A Day Late but Still Pretty Cool

I am so sorry this is such a late post but better late than never!  If you're bored, can't go fishing, or just looking for something to do on the vise, then why not give a turkey fly a try?!?!

Svend Diesel YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClGRo_ST4iwdm0EMBgEP58w

Etsy Store Sale- NOW THROUGH MONDAY!!!

Yep, there's even a sale going on at the Etsy store!  The wall decorations prices have dropped from $50 to $30!  That is 40% off these one of a kind, hand made items.  There is one brown trout and one rainbow trout and you can see their pictures below.

Link to Etsy Store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheShowMeFlyGuy

 

Pro Staff stickers and cards are on sale for $4 as well.

Link to Etsy Store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheShowMeFlyGuy

Christmas Project- Part 2

Two weeks ago I posted about a couple of Christmas presents that I am building for my two sons.  If you would like to read that post to get caught up, just click here.  Since then, I have carved out some time (see what I did there) and made some progress on the boxes that I am building and personalizing for them.  The sides are attached to one another as well as the bottom.  I also glued some 1 X 2's vertically to the front and back of the boxes to give them a rustic look and add to the structural integrity.  Finally, I glued some 1 X 2's on the ends to act as handles and cover up the seams that were visible due to the 1 X 6's being stacked on the front. 

By my calculations, here's what I have left to do:
1. Sand again to get everything flush and smooth.
2. Stain everything.
3. Attach hinges and latches for the lid.
4. Personalize each box to fit each boy's personality..
5. Polyurethane each box

Wow!  When I type that all out, I've got a long way to go.  I better stop typing and get to sanding among other things!

Etsy Store Discounts...Coming Soon

This Friday through Monday, I am planning on having some discounts and maybe a special assortment on the Etsy store.  The wall decorations are going to be discounted as well as the stickers, so there is a little preview for you.  I know a lot of folks will be shopping online this coming weekend for Black Friday and Cyber Monday and if you would like to stop by the store while you're looking for deals, it would be greatly appreciated.  Until then, feel free to order some flies to hit those winter trout waters!

Etsy Store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheShowMeFlyGuy

Ozarks on the Fly- Volume 5 Teaser

This looks so good!  Bluff Line Media creates some amazing videos and this one looks to follow suit.

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

Using a Cricut to Help Tie Flies

A Cricut Machine

From the get go, I am going to admit that I am a little out over my skis here.  I don't know much about Cricuts, and you probably know more than me.  If you don't, a Cricut is a machine that you apparently hook up to your computer that prints stuff out and cuts it out for you.  There, now you know as much as I do.  On top of a host of other things that I didn't know about Cricuts is that you can use them to cut out foam bodies for flies among other things.  I am going to stop showing my ignorance about this topic and just direct you to the link below but if there is a Cricut in your house, you might have just unlocked a treasure chest of information...or opened Pandora's box.  Either way, you're welcome.

Link: https://brooklynberrydesigns.com/use-the-cricut-for-fly-fishing/

Another Poached Elk Here in Missouri

It is with a heavy heart that I am posting about the sixth elk that has been poached in Missouri in the past few years.  If you didn't already know, we have a wild elk herd here in Missouri, specifically at Peck Conservation Area in Carter County.  Below is a link to the entire story, but if you have any information about the killings, you are encouraged to contact Operation Game Thief at 1-800-392-1111 or the MDC Ozark Regional Office in West Plains at (417) 256-7161.  This gives hunters, conservation, and Missouri a bad reputation aside from the fact that this animal seems to have been killed for no other reason than pleasure.

Link: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-needs-information-elk-illegally-shot-carter-county

Etsy Store

If you are getting ready to start shopping for gifts this holiday season or maybe you've already started, and you're looking to buy some handmade items or want to pick up some flies for someone, it would be my pleasure to help you out.  The store that I have through Etsy has some wall decorations, Christmas tree ornaments, and a variety of flies.  I only sell flies that have been field-proven by yours truly.  In fact, that is why the selection is limited.  I only sell flies that have helped me catch fish because I don't want to sell flies that just look good to fishermen, but instead look good to fish!  I am going to get on the vice this weekend and restock some of the items with lower quantities so if there's not enough of something that you see, there will be soon!

