Fly Fishing the Ozarks - Tying Galloup's Mini Peanut Envy

In case you didn't know, Fly Fishing the Ozarks is a YouTube channel that is ran by Brian Wise.  Brian lives in southern Missouri and is an amazing fly tyer and angler.  I always try to help support and promote fellow Missourians that have fishing connections but on top of that, Brian's work is outstanding.  In the video that he released today, he ties an articulated streamer that was developed for targeting big brown trout.  However, I have no doubt that an aggressive rainbow trout, smallmouth, white bass, hybrid striped bass, or largemouth would crush this thing as well.  Good luck if you decide to try and whip some of these up yourself and if you could give Brian's channel some support with a like and/or notification, it would help drive future projects and support a fellow Missourian at the same timel.

Fly Fishing the Ozarks YouTube Channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH9Ra827nueyjCl3h7aLwvA

We Bought a Dog!

The last time I had a puppy was when I was in 6th grade and the last time I owned a dog (which was with a girl I dated at the time and who subsequently took the dog after the break up) was in 2003.  So yes, it has been a while since I had a dog.  Don't get me wrong, I love dogs.  I love their personalities, abilities, and affection.  What has kept me from wanting to own a dog was the amount of responsibility that comes along with said ownership.  

One could say that I have a lot of irons in the fire.  I keep pretty busy and the prospect of dog ownership would obviously add to the workload.  I'm a pretty analytical thinker and dog ownership didn't seem to make sense.  Logical thinking went out the window however when I first laid eyes on Waylon.  He was a puppy in a litter that belonged to my buddy Jason.  He was looking for a good home for one of the pups and suggested that we come "take a look" at him.  We all know what is bound to happen when you "look" at a puppy.  Anyway, thanks to some generosity from my buddy Mark and Wendy agreeing to taking on such a commitment, there is now a dog in the house.  

He is a German shorthair pointer and turns 10 weeks old today.  He's pretty smart and very affectionate.  He plays hard and naps harder too!  He potty trained in a few days, can sit on command, and is working on kennel training.  Sure, he can be a pain sometimes but his positives outweigh his negatives.  I want to take a moment to thank Wendy from the bottom of my heart for all of the work that she has done with him and hours of sleep that she has donated to care for him.  If it weren't for her, I would feel overwhelmed and stressed beyond belief.

You will be seeing plenty of pictures of Waylon in the future.  I plan on sharing our adventures together as well as his growth.  Don't get me wrong, I will stick to the fly fishing theme of this blog as well!  Make no mistake about it, Waylon is going to be a fishing (and maybe shed-hunting) dog.  I haven't taken him out on a boat yet, but that will be happening soon.  I'm a little nervous about how he will take to the water and the idea of fishing, but he seems pretty bright and influential so I am hopeful that exposing him to these things will bring about some fun experiences.  So here we go!  I guess it is time for this old dog to learn some new tricks.

Mason's First Fish at a Trout Park

For my final Roaring River post, I wanted to share that my oldest son caught his first trout at a Missouri trout park!  He caught it near the spring on a small jig under a float.  On top of that, he said he wanted to give trout a try and decided to keep the fish.  He's one of those weirdos that likes to eat fish.  Did I mention that I hate to eat fish and I find both their taste and consistency to be unpleasant.  Anyway, the little guy wanted to eat his fish so it felt like the perfect opportunity to show him how to clean and cook his fish as well.  

It was a pretty simple recipe.  We stuffed the body cavity with butter and sprinkled it with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.  We also smothered it in Italian dressing prior to wrapping it in aluminum foil and throwing it on the grill.  It was a great experience and he really liked the fish too!  He liked his fish so much, he ate the one that I kept as well!

CFM Communicator of the Year Award

While we are at Roaring River, my buddy Colton was kind enough to drop off my trophy that was awarded to me when I was named the 2020 Conservation Communicator of they Year by the Conservation Federation of Missouri.  I went into more detail about this in a previous post and you can click here to read that post if you would like.  To say that this trophy is an amazing piece of art is a ridiculous understatement.  Thank you very much Colton, Tyler Schwartze (CFM director), and The Conservation Federation of Missouri for this amazing recognition and award.

