My First Guided Fishing Trip- Part 1

A little over a year ago, I was asked to donate to a Frontline Fly Fishing auction.  The organization was holding one of its fundraisers (I think it was their annual Iron Fly) and was trying to gather items/experiences to auction off.  After mulling over my options, I decided to offer something that I had never given away before.  Rather than a copy of my book or some flies in a fly box (which is what I have donated to fundraisers in the past), I decided to offer a half day guided trip.  I was hesitant to do this because it seemed a little risky.  I have never actually guided a client before and I wasn't sure if anyone would want my services.  While I have taken plenty of friends as well as kids on fishing trips and helped them catch fish, I have never taken out someone that I wasn't familiar with and tried to help them catch fish.

After the fundraiser, I was contacted by one of the members of Frontline and was informed that my trip had been purchased by a guy named Timothy.  While I knew of Timothy, I didn't know him very well.  I was a nervous wreck to contact him because this was the first "client" that I had ever had.  My plan was to get him on the phone, throw out some options of what we could do, and then let him choose where he wanted to go as well as what he wanted to fish for.  I offered up fishing some local lakes for smaller panfish with the likelihood that he would catch some gaudy numbers of fish.  Another option was chasing hybrid striped bass in the spring with the hope of catching one trophy fish.  The final choice was to visit some private farm ponds and chase largemouth bass.  On this trip, I couldn't promise trophy fish but I could almost guarantee multiple hookups on quality fish.

Tim chose to go the farm pond route and I started putting a plan together.  I had to compete with crops being in fields which limited access to some spots.  I also didn't want to make Timothy walk long distances because where is the fun in that?  I ended up settling on a pond that required about a quarter mile walk but I brought my 2-man boat to hit another pond as well.  The pond that required walking had fewer fish but bigger fish.  The pond that I planned to put the boat on had more fish but they tended to be on the smaller side of average.  The next obstacle that we had to overcome was finding a time where we were both available at the same time.  We both have kids as well as other responsibilities which made finding a time where we were both available a little tricky.  Admittedly, it took longer than I expected to get our schedules to sync up, but eventually a date and time was set.  

I picked Timothy up at his house at 5:00 AM on an early summer morning.  After arriving at our family farm, we headed towards pond #1.  We rigged up some 7 and 8 weight streamer rods and put some streamers on that were in the 6 inch range.  Timothy had a black streamer that he wanted to try out and I planned to throw a double deceiver from Milo's Flies.  My plan was to see if I could find a spot and pattern that I could then offer to Timothy but I also planned to limit my fishing.  I constantly reminded myself that this was Timothy's trip, not mine.  My plan was to be helpful and available to net fish but I didn't want to hover and/or be annoying.  

The first pond was a little slower than it usually is but I also know that the pond can be a little moody.  Don't get me wrong, Timothy caught a few with one of them being a high quality fish no matter what body of water you fish in northwest Missouri.  After throwing everything we had at the pond, including mice, we decided to move on to another location.  The idea of putting Timothy on a bunch of fish at another spot and being able to cover more water out of a boat tempted both of us.  It was about 8:30 when we arrived at pond #2.

3D Printed Stripping Basket- The Conclusion

After getting some time on the water to test out, the 3-D printed stripping basket, I am ready to give an honest review of what I made. Before we get to that, let me explain to you how I drew my conclusion. I tested the basket out one time on the water by myself. On a second occasion, I tested it out and allowed my friend Justin to try it as well. Between his feedback and my own observations, I feel like I have arrived at an opinion that is worth sharing with others. 

There are both pros and cons to using this stripping basket. One of the benefits is that it does indeed or fly line and keeps it from tangling around pretty much everything. The cones do help to gather the line and angling fly line is kept to a minimum. I would really like this stripping basket and would use it more often if it weren’t for the cons, however. 

The biggest negative is that if you sent it around your waist, it’s just in an awkward position. I prefer to strip fly line at about waste level. The problem is that the basket is at waist level as well and needs to sit lower on your body. The basket either needs to be attached lower or the angler has to strip in an awkward position. Ideally, the stripping basket would be attached at about mid thigh. I actually tried this out and it worked really well but again was awkward and cumbersome.

Does this tool do the job that it was intended for? The answer is yes, ultimately. However, aside from just looking silly where the dog gone thing, it is just awkward. There’s just no natural way to wear the thing. I don’t mean to sound like a grumpy, old man, but I think I will stick to the methods that I have used to gather fly line in the past. I have used 5 gallon buckets, laundry, baskets, and the water itself to manage line. There is one more system that I am considering testing out though. 

