A Video that Will Give You Goosebumps

 I have shared this video a few times over the last few years, but it never gets old for me.  It gives me chills, goosebumps, and somehow puts a little dust in my eye every single time I watch it!  I hope it does the same for you and makes your day just a little bit better.

Rainbow Fly Shop

 Occasionally I will find myself talking to someone from the Kansas City area about fly fishing.  Alright, that happens more than occasionally.  You caught me.  At some point in these conversations, there is a chance that I realize that the individual has no idea that we have a fly shop in Independence, Missouri.  The name of the fly shop is Rainbow Fly Shop and it is the first place I go for all of my fly fishing needs.  I mean that literally.  Ironically, it is located less than 5 minutes away from the Bass Pro in Independence, Missouri, and I routinely drive straight past Bass Pro to get to Rainbow.  I have been going there for years and Matt, the owner, is as nice of a guy as you will ever meet.  The store's prices ALWAYS beat Bass Pro's prices and there is not comparison to the customer service you will receive as Bass Pro down the road doesn't even staff it's fly fishing department anymore (at least from what I have observed).  So if you need a new/used rod, a new reel, fly tying equipment, or anything else fly fishing related please consider patronizing this small business.

Disclaimer: I did not receive any compensation for writing this post.  However, Matt has been a huge supporter of my middle school fly fishing club and I try to send business his way any time I can in an attempt to return the favor.  However, I meant every word that I wrote and Bass Pro still has a special place in my heart!  I meant no ill will towards BPS!

Phone Number: 816-886-6502

Address: 4621 S. Shrank Dr. Independence, Missouri, 64055

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rainbowflyshop/

Fishing Trips RARELY Turn Out as Expected!

Last weekend I got to hit Lake Taneycomo with my girlfriend Wendy, her mom and step dad, and a couple of their friends.  We were hoping to catch a few brown trout that are currently running upstream as well as tie into a few rainbows in the 18-19 inch range as well.  I have fished Taneycomo for long enough that I should be able to catch fish there pretty regularly.  The big ones have avoided me, but I feel like I can find and catch fish down there.  My excitement and enthusiasm were pretty high and I was probably guilty of overhyping things if I am being honest.  You probably see where this is going.

To say that this trip did not live up to expectations would be a gross understatement.  The first snag that we ran into was that Fall Creek Marina does not allow you to take boats upstream from Fall Creek.  We had intended to fish the trophy area which is located upstream from Fall Creek so this was a huge problem.  I don't blame Fall Creek Marina at all for this and we should have done our homework better.  We were saved by Lilly's Landing however and got two, 20 foot jon boats for the day and on short notice.  So things started to look up again.

The dam was running one generator so there was a little current and some of the shallow parts of the lake were a little deeper.  I started off by catching a rainbow that was about 6 inches (which made me wonder if it was a wild trout) but it was nice to get a bite.  A little time passed and I hooked into a decent fish.  It put up a heck of a fight and to my surprise, I actually landed it.  I'm always surprised when I boat a nice fish because I have lost so many at the boat before.  This was by far the highlight of the day for me.  

As we drifted through the bottom section of the Trophy Area we saw some really big fish and fished it pretty hard without a single bite.  The browns are definitely moving upstream but weren't interested in hitting what we were throwing.  The blue sky and clear water probably didn't help our efforts much.

After that things got slow.  Really slow.  The only thing that saved us was a great tip from Duane Doty (works at Lilly's and is also a guide).  He told us to fish around Monkey Island for stockers and that's exactly what we did.  Wendy, Sharon, and I all caught 4-6 fish each and the day was saved a little.  We hit the trophy area one more time after that but didn't catch anything noteworthy.

So while the trip was far from a failure (didn't sink a boat, didn't get skunked, and didn't tear up a prop), it was far from what I thought it would be.  But in life, things are rarely what we want or expect so I guess I should have been prepared for that.  It was a lesson learned but one I doubt I remember when planning my next trip.

Gone Fishin!

 Well boys and girls, I am headed to my favorite fishing spot in Missouri today.  If you see me on Lake Taneycomo, please say hello and introduce yourself.  I will be back with some stories next week and I hope you have an equally outstanding weekend.  Get on the water while you can because old man winter is on his way.

