so many other HOA ponds and I had never even heard of white bass in ponds like this.  About an hour later, I caught one!  I was in shock, dismayed, and a little humbled as well.  After that little surprise, I came back the next morning armed with a flashy little wooly bugger.  I caught more small bass, a few hybrids, and then an eleven inch crappie!  I hadn't caught a single crappie until this slab crushed a wooly!

So what's my point?  My point is that there is good fishing all around us.  HOA ponds have tons of potential.  Farm ponds can surprise you!  Heck, even that little creek that runs by your house might hold something that would quicken your pulse if you would just fish it.  Get out there and wet a line because you never know what you are going to run into!

Kayak Demos and Tournament

 Kayaking, and fishing from kayaks, are sports that are gaining in popularity across the country.  With kayaks being affordable, versatile, and able to be transported in a variety of ways.  If you are interested in learning more about kayaks and specifically fishing out of kayaks, then you should attend Jackson Kayak Demo Days at Lake Jacomo on Saturday, June 15.  The event starts at noon and runs until 4:00.  There will be demonstrations, test drives, and staff will be on hand to answer questions. 

For those of you that are already versed in kayaking, there will also be kayak fishing tournament from 2:00 to dusk.  There is a $50 entry fee, registration starts at 1:00, and a captain's meeting at 1:30.  There is a payout for the top 3, prizes for the top 5, and an under 18 division as well.  Check out the links below for more information.

Link: https://lsareafishing.com/events/

Link: https://www.mokankayakfishing.com/2019lakejacomoevent

Finally, a Big Bass in 2019

Meet Jim.  He's been my buddy since we met in 8th grade.  Through thick and thin, we have always remained friends and to this day we enjoy every second that we get to spend together.  We tell old jokes, come up with newer and even dumber ones, and our faces are sore the next day from smiling so much.

Recently, Jim has had some challenging experiences in his life.  This has prompted us to spend a little more time on the water than what is normal for us.  Truth be told, the outdoors, the peace and quiet, and the sense of adventure that comes along with fishing has done him some good and given him some perspective on life.  It is also important to note that Jim is not as passionate and experienced in fishing as me.  That's not a humble brag or anything, it's just the truth.  He loves to play pool, collect sports memorabilia, and watch sports.  I love fishing, fishing, and fishing.  Don't get me wrong, he REALLY likes to catch fish, it's just he still has a lot of learning to do but he's catching on quickly.  In fact, he's catching on so fast that he managed to boat the biggest bass of 2019 so far between my buddies and I.  He landed this hog of a bass on a Texas rigged worm at a farm pond in northwest Missouri.  He fought it like a seasoned veteran and I couldn't be happier or prouder of my friend.  On a separate note, this is not the first time that I have seen mother nature bless someone that is experiencing some hardships in his or her life.  While mother nature can be cold, unrelenting, and unforgiving...she also blesses us with things that have a big impact on our lives when we need it the most!