Learn to Fly Fish!

If you live in the southwest Missouri area, or would be willing to travel to the Branson area to learn about fly fishing, the Missouri Department of Conservation can help you out.  MDC will be hosting a class on Sept. 17 from 10 AM to noon which will focus on casting instruction and equipment needed to get started fly fishing.  Participants can bring their own rods or use ones provided by the department.  Individuals from 11 years old and up and welcome to sign up for the class.  Registration is required and additional information can be found by clicking on the link below.

Link: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-invites-people-learn-about-fly-fishing-sept-17-near-branson

Putting in Work at the Vise

It's been hot and I've been busy, but I have to get my fishing fix in somehow so I have been on the vise and tying some flies.  Some are for me, most are for the online store, and a few are being set aside for some new assortments that I am putting together.  

If you tie flies, you know how much fun and how rewarding it can be.  To catch a fish on a fly/lure that you made with your own two hands is a special thing.  It gives you another and deeper connection with the fly fishing experience.  

If you do not tie flies, I get it.  It looks difficult and can be intimidating doing something new.  There are a lot of tools to purchase, use, and learn the names of.  For some people, they just aren't into making their own flies or what my step-son calls "arts and crafts" time.

For me, I love to tie flies!  I don't love tying as much as I love fishing, but when the fishing is slow in the summer or nonexistent in the winter, it is a nice alternative.  It helps me keep my fly boxes full and keeps me connected to the sport when things get slow.  Tying also allows me to experiment with new ideas.  Some of my favorite and most effective flies came from experimenting at my vise.  Also, when it comes to tying, any mistake can be fixed.  You can either unwrap thread and tie something again or take a razor blade to an ugly fly and start over.  

If you're thinking of giving fly tying a shot, there are plenty of resources.  Last time I checked, libraries still have books that you can check out and while there aren't A LOT of books available, you can still find some.  If you're into videos, YouTube is a fly tyer's best friend.  There are LOTS of videos out there that can help you.  TikTok also has some good content but those folks usually go REALLY fast.  That can be good or bad depending on your abilities and processing speed.

In terms of cost, you can keep things pretty cheap at the start.  Buy cheap tools and avoid fly tying kits.  They are going to have tools and materials that you might not ever need or use.  It might be wise to pick one or two flies that you want to learn and then buy the materials for these.  That will keep you from getting overwhelmed and keep you focused on one or two flies at a time.  It will also keep your materials at a minimum and avoid clutter (which your roommate, parents, sibling or partner might appreciate).  

Finally, if you have questions about getting started, feel free to email me.  I would be happy to help anyone that wants to get started but has some confusion.  My email is showmeflyguy@gmail and feel free to let me know if I can help.

 

All the Boys in this Family can Catch Trout!

Meet Cody, Huntlee, and Bennett.  Cody is the dad and Huntlee and Bennett are his sons.  While I don't know them extremely well, I can tell you that these boys can catch some trout!  In the picture above, you can see the trophy rainbow that Cody caught at Bennett Spring State Park.  In the pictures below, you can see some amazing fish that his sons caught at Roaring River Kids day recently.  The smiles and genius and fish are amazing.  I really dig the series of pictures down at the bottom that were taken of one of his sons landing what I believe is a palomino trout.  

Thank you to Cody for allowing me to share these pictures and congratulations to his entire family on some amazing catches.  If you want to follow his son Hunlee on Facebook, I have included a link below.  Check out how amazing this kid is!  You'll figure out really fast why he has as many followers as he does!

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

Potential Missouri Trout Slaying Fly?

I like flies that catch fish!  (Don't we all?)  I like flies that are easy to tie and catch fish even more!  That why I go pretty excited when I ran across a simple fly the other day that looks effective.  I saw the fly on Facebook and it really caught my attention.  It was tied on a jig hook, was white, and fuzzy.  It was NOT a glow ball or egg imitation.  I recognized the material immediately as the same stuff that I tie mega worms with.  If you go to Hobby Lobby, you can find it in the yarn section and I think it is called baby blanked wool or something like that.  Anyway, there was no tail and it appeared that the material had just been wrapped/palmered around the hook.  I had to give this fly a shot!

