A Good Teaching Technique!

A few weeks ago I posted about how my oldest son Mason caught his first fish on a fly rod.  You can read that post here.  However, I left out an important detail from that story.

A number of years ago, I was fishing in the Holland Trout Derby at Bennett Spring.  I was lucky enough to catch a tagged fish and I was able to redeem that tag for a 5 weight fly rod.  I was pretty lucky to catch that fish and equally lucky to get a fly rod out of the deal.  With all of that good mojo already working on the rod, I decided to pass that good karma along to my oldest son and to let this rod be his first fly rod.  I have held on to this rod for a number of years and it has been waiting for him to show an interest in fly fishing.  After he caught his first fish on a fly rod, I gave "Lucky" (that's what we named the rod) to him later that night.  (Have no fear, my youngest son also has a rod ready for him but that's a story for another time). 

Last night we took Lucky out to Guy B. Park Conservation Area to fish for some bluegill.  Since he is still new to fly fishing and I didn't want to take a John Deere to the eye, I decided that a traditional cast wasn't going to work in a small boat.  The only alternative that I could formulate was to teach him to roll cast.  What I learned was that teaching a kid to roll cast out of a boat is pretty darn easy.  He caught his first fish with Lucky and a few more bluegill too.

Yes, roll casting is a pretty easy but I have witnessed people struggle to roll cast in different situations.  If someone is up to their chest in water, roll casting can be a little tricky.  If someone is learning to roll cast on moving water, that changes angles and adds difficulty.  I have also seen people struggle to roll cast when standing on a bank because it can be difficult to find that anchor point.  Brush on the bank can also add another variable that can make any cast, not just roll casting, more difficult.  But roll casting out of a boat eliminates a lot of these problems.

The caster is close to the water which makes it easy to achieve an anchor point.  There's no brush to contend with but boat clutter can take its place unless you remove cumbersome items.  There is no current or angle changes to contend with either.  Wind can play a factor unless you find a secluded cove full of bluegill.  Finally, I was able to have him keep out one length of line the entire time.  All I had to do was change the position of the boat.  Instead of him letting out more line and changing his muscle memory that he had built up, I simply moved the boat closer to or further from the spot he wanted to fish.  This helped with his confidence and casting immensely!  It also kept us out of grass, moss, and trees. 

I wanted to pass this along in case you were trying to teach someone to fly fish.  If you can replicate this situation, then you might avoid some frustration on your part AND the angler's.  It might also lead to more fishing successes which is what we all want!  I can see this working as well for kids and adults so feel free to put this thought in your mental tackle box and use it someday.  I hope it helps.

Euro Nymphing for Ozarks Brown Trout

My buddy Jon over at NotMissingLink has created a Missouri-based guide to Euro nymphing.  He's on an Ozark National Scenic Waterway and using a 3 weight to land a nice, beautiful brown.  It's a short video and it has motivated me to learn more about Euro nymphing.  I figure the more you learn about fly fishing, the better angler you will be.  Who doesn't want more tactics at their disposal when one is on the water?!?!  I know Jon would appreciate a like and subscription so if you're feeling generous or dig the content, I know this fellow Missourian would benefit from your support!

NotMissingLink YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/yzguy01250

The Miracle Mile of the North Platte with Cowboy Drifters- Final Installment

This is Sharon.  She got omitted from this post because I didn't get a chance to fish with her...but she had a good day too!

After lunch, we decided to switch things up for the afternoon.  Sharon and Wendy went with Dane while Mark and I fished with Brad.  The prospect of getting another perspective really interested me but I have to admit that I really enjoy fishing with Wendy.  We make a pretty good team.  We always cheer each other on and have taken some pretty good pictures of one another during out time together.  On the other hand, Mark’s sense of humor is second to none and he never lets things get too serious.  At the same time, Mark hadn’t boated a fish that morning and I was hoping to bring a little positive mojo to the boat.

