The Replica Mount is Ordered!

I'm a catch and release guy.  I always have been and always will be.  If you're not, that's fine and I'm not about to try and sway you.  Keep on keepin' on buddy.  Folks gotta eat.  I do to, I just don't want to eat fish.

I wish I enjoyed eating fish, but I just don't.  If fish tasted like red meat, or even pork for Pete's sake, I would be keeping more fish.  Don't get me wrong, I'll keep stockers and overstocked farm pond fish for friends and family, but I would much rather watch a fish swim away than put it in a basket or on a stringer and then cut it up.  I'll do it, but I would rather not.  I also sure as HECK don't want to kill a fish for the sole purpose hanging it's skin on my wall.  (If you do, that's your call and I am the last person to judge anyone!)  

When it comes to trophy fish (of which I have not caught very many) I prefer to celebrate the fish and the memory with a replica mount.  Sure, they are a little pricey but a replica mount is a trophy to me.  Growing up, I didn't win many trophies.  I played basketball and the teams I played on just didn't win a lot of hardware.  After my athletic career ended, my fishing career began.  A replica mount is a way to celebrate the fish, the excitement, and the memory.  And if I am being completely honest, it makes me feel like I accomplished something as an angler.

So when it came time to pick someone to recreate my fish, I only contacted one person and that was Jim Lucas.  In my opinion, Jim is the best trout taxidermist in the state of Missouri.  You might think otherwise but he is my guy.  Between the female brown that he made a replica of for me and his work that you can find on his Facebook page, I just didn't want to put this job in anyone else's hands.  Jim is also an outstanding trout fisherman.  He's caught more big trout than I ever will so he knows the details and nuances of big Missouri fish.  I use the term "Missouri fish" because Missouri trout are different than trout out west.  Missouri trout are more like footballs and western trout seem to be a little longer and sleeker.  I guess some of that comes from most Missouri trout being raised on a high protein diet from a young age.  

If you are in the market for a replica or just want to see some cool taxidermy, check out Jim's Facebook page.  It has prices, his phone number, and all kinds of other stuff that might be useful to you.  He's even got an otter holding a bullhead catfish mount! 

Link: https://www.facebook.com/Jimlucastaxidermy

Every Fish We Catch Should be Appreciated

Dink.  Trophy.  Lunker.  Minnow.  In the slot.  Under the size limit.  Wall hanger.  Monster.  Sardine.  Little guy.  Whopper.  Nothing special.  Fish of a lifetime.

If you fish, you have probably used a few of these words before to describe a fish that you have caught.  I know I sure have.  Like me, you might have even thrown small fish back without even giving them a solid look.  On the other hand, folks can be guilty of appreciating a bigger fish to the point they accidentally kill it due to keeping it out of the water for too long to admire it and pose for pictures.  I'm guilty on that one too and I will readily admit the fact.  I still regret killing a grass carp last summer because I mishandled it and kept it out of the water for too long.  Either way, let me propose a different perspective.

Every fish is special, and I mean that literally.  No matter the size, species, gender, or location, every fish you catch is pretty spectacular.  Just think about what it takes to catch a fish.  You have to be in the right place at the right , month, week, day, and time.  The fish has to be hungry or in an aggressive mood.  You need to have the right type, size, and color of lure/fly.  You need to move it in the exact way the fish wants it or motionless if that what the fish wants.  If you do, by chance, happen to get a fish to bite, you have to hook it.  After that, you have to hope that all of your knots hold, that they hook doesn't bend/break, and that your line doesn't have any week spots.  If your line gets wrapped around a snag, you might lose the fish.  If your equipment breaks, it's game over.  The fish can swim at you and cause slack in your line and get off the hook or might jump and toss your hook.  

There's a lot of things that have to go YOUR way to avoid all of these things.  If you do indeed land the fish, take a moment to appreciate how things worked in your favor.  Regardless of the size, you were pretty fortunate to land it at all.  So enjoy every speck of color, every scale, and every bit of beauty that fish has to offer.  I'm not trying to sound preachy because I need to do all of these things too!  Just sharing some thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head a little.