I have to say, it looks like it will do well on Lake Taneycomo as well as our Missouri Trout Parks.  It looks a little like a few things but not exactly like one thing.  Alright fine, its going to look like fish guts in the water, but it could resemble other things too...maybe.  I like flies like that are versatile!  I think that makes them just fishy enough for a trout to eat just because it thinks it is supposed to.  I did find that I needed to trim the material between the shank and the point to make sure that I could hook a fish it if bit.  Other than that, it's about as easy as a San Juan worm!  Good luck if you tie a few up and I wish you even better luck if you try it out on the water.

 

Slayfest Fishing Co.

Link: https://slayfest-fishing.square.site/

What is it with fly fishers and stickers?  We will slap a sticker that even barely references fly fishing on just about any surface that isn't our polarized sunglasses.  Don't get me wrong, I do it as well and I have zero remorse.  I even horde them!  I've got an entire drawer of pretty cool fly fishing stickers in my fly tying desk that are just waiting for the right place and time!  I guess it is because we are kind of a counterculture of fishing.  We're different and we like to show it off.  Does that make us all fishing hippies?  Maybe it's for another reason but that's what I believe.

If you're a sticker junkie like myself, then please allow me to introduce you to a store that I ran across the other day.  The name of the store is SlayfestFishing.  There are some funny and unique stickers that the store has to offer.  If you could send some patronage that direction, I know it would be appreciated.  There is an account that you can follow on Instagram if you're into social media.  Just search slayfestfishingco or directly to @slayfestfishingco.  I'm thinking that I need the trout light sticker myself.

Link: https://slayfest-fishing.square.site/

Is Social Media Good or Bad for Fly Fishing?

Did you know that there are 7.7 billion people on earth?  Did you know that 3.3 billion of them have at least one social media account?  So are 43% of the people on earth doing something that is good or bad for them?  This is a tough question to answer and there probably isn't just one answer for everyone.  

To declare social media as a benefit or as detrimental cannot be a blanket statement.  It is also a moving target in the sense that it might be good for a specific person on one day and bad for the same person on another day.  These are takeaways that have been discussed during my graduate program so I don't want you to think that these are just senseless ramblings or streaming consciousness.  So lets look at some of the details and delve into this topic.

Benefits

There are days that I love social media!  I get to see what my friends, that I don't have enough time to stay caught up with, are doing.  I get to see pretty places and big, beautiful fish.  Seeing new fly fishing techniques, flies, and locations really wets my appetite to get on the water.  I've also connected with a lot of like-minded folks that I never would have gotten to know otherwise.  Heck, even my buddy Corey, who was in my wedding, started off as a friend on Instagram.  

Research has shown that social media can actually be good for one's mental health.  It gives them images and posts that are strategically given to them by an algorithm that knows what the user wants to see.  Just check out my Instagram feed!  It's nothing but folks holding pretty fish, big fish, and pretty big fish.  That's the way I like it because that's what I'm into!

Drawbacks

Of course, there are drawbacks to social media.  I cannot tell you how many times I have been scrolling through Facebook or Instagram and seen some folks on a fishing trip and thought "Why can't that be me?"  That's not a good thought.  In fact, thoughts like that can lead to negative impacts on one's mental health over time.  The long term effects of social media use can actually contribute to depression as well.  

There can also be some pretty nasty interactions on social media platforms as well.  I stay away from Twitter simply based on the stories I have heard about how negative it is.  I will admit that I have allowed myself to get in some linguistic sparring matches with keyboard warriors on YouTube.  That's not anything to brag about either.  Interactions like that sour the entire experience of sharing your ideas, pictures, and videos with others. 

Conclusion

With a few of the positives and negatives laid out now, what is one supposed to do?  Well, only you can decide that.  I've gotten to the point that if I'm having a bad day or in a bad mood, I stay away from social media because when I see a guy holding a 24" brown trout he caught the previous day at Lake Taneycomo, I feel jealous.  That doesn't do much for my mood.  On the other hand and on a normal day, I love seeing my friends have success on the water.  I also feel that there is a lot to learn and ideas to be shared on social media.  What you have to do is decide, is it for you?  Some folks dig it and it makes their lives better.  For others, it takes them down a bad road.  The best I can do is to ask you, does it make your life better?