Ozark Browns - Part Three “THE BIG ONE”

My buddy Jon Link of Flop Industries just released another trout fishing video and it is his best on yet.  In the video, he targets brown trout and the action is pretty exciting.  Check it out and please considering subscribing to the Flop Industries YouTube Channel.

Link to Flop Industries YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyoNHTh9-FXmk-KwK-imY6w

Fly Tying: Sherwood's Micro Diver

These things sure take a lot of materials and a lot of time but they are pretty amazing specimens!  Brian Wise does a great job demonstrating and explaining while keeping things moving in a timely manner. 

Flymen Fishing Company YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaIeIyLD1-KP2wBn1EPeGdg

Gear for Beginners

Getting started in fly fishing is both intimidating and daunting. What weight rod should you buy?  Do you need floating or sinking line?  Do you need waders?  Should you buy the Ford F-350 and the Hyde Drift Boat new or used?  All joking aside, it is a lot to take in an analyze.

Let me preface what I am about to write by saying that I am a huge Field & Stream fan.  I have read their articles in the magazine and online for years and will continue to do so.  However, when I recently read an article on the Field & Stream website titled "The Best Fly Fishing Gear for Beginners" I was a little disappointed.  While the article was not titled "The Cheapest Fly Fishing Gear for Beginners" I would have like to have seen the price of the equipment taken into consideration a little more.  I don't know a single person that could, would, or should drop three hundred dollars on a rod and reel combo.  For that matter, you can throw $170 wading boots into the same sentence.  Everyone that I have introduced to fly fishing has started off at least a little on the cheaper end of all of their equipment and then slowly upgraded their equipment over time.  Some of those folks had A LOT of money and some of those people didn't.  Regardless, they all came from the mindset of "Let me see if I like this before I drop a lot of money into it."

I don't think this article did the middle class, everyday person any favors.  I also think that in some ways the article fueled the stereotype of fly fishers being wealthy or at least the idea that it costs a lot of money to get into fly fishing.  That is simply not the case.  You can buy a used rod from some fly shops or get a rod and reel combo with backing and fly line included for under $200 and sometimes around $150.  In fact, a combo and a few flies all you really NEED to get started.  I would also encourage everyone to buy from local shops as well.  I would venture to say that they would greatly appreciate your money during this time.  

The article was right in terms of the title though.  Matthew Every did a great job with the descriptions and the article overall.  In fact, a lot of gear is pretty close to being "The Best" in my opinion.

Link: https://www.fieldandstream.com/story/fishing/best-flyfishing-gear-for-beginnersd/

Elk Poacher Arrested

 Almost a year ago, I posted a couple of different times about some elk being poached at Peck Conservation Area here in Missouri.  Those posts can be accessed by clicking here and here.  They were tragic stories about individuals that killed elk with the sole purpose of killing these animals.  I am proud to post today that one of the individuals involved in these heinous acts has been arrested.  Thank you to the Missouri Department of Conservation for bringing this person to justice and for all of your hard work.  Click on the link below for the full story!

Link to full story: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-finds-suspect-carter-county-elk-poaching-case

A Busy Time

 Sorry for the lack of a fishing-related post today folks.  Between the workload with my job (I'm a teacher by the way), buying a house (not moving far but still changing homes), and working on a graduate degree, I just don't have time today.  I apologize but I will be sure to have a better post tomorrow.

The Bassmaster Fly

A couple of months ago, I saw a picture of a gentleman holding up a HUGE largemouth bass in a Facebook group that I am a part of.  He was kind enough to tell me that he caught the fish on a fly called a Bassmaster.  I did a little research and found out that it is a pretty easy fly to tie.  It has a rabbit strip tail, a sparkly chenille body, dumbbell eyes, and some material that looks like it came from a spinnerbait.  I tied a few up and gave a couple to my buddy Mark.  For some reason, I forgot about it until Mark and I went fishing last Sunday.  Mark pulled a Bassmaster out of his fly box and asked if I thought it would catch anything in the farm pond we were on.  My eyes lit up and I encouraged him to give it a try because I was curious if it would work.  Well, it definitely worked!  It was a really hot fly for awhile that morning and I will be tying some more up soon.  It is a simply fly to tie and if you don't have a couple of these in your bass box, I would encourage you to give it a shot!  It just might end up being a go-to fly for you or at the very least, make your morning a little more successful!