Link to Etsy Store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheShowMeFlyGuy

Tips: Fishing for Trout Stocked in Missouri Lakes

To piggyback off of yesterday's post, here are a couple of pointers on how to catch more trout that have been stocked in Missouri lakes.  The video is one that I made about a year ago and the MDC link is a couple of years old but has some good tips to put in your mental tackle box.

Link to the Show Me Fly Guy YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/theshowmeflyguy

Link to MDC page: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-stocks-rainbow-trout-winter-fishing-kansas-city-area-0

More Trout Stocked in Missouri Lakes

The Kansas City area now has catch and keep trout fishing opportunities.  Sedalia and St. Joseph have catch and release trout fishing as well!

Kansas City Trout Fishing: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-stocks-rainbow-trout-winter-fishing-kansas-city-area-0

Sedalia and St. Joseph Trout Fishing: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/catch-and-release-winter-trout-fishing-season-underway-sedalia-and-st-joseph

Exciting News...On a Personal Level

Something big happened to me last Wednesday, and that was partially the reason for no post yesterday.  Here's a little of the backstory that I think is important to the announcement. 

As a public school teacher (no, I do not make a fortune being a fly fishing blogger), I receive annual raises for two reasons.  One is for years of service and the other is for furthering my education.  I have two bachelor's degrees and a master's degree but I will no longer receive any raises due to the way our pay scale is structured.  Please don't take that as complaining, it's just the way it is and I have seen this coming for a while now.  This is what prompted me to apply to a graduate school program.  Specifically, I applied to the University of Central Missouri and the Instructional Technology Education Specialist Degree that they offer.  If you didn't know, this is a degree between a master's and doctorate.  It's a goofy thing, I know.

On Wednesday, I received an email informing me that I had been accepted into the program!  Now this is good and bad news.  On one hand, I can start working toward additional raises and have a better income, and this is going to make me a better teacher.  On the flip side, I will be taking college classes for the first time in fifteen years and paying about $15,000 for the opportunity to do so.  This also means that I am going to need to scale back some of me Show Me Fly Guy activities that I have taken on and love with all of my heart.  I am going to do my best to bring you content on a daily basis Monday through Friday on the blog but the YouTube videos will probably become less frequent.  Until my classes start, hopefully you won't notice much of a change, but there will be days that I miss like yesterday as I prep for classes.  I promise I will do my best to update the site and I would greatly appreciate your patience as I try to navigate through everything.  You guys are the best and your views are what keep me posting!  Thank you for your support!

Christmas Project- Part 1

The other day, my sons saw a wooden box that I made that holds fly tying materials.  They were pretty fascinated by it and seemed interested in homemade and personalized versions of their own.  While I'm not sure if these boxes will be used for fly fishing or fly tying purposes, I sure hope they will be.  I thought I would document the build process in case anyone is interested or might want to tackle something similar.  The plan is to give these to my boys for Christmas...if I can get them done by then AND keep them hidden that long!

The bottom and sides are 1 X 6's and the sides will be 1 X 6's stacked on top of each other edge to edge.  The top will be a trimmed down 1 X 8 and there will be some 1 X 2's that will be decorative and keep the stacked 1 X 6's attached.  Here's what I have done so far. 

How to Make Articulated Shanks

This is a fascinating video that shows how to build your own shanks for articulated flies.  These little suckers come in as many sizes as you can imagine.  Now if you want to have most sizes in your arsenal or want to tie flies with multiple articulations, the cost of buying shanks is going to rise.  Here's a cheap, simple, and effective way to build your own rather than increasing your cost per fly with prepackaged shanks.

Link to Chris Mihulka YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIHJUpkexYAMEKItH08gGUA

Henry Winkler, Passionate Fly Fisherman

This is a pretty neat article about a famous guy that loves fishing as much as us "normal" folks.  I've had the fortune to hear Henry Winkler interviewed in the past and he is such a compassionate, thoughtful, and down to earth guy that I would be happy to spend some time on the water with!  In fact, if you would like to read more about Henry Winkler's passion for fly fishing, here is another post from September, 2018

Link: https://www.insidehook.com/article/arts-entertainment/reel-talk-with-henry-winkler

Live the Stream- The Story of Joe Humphreys

What an amazing story about an amazing man with an incredible passion.  Below are a couple of trailers.  In the video on the bottom, there is the option to view the full film for $3.99 and while I haven't seen the entire film, I can only assume that it is powerful!  Have a great weekend and try to enjoy the last bits of "comfortable" fishing we are going to have once winter really gets her claws into us!

