Buttons are Now FOR SALE in the Online Fly Shop!

Link to online store.  Buttons are on page 2: https://theshowmeflyguy.etsy.com

Back in February I posted about purchasing a button making machine and making a few buttons.  It's taken me awhile to make some buttons that I think others would enjoy and are up to my standards in terms of quality.  As of today, I am proud to announce that you can find these items in the online store now.  I have three collections available right now and they are solid in groups of 4 for $6.  All of the buttons are on page 2 of the online store.

While I have attempted to make some buttons that I hope others will enjoy, I am open to ideas as well as custom orders.  If you have an idea or want me to make some buttons for you, please feel free to email me at showmeflyguy@gmail.com.  Please keep in mind though that these buttons are pretty small.  They are right at an inch wide because I wanted them to visible without being cumbersome.  

We, as fly fishers, like to show off our passion as we are proud of our subculture.  We don't need to look any further than the shirts on our backs, stickers on our vehicles, or even the tattoos on our bodies.  My thinking is that I know anglers like stickers and put them on things like coolers, their vehicles, and other hard surfaces.  However, buttons could fill a void because they can be placed on soft surfaces like fabric.  I hope you see something that you like and maybe even consider making a purchase.  Regardless, thank you for your patronage, support, and for taking the time to read this post.  You are greatly appreciated!

Link to online store.  Buttons are on page 2: https://theshowmeflyguy.etsy.com

 

Farm Pond Largemouth Bass are Waking Up!

Link: etsy.com/listing/1845675867/1-white-game-changer-fly-gamechanger-fly

A couple of days ago, I had the pleasure to wake up early and head up to our family farm.  I am currently on spring break (I'm a public school teacher) but for some reason I didn't have a problem getting out of bed when my alarm went off at 5:45.  I was on the road by 6 with my new (to me) 8 weight fly rod, my new (to me) Moonshine reel, and some streamers.  I was hoping that the smaller bodies of water were warming up a little faster than some of the larger lakes that I fish.  I was also of the opinion that some of the larger fish might be moving into the shallows and starting to put on the feed bag for the upcoming spawn.  I also felt like I had a chance to catch some of these fish if I twitched a gamechanger fly in front of them and worked it like a jerk bait rather than a swim bait.  

Well, as luck would have it, I was at least partially right.  While I didn't catch a ridiculous number of fish, I did catch a few quality ones.  I ended up fishing 6 ponds and caught fish out of 5 of them.  The first pond that I hit had the highest fish count (6 fish) and the largest fish with the heaviest being close to 3 pounds by my estimation.  I fished with floating line as I wanted to fish shallow water.  The game changer that I threw had an incredibly slow sink rate which meant I wasn't dredging the bottom or getting many snags.  In other words, my plan worked what was even more rewarding than the pictures suggest.

While I had caught some stocker trout this year, catching some farm pond bass felt like my first outing of the year.  It was a long, cold weather with especially crummy weather this year.  I've waited a long time for lakes and ponds to become more active but I can unequivocally state that in my neck of the woods, fishing season is here!  I'm grateful for the season change and for the chance to do something that I love so deeply.  

On another note, if you would like to purchase some of your own game changers, I have a few for sale in the online store.  White worked for me on this particular day but I have chartreuse changers as well.  Some of the eats were visual, which was particularly exciting.  This fly is easy to cast on an 8 weight and has a great action when either twitched or on a steady retrieve.  The eyes are HIGHLY reflective on a sunny day and not only get the attention of fish but also help you locate your fly and keep track of its location.  No pressure to buy but wanted to offer to folks in case they are interested.  Have a good day and I hope you get a chance to spend some time on the water.  The fishing is heating up in the midwest and should only get better in the coming weeks!

Link: etsy.com/listing/1845675867/1-white-game-changer-fly-gamechanger-fly

3D Printed Items are Now FOR SALE in the Online Fly Shop!