 

How Missouri Hatchery Trout are Raised

Would you like to learn about how more than 90% of trout in Missouri end up in lakes, rivers, and streams?  If so, the Missouri Department of Conservation would be happy to show you on Sept. 17 during a virtual event.  Registration is required to be a part of the event.  For more information, please click on the link below.

 Link: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/learn-how-trout-are-raised-sept-17-mdc-virtual-hatchery-tour 

Hunt. Fish. Eat.

 If you are looking for a good, outdoors podcast to follow, please check out Hunt. Fish. Eat.  My buddy Daniel recently started this podcast and aside from the fact that he is a heck of a guy, he has A LOT of experience outdoors.  I was lucky enough to be a guest on an episode recently and there is a link below the picture.  I know he would appreciate every listen as he is trying to get this project off the ground.  

Link to Hunt. Fish. Eat. Podcast Episdoe: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2WEPD4pI0MRPsWvD1sA1GP?si=v0n0CUv8RASGthq6DY-PdQ 

Do YOU Have a Big Fish Board?

That's probably a silly question as I would assume most people don't.  I do however.  A few years back, I decided that I wanted to enshrine some of the more memorable fish that I have caught, but didn't know how to do it.  After seeing photographs and data at fly shops and bait shops, I decided to create my own displays.  They are nothing fancy but they remind me of some amazing memories that I have had on the water.  I don't put these on display for other people to see, in fact, most people don't even know I have these.  They are not used to brag about how prolific of a fisherman that I am...because I'm not.  It's just a way to hold on to memories and it makes me smile.  I actually ended up filling one board and had to make a second.  And since Wendy caught a really nice rainbow in Wyoming over the summer, I decided to build her one too.  

If you look closely, you will probably see some fish that aren't that big by other people's standards.  However, these are fish that are by MY standards.  My displays are also a fun way to see how I have grown as an angler.  I might have thought that a 17 inch brown trout was big enough to go on the board when I was 25 years old, but as I have gotten older, it has become more difficult for a fish to make the board.  I thought I would share this with you in case you wanted to make your own or maybe make one for a young angler.  Either way, documenting your catches is more about keeping those memories alive and at the forefront of your mind.  

An Interesting Way to Jump Start a Truck

 To follow up on yesterday's post, aside from fishing at a farm pond, my sons and I also spent the night at my cabin that was located nearby.  It was a night filled with old stories, owls, and cooler than expected temperatures.  We woke up the next morning and got packed up like we have done so many times, but when it came time to fire up the truck, there was no fire.  There was nothing...just some quick clicks when I turned the key.  Just like that, my heart was in my stomach.  My two boys looked confused but I knew exactly what happened.  Even after I checked all the lights before going to sleep, by battery still got drained.  I believe that a loose wire on the trailer (which I left hooked up to the truck) drained the battery overnight. 

Panic set in.  Then I started making calls.  All of my nearby relatives were an hour away or more.  We knocked on the closest neighbor's door (almost a half mile away), and they weren't home.  That's when I started to get desperate.  Sure, we weren't in any real trouble.  I had food and water even though it was getting warm but I wanted to get my sons home and I hated to wait for and ask for help.  I actually had a power pack and I tried to ump the truck with it but we drained a lot of it when we used it to power the lighting system in the cabin the night before.  Then my dad suggested something.

It sounded crazy at first.  I had already kicked around the idea but it just seemed out of the realm of possibilities.  However, I had time on my hands and it was the last thing I could think of.  I set up the system that seemed standard, but I had always done this with another vehicle involved.  When the key turned and the motor turned over, my heart raced.  When the engine fired up and kept running, words left my mouth that I am glad my sons could not hear.  I disconnected the system and the look of surprise on my son's faces made me feel pretty proud.  I quickly informed them that their grandpa had saved the day but also said that there was a lesson to be learned. 

