A Fun Morning on Some Farm Ponds

Where I live in Northwest Missouri, Fall means harvest season.  Pumpkins get picked.  Apples get bobbed.  Corn and soybeans get collected by expensive machinery.  On the surface, this might not seem to have an impact on fishing, but it does play a role.  It plays a very large role.  You see, some of the farm ponds that I love to fish are in the middle of corn and soybean fields.  I haven't been able to access these ponds since May which means the fish in the ponds have had time to grow...and forget about fishing lures/flies.  If there is one thing I like, it is a big, dumb fish!

Recently, my buddy Justin and I met up on a Sunday morning to chase some largemouth bass with streamers.  The water was cooling off and triggering an increase in metabolism in fish.  This too meant that fishing opportunities should be solid.  On top of everything else, the day we hit the water just happened to coincide with a full moon!  If it appears that everything was aligning in our favor, I would have to agree.  

Sometimes all the factors that should help you catch more fish actually do lead to solid fishing.  Sometimes they don't and you're left scratching your head in confusion.  On this particular day, the factors played right into our hands and the fishing was GOOD!  Now don't get me wrong, we weren't catching 5 and 6 pound fish that were over 20 inches long.  What we did catch were bass in the 15-18 inch range and between 2 and 3 pounds.  They were aggressive, fought hard, and ran down our subsurface flies like prairie fire with a tailwind!

Now some will say that fishing in a farm pond takes some of the challenge out of the sport.  There are only so many places for a fish to hide.  Some farm ponds are overstocked and not exactly healthy for the fish that live there.  The fish get little to no fishing pressure and aren't very...educated.  I would agree with all of those sentiments.  I would also state that fishing farm ponds is about as much fun as a squirrel on espresso.  

I would also say that throwing flies in a farm pond makes the situation more challenging that using bait or conventional tackle which, in my opinion, evens the playing field out a little more.  I tend to throw streamers for largemouth bass on farm ponds but I'll throw nymphs under indicators for bluegill and poppers for both.  Heck, one day I caught a bunch of largemouth on mouse flies in the middle of the day!  That was a day that I will never forget.  So if you know a landowner that has taken crops out of the field where a farm pond sits, I suggest you pay it a visit.  As much as it pains me to say, it's going to be getting cold soon and the fishing is going to get worse if not completely shut down.  So enjoy your harvest season while you can!

It Ain't Rainbows and Unicorns All the Time

What we see on social media (and usually what appears on this blog) does not tell you the entire story of someone's life or fishing experiences.  It's a highlight reel.  You see the good days and the successes.  I love social media and my blog because of this, however, it is easy to lose perspective on things.  It is easy to think, "Why don't I catch fish like that?  Why can't I catch more fish?  I wish I could go fishing more."  With that in mind, this is a post about the "other side of fishing".

What I mean is that this is a post about how my last couple of weeks have been.  No, this is not a post about catching big fish on every cast or magical days where everything you do seems to work.  This is a post about grinding through days that were unsatisfactory and, honestly, disappointing.  I will be the first person to tell you that I am not perfect nor am I the best fly fisher in the world.  The next few paragraphs will prove my point.

I have got to hit the water a total of two times in the last two weeks and the results were not what I was hoping for.  First, I woke up early on a Saturday morning and went fishing at a lake near my home.  The lake is called Rocky Hollow and is located in Excelsior Springs, Missouri.  It has a decent bass population and with the cooling water temps, I thought that I would be able to throw a craft fur minnow over some submerged brush which would result in putting at least a couple of bass in the boat.  Instead, I got skunked with that method.  I only caught 5 fish total after switching to a small jig under a strike indicator.  It was not a great day but hey, the weather was nice.

One week later found me on Lake Taneycomo.  My wife and I went there for the annual brown trout run and had the hopes of catching some fish in the 18-22 inch range.  I fished for one afternoon and two mornings (one of them resulted in me getting skunked) and my efforts resulted in me landing exactly four fish.  I missed a few more fish which stung a little more because the opportunities were so few and far between.  The last fish I caught was a chunky rainbow but that was the underwhelming highlight of the trip.  The fish were spooky, the water was low, and the strategies I employed didn't work well.  

