Waylon Treed It, Then I Bagged It! (Part 1)

I don't hunt much.  I hunt during rifle season for deer and might try to call in some coyotes a couple of times per year but other than some rare occasions, that's about all my hunting consists of.  However, I recently had an itch to do some squirrel and rabbit hunting (and get out of the house) so on a cold January day, I grabbed a gun, some warm clothes, and Waylon before I set off on a little hunting excursion.

In all honesty, I didn't know if having a bird dog around was going to help my chances at hunting a couple of wary mammals.  I didn't know if he would scare them off or help me find them.  Regardless, we were going to hunt together.  When we got out of the truck, we saw four turkeys wandering through the snow.  Shortly after that, we kicked up a couple of deer.  I noticed that one of them still had a complete set of antlers on his head so my hopes at finding a few fresh sheds were dashed.  

For the next hour and a half after those sightings, we didn't see much and we certainly didn't see the quarry we were after.  Part of it was my fault.  I noticed that the areas that we were hunting didn't have many oak trees or squirrel nests.  After scanning the horizon, I found some oaks that were still holding their leaves and quite a few nests that looked like they could have been built by squirrels.  We headed that way but doubt started to enter my mind.  Did we start hunting too late in the morning?  Was it too cold for our prey to leave their warm, safe confines?  Was Waylon scaring everything off?  Was I walking around too much?  

As I was about to give up hope and head toward the truck, I watch Waylon streaking through the timber.  He was moving at a pace that was faster than he had moved at any point of our hunt, and this got my attention!  As Waylon approached a large oak tree, I saw a furry critter make its way up the tree in a manner that I can only describe as "motivated".  It didn't take much time or effort to identify the animal as a squirrel and I quickly got as excited as Waylon.  

A New (to me) Fly and a New (to me) Tying Material

While looking for something to make with my 3D printer, I ran across a file that caught my attention.  It was similar to a Fish Skull in the sense that it is a head that gets attached to a fly.  It gives a fly a tapered look and covers up what could be a messy head.  It makes the fly look a lot cleaner and gives it a more realistic profile.  I tie a few patterns with heads like these so when I saw that I could make some on my own and for cheaper, I wanted to make a few and see how they looked on flies.

The person that posted the file online also created an instructional video that included a fly pattern and how to incorporate the 3D printed head.  This pattern was intended to imitate an anchovy but I figure most freshwater baitfish have similar profiles.  They tend to be 3-4 inches long, have dark backs, and white bellies.  I tied up a few of these flies with olive backs and white bellies.  Once those were done, I thought I would try to create a shad imitation so I replaced the olive marabou with a gray and white rabbit strip.

Overall, I am thrilled about how this fly turned out.  I love the profile and color but there are some unproved aspects that I need to investigate.  This is an unweighted fly so I am curious to see how it sinks.  I'm not sure if I will be able to fish it on a floating line or if it will require a sink tip line.  More importantly, I want to see the profile and action that it has in the water.  I also want to see the difference (if there is any) between the fly with the marabou versus the fly with the rabbit strip.  Only field testing will reveal the answers to my questions...and spring can't get here fast enough!

 

My Fly Tying Hit a Roadblock

For the last few weeks now, I haven't been able to tie many flies due to a lack of fly tying materials in my inventory.  Whenever I sat down to tie some flies to add to the inventory of my online store, I was always out of something.  If I wanted to tie a Lunch Money, I would have the hooks, the rabbit strips, and laser dub but no dumbbell eyes.  If I wanted to tie wooly buggers, I would have marabou, chenille, and hackle but no cone heads.  So there was only one solution.  I need to order some materials and I needed a lot of them.

I used to watch a show called "Justified."  There were a lot of good one-liners in the show and there was one that I will never forget.  Boyd, a character with a quick wit, once said, "If you're going to be a bear, be a grizzly."  I thought of that line before I clicked on "Place Order" on the J. Stockard Fly Fishing website.  $250 dollars later, my materials were ordered and I received them a few days later.  So if you've ever wondered what $250 dollars worth of fly tying materials looks like, this is it!  On top of that, I even got a free beanie too!  

