The Brave Can Officially Catch Smallmouth Bass!

Link to online fly shop- TheShowMeFlyGuy.etsy.com

This post almost slipped through the cracks.  In my series of posts about fly fishing for smallmouth bass with Ryan Walker of Ozarks Smallmouth Alliance and my good buddy Corey, I forgot one important story.  Aside from my buddy Corey having a good time and catching some smallies, I had one goal and one goal only.  I wanted to catch a smallmouth bass on my favorite streamer, The Brave.

It is important to note that I did not invent this fly.  It is simply a rabbit strip zonker with a double collar.  I call it The Brave because I caught a 7 and 1/2 pound channel cat on this fly while wearing an Atlanta Braves hat and decided to name my variant, The Brave. What I’m trying to say is if you go around asking people about whether they’ve ever heard of this streamer, the answer is probably going to be no. However, I sell this fly online and I’ve sold quite a few. I only sell flies online that are proven to be productive patterns, and this is one of the most productive patterns that I have ever finished. This fly has caught, largemouth bass, catfish, big bluegill, crappie, a carp, white bass, and hybrid striped bass. One of the few game fish that it had not caught was a smallmouth bass.

During our trip with Ryan, the smallies were biting steadily. Ryan’s flies were working great and we were catching fish. I was hesitant to tie on one of my flies because I was scared it would bring the productivity to a screeching halt. However, curiosity got the best of me and I just had to give it a shot.. I showed it to Ryan and he not only approved, but it said it looked good and started asking some questions about it. This gave me some additional confidence that this fly might get the job done for smallmouth bass.  Keeping with my traditions and habits, I missed the first couple of strikes. While, that was a little disappointing, it did let me know that maybe I was going down the right path. On the third strike, I set the hook with the appropriate aggression and the fight was on. When I got it to the boat, I was not disappointed at all by the fact that the fish was rather small. Instead, I was overjoyed with the fact that a smallmouth ate this fly and that I had reached my goal.

It’s a good feeling to get confirmation on something that you believe to be true.  It makes you feel smart and like you know what you’re doing. However, I’m not the type of person to rest on his laurels. Once I reach a goal, it’s time to set a new one. What’s my next goal you might wonder? Well, The Brave has one more thing to prove. Will it catch a trout?

Link to online fly shop- TheShowMeFlyGuy.etsy.com

 

Sometimes You Get Quantity Over Quality

 

About a month ago, I had the absolute pleasure of fishing one of my favorite spots in the entire world.  As luck would have it, the weather cooperated too.  It is a rare occurrence for me to get to fish such a beautiful place with moderate temperatures and zero wind.  It was a little slice of heaven and to make things even better, I got to share it with my good buddy Waylon.  He's my 4 year old German Shorthair Pointer in case you are new to this site.  It could not have been a more perfect day on the water.

I hit the water with very few expectations other than the hope of catching some farm pond largemouth bass on a fly rod.  As I get older, I realize more and more that if you approach a situation with little to few expectations, you will be disappointed less often.  That approach allowed me to be happy with whatever was sent my way.  While I didn't catch any fish over 2 pounds, I caught A BUNCH of bass in the 1 pound range.  When I say A BUNCH, I mean probably 20-25 bass...and an 11 inch crappie too!

They all smashed streamers.  They all came from cover.  I landed over half of the takes and didn't break off a single fly.  I even got to filet out some fish for the owner of the lake which made him happy and hopefully kept me in his good graces.  Again, it was a perfect morning.

Days like this are few and far between for me.  It seems like lately, the weather stinks or I'm too busy with other responsibilities of which, I have many right now.  So when a morning like this falls in your lap, it does your soul some good to soak it up and hold onto it.  Heck, just writing about this morning is putting me in a better state of mind.  With that being stated, I hope you have a perfect morning soon.  Wherever you are and whatever you are fishing for, I hope you have a perfect morning and/or evening sometime soon.  Sometimes nature gives you what you need exactly when you need it so if you can hit the water, I think you should go for it!

Drift Boat or Raft? Here We Go Down the Rabbit Hole!

