What I've learned..

"Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in. Its thin current slides away, but eternity remains."
~Henry David Thoreau~

I've spent 48 years and change on this earth. That's roughly 17,680 days. Fishing entered the picture when I was four. So I figure about 3/8 of those days on this blue marble have been spent pursuing things piscine. 

That's 6630 days or 18 linear years. 

You'd think I would be a walking, talking encyclopedia of fishing. A veritable fount of angling awareness. 
I learn something every time I fish. Very few days on the water have I not been humbled by a creature with a pea-sized brain. Instincts over intellect....

All of that leads me to this; There are some hard and fast rules in fishing. Things you can't overlook, nor escape. Like the laws of physics, they exist because they can, and they are absolute. 

1. The fish are in the water, and you can't make them eat. 
2. The weatherman will never be right in your favor.
3. A true fishing buddy gives you his last "hot" bait, fly, etc. There are very few of them out there.
4. There is no such thing as "too much gear".
5. Rule number 4 only applies if you can sneak it past your wife.
6. The next cast is your chance to make up for the last cast.
7. "This is my last cast" has 25 variations. Each one is repeated at least 3 times. 
8. Never be the last one to the ramp.
9. Bragging about your casting or fishing skills, while casting or fishing, produces instant karma 99% of the time.
10. Your "secret" spot is also someone else's "secret spot". 
11. "I'll be home at "x"o'clock" means "I'll be home at "x"o'clock unless the fishing is good, at which point I'll be home when it's not good anymore". Your significant other takes the statement literally...
12. The hot bait or fly is the one you have the least of.
13. Hangovers are never as bad on the river.
14. Never tell your lie first.
15. The plug is never in the boat until you see it in the boat.
16. Having rain gear on a trip wards off rain showers. Not having rain gear produces the opposite effect.
17. When nothing else is working-cast, retrieve, repeat.
18. A good fish at the end of a trip produces different memories than a good fish at the beginning. 

You can always add to this list. You can't, however, subtract from it. 

See you out there..

Free. The. Fighter!

A Life Well Waded: A Guide to Small Stream Fly Fishing

"If fishing is a religion, fly fishing is high church."

Tom Brokaw

“Creek” is an important word to me. Creeks are where I started a life that has been consistently dedicated to fishing for as long as I can remember. Fishing runs deep in my family and most summer days were spent walking through creeks throwing Beetle-Spins, catching Green Sunfish, and hoping to catch one of the bass I would see darting away as I lumbered through their hiding spots. As I grew up I spent more and more time on larger rivers or driving to southern Missouri to chase Rainbow Trout in the crystal clear waters of the Current but I never left my creeks behind. When it came time to teach myself to fly fish, my creeks were a place to learn in seclusion and to avoid the embarrassment of my truly god awful casting skills being on display to the “experts” landing trout around me. My first Smallmouth on the fly came from a small stream in the city of Palmyra. It was a scrappy little fish that fell for a black Wooly Bugger being stripped beside a rootwad that set me on an obsessive path which eventually wound its way to me typing this post for you to read. Creeks offer simplicity and solitude during the summer when the aluminum hatch plagues the more famous rivers in the state. You may never catch a state record doing it but it offers a purity that I personally can’t find on larger rivers and *shudders* lakes. It will probably be harder to fall in love with creek fishing like I have if you never catch any fish so I guess we should get into the how to part of this article. Lace up some cheap sneakers, where we are going we don’t need waders.

Sight fishing Smallmouth on the fly is one of the most rewarding experiences in angling.  

We all know the phrase “Think like a fish.” Every fishing show host and dad taking his kids fishing has said it ad nauseum. I’m going to try and avoid using the phrase here but I will say that the most important part of fishing small streams and creeks is to understand your surroundings and how the fish are going to react to them. The smaller the body of water the more difficult the life of a fish. Temperature fluctuations are more extreme, Floods are more intense, less water means predators have easier access, including fishermen out hunting for pictures to stick on Instagram. (@Isuckatflyfishing) A creek will fish differently 2 days after a flood in the middle of May than it will during the dog days of summer. Fish are relatively simple creatures when you break them down. They want to not get eaten, they want to eat, they want to expend as little energy as possible while eating, and they want to spawn. If we can recognize the areas that provide the correct balance of protection and food we will be able to key in on these areas to find fish.