I told them that when faced with a problem, take some deep breathes and brainstorm some solutions.  I told them that sometimes you can fix your problems yourself and that feels pretty good.  I also told them that we all learned a valuable lesson on this particular day that we can carry with us for the rest of our lives.  We also learned that a trolling motor battery can jump a dead battery in a pickup truck.

The Topwater Bite was on Fire Last Weekend

My sons and I got to hit one of our favorite farm ponds last Friday night.  On this particular body of water, the topwater bite usually heats up this time of year and we were not disappointed.  I threw a medium size popper around cover and caught 12 fish but should have caught almost twice that many.  I threw a six weight rod with 10 pound leader that was about six feet long.  If you can get out on the water, now is a good time to start catching some active fish!  

A New Favorite Fly

I have fallen in love with this fly this summer.  It is nothing fancy and is not a new or original idea, but holy cow has it worked well for warm water species this summer!  Yes, it is just a wooly bugger but there are some key components that have set this fly apart from other flies that I have fished this summer.

It Matches the Hatch
I think I got the color right on this fly!  If you think about it, almost every small baitfish, tadpole, or juvenile fish have olive and white as their main colors.  This fly matches those characteristics really well and looks like what the fish are eating when they are keying on smaller fish.

Weight
This fly has a small conehead as well as 10 wraps of .020 lead wire behind the cone.  I tie this fly with these two weights for a couple of different reasions.  1. When the wire is set in place with thread, then the cone cannot shift its location.  This makes the fly durable and maintains its structural integrity even after it has caught 10-20 fish in an afternoon.  2. This fly sinks!  I don't have a lot of patience to wait for a fly to sink and I con't have to wait very long with this one.  I always fish this fly with a floating fly line so I need the fly to sink quickly on its own.

Wiggle
Recently I realized that this wooly actually has a little and very subtle wiggle to it in the water.  It actually wiggles in a different pattern than my other woolies and I can only assume it is because of it's construction.  I'm not sure what I did, but I like it!

Flash
I like for flies to have flash, but I also believe in muted flash.  I want things to appear realistic and I don't think there are many chromed-out minnows out there swimming in the water.  I guess that is the trout fisherman in me.  Anyway, this fly has flash in the tail and in the body, but it is muted.  It stands out, but not in a ridiculous way.

Size
I tie this fly on a size 6 hook and I think it is almost perfect.  I think if I tied it smaller, then I wouldn't hook some of the nicer bass that it has landed and would get a lot more hits from smaller fish.  I also think that if I tied it larger, that the proportions might cause the fly to lose it's balanced look.

Castability
Not only can I cast this fly on a four weight, I can use them in a tandem rig on a six weight.  This fly cuts through the air really well and has just the right about of weight that makes it possible for you to put your shoulder into it and cast it fifty feet or more!

If you tie your own flies, you should consider tying up some of these.  If you don't tie and would like some, then feel free to buy some from my Etsy store.  I only sell flies that have worked for me and that I believe in and I definitely have faith in this fly.  I don't have many in stock right now but will be tying more in the coming days in order to always have them available for purchase.

Link to white and olive wooly bugger: https://www.etsy.com/listing/838966869/white-body-cone-head-wooly-bugger?ref=shop_home_active_11

Fly Tying - Andreas Andersson's Sisu

If you are stuck indoors this Labor Day, then maybe this video will inspire you to get on the bench.  Maybe you give this fly a shot or use some of it's elements to create your own fly.  No matter what you choose, you will probably find yourself in the same boat as me when it comes to the materials that I have on hand.  I never seem to have the exact materials that these videos require you to have, but I will make substitutes to make due.  If you like how things turn out, then go purchase the exact materials and give it another go.  Just remember, with substitutions, you fly will not look exactly like the one in the video and there's a chance you might like it even more!