I'm not writing this to complain about fishing spots or fishing conditions.  I'm not whining about a lack of catches or small fish.  I'm just showing the "other side" of my fishing experiences.  If you spend enough days on the water, you will find that there are good days, bad days, and days that have a little bit of both.  I think the bad days can remind us about how good the great days are.  On the other hand, the good days should be appreciated because of how the bad days can leave such a poor taste in your mouth.  That is my perspective and that is, at least partially, the point of this blog.  Good luck on the water and the next time you have a fishing experience that feels disappointing, just know that we all have them and better days are on the horizon.

Craft Fur Minnows Now Available in the Online Fly Shop

Link to purchase craft fur minnow flies: https://www.etsy.com/listing/4554106401/2-pack-of-craft-fur-minnows-baitfish

It is a pleasure to announce a new listing in the online fly shop that can be found on Etsy.  This little devil has not only put a lot of fish in my boat this summer, but it's also put a lot of different species in my hands as well.  This fly has landed largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, and bluegill in the last few months.  With the amount of success that I have had with this fly on the water, it has earned a space in the online fly shop!

This fly is tied on a size 2 hook and as the name suggests, it is mostly made of a material called craft fur.  It is an unweighted fly and while it does sink, it has a slow sink rate.  This fly can be fished just below the surface with floating line or can be fished in deeper water with a sinking or sink tip line.  It imitates a baitfish that is about 3 inches long.  In the water, it is long and skinny like a minnow.  It also has a taper to it which makes the fly get skinnier towards the back of the fly.  Most of it's mass is towards the front of the fly which resembles a minnow well as they are equally proportional.

Link to purchase craft fur minnow flies: https://www.etsy.com/listing/4554106401/2-pack-of-craft-fur-minnows-baitfish

 

Justin's Story of Sweet Redemption

Justin is a darn good friend of mine.  He's smart, dependable, and generous.  We also happen to teach at the same middle school.  The aforementioned characteristics that make him a good friend also make him a good teacher.  On top of all of that, he helps me facilitate the after school fly fishing club that I have operated for 15 years.  Since he became a facilitator, he has made a huge, positive impact on club members.

On a recent trip with the fly fishing club, Justin had an encounter with a largemouth bass the likes of which I have never witnessed before.  Justin was throwing a six inch, chartreuse game changer on a 7 weight rod.  He wasn't catching anything but the club members recognized that he was chasing big fish with a big fly.  Towards the end of the evening, some club members spotted a big (in relation to what we were catching) largemouth bass cruising the shallows on a consistent basis.  When the bass refused their offerings, they called for Justin to try to catch the beast.

I wouldn't have believed this story if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.  In over thirty years of fishing, I had never seen anything close to what I witnessed on this particular day.  I watched this 3-4 pound largemouth bass eat Justin's fly approximately 7 times.  Sometimes he didn't take the fly all the way to the hook.  Sometimes Justin missed a hook set.  Sometimes the bass spit the fly before a hook could be set.  Sometimes it was barely hooked, came off the hook, and returned to the shallows seconds later.  It was like the bass was begging to be caught by Justin.  Tragically, the evening ended without Justin landing the bass.  While this seemed like the end of the story...it was not!

Fast forward one week later, the fly fishing club was back on the water at a different location.  Towards the end of the evening, Justin started throwing the same six inch, chartreuse game changer on the same 7 weight rod.  While he had a few bumps while casting into deep water off a dam, he didn't land anything.  As the sun was setting and we were about to end our evening on the water, some students started yelling across the lake to Justin.  They said that they had "spotted his old buddy" and that a big largemouth was cruising in some shallow water near them.  

If you're realizing that this story is sounding familiar, you should!  It is important to mention, again, that this was not the same lake as the previous week.  This was not the same fish but what happened next was almost identical to what Justin had experienced one week prior.  It is also worth noting that this largemouth was bigger than the first one I mentioned.  It was significantly bigger.

