Most state record fish catches have pretty good stories that accompany them and this story is no different. I know, its a gar (which a lot of people find undesirable) but this was a BIG gar! It is completely up to you whether you believe in coincidence or some sort of higher power with this story, but regardless of your beliefs, the circumstances around this fish are pretty remarkable. Have a great weekend and hopefully you are able to hit the water with someone that is special to you either in person or in your heart.
Sometimes it pays off to have friends that do amazing things. In this instance, my friend just happened to be Mr. Miller, a former biology teacher that taught me in high school. He also happens to be an amazing taxidermist. He was one of my favorite teachers in high school and I actually have a European deer mount that he completed for me hanging in my living room. He has always been a thoughtful and kind individual as well. He graced me again with his generosity recently when he came across some leftovers from some of his taxidermy work and wondered if I might be able to use some of the hides to tie flies with. He supplied me with a wealth of riches that I cannot thank him enough for, but there was a small fee involved. I'm going to keep that between him and I for now, but if he gives me the go-ahead, I will hopefully post in the future about the payback. For now, I have some flies to tie!
If you would like to see more of his work, feel free to click on the link below. He is an outstanding taxidermist and I have never heard a single bad thing about his work. He's located in Plattsburg, Missouri, so if you live in the area, keep him in mind next time you want to have a trophy mounted. If you don't live in the area and still need a mount, I can attest that he is worth the drive. His work is second to none and you will be happy with the results. He's also a good follow on the 'gram as well!
Last night, the middle school fly fishing club that I sponsor had our last fishing trip of the year at Legacy Lake in Lee's Summit, Missouri. This lake is a little bit of a hidden gem and if you would like more details about the lake, just click here for to read a previous post about the lake. The lake has crappie, chunky green sunfish, a good bass population, bluegill, and catfish. I haven't fished here in a couple of years but the lake really hasn't changed much. We weren't able to fish much of the shoreline because of aquatic vegetation but small boats are allowed on the lake if you can get them from the parking lot to the water. One of our only options was to fish along the dam and that proved to be extremely productive.
We ended up catching A LOT of 6-7 inch crappie but would occasionally hook a largemouth or oversized green sunfish. The kids had a lot of fun with anything on the end of their line which was fun to see and listen to. I was also fortunate to catch a 12 inch crappie as well as a largemouth that went 3 pounds, 6 ounces. Every fish was caught on a 1/80 ounce jig under a float and most were caught on a Standard. Between this fly and a lunch money, these flies have really produced this spring and landed some memorable fish. Speaking of memories, I will appreciate the fact that a bass over three pounds felt inclined to bite a fly that small, stay hooked, and gooseneck my four weight rod!
I ran across this article yesterday and thought it was pretty interesting. It paints an interesting picture of hybrid species of fish that are stocked around the country and the reasons for their stockings. It is leans pretty heavy on the positives but I'll be honest, I don't really see any negatives to these stockings. If there is an argument against stocking hybrids, I would be interested to read that as well. Overall though, it is a very informative article and I learned A LOT! I hope you learn a few things from it as well and are able to form your own opinion on stocked hybrid species of fish.
Wendy, Waylon, and I were able to head up to our family farm in northwest Missouri yesterday and hit a couple of farm ponds. The wind made things a little challenging in terms of using a fly rod and Waylon added some obstacles in the boat but it was an amazing day. I caught some bass on a streamer and Wendy and I caught some nice bluegill on jigs under floats. None of the bass were monsters but I did end up with one healthy, fifteen inch bass towards the end of the day. I caught him and all the other bass on an eight weight rod. The streamer that caught every bass was a Lunch Money. This fly is quickly becoming one of my favorites because of it's sink rate, profile, and action. As far as the bluegill go, we caught everything either on a John Deere or a Standard. A few of the gills went 8 inches and really put a bend in a 4 weight rod.