I hope you have a great weekend and find some time to relax and do something you enjoy.  And while I enjoy working on posts for this blog, I now have flies to tie!  

PS- I also ordered a bunch of Show Me Fly Guy stickers because I was almost out of those too!  They came from MakeStickers.com.

A Fly I Tied with Materials I Wanted to Use Up

So there I was with some dumbbell eyes that had some paint chipped off (can't use these on flies for customers), a limited amount of materials (lots of materials on the way though), and a fly that I was going to tie for myself.  I wanted to use up some materials that I don't use very much but wanted to make something that would catch fish.  It took me awhile to put this puzzle together.

I started off with some olive materials because I like fishing with olive streamers.  I had just enough light olive laser dub, olive rabbit strips with black tips, and dark olive laser dub to tie one fly.  I don't use this color of rabbit strip very often and I don't really care for the light olive laser dub so I wanted to use them up just to be rid of them.  I have a bunch of other fly tying materials that I don't use but they didn't fit the theme of this build.  

Overall, I used a rabbit strip with black tips, light olive marabou, a light olive rabbit strip, black sili legs, light olive laser dub, olive laser dub, large red dumbbell eyes, and olive thread.  The fly is a variant on Bennet's Lunch Money.  It's a fly that I have caught a lot of largemouth bass and a few smallmouth bass on.  As a result, I have a lot of confidence in this fly.  I have so much confidence in this fly that I sell it in my online store as well.  The taper, the profile, and the action make it, well, I would say lethal, but I'm a catch and release guy.

I tend to employ darker colors on the tops of my streamers and lighter colors on the bottom.  In scientific terms, I believe this is called countershading.  It's probably the side of me that is a trout angler that attempts to "match the hatch".  I use countershading because that's the coloration scheme that most fish utilize.  When trout anglers are on the water, they try to make their flies the same size, profile, and color of the current trout's prey.  I'm just trying to use the same tactic.  

So while I don't tend to lean towards monochromatic color schemes very often, I do make a few exceptions.  Black, white, and olive are colors that I will use throughout an entire fly.  I like all black for stained water, white for clear water, and olive for both.  After looking this fly over, I think I accomplished both of my goals.  I used up some materials that I didn't have a need for anymore and produced a fly that I think will catch fish.  Now all I need is for some fish to let me know what they think!

My New (To Me) Moonshine Reel via Facebook Marketplace

Link to Moonshine Rod Co.- https://moonshinerods.com

I have no problem admitting that I am frugal.  I try not to spend more money than necessary on things if I don't have to.  There is also a possibility that I have a small addiction to Facebook Marketplace.  It's not that I buy a lot of things off marketplace, I just like to peruse a lot and see what people are selling.  I think marketplace is a great resource when looking for things like bed frames, used 3D printers, and yes, fly fishing equipment.  I'm also a fan of Moonshine Rod Company.  I've heard nothing but great things about their rods and reels but have never had the opportunity or need to purchase from them.  So when I saw a band new Moonshine reel come up on the marketplace that had never been used and was less than half the price of a new one, I jumped on it.

While I have not put any line on the reel, and thus not actually used it yet, I already see some things that I like.  First of all, the crescent that is cut out of the housing is eye-catching to say the least.  As if that wasn't enough, the spool is silver on the side that faces the housing.  This means that the silver makes the crescent appear silver with the rest of the housing appear black.  It is a subtle detail but is an aesthetic that I greatly appreciate.  

Second, I the drag system appears to be well-designed.  It is sealed which always points towards less maintenance and fewer malfunctions.  Another component that I dig is that the cap that connects the spool to the housing isn't removable.  As a result, you don't have to worry about dropping it in a lake/stream and you really can't lose it anywhere else for that matter.  The only thing that I don't like is that the traditional clicking sound (that most reels make) is produced when drag is taken AND when the reel is turned to bring in line.  I prefer that my reels only click when the drag system is engaged.  I'm sure I will just get used to this characteristic so it's not a large concern of mine.