Shade? Check.  Underwater cover? Check. Oxygenated water flowing in from the riffle? Check. Smallmouth? CHECK

Riffles: Moving water is the heart of any good creek. Riffles re-oxygenate the water and are home to the bugs that form the lower portion of the food web on any good piece of water. In the heat of summer the deeper riffles that teem with crayfish and schools of shiners can provide some of the hottest fishing on any trip. If you can find a deeper pocket of water, even only a few feet wide, scooped out in the middle of a riffle you will find a Smallmouth there almost without fail.

Runs: The section most often walked by fishermen on their first trip to new water, runs often provide the structure, shade and food we (and fish) are looking for. My preferred method of attacking runs is to slowly wade the through the center of the run fishing all 270 degrees around me (left, right, and directly up or downstream) focusing on eddies, areas of slack water or foam lines, underwater structure, and any areas of shade or changing depth. I prefer to start with shorter casts and cover all the water around me until I’m casting to the bank to prevent spooking fish with busted casts or line.

Holes: Holes provide the most stable temperatures throughout the year and deep slow water requires less energy to move through or hold in. They are the obvious locations to look for fish in smaller water where room is at a premium and many times the largest fish in a section of river can be found here.

Riffles are consistent producers of fish both large and small. 

When you you picture a fly fishermen what do you see? If you are like most people you probably had the image of a man with waders, wearing a vest packed to the brim with tippet and leaders and tools  and a thousand flies tucked into dozens of boxes. The beauty of small stream fly fishing lies in it’s simplicity. All we need is a rod, a box of flies, and a few essentials that fit in the cargo shorts you have been holding on to for 10 years. For rods, depending on the size of creek I fish anywhere from a 3 wt (very tiny)  to a 7 wt (considerably less tiny) fly rod. If I had to pick one line weight I would go with a simple 5 wt setup for poppers and smaller streamers.  I prefer a 7’ or shorter rod when fishing small creeks because to be frank you will never need to make super long casts and most of the banks are overgrown with weeds and trees just waiting to grab the beautiful loop your 9 foot Sage just gave you. A simple weight forward floating line will fit any situation you come across since even when you talk about “deep pools” the word deep is relative. When most of the creek is 8” to a foot deep a 6 foot pool is about as good as it gets.

For flies I almost always carry one box that fits in my back pocket. I carry all the classics, Wooly Buggers (Black, Chartreuse, Olive), Clousers Minnows (in color matching the local forage) and small deer hair and foam poppers. By far my two most productive patterns for Smallmouth in the last year on smaller streams have been the Sneaky Pete and EMPIE’S Deadly Shiner. The Sneaky Pete gives the same irresistible profile as a standard popper but glides and dives when stripped and won’t spook fish who are normally skittish in the shallow clear water characteristic of great small streams. EMPIE’s Deadly Shiner is my absolute favorite search pattern to fish pools and deeper water. Fished fast it darts through the water and provokes some very aggressive strikes and this winter and early spring I had great success with long slow strips and letting bass grab it as it dropped. Hooking fish in this method takes a bit of intuition if you aren’t sight fishing but can be picked up quickly. The moment you feel any resistance on a strip set the hook. You will hook up on trees and rocks. You will also hook into some of the best Smallmouth you will find in the creek.  The only other things we need is hemostats for pinching barbs and unhooking fish. (Trust me…it is much easier to unhook the monsterous Green Sunfish who just inhaled the popper that fills his entire mouth if you pinch the barbs.) Throw in an extra packet of leader and one small spool of tippet and you are set.  Creek fishing is about covering water and looking for aggressive fish. The lighter and more agile you travel the more success you will have. If the bite just isn’t on or you are exploring new water you’re best bet is to just slow down and look around. Are crawfish scuttling away as you step through the water? Do you see schools of shiners darting past your legs? The fish know what they are eating. It’s up to us to identify (and match) it.