Over the next couple of minutes, the bass ate Justin's game changer two times but never got properly hooked.  When Justin set the hook the third time however, he pierced the upper lip of the bass and the fight was on.  All of the club member, as well as myself, rushed to Justin's location to see the fish and curious if Justin was going to land the leviathan.  The fish made some surges towards some aquatic vegetation and we all held our collective breath.  Some club members started to rush towards the edge of the water and I ushered them out of Justin's way.  I didn't want any of them to interfere although I know they had good intentions.  This was Justin's moment and I wanted him to in control of the situation.

After only a minute or two, the fish tired and Justin eased it toward the shore.  When he grabbed the lip of the bass (with what I can only assume was a mighty grip), the entire group yelled out in excitement.  Fists were raised in victory.  High fives were exchanged.  Smiles adorned every face.  After the moment sank in, I ran to grab a scale and a tape measurer.  We needed to find out just how big this trophy was!

The tale of the tape was a little over 22 inches long and the fish weighed in right at 5 pounds!  We got the fish in the water quickly after some pictures and video.  I am proud to state that the fish swam off with plenty of energy and very little aid was needed to help get it on its way.

The rest of the evening was filled with an analysis of the catch, retelling of the events that transpired, and talk of how to give the memory its proper amount of commemoration.  Justin shared pictures on his phone and told his wife about what happened.  I sent pictures to friends, family, and our school administrators.  The next morning, the story had grown to the point where people that I hadn't even told the story to were asking about the details of the catch.  

Justin is not the type of person to brag about personal accomplishments and he never did.  He expressed gratitude for the moment.  He talked about the appreciation he had for the fish.  He talked about how he was happy to have experienced the moment with club members and myself.  It was nice to see something so exceptional happen to my friend that gives so much to others but never expects anything in return.  This catch and memory mean a lot to my friend and it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy!

Fly Fishing Themed Cowboy Hat Band

First of all, I ain't no cowboy.  However, I appreciate what cowboys and cowboy hats symbolize.  To me, they stand for a variety of things.  I found the following list, also known as "The Code of the West" at https://visitjacksonhole.com/the-code-of-the-west and I feel like it does a good job of describing the characteristics that I appreciate when it comes to what cowboys symbolize.

• Live each day with courage
• Take pride in your work
• Always finish what you start
• Do what has to be done
• Be tough, but fair
• When you make a promise, keep it
• Ride for the brand
• Talk less and say more
• Remember that some things aren’t for sale
• Know where to draw the line

I like this code, set of principles, or whatever you want to call it.  That's why I sometimes wear a cowboy hat.  I also grew up wanting to be a cowboy so my love for the western lifestyle can be traced into my childhood.  In addition, the owner of American Hat Company once said, "“You don't have to live the lifestyle, you just have to love it.”  Granted, the guy is trying to sell hats but I like where he is coming from.  I also read a quote from an unknown author that stated, "“Some people are born with a cowboy heart, even if they've never been on a horse."  I dig that too.

What I DON'T like about cowboy hats are their sometimes plain, always overpriced, sometimes boring hat bands.  You already see where this is going don't you?  I wanted a hat band that was personal.  I wanted a hat band that I made with my own hands.  I also wanted a hat band that showed off my passion for fly fishing.  After a lot of brainstorming and experimentation, I arrived at what I felt was my optimum design for a fly fishing cowboy hat band.

The pictures below are going to tell the story better than I can.  A picture is worth a thousand words and you might not want to read 19 thousand words.  To summarize however, I started with three old fly lines.  I then selected a fly and ran it through one of the lines.  I then made an overhand knot.  From there, I braided the three lines, and tied them off with another overhand knot.  I then measured the band on the hat to determine the right length.  I then used super glue gel to hold the braid together at the point I selected and cut off the knot and excess.  Finally, I used the hook of the fly as a clasp and poked it through the braided line in a place that made the band tight but not too tight.  I tucked in the excess line and was done.

The number of cowboys in this world seems to be shrinking.  On top of that, the community of fly fishers is small compared to the number of conventional anglers.  When you look at the number of fly fishers that wear cowboy hats, the number is pretty small.  I thought about trying to sell a few of these but I believe my target audience is pretty small.  With that being said, if you want me to make you one, send me an email and I'm sure we can work something out.  I can customize fly line colors and fly patterns to fit your wishes.  Feel free to email me at showmeflyguy@gmail.com and thanks for reading!

