Valentine’s Day Fun with a Brown Trout Theme

Link: http://www.pottershavenartstudio.com/

From my Valentine and myself to you and yours, we hope you have an amazing Valentine's Day!  We celebrated the event on Saturday by painting some pottery at Potter's Haven in Lee's Summit, Missouri.  Wendy painted a small gnome in Kansas City Chiefs colors while I painted a container with a brown trout theme to it.  If you look at the pictures, you can see that it is obvious who has the painting skills in this duo and here's a hint...it isn't me.  Her gnome turned out great and she was pretty proud of her work as she should be!  

While I wish I could have blended the colors together better, I'm still pretty happy with how it turned out.  This will be a nice addition to the fly tying desk and will serve as an organizer of materials and tools for years to come.  I hope that you have a wonderful Valentine's Day and that you get to spend it with those you love and care about, no matter who those folks are!

Link: http://www.pottershavenartstudio.com/

Conservation Federation of Missouri Media Camp

Recently, I had the absolute pleasure of attending the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM) media camp in Branson, Missouri.  Here is a little bit more information about the CFM, which can be found on the organization's website.

The Conservation Federation of Missouri is a private organization made up of thousands of Missourians who work together to better our natural resources and represent Missouri’s citizen conservationists. Actively involved in state and national issues that relate to conservation, the Federation has long been a prominent and effective voice before the Missouri general assembly, the Missouri Department of Conservation, and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The members of CFM are the conscience of hunters, fishermen, foresters, campers, trappers, hikers, paddlers, birdwatchers, and more. CFM speaks for sportsmen and sportswomen whenever and wherever it is necessary, to support our collective opinions on the future of Missouri outdoors. In fact, most of the conservation legislation in Missouri today exists, because of the federation’s strong advocacy work. CFM is not a branch of state government or an entity of a public agency.

CFM values all Missouri citizens and this event was held for citizens of Missouri that are involved in promoting outdoor experiences.  I am lucky enough to be grouped into that category which got me invited to the media camp.  Along with podcast hosts, social media influencers, and writers, CFM helped to educate us about current issues and news that is affecting conservation in Missouri.  It also provided us with the opportunity to get to know our fellow conservationists and network with those folks as well.  This was an amazing event that was put on by an organization that I support wholeheartedly.  Now that you understand a little bit more about CFM and the purpose of the media camp, let's get to the fun stuff!

On day 1 of the camp, I had the pleasure to be a guest on the Driftwood Outdoors podcast.  I have known the hosts of the podcast, Brandon and Shags, for a couple of years now.  They are STRONG supporters of conservation and focus a lot of their content on Missouri-related items.  You can find Driftwood Outdoors podcast episodes almost anywhere you get your podcasts.  Next, I had the chance to hit the water with my good buddy Gil.  I've known Gil for about a year but have only fished with him once on an urban stream in Kansas City.  This time however, we got to throw on waders and hit my favorite stretch of water in the world which is the trophy area near Table Rock Dam.  Gil was new to this but ended up catching 8 trout to my 3.  It was so much fun to see him be so successful on new water and his genuine happiness was seen by the smile on his face.  Not to be completely outdone, the three fish I caught went 16, 18, and 18 inches in length.  I was pretty darn happy too!  That evening, we attended a dinner at White River Fish House which was hosted by Bass Pro Shops.  We got more conservation updates and were informed about Bass Pro's conservations efforts on local and national levels.  The food was delicious by the way.  I think I ate my body weight in shrimp!

Day 2 of the camp was the last day for me because I had to return home that evening and missed the final day of the camp but it was a heck of a day!  We had breakfast at Lilleys' Landing, where we were staying, and it was delicious.  The Lilleys are amazing folks that run a great place.  If you're looking to stay at a place on Taneycomo that has a fishing vibe at every turn, this is your kind of place.  After breakfast, all of the attendees went out with fishing guides that Lilleys' and CFM had arranged for us.  I had the honor of fishing with Shags and Chuck Gries of Anglers Outfitters.  This was a dream come true for me because I had always wanted to fish with these two gentlemen.  Shags outfished me and was a lot of fun to share a boat with.  Chuck proved why many people regard him as the best fly fishing guide on Taneycomo.  His knowledge, demeanor, and techniques were greatly appreciated by me because I have so much I still want to learn about this fishery.  I don't know how many fish we caught, but I can say that there was never a dull moment.  He has a dad or cool uncle vibe that he gives off which keeps things fun and lighthearted.  