EMPIE'S Deadly Shiner (Left, Right) and the Sneaky Pete (Center) are the first two flies I tie on when exploring new water.

Creek fishing probably isn’t for everyone. The fish will almost never get to be the size that their buddies in the larger rivers and *shudder* lakes do. Starting out you’ll spook fish and spend a lot of time unwrapping line from trees. At some point though, you will have a breakthrough. You’ll realize that the fish have been getting more consistent and larger and that you haven’t seen another angler in the 6 hours you’ve been here. Small stream fly fishing is fly fishing boiled down to it’s essence and stripped of it’s unnecessary complications. It’s you and the fish. You are a visitor in their entire world and you should respect that experience as such. Next time you have a free afternoon open up Google Maps and find a thin blue line. You may be finding your next obsession.   

  

Overly Underrated....

"Most of the world is covered by water. A fisherman's job is simple: Pick out the best parts."
-Charles Waterman

I know what you're thinking.  “Isn’t this called the Ozark’s Smallmouth Alliance? Why am I reading an article about some muddy river up in northern Missouri?” Well, you’re mostly right but there are a few reasons I want to talk to you about the Lower Salt River basin and what an unbelievably underrated Smallmouth fishery it is. The first reason is that they say write what you know and I grew up standing below the Re-regulation dam fishing for hours or stalking through Salt River’s tributary creeks all summer chasing Smallies. It’s my home waters, it’s where I learned to fish, and eventually where I taught myself to fly fish. If there is one river on this planet which I am qualified to talk about with any sort of expertise it’s this one. The second (and more important reason) is that people need to know that this fishery exists and how phenomenal the fishing, and the scenery, can be. If no one is fishing it, no one is protecting it.  With that said, let’s dive in shall we?

The first 15 miles of the Lower Salt River are technically Mark Twain Lake and since this website isn’t dedicated to Crappie fishing and I’m not here to talk about running a bass boat at full plane we are going to skip right over it. The next 9.5 miles are a storage pool formed between Clarence Cannon Dam and the re-regulation dam and are used for wetland purposes so….actually we are going to skip this also. Such an informative article so far! The re-regulation dam at Bluff View Recreation area is where we are going to start to slow down and look around. This is where the Salt River begins to look like a river we typically associate with Smallmouth Bass; as long as the Corp of Engineers isn’t blasting water through the dams like soccer moms through the doors of a Best Buy on Black Friday. You can fish directly below the dam at Bluff View but as long as generation is low I have had much more success in the bottle necked riffle below the main pool.The typical rules of fishing a tailwater apply here and you will want to focus your efforts on finding breaks in the current and seams where baitfish will converge. A small bonus to fishing at Bluff View is that many times bass fishing you will come across some truly impressive Wipers, Gar, and the occasional Paddlefish. Be prepared to backup if the whistle sounds as the water level will rise rapidly.

The ReRegulation Dam at Bluff View

Shore fishermen are going to be limited to 3 good accesses at Bluff View, Indian Camp and the Route V bridge.  Public access on Salt River is few and far between so floating is a difficult prospect unless one enjoys long floats and can plan ahead around the generation schedule. Two floats that can produce double digit numbers of Smallmouth are floating from the boat ramp at the Indian Camp access on Route O to the bridge at Route V or starting at Route V and floating to Bailey Bridge. Both of these floats (provided the discharge at the dams is appropriate) showcase the beauty and classic Ozark river stucture few people expect to find in northeastern Missouri. Riffles and quick runs tucked into bluffs and clay or rock banks give way to deep holes and provide cover for the local Smallmouth. At one point and irrigation pipe crosses the span of the river just under water providing a perfect place for bass to lie in wait to ambush unsuspecting swimbaits and streamers. There are stretches of long slow runs surrounded by farmland but the Largemouth Bass holding in the submerged timber reward those that don’t paddle or motor through these stretches. One afternoon in June a few years back my father and I brought upwards of 30 fish to hand without ever tying on a different lure in between the Route V bridge and Bailey Bridge.

Seams off of the main current can produce good fish in high flow situations.