We drifted maybe a mile with Brad and it didn’t take long for Mark to get a few fish on the line.  He lost one or two but stuck with it.  If he was getting frustrated, he never let it show.  His persistence was then rewarded with an incredible fish.  He played it really well and figured out when to let a fish run and when to bring it in.  The tale of the tape on this rainbow was probably 22 inches and over 5 pounds.  I had the pleasure of taking some pictures of Brad and Mark with the trophy.  This was by far the biggest fish that Mark had ever caught.  It is equally impressive that he has only been seriously fly fishing for a few months.

On a side note, learning how to fight a fish is a hard skill for someone new to fly fishing.  Not putting too much or too little pressure on a fish and gauging the strength the fish has as well as anticipating what it has left is a lot to process.  I think experience is the only thing that can help someone acquire that skill. 

As we got close to where the trucks were parked, Brad had us put the nymphing rods away and busted out the hopper rigs.  Each rod had two hoppers on it.  Brad was hopeful that hopper season was getting close and thought we might find some fish keying on them.  While we didn’t catch any, it was really fun and intense.  The hope and thought that a fish was sitting behind every boulder that you cast to demanded your attention and focus.  Casts had to be accurate and efficient but errors were quickly erased by the quick current of the river.  It might have been the most fun that I have ever had fishing while not catching anything.

It is also noteworthy that most guide services were calling it quits for the day at the end of this drift but not Cowboy Drifters.  The boys put the boats on the trailers and took us back up to the original put-in.  We then shuttled them back to a take-out and we drifted a few miles again.  Then the truck rodeo began again.  The trailers were taken down to the pull out and Mark shuttled the fellas back to us. 

It became glaringly obvious that Cowboy Drifter guides were not going to be outworked and were committed to giving their guests the best experience possible.  Our guides didn’t watch the clock or say we had to quit at a certain time.  They might have stayed until dark if we wanted to.  When I asked Brad about whether he ever wanted to pass off the rowing job and pick up a rod, he smiled really big and said, “No way man!  The fish you are catching, I am too.  I get to help with your drift and put you in a good spot.  When you catch one, I do too.  But when you lose one at the boat, that’s your fault.”  The boat erupted with laughter at this point.  This was the kind of thing that happened pretty much all day.  Both guys blended sincerity with humor and encouragement and that type of attitude in a guide should be appreciated because not all guides share this disposition. 

This drift was shorter than the last one by a couple of miles.  We caught a few more fish around the 18-19 inch mark but nothing as big as what he had caught earlier in the day.  We were getting tired and the fish had seen a lot of flies over the course of the day.  Mark took a break for the last couple of miles and Brad put me back on the hopper with the hopes that some fish had moved to the shallows.  It had been windy in spots and the hope was that the wind might have carried some hoppers into the water.  It was a fun way to fish but we didn’t get any bites unfortunately.  

So, we loaded up the boats and went back to where we put in.  We took a lot of pictures and shared a lot of laughs.  Personally, I was sad to see the guys go.  We had spent a lot of time together and they were pretty endearing guys.  I really hope that our paths cross again sometime.  I wish that I could also return the favor for all of their hard work and guidance, but I don’t’ think I could ever give them a comparable gift.  This was, without a doubt, the single best day that I have ever had fly fishing.  I have never seen and boated so many big trout and the scenery only made things better.  This trip will be the topic of many stories for years to come and I cannot thank Brad, Dane, and Cowboy Drifters enough.  Is there anything better than being given a good memory by good people?  I used to have a friend that believed that “Life is all about the stories you can tell.”  I now have a story unlike any other!

Brad is the burly fella on the left and Dane is the babyface on the right. 

The Miracle Mile of the North Platte with Cowboy Drifters- Part 2

I cannot overstate the importance of having a guide on new water.  Dane and Brad rowed their butts off to put us in the best current and would row upstream over and over to put us back in the best water.  They knew which flies would work and the depths to fish the flies.  They knew where the boulders were and how to navigate the white water.  They knew that river and its residents like the back of their hands.  They did all the hard work and were dedicated to us having a memorable experience as well as having fun.  They were also psychologists as well.  If someone would miss a fish or lose one, they would hit you with a dose of positivity and words of encouragement as well as reassurance.  No, guides are not cheap, but they are worth every penny.  Remember, you’re paying for a boat, navigation, and fishing knowledge that would take you a LONG time to obtain.  That knowledge comes in really handy on new water that you are only fishing for a day.