We headed in for lunch around noon which was again at Lilleys' Landing and was provided by the Lilleys.  We got an update on some legislative matters and then went back out with different guides.  I was paired with Darren Sadler of Mozark Fishscapes where I received even more knowledge about how to fish Taneycomo and some details that I was never aware of.  Darren is as personable of a guide as you can ask for and has been guiding for over 20 years!  I didn't know about where stockings took place or how fish migrate depending on water levels and flows.  Darren is a wealth of knowledge and we caught some beautiful fish as well!  

I cannot express the enormous amount of gratitude that I have for all of the people that helped make this medic a success and for all of their efforts.  I will support them all in the future with both my business and donations in the case of CFM.  I fully endorse all of them as well so if you want to learn more about them or want to give them your patronage, I know it would be appreciated!  See the links and information below to learn more about these folks!

Link to the Conservation Federation of Missouri: https://confedmo.org/

Link to Lilleys' Landing: https://lilleyslanding.com/

Link to Anglers Outfitters (Check Gries): http://bransonanglersoutfitters.com/

Phone Number for Chuck Gries and Anglers Outfitters: 417-335-4655

Email for Chuck Gries and Anglers Outfitters: bransonanglersoutfitters@centurytel.net

Link to Mozark Fishscapes Guide Service (Darren Sadler): https://mozarkfishscapes.com/

Phone Number for Darren Sadler and Mozark Fishscapes Guide Service: 870-754-0820

Email for Darren Sadler and Mozark Fishscapes: bookings@mozarkfishscapes.com

Link to Bass Pro Shops: https://www.basspro.com

Link to Driftwood Outdoors: https://driftwoodoutdoors.com/

The snowy view from Lilleys' Landing.

Gil with one of his first Taneycomo trout.

Chuck navigating a chilly boat ride.

Shags with one of his many fish.

Shags photobombing.

One of the fish I caught with Darren

The bycatch of trout fishing.

If I Only Had One Fly To Fish for Trout...

 ...this would be it!  It is worth noting, that I have never posted about this fly on this blog, on Instagram, or any other media.  99% of the time, I am an open book with folks when it comes to fishing.  I'll share fishing spots, strategies, and flies.  But with this particular fly, I just wanted to keep as mine.  I wasn't TRYING to be selfish but that's what I was being.  After talking to some friends and come guides recently, I realized that I have nothing to lose by sharing this fly with everyone.  Most people won't use it and those that do aren't going to change the landscape of fishing for trout in Missouri in general or for me personally.  My hope though, is that some people that read this post actually get on the water and catch some fish with this fly.  So here it is and here's a little more information.

Does this fly work so well for me because I use it so much, or do I use it so much because it works so well for me?  I don't know what the answer is but I have the utmost confidence in this fly.  It has worked for me at trout parks, Lake Taneycomo, and in Colorado.  

It's not much, but it does have some good qualities.  For one, it's white.  In my opinion, trout love the things that are white.  Trout live in fairly clear water and white stands out!  Next, it has a lead head.  Sure, you could tie it on a jig-style hook and use a bead, but I like the lead.  I also dip the jig head in white paint.  Finally, I tie it on a 1/80 ounce hook.  It gets down quickly, catches a lot of eyes, and is not threatening in any way to a fish.  In terms of the body, it is white, 210 thread.  That's it!

What it is supposed to resemble, I have no idea.  Maybe a caddis, maybe a scud, maybe ground up fish flesh.  All I know is that it has worked for me for years and continues to produce.  Like I said, if I could only throw one fly for trout for the rest of my life, this would be it!

A Golden Crappie?

Link: https://www.fieldandstream.com/fishing/ice-fisherman-catches-rare-crappie-minnesota/

This world never ceases to amaze me!  Just when I think I am a seasoned, veteran angler, something like this comes along.  Not only had I never seen this, I have never even heard of this!  What an amazing story and genetic mutation.  Click the link for the full story from Field and Stream.

