Friday, January 29, 2021

Working on a New Fly Pattern- The Hunger Strike

Named after the idea that a fish better be hungry for a meal this big, ready to strike, and an outstanding song from the 90’s, the Hunger Strike is...complex. Part marabou streamer, part complex twist, part articulated streamer, and part mythical beast with countershading, this work horse comes with excess horsepower! 

Wow. I don’t know what happened there. I somehow channeled my inner salesman and prophet. So anyway, I was playing around with some ideas last night and hadn’t freestyled in a long time. I probably looked at 20 streamer patterns before I mentally sketched out the parameters of this beast. I will readily admit that I screwed up by not tying the dumbbell eyes in first and would have preferred a deer hair over a manicured synthetic fiber head. Instead, I had to make due with my errors but I think I might be on to something. You can see influences of the the circus peanut, mini dungeon, and wooly bugger if you look hard enough. But don’t look too hard because it’s like looking at the sun either in the way.  Is it beautiful or is it so overwhelming that you can’t unsee it even as you try to blink it out for the following seconds. My plan is to throw it in the fly tester and see how it behaves before a final judgment! Results forthcoming to a blog near you.



























Thursday, January 28, 2021

Fly Tester Assembly and Review

A few weeks ago I briefly mentioned in a post that my girlfriend Wendy got me a Flymen Fishing Company Fly Tester for Christmas.  After taking some time to read the directions, do some research, and methodically decide how to incorporate the tester into a post, I finally took the plunge.  Setup was pretty easy I watched the following videos from Fly Fishing the Ozarks and Mad River Outfitters.  If you purchase one or are thinking about buying one, I HIGHLY recommend that you watch these videos prior to seeing up your Fly Tester.  They were incredibly helpful and very well made videos. 


Fly Fishing the Ozarks YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/flyfishingtheozarks



Mad River Outfitters YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8J2w-RuMBJz-aLAyJyluBw

Here are some pictures that I took from my first experience with the Fly Tester.  I am in the process of editing a YouTube video and figuring out how to incorporate videos into my Etsy store.  You can expect to see more about this device in the future but I want to be very clear about something if you are considering buying a Fly Tester.  It's a toy...a fun toy, but a toy.  I does not perfectly simulated how your fly will behave in current on on a retrieve but it gets you in the ballpark of understanding how it will move in the water.  Again, it is a lot of fun and I have definitely changed the opinions of the some of the flies in my streamer box...some for the better and some for will be facing the sharp edge of a razor blade soon.  








Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Fly Tying - Kelly Galloup's Mini-Bangtail

This is yet another outstanding video from Brian Wise of Fly Fishing the Ozarks.  For starters, the materials are readily available to most folks.  You might even have them on hand already and might not have to venture to the fly shop for them.  For enders, the techniques are pretty basic.  With that being stated though, I really like how he ties in the synthetic fibers at 6:45 in the video.  I struggle sometimes with getting fibers like this to look just right and Brian has a great technique to simply things.  I hope you dig the pattern and give it a shot!  

Speaking of streamers, I'm working on a pretty cool post but you'll have to wait another day or two for that.  If you've seen my Tik Tok video, you know what's coming!  



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

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

I am Now Officially on Tik Tok




As if I needed more social media, I felt the unnecessary draw to join Tik Tok.  It's actually pretty fun (if you can avoid the drama-fueled posts).  I think this might be the next cool spot to post fly fishing and fly tying videos.  I figured that it wouldn't hurt to post a few things and see what happens.  Feel free to check out the one singular video that I have and give me a follow if you feel so inclined.

Monday, January 25, 2021

New Back Window Sticker

My buddy Nick does some outstanding graphic design as well as vinyl work.  He recently made me some stickers to put on my new truck.  If you are interested in having him do some work for your, please get in contact with him.  He is a small business owner and is a fellow Missourian from a small town.  Email him at nicknacks314@gmail.com or call him at 765-314-6425.  His slogan is "If you can dream it, I'll make it a reality."  He is a thoughtful and kind guy that will go out of his way to make you happy.