Bluegill Fishing Tournament: A Funny Video

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX8VHJ1GhL0&t=303s

This is a pretty darn funny video and seems perfect for a Monday post.  Aside from the humor, I'm seriously thinking about doing something like this with some of my buddies.  Sometimes I just like to be on the water and enjoying nature.  At other times, it's fun to do something different and add a little competition to the outing.  Some silliness and shenanigans can be fun too!  Have a good Monday and hopefully you get a few laughs out of a bunch of buddies fishing in a bluegill fishing tournament.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX8VHJ1GhL0&t=303s

Fishing for People with Disabilities

Link: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-invites-persons-disabilities-learn-how-fish-sept-10-forest-park

Teaching is a passion for me!  That is why I became a teacher, why I am working on a graduate degree, and why I want to eventually be a fishing guide.  Whether it is teaching about physics, fly tying, or how to roll cast, I love it.  There is something special about helping someone do something that he/she has never done before.  However, whether it is working with adults or young people, some people will have obstacles they have to overcome.  Some can be seen (physical obstacles) and some cannot be seen (mental, emotional obstacles).  It is impressive to see our Missouri Department of Conservation recognize the fact that some people with disabilities love to fish and could benefit from a hand up.

The Missouri Department of Conservation will be hosting an event at Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 10.  The program will serve both students and adults with physical disabilities of all kinds.  The event will be wheelchair accessible and will have both a morning as well as an afternoon session.  Registration is required for the event.  By clicking on the link, you can find more information as well as a how to register for the program.  If you or someone you know would benefit or enjoy from this program, feel free to forward this link or the one found above and below.

Link: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-invites-persons-disabilities-learn-how-fish-sept-10-forest-park

Back to Basics

On Monday, I was able to get out on the water for one last, little fishing outing.  I was feeling a little lethargic but still wanted to fish.  I stayed close to home (Rocky Hollow Park) and decided to keep my fishing as simple as possible.  It's also late summer fishing (and I got there mid morning) which can make fishing a little slow at times.  I didn't really want to strip streamers and I figured that the fish didn't really want to chase them.  That is exactly why I chose to go with a fly and float.

This is as simple, effective, and adjustable of a fly fishing technique as you can find.  Here's how I set my rig up.  I pull 6 pound fluorocarbon off a spool and attach it to the fly line.  I prefer to use a 3 or 4 weight rod for this method.  I then slide a small strike indicator/float about 16"-24" up the line.  I then put a small jig on the end of the line.  The float can be easily adjusted to get the fly to different depths and hit different parts of the water column.  That's it!  

As you can see, this technique catches fish on Missouri waters and I would bet that it will work on almost any water!  No, it does not produce big fish very often.  However, you might hook into a channel cat, carp, or an occasional big largemouth!  This technique is probably going to catch a bunch of small fish for the better part of the day.  As you can see in the pictures, I caught four different species on Monday.  While I didn't catch any monsters, it sure was fun to catch a bunch of fish on the day before I had to return back to school.

Things are About to Get BUSY for Me!

Please don't read this as a post that is riddled with complaints.  I don't intend for it to be that way but rather an informative post about what I have coming up in my life.  I share a lot of information about my family and fishing and what I have coming up will affect my family, how much I get to fish, and this blog.  I just wanted to give you a heads up since it will affect how much I post and the quality of posts from time to time.  I will do my best to not let that happen but the reality is that it might occur.  

If you don't know, I am a middle school teacher.  The biggest reason that this blog comes with a "G" rating is because I know my bosses, students, and parents of students read this blog from time to time.  Teaching pays the bills so I can't be posting anything controversial or mature in content that could get me in hot water with my career.  With that being said, I started back to school today and will get a fresh crop of students in my classroom next week.  This is an extremely busy time of year as I get back to planning lessons, getting to know students, and going through a lot of "back to school" related activities.