The next fish that was caught was the biggest of the day!  It was pretty obvious that Wendy had a good on one the line because of the all the runs and power it displayed.  She did a perfect job playing the fish and finally landed it with trembling hands.  It ended up being a 23 inch, 6 pound Rainbow and was by far the biggest trout she had ever caught.  She also had a few fist pumps and hollars which made Dane laugh pretty hard.  He also told us “I love how excited you guys get.  That’s the way it SHOULD be.”  How could we not be excited?  We were fishing in Jurassic Park!

The next fish that came in the boat was a 21 inch wild cuttbow, followed by a 19 inch male rainbow with a pronounced kype.  I followed those fish up with a 22-23 inch rainbow that was built like a thick torpedo.  The difference between this fish and Wendy’s was that hers had significantly more girth.  Dane confirmed that the cuttbow was wild because they aren’t stocked in the river.  He also said that there were a few cutthroat in The Mile and that hybrids were more common that you would expect.  All of these fish however fought hard and some of them made some pretty acrobatic jumps.  Some of them would save their fight until they saw the boat but all of them took drag.  Brad and Dane did a fantastic job setting the drags for us as well.  We never broke off a fish and the drag allowed the fish to take line without allowing them to get into the backing. 

Brad and Dane also did a phenomenal job managing the boat.  They kept us on good drifts through deep holes that held large numbers of fish.  When a fish was on the line, they kept us at a good angle to ware the fish out and not lose it.  This is a tough skill.  Another observation that I made was that they were able to row, watch both indicators, give instruction, and tell jokes at the same time.  Those were some pretty impressive multitasking skills.  Both fellas also quickly but carefully netted every fish and Dane even jumped ashore a couple of times to land fish.  I was really impressed at how both gentlemen handled the fish with care and respect.  We were asked to wet out hands prior to handling the fish for pictures and every fish swam off to live another day.  The pictures that the guys took were solid as well.  Add photography to skills required to be a guide.

Right before lunch I landed an 18 inch rainbow that was stunning.  The photographs won’t show it but in the water the fish’s back actually had hues of blues and grays mixed in with the green.

We beached the boat near some picnic tables and had a nice lunch.  Kurt did an outstanding job laying out options for lunch and we got to pick out what we wanted.  This was a first for me with a guide service.  I’ve had everything from homemade turkey sandwiches to Subway.  I really liked that we had wraps, sandwiches, fruit, three different desserts, bars, and chips to pick from.  We all swapped stories from the morning and soaked up the scenery.  A few other guides pulled up and they all ate together.  It reminded me of kids at lunch talking about their teachers and the teachers in lounge talking about the kids.  We were talking about how great Brad and Dane were and hoped that they were giving us good grades as well.

The Miracle Mile of the North Platte with Cowboy Drifters- Part 1

Last week I had the pleasure of fishing in Wyoming with my girlfriend Wendy, her mom Sharon, and her step-dad Mark.  On Saturday, July 18, we fished with guides from Cowboy Drifters Outfitters on the Miracle Mile of the North Platte River.  This will be a three-part series of the day.  I hope you find it informative and entertaining.

Mark, Sharon, Wendy, and I arrived at Cowboy Drifters Outfitters 30 miles outside of Casper, Wyoming on Friday, July 17.  The first impression of the place was outstanding.  The office/fly shop was new, organized, and well-furnished.  We were also introduced to Kurt, the shop manager.  You will not meet a nicer or friendlier person.  He was very knowledgeable of the fishing conditions in the area and was very helpful with picking out some flies.  His easy-going attitude made you feel at-home.  He remembered all of our names and was genuinely interested in getting to know us.  He is the perfect person to have as the front-man for an outfitter.

We then headed to our cabin to get unpacked and then headed to the river that was just 30 yards away.  I spent the evening fishing the North Platte unsuccessfully with a hopper and dropper.  I could see fish rising but struggled with the current, wind, and brush on the banks.  Not much to report here other than some frustration.  The next morning, we woke up to see 5 mule deer bucks right outside the window which was a beautiful sight and I hoped a good indication for how the day was going to go.