For over a year now, I have pondered the question, "Do I want a drift boat or a raft?"  I have spent a little time around each and have enjoyed my experiences in both.  Ideally, I would like to have one of each, but financially, that's not a possibility right now.  In the end, there is no right answer.  It is a situational decision so let's look at the situation.  So I need to make a choice.  Let's look at some pros and cons but let's take a step further.  Let's look at this through the lens of a Midwest guy that lives 100 miles away from Ozark streams.  

Drift boats have a special place in my heart.  To me, they are fly fishing icons.  They are comfortable, stable, and fairly tough.  There is room for storage and a little room to walk around.  They can be tough (aluminum) a little fragile (fiberglass) or somewhere in between (wood).  They are more expensive than rafts but in my opinion, it's because they are worth it.

Rafts on the other hand are less expensive and easier to store.  They handle shallow water situations a little better in the sense that they need less water to float.  On the other hand, a drift boat will probably bounce off rocks and take a little damage.  A drift boat might tear which is immensely more problematic.  Rafts are lighter and can get a person into less accessible areas such as areas that don't have boat ramps.

I have wrestled with this decision for a long time and I'm leaning towards a raft.  I have really enjoyed my experiences with Ryan Walker and chasing smallmouth bass down Ozark streams.  I want to do more of that in the future but I also want to drift places like the Niangua River for trout took.  Ozarks streams seem to be better suited for rafts, especially during low flows.  On the other hand, I sure would like to guide on Lake Taneycomo one day.  Fly fishing out of a drift boat on that lake is as close to fishing big western trout streams, like the North Platte, as I will typically get.  

So let's zoom a little further out at look at my options that are closer to home.  Putting a raft on a farm pond or small lake sure would be easier than a drift boat.  While a drift boat would be more comfortable, the issues that arise with launching a drift boat without a ramp, while not impossible, could be problematic.  I can't exactly carry a drift boat through an agriculture field.  Carrying a drift boat would stink, but it is possible.  

When it comes to fishing lakes like Watkins Mill, Lake Jacomo, or other smaller lakes, the point is moot point.  I have a jon boat for that but if I wanted to take a couple of folks out on those lakes, a drift boat would be more comfortable.  On the other hand, I don't have the garage space, nor desire, to store a drift boat.  I could, however, store a raft on the floor, under my jon boat.  

So while I want a drift boat for so many reasons, a raft seems like the right choice for me right now...I think.  I'm hesitant to get a raft though because there just so much I don't know about them.  What happens if I pop an air chamber?  How much air to I put in one?  What size of trailer to I need to haul one?  What kind of pump should I get?  How do I minimize wear and tear to make a raft last as long as possible?  How do I fix a hole?  Most of these problems are nonexistent with drift boats.

Now you're probably thinking one of two things.  One, "This guy overanalyzes things."  Or maybe you are thinking, "This guy sure is putting a lot of thought into making a logical choice."  I'm hopeful that I am somewhere between the two but ultimately, I just want to get the right tool for the job and make the best financial decision.  While a decision has been looming for quite awhile, I believe that I am closer to committing to a choice and making a purchase soon.  Stay tuned for more.  This story ain't over!

No Idea What Show This Came From But Had to Share It!

No description is needed for this post.  Take what you will from this without my analysis or interference.  It was just too interesting to keep to myself.

Reading's Fly Shop Presents: A Day on the River

I love Missouri.  I was born here, I was raised here, and I will probably die here.  I love to fly fish all over Missouri and I'm proud to say that I learned to fly fish at Bennett Spring and on the Niangua River.  So when I received an email recently to help promote an event on the Niangua River, I couldn't help but turn the info that was shared with me into a post.  It is noteworthy that the Charlie that is referred to in the message is Charlie Reading who owns Reading's Fly Shop just outside of Bennett Spring State Park.  I am passing along what I received in the email so I don't mess something up in translation.  Here is what I got and what I want to pass along:

"Charlie has expanded his "day on the river" to 3 days October 3 to Oct 5, 2025.  This will be at the river front located at Hidden Valley Outfitters, Lebanon MO, just outside of Bennett Spring State Park on Highway 64 at the  Niangua river bridge.  There will be a One Fly Tournament on Saturday morning 9 am to 11 am along with vendors, fly tyers, fishing outfitters, and food trucks.  Call the fly shop for questions or details.  Please see attached flyer for the program."

Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass with Ryan Walker and my Buddy Corey- Part 2 (The Conclusion)

Wow!  Part one of this two part series got a little deep and emotional.  This post, however, is going to be different.  This post will more into the nuances and details of our trip.  So without further hesitation, let's get into it!

First of all, while Corey had been on some float trips in the Ozarks, he had never been on a float down an Ozarks stream where fishing for smallmouth bass was the purpose.  Prior to arriving for this trip, Corey had never caught a smallmouth bass.  I had slightly more experience that Corey but by no means was I significantly more experienced than Corey.  And while I fly fish quite a bit more than Corey, he is no slouch.  He has some serious skills and has years of experience with using a fly rod.  What surprises me is how fast he is and was able to shake the rust off in regards to not casting a fly rod for awhile.

I have had the fortune of hitting the water with Ryan on two occasions before this trip.  Each one was unique and special.  There is a reason that I wanted to fish with Ryan for a third time as well as a reason that I wanted Corey's for smallmouth bass trip to be with Ryan.  That reason is that Ryan is the most knowledgeable and skilled guide that I have ever fished with.  It is an honor to say that Ryan has also become a friend.  He is always helpful when I run ideas by him and encouraging when I share accomplishments with him.  He's also great at sending me some pictures of absolute donkeys that he catches on a routine basis!

Before we launched, it was decided that Corey would be given the front seat of the raft.  That seat is typically the one that sees the most action and that is what Ryan and I wanted Corey to experience.  As fortune would have it, that was exactly what happened.  An interesting side note is that when Corey moved to the back of the boat after lunch, he kept his momentum rolling.  This was definitely Corey's day and it was a pleasure to watch it happen.  His excitement and enthusiasm were genuine and appreciated by Ryan and I.  I'm not afraid or ashamed to admit that Corey out-fished me by quite a bit on this trip and I couldn't be happier.

We caught every fish on this trip on streamers that we cast with 7 weight fly rods.  Most of the time we used sink tip line and the flies varied from 5-8 inches long.  We threw D & D's, Roamers, Murdich minnows and a few other files but the best producer can be seen in the first picture below.  I was surprised to see that most smallies did not come off of structure like laydowns.  A few came around grass that lined the banks and a few came from shadowed spots in the shallows.  We even caught a few that seemed to be holding in the current and smacked our flies when we let them sink (on accident and on purpose) as well as near the boat.

The action was both steady and consistent.  There wasn't flurries of catching a bunch of fish with lulls in-between.  Corey ended up catching the biggest fish that was around 15-16 inches.  It was also a beautiful representative of its species, but then again, a lot of the fish we caught that day were.  Some of the eats were aggressive (which increased our catch rate) and some were more subtle (which caused a lot of misses on my end).  The name of the game was quantity over quality.  If you have spent some time on the water, you know that nature is going to give you what it wants and I was grateful for the gift that we had received!

If I have it my way, this will not be the last time that I hit the water with these two gentlemen.  We swapped stories, laughed, and enjoyed a beautiful piece of water that Ryan graciously guided us through.  I have to say, as much as I love fly fishing for trout, I am quickly falling in love with fly fishing for smallmouth.  You never know, there just might be more smallmouth content coming up on this blog.  In fact, I'm working on a post today that is going to open a lot of smallmouth fly fishing doors for me...stay tuned!

 

Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass with Ryan Walker and my Buddy Corey- Part 1

 

Finding a passion is no small feat.  Sometimes it is difficult to find what you love to do and what makes you happy.  For some folks, it takes decades.  Some people never find what brings them copious amounts of joy.  Finding that niche on top of finding a special person, let alone people, is even rarer.  When a person finds a passion and like-minded individuals to share it with, that person has truly found something special.  I am blessed to have found all of those things and they fill my soul despite so many things that seek to drain my spirit of all things positive.  