Second, my sons and step sons are ALL starting or already participating in sports.  Collin never stops playing basketball, Mason will be running cross country, and Cody will play soccer.  I am thrilled that they want to compete and learn valuable life lessons that can come from athletics.  These activities take up time as well and this is time that I am happy to donate.

Finally, and this is what genuinely scares me, is that I am taking TWO graduate classes this semester.  I am working on my Education Specialist degree and I have to take these classes to graduate this coming spring.  I have never taken classes this hard before.  I have been fortunate to be able to take one class per semester up until this point but I didn't have a choice to only take one class this fall.  These classes started yesterday for me and I'm already feeling behind. 

On top of that, I mow a few yards as a side business and operate my online fly shop through Etsy.  I have already started to ramp up fly production for sales for the holiday season.  

I'm writing this because if I miss a post on a Monday (like yesterday) or if posts seem short, I just wanted you to know why.  Again, I'm not complaining.  I chose to take on these responsibilities and ventures and I genuinely like to keep busy.  If it weren't for the second grad class, I wouldn't write this post at all, but I just wanted to make you aware.  Please bare with me and know that I am trying to bring you the best fly fishing (and sometimes Missouri-related) content that I can, every Monday through Friday.  Thank you so much for being a reader and for visiting my little site that I love to work on!

New Fly Boxes!

Link: https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/TheShowMeFlyGuy/tools/listings/1270946532

The other day, while I was ordering some new fly boxes for the online fly shop, I ran across something that caught my eye.  It was a fly box that was approximately 13 inches by 12 inches and about 3 inches deep.  The box is made of DENSE plastic and even has a drying patch on the front.  There wasn't much hesitation.  I had to buy a couple for the store.

They arrived at my doorstep yesterday and I had instant regret...BECAUSE I WISH I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT MORE!  These things are awesome!  They have a gasket to make the contents water resistant and for better or worse, they even have my logo in the lower right corner on the back of the box.  The boxes are solid as well.  It would appear that they could take a beating and keeping on ticking.  

The purpose of these boxes is to house lots of big streamers.  While they will definitely do this, I would argue that they are capable of so much more.  These boxes could house hundreds, literally, of dry flies, and potentially your entire collection of nymphs.  You could use it as a dry box on a boat.  The possibilities are endless.  I wouldn't be selling this item if I wasn't extremely impressed by it.  I would use this box myself and plan on ordering one for myself on the next order but wanted to offer them to you first.  There are only 2 available right now since I am testing the market with this new item so get 1 (or 2) while you can!

Link: https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/TheShowMeFlyGuy/tools/listings/1270946532

Third Double of the Summer

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

To my utter shock and amazement, I doubled up on a tandem rig again this week.  As usual, I was throwing two wooly buggers about 18 inches apart.  These have been working really well for me this summer for small bass, bluegill, and crappie.  If you're interested in tying your own or if you would like to purchase some, feel free to click the link below to my Etsy store.  If you are a tyer, you can use the pictures as a reference point.  I have also included the list of materials in the description.  If you don't tie or are new to fly fishing patterns, I have been throwing the white, white & olive, and olive wooly buggers.  I wouldn't be selling these or passing along this information if I didn't believe in them wholeheartedly.  

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

Inexpensive, Locking Tackle Box Trays

While I was in Wyoming, I noticed that the guides we fished with had tool boxes similar to ones shown in the picture above.  They looked like nicer versions of the translucent boxes that conventional tackle like crankbaits and topwater lures get organized in.  One difference between the two was that the boxes were deeper.  Another difference was that they looked a little bit tougher and would stand up to a beating better.  I took that idea and brought it home with me.

I thought that I would use a similar box to potentially replace my fishing backpack.  I was at Walmart the other day and decided to look and see if they had something similar to what I had seen the guides using.  To my surprise, not only did they have a box, then had a pair of them that came together.  On top of that, the total cost about $12!  To top things off, the boxes actually lock together and can be carried as one unit.  The final, cool feature was that the locking mechanism can be used to lock the trays from opening.  That little bit of insurance could be the difference between spilling the contents all over the place.  I had to buy them and see if they could benefit my organizational setup.