Fly Fishing Lake Taneycomo- Part 2- The Fish of a Lifetime!

While Wendy and I had some highs and lows to our fishing, things were about to trend upwards.  When we arrived at the water, the dam was running one generator.  What that means is that water was coming through the dam and thus raising the water level and increasing the current.  This is usually a good thing because it puts the fish in a feeding mode and will push them either deep or to the edges.  When this happens, most fly fishers know that a scud is a great fly to use.  I decided to tie on a scud behind a 1/80 ounce jig.  The jig was a fly that I have had a lot of success on before and would also be the weight that got the scud deeper in the water column.  The scud was a sparkly blue fly that I had bought over 10 years ago at Lilly's Landing fly shop.  I hadn't ever used this fly but for some reason, I liked it more than the natural colors.

Wendy and I approached the edge of the water and the conditions were a little intimidating.  We had trees behind us, boulders at our feet, and fast water in front of us.  This can be tough fishing, but it can also be productive.  Wendy saw this first-hand when I made my first roll cast into the water.  The indicator went down with the subtleness of a broken shoelace.  I knew very well from experience that a boulder could have been the cause of the indicator sinking.  The flies had time to get down and could have gotten caught on the bottom.  I also knew that it could have a fish.  An old friend once told me that setting the hook didn't cost you anything.  In other words, would you rather be safe that sorry.  I gave a solid hook set and quickly realized that I was not hooked on a boulder.

I felt a fish on the end of the line and while it felt solid, I couldn't tell how big the fish was because it quickly got into some swift current.  The fish started to head upstream where people were which made me nervous but then headed back down stream to where I could see boulders.  This made me equally nervous.  He was peeling line pretty fast and I had a moment to think about whether I should pursue or just try to horse him back.  I was feeling adventurous and curious, so I decided to try to chase him down.

Things did not go well at first.  I almost tripped on a boulder.  He almost broke me off around a series of boulders.  I got my rod tip stuck in a tree branch for a moment.  I had to ask a fellow angler to move.  He was nice enough to move and even offered to help net the fish but never got the chance.  Up to this point, I hadn't even seen the fish yet and wondered if I was chasing a really aggressive 18 inch rainbow.  After I cleared the rocks, trees, and anglers, I finally got the head of the fish to the surface.  That's when the intensity changed.

It was a brown.  It was a big brown.  It was a big male brown.  It was the biggest male brown I had ever hooked into!  While I was thrilled, the idea of losing such a fish entered my mind.  It had been a long fight and things could end badly at any moment.  Knots had experienced a lot of pressure.  The fly had stayed hooked for a long time.  The two pound fluorocarbon had been stretched and tested.  I also thought about every big fish that I had ever lost near the end of a battle.  I prayed for help.  No, I literally prayed.  There was also begging involved.  I'm not ashamed to admit it.  

The fish was reaching shallow water and running out of real estate.  As the water thinned, it started to come to the net.  I moved toward it to meet him.  It felt like and eternity of reaching for him and that he was never going to get in the net.  I just kept thinking, "Get his head in and it is over!  He can't swim or jump backwards.  When his head went in and the ordeal was over, a wave of adrenaline washed over me.  

I ran to Wendy with my trophy in the net.  We needed pictures but I also wanted to keep this leviathan safe.  He unhooked quickly and easily and wasn't out of the water for long.  After a little time nursing and observing, I watched him swim away.  The experience of catching a fish like that was miraculous to me.  Wendy booking the trip, the 10 year old fly, getting my rod stuck in a tree, my knots holding strong, and not breaking two pound test line over a long fight with rocks around was nothing short of a miracle.  I also landed the fish on the Orvis that Wendy got me as a wedding gift which made it even more special.  The tale of the tape was 24 inches with a 15 inch girth and a weight of 6 pounds or more.  While those numbers are special, the memory is even more spectacular.  Wendy also gets all the credit for the pictures and thanks for celebrating this catch with me beautiful!