On another note, now that you know which truck is mine, please come say hello if you see me on the water.  I love meeting folks that follow the blog and I'm always looking to make new friends.  Maybe we can even swap stories, spots, and a few flies!






Wendy was even gracious enough to let me throw a couple stickers on her car too.  She's always supportive and looking to help me add readers!



Friday, January 22, 2021

New Foundry Fishing Designs

 


I didn't realize that it had been so long since I checked out Foundry's inventory of shirts, hats, and stickers.  These folks have been busy!  It is also noteworthy that I haven't posted about Foundry in over a year.  

If you have no idea what I am writing about, please allow me to catch you up.  Foundry is a company that was created FOR fly fisherman BY fly fishermen.  It started out as a small business in Tennessee.  While I don't have the specifics of the company's growth, I think it is pretty safe to say that business is good for these folks.  Their designs are thoughtful and creative.  Here are some of my favorites on the site right now.  





They are also worth a follow on social media as well.  They don't just plug their products but offer some amazing photography of our favorite sport.  If you decide to purchase something, please feel free to use promo code "FoundryTD15" for 15% off at checkout.  

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

Westover Farms & the Gateway Chapter of Trout Unlimited

What does the term "wild" mean?  The definition according to Merriam-Webster is as follows; "Living in a state of nature and not ordinarily tame or domesticated."  And while a trout that is raised from and egg in a hatchery and released into a stream or lake is certainly not tame or domesticated, most fly fishers would agree that the fish is not wild.  On the opposite end of the spectrum, if an egg is laid by a trout in the same stream and then grows to maturity, then that fish is most definitely wild.  So what kind of classification does a fish get if it originates from an egg that was laid in a hatchery but then hatched in a stream?  If that sounds far fetched, the you might want to watch the following video and decide for yourself.

This project was made possible by the Gateway Chapter of Trout Unlimited and Westover Farms of Steelville, Missouri.  This is a program that is both ambitious and courageous.  I am excited to watch how events from this program play out over the next few years.  Regardless of what happens, these are good stewards of the outdoors that are attempting to introduce a new fishery on a private stretch of water.  This is yet another example of why Missouri has some of the best conservationists and citizens that put their passion for the outdoors into action.  We do things, we don't just talk about them.  There is a reason we are called the show-me state.  We won't just tell you why we appreciate nature, we will readily show you!

Outdoors Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmK0NwFfEuDAn0gS4aq4kFA

Full Article on Project Brown Trout: https://www.gatewaytu.org/project-brown-trout.html

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Artwork I Received for Christmas

I was fortunate to be blessed with a couple of pretty interesting prints as Christmas gifts last holiday season and I am happy to say that they made their ways into my fly tying area yesterday!  They are both considered "altered art".  In both instances, the original artist created a landscape scene.  The second artist then came along and added a different twist to the work by adding their creativity.  I wrote a post about this a few weeks ago and featured some information specifically about Arrowhead Vintage and Handmade Goods.  You can find that post by clicking here.

Wendy bought me the print below with the walker (AT-AT if you're a Star Wars nerd) and I was extremely excited.  I was hoping that I would get this exact print for Christmas and was also featured in the aforementioned post.

Fly Fisherman with a Walker: https://www.arrowheadcanton.com/altered-art/imperial-walker-altered-art-print

Arrowhead Vintage and Handmade Goods Homepage- https://www.arrowheadcanton.com/altered-art



In a strange coincidence, Wendy's brother got me this print.  It was from a completely different artist and I had never seen any of these before.  There are some pretty amazing items in this store and you might just find something for yourself!

Fishing Stormtroopers: https://www.etsy.com/listing/815884434/star-wars-fishing-art-print

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheCollectorsOutpost