Bunny Clouser Variant

A couple of days ago I referenced a clouser minnow variant that I have been playing around with.  I realized after the fact that I had failed to include a picture and description of the variant that I was referencing so I thought I would share a little more info about what I have been experimenting with.

This is basically a clouser minnow with a the bucktail on the top of the fly getting swapped out for a rabbit strip.  I had the intention to fish this fly last year but never got around to it, but this year is going to be different.  I have yet to see how this fly behaves in water, either the fly tester or an actual lake, but I have high hopes for the fly.  I'm hoping that it has a long, slender, minnow-like profile with some good action from the rabbit strip.  I also hope that I can avoid the strip fouling around the hook,  If this fly proves itself on the water, you will probably be seeing it in the Etsy store in the near future!  
 

Field Museum of Natural History

Last week, I posted about a trip that Wendy, her son, and I took to Chicago.  One of the places that we went, but I didn't mention, was the Field Museum of Natural History.  I'll be honest, I had no idea what the museum contained but I can officially say that it is AWESOME!  It just so happened at the museum had an exhibit called "Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep".  History?  Science?  Fish?  Yes please!

While the exhibit was great, the rest of the museum was pretty spectacular as well.  There were all kinds of plants, animals, meteorites, and cultural artifacts that we could have spent all day looking browsing through.  If you ever find yourself in Chicago and wanting something to do, I highly suggest the Field Museum of Natural History.  If you cant find something interesting there, then you aren't looking hard enough!

 

Tying a Clouser Minnow

Link: https://www.moldychum.com/the-world-would-not-be-the-same-without-this-fly/

Everyone has at least one fly or one technique that just seems to give them fits.  I have a friend that struggles with hackle.  I struggle with spinning deer hair.  I have another friend and despises dubbing.  I also struggle with one of the simplest flies in the world...the Clouser Minnow.  I always seem to use the wrong hair from the tail or get the proportions/lengths wrong.  I either get too much hair, or not enough.  the head of the fly either bunches up the eye of the hook or simply looks like a mess.  This video however has been really helpful and I'm getting better at tying this fly.

I've also been working on tying a variant of this fly.  It is not an original idea, but I can't remember where I first saw it either.  I haven't fished it yet, but when I do, I'll let you know how it behaves and whether it catches fish or not.  It sure looks good but then again, maybe it's better at catching fishers than it is at catching fish.

Link: https://www.moldychum.com/the-world-would-not-be-the-same-without-this-fly/

I Bought (Another) Small Boat

Yes, I know, I already own two small boats.  If you didn't know, you can see them on the trailer in the picture below.  So you might be asking, why would I need another one.  Well, you see...I don't really.  I just ran across a really good deal and I jumped on it.  I got this old aluminum boat with a casting deck and a trailer for $400.  It didn't come with a title so it will stay at and be used up at our family farm.  

It will also suit Wendy and Waylon and I well when we all want to fish together.  It's nothing fancy but it will be fun to use when all three of us want to hit the water together and will let Waylon be a little more comfortable than he is in one of the bass babies.  I plan on putting a pedestal mount for the seat in the back and that's about all that I'm planning on modifying.  I would LOVE to get a foot controlled trolling motor for the front but I'm not planning on using it that much so it doesn't seem worth the cost.  I'm looking to name my new vessel so if you have any ideas, please fire away in the comment section.  If a good suggestion comes along, I'll give the author all of credit in a future post!

Black Wooly Buggers are Now Available in the Etsy Store

Link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1187379110/black-wooly-bugger-conehead-wooly-bugger

Just in time for you to fish those flooded, murky, springtime waters, you can now purchase black wooly buggers in the Etsy store.  While I don't have data to back this up, I would bet that black wooly buggers account for as many fish being caught as almost any other fly.  This particular installment is tied on a size 6 hook with a medium size conehead, and 12 wraps of .030 lead wire.  There are three strands of flashabou in the tail, a pearl black chenille body, and black marabou tail to match the black hackle.  

This fly has a good sink rate and is designed to be a subsurface fly.  This fly is also designed to fish stained, murky, or flooded water where baitfish are being chased.  Overcast or rainy days would also be a great situation to throw this fly.  This fly has caught bluegill, crappie, redear sunfish, largemouth bass, white bass, and rainbow trout for me and I hope it can do the same for you!  All flies sold by me are tied by me upon receiving an order.  No flies are ever outsourced or purchased from another vendor.

Link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1187379110/black-wooly-bugger-conehead-wooly-bugger

DIY Streamer Boxes

I love fly boxes.  Maybe it's because I appreciate organization.  Maybe it's because I like a spot for what I create at my vice.  I could go on, but you probably get the idea.  What I DON'T like are the outlandish prices you can pay for fly boxes.  Don't get me wrong, some of them are worth the price.  On the other hand, if I can make my own, I will probably appreciate it more and save some money at the same time.  I dig both of those ideas.  

Streamer fly boxes start off at about $20 but go up to a lot more.  When I ran across a box at 5 Below awhile back that almost had the exact same profile and size as some streamer boxes, I bought 3.  They sat around for a few months but I finally got around to making them functional.  I bought a large sheet of 5 mm foam as well as some super glue.  I cut the sheets to the correct shape and size, glued them down, and then cut some grooves into the foam with a razor.  The grooves hold the flies in place with tension and add to the longevity of the box.  

I bet I have $10 invested into each box and I really dig them.  Once I threw a few stickers on them to cover up the fact you can see the glue through the clear plastic, I like them even more.  Below, I have included a photographic tutorial in case you want to try to tackle a similar project.  They aren't pretty, but they are inexpensive and useful!  Kind of like me!

Why Don't More People Fly Fish for Crappie?

There are folks in this world (probably even you if you're reading this) that love to fly fish.  There MIGHT be more people (this could be you as well) out there that love to crappie fish.  Fly fishers are as passionate about their sport as crappie anglers.  Fly fishers love using tackle that has lighter action and is more delicate, just like crappie lovers.  Crappie fishers are loyal to certain sizes, colors, and locations.  So are fly fishers.  The rods, be it spinning or fly, are longer than other conventional tackle.  So why in the world has fly fishing not merged with crappie fishing?

I get that crappie fishing involves live bait, soft plastics, and deep depths at times.  However, the same could be said for trout fishing.  As a fly fisher, I can tie flies that have the same profile and contain the same colors.  In terms of depth, I can change the depth pretty easy on a strike indicator and with a longer leader, I can fish almost any depth that a crappie angler would want to fish at.  I've seen people tie their own crappie jigs that just happen to be bulked up version of mini jigs that I fish for trout at bluegill.  

The point that I'm trying to make is that crappie fishers and fly anglers aren't that different from one another.  The odd thing that I have noticed though is that you don't see a lot of crossover between the two, but there easily could be.  While I don't go out and target crappie, I have caught A LOT on a fly rod over the years simply on accident.  If I can do that on accident, I bet there are some folks out there that could diversify their crappie fishing experience with a fly rod.  I'm a firm believer that the more you know and understand about how to fish with different techniques, the more well-rounded and versatile angler you will be on the water.  So if you don't fly fish for crappie, why don't you?  Feel free to leave a comment in the section below.  I would love to see people's thoughts on the matter.

Bass Round Up

Last Sunday, my sons and I were able to help out a friend of ours.  Jason is not only a good friend, he and his family also helped us to get our dog Waylon.  Over the last few years, our families have become closer and part of that is based on our appreciation for the outdoors.  So when Jason had a fish problem, it was our pleasure to help out.  You see, Jason has a pond on his property and while he has stocked catfish and bluegill in the pond, he was in need of some bass.  Well, it just so happens that I know of some overpopulated farm ponds that need some bass thinned out.  This was a win-win situation!

Jason took care of all of the logistics (by logistics I mean bringing a stock tank, filling the tank and installing an aerator) and Mason and I took care of providing the fish.  Since this was a "business" fishing trip, we went with spinning tackle and spinnerbaits.  It just seemed more practical plus it was really windy which would have made fly fishing difficult.  

In the end, we provided Jason with 15 bass that ranged in size from 12 inches to 16 inches.  Also, I am proud to say that all of the fish survived the transport and swam off into their new home.  We have a few more stockings to conduct to complete the job, but things are off to a great start so far.  I've never done anything like this before and it was a lot of fun to fish with a purpose and help a friend out at the same time.  I'll keep you posted on the progress of the project, but so far, it's off to a good start.

A New Fly Available in the Etsy Store

Link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1183419398/white-thread-jig-trout-fly-fishing-jig

Back in early February, I published a post about my all-time favorite trout fly.  It is as simple as it is effective.  If you would like to read that post, just click here.  After getting some good feedback on the post and some comments about the fly, I've decided to put a limited quantity in the Etsy store.  

I'll do this with new flies to see if there is a market for them.  If they sell well, I put more in the store.  If they don't, they get taken out of the shop.  I've never sold this fly before so I'm interested to see how they sell.  As always, my hope is that folks that purchase flies that I tie have as much or even more success than I have had in the past.  Every fly that I sell is a proven pattern that has been successful for me.  I don't sell flies that catch fishers, I sell flies that catch fish!  I also take custom orders as well so if you need more than what is available, please feel free to contact me at showmeflyguy@gmail.com.

Link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1183419398/white-thread-jig-trout-fly-fishing-jig

A Special Day on the Water

In yesterday's post, I referred to Watkins Mill as "waking up".  Well let me tell you something friends, northwest Missouri farm ponds have both eyes wide open and have had a cup of coffee!  I was able to hit a couple of these ponds and I bet I caught close to 30 bass total.  The first fish came on a spinnerbait.  Yes, I threw a spinning rod for a little bit but the reason was that these farm pond bass just can't resist a spinnerbait in the spring and I wanted to boat a few bass "the easy way".  Oddly enough, my spinning rod snapped when I set the hook on the first fish.  I ended up landing the fish and then looked to the heavens and said "Okay.  I'll throw a fly rod today if that's what you want."  As divine intervention would have it, this change worked out nicely!

The next fish was caught on a pattern that learned from Luke Langton's book titled Temperate Bass Flies.  Luke is a buddy of mine and if you're reading this, thank you for the pattern Luke!  I had been wanting to catch a bass on a Watkin's Special and was fortunate to make that happen.  I can't wait to fish this fly for white bass and hybrids this spring and summer as well.  This fly has a great profile, good flash to it, and will imitate shad well.  After a few more casts, I decided to switch things up.  The bass seemed to be a little deeper and I wanted something with a faster sink rate.  I had also seen some bluegill in the shallows so I decided to throw on a bluegill-themed fly.  When I went through my fly box and ran across a Lunch Money in bluegill colors, I had a good feeling about what could happen.

I would be remiss if I didn't lead off by giving Ryan Walker of Ozarks Smallmouth Alliance all of the credit for what happened the rest of the day.  Ryan not only introduced me to the Lunch Money but also taught me proper strip setting for bass.  While my education came from a day with him on a fly fishing for smallmouth trip, I was able to take what I learned and apply it to other avenues.  I would not have landed about 28 more bass without the fly and the strip sets that he showed me so if you're reading this, thank you Ryan!

All of these fish were off the bank and most bites probably came at about 3 feet deep.  Some takes were aggressive but most of them were subtle.  I had to watch my fly line closely to see if it was moving or changing directions.  Most of the time the fish would take the fly and then keep it as it swam off.  It was almost like setting the hook on a plastic worm.  That fish wasn't letting go anytime soon which meant lightning quick reflexes weren't necessary.  Hook sets were solid and deliberate which yielded only missing 6 fish over the course of the day.  I would let the fly sink after hitting the water for a few seconds and my retrieve was slow strokes with pauses.  This would give the fly action but also get down as well.  I threw an eight weight all day and can feel it today.  My right side is a little sore and that is not a complaint!

It has been a long time since I caught that many farm pond bass with a fly rod!  Sure, I know farm pond fishing is almost cheating to a degree, but this is where I was introduced to fishing and it's nice to be spoiled once in a while.  It's almost like going to a pay to fish place like a trout park or a private stream.  Sure, it's not the "real world" but sometimes the real world stinks and these places just flat out fun.  That's exactly what yesterday was...fun!  Thank you again Luke and Ryan for helping make yesterday possible.  Also thank you to the gracious land owners that let me fish their ponds.  I'm a lucky guy to get to fish these spots and that reality is never lost on me.