I recently ran across something called a stripping mat (see last picture at the bottom of this post). It looks like it might have the ability to organize fly line on a boat and on land. Just like with the stripping basket, I do not want to spend my money on something that I might not find useful. I am going to try and make one before the end of the summer and if and when I do, I will keep you updated. Until then, I am including a picture of what I’m thinking and if you have any feedback or experience with one, I would love to hear from you. Until then tight lines and good luck on the water.

I Wish Tying Flies Outside was More Manageable

Fly tying is a passion of mine. I’ve been tying flies for over 20 years now, and I actually love it more than when I started. I love it so much that most of the flies I tie anymore are for other folks!  I even opened an online fly shop so I could continue to tie flies even when my fly boxes are full.  To me, it is the strange combination of being productive while still being able to take a break from work as well as other stressors in life. Like fly fishing, it requires your 100% focus and if you give any less than that, then the end product is going to suffer. As much as I love fly tying, there is one serious drawback that is problematic for me. Fly time is almost exclusively and indoor activity.

Most of my interests involve the outdoors. Fishing is my biggest passion, but I also enjoy hunting and camping as well. The common thread in all of my hobbies is being outdoors. Multiple obstacles arise though when one attempts to tie flies outdoors. First of all, most of the materials that are used to tie flies are light and wispy. The slightest gust of air will send most of them into the air with unknown destinations. Second, it is beneficial to have a fly that you are working on to be completely still, and not twitching about. If you have spent any time in Missouri, you know that even on a day that has good weather, there’s gonna be at least some wind. Even the slightest breeze makes fly, tying outside, almost impossible.

With that being said, I’ve recently found a spot where I can actually tie flies while being unencumbered. The back patio at my house actually offers a pretty good wind block most of the time. I have found that tying flies such as game changers, which typically incorporate heavier, less flexible materials, can be tied in the spot.  I won't be tying with marabou, laser dub, or hackle out there anytime soon, but this is a decent compromise.  This allows me to not only high quality flies, but also spend time with my wife, keep Waylon occupied, and at least be outdoors, where I prefer to be.  Heck I can even have movies or series on in the background if that's what my wife wants to do!  So my question to the readers of this post is: does anyone else tie flies outdoors?  I would love to read your thoughts in the comment section.

The Summer of Unexpected Crappie Continues!

I'm not sure how the universe works in its entirety on a religious or scientific level.  Gravity makes sense and I believe in miracles but I'm no expert.  With that being said, I'm scratching my head in regards to why I have caught so many crappie so far this summer.  I don't target crappie on purpose usually they tend to hang out in deeper water.  I don't eat crappie because I just don't like eating fish.  I don't try to catch them on purpose, but I don't dislike catching crappie especially the bigger ones.  I gave that disclaimer because my hot streak of crappie fishing continues.  

So there I was, fishing my favorite HOA pond and not catching anything.  It was the middle of the day which, to me, translates to slow fishing activity.  I was fishing around a drain pipe in the pond when I got a solid hit.  I must have been pretty excited because I set the hook with a force that would have made a gorilla jump.  The fish on the other end of the line didn't give head shakes like a bass or swim in circles like a bluegill.  Instead, it just swam parallel to the bank and stayed in the middle of the water column.  Signs started to point towards a crappie.

This fish didn't feel like a 5 inch dink.  The bend in my 5 weight told me that this was a fish that was a little above average and my heart and brain raced one another in terms of excitement and curiosity.  As the fight came to an end and the fish was approaching the bank, I finally got a glimpse of my catch.  It came in sideways and even in the murky water, my small glimpse showed the girth and coloration of a slab crappie. 

My first thought was to get my hands on the fish.  My second thought was to get a tape measurer because I was hopeful that the fish was around 12 inches.  My hope sprang from my belief that a 12 inch crappie is pretty good size as well as the fact that the biggest crappie I have caught recently had been 10 inches long.  The tale of the tape ended up being really close to 12 inches and almost a pound on my digital scale.  As you can see, this crappie ate an unhackled bugger and that is something that I will get into more in a future post.  

I left the pond with a smile on my face and another crappie story to add to my collection that has been growing as of late.  I recently heard Phil Robertson, of Duck Dynasty and Duck Commander fame, state that he believe that every duck he experienced was a gift from a higher power.  I too believe that every fish I catch is a gift.  While I don't target crappie, I still appreciate them.  If I'm being honest, I appreciate the bigger fish just a little bit more.  If I continue with my honesty, when a bigger fish is a surprise, the gift is appreciated even more!