The last Missouri Department of Conservation population survey of Salt River 80 species of fish were sampled. I could write another thousand words about the amazing variety of species, from almost every region of Missouri, that swim in this river but for our purposes let’s focus on the forage species I believe are most utilized by bass and the patterns and flies I have had the most success with. The most common minnows are Bluntnose Minnows and Red Shiners followed by Creek Chubs and Johnny Darters. There are 5 species of Crayfish but the most prevalent are Golden and Northern Crayfish. We can assume these are the prey most commonly eaten by the Smallmouth in the river and lures imitating these will give us the most success. For Fly Fishermen I would recommend either a 5 or 7 weight fly rod and a leader between 6-12 pounds. My personal favorite flies for Salt River are Wiggle Minnows, Deer Hair Poppers, and Dahlberg Divers for Topwater flies. You won’t catch me on the river without Zuddlers, Sparkle Minnows, or articulated Gonga’s as far as streamers go. Classic flies like Wooly Buggers and Clousers are classic for a reason and have their place in a Salt River box. Wooly Buggers in particular have great value in being able to split the difference between a minnow, crayfish and leech depending on color and retrieve.  For spin fishermen, a Medium action rod with 8 pound test line will work just fine. All the classic smaller river lures will work but my box always holds ⅛ and 3/16 oz Rapala Floating Minnows, Crappie Spins, Rooster Tails, and when all else fails and the trip is on the line you can't beat the classic Beetle Spin or Roadrunner with a curly tail jig body.

So this is it. This is my river. I’m telling you all about it. I’m potentially blowing up my own spot. You may think I’m crazy but I need you all to know about it. If enough people start fishing this river some of you may see the potential that I see in it. With the proper management and if MDC believes that people want to use this river I can see a day when we have public accesses littering the river and we work with landowners to prevent the soil erosion and slow the depositing of silt. People could talk about this river in the same breath that they use to talk about the classic rivers in this state. The fish are there. If you’re new to Smallmouth fishing in Missouri don’t come to Salt River, go to the Huzzah or the Meramec. They should be your introduction. But if you have been doing this for a while and you want a new challenge Salt River should be on your radar.

Salt River Smallies contain all the tenaciousness and beauty of their Ozark cousins.

I’ll be back soon with some general thoughts on small stream fly fishing and maybe some more rivers in northern MO you should check out. Stay tuned..
-Max Turner, July 27th 2017

I know it's not a Smallie but c'mon. That's a really nice bass. 

Whats in a name?

"There is certainly something in angling that tends to produce a serenity of the mind."`
`Washington Irving

Micropterus dolomieu and Micropterus dolomieu velox. Two very similar yet different fish that inhabit the Ozarks of Missouri. Micropterus dolomieu is the Northern Smallmouth bass that is so treasured by fisherman all across this state. It is also the one that many come to the Ozarks to fish for while experiencing some of the greatest scenery that man has laid eyes on. 

Micropterus dolomieu velox is a subspecies that is know as the Nesosho Smallmouth bass. Although it is genetically different than the Northern, it doesn't appear to be "officially" recognized as a separate species. And that may lend to the reason it is not well known. But it does seem that knowledge of the bass is growing. Slowly. 

There are some subtle appearance differences between the two. The lower jaw of the Neosho extends very slightly past the upper lip to a point that the teeth may be seen. Sort of like it had a dip of snuff in. The upper mandible extends to or nearly below the posterior margin of the eye. The Opercular spot on the gill plate appears to be larger and more pronounced than that on the Northern. The body of the Neosho is sleeker, more trout like, than the Northern. It also seems as if the Neosho has a smaller "top out" size than the Northern.

That may be due in part to the subspecific "velox" which means swift or rapid. The Neosho is more of a current dwelling species. It is very rarely found in reservoirs. It loves streams and rivers with good current. When floating the streams that it inhabits, I generally float right on through the longer slow pools, unless the largemouth and spots are biting good, because it is just about a waste of time to fish for them there. 