Tim's Fly Shop

Last week while I was down at Roaring River, I had the delight to not only go to Tim's Fly Shop (located just outside of the park) but also got to meet Tim himself.  The store is exactly what you would expect a Missouri fly shop to look like.  Hard woods, mounts, and a variety of products.  As for Tim, he is an exceptionally nice gentleman and extremely knowledgeable about all things fishing in the area.  If you are in the area and get a chance to stop by his fly shop, I think you will find that your time was well spent!  His Facebook posts will keep you up to date on stream conditions as well as what the fish seem to be keying on.

Webpage Link: https://missouritrout.com/timsflyshop/

Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/Tims-Fly-Shop-60932709761/

First Trout on the Carpenter Bros. Bamboo Rod

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about the new Carpenter Bros. website.  My buddy Cris Carpenter makes amazing bamboo fly rods from scratch and you can click here to see the previous post.  You can also see his contact information below.

Mobile: 816.769.7961

Email: criscarpenter@comcast.net

Link: https://www.carpenterflyrods.com/

As I stated in the previous post, I am a proud owner of a Carpenter Bros. fly rod.  I am a little embarrassed to state this, but while I have caught a few fish on the rod, I hadn't caught any trout on this rod.  I used it in Yellowstone last summer but struck out on that trip.  And while I had trout fished at other times, I just didn't feel like it was appropriate to use a bamboo rod in those situations.  My reasoning, which seems odd when I actually type it, is that I felt that this rod needed to be used on a stream.  I felt like my graphite, workhorse rods, were more appropriate for places like Lake Taneycomo, and stocked ponds.  Right or wrong, I felt like a fine piece of craftsmanship like this rod deserved a certain reverence.  In other words, it felt weird to take a Ferrari down a dirt road.  In my mind that makes sense, but I'm not sure if it will to you.

Last Friday, I am proud to say that I caught my first trout on my bamboo rod.  I caught it on a nymph rig and while it was just a 12 inch stocker, it was a heck of a feeling.  I caught a few more on nymphs and a couple on dries.  The rod performed flawlessly and handled each fish with grace.  Except for one, but that was both my fault and the fish's fault.

The first fish that I hooked with the bamboo rod was one of the largest Missouri trout park fish I have ever hooked.  At first, everything seemed normal.  My strike indicator when down and the hook-set felt ordinary.  I realized the gravity of the situation when it jumped and when I got it close to the bank prior to a rejuvenation.  It was probably 18 inches long and definitely over two pounds.  I thought I was getting close to landing it a couple of times but as he was winding down, he found a risky escape route.  

If you have been to Roaring River, you know that there are pools that are contained by rocks and that there are plenty of rapids/falls.  I'm not really sure what the proper name is.  Anyway, my prize decided to go over the falls.  I ran downstream in pursuit and surprisingly kept him on the line.  I felt like Paul in A River Runs Through It for a moment.  However, the pile of floating sticks that had collected along the bank after the recent rain became my downfall.  Either out of wits or luck, the fish got into the sticks.  I knew I had to get him out so I forced the angle of my rod to become more parallel to the water.  

Just as I started to move him upstream, he came unbuttoned.  It happened with the subtleness of a broken shoelace.  Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught, so maybe it was closer to 20 inches.  While it stung to lose the fish, it still makes for a heck of a story and memory!

Roaring River Fishing Report

Last week, I was part of a group that went down to Roaring River State Park to do some trout fishing.  The group consisted of Wendy (no longer my girlfriend, and now my fiancé), her son Collin, her mom Sharon, my sons Mason and Cody, my parents, and I.  We also met up with some other friends down there and I got to fish with April and her daughter while we were there.  You can see April's smiling face and nice fish (bigger than my fish, that's for sure) at bottom of this post.  She is a passionate angler that is picking up our fine sport pretty fast!