Third Fishing Outing of Summer Break- North Lake

The flies thrown on this trip can be found in my online store: https://theshowmeflyguy.etsy.com

A week ago, I decided to visit a lake that I haven't fished in a long time.  It is called North Lake 

and I can only assume it is because located north of Harrisonville Missouri.  I fished this lake a lot when I lived in Blue Springs and when the only boat I had was my plastic 8 foot Bass Baby.  I have caught catfish in thunderstorms on a fly, the biggest redear sunfish that I have every caught on a fly, and a 5 pound bass on a crankbait.  I have taken multiple friends to North Lake and even fished there with a former student as a pseudo surprise party for his birthday.  So yeah, we have a history. 

I had never put my jon boat on North Lake so I was excited to fish this lake with a new vessel.  I arrived early in the morning and the lake looked like glass.  The forecast was for the wind to stay down most of the morning which is always nice when throwing a fly.  My plan was to work the weed lines with a tandem streamer rig and then throw a bigger streamer on sink tip line for suspending fish.  Over the course of the morning, the weed lines and patches of vegetation near the bank were productive.  The suspending fish were uncooperative.

During my outing, the theme was variety.  I caught bluegill, largemouth, and green sunfish.  One bass that I caught was over twelve inches and my propensity for catching 10 inch crappie this summer continued to roll on like a freight train.  However, the most memorable fish that I caught was probably the longest and heaviest green sunfish that I have ever seen.  The pictures do not do this fish justice!  For a fish that commonly gets eaten before it gets time to get very large, this thing was a unicorn.  It was 9 inches long and THICK!  

The fly of the day was an olive unhackled bugger.  I fished two of these flies that were separated by about 15 inches of line.  As fish activity started to slow down, so did I with a Standard jig that was 1/80 of an ounce and suspended under a strike indicator.  I threw a couple of streamers for suspending fish with one being olive and white (The Brave) and one being an all white shad pattern.  I encountered 2-3 schools of shad that were 3-5 inches long which swayed me towards throwing something that shad-like.  While I didn't catch the big bass that I was hoping for, I'm excited to go back to one of my old haunts again.  One of the joys of fishing is that the next cast you make could be the one that creates a new, lifelong memory!

The flies thrown on this trip can be found in my online store: https://theshowmeflyguy.etsy.com

A Few Music Videos For Your Viewing Pleasure

It has been a long time since I posted some music videos, but I felt that these were worth sharing.  They all hold a special place in my heart so if you would allow me to explain why I posted each one, I would greatly appreciate it!

1. Alice Cooper, School's Out- I'm a middle school teacher so I'm pretty pumped to get some greatly appreciated free time.  Free time = more fishing!

2. Chris Janson, The Real Bass Pro- This song is easy for me to relate to.  Aside from pretty much being an ad for Bass Pro (which I have zero problem with), everything in the song describes something that I love.  On top of that, Chris Janson is from Missouri which makes me instantly want to like him.  My favorite part of the song is, "Thank the good lord for the great outdoors and Johnny Morris for the fishing poles."

3. Hardy, Favorite Country Song (official video)- If you show me a music video about a shoulder returning from service and reuniting with his family, I'm going to either cry or come close.  No, the video does not coincide with the words of the song at all, but it captures more emotions that way in my opinion.

4. Hardy, Favorite Country Song (lyricvideo)- I love the words, guitar, and vocals of this song.  Like The Real Bass Pro by Chris Janson, it is easy to relate to.  The words, "Raindrops drummin' on rusted tin.  Flathead draggin' out twenty pound Stren" remind me of sleeping in my hunting & fishing cabin as well as fishing for channel catfish with my grandma.  I also dig the lines, "Oh, hallelujah, I know it that the good Lord wrote it for a good ol' boy like me.  On the back porch, sippin' on a cold beer.  Listen to some home-sweet harmony."

5. Brother Marshall & the Choir of Fire (Sturgill Simpson), All the Gold in California- I've listened to this song so many times recently that it's starting to drive my wife crazy.  While the title clearly reads that the song is sang by Brother Marshall & The Choir of Fire, in reality it is sung by Sturgill Simpson with a bunch of male vocalists that accompany him while hooting and hollering at the same time.  I have no idea what the song is about.  What I do know is that I love the soul in Sturgill's voice so much that I would listen to that guy sing the alphabet.  I also know that I love the rising action of this song and the feverous pitch at the climax.  It also makes me giggle when he says, at the end of the song, "Oh that's purdy."