We met our guides at 7:30 to decide whether we should make the almost 1 hour drive to the Miracle Mile of the North Platte or to fish the Grey Reef section.  Brad was a little younger than me and Dane looked like he was still in high school.  Brad has guided there for 4 years.  Dane had guided in Colorado before, but this was his first full season with Cowboy Drifters.  Both were excited that we had picked the Miracle Mile and were enthusiastic and had a lot of energy.  There were lots of smiles, high fives, and laughs.  They said The Mile was fishing really well and that it was worth the drive. 

It was a long, pretty drive (20 miles of gravel roads) with lots of antelope and an open range.  I didn’t even know open range was a thing that existed anymore.  We didn’t see a home for miles but eventually arrived at a fishing village where we put in the boats.  Dane’s boat was a Clackacraft and Brad’s a Hyde that he bought earlier this year.  Mark followed Brad and Dane to where the float was going to end and then brought them back.  Mark, and Sharon went with Brad.  Wendy and I went with Dane.  It didn’t take long to realize that Dane was wise beyond his years.  We also found out that “babyface” was 23 years old and a college graduate.  He was also a former division one cross country runner and track athlete. 

There were LOTS of guide services and private boats were going on the water.  Almost every boat was a drift boat with a couple of rafts mixed in.  We drifted an area near the put-in quite a few times in order to let the other boats get down stream and spread out more.  It took a little time to get the first bite and I was either overly anxious or unprepared (can’t remember) so I missed that one.  I was able to hook the next fish, which was less than 12 inches, and sent the little fella flying all the way over the boat where he subsequently got off the hook.  I think it is safe to say that I was a little amped up with that one.  From there on, some fish were missed, but not many fish got off the line for Wendy and I.

Wendy caught the first fish and it was probably 14 inches.  I caught the second and it was 20 inches long.  We had some fist pumps and laughs between us and it was nice to get our first fish in the boat which took a little pressure off the experience.  Our excitement was appreciated by Dane and he enjoyed our enthusiasm.  He didn’t even mind when I did a double fist pump, yelled “I love you Wyoming,” and gave a loud “Woohoo!”  I didn’t realize that we had signed up fish of this size but started to realize that this place was living up to it’s name.  I also realized that the heavy line (we were using 3X tippet or 8.5 pound test) and strong drag was necessary to meet the ferocity and power of these fish.  They would make long runs, have violent head shakes, and try to hug the bottom but they could be horsed some because of the strong tackle.  Both guides informed me though that some fish could and would straighten hooks.  I cannot imagine fighting these fish on two pound line!  You would never get one in.  Dane informed us that the average fish size in the area we were fishing was about 18 inches long and that we would definitely be hooking and landing some fish bigger than that. 

 

 

Headed Home & The Etsy Store is Open

I am really looking forward to next week because I have A LOT of content to share.  I have been fly fishing in Wyoming all week and have some really good photos and stories to share.  If you have never fly fished in Wyoming, you should really consider it!  While it is a little difficult to get to and it's not going to be cheap, I highly doubt that you would regret your time spent in Wyoming.  Don't forget to hire a guide though!  I wouldn't have caught a single fish all week if it hadn't been for Dane, Mitch, Brad, and Will.  You'll hear more about them next week.  It was a lot of fun to be around people that are so like minded and passionate about the outdoors.  I have included some pictures that didn't make the cut for next week's posts.

Also, I just took the Etsy store off vacation mode and I am ready to start mailing flies tomorrow morning.  If you need some flies, just click here or on the link below.

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

Hire a Guide on New Water!

A beautiful stretch of water in Yellowstone that I didn't catch fish on.

I got skunked the other day.  I hate getting skunked.  I mean, I really, really hate getting skunked.  I have nobody to blame but me and I should have done better.  Looking back, I should have taken my own advice and hired a guide.

I was recently  in Yellowstone National Park and I had the pleasure of fishing there for the first time in my life.  The wildlife was amazing and the scenery was the most beautiful I have ever seen  and that's not an exaggeration.  It was exactly what they say it is; spectacular in so many ways.  I did a little research on the fishing prior to coming out here and talked to some local fly shops but none of that kept me from throwing up a goose egg.  I have a few reasons why you should hire a guide when fishing new water.