To say that I am blessed to have fly fishing in my life is a profound understatement.  Being in the outdoors, casting a fly rod, and catching fish on a fly that I tied brings me a joy unlike any other.  I love my wife with all my heart.  She is my soulmate and we have a companionship that I only thought was possible in movies and overromanticized novels.  I love my sons at a depth that only a parent could describe and at a breadth that is not easily detailed.  My stepson, Collin, has brought a youthful vigor to my life that I haven't felt since I was a young man and I love him for that, among many other reasons.  

I don't have a lot of, what I would call, close friends but the ones I do have are given a special place in my heart.  There aren't a lot of open voids in my soul after that much love, but fly fishing, for me, fills some of those gaps.  When an opportunity came along that united so many of the things that I hold dear, I recognized how special the potential opportunity could be.

Specifically, I am referring to an opportunity that arose in my life that allowed me to fly fish for smallmouth bass on an Ozark stream with one of my best friends, Corey, and the most knowledgeable fishing guide that I have ever met in Ryan Walker.  This chance encounter was one of those things that seems to just fall in your lap and if you take a moment to really analyze the happenstance, it just might appear to be something that fate assembled.  I am not the type of person to question fate or the "coincidences" that the universe sends my way, so this trip felt fortuitous.  With destiny seemingly leading this small group down a thin blue line in the Ozarks, there was little doubt that a rarely found joy and unbound happiness lay ahead.  

An unseen, but hard to ignore, energy filled the air the moment Ryan slid his raft off his trailer into the stream.  It was clear to me that this was going to be a special day.  As I have said before, on many occasions, one of the best moments of a fishing trip comes right before hitting the water and this trip was no exception to that idea.  With soaring hopes and grade school-aged idealism, Ryan's craft launched from the pebble-ridden bank and into the deeper water that gently provided an equal amount of optimism and excitement of the unknown.

We, as anglers, revel in the unknown.  Could changing flies produce a strike?  What might happen if we walk upstream and made some casts around the next bend?   Maybe a little longer cast could entice a strike from the type of fish that creates legendary type stories that might be told around campfires for years to come.  The bottom line is that even the best anglers can't predict what will happen on the water.  But that's what creates the type of anticipation and exhilaration that is rarely rivaled by any other activity.  

Flies were thrown and fish were caught.  Each one of them were special and appreciated.  While Ryan has forgotten more about fishing, the conjoined knowledge between Corey and I was essentially the equivalent of a kindergartener, metaphorically speaking.  However, we were students that voluntarily sat at the front of the classroom with sharpened number 2 pencils ready to lay graphite on brand new spiral notebooks which were accompanied by starry-eyed enthusiasm to receive college-level instruction on the ways of fly fishing for smallmouth bass in the Ozarks.  We were vessels that were ready to be filled with Ryan's knowledge and experience.  

Rest in Peace Robert Redford

While he was a Hollywood icon, he also persuaded a lot of folks to pick up a fly rod and cast to a four count rhythm.  Rest in peace Mr. Redford.  Even though I never met you, thank you for showing me beauty that I didn't know existed and introducing me to a passion that I don't want to do without!  Thank you for helping me to be "...haunted by waters."

Shoalnook Cabins on the James River

Link: https://shoalnook.com/

About a month ago, I got to do something that I haven’t got to do in a long time.  I got to go on a fishing trip with my one of my best friends Corey.  We headed to Southwest Missouri to do some smallmouth fishing with Ryan Walker of Ozarks Smallmouth Alliance.  We decided to make the drive down from Kansas City the day before with the hopes of having an easier morning on the day of our float with Ryan.  We also wanted to find a spot to fish the evening before our trip in order to maximize our fishing opportunities.

My plan was to get on the road around noon, arrive around four.  I also planned for us to find a place to crash on the way as we drove towards the Springfield area.  I'm not really picky where I stay and I was more concerned about finding a place that was located near a river as well as a public access point.  I was even fine with camping if that was what it took to get a little more fishing.  I've done this type of thing before and I was fine with the plan.  