To make a long story short, there was just too much stuff to move from my backpack and into the boxes.  So I decided to keep the main contents of the backpack but the extras and nonessential would be placed in a box to lighten the load.  A couple of benefits to this were that make my backpack became a lot lighter but less cluttered as well.  I can find things easier and my back doesn't hurt.  Another bonus was that I can still bring along the nonessential items and just leave them in the back of my truck.  They are still available but I don't have to tote them around with me everywhere I go.  

I have included a link to the boxes below.  I am curious to see how they stand up to the abuse that I notoriously put my things through.  Only time will tell, but for now, I really like this setup.  I can see the benefits from something like this on a boat or just being left in a truck.  This could be something that you use daily or have as a backup plan.  These boxes would be great for housing bigger flies, indicators, weights, leader, and tippet spools.  The possibilities are endless and I hope that you can find something from this post that makes your life more organized/easier.

Link to boxes at walmart.com: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hyper-Tough-Heavy-Duty-Interlocking-Organizer-2-Pack/396141900

Veterans Free Fishing Extravaganza

If you are a military veteran or know someone that is, this sounds like a great event!  You can see all of the details below and hopefully this event will show appreciation for those that served and sacrificed so much for us, as Americans.  Veterans deserve A LOT of appreciation and gratitude, in my opinion, and this even is a great way to show both.  They gave a lot during their service and they deserve events like this and a whole lot more!

If you are not familiar with Montauk State Park, it is a beautiful place with a lot of trout!  To me, all of the trout parks are wildly different and Montauk might be the most beautiful.  There is a lot of room to spread out and you can get a little solitude if you look for it.

Another (Different) Double on the Tandem Rig

Back in June, I posted about catching two bass on a tandem wooly bugger rig.  You can read that post here but it basically says that this was something that I had wanted to do for a long time and finally got lucky enough to pull it off.  Last week, after I was trying done trying out the baitfish popper, I decided to go after smaller fish on a lighter weight rod.  I like to throw a tandem bugger rig with a four weigh because chances are that I am going to catch smaller fish with smaller flies.  Small bass and bluegill can feel pretty big on a four weight and I really dig that.  While it was a lot of fun boating some small bass, bluegill, and even crappie the real fun came when I doubled up.

I was fishing an olive wooly and an olive & white wooly which were separated by about two feet of 6 pound test line between them.  The water was so clear that a lot of the takes were visual which was even better.  The woolies were size 6's with coneheads and lead wire so yeah, they were heavy and sunk fairly fast even on floating line.  The double came about an hour and a half after the sun came up and this double was different than the last one.  Last time, I hooked two largemouth bass.  On this occasion, not only did I hook two fish, but I hooked two different species as well!  One was a smaller bass with the other one being a nice, male bluegill.  

I wasn't trying to accomplish such a thing, it just happened.  This is one of the reasons that fishing is so incredible to me.  You never know what is going to happen.  I don't think many people hit the water with the intent to catch a new state record or world record fish on that particular day.  I never try to catch channel catfish on a fly on purpose.  I can't invoke a double on a tandem rig and I sure can't summon two species for the double.  However, therein lies the mystery and fun of fishing.  You don't know what is going to happen at any point and if you can't fall in love with that, you might be better suited for another hobby like sewing or woodworking.

Upcoming Events at Bennett Spring State Park

If you have never visited Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon, Missouri, it might be worth checking it out.  If you have visited, you've probably landed a few rainbow trout in the park.  It's hard not to hook a few.  Yes, it is a trout park that releases a lot of hatchery-raised and stocked rainbow trout.  I'm not going to lie to you.  On the flip side, it is a beautiful place that is nestled in the hills of the Ozarks that folks have been rushing to for many, many years.  Yes, you can fish shoulder to shoulder with another angler on opening day or you can usually find a spot off the beaten path for some solitude.  