I am extremely happy with my purchase and I can't wait to hit the water with it.  I will post a review of the performance reel after some field testing.  I'm also going to keep perusing Facebook Marketplace for good deals on fly fishing equipment.  It's a great place to look for deals so you might want to do the same...just please don't beat me to any good deals!  I'm totally kidding.  If I snooze, I lose.

Link to Moonshine Rod Co.- https://moonshinerods.com

Learning to Fly Fish is Like Learning How to Install a Garbage Disposal

About a week ago, the garbage disposal in our kitchen started to leak.  I did a little research and found out that it was probably a broken seal and that a full replacement was the best plan of action.  Between having some time on my hands and my frugalness, I wanted to take on the job myself.  I had never removed or installed a garbage disposal before but as my buddy Corey says sometimes, "Dude, if other people can do it, so can you."  So with a little confidence, some knowledge acquired from YouTube, and a bunch of tools, I proceeded forward.

During the 4 hours of work that occurred, I experienced many of the components of the learning process.  I started off with confusion, felt some success, more confusion, frustration, doubt, concern, and sense of accomplishment.  Eventually the old garbage disposal was in the trash and the new one was properly working.  At some point it dawned on me that the entire process resembled what it is like to learn to fly fish or tie flies.  

For me, when I got started in fly fishing and fly tying, I have no idea where to start. All I knew was that I wanted to teach myself.  I didn't want to pay somebody to do it for me. I started off my reading instructions but then quickly moved to YouTube.  Everything seemed so difficult and so confusing until I started getting my hands dirty and figuring things out. It was frustrating, rewarding, and frustrating again.  When I thought that I had mastered something, I realized that I had just completed one step in a journey that seemed to be a million miles long. But before I knew it, I had gained a little confidence and felt like I was making progress.  After enough learning had taken place, I felt like I could help somebody else that was struggling with the process.

While I feel like I now understand the process of installing a garbage disposal, I understand that I will never fully comprehend everything there is to learn about fly fishing and fly tying.  With the garbage disposal, there was an end goal of getting the sink back in working order again.  There were small milestones like removing the old disposal and assembling the new one.  With fly fishing there are small milestones like catching your first fish, catching a trout on a dry fly, or catching a fish on a fly that you tied.  However, with fly fishing, there is no end to the learning.  There are always more techniques to learn, new flies to tie, and unexplored bodies of water to visit.

There are multiple reasons for this post.  One thing that I hope you take away from reading this is that I hope you remember that the learning process can be intimidating, frustrating, and difficult.  However, the reward that comes from achieving something seems to make all of those other (seemingly) negative feelings fade away.  Second, the journey of fly fishing and fly tying IS the reward.  Don't get me wrong, there are rewarding moments of catching big fish and have days that boast gaudy numbers of fish being caught.  Those moments are just stepping stones and rewards of you growing as an angler.  

The best part of learning about fly fishing and fly tying, in my opinion, is that there is not an end of the road.  There is no mastery of either discipline.  You can participate in both activities for your entire life and never reach the end of the learning experience.  The learning experience IS the journey that we choose and we accept all of the reward and frustration that comes along with it, just like we do in life!

Fishing for Stocked Rainbow Trout at Krug Park in St. Joseph, Missouri- The Conclusion

Link to the jigged wooly bugger in olive: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1855015123/3-pack-of-olive-jigged-wooly-buggers

Link to the jigged wooly bugger in white: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1840815384/3-pack-of-white-jigged-wooly-buggers

I opened my fly box and found the next fly that I wanted to test.  It was similar in the contrast but different in the color combination.  This fly had a pink head, a white chenille body, a white marabou tail, and grizzly hackle wrapped around the body.  While the olive fly came from a Facebook post, this white fly had some deep roots that requires some explaining.  

When I graduated from college, I achieved my goal of getting a teaching job.  After that, I didn't know what to do with myself.  I wanted a hobby but I couldn't settle on one.  I was leaning towards golf since a lot of my friends were getting into the sport and then something happened that would change my life.  I had taken a break from fishing during my college years but it was always something that I enjoyed.  I'm a competitive person by nature and I found an outlet for my spirit in fishing.  