Fly Fishing Lake Taneycomo- Part 1- The The "Small Fish"

Wendy and I had the pleasure of taking a small honeymoon in Branson last weekend.  She actually surprised me with the trip and were able to stay at my buddy Chris's condo in Branson for next to no cost.  She even went to the trouble to reserve a boat for a day as well.  While I absolutely love to wade and fish up by Table Rock Dam, the water conditions hardly ever make that a possibility.  We almost always reserve a boat at Lilly's Landing because we just expect water to be coming through the dam.  As luck would have it though, we had the delight to cancel that reservation.  The dam was hardly generating any water at all during our time there and we got to wade and fish my favorite fishing spot in the world!

An added bonus was the presence of some HUGE brown trout.  They come up to the dam in October because they think it is time to spawn, albeit they are unsuccessful most of the time.  I have been told that fluctuating water levels ruin any nests.  However, they were there and BUSY!  They were chasing, swimming up hatchery outlets, and breeching all over the place.  While it was fun to see them, I also understood that their mindset was not on feeding and more on breeding.  While some were still being caught, the chances of hooking into a big one seemed low...but not impossible.  

We each caught a few fish when we arrived on Saturday afternoon on small white jigs under indicators.  I landed a brown, which was something I hadn't done in a long time and was really exciting.  Wendy caught a few more on Sunday on the white jig and even caught her first and second brown as well!  She had NEVER caught a brown and was thrilled to land a two!  On the other hand, I struggled mightily.  I ended up catching one fish on a standard and one on a sculpin pattern.  I owe a HUGE thanks to the nice gentleman from Gardner, Kansas, that gave me the fly and some advice on how to fish it!  It was an adrenaline rush to watch a rainbow swim from 20 feet away and hammer that sculpin.  We went and got some lunch and a nap before heading back to fish later that afternoon.  What happened later that day is something that I will never forget...but I will post about that tomorrow.

New Items in the Etsy Store!

With great excitement, I am happy to announce that there are a couple of new items available at the Etsy store.  There is a brown trout silhouette fly drying patch and a slotted fly box.  For more information and details, just click on the links below.  All orders are greatly appreciated and even if you don't place and order, thank you for supporting this site and my endeavors.  

Fly drying patch: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1088507350/fly-patch

Fly box link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1088501314/fly-box-streamer-box-show-me-fly-guy-fly

Show Me Fly Guy Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheShowMeFlyGuy

 

An Alligator Gar in Kansas

Alligator gar aren't common in my neck of the woods around the Kansas City area.  As far east as Kansas, not only are they rare, they are nonexistent...or should I say WERE nonexistent.  In September of 2021, the first alligator gar ever caught on record in Kansas was landed by an angler on the Neosho River.  It was a pretty good sized one too.  This is an interesting story that leaves scientists and anglers with more questions than answers though.  Feel free to click on the links for more information and to formulate your own hypothesis on how a fish like this ends up in a place that it doesn't belong.

Link: https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWP-Info/News/Weekly-News/10-12-21-First-ever-Alligator-Gar-Caught-in-Kansas/First-ever-Alligator-Gar-Caught-in-Kansas

Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2021/10/14/alligator-gar-kansas-fisherman/

Link: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/10/13/alligator-gar-caught-by-kansas-fisherman/8443328002/

An Amazing Gift from my Wife

Many months ago, I joked with my wife that I would buy her a wedding ring if she bought me an Orvis Helios 3.  I also quipped that it seemed only fair.  She got a ring and I got a fly rod.  I never expected her to take that request seriously and never imagined that she would follow through with such a thing.  Well, at our wedding reception, she surprised me with a 9 foot, 5 weight, Orvis Helios 3D.  This was a HUGE shock to me and I was left speechless.  Her generosity and thoughtfulness are just a couple more reasons that she is an amazing woman and I am proud to call her my wife. 