The conditions were less than ideal but we still managed a catch some fish.  The water was high and stained which made it hard to find and target fish, but with some dedication and changes in tactics, I ended up catching about 25 fish for the weekend.  Looking back, I probably should have fished the "flies only" section more and avoided the bait crowds more but that was also the section of the river that was dropping and clearing the fastest.  There were however MANY highlights from the trip that I will share over the course of the week.  One of these was a fish that I caught on a dry fly.

I ended up catching about 5-6 fish on dries and should have caught more.  My go-to fly in a Missouri trout park is a Griffith's gnat.  I rarely throw anything else to be honest.  This fly worked well on trout that were rising to each what appeared to be cream-colored midges that were hatching.  It is my understanding that a Griffith's gnat is actually meant to simulate a cluster of midges on the surface of the water.  I am left to infer that this is the reason this fly worked fairly well...or these fish were just pellet-headed stockers that didn't know any better.  Either way it was fun.  Now on to my memorable dry fly eater.

I found a little pool towards the head of the spring that as low, clear, and with a healthy amount of fish.  Some were being territorial and/or in pre spawn mode but others seemed to be feeding.  They weren't interested in the nymph rig I was throwing so I switched to a Griffith's gnat.  On the first cast, I hooked into a little guy.  After that, I had a lot of lookers but not a lot of takers.  Then, as it often happens with fishing, my fortune changed.  I made a cast to a group of three fish and none of them seemed interested.  As I started to look for other fish to cast to, I saw a fish move away from the bank and it started to take a direct path to my fly.  It was probably 10 feet away when I first noticed it.  That fish never hesitated or changed course and was closing the distance quickly between it and my fly.  My pulse raced and I tried to remind myself to let him take it before setting the hook.  

I often set the hook on dry flies too fast and miss the fish solely due to excitement.  I also prepared myself for the fish to refuse the fly at the last minute.  He didn't.  Instead, he simply took it down with a sip and turned to swim back home.  I set the hook and the short struggle insued.  It wasn't a big fish.  It might not have been a particularly smart fish.  What is WAS however, was a memorable moment which became one of the highlights of the trip.  As I heard a fisherman once say, the point of fishing isn't to catch the fish, it is to fool the fish!  Well in this case, I fooled the fish and that felt pretty good!

Complex Bugger Review

As promised, this is your review of the complex bugger.  To make a long story short, I dig it.  Here are my observations from throwing it last Tuesday for largemouth bass on Missouri farm ponds.

• Great for stained water and overcast days
• Good profile and I liked the combination of black, green, and polar UV.
• Has flash, but it's a muted and realistic flash.
• The purple/UV strands really stand out in the water regardless of water/atmosphere conditions.
• Sinks like a rock and no need for sinking line if you typically throw floating line.
• Had a good flutter and jigging motion. 
• Even had a little twitch to it when stripped aggressively.

I have a few in stock if you would like to order one and all you have to do is click on the link below.  If you are a tier and you want to tie your own, there are some up-close pictures to get you started.  The body is a complex twist of pearl olive chenille, UV chenille, and olive schlappen.  The tail is black marabou and it has a black collar as well.  If you need more help, feel free to hit me up on Facebook or email.  I would be glad to help you tie your own.

Link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/958707048/complex-bugger-fly

Bass Pro Shops 7/8 Intruder Fly Reel- I Have a Problem With You!

I don't put a lot of stock into reels.  To me, they are glorified line holders.  I can recall less than ten times that I have really relied on the drag system of my reel to fight a fish.  More so, during those times, I had my drag set light enough that I palmed the reel, thus creating my own drag.  As a result of these things, I don't drop a lot of money on reels. That's why I purchased a 7/8 Intruder reel from Bass Pro Shops for $30.  Now before I vent my frustration, please understand that I am not trying to drag Bass Pro through the mud for their product.  I have worked there, benefitted from Bass Pro's charitable work, and genuinely love Bass Pro.  Instead, I'm just looking to see if anyone else has the same problem I am having with this reel or this is a "you get what you pay for" type of situation.