On one fortuitous day, I went fishing after school.  I had a medium light spinning rod and a small grub tail jig.  It had a pink head, white body, and white tail.  I couldn't cast it very far but it didn't matter because the crappie were on the banks for the spawn.  I think I caught 50 fish that day but I could be wrong.  This IS a fishing story by the way but regardless, I saw my path laid out for me.  Fate and destiny worked together that evening to make sure that a fire for fishing was lit.  

The fly that I plucked out of my fly box was an homage to that crappie-catching grub.  I've always been partial towards white flies when trout fishing and the white profile seemed like it had potential to me.  The pink head looked like it would be an attractor which can mean that it gets the attention of fish.  I had never fished with this fly before but I had reason to believe that it was going to be productive.  Over the next hour, it proved to be VERY productive.

I fished this fly 3-4 feet under a strike indicator.  At Krug Park, there is a fountain on the west side of the lake but on the day that I was there, it wasn't turned on.  When the fountain is turned on, I think the moving water helps to attract fish to the moving (and potentially oxygenated) water.  I fished the spot anyway because of the structure that it provided.  I also believe that there is a transition from shallow to deep which could attract fish as well.  I stood near the concrete box that has a diamond plate top and I noticed a pipe running from the box to the fountain.  I figured this structure could be an attractor as well.  

I'm not sure how many fish I caught, but it was over 10.  I fished both sides of the fountain and did better casting to the west side of the fountain.  Some takes came towards the middle of the lake and others came closer to the bank/pipe/concrete box.  All of the takes were pretty aggressive and difficult to miss.  Having a long-handled net was extremely useful so if you ever fish this lake, it would be wise to take one.  There are lots of places that are elevated above the lake and the water can be difficult to reach with your hands.  

In terms of the fly, aside from its productivity, it was matched by its durability.  I never had a hook bend and I never had any of the materials start to detach from the hook either.  Since the fly worked so well and proved its sturdiness, I have decided to start selling both the olive jig as well as the white jig in the online store.  This jig can be fished on a spinning rod or with a fly rod.  It has a weight of 1/80 ounce and is easy to cast on three weight rods and higher.  I have never fished with a rod with a lower weight than a three, but it is possible that you could fish it on something smaller.  I always fish it with a strike indicator but I have seen folks fish without one and simply strip it in.

What ended up being a bit of a reluctant outing turned into a really fun day.  As I got into my truck to head home, I felt my spirit restored a little.  The smile on my face was evidence of that.  I'm glad that Wendy gave me a nudge out the door and I'm glad that I went fishing for stocker rainbows.  Every outing on the water provides me with a memory that I can carry.  It helps to relieve my stresses and give me a sense of calm.  Problems that I have don't go away but are sometimes put into a better perspective.  I need to remember this in the future so I don't have to push myself outdoors but rather welcome it for all of the benefits that nature, and specifically fishing, provides me.

Link to the jigged wooly bugger in olive: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1855015123/3-pack-of-olive-jigged-wooly-buggers

Link to the jigged wooly bugger in white: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1840815384/3-pack-of-white-jigged-wooly-buggers

Fishing for Stocked Rainbow Trout at Krug Park in St. Joseph, Missouri- Part 1

 

A few days ago, my wife kicked me out of the house.  Her exact words were, "I love you but you need to get outside.  Go to the farm, go fishing, but you have to do something.  Do something that makes you happy."  She was right.  The stress of the holiday season, my seasonal depression, and a general feeling of cabin fever was setting in.  I was in the kind of mindset where I was unhappy but wasn't interested in doing anything to get me out of my funk.  If you've ever been in a similar situation, you can relate to feeling of apathy and indignance.  If you aren't familiar with this, it's a bad feeling and sometimes it takes a nudge to get you moving forward in a direction that brings positive results.