I can't wait to get this thing on the water and see how it performs.  I'll be sure to give a review of the rod and offer my thoughts on how it performs.  

 

A Perfect Day

On Saturday, October 16, 2021, I married Wendy and it really was a perfect day.  The weather was perfect.  A huge number of our friends and family showed up.  We laughed, we cried, and ended the day as husband and wife.  I have so many memories from this day that I will never forget and it was all due to Wendy's planning.  She dad an amazing job planning out the perfect day and even threw in a few surprises as well which I will document later this week.  (One surprise was a BIG one and it definitely fits the theme of this blog!)  I am proud to call her my wife and I am looking forward to spending the rest of my life trying to be the best husband that I can be for her!

The Winds of Change are Blowing

Folks, this is a big weekend!  Something big is going down on Saturday and I couldn't be happier.  On Saturday afternoon, I get to marry my favorite fishing partner.  Wendy was once "the girlfriend" and then became "the fiancé".  This Saturday, she becomes "the wife".  Wendy and I are getting married at a little barn in northwest Missouri.  I tried selling her on getting hitched up at our family farm and going on a honeymoon to Lake Taneycomo, but her vision will probably turn out to be a little more...proper.  I will have all kinds of stories and pictures next week but for now, I leave you as a man that is engaged but I'll come back married!

New Items Coming to the Etsy Store!

There are a couple of new items that will be going up in the Etsy store soon and I wanted to give everyone a preview.  The first item is a fly box with the Show Me Fly Guy logo on it.  The dimensions will be about 7 inches wide, 4 inches wide, and 1 inch tall.  The box is lined with a slit foam which will make the box last longer since you won't be tearing up foam when you insert of retrieve flies.  Aside from selling the box individually, I also planning on tying up some assortments and including them with the box as well.  I am planning on a jig assortment, a wooly bugger assortment, and a streamer assortment that will be on size 2 hooks (so yeah, they will be big flies for big fish).  

There is also a silicon boat patch that will be for sale soon too!  It is 10 inches long and in the silhouette of a brown trout.  It also has pre-cut slits to increase durability and has an adhesive back.  My buddy Corey has already installed one of these in his boat and absolutely loves it.  The patch can handle big or small flies and will help you stay organized as well as safe.  Nobody wants a hook in their foot, rear, or simply lost to forgetfulness.  Here is a link to my Etsy store and I will be sure to post when these items become available.

Link: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheShowMeFlyGuy

Not Sure What Happened

About a week ago, something happened with this blog which caused a very large decline in views per day.  Up until last week, this blog was averaging about 500 views per day.  As of last Tuesday, daily views have dropped to an average of about 100 views per day.  I am unsure as to why views dropped by so much all at once and if anyone has any ideas or feedback, I would greatly appreciate any input.  I didn't post anything polarizing or controversial so I'm left scratching my head as to what happened.  Feel free to email me at showmeflyguy@gmail.com.  As always, thanks for visiting the site and reading the content.  it is greatly appreciated.

Pack It Out Campaign

 

Over the weekend I was able to do a little bit of fishing between Collin's (Wendy's son) basketball games.  His games were held near Longview Lake and I was able to fish a little bit near the marina between games.  I caught a few bluegill and saw some interesting wildlife but what struck me most was the amount of trash that was in and near the water.  Fortunately, I had my stripping bucked with me and decided to help clean things up a little bit.  It didn't take long and it wasn't much trouble...which leads me to my next point.  I didn't really want to do it.

I think most people can relate to how I felt.  I didn't want to clean up the mess because I didn't make it.  I don't leave trash where I fish and why should I have to clean up someone else's mess?  Shouldn't they be responsible and respectful enough to not leave a mess behind?  Of course, the answer is yes but that mentality wasn't helping solve the problem.  I had to adopt a new mentality.  After thinking for awhile, I came to the realization that I needed to simplify the situation.  