The Neosho was once found in streams from western Arkansas, SW Missouri, and southern Kansas that drained into the Neosho/Grand river basin in Oklahoma. There have been two devestating events that have greatly reduced their range. The first was the building of many reservoirs along the Neosho/Grand river in Oklahoma. Then beginning in 1990, ODWC(Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation) began stocking the Tennessee strain smallmouth in the reservoirs along the Neosho/Grand River system in an effort to satisfy the needs of lake fishermen that desired to catch a larger smallmouth. Except one, Grand Lake O' the Cherokee's. 

Luckily, in 1999, the ODWC realized what a great mistake it was to be stocking non-native smallmouth in the waters of the relatively rare Neosho and that gene pools would become contaminated. But it was too late and the damage was being done. Thank goodness the ODWC never stocked the Tennessee strain in Grand Lake even though marinas on the lake have been very vocal in wanting the non-native fish. So it is my consensus that any waters that are below or flow into the Grand River below Pensacola Dam, you can not be guaranteed of catching a "pure" Neosho Smallmouth. 

The Neosho is found in five counties of extreme Southwest Missouri. That is probably the largest concentration of pure Neosho left. But fear not. Although the Neosho is a relatively rare species, it is well populated in its home waters of our state. 

18"of goodness!

 As mentioned, the Neosho is a sleeker, somewhat smaller fish than the Northern. Catching one in the 15 to 16 inch range is somewhat common. You will catch a handful of them on a trip. But to get a 17 inch or larger? Good luck. They are about as rare as hen's teeth. I know of one 19 incher that was shocked up by the MDC a few years ago. In talking with the biologist, it was the largest Neosho he had ever seen! I think it is due to the type of water they like to inhibit. They tend to hang out in the swifter flows and resist the slower pools. The largest Neosho that I have caught a was a beautiful 18 incher.  

As these streams and rivers that have their beginnings in the Ozarks of Missouri drift towards the west and the more prairie like topography, they begin to slow and the drop in elevation in feet per mile decreases and so does the population of Neoshos that inhibit these streams. The Spring River for example, draws the line between the typical Ozark landscape and the fertile prairie lands. It has a nice population of Neosho's for the first half of its trip to the west. But once you get about half way across Jasper County, and for the rest of the way to its destination with the Neosho river at Grand Lake, the Neosho is extremely rare if not non existent. 

Probalby the most famous stream that holds the Neosho smallmouth is the Elk river. The Elk begins at the confluence of the Big Sugar and Little Sugar at Pineville. It then runs for 22 miles to the border with Oklahoma. This river is more Ozark like with clear water and tons of gravel all the way to Grand Lake. It has a great population all the way but, once you hit the OK border it really flattens out and slows down. And your catch rate will too. 

Elk River Neosho..

 I typically use three different types of rods for chasing these exotic creatures. I love to use an 5ft ultra lite with small cranks like a WeeCraw or beetlespin and small jigs. I also use a 5ft medium baitcaster for tossing soft craw, plastic worms and bigger cranks. Yes, I am a 5ft man. No, I am taller than that, but that is my preferred length of rod. They fit better in a canoe and they are easier to cast under brush and trees. Now, if I could just get those that sit in the front seat of my canoe to use them, I wouldn't be kissing crankbaits all day! 

But if you really want to have a blast, bring the long rod! That is one day of fun you will never forget! Steamers, crawdad imitations and small jigs work great. 

As for tackle, one may use the same tackle as they would when chasing any bass. Some of my favorite crankbaits are Wiggle Warts,CrankR's, Shad imitations, and Rebel minnows. Really, just about any crank will do. I really like those with a slow wobble though. 

Plastics work really great. In fact, the clearer the water, the more I use plastics over cranks. One of my favorites is a 3 inch soft craw on Pro Spot jig. I also love tossing a 6 inch worm. And I can't say one color out preforms another. I have used just about every color in the same day just to see. They didn't seem to care. I also like tossing Hula grubs to them. I use a 5 incher in watermelon. You can score some really nice fish with these.

Now one difference. They don't seem to care to much for top water. Yes you can catch a few. But don't expect the action to be as fierce as what you are used to with the Northern. These guy's seem to be a little shy about showing themselves. And I find it to be pretty much the same with Spinnerbaits. Don't ask me why, but these are just not very popular with the resident smallmouth. 