My wife was right about one thing and it was that I needed to go fishing.  To be honest (and as I mentioned before) I didn't really want to go.  I didn't want to fish for stocked trout.  I didn't want to fish a lake that was going to have it's stocked trout population  depleted the minute that the fish hit the water.  I didn't want to drive to a lake that had catch and release policy.  What I DID want to do was throw a couple of new flies that I thought had some potential.  I also wanted a better frame of mind and wanted to make my wife happy at the same time.  So with a little reluctance, I grabbed some equipment and plugged an address into an app on my phone.  

The moment that I saw the water, I felt my spirit rise.  I didn't realize how much I needed a fishing trip but it started to dawn on me as stress, frustration, and a little depression seemed to evaporate off me like sweat turning to steam.  While I felt my mental health improving, I also recognized that there was only one thing that could keep me trending in a good direction.  I needed to catch a fish.  And if I'm being honest, I knew that a fish wasn't going to be enough.  I knew that I needed to catch a few.  

I didn't have a desire for gaudy numbers.  I just wanted somewhere between 5-10 fish.  I felt like that number would make me feel like I knew what I was doing and not just catching a couple of fish out of luck.  That would have felt like some sort of pity party and I didn't want that.  I wanted a boost of confidence and to hear a voice in my head say, "See!  You know what you're doing.  You're a good fly fisherman!"  

When I pulled up to the parking lot, I saw some fellow fly anglers that were catching fish near the parking lot.  This felt like a good sign but I was determined to set off on my own path.  I didn't want to fish around a crowd so I started walking.  I started looking for rising trout and fish in clear/shallow water.  I didn't see either so then I stared looking for spots where I had experienced success before.  I found a point that I really liked, which produced a nice fish, and made me feel good.  What made me feel bad was the fact that I put my fly in a tree about 4 casts later.  As the fates would have it, this last event was a good thing.

After putting on a new leader, a new strike indicator, and a new fly, I decided that I wanted to find a new spot.  I didn't want to relive that experience again and I wanted to look for a new and potentially more productive spot.  This little mishap also provided the proper motivation for me to try out one of the new flies that I was wanting to test.  The fly that I selected was one that I had recently seen in a Facebook post and attempted to replicate.  I felt like my version was respectable but I also recognized that the only judges of a fly are fish. 

I'll be honest, the fly was not hard to tie.  It is just a wooly bugger that is tied on a hook with a jig head.  Olive marabou, olive chenille, and some olive hackle was all it took.  The head of the jig was a fluorescent orange which added a nice contrast which is something that I appreciate.  I've had a lot of success with flies that have bodies that contrast with the painted jig head.  I believe that the brighter color of the jig head works as an attractor color and the body/tail of the fly seals the deal sometimes.  So what I had working for me was confidence.  I based this on my previous experiences, information from a Facebook post, and my schema that I have acquired over 20+ years of trout fishing.  While a confidence in a fly/lure is paramount, success on the water maintains confidence in that fly/lure.

With my new fly, I set out of a new spot.  I headed towards a spot that had been productive in the past but I wasn't sure that it would work out very well.  Typically, there is a fountain at the lake which is located near the amphitheater.  I have caught a lot of fish there in the past because I am of the opinion that the fountain helped to oxygenate the water and create a little current.  For whatever reason, on this particular day, the fountain was off.  However, I was of the opinion that there was enough structure in the water (pipes and whatnot) as well as enough change in water depth that the fish might still be there.  

My first few casts were directed straight toward the inoperable fountain but my next casts where directed towards the shallows to my left.  My hope was that my fly would find some fish in the shallows and some fish that were in a drop-off that I hoped was there.  I got my first take in my third cast.  It was so subtle that I missed it but I did notice it.  It made me feel like I was on to something but the pessimism that always seems to loom in my mind said that it was a one-off occurrence and that the event would not be replicated.  One cast later produced a hook-up on my new-to-me fly.  I landed this fish and it felt good.  The fish I caught two casts later felt even better.  When I lost my fly on my next hook-set, I simply took the circumstance as a suggestion to change flies and that was exactly what I did.