The problem that I am having is when I peel off line to cast.  When I aggressively pull some line off the reel, the gear mechanism (I'm totally guessing here by the way) seems to completely disengage and the reel goes into a drag-free spin. As a result, the fly line jumps off the reel and creates a bird's nest type situation as you can see in the picture above.  I've adapted how I peel line to mitigate the problem but it's still a pain in the rear.  This is where my request to you comes in to play.  

If you have this type of reel, have you had this happen before?  Do you know of a fix for this problem?  Should I take it to Bass Pro and ask them to replace it?  I've had this reel for a couple of years now and I feel awkward asking for a replacement after so much time.  Should I just bite the bullet and buy a better 8 weight reel?  I will say this, if I was ever going to need a drag system on a reel, it would be on an 8 weight?  Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.  Feel free to comment below, message me on Facebook, or even shoot me an email.  

First Bass Fishing Outing of the Year

Yesterday I was able to hit three farm ponds in the northwest Missouri area since I am currently on spring break.  By no means were the conditions ideal but most of the time I fish when I have the time to, not when the perfect conditions appear. In yesterday's case the water was up and pretty murky.  The air temperature was not as warm as last week and there was a wind out of the east as well.  However, my opinion that time of year places as much of a role in animal behavior as temperatures made me feel good about my prospects.  Also, the wind wasn't too strong so that meant I was throwing a fly.  Like anything else in life as well as fishing, "You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have...the facts of life."  If you're around my age and you get that reference, you're welcome.  Now go to YouTube and look up the original version or just click here.  To heck with it, here's the theme song.

I decided I was going to fish one fly and one fly only, the complex bugger. This is a fly I started tying this winter and I really like it in terms of materials, color and profile. It has also tested well in the fly tester and I was excited to see how it would perform on the water.  It's dark profile was still visible in the water so I knew that if I could see it then the fish could see it ten times better.  Enough about this fly for now though because there will be a lengthier write up about it later in the week.  I ended up catching three fish, one at each pond.  I missed one bite and saw another bass spook when I was bringing in one.  I also saw some dark-colored tadpoles in the shallows that were hiding out in flooded brush.  I also caught one bass that was STUFFED!  I'm wondering if he had been gorging on tadpoles and if my complex bugger looked close enough to a tadpole in murky water?!?!

So here is what I took away from my experience.  The bass in my neck of the woods are starting to turn on and the fishing is only going to get better from here on out.  Some of them have already started to prepare their bodies for the spawn and while their takes were aggressive yesterday (I had a gaudy 75% catch rate), I have to think that the best of this aggression will be coming in the next two or three weeks.  The bass in the ponds that I fish typically spawn into late April.  Also, my records show (yes, I keep a journal because I'm a scientific nerd) that all of the six pound bass and most of the five pound bass that I have landed in my life have been caught in the month of April.  As usual, I hope this information helps and maybe guides you towards catching more fish of your own.  Besides, that is ultimately the purpose of this blog and I never want to lose site of that.  It is supposed to be a tool that helps you catch more fish and hopefully that's exactly what it does!  Have a great day and hit the water if/when you can!

Black Fly Creations Winnings Video

A few weeks back, I entered a contest on Instagram that was held by Black Fly Creations. I made this video as a way to say thank to you to Steve, the owner of the company, and to help promote their brand a little as well. There are some amazing designs on their site so check them out if you can!

Black Fly Creations: https://www.blackflycreations.com/

New T-Shirt Design

It has been a while since I had a shirt made, but I'm thinking about placing an order for something like this.  I am considering a black shirt with yellow text and fish.  Sorry it appears on a white shirt but I couldn't get the fish to be yellow.  I am leaning towards some long sleeves, a few short sleeves and maybe even a couple of hoodies since there are still some cool days in our future.  If anyone has any input, I would love to hear it!  Feel free to let me know if you like the design, have ideas for changes, and/or if you would consider purchasing one.  I'm not sure on the price yet but I will be getting some quotes soon.  Feel free to comment below or shoot me at email at showmeflyguy@gmail.com.  As always, thanks for viewing and supporting the blog!  It is appreciated more than you know.