When weather turns cooler, I like to break out the hair jigs. Just like anywhere else this will work really good all winter long. I like a 16th oz best but at times need to toss an 1/8 oz depending on conditions. I use mostly natural colors like browns and, blacks and greens. 

When fishing for the Neosho, think largemouth bass and structure. Look for logs, brush and rocks. Really any type of structure near current. Work it like you were fishing for largemouth. Many, many times as I am floating by some type of structure that is caught in the current, I'll just drag my crank right around and just as it comes around, WHAM! fish on! Very seldom will you catch one in the long slow pools. Yes there are some there, but they are few. 

From floating other streams in Missouri outside of the of this corner of the state, none compare to the twisty, turny, structure filled waters that the Neosho calls home. 

Now with that said, the Neosho can be finicky little boogers. On some of the smaller streams, 50 to 100 fish are not really that uncommon, if you spend the time to work them. But those fish will also tend to be mostly in the 10 to 12 inch range with some13 to 14's thrown in just to keep it interesting. 

Move to a larger stream, such as Shoal or Spring, a day of 10 to 20 Neosho's will be about normal. Of course normal sometimes being better and sometimes worse. And with the larger streams comes larger fish. On these types of streams you will catch more fish in the 13 to 15 inch range. 

One other uniqueness this little corner of the Ozarks is the harmony that exists between the Neosho, Kentucky, and Largemouth bass. You can have days where only the Largemouth is providing the action. I have had days, usually associated with the changing weather patterns in the spring and fall, where all you will catch is the Kentucky bass. I have also had days where only the Neosho is active. And bless the days when all three are giving you a run for your money. I like to challenge myself to catch all three species in a day. I don't always succeed, but it isn't for a lack of trying!

I have often questioned myself and my fishing partner if we are of the caliber of fishermen we think we are. But we always think of the trips we have taken out of our home area here in the southwest corner and we always conclude that the Neosho are just generally harder to catch. Or at least that is the answer that we satisfy ourselves with.

So if you feel up to the challenge and want to catch a rare species of smallmouth that calls the Ozarks home, come on down, we'd love to have you!

Britt Graber

Taking a break (or not)...

"The greatest enemy of 'good' is 'better'"
                                                               ~Voltaire

Call it "Smallmouth Immersion". Call it "Bronzeback burn". Call it what you will. For the last 12 months, my fishing life has revolved around this brown denizen of the Ozarks waterways.

I started feeling like I had forgot the other fishes I love to catch. Felt like I had tunnel vision. The very first fish I remember catching is a 4 inch bluegill from a pond at a place called Deer Lake campground in Illinois. We were on a family camping vacation and I distinctly remember throwing a huge 4 year-old-boy-fit to keep and eat it. My Father took it to camp, cleaned it, and my Mother cooked it for me. In Crisco. I still base the taste all fish I eat today off of that one little bluegill...

My brother Jon and I with a stringer of bullheads, circa 1976

My first Trout was in 1976 at Roaring River State park. We had no idea what to do with it. Luckily, Bill Berry and his family ( Nancy, Tony, and Chris) were in the park at the same time. They took pity on us neophytes and taught us the finer points on these "noble creatures". Thus began the long love affair with the Salmonids. Rainbow, Brown, Brook or Bull, Silver, King, Chum or Sockeye, I pursued these fish with vigor. 

In 1984 I took a float on the James river from Kerr access to Galena. I'd fished the James on and off for a few years, but had never been on this stretch. It's only accessible by boat ( or canoe, kayak, raft etc.) and I was amazed at the numbers of "brown bass" we caught. I was duly impressed by the fight these fish would put out. I was hooked. 

1997 found me as the Fly Fishing instructor at Roaring River State park. Trout. 98, 99, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004-Trout, salmon/trout, salmon/trout, salmon/trout, trout trout trout..From '97 to 2004 I spent well over 200 days a year on the water, either guiding or fishing. Then I needed a break...

