Don't Forget to Purchase Your Fishing License

If you fish in Missouri, don't forget that your fishing and hunting permits expire on February 28, 2022.  To purchase your permits that will expire on February 28, 2023, you have a few options.  Option 1, you can buy permits online.  Just click here or click the link below.  Option 2, download the MO Fishing and/or MO Hunting App to your phone.  When you go to purchase your licenses online, it will take you to the Missouri Department of Conservation website that was mentioned earlier.  Option 3, buy your license from an authorized vendor like Wal Mart, Bass Pro, or bait and tackle stores.  Option 4, call 1-800-392-4115 and get your license over the pone.  Option 4, purchase your permit from Missouri Department of Conservation offices.  

With so many options, there are few valid reasons to not have the correct licenses for the corresponding activities.  Don't forget, that money from purchased licenses goes toward conservation efforts to help maintain and improve hunting and fishing licenses across our great state!

Link to Purchase Permits: https://mdc-web.s3licensing.com/

Link to Missouri Department of Conservation Permit Information: https://mdc.mo.gov/permits

Link to MDC: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/time-buy-mdc-2022-annual-hunting-fishing-permits

A Friend's Photography Shop

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

In the early stages of my Show Me Fly Guy endeavors, I met a very nice guy named Robert Hopkins.  It didn't take long to see that his photography skills were comparable to his fishing skills...and he has some SERIOUS fishing skills!  Robert was kind enough to help me get some good exposure and helped me make some important connections in the fly fishing industry.  Recently, he started at Etsy store to sell some his his photographs and I saw an opportunity to help promote his efforts.  It's the least I can do and is a drop in the bucket compared to returning the favors that he has done for me.  So if you are in need of a beautiful piece of photography, just click here or the link above/below.  My personal favorite is the bluebird print.  How could you go wrong with the Missouri state bird!  

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

Driftwood Outdoors Podcast

Link: https://driftwoodoutdoors.com/

Nathan "Shags" McLeod and Brandon Butler have been advocates for conservation, especially conservation in Missouri, for years.  They also host a weekly podcast that releases a new episode every Tuesday morning.  They are as knowledgeable as they are entertaining.  If you are looking for a new podcast to follow, I give them the highest recommendation possible.  That's why I was so flattered when they asked me to be a guest on their podcast.  They have had MUCH bigger and more important people on their show so when they invited me on, well, I felt like a little fish in a big pond.  Thank you very much Shags and Brandon for extending the invitation and for all that you do for conservation!  If you want to listen to me drone on about fly fishing and how great it is, feel free to give this week's episode a listen.  I can honestly say, my speaking skills on the same level as my writing skills.  That was supposed to be self deprecating by the way.

Driftwood Outdoors Podcasts: https://driftwoodoutdoors.com/podcasts/2022/02/ep-130-the-show-me-fly-guy-tyler-dykes/ 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/driftwood-outdoors-podcast/id1478802870

Spotify Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cwdMU7ejLD2qFsF2c4c7q

TuneIn Podcasts: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Podcasts/Driftwood-Outdoors-p1257665/

Shed Hunting Last Weekend

My boys and I had the chance to head up to our family farm yesterday.  We had two goals.  First, I wanted to finish insulating the ceiling of the cabin.  There wasn't much left to do but this was a project that I have wanted to complete for a few months now.  Second, we wanted to do some shed hunting.  I have been hearing reports that folks have been finding antlers over the last couple of weeks and I wanted go see if we could fill our hands as well.  Shed hunting has become a yearly tradition that I absolutely love.

The cabin project went well.  The last pieces of insulation were installed and the last sections of particle board were cut.  This has been a tough project because of the different angles and the fact that the studs were not at standard measurements.  I think Mason and I learned a lot completing this project and he was a lot of help.  I couldn't have done this without him and it was good father and son time.  At this time, I don't have any more projects for the cabin...but I'm sure I'll think of something.