It's where I learned to fly fish, where I learned about how beautiful rainbow trout are, and where I fell in love with the Ozarks.  I love Bennett Spring State Park and that is not hyperbole.  It has given me some memories that will follow me to my grave and I still, to this day, get a rush of adrenaline when I pull into the park entrance.  My passion for fly fishing came from this place.  I remember seeing folks in the park that were fly fishing, catching fish on every other cast, and thinking to myself "I want to be like that someday!"  I'm not saying that's who I am now, but I'm a whole lot closer than I used to be.  It is also safe to say that I wouldn't be who I am today without Bennett Spring State Park.  It's scary to think that I might be watching folks play video games on YouTube or managing a low quality stamp collection. Yikes!  

I wrote all of that to write this.  I was contacted by a very nice gentleman the other day that asked me to relay some information about some upcoming events at Bennett Spring State Park.  I was happy to oblige and this is the post that shall convey such information.

Fly tyers who might be at Bennett Springs State Park during the week to drop  by the nature center for open fly tying.  Bring your fly tying vise and materials and sit down with us, or just drop in for conversation.  A group of fly tyers, local and from around the state, started meeting at the Nature Center about 1 year ago, with a purpose of tying flies.  It is up to the individual fly tyer what he or she ties, with no set program, no officers, no dues, but a full pot of coffee and LOTS of conversation/stories.  We meet from 9 AM to 12 Noon on Wednesdays at the Nature Center.  The only days we do not meet would be in winter on days when schools cancel due to weather and bad road conditions.  We have good conversation, trade tying techniques, and maybe a fly or two.  If any of the public happen to come into the Center to see the Center's displays we offer to have them sit down and learn to tie a fly, no matter the age.

At the Kids Free Fishing Days there will be fly tying, free casting lessons, and a few other events for the kids.  There may be free flies  given out by the Bennett Spring Fly Tyers Group, until they run out.

Special areas will be marked in Zone 2 and Zone 3 for Kid's Day and Women's Day.

If you are not familiar with the MAYFLY PROJECT it is a very worthwhile program. , here is a link to the national program: https://themayflyproject.com

The Baitfish Popper Works Too!

The alarm clock went off at 3:30 AM yesterday morning.  It was early but it wasn't that hard to get out of bed either.  I had an itch to fish at a friend's farm pond about an hour from my house and I had to scratch that itch.  On top of that, was I wanting to try something out.  I haven't fished for largemouth bass in the dark in a long, long time!  I wanted to get to the pond before sunrise to do a fishing in the dark.

When Waylon and I arrived, we were greeted by more stars than I have seen in quite a while.  We took in the scenery quickly because we didn't have much time until the sun started to peak over the horizon.  Aside from doing some early morning fishing, there was another objective.  I wanted to fish my baitfish popper to see if I could entice a bass into biting.  If you need to get caught up on the development of this fly, feel free to click here for part 1, here for part 2, and here for part 3.  

At first, things did not go well.  I got a bite on my second cast but missed it out of surprise.  After that, I didn't get a sniff for half an hour.  The sun was coming up and the wind was increasing.  I was starting to think that this fly was better at catching my interest than it was at catching fish.  Then, I had a moment of clarity.  I had been fishing the fish like a popper/chugger.  My cadence had been pop, pause, pop, pause.  It hit me that popping bugs and frogs can be fished this way but my fly doesn't imitate a bug or frog.  It imitates a baitfish that is feeding on the surface of the water.  The minute I started to give my fly a more constant retrieve, it started to leave a little bubble line a have a subtle wiggle to it.  It almost had a "walking the dog" motion but on a subtle and small degree.  That's when my first bite came.  

It was a small bass, but he drilled it.  The second bass came around the same vegetation.  The third bite came moments later and was oddly enough a crappie.  The fourth bass came about 10 minutes later around some more vegetation that was further up the bank than where the other three fish had been caught.  About that time the wind picked up and the sun started to get above the horizon.  I figured the topwater bite was probably over so I switched to wooly buggers and soft plastic worms.  More on that tomorrow, but to say I was pleased with my baitfish popper fly would be an understatement.  Now if I could just get my hands on some more popper heads, I would start turning these out with the quickness!