I stopped concerning myself with the people that left the trash and instead just looked at it as simply the right thing to do.  I also felt like I was helping out the environment that I love and appreciate.  My buddy Ryan Walker of Ozark Smallmouth Alliance feels similar enough that he started a campaign on social media.  If you or others decide to help clean up the environment while you are spending time on the water, tag @ozarkssmallmouthalliance in your post and use the hashtag #packitoutosa.  This will help spread the word about doing some good in the world and will hopefully make the places that we love a little prettier as well!

Bluegill Cutout with Stickers

On top of the largemouth bass license plate project that I have going on, I was able to cut out a bluegill silhouette as well.  I decided to put a coat of polyurethane on the bluegill and have started to cover it in stickers. I think once all of the wood is covered adn all you see is stickers and the outline of the bluegill, this is going to end up looking pretty interesting.  So far so good for now though.

 

A Piebald Catfish

I have seen albino catfish before, but this is the first piebald catfish I have ever seen!  the story is pretty interesting but the information about the piebald condition is a little more fascinating...in my opinion.

Link: https://www.fieldandstream.com/fishing/tennessee-piebald-catfish/

Farm Ponds Are…Getting Better

Last Sunday I was able to hit up one of my favorite farm ponds with my boys and Waylon.  I caught a few fish on spinnerbaits and their takes were extremely aggressive.  The numbers weren't as gaudy as they usually are so I think the best fall fishing is still ahead of us.  On a strange note, I caught a bass with a prominent yellow spot on its cheek.  I can't remember every catching a bass with a marking like which was extremely interesting to see.  It made me wonder about how and why such a marking becomes present in a fish without any yellow in its pigmentation.  This is just another reason that fishing is so interesting.  You never know what you are going to run across on the water and an unexpected experience lies around every corner!

 

Mason Has Become a Decent Little Fly Fisher

Mason, Cody, and I got to hit the water together last Friday night.  Truth be told, Mason had a rough day at school on Friday and he needed something to lift his spirits a little bit.  As nature will so often do, it provides a lift to those that could benefit from some positivity.  I've seen guys going through some bad stuff bag big bucks, catch big fish, or catch fish nonstop on a particular day.  

Mason was hesitant to take a rod to the water at all, but I convinced him to bring a fly rod along just in case he wanted to fish.  Before we headed to the water, he decided to grab his gear.  As we got to the bank, I asked him if he needed any help.  He said he was good.  I told him that I was going to take his brother with me and we were going to give him some space.  I also told him that if he got a knot, it would be wise to immediately stop fishing and take out the knot.  Then we walked away.

What happened next shocked me.  Not only was he able to cast on his own, but he started catching fish like crazy.  His cast looked smooth and he was probably throwing 20-30 feet.  He recognized bites, had good hook sets, and played the fish perfectly.  I'll be honest, I didn't know the kid had it in him.  He was happy and I was proud.  We both needed this and nature (or divine intervention) provided a need pick me up.  

License Plate Fish Silhouette Update

I got to spend a little time this weekend working on my license plate project.  I got the fish cut out and I have a feeling that this is going to be the easy part.  Next comes the part where I attach the plates and cut them.  I need to cut them so that I can hammer the plates around the wooden frame to give it a wrapped look.  The pictures below show how the projects are coming along. 

 

Muskie in St. Louis

If you live in the St. Louis area and want to chase some muskie, you can do that at Busch Conservation Area.  If you want a chance to chase them from a free boat at Lake 35 at Busch Conservation Area, you can do that too.  The muskie and the boats are available thanks to the Missouri Department of Conservation.  There aren't a lot of muskie fishing opportunities in Missouri so if you've ever wanted to try to catch one of these toothy torpedoes, this is an excellent chance to hook into one.  For more information, just click the link below.

Link: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-offer-free-use-muskie-fishing-boats-busch-conservation-area-starting-october