Fly Fishing the Ozarks YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH9Ra827nueyjCl3h7aLwvA

Trolling Motor Stand Project

Last night I finished up a small project that was quick and easy.  After seeing some outboard motor stands, I decided that I needed something similar for my trolling motors and batteries.  I had been leaning the motors against different things in the garage but they always seemed to slide off whatever they were leaning on and fall on the ground.  I was also storing my batteries on shelves that would sag a little from the weight of the batteries.  I conducted a Google image search on some DIY motor stands and used some scrap 2 X 4's to create my stand.  If you want to tackle a project like this, I thought some pointers might help and alleviate some frustration on your end.

For Starters

I estimated how much room I was going to need for three trolling motors, two batteries, and a battery charger.  The width of the stand was based on this estimation.  I then estimated the height that the stand needed to be based on the distance from the motor to the mounting bracket of the motors.  I didn't take exact measurements because this thing only had to serve a couple of basic purposes.

Next

I then added a couple of braces to support the weight of the three motors.  I cut them to 45 degrees and screwed them to the vertical pieces.  I left the other ends alone but cut them so they just barely touched the frame at the bottom.  I figured that would take some of the pressure off the vertical pieces in case they leaned one way or the other.  If I wanted to get technical, I would have cut the bottom of the braces at an angle to fit flush against the frame but I didn't see a necessity for that.  That is also code for "I didn't know if I had the geometry skills for that nor the desire to devote to such an undertaking."  I also threw in a couple of 2 X 4's on the opposite side to hold the batteries and charger.  I also hoped that these would help square things up and add to the overall structural integrity of the stand.  

Two Hiccups Had to be Addressed

So, I thought I was done but noticed an obvious sway in the stand when the trolling motors were attached.  It took me a minute to figure out how to fix this, but then I remembered what I had to do to a deck one time to remedy the same problem.  I also realized that I wanted to be able to easily move this stand around.  To address this, I put a caster on each corner and now it moves with ease.

Problem Fixed!  Done and done!

I found another scrap 2 X 4 and attached it to the vertical pieces but did so at an angle.  I don't know what the angle was, nor do I care, but it fixed the sway.  While I am not an engineer or anything, I think this problem arose because everything was vertical and horizontal which led to other angles not being addressed.  The angled piece stopped all sway and this project was done!  I hope this helps if you decide to tackle a similar project for a similar purpose!  Have a great weekend and get out on the water.  You can almost sense that our days of good fishing and great weather are drawing to an end for the year in many parts!

"No Days Wasted"

This is an amazing story with a great narrator and a good dose of humor!

Midcurrent YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC53Jr-exkSLNcQYsSYG6rfg

Oddities From Fishing on Lake Remembrance Last Night

My buddy Corey and I were able to sling some flies around Lake Remembrance in Blue Springs, Missouri, last night.  While we caught quite a few fish, the theme for the night was oddities.  Let me walk you through a few.

Corey's Natural Hybrid?

Toward the end of the evening, Corey hooked into what I thought was a really big redear sunfish but when he got it to the boat, it didn't have the red mark on it's gill flap or the normal markings of a redear sunfish.  After looking it over for a while, I really think that this was some sort of naturally occurring hybrid.  And if I had to go a step further, I think a bluegill mated with a redear.  I don't see any of the neon blue in the face that is usually displayed in a hybrid that involves a green sunfish which makes me think that a greenie wasn't involved in the creation of this unique specimen.  By the way, this sucker was 9 inches long!

A U-Shaped Tree

I have seen this tree for years now and I always make a special point to appreciate the fact that you don't see u-shaped trees on every lake.  I have no idea what happened to make this tree take on this shape but I sure would like to know.

A Small, Gorging Bass

Again, this isn't the strangest thing to see, but the fact that this little bass had a full belly of crawdad and still wanted my fly was kind of interesting.

We Both Completed the Northwest Missouri Slam

This is a goofy little thing that I came up with but a fun term to use.  You complete the slam when you catch at least four of the species of fish that heavily populate lakes and ponds in Northwest Missouri.  You can catch channel catfish, green sunfish, bluegill, redear sunfish, bass, crappie, or crappie to complete the slam.  I managed to catch a greenie, a redear, a bass, and a bluegill.

I Landed an Above Average Redear
This dude went over 9 inches and put up a heck of a fight.  I wish we had more redear like this in Missouri because they will put up a fight!