Stickers For Sale at Rainbow Fly Shop

You can now buy Pro Staff stickers at Rainbow Fly Shop in Independence, Missouri.  They are only $5 there, or $6 at the Etsy Store.

Etsy Store Sticker Link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/735475766/pro-staff-package-show-me-fly-guy-pro

Folks in St. Louis, You Have Trout Now...and Some Are BIG!

The Missouri Department of Conservation just stocked seventeen lakes with rainbow trout.  Out of those, nine have some lunkers and browns!  I would have to say that if you live in St. Louis and enjoy trout fishing, you just hit the jackpot.  Get out there and hit the water folks!

Link to MDC article: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-celebrates-50-years-urban-fishing-stocking-10lb-rainbow-trout-select-st-louis-lakes

The Articulated Bruiser Bugger STREAMER

Articulated.  Simple.  Effective.  This Bruiser Bugger is a good looking fly with a lot of potential!  Also, in case you didn't hear, tying season is upon us so make sure you store this fly in the memory bank for those cold & snowy winter days when the water is hard and fishing isn't an option!

Fly Fish Food YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWxBa8MprBJr1vuv3uw8ghA

Shenk's Minnow

Sometimes I like to tie simple flies.  They are usually inexpensive which lessens the pain you might feel when you lose one.  Most of the time they are easy and don't require a lot of materials.  They also don't usually require a large time commitment which means you can fill a row in your fly box faster than with simpler flies.  However, all of this is a waste if the fly isn't effective.  I like the potential this simple fly has and I can't wait to try it out.

On another note, when I first looked at this fly, it just looked like a wooly bugger without palmered hackle.  But upon closer inspection, it appears that this material is going to have a little more action than chenille.  It also looks like you can create a taper that gets thicker from the head to the body, and then thin it out as you move back towards the tail.  I like this a lot because it truly reflects how baitfish are built.  It looks like I am going to have to go and invest in some baby blanket yarn.

Tightlinevideo YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIdIkp_uBiYEw-Pb4-BDBjw

Pro Staff Idea- Part 2- It Has Begun!

A while back, I announced the formation of a Pro Staff that will represent this blog.  If you want more details on Pro Staffs, then feel free to read the aforementioned post here.  If you would rather just get straight to the point, then please allow me so summarize.  Big companies (usually outdoors-related companies) will often create a Pro Staffs.  These are usually exclusive positions and are given to folks that have expertise in their field.  It's a pretty cool title with a few perks involved for the Pro Staffer, but again, they can be pretty exclusive.  And that's what lead me to the formation of the Show Me Fly Guy Pro Staff.

This Pro Staff is going to be different!  Anyone can be a Pro Staffer on this team!  It doesn't matter if you fish a few times a year or spend 200 days on the water!  You don't have to tie your own flies, but if you do, that's awesome!  You might be 9 or 99!  All you really have to do is enjoy fishing and want to be on the staff.  If you want to be on the Show Me Fly Guy Pro Staff, there are only two things you need to do!

1. Let me know you want to be on the staff.  Friends, call or text me!  Strangers, email me at showmeflyguy@gmail.com.  Folks from the Middle Ages, send me a carrier pigeon.  Message me on Facebook.  Hit me up on Instagram.  Comment on the YouTube channel.  After I receive your message, I will add you to the Pro Staff list and your name will show up under the Pro Staff tab at the top of this page!  If you don't want me to include your last name or if you want to go by a nickname or an Instagram account for that matter, just let me know.

2. This part is optional, but you can share your new claim to fame.  At my Etsy Store, you can order yourself a Pro Staff package.  The bundle consists of two items.  One is a pretty sweet sticker.  Not only does it declare that you are indeed a Pro Staff member, but it also includes a trout silhouette and of course the website for this blog.  Two, you can become an official card-carrying member of the Pro Staff.  Wendy, my girlfriend, was able to procure me some etched metal cards that match the sticker.  You can hand these out to your buddies, display them at your fly tying table, or do anything else that is legal with them.  The cost for the package is five dollars so it won't set you back much either!

Link to Pro Staff Package: https://www.etsy.com/listing/735475766/pro-staff-package-show-me-fly-guy-pro

So here we go!  The Show Me Fly Guy Pro Staff has officially started and I am now accepting names!