The Show Me Fly Guy: Chartered Waters Guide Service

Disclaimer: I've been sitting on this post for a few days now because I wanted to give it my proper attention. Sorry it is a little less than prompt.

Last Sunday my girlfriend Wendy, her mom (Sharon), her stepdad (Mark), and I had the pleasure of fishing with Brett Rader of Chartered Waters Guide Service. Before I can sing Brett's praises, of which there are many, let me give you a little background info. Sharon and Mark are new to fly fishing. I have taken them out a handful of times to catch bass, bluegill, and crappie. They have come a long way but had never fished on moving water or for trout. Wendy is more advanced than them and has fished for trout along with the other species that I mentioned however, but she had never fished Lake Taneycomo. I have fly fished on Taneycomo many times but had never gone out with Brett. I've known about him for years and always wanted to fish with him so this opportunity was a big deal to me.

We started fishing at 8 AM and the water was off. We navigated upstream of Fall Creek into the Trophy Area and Brett immediately found fish to target. He gave us all a jig and float setup to use and we were catching fish within minutes. What really impressed me early on was Brett's instruction on how to roll cast with Mark and Sharon. We were on a pontoon with four people fly fishing so roll casts were important to avoid a plethora of problems.

Brett also taught us a pretty sweet little trick to use when fishing with an indicator in still water. He suggested that we count to 10 or 12 after a cast and then slowly lift the rod tip up to retrieve our fly approximately one foot. This surprised me because I was under the impression that this might make the fly appear less natural in its presentation. Brett's response was very insightful. He said that raising the rod tip caused the fly to also rise in the water and then fall thus making it appear more lively and MORE natural. He also said that it could get the attention of fish that had lost interest and trigger a reactionary strike. Furthermore, while he wouldn't recommend this technique when dead drifting, he utilizes it quite a bit on still water. I caught multiple fish with this technique and will use it in the future in similar situations. The rest of the morning was spent in the trophy area where the bite was consistent and often fast-paced.

Around noon, the water turned on and Brett suggested that we go downstream to check out some creeks. This was a lot of fun because I had never ventured up any creeks that feed into Lake Taneycomo. It was another learning experience that I wouldn't have had without Brett. I don't want to go into more detail because I don't want to give away any of Brett's spots and want to be as respectful as possible.

After lunch, we headed back upstream and all the way to the wire near the dam that boats and fishermen are not allowed to go beyond. This is where Brett blew my mind. Without going into great deal (again, this could be a trade secret of his that I don't want to give away) he handed us fly rods that were set up for deep drifting. I had never seen a rig like this before but it proved really effective. If there is swift current and deep water, Brett knows how to keep a fly rod in your hand and keep you on the fish. I still can't believe how he set the rods up nor how many fish we caught using the method. If you hire him, you too will probably be amazed.

While we are on the subject of hiring Brett, I endorse his services 100%. He is a great instructor for folks that are new to fly fishing but still has a lot to share with those more advanced as well. He is also incredibly patient. All four of us had a few hiccups while we were with Brett and he was always understanding and kind. He also knows how to keep you on fish all day long. Lake Taneycomo can be a little tricky at times in terms of knowing how to navigate a boat, dealing with current changes, and understanding changes in depth due to fluctuating water levels. I had never heard a bad thing about Brett Rader prior to going out with him and I don't have a bad thing to say about the man after going out with him. If you are looking for a fly fishing guide on Lake Taneycomo, you cannot go wrong with Brett Rader!

Link: https://www.charteredwaters.com/