I took a 3 or 4 year break from all fishing. Had kids, got a "career" going, did the adult thing.
I had lost the 4 year old kid who caught his first bluegill. If I did fish, it felt forced. Don't get me wrong, I missed it. Too much fishing...or guiding, which became work, can cause some PTSD. I didn't want to work, I wanted to fish. I still spent (too) much time in the yard (according to my ex, anyway) casting my favorite 4 and 5 weights. Still read all the rags, and talked fishing with anyone who would listen. 

In 2008 my buddy and neighbor David Moore asked me to go on an annual trip he took to the Little Red tailwater in Arkansas. I had fished the Little Red a bunch in the years past, and he was going in late November. Prime Time for big brown trout. It took me all of 10 minutes to say yes. 

So I spent 5 days at Lobo Landing, fishing Cow Shoals, Swinging Bridge, Mossy Shoals and Libby Shoals. Three of those days were spent trying to get my form back, two were spent in glorious combat with big to huge browns. I lost a fish on day four that was as big or bigger than any King Salmon or Steelhead I had hooked in Alaska (isn't that the way it goes?).
I was back! More succinctly, the fire was back. I came back from that trip with a renewed energy for fishing. 

The next 3 years was spent in pursuit of anything with fins; White Bass, Stripers, Hybrids, Goggle-Eye, Crappie, Redear, Trout ( albeit on a limited basis), Largemouth and Smallmouth, Carp, you name it, I was after it. And a new twist; I was fishing conventional gear as much or more than the flyrod. I didn't care. 

Fired UP!!!

Here's where the plot thickens; In 2013 I was wearing out the white bass on Taylor Shoals, just above Blunk access on the James River. I had 10 in the basket and was culling small males. Cast....strip...strip...strip...BAM! Wait; that's not a white bass. Heavy, head shaking pulls and a flash of bronze. BIG smallie. Two hard runs and a good jump later, I had a 17 inch bronze warrior at my feet. Damn. That was fun. Two more casts, two more white bass. Then BAM! Another Brown Bass. Then another. Then a fourth. Lost a fifth on the reach and then back to whites..Man, those smallies pull HARD!

I went home that night and researched the Ozarks Smallmouth. Not just in Missouri. Oklahoma, Arkansas, SE Kansas. I spent the next month reading all I could about them. 
Spent every minute fishing trying to catch them. 

In May of 2016 I decided to get serious about OSA. During my research I saw an alarming number of these fish on stringers. Wait, we can only keep 4 hatchery raised trout but we can keep 6, wild, stream-born never stocked smallmouth? Bad math. No offense to those who make the rules, but really? 

I boosted one post for $20 and off she went. 2000 followers by July 4th. 4000 by December 15th. 5700 as of this post. 10 months later..Smallmouth, smallmouth, smallmouth...

The one that started it all

This picture had 2.3k likes and reached over 70k people. Now we have BronzeFest 2017 coming up. We're sponsoring two BFL anglers and a Kayak Tournament trail. We work with The Fallen Outdoors, Project Healing Waters, Missouri Smallmouth Alliance, and a host of other advocates for the Fighters well being. I made the Pro Staff for OMTC, and am on the National Pro Staff for Wilderness Systems Kayaks. The term "whirlwind" doesn't describe the last year or so...

So. Maybe "Bronzeback Burn" is a little strong. Maybe I needed to write this to remind myself why I love these fish so much. We don't just use "Free. The. Fighter" as a tag line. We live it. All of 5700+ of us. Everyone who likes a post, shares a picture, sends kind words, rocks our decals, and lets a smallmouth go, is our brother or sister. 

In the end, all streams lead to an ocean. It's spring now, and I'll be headed to the James early tomorrow. Water is way up, 4000 CFS at Galena. But that won't matter to me. Every cast could be the next big fish. White Bass, Smallmouth, Largemouth, Carp...Regardless of the species, I'll be there...

Thank you for your support...

Flies, Furled Leaders and Friends...

"Fly fishing is the most fun you can have standing up."

-Arnold Gingrich, 1969

Fishing, Floating and Furled Leaders by Shawn Seabaugh.