Second Verse, Same as the First (Almost)

It was a quick turnaround between my first and second outing of the summer.  In my previous post, I described how my buddy Justin and I fished at Watkins Mill State Park and that he caught a bunch of crappie.  Well, as luck would have it, I found some free time in my schedule the following day and went back to the same lake at the same time of day.  This time though, it was just Waylon and I and the results were very similar.

The crappie were right where they were the day before and this time I probably caught a dozen of them with more than half of them being around 10 inches long.  There were about 5-10 yards off the aquatic vegetation and in about 10 feet of water.  I didn't want to fish with a jig under an indicator because I wanted to try to catch some fish on a streamer.  In my opinion, streamer fishing might not be as productive or efficient as fishing with a jig but I also think that it is a lot more fun.  I tend to miss more fish on a streamer but it's more rewarding when I do hook into something.  I also think there is a slightly better chance of catching something bigger on a size 6 streamer than a 1/80 ounce jig on a size 10 hook.  

Speaking of chasing a more substantial fish, I gave that a shot on this particular day as well.  I know there are big hybrid striped bass in Watkins Mill.  I've heard stories from folks that have caught them.  I've even seen a few.  I have yet to hook into a big one though.  The biggest that I have caught has come close to a pound but most of them are in the 8-10 inch range.  On this trip, I tried throwing a big streamer on sink tip line while drifting with the wind.  I marked a lot of fish on my fish finder that were in the middle of the lake so that's where I focused my efforts.

I got one bight while utilizing this tactic but it was a quick grab and dash so I'm not certain it was a hybrid.  Hybrids seem to be more aggressive with their takes and harder to miss so I'm not certain about what might have swiped at my fly.  I did however find some baitfish that were being pursued by unseen predators at the dam, close to the bank.  It took awhile but I finally landed one of the troublemakers.  It was a juvenile hybrid which was a little fun in an otherwise fruitless pursuit.  Mark my words though, I will catch a big hybrid at Watkins Mill by the end of the summer!

First Fishing Outing of Summer Break

Last Friday, I got to hit the water with my good buddy Justin on my first fishing outing since my summer break started at Watkins Mill State Park.  Justin and I teach at the same school and it was nice to fish with someone that can relate to the situations that the teaching profession can deliver.  He really got interested in fly fishing this year and even helped me facilitate my fly fishing club.  It was our first day of summer break and it felt like a good kick off to some more free time.  

While we didn't catch anything big or memorable, Justin sure brought in a lot of quite a few crappie.  While I have caught a few crappie on the lake in the spring and an occasional one post spawn, I've never caught as many summertime crappie.  Justin caught them near aquatic grass as well as 10-20 yards off the cabbage.  I caught a few bluegill and a couple of crappie, but Justin really thumped them on a black jig under a float.  I'm not sure how many more crappie we will catch on fly rods this summer, but I'm looking forward to fishing more with my new fishing buddy.

A Big Fish that Wasn't

I didn’t get much fishing in last weekend, even with it being memorial day, due to poor weather and schedules that were busy as usual. However, I did get up early last Saturday morning and took advantage of a small window in the schedule and the weather. After mulling over my options for a while, I decided to go to Blue Springs Lake. The wind was in the wrong direction to fish the dam so I decided to fish the spillway on the back side of the dam. I haven’t fished this area in a long time, but all of my visits there have a common theme: gar.

If you don’t know, gar have become my nemesis. They have become my white whale if you will. I struggle to hook them, and when I do, I’ve never landed one. So, with a hope to break the curse, I started looking for signs of gar. By signs of gar, I mean, looking for elongated figures in the water and breaches at the surface where gar gulp air. As I followed the water from the spillway downstream, I came across what I thought was my first gar sighting. 

I had Waylon in tow, and we both stared at the shadowy figure in the water for a while. We were high on a bank, which gave us an advantageous view of our prey. I slowly started to put my eight weight rod together and put on a fly that might tempt the beast. In my mind, I was already thinking about options B, C, and D if my first fly, didn’t elicit a strike. Slowly, Waylon and I started to descend the bank.

It took all of three steps down to realize that we had made a miscalculation. What we thought was a gar was nothing more than aquatic vegetation calmly swaying in the current. It was pretty surprising because I could have sworn that I saw the size, shape, and coloring of a long nose gar tail. Waylon seemed a little confused as we stopped our stalk prematurely, and I found myself somewhere between frustration and comical humility.