The shed hunting was a success as well which was unexpected.  Traditionally, we haven't always had the biggest deer density at the farm but that has changed over the last few years.  We seem to have more deer living on and passing through the property.  This means we have more bucks on the property and thus more antlers to try to find.  Up until yesterday, I had only found 2 sheds on the 170 acres where we were hunting.  As luck would have it, I found two yesterday and they happened to be a matched set.  We probably walked around 4-5 miles in total and the weather was pretty good. Waylon had fun as well.  He treed a opossum and saw his first deer which he chased after but got left in the dust.  Mason found some bones from a deer kill and Cody found a raccoon skull.  Everybody came home with souvenirs as well as exhausted! 

Back at Diddy's on Sunday, March 6

We had such a good time and so many people show up to our last event at Diddy's, they invited us back!  Last time, we tied crappie jigs on 1/32 ounce jigs.  This time, we are tying my favorite jig of all time!  This John Deere jig has caught everything from 4 pound bass, to 20 inch grass carp, to 5 pound channel catfish.  It has caught brown trout, rainbow trout, hybrid striped bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and white bass.  You can throw it on a spinning rod or a fly rod.  What I'm trying to say is that it is one heck of a fly!  It imitates a small minnow and almost anything will eat a small minnow.

If you're not into tying a jig, there is another option for you!  I will have premade fly boxes that will be lined with foam and ready for you to customize.  You will select an image (or freehand if you have some artistic ability), transfer the image to the box using carbon paper or a pencil, and then burn the image into the box with a wood burning tool.  I have made a few of these myself and will be able to give you some helpful pointers so that you end up with the best product possible.

If the image above does not answer all of your questions, please feel free to email me!  My email address is showmeflyguy@gmail.com.  

Funny Story from the Eric Church Concert

Last Friday night, Wendy and I attended the Eric Church concert at T-Mobile center in Kansas City, Missouri. My amazing wife bought the tickets for me for Christmas as we are both big fans. The tickets were great and we ended up in the Soul Pit. By my estimation, we were about 20 feet from the stage! During one of the songs that he was performing, I could have sworn that he looked right at me and gestured for me to throw my Kansas City Chiefs hat up on stage. Wendy thought so too! Without hesitation, I tossed the hat with all of the accuracy that I could muster. I can still see it gliding through the air. To my dismay, it landed on the floor of the stage. My heart sank because I guessed that he didn't want it and now I was out a very nice Kansas City Chiefs hat that Wendy had bought me.

A little while later, a stage hand came around and picked up my hat and other stuff that had been thrown onstage. I thought I was going to have to try and talk someone to try to find my hat after the show which seemed like an effort in futility. A few songs later and Mr. Church comes onstage WEARING MY HAT!!!! I am 99% sure it is mine. He even wore it backwards just as I had been doing minutes earlier! Wendy and I were in shock as well as some of the folks around us that we had gotten to know. My optimism soared as I hoped that I might get it back. The crowd seemed to dig him wearing a Chiefs hat too which was pretty cool. Then the opposite of what I had hoped for happened.

He pulled out a sharpie, signed the hat, and then tossed it into the crowd to to his left. I was to his right. For a minute, I was pretty disappointed. I really liked that hat and I really wanted it back especially after ERIC CHURCH WORE IT ONSTAGE!!! I thought about going to try and find the hat and maybe even try to negotiate its return. Eventually though, a different reality hit me.

I figured that rather than just making my night pretty awesome, he made my night pretty awesome as well as someone else’s. Instead of me coming home with a good story, me and some other person went home with good stories. Sure, I liked that hat but now, someone else LOVES that hat! So whoever is walking around with a Chiefs hat that Eric Church wore onstage, keep it! It’s yours and your story now…and a pretty good hat!