Link: https://www.fieldandstream.com/fishing/ice-fisherman-catches-rare-crappie-minnesota/

I Am Telling You, This Fly Works

Link to The Standard: https://www.etsy.com/listing/768151207/the-standard-trout-fly-bluegill-fly

I recently had the fortune of fishing on Lake Taneycomo.  I got to wade up by the dam in the trophy area and throw a fly.  It was a little slow and I didn't see or catch the numbers of fish that I am used to, fortune did smile on me.  Between my buddy Gil and I (mostly Gil), we ended up catching over ten fish.  Gil caught all of his on The Standard which was a little bit of a shock to me.  I've caught a few fish on this on Taneycomo before but he ended up landing 8 rainbows.  That exceeds my numbers with this jig BY FAR!  This fly works well on stocked trout in lakes but also catches catfish, bass, bluegill, and crappie as well.  I keep telling folks how great this fly is but I probably sell fewer of this fly than anything else is my shop.  It's a real head scratcher but I'm going to keep pounding this drum becuase I know this is a killer pattern.  I think you would dig it too!

Link to The Standard: https://www.etsy.com/listing/768151207/the-standard-trout-fly-bluegill-fly

Black Fly Creations YouTube Channel

Link:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT4gBy6nA4VJA82U4eea2EA

If you are like me and you find yourself needing more fly fishing to get yourself through this cold and dreary winter days, I have a channel for you to check out.  My buddy Steve from Black Fly Creations has a diverse channel that covers things from ice fishing, to knot tying, to Tenkara.  You can find Euro nymphing, fly tying, and panfish videos as well.  Content that has this wide of breadth and depth of knowledge, it would be challenging to find something that DIDN'T educate/entertain.  

Link:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT4gBy6nA4VJA82U4eea2EA

The Near Deere Fly- It's a Southern Thing Apparently

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

Until a couple of years ago, I didn't even know what a Near Deere was.  A customer actually contacted me and asked if I could tie a few up for him.  I had to do a little research and get a some input from the customer, but was able to pretty much replicate the pattern.  I tied a few extras and put them in the online store because I read somewhere that this was a good pattern for trout, bass, and bluegill in the South.  Since that time, I bet I have tied 300 of these at the bare minimum!  The funny thing is that almost all of them get sent to Oklahoma and Texas.  

I don't know what this fly is supposed to imitate, but folks down south must be tearing it up on this fly.  Essentially, it is a wooly bugger on a size 10, 1/80 ounce jig hook.  The color combination is also unique.  Other than a crawfish, I can't think of anything that is olive and root beer colored.  And if you are fishing these under an indicator, thus meaning it is off the bottom, then it's not really acting like a crawfish.  So what this tells me is that it might not look exactly like anything but looks a little like everything.  

Currently, there are more in stock than I have had in weeks.  However, they go fast so if you're a fan of the Near Deere, you might want to scoop them up before someone else does.  I'm planning on throwing this on Lake Taneycomo in the near future to see if the trout dig it.  With some luck, maybe it will be the next Taneycomo or trout park go-to fly!  In terms of bass and bluegill, I have no doubt that they would eat this in the Midwest as well.

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

Ice Fishing for Bass

Link: https://www.themeateater.com/fish/ice-fishing/how-to-ice-fish-for-bass

I don't ice fish.  I never have, and I really don't plan to ever go.  The idea of standing in the cold, on something could break, and fishing one spot for (probably) small fish, does not excite me.  But that's just me.  I get why some folks dig it and more power to them!  If this is your jam, then jam out fella or lady!

One thing that does intrigue me is ice fishing for largemouth bass.  You don't hear about it much.  You don't see a lot of it on social media.  However, it can be done and the article in the link explains how it can be done.  This might be the only thing that could get me on the ice, and maybe it will one day.

 Link: https://www.themeateater.com/fish/ice-fishing/how-to-ice-fish-for-bass

It's a Snow Day Ya'll!

It's a snow day (I'm a teacher if you didn't know) in my neck of the woods and that means one thing...fly tying extravaganza!  I'll be on the vise most of the day and stocking the Etsy store as well as getting ready for the Tri Lakes Fly Fishing Expo on April 9.  If you have any requests, today would be the day to ask!  I remember wishing for snow days when I was a kid so I could sit around and play video games all day.  Nowadays, I want to sit around and tie flies all day.  We've got 2-3 inches on the ground right now and it is still falling.  If you are seeing similar conditions, I hope you are safe, warm, and happy.  

The South Platte Slap

 

Now this is some useful information!  Most of us have probably had the frustration picking moss and grass off of nymphs when we are drifting for trout.  If you would like to see a technique that might keep you from using your fingers to to pick moss, check this out!  You'll be South Platte Slapping in no time.

Trouts Fly Fishing YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFnfy2QaEQHALNcyAfHdkmg