I’m telling you this story because it was literally the highlight of the trip. I saw a few small gar that refused my fly, but that was it. It was still a fun little adventure, and I still enjoyed my time in the outdoors. With that being said, this guard quest will hopefully end sometime this summer. I’ve got a hot tip on a place that’s full of gar , and can’t wait to hit that spot once school is out for the summer. I will be sure to keep you up-to-date on my quest as it unfolds.

3D Printed Stripping Basket- The Introduction

I've always wanted to try using a stripping basket when fly fishing with streamers but I've refused to commit money towards something that I might not like.  Most of the baskets that I have looked at have run from $40-$100 dollars.  They all look like they will solve the problem of getting fly line wrapped around different objects but they also look cumbersome.  In my opinion, they also look silly.  I am willing to try a stripping basket if it keeps line from wrapping around plants, my feet, and everything else in return for looking a little silly.

So what is a guy to do if he wants to try a stripping basket but is...let's be nice and call it frugal?  Fine, I'm cheap when it comes to things like this.  Anyway, let me ask that question again.  What is a guy to do if he wants a stripping basket but also has 3D printing capabilities?  Yep, you guessed it.  I 3D printed a stripping basket!

Everything that I needed for this project was free!  I found a wading belt that I bought on a trip a long time ago (I left mine at home on that particular occasion).  I also found a free file online that I downloaded and sent to my 3D printer.  I chose to use red filament with the printer because it's a color that I had a lot of and I didn't want to waste any of my material on something that might not get used very much.  I am also hopeful that all of my fly lines will show up against a red background since none of my fly lines are red.  I'm also a Kansas City Chiefs fan so many I'll throw some arrowhead stickers on it as a result.

Overall, I like how things look but I'm more concerned about functionality more than anything.  My wading belt fit perfectly through the loops so that made life easier.  There are spikes in the basket to prevent tangling and allow line to be pulled freely by larger fish.  The basket that I printed also has a groove to fit a fly rod into when changing flies, which might be useful.  While everything seems ready to go, I might end up drilling some holes in the bottom of the basket.  Fly line holds a little bit of water and I'm concerned about pooling in the basket as a result.  Some drain holes would fix that problem but I'm not going to take that step if I don't need to.

I'm going to play around with the basket a little in my backyard and then test it out on the water.  I will be sure to post about this accessory after some field testing.  I will be brutally honest because I don't want to lead you astray if you are considering getting one for yourself.  Until then, good luck on the water and I hope you have a great weekend.

Some Fish Got Buggered Up on Saturday Evening

Online fly shop for jigs and streamers: https://theshowmeflyguy.etsy.com

This is usually the time of year that I start focusing on fishing shallow water for bluegill if I get a small window to fish. Bass have spawned and become a little more tight lipped. Crappie have moved off the banks and are suspending around timber. I have to drive 3 hours or more to fish for trout and smallmouth. Wipers and white bass require a boat and electronics. So if I get to hit the water for an hour or so, I focus on bluegill, redear sunfish, and green sunfish. 

Are they exciting to catch? A little bit because every fish you catch is exciting to some degree. Are you going to catch a “big fish” when targeting these species? Probably not unless you accidentally hook a catfish which does happen from time to time. And finally, is it difficult to rig up a fly rod or are the fishing techniques difficult? Nope and nope!

I like to throw a 3 or 4 weight fly rod when targeting smaller species like the aforementioned sunfish. I also like to use a fluorocarbon leader that is approximately 6 feet in length. I don’t waste money on tapered leaders and instead just pull some line right off a spool of 6 pound line. As far as flies, I like to either use a jig under a float, a size 6 wooly bigger, or two size 6 unhackled buggers. If the fish want a slow presentation, are suspended, or seem lethargic, I go with a jig. If they are actively feeding and really on the move, I throw buggers. I prefer the bigger approach because it’s a lot more fun to work a fly and watch for movement in fly line than state at a bobber. 

Luckily for me, I found some active fish on Saturday evening that wanted to run down and smash a bugger. In total, I landed two crappie, 5 bass, and 4 bluegill. More important than the numbers though was the fact that I had fun! None of the fish were memorable and nothing out of the ordinary happened. However, it felt nice to make some good casts, get some takes, and feel a tug on the other end of the line. The lack of wind and pretty sunset capped off a pleasant evening. 

Online fly shop for jigs and streamers: https://theshowmeflyguy.etsy.com