This weekend I will be hitting the water to do one of my favorite spring-time activities; fly fish for largemouth bass in farm ponds. The takes are aggressive, the fights are intense, and it's just a lot of fun. What a lot of people don't know is that yes, you can indeed fly fish for largemouth and smallmouth bass. Smallies seem to get the bulk of the publicity in the fly fishing arena, but don't sleep on throwing flies for a hydrilla gorilla! I have included a set of videos that should help you get start (if you're a newbie) or refine (if you're a veteran) your skills when it comes to chasing bassquatch. I would be remiss if I didn't throw my two cents in terms of getting started.
I prefer to throw a six weight rod when chasing smaller flies for smaller fish and an eight weight rod when chasing bass that are two pounds or bigger or when throwing bigger flies. I use a six to seven foot leader and usually use 10 pound leader. I use fluorocarbon but I should probably switch to monofilament because it stretches less. I prefer throwing streamers because I think they catch more. I can't bring myself to dredge the bottom with a worm or crayfish imitation and I only fish topwater after the spawn and when the water is warm. So that's my two cents but these folks know A LOT more than me so listen to them and take their advice if you are conflicted! Have a great weekend, get out on the water, and go catch yourself a bucketmouth.
The state of Missouri has some amazing fishing opportunities and you don't need to look any further than the two state records that were recently broken. Both the species and methods that were used to catch each species varied greatly. These facts only strengthen the fact that opportunities to catch quality fish are all around the state. We should be grateful for so many species and locations that allow us to do what we love. A special thanks goes out to the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Conservation Federation of Missouri for affording Missourians these resources!
The boys over at the Missouri Woods and Water podcast were gracious enough to allow me to come on the program and talk a little about fly fishing. These guys run a great podcast and cover a wide range of topics. They are down to earth and easy to relate to as well. If you have the time, I suggest giving them a listen and if you like what you hear, help spread the word about what they do. I know they would appreciate all the support you can give them.
Since the weather is not your typical Midwest, springtime conditions, it seemed apropos to share a fly tying video. This particular video features a sculpin, streamer pattern that is tied on a jig hook. If it sounds complicated, trust me, it is not and you could simplify it even more if you wanted. For example, rather than tying in the ostrich and then more dubbing, you could go with a hackle collar instead. Also, you could substitute some variegated or pearl chenille instead of the dubbing loop. Regardless, this fly looks like a good pattern and the fact that it is tied on a jig-style hook makes it unique.
Speaking of the jig hook and slotted bead, this combination is becoming increasingly popular and it makes sense why. This fly will ride with the point oriented upward. This will surely help avoid snags and dredging the bottom of the water column for moss. It will also have a good sink rate due to the combination of the bead and lead wire. Don't get me wrong, while this fly will sink and as it is mentioned in the video, the fly can be fished on a floating line or Euro nymph set up and I don't see why you couldn't fish it on a sink-tip line for those deep runs and pools. On another note, while this fly is meant for trout, I have no doubt that bluegill, white bass, smallmouth, and largemouth would hit this thing too! This fly has a lot of good qualities and could very well become your next go-to fly.
Wow! You folks! You're the best and I haven't told you that in a while. It also seems like an appropriate time to thank some new viewers as well. For about the last month, this blog is getting viewed (on average) over 500 times per day. It wasn't that long ago that a day with 80 views was a big deal. So if you are a returning patron, thank you. If you are new, thank you for your support. It is always my hope that you enjoy the content of this page whether you find it interesting, entertaining, or both. I am always looking to provide better content so if you have any ideas, feel free to email me your idea. My email is showmeflyguy@gmail.com. Don't be a stranger digitally or if we ever run into one another on the water. As my friends remind me, I will and can talk to just about anyone!
On another note, I am getting close to 1,000 followers on Instagram. Since we have some new viewers, I thought I would invite folks to give me a follow if you would like. I'm not sure if getting to 1,000 followers unlocks some sort of bonus track or a warp zone or anything. Maybe it does, and if so, I hope it makes it easier to save Princess Peach or releases a previously unheard Nirvana song from their Unplugged performance. However, in the grand scheme of things, it's just a number. If you can help me reach it, I would appreciate it. If you can't, it's not the end of the world. I mean, Princess Peach might die so it would be the end of the world for her but she's just digital so whatever. And just for the heck of it, here's my favorite Nirvana song from their Unplugged performance since I brought it up anyway.