Types of Fly Rods Explained

Link: https://www.themeateater.com/fish/fly/fly-fishing-rod-weight-action-and-flex-explained

I ran across this article the other day on The Meateater and thought it would be good to share with folks that are both new fly anglers as well as seasoned ones.  If you have ever wondered what type of rod to use on different bodies of water or what type of rod is best or different species, then this article is for you!  Fly rod weights, line sizes, and flex is broken down to give you the fly rod that fits your personality and style.  Spring fishing is right around the corner (even if there are 6 inches of snow outside my front door) and the more prepared you are, the more success and fun you will have!

Link: https://www.themeateater.com/fish/fly/fly-fishing-rod-weight-action-and-flex-explained

Generous Gifts from my Buddy Corey

A few weeks ago, there was a post on this blog about a can koozie that my buddy Corey had made for me.  I also attempted to share how good of a friend he is to me and how generous he is as well.  Well, leave it to him to just keep heaping on the kindness and generosity.  He's just so darn nice and thoughtful.

First, he surprised me with a leather glass koozie that had the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch Y.  This thing just looks freaking cool!  It's a great conversation piece and gets recognized by a lot of folks due to the popularity of the show, Yellowstone.  Next, he went and made me a blanket!  I knew he ran across this pattern recently while working on another project but I never imagined that he was going to turn it into something for me.  The print is a pattern of bird dogs and as you can see in the pictures, Waylon approves of the cover.  

He also modified a frame and threw in a picture of us from our bird hunt back in early January.  He included one of my shotgun shells and a feather from one of the birds that we harvested.  Finally, he gifted me some of his electrician skills and installed a new hanging light fixture.  This was not an easy task either.  If you have ever tried to hang things on a wall or change a light fixture above stairs, this is not for the faint of heart.  

There are few things that impact our lives more than family and friends.  Close family and friends mean even more and can be hard to find.  Corey is one of those people for me and I could not appreciate his friendship more.  I know he would be there for me if I needed him as he has proven that before as well.  Everyday that we get to spend with friends and family is a blessing.  We get to make impacts on their lives in a way we might not ever fully comprehend and they do the same for us.  Now, if you will excuse me, I have about three dozen flies to go tie for Corey with isn't even close to what I owe him to make us even.  Maybe if I make them all articulated streamers then that gets us a little closer?!?!

Duane Doty is a Heck of a Guide, an Amazing Artist, and a Super Cool Guy!

Link: http://www.ozarktroutrunners.com/

I am proud to call Duane Doty my friend!  We have known one another for a few years now and I have developed not only an appreciation for his work but also a huge amount of respect for him as a person.  Duane runs the marina at Lilleys' Landing in Branson, Missouri, on Lake Taneycomo.  He also operates Ozark Trout Runners guide service.  On top of that he creates some amazing jerkbaits and is a master craftsman when it comes to woodworking as well.  You would not regret meeting Duane, fishing with him, or following him on social media!  The jerkbaits that he creates can only be bought at Lilleys' Landing fly shop currently.  I was lucky enough to acquire some and they are true pieces of art that fish appreciate as much as I do.  Duane also gifted me a challenge coin which...well I'll just type it...it's freaking awesome!

Link: http://www.ozarktroutrunners.com/

 

816 Baits

Link: https://www.facebook.com/816Baits

As someone that works with young people on a daily basis, they never cease to amaze me!  Take one of my current students, Tucker, for example.  He has started his own fishing lure business called 816 Baits.  He's currently making bass and crappie soft plastics.  You can find his creations on the Facebook page that he has created and you can buy them on that page as well.  Here's more information directly from Tucker.

I’ve created albums with pictures of the baits. Pricing is listed on the pictures as well as how many bags are available. Comment to claim your bag (s). For now, we’re going to do pick up (in Lee's Summit) or local delivery (check for approved areas), and we hope to have shipping soon! I’ll send you a message confirming your purchase, arranging payment and pickup/delivery. If there is anything else you’d like to see going forward, please let me know. I’m happy to try new things.

If you fish soft plastics for crappie and/or bass, please consider supporting Tucker. He is a passionate and a talented angler that would greatly appreciate your business. A follow or some kind words would also give this young man a positive nudge as well.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/816Baits

Instagram: @816baits