 

I Caught a Big (to me) Channel Catfish on a Fly!

On a recent Saturday morning, my wife, Wendy, my dog, Waylon, and I headed to a lake that I had never taken them before.  I cannot disclose the location of this lake because swore to keep the location of this lake a secret.  I had a couple of good friends share it with me but I promised to not share the name or location of the spot.  I'm not trying to be a jerk to readers but instead, I'm trying to uphold a promise that I made my friends.  Now that we are through the formalities, let me say that things did not start off the way I was hoping.

This particular lake is known for having good populations of big largemouth, crappie, and bluegill.  I don't know what is in the water in this lake but good gracious does it hold some nice fish!  I told my wife about the quality of fish we were looking to catch and in all honesty, I was trying to get her excited about getting up early on a Saturday morning and hitting the water with me.  As it turned out, we caught the lake on what I would call an "off day".  We didn't catch any bluegill, the bass we caught were small, and we only managed to catch one nice bluegill.  At one point of the morning, I actually said out loud, "We need to catch something worth a darn.  I'm going to be ticked off if we drove all this way and don't end up with a good story."  Minutes later, I got my memorable experience.

I had been throwing a Captain Quint streamer for big largemouth and crappie but I didn't get a single bite on that fly.  Wendy had been throwing a small jig under an indicator and had only managed to catch a small green sunfish and a little bluegill.  As with most things in life, I subscribe to the idea that the best options sometimes exists in the middle of two options.  What I mean is that a big, weightless streamer and a small, weighted jig didn't catch anything and that maybe a smaller weighted streamer might be worth throwing.  If the fish weren't shallow and didn't want a small meal, then maybe something medium size but heavy might entice them.  Just for good measure, I decided to tie on two streamers and settled on a pair of unhackled buggers as my best option.  I chose olive because the water was fairly murky.

Aside from changing flies, we also changed locations.  I went looking for some drop-offs and some deeper water.  I found what I was looking for and decided to cast to shallow water and to strip the flies into deeper water so that they could ride the contour of the changing water depths.  In other words, I was just trying to cover different parts of the water column in different depths of water.  I located a shallow mud flat that slowly descended to deeper water and made a cast.  My fly hadn't been in the water for 2 seconds before a felt a tug, set the hook, and watched a large forked tail slap the water not fewer than 10 times!

All I can guess is that I must have hit feeding a channel cat right on the nose with my fly and that the water was so shallow that it's tail and a lot of its body came out of the water when he went vertical and tried to swim to the bottom.  Wendy and I couldn't believe what we had seen and heard.  The behavior was probably amplified by the fact that we hadn't caught much that morning and this moment was a very big stray from our norm.  After the initial flurry of activity, the fish headed for deeper water and the fight was on!

The fish changed strategies a couple of times during the fight.  Sometimes it ran to open water and sometimes it ran to cover in the shallows.  I tried to situate the boat between the fish and cover in order to deter it from getting my line wrapped around some branches or vegetation and giving it the necessary leverage to break my line or come unhooked.  After putting a serious bend in my fly rod for about 10 minutes, I finally got the monster into the net.

Relief slowly faded as my excitement grew exponentially.  Wendy and I looked at the fish in silent reverence for a moment, but the laughter and hoots of excitement filled the air quickly.  I couldn't believe that my slow morning had changed into something so surprising.  The length and mass of the catfish was as big as I had ever caught before.  And finally, in my opinion, I was thoroughly impressed by how beautiful the fish was.  The pewter and gold hues that sparkled in the sun were breathtaking.

After a few measurements and pictures, the behemoth swam away without any assistance or revival.  The tale of the tape of this channel cat was 25 and 1/2 inches long and 6 pounds, 8 ounces.  This catch represents one of the reasons that I love to fish.  You never know what is going to happen.  A slow day can become really exciting in an instant.  Big fish are memorable and make for great stories as well.  I fish for the thrill, not the kill, and this fish provided a rush of adrenaline that I absolutely love!