Link: https://theshowmeflyguy.etsy.com

If you follow this page or any of my social media accounts, you know that I love fly fishing, fly tying, and 3D printing.  Well, I have managed to blend them all together which has created some new listings in the online store.  Whether you fly fish, tie flies, or love both, I might have something that you are interested in.  For fly anglers, I have a wall display for a fly rod and a wall display for a fly reel.  For fly tyers, I have a fly tying mat to organize materials, a tool caddy for fly tying tools, and a flexible fish for...kids or those that are kids at heart.  All of the 3D printed items are on page 2 of the online store.

It would be a pleasure to fill an order for you and to ship some of these products your way.  While it is a lot of fun to make all of these things, it is even more rewarding to send them to folks that will use them.  I have a limited number of items available right now because I am just testing to see if there is a demand for what I am making.  With that being stated, if you see an item that you want and it is either out of stock or you want it in another color, just email me at showmeflyguy@gmail.com and I will do the best I can to get you what you want.  As always, thank you for reading, for your support, and for helping me be a small business owner.

Link: https://theshowmeflyguy.etsy.com

Differences and Similarities Between These Fly Fishing Reels

When it came time to pair my new (to me) 8 weight fly rod, I had a plan.  I already had a couple of 8 weight fly reels but I wasn't sure which one I should put on the rod.  The smaller one on the right is a Cabela's Prestige Two reel that has a disc drag system.  The larger reel on the left is a Moonshine Creed reel that I bought off of Facebook Marketplace recently.  Click here to read that post.  

The Cabela's reel is over 20 years old, is obviously smaller in diameter, and has a drag system that is not sealed or enclosed.  The Moonshine reel is newer, obviously has a larger diameter, and a drag system that is at the very least enclosed if not completely sealed.  I decided to go with the Moonshine reel to put on my 8 weight because honestly, the Cabela's reel is about the size (diameter wise) some of my 5 and 6 weight reels.  I wanted something with a larger diameter and if I'm being honest, I wanted something that resembled a winch and would be able to gather line a little faster.  

My next step was to find out if the line that I had on the Cabela's reel would properly load the rod.  After a few casts, I was surprised to find that the rod loaded better than the rod that I took the Cabela's reel off of.  Not only could I cast further and more accurately, but the rod loaded well no matter how much line was out.  The other rod would only properly load if it had 20 feet or more to cast.  I was happy to see that I wasn't going to need to buy new line but what happened next, really surprised me.

I decided to transfer the line from the Cabela's reel to the Moonshine reel.  On a surface level, it appeared to me that the Moonshine reel was going to require A LOT more backing to fill the reel.  The diameter of the moonshine reel was bigger and the width was about the same.  However, I decided to just transfer over the line to see what happened.  I didn't know if this was a situation like a shorter, wider glass holds as much water as a tall skinny glass.  To my surprise and delight, the line fit on perfectly and no extra backing was needed.  All that is left now is to sling some streamers at some prespawn largemouth to see how the new (to me) setup works.

My New (to me) 8 Weight Fly Rod

A few weeks ago at the Frontline Fly Fishing Fly Tying Gala, there was also a rummage sale.  The sale contained A LOT of items such as boxes, reels, and rods.  While I wasn't in the market for an 8 weight fly rod, I ran across one and could not justify leaving it on the table since the price as $25 dollars!  While I wasn't familiar with the make or model, it looked like it had some decent components and appears to be in better shape than one of my 8 weights that I have had for over 20 years.  So on a whim, I bought it.  While I didn't know that it was previously owned and used by my buddy Ryan Walker of Ozarks Smallmouth Alliance, I laughed pretty hard when I found out.  I also felt some reassurance on my purchase we he told me, "That thing has a lot of good juju.  It's caught fish and can catch a lot more."

As with any purchase of a new rod, it is now time to pair it with a reel and a line that helps it to load correctly.  I am preparing some future posts that will describe this process in case you have never done this before.  If you have, maybe you will still learning something because we might accomplish these tasks in slightly different ways.  Regardless, more info is headed your way about this rod, but for now, all I have is the hope that I got a pretty good deal!

Last Shed Hunt of the Season

Link to video of how the shed hunt ended: https://youtube.com/shorts/twrIHg72G9Q?si=9vUIDJpb9Lluju3t

Cody, Waylon, and I headed up to our family farm for what was presumably our last shed hunt of the season.  As always, it was a nice walk that included spotting wildlife, finding some of nature's hidden treasures, and being silly.  We tend to make nonsensical jokes and rekindle old ones when we walk.  We also observed that things are starting to green up in the woods which made me realize that this was probably going to be the last shed hunt of the season.  Between the grass covering up the antlers, me being allergic to poison ivy, and the fact that fishing should start heating up soon, we will probably stop pursuing antlers in the woods.  However, the highlight of the hunt came about 300 yards away from the truck.  

Cody and I hadn't found any antlers during our hunt and were about to wrap things up.  We approached a pond that was between us and my truck.  We decided that we would split up and each take a side of the pond to scour.  As I was just about to meet up with Cody on the opposite side of where we started, I stopped.  I decided to take in the scenic views and look for fish activity in the water.  I knew that I was going to be leaving this beautiful place soon and wanted to soak everything up before it ended.  I decided to also look over the dead grass that I was standing in when something irregular caught my attention.  

I might have yelled with excitement and that caught Cody's attention.  For some reason, Cody didn't react to my exultation.  I decided to request his presence and he came running.  It took him a few seconds, but he found the antler and his excitement was almost palpable.  The video illustrates the story better than I can, and in true Cody fashion, he felt inclined to add some humor to the situation in only a way he can.  After some celebration and laughter, we headed for the truck.  While it was a little bitter sweet to see the shed hunting season come to an end, the only thing that is constant in life is change.  As I took one last look on the harvested fields and sections of timber, I felt a little sadness knowing that I wouldn't be coming back here until turkey season.  At the same time though, with shed hunting ending, the fishing should start heating up really soon...which is a welcome respite.

Link to video of how the shed hunt ended: https://youtube.com/shorts/twrIHg72G9Q?si=9vUIDJpb9Lluju3t

The Conclusion & Optimal Design for a New Pattern with a 3D Printed Head

Link: https://youtube.com/shorts/h-VlcybSkMI?si=ScPjLTbikhX2LEu3

So I tied a third variation of this fly.  This one incorporated craft fur as a back and, in my opinion, is the optimal design.  The action of the fly was a little less than the marabou but also caused it to hold a better profile.  What I really mean is that the marabou made the fly appear more fluffy, which didn't seem very realistic.  The craft fur gave more of a wavy, swimming motion and the profile of the fly looked more lifelike due to a taper that had most of the mass towards the head with a taper towards the tail.  Check out the YouTube video for a visual on what I am attempting to describe.  All that's left now it field testing!  

Link: https://youtube.com/shorts/h-VlcybSkMI?si=ScPjLTbikhX2LEu3

A Long Walk, A Shed, and the Biggest Squirrel I Have Ever Seen Harvested

Somehow, I forgot to post this back in early February.  My buddy Corey, my youngest son Cody, my dog Waylon, and I went to our family farm for some shed antler hunting and squirrel hunting.  We wound up with one of each and it was a great day in the woods!  We walked about 6 miles and Waylon took 75,000 steps.  Yes, Waylon has a collar that tracks his movement and location and while it is indeed a little excessive, it sure is fun to analyze.  I found a shed in the timber which is always exciting to me.  I (not Waylon) flushed a covey of quail but couldn't pick out one to shoot.  Congratulations nature, your adaptation worked.  Cody had a blast collecting bones that we found and just doing kid-type things in the timber.  Corey ended up shooting the biggest squirrel that I have ever seen.  It was absolutely beautiful as well.  He is going to tan the hide and I have the meat in the freezer.  The boys and I are going to fry it up soon because we all love to eat squirrel.