1. Yes, guides are expensive but that is because they are worth it!  You are paying for knowledge, expertise, and guidance...all of which you do not have and really need on new water!

2. Your money supports a small business that is privately owned.  In other words, you're not giving your money to some corporation that is only going to make the rich richer.  Your money goes to a person that is living their dream and trying to make it a career as well.  How can you not appreciate that!

3. Finally, leave your ego on the banks of a new river or lake.  Yes, you probably are a good angler and you do great on your home waters.  You read books, watch videos, and are very knowledgeable about your craft.  But remember this, you don't really know squat about this new water and guides do.  You don't know where the fish are, what they are eating on this particular day, or what the recent weather has done to fishing conditions.  I made this mistake the other rday.  I thought I would be able to "figure it out".  I didn't.  But rather than figuring it out, I should have enlisted the services of a guide that already has it figured out!

Birthday Gift from Mark

This post got buried and I feel bad that I didn’t post it back in April. My buddy Mark got me a couple  of really cool shirts for my birthday. I think he found them on Amazon if you’re interested in procuring one for yourself. Thank you Mark for being so thoughtful and generous.

Look at this!

And now read this! Amazing, tragic, and graphic but a heck of a story!

Advanced Streamer Fly Fishing

If you are new to fly fishing or just want to brush up on your streamer tactics, this is a great video that will help almost everybody.  Tom Rosenbauer is an excellent instructor.  If you have read that name before, it is because he works for Orvis and is involved with a lot of educational articles and videos.  He is knowledgeable and to the point but doesn't come off as arrogant.  Hopefully this video helps you to become more confident and more successful with your streamers.

Link to The New Fly Fisher YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk2DJldSE7hhQTU8rjNHeYw

Plans for Next Week

I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that posts will be a little inconsistent next week. I will be taking some time off to fish and might not put up a post everyday. I will do the best I can but there will be a few days that you don’t see any new content. Thanks for being patient with me and for letting me recharge my batteries a little bit.

Space Saving Project for my Two-Man Boat

When I am putting my boat in or taking it out of the water, my boat gets a lot of looks and a few inquiries.  I love my boat.  In fact, I love it so much, I bought a second one a few years ago.  I used to keep one up at our family farm and one at my home.  Recently however, I brought my second boat home so my youngest son and I can fish out of one boat and my oldest can fish out of the second boat.  I like my boats for a few reasons.

They each have just enough space for a couple of guys with the bare essentials.  There isn't much maintenance either on these boats other than tighten the screws on the seats once a year.  The one drawback is that it is 4 & 1/2 feet wide and weighs close to 100 pounds.  This means you can't hang it on the wall like a kayak or canoe. Thankfully, it will balance on its' side which is part of the storage solution. 

My first boat has a platform that it sits on which has casters.  This allows me to move it around my garage without having to lay it down.  It also takes up a fraction of the horizontal space.  After I brought home my second boat, I had a need for a second frame.  I wanted to document the building process and share it with you in case you had a need for something like this.  I hope it helps.

I bought three 2 X 4's that were 8 feet long.  I ended up with a little extra lumber.

I cut one of the eight footers into 22 inch sections.

The four casters will come into play later.

I cut the two remaining eight footers into six foot long pieces.

Next, I laid two of the 22 inch long sections 6 feet apart.

I laid the two six foot sections on top of the shorter sections.

I put a screw in each corner and made sure everything stayed square.

After putting another screw into each corner, I placed the remaining 22 inch sections two feet apart.

The math was easy.

I found the middle of each board and marked the 2 feet mark on the frame.  I eyeballed this and put two screws in each connection.

Instead for completing the former step (or in addition to it) you can just measure from the ends and make sure the distances are consistent on both ends of the sections.

Here is the frame that the boat will balance on.

Install a caster at each corner on the bottom of the frame.

At this point, you can see the bottom of the frame.

These boats balance on their sides.

It is a little tricky to get the boat on the frame.  The method that I prefer is to lift the boat on one end and slide the frame under it. 

Side view.

Both boats stacked neatly in the garage.  I was surprised how the four seats balance nicely on top of both boats when they are next to one another.