What I didn't count on was the fact that Corey doesn't roll that way.  He prefers to have a plan.  Corey likes to have a plan that is comfortable as well as convenient.  I don't mean Corey needs luxury.  I simply mean that Corey likes to find the best case scenario.  This is one of the many reasons I like Corey and consider him to be one of my best friends. 

In true Corey fashion, the day before we left he got to work on finding us a place to stay.  He called me that evening full of excitement and enthusiasm.  He told me that he had found a small cabin in Galena, Missouri, that was located within walking distance of the James River.  It was also located about 10 minutes from where we were going to meet up with Ryan the next morning.  The place owned waterfront property so access to the river was simple.  He sent me a link and it didn't take long to figure out that Corey had stumbled on something special.

From the moment we checked in, we were equally impressed.  The place had everything we needed and nothing that we didn't.  It had an air conditioner, a small kitchen, a loft and a living area.  It was lacking a television, which I actually liked.  There was a shower with warm water, a refrigerator, and a futon.  It was an extremely comfortable stay and we even cooked a simple meal that evening as well.  By simple, I mean microwaved items that we bought at the local Dollar General.  Two cans of Chef Boyardee ravioli filled me up!

While we were unpacking, I called Ryan to tell him that we had made it to Galena.  He asked where we were staying.  When I told him, he knew exactly where it was and told us exactly where to fish.  I have always had faith in Ryan's ability to find fish and yet again, he didn't let us down.  Corey and I both caught a few fish.  Most of them were longear sunfish but I did end up with one smallmouth bass as well to kick off the trip.  More importantly, Corey landed his first AND second smallmouth bass of his life.  I cannot communicate how happy I was for him. 

Corey and I don't get to fish together as much as we used to.  Having young families coincides with bush schedules and we both have kids of varying ages.  This little slice of heaven that we found at Shoalnook Cabins and this stretch of river were enjoyed as much as they were appreciated.  It was nice to spend some time with my good friend, catch a few fish, and stay in a much better place than I would have picked out.  We both mentioned, on more than one occasion, that we will be going back to Shoalnook Cabins.  If you're interested in something like what I have described and what is shown in the pictures, check out the link.  If you like comfortable yet rustic accommodations, you might even consider visiting this little oasis!

Link: https://shoalnook.com/

Community Fly Supply

https://www.communityflysupply.com/

https://www.spacecoastflies.com/

(251) 239-6533

824 Gulf Shores Pkwy Suite B

Gulf Shores, AL 36542

communityflysupply@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/communityflysupply

Instagram: communityflysupply

In the final installment of my Gulf Shores, Alabama, yarn, I need to properly thank Community Fly Supply.  Aside from being the cleanest and most immaculate fly shop I have ever stepped into, one of the shop's employees saved my fishing experience on the trip.  While this was a family vacation and not a dedicated fishing trip, I still had some time to fish.  The situation that I found myself in threatened to end my fishing for the rest of the trip.  The solution could only come from a fly shop and they are the only fly shop in the area.  Thanks to Community Fly Supply, I got to fish a lot more.    

I apologize for being so cryptic.  I've given A LOT of thought to how I would word this post so please don't think that I am being strange without a purpose.  You see, Community Fly Supply did something so nice for me that I don't want to put them in an awkward spot.  I don't want to set some sort of precedent in the future because of what they did for me.  In other words, I don't want the store's generosity and kindness to be the expectation.  As Rip Wheeler once said in the television series, Yellowstone, "You do it once, you're being nice.  You do it a second time, and you're a petting zoo...".  

The point of this post is to return a favor.  It is my hope that maybe I can send a little business to some folks that helped me out when I needed it.  If you get a chance to visit the store, you will be blown away by the cleanliness, organization, and knowledge of the staff.  If you don't frequent the area, feel free to browse Space Coast Flies and maybe order some patterns from the online store.  While a lot of fly shops around the country are struggling right now, it would be great if we could support one like Community Fly Supply!