Clouds hung low and oppressive as we loaded the kayaks on the truck. A motley crew we were, as diverse as the types of boats we were using. My two-person recreational kayak rigged for fishing was the ugly duckling, but you do what you have to do when it comes to kayak fishing.

Kayaks and trucks loaded, we wound our way through the city streets and headed west to Clearwater lake. The days’ objective is to float a portion of the Black River above the lake for Smallmouth and white bass.

We traveled across three counties as we watched the clouds ungulate with little sign of clearing. A poorly marked gravel road added 30 minutes to our trip, and high water from the previous day’s rains dropped out hearts when we reached the access.

Large, swift, muddy water greeted us as we pulled up. A quick tailgate meeting, a look at a map and we were back in the trucks looking for some place a little less likely to wash our kayaks away.

We settled on the spillway below the damn. Boats filled the area as anglers were snagging for spoonbill. The prehistoric fish gains popularity every spring in Missouri. We quickly unloaded our kayaks and dawned waders and life vests. Streamers and small jigs adorned our fly rods and miraculously, as if the fishing gods were watching, the sun began to peak from the clouds as I pulled by kayak to the water.

Fishing was slow as the water was cold, but casting was easy and stripping an articulated Gonga fly I had recently tied was relaxing. The sun brought the wind and, without an anchor the three of us drifted together talking and fishing.

After a few hours, we regrouped and headed to Sam A. Baker park and Big Creek. One of our friends, Todd, a conventional fisherman, had recently purchased a fly rod and was interested in learning to cast and fish. I tied him on one of my favorite Wooly Bugger patterns and waded into the swift water. Together we worked for twenty minutes or so, showing and replicating the loop. Looking at simple techniques and trying to prevent the seeds of bad habits.

Again, the water was high and fast, but we found a cut that was accessible without wading. It was there, we watched as Todd cast and stripped the Chili Pepper. With a mutter and snort Todd proclaimed he was snagged, but to his delight a toad of a Smallie turned and ran. They were both hooked. The fish, living in swift current was strong and fat from crayfish. The 5 wt bent and the furled leader and tippet were tested as the fish weaved in and around the underwater debris. 

Slowly, the fish turned and Todd landed his first fish on his first bug on his first day of fly fishing. Some days are all about the fishing. Catching more than your buddy or landing your largest fish of the season, but this day, the first float of the spring, was about laughs, jokes and guy learning a new way to Free. The. Fighter.

Sacred Waters

"Rivers and the inhabitants of the watery elements are made for wise men to contemplate and for fools to pass by without consideration."

-Isaac Walton

My Fishing Hole

I was recently talking with a fellow fisherman when he mentioned fishing in a river that I call home. I was not upset, as I have seen several people fish there, but he knew of a few spots that are along a private stretch where their is very little access. Most people either have to know someone, or be prepared to float 17 miles to the next access. Thus, I was a little upset when he was talking about MY hole!

This brought me to an interesting paradox that we often face as fishermen. How do we proclaim and even preach the idea of waterways being public and want to string up those that find our favorite holes by the toes? 

I don’t mind fishing where there are others. I have fished Current, Eleven point, and Meramec, so I know that there are packed parking lots and holes that are occupied. I don’t crowd others or try to push them from holes. By all accounts I am a good natured guy with a live and let live attitude toward others. I have even float past people sitting in their own backyard and have no issue tossing a bug right in front of them, but this all changes on MY River at My Hole!

There just seems to be something about those places that we hold sacred, those places that we grew up fishing on, that makes us unwilling to share. The funny thing about the jealousy is that it is strictly one-way. I know that on any given day I am fishing I could be getting the same stink eye that I am so willing to dish out. What makes this jealousy even more ridiculous is that there are several people that all claim the same stretch of water. 

So how do we handle these irrational emotions? I have personally thought about rigging my kayak with a spear to ram and sink others… but that is another story for another day…. The real answer is that I don’t know. 

In the end, rivers are public, and I am glad they are, but there will always be one stretch of river that I will think of as my own